Let food be thy medicine and thy medicine be food.  ~Hippocrates

I have been an advocate for food as medicine since I healed the cancer that threatened my well being.  Before the cancer, I had never viewed food as having power.  Pre-cancer, I viewed food as something to fill my stomach.  I will be the first to say that I was foolish to think such a thing.

Even though I am a healer, and practice many healing rituals, my body still exhibits symptoms that’d I’d rather not deal with.  It seems people have a misunderstanding that healers do not fall ill, or are above becoming sick.  That is a misconception in every way.

With fall in full colors, my head and my sinuses have not been happy.  Friends and family insist on me taking allergy pills, pain medicine, even other chemical versions of foods that are readily available to us in the fall.

Perhaps nature’s way of relieving fall pain is by providing us fall foods that will strike us symptom-less.

A friend of mine suggested I use MSM, a chemical grade of sulfur, as it helped her with her allergies, migraines, and other complaints.  I had never even heard of this chemical and started to research sulfur rich foods, which was when I found that many fall vegetables are excellent sources of sulfur.

Some sulfur rich foods include:

• Garlic
• Onions
• Sweet Potatoes
• Parsley
• Swiss Chard
• Cabbage
• Pak Choi
• Watercress
• Broccoli
• Legumes
• Eggs
• Asparagus

On a hunch that if I ate more of these sulfur rich foods my symptoms would be history, I decided to make a sweet potato soup and include many of the ingredients above!  As you can probably guess by now, I am without symptoms, and felt a difference within 30 minutes of eating my medicine.

I know my way around a kitchen, and thought that I would share with you my version of allergy kicking sweet potato soup.  (FYI…. I’m not fond of sweet potatoes and I found it enjoyable!)

Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

• Nitrate Free Bacon
• 2 Large Onions (chopped)
• 1/2 head of garlic (chopped)
• 5 stalks of celery (chopped)
• 5 carrots (chopped)
• 4-5 sweet potatoes (peeled and chopped)
• 1 box of broth (any will do)
• 2-3 cups of water
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Sour cream

First I browned the bacon until crisp in my soup pot and set aside to crumble for the topping.  In the bacon fat, then saute’ the onions, garlic, celery, & carrots.  If more fat is needed, you can add butter or coconut oil, I personally use just a small amount of the stock to bring up the flavors of the bacon in the bottom of the pan.  Adding the rest of the stock and sweet potatoes, the liquid should be just covering the potatoes.  If not, add 2-3 cups of water until just covered.

Let the potatoes cook on medium heat until soft, then remove from heat and use either an immersion blender (my favorite) or a regular blender to slowly blend the soup together.

Top with crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese, & sour cream as one desires.

I have omitted salt and pepper from the recipe, as it is a taste factor.  Some people like salt & pepper, others do not.  Certainly, use salt and pepper as you see fit as well as the toppings for the soup!

Another tip:  I added kale and swiss chard to my soup for added nutrients.  To add a bitter green, boil some water, cook the green for just a minute and remove from water.  Then add to soup before blending!  Cooking the bitter greens this way takes the bitterness out of the green while preserving all the nutrients!

I have decided to host a blog carnival with the subject title:  An Inspiration!

Entries should contain works of inspiring content:  non-fiction, fiction, & poetry.  What motivates you?  Where do you find your inspiration to do the things you do?  What inspires you to do better?  Let’s give our readers some different perspectives with creativity!

Deadline is December 15, 2009  12pm PST.

To enter the carnival, please email me here with your submission!

I’ve just created a facebook group called Pacific Northwest Spirituality.  I’ve designed this group with the intention of giving service providers and seekers of spirituality a place to connect.

I have a further vision with this group!  I feel that having a gathering for people who are service providers with area seekers of service would be priceless!

So please, take a moment to check out this humble little group, (with just me as a member for the time being), here:  http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=162403631923

Let’s grow it together!

Go check out:

Spiritual Writing Contest

This contest is open to anyone 18 years of age or older.  I am the host of this contest.  I am opening up my publishing skills to help us all share our experiences and Personal Revelations!

This should be EXCITING!!!

Do you ever sit and contemplate the meaning of your life?

Do you ever lay on the beach, stare at the ocean and wonder where vastness originated?

Do you ever gaze at people around you and ask yourself if they know the secret to happiness?

What if there is no meaning to life?  I know, I know…. religious zealots will sacrifice their first borns to tell you what they believe to be the meaning of life, theirs, yours, and everyone else’s.  Monks will silently hummm to what they believe is the meaning of life.

I know and have known many people who have spent their entire lives waiting….. waiting for the right job to give them happiness, the right spouse, the right apartment, the right location…. as if happiness was dependent upon some invisible and unattainable threads of access that only *special* people who sell Amway can use.

I know and have known many people who think other people have the answers.  These people wait for something invisible and incredible to creep into them at night, and make them special.  They will pay any price to feel special, look special, BE special.

What if…..
What if all you ever had or will have is right in front of you?
What if all you ever wanted or wanted to be is right in front of you for the taking?
What if the bills that you claim keep you from your joy are just excuses because you are scared to really live?
What if the excuses you give yourself to stay in the box of your existance fell away?

What would you be left with?

You.

You are all you’ve got.
You are all you’ve ever needed.
You are it.  It’s just you and YOU.

Nothing really stands in the way of your happiness….. except you.
Let’s get real…. right here….. right now.

If you want to die, then die.  Stop giving yourself excuses for not living.  At least have the courage, the guts, the cahonies to stand up to your inner self and admit that you don’t really want to live.  You’d really rather not be responsible and eat your chocolate in bed…. or smoke your pipe….. or drink that wine….. or watch tv….. or cry and whine to everyone who will listen to how you are the biggest victim and take your pills.

If you want to live, then stand your ass up and do it.  Eat like you want to live.  Talk like you want to live.  Act like you want to live.  LIVE like you are ALIVE.

I’ll tell ya…. every life coach, every spiritual guidance person is thinking it and won’t say it.  GET YOUR ASS UP!  Plug IN to life and stop the whining!

If you don’t want to live, thats ok.  That’s right…. I said that’s ok.  Then you are at least being honest with yourself and that is the only place you can begin….. with honesty.

After all,  This Is Your Life.
Ya just might as well live it.
There really isn’t anything to lose…. we are all leaving life eventually.

A friend of mine who is house hunting in the Bellingham area of Washington State was perusing through homes to purchase and found an incredible photo!

This picture just speaks for itself and I encourage you Strongly to look at it.  I am unsure if the realtor is even aware of what this is a picture of.

The link to the site is here.  (They have taken down the information and the photo is no longer available.  Since they have removed the photo, I will do my best to describe it.)

It is a picture of 3 doorways in an empty living room area.  In the right center of the hardwood floor, is the brightest outlined figure of an angel kneeling, looking as if praying.  All shadows are cast in such a way that makes this photograph only explainable by a separate source of the brightest light you can imagine.

Many people who saw the picture completely overlooked the bright light because it is SO bright it makes it difficult to see!  (Even though it is completely obvious!)

This figure casts a reflection onto the hardwood floor as well as ceiling above.  When I pixelated the photo, you can see the energy source and the perfect outline of a person’s profile (I think angel), and you can see the wing go above the head, and the head being held in the palms of the figure’s hands (as if in prayer or contemplation).

I am going to email the agent today and ask for permission to publish the photo here.  But I’m almost sure that some other paying publication has beat me to it.

The house is only $239,000.  If I had the extra dough, I’d buy it in a heartbeat!  Wow.  That’s the only word I have.

Divination tools for me, are an important part of communication with my higher self.  Sometimes I don’t always hear the messages correctly, see them in a way that makes sense to me, and sometimes I’m so close to an issue that I cannot decipher a penny from a dollar.  This is when my divination tools create an avenue of understanding between my logical mind and my higher self.

Tarot

I have several tarot decks and each one has a specific use or theme.  I have two decks that I only use for other people’s readings, and several of which are reserved for my energies only.  Tarot cards are a game in some parts of Europe while being a divinity tool in most parts of the world.  I encourage everyone who is interested in tarot readings to get a deck of ones own.  Understanding the tarot and its meanings empowers a person while receiving an expert tarot reading.  You’ll know instantly whether or not the expert is a true expert.

Tarot decks consist of 78 cards, 4  suits of 14 called the Cups, Wands, Pentacles, and Swords, plus 22 trump cards called the Major Arcana.  In the Major Arcana, archetypes such as the Devil, the Heirophant, the Empress, and the Emperor call special attention to the designated meanings of these cards.

While receiving a tarot reading, how does one know if the person (usually a psychic) is giving you the appropriate interpretation?  You cannot be sure.  This is why I feel it is important for each person to learn about the tarot themselves.  Overall, my advice would be:  If you have left the reading feeling confused, the interpretation was off.  Tarot readings should inspire, not confuse.

Some of my favorite resources for understanding tarot are:

Easy Tarot
Animals Divine Tarot
The Rumi Tarot Kit
Revelations Tarot
Tarot Companion
Tarot Awareness

Runes

Runes are angular symbols carved on stone, wood, or metal first made by German, English, Frisians and Scandinavian ancestors.  The word rune means hidden, and comes from ancient Goths.

For me, runes hold a special place.  Whenever I need the utmost and direct interpretation, I go to my runes.  The runes’ divinity meanings correspond with an ancient alphabet.  It is almost a secret language, in which ones higher self can speak fluently.

Some of my favorite Rune resources are:

Wooden Rune Kit
A Practical Guide to the Runes
Rose Quartz Runes

Divining Rods or Dowsing

Divining rods have long been known to help settlers find the best place to drill for water, oil, or other substances as rods seem to pick up subtle energy bodies, called dowsing.

Divining rods can be made of two metal L shaped rods, a forked branch, or two straight branches.  I personally made my divining rods from a heavy gauge copper wire in the L shape.  The energy that comes through the rods is a bit much for me to handle (my hands go numb), so I must make some kind of handles without barring the rods from working properly.

I have found power leakages in my home with divining rods, and last used, I found an abundant amount of energy stored in a couple of doorways.  Does anyone know the meaning to this?  I have since cleared them with sage, but am curious as to what that means!

My favorite divining rod resource is:

Dowsing for Beginners

Pendulums

Pendulums are a staple to most people who use any kind of divination tool.  Easily made from household materials, the pendulum is all about finding balance and equilibrium.  Some cultures even use pendulums for medical diagnosis.

My favorite pendulums are made of gemstones!  Some great pendulum resources are:

Rose Quartz Chakra Pendulum
Pendulum Power Magic Kit
Silver Drop Pendulum

I hope to inspire you to expand your divination methods and maybe introduce yourself to something new!

Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, is something I became aware of a few years ago while researching the emotional benefits of energy healing for my own practice.

EFT, as described on the founder’s website, is an emotional, needlefree version of acupuncture.  Anyone can learn and use EFT for themselves for a plethora of issues such as:  eating disorders, serious illnesses, pain management, children’s issues,  panic & anxiety, and fears or phobias.

I have been practicing my own version of EFT since I first learned the easy technique (which is a free download below and demonstrated for free on You Tube:  Waking Up with EFT).  (There are thousands of videos featuring EFTon You Tube.) I have witnessed it heal deep emotional scars from sexual abuse and poor parenting to healing the desire to smoke cigarettes.

I believe that EFT can be used to heal ANYTHING because it seems to awaken our higher selves with some kind of direct communication.  Imagine talking to your soul…. that is what EFT feels like when used.

For the last few months, during the psychic readings I give, I’ve been finding myself teaching EFT to my clients where there has been emotional scarring from death or not having the ability to communicate with loved ones, passed or still living.

In my personal experience of emotional healing, I’ve heard my whole life how forgiveness is the key to healing.  Yet, no one had ever explained to me the guts and dynamics of forgiveness.  It seemed that forgiveness somehow was asleep, and was lying outside of myself.  I couldn’t wrap my head around the core concept the way it was explained.  Now let me tell you this:

EFT has the ability to awaken real forgiveness on a soul level inside every person who utilizes it.

The Cons of EFT:
1.  EFT certification, to me, seems a bit redundant.  If anyone can learn it, why spend the money on certification and dvds?  Just send the information along and pass along the healing tool!
2.  EFT practictioners seem to charge quite a bit for something that anyone can learn for themselves.  I don’t see people charging $100 an hour to teach bike riding lessons.  (And EFT is easier than bike riding.)

The Pros:
1.  EFT is free.
2.  EFT is easy.
3.  EFT works.

It is my sincere hope, that you, who are reading this right now, seriously research and use EFT for yourself.

When you make the decision to engage the simple EFT method in your life, remember this blog post and remember to send this to everyone you know who could use some hope, some joy, some healing, and some self love.

EFT gets 5 stars from me!

EFT Free Download Link
EFT Website

I have been giving personal attention to the possibility of purchasing a sauna in the past couple of years.  Living in the Pacific Northwest, where sun and warmth in the winter is as abundant as penguins in the Sahara, I’m being personally drawn to steaming myself in some healing good vibes.

Last year, I researched saunas to the point of information overload.  I was going to build myself a sauna, Finland style.  In Finland, there are 5.1 million residents and 1.5 million saunas.  One sauna to every 3 people.  I think the Finnish would qualify as experts in my opinion, or at least moreso than the salesperson at the sauna and hot tub place in town.  One of the resources I found lots of information is Finnish Sauna:  Building Advice.  Another great resource is Kalle Hoffman’s Sauna Building.

After reading these, I was envisioning sweating out my toxins with joy!  Splashing the hot rocks with water…. the hot steam opening my pores…. (sighing with envy of all the Finnish).

I was planning everything out when I realized that to build my sauna in a correct way, it was going to cost me more in materials (those heaters are spendy) than if I just went out and bought a kit.

With more research about the benefits of all types of saunas under my belt, I am even more determined to make a sauna part of my daily lifestyle and I’ve decided to go the far infrared sauna route.  Comparing the Finnish style sauna with the more modern, inexpensive and convenient far infrared sauna, these are some of the increased benefits of the infrared:

• Weight Loss
• Clearing Acne
• Soften Scars
• Help Clear Cellulite
• Reduces Risk of Sunburn (Infrared benefit only)
• Pain Relief
• Helps Repair Injuries
• Detoxification

I am going to make it a goal this summer to buy an infrared sauna.  I have found so many brands, prices, and to me, it all seems the same.  I found one company that offers a lifetime warranty at unbelievable low prices.  At first look, the prices were so low I thought it was an internet scam.  A friend of mine bought from LuxSauna and her sauna is absolutely comparable to any of the higher cost saunas I’ve seen.  I haven’t used hers, but I’m going to!

I did notice, that in the last 3 months, LuxSauna has increased their pricing by about $500.  The simple model was available for about $1500 and is now almost $2000.  Still, in comparison with other brands LuxSauna walks away with the best value in my opinion.

Comparison 1– 2 person infrared sauna.  $2999.99 on sale.

Comparison 2–  ??? Not sure of details other than price is $3695.  This website makes little sense of their products.

Comparison 3–  2 person, infrared sauna. $3495 on sale.

It is my hope that everyone seriously contemplates the purchase of a sauna for the betterment of their health and life.  Another blog compares the cancer rates of Finland, France, and Denmark.  The US isn’t compared, and I’m not sure I would want to see how the US rates.  Oiy.  I think these statistics speak highly for the Finland sauna lifestyle.

I’m gonna make myself sauna happy and sweat myself silly this next fall and winter!  When you make your new sauna purchase, remember me, remember this post, and sweat in affordable style!

Margarita anyone?

Update:  I have noticed since I posted this entry, that there are a lot of people searching for keywords like:  Luxsauna Scam, Luxsauna is Bad, etc.  If you are reading this and have had a bad experience with Luxsauna, PLEASE POST A COMMENT!  I absolutely do NOT want to be sending them business if they are not reputable!

What is Energy Healing?

Energy healing (sometimes called Pranic, Reiki, or Tantric healing) is a system that allows the people involved to connect to life consciousness and spirit.

Does Energy Healing work?

There have been many studies indicating that energy therapies have emotional, mental, and physical benefits!  Dr. Mehmet Oz has been a leading voice in energy therapies and employs an energy worker during each of his surgeries for each patient.

A testimonial from a once skeptic:  I must say that today, has been the first day where I haven’t felt a significant amount of pain or swelling & I was on my feet ALL DAY.  I still have, like I said, pin point pain … but whatever you did, I am forever grateful for.  I never used to believe in energy healing, but that was because I wasn’t educated on it and never knew anyone that was capable of it.  You have made me a STRONG believer.

You can decide if Energy Healing works for you!

What are the benefits of Energy Healing?

*Keeps one self centered in spirit
*Helps spiritual growth and emotional clearing
*Raises the vibrational frequency of the body
*Increases vitality
*Postpones the aging process
*Supports the immune system
*Reduces side effects
*Assists in the body’s natural recovery after surgery and chemotherapy
*Assists in toxin removal
*Removes energy blockages
*Relieves pain
*Aids the breaking of addictions
*Reduces blood pressure
*Aids in deeper sleep
*Accelerates the body’s self healing ability
*Creates a deep relaxation

Energy healing is something that a person can learn to do themselves.  There isn’t any magic associated with using energy to relax or heal.

Try this:

1.  Sit in a comfortable position in a quiet place.
2.  Imagine a soft, comforting swirl of energy at the top of your head.
3.  See this soft, comforting energy move through the top of your head down through your toes, and into the earth.
4.  See this soft, comforting energy swirl around in the earth’s energy and come back up through your toes out the top of your head.

You can move this energy quickly or slowly, depending on what your natural inclinations are.  This is really the extent of using energy.  The more you practice doing this, the more you will be sensitive to subtle energy bodies.

Happy Healing!