1) You're faced with a decision and you would like some insight on the pros, cons and possible outcome of each direction. A good read can help break down the energetic climate of each path. This doesn't mean you'll be told what choice is better, but it does mean you'll be armed with the information you need to make a more informed decision. 2) You feel stuck or in a rut. The cards are a mirror, and also a spark. A reading can help inspire you to see and breath new life into what seems like an old routine. Whether that means exposing your blocks and barriers or prompting you to dive into something fresh and exciting, a reading can bust down those walls and help you see the many paths available. 3) You're embarking on something brand new. Whether this is a job, relationship or major purchase - the cards can help you check your blind spots and provide practical advice for the next steps on the journey. 4) And actually, relationships in general are a great reason to consult Maybe you've been having difficulty interpersonally or maybe everything is going swimmingly and you just want to know how to keep it up! Whatever the case, a good read can help you understand the strengths, challenges and how to bring your best to any situation where partnerships are involved. 5) You know you have a team around you, spiritually speaking, and you'd like a way to tap into them and receive guidance. I use tarot and oracle decks to communicate with the spirit guide realm, including crossed ancestors, and to me, this is a completely valid way to not only gain insight but also learn exactly who is in our corner. This can be an especially powerful type of reading if you've been feeling lonely or disconnected. These readings are not only one of my favorite ways to use the cards for myself, they're also one of my favorite ways to bridge the connection for others. www.oshunspirit.com/store/p315/WorkYourLightOracleCardReading.html
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PLEASE SEE ME by Susan Berry This novel is a journey through darkness to light, told in seven voices including that of the protagonist, Junior, who murdered at 17 unexpectedly turns hero upon his return to earth as a spirit. He finds himself in the Earthkeepers classroom on the day that a ten year old points an assault rifle at Mrs. Berry, his mind controlled by the demons Dilly brings with him to school. Eleven year old Dilly is highly susceptible to the forces of evil. Under the influence of his Grandmother’s witchcraft for hire schemes, his mental health issues and history of family violence go unaddressed. The book also takes the reader into the life of Kim Lee, the gentle “peace” officer who struggles with societal and professional expectations and keeps his private life a secret. As he aspires to bring love and understanding to all he serves he witnesses the blighted lives of the families in his neighborhood; the kids who suffer adverse childhood experiences; abuse and neglect, poverty, families who struggle with mental illness and addiction, and the reality of gun violence in his community. Enter Mrs. Berry, a trauma-sensitive educator whose social emotional learning program for at-risk elementary school students is called Earthkeepers. Skilled at redirecting children's reactive behavior and teaching love and kindness as a way of life she understands all too well that children today often grow up in a world that can be scary, dangerous, and violent. This story is about the children and families who benefit from the mindful practices she teaches through The Web of Life and The Way of the Circle including indigenous spirituality, meditation, natural healing, aromatherapy, and yoga - and those who have not had access to her unique approach.You will not see the ending coming. PLEASE SEE ME should appeal widely to readers of memoirs, suspense, metaphysical mystery and contemporary magical realism as well as educators and parents wishing to learn more about the prevalence of childhood trauma and the need to respond with empathy and understanding. Packaged within a mesmeric story, it offers a compassionate approach to support those children with trauma, and illustrates the beauty of nature education as a protective factor. When many people think of cannabis, they automatically think about marijuana. This often comes with a stigma, and there are many who still believe that CBD and THC are the same thing, and that using CBD products is going to get them high. That’s not the case at all! In fact, CBD, as you will see below, has some fantastic options available, it can provide a range of benefits, and it does not contain any psychoactive ingredients. It is perfectly healthy and legal for you to use, and even to sell. You will also find that there are many different types and forms of CBD that are in use today, including topicals, such as CBD lotions, creams and soap. Topical solutions can be a fantastic choice for those who are looking for an easily accessible method of using CBD for various reasons. It is still a relatively uncommon form for CBD, but it can work very well and offer some substantial benefits. How Does CBD Soap Work? The soap contains CBD, as the name suggests. The CBD will bind to the CB2 network of receptors in the body. These receptors are found all over the body. There are natural endocannabinoids in the body, but these are not always enough to provide you with the benefits that you need. Through the use of soap, which is absorbed through the body and to the receptors, this additional CBD can provide the body with a wealth of benefits, and you never have to worry about any psychoactive effects. One of the reasons that people are really starting to enjoy CBD soap is the fact that they are not going to need to worry about how and where it can be used. It is very simple, as is the case with many of the best CBD products on the market today. You can keep it in your bathroom cabinet, or you can even take some along with you when you travel. There is nothing that differentiates this from other bar soaps except for the fact that it contains CBD and could provide you with health benefits. What Types of Symptoms Could This Treat? Why are people interested in CBD soap, and why might you want to start using it? You will find that it can provide you with a range of fantastic benefits for your skin, to help deal with pain, and more. Many people who have used the soap have found that it can help to reduce inflammation. Those who have skin that is often puffy, or that is red and itchy will typically find that it is due to inflammation. CBD has been shown to help to deal with and control inflammation, and it has even been used to help with psoriasis and other types of conditions of the skin. This includes acne. With acne, the CBD could help to reduce the natural oil production in the skin. For those who have acne because the body produces an inordinate amount of oil, the CBD could potentially help to suppress this problem. This could provide relief from acne sufferers, particularly those who have severe acne and who have not had any luck with other types of treatments. There are some fantastic benefits that can come from adding CBD soap to your skin care and over all wellness regimen. It can make a big difference in your life, in the way you look and the way you feel!
CBD soap is the latest CBD-infused topical product to hit the market. Using it CBD soap promotes skin wellness and can help those battling from dry skin, eczema, acne and environmental stressors which lead to a loss of vitality and elasticity. Skincare soaps that contain CBD oil or hemp oil as a core ingredient have been shown to significantly decelerate the aging process by interacting with the endocannabinoid system. The CBD isolate used to prepare the soap is renowned for its high contents of essential fatty acids such as omega 3, 6 and 9. These essential oils have excellent dermatological benefits. Its is time to immerse yourself in CBD goodness and see and feel the results for yourself. You will be back for more!keeping it soft and smooth. What's clear from numerous studies is that CBD oil functions as an anti-inflammatory. It has a unique ability to help calm skin, particularly skin that's acne-prone. Because acne is an inflammatory condition, research indicates CBD's soothing properties can help diminish breakouts and reduce redness. The antibacterial, antifungal and anti-oxidizing properties of CBD help to clear up any skin complaints and keep your skin soft, glowing and healthy. Our CBD soap also offers a calming sense of well-being thanks to the botanical synergies and a crystalline boost! Its is time to immerse yourself in CBD goodness and see and feel the results for yourself. You will be back for more!
Ever wonder how some people seem to attract exactly what they want? Want to know how to become that magnetic yourself? If you are not consistently manifesting your authentic desires, it’s time to consider implementing some strategies to become more magnetic so you too can powerfully attract what you want! What are your thoughts about people who seem truly happy but obviously are not co-creating their life. Are some people more lucky than others in life? The answer is no, it’s not about luck at all. Subscribing to luck energy holds us in powerlessness, a place of things happening to us vs. things happening because of us. The truth is: the single greatest force that magnetizes our personal realities is what we are feeling emotionally. Happy people magnetize happy experiences. And what we are feeling emotionally is a function of our thoughts, beliefs and actions. The happy people who just “lucked out” and have no clue how they are magnetizing great lives are people who grew up in environments which instilled healthy beliefs and behaviors within them.Their healthy “wiring” triggers desirable emotional states. And it is these emotional states that magnetize the their future reality. Believe it or not, they weren’t lucky to have had that “wiring” either. I believe each soul has a specific wisdom journey that it chose before it came to this planet in order to gather wisdom around specific human experiences – your experiences are showing you what wisdom journey your soul designed for itself this time around. When we accept that we chose and continue to choose all our experiences, it returns us to a place of power, a place we can heal and create from, a place where we can use what we have experienced to manifest desires that are filled with meaning and importance. So…are you ready to amp up your magnetism so you can attract what is meaningful and important to you and the world? Good, sit back and try these. 1. Take a bath. Take a bath in the emotional experience of what you desire. For example, if you want to attract an ideal life partner, ask yourself what emotional experience having this in your reality would bring you – joy, intimacy, adventure, peace, security? Write them down on a cue card next to your bed and remember to ‘bathe’ in these emotions every night before sleep. Just read the emotion and imagine taking a bath in that energy vibration. Soak in it as long as you can. When we sustain positive emotional states that match with our desires vibrationally, we become more magnetic to what we want an well as to many other experiences that resonate with those emotional values. 2. Breathe. Another way to cultivate and sustain these emotional states is to use the breath. Identify the emotions one at a time and imagine breathing in the essence of that emotion on your inhale. Imagine your breath moving this emotional energy into each of the cells in your body. Then breathe out any energy blocking the emotion you want on your exhale. Cycle through this breathing exercise for at least a minute or until you feel your cells vibrating at the desired emotional frequency. 3. Pivot out of pain. If you catch yourself in a negative emotional state like anger, frustration or resentment, it is important to pivot out of these states as quickly as possible so as not to create more of that emotional experience in the future INSTEAD of what we really desire. We can do this by asking a few simple questions: a) What am I thinking or doing right now that is triggering this negative emotion? b) What can I think or do differently to trigger an improved emotional state? c) Think or do that! When we can become cognizant of the thoughts and behavior patterns lurking behind our pain we can start shifting it in any moment we choose – in the middle of an argument or in a grocery store line up! Practice these tools and watch the miracles of magnetism unfold! Making YOU Magnetic, Cortisol is a stress hormone that plays a role in your body’s fight-or-flight response, which is how your body reacts to stress or threats. When you’re in danger, your body prepares to either stay and “fight” or run away and “flee.”
In prehistoric times, the fight-or-flight response was crucial for our ancestors to survive attacks from enemies or animals. But you don’t have to be in a jungle fighting tigers to feel ongoing stress. Our bodies have similar reactions to less life-threatening issues, like stressful meetings at work or arguments with loved ones. A daily, busy lifestyle alone may lead to high cortisol levels. Cortisol affects many parts of your body. It increases your heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate, muscle tension, and blood sugar levels. This is why your heart pounds, you sweat, and experience heavy breathing when you’re in a stressful situation. Cortisol also slows down certain body processes, like digestion and reproduction, to conserve energy. Cortisol can even suppress the immune system, increasing your risk of infection. What Causes High Cortisol Levels? The hypothalamus (located in the brain), pituitary gland, and adrenal glands all play a role in releasing cortisol into your bloodstream. The following factors can lead to elevated cortisol:
The side effects from certain drugs may also include raising your cortisol levels. For example, birth control pills for contraception, or corticosteroids, typically prescribed for autoimmune diseases, can raise cortisol. Occasionally, problems with your pituitary gland, a small organ in the brain, or problems with your adrenal glands can elevate cortisol levels. Common High Cortisol Symptoms High cortisol levels can lead to a variety of symptoms. Too much cortisol has a negative effect on your health, and continued exposure may lead to what doctors call Cushing’s syndrome (also called hypercortisolism). Cushing’s typically leads to weight gain around the mid-section, face, and upper back, with weight loss from legs. High cortisol levels can also cause adrenal fatigue, which happens when your adrenal glands are in overdrive from producing this hormone. Other common symptoms of elevated include:
If you’re wondering how to lower cortisol levels, relatively simple lifestyle and diet changes can help. In addition, specific supplements and herbs may also normalize cortisol levels. Below, we’ve listed several natural options. Improve Your Diet Studies show that stress often affects your eating behaviors; in particular, you may crave foods high in fat, sugar, and carbohydrates. Shifting to a plant-based diet centered around fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats is naturally anti-inflammatory. • The incredible array of healthy antioxidants you get from eating this way helps reduce both physical stress within your body (“oxidative stress”) and emotional stress — both of which influence cortisol. There is also a specific anti-inflammatory diet you can follow. • Try stress-relieving foods, including dark chocolate, walnuts, avocado, garlic, figs, Swiss chard, dulse seaweed, citrus fruits, and pumpkin seeds (which are also rich in amino acids). • Avoid dehydration — which can raise cortisol — by drinking plenty of water. Also, consider drinking green tea because experts believe it lowers cortisol. Manage Your Stress One of the most important ways to lower cortisol involves healthfully managing your stress. Consider deep breathing exercises or focusing your mind on a soothing word when you begin to feel stressed. Some people like to visualize tranquil scenes and practice being happy in their mind’s eye. Find Ways to Relax Finding ways to relax can help you reduce stress. Try these suggestions:
Develop Healthy Relationships Relationships, whether friendships, children, parents, workmates, or life partners, often cause a lot of our stress. Learning how to have healthy relationships goes a long way to lowering stress — and hence cortisol. Try these simple but powerful suggestions.
Sometimes, supplements can help us manage the daily stresses of life. An adaptogen is a substance that helps your body “adapt” to stress. Some people benefit from taking adaptogenic herbs to normalize cortisol levels. Two very effective choices are:
Do you feel bloated, and imbalanced or irregular? Drinking fibrous Chaga helps break down foods and rebuild the gut microbiota (gut floor) to support a healthy digestive function. This means less bloating, less constipation and less inflammation. Your digestive system will feel more balanced if you make Chaga Tea part of your daily regimen. Do you feel tired and sluggish? Take a deep breath! Drink Chaga Tea to boost your energy and feel like a super human while running your errands, taking care of your kids, or zipping through your work day! Studies suggest that Chaga improves exercise and fitness effectiveness by expanding the lungs’ ability to absorb oxygen... by up to 40%! Chaga reduces inflammation and post exercise lactic acid levels, and may also due to this fact assist those dealing with chronic asthma problems to open their airways. Looking for extra protection this season against colds and the flu? If you have a bacterial infection such as an ear or skin infection, Chaga may stop the bacteria from multiplying so that the condition would not worsen. Depending on your body’s needs, Chaga is multi functional, it can either up-regulate or down regulate your immune system to support healthy recovery times. And yes, it's made from a a mushroom that grows on a Birch tree! What Does Chaga Tea Taste Like? As you might imagine, brewing tea from a substance that grows on the side of a tree results in an earthy flavor profile. Imagine yourself sitting under a birch tree, the warmth of the sun gently kissing your skin. You can smell the moist earth underneath, as the quiet of the forest envelops you in peaceful bliss. That being said, you may find it surprising that this tea holds very little mushroom taste. Indeed, it is delightful! For thousands of years, the ancient teachings of Hinduism and Buddhism have embraced the concept of etheric energy points in the body known as chakras. These points bring life force and vital energy into the physical form and govern the psychological qualities of a person. There are seven central chakras — four in the upper body that control mental properties and three in the lower that control instinctual properties. They’re arranged vertically along the spinal column:
1) The Root Chakra This chakra is located at the base of the spine and represents one’s foundation and feeling of being grounded. It concerns survival issues, such as money, and food. How to open the root chakra: Enjoy a cup of Root Chakra Tea infused with Garnet.
This chakra is located near the lower abdomen, about two inches below the navel (or the width of three fingers). It concerns feelings of abundance, sexuality, and pleasure. How to open the sacral chakra: Enjoy a cup of Sacral Chakra Tea infused with Moonstone.
3) The Solar Plexus This chakra is located in the upper abdomen, above the stomach. It concerns feelings of self-worth, self-confidence, and self-esteem. Enjoy a Cup of Solar Plexus Chakra Tea infused with Citrine.
4) The Heart Chakra This chakra represents one’s ability to feel, give, and receive love. When blocked, love, joy, and inner peace may diminish. Enjoy a cup of Heart Chakra Tea infused with Rose Quartz.
5) The Throat Chakra This chakra is located in the throat and concerns communication, self-expression and feelings, and the truth. Enjoy a cup of Throat Chakra Tea infused with Aquamarine.
6) The Third-Eye This chakra is located in the center of the forehead and concerns one’s ability to focus and perceive the big picture. It concerns intuition, imagination, wisdom, and the ability to make decisions. Enjoy a cup of Third Eye Tea infused with Sapphire.
7) The Crown Chakra This chakra is located at the very top of the head and concerns inner and outer beauty, one’s connection to ‘Spirit’, and pure bliss. It’s the highest chakra. Enjoy a cup of Crown Chakra Tea infused with Amethyst.
Studies show CBD may make life a little easier for people with Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. In the early stages, someone with Alzheimer’s disease may notice mild confusion and difficulty remembering. Eventually, people with the disease may even forget important people in their lives and undergo dramatic personality changes. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks. While the greatest known risk factor for Alzheimer’s is increasing age, it is not a normal part of aging. According to Dementia Central: There are three ways which CBD can work to improve health outcomes for persons with dementia; by reducing inflammation, by reducing oxygen build up, and by working as a brain stimulant and neuroprotectant. From a user’s perspective, CBD may reduce stress and anxiety in the individual with dementia as well as reduce the decline of memory and other brain functions. (source) To view a list of links to studies on CBD and Alzheimer’s, please click here: Alzheimer’s Disease CBD appears to have powerful anti-anxiety properties. Experiencing occasional anxiety is a normal and often healthy emotion. It is your body’s natural response to stress. Mild anxiety might be vague and unsettling, while severe anxiety may seriously disrupt the sufferer’s daily life. Frequent intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear may be signs of an anxiety disorder. Research on CBD for anxiety is still in the early stages, but so far, findings are promising. Numerous animal studies and accumulating evidence from experimental, clinical, and epidemiological studies in humans suggest CBD has powerful anti-anxiety properties. According to a survey published in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research in 2018, almost 62% of CBD users reported using CBD to treat a medical condition. The top three medical conditions were pain, anxiety, and depression. Participants most frequently reported feeling that CBD treated their medical condition(s) “very well by itself” or “moderately well by itself” for the following three conditions: chronic pain, arthritis/joint pain, and anxiety. To view a list of links to studies on CBD and anxiety, please click here: Anxiety Research suggests CBD may help relieve depression. Depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. It can disrupt every aspect of the sufferer’s life, making eating, sleeping and everyday functioning very difficult. Depression is not the same as being a little sad over a specific incident – the feelings associated with depression are persistent and chronic. Research has shown that CBD has the ability to act on the brain’s receptors for serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood and social behavior. CBD has demonstrated antidepressant-like effects in several animal studies, including two conducted in 2009 and 2012. While studying the modulation of the serotonin system through endocannabinoid signaling in 2011, researchers found evidence that endocannabinoids are important regulators of stress responses. In an article titled Depression and Cannabis, Dr. Stacey Kerr explains that “a dysregulated endocannabinoid system is implicated in clinical depression”: A 2014 study concluded that “preclinical data … has shown that elevated endocannabinoid signaling is able to produce behavioral and biochemical effects as [well as] conventional antidepressant treatment, and that many antidepressants alter endogenous cannabinoid tone.” There is potential, but as with many areas of cannabis science, more research needs to be done. Regardless of the research, some patients certainly claim cannabis is effective as an antidepressant. These patients admit that it helps them cope with life stressors and will sometimes allow them to see things in a more positive state of mind. (source) For a list of links to more studies on CBD and depression, please click here: Depression Several studies suggest CBD can help treat arthritis. Arthritis is inflammation of one or more joints. The main symptoms of arthritis are joint pain, stiffness, and swelling, which typically get worse with age. “Arthritis” is not a single disease – the term refers to joint pain or joint disease. There are more than 100 different types of arthritis and related conditions. The most common types of arthritis include osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, fibromyalgia, and gout. Arthritis is the leading cause of disability in the United States, affecting over 50 million Americans. Several studies in animals suggest that CBD could help treat arthritis and relieve the associated pain. One study found that CBD reduced inflammatory pain in rats by affecting the way that pain receptors respond to stimuli. |
SUSAN BERRY
Teacher. Healer. One of Us. Archives
March 2020
I was a prolific blogger from 2009 - 2014... and there is a lot of really good content available on oshunspirit.blogspot.com
Enjoy! |