New Moon Meditation - Jumping through the Fires of Transmutation

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Greetings and Glad Tidings ~


Happy New Moon Eclipse, Beloveds! A New Moon Solar Eclipses heralds a time of New Beginnings.
Leveraging the energies, with a Grateful Heart, allows us to release
all that no longer serves in order to create space for what our
Heart-Mind envisions, what our Soul is calling in, and what Spirit
will have us see.  (The precise time of the eclipse is July 1, 2011@ 4:38am EST and 1:38 PST here in the U.S.)
We are guided today to share a simple, yet power-filled meditation
to transmute the last vestiges of illusion, separation, pain and fear
that may linger ... clearing the fields of the Heart-Mind, so they
may be planted with new Dream Seeds, grande intentions and
life-affirming To-BE's.

This meditation is one of many we will share in our new, six week
tele-gathering series:

Grokking your way through the Garden of Illuminated Hearts.
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Transmutation Meditation:

Sit in silence.  Imagine a fire before you. Gather your fears, doubts,
and judgments and flow them into the fire. Watch them transmute
and burn ... when the fire becomes a rainbow flame,  jump through
it.

Allow the fire's flames to become a Gateway for you, transporting
your Spirit, Soul and Body to a space of Love, Gratitude and
Wholeness/Holiness.

Allow yourself ample space to freely explore this Mysterious,
co-creative, full-spectrum landscape.  Witness with a
wonder-filled Heart what the other side looks and feels like,
and know it is here ... NOW.

Record whatever thoughts, images and ah-ha's comes up then
go about your day knowing whatever challenges come your way
have already been transmuted by the fires of change, and the
solutions are being unveiled in every breath.

Give thanks it is so, and so it is!  Blessed BE.

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Beloveds ...

Wherever this New Moon finds you, know you are Love, Loved
and a Beloved Child of Creation.  Know that each challenge you
face is designed as an evolutionary catalyst.

In choosing to face, embrace and step through each challenge
that comes our way, we grow our skills, wisdom and strength
to stand in our brilliance, thrive in Light of whatever comes,
and grow beyond what has been known ... to Birth New Reality!

Speaking of Birthing New Reality ...

For those ready to journey through the fires of change, embrace
their Soul Calling, embody their gifts and shift their visions from
inception to reality, our six-week tele-gathering begins July 2, 2011. 

Join us here:

www.BloomingHumans.com/garden

Our 42 Day Blooming Humans series is also available as a daily
inspiration and calibration tool.   If you have yet signed on for
the series, this New Moon is a wonder-filled time to begin.

If you have completed the 42 days, consider deepening the
experience and journey with us again!

www.BloomingHumans.com

Whether or not you choose to join us for our tele-gathering, take the
42 day journey (or both!) know we are here, holding space for you.
We feel the beauty of your BEing, we honor the gift of your Presence,
and we celebrate the difference each and every person makes
in our lives -- and in the world.

Remember, Beloveds, that person is YOU!

So, get ready to step through the Transmuting Fires of Change,
be prepared to stand in your authentic power and fall in Love with
the Beauty you are, and have always been!

Here we grow, Beloveds!

In Love, Light and Gratitude,

Stacey Robyn
and the ground crew of Go Gratitude!

SUMMER DIOSAS / GODDESSES

Oshun is the Yoruba Orisha (deity) of the sweet or fresh waters. The Yoruba People inhabit parts of western central Africa, in present-day Nigeria. She is widely loved, as She is known for healing the sick and bringing fertility and prosperity, and She especially watches over the poor and brings them what they need. As Orisha of love, Oshun is represented as a beautiful, charming and coquettish young woman. In some tales She is said to be a mermaid, with a fish's tail. She is the goddess of the river of the same name, and She is especially worshipped in river-towns. During Her yearly festival, She is said to choose one or more women dancers to represent her in the Earth plan.  Once they become one with her spirit the women take new names in honor of Oshun and are revered by the community and consulted as healers.

Oshun was taught divination with cowrie shells by Obatala, and she shared the gift with humans. She was at one time the wife of Shango, the storm god, Oshun is also said to be the mother of the birds or fishes. Oshun’s, color--yellow or amber; and a metal--gold or bronze. Her sacred birds the peacock and the vulture. Offerings to Oshun include sweet things honey, mead, white wine, oranges, sweets, and pumpkins, as well as perfume.

She is also known as Oshun Ana, "Goddess of Luxury and Love"; Oshun Telargo, as the modest one; Oshun Yeye Moro, as the coquette; Oshun Yeye Kari, "Mother of Sweetness". She is sweetness and good cheer, beauty and flowing joy.

 Lakshmi ("Good Fortune") is the Hindu summer goddess of love and beauty who brings wealth. On the fourth Friday of the Tamil Month Aadi (July/August), married women in most parts of South India will pray to Lakshmi in her 8 forms for various attributes: Vidya Lakshmi (Saraswati, Goddess of Education), Dhana Lakshmi (Lakshmi, Goddess of Money), Dhanya Lakshmi (Goddess of Food), Santhana Lakshmi (Goddess for family, who bless our family with kids), Gaja Lakshmi (Goddess of Strength), Vijaya Lakshmi (Goddess of Victory),  Bhagya Lakshmi (Goddess of Prosperity), Dhairya Lakshmi (Goddess of Courage)."(source)

Lakshmi is a beautiful and much-beloved Goddess, and in fact Vishnu is often referred to with the title "Husband of Lakshmi". She is called the "Lotus Goddess" and is often shown holding one as Her emblem. She is also Goddess of abundance, fertility and wealth. Holly basil is sacred to Her and said to bring children. Lakshmi is sometimes represented as a basket full of rice and is depicted on coins, or with coins falling from Her hands.

Lakshmi and Vishnu are bound together in love through time. As Vishnu is descendent in His avatars, Lakshmi is also reborn as His wife--as Sita ("the Furrow"), She is the wife of Rama and Goddess of the fertile Earth; and as Rukmini ("Twilight") She is married to Krishna.

She brings good fortune and prosperity as well as spirituality and the beauty of this earthly world. She reminds us that riches, prosperity and material comforts need not be viewed as shallow or non-spiritual; Lakshmi sees over both the spiritual and material in beauty and joy.

"Women “Puja: Prayer for:  "dhan" (money), "dhanyam" (grains or food), "arogyam" (health), "sampath" (property), "sathsanthanam" (virtuous offspring) and "dheerga saumangalyam" (longevity of the husband)." They pray for health, well-being and happiness for themselves and their families.  

Tlazolteotl The "Earth Goddess", "Filth Goddess" or "Dirt Goddess") is the Aztec and Toltec Goddess of Guilty Pleasures, who both inspires and forgives carnal acts. She is a Love and Earth goddess who is said to remove sins from her worshippers by absorbing them into herself. The punishment for adultery under harsh Aztec law was death; but if the offender confessed to Tlazolteotl he or she was absolved and the law would not touch them. However, a person was only allowed one confession per lifetime, so people would leave it as long as they could!

Tlazolteotl has aspects both of Earth-Goddess and Moon-Goddess, and is one of the Guardians of the Tree of the West, as well as a Goddess of Childbirth. She is the mother of Cinteotl, the Corn God, and Xochiquetzal, the Goddess of Love. Tlazolteotl is also known as the Goddess of Witches, and is said to have four aspects that were depicted riding broomsticks, wearing pointed hats and nude. In the Codex Fejervary-Meyer Tlazolteotl is shown nude (except for her jewelry) on a red broomstick holding a snake. These four aspects of Tlazolteotl were considered four sisters, from the eldest Tiacapan, through Teicu and Tlaco, to Xocutzin, the youngest. They were said to tempt and sedus people facing decisions towards evil and vice.

Tlazolteotl is considered one of the Nine Figures of the Creation of the World, which also include Chalchiuhtlicue and Her husband Tlaloc, as well as being one of the thirteen Companions of the Day. Perhaps because of this, Tlazolteotl is sometimes called "the Mother of the Gods". She is also know as Tlaelcuani, the Eater of Filth; Teteoinnan, "Mother of the Gods", patroness of midwives and healers; and Toci, "Our Grandmother", who represents nature's healing powers.

SUMMER HEALTHY EATING ELIMANATION FAST - June 7 – 21

The Summer Solstice the longest day and the shortest night of the year a major celestial event begins in the Northern Hemisphere June 21, 2011 at 1:16 P.M., a time when the Earth Mother, the life force energy is at it’s pick, in full bloom in preparation for the harvest and the Fall.  To be in harmony, in balance with the earth changes we to need to prepare our bodies, minds and spirit to embrace the life cycle. Celebrating life's possibilities opening up to joy and sheer happiness. Join me in this wonderful Journey as we embrace ourselves and the planet.


We begin our journey by asking ourselves why fast?
There are so many reasons to fast. Some people fast to give their bodies a break from food and to cleanse and purify the body. Others fast for spiritual reasons. There is something about fasting that gives a person such spiritual clarity. This type of fasting is truly powerful. One time that is optimal for fasting is during the waning moon cycle if you seek to release something during your fast. Also, fasting during your moon (menstrual) flow is a great time to eat lighter and go into a quiet space. Many fast on their personal holy day. Your personal holy day is the day of the week on which you were born. So if you were born on a Wednesday, then every Wednesday is sacred day for you. There are many spiritual practices in which you can engage of which fasting is one. Doing so brings you further in alignment with your highest purpose and can assist you in releasing limiting behaviors and thoughts. The list goes on and on but the main reasons people fast are to cleanse the body and the spirit.


Fasting a celebration of self
I encourage each participant to consider fasting from food, be it one type of food, or to do deep physical cleanse. However, I have learned that these fast sometimes have nothing to do with food. In the past I have fasted from negative emotions, watching television, talking on the phone and fear. Fasts are not always about food. What matters most is that cutting something out of lives leads us to a freer and more peaceful place.


Be part of my personal journey
Each Season Change, I invite others to fast with me. Each season represents an aspect of the Goddess and fasting helps us to align ourselves with that energy and to maximize that particular energy. So for instance, Fall is the Season of the Goddess of Transformation. I honor Medicine and Changing women and the powerful women we are. Fasting leading up to and including the first day of Fall allows us to consider radical changes that we need to make and also allows us to release toxic emotions and behaviors that have kept us from achieving our goals.
You fast in your own way. You can participate for 21 days or not. One person may refrain from just one certain type of food while another may eat only raw foods for this time. This fast is totally up to you so search your heart and soul to determine how it will look. I often encourage people try and make sure they include the 2-3 days leading up to and including the first day of the new season. I have grown to love fasting because it is a time of respite and I usually have to slow down. I encourage you to join me! Connect with the Goddess within you through fasting!


This is what my fast will look like
Day 1 eliminate all animal produces and stimulants (sugar, coffee, soda, salt, sugar, alcohol, pot etc)     Eat cooked food, grains, beans, veggies and fruit, drink lots of water and juices.
Day 2 eliminate cooked food, oils, grains and beans (Eat raw veggies, fruit, drink lots of water and juices.)
Day 3 eliminate (Eat raw veggies and fruit, drink lots of water and juices.)
Day 4 eliminate raw veggies (Eat fruit, drink lots of water and juices.)
Day 5 eliminate fruit (Drink lots of water and juices.)
Days 6, 7 and 8 you are on liquids (Master Cleanse, Seasonal Juicing, Water)
Day 9 and 10 - Drink lots of water and juices, add juicy Fruits (grapes, watermelon, plums etc.)
Day 11 and 12  - Drink lots of water and juices, eat juicy fruits and add green leafy vegetables and seasonal veggies for a colorful salad.
Day 13 and 14  - Drink lots of water and juices, eat juicy fruits, green leafy vegetables, seasonal salad and add stemmed vegetables (Greens, Carrots etc)
Day 15- Drink lots of water and juices, eat juicy fruits, green leafy vegetables, seasonal salads, stemmed vegetables, grains, beans and oils. 


Celebrate your salve with a lot of Love.
The next few days will be the hardest as you will choose powerfully to return to un-healthy eating or continue on the path of will being and good health. If you choose to eat meat eat less and organic. Stay away from red meat, diary, fried food, sugar, coffee, alcohol and drugs. Join a group stay healthy.
Make sure you keep your blows moving during the fast. You can drink Smooth Move Tea, do enemas and or a colonic, For a Colonic you can call Vetora at (212) 368-8581. If you have health concerns make sure to talk to your primary health practitioner.  Keep a journal, get a fasting buddy and read Fasting with the Seasons by Dr. Elson Hass. Good luck on your journey. Lots of love Esperanza


Here are some readings:

http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.aspx?Id=1996

http://www.pureinsideout.com/elson-haas-detox.html

http://bellowingbantam.blogspot.com/2008/07/detoxification-improve-your-health-by.html

http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/june-solstice.html

Summer Healing Herbs

From Garden to Home Remedy: 12 Medicinal Herbs to Grow this Summer

Posted by Jovial King

Whether it’s a garden box in your window, a large planter on your back porch, a guerrilla-style takeover of the grassy patches alongside your sidewalk, or a half-acre backyard garden, Vermont style, it’s time to start plotting out what herbs to throw in next to your tomato plants this summer.

Growing your own home remedies is fun, your kids will love it, your friends will be impressed and you can call yourself an herbalist!  Who can resist?  Rememberalways check with your physician before beginning a new regimen (especially if you're on medication).

Echinacea – Great for boosting the immune system and a beautiful garden flower!

The flowers and roots are harvested and dried for tea or steeped in alcohol to make a tincture.

Lemon Balm – The leaves can be harvested all summer.  A great antiviral, stress soother, and yummy in after-dinner teas to improve digestion.  Perfect for homemade sun tea.

Goldenseal – A powerful herb to have in the garden: a natural antibiotic and infection fighter.  Goldenseal is an endangered medicinal plant, and needs to be planted and propagated.

Nettles – Rich in vitamins and minerals, great for making tea and cooking with and a wild plant to have around.  Build a small box for your nettles so they don’t take over the yard.  Always wear gloves when harvesting the green leaves.

Peppermint – One of the best tummy tamers, effective for gas and nausea.  A favorite with the kids and harvestable all summer long. It makes a refreshing iced tea.

Chamomile –  Sweet and gentle, great for upset stomach and calming the nerves. One of the best herbs for children.

Red Clover – Rich in vitamins and minerals, great for the lymphatic system and   gently detoxifying.  I love to eat the flowers right off the stems – what a treat!

Elderberry – Plant an elderberry bush or two for the birds if not for yourself!   One of the best medicines to have in your apothecary, it’s a strong antiviral, rich in antioxidants and is excellent for keeping away colds and the flu.

Comfrey – A must have for making poultices for sprains and broken bones.  The leaves are also a good addition for a healthy compost pile and the bees are crazy for the little comfrey flowers.

Calendula – A queen healer of the herb garden and a beautiful summer flower that keeps on flowering into the fall.  It’s healing for the skin and a must have for homemade salves, oils and facial steams.

Burdock – A gentle tonic herb with lots of traditional uses. It’s very good for the skin and liver and can be enjoyed in stir-fries, soups and salads and well as tea and tincture.

Valerian – A perfect ally for those suffering from stress, tension and other nervous system disorders, and a gorgeous plant to have around with its long stems and delicate white flowers.  Another winner for the bees!

If you’re not ready to move to the country, start an herb farm, fight for the bees and plant endangered species, then pick one or two herbs that spark your interest and go from there.  I promise it will be fun!

10 Tips for Staying Healthy in Summer by Dr. Elson Hass

1. Stay cool and hydrated. Drink water, at least two to four cups (16-32 ounces) upon rising, and similar amounts if you are going out for activities and exercise. Carry water with you in a hard plastic container (more stable polycarbonate rather than polyethylene that leaches plastic into the water). You may also use a traveling water filter. Check your local water stores or www.realgoods.com. Most people need two to three quarts of liquid per day, and more in hot weather or with sweating and exercise. Review Chapter 1 of Staying Healthy with Nutrition or Chapter 7 of The Staying Healthy Shopper's Guide for further information on Water.
2. While enjoying the sun and outdoors, protect yourself from overexposure to sunlight by wearing a hat and using natural sunscreens without excessive chemicals. Carry Aloe Vera gel for overexposure and have an aloe plant growing in your home for any kind of burn. The cooling and healing gel inside the leaves will soothe any sunburn. It works great.
3. Keep up or begin an exercise program. Aerobic activity is important for keeping the heart strong and healthy. If you only work out in a health club, take some time to do outdoor refreshing activities -- hiking, biking, swimming, or tennis. Reconnecting with these activities will help keep your body and mind aligned.
4. Enjoy Nature's bounty, such as the many fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables at their organic best. Consuming foods that are cooling and light -- fresh fruits, vegetable juices, raw vital salads, and lots of water -- will nourish your body for summertime activities. Include some protein with one or two meals. There are a number of light, nourishing proteins that don't require cooking. Most of these complement fruits and vegetables nicely-- nuts, seeds, sprouted beans, soy products, yogurt, kefir, and cottage cheese. Fish and poultry can also be eaten.
5. Take some special summer time activities with your family, kids, and friends who share the enjoyment of outdoors. Plan a fun trip if you're able and motivated for a day or longer -- hiking in the wild, camping, playing at the river, or a few days resting at the ocean. Rekindling our Earth connection has benefits that last beyond this season, continuing to enrich the whole of your life.
6. Relax and breathe. You've been working hard. This is the season to slow the pace a bit and absorb the light that stimulates your hormonal message center. Leave your cell phone at home or take a week off from TV. In many European countries, most of the population has a month off during the summer.
7. Sun teas are wonderful. Use flowers and leaves (or tea bags) in a clear half- or one-gallon glass jar filled with spring water. Hibiscus or red clover flowers, peppermint, chamomile, or lemon grass are all good choices, or use your local herbs and flowers that you learn are safe, flavorful, and even medicinal. Leave in the sun for two hours or up to a whole day. Moon teas can also be made to enhance your lunar, dreamy side by letting your herbs steep in the cooling, mystical moonlight. Add a little orange or lemon peel, or a sprig of rosemary and a few jasmine flowers.
8. Nutritional supplements can support you with a greater amount of physical energy, enhancing your summer activities. The B-complex vitamins are calming to the nervous system and helpful for cellular energy production, while vitamin C and the other antioxidants protect your body from stress, chemical pollutants, and the biochemical by-products of exercise. Helpful summer herbs are Siberian ginseng as an energy tonic and stress protector, dong quai is a tonic for women, hawthorn berry is good for the heart, and licorice root will help energy balance and digestion.
9. Use the summer months to deepen the spiritual awakening begun in the spring. Begin by checking your local bookstore or the web for ideas that interest you. Plan a vacation that incorporates these new interests and provides you time to read, relax, contemplate, and breathe.
10. Above all, give yourself the time to truly experience Nature. This can happen, even in a city park, if you relax and let in your surroundings. When traveling, take activities for the family and your first aid kit for bites, bee stings, and injuries. Check for ticks after your hikes. Watch for overexposure, take time in the shade, and drink your water.
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12. http://www.elsonhaas.com/articles.html

Staying Healthy in the Summer

Excerpted from Staying Healthy with the Seasons
by Elson Haas, M.D. copyright © 2004

On June 21st, we enter summer with the solstice, when the sun is at its northernmost position relative to the Earth. At the solstice, we have the longest period of daylight of the year. The sun provides energy, stimulates activity and outward movement, and creates the hot or dry climate typical of this season. All this leads to increased travel, work, and play in the beautiful sunshine.
Summer is nature's season of growth and maturation. Flowers and fruits are all around us and our gardens are growing tall. We are also maturing and growing. This is the high point of outdoor exercise, sports, water fun, and hikes in nature. We should be sure to get adequate recreation and lots of solar energy this season.

There is a great deal of change during this time of high activity. The Chinese philosophy of health provides us the framework for increased awareness of such change, both in nature and in our bodies, which really mirror each other. Energy must stay in motion within us and in our life to continually nourish us and create harmony. We must learn to flow as Nature does, through the seasons. Tension happens when we resist this flow, and illness can occur when we resist these changes. Healing can happen more easily as we relax, listen, and get our minds cooperating, not domination.

Seasonal Summary
Following the rains of winter and warming of spring, which prepare the Earth, the brilliant sunshine of summer allows nature to flourish. We tend to the garden and watch it grow and mature from the seeds we planted months before. The garden image may apply to whatever projects we begin; if we continue to put energy into them – like sun, water, care, and love – they grow and we all prosper. This relates to plants, children, relationships, work, and each of us. If we do not continue to nourish these areas, they may fail to thrive.

The summer is associated with the Fire element in the Chinese system. The organs ruled by this element are the heart and small intestine as well as the functions of circulation and body heat. How can we nurture these aspects which are so central to our well-being? Diet and exercise are very important to keep the Fire element strong. Proper nutrition is vital to maintain a healthy heart and to provide fuel and heat for the body. So our diet could be changed by eliminating refined foods, tea, coffee, and alcohol, and by cutting down on animal fats, particularly red meats, dairy fats, and other excessively fatty foods. The new wisdom, remember, suggests that eating some healthy fats in moderation from fish, nuts, and seeds is healthy. These are essential fatty acids for brain and nerve function, hormone production, and the health of our tissues.

Exercise is important. An hour a day is little to ask for the benefit you will get from exercise, and the summer is a good time to start. If you already have an exercise program, you can increase your efforts, your goals, and your well being by being active in the summer sunshine. Imagine that you have a new car to start driving around – it's your body. Get it out of the garage, shine it up, and take it for a spin. You may even realize you have a third or fourth gear that is more powerful than you thought. If it appears to need a little tune-up, get it checked; but often just driving it will have it purring in no time. Remember to feed it lots of light, wholesome fuel this summer. Fresh fruits and vegetables, plenty of water and juices, big salads, wholesome protein, and some whole grains will all give it the power it needs.

Summer is a time to recharge those internal batteries with solar power. Keep the Fire balanced with Water inside and out, and keep the body loose, getting good exercise and plenty of stretching. Remember, it's a season for taking a break, for vacations and good fun, too... It is a time for growth, time to manifest your best, and you can think about getting back to work or school later.

Take care and Enjoy!

Find additional info. http://www.elsonhaas.com/articles.html

6 Ways to Beat Mosquitoes Naturally

Tis the season for sunshine, barbecues, and mosquitoes

Before you grab that DEET-based mosquito repellent in an effort to keep the mosquitoes at bay, consider that research at Duke University links diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET) use to brain damage —no wonder the mosquitoes leave at the first scent of it. Perhaps we’d be wise to follow their lead and stay clear of the stuff. Check out my article tomorrow on the dangers of DEET mosquitorepellents.

Here are six natural options that mosquitoes hate and you’ll soon love. You don’t have to worry about DEET-induced brain cell damage or scratching yourself to death. And, if you still think that natural means less effective, keep reading. Some of these mosquito repellents are MORE EFFECTIVE THAN DEET!

1. Citronella
The old standby. Be sure you’re using pure essential oil, not fragrance oil, which is ineffective and potentially dangerous. Most mosquito repellent products “containing citronella” are made with fragrance oil and should be avoided. If you’re applying citronella to your skin, dilute it in a carrier oil or natural moisturizer. A few drops per tablespoon of oil or cream is all that is needed.

2. Catnip
Research at Iowa State University found that catnip essential oil 10 is times more effective than DEET at repelling mosquitoes. Mosquitoes will hate you and cats will love you. Like citronella be sure to use it diluted in a carrier oil or natural moisturizer.

3. Lavender essential oil
Smells great and is a commonly used and effective mosquito repellent.

4. Soy oil
Better yet, choose organic soy oil as the carrier oil for catnip, lavender, and citronella essential oils. According to research published in The New England Journal of Medicine soybean oil-based mosquito repellents are as effective as DEET-containing repellents.

5. NEEM seed oil
“Neem oil” is extracted from a plant that grows in India. An ingredient in Neem seed oil has also been found to be more effective than DEET by researchers at the Malaria Institute in India. Both the US National Research Council and the Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association have confirmed this finding.

6. Garlic
Eat lots of fresh garlic—mosquitoes will steer clear of you since they hate the stuff. As an added bonus, so will vampires.

posted by Michelle Schoffro Cook Jun 2, 2011

Read more HERE