AROMATICS AND THE SACRED SELF

With the dreary weather in this part of the world, it's a good time to go for a long walk in the woods and commune with Nature. However, not many of us are in a position to abandon the vagaries of our everyday lives to wander in the soul lands - a pity, but certainly a symptom of these times of great change, the end of one Age and the eve of another.

So, for those who are able to savor a few moments over a cup of herbal tea (or fair trade coffee), here's an article that I wrote which first appeared in Eagleye magazine, when I was hopeful about promoting my aromatherapy business, Hypatia Therapeutics. (Things have evolved since then.)

Give yourself a little "chakra tune-up" as you read it, just for good measure, by envisioning the colors shining clearly in each of their appropriate places on your body.

Blessings on this blustery late May morning,
Jessica

AROMATICS AND THE SACRED SELF
(c) 1999, Jessica North-O'Connell

“It has been found that aromatic molecules are one of the basic components of the interstellar space in which new stars are constantly being formed. This interstellar “atmosphere” or gas is the almost direct source of the atoms of which we ourselves, along with the earth and the other planets, are made” - Alain Omont

Ah, the scented garden of aromatherapy! Many are the years I have spent in the intimate exploration of that realm, from potpourri to baths and steaming pots of herbal tea to essential oils distilled from the leaves, stems, barks, blossoms and grasses of the plant world. And what a privilege it is for us to be blessed with the companionship of our plant allies for our nourishment, our healing and our pleasure!

While the term “aromatherapy” applies specifically to the therapeutic applications of essential oils in the treatment of particular conditions, who can underestimate the uplifting power a fragrant bouquet of roses or freesia has upon the human psyche, or the comfort imparted by the aroma of one’s favorite home-cooked meal? As we now know, healing encompasses not just the treating of physical systems but also of one’s Being in its entirety, as the whole human consists of an interconnected series of systems playing between our physical, etheric (thought), astral (emotional) and spirit aspects.

An integral part of these aspects are the energy centres known as the chakras, meaning vortex, (plural, vortices).Traditionally, the major chakras are seven in number and correspond physically to the glands of the body’s endocrine system, though this is only one of their manifestations. Briefly, these energy centres are, in descending order, the top of the head (pituitary/hypothalamus), middle of the forehead (pineal), throat (thyroid), middle of the chest (thymus/heart), solar plexus (pancreas/adrenals), two inches below the navel (reproductive organs) and perineum/cervix (adrenals/testicles).

Each of the chakras deals with particular departments or aspects and issues of life, a simplified version of which are: the seventh our Divine connection/Soul’s purpose, the sixth imagination/intuition, the fifth communication, the fourth compassion/love, the third personal will/intellect, the second creativity/instinct/emotion and the first survival issues. Bear in mind also that the domains of the chakras overlap and interact, as the chakras themselves are interdependent.

The chakras are said to be connected to the spine like flowers on a stem each featuring a color of the spectrum; from the seventh chakra they are violet, indigo, aquamarine, green, yellow (gold), orange, red. Each chakra has both a front and back which appear correspondingly on the front and back of the body. When they are balanced, we experience maximum well-being. When they are blocked, they become sluggish and dull, reflecting difficulties in the various issues and departments to which they relate. One time-tested method of supporting the chakras is aromatherapy via both topical application of essential oil blends during massage and inhalation using a diffuser. Starting with the astral body (scent stimulates the limbic system, sometimes called the “old brain” which is concerned with our instincts, emotions, memory, creativity, sexuality, etc.,) aromatherapy is then able to address all aspects of the self, from the physical to the spiritual.

The ancients, aware of the power of scent, assigned various essential oils to the chakras. Examples of these include:

Chakra seven: frankincense, myrrh (violet, top of the head)

Chakra six: sandalwood, lavender (indigo, "third eye")

Chakra five: bergamot, benzoin (blue, throat)

Chakra four: rose, geranium (green, heart)

Chakra three: ginger, cinnamon, anise (gold/yellow, solar plexus)

Chakra two: clary sage, neroli (orange, belly)

Chakra one: cedarwood, patchouli (red, perineum)

There is no one “authority” on the allocation of essential oils to the chakras, however, and one will invariably find differences from one practitioner or source to another.

In my many years of teaching and researching the chakras and mythology, it occurred to me that the “character” of the chakras may also be reflected in aspects of the Divine as presented in the various guises of archetypal goddesses and gods. Following is a sampling, in honor of the universal Great Mother:

Chakra seven: Maya (India) - as Mother of Creation, she bestows both life and the desire for life and weaves the web of the physical realm, earning her the title “Mother of Illusions.” As her creations, we tend to forget about the “invisible” realms. As Queen Maya, she was the mother of the Buddha.

Chakra six: Urania - (Classical Greece) - one of the nine Muses (goddesses of inspiration), she is associated with the art of astronomy, and is patron of astrologers. This is also one of the titles of Aphrodite, goddess of sensuality, in her aspect as “the heavenly one.”

Chakra five: Iris (Greece, pre-Classical period) - “Messenger of Light” and “source of the waters from on high,” she is goddess of the many-colored rainbow which links the corporeal world with the heavens. Hera’s messenger, she also has the ability to travel to the Underworld to obtain water from the River Styx for use in the swearing of sacred oaths.

Chakra four: Guanyin (also, Kwan Yin; China) - “She who hears the cries of the world,” she is considered to be the most powerful deity in the (pre-revolutionary) Chinese pantheon. She is the merciful and compassionate Bodhisattva of Buddhism, whose decision to remain incarnate until the last earthly being achieves enlightenment endears her to humanity. Associated with sound and called “the melodious voice,” her heart sutra is chanted in Buddhist centres throughout the world daily. A matron goddess of Victoria, B.C., where her image is ubiquitous.

Chakra three: Hestia (Greece , Classical & pre-Classical) - possibly the oldest deity of the early Greek pantheon, she is the hearth fire. According to Pythagoras, she is also the fire at the Earth’s core. She symbolizes family unity and had an altar at the centre of every home, the kitchen hearth. Oaths sworn on her name were considered inviolable.

Chakra two: Yemaya (Caribbean, Brazil; also, Imonja, West Africa) - beloved mother of oceans, she is also known as a goddess of commerce. Often pictured with a mermaid’s tail, her emotional temperament is as powerful as the seas. Hers are the waters of the womb and of creation, washing away the troubles of her followers and rendering them cleansed.

Chakra one: Hecate (Thrace; also Heqit, Egypt) - Queen of the Underworld, goddess of magic, midwives, witches and the waning moon, she is also guardian of the crossroads and bestower of both wealth and wisdom. The Egyptian Heqit was goddess of the primordial waters from which all corporeal life was birthed.

From my files: a pro-active project for you, dear reader!

Juno’s Delight Bath Salts (c)

To 250 gms Epsom salts, add 4 drops cypress, 4 drops petitgrain*, 6 drops bergamot, 2 drops patchouli essential oils in 16 drops vegetable carrier oil. Blend well and allow to age for a few days in a covered glass container. Store in an attractive colored glass bottle. Add 1 - 2 tablespoons (or more) to your bath as desired. Celebrate your queenly self!

The Pipes of Pan (c)

To 30 ml vegetable carrier oil, add 5 drops lime*, 5 drops lavender, 1 drop rockrose and 1 drop patchouli essential oils. Blend well and store in a brown or blue glass bottle. This yields enough for a full-body massage. Add a little more carrier if needed and play on!

*Caution: Do not suntan for at least 12 hours after applying essential oils and avoid over-exposure to sun, especially after using citrus essential oils. Never apply essential oils to the skin without first diluting them in a vegetable oil carrier (with the exception of spot applications of lavender and tea tree).

Dreams: The Inner Landscape

The topic of dreams has been coming up a lot lately, both for me personally and among friends, colleagues and acquaintances. Years ago, I was asked to write an article about dreams for publication in a friend's magazine. At the last moment, the article was dropped for one about the man who had become her suitor at that time. It ended badly, with him spending 18 months in jail as a result of torturing her for a period of 18 hours. "No excuse for abuse."

Here is the article, 23 years later (with updates):

Dreams: The Inner Landscape
Copyright, 1987, 2005, Jessica North-O’Connell

"Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.” – Diamond Sutra, paraphrased

O. proposes but I hesitate, wanting to contemplate it. A large, heavyset woman enters the area and they decide to marry right away. Suddenly I see a man stealing a baby. I am with another man – we follow the man and stolen baby and take the baby back when the kidnapper is not around. I hold the baby. I find out later that the kidnapper is a psychopathic killer who kills, dismembers and eats parts of humans. His bed is bloody and has human limbs in it. His room is dark, dirty and cave-like. I assume he has been apprehended at this point. I didn’t feel right about him taking the baby. I didn’t fear him. I viewed his existence with complete detachment and with interest.


I had the above dream many years ago. Because I have always studied and investigated psychology in its myriad theoretical and practical expressions, I cannot attribute this archetypal to any particular external incident which was occurring in my life at the time, i.e., I was not being exposed to a new theory and so “trying it out.”

This dream illustrates the intrusion of the element of Chaos into what we readily accept as our reality. The dream contains elements of social order (marriage) as well as personal aspects (I am a mother; no mother really wants to lose a child to Death).

“Disorder belongs to totality of life, and the spirit of this disorder is the trickster. His function in archaic society, or rather the function of his mythology, of the tales told about him is to add disorder to order and so make a whole, to render possible, within the fixed bounds of what is permitted, an experience of what is not permitted.” – Karl Kerenyi

One representation of the Roman god of the Underworld was called Dis or Dis Pater. It is fascinating to explore the meaning of English language words which begin with the syllable “dis-,” an exercise I will leave you to amuse yourselves with at your leisure, for we are never far from Dis’ realm.

We all dream; sometimes our experiences in the Otherworld are relaxing, comfortable and familiar. Sometimes the images and sensations are disturbing. In the many years I have studied dreams and dream analysis, I have grown to believe that there are many varieties of dreams. I list them thus:


THE PERSONAL DREAM: a) This type of dream is familiar to us by its highly personal content and features icons and symbols which are elements of our own dream language. This is why I do not recommend the use of dream dictionaries; each of us has our own meanings for these symbols.

The personal dream can be instructional, warning or precognitive (foretelling an event). It may also assist us in solving a personal dilemma or issue in our waking lives.

I am at a place where things are being displayed or sold. Some women have a table on which they have quilts, cushions and dream pillows about 18” square, encased in plastic to preserve the potency of the essential oils. They are patchwork pillows.

I had this dream in 1984 when I knew of no one making dream pillows. The dream had the feel of a country fair, a very homespun atmosphere. The women did not seem as though they would be interested in dream pillows, but the quilts and cushions suggested to me an appreciation for home craft, a familiar subject to most of us.

The commonplace feel of this dream also suggested to me that the dream pillow would become more widely known in the future. I was exhibiting at an ESP Fair a few years ago. At the booth backing mine were two women selling a variety of items, among them cushions and dream pillows wrapped in plastic.

This was for me and instructional and precognitive dream, foretelling of the acceptance and popularizing of various forms of aromatherapy. The plastic-encased pillows represented my own budding interest in the field of aromatherapy, already existent but “preserved” until such time as its development was appropriate in my own life. I have since become a certified aromatherapist.


b) The Recurring Dream: This is a form of Personal Dream which may illustrate the dreamer’s own evolution or attempts to uncover a part of the dreamer’s own “mystery,” one’s purpose or life path.

My own recurring dreams have been in two areas mainly, one being the “Driving Dream.”** In these dreams I am always obliged to drive another person to some destination. Although I say nothing, I am always concerned because I do not have a driver’s license and am worried about implicating another person in my misdemeanor should be stopped by the “authorities.” We inevitably arrive without mishap.

After many years of having this dream, I dreamed that, once again, someone wanted me to drive them somewhere. While still experiencing the same anxieties mentioned above, I told myself that there had never been any problem in the past and so proceeded to drive. This time, however, the brakes failed and we gently bumped into a car which was stopped at a red light ahead of us. The people in the forward car turned and casually looked over their shoulders at us then drove away after the light changed. One waking from this dream I realized that all the skills I had developed from my personal experiences up to then were now in readiness for interaction with others, I could “bump” them into other peoples’ lives without ill effect.

Subsequent driving dreams have taken on a whole new character. In one dream, I was borrowing a computerized car to take for a test drive. I programmed it and sat in the passenger’s seat enjoying the feeling of being chauffered by a driverless car. In another I was driving a big empty school bus.

The “borrowed” car suggested to me that, although I certainly did not discover the science of working with dreams, I would participate in further explorations of the field using existing “new” techniques. The school bus suggests untapped potential which I was beginning to command because of my developing skills

“For too long, the culture has taught us that the subconscious is the garbage dump instead of the communications room.” – Stephen Gaskin

Meeting the Other Self: The second of my recurring dreams involves a different type of dream, which is concerned with encountering my Masculine self, or animus.

For many years I dreamed of being pursued by a man or men whose intention it was to violate me in some form or other. I would only be able to preserve myself by “playing possum,” at which point my pursuer(s) would lose interest or become distracted by some other activities.

In my counseling work, I found it an interesting discovery that women tend to dream of being violated and that men tend to dream of being the violator in the animus/anima dream experience. The complete passivity of my dreaming Feminine self allowed me to view various aspects of my Masculine self without participation in the acts of aggression. When I finally made “connection” with my animus, it was in the form of another archetypal dream.

THE ARCHETYPAL DREAM: My partner approaches me, his face expressionless and full of intent simultaneously. He insists on intercourse. As soon as we begin, I know that I have been deceived; this is not my partner. I spiral up out of the dream during an orgasm.

After having this dream, I encountered two myths which involve deception leading to intercourse and the conception of a child who is in some way exceptional. One is the Classical Greek story of Alcemena, the mother of Heracles, (the original “champion of Hera”) by Zeus who disguised himself as her husband, thus deceiving her. Another is the story of Igraine and Uther Pendragon, the parents of the legendary King Arthur. The difference in this story is Igraine’s knowledge and approval of the plan.

"Myth…is an imagery in terms of which we make sense out of life.” – Alan Watts

Archetypal dreams feature themes which may be found in the mythologies of the world, in symbols which have meaning to whole cultures. Carl Jung’s works present to us the concept of the collective unconscious, showing us how we are connected to one another at the deepest levels of our being. I interpret this to mean that we are literally all one Soul, expressive of the Anima Mundi, or World Soul, and while it is true that we are individuals like raindrops or splinters of wood, we originate from the same source and ultimately return to it periodically in our dreaming state.

The Void, the Dreamtime and Otherworld are names which other cultures have attributed to this level of existence. This territory is the familiar domain of the shaman, the “skywalker,” the voyager between the worlds. It is here we make our “heroic journeys.” The various Books of the Dead from assorted cultures have offered us maps of this place and there are increasing numbers of handbooks now available to those who would consciously explore these realms; rich, fertile, creative ground available to all of us, awe-inspiring and humbling.

ASTRAL TRAVEL: While it is not necessary to be asleep to enjoy the experience of astral projection, I have found that I am most likely to have out-of-body experiences while I am asleep, although not exclusively. Many people can attest to my nocturnal activities, as I seem to do a great deal of teaching and communicating to others in their own “dreams."

There are other varieties of dreams which I categorize under this heading, not because they are necessarily out-of-body experiences but often they have such a flavor.

For years I dreamed of a blond-haired young man who always appeared to me as my brother. Nothing about the dream stands out in particular except that he always looked the same and always had the same relationship to me.

Many years passed. I was living in San Francisco when a friend suggested that I accompany him to a party and do Tarot readings for people there as a way of supplementing my income.

When he and I walked into the house, who did I see but the same young man from my dreams of all those years! He looked at me, jumped up out of his seat and, after giving me a great hug, proceeded to drag me around the room excitedly introducing me to everyone there as his sister. Since then he has ceased to appear in my dreams, as though it was enough for us to know that we are simultaneously incarnate.

I have also had dreams of journeying into the “Grey Zone,” a place where it is possible to meet with those who have died. (I have also had archetypal dreams in this particular realm.) Five years after his death, I dreamed of my first love, and spiritual twin who seemed lost and trapped in that place. I was so delighted to see him, although he was very despondent. What I know of that realm is it holds such potential that one may spontaneously create anything one wishes with merely a thought or intention, and this I told him. After our brief interchange, I left to the waking world. The next time I dreamed of him, he was about to walk through a gateway into a wonderful garden. His good spirits were restored and I knew that he was going to be all right; he had learned the secret of his post-mortal creativity.

Others I have spoken with refer to this type of dream experience as “rescue work.” It is not uncommon for dreamers to assist in the passage of those who are the victims of disasters by offering solace and support. The ancients acknowledged the relationship between Sleep and Death (Hypnos and Thanatos are the Classical Greek deities, brothers who are associated with these states.)

I personally differentiate between a true astral projection and these other forms of dreams thus: when I have been out of body, I awaken exhausted the next morning. Otherwise, I am usually rested, (or as rested as I can be, living the life I lead!)

"Remember, that with your dreams and the dreams of others, the object is not to control and nail down the inner world, but to learn to live there.” - Tolbert McCarroll

This type of dream is one in which the dreamer recognizes that s/he is, in fact, dreaming. With this knowledge comes the realization that the dreamer is in control and can do whatever is desired. One can train oneself to dream lucidly, just as one can learn astral projection. All it takes is practice. I do not feel, however, that one ought necessarily to control all of one’s dreams, as dreaming is a medium which a person’s unconscious mind uses in its communication with the conscious mind. It is enough that we impose left brain functions upon ourselves as much as we do in this culture without allowing our control issues to over come our dreaming selves as well.

INTERDIMENSIONAL DREAMS:“To me, dreams are a part of nature, which harbors no intent to deceive, but expresses something as best it can…...” - Carl Jung

Another which I think warrants exploration is the inter-dimensional dream. These are the dreams from which we return with a jumbled sense of what occurred. My theory is that we may contact items and experiences here for which we have no frame of reference and so we either approximate or grasp after meaningful symbols to take with us into waking life. I am looking forward to exploring this area further, as I feel we may discover much about the “aliens” with whom we re so preoccupied lately.
“At the place of our greatest fear lies our power…..”

Dreams are our scrying mirrors, our sacred ground. Dreams bind our splintered collective Soul together, the amazing potential of which enables us to create and sustain a common “reality.” Each one of us plays a major role in this momentous act of creativity, for we all dream from the cradle to the grave.

We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep… – William Shakespeare, “The Tempest"

*I had this dream in 1985. In 2001, my middle daughter died with complications of leukemia. The person who proposed to me in the dream was her biological father. The fact that I “ saved” the baby in the dream mirrors my attempts to protect her during her childhood. On the last night that she and I spent alone together in the hospital, I had a dream where I was, once again, protecting a baby, while attempting to save an adult caught in factory machinery. Despite my efforts, the adult died.

** When I was having these dreams on regularly, I did not have a license in waking life.

On Living and Dying: Open Letter to a Fearful Friend

Dear friend:

I know this discussion has been hard on you, that you have your views and your reasons for them. I wanted you to know that, while I respect that, I still would like to ask you to entertain the idea of greater possibilities. I've lost many friends to death, under many different types of conditions.

My daughter died with leukemia, at 18 years of age. She chose her treatment, which was highly toxic and highly questionable. She wasn't a drug addict, alcoholic or abuser. She quit smoking when she realized that she didn't need to kill herself, that she would die one day, just like everybody else. She just didn't know it would be two years later.

As her mother, I had to let her make her own choices (as she was 18, I didn't have any say, according to the "authorities"). This is, quite possibly, why she chose me to be her mother, if we are to believe what the Buddhists tell us about choosing our parents.

In my heart and in my views, I wanted her to stay far away from the poisons of chemotherapy and radiation therapy which were required in order for her to have the stem cell transplant that ended up not working for her at all. The naturopath I took her to see (she went with me so as to "humor" me) told her that she was in great shape for someone who was so sick, and that he saw her recovery within six months, whereas he usually saw other patients with similar conditions for a year or more. She wasn't interested; she wanted the allopathic physicians to heal her. They couldn't, of course. We can only heal ourselves.

In order to have a stem cell transplant, the recipient's own immune system must be destroyed to enable the body to accept (or, at least not actively reject) the donor's stem cells - that ought to be a big clue right there. What that means is sterility (she really, really wanted to have kids of her own), and a host of other possible health conditions. The procedure also meant she would probably develop cancer at a later date. My friend, who survived one, said it means that you can only ever think about your state of "health," each and every day, from the hair on your head to the nails on your toes. Your life is consumed - you cannot do anything else but attend to that body until you finally die. (I think about what another friend once said concerning drug addiction being the addict's search for union with God. The stem cell transplant trip can't even begin to approach that idea!)

My daughter had a second stem cell transplant - she had a thirty per cent chance - but developed a fungal infection (Aspergillus) in her lungs before we knew if it would have worked. Combined with kidney failure and dropping blood pressure, plus the shutting down of her digestive system and complications with her spleen and liver, it seemed pretty certain her body wouldn't be able to come back up out of its nosedive into death.

If there is one thing that I know, and knew even then, as I watched my beautiful, dearly-beloved, talented, visionary daughter pass away - this existence is a one-way trip. We are all going to die, each and every one of us, no matter whether it is in old age, sitting reading a recipe book while lunch is cooking on the stove (like beloved James Barber) or ingesting the wrong plant (like the wonderful and talented Colin Murray, co-author of "The Celtic Tree Oracle." whose research inspired us to create "The Witch's Book of Days"), or being expelled by our mother's body at six weeks of gestational age, (like my last child). Death is the only thing we can truly count on.

I miss my daughter every day - she has been gone nine years as of April 16. Considering that I believed that I would die at the age of 18 myself, and am still here at 59 (in a couple of weeks), I can only marvel at this remarkable transit through the three-dimensional world. I have truly walked and talked with angels, and I don't mean the "nice people" variety. I do mean "celestial messengers." I have stood at the crossroads of my own personal death on three separate occasions, due to illness, and am still here. That is such a mystery to me! But, why shouldn't we dive into that Mystery with gusto? It isn't a permanent condition...

We will all die eventually, sweet one, even you, no matter how we live here, how careful we are what we put in our bodies, how "pure" and one-dimensional our thoughts. Yet, in truth, we actually do live forever. It is the body that returns to the earth after a time, truly "dust to dust" (or stardust, if you're lucky enough to have your ashes strewn into space). Being in a body allows us to explore the dense and heavy realms, including the Dark, the Shadow, and Fear. It is in the Depth Realm of Hades that hidden treasure is found, if we are bold enough to pursue it, though I know we are not all the same type of adventurers.

One of the things that the celestial messengers told me when I was fourteen, while we were hanging out in the astral plane around beautiful Saturn, (before I even knew anything about psychoactive plants, drugs or what have you!) is that the essence that animates the body returns to this plane in a new body, but only by agreement. There is no "hell," but this place is what we make of it, and if we find it necessary to make "hell," then we will have it. Another thing they pointed out is that time, as we know it, is a construct, which means it isn't linear, it isn't even "real," in the true sense of the word. We move backward, forward, sideways, and we can inhabit other planes and planets in the interim, even simultaneously. Not every being here is an expression of consciousness that "originated" on this planet, but we can "school" on different planets and learn about that planet's consciousness, effectively taking on the role of an expression of that planet's consciousness. ( I won't even get into the trans-dimensional stuff!)

I gather from what you've said over the years, that your schooling has been rough. Mine has been also, but some of us choose the tough courses because we truly believe we can handle them and possibly even make a difference, perhaps just by inspiring others. (I joke with friends about being so fiery and impulsive, that I forgot to read the fine print before signing on: "Can I take another look at that contract, please?")

One thing that the celestial messengers don't possess is the depth of emotion of which humans are capable; it's not that they are without feelings, they're just "different." So we're kind of on our own with that particular evolution, but we took on the job to evolve the emotional body, so here we are, and we are all doing that in our own ways. I've learned a lot, exploring Fear, but one thing I know is that there are many other ways of experiencing this evolution that are much more creative, expansive and, well, evolutionary... One thing I've learned is that we will always bring that which we Fear to us because we need to know it is not what we think it is.

The messengers just wanted me to remind you not to get stuck. I'm assuming you will understand what that means. They also wanted me to let you know that "Raphy's (Archangel Raphael's) really good at healing!"

In lak'ech,
Jessica

Sexuality in the "New Age"

Contemplation is a wonderful thing, often taking us down avenues we might never discover, let alone explore. I like to "moodle" - it's one of my forms of meditation.

We live in a culture which "frowns upon daydreaming," as though spending time with one's thoughts has no practical application. Many forget that we make no progress, individually or as a society, without first envisioning where it is we are headed.

It was probably while I was contemplating, moodling or daydreaming about our collective evolution on this planet that it first occurred to me that we are in the process of evolving our emotional bodies. We've explored and developed many other aspects of our human selves, but still have less respect for the emotional than is due,(1) considering that we are motivated by our feelings in everything we do. Think about it: it doesn't matter whether we do something which brings us pleasure (we "want" to do it), or we feel obliged (review that: "feel" obliged); decide not to do something, then feel guilty; do something because "it's good for us;" have to prove something; feel we "must" do something due to external constraints (have to get that garden in before it's too late! ah, obligation again). Yes, we're a pretty "feeling" bunch, we humans.

In our Chakra Process Program, the way I teach it, the emotional body is in the domain of the Second Chakra, along with creativity, instinct/intuition and sexuality. The Second Chakra is considered to be the centre of one's being, and is located roughly 1 1/2 inches below the umbilicus. In China, this centre is called "tan tien" and in Japan it is "hara."

In esoteric traditions, our astral selves are connected to our bodies by a silver cord, which is usually said to be "attached" to the umbilicus, though I suspect it is really attached at the site of the Second Chakra. The silver cord is how we stay connected to our bodies during astral projection. After death, it takes three days for the astral self to separate from the physical, which was one reason for not burying a corpse until the third day after death.

While all the Chakras actually function interdependently, it is generally accepted that the so-called upper and lower Chakras reflect one another: the first reflects in the seventh, the second in the sixth, third in the fifth. The Fourth or Heart Chakra is the interchange point (I used to call it "Grand Central"), and point of resolution. We'll examine the Heart Chakra in a subsequent post.

The Second Chakra is associated with the Moon, so is also the home of body-centred memories (the Moon being the celestial body affiliated with memory, mother and infancy, where we first begin learning about intimacy - which some refer to as "into-me-see"). Our personal memories of the spectrum of our nurture or harm can be accessed through depth work with this Chakra.

Which brings us to the topic of sexuality. (The following passage is from "The Sacred Tree and the Rainbow Serpent" by yours truly):

"I once held the mistaken notion that life force(chi) and sexual force were one and the same, until I learned to circulate these forces consciously through my body. To my surprise, I experienced chi as being a light, gentle flow and sexual chi as being like wild horses, or a turbulent ocean, rushing up my spine. No wonder the urge to procreate is so powerful! And it is, of course, the seed and root of the very nature of physicality.

"Yet we live in a culture which is nothing if not supremely sexually immature - surprising, considering the sexual sophistication of some of our forbears. We are driven by the status quo to achieve, to seek in material terms that which is supposed to give us pleasure, little realizing all the while that life is full of pleasure, our sexuality being a basic one. Sexuality also is intimately involved with Kundalini, the serpent energy envisioned as being coiled at the base of the spine, awaiting awakening...

"'There have been studies of cultures made that compared the level of sexual taboos to the incidence of violence. The more stringent the taboos on sex, the higher the violence rate. Conversely, the more sexually permissive the culture, the lower the crime. For the health of ourselves, and for the health of our culture, sexuality is an important essence to understand and preserve.'(2)

"In truth, focussing on maturing ourselves sexually may help us in our endeavors to evolve our collective consciousness. Sexual maturity is one of the goals of tantra, for example. Ironically, becoming sexually mature also deeply enhances our capacity for intimacy and pleasure. In recent years, books and teachings have started emerging in our culture which have the capacity to transform the way we experience our sexual selves. Works such as 'The Art of Sexual Ecstasy: The Path of Sacred Sexuality for Western Lovers' by Margo Anand, 'Healing Love Through the Tao' by Maneewan and Mantak Chia and 'Taoist Secrets of Love' by Mantak Chia and Michael Wynn provide ways for us to become acquainted and adept with our sexual selves, reconnecting us to aspects within us that have possibly been buried since the time of our births, if not before. As we awaken and heal our sexuality, we will also improve the quality of our relationships and come to understand and cherish our polarities as strengths rather than viewing them in a competitive light."
(c)2001, Jessica North-o'Connell

To further explore the topic, read Riane Eisler's book, "Sacred Pleasure: Sex, Myth, and the Politics of the Body."

Happy New Moon in Taurus. Enjoy your emotional body and stay sexy!

Jessica

Notes:

(1) As a child, I used to think I was "stupid" because I was so strongly emotional, despite my obvious academic abilities in school.

(2)Anodea Judith in "Wheels of Life"

Nettle: A favorite plant ally

I always look forward to the Spring season not only because it signals the end of winter, but also because of all the new growth which occurs; that bright new green, those early-season blossoms in myriad colors, and those wild edibles, of which nettle is favorite.

I credit Susun Weed with instigating my profound appreciation of Nettle though, in truth, I had discovered her years before encountering Susun's Wisewoman works.

Originally, the piece which follows was written at the request of a woman who was starting a magazine and had asked me to write a series about plants. The mag withered on the vine before its time, but the articles, all eight of them, still exist. So, without further ado, I bring you...

Nifty Nettle
(c)2003, Jessica North-O’Connell

Tall and elegant in her woodland settings, her serrated leaves and tiny flowers dancing in the winds, Nettle (Urtica dioica, Urtica urens), also called Stinging Nettle, is a perennial plant which grows in many places around the world. According to author Nelson Coon, she is native to Eurasia. She was first introduced to North America by English settlers who brought her along with their cattle. By 1672, she was already commonplace on this continent.

She is often found in areas of devastation, along roadsides as well as in gardens and beside fences and walls. Her square, bristle-covered stalks grow from two to seven feet in height and her leaves are serrated and pointed with a hairy underside (it is these bristles and hairs which earn her the “stinging” title, as most people develop small slightly raised and tender welts on coming into contact with them, skin to plant). Where I live, she begins to flower as early as mid-to-late May. The flowers are small, greenish and rather unremarkable but a harvester must know when to leave the plant alone. Once she begins to flower, let her be. She will reward you the following spring with a hearty new growth.

I first discovered Nettle years ago when I came across a reference to her hair-strengthening ability in a herb book I was reading, though its title is now lost in the annals of my memory. I’ve since learned of a variety of other uses for this fabulous plant.

The young leaves of the Nettle are tender and succulent, steamed and served with a little butter or lemon juice, Celtic sea salt and fresh-ground black pepper. All traces of the stinging quality disappear upon cooking. This is one plant you can’t really eat raw (though I did once attend a workshop where I learned how to eat raw leaves individually without getting stung! It's all in how you fold them).

Nettle has many uses other than as one of our most remarkable tonics - the Scots and some of the European mainlanders used Nettle in much the same way as flax was used, making a cloth from her fibres which is similar to linen. During World War 1, Germans used her stalks for weaving, in place of cotton. Her fibre has also been used in the manufacture of fishing line. Her use as a “textile plant,” (and it is believed that this is the meaning of her name) dates back to the Bronze Age.

However, it is as a tonic that many of us have come to ally with Nettle. She is astringent, diuretic (although I haven’t noticed this effect), hemostatic and a galactagogue, according to John Lust. Susun Weed states that Nettle is a uterine tonic with the ability to strengthen and rebuild the kidneys and adrenals and I agree with her, from personal experience. Nettle has a high mineral content, including boron, calcium, chromium, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. She is also rich in vitamins: thiamine, riboflavin, folic acid, niacin, carotenes, and Vitamins C, E and. K. She is rich in chlorophyll which, along with the above-mentioned minerals, is beneficial to the hormonal system and is an excellent deodorant.

Menopausal women benefit from Nettle’s ability to prevent and re-hydrate vaginal tissues, maintain strong bones, stabilize the blood sugar, reduce fatigue, prevent or eliminate headaches and nourish a variety of body systems, including the digestive, immune, nervous and cardiovascular systems. She is beneficial to the endocrine system as well, which is the producer of the hormones that regulate body functions. As a menopausal ally, and as a fertility promoter, it is advised that one drink one or more cups of Nettle infusion daily.

When wildcrafting Nettle, be certain to stay away from polluted areas. Harvest away from roadsides or areas in which chemical fertilizers have been used.

How to prepare a Nettle infusion: Place 1 oz (30 gm) of the dried leaf in a quart-size canning jar. Fill the jar with boiling water and immediately close tightly. Steep at room temperature for four hours. Transfer the liquid to another jar, squeezing out the plant material to obtain all the infusion possible. Store in fridge, drink liberally. A jar lasts me 1-2 days, at slightly more than one cup daily. (I have a "Green Goddess" mug for drinking Nettle infusion.)

The benefit of this method, according to Susun Weed, is the the “wonder water” effect, which prevents the gas molecules present in water and released during boiling from being reabsorbed into the water from the air while cooling. (It is thought that the gas intereferes with the the process of extraction of nutrients from the plant matter.)

A hearty Beltane cocktail: Not everyone appreciates the strong “green” flavor of Nettle infusion, however, my husband among them! You can use the infusion as a diluter for fresh-squeezed vegetable juices, such as carrot/beet/ginger, one of my favorite blends. Cut half and half with Nettle infusion, it makes a potent but pleasant health drink. You can also add Nettle infusion to plain tomato juice for a flavor reminiscent of V-8.

Another method is to make ice cubes of your Nettle infusion and add them to everything, or to use the infusion as a base for vegetarian soup or stew.

Nettle Hair Rinse Supreme: To a 6-cup size teapot add 6 tsp of Nettle leaves and fill the pot with boiling water. Allow to cool. After washing the hair, pour the tepid tea through the hair and over the scalp, catching the tea in a bowl (I kneel in the tub with the bowl in front of me). Use a small receptacle (such as a plastic measuring cup) to scoop the tea from the bowl and pour over the scalp and hair a few times. Gently squeeze excess tea from the hair and towel-dry hair.

For “smelly feet”(from having your feet in those rubber boots while gardening all day!): Prepare a pot of Nettle tea as above and add to a footbath. Soak feet for 10 minutes. Towel dry and allow feet to “air-dry” for a few minutes before putting on fresh footwear.

Bibliography

Nelson Coon: Using Plants for Healing
Margaret Dinsdale: Skin Deep: Natural Recipes for Healthy Skin and Hair
John Lust: The Herb Book
Jeanne Rose: Herbs & Things: Jeanne Rose’s Herbal
Susun S. Weed: Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way: Alternative Approaches for Women 30-90

Sight and Sound

"Today is the first day of the rest of your life."

I remember when we used to see that line everywhere. Then it became trite, but still no less true. It takes awhile, sometimes, for us to truly appreciate the intention of that expression.

Today

is the

first day

of the

rest of your life!

Which, of course, brings us to the topic of p-r-o-c-r-a-s-t-i-n-a-t-i-o-n.

I keep telling myself that I will

a) start a daily meditation practice,
when my daughter moves out
b) clean out and re-establish my office,
when my daughter moves out
c) reorganize the basement,
when my daughter moves out
d) take yoga classes,
when my daughter moves out
e) have small dinner parties again

Okay, you got it...I can always excuse myself by saying I'm "goal-oriented," I suppose.

Today is the first day of the rest of my life...

Now, please don't misunderstand. I lead a very busy, active life. I teach, counsel, write, cater, perform and attempt to take care of the myriad aspects of running a household, including the care of a young dog, three cats, a husband and a daughter who is finishing her high school (so I suppose that list also includes "tutor"). Spring is doing its best to establish itself, so there will be gardening and landscaping, too. Oh, yes, and figuring out how to create a livable income from my apparent vocation...

Years ago, when I was raising four kids (two in diapers) on my own, for the most part, I used to practice Transcendental Meditation - yes, 20 minutes twice a day. I controlled stress by having lengthy baths, sometimes with a kid or two in the tub with me, or playing beside it. If I knew I had to deal with unsavory telephone tasks, or needed to 'cry the blues' to my support system, I'd bring the phone, with its extra-long cord, into the bathroom with me.

My house was orderly, except for the distribution of toys throughout, which were always put away at night. Finger prints never had the chance to settle on the walls - I'd be there almost beforehand with the spray bottle and rag. The windows sparkled. All dishes were washed by hand. Laundry never piled up, clothes were usually hung on the clothesline to dry (we had a dryer for use during times of inclement weather), and the acre-sized lawn was always cut. I baked most of the bread we ate, all meals were cooked from scratch and we still had a great social life, exploring the beautiful area in which we lived and taking part in events at the local rec centre. I saw clients, attended classes, designed workshops and regularly travelled to points away from the Island where we lived. I even managed to take a vacation to San Francisco (where I'd left my heart!), just before my 33rd birthday.

I remember walking down a San Francisco street, enjoying the gracious architecture that I'd never had time to actually notice when I'd lived there, and thinking, "Wow, 33 and I still have the rest of my life ahead of me!" That day was the first day of the rest of my life...

So at what point did Auntie Procrastination rear her ugly head? Probably some time amidst moving away from our idyllic spot to live with another single-parent family in the city, working away from the home five days a week, and falling subject to a custody battle, I'd wager.

True, I'd discovered that TM wasn't for me, though not because of the time demands. I just hadn't found the right practice yet. I have that now.

So,
a) meditation practice for the day - I invite you to play along with me.

Exercise one:
Read the following out loud.
An exercise by Gertrude Stein, from Many Many Women (1910)

Any one is one having been that one. Any one is such a one.
Any one having been that one is one remembering something of such a thing, is one remembering having been that one.
Each one having been one is being one having been that one. Each one having been one is remembering something of this thing is remembering something of having been that one.
Each one is one. Each one has been one. Each one being one, each one having been one is remembering something of that thing.
Each one is one. Each one has been one. Each one is remembering that thing.
Each one is one. Each one has been one. That is something that any one having been one, any one being one is having happen. Each one being one is having it happen that that one is being that one. Each one having been one is one having had it happen that that one has been that one.
Each one is one. Any one is that one that one is. Each one is one.

(This exercise is included in Chakra Five of my chakra process handbook, "The Sacred Tree and the Rainbow Serpent," which I wrote for my students in 2001. Gertrude was fascinated by sound. Reading this passage aloud eliminates the "meaning" of the words, leaving only sound.)

Practice two: from Connie Frey's FAME cards deck, subtitled, "Writing prompts for the right and left brain". Connie, who holds a Ph.D. in dance therapy, was also my first dance teacher; I was 34 when I signed up for her classes.

"Write a word 100 times and note the flow of images."

Then I'm off to do some housework, and maybe plan a special dinner menu...

Do something wonderful today!

Jessica

Mother's Day: Peace, Baby, Peace!

My husband, who is a chef, told me that Mother's Day is one of the two busiest days of the year in the hospitality industry (the other one is Valentine's Day). Not surprising, as Mom and food go together like beer and football. Nurture naturally implies food for so many of us, so we show Mom that we appreciate her by feeding her; breakfast in bed, brunch at our local "nice" restaurant, or a "fancy" dinner, lovingly prepared by the kids. (We're having lentil soup, lovingly prepared by me, though I hear there's some nice chocolate ice cream for dessert, courtesy of my daughter's fiance.)

The tradition of celebrating mothers with food reaches back at least to ancient Greece, when the Mother Goddess Gaia was honored at dawn with honey cakes, drink and spring flowers. Seventeenth century Britons celebrated Mothering Sunday on the fourth Sunday in Lent. Servants were sent home to visit their mothers for the day, bearing a "mothering cake."

Food can also become a substitute for Mom, though. Many of us eat when what we really need is the warmth of simple human contact, the joy of preparing a meal together and sharing it with family and friends, instead of settling for a bucket of greasy chicken from the local take-out place to be wolfed down in front of the television after work. The McSomething given to demanding children who are reacting to corporate ad propaganda but hungry for the real McCoy, hardly gives them nurture or teaches them the value of human contact. Mom becomes the-dispenser-of-money-in-pursuit-of-the-quickest-way-to-make-them-settle-down-and-behave. I know; I've been there myself....

Thankfully, the McFashion never became a habit in our household, and limited resources meant that a lot of fresh veggies and other basically healthy foods were consumed, though I never did get a handle on how to motivate everyone's involvement in the food prep. We did eat together, though, even if it was in front of episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and often had group discussions about some of the issues presented there.

But whatever associations we may draw between Mom and food, the history of Mother's Day in North America actually had more to do with striving for peace, health and safety.

In 1858, Anna Reeves Jarvis sought to improve health and safety conditions for women workers with "Mothers Work Days." Later, she also encouraged women to help those wounded in the American Civil War, regardless of the side on which they had fought. Anna, inspired by another woman, Julia Ward Howe,* also embraced the cause of a Mother's Day for Peace, which Julia began promoting in 1870, issuing a "peace manifesto" (see the Mother's Day Proclamation below).

Anna's daughter, also named Anna, continued her mother's work. In 1907 she handed out white carnations to every mother who attended her own mother's church in West Virginia. The following year, that church started the tradition of an annual service honoring mothers.

Daughter Anna continued campaigning for the instituting of Mother's Day, and by 1909 other countries, including Canada, began observing the day. In 1914 Mother's Day was formally established as a day for honoring mothers, though the "day of peace" aspect was overlooked.

I've noticed over the years how "Peace Day" seems to keep being replaced by observances of another type and another name. Most recently, it was April 22, which has now become "Earth Day." Perhaps it's a sign that we need to make every day Peace Day....

Jessica

Mother's Day Proclamation
Julia Ward Howe, Boston, 1870

"Arise, then, women of this day!

Arise, all women who have hearts,
Whether our baptism be of water or of tears!

Say firmly:
'We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies,
Our husbands will not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause.
Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn
All that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience.
We, the women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country
To allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs.'

"From the bosom of the devastated Earth a voice goes up with our own.
It says: "Disarm! Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice."
Blood does not wipe out dishonor, nor violence indicate possession.
As men have often forsaken the plough and the anvil at the summons of war,
Let women now leave all that may be left of home for a great and earnest day of counsel.

"Let them meet first, as women, to bewail and commemorate the dead.
Let them solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means
Whereby the great human family can live in peace,
Each bearing after his own time the sacred impress, not of Caesar,
But of God(dess)**.

"In the name of womanhood and humanity, I earnestly ask
That a general congress of women without limit of nationality
May be appointed and held at someplace deemed most convenient
And at the earliest period consistent with its objects,
To promote the alliance of the different nationalities,
The amicable settlement of international questions,
The great and general interests of peace.

So Mote it Be!

*Julia Ward Howe (May 27, 1819 - October 17, 1910) presented her Peace Manifesto at an international peace conference in 1870. Through her sponsorship, eighteen cities observed Mother's Day for Peace for a period of thirty years.

**Jessica's addition

Vessel of the Mother Goddess

When I first came to Vancouver Island, way back in 1983, I had the eerie feeling of being on a mission - something more than that of a mother seeking a place to raise her brood. I felt as though I'd been handed a mandate (from "mandalum" meaning "to command," based upon the Latin roots "manus" [hand] and "dare" [to give]; how much more literal could that be?) The mission seemed to indicate that I was to express the Divine Feminine and bring an awareness of the Feminine to those whom I would encounter on my journey.

Over the course of many years, I have been privileged to be able to participate in the founding of a Mystery School; to author and co-author two books and numerous articles; to teach classes in a variety of subjects; to birth a beautiful daughter; to co-own a restaurant and catering company - truly a celebration of the gifts of the Great Mother!

Yet the road stretches out before me still, and today as I contemplate whither this road may lead, I reach into the velvet pouch which holds my collection of Nancy Blair's "Amulets of the Goddess" seeking direction.

My hand pulls forth "The Primal Mother Goddess and Child - Infinite Love."

"The vessel as Mother Goddess is a fundamental concept in many traditional spiritual practices. The sacred earthen vessel is often presided over by priestesses. Among most primal peoples, women make pottery. Once made, a vessel's libations, ambrosias and unguents are administered by the wise women healers..." (Amulets of the Goddess, p. 87)

Meditations on motherhood - what could be more timely, these two days before Mother's Day? What is more "to the point" when considering a direction already so informed by the Divine Feminine?

Whether we think of Mother's Day as a "Hallmark event" or recognize it for what it is - yet another manifestation of a culture's recognition of each of its members' individual origins - we can begin again our appreciation of the Great Mother by appreciating our own, even if just for "the day."

If "Mother" was unknown, or the experience of Mother a conflicted and pain-inducing one, this is a good time to meditate on what the nurture of Mother would be like for us, in an ideal world. Treat yourself to a nice "vessel" (I bought two beautiful bowls last week!) and serve yourself lovely, nourishing meals in it. Take care of it as a symbol of how Mother would take care of you. (You might want to avoid blue bowls, as these suppress the appetite, unless that's something you're trying to do!)

Well, off to walk the dog before it rains....