rupture

YOUR TRUE HOME

Each one of us is alone in the world. It takes great courage to meet the full force of your aloneness. Most of the activity in society is subconsciously designed to quell the voice crying in the wilderness within you. The mystic Thomas a Kempis said that when you go out into the world, you return having lost some of yourself. Until you learn to inhabit your aloneness, the lonely distraction and noise of society will seduce you into false belonging, with which you will only become empty and weary. When you face your aloneness, something begins to happen. Gradually, the sense of bleakness changes into a sense of true belonging. This is a slow and open-ended transition but it is utterly vital in order to come into rhythm with your own individuality. In a sense this is the endless task of finding your true home within your life. It is not narcissistic, for as soon as you rest in the house of your own heart, doors and windows begin to open outwards to the world. No longer on the run from your aloneness, your connections with others become real and creative. You no longer need to covertly scrape affirmation from others or from projects outside yourself. This is slow work; it takes years to bring your mind home.

~ JOHN O'DONOHUE,

Excerpt from ETERNAL ECHOES

Notes on Hallebore

by ANA

One of the more controversial herbs in use today is Hellebore, which has been known for thousands of years as both a poison and a remedy.

Hellebore is actually the common name for more than 20 different species of herbaceous perennials of the genus Helleborus.

The two most common forms are black and white hellebore.

Most species within this genus are poisonous, but there are some that can be manipulated by expert herbalists to be administered safely, as there are some powerful benefits

Black hellebore has a wider range of applications than white.

Both types are toxic in inappropriate doses, so under no circumstances should you try to prepare a herbal remedy of hellebore at home.

Benefits including fever reduction, helping bring on menstrual flow and anti-parasitic

However, what intrigues me about this respected elder is that she’s considered a winter goddess, a high priestess— also known as winter rose. She is a compass in the shadows.

In my opinion, she’s best used in essence form as a flower remedy

Hellebore blooms and emerges in the darkest phase of winter in the northern hemisphere. Her roots are deep and strongly grounded into the Earth.

Her flower essence holds deep intuition like her strong root system; she holds the elements of grounding us to the Earth while helping us to find our own strength.

This strong connection gives us the courage to move through whatever life presents, helping us to purge what no longer serves us. She reminds us that in times of darkness beauty can emerge.

Flower essence tinctures work by modifying energy flow through the typical acupuncture meridians. Shifts in these energetic patterns influence the consciousness in helpful ways both emotionally and physically. These homeopathic remedies can be described as “vibrational” or energy medicine.

Flowers themselves contain the highest concentration of life force energy of the plant.

“Embrace the still nothingness”, she whispers, “Allow your heartbeat to guide you back to your whole self”