Strategies for A Healing Journey

To some extent, we are all on a healing journey. While
some of us have healing paths that are quite similar,
others journey a unique path. This healing journey is
part of the earth walk that each of us are fashioning at
this point in time.

In this article, I will give some suggestions on strategies
you can implement, to guide your personal healing
journey.

First of all, let's consider desperation and despair. To
some extent, we've all felt those emotions in our lives.
They aren't pretty! Yet, they can be the final straw that
moves us to begin our healing journey. In other words,
in hitting bottom, we are thrown deep inside ourselves,
where we come face to face with the core of our being.
If we listen to this core part of ourselves, this spirit or
spark, it can be the special seed from which hope
rises, and then somehow we will find a way to move
forward again.

So, "hope" can play a major role in our healing efforts.
In fact, research suggests that hope and expectation
stimulate the immune system functioning, and can
protect us from illness. Hope can act like a powerful
placebo response. It gives us a glimmer of light, and
a way forward from the darkness of our dis-ease.

Another important factor is self-awareness, and with it
the knowledge and power to know where we are going
on our healing journey. You see, most of us spend our
lives in a form of psychological sleep, steeped in
habitual behaviour and thought patterns. We seek the
solutions that consumer society generally offers, and
many of those solutions are made for the masses -- a
one size fits all mentality.

Waking up into self-awareness, we see that we are
unique, and that we must find and walk our own healing
path. This is the first stage of empowerment, and the
beginning of the removal of dis-ease. Take the time
now to analyse how you are thinking, what you are
feeling, and consider what you can do about it. This
is a way to break free from habit, into greater self-
awareness, and the discovery of your healing path.

Good medicine always,
Laurie

Note: This article was taken from the 15 November 2008
issue of the Natural Healing Talk newsletter.

I Photographed An Orb Hovering Above My Field

Hi Everyone,

I trust all of you are well and looking forward to
the Christmas season.

One evening last spring, as I was examining the
herb garden, I noticed an Owl sitting on a post
about thirty feet from where I stood. It was likely
watching for field mice, and other things moving
about in the old dry grass on the field.

I went back to the house and fetched my digital
camera, so I could photograph the Owl. It was
dusk and fast approaching full darkness, as you
can tell from the photo, below. Well, I failed in
my attempt to capture the Owl, but discovered
that I had gotten an Orb, instead!

You can see the moon-like Orb on the right side
of the photo. It's floating about three to five feet
above the field, and silhouetted against the
treeline, behind.

Quite interesting, and a fascinating image, if
I do say so myself! :) If you have a comment or
opinion about Orbs, I'd like to hear about it. Have
you ever photographed one, or seen an Orb?

All the best, and I'll return, soon.

Laurie

Canada in The Great War: Passchendaele, The Movie

I went to see the Canadian film, Passchendaele,
tonight. It's a terrific movie, and touching, in many
ways. It brings home the terrible conditions under
which World War I was fought, and the sacrifices made
by soldiers, as well as the nurses and doctors who
attended to the wounded.

It was Canadian troops who were finally able to take
Passchendaele and the high ground. However, this
was done at the cost of almost 16,000 casualities
over a three month period.

From what I've read, the German forces feared
Canadian soldiers to such an extent, that they named
them, "Storm Troopers".

If you want to read about the battle, go to this link:
Canada In The Great War

As I said earlier, this film touched me deeply, and
increased my awareness of the dreadful folly, waste,
hopelessness, and evil, criminal nature, of war.

I'll return soon, with a regular nature post. I simply
had to write about Passchendaele, after seeing the
movie.

I rate the movie as a 9 out of 10. Excellent!

All the best,
Laurie

Autumn Social and Old Growth Forest Walk Photo

Hi,

Well the Autumn Social went off very well. We
had an enjoyable visit to the old forest area,
and later, to Minamkeak Lake. The group then
returned to my place, to enjoy and feast on a
variety of foods, including homemade soups and
pies!

Here is a photo of the event.



All the best,
Laurie

Autumn Social & Old Growth Forest Walk

Hi Everyone,

Here's a Special Event Notice!

Date: 12 October 2008
Time: Afternoon - 12:30 following - we'll walk at about 1:30
Bring: Food Contribution
Location: 352 Mines Road # 2, Hebbs Cross, Lunenburg
County, Nova Scotia
Contact me: event@naturalhealingtalk.com

Join me for a walk to the Old Forest area on the property
that has been in my family since about 1898. We'll walk to
the old forest, where you can spend time looking about or
meditating or examining the trees, or sketching, searching
for medicinal plants, or following your inspiration.

Later, we'll return and share food with good conversation!
We can even have fire in my ceremonially dedicated fire
pit -- perhaps steep both black spruce tea and labrador
tea in pots above the open fire!

Contact me for directions!

All the best,
Laurie

p.s. Oh yes, parking is limited, so carpool, if you can.

p.p.s Will someone please bring a pie? I have a sweet
tooth;)

The Mystery of Medicine

The term "medicine" as used in this article, refers
to the word in its broadest sense, meaning those
things that both relieve and heal illness and dis-ease,
and maintain or restore balance to our lives.

I use the word, "mystery," because to some extent,
both medicine and the world are mysterious and full
of surprises.

Consider the "placebo effect," for instance. I've always
considered the placebo effect as good medicine in
its own right, because it demonstrates the deep
connection and inter-relationship between mind and
body, or, if you like, between consciousness and
matter at a cellular level.

Then, of course, there are many systems of faith
healing, and energy healing -- the latter includes
reiki, tai chi, and acupuncture. Those systems are all
remarkable and illustrate to some extent, this "mystery"
called medicine.

I think we should respect and learn from all systems of
medicine, both traditional and modern. For instance,
the modern allopathic system of medicine is amazing
in situations where emergency intervention is required.
The technical advances of modern medicine are
astounding, as are many of its powerful, disease
intervention drugs. However, it is an expensive system
to maintain, and can be very intrusive to mind and body.

We can learn much from traditional medicine systems.
For instance, shamanism offers valuable insight into
mind, consciousness, the physical body, and how
they react to ceremony and ritual. As well, we can
learn a great deal from shamans who wish to share
their knowledge about the use of plants and trees as
medicines.

We must never close our minds to learning about
the mysteries of life and of medicine. For instance,
what fascinates you the most about life? What are
the things that bring joy into your life, and give you a
sense of well-being and contentment? Those things
are your personal medicine -- they keep you well,
and you don't have to get a prescription for them.
This is part of your personal medicine power.

Down the road, I plan to write a special report about
personal medicine power.

Good medicine always,
Laurie

P.S. This article appeared in the 15 June 2008 issue
of my Natural Healing Talk Newsletter. If you're
interested, you can Subscribe at the Website.