Winter Solstice Meditation to Usher in the New Golden Era of Love, Light and Peace

Hello Dear One, Happy Winter Solstice to you!

Winter Solstice at Newgrange

The longest night and the shortest day has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere. The Solstice is always a turning point when we shift from darkness into light. And this is especially poignant this year, with the current world events and the special astrological alignments that are happening. We need to do all we can to bring back the light. This is the Great Turning point that we have all been praying for.

So I’ve recorded a guided meditation for you to help bring in the light, to usher in the New Golden Era of Peace, Love and Harmony, that is waiting for us to step into. And to help you connect with the Earth and all the Beautiful souls around the planet who are also doing this work.

I recorded this meditation sitting by a lovely fire blazing in the woodburner, with my beeswax candle lit and some incense burning to bring sweet fragrance in. I invite you to do the same and get really comfortable and cosy. If you don’t have access to a fire, lighting a candle can connect you with the element of fire and the light of the Solstice.

In the meditation, I play my drum for you, to help you relax and put you in the right state of mind. So just let the rhythm of the drum relax you and take you on this journey. 

Bring in the Love and the Light: Guided Meditation for Solstice 2020

I thank you for your part in bringing in this Great Turning towards love and light. Remember to drink plenty of water afterwards, to help your body adjust to the changes.

Wishing you so much Joy, Love and an Abundance of Blessings through the Festive Season and beyond into next year.

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Listening to Nature: Wise Words from Brother Oak

‘Hey Little Sister, come closer. Lean your ear towards me.
I have words for you.’

As I stepped out today for a walk on a raw, cold December afternoon, the light was fading early. I was lamenting the loss of the light, as we move towards the shortest day on the Winter Solstice. I was also having a moment of feeling inadequate, feeling small and insignificant in the face of the enormity of the task to turn the ways of humanity round so that we can start moving towards the Golden Era of Peace, Love and Harmony that we are all longing for.

And as I trudged up the mud-slick track, I heard these words, ‘Hey Little Sister, come closer. I have words for you.’ I looked round.

‘Who was that?’ I wondered.

‘Lean your ear towards me. I have words for you,’ the voice said again, clear as day. It was coming from a magnificent oak tree, the kind that Herefordshire is famous for.

I have been mourning the impending loss of a beloved tree in whose lap I have sat for many years to do my daily meditations – the beautiful ancient crab apple, whose roots form a perfect seat for me to sit on. Yesterday, when I went to visit her for my daily dose of connection with Nature, she told me that it was the last time that it would be safe for me to sit under her branches. She is dying, and likely to fall with the next storm. Even though I have seen this coming over the last few months, watching the fungus grow on her beloved body, I cried tears of grief at the news.

My dear friend, under whose branches I have sat amongst the intoxicating scent of her pink blossoms, to the soundtrack of the humming of thousands of bees as they collected her nectar, would soon be gone. And in the autumn, the occasional plop of a falling apple, accompanied by the delicious scent of fruit released, as it hit the ground, would be no more. In her arms, I have learned so much wisdom to help carry me through difficult times, as I journeyed or meditated. She has been my place of solace during the lockdown. I couldn’t bear the thought that soon she won’t be here.

On that last day, mild and blustery with moisture on the wind, I placed my hand on her trunk as a gesture of goodbye. And then, carried to me on the December breeze, was the distinct smell of crab apple fragrance – as if she was giving me this last gift of her exquisite scent as her final farewell.

So, I was looking forlornly for a new place of comfort and connection, when I heard the deep and gruff voice of the Oak, so different to the chiming, sweet sound of Crab Apple. I asked, as I always do, if it was OK to come into his field of energy and his reply was, ‘Yes, it is imperative that you do.’ So I approached his gnarly, ridged trunk and lay my ear against his bark.

‘You are a Child of the Earth and your Soul is from the Stars.
In you, is blended the Beauty of the Cosmos.’

‘Greetings, Dear One,’ he said. ‘You are a child of the Earth and your soul is from the Stars. In you, is blended the Beauty of the Cosmos.’

‘Do not compare yourself to others. You are a golden thread in the rich tapestry of life. Without your golden lustre, the beauty of the whole would be diminished. You have your unique role to play, as do all the other beautiful souls in this dance of life. It is vital at this time that you remember this and keep your vibration high.’

‘Keep disconnecting yourself from the fear and chaos of the Collective. Do not get caught up in arguments, disagreements, conflicts of any sort, no matter how worthy the cause seems. Keep seeing the Bigger Picture.’

Keep grounding yourself. Keep soaking in the Love of the Creator. Keep filling the chalice of your heart with love and light until it overflows and radiate it out to the world.’

‘Know this – All is Well. All will be Well.’

‘Go now to your home. Warm yourself by the fire and bask in the love of your family.’

‘These are the words of the Tree People, coming to you from Brother Oak.’

Walking Where the Wild Ravens Fly

It was a glorious day for an autumnal walk. Bright sun shone on gold and russet leaves, as we drove through country lanes towards the mountains. The intense blue of the sky above the bracken coloured hills was medicine for the senses.

Two ravens, Odin’s birds named Thought and Memory, greeted our arrival at Vagar Common, swooping low over the car and following us as we set out on the trackway that runs parallel to Cefn Hill and Hay Bluff. The bright sun shone on their iridescent feathers as they tumbled through the sky, surfing the strong wind as they joyfully rode towards the Bluff and back again, their croaking calls sounding like two pieces of wood being struck together.

After we’d had our fill of the bracing wind and mountain vistas, we returned to the car. As we drove away, six ravens landed in the field next to us – a magnificent sight with their glossy feathers shining, they bookended our wild experience.

Full to the brim with wild mountain energy, we drove to Hay for coffee and an ice cream in our favourite Shepherd’s Ice Cream Parlour. It was a delightful contrast to be back in civilisation amongst people and out of the strong wind. I am filled with gratitude and feel so blessed to live somewhere that I can enjoy such beauty near my home.

The meaning of Raven as Power Animal: Magic, Shapeshifting, Creation. It is a bird of birth and of death, of mysticism and magic. A Messenger from the Spiritual Realms, a bringer of omens. With their range of vocalisations, they teach us to understand the language of animals. They teach us about fearless playfulness with their tumbling aerial antics and they teach us to shine with iridescent beauty and all the colours of the rainbow.

Healing Journey in the Time of Coronavirus

Hello Dear Ones, I did this beautiful journey a couple of days ago. It is a journey for personal and planetary healing in this time of craziness. So much love and light came through me as part of this journey, that I wanted to share it, in case others would like to use it for themselves. Here is my journey. I hope it resonates for you.

Intention: I am journeying for healing on this day of lockdown, anxiety and fear.

I call to my power animals and my guides. Asklepios, the Greek God of Healing, is here. He is riding his beautiful black, glossy charger. He bids me get up on his horse behind him. We are riding across grassy plains towards snow-capped mountains in the distance. I put my arms around his waist and nestle my cheek against his strong, muscular back. The wind is strong. A stiff spring breeze is blowing.

Asklepios is quiet. He is not saying anything as we ride towards the mountains. The telepathic message is, ‘Stay quiet, Dear One.’ We ride and we ride for a long time. Now the mountains are getting closer. Now we are going up a track through the foothills of the mountains, and now through the forest. The fresh air filters into my lungs. I am getting the message to stay physically active, but also to be supported, just as the horse supports me now.

‘We are here to support you. You are safe. You are loved,’ say my guides.

We come to the edge of a great lake. It is muddy on this side, and we walk around the edge of the lake. I see waterfalls that feed the lake. He is taking me there, to a place of cleansing, a place of renewal.

Now we dismount. Asklepios gets off first and helps me down. He takes my hand and leads me towards the waterfall. ‘This will be cold, dear sister, but so refreshing,’ he says, as he bids me get into the lake. He gets in with me and takes me towards the waterfall.

I am to sit on a rock with the cool water flowing over me. I have some trepidation about how cold the water will be, but Asklepios holds my hands. He says, ‘It is very cold, but I will warm you,’ and he sends warmth into my body so that I am not shocked by the coldness of the water. I feel it pounding onto my head and flowing down over my shoulders, over my back, over my kidneys and forwards over my breasts, my hips and my legs, cleansing me.

‘Let the sparkling water clean, clear, cleanse you, Dear One,’ he says. I breathe deeply as I feel the water washing away my fears, washing away my troubles. Now the water sparkles and it brings light. Now the flow of water is turning to sparkling light that washes over me like a fountain. It washes through me, washing the old away, washing the negativity away, washing the fear and the self-loathing away. It’s washing me clean. It washes me inside and outside. It washes all my organs – my womb, my kidneys, my bladder.

It washes away the negativity of many generations. This is an ancestral healing. It washes away the self-criticism and self-judgement, taking me back to a place of purity, innocence and trust, where I can love myself just as a little baby, a little child does, in their innocence, when they knew no shame or guilt.

Now there are angels standing around me, bringing healing and beaming light to me. They are cleansing my heart and opening the channels to more love pouring through me, so that I may be a channel for pure love and light for the world.

And now the sparkling light and the love that I am receiving fill me to overflowing. It fills the chalice of my heart to overflowing, so that I have more than enough for myself. And it flows into the earth and it flows all around me and it flows out to humankind. It flows around the planet.

And Asklepios smiles as he still holds my hands, because this is what he wanted – for me to be filled to overflowing, so that I can be of service to the planet and to humankind. And together we form a link that is more powerful than one person on their own. He is the catalyst and I am the conduit of this loving energy, flowing out all around the world. We form a balance of masculine and feminine. And I see myself growing in stature until I am the same size as him. We are equals now, flowing the energy out to the world, out to the universe. There is so much beauty in this.

I hear birds all around me, singing with Joy. I am reminded of a quote my friend Erika gave me, that the birds still remember to sing at dawn and dusk, to sing for joy and that humans will soon remember to do the same.

I bask in this oneness. I bask in unity with the world, with the planet, with the universe, and all its beauty as the light and the love flow through me. It is so touching, so moving. It brings tears to my eyes. I feel the sun on my face and I feel the wind in my hair. A new wind blows across the earth, refreshing everything, bringing in the new waves of light and love.

And I am told the flow energy will continue through me for the rest of day, but for now, it is time to return. Asklepios helps me up. From his saddle bags, he produces a big warm towel to dry me off and to wrap around me. He helps me to remount and he gets up in front of me. We set off at a gallop for home. When we arrive back, he helps me down. He hugs me and he kisses me. He tells me, ‘All is well. Go in love and light, dear sister. All is well.’

I thank him and I come home to my body in this reality.

If anyone would like me to do a journey to ask for personal guidance or healing for them, please get in touch via phone or email.

Much love and light to you all.

 

Menopause – A Fart at a Dinner Party

The Beautiful Crone of Cordoba*

I have heard it said that talking about the menopause in polite company goes down about as well as a fart at a dinner party. Well I say that stinks and it is about time it changed. I grant that talking about the intimate physical details of the changes to a woman’s body may be too much for the squeamish, and perhaps should be held with more reverence and mystery. But the concept of menopause as a rite of passage for a woman is something that should be far more widely talked about. If approached in a conscious way, the menopause is a time when a woman can harvest all her skills and experience, and step into a phase of great power and wisdom. And perhaps this is what our patriarchally dominated culture is truly afraid of.  

The conventional concept of menopause seems to be that it’s the beginning of the end. Soon you will become a wizened, bent backed old bag with brittle bones and a dry vagina, who smells of wee and mutters to herself, perhaps even cackling from time to time. Even spiritual circles who talk about the triple phases of woman – the Maiden, the Mother and the Crone seem to be missing something. Surely there is a phase between hard worked Mother and ancient Crone, where we step into a place of wisdom, freed from the ties of mothering young children, but still with enough energy and vigour to make a difference in the world? This is surely a time when we are free to follow our soul’s true purpose and to fulfill the secret wishes of our hearts. This is the time of the Maga, the wise elder woman, who is at the top of her game in terms of skills and experience. She is the majestic Autumn Queen who harvests the abundance of all she has created in her life. As the world teeters on the brink of man-made self-destruction, this is the time when we truly need these women to come into their true power to help rebalance human life on earth.

As I embark on my perimenopausal years, I am making it my mission to find out all there is to know about walking through menopause in the most empowered and conscious way that I can. I will be embracing my hot flashes as a transformational fire that burns away all the crap that is no longer needed in my life. I shall be seeking herbal allies to help me through the worst of my physical symptoms. I shall be seeking the spiritual meaning in all that happens to me. I intend to step out the other end of this experience wiser, stronger, with more vigour and a medicine bag full of tools to help others. I want to share this knowledge with any woman who is willing to listen. And if there are sisters out there who have gone through this rite of passage before me, I would love to hear of your experience and your wisdom.

*The image in this blog post is taken from Grandmother’s Stories by Barefoot Books.

 

Over the Edge – a Mission to Gather Information from the Star People

I want to share a journey that I have long been guided to do, but hesitated over because, quite frankly, I wondered it was just a tad bonkers. So if you like things that are on the edge of bonkers and if you are interested in what the people of Orion, Sirius and the Leo constellation have to say about sacred warriorship, stepping into your sovereignty, stepping out of the matrix of patriarchal control and awakening your unique gifts to bring through technologies that will help us to live sustainably on earth, please read on.

I see myself in my place of beauty, high up on a ridge above a valley. I am standing under a tree and my horse is grazing nearby, a beautiful brown and white painted horse. Horse invites me up onto his back. Now we are riding fast with the wind in our hair. I have a sense of exhilaration. ‘Be ready for new adventures, Anna,’ says Horse.

This is a place of edginess. The valley just drops away to a starry night sky. My horse is saying, ‘Come on, let’s go for it!’ So we wheel around and we gallop towards the edge. He leaps and suddenly he has wings, like Pegasus. Now I am falling off his back, but I find that I have wings too, angel wings. I am flying through the starry night sky and there is someone flying alongside me. ‘I am Archangel Raziel,’ he says. ‘I heard your call. I have appointed myself as the guide that can help you translate the information that you require from the star people. It is your life’s mission to bring this information to the earth. Come with me.’ He holds my hand as we fly together.

Now we have landed on the moon and he says, ‘In order for you to do this, you have to raise your energy vibration enough to be able to move through the portals and to find the refined energy of the places where the energy is stored. So I am going to ask you to meet me heart-to-heart. You can expand your light body and raise your vibration until you meet mine. Then we will fly off together and you will see and perceive everything through my eyes, through my heart, through my consciousness and my intelligence. This will make it easier for you to understand.

So I stand opposite him. I kindle the light in my belly. I kindle the light in the base of my spine. I grow my light and my luminous body until it is as big as his field. ‘You are ready to merge with me,’ he says in a deep voice. ‘Merge with me now. Get your personality out of the way. Let the little Anna step aside and let the Anna that is the eternal soul being step forward and merge with me. We are going on our mission to the stars. First we go to the star at the centre of Orion’s belt.’ We zoom there faster than the speed of light and arrive at the portal and enter the centre of the star. We enter through the layers of light to the centre which is like a void.

I have a sense of many people, many beings, a warrior race, lion people, Orion people. They are beings who have human form, but with the heads of falcons, lions, bulls, rams.

Raziel says, “These are the warrior people – not warriors in terms of killing, but warriors in terms of being brave, fearless, out on the edge, people who will do things without being afraid of the consequences, to their little body’s and their little souls. That thinking does not exist here. You need to bring this consciousness down to the earth. This is the knowledge that you are an eternal being and if you brave up and step into your eternal soul, there is nothing that can harm you, nothing can destroy you.”

“You need to put aside the fear that has been put upon you as a race by beings that would benefit and gain from controlling you and controlling your resources. They are wounded in themselves. They have closed minds. They live in a kind of purgatory. You are not to be afraid of them. If anything, they are to be pitied, because they cannot move beyond this state of needing to control others. Whereas you humans have the possibility to evolve beyond this need to control others.”

“You do need to stand up for what is right. You need to defend those who cannot defend themselves, by standing up and speaking up for your beliefs. There are many of you that are doing this already.”

“You have made this step forward by unplugging yourself from the matrix of fear. You need to repeat this frequently and we ask you to teach this journey to others. Teach each of them to find their own guide who can help them with this. Teach them to find the warrior spirit within. Teach them how to connect with the Oneness of the Divine. When they are at one with the Divine, they will truly know that nothing can harm them and they will have no fear of standing up for themselves, speaking up for themselves. You can do this, by telling your story of how you healed your cancer naturally and gently without harmful interventions from orthodox medicine. This is a major step forward.”

“We are calling all to stand up to the patriarchy that is controlling your planet, calling men and women, calling the light workers. Teach them how to meditate and get in touch with the Oneness, how to connect with their inner strength, their inner warriorship and their eternal light beings that cannot be harmed by anything. You have seen this. You have felt this. You have lived in this, free of fear.”

“Part of standing up to the patriarchy involves speaking up to the creditors who offer you false money and tell you that you owe them, so much more than they lent. I am going to do some alchemy now to cut the ties that connect you to these companies.”

I (speaking as Anna now) see myself as a little mouse, attached to tendrils sent out by these companies that wrap around me. Raziel is unfurling them and taking the tendrils off me. It hurts when he pulls them off me. They are like barbs. It feels better to have them gone. In their place, Raziel showers me with golden coins. My aura is full of light. He showers my house with golden coins.

Raziel says, ‘You need to teach people about this – how to free themselves from debt, by unplugging from the matrix of control. Just see what happens now. Your soul is being renewed.’

I (Anna) see my light body being worked on. My light body has a shiny new coat which is impervious to the tendrils that would leach out my money.

Raziel says, ‘You will always have enough money, Anna. Trust that you will always have enough – always enough for what you want to do.’

The Lion People come forward with a big chest of money, saying, ‘This is for you to come to our Lion-hearted Leadership Academy. They shower it into my aura, packing it into my root chakra, getting me to stand in it and absorb the gold. The tell me to paint my toenails gold again.

Raziel tells me, ‘The time on Orion is ended now. We are going to Regulus.’ We zoom back out of the Orion star. We zoom towards Regulus. The lion of the Leo constellation lies in the sphinx position. We enter through doors in the lion’s chest into the heart star of the Leo constellation, Regulus. We are here with more Lion People.

‘What is your message,’ Raziel asks the Lion People.

The Lion People tell us this, ‘Each and every one of you must step into their own sovereignty and not be controlled by others. Each of you has their own unique gifts that you can bring to the world. These gifts will show you how to live more sustainably with the waters, with solar power that comes from the sun, with the winds of the earth, the waves of the earth. Every one of you has your own unique blueprint, that will let you work with the earth in this way, to allow you to bring through new technologies, new healing. You, Anna, need to help people come to this place, to awaken their gifts. Lead people on journeys to the heart star of the Leo constellation, to open their hearts and to receive their true gifts, their true calling. We are infusing yours into you now.’

I feel my heart chakra warming, opening, blazing with light – more open than it has ever been before, right through to my back, my shoulders and my angels wings. My heart star is blazing, just like Regulus. I bask in this light, in this ability to walk forward with an open heart.

Raziel says, ‘Last but not least, we are going to Sirius. The Lion People can take us there. You are in my heart and I will take you there, flanked on both sides by Lion People. We are off to Sirius now, to the Dog Star, to the Temple of the Dog People. They are the seekers and the trackers. Here we are, in the blinking of an eye.’

We are being welcomed by the beautiful people of Sirius. They are full of light and look like Anubis. The qualities that they impart are the qualities of seeking and tracking new information. They have the qualities of the dog, unconditional love, loyalty, the ability to defend those who need defending. The Dog People will lay their lives on the line for those who cannot defend themselves – just as a loyal dog would defend its beloved master. They work in community. They work as a team. They bring through these qualities for humans.

Raziel says, ‘Again, you can lead journeys for people to receive these qualities and these codings of light into their energy fields. So that they may work with the Dog Star people and embody those practices for themselves – their community living, laying down their lives for the greater whole. They are infusing you with these properties now. You will attract to yourself, people that can help you and support you in community to get these messages through. Now it is time to return. I will bring you back to the moon, where you will detach from me. Then you must return to earth and ground yourself. Call on dragon and serpent energy to ground you and then go and spend time in your garden.’

So Raziel brings me to the moon. I part from him and come back to myself, my own energy body. I thank him.

He says, ‘Thank you, Dear Anna, for being willing to undertake this mission. You will be blessed in your life for this work.’

I see him fly away and I am back on Pegasus, flying back to my home place in the mountains. We land. Our wings disappear. I dismount and feel myself standing back on the earth, grounded and home.

Wow! Mission accomplished and so much wisdom imparted by the Star People for me to ponder upon and act upon. I would love to hear your comments about this. Has anyone else had similar experiences?

Under a Thunder Moon

Last night I slept out under the full moon. The bright yellow orb of the Thunder Moon, as the July moon is known, shone between puffy clouds, illuminating the stark outline of a fallen tree and the ruins of a stone barn. As twilight fell, the first star of evening appeared in a dove soft sky above the darkening silhouette of a majestic oak.

I made a nest for myself beneath my favourite crab apple tree. My place was soft, warm and dry, but open to the stars and the moon. I know this tree well. She is a kind, ancient old lady who felt as if she would care for me and guard me through the night. I had no intention of trying to stay awake, just wanting to sink into my surroundings and drift into sleep with the arms of Mother Nature for a pillow.

On Sunday morning I had arisen with the feeling that I wanted to immerse myself in nature and now was the time. For the past few weeks and months, life has been busy and stressful. I felt disconnected from the natural rhythm of life and longed for some serenity. It has been dry and hot for several days, but I felt a change coming in the weather and now would be a good chance to have a sweet night that might not come again. As evening approached, the lazy, lethargic part of me said, ‘Why bother, when you can have a comfortable night at home in your bed?’ But the call of the wild was strong and I resolved to do it anyway.

Thunder Moon

It was just beginning to turn towards dusk as I made my way up the hill towards my chosen spot. The golden fronds of  tall grasses waved in a gentle breeze. Harebells, clover and purple self-heal fringed my path. The birds were present in abundance, twittering and burbling as they made their way to a roost for the night. A buzzard flew overhead with a piercing cry of ‘Kee, kee, kee!’ As I settled myself down, a raven flapped his way to his resting place with his strange cry of, ‘Conk, conk,’ like hitting a metal pipe with a piece of wood. Just as everything quietened for the night, a screech owl let out it’s eerie cry and then silence and darkness fell together, the final curtain of the day.

I awoke with dawn’s first light and got up to see golden shafts of sun breaking the horizon over Stockley Hill. And just after dawn, I was greeted with the loud trilling call of a green woodpecker, as he flew across the hill top. The little birds – the tits, the sparrows, the blackbirds, thrushes and unidentifiable LBJs (little brown jobs), fluttered and twittered busily on their morning errands. I felt slightly disappointed to see not a single animal of the mammalian variety, not even a rabbit. I had thought that as I settled myself down and merged with nature, that the animals would become bold and all come out of their hiding places. Even a small creature which had snuffled and scratched in a patch of nettles nearby, remained hidden. It was only to be expected though, as I’d made so much noise blowing up my air bed that every animal in the valley knew exactly where I was. As I drifted into sleep, I entertained the romantic notion that I would awake to find myself surrounded by curious woodland creatures. Alas, this wasn’t to be either. Perhaps some unconscious snoring and farting had alerted them to my presence and made them stay away. Another disappointment was that I couldn’t even recall a magical dream to grace the night. But what I did get was the serenity I sought. I felt so peaceful and awed by the beauty of the dawn after such a sweet, soft night. This feeling of peacefulness has stayed with me through the day, along with a quiet confidence in my physical body to survive out in nature, despite the health and mobility issues that have beset me for so long. So I got exactly what I needed. I feel blessed and grateful that I could have this beautiful experience, less than 10 minutes from my home.

Dreaming with the Bee Goddess

In Brigid’s Garden by Judith Shaw

It was a bright spring day with a sharp wind, as I stood in the garden, about to go for a walk. My hand brushed over something on my dress. Too late I realised it was a bee, which stung me on my palm, just below the middle finger of my right hand. It felt such a specific spot, like an acupuncture point. I felt sorry for the bee as I pulled its sting out, knowing it would die. I tuned in to ask, ‘Why did that just happen?’ The guidance I got was, ‘Don’t worry. It was a blessing from the Goddess.’

I set off on my walk, delighting at the spring flowers that flanked my path and the noisy twitterings of bird song.  There were violets, primroses, a host of celandines, and more bluebells than I have ever seen on this route before.

Soon the destination of my walk made its presence known, even before I could see it. The delicious scent of apple blossom came to me on the breeze, enticing me towards it. I arrived at my dear friend the crab apple tree to see her robed in delicate pink blossoms and absolutely humming with bees. She is a magnificent old lady, huge and gnarled, part of her blackened from a lightning strike, but still incredibly beautiful in her gown of flowers.

The Healer by Holly Sierra

I greeted her and sat on a natural seat formed by her roots. It felt so comfortable, like sitting in a mother’s lap. The spring sunshine filtered through her leaves, the aroma of the blossom and the hum of a thousand bees surrounded me. The hypnotic effect of this soon sent me off to sleep. I dreamed of falling through an opening in her roots into a cave where I met the Bee Goddess. She wore an amber coloured velvet dress and a coronet with a golden bee at her brow. To her right was a beehive, with bees busily going in and out. A river of honey flowed from the hive along an earthy floor and out of the cave. I greeted her and asked what wisdom she had for me.

‘Child, life can flow as sweetly as honey, or be as painful as a bee sting. It is your choice whether you wish to go with the flow, or to stay in a place that gives you painful stings. When you are stung by life, it is a sign to change direction.’

She told me that local honey included in my diet is very beneficial for me, and described its healing and fertility boosting properties. She advised me to keep one hive of bees and to make sure I talk to the bees regularly. I awoke from my nap with her words ringing in my mind, ‘Tell it to the bees, Dear,’ she said.

The Bee Goddess Calls by Judith Shaw

The Wisdom of Crab Apple

 

Crab Apple Tree in Flower

I did a shamanic journey to the Spirit of Crab Apple to ask what wisdom and what qualities it has, and to ask if it has any message for humankind?

Crab Apple Blossom

I sit with my back resting against an ancient gnarly crab apple tree. It is vast and abundantly covered with scented blossom. The sweet heady scent of the blossom saturates my nostrils. The buzzing of the bees that attend it is almost deafening. It has been struck by lightning and one of its limbs lies charred on the ground. Another limb has cracked and fallen to rest partly on the ground but still lives. I am very aware of the presence of the tree. I call to the Spirit of Crab Apple to come. Immediately my vision is filled with pink and white crab apple blossom. I ask Crab Apple what messages it has. This is what she tells me…
‘I am cleansing. I am loving, nurturing, nourishing, uplifting. My blossom and my fruit connect you with the earth. The tart, sourness of the apples cleanse the liver in a gentle nourishing way. Make my fruit into jelly, to cleanse and nourish you and connect you with the earth, in a gentle, sweet, loving way. I am the epitome of love. My blossom is the epitome of love. The sweet scent of my blossom surrounds you in love. I enfold you in love.
I ask you not to pick my blossoms, but to use photographs, paintings or drawings of me. Use them on your altar. Place them on your heart when you are meditating, if you need to feel surrounded by love. If you are feeling unloved, connect with me – I am the epitome of love. Warm, sweet, tender, I enfold you and I uplift you.’
I see myself lying on a bed of apple blossom, being uplifted under a blue, bright sky in warm gentle weather.
Crab Apple continues, ‘I am gentle. I teach you to be gentle with yourself. Gently care for yourself. Know that you are loved. Love yourself. It is the only way for you to be more loving to others. This is the way forward for humankind – to be gentle and loving with themselves, that they may be in this way, gentle and loving to others. You humans, you put so many demands on yourselves and then you have such high expectations of others. This is where judgement, resentment and bitterness comes from. Be gentle with yourself, that you may be gentle and loving, giving and compassionate to others.
I epitomise youth and beauty. My fruit can help keep youth and beauty. For those finding it difficult to conceive, my fruit can cleanse away negative thoughts and stagnation – stagnation of the liver that is holding back your fertility and your ability to move forward in life. I cleanse away stagnation and help you move forward in life. Apples can do this in a sweet, loving way. The scent of my blossom can also do this. Eating the fruit of the apple is good for this. Move with the seasons. Use the scent of apple blossom at this time of year to do this. Using the preserve, crab apple jelly, can do this when the blossom is over. You can have it on toast or as a relish for example with pork. Tune into me.
I have a connection with the element of air. I am like a keen wind that blows through you, that helps to cleanse. It cuts into the liver and moves stagnation. It blows away the cobwebs. I help you to cleanse what is no longer needed, what is no longer serving you in your life, in a loving and compassionate – not in a brutal way where you have to go on a big detox where you suffer from headaches and feel like you’ve lost the will to live. I can do this to help you in an uplifting way, so that the toxins are gently lifted and released and allowed to leave. Meditate on the colour of my petals to do this – gentle, pale pinky-white and green. These colours help lift stagnant things out of your aura and move them on.
The star which you find at the equator of my fruit, the star that starts to form as my blossom starts to set into fruit, is important. I connect you to the stars, to the ancient ones that come from the stars, to the gods and goddesses, as you knew them, to the magical realms. I can assist you on your soul’s journey. Through contemplating my star, I can connect you with the stars and with the star beings – the angels, as some of you know them.’
As Crab Apple says this, I see a winged being with white feathered wings, standing next to the crab apple tree.
Crab Apple continues, ‘My message to humans who don’t feel connected to these beings who have come to help this planet, is that I can help them to connect. Contemplate the star at the centre of my blossom, and at the end of an apple or at the centre of the apple. This will connect you with the magical beings of the angelic realms. I want you to know that you are not alone. There is so much help for you. Come often to visit me and I will help you to feel loved and supported.’

I felt overwhelmed by the loving generous nature of the crab apple tree. It nourished and uplifted me. I have been back many times to visit this tree and it always makes me feel good. I made some hedgerow jelly using apples from this tree mixed with hawthorn, rosehip, elderberry and blackberry. I have it on toast or with meat such as venison. It’s delicious and it makes me feel connected to the seasons. I’d love to hear about anyone else’s experiences with crab apple. Has anyone else made crab apple jelly?

 

The Wisdom of Violet

I journeyed to the spirit of the violet to ask what wisdom, what qualities does the violet have? What messages does it have for humankind?

I see a big purple bloom in front of me. I ask violet what qualities and wisdom it has. I breathe in the scent of the violet. There is a lot of green in the background. I get the message that the purple, the green, the freshness of spring and the colour of royal purple are all important elements of Violet’s qualities.

‘I am a regal flower, Queen of Hearts. I am connected to the heart chakra. The green of my leaves is important too. If you look at my leaves, they are shaped like a heart. The green is related to the heart chakra. My leaves are a representation of the heart. I bring warmth, the first real warmth of spring. I warm and melt hearts. My scent is part of this. I bring sweetness. You can use me in cakes and in biscuits, to sweeten and bring joy to an occasion. Use my scent on pulse points to warm your heart and bring joy into your life.

I am a sweet shy creature. I help those who are shy or feeling awkward in a situation. Connect with my essence if you are feeling shy. Connect with my essence to have a heart connection with those around you. Wear me over your heart chakra – place a violet leaf in your bra or your breast pocket over your heart before you go into a situation where you know you will feel shy. This will help to connect your heart with those of others.

Infusions of violet in water are good for bathing the heart chakra. It is useful to do this where your skin is itching. I help you to feel at home in your skin. I help you to feel grounded. I am about grounding the energies of the heart.

I am warm and gentle, like the first sniff of the summer breeze. My weather is warm and gentle, the first heat of the year. I am soft like the summer rain. Bathing in water infused with violets is softening. I have softening and soothing properties. I am good for eczema and other skin complaints when used like this.

I am good for bathing fungal infections such as in toenails – my grounding and soothing properties help this. Use a violet infused in spring water in the sunlight for half an hour or an hour. Then bathe your foot in this to help with grounding and to help the nail.’

I ask, ‘Can you tell me more about your connection with royal purple?’

‘This is a regal colour, the Royal Purple. It connects you with your own magnificence, your own queenliness or kingliness. I connect you with your radiant magnificence when you are feeling small, shy or a shrinking violet. Essence of violet can help you connect with your royalty, your regalness, your magnificence.

All the properties of the heart chakra are benefited by violet. You can use the scent of violet to bring these qualities to the fore. Put it on your pulse points, particularly on your wrist, and sniff the scent to bring these qualities to the fore.

I am soothing and soporific and can help you to sleep. Breathe in the scent of violet and feel me filling your heart chakra, cleansing the chakra. Breathe in the soft, warm gentleness, the soothingness of violet. Breathe out any harsh residues, any anger, any negative unwanted attitudes. The violet flame of transformation is also connected with me. I am connected to St Germain and St Francis of Assisi.