I am not an expert on anything. This includes the different spiritual paths that people follow.

 I am how ever a curious person by nature and I have discovered that the more knowledge I seek the less I feel I know.

 A smart or clever person will give you an answer to your questions. This intellectually or spiritually is the equivalent to giving a child a sandwich when they are hungry. They have not learned to feed themselves they have simply learned to come back and ask again when they are hungry.

 A wise person or teacher will answer with a question or direction that sends you toward the answer that you towards the answer that best suits you.  Spirituality and finding ones life path is not a matter of doing as I tell you or do it this way because these are the rules.

 There are as many paths are there are people in the world. People search for what they perceive as their need. Some people refer to ascension, nirvana, enlightenment, oneness, and heaven just to name a few goals.

 These paths are whatever people perceive them to be and I cannot judge them to be right or wrong. I have a friend who refers to himself as a born again Christian and is quite adamant about this but two of his favorite things are beer and rock music. This does not fit my narrow understanding of that particular path but he is very happy in his choices

 I have a coworker who assumed that because of my ring and my views on certain things that maybe I was a Satanist or Wiccan, which were the same thing in his view.  I am neither.

 How do people find a personal path? I think it happens by the question we ask and the words we express. These are by fare the most powerful things in both creating and changing the spiritual and physical world. Thoughts and words are the forces that create possibilities.  Once we have a thought something is no longer impossible. Every time we think what if we make something possible. When we speak or write that thought we take it from possible to probable. Look at the world around you.

 Most of the things we consider daily tools and conveniences were considered impossible less than half century ago.

What does this have to do with spirituality?  Our thoughts and words affect not only us but also those who hear our words and create a thought from these words

Think about this simple encounter. A child asks a simple question. How can I change the world? Your answer could affect millions of lives. Think what may be lost if in a moment of frustration you answer change is impossible.  On the other hand any number of positive answers could create a positive ripple affect that could continue moving from one person to another crossing generations and continents forever.

Another encounter manager is heading back from lunch after having a major argument with his spouse and he is in angry.  Later that afternoon an employee is fired for a very minor infraction. One minor change on the way back to work the manager encounters a man on two crutches leaning against a building soaking up the sun, The man on the crutches simply  says “hey man isn’t this a glorious day to be alive”. The manager talks to the same employee in the afternoon and asks a simple question of why the infraction happened ad finds out that the employee is dealing with a chronically ill wife. The result is that the man with the crutches will never know that he not only saved someone’s job but he was actually the catalyst behind what later becomes a national fundraising drive

 Choose our words because we never know what affect they will truly have

23 Ingenious Uses for White Vinegar

By Allison Ford, DivineCaroline 

About 10,000 years ago, ancient people discovered a product that would change lives forever. Wine had been around for a while, but after some was allowed to oxidize, vinegar was born. It became an immediate hit. The Babylonians used vinegar as a preservative, as did Ancient Greeks and Romans. Some peoples, including the Chinese, believed that vinegar was a tonic that would give them strength and vitality, as well as bestow healing properties. Legend has it that Hannibal only succeeded in crossing the Alps because his armies heated mountain boulders and doused them with vinegar, causing the rocks to crumble and clear the path. 

Vinegar’s magic ingredient is acetic acid, which comprises about 5 percent of the finished product. Vinegar has been produced commercially for about 2,500 years, making it one of the oldest products in use by humans. There are many different types of vinegar out there, all produced by the oxidization of alcohol into acetic acid, but white vinegar is the most useful and the most versatile by far. 

White vinegar has dozens of household applications, and the best part is that it’s green. It’s enjoying a newfound popularity as many people try to avoid toxic or harsh cleaning chemicals around their pets and children, as well as save money by making their own cleansers. Not to mention that vinegar is cheap, it’s versatile, and it doesn’t irritate allergies like some fragranced cleansers. Chances are, whenever you run into a household funk, vinegar is your answer. 

Vinegar can disinfect, deodorize, and de-gunkify just about everything. From shower curtains to sofa cushions, there’s not much that it can’t do. As an alternative to expensive and harsh cleaning chemicals, vinegar is something you can feel good about keeping in your cupboards. White vinegar and baking soda can even remove product buildup from hair and leave it soft and manageable. A product that can clean you, the dog, your car, and your house is what I’d call a good, green buy. 

Kitchen Remedies: Besides adding zest to salad dressings, white vinegar is handy for many cooking tasks. 

1. Adding a few tablespoons of white vinegar to the water when poaching eggs helps the whites stay formed. Add a few tablespoons to the water when boiling eggs, and if any shells crack, the whites won’t leak out. 

2. If your leafy veggies are wilted, soaking them in cold water with a little vinegar can perk them right up. 

3. After chopping an onion, you can eliminate the odor from your hands by rubbing them with a bit of white vinegar. 

4. When cooking any vegetables from the cabbage family (like broccoli or cauliflower), adding a little vinegar to the water will perk up the taste and reduce the gassiness they can induce. This also works when cooking beans, making Mexican food a far more attractive option. 

Cleaning House: Vinegar can help with a variety of cleaning tasks, since the acid acts as a disinfectant and an odor neutralizer. 

5. Clean and deodorize the garbage disposal by mixing equal parts vinegar and baking soda and putting it down the drain. After letting this fizzing mixture sit for a few minutes, flush out the drain with warm water for a clean and stink-free sink. 

6. The steam from a boiling a bowl of vinegar and water can loosen caked-on food and get rid of odors in the microwave, too. 

7. One of my favorite vinegar remedies and my personal weapon against fruit flies is to set out a small dish of white vinegar and some smashed fruit, covered with plastic wrap with some holes in it–the flies crawl into the trap, but can’t get out. 

8. If your stemware is cloudy from the dishwasher, wrap the glasses in paper towels soaked in vinegar, let them sit, and the cloudy deposits will rinse right off. 

9. There’s no need to use bleach on tile grouting when you can let vinegar soak on it and then scrub with a toothbrush. 

10. Bring lightly scuffed or dirty DVDs back to life by wiping them down with some vinegar on a soft cloth. 

11. If you have water condensation marks on your wood, just rub the piece of furniture with equal parts vinegar and vegetable oil to remove them. Make sure to rub with the grain, and then invest in a set of coasters. 

Cleaning Clothes: Vinegar works magic on upholstery and fabric, too. 

12. If a child has an “accident” on a mattress, clean it with a solution of vinegar and water. Afterwards, pour some baking soda onto the mattress, and brush or vacuum the residue once it’s dry. 

13. Spraying vinegar onto deodorant-stained shirts before the wash can remove the discoloration. It’s also great for fighting mustard, tomato sauce, or ketchup stains. 

14. Adding a cupful of vinegar to the rinse cycle of your washing machine can freshen up bright colors and give you cleaner laundry. Acetic acid won’t harm fabrics, but it dissolves the soap residue that can dull dark clothing. It also acts as a fabric softener, a static reducer, and a mildew-inhibitor. 

15. Vinegar will also loosen chewing gum stuck to car upholstery, rugs, and carpeting. 

Outdoor Solutions: Tough enough even for the outdoors, vinegar can function as a car cleaner and an organic pest remover. 

16. If your car still sports a bumper sticker from two elections ago, remove it by spraying the decal with white vinegar to saturate the area, and the sticker will peel off in a few hours. (You might need to spray it a few times.) 

17. Wiping down your car windows and windshield with a three-to-one vinegar-water mixture can keep them frost-free in the wintertime. 

18. Kill weeds and crabgrass growing in sidewalks and driveways by pouring vinegar onto them. A half-and-half solution of vinegar and water can even kill garden slugs if it’s sprayed directly onto them. 

19. To extend the life of cut flowers, add a few tablespoons of vinegar to the water in their vase, along with a teaspoon of sugar. 

Pet Protection: There’s no need to use chemicals near pets when vinegar can handle most cleaning and bathing tasks. 

20. Wipe out itchy ears with undiluted vinegar to keep dogs and cats from scratching at them. 

21. Cats avoid vinegar, so to keep them from scratching furniture or sitting on certain areas, spray a vinegar solution onto the spot. 

22. For outdoor areas, soak a sponge in vinegar and place it in the forbidden area to keep cats away. If kitty likes to mark his territory, spraying the area with vinegar can help eliminate the smell and deter recurrences. 

23. Vinegar also gets rid of skunk odor. Soak the animal with a half-and-half vinegar and water solution, and then rinse with fresh water.

It is no different than swimming. Not every one who falls into the pool will take those first strokes of a dog paddle. Of those who take that initial stroke will go on to be daily swimmers and even fewer will become Olympic champions. I guess in simple terms it is possible for anyone to become a psychic on some level but not every one will. For those who chose to persevere and truly work at it the reward is knowing you have achieved your true potential and if you become a true master some day you can help some one else achieve their true potential.

In summation the next time you feel that little brain itch or that hunch that you just can shake take your first stroke and see where it leads.

On of the best ways to ensure abundance is to appreciate what we already have. Spirit will provide us with what we need.. Use the power of the growing moon to enhance all the positive aspects of your life.

I like to sit quietly with a candle and sometimes incense burning. First I slow my breathing and allow all the negative feelings I have to fall away. Then fill my mind with an image moon to fill my mind. Next I place all the positive aspects of my life inside the golden light of the moon. These positives include love, kindness, work successes, friends, and even the minor setbacks that have taught me valuable lessons. Each night as the moon grows fuller I feel the positives in my life grow stronger. On the night of the full moon I take these things wrapped in the glow of the full moon and place them at their full strength inside my heat charka.

I then thank the moon for her strength. I am ready for the next cycle.

Colin Long

This is a terrific, creative conversation starter.

It sparks the imagination and takes the focus and pressure off the mundane, daily activities.

It makes one scroll back through their day and pull out what was cool and special.

It helps establish a habit of thinking positively and looking on the bright side of things.

So, WHAT MADE YOU LAUGH TODAY?

Tarot is whatever you choose it to be for you. It is a way to discern your pathway. It is a way to look at the choices spirit has laid out for us. Some times is is as simple as looking at the path we have traveled objectively.

For me tarot is more about questions than answers. It allows me look at the choices that are laid out and the possible consequences of those choices. More importantly tarot lets me look at questions that my ego burdened mind refuses to put forth.

A single card can sometimes lead to a journey into a world of endless possibilities. Take the knights of any suit. Are they heading into battle or are the coming home? Are they on a quest for personal honor or do they carry the burden of a nation (or family). Is their’s a quest for honor or a mission paid for by someone else? What message is carried by the knight’s horse? Is this a speedy race or a steady journey towards a predetermined goal.

One of my favorite symbols to see in tarot is water. For me water always denotes a sense of fluidity. Water lets me know that no matter what path I am traveling if I do not like where it leads I have the option of changing.

The main thing to remember is that there are no truly bad tarot cards. Each card simply offers a choice for us to make. Even the card of death is simply a statement of change. It tells us that something is ending. Since something is ending then something else must beginning. Therefore the card of death is simply the start a grand new adventure.

Pick up a deck and see what questions come forth for you. Once you look at the questions you will be amazed at the answers that come forth.

F. Colin Long

Please join me in welcoming Mr Colin Long our newest Spiritual Haven Member!

Over to you Colin!

The days long and cold shadows fall as the night grows near,

Yet within our hearts we know the light that holds know fear.

We gather in the darkness listening upon the crystal air,

Our love and joy is a warmth we all shall freely share.

Immortal light of love and life forever full and free,

Virgin Goddess calls beckoning like the never ebbing sea.

Within Her beauty and Her love the fertile seed has grown,

His time grows close as with His warmth and light has shown.

With only a spark the flame shall burn upon this shortest day,

As our Lady gives rebirth unto our Lord we pray.

Fire and cauldron smoke and sky we walk a circle round,

In ecstasy we sing for abundance shall abound.

For with the dawning of the day there will be no strife,

Our Goddess queen of night within this birth assures us life.

Our Lord is born growing within the horizons seen,

Mighty Sun God, Lord and King gives us promise of growth and green.

From our Great Mother’s womb again life has been reborn,

For as the Wheel of Life shall turn all death and life is formed.

In honor we give unto this night our Lord and Lady praise,

Their love shall grow and feed the earth with warmth upon the days.

And when again we shall be called unto the crisp clear night,

Shall we be gathered together in true heart, love and light.

 Blessing of the Lord and Lady.

The Power of ‘Namaste’.

by Deavon Di Prima on Friday, December 3, 2010 at 11:08am

“I honor the place in you in which the entire universe dwells. I honor the place in you which is of love, of truth, of light, and of peace. I honor the place in you where, if you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.” -Ram Dass

 Its beauty lies not in the enunciation or composition, but in the core meaning of the word itself. Derived from the “Sandhi” (or joining) of two individual Sanskrit words ‘Namah’ and ‘te’, Namaste literally means “I bow to you”. Breaking it up further, Na meaning ‘not’ and Mah meaning ‘mine’ come together as ‘Not mine.’ This in essence has to do with the acknowledgment of the fact that there is no ‘I’ or ‘Me’, but only eternal spirit.

 The actual meaning of the word (relatively unknown to the west), has to do with the divinity encased in a human form acknowledging another. It is often associated with a hand gesture wherein hands joined together with fingers pointing upwards are held close to the chest (heart chakra-the seat of human emotion) while the head is bowed slightly in reverence. The wordless gesture in itself means ‘namaste’ and does not necessarily have to be accompanied by the word. Either as a ‘Mantra’ (word) or ‘Mudra’ (gesture) or combined, it expresses the same thing-one of the highest forms of respect for the divinity contained and expressed in another human being.

Used commonly in most south Asian countries including Nepal, some parts of Pakistan and Sri Lanka, it is so extensively used in India that one can safely say that it is synonymous with Indian culture in more ways than one. In fact, I’d go a step further to say that Namaste is integral to the Indian way of life-which is expressed best in one concept- non attachment to the ego. Almost every Indian concept encapsulates this one core philosophy. A simple example would be the common Indian saying ‘Atithi Devo Bhavah’ – which literally means “Guest is God”.

 The importance attached to hospitality in every Indian household-is well known-irrespective of the race, religion, caste or creed of the host. A guest standing on the threshold of an Indian door is ALWAYS welcomed in with complete reverence, without any thought of self comfort or convenience. When there is a guest in the house, all efforts converge into making him comfortable and providing him with everything he needs (sometimes even with things he doesn’t). The concept of the divine spark in everything living is so burned into an Indian’s existence, that relative non attachment to the ego is a natural consequence.

 Another prime example would be a Vedic saying which when translated to plain English, goes to say that “It is one’s duty only to perform the action to the best of one’s abilities and never to be attached to the action or the fruit of the action thereof.” It makes a lot of sense and in the long run, saves the person from a lot of high blood pressure issues, agony, grief, tension and heartache. ‘Love selflessly and divinely without expecting anything from the one you love’-another basic Indian tenet.

 This non-attachment to one self and supreme devotion/reverence for the ONE SELF is what a Namaste symbolizes.

 Explained simplistically in a nutshell, Namaste signifies ‘The spirit in me bows to the SAME spirit in you.’

 There can be a number of other interpretations for Namaste-all of which are correct. In essence, it is symbolic of ONENESS. So it can be taken to mean the removal of all the duality that we see in creation-good, bad, right, wrong, light, dark, truth, falsehood, birth, death-everything. In many ways it represents the absence of “two” in the mighty Mayic cycle of creation and the presence of only “one” in absolute spirit. One aspect of such duality in particular is that of husband and wife complementing each other’s existence while they work together as one unit to reach the ultimate goal of self-realization.

 Marriage is supposed to be one of the holiest of institutions meant for combined spiritual progress between two entities possessing the male and female aspects of God. This “Oneness” may be another representation of Namaste. The gesture itself holds significant meaning, if one considers the five fingers of one hand to correspond to the five physical senses which drive the karmic cycle, while the other five signify the five organs of knowledge of the human SELF. Then Namaste would essentially mean, knowledge and karma coming together as One, which would mean the performance of action guided by right knowledge.

 A synonym for Namaste is ‘Namaskar’ or ‘Namaskaram’ – all of them always taken seriously when uttered with complete and absolute respect-even when spoken to a stranger. The gesture has become so idealized by the average Indian, that even a picture of a person with bowed head and folded hands is immediately attributed to India. Inevitably. Universally. And very much to my delight and pride.

  It has the ability to bind, to create a sense of oneness and to invoke respect, humility and warmth in people and the supreme divinity of the ONE intangible, yet ever present SPIRIT. That is why it was a part of ancient Indian culture and that is why it continues to be used by Indians today. Its timelessness is its virtue and in its simplicity lies its significance. That is the power of Namaste, the magic of India and the completeness of Spirit.

 ~ Shreyasi Majumdar

http://shreyasi-dreamweaver.blogspot.com/

By Danielle Sade B.Sci & C.A.H.P.

Most flu viruses are airborne. Making them very contagious and affecting large populations. If a virus exists in the environment we breathe it in and it becomes very contagious and will effect the population within the environment.

Scientific research has shown evidence that using specific therapeutic essential oils in the air will kill threatening bacteria and viruses!

Speed is the Key!

As with antiviral drug therapy, it appears that essential oils are most effective during the viral replication phase. This initiation of aromatic treatment should be started as early as possible in the disease process.
For example, during the first signs of influenza – cold, shivering, generalized aches and pains.

Prevention is the key.
- Start using therapeutic essential oils during fall and winter season. Climate change and closed environment are a haven for viruses and bacteria to spread.

- Disinfecting surfaces and using soaps with therapeutic essential oils will reduce the risk of contamination.

- Traveling on public transport brings on a high risk of being infected by other passengers. Inhaling essential oils through handkerchief will help resist germs.

- Air travel holds high risk of contracting flu. Mist therapeutic oils around your seat to prevent germ exposure and keep respiratory mucus moist, reinforcing the respiratory defenses and reducing risk of transmission.

How to use the essential oils.

Diffusing: essential oils in your home or office may prevent infectious viruses from spreading. Breathing air diffused with essential oils attacks virus and bacteria and also coats the lining of the respiratory tract preventing infection from spreading. Add 8 drops to electrical diffuser every 3-4 hours.

Washing hands: with essential oils prevents germs from spreading. This will provide you through very highly antiseptic and anti-bacterial soaps and shampoos. Add a few drops into your shampoos and liquid soap.

Bathing: in essential oils will relax the body and boost the immune system while you inhale the therapeutic properties of the oil. Dilute up to 8 drops of essential oils in a carrier oil or bath oil and stir into the bath water.

Inhalation: helps congestion and prevents a cold from spreading. With a towel over your head, lean over a bowl of just boiled water with up to 4 drops of essential oils added – breathe normally for ten minutes.

Frankincense (Boswellia carteri): Strengthens the immune system and anti asthmatic. Use in inhalation, baths, shampoos and bath.

Lemon (Citrus Limon): Antiseptic, prevents contagious illnesses, such as colds and flu. Use in diffusers, inhalations and baths.

Myrrh (Commiphora molmol): Anti-inflammatory, ant-iviral. Small amount in diffuser, soaps and shampoos.

Marjoram, Spanish (Thymus Mastichina): Very bactericidal, expectorant and very effective for respiratory tract infections. Use in a diffuser, inhalant, soaps, shampoos and baths.

Palmarosa (Cymbopogon martini): Very effective against bacteria and viral illnesses of throat and lungs.

Ravensara (Ravensare aromatica): Strong Anti-viral, antiseptic. Use as an inhalant to encourage easy breathing.

Tea Tree: (Melaleuca alternifolia): Very effective against bacteria viruses and infections. Use as inhalant, bath, soap, shampoos.

Danielle Sade B.Sc. in Nutrition and C.A.H.P, Aromatherapy Instructor.

Essential Oils –
The ultimate defense in your home & work against the flu!