I pass on this essay because it honors dreams, quiet listening, and promises of healing:

In memoriam, Pamela and Elizabeth Mayer

I have a recurring dream in which I find another room in my house that I hadn’t known was there. Once it was a perfect little pantry off the kitchen; in one dream I only discovered it by noticing an unfamiliar window at the back of the house; one time it was a 3-room attic I had to crawl to get into. Each time I awaken from these dreams, I realize that taking up residence in the new room means entering another phase of my life.

In this week’s dream I discovered another bedroom, dusty with piles of old bedsheets and quilts littering the floor. It was a total mess and I’d have to clean it up before I could sleep there.

When I awoke it was clear the dream was telling me to clean up my act from top to bottom, and not a moment to waste.

So, during this quiet time of rainy days in Vermont, I will hunker down and take it on, sifting through all my internal rubbish piece by piece.

I’ve started making a list – a pretty distasteful enterprise, to be sure – and it includes things like the need to self-justify; childish greed; judgments on just about everything; jealousy; vanity – not meanness, I am happy to note, but certainly pettiness.

I suspect that most of us carry around similar sins, and like me, try and hide them. But right now I’d like to try and bring each one of mine into the light, and feel deep into the humiliation of seeing my worst self – no holds barred.

It hurts. But I also find it refreshing to stomp around and shake out those dirty sheets, sneezing from the dust and opening every window to give the room a good airing.

I’m very curious to know how I will use this new room in my house and how I will furnish it. It’s a bedroom, so I imagine I will do some sleeping and dreaming here, but what else?

I’m thinking it might make a good sanctuary room, a space for lighting candles and offering up prayers; a place for quiet reflection, for healing.

Just yesterday I got a clue for this, taking a rain-walk with a friend at Manitou, a forest sanctuary I helped create many years ago on the land of a beloved friend 20 years my senior, Pam Mayer. Pam’s daughter Lisby, a good Berkeley friend, had brought her mother to meet me when she was visiting California, and we sort of fell in love. She was 79 then, and we couldn’t stop talking. So I spent the next summer working with her at this blessed land in rural Vermont, and it changed my life.

My job there was to get to know Manitou’s 235 acres intimately by walking them daily and, as a healer, feel for those places I sensed to be healing sites – like acupuncture points in the landscape. That was where we would site gathering places for community programs.

During those weeks of solo wandering in these dense woods, I came upon a large rockfall that, on closer inspection, seemed to be the ruins of an ancient chamber. I recognized the components: gigantic capstone; stacked-rock walls; deep, hidden ‘cave’ – even though it was completely collapsed in on itself.

Man-made rock formations like this – even intact ones – can still be found around New England, and are often referred to as Indian root cellars, although I suspect they are much older than that, and considerably more mysterious. So it wasn’t a complete surprise to come upon a ruined one in these back woods, but amazing that Pam hadn’t noticed it before.

That day, alone in the woods, I scrambled up the rocks to the broken capstone, sat down and drifted into a doze. Right away I heard a ‘message’ inside my head:

‘Look for a glittering stone, it said. ‘Listen well…’

What was that? I began to listen hard!

That evening I called Pam in high excitement, and over the next few days we came back there together. No, I wasn’t crazy, as both of us were receiving ‘messages’, astonished by the relevant wisdom that came through to each of us. We spent hours each day in the silent woods that summer, surrounded by birdsong and spinning spiders, listening and talking softly of what we had heard. They were teachings, simple but profound, and bonded us even more deeply.

It is many years ago now, but I have followed every instruction I heard there: indeed, I found the glittering quartz stone that first day, and subsequently had a rather remarkable healing with my mother.

We were told in detail what the larger, more cosmic work of Manitou entailed, and what each of our places was in that process. If I had expected to hear something grandiose for myself, I received the opposite. I was told that my work was to confront my own fear and negativity with love and optimism in every way I could think of.

“Start there. The more frightened you are of what is happening in the world,” I heard one day, “the more you must search for the positive aspects, even the humor, in that fear. Use your fear!”

I was urged to learn how to love by looking for the Grand Design of the Universe!

Well!!

“What is the glue that holds the world together?” I heard one day. “It is love! Know how to love, and you will know just how vast the world is that you live in.”

The ‘voice’ was gentle but uncompromising, and did not tell us how to do what we had to do. That was our job. What it made clear was that our physical world was informed by a much greater reality than we imagined – that only our hearts could intuit the enormity of the invisible, encompassing universe.

Of course I have rarely spoken of this directly and out loud, as it is not the language most of us speak, but at this historical moment in the world when the climate is changing disastrously and the Democrats are as infantile as the Republicans, I think it may be time for me to speak openly of what I learned.

(It is actually why I write these brief, upbeat pieces on serious subjects.)

So let’s try this:

Our little solar system with its tiny jewel of an endangered planet we call “Earth” is only one small part of an invisible, conscious Cosmos of multi-dimensions within and beyond Time and Space. This intricate, but ultimately simple Cosmos has been called by many names in many traditions: ‘God’ is one way. ‘Love’ is another.

The largest, all-encompassing pattern informs the smaller patterns, down to the motions in our cells, in matter itself, and all levels are in perfect balance with themselves, with one another and with the Cosmos.

Everything that we humans do – both individually and as a species – requires that to remain healthy we must reflect the ultimate intelligent pattern of the Cosmos, and that is what we are here to learn. When we deviate from that template, we create mayhem.

Two days after taking my rainwalk at Manitou, I was surprised to run into Pam’s son Mike in town! I didn’t even know  he lived here! We decided to take a walk together in the Manitou woods on my last day in Vermont.

Meeting just before sunset, we wandered the trails, catching up after years – actually, we had only met a few times years ago – and told each other stories of Pam and Lisby, both of whom had since died, Lisby leaving several years before her mother. We stopped at the spot Pam had called “the In-Between Place”, between bog and forest, and as the woods grew darker and darker we found ourselves grieving their loss together.

We wept in each others’ arms, unburdening a shared sorrow that few others might understand, as Lisby and Pam had lived on different sides of the country and had quite different communities. Except for family, most people knew either one of them, or the other, but not both. But I had intimately known both of them, and so had Mike.

The Manitou woods sheltered us in our grief, holding us in balsam-scented darkness, absorbing our tears.

These woods were and are healing sanctuary, still fulfilling Pam’s vision for the land. At that particular moment in time it was a healing container for 2 of the people most dear to her, and I imagined her gazing at us through the dimensions, absolutely delighted!

Mike and I wept until there were no more tears and then we laughed at ourselves, relieved. Before we left the woods Mike gave me a big bear hug so strong I felt my spine crack in just the spot that has needed readjustment for weeks.

A healing joke!

The land heals, and often in unexpected ways.

Please remember that!

www.carolynnorthbooks.com

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“Whatever else happens, either everything is a miracle, or nothing is.”

Albert Einstein

I used to be a dancer, and am most moved by beautiful dance.  Just watching dance triggers those electrical impulses through me, and I am so satisfied by the viewing.

I’ve watched this at least ten times now, the last few times without sound.  At the very end, the producer matches the dancers with the animals – which I pause to enjoy.  We see parakeets to start, blue-footed boobies, cranes, foxes, flamingos.

Such a lovely tribute to the simple gestures of physical love.

Delightful!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlFpt7k1oLI

 

I love this portrayal of Nikola Tesla – as so from somewhere else, in his perceptions and strange ways – not caring about money, telling the truth even when it’s rude, sorta like Mork only Tesla’s truths weren’t being played for comedy, and they offended powerful men’s egos and threatened the capitalist control of energy, so that was the end of Tesla.

(All the ways Tesla is weird, I totally feel for.)

Made in 1980 in Croatia with suspense soundtrack – c to a great movie experience!

With Orson Welles as J.P Morgan.

I post this as more than just a fun night, though.  I think this movie is about Tesla as, genuinely, someone from somewhere else.

Published first in the Silver City Daily Press Independent:

What do a garden and a medicine cabinet have in common?  Herbs, of course!

Is it realistic for a homemaker to actually provide medicine to the household from the garden without a lot of trouble, mess, education, and maybe even danger?  I think not.  Let’s talk about it.

Let’s start with danger.  Nearly everyone agrees, including medical researchers, that pharmaceuticals, used properly and improperly, contribute to one of the largest causes of death in the United States.  Herbal remedies, on the other hand, have been working very well for thousands of years.  Herbalist Monica Rude of Desert Women Botanicals explains that pharmaceuticals are pathology-oriented, whereas herbs are used more to promote health and support the body’s natural ability to heal itself.  There’s always room for caution, of course, whether using manufactured or natural medicines, so some education is required whichever route your choose.

Harvesting herbs from your yard and making pure medicine in the kitchen can be a satisfying, cost-saving, and health-improving step.

Will it require a lot of effort?  Herbalist Naava Kronenberg, of Bear Creek Herbs, told me last year that she first decided to grow herbs long ago after her vegetable gardening attempts in the desert had been discouraging.  “Herbs are easy,” someone had told her, and she said she discovered that was true.

Herbs are often easy because they create their own pest-control with natural chemicals that also help protect us against our pests – bacteria, viruses, mold, etc.  Herbs also tend to be drought-tolerant or thrive in a dry environment.

Best, many herbs are perennial, meaning you’ll put them in the ground one year and enjoy them for many years to come, a permanent part of your landscaping, requiring very little work.

Will I have to learn a lot?  This depends on how much you want to know.  To learn what you need about a single herb might take twenty minutes to compare a few different sources.  Herb stores and thrift stores have books on the subject, and lots of information can also be found free online, of course.  And many herbalists like Monica offer classes on how to dry and process herbs and then make tinctures.  If you take one herb at a time, you can learn a lot over the course of your life, little by little.

Herbs that grow easily in Southwest gardens are often also quite beautiful – so easy and beautiful you’ll wonder why you didn’t plan to grow and use them long before now.  And they also will provide you flowers throughout much of the year.  Just remember to educate yourself on specific medicinal uses beyond this very brief introduction.

Below are some obvious favorites for the Southwest and a few of their uses to inspire you:

Lavender – one of the most useful, all-around herbs.  Besides smelling lovely, it can be used in salves and tinctures to clear infections, and has many other uses including relaxation and anti-inflammation.

Catnip – for a relaxing tea to prepare for sleep.

Mint – for stomach ache or indigestion.

Rosemary – stimulates circulation and eases nerves.

Mugwort – strengthens digestion and the nervous system.

Lemon balm – calming stress relief.

Echinacea – combats flu and colds.

Holy Basil – for stress and anxiety.

Motherwort – heart calming.

Yarrow – heals wounds, stops bleeding, reduces fevers.  It grows best in “poor soil” with lots of light – perfect in the Southwest!

Hyssop – gargle for sore throats and viral infections.

Comfrey – anti-inflammatory, and for skin wounds.

Yerba mansa – for colds and other infections.  Will only grow “with its feet wet,” so I have mine in its original black bucket, sitting in the basin of a fountain.

Oregano – for infections and general tonic.

All these plants can give you multiple benefits (green, flowers, medicine, food for bees, etc.) for very little work on your part – the lazy gardener’s dream!  Just take it little by little, one plant, one medicine at a time.

This essay was published in the Silver City Daily Press Independent on September 24.

That naked man or woman (from last month’s column) still stands in the shower, this time with shampoo bubbles sliding down the body – containing known carcinogens.  This is especially troubling as the warmth of a bath opens one’s pores to drink up the chemicals from scalp to toes.  And it happens to millions every day America.

Our Food and Drug Administration allows hundreds of toxic chemicals (banned in other nations) to be added to the products we pour on our bodies, wash our towels and sheets with, swish in our mouths, “clean” with, and consume – even with evidence mounting that, alone, they cause cancer and in combination we can only guess at their danger.  Even toothpaste tubes for children warn that the paste should not be swallowed and, if it is, Poison Control should be called!

Just holding flouride toothpaste in the mouth allows the chemical to be absorbed into the body, as it’s intended, despite studies showing it’s linked to neurological damage in children and adults.

Laundry soaps, fabric softeners, “cling”-abaters, odor cover-uppers, furniture polishes, upholstery and carpet foams, silver polishes, degreasers, and so on – many containing chemicals that cause cancer.

What’s a thinking home maker to do?  Consider these options.

1) Shop carefully, reading labels, avoiding everything with a strange-sounding name.  Downside:  research may be daunting, and you might not find much.

2) Change where you shop, seeking out your local “alternative” health food store or coop to find cleaning products with few and simple ingredients.  Downside:  They might cost a little more, and you might not find everything you’re looking for.

3) Best:  opt for simple ingredients in non-fancy packages, like pure soap, borax, washing soda (sodium carbonate – one of those chemical names you might not realize is okay when beginning your research), white vinegar, ammonia, baking soda, salt, hydrogen peroxide, cream of tartar, lemon juice, etc!  Then go online (or find a book, perhaps at your grandmother’s?) for recipes for cleaning just about anything. Downside: time to mix simple recipes – but less time than needed to pay for toxic products.  Besides, it’s fun, they work, and they’ll save a lot of money.

Recently I began to make my own baking soda toothpaste with coconut oil and peppermint – but also with Xylitol, which made it sweet and provided an extra abrasive, though I had concerns about its true “naturalness” and whether it would actually be non-toxic with a name like that.  Just before this paper’s deadline, I learned from an online Naturopath that Xylitol is not considered safe – and his alternative was bentonite clay, ironically what I’ve been using for years in my mouth in a different manner than toothpaste.  I use it like a poultice around any tooth that might feel sensitive, to help draw out bacteria.  I’ll soon mix up a new batch of toothpaste with bentonite clay, which both draws bacteria and can also help remineralize our teeth!

Downside of any coconut oil and baking soda toothpaste:  A little care to not mix it too greasy – though that’s an easy fix by adding more soda.  Second, we need to create a new habit for spitting, because the oil would clog up our home’s plumbing, so we need to get it instead inside the trash.  The up-sides win with cost, non-toxicity, and healing properties.

Recipes for cleaning nearly anything with non-toxic ingredients an be found with a web-search for “old-fashioned cleaning recipes,” “home-made toothpaste,” or shampoo, etc.   Take it little-by-little, but do it!

Detoxify your home, and keep the polluters from unloading their poisons into your home!  It’s clear that no one will do that but us.

(Take any toxic products you want to be rid of to the next hazardous waste collection, so they don’t wind up in our aquifer,  coming back later on our heads, thank you!)

Jean Eisenhower has been writing for local and international publications since the 1980s, winning a few awards along the way.  She writes on home and garden design and other subjects at JeanEisenhower.com and HomeAndGardenInspiration.net.

This article was published in the Silver City Daily Press/Independent in August 2015, the first in my new monthly series Thinking about Home-Making. (Isn’t that a quaint title!)  I’m happy to return to regular writing about regular things!

A blissful, naked man or woman lifts an ecstatic face in a steamy shower while soap bubbles slide seductively down the body.

Soap is normal, good, and decent, right?  Not necessarily.

Soap strips the skin of its natural oil, which helps protect us from bacteria, viruses, fungi, mold, yeast, and toxic chemicals in the air.  There’s no good reason to remove this natural protection, and many reasons to leave it in place.

But that doesn’t mean we have to leave the dirt, sweat, other skin exudations, and dead skin cells on our bodies – not at all!  The simple application of water and something to scrub with – a brush, a wash cloth, or a loofah – will do an excellent job at removing those while leaving the natural oil behind.

There’s a growing minority of people who’ve committed the cultural heresy of questioning the overuse of soap – and in the process healed skin conditions that seemed un-healable.

We might have shouted our discoveries to the world, but no.  It’s a touchy thing, to talk about bathing, but let’s talk about it.

The most important thing in the shower is to remove dead skin cells, natural exudations, and dirt.  Removing dead skin cells actually reduces wrinkles, and also removes critical habitat for bacteria and other microscopic life forms.  Using friction instead of soap removes those invisible undesirables, while leaving our natural skin oil intact, which protects our skin and allows it to heal naturally.

Heretics have discovered that eliminating soap also eliminates the need for lotion to replace the natural oils they just sent down the drain.  Armpits, scrubbed fresh of dead skin cells, suddenly have less odor.  Even athlete’s foot conditions cleared up entirely when pumiced and left otherwise alone or helped with a mild herbal medicine.

More intimate areas?  Try it and see.  Water and a careful hand can get you squeaky-clean and naturally in balance and healthy.  There’s really no need to strip our skin of its Goddess-given protection anywhere on our bodies!  ‘Nuff said.  (Except:  I feel sorry for women and men with sometimes chronic infections, entirely unnecessary, with healing so simple, easy, and very money saving.)

If foregoing soap seems “too dirty,” imagine:  soap stripping your skin, your pores exposed to germs in the air, cells invaded, skin’s pH changed, systems weakened, germs growing while skin tries to produce more protective oil, germs growing, excreting their stink.  Or:  natural oil protecting healthy skin, keeping those germs in balance.

Recently, I conversed with Barb Fila, who makes natural, organic artisan soaps in Silver City, who didn’t bat an eye when I began to tell my story.  “I don’t use much soap either,” she told me, to my surprise.

Together we concluded:  Use soap on hands as often as necessary, and sparingly or rarely other places.  And buy organic soaps that feed the skin, not stress it.  And buying from a local maker is even better, as the money stays in our community, and you trust the soap maker.

Finally, the fun stuff:  Shall we buy peppermint soap?  Oatmeal?  Lavender?  Or something else exotic, like chocolate-mint, or fig leaf?  Some bars might attract us by their aroma or emotional associations, but many soaps serve specific needs.

For hand-washing, lavender has ancient history, as it’s mildly antibiotic, but not so heavy-duty as to encourage your household germs to mutate and become more virulent.

Tea tree oil (melaluca) soap is more seriously antibacterial, but one should avoid going heavy-duty, as frequent use may encourage germs to mutate, as evidence indicates the common industrial antibacterial soaps are doing these days – not to mention those chemicals disrupting our immune systems and adding toxins to our world.

Peppermint stimulates circulation for tired feet.

And our faces love the nourishment of oatmeal bars.

Now that I use less than 1/10th the soap I used to use, I not only feel better, but I estimate I’ve saved $7,500 on organic lotion these last three decades, and more on soap, medicines and doctor visits.   

Today, it’s easy to live frugally and still enjoy the luxury of a quality bar of organic, exotic, natural, healing soap – used in moderation.

~

(Yes, there’s so much more to say on this subject, but I’m limited to 600 words.)