Herbal Lore - Marjoram

Marjoram is another versatile herb that can be easily grown in any garden.

When we think of herb gardens, we picture a designated area in the backyard that is dedicated solely to herbs.  Of course, that is a perfectly valid way to grow herbs.  Another idea is to just plant them in your garden along with everything else.  

This is my 'herb' garden (pictured).  Believe it or not, I planted all of this four years ago and since then everything has thrived including the herbs.  Admittedly, it is a lovely time of the year with all the flowers in bloom but it a good example of how plants and herbs can co-exist.  There are a few advantages of having herbs grow in your garden with other plants:

• There is less maintenance.  Weeds find it more difficult to grow when there is something else taking up the space.  Besides, herbs tend to grow quite large when given the space to do so.
• The other plants provide a symbiotic relationship, for example they provide shade which means the garden won't dry out as much.
• Fragrance and colour.  There is nothing better than walking past your garden filled with the scent of flowers and other herbs.

A lot of people are afraid of growing herbs thinking that they require special treatment.  The reality is herbs are very low maintenance and in good soil will grow well in any garden - just like any other plant.

Marjoram

Gender – Masculine

Planet – Mercury

Element – Air

History

In the Middle Ages, marjoram was used as a sign of everlasting love and honor.  Bridal couples wore wreaths of marjoram.  It was added to food to nurture love. Ladies carried it in their posies and sweet bags. It was strewn around houses as a deodorant. In England, it was used in snuff, and then added to beer for both preservation and taste.  If you anointed yourself with marjoram before retiring, you would dream of your future spouse. It was believed that if marjoram grew on your grave, then you had found eternal happiness. People often planted marjoram on a relative's grave to ensure their eternal peace.

Culinary Uses

Marjoram goes well with beef, fish, lamb, roasted poultry, and veal. It complements green vegetables, cauliflower, eggplant parsnips potatoes, squash and carrots. It works well in stews, marinades, dressings and herbed butters. It complements bay, garlic, onion, thyme and is used in poultry stuffing.

Herbal Lore

It has anti-oxidant and anti-fungal properties and can be used for bronchial and chest complaints, asthma, anxiety and indigestion.  As a poultice, it can used to relieve arthritis and rheumatism pain.  Gargles and teas can be made to ease sinus congestion and relieve hay fever.

Magical Uses

Used for protection, love and  healing.   Add to all love charms, place a piece in rooms for protection. Give to a grieving person to bring them happiness.

2014 - A year of Reflection and Spiritual Growth

In numerology, the Universal Number for 2014 is number 7 (2+0+1+4=7).  Although the Universal Year is different from our Personal Year, we are still influenced to some degree by the energy of this number. 

The number 7 is one of the most spiritual and mystical numbers.  It represents inner changes, wisdom, reflection, and spiritual learning.   

Universally, this is a year of inner growth.  It is a time of retreat and reflection to gain wisdom or to become ‘spiritually awakened’.   Many may hear the call to search for deeper awareness or knowledge and may find themselves joining spiritual or religious groups.  Keep in mind that there are many paths up the mountain and what might be right for some may not suit others.  As always, it’s best to keep an open mind and to find the path that best suits you.  With the focus on spirituality, issues to do with the church and/or religious organisations may come to the fore.  There will be an emphasis on truth, so any secrets or anything hidden may come to the surface.  Important scientific breakthroughs could also feature this year.

With a strong sense of mysticism in the air, this is not the best year for finances or business matters in general.  On the other hand, it’s a good time to plan and analyse ready to put these plans into action next year.

The key phrase for 2014 is ‘rest your soul, grow within, learn, reflect and make plans for the future’.

Winter Solstice and Supermoon 2013

Two celestial events coincide this month, the Winter solstice and supermoon.  The Winter solstice occurs on Friday, 21 June and on Sunday, 23 June we will be treated to the largest full moon of the year known as a supermoon.  This is when the moon will be at its closest to the earth all year, making it appear much larger and brighter than usual.  With the full moon in Capricorn and the sun in Cancer, this is an emotional time of deep dreaming and strong feeling.  We are challenged to manifest our emotional and intuitive sides into physical reality in a positive way. 

To coincide with the supermoon, we also have the energy of the winter solstice.  The name solstice literally means 'sun stands still' and marks the longest night and shortest day of the year.  For many, this is a sacred time of reflection and celebration.  It’s a time to turn inward and reassess our connection to our spiritual side and life purpose.  We are also encouraged to reflect on the shadow side of our personality so it can be acknowledged, transformed and healed.  Symbolically, it’s a time for letting go of the old to allow the new to emerge and to set goals for the coming year.  This is the perfect time to nurture and balance the spiritual, physical and emotional aspects of ourselves so we can be symbolically reborn and transformed from inner darkness into light.  Many light a candle in honour of the festival to call back the sun and be recharged for Spring. 

Welcome to the Year 2013

Many people felt that the world would end on 21 December 2012.  Thankfully, this didn’t happen but it was a significant milestone nonetheless. 

Humanity is entering into a new phase as we shift from the Age of Pisces into the Age of Aquarius.  This is a time when subtle changes are taking place as people are beginning to become more self aware and in tune with their environment. 

This process has already begun with people looking inward for answers instead of outward to money and material possessions. The focus on humanitarian and environmental issues has increased. More and more people are seeking alternative lifestyles that focus on community and self sufficiency. All this will continue to grow as we connect with our authentic selves. The cloak of materialism will begin to fall with an emphasis on humanity, kindness, truth, spirituality and enlightenment. 

You may have noticed that previous subjects that were considered unpopular are now becoming mainstream, such as vegetarianism, alternative medicine and healing.  These subjects will become increasingly common place as people become more aligned with their spiritual selves.

To coincide with this shift, 2013 is a six year in numerology.  A six represents home, hearth, responsibility and caring for others.  This year with the strengthening of our focus on humanitarian issues we will be more compassionate in our search for solutions.

On a personal level, I have been called to further my studies into spiritual healing.  Last year I began my journey in shamanism which will continue into 2013 and beyond.  I hope to integrate these new modalities into my practice this year, with healing taking place at a much deeper level.

Finally, as we become more awakened and enlightened on an individual level, we can integrate this into society and the wider community.  In the Age of Aquarius, we have the opportunity to reinvent ourselves and break free from out dated concepts.  This allows us to create a new reality, one that is based on love, peace and unity.

How to Cleanse your Home with Sage

Sage smudging is an ancient cleansing ritual used by shamanic cultures to remove negative energy from a space. There are a number of reasons why you would want to perform a space cleansing:

Welcome in the new year
Cleansing your home of any old or negative energy is a great way to make a fresh start to the new year.

Moving into a new home
Houses absorb energy and retain memories, both good and bad. Sometimes the previous occupants have left behind negative or unwanted energy and it needs to be shifted.

Personalising your own space
Making your home your own is important and can help foster feelings of security and well being.

Ghosts or Hauntings
Sometimes spirits of those that have passed get caught in the astral plane and can 'haunt' a space or home. Typical signs that you may have an unwanted guest include strange noises, smells, cold/hot areas, feeling a presence around you or poltergiest activity.

Here is a simple ritual you can do yourself using a smudge stick to cleanse your home. A smudge stick can be purchased from most new age stores.

• Open all the windows and doors of your house and light your smudge stick. Give it a couple of minutes until it starts to smoulder. Make sure you hold a suitable vessel underneath to catch any embers or ash.
• Walk around each room waving the smoke into the corners and around the windows and doors, allowing the smoke to circulate and cleanse the energy and space. While doing so, set your intention and visualize all negative energy leaving the house. You can say a cleansing prayer such as "I cleanse this room of any impurities, negativity, or anything that does not support the people that live here".
• Do this ritual around the entire house, all the while visualizing any negative energy leaving and being replaced with a bright light of positive energy.
• After you have cleared your entire home, wave the smudge stick around your entire body from head to toe and front to back to force any energies not your own away from your body. Do not inhale the smoke.
• When finished, extinguish the smudge stick or take it outside to a safe place and allow it burn down. I usually only use one smudge stick for each ritual. Allow the remainder of the smoke and smell to leave your home before closing your windows and doors. Happy smudging!

Cultivating Mindfulness

In Western society, we are so busy running around trying to do or achieve something that we forget to live in the present moment.  Most of us either live in the past or in the future. The past has already happened and the future is yet to happen.  Therefore, this present moment is all that really exists.  Cultivating mindfulness is a way to keep the mind focused in the present.  By slowing down and being aware of everything that we do it can help us to become more mindful of our actions.  

Mindfulness also has many health benefits.  It assists with regulating mood swings and for treating depression.  When we are more self aware, we can accept things more easily and without judgement.  Here are a few techniques to get started:

• Pay full attention to the food that you eat.  Examine what it is, how it tastes and smells.  Give your meal your full attention without distractions such as the radio or TV.
• When walking, concentrate on your feet and how they feel on the ground.  Focus on the breath, look at your surroundings and feel the wind on your face.  Stay in the present moment.
• Think carefully about what you do or say before reacting. 
• Energy flows where attention goes.  When painful memories or emotions occur, don’t allow yourself to become attached to them.  It takes some practice, but eventually they will lessen with time.

The following story from The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying is a great reminder of the need for mindfulness. 

The Father of ‘As Famous as the Moon’

A very poor man, after a great deal of hard work, had managed to accumulate a whole sack of grain.  He was proud of himself, and when he got home he strung the bag up with a rope from one of the rafters of his house to keep it safe from rats and thieves.  He left it hanging there, and settled down underneath it for the night as an added precaution. 

Lying there, his mind began to wander: “If I can sell this grain off in small quantities that will make the biggest profit.  With that I can buy some more grain, and do the same again, and before too long I’ll become rich, and I’ll be someone to reckon with in the community.  Plenty of girls will be after me.  I’ll marry a beautiful woman, and before too long we’ll have a child…it will have to be a son…what on earth are we going to call him?”  Looking around the room, his gaze fell upon the little window, through which he could see the moon rising.  “What a sign!” he thought.  “How auspicious!  That’s a really good name.  I’ll call him “As Famous as the Moon’…”  Now while he had been carried away in his speculation, a rat had found its way up the sack of grain and chewed through the rope.  At the very moment the words “As Famous as the Moon” issued from his lips, the bag of grain dropped from the ceiling and killed him instantly.

This story never fails to bring my mind back to the present moment.

Herbal Lore - Rosemary

Rosemary

Gender – Masculine

Planet – Sun

Element - Fire

History

The Ancients were well acquainted with Rosemary, which had a reputation for strengthening the memory. On this account it became the emblem of fidelity for lovers. It holds a special position among herbs from the symbolism attached to it. Not only was it used at weddings, but also at funerals, for decking churches and banqueting halls at festivals, as incense in religious ceremonies and in magical spells.

Culinary Uses

Rosemary has a strong, distinctive flavor and is best suited to poultry, beef and fish, particularly in their roasted forms.  It can be used to enhance tomatoes, spinach, peas, mushrooms, eggs and lentils.  Its robust character works well in bouquet garnis.

Herbal Lore

Promotes wound healing and acts as an antiseptic and stimulant.  Good for treating mouth ulcers, sore throats and abdominal pain.  The oil is used for treating arthritic pain, rheumatism, depression, memory loss and headaches.  Rosemary tea is said to act as a stimulate and to aid concentration. 

Magical Uses

It is used for protection, healing and to improve memory. It is a powerful cleanser and purifier and can be burned to get rid of negativity.  Add to purification bath sachets, love incenses and protection incenses.  Placed under the pillow at night ensures a good night’s sleep.