Getting Unstuck

For months after returning from Arizona and our tonic making class I repeated the same pattern over and over. I'd made tonic and take it for two to three weeks, run out and not get it made for several weeks, if not six; make another batch, take it until it ran out....you get the idea. After awhile I began to feel resistance, guilt and shame around the whole process. It was anything but healing! 

One morning I woke up with a simple idea that would change all of that for me. I began to make up the blend of roots, herbs, vibrational remedies and essential oil, grinding it up in my Vita Mix and storing it in a mason jar. I simmer two tablespoons to one quart of water for 10 - 15 minutes, add a little Stevia and use that for my daily dosage for the next several weeks. I started with 2 tablespoons of tonic daily,  and am now up to 1/3 cup. I've managed to do this consistently for 9 weeks and feel so much better both emotionally and physically. 

I've been off coffee and sugar for about the same length of time; it was one more thing I was beating myself up about. I just couldn't seem to get unstuck! Getting the vibrational remedies consistently every day has made a huge difference in my willingness to get conscious about other areas of my life too.  

It was a very long, emotionally difficult, grief-filled winter for me and these last couple of months I've felt a renewed sense of commitment to myself and healing old wounds and feelings of unforgiveness that must be cleared before further regeneration can happen for me. I am so grateful for my 'tonic family', for the teachings that have been so graciously and generously given over the years, and for the enormous opportunities being given to All Life at this time. May you walk in beauty & ease. 

Maggie Crystal Raven

Concentrated Tonic

Hello all tonic lovers!

Lately I was guided to drink 3/4 cup of tonic 2 times per day. One & 1/2 cups per day became frequent time consuming tonic making.  I dowsed if I could make a concentrated tonic and dilute it with the same results and got a positive.  I dowsed out the quantities.  Now I use more of many of the ingredients. I redowse it each time.  I am adding a bruised leaf of local herbs Angelica and Comfrey.  I start the distilling process with 3 quarts of water in the distiller receiver and I end up with about this quantity of concentrated tonic: 2 wine bottles, 2 quarts and one 16 oz bottle.  I store it in the refrigerator the same way that we learned at White Sage Landing.  I dilute it (1 part tonic to 2 parts high vibration water) when I add it to the handy 16oz bottle I use when I pour out my dose into a glass. At that time I add stevia drops which is the sweetener that has been dowsing for me since I have been on (and off!) the Body Ecology diet (no sugars, not even fruit or most grains).

My guidance tells me this concentrated tonic is as effective as before when I was making a regular blend. If others have other or contrary feedback on this, I would appreciate it.

With gratitude and love for the plant kingdom and each of you,
Liz

More About Parasites

HEARTWORMS
The heartworm is a tiny roundworm that lives in the heart of dogs, humans, and other mammals. It is becoming an increasing problem worldwide. It lives in the heart, blood vessels, and lungs, causing a chronic cough and chest pain. It can cause blockage in blood vessels.

This worm is transmitted through a mosquito bite. Tiny larvae live in the mosquito and are passed on to the host through the bite.


TRICHINOSIS
This is another tiny roundworm. Trichinosis can infect any meat eating animal, including rats, pigs, bears, dogs, and humans. Infection comes through eating the larval cyst present in an infected animal’s muscle tissue. From this cyst, the worm matures and releases a huge number of young worms in the intestines of the host. These young worms burrow through the intestinal wall, causing diarrhea, intestinal pain, fever, and symptoms of low grade infection or food poisoning.

The worms then move into the blood vessels, causing swelling or edema, especially around the face and hands. As the larva wander around internally, they can cause symptoms including:
Encephalitis
Pneumonia
Brain damage
Eye damage
Intestinal disturbances

Eventually they settle in the muscles, where they form cysts that calcify.


PROTOZOA
This includes a large variety of one-celled parasitic organisms. According to Hanna Kroeger, in her book titled “Parasites: The Enemy Within”, a great little book available in health food stores, more people are injured or killed by protozoa infection around the world, than from any other type of parasite.

Protozoa are able to form a dormant cyst that is highly resistant to heat, cold, chemicals, or drying. In the cyst stage, protozoa are very small and light, and carried around by the air. They are easily inhaled or ingested, and easily passed from one person to another.

Symptoms of the following diseases are commonly caused by protozoa:
Arthritis
Asthma
Diabetes
Colitis
Degenerative muscle diseases
Hodgekins disease
Leukemia
Multiple sclerosis
Psoriasis
Lymphoma
Ovarian cysts
Itching/dermatitis
Sores and skin lesions
Swelling
Papular lesions


TOXOPLASMOSIS
This is a protozoan. It is very contagious and has a worldwide distribution. Many mammals can act as a host to this parasite, including humans. Nearly all house cats test positive for infestation, and actively pass cysts to humans through their litter box.

Humans can also acquire these parasites through eating raw or undercooked mutton, beef, pork, or chicken, or by being in contact with any of these animals that have been infected. They can also be infected through handling contaminated soil, litter boxes, outdoor sand boxes, etc., or by eating food that has been contaminated by houseflies or cockroaches.

Toxoplasmosis is associated with the following health issues:
Lymphoma
Hodgekin’s disease
Heart diseases
Blindness
Pneumonia
Low blood sugar
Diabetes
Brain and spinal cord issues
Eye infections
Cerebral calcification
Epileptic seizures
Symptoms of influenza or mononucleosis
Chills, fever
Headaches
Weakness
Swollen lymph glands
Liver damage
Extreme fatigue
Depression


TAPEWORM
Tapeworms are another family of parasites that are long, flat ribbon like worms. They do not have a digestive system of their own, so they hook on to the host’s intestinal wall and absorb the nutrients through their skin. They rob of the host of nutrients, and deposit extremely toxic waste products into their system.

Tapeworms come in all sizes; pork and fish tapeworms are the longest, growing up to 30 feet long inside the intestine. Pork and beef tapeworms can roll up into a ball just under the ribcage on the right side, below the liver, sometimes palpable.

The dwarf tapeworm is only a few centimeters long, and is easily passed from person to person, as it needs no intermediary host. Humans are infected by ingesting the eggs, or ingesting grain that has been infected by grain beetles or many other insects.

People with tapeworm infestation usually experience some or all of these symptoms:
Feel toxic
Dizziness and unclear, fuzzy thinking
High or low blood sugar
Hunger pains
Poor digestion
Allergies
Symptoms of pernicious anemia
Weight loss or weight gain
Teeth grinding


FLUKES
There are many species of flukes; they are grouped into 4 types: Blood flukes, Liver flukes, Lung flukes, and Intestinal flukes. Humans usually become infected through eating under cooked fish or crab, eating infected vegetables, or drinking or wading in infected water.

Flukes migrate through the body, causing a lot of inflammation and damage to organs and tissue. They may end up in various organs, including the heart, lungs, brain, intestines, urinary bladder, liver, and gall bladder.

Some of the symptoms of fluke infestations include:
Pain in liver
Pain in right side
Toxicity
Jaundice
Alcoholism
Flu
Pneumonia
Lung conditions
Blood clots
Heart palpitations
Insomnia
Protein imbalance
Anemia


These are the most commonly occurring parasites in human beings. They are so widespread that many healers and herbalists begin every treatment program with a parasite cleanse.

Through my own experience in working with people who have degenerative symptoms, disease diagnoses, etc., I have come to believe as Hulda Clarke and many other herbal healers believe; that parasites are truly the cause of virtually all disease, on a physical level. This shows why we can deal with and heal the energetic and emotional causes of our conditions, yet still not experience a complete physical healing.

Once parasites are established in our bodies, we must do something very pro-active if we want to effect a change. Parasites are very sneaky--their whole existence depends on their ability to fool our immune systems into thinking that they are a part of us.

Anyone with a diagnosis of cancer, diabetes, arthritis, or another degenerative disease should include a parasite cleanse in the initial stages of recovery. In fact, I have long recommended that everyone should do at least one parasite cleanse every year, regardless of how clean and healthy we believe we are. Many of us should do more than one every year, depending on our personal lifestyle and exposure level.

Thankfully, there are medicinal herbs that have an agreement to support our systems in identifying and expelling these creatures. In the next BLOG post, I will talk about herbal parasite programs, and offer suggestions for other herbal treatments.

Blessings, Kathryn

The Balance Point

Hi Everyone,

I am finally able to write this BLOG entry, which I have been waiting to write for quite some time.   We have had very high winds for several weeks, and high winds effect our new internet connection, as we are learning.  I believe in perfect timing, so here we are.

I would like to spend some time on the balance point for vibrant health, physical regeneration, and ascension.  Most of you have been on the adaptogenic tonics now for months or even over a year.  During this time, if you are consistently taking your tonics daily, your body is very gradually rebuilding its cellular foundation.  The herbs we use in these tonics contain advanced biochemical nutrition that is simply NOT AVAILABLE from our food system, no matter how great we think our diet may be.  These herbs carry a density and unique combination of herbal nutrition that can regenerate our body and energy system completely, over time.

Now what happens when you reach a ceiling with the tonic herbs?  Some of you have undoubtedly already experienced this--a feeling that they have "lost their punch", that they are no longer having a healing and building effect on your body.

When this happens, it is your body's signal that you need to change directions, and recreate the balance point for your body's healing or regenerative process.  Here is what I mean by this.

The adaptogenic tonics have a "rebuilding" action, nutritive and healing to the organs and systems.  They are the mainstay of the herbalist's program to regenerate, and to maintain a vibrant state of health.  The balancing action for this, is provided in the "cleansing" tonic--a tonic made of herbs that initiate and support the body's natural cleansing processes.

When we come to a ceiling point with the tonic herbs, it is the body's signal to begin a cleanse. Ordinarily this is best accomplished during the warm months of Summer, and the energy flows of Autumn, but it can be done any time of year if it is necessary.

Specifically, I want to talk about parasite cleansing.

Parasite infestation is so much a part of our human condition that many healers begin every client's healing program with a 30 or 90 day parasite cleanse.  (I tend to begin with rebuilding formulas first for some people, and parasite cleanses first for others, depending on the person's medical history, drug history, and other factors).

Herbal adaptogenic tonics will build the body's system to the point where it can expel parasites effectively.  I find that many people are actually so depleted (even and especially those who are overweight, with underlying nutritional depletion), that their body actually needs to rebuild for awhile before the parasite cleansing will be effective.

Just so begin to get an idea of how widespread this condition is, here is a list of the most common parasites in the general population.

Roundworms
There are many different species of roundworms.  It is estimated that 25% of the world's human population has this parasite.  The infection begins when eggs are inhaled or ingested on fruit or vegetables that have been grown in infested soil.  One female worm can release 200,000 eggs per day, and each roundworm goes through several developmental phases that cause it to migrate from the digestive tract through the blood, lymph, lungs, and liver.  In the adult phase, roundworms have been known to migrate into the eyes, brain, ears, and other organs and tissues, causing tissue damage.  These worms consume a large amount of food and produce a large amount of excrement in the system, including a protein that can cause the host to become allergic to many foods and substances.
Symptoms of roundworm infestation are:

• Grinding teeth at night
• Allergies
• Intestinal gas and bloating
• Asthma
• Snoring
• Anemia
• Restlessness
• Weight gain around the full moon
• Any type of digestive issues
• Coughing or clearing the throat
• Post nasal drip
• Sinus irritation
• Headaches
• Cravings
• Blood sugar imbalance

Hookworms

Hookworms are most common in mild climates, but can be contracted in any part of the country.  Hookworms are contracted by walking barefoot or digging in infected soil; or eating vegetables or fruits from infected soil.  In the adult phase of their life cycle, hookworms attach themselves to the walls of the intestine and drink significant amounts of blood.  Once established, a worm may lay 30,000 eggs daily.  Symptoms are very slow to develop and be recognized; people gradually become less energetic, listless, mentally slow, weak, lazy, and anemic.

Symptoms of hookworm infestation include:

• Malnourishment
• Low energy
• Chronic fatigue
• Anemia
• Losing passion and excitement for life
• Abdominal pain
• Nausea
• Indigestion
• Diarrhea
• Food cravings
• Substance cravings/addictions

Pinworms

There are many species of pinworm, and it is the most common roundworm infestation in the USA.  It is common to all socioeconomic groups and both cold and warm climates.  It is very contagious, and if one family member is infected, usually the whole family is infected.  The adult worms live in the cecum and areas of the large and small intestine.  The worms are very tiny, from 2 to 10 millimeters in length.  Female worms crawl down the intestine and out of the anus to lay their eggs.  One female may lay between 5,000 and 15,000 eggs daily.  After a few hours, the eggs can infect other people.  They are very light and can be carried by the air, or transferred through sheets, clothing, carpets, etc.  Female worms may crawl into the vaginal canal and create itching and irritation. Worms may migrate to other organs and blood vessels throughout the body, causing extensive damage.

Symptoms of pinworm infestation include:  

• Itching sensation around the anus, sometimes worse at night
• Vaginal itching or irritation
• Nervousness
• Insomnia, sleep disturbances
• General irritability
• Heart palpitations, irregular heartbeat
• Weak vision
• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Food poisoning symptoms
• Toxic low grade infection
• Diarrhea
• Swelling of tissues
• Kidney damage
• Lung damage
• Heart damage
• Damage to muscle fibers
• Brain damage
• Thyroid damage
• Organ damage of all kinds

I will continue this discussion and address the wonderful herbal options that can help us reclaim our space suits and our health, in the next few days.    

In Gratitude,

Kathryn

Herbal Wisdom

First I would like to say hi again to everyone who has committed to using the tonics for a year. I am unable to hold an online meeting at this time, due to an upgrade that we are creating for our communications system. At this time, we are undergoing a transition into using cell phone technology to replace our satellite internet connection. I expect this transition to be complete sometime in May, so watch for an Herbal Tonic Class online after that.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to share with a man who was visiting our home, helping us to figure out the location of a cell phone antenna that we will be installing. He has expressed an interest in herbal healing in the past, and his family has numerous health issues that regular medicine has not been able to assist.

A very good question that he asked me is, (and people often want to know this), "Is there any difference in using a drug (such as aspirin), and using the willow bark that aspirin is derived from?".

There are two answers to this question. The first, is that it is nearly impossible to compare any whole plant substance that is created by Nature, with a pharmaceutical derivative. It is like comparing a Porsche to a bicycle.

Plants' medicinal properties are found in the essential oils produced in special glands of the plants' cellular structure. These glands are microscopic, although in some cases the oils are stored in a gland or capsule that is visible to the eye, such as in the case of this Bolivian coriander leaf, above.

When scientists analyze essential oils, they typically find between 200 and thousands of phytochemical constituents. Though scientists usually decide that one or two of these constituents is the "active Ingredient", and the others are just unnecessary by-products. This way of thinking is completely backwards to those who work consciously with plant medicines.

In our way of thinking, every tiny trace mineral and constituent is important, and contributes to the wholeness of the herb's healing properties. We seek to refine the herbs at very low temperatures, and in such a way as to preserve the integrity and innate wisdom of Nature's creation.

As we work with these consciously created gifts, we develop a greater sensitivity to the spirit or consciousness behind them, and great insights come as to the wholistic picture of our health, our lives, and the causal patterns which effect us. Our view becomes more and more whole, and we evolve to create deeper connections between the causes in our lives and the results we are experiencing.

Pharmaceutical derivatives from plant medicines are based in a whole different way of thinking. One, they are made of one or a few substances, refined from the plant medicine (or produced artificially in a laboratory), the substances that have been identified as the "active ingredients". All of the balancing and complimentary phytochemicals are removed.

This creates a challenge for our bodies in that it removes the balancing factors that keep our bodies stable through the healing process. Once refined to the point of containing only one ingredient, there is only one action available in that medicine.

Now it becomes very necessary to use careful dosages, and watch for side effects, because the balancing factors are not available. One chemical in large doses can be studied, and percentages can be applied to the effects it has on a regular basis. In this case we have a way to measure what it will do for a large percentage of the population. It may succeed in suppressing a symptom, but what will result from this later on?

A whole plant medicine, containing over 200 constituents which change and vary with every season that it is produced-- based on weather conditions and other natural factors-- is impossible to study. There is no way that science can take into account all of the factors and come up with a common effect.

In fact, this is why herbalists vary so much on how to use herbs as medicine, and which plants treat which conditions. Many herbs contain the same main ingredients, but their unique combinations and trace constituents will work better for one person than for another. It is a highly intuitive practice.

Blessings for your own path of learning directly from the plant world,

Kathryn

Since beginning the tonics, I've been eating much more mindfully. I have a different perspective on what I choose to put in my body. The tonics have really set a high bar for the frequency of foods I ingest. Low grade diet just doesn't feel good. Its a marked difference in frequency. Much more perceptable now. I ran out of tonic for a bit recently, and the first day without it I was extra hungry and couldn't seem to find the food to fill the void. This showed me the unique nutritional benefits received from the tonics that my body really craves. Many Gratitudes
~Cara

Follow-up to yesterday's online workshop

Hi everyone,
Yesterday we had a very good online workshop that left me feeling inspired for all you are all doing and the commitment you each have made to yourselves. Very early in the morning I was awakened with a realization that there were perhaps a few people who needed a reminder after all we discussed yesterday, in regards to the discernment of who is a good candidate for these tonics and who is not.

Unfortunately we are not ALL candidates for taking Chinese Tonic herbs. This leaves a lot of people who may be on chemotherapy; taking drugs like coumadin, lupron, zoladex, avastin, tamoxifen, etc; pregnant; allergic to herbs; or for other reasons, can not take tonic herbs.

This does not mean that you have no tools to help these people! As a healer, you can effectively help any human being on the planet when you know how to work with plant medicines. These people are the best candidate for using vibrational remedies, flower essences, and homeopathically prepared essential oil remedies.

Most of you have a copy of my book, Aromatherapy Guide for Ascension, in which you will find the directions for making a homeopathic remedy. These remedies can help people in any condition improve their well-being, comfort level, and quality of life.

I am going to share a story about one individual with whom Michael and I had the gift of sharing plant medicines. He had been on Lupron, a drug that suppresses or slows the growth of prostate cancer. It is basically a drug to make life more comfortable, as most people that take it do not live beyond a few years.

When we first began to share with Weston (not his real name), we helped him change his diet so he was nourishing his body in a whole new way. He wanted to dive in and change everything, and being the healer I am, I am always so excited to push the limits, that I agreed to let him try an herbal tonic and see how he does on it. The tonic I gave him was the sort that I have given others who came to me to heal cancer without drugs; a combination of cleansing and rebuilding herbs, with several of the master herbs for cancer treatment. (I had no previous experience with lupron, so even though I knew what it did in the body, I did not know how it would work with the herbs.)

Next time I saw Weston, he told me that he could not take the herbal tonic. His body was so strong that it went immediately into a cleanse after just a few doses. He began to vomit, which is exactly what happens when the liver and gall bladder begin to dump toxicity faster than the eliminative organs can expel it. He went into detox, but was so uncomfortable that he could not complete the process. I do not blame him at all, as who wants to go through that? (Funny that we all expect that sort of withdrawal experience from heroine addiction or extreme alcoholism, but we never consider that the liver does the same thing when we go through pharmaceutical drug cleansing!).

Weston went on with life, eating a whole new diet, and believing that plant medicines could no longer work for him. Then one day I suggested flower essences to support his healing process, and he heard me. He took flower essences every day for many months, gradually resolving the fears and energy blockages that had been keeping him emotionally uncomfortable.

Weston has gone on with life, using the form of plant medicines that work for him. He has now been on lupron for over 8 years, has also had radiation, and is still living a joyful and productive life--being a Grandpa, husband, and father, gardening every summer, and just enjoying his life. My point is this: We are all here to play a different role--not everyone is here to heal the physical body in this lifetime. It is a choice that we make, and continue to commit to over and over again throughout life. And every role can include its own form of healing--every choice is valid. There are plant medicine tools to support every level of consciousness and every possible choice--to bring comfort, well-being, balance, and inner peace. This is the conscious purpose behind the gifts of the plant medicines.

I also wanted to offer a really great little insight that came today about He shou wu. Yesterday in the workshop, we talked about He shou wu and its regenerative properties for kidneys and adrenals. So many of us identified how wonderful this herb would be for us on a regular basis, and i kept thinking about how the Chinese masters talked about the tonic herbs being a food instead of a medicine.

This morning, I walked into my "new" kitchen area with the beautiful shelves filled with glass jars of herbs and spices, and I realized that I can tune in to a different channel more easily when I look at these herbs in my space. I tuned in and out came 3 really delicious ways to integrate He shou wu as a food into our diet. It involves making a powder out of the herb, blending it with other ingredients, and putting it in a shaker bottle to sprinkle on our food.

Michael and I sampled two of these with breakfast this morning, and I must say they are delicious! Here are the recipes for everyone to try--remember to use only dried He shou wu that has been properly prepared by cooking with black beans.

He Shou Wu Shake
Blend on high in the blender or vita-mix:
1/4 cup he shou wu
2 t. alaea salt or other natural salt
1/4 cup dried wakami seaweed
3 T. black sesame seeds

Cumin He Shou Wu
Blend on high in the blender or vita-mix:
1/4 cup he shou wu
2 t. alaea salt or other natural salt
1/4 cup cumin seeds

Balti He Shou Wu
Blend on high in the blender or vita-mix:
1/4 cup he shou wu
2 t. alaea salt or other natural salt
4 to 5 t. Penzey's Balti curry blend

Use these to sprinkle over foods in place of salt or other spices. You will love the way they taste--and the nourshiment they bring!

Many blessings to all! Kathryn