Tip of the Week 3/24-3-28

Hey Everyone!

My tip of the week has been slow in coming...I looked at LifeHack.org and other such sites, but none really fit what this blog is about. So I am going to have to come up with some blog-topic-specific tips...

But here's one to tide you over till I get the knack of efficiency...guess I'd better go back to LifeHack.org to figure that one out. :-P

Tip of the week: Use lemon balm and coffee to teach yourself a difficult topic, even within spirituality.
Why it works: Lemon balm is considered a memory aid, because it activates an important long-term memory chemical called acetylcholine. One lemon balm lasts for about an hour and a half, so taking two lemon balm gives you approximately three hours.

There are residual effects of the use of lemon balm, long after the main effects wear off, so anything you come in contact with after your study session is going to be stored in long-term memory, whether you want it to or not. So if you want to use lemon balm and coffee for study purposes, be sure and carve out 1.5-3 hrs of uninterrupted time so you get the full benefit of the herb.

Side effects: Lemon balm is a sedative, and can make you sleepy, so that's partially where the coffee comes in. Coffee also can help you focus and not get distracted.

I've used this method many times for learning subjects that are challenging to me, such as remembering subtle details of my spiritual path, or learning something not even remotely related to my path, such as geometry, algebra or programming. And I can tell you that it works.*

BB,
Rev. Kat

*Disclaimer: These statements are anecdotal and have not been formally tested in a lab setting, complete with the white coats, clipboards, Egon-Spengler glasses and rubber gloves. Seriously, folks: Please exercise caution and do your research as some herbal supplements are contraindicated for specific physical conditions. Meaning that you are putting yourself at risk if you have a specific condition and you use a supplement not recommended for use while having that condition.

(For example: epilepsy patients are advised to not use rosemary, as rosemary literally fires up the neurons in a normal person. Imagine what it would do to an epileptic whose neurons are already overactive.)

If you can, locate a licensed naturopath in your area that can help you.

Spirituality News 3/26: Spiritual Psychiatrist

This week, I couldn’t help but be drawn to a couple of articles regarding spirituality and the health profession. Both were wonderful, and the second story thoughtful and humorous, but the first story, based in Orange County, California really got my attention.

The article in question is about this young psychiatrist, Dr. Aaron Keriaty, who is a practicing Catholic. He says he prays for every one of his patients, and prays that God will use him to heal those with mental troubles.

Given that he is only a year older than I am, he is very likely an Indigo soul who is here to change the face of psychiatry and help build bridges between heretofore opposing viewpoints. In this case, the bridge needed was to eradicate the duality created by humanity between the mental health sector and those of a religious bent.

His interest in the psychiatric field took a personal turn when a friend of his was diagnosed bipolar. That friend has since committed suicide, and Keriaty spoke about his friend’s mother praying that he would use his profession as a way to help those like her son.

This story was very encouraging, as my own boyfriend’s experiences with the psychiatric profession have not been positive, especially as my boyfriend is something of a mystic. Also, it was doubly encouraging, because it reminded me of my dad’s own therapist who is a practicing Lutheran. This tells me that psychologists and psychiatrists are beginning to see that the world of the spiritual has many lessons for them in the way they help their patients, and that the world of the spiritual is to be pondered and wondered at instead of scorned outright.

At the same time, ministers and priests are now attempting to help remove the stigma of going to a therapist for help, realizing that talking with clergy may not be enough to heal the wounds of the mind as well as the soul.

What I hope Keriaty will do in the course of his career, is also address the mental needs of the poverty-stricken areas of this country, for they are the ones who probably need help the most, yet cannot afford the exorbitant costs of therapy, let alone medication, if need be. The poverty-stricken’s only choice is to go to a church for counseling, but a minister cannot yet objectively help such people with issues such as substance abuse, or being verbally, mentally, physically or sexually abused, unless that minister also has a graduate degree in psychology. Some clergy do, such as those in the Pagan community. But then, I’ve encountered ministers who just don’t have the gift of gentle, sympathetic yet objective counseling that many human souls need.

Therefore, I am very glad to read of a spiritual psychiatrist who will be something of a walker between the worlds of religion and the mental health community. He is a bridge-builder, and may there be many more like him.

BB,

Rev. Kat ^.^

My Experiments with the Law of Attraction and "Attitude of Gratitude"

Morning, Folks! :-)

Again, I confess to not really doing much yet with the concepts of this article series.

However, I think because of my recent decision to be more impeccable with my words (see don Miguel Ruiz's book "The Four Agreements" for an explanation of this usage), I have understood how truly ungrateful I've been at times, especially with regards to my family. I confess to having been a petulant, immature brat more times than not, and after yesterday--my 30th birthday--I realized that I had some serious growing up to do. Oh, not so much that I not watch animated stuff anymore or not be playful with my honey-bun. That's not the real meaning of maturity, I thank ya. But rather, I want to be in a more balanced state while interacting with my parents, instead of being reactionary.

Not that I'm gonna get all lovey-dovey with those who have hurt me and my family to the extreme, because they're all just a bunch of energy thieves, and I can't hack it anymore. I can't keep my own internal balance around them. They're the sort that impress upon a person that they should be grateful, but how can one be truly grateful for people who steal your energy? The only way I could act as if their emotional tyranny was a blessing (meaning I thank them for the challenges they've given me by being challenges themselves, according to Buddhist philosophy) is if I were at the level of the Dalai Lama, and I'm not even close. I'm not saying I can't achieve that level if I worked at it, but whining about stuff I can't change is not the point of this article series.

The point is, I look back at the immaturity of my teens and twenties, and look at where I want to be at say, forty or fifty years of age, and where my own parents are now, AND my own missions here on Earth, and I think, "Kat, grow the heck up!" And I do feel a mental change...I'm not sure when it happened, but I feel a change. Maybe it was when I decided that I would for now and always think of the Goddess and God as not just some faraway Crystal-and-Light advisors outside myself, but true members of my own Inner Council. Team members that I know I can count on far more than I can ever really count on humans, with maybe the exception of my boyfriend, because while he is human, he's not going to pull too much bullcrap on me.

So therefore, here are my first statements of gratitude:

I thank Goddess for my fellow Indigo souls who, while being their mystical selves (if that's their immediate leaning), don't pull any stupid shenanigans or bullcrap. I thank Goddess for their own strength and feistiness, which often matches or exceeds that of my own inner fire. It is said that we learn a lot about our True Selves from those who are true to themselves, and in many cases, I have experienced this the most with my fellow Indigos. With their help, I have managed to uncover the Blue-Purpliness of my own Flame.

And I am learning more and more about how to uncover my own True Soul and casting away the fear that I've been taught to carry.

This new uncovering is also credited to the works of don Miguel Ruiz, Carlos Castaneda, and yes, my favorite prog-rock musician, Jon Anderson. :-)

One thing I have discovered is that one can only make peace with the things that have happened to them if they look within and realize that interaction with others and all things is not a one-way street. We all play our parts for better or worse, stupid or smart. But if we want to be truly in tune with what we want to do, we need to be in tune with our True Soul's Intent and not consciously give energy to those whom we know will sabotage us.

So, with that, I sign off...and Happy Birthday to those who have birthdays in March and April. May your birthday anniversaries be true rebirths of your soul.

BB,
Rev. Kathryn WingedLioness