February 14, 2010 marks both the Chinese and Tibetan New Year: The Year of the Iron Tiger. Wondering it means?
Me too. So I searched around and found the most complete assessment and explanation at the Digital Tibetan Buddhist Altar.
I hope you enjoy the post as much as I did. Seems like this is going to be a very interesting year!
Tags: Astrology
Eight
The highest good is like water.
Water gives life to the ten thousand things and does not strive.
It flows in places men reject and so it is like the Tao.
In dwelling, be close to the land.
In meditation, go deep in the heart.
In dealing with others, be gentle and kind.
In speech, be true.
In ruling, be just.
In daily life, be competent.
In action, be aware of the time and the season.
No fight: No blame.
From the Tao Te Ching, by LaoTsu, translated by Gia-FuFeng and Jane English
The book, Tao Te Ching, is made up of 88 verses. It is an ancient book, written in China at least 2, 500 years ago. Although there is still speculation about the exact author, credit is given to the sage Lao Tsu. Besides the Bible, the Tao Te Ching, has been translated more often than any other book in the world.
This beautiful book has brought me comfort through the years. What is the book about? Here is a little bit from the introduction of one of my copies of the Tao Te Ching:
“The Tao Te Ching deals with what is permanent in us. It speaks of a possible inner greatness and an equally possible inner failure, which are both indelibly written into our very structure as a human beings. Under its gaze, we are not “American”, or “Chinese”, or “European.” We are that being, Man, uniquely called to occupy a precise place in the cosmic order, no matter where or in what era we live.”
“What lies behind the ‘ten thousand things’-or to use Western language, behind the appearances in ourselves and in the universe-is not another world, another thing or collection of ‘things.’” …What lies behind the ten thousand things is the awareness of the ten thousand things…. But this awareness-what is it? We cannot say. Call it Tao.”
-Jacob Needleman’s Introduction in the Tao Te Ching, by LaoTsu, translated by Gia-FuFeng and Jane English. Vintage Books, 1989.
That is my thought today as I reflect on how long it’s been since my last post. I have been imagining myself at confession, “Forgive me, it has been 16 days since my last post…”
Sometimes it seems all I can do is inhale. After 16 days of inhaling, you’d think it would be time to exhale a decent post onto my blog! Since crafting a grammatically correct post eludes me, I’ll offer a list of things I’ve been thinking about:
- How can the sun shine so brightly and the day be so cold?
- Why is it that big dramatic events, occurring just once or twice in a lifetime can inspire great personal growth, yet the daily nagging things rarely inspire change?
- Really, how do seeds “know” when to sprout in the Spring and to go dormant in the Winter?
- It is so obvious that something, or really someone is missing from a corpse, why is that “thing” or “personality, soul, energy” completely left out of western medicine?
- Do birds wish they could walk like humans?
- On what basis do my cats decide to sleep in the closet, on the couch, in a cardboard box, a pillow or in the recycling bin?
- When will I get my next blog post written?
Cell Salt Tablets
What are cell salts?
Cell salts are also called biochemic tissue salts, or mineral salts. Cell salts were discovered and named as the science of biochemistry was sprouting in the early 1800’s- primarily in Europe. A German medical doctor, Dr. W. H. Schuessler (1821-1898) is considered the originator of cell salt theory and practice. He coined the term “Biochemic tissue salts.”
Our understanding of the cellular nature of our bodies, and how these cells functioned was being revealed via the use of more modern laboratory equipment in the early 1800’s. One human body is actually made up of trillions of microscopic cells. From the Biochemic perspective, the visible health of that one big body is the result of the health and vitality of the unseen trillions of cells that make up that body. Cells rely heavily on minerals- like calcium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, sodium in order to function. One way that a cell can have reduced function is to have a lack of important minerals.
We naturally ingest these minerals in our food and water. When we are healthy, we can assume that our cells are getting all the minerals they need. If we have symptoms such as dry skin, acne, poor digestion, muscle pain, nerve pain, sinus congestion, anxiety, and many other common ailments, we can assume that part of the “problem” is that our cells are not functioning optimally. This reduced function may be due to a mineral deficiency.
Cell salts are a combination of minerals that the body is able to absorb and use. The theory behind cell salts is that in order for the cells to be able to benefit from supplemental minerals, they must be in a form that is both small enough (remember, we are talking about tiny cells that utilize minute amounts of a substance) and in the correct combination. Dr. Schussler combined all of these requirements into tablets now referred to as “cell salts” or “mineral salts.”
There are 12 cell main salts:
Calcium Fluoride
Calcium Phosphate
Calcium Sulphate
Ferrum Phosphate
Potassium Chloride
Potassium Phosphate
Potassium Sulphate
Magnesium Phosphate
Sodium Chloride
Sodium Phosphate
Sodium Sulphate
Silica
The amount of actual material in each tablet is very small and dilute. The dilution allows for easy absorption into the blood and easy utilization by the cells.
A bottle of Kali Mur 6X
Trituration: The Dilution Process
Cells are tiny- we can’t even see them- imagine how small a nutrient must be in order for a cell to “ingest” it! In order to make the mineral “bite size” for a cell, it is first ground down. Then one tiny part of the ground up mineral salt is added to 9 parts of lactose (milk sugar). This combination is ground up for at least 2 hours. Then, 1 part of this mixture is combined again with 9 more parts of lactose-to be ground again for at least 2 hours.
This process, called trituration, is repeated and repeated until the correct dilution for a given cell salt is achieved. Usually, this is indicated by a “6X”- which represents the process of adding 1 part mineral salt to 9 parts lactose (equaling 10 parts “X” is the Roman numeral for 10) and then diluting it again and again 6 times.
Why Use Cell Salts?
They are very gentle, easy to take (they melt under your tongue), affordable ($15 for 1000 tablets), and very effective for many common ailments. Like any healing method, they work great for some people and not so great for others. The good news is that trying cell salts is a pretty safe experiment as they are so dilute and gentle that side effects are not an issue.
I have yet to find one method of healing that works all the time for every situation and for every person- that’s why I keep learning about different forms of healing.
Here are a few ways that I use cell salts for my own health:
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Mix 1 tablet of Calcium Phosphate (6X) and 1 tablet of Calcium Fluoride (12X) into the water reservoir of my dental irrigator “WaterPik” to support the health of my teeth and gums.
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Take 3 tablets of Ferrum Phosphate (12X) 3 times a day during menstruation
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Take 2 tablets of Potassium Chloride(6X) and 2 tablets of Ferrum Phosphate (12X) once a day to prevent colds and flu’s during the fall and winter
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Take 5 tablets of Magnesium Phosphate(6X) 4 times a day when flying to prevent jet lag.
There are many other ways to use cell salts. Below are some resources for learning more.
Books:
The Chemistry of Life, by George W. Carey
Dr.. Schuessler’s Biochemistry, by J. B. Chapman and J. W. Cogswell
Websites:
Institute of Biochemic Medicine
Classes:
I included a whole section on cell salts in my online Introduction to Alternative Medicine Class.
Tablets can be purchased in a variety of sizes:
Tablets can be purchased in sizes from 250 per bottle to 4000
Tags: Cell Salts, common ailments
Photo by Marney Lieberman
The Winter season corresponds to Kidney-Water energy according to Chinese Medical Theory. Water-Kidney energy is quiet, internal, sustaining. Seeds formed from last year’s plants are deep in the ground, keeping quiet, incubating until the rush of Spring.
We can nourish our own Kidney energy now by keeping our bodies warm, allowing our attention to turn inward, letting the seeds of our ideas for the future hibernate until we hear or feel a call to action.
Harmonious lifestyle habits for the Winter season:
- The kidneys are located in the region of the lower back. In Winter, it is especially important to keep this area covered and sheltered from the cold weather to protect your Kidney energy.
- A shift in diet away from cold foods and incorporating more warm foods. Warm, hearty soups, long cooked meats and vegetables, fewer raw foods, salads, and iced drinks will help conserve the body’s natural heat.
- Gentle exercise that does not cause excessive sweating. Try Taiji (“Tai Chi”), gentle yoga, and more meditation.
- The nights are longer in Winter. To be in harmony with this season, it is natural to sleep a little longer than in the Summer, when the days are longer and the nights are shorter.
By observing the nature around us, we can learn about the nature within us. Even though we may live in circumstances that protect us from the extreme external fluctuations of the seasons, we are still in relationship to these changes. Using your own skills of observation and awareness you can make changes to your daily habits that will best support you through the changing seasons.
This morning I realized that improvements are made only to that which is faulty. For years I’ve had my inner vision focused on my faults. I have constantly pushed myself to transform into a better person. This is an exhausting road. It is the caged hamster running for its life on the exercise wheel and going nowhere. Sprinting with all his might, until exhausted, he sleeps, finally at peace- until the dawn.
There is a new puppy across the street. Everyone loves her. Some are wondering about what she’ll be like when she grows up- will she chase my cats, dig up my flowers, tip over my garbage cans? Today, no one cares. She is small, she is cute, she is new, she is a puppy!
I hold my new baby. She is warm, she is peaceful, she has a glow in her eyes. She can do nothing for me, I must do everything for her. She offers me total peace and joy as she gazes out from her blanket, sleeps in my arms, nurses from my breast. Everyone loves her. Everyone agrees- she is perfect, she is a wonder, we are so lucky to have her in our midst.
This is how we start, full of Divine glow. We are enough simply lying in someone’s arms, breathing, gazing, wondering. We are perfect. We are the Gold.
Whatever the reason, I care not to ask anymore, our Gold, Light, Spark, Wonder, Divinity, gets buried with the passing of time. We speak, think big thoughts, manipulate tools in our hands. At some point in time we are measured, judged and rated by those around us. We learn that we are not enough unless we measure up to someone else’s ruler. Gradually, we learn to hold that ruler in our own hands. Next, we are sent on a journey to measure up, to become as good as the others, and hopefully to surpass them.
We push ourselves to improve our skills, sharpen our mind, be smart, clever, sociable, handsome, beautiful- to improve on what we were given by the “luck of the draw.” With every accomplishment, out comes the ruler- are we good enough yet?
Now skilled at measuring everyone-our children, pets, parents, spouse, friends, siblings- anyone within our gaze-no one is good enough, especially ourselves. A choice is offered. We can keep our focus on our faults and our ruler, or we can dig for our Gold.
We are larger now- adults. We have a history of intention and action. We have willing and ignorantly done harm and benefit to ourselves and others. We are no longer only innocent. The choice- to remember and seek our original source of Light, Gold, Divinity, or remain forgetful of this original Perfection and seek a different ruler.
On this day of resolutions, I gather all of my strength for turning inward to remember, find and live from my original Gold, Light, Divinity. I resolve to remember the original Perfection of all beings- tiny and large, wrapped in baby blankets or dressed in power suits, friend or foe, you and me.
Sunrise, photo by Sean the Spook
Looking into the sunrise, you might notice that the exact place where the Sun rises is different each day. It seems to us that the Sun tracks North to South along the Eastern horizon as we move through our seasons, Winter to Summer and back again. Today, it has been a year since the Sun was at this exact place.
On Earth, if we measure time by the Sun, our year compromises one whole cycle of Sun moving from one exact location in the sky, called a degree, back to that same degree.
The day you were born, the Sun was at an exact degree somewhere in the sky. When the Sun “returns” to that degree, you celebrate your birthday. We know this “motion of the Sun” is actually due to the Earth moving around the Sun. But, from the perspective of standing on the Earth, it seems like the Sun is moving rather than the Earth. Astrology works from the perspective of looking out into the Universe from our daily perspective of living on Earth.
Astrologers divide the vast sky into 12 sections compromising the Zodiac. There are 12 signs of the zodiac- Aires through Pisces. If the Sun happened to “be in Leo” when you were born, then you are called a “Leo.” Each zodiac sign compromises 30 degrees. 30 degrees times 12 signs equals 360 degrees- the number of degrees in a circle. From the Earth perspective, the sky looks like a large dome. As we spin each day, and make our yearly journey around the Sun, we can measure where we are, or where the planets and stars are, against this back drop of these 360 degrees.
The reason it seems that Sun moves to a different place each morning at sunrise is actually because we moved with the Earth on its way around the Sun. Measuring from Earth, we can say that each day, the Sun is at a different degree- one of 360 degrees of what looks like the circle of the sky to us.
Galactic Center looking towards Sagittarius
This morning, at 7:01 EST, the Sun and the Moon were at the same degree of 25 Sagittarius (the degree has been rounded up). This event is called the New Moon.
One method of astrology is to interpret what any exact degree might mean. There are many compilations of symbols for each degree of the Zodiac. This symbolic language “speaks” to our symbolic, non-linear mind.
I like to explore the symbols of a certain degree, letting them wander through my mind for the day and notice how they may be reflected in my interactions, thoughts and imaginations. Today is a New Moon, meaning the Sun and the Moon are on the exact same degree in Sagittarius. Below are 3 different symbolic interpretations of how 25 degrees Sagittarius might reflect in our lives:
“A chubby boy on a hobby horse” (1)
“A small boat with no one in it. It is gradually drifting out to sea.” (2)
“ A little boy on a rocking horse imagines himself flying to a multicolored candyland.’” (3)
Today, you might let yourself wonder about these symbols, noticing any synchronicity of events that may reflect these symbols. Paying attention with our non-linear minds is one way to feel our connection to the greater Universe. Have fun!
1. Jones, Marc Edmund, The Sabian Symbols in Astrology. Aurora Press, Santa Fe, 1993.
2. Lonsdale, Ellias, Inside Degrees. North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, 1997.
3. Goldsmith, Martin, The Zodia by Degrees. Weiser Books, Boston, 2004.
Tags: Astrology, New Moon, Sagittarius
When our cat, Loui, had major hip surgery, we told the doctor we wanted to give him some homeopathy post-surgery to support his recovery. The doctor said “no way, that’s not allowed.” So, we waited for him to leave the room before popping the arnica into Loui’s mouth.
We were told Loui would have to stay at the hospital for at least 5 days, and probably more. The Veterinarian called two days later and informed us, to his amazement, that Loui was recovering at a speed far greater than expected.. We took Loui home just 3 days post-surgery. Loui recovered fully and continues along his adventurous cat life.
I have repeated this same sequence of events many times for pets, friends, family and myself. A medical issue arises, we go to the western trained Doctor or Vet, get a diagnosis and begin a western medical treatment. We talk about using homeopathy, herbs, massage, essential oils, acupuncture to support the process of healing, and are told “no, not allowed and it doesn’t do anything anyway.” Next, we go about our business of adding in what we know when no one is looking. Every time, the patient feels great relief from these additional remedies. Their process of healing is usually quicker and easier than expected.
Here are a few things I’ve done while “they” weren’t looking:
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Put homeopathy into the cup of ice chips (only thing allowed by mouth) for someone just out of major surgery.
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Gave that same person cell salts to support a rise in their red blood cell and hemoglobin count. Their blood cell count did improve. They did not take the recommended drug as constipation is a common side effect- not something you want post-surgery.
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Used foot reflexology and shiatsu to support a number of people recovering from various ailments in the hospital.
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Treated abscesses our cats had with homeopathy.
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Addressed sciatic pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and whiplash with massage therapy.
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Used only herbs to resolve nasty flu’s and colds.
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Turned to massage therapy and acupuncture to resolve my abdominal pain that was deemed “nothing and therefore not treatable” by a cadre of MDs.
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Re-balanced disturbed digestion from mega doses of antibiotics that had resulted in oral thrush with probiotics.
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Witnessed as joint pain previously treated with pain killers so strong that the person could hardly function, was resolved with a simple topical application of essential oils blended into lotion.
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Witnessed a person fend off shingles with essential oils and homeopathy.
I am not the only person who sneaks in “alternatives” to “real” medical situations. I would venture that most of you reading this post have done similar things. By doing this, we are integrating healing methods, and it works incredibly well. A combination of methods offers the patient healing on all levels at the same time, which usually results in a quicker and more complete recovery.
Can we actually integrate healing methods out in the open? How can we really collaborate across healing methods? The first consideration is that of the client or patient. Too often, whether alternative or western trained, a practitioner has an immediate first reaction to prove that their way is the right way, and that the other’s is fundamentally flawed. The rest is recent history as we witness lobby groups representing all types of healing methods plying Congress for insurance coverage at the expense of some other form of healing. Lost in this battle of who has the “right medicine” are the ones seeking healing.
The first step of collaborating is finding some authentic belief within oneself that the other practitioner has something worthwhile to offer. This is a great challenge, and one that I asked myself to take on a few years ago. It has been a humbling process. At the same time, I find myself becoming a better practitioner.
This challenge has forced me to bow to both eastern and western science and philosophy. As a result, I am better versed in western anatomy, physiology, and pathology, I meditate more often, I follow my heart more, and I have less judgment of myself and others.
If, as healers, we are to really collaborate with each other, we must first find peace within ourselves. From this confident, peaceful place we can gracefully make connections with practitioners of different forms of medicine. These connections and collaborations will ultimately benefit our patients/clients. I find one of the greatest gifts of being in the healing profession is that the work I must do in order to truly serve my patients/clients always supports my own growth and healing.
