Annie Meredith. Essence Blends

Transcription

1 by Annie Meredit

2 2 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

3 Copyrigt 2009 by Annie Meredit All rigts reserved Apart from any use as permitted under te Copyrigt Act, no part of tis book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form witout te express permission of te copyrigt older. First Printing June 2009 Second Printing October 2010 ISBN: Editing by Treena Wigan, Tanya Quod, Joc Hansen Book cover poto by Stepen Card Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 3

4 D e d i cati o n I would like to dedicate tis book to all te significant women in my life: My moter and my grandmoter, my beautiful daugters, and tose wo make up my woman s network, including my friends, colleagues and clients. Also to te significant men wo ave graced my life wit teir energy and vision: My fater, te faters of my cildren, my son, and my partner. Eac unique contribution is igly valued. 4 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

5 Acknowledgements Te writing of tis book and te birt of te Spirit of Woman Australian Wild Flowers was a labour of love. I gratefully acknowledge te assistance of Sandy Kumskov. Se brougt er skills to te table to get us up and running. We bot gained maximum soul growt during te process. For te exquisite potograps tat bring te vitality and life force present in te flowers to life, I tank Stepen Card. I ave used one of is potos for my cover. Some of te images on te Spirit of Woman website are is too ( He came into my life, sent by te angels, at te perfect time. To tose people wo edited tis work, for love not money, I gratefully acknowledge Treena Wigan, wo did a little bit eac time se sat down to breast-feed er baby (nice one Treena), Tanya Quod, lecturer-extraordinaire in flower essences at te Endeavour College of Natural Medicine in Brisbane, Australia, and Jocelyn Hansen, a friend wose discerning judgment I respect. Te sensitive drawings were te inspired work of Alexis Dean-Jones. Tey flowed from er and onto te page, in a graceful sweep. Again, I am grateful. I know tat se will go a long way in a career tat is only just beginning. I tank te team at Sowelu were I ave my ealing practice, especially Ananda Maony, wo as supported me in so many ways, and in wom I am well pleased - se is my darling oldest daugter and as made me so proud, by excelling in te field of er greatest passion: pure, natural skin care and organic beauty terapy. I also tank my son, Leon, for some of our discussions, wic elped me to see and articulate te male perspective. And, to a young woman just on te brink of brilliant womanood - articulate, supportive, empowered and following er passion in te moment: Grace, my second daugter, wo taugt me about te dept of connection. I also tank Caryn McLean for er insigtful contribution defining te synergetic relationsip between astrology and flower essences. Se as brougt to life te Divine Feminine troug er description of te Asteroid Goddesses and igligted te effectiveness of combining tese two powerful ealing systems. Wit gratitude, I include Karren Jensen wose intuition and expanded vision to align wit te emerging Divine Feminine is palpable, passionate and catcing. Se as elped to drive te reprinting process for te second edition. I so appreciate ow se came on board wen te going was toug, put er soulder to te weel and elped pull us troug. And of course, tis book wouldn t ave been written in te first place witout te many clients wo ave cosen to come to me on a professional basis, over te years. Beyond doubt, eac of teir stories as provided me wit inspiration, distilled into te book you are now about to read. Teir narratives ave demonstrated te courage, umour, wisdom and determination tat enabled tem to generate teir own ealing and enance teir lives and Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 5

6 tose in teir intimate circle. Tey ave taugt me so muc and continue to do so. I ave included some of teir stories in tis book and altoug I ave respected teir privacy, tey will recognize my tribute to teir insigt Essence into teir own Blends unique ealing patway. I can t complete tis list of tanks witout acknowledging Peter Serwood, wo provided me wit te opportunity to teac wat I needed to learn in all tose years at te Australian College of Natural Terapies, now known as te Endeavour College of Natural Medicine in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Australia. And finally, last but not least, Ian Wite, wo inspired me to learn te language of te flowers and to follow my passion. He also provided wonderful opportunities for me to stretc my wings, especially at a time wen I was feeling tat tey ad been clipped. Tank you, Ian and te team at Bus Bioterapies for your wonderful support over te years. 6 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

7 Table of Contents Introduction...9 Section 1 Flowers in Our Garden...15 Capter 1 Flowers Past and Present...16 Capter 2 Te Garden of Eden...20 Capter 3 Te Body Electric...24 Te Body s Energy Centres...32 Section 2 Spirit of Woman Australian Wild Flower Essences...39 Acacia...40 Ajuga...45 Apostle Plant...49 Black Nigtsade...52 Bleeding Heart...57 Blue Mink...60 Cassia...62 Commelina...66 Cordyline...69 Dandelion...74 Freckle Face...78 Lacebark...83 Lantana...89 Lomandra...92 Macaranga...95 Milkweed...97 Morning Glory Native Hibiscus Pink Samrock Red Kamala Seeing Eye Sensitive Plant Silver Wattle Snail Vine Storm Lily Swamp Lily Verbena Wite Wandering Jew Wild Iris Repertory of Symptoms About Annie Meredit Oter Products Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 7

8 8 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

9 I ntr o d u cti o n Flowers ave always been a vibrant part of my life. As a cild I used to make flower blends for my dolls, at te play tea parties I set up. Ten I watced as bot of my daugters played identical games, even toug teir cildoods were sixteen years apart. Te ritual in my game involved little vessels of water, wit flowers floating in tem, carefully poured into te miniature cina tea-set tat was my pride and joy. In my imagination, eac unique blend eld its own magical powers concocted to restore, refres or empower te doll caracters tat were at te centre of my game. Te dolls inabited te fairy kingdom and eac doll ad mystical powers. As a young woman, I was taken wit te Flower Power movement tat swept te world. Its main teme was All You Need is Love, articulated so well in song by te Beatles. I knew, from tat time on, tat I wanted to work wit te ealing forces of Nature, because I felt tat te Plant Kingdom was a living testimony to love in action - plants consistently give out teir vital energy, witout conditions - and I perceived tis to be a pure expression of unconditional love. Wen I grew up, I found myself living in beautiful environments, cosen because I so loved being in Nature s garden in close proximity to te Devic Kingdom. I became an avid gardener during te time I ad my young cildren at ome, specializing in growing erb seedlings for te local marketplace. Progressing naturally from tis ands-on beginning, I cose to study natural ealing, opting to specialize in Traditional Cinese Medicine. I was fascinated by te new interest in energy medicine, fast coming onto te scene in te early 1970s, and TCM seemed to me to incorporate te understandings I was looking for. One of te first big aa moments I ad in te first semester of my course was te notion tat emotional imbalance is one of te primary causes of disease. Having been described, as an emotional person (not wit te intention to flatter) wile growing up, I was fascinated by te notion tat unexpressed, repressed and excessive expressions of emotions were not good for one s ealt. Did tis mean tat part of te reason I was feeling so vibrant and alive was because I ad given my emotions full rein? I doubted tat my elders would ave agreed, as tey ad tried so ard and for so long to tell me oterwise. It was at tis point tat I found flower essences. Way back ten, te notion tat tere could be a medicine to specifically treat te emotions was way out on a limb. But tere it was, and I loved te concept rigt from te start. By tis time I was in clinical practice and began to use flower essences to great effect, wit tose of my clients wo were open to it. Tey were all aving amazing results! Simultaneously, I began to teac at te Australian College of Natural Medicine. As te college was still in its formative pase, I suggested tat we introduce flower essences to te Naturopatic course. Te plan was adopted and I began te first of 25 years of teacing, breating and living flower essences. In 1994, Ian Wite invited me to teac Levels 1 and 2 in te Australian Bus Flower Essences series of worksops. I became eavily involved in tat program, teacing bot nationally and internationally up until During tat time, I wrote te Correspondence Course and te College Course, still bot vibrant and vital aspects of tat company s complete education program. In Brisbane, amongst my College students, I was affectionately known as te Flower Essence Queen. I knew tat tis was in recognition of my strong affinity wit te flowers and teir ealing energy. At one point during my daily meditations, I started to get a scratcy troat tat made me coug. It was appening wit suc increasing frequency tat one day I simply asked my Higer Self to tell me wat was going on. Te reply I got surprised me, You are te voice of te flowers. Tey need you to speak for tem. It came troug so loudly and clearly tat I was taken aback. However, I was oterwise occupied at te time, motering, practicing, teacing and writing my first book, Te Essence of Woman, so I put it on te backburner and didn t tink about it for some time. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 9

10 Te voice stayed dormant until te summer of 2002, wen one day I ad an extraordinary experience. I was looking over my garden into te rainforest beyond wen I spotted wat seemed to be a gostly apparition peeking toug te greenery. Drawn to it as if magnetically, I came across a large, wite etereal-looking flower, one of many, on a spindly tree, wic became visible after I pused my way troug te undergrowt and tangle. It was around te time wen my second daugter ad just started er periods and was experiencing agonising pain at te outset. Tis flower spoke to me! It said, Let me elp Grace wit er period pain. Gratefully, I astened to make up te little flower into an essence, and gave it to my daugter. Her almost instant response to te medicine uplifted me and filled me wit gratitude and reverence. Tat flower was te Native Hibiscus, wic caracteristically grows in forested areas. From tat moment on, information began to cannel troug me. It was as if I ad become a transmitter for te ig frequency energy of te Plant Kingdom. For example, I would be driving along te road, wen suddenly I would get an impulse to stop te car. I would jump out and, as if magnetically drawn, would find myself striding troug te bus land searcing everywere, until I found te little flower tat was calling me. Wat s more, wen I sat down to communicate wit te flower deva, I would sense a mutual sig of relief tat we ad finally connected. Twenty essences came troug in tat summer. I made up eac one and wrote down my understandings of te ealing qualities, cannelled troug as I sat in loving communion wit eac plant. Te oter five essences came troug in te intervening years. However, tat energy of tat first summer was indelibly printed on my being as a time wen I seemed to be a cannel for pure ligt energy. It was an amazing experience. Not long after tat first summer, I was aving renovations done on our ouse. It seemed to be fraugt wit difficulties, taking muc longer tat anticipated. I called in well-known Environmental Energy Dowser, Eric Dowsett, to assist me in determining wy te ouse renovations were taking so long. It was wen e informed me tat it ad noting to do wit te ouse, but rater was tied in to te energy in te land, tat I received validation as to wy I was making up essences specifically for woman. He told me tat te wole ridge along te western slope, wic was largely untouced rainforest, ad been an aboriginal women s birting site and tat tis powerful female energy ad bled into te land. He described te land as one undred percent Yin. Tis means tat flowers growing ere in tis area of land are imbued wit te energy of te Divine Feminine. It made so muc sense. Tere is a palpable power in te landscape wen one ventures into te natural rainforest, away from te cultivated areas. Te wole area seems to defy te ectic pace of life, maintaining it s own quiet sense of olding te space, at te same time as being pregnant wit potential. Life went on. Te ouse renovations were completed, my young daugter blossomed into te bud of womanood and I waited, olding te space, for te rigt time to birt tese beautiful essences. It was to be quite a long gestation. First came te publication of my Essence of Woman book in 2008, wic was received wit muc entusiasm. But someow, it seemed incomplete. Te beautiful little ealers were calling to me to notice tem again. Tey were ready to be birted. Te pat seemed now clear to go aead. As I prepared to researc te botanical qualities of te flower essences, I was astounded by te similarities between te ealing qualities I ad ascertained and medicinal uses already attributed to many of te flowers. Many of te wild flowers tat called out to me were described in te botanical notes as weeds. I lauged out loud wen I recognized te symbolism of tis. Weeds are classically seen as vigorous growers tat take over a cultivated garden, wen left free to grow. Tis indicates tat tey ave a powerfully strong and vital life force tat expresses itself, wen unrestrained. Tese beautiful wild flowers were essences tat I was making up specifically to elp women. Over te span of millennia, in many cultures, women ave been treated as weeds. Tat is, tey ave been controlled and restrained, legally, medically and troug te curces, by te dominant masculine world-view. Some may say tat te reason women ave been so constrained is because tey old suc a central position in te lives of tose wit wom tey sare te intimate zone: teir life partners and teir cildren. 10 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

11 In te latter case, it is well known tat a moter s influence is one we carry, regardless of gender, trougout our lives. Is it not te mark of a man tat e cut te apron strings as e is stepping out into te big, wide world so tat e can exert is masculinity? By aving power over te women in is life, especially wen it comes to is sexual partners, e is able to exert is male dominance, a natural urge scripted into is male biology. Tis attitude as been especially evident in a number of cultures, were women s sexuality is totally repressed, troug te cloting tey are required to wear and te social position tey are relegated to, to ensure tat te male keeps is own sexual impulses under control. So wen weeds and wild flowers are constrained and controlled as tey are in cultivated gardens, tey are unable to express teir natural vigour and strong life force, just like women, wo ave been restrained from free expression witin society. Te symbolism jumped out at me immediately, considering te sift currently taking place at te global level from a masculine-principle world-view to te feminine-principle one. As women we ave long fitted into a prevailing mind-set tat is deeply rooted in te masculine principle. Cosmopolitan values witin tis paradigm include ierarcy (tere s a bottom and a top and to get to te top, wic we are all expected to want to do, you ave to use your intellect not your feelings), logical tougt (valued over intuitive tougt), linear progression (in spite of te fact tat nature moves in circles) and competitive values (working against somebody rater tan wit tem). Now, I am not suggesting tat tere is anyting wrong wit te values described above. Tat is, unless tey are te ONLY values operating witin a society. Feminine values are very different. Tese favour power-saring, intuitive knowing, networking for optimum outcomes and process-orientated approaces. Wen bot sets of values are acknowledged and valued equally, tey can create a perfectly balanced society. Ten, instead of competing wit one anoter, males and females can togeter mould te structure and functioning of te everyday world we live in. Up until fairly recently owever, feminine values ave taken second position, and cosmopolitan mainstream society as largely expressed masculine values. A POLAR SHIFT IS COMING However, noting ever remains static. Times are a-canging and tere is a sift occurring - one tat recognizes tat females and males occupy opposite ends of te bi-polar expression of uman beings (as do all oter beings in nature). And feminine values are beginning to emerge from te groundswell of popular opinion to be recognized as values tat need to be embraced by society, in tis time of tumultuous cange. We no longer need te expand and multiply, war-mongering, top of te pile wins attitudes wile te planet is groaning under te effects of years of tougtless rape and pillage and every kind of exploitation, and te world population is suffering from inequality of power saring. Wat we now need are te values of conservation, restoration, support, nurturing and caring to maintain te resources tat we ave and to upold te wellbeing of te existing population. Tese are feminine values. Tis is te sift we need. However, te trut is tat we ave lived in a patriarcal society for tousands of years. In fact, tere are records of patrimonalism (te notion tat was a precursor to patriarcy) almost as far back as te earliest writing itself (about 5000 years ago). According to a common dictionary definition: Patriarcy can be traditionally defined as te structuring of society on te basis of family units, were te fater or man as te primary autority and responsibility and decision making powers over te rest of te family members. However, te meaning of te term is muc wider. Patriarcy refers to not just te benefits and costs tat faters and men ave in families and at ome, but also in society at large: at te workplace, at ome, and in uman relationsips at large. Te concept of patriarcy is often used by extension (in antropology and feminism) to refer to te expectation tat men take primary responsibility and autority over te welfare of te community as a wole, acting as representatives via public office. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 11

12 Western civilization is predominantly patriarcal, and as only recently gravitated towards a more egalitarian form under te influence of te Women s rigts movement. Te major non-western civilizations in te Middle East, East Asia and Sout Asia remain pronouncedly patriarcal. So wat appens to females living in a male-dominated society, wen essentially teir biological inscription is completely different to tat of males? FEMALE AND MALE POLARITIES Females and males are polar opposites, cleverly designed by nature way back wen te original moulds were made. And tere ave been no radical canges in uman design since tose early, more primitive times wen our roles appeared to be more clearly defined. Tat we live in an urban environment, wic allows suc diversity of roles for bot women and men, often blinds us to our original gender ineritance. Today we are born as uniquely genderised as we were in days gone by. Te trut is tat our gender is not only biologically written into te ard wiring of our pysical body but it is also imprinted permanently onto our brain structure. Furtermore it is reinforced, at te cellular level, by te genderising ormones tat flood our bodies wile we are in te womb and again, even more empatically, at te time of adolescence. Subsequently, from tat time on, from moment to moment, eac tougt we ave, as eiter a female or a male, furter imprints our gender preferences on every level of our being: pysical, emotional and mental. Males and females are very different in teir tougts, feelings, values, perceptions, judgments, ambitions, desires and needs. Furtermore, we are designed by Nature to be so. Tis is ow we complement one anoter, togeter creating a family unit tat supports te next generation. THIS IS NOT FEMINISM It seems to me tat te rise of feminism in te latter tird of last century failed to take into account tat women are intrinsically women, and men are intrinsically men. Instead, te cry for women to sare te same societal advantages as men (called for from witin a male-dominated paradigm) was mistakenly based in a resentful gripe tat women were given a raw deal, in aving to do te drudge work (aving cildren included) wile men swanned around scottfree making pots of money and enjoying prestige and power. Most men didn t know wat a disclot looked like, according to Germaine Greer and er followers. Te crucial element missing in tis alf-perception was tat society s values over tousands of years, up until tis time, ave been singularly saped by male values. Tis means tat te functions, jobs, beaviours and unique territory tat women are biologically equipped for, are severely under-valued and in a sense, dismissed, witin our society. It seems to me tat tis is wy many women are ready to give teir power away, in areas tat tey, and teir feminine network, are best equipped to manage, suc as te female strongold of conception and reproduction. Denial of our Feminine Intelligence Examples of te denial by women of teir feminine intelligence include: use of te Pill as a contraceptive metod, even toug it interferes wit te ealty functioning of teir reproductive system; submitting to assisted reproduction even toug it as been confirmed troug valid researc tat cildren born by tese anti-life, mecanical metods are less ealty tan tose conceived naturally; and allowing teir babies to be cut out of teir bodies because tey believe (or are told) tat tey won t be able to give birt naturally. 12 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

13 So now I ear many of you are saying, But we ave no coice, we ave tried to conceive naturally and noting as appened, or, But ow am I going to prevent a pregnancy wen I am sexually active, but not yet ready for cildren? Tese questions ave plagued women since time began. Tey are still te most important questions tat women need to ask, and to answer, because sexuality and reproduction are suc crucially important areas in a woman s life, and ave suc an enormous impact bot personally, and in wider arenas. After all, one baby, peraps conceived and born after a single lovemaking episode, will cange a woman for te rest of er life. Tis is a long commitment, requiring major adjustment and restructuring in all areas of er way of living. Not only tat, but it also impacts on te future generation, as te quality of er reproductive experience, er pregnancy and birting, and te crucial years of cild-raising, imprint on te cild born to er, eiter in a positive or a negative manner. And te ecoes of tat programming will continue on down te line in woman-to-cild succession, for te next seven generations. WOMEN CARRY THE ONUS OF RESPONSIBILITY Nature as designed it tat women and women alone, troug teir biological ineritance, carry te majority part of te enormous responsibility for tis task: tat is, te primary ealt and well being of future generations of te uman race. Tat is not to say tat males do not participate meaningfully and responsibly in te conception and rearing of a cild. But is role is different and e as been designed specifically to fulfil certain aspects tat only e, as a male, can. An example of ow clearly te major proportion of responsibility tat women carry in tis role is recognized by a Sout American Indian tribe, still living today in te traditional way tat tey ave, for tousands of years. Witin te ambit of teir law, bot women and men can sit on te governing council tat puts forward proposals to be considered for future legislation. However, only women can participate in te final vote to decide weter a proposal will become law. Tis is because it is recognized by te tribe, men and women alike, tat only women ave te capacity to evaluate te effect of a piece of legislation on te next seven generations of cildren. Wat a far-seeing policy! OWNING WHO WE ARE So ow can women take back ownersip of teir bodies and teir souls, so tat tey are in control of te pysical functions and processes tat are uniquely teir own? Currently many women give over control of teir body-mind to doctors and are guided and led by a medical model tat runs on te male principles of scientific rationale, ierarcical structure and a mecanized view of te body. I ear te same stories over again, from many women in my clinical practice, wo are in te process of IVF assisted reproduction treatment. Te consensus opinion is tat te doctors, all male, are focused on results and treat teir patients as numbers. Te extremely low odds of a successful birt are laid on te table at te outset. Cance of a successful pregnancy is approximately 15% for eac IVF cycle. Of course, tere are many factors tat determine success rates including te age of te patient, te quality of te eggs and sperm, te duration of te infertility, te ealt of te uterus, and te medical expertise. However, wen te numbers are repeatedly drummed into tem, many women feel doomed to failure rigt from te start, especially older women, in wose case te success rate is even lower. Going into an already-traumatic process like tis wit a negative attitude does not bode well for te success of te procedure. I ave ad many women patients so anxious and stressed during te process of arvest and subsequent implantation tat tey are unable to sleep. Tey also display oter bodily symptoms tat, in a Body-Mind sense, are guaranteed to sabotage te procedure. It is easy for women to feel over-welmed by lack of understanding of ow teir bodies, minds and souls work, because we ave been flooded for so long wit values belonging to te opposite gender. After all, it was a man wo invented te Pill. Were is te male pill, I ask you? Any male migt know ow te body works mecanically, but e cannot fully grasp te magnitude of te effects tat female ormones (and syntetic ormones) ave on te emotions and attitudes of a woman, because it is outside of is experience. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 13

14 WOMEN SOOTHE AND HEAL BY NATURE It is in tis aspect of uman experience tat ealing takes place. Tis is te domain of te feminine principle and involves te feminine attributes of ealing energy excange troug caring, saring, toucing, empatising and love. Tere are many men wo ave igly developed feminine sides and wo are very adept in tese areas also. Don t get me wrong; I am not putting down males. But te mainstream medical model is so deeply rooted in te masculine principle tat in most cases, it does not allow, let alone acknowledge, tat te softer feminine approac of energy excange as real and lasting ealing benefits on te Body-Mind. In trut, tis is were real ealing on all levels of being, takes place, all te way troug from annoying symptoms to cronic disease. WOMEN S MEDICINE Te range of symptoms tat migt come under te eading of women s issues and reproduction can include premenstrual syndrome, endometriosis, infertility, persistent miscarriages, ormonal depression, peri-menopause and menopausal symptoms, tiredness, lack of libido, etc. But tis area also manages and treats emotional concerns suc as persistent sadness, feelings of low self-esteem, lack of confidence, fear of success, and relationsip trauma, wic often accompany te above pysical symptoms. A natural medicine approac, as distinct from mainstream medicine, treats te wole person, body, mind and spirit, in te knowledge tat tere is no pysical symptom tat does not ave an accompanying emotional and attitudinal component. As women, we can own our own bodily processes wen we take back control of our ealt. Conception can occur naturally even in te face of years of unsuccessful trying. Women can take control of teir own fertility by getting to know ow teir body operates and working naturally in armony wit it. Flower essences, especially tose directed to women s concerns, assist women in teir own ealing process by elping tem to access te feminine intelligence, inscripted on teir biology. Furtermore, essences assist women to grow in confidence in listening to tat intuition and allowing temselves to be directed by its wisdom. Your body migt need some nutritional assistance to assist it to return to peak condition and tat may take time. You may not ave te skills to evaluate wat you need to assist your body s own ealing process, but troug net-working, attending a female practitioner wo will assist you in an empatetic way, informing yourself wit all te knowledge tat is available today, and by trusting in your own intuitive wisperings, you can start te journey back to te powerful woman you were designed to be. Te Spirit of Woman Australian Wild Flower Essences ave been brougt troug to assist you on your journey back to a state of optimum ealt and well being. BY BECOMING HEALTHY AS WOMEN WE HONOUR OUR MEN Wen we embark on tis pat, we onour our men-folk. We stand as teir equals, not trying to be like tem or to outsmart tem, nor giving tem all our power, but by gifting tem wit te full blossoming of te feminine essence. In doing tis, we enjoy, for our part, te unique maleness tat tey can offer us as teir gift. In tis way females and males truly find te balance tat nature intended for us and we complete te wole, by eac being fully one of te parts. Men are ard-wired to like women wo are sexy, playful and caring. Is tat you rigt now or are you too burdened to ligten-up? So please use and enjoy tese beautiful wild flowers and allow tem to allow you to access your inner Wild Woman. It is well wort te journey, and te essences ealing effects will eco down troug te generations, as we bless our cildren wit our own sense of self-wort. 14 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

15 SECTION 1 FLOWERS IN OUR GARDEN Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 15

16 Capter 1 Flowers Essence Past Blends and Present From te earliest times, various indigenous groups, including Australian Aborigines, ave used flowers for a variety of beneficial effects, including for te resolution of specific emotional imbalances. Flowers were so muc an intrinsic part of te day-to-day lives of Australian Aborigines tat tey used te flowering of trees in teir local vicinity to determine te yearly calendar. For example, te annual flowering of te Sarsaparilla trees signals tat it is time to go on walkabout in certain regions of Australia. Aborigines also used flowers in ritual ceremonies for ealing by ingesting certain flowers. Many flowers were also featured in teir Dreamtime stories, telling te tale of creation and te evolution of teir race. Flowers ave also been used in te wider uman context for many purposes. Ancient cultures used flowers in burial ceremonies as evidenced by te vestiges of plant material found in te earliest known burial cambers located in Iran. In India, early Sanskrit records describe ow te lotus flower was used, and is still today, to depict te various energy centres tat make up te uman energetic anatomy. Te fourpetal lotus was assigned to te Base cakra and te tousand-petal lotus to te Crown cakra to differentiate te energy frequency of te lower pysical body from te upper mental capacity of te body. Flowers are used today to convey feelings and sentiment, especially were words are not adequate to communicate te dept of empaty. Examples include flowers at a funeral to convey sadness and grief, on Moter s Day to express gratitude, or to tell a love of undying devotion on Valentine s Day. FLOWERS AS HEALERS Flowers were used for ealing in many cultures, and today we still use many of te well-known concoctions, borrowing from te ancient wisdom for relief of age-old conditions: jasmine flower tea is sooting and calming wile crysantemum flowers are used to clear eat from te skin and exterior. Herbal tea blends ave gained popularity and grace many social occasions, providing bot social enjoyment and beneficial ealt effects. Healing on te psycological level troug te use of flowers was also accepted and employed by many early ealers. For example, Hildegard von Bingen ( ) was a visionary and ealer wo used music and flowers to effect a ealing result. Paracelsus ( ), alcemical genius of te Middle Ages, was a pysician, astrologer and general occultist. He recognized te ealing power of flowers and used tem in is practice to bring about a curative effect in is patients. Dr. Edward Bac was te modern pioneer of flower essences. He understood plants and teir properties as te ealing power of nature, and recognized tat tis ancient wisdom could be used to alleviate disease in uman beings by rebalancing te emotional, mental and spiritual aspects. Bac linked te relationsip between te pysical personality and Higer Self-wisdom via a pilosopy tat included reincarnation. In te mid-1970s, Ricard Katz and Patricia Kaminski developed te Californian Flower Essences nearly alf a century after Bac s initial legacy. Tey prepared essences indigenous to te United States (mainly California) and expressed te revolution in consciousness tat was just beginning to ripple trougout te world. It began in California wit wat was known as Flower Power, and eralded a massive sift in consciousness, especially in te areas of sexuality, social awareness and spirituality. Appropriately, te essences, wic came out of tese times, were directed towards te clearing of specific psyco-energetic blocks suc as fears about sexuality, issues of intimacy, sensitivity, and psycic and spiritual development. Furter advances at te societal level, suc as advances in tecnology, communication, penomenal increase in available knowledge due to te advent of te computer and te Internet, were in tandem wit a fast expanding 16 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

17 conscious awareness and was expressed as te blossoming of many oter systems of flower essence ealing around te world, including Australia. Te early 80s usered in te Australian Bus Flower Essences. Tese popular essences, despite teir local origin, ave acieved a ig practitioner use rate in countries suc as Great Britain, Europe, USA, and Asia, due to te powerful vital life force contained in tem, consistent wit te strengt tat caracterises te Australian landscape. And now in te early 2000s comes a new range of essences, specifically designed by a woman, for women. Te Spirit of Woman Australian Wild Flower Essences also derive teir strong ealing qualities from te Australian bus. AUSTRALIAN FLOWER HEALING Let s ave a look at wy Australia, in particular, is imbued wit suc powerful ealing energy. Australia was te first continent were flowering plants grew. Tis occurred because it was te first landmass tat experienced erosion of te ard rock surface leading to te first soil on te planet. And wit te origin of soil came te first plants. Australia was originally part of Gondwanaland, te one great soutern landmass comprising te modern-day countries of Africa, India, Tibet, Sout America, Antarctica and Australia. Due to te continental drift tat started about 60 million years ago, te land mass began to break up leading to te gradual separation into individual continents, some of wic were still connected to te nort. Australia was te last one to separate, 35 million years ago, drifting sout to become separate and isolated. Because of te isolation, no dominating plants could come from oter countries to take over. Tis means tat all te native species found in Australia at te beginning of wite man s invasion ave been on te continental landmass for about tirtyfive million years. Tere is a wide diversity of plants across te globe, and Australia as te igest number of flowering plants. Te isolation of Australia and its small population relative to te size of te landmass means tat Australia is uniquely unpolluted, wit a minimum of damage to te natural landscape and reduced psycic pollution by way of wars fougt on its soil or incidents of mass genocide, altoug tere were isolated cases of Aboriginal bloodsed, particularly to te nort in te Palmer River region and in Tasmania. At te time of te wite settlement, tere were only tree undred tousand Aborigines in te wole landmass. Te vibrancy and strengt of te flowers is due to extremes of climate tat te plants ave to endure - flood followed by fire, followed by drougt, and famine in a cycle tat as repeated itself over tousands of years. Te major colours of Australian flowers are very vibrant due to te ig level of sunsine tat te continent is exposed to; colour is made up from te spectrum of ligt. Te major colours represented in Australian natives are red, purple and yellow. Many of te European flowers tat ave been imported to Australia ave adapted so well to te environment tat tey ave escaped into te wild and become, in many cases, classified noxious weeds. In te process, tey ave mutated to become brigter and more rampant growers. Many of tese European transplants are blue in colour and take on surreal indigo, magenta or sparkly cobalt ues. It is as if tey ave ad an injection of vitality from te intensity of te sun and taken on a new life. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 17

18 ABORIGINAL SPIRITUALITY Flowers transplanted from Europe become imbued wit te energy of teir adopted ome not only pysically but also energetically. As tey adapt to te new environment, tey take on te energy of te people wo lived tere for tousands of years. Te Aborigines roamed te countryside and freely gave te land teir gift of wisdom and spiritual consciousness troug teir connectedness to teir environment. Te potency and spirituality of te land is part of te Aboriginal way of life. Te Australian landscape as been a part of te intimate family grouping tat caracterised te different tribes tat occupied various parts of Australia; teir spirituality is intrinsically linked to te contours of te land. For example, te mountains in te near vicinity of an Aboriginal group s camp migt be referred to as Aunty, wile a particular tree migt be Uncle, indicating te degree of sense of family and inclusion tat te land was perceived to ave. It was a vibrant, living part of teir family and tribal group, as real as te uman members and was regarded as simply an extension of teir reality, intimately bound to uman fate. Stories about familiar birds, animals and plants suc as te cockatoo, te kangaroo and te warata, for example, were used to pass on te moral code valued by te tribe. Oter Dreamtime stories, suc as te Rainbow Serpent, told te symbolic story of creation. Te particular landscape were a tribe lived and loved resonated wit te group and its daily life. Te energy of te group seeped into te ground. Te tribe and te landscape were one. Still today, visiting a bora-ring or an Aboriginal sacred site can be an amazing experience. I remember wen I first visited Uluru, te airs on my arms and legs were raised for te wole time I was in te vicinity of te Rock. It was similar, but wit a sligtly different body sensation - more a feeling in my pelvis wen I visited Katajuta. THE SPIRIT OF WOMAN AUSTRALIAN WILD FLOWER ESSENCES Te beautiful Spirit of Woman flower essences were made up at Mt Nebo, an ancient Aboriginal women s birting site. Tis powerful feminine energy bled into te landscape and as been retained tere for tousands of years. Te sense of peace and quiet is palpable; bird and animal life is prolific and tere is a clear stillness in te air, just like te us, immediately following a birt, after te vigorous activity of labour as delivered its precious gift. Over te years, te little townsip as resisted te trall of tourism and development, and remains a aven for retirees and tose wo wis to opt out from te ustle and bustle of busy city life for a respite or a peaceful co-existence wit nature. I was called to make up tese essences in tis area because, as a compulsive gardener, I felt suc an affinity wit te flowering plants. Over te years, my native garden grew to be spectacular and, as I worked, I became very familiar wit te wild flowers tat grew around te edges and in te tickets in te rainforest, just beyond te boundary. I learned to love tem, being regularly encanted by teir floral displays. However, people told me tat many of tem were weeds. Seeing tem as weeds and a nuisance seemed like a foreign concept to me, te more familiar I became wit te little flowers, as tey popped teir eads up eac year to say ello. I lived tere for nearly tirty years, during wic time I raised my cildren, in and amongst all te attendant ups and downs of family life. Te flowers were suc a comfort to me during many of te tumultuous times. Wen I was writing my first book, Te Essence of Woman, te flowers began to communicate wit me, wispering teir wisdom into my grateful ears. I began to ear teir messages of ealing, loud and clear. Created in te early 2000s, Spirit of Woman Flower Essences are consistent wit te usering in of te new millennium, wic resonates wit te energy of two. As a number, two corresponds to te feminine principle. Its qualities include ease in partnersips, cooperation, working togeter (networking) flexibility and emotional sensitivity. It is te quintessential number of Yin, being te feminine principle. Te essences were first conceived in te year It took nine years of gestation for tem to be ready to be born into te world. WILD AND WEEDY Many of te essences are made up from wild flowers, or flowering weeds; essentially, weeds ave teir own incredible strengt. Weeds are only so named due to someone s prejudice. Tey ave been classified as second-rate plants because someone, at some time, deemed tem to be less spectacular or less worty of attention based on a set of criteria tat does not necessarily embrace all teir qualities. 18 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

19 For example, many weeds ave a igly nutritious medicinal use and ave been used for many undreds of years in Nature s Herbal Cest; for example, dandelion, wic is a powerful liver tonic. Furtermore, weeds are igly adaptive; tey love being in te wild and free. Tey grow rampantly so tey ave a strong vital force and reproduce under a variety of conditions. Generally, tey nurture and support te underlying animal and plant life tat tey cover, providing valuable animal corridors and protection for delicate plants tat would oterwise wilt under te fierce sun. Moreover, tey wrap temselves around trees, saplings and banks in a frank display of intimate closeness. Tey can be guilty of smotering (giving too muc love) and, if tey are not well managed, tey can take over. If te above description does not apply to women as a gender, I ll eat my at! Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 19

20 Capter 2 Essence Te Garden Blendsof Eden In tis capter, I am going to talk about wy te Plant Kingdom as suc an affinity wit umans. And wy it is tat tey ave suc strong ealing qualities tat can be used by te Human Kingdom, working so effectively on te emotional, psycological and pysical aspects of being. PLANTS AND HUMANS Human beings ave long ad an affinity wit te plant world. Plants ave been used since te beginning of time to eal and soote te uman spirit, to assist in ealing te pysical body and to symbolically represent te igest aspiration and ideals of umanity. Even today, many plants are te cemical basis of medicines, used in bot natural and bio-medicine. And many ouseolds are brigtened eac week wit te addition of a bunc of beautiful flowers adorning te dining room table. Flowers are gifts from te Plant Kingdom representing beauty, purity of form, fragrance and sentiment. Tere is a strong sense of connectedness tat umans experience wen we reconnect wit Nature and work in cooperation wit te Nature Kingdoms. In working wit tese kingdoms, we access te wisdom of te natural world were te iger spiritual qualities of wisdom, peace, love, beauty and interconnectedness ave been maintained as a iger order under te laws of nature. PLANTS AND HUMANS ARE ANIMATED BY THE SAME LIFE FORCE By attuning to Nature, we acknowledge and tap into te same life force tat sustains all life on eart, including uman beings. Flowers are in direct relationsip wit te sun, providing tem wit life-sustaining energy troug te process of potosyntesis. Ligt particles (potons) carry information, wic interacts wit DNA coding of te plant form to create a unique vibrational frequency encoded into te plant. Te flower carries te purest expression of source ligt energy troug its direct relationsip wit te sun, so it is ere tat source wisdom is best accessed. We only ave to look at te colour of flower, brilliant ues in every colour of te rainbow cleverly designed to magnetically attract te means by wic tey carry te baton of life troug to te next generation. Te colour of a flower reflects its relationsip wit te sun. Sunligt as seven major colours visible to normal uman vision and in addition, as been found to possess two colourless rays, one below red and one above violet. Beyond te ultraviolet, science as discovered a black field in wic tere are colours of a iger and rarer luminosity. Te uman eye sees less tan 1 percent of te total electro-magnetic spectrum. Evidence seems to indicate tat colours, including tose beyond uman vision, exert a profound influence on te pysical and mental ealt of animals, plants and umans. Wen ligt is passed troug a prism, its seven visible rays can be seen in a band called te spectrum, wic contains te wole gamut of colours from red to violet - te rainbow. Wite ligt vibrates. It also travels at te rate of 299,337 kms per second, producing waves measuring 0.76 mm in te case of red ligt and alf of tat in te case of violet. Terefore, eac colour in te spectrum possesses a frequency range or vibratory rate. Red as te slowest frequency and te longest wavelengt wile violet as te fastest frequency rate and te sortest wavelengt. Colour is life life is colour, te vibrating, vitalic, vitaminic energy tat is manifest in all animal mineral and vegetable matter. Jacob Bonggren LD Colour permeates all aspects of life from te stars above; eac of te twelve astrological signs emits its own sound and radiates its own individual colour to te eart below, were te flowers of te Plant Kingdom eac carry a unique and powerful vibratory signature in te same way tat te birds and animals of te Animal Kingdom do. Human beings are also possessed of a unique vibratory resonance and colour. A sensitive seer can read te energy frequency of an individual, even to te point of sensing te colour of te person. Tat is ow a psycic operates. 20 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

21 In recognizing tat te planet is a living entity, and flowers, as te colourful crowning glory of plant life, carry a ealing consciousness for umankind, we can begin to understand tat flower essences are one of Moter Eart s gentle ways of enabling te uman race to eal. Te way tat tis occurs is tat te essences bring about inner alignment and connection to our natural inner knowing; tat part of ourselves connected to te Source of life itself. Troug tis reconnection, we can fulfil our igest potential as living beings on tis planet. Wen we use medicines made from flowers - flower essences - we are directly accessing Nature s wisdom and working in co-operation wit te Nature Kingdom and te Source of Life itself. THE NATURE KINGDOM Rudolp Steiner ( ), Austrian pilosoper, literary scolar, educator, arcitect, playwrigt, social tinker and esotericist identified te angelic realm tat inabits te Plant Kingdom. First tere are te elemental nature spirits - te spirit beings of eart, air, fire and water wo are te builders of form in te natural world. Tere are also devas or angels, known as te arcitects of form. Elemental energies provide te fuel we need to be alive. Eac elemental being reflects a basic energy pattern as it builds and manifests in Nature. Tese interweave to create and sustain all matter on eart. Te four elementals are fire, water, air and eart. Te spirits of eart are sometimes referred to as gnomes. As Rudolp Steiner says, tey instil life into te plant and pus it upwards. Tey carry te life eter (energy) to te root. Tey oversee te nourisment of te plant via te roots. Tey dwell in te eart. Te spirits of water are often called undines. Witout water tere would be no life, and te spirits of water bring replenisment. Our ancestors regarded water as a living creature wit te power to bestow te life force, ealt and energy. Rudolf Steiner believes tat te undines work wit te leaves. In teir dreaming, tey bind and release in teir weavings te substances of te air wic tey mysteriously introduce into te leaves. Tey are te world cemists. Air spirits or sylps bring inspiration and creativity. Tey maintain te mental body in te uman, elp stimulate new knowledge and inspiration, and assist in using intuitive and rational tinking togeter. Steiner says te sylps live in te air warmt element, press towards te ligt and relate temselves to it - to te vibrations in a body of air. Tey absorb wat te power of ligt sends into te vibrations of te air - te cosmic bearers of love troug te atmospere, te bearers of wises of love troug te universe. Te sylps weave out of ligt, te ideal plant form. Te elementals of fire are called salamanders and bring stimulating, radiant vitality. Fire spirits, as agents of transmutation, transformation and regeneration, old te keys to te processes of alcemy. Te fiery element is bot constructive and destructive, assisting in destroying te old and building te new. In plants, Steiner says, tey are te inabitants of te warmtligt element. Wen te warmt of te eart is at its eigt or oterwise suitable, tey gater te warmt togeter, carry it to te blossoms of te plants, and into te seed. Guarding over te work of te elemental beings are devas, tiny nature spirits or plant angels tat use teir powers in directing te processes of te plant kingdom. Eac plant as its own unique deva, wic oversees te perfection of form during te growt process. Te word deva comes from Sanskrit and means sining one. Devas are not a foreign concept, as muc of te world s literature down troug te ages is resplendent wit myts, fairytales and allegories relating to te sining ones. It seems tat in te natural order or ierarcy of te wole of Creation, different energies play different roles. From te igest to te smallest, eac being as its own particular work to perform. Just as te most exalted angels use teir migty intelligence in te forming of universes and worlds, so te tiny nature spirits use teir powers in directing te processes of te Plant Kingdom. We begin to understand te dept of beauty and wisdom in te Plant Kingdom te more closely we come in contact wit Nature. It is no surprise tat te Nature Kingdom existed in its perfected form, evolving and progressing over millions of years, in perfect order and armony. Tis Kingdom did not conduct any wars tat inflicted collateral damage on te planet tat supports it, nor did it rape, pillage or plunder te resources of its ome witout always giving back to it to maintain te Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 21

22 balance. Tis natural order came about because it worked in close armony wit te oter Kingdoms. It as only been since te Human Kingdom arrived upon te scene fairly recently, in te greater sceme of tings, tat te planet as been brougt perilously close to extinction. As consciousness unfolds, evolves and quickens, te more we can recognise tat te Devic, Angelic and Human Kingdoms are inextricably interlinked and te better we are able to understand tat all te Kingdoms are ere to elp one anoter to work togeter, to carry out Divine Will. In unfolding our collective purpose troug conscious contact and communication wit te Devic and Angelic realms, umanity may discover its true place in te greater perspective. So ow is te wisdom of te Plant Kingdom revealed to us? Or more appropriately, ow do we know te ealing quality tat any particular plant as to offer? THE DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Witin te myriad expressions of te life force, certain patterns can be observed. By paying attention to tese patterns we can recognize material manifestations of a similar resonance. For example, sape is one of te patterns tat we can observe. Kidney beans, wit teir familiar kidney sape, nutritionally support te kidneys in te uman body. Anoter example is te walnut. Saped like te uman brain, it is a food tat energetically resonates wit te brain, tus it is used to eal problems occurring in tat organ. As eac organ as a pysical, emotional, psycological and spiritual expression, te appropriate specific resonance for eac organ, will address eac of tese levels of uman functioning. Te Doctrine of Signatures is te name given to te process tat determines te ealing quality of a flower or plant, and wat facet of uman consciousness tat particular quality can be applied to. Te word signature, in relation to establising identity, is well recognized considering tese days so muc inges on establising our identity for banking, travelling, obtaining various types of licenses and so on. Our signature is te way tat we create our own unique mark, determining beyond doubt, our identity. Using te Doctrine of Signatures, one recognises and looks for te unique signs of a flower s identity. Tese indications, suc as te sape, te colour, its abitat, its growing abits and so on, create a pattern tat expresses its uniqueness as different to any oter flower. Eac flower as its own pattern of uniqueness. For example, tere is an easily recognizable difference between a rose and a sunflower, not only in colour, sape, texture and scent, but also in abitat - tat is, were tey best like to grow. Te sunflower is aptly named. It as a large centre wit relatively small petals radiating out from te middle, like te rays of te sun. Not only does it look like te sun in sape, but in colour also. A abit of te sunflower is to follow te sun s daily pat troug te sky by turning its face towards te ligt - a strong indication of its affinity wit te migty centre of our solar system and te giver of life on tis planet. If we translate tese qualities of te sunflower into te uman condition, we liken te sun s central position in te solar system to te central energy system in our own body - te solar plexus cakra, located between te lower aspect of te ribcage and te umbilicus, in te abdominal region. Te solar plexus cakra is te digestive centre of te body s energy system and te pysical location were food is transformed, troug te digestive process, into life-giving energy. Like te sun s daily pat troug te sky, our body s energies also follow a daily cycle in response to te ours of sunligt. Te body is active and energetic during te day, but goes into repair and maintenance mode at nigt. It is te primary energy derived from te digestive system tat provides te capacity for te body to be active during te waking ours. 22 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

23 Symbolically, te sun represents te male principle, and te male principle in te uman psyce corresponds to te fater. So tis flower, made into an essence by virtue of te Doctrine of Signatures, relates to bot digestive function and to issues wit te fater, or one s masculinity. It was tis metod by wic te medicinal use of erbs was establised by early erbalists, around four undred years ago. Te Doctrine of Signatures of eac individual erb was applied to a distinct aspect of te uman anatomy. Significantly, science as since validated te uses of medicinal erbs, determined in tis manner, by analysis of te plant s cemical composition, not available at te time, and confirmed te traditional uses in te uman body. Over four undred years of safe and effective use of erbs, in te manner prescribed by te Doctrine of Signatures, furter validates its application. Familiarity wit te principle of te Doctrine of Signatures arose out of medieval cosmology. Tis pilosopy expressed tat everyting in te world of matter is governed by te planets, and teir movement troug te eavens and tat te inerent qualities of te eavenly bodies are reflected in all animate and inanimate tings on eart - stones, minerals, animals, plants and people. Altoug seemingly non-scientific in te present-day sense of te word, were data-based evidence is te underlying principle, te Doctrine of Signatures as proven in time to be a very effective way of discovering te qualities te Plant Kingdom as to offer uman beings for ealing bot body and psyce. It does tis by observing and putting into practice te understanding of te patterns in te Universe. To use te Doctrine of Signatures, we need to be familiar wit some of te more arcetypal symbolism tat as universal meaning. Tis is ten applied to te plant or flower being observed, in relation to colour, sape, abitat and growing abits. For example, te colour of te flower is often a powerful indicator of te flower s use. Colours usually align wit te cakras or energy centres in te body. Te base cakra denotes pysicality, bodily strengt, pysicality and general red-bloodedness. Terefore, a red flower usually addresses pysical wellbeing, endurance and te circulation of te life-force. Yellow, on te oter and, is related to te tird cakra, te Solar Plexus, and te corresponding energy body known as te Mental Body. Yellow flowers are often used to address a way of tinking or a fixed mental attitude. Sape relates to wat te plant actually looks like. For example, a plant saped like a cup, a eart, a pallus, or a cross, needs no furter explanation; altoug sometimes a petal on a flower can carry te determining sape rater tan te wole flower itself. Habitat can also be a powerful indicator of te plant s ealing qualities. For example, plants grown out in te ot, dry desert sow a muc stronger capacity to survive tan a flower grown in moist, seltered conditions. Te desert-growing flower used to triving in extreme conditions would be indicated for survival issues, wereas te seltered flower would more likely address extreme sensitivity in a person. In terms of growing abits, a vine tat grows up strangling all oter plants around it could be likened to te person wo dominates all tose around tem. On te oter and, a flower only growing in clumps of its own species migt be used for te person wo is xenopobic or wo follows te crowd and as no opinions of teir own. Most often, wen determining te ealing qualities tat a plant as to offer uman ealing, tree or more Doctrine of Signatures indicators are selected to best ensure te ealing energy being expressed by te plant. A good example of tis is te sunflower, mentioned above, wic as te colour yellow, te sape of te sun and te abit of following te sun during te day. Eac single indication confirms te oters. Togeter tey point empatically to te solar plexus in te uman energy system, wic deals wit personal empowerment, self-autority, te masculine principle and available energy for body functioning. Tus, we can clearly isolate qualities expressed by te plants in various ways, wic can be symbolically translated into uman caracteristics. Tis is te process known as te Doctrine of Signatures and elps us to determine wat gift te Plant Kingdom as to offer to assist uman ealing. Here is an example of ow te Doctrine of Signatures is applied to te Wild Iris Spirit of Women essence. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 23

24 Capter 3 Essence Te Body Blends Electric Te next step is to understand ow flower essences, as vibrational medicines, work on te uman being. To do so, we need to take a quick look at wat makes up te wole person, not just pysically, but emotionally, psycologically and spiritually as well. Te trick in seeing ow tese energy medicines work is to understand tat a person is made up of two primary components: a pysical body and an energy body. ANATOMY OF THE PHYSICAL BODY Te pysical body we can all appreciate immediately. We only ave to use our five pysical senses - seeing, earing, toucing, smelling or tasting - to appreciate te ricness and complexity of our pysically functioning unit. We know it intimately, in all its pases, states and cycles; we know wen it is sick and we know wen we are firing on all four cylinders. Wat accompanies sickness and ealt is a unique set or pattern of tougts tat are different, but tat we all accept as normal wen we are in eiter one state or te oter. For example, wen we are feeling unwell, we generally ave tougts related to ow frustrated we are tat we are in bed, or ow muc we dislike being unwell, or ow quickly we want tis unbalanced state of being to be over. Tese tougts can be classified as negative. However, wen we are well we rarely question te functioning of our body. Generally our tougts are focused on watever project or interaction we are engaged in. In a well person, tougts are generally positive and open-ended. Our tougts cannot be touced, tasted, smelled, eard or seen and are not considered matter. Tougts are part of our energy body and tey are as real to us as any part of our pysical body. So are emotions. In fact, e-motions are self-explanatory wen we extend te word to its fullest meaning: energy-in-motion! And tat is exactly wat emotions are - energy expressions of te way tat energy is circulating troug te various organ systems. Higly carged emotions indicate an excess or deficiency of energy witin a specific organ-meridian system. Troug te bio-medical model, we are reasonably familiar wit te pysical anatomy as consisting of a body of bones, blood vessels, organs, nerve patways, glands, muscles and cells. ANATOMY OF THE ENERGY BODIES But wat of te subtle energy anatomy were our tougts and emotions reside? Subtle energy anatomy looks at te unseen energy systems of te body as well as te emotional and psycological states tat accompany tem. Tis is known in Traditional Cinese Medicine as te organ-meridian energy circuitry of te subtle body. Te word subtle refers to te fact tat te emotional and mental bodies cannot be appreciated troug te five senses, but rater are accessed troug te extra-sensory perception tat includes: intuition, direct knowing, sensing emotions, sensing love, body intelligence and subliminal tougt stream. Te extra-sensory perception (ESP) or capacity of a person involves awareness of information about events external to te self not gained troug te senses and not deducible from previous experience. ESP is also sometimes casually referred to as a sixt sense, gut instinct or unc. Te term implies sources of information not gained troug te five senses. All umans know tis aspect of teir being. It is te part of te self tat knows, dreams, plans and executes ideas and intentions. Sometimes it is referred to as te personality, but tis is a somewat limiting description. Wo a person really is, is more tan just personality. It involves all te oter aspects of being, bot conscious and subconscious, tat make up te wole person. Te Mind-Body Medicine model (as well as Traditional Cinese Medicine) recognizes tat energy and matter are dual expressions of te same primary substance, and uman beings, witin tis context, are networks of complex energy fields (energy body) tat interface and connect wit pysical cellular systems (pysical body). In oter words, we are not just pysical bodies, but rater multidimensional beings consisting of a pysical body and a subtle energetic component. Te subtle energy component is expressed as emotions and our psycology and attitude to life (emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of our being). 24 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

25 Mainstream medicine focuses on te pysical body alone, wereas vibrational Mind-Body medicine focuses on te vital forces tat animate and breate life into te bio-macinery of living systems. Te subtle energy anatomy describes te systems of energy tat animate te dense matter of te pysical body. Tere is a ierarcy of subtle bodies, all of wic participate in te full and complete functioning of te sentient uman being. Te eteric body is te first body in te complete subtle energy network. Tis system organizes and nourises te pysical/cellular framework and coordinates te life-force witin te body. Oter subtle energy systems witin te pysical body coordinate electro-pysiologic and ormonal function and interface wit te eteric body. It is primarily from tese levels of functioning, te realms of tougt, emotion and eld beliefs (attitudes) tat disease and illness originate. In fact, it is a well-recognised notion, witin te parameters of energy medicine tat disease begins in te mind. Te subtle energy systems are powerfully affected by our emotions, our way of tinking and our level of wisdom or spiritual balance, as well as by nutritional and environmental factors. Tey, in turn, influence cellular patterns of growt, eiter in positive or negative directions. Furtermore, tis new view of living systems recognizes not only tat te unseen energy dimension of te uman being olds te key to pysical well-being, but also tat consciousness - itself a kind of energy - is integrally related to te cellular expression of te uman body. We can say tat consciousness participates in te continuous creation of eiter ealt or illness. Life-force (life-giving energy) enters te system as very ig frequency energy and is transformed down to te slower, denser energy tat is useable by te pysical component of te uman being, and tat manifests as matter, i.e., fles and bone. THE SUBTLE ENERGY ANATOMY Te uman energy system, according to ancient wisdom and recently validated by new pysics, seems to be made up in tis way: Tere are seven energy bodies surrounding te pysical body and seven energy centres witin te pysical body. Togeter tey comprise te uman multi-dimensional anatomy. Collectively, te seven energy bodies are known popularly as te aura. Tese seven bodies function as different expressions of te uman bio-field, and occupy te space around te pysical body. Collectively, tey can be likened to te rays of radiance tat emit from te sun, creating a corona or egg-saped energy field, around te body. Eac of tese seven bodies is composed of very ig frequency energy. Tey do not consist of matter, so all te bodies can occupy te same space wile still retaining teir own integrity, because eac body exists in a different frequency band. Tat is, tey coexist togeter, overlapping one anoter, just as te different broadcasting bands in radio or television do in te atmospere. Te subtle bodies range in frequency from te lowest to te igest. Te outer energy band, being te igest and fastest vibration, extends furtest from te pysical body, following its outline. Its colour is violet. Te closest energy band to te body, te eteric body, as te slowest frequency band and te longest wavelengt. It corresponds to te colour red. Tis body, te eteric body, feeds information directly to te pysical body via te meridian system for its ongoing growt and maintenance. Witin te pysical body, tere are seven major cakras, or subtle energy centres. Eac cakra corresponds wit a subtle body. As wit te subtle bodies, te subtle energy centres are graduated in frequency, from te crown centre at te top of te ead - being te igest frequency - to te base centre at te base of te trunk, being te lowest frequency. Energy is distributed from te centres, trougout te body, by a system of cannels or meridians tat link te various energy centres, forming an energetic network tat nourises and energises te wole body, from te inside to te outside, te top to te bottom and vice-versa, delivering energy to te organ systems at a specific resonance witin teir spere of geograpical influence. For example, te base energy centre, located at te base of te trunk, between te legs, governs te functioning of te Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 25

26 large intestine and te bony skeleton, te rectum, te kidneys, te bladder, and te appendix, as well as te adrenals, te endocrine gland linked to our figt or fligt survival strategy. Not only do te energy centres control te pysical functioning of te body by directing energy distribution, but tey also determine te emotional well-being of te person. As energy-in-motion, te e-motions are te result of te daily movement of energy in te body. Terefore, to feel is one of te natural outcomes of being alive and fully functioning. A dead person doesn t feel - apparently! Traditional Cinese Medicine (TCM) recognises tat te emotions rise and fall ligtly trougout te day as te circulating energy passes troug different organ-meridian systems, eac of wic operate at a different frequency or resonance. Emotions are, terefore, inextricably linked wit te pysical body and pysical functioning. A ealty person will experience a full range of appropriately expressed emotions trougout te passage of a day, as a corollary to pysical functioning. Conversely, negative emotions inappropriately expressed and repressed emotions will result, over a period of time, in disease and illness because tey impact negatively on te energy flow into te associated meridian-system. In TCM, te emotions are considered a very powerful causative factor in creating disease or wellness. Eac energy centre, terefore, as an emotional concordance, or in oter words, eac centre gives rise to a specific emotional expression. Te positive or negative expression of an emotion is, in turn, determined by te attitude or beliefs of a person responding to a situation. Te way people tink about temselves, based on teir beliefs about temselves and teir relationsip to te world around tem, determines te emotional response tat tey will ave in a given situation. Again, an attitude or psycological state is an expression of te relevant energy centre, just as an emotion is. So eac energy centre as a pysical, emotional and attitudinal/psycological aspect associated wit it s functioning. Tis means tat continual negative tinking will engender negative emotions, wic, in turn, will distort te energy circulating troug a specific centre, eiter suppressing, repressing or super-carging it to excess. Over time, te consequence will be to distort te energy input into te pysical body, ultimately resulting in disease. HOW DO FLOWER ESSENCES WORK IN THE HUMAN SYSTEM? Flower essences work by delivering a specific frequency to an energy centre, tereby affecting all levels - emotional, mental and pysical. Te frequency of te essence causes te energy centre to entrain wit te best possible expression of te specific frequency being delivered. After all, a flower in its perfected form carries a ig, pure expression of its specific frequency resonance. Entrainment means tat te disarmonious energy of te cakra comes into armony wit te armonious frequency being delivered by te essence. All expressions are affected as a consequence wit a sift to positive expression at te pysical, psycological and emotional levels. Te person suddenly feels better, tinks positively and is emotionally balanced. Tis is te meaning of te word olistic: all aspects of te uman being must be taken into account wen evaluating a disease process because eac level is interconnected, affecting all oter levels simultaneously. Terefore, for every pysical organ and function, tere is a corresponding emotion, mental, psycological and spiritual attitude, tat togeter express te wole energetic subsystem. Tere are seven sub-systems (energy centres) tat make up te entire wole being. For example, if a person is suffering from diabetes, we can recognize tat tis is a tird energy centre issue because te tird centre governs te output of insulin as it energises te digestive organs and function. Te attitudes associated wit tis centre are concerned wit issues of self-esteem and self-empowerment and te ability to self-nouris. Te emotional and attitudinal levels mirror pysical functioning, so we see tat diabetes can be instigated by an attitude of lack of self-wort, wic gives rise to te emotions of wortlessness and not feeling as good as oters. Tis can lead to te person always putting oters first and not valuing te self enoug to self-nouris and be self-centred - in a ealty way. Tus, in summary, we see tat witin bot te TCM and te vibrational Mind-Body Medicine model, te iger frequencies, representing te attitudes (mind) and emotions feeding into te pysical body, determine its state, disease or wellness and it s functioning. So, it can be said from bot tese perspectives, as described above, tat disease begins as an idea. Flower Essences work on te subtle energy body by targeting a person s attitudes (mind) and emotions, via te subtle energy centres. Terefore, tey act powerfully on te consciousness or awareness of te individual, opening up patways 26 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

27 of understanding or feeling previously unable to be accessed. Te new awareness filters down into te emotional and pysical levels, bringing ealt and wellbeing for te wole person. By understanding te connection between te spiritual, te mental, te emotional and te pysical, te practitioner cannot only direct treatment to all levels for more effective results, but se can also guide te patient wit flower essences and lifestyle counselling to better manage is or er own self-ealing journey. Te flower essences ave a flow-on effect, delivering a armonious resonant frequency to assist te patient to act witin te framework of te new awareness tat as opened up. Edward Bac described te effect of flower essences on a person as flooding of our nature wit iger vibrations. Bac clearly understood te uman energy anatomy, and te iger subtle energy bodies, wic e referred to as our spiritual self and our iger nature. WHAT DO HUMANS NEED TO FUNCTION OPTIMALLY? Let s take a brief look at te psycology of te uman being, in terms of wat we need to function optimally. Tis list of basic uman needs was drawn up by Maslow, a psycologist well recognised for is understanding of te uman drives and motivations. In te diagram below, you will see tat Maslow s list of uman needs as been depicted witin a pyramid sape. Maslow s Hierarcy of Needs is a teory in psycology, proposed by Abraam Maslow in is 1943 paper, A Teory of Human Motivation. Te pyramid describes uman needs in a predetermined order of importance. It is depicted as consisting of five levels: te lowest level is associated wit pysiological needs, wile te uppermost level is associated wit self-actualization needs, particularly tose related to identity and purpose. Deficiency needs must be met first. Once tese are met, seeking to satisfy growt needs drives personal growt. Te iger needs in tis ierarcy only come into focus wen te lower needs in te pyramid are met. Wen our needs are being met, our emotional wellbeing is assured and our energy flows smootly, supporting function and maintenance needs and keeping te body ealty. WHAT DO WE FEEL WHEN OUR NEEDS ARE BEING MET? Listed in te table below are te emotions we may experience on a daily basis wen all of our needs are being fulfilled. Tis list was drawn up by te Center for Nonviolent Communication. Feelings we may experience wen our needs are being met Affectionate Excited Grateful Peaceful compassionate amazed appreciative calm friendly animated moved cleareaded loving ardent tankful comfortable Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 27

28 openearted aroused touced centred sympatetic astonised Hopeful content tender dazzled expectant equanimity warm eager encouraged fulfilled confident energetic optimistic mellow empowered entusiastic Inspired quiet open giddy amazed relaxed proud invigorated awed relieved safe lively wonder satisfied secure passionate joyful serene engaged surprised amused still absorbed vibrant deligted tranquil alert exilarated glad trusting curious blissful appy refresed engrossed ecstatic jubilant enlivened encanted elated pleased rejuvenated entranced entralled tickled renewed fascinated exuberant rested interested radiant restored intrigued rapturous revived involved trilled spellbound stimulated WHAT ABOUT WHEN OUR NEEDS ARE NOT BEING MET? However, wen our needs are not being fulfilled, our emotional life is completely different. Te psycological recognition tat we are deprived or lacking in some vital component of our uman expression gives rise to anoter set of emotions. See if you recognise some of tese feelings listed in te table overleaf: Feelings we may experience wen our needs are not being met Afraid Confused Embarrassed Tense appreensive ambivalent asamed anxious dread baffled cagrined cranky foreboding bewildered flustered distressed frigtened dazed guilty distraugt mistrustful esitant mortified edgy panicked lost self-conscious fidgety petrified mystified fatigue frazzled scared perplexed beat irritable suspicious puzzled burnt out jittery terrified torn depleted nervous wary disconnected exausted overwelmed worried alienated letargic restless annoyed aloof listless stressed out aggravated apatetic sleepy vulnerable dismayed bored tired fragile disgruntled cold weary guarded 28 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

29 displeased detaced worn out elpless exasperated distant Pain insecure frustrated distracted agony leery impatient indifferent anguised reserved irritated numb bereaved sensitive irked removed devastated saky angry uninterested grief yearning enraged witdrawn eartbroken envious furious disquiet urt jealous incensed agitated lonely longing indignant alarmed miserable nostalgic irate discombobulated regretful pining livid disconcerted remorseful wistful outraged disturbed Sad resentful perturbed depressed aversion rattled dejected animosity restless despair appalled socked despondent contempt startled disappointed disgusted surprised discouraged dislike troubled diseartened ate turbulent forlorn orrified turmoil gloomy ostile uncomfortable eavyearted repulsed uneasy opeless unnerved melancoly unsettled unappy upset wretced Wen we are faced wit te full complexity of a uman being and wat se or e needs to function optimally, it is easy to see ow, in many cases, we ave not paid attention to some of te basic requirements tat satisfy us. Wen some of our needs are not being met, we generally experience a range of emotions consistent wit te need not being met. For example, people wo live in war zones, especially were te distinct possibility of a terrorist attack stalks tem in teir everyday life, must be in a constant state of anxiety and fear. Maslow as evaluated te importance of te needs by listing tem in a ierarcal order tat best describes teir relevance for te organism, beginning wit survival, te most basic need, and moving troug to self-realisation, a function of iger levels of uman experience. Eac need listed is crucial to some aspect of optimal uman functioning. In fact, te needs can be classified and grouped according to te psycological aspects tat are described in te energy anatomy of te subtle centres, as we sall see furter on wen we examine tem more closely. I ave included te above tables to illustrate tat all uman beings are te same underneat. In spite of gender differences and individual life experiences, basic uman needs are common to all - and it is te emotional states arising from feeling our needs as being eiter fulfilled or not, tat accounts for te disparity in emotional expression from one person to te next. WHAT ABOUT GENDER DIFFERENCES IN RELATION TO HUMAN NEEDS? Gender differences play a role in ow emotions are expressed because gender-specific ormones ardwire te brain. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 29

30 Females and males are biologically designed to be different. And wat s more, teir differences are built into te way tat teir bodies are designed and expressed troug te way tat tey tink, feel, perceive, make value judgments, respond to teir sexuality and a wole lot more. Wic means tat females and males will perceive and prioritise teir needs differently. Not only are te bodies of females and males built to function differently, but so too are teir emotional responses, tougt processes, ways of interpreting any given situation and wat tey want to acieve in life. In fact, te wole value systems of males and females are often diametrically opposed, driven by ormonal and pysical drivers tat vary depending on gender specification. FEMALE HORMONES CHANGE CONSTANTLY ALONG WITH WOMEN S MOODS Because eac ormone as its own unique powerful effect on emotional and tinking states, women go troug a wide gamut of differing personality expressions witin te menstrual mont. Males, on te oter and, are muc more constant in te way tat tey tink and feel as tey are primarily driven by a single genderising ormone - testosterone - wic is continuous and does not cycle. Tis means tat women and men tink and feel fundamentally differently - one could almost say tat tey are poles apart in teir way of perceiving and responding to te world around tem. Wen women understand te biological ineritance tat being female bestows, tey are better able to maintain some sense of control over teir lives and plan ow to optimize teir opportunities. Because women s moods, beaviours, tinking, values, perceptions, actions and desires are so governed by a constantly canging ormonal soup affecting te brain, te more tey are aware of tese influences, te closer tey come to staying in touc wit wo tey really are. Spirit of Woman Australian Wild Flower Essences ave been brougt troug to assist women to navigate te tumultuous waters tat regularly rock teir boat, due to teir ormonal legacy. GROWING WITH THE CHAKRAS However, tat does not mean tat bot genders do not ave identical basic uman needs, suc as acceptance, security, affection, reassurance, support, as if tey are being eard, etc. - tey do. Tey just respond to, experience and obtain tem in different ways. In te next capter, we are going to take a closer look at te subtle energy anatomy tat is te basic template of existence for bot genders. Wen we look at te subtle energy anatomy, and te framework it is built upon - te seven energy centres and subtle bodies - it is easy to see te connection between Mind and Body and to trace te evolutionary life journey tat eac soul makes as tey move troug into increasing awareness or consciousness. Tis process of te getting of wisdom is built into te Mind-Body of eac person, as se or e grows from infancy to mature adultood. Te cakra system of energy anatomy expresses tat journey eloquently, even to te point of delineating pases or stages of conscious understanding and te sequence in wic tese conscious understandings of life and its processes take place. Indeed, te cakra energy system is a template of uman beings journey as a spiritual being aving a uman experience built into our Body-Mind, and wic evolves as we mature. Our ealt and wellbeing is te measure of te progress of our evolving consciousness as we go troug life. Consciousness is tat part of us tat does not age and is, in effect, te subtle energy component of our being - te Mind aspect of te Mind-Body complex. Ancient wisdom declares tat tis part of our being does not die but lives on in a round of pysical life cycles known in te East as reincarnation. FLOWER ESSENCES HELP US GROW TOWARDS WISDOM Wen describing te effect of flower essences, Edward Bac said tat tey accessed tat eternal part of our being, te iger wisdom tat comes over from eons of past lives. Te round of past lives continues until we ave learned all te lessons tat life as to offer, ten we can discontinue furter incarnations on Eart. Information coming troug from past lives represents te wisdom of lessons well learned and is said to be stored in our Akasic Records (te accumulation of past knowledge). Eac life puts anoter deposit into te Record, provided we gain from te experience. If we go troug life witout learning anyting, we ave lived a life wit no gain. In our everyday lives, our accumulated wisdom is ard to access because it is locked away in te iger realms of 30 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

31 our energy complex, at te level of te Causal body - te fift body of our subtle body network. People wo meditate regularly gain ready access to tese files. So tose wo consciously embark on an inner journey troug counselling, journal work, understanding symbols of teir dream world and actively striving to recognize beliefs and programming are carrying in te sub-conscious tat no longer serves tem. Flower essences greatly assist tis process of becoming conscious. Because flower essences are made from te flower, te igest and most beautiful expression of te plant - te most fragrant, most perfect in form and te most attractive (magnetic attraction) - tey resonate wit te igest expression of te uman being: love, peaceful co-existence, wisdom and trutful integrity. By taking a flower essence, we can access te spiritual wisdom we need to elevate te mundane quality of everyday existence into gold - living wit a sine, bot witin and witout. Since te flower essences ave come troug into te world wen te uman race is going troug a time of great spiritual renewal, te ancient framework describing te uman energy anatomy as relevant application. By understanding te subtle energy centres of te uman body and te role of te Cinese meridian system in linking te Mind aspect to te Body aspect of te wole uman, we are in a muc better position to understand ourselves and clear negative selfsabotage patterns from te subtle energy anatomy. Wen we do tis, we ave greater clarity and sense of purpose. We like ourselves more and find appropriate and loving ways to ave our needs met, resulting in smooter emotions and a joie d vivre tat truly represents our potential; living ow we are meant to live, joyously as umans. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 31

32 Te Body s Essence Energy Blends Centres We ave te seeds of our own appiness programmed into te subtle energy centres. Wen we truly flower as uman beings, life is abundant, contented and ric. Eac ca kra as an associated pysical, emotional and psycological concordance. Tis means tat we can see te obvious association between a nerve plexus and an endocrine gland, an organ and its associated meridian and te related emotional and attitudinal expression. Many popular cakra texts will provide an overview of te associations of eac cakra and ow tey compare wit one anoter. New cakras open up as umanity's consciousness expands. THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION Now tere are twelve Cakras altogter, but for our purposes we will explore Caras One (Base) to Seven (Crown) So, let s take a look at te ow eac of te first seven cakras expresses different aspects of te Mind-Body connection. CHAKRA ONE - THE ROOT/BASE CHAKRA Te Root Cakra is te first building block on wic all te oter carkas rest. It relates to te element of Eart and all solid eartly tings - our bodies, our ealt, our survival, our material and monetary existence, our ability to focus and manifest our needs. It relates to te need for our bodies to stay alive and ealty. Associated Element Te element of cakra one is Eart, wic represents form and solidarity - te most condensed state of matter and te lowest frequency of energy troug all te cakras. Te colour is red, wic is te colour of beginning, being te colour wit te longest wavelengt and te slowest vibration in te visible spectrum. Mind-Body connection Pysical - relates to te solid parts of te body: te bones, te large intestine (passes solid substance) and te flesy body as a wole. Located between te anus and te genitals, it corresponds to te coccyx and te coccygeal spinal ganglion. Emotional - wen out of balance it relates to te negative emotions of paranoia, fear of survival, inability to be present in te now, lack of grounding, insecurity and terror. Mental - wen out of balance it involves delusional tinking, daydreaming, dissociated mental states and defensive tinking. Consciousness - consciousness of te root cakra is primarily concerned wit survival, our figt or fligt response (very relevant today), our instincts and te need for planetary peace and environmental balance. SUMMARY: ALL IS ONE Pysicality, survival, grounding, te tribe - tis cakra refers to te uman need to be ere now - in body, wit a capacity to deal wit te practical aspects of life needed for survival, supported by te strengt and dept of our energetic connection to Eart. In terms of te journey of our soul, tis is te process of incarnation, spirit coming into body, to learn te lessons of tis life and to elp oters learn teir life lessons. Hence, witin tis classification are te emotional issues of te following: Maintenance of te body, so tat it can serve us pysically during tis lifetime, energy loss and pysical debilitation, effects of stress on te pysical body; Ability to survive te ardsips tat callenge us in living in te pysical world; Te need to be consciously in body, so tat we act and be as an integrated being, rater tan being split into dissociated parts; Capability to move on from te collective energy of te tribe, as we become aware of our individualized soul s purpose. 32 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

33 CHAKRA TWO - THE WATER/SECOND CHAKRA As we enter te second cakra, we enter cange. Our singleness becomes duality and we ave obtained a degree of movement and fluidity. Cange is essential to te expansion of consciousness - tis is ow it evolves. Troug cange, we discover difference. In intimacy, troug te oter person, we old te mirror up to ourselves and can recognize difference. In intimacy, in te sexual act, we come togeter as one and ten pull apart to experience difference. On te emotional level, we do te same in our significant intimate relationsip. We merge and experience togeterness, ten we separate and experience singularity. Tese cycles of merging and separation allow us by comparison to begin to know wo we are and, as importantly, wo we are not. Terefore, we begin to define ourselves in relation to te oter. Troug flexibility and cange, we start to learn wo we really are and wo we are not. Growt, movement and life arise from tis centre. Associated Element Te element of cakra two is Water and tus te cakra corresponds to bodily functions aving to do wit liquid: circulation, sexuality and reproduction. Water is fluid, flexible and pleo-morpic (sape-sifting). It easily merges, descends to te lowest level and always follows te pat of least resistance. So classically, te second cakra governs sexuality (merging) as well as te emotions (need to be fluidic), sensation, pleasure, movement and nurturance. Mind-Body Connection Pysical - relates to te pelvic area - te bowl of life - between te navel and te genitals. It corresponds to te sacral vertebrae and te nerve ganglion called te sacral plexus. Te sacral plexus ooks into te sciatic nerve and is a centre of motion for te body - for tis reason it is often called te seat of life. Emotional - wen out of balance it relates to te intense emotions experienced troug intimate emotions - fear of pleasure, fun and spontaneity, frozen expression, fear of commitment, sticky dependency on a partner, passivity, inability to feel pleasure or sensation and feeling un-nurtured. Mental - wen out of balance it relates to tougts of inadequacy, repression of expressing feelings, disconnected from te feeling aspect of being and oversensitivity. Consciousness - consciousness of te second cakra is primarily concerned wit learning to separate from te oter, and to maintain ealty yet permeable boundaries. It is about being able to experience energetic connection wit anoter troug merging, and yet to know ourselves as separate and sensate beings. Summary: Honour One Anoter Sexuality, reproduction, intimacy, nurturance, moter/fater issues - tis cakra refers to te emotional issues tat are involved in starting to know wo we are troug te medium of our intimate relationsips. It embraces our capacity for te following: Intimacy - wit our own deep feelings (recognition of te sadow), and feeling comfortable in intimacy wit oters. Self-nurturance, wic, if ealtily present, enables ealty nurturance of oters. Sexuality - as a joyous and appropriate expression of vitality. Reproduction - te pysical and emotional aspects of ealty pregnancy and birting, and motering and fatering, wic fosters emotional ealt in te cild and fosters supportive early cildood experiences. Te use of intuition. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 33

34 CHAKRA THREE - THE FIRE/THIRD CHAKRA Known as te Solar Plexus cakra tis centre is related to te process of clear tinking and intelligently making our way in te world Essence at large. Here we arrive Blends at a point of self-identity- knowing wo we are and aving te confidence to go out into te world, self-empowered and able to effect a cange. Located ere are te major organs of digestion and te associated energy of transformation - we require te ability to transform te food we take in into useable energy for te body to function effectively and optimally. Associated Element Fire is te element tat warms, transforms matter to eat, ligt and waste (e.g. a log of wood is transformed to warmt, ligt and as), moves and energises (e.g. activates molecules in water to bring it to te boil). Fire flows upward, expands and separates unlike water, wic flows downward, converges and merges. Te cief operating force of Eart is gravity, wic similarly as a downward flow. So as we move into te energy of fire, a tird and unique state of existence emerges tat transforms matter (Cakra One) and movement (Cakra Two) into a field of energy. Fire transforms and transmutes, creating te energy fuel tat animates and drives te wole being on all levels: pysical, psycological, mental and emotional. On te pysical level, in te body, te energy of combustion is called metabolism, and it manifests as te fire in te belly. It takes fire energy to transform food into energy to be used on a day-to-day basis for te functional capacity of te organ systems of te body. In psycological terms, it relates to personal power and will, and in our outer lives, it is te realm of action. As fire transforms matter into energy and ligt, te tird cakra transforms te inertia of Eart and Water into actions, energy and power. It is te great transformer or powerouse of te being. Mind-Body Connection Pysical - relates to te digestive organs: te stomac, spleen, liver and gallbladder. It corresponds to te lower toracic vertebrae and te nerve ganglion called te solar plexus. It rules te metabolic system and can be seen as te cooking pot for te body. As food converted to energy is fuel for te body, it follows tat te more efficient te conversion process, te more available quality energy is for te wole body. Moreover, te more functional tis centre is, te more te person is able to discern te quality of te food intake. Emotional - relates to te emotions tat are associated wit a ealty self-esteem, personal power, and confidence and a sense of safety in te world in wic we live. Wen out of balance it relates to te roles of te victim and te persecutor. Te victim as not been able to assert personal power and be magicians in teir world, wile te persecutor dominates and bullies oters to keep temselves safe. Mental - te brain receives te first and quality energy from te digestive process. Terefore, good, clear, coerent tinking is te result of a well-functioning digestive system. Wen out of balance, tinking will be fuzzy, distorted, obsessive or deranged. A regular, good diet supports te digestive system, wic in turn delivers balanced and clear tinking. Tis cakra is te first level of te intellect - rational, logical and factual. Consciousness - Te consciousness relating to tis cakra revolves around aving te radiant energy to impact te world beyond te self. It involves aving te energy to fulfil one s soul purpose in te world, and to ave te world respond wen one gestures. So it is about personal power - being able to relate in te environment successfully, and to manage our own passions - not by controlling tem but by saping tem and using tem to direct and fuel our will. Te will arises out of te coices we make (second cakra), driven by desire and directed into te world. Te will, our vitality, is te outward expression of te aware soul. Summary: Honour Oneself Individuality, personal power, confidence, learning - tis cakra refers to te development of a strong sense of self as an empowered individual based on a ealty self-esteem and a recognition of one s place in te world. It includes te following: Individuality - knowing were I begin, and te rest of te world ends, i.e. te ability to ave a strong sense of boundary. Personal power - knowing tat if I gesture, te world will respond rater tan live wit a victim mentality and being walked over. Confidence - to take one s place in te uman family easily and wit a sense of sureness. Learning - to be able to focus and arness one s mental capacity for learning and to assimilate wat one as learned. 34 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

35 CHAKRA FOUR - THE PIVOTAL CHAKRA Te eart cakra is located in te central pivotal place between te tree cakras of te lower self and te tree carkas of te iger self. As te core of te cakra system, it is te inner spirit tat unites all te oter forces above and below - above te mental realms and below te worldly cakras. Associated Element It relates to te Air and represents a move away from te pysical world of matter to te softer, deeper touc of te spirit - we transcend our ego and begin te dance of our place witin te web of life; we begin to realize we are a part of someting muc greater tan ourselves. It integrates and balances te realms of mind and body. It brings te realization tat we are wole beings expressing bot spirit and matter. Its function is to experience te soul expression of love, not te sexual passionate object-driven love of te second cakra, were we direct our love to anoter person, place or ting. Tis eart love is felt deep witin as a state of being, and expands out to embrace everyting we encounter. It is a joyous acceptance of our place among all tings, and of a deep peace tat comes from lack of need and armony witin te self. Te love expressed troug tis cakra as an enduring deep quality tat is eternal and constant. Tis is te love tat radiates trougout all of existence, te binding force, wic olds all te building blocks of life togeter. Te element Air is te least dense of all te elements and disperses itself freely trougout te space it occupies. Tere is a sense of equilibrium and evenness. Air also represents te breat, and it is troug te breat tat we connect wit te world around us. In te body, te diapragm, wic regulates te breat, is te interface between te pysical aspects of te body and te mental. In TCM, te eart is te residence for te Sen or spirit and is responsible for our ability to tink coerently and wit conscious awareness. Mind-Body Connection Pysical - relates to te eart and lungs and te circulation of blood and qi (energy) trougout te body. Also to te arms and ands, te pysical parts of te body wit wic we embrace oters, put our eart into our work and reac out beyond ourselves. Te endocrine gland is te tymus, wic contributes to immunity. Te nerve plexus is te bracial plexus and te cest cavity is te pysical area of influence. Emotional - relates to te emotions of love, connectedness, compassion, tolerance, acceptance, loving-kindness. Wen out of balance it relates to te inability to feel, greed, self-limitation and meanness. Mental - relates to balanced, clear and coerent tinking, unaffected by disturbed emotions, and beaviour at all times appropriate to te occasion. Wen out of balance it relates to manic speec, sleeplessness and madness. Consciousness - consciousness of te eart cakra is tat of balancing te mind and body, tougt and feeling aspects of our being, and our inner world wit tat wic is outside of us. Connectedness and relationsips wit oters is fostered by loving-kindness. Summary: Love Is Divine Power Relationsips wit oters and te world at large, tolerance, acceptance of te self and oters - tis cakra refers to te uman capacity for te following: Love/connectedness wit anoter person (not necessarily sexual). Tolerance and acceptance of oters and te world at large. It requires tat te soul as reaced a level of selfacceptance and self-love, so tat compassion and loving-kindness towards te world outside of te self can flouris. CHAKRA FIVE - THE ETHER/FIFTH CHAKRA Tis cakra is seen as te bridge between te pysical and te energy components of te Mind-Body. Located ere are te glands of te tyroid, wic governs te metabolic rate of te body and te paratyroid, wic oversees te production of bone and te maintenance of te bony skeleton. It is at tis centre tat te powerful impact of wat we say is imprinted on te structure and function of te body. (te voice-box is located at te troat). Here we eiter create disease or ealt by our self-talk. It is te centre for free and joyous expression. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 35

36 Associated Element Eter is te element of te fift cakra. Eter is fine particulate matter so small tat te particles cannot be seen by te naked eye. It is te substance tat moves troug Essence te meridians of te Blends body, described and mapped tousands of years ago by te Cinese and utilized in Traditional Cinese Medicine. Known as Qi, it responds to tougt; were tougt goes, qi flows is an axiom of TCM. It is known in esoteric circles as eterium fluidum and as te name suggests as te nature of flowing troug te body. In te Book of Genesis, te statement and te Word was made fles truly describes te power of sound and te potential inerent in tis cakra. Mind-Body Connection Pysical - relates to te troat region: te organs of speec and earing. It corresponds to te cervical vertebrae. It rules te rate of te metabolism via te tyroid and bone strengt via te paratyroid. It can truly be seen as te centre tat sapes te pysical structure by driving te vibratory rate at wic te organism functions. Emotional - relates to te spontaneity of creative expression, ease of communication and satisfaction. Wen out of balance, it relates to depression, frustration and isolation. Mental - wen we form our intention, based on intuitive wisdom and a strong sense of personal empowerment, we express our ideas coerently and positively. Our self-talk is free of self-criticism and self-negation. We follow te pat of our bliss wit ease. Wen out of balance we speak negatively about ourselves, and oters. Consciousness - te consciousness of tis cakra is one step beyond te reflective yin state of te fourt cakra. It is caracterised by tat joyous, creative self-expression tat comes about from a strong sense of self-control and self-mastery. It is te realm of consciousness tat creates, controls, transmits and receives communication bot witin ourselves and between eac oter. In te fourt cakra, we become aware of te patterns but in te fift cakra, we symbolize tese patterns for storage and use in te brain. Summary: Surrender Personal Will to Divine Will Creativity, communication, speaking our trut - tis grouping refers to te maturity and awareness gained as te soul becomes capable of expressing outward teir inner being. It involves te following: Allowing te creative impulse present in all umans, to come out un-self-consciously. Communicating wit oters in a real saring tat involves bot earing and talking. Communicating our own trut by walking our talk. Manifesting our world troug creative expression. CHAKRA SIX - THE THIRD EYE/BROW CHAKRA At tis centre, te energy frequency is so ig and fast tat tere is no associated element. Here we ave moved beyond te realms of pysical elements and occupy te iger frequency bands were tougt, as a distinct, but immeasurable entity, exists. Tis is te dominion of mind tat as a wider definition tan simply te brain - it expresses te first level of te consciousness tat is part of te greater manifestation of te vital energy tat surrounds and interpenetrates us. Mind as no boundaries - it cannot be confined. Even in prison, a person s soul can be freed troug te stretcing and expanding of te mind. Troug rigorous training of te mind, we one te tool of intention. Intention coupled wit desire manifests our reality. Te sixt cakra governs te rigt side of te brain, te function of wic is to see te big picture. Seeing interconnections between tings and appreciating te pattern and order of te larger view requires a iger level of intelligence. Ancient wisdom made use of symbolism to understand te world around tem. If a crow flew overead as a baby was being born, te baby migt ave been named Black Crow, ave te crow as a totem, and govern and direct is life according to crow totemic principles. Te igly developed soul recognizes signs tat appear to tem in everyday life as indications of te next turn in te pat of life. Tis cakra is related to seeing te soul s true pat so tat we can carry out our soul s destiny. It is te navigating system tat guides us troug intuition to follow our bliss, to fulfil our purpose ere on eart. Similarly, it is ere tat we see wen we ave strayed off te pat of our true destiny troug te process of insigt. Tis allows us to learn te lessons tat life as to offer so tat we can make corrections to our navigation system. By te process of reminiscence, we go over te events of te past and learn from our experiences. 36 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

37 Intuition is our inbuilt guiding system. If you want to access your intuitive side regarding a question about yourself ask, Does it make my eart sing or sink? Tis is te question tat reveals te trut of our intuitive knowing. If we can onestly make decisions in our life based on te body-mind experience of answering tis simple question, ten we are following our intuition. Mind-Body connection Pysical - relates to te tird eye region located between te pysical eyes in te centre of our foreead. It is te inner eye tat sees witin to balance te pysical eyes tat see te outer world. Te rigt brain, te nervous system, te left eye and te nose also come under te governorsip of tis centre. Te ears are also involved in relation to earing our own inner wisdom. Emotional - relates to te feeling of spiritual connection, and transcended states of being, suc as wen we are transported away by music, art or seeing a beautiful sunset. And wen out of balance, relates to feelings of overwelm, confused tinking, overcrowded mind, nitpicking and judgmental criticism. Mental - Clarity and ease of tinking, relaxed state of mind, effective tougt processes for planning and executing one s cosen direction in life. Wen out of balance it relates to confusion lack of clarity and blinkered vision. Consciousness - Te consciousness of tis cakra is tat of self-actualisation and self-realisation. Its gland, te pituitary gland, is often called te master gland as it acts as overseer for all te oter glands, wit te exception of te pineal gland. It is at te level of tis cakra tat te consciousness organizes itself at a ig level of coerency and order and maintains its direction consistent wit its recognized pat in life. Summary - Seek Only Te Trut and Express Wisdom Learning troug experience, seeing te big picture, insigt - tis grouping expresses te stage wen te incarnated soul can begin to see beyond te self to te larger patterns tat life creates, and recognize is or er part in te bigger picture. Tus te soul gains te following: Te wisdom of understanding te True Self. Sees te joy in learning te lessons tat life as to offer, te soul on its journey troug life. And troug recognizing te big picture, can observe a ealty detacment and insigt into te pitfalls tat life offers as learning strategies. CHAKRA SEVEN - THE CROWN CHAKRA As wit te previous cakra, at tis centre, te energy frequency is so ig and fast tat tere is no associated element. Here we ave moved beyond te realms of pysical elements and we connect to te ig frequency band known as negative space-time. Tis is in te realm of te vital life energy tat animates all life and is known as te life force. Te quality of tis cakra is tat of merging wit te All-Tat-Is reality. Tis reality is te life force tat animates all life on eart and beyond across te multi-dimensional multi-verse. Te crown cakra is te entry and exit point for te animating life force of te uman being. Ancient wisdom wit its many descriptive stories of te translation of ligt into matter all old in common te understanding tat ig frequency ligt energy precipitates down into form (te pysical body) via te crown point. In te pysical body, te fontanel, located at te crown-point, is open for a number of monts after te baby is born. It is considered, in TCM, to be because te soul of te baby as one foot on eart and te oter still in eaven! Te baby s spirit is still descending from eaven to eart so te Crown Cakra is still open. Tis cakra is often said to belong, not to te individual, but to God (Source, All-Tat-Is) alone. It is via tis cakra and its subtle energy body tat we connect to all tat is around us - te great Infinite beyond conscious awareness, and te Source of all Life. Te cakra is represented by te tousand-petaled lotus in Sanskrit tradition, and sits as a crown on te top of te ead. Tis is te centre of cosmic consciousness - a state of igest order, ruling everyting witin it. Te crown cakra is te seat of enligtenment, te centre and source of consciousness itself and is beyond reason, accessed by tranquillity of mind and acieved by witdrawing of te senses, suc as wit meditation. Wen we merge wit te Infinite, we are in a state of enligtenment. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 37

38 Te enligtened being brings spiritual awareness (wisdom) into te marketplace and practices active spirituality. Te igest spiritual act is tat of service to umanity, te plant or animal kingdom or to te planet. Here spirituality is grounded and serves te Ligt. It is at tis cakra Essence tat te consciousness Blends of wanting to serve umanity resides. A soul tat as fulfilled its life purpose knows at a deeply intuitive level te time for its departure into te next dimension. It is a sevent cakra awareness tat te soul is ready to pass into te iger dimensions of Spirit, even toug tat consciousness migt not be present in te everyday awareness. Many souls tat ave ad a near deat experience tell of leaving via te top of te ead and being drawn to te ligt. Enligtened beings are known to ave a prior knowledge of wen tey will die; e.g. Meer Baba, an Indian guru wo was alive last century. He announced to is followers te future date on wic e would die, even toug e was in good ealt. He fulfilled is own propecy and died on cue. Mind-Body Connection Pysical - relates to te crown of te ead region located at te top of te cranium. It equates wit te fontanel region were te cranial plates all meet. Te left-brain, te nervous system, te rigt eye and te pineal gland also come under te governorsip of tis centre. Emotional - relates to te feeling of mergence wit a iger power, reverence, awe and mystery of life, religious and transcendental states. Neuro-scientists ave identified a God Spot or region in te brain tat becomes active wen we attain tese states of mystical union. Negative states include feelings of confusion, spiritual arrogance, separation, isolation and alienation and fear of deat and te unknown. Mental - Relates to a iger order of tinking, coerent, structured, ordered reflecting te intrinsic ig order and coerency of te ierarcical multi-verse, inner peace, sense of connection wit all of life and ease wit being in a state of no mind. Wen out of balance it relates to te dark nigt of te soul, pessimism and lack of fait and trust in life. Consciousness - Te consciousness of tis cakra is tat of merging wit te All-Tat-Is in a state of eigtened consciousness. Te function of its related gland, te pineal gland, was unknown to science for many years until umans went into outer space were te absence of ligt ad an effect on te daily biorytms of te astronauts. Te pineal regulates te cyclic rytms of te body, weter te daily, yearly or life/deat cycles. It is at te level of tis cakra tat we experience our olograpic cellular identity in te body of life ; tat is, we are in everyting and everyting is in us. We recognise te perfection of our existence in tis perfect moment rigt now. Summary: Live In te Present Moment Active spirituality and service to Life, deat and dying, letting go and moving on - tis grouping addresses te fully matured soul wose dept of understanding of te Life Process provides a ealty platform for fulfilling is or er Life Purpose. It deals wit suc notions as te following: Rising above te needs of te self to assist oters as conscious service to umankind. Understanding tat te process of deat and dying is simply anoter transition in te eternal journey of te soul. Recognizing te importance of letting go and moving on at all levels of being. Te concept of te olograpic universe - tat witin te one is contained te all. Te Healing Power of Nature. Eac of te Spirit of Woman Australian Wild Flower Essences resonates wit one or more of te cakra energy centres of te body. Tis means tat depending on wic cakra te essence corresponds to, it will work on te pysical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspect addressed by tat centre. Read on now to discover te Mind-Body aspect wic eac of te beautiful flowers relates to, and ow tey bring new awareness, informing our uniquely female Body-Mind, on ow to fulfil te Divine Goddess imperative imprinted on our biology. Tey are perfect for men to use also, as tey enance a male s understanding of te seemingly complicated female psyce, and resonate wit te feminine side of is nature, increasing awareness of is softer side. Eac essence is described along wit it's cakra association. You will notice tat many of te essences are related to a number of cakras. Tis is normal as te cakras overlap in teir function. You will also see tat some of te essences relate to te new iger cakras tat are currently opening up as umanity increases in consciousness. Tese cakras do not ave pysical associations as tey are more concerned wit expanded tinking and connection to te 'All-Tat-Is'. In our Spirit of Woman worksop series we cover te 12 cakras fully and te essences associated wit Higer Spirituality. For more information go to 38 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

39 Section 2 Spirit of Woman Australian Wild Flower Essences Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 39

40 ACACIA Acacia baileyana Purpurea KEYWORDS Negative: vulnerability, anxiety, over-influenced, need to isolate oneself, irrational fear, and psycic attack. Positive: sense of safety, feeling comfortable wit oters and appropriate connection and trust Te moter s eart is te cild s scoolroom Henry Ward Beecer DESCRIPTION A large busy srub or tree wit lovely silvery blue foliage, it takes on a purple ue wen it grows in te warmer climate, were it is not cold enoug for te tree to flower. Te distinct purple colour, after wic it is named, makes it an attractive ornamental and arises from te new leaf growt, wic appears as an aura, or purplis aze surrounding te outline of te tree. Te aze becomes distinctly brigter and more noticeable in spring as new growt is increasing. Te leaves are small and featery, composed of numerous finely divided pinnae at rigt angles to te leaf stalk, and are a mealy-blue in colour. Altoug all wattles ave featery, bi-pinnate leaves in teir infant stage, tis variety maintains te infant growt into teir adult life. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Tis essence is not made from te flowers but rater te new (baby) leaf growt, wic gives off a purplis-mauve colour at te extremities. Te purple aze is similar to te aura, or electro-magnetic seat, wic surrounds te uman being. Te uman is made up of a bio-electric system overlaid by a pysical component, as we ave previously discussed. Similar to an electrical current te body produces an electrical field, or bio-field as it is termed, known as te aura. THE FUNCTION OF THE AURA Te aura serves a bi-fold purpose: firstly, to protect from incoming energies tat may be armful or discordant, and secondly, to retain discriminate connection to te world outside of oneself. Wen we come into proximity wit anoter uman being, energetic information is passed between te two, via te energetic bio-field (aura), at a level below conscious awareness. If te aura is weakened in some way, ten te ability to discriminate te amount of information passing between two people will be limited. Often, information overload can be te result, leading to feelings of being overwelmed and over-influenced. Te ealtier te aura is te more we are able to select te level of influence tat anoter person as in entering our own bio-field. For example, wen your aura is weak, you may notice tat you are more open to influence, eiter positively or negatively, from anoter person. You may find it arder to say no to tem. Or you may notice tat you are over-influenced by teir tougts and ideas, rater tan standing firm in your own opinion. Tis can make you feel vulnerable wen you are wit oters, and lead you to prefer being alone because you feel safer. Wen te aura is particularly weak around te ead region - suc can appen wen drugs are used to excess - discarnate entities can attac temselves to a person, creating mental instability and confusion, leading to scizoprenia and multiple personality disorder. On te oter and, wen te aura is not necessarily weak but closed off, it becomes ard to connect closely wit oters. Te sense of te need to overprotect oneself closes te aura leading to feelings of isolation and inability to enjoy meaningful and satisfying relationsips wit oters. 40 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

41 Tis is especially true wen eart energy is closed off for fear of being urt. Tis effectively puts up a barrier to intimacy, were an open discriminating aura is needed. Acacia elps to balance te aura, weter it is too open or too closed. SEX AND THE AURA Wen we make love, we need to open te aura to become one pysically. Intimate saring at tis level, wen te aura is fully conjoint, leads to deep feelings of love, oneness and togeterness. Sexual abuse at an early age can damage te aura s protective ability and until te abuse wound as been ealed, te damage remains, leaving te woman feeling vulnerable sexually. Because a cild does not initiate a sexual experience troug desire, er aura does not open. Wen abuse takes place, te cild s aura is torn open, leaving a ole tat can make er feel vulnerable and uncomfortable around er sexuality wen se grows up. Usually, it is only wen te ole as been mended troug er own ealing process tat se can engage er sexuality fully for enjoyment and satisfaction. Combining Acacia wit Native Hibiscus elps to resolve many of te conflicting emotions tat accompany cildood sexual abuse, suc as fear, anger and feelings of misplaced specialness and connection. Tis elps wit te split sense tat it was ateful on te one and, but treasured on te oter because of te feelings of belonging and bonding tat come wit te feeling tat one is special for saring a secret wit a significant adult. Tis bonding is sullied, of course, by te innate sense tat someting is wrong wit te liaison, even toug te cild is unable to rationalize te moral issue. Te outcome for te cild is a deep sense of being divided internally. Healing takes place wen, as an adult, se can reintegrate te parts troug acknowledging te pain, at te same time as forgiving erself for being te victim. Cassia will elp er in te final stages of te ealing process in reclaiming er lost innocence as part of er soul tat got away wile se wasn t looking. Wen se is reintegrated again, se will feel te beauty of touc, rater tan dissociating from it and consequently being unable to engage in comfortable intimacy. MOTHER/CHILD BONDING - SHARING THE AURIC ENVELOPE Te ormone oxytocin, known as te love ormone, is stimulated by touc and promotes feelings of deep connection. Oxytocin is also te cemical trigger tat prompts te bond-attacment process at birt and is te key to survival for an infant, by engendering deep feelings in a moter towards er newborn. Acacia works on te ealty inflow of tis love ormone. Babies sare teir moter s auric envelope, particularly during te infant stage of teir lives. At tis stage, moter and baby are still one energetic entity, even toug tey separated pysically during te birt process. Tis close connection, wic kindles a deep, mutual love response, enables vital information to be passed between te two, ensuring te baby s survival and protection at tis very vulnerable stage of life. A well-bonded baby grows up to be a confident adult. Te process of bonding, wic occurs witin two to six ours after birt provided moter and baby are not separated, supports te development of a ealty and well-functioning digestive system in te baby, in addition to setting te tone of te moter and baby s relationsip for te rest of teir lives. Here is an excerpt from my book Te Essence of Woman tat describe te importance of te early relationsip between moter and infant: Toucing and caressing an infant immediately following birt grants te newborn relief from existential fear and confirms er birtrigt to experience pleasure trougout er life. It also enables te moter and cild to engage in a successful feeding relationsip. Babies wo ave been separated at birt, due to any number of circumstances, need to be touced at every available moment, preferably wit skin-to-skin contact as in feeding, wit moter s wole breast area available to te baby s minimally covered skin. Every bat tat te baby as is an opportunity to massage and rub er limbs and trunk, sooting, stroking and establising a loving connection. In tat way, any separation pattern initiated at te birt can be ealed at tis early stage. Touc is te language of babies. As tey develop more control over teir senses, oter means of communication suc as sigt become as important. WHEN DO THEIR AURAS SEPARATE? Tis essence can elp wit feelings of sadness about aving to go back to work and feeling tat baby will miss out on Mummy love, as a consequence. It can assist a moter in timing er return to work to coincide wit er intuitive sense of wen te baby is ready for separation. Anoter excerpt from my first book describes ow important a moter s actual presence is in te monts following birt: Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 41

42 As te baby begins to focus er eyes and see, te most important and reassuring vision is tat of er moter s face. In fact, wat te baby needs is not only to see te face, but to see te face adoring er. Babies need total adoration and acceptance at tis stage of being. According to developmental researc, a baby can discern at a very early age if er moter is smiling at er. Te one genetically encoded, visual circuit in te baby at birt is te ability to recognise and respond to a uman face at a distance of 15 to 30 centimetres. Tis indicates ow important it is for te baby to connect visually wit te moter. Te reason tat te baby needs a reassuring smile is to validate er own existence. Se does tis troug te moter/primary carer. Witin te consciousness of te infant, tere is no separation between erself and er moter. Clinical studies in developmental psycology demonstrate tat babies up to about nine monts believe tey are one and te same entity as te moter. So wenever te baby recognises tat moter is not present, se perceives tat a part of erself is missing. Altoug te pysical umbilical cord as been severed, moter and baby are still one energetically. At nine monts, on average, te baby begins to walk. Tis is a powerful signifier of te fact tat te baby as developed sufficiently to begin te process of separation from er moter. It is also wen many moters begin to tink about weaning teir babies - because Mums don t like being bitten. Baby as developed teet - anoter signifier. Tis means tat se can begin to take in solid food. And te intake of solid food is a signal tat te baby is in te process of separating, bot energetically and functionally, from er moter. One Foot in Heaven, One Foot on Eart It is interesting tat te baby s fontanel is still open during tis stage of being energetically merged wit te moter. Te cranial bones at te crown of te ead still ave a gap tat appears as te baby s soft spot. Many cultures, particularly indigenous ones, recognise tat tis gap means tat te baby is still receiving formative energy from Heaven. Se as not yet fully establised er connection wit te Eart. In oter words, se is not yet independently generating er own energy. Se and er moter sare te same energetic envelope, i.e. tey are bot encapsulated by te moter s lifeforce bio-field (aura). Se is still drawing life energy from er moter from witin tat envelope. Up until te birt, te interconnectedness of bot was represented by te pysical umbilicus. After birt, altoug te pysical connection as been severed, te energetic connection remains. Info-energy, so critical for te newborn baby s survival, is streaming between te two constantly. Tis is te connection by wic baby and moter communicate. Te baby as to ave er needs met, and er moter as to know ow best to serve tese needs. Wen you are a moter, you are never really alone in your tougts. You are connected to your cild and to all wo touc teir lives. A moter always as to tink twice: once for erself and once for er cild. Sopia Loren THE BENEFITS OF GOOD MOTHERING Good motering supports a ealty digestive system and strong aura. Wen babies are well nurtured, particularly in infancy, tey develop a strong ealty sense of self, wic is te foundation for a sense of self-wort and self-esteem later in life. Wen babies experience a lack of adequate nurturing in te earliest days of life, or tey ave to sare it wit anoter sibling wit similar age-related needs, teir sense of wort can suffer. Tis weakens teir digestive system function, reducing teir energy-producing capacity, depleting vital energy and leading to a weak aura (bio-field). Tis essence elps wit feelings of vulnerability tat arise from aving a damaged aura. On te pysical level, te essence works by regulating qi (vital energy) by assisting digestive function. Tis supports uprigt qi, wic in turn, strengtens te vital bio-field (aura). It also builds immunity. It assists in problems wit weakness of te spine, specifically te middle back. It aids te treatment of prolapse, including bowel and vaginal, and elps wit aemorroids. SARAH Sara is 30. Se is tall in stature and altoug se as close family ties, se does not rely on tem for er social interaction. Se as a fraternal twin, wo is taller, as a large frame and is muc more robust tan Sara. Sara is fine boned and sensitive looking wit fine veins at er temples, aving te appearance of a wispy, etereal-looking angel. Se is qualified as a teacer. Se took paid leave from work because se felt tat se needed a break, as tings seemed to be getting to er. Se said tat se rigt now doesn t like going out because se feels overwelmingly tat people get into er ead. Se feels tat oters overly influence er and se can t seem to put up a discriminating barrier to keep tem safely at arm s lengt. 42 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

43 One of er staff colleagues rings er all te time to tell er ow bad er life is. Sara said tat se feels se doesn t seem to ave te strengt to tell er tat se s not interested at te moment. Se said se as enoug on er own plate to contend wit, witout picking up someone else s burden. Se sometimes as ad te tougt tat se is being stalked. Altoug se can rationalise it as fanciful, te tougt persists, leaving er feeling vulnerable. Se says tat se mostly feels er vulnerability in te region of er ead. Se sometimes feels it so acutely tat se needs to wear a protective elmet wenever se goes out. Her aura is so weak tat se does not feel safe and secure around people. Se as a constant feeling of being vulnerable to oters wims, wants and motivations. Se feels tat se can t say no. Sara s body pysically developed wen se was saring er moter s womb-space wit a bigger, stronger and probably more active sibling. In suc close proximity, te two were streaming energy and information to one anoter as tey sared te same blood, nutrients and air via te placenta. At a soul level, tey will ave decided from, very early on, ow tey would accommodate one anoter. Sara s wole Mind-Body as developed on te premise of saring energy wit anoter being. In er developmental pase, se was te weaker one wo grew fine bones and ad less of an intake of vital oxygen and blood to accommodate er bigger sibling. Her vital functions were underdeveloped, compared to er sister, because se ad to compete for te nourisment tat fed er growt in te uterus. So as an adult, se is used to excanging energy wit anoter being, because se did so all troug er gestation in te womb. Sara s crisis in confidence can be addressed in two ways: Pysically, by focusing on nourising erself to strengten er vital qi. Psycically, by strengtening er aura. Te remedial action of improving er digestive function and increasing er vital energy will automatically strengten er aura or bio-field. I gave Sara Acacia to assist wit strengtening er aura. A week later, se reported tat se was feeling muc more confident in going out and facing te world. Se said tat se was finding it muc easier to keep er colleague at arm s lengt wen se was simply dumping negative energy on Sara. Se also said tat se feels more accepting of er own sensitivity and wants to find a way to use it, rater tan be afflicted by it. Se said tat se as decided to seek out company tat is more suited to er sensitivity and will consider seeking a job or career pat tat utilises er easy psycic connection wit oters, suc as in te ealing field. Tis way, it works to er advantage. SUMMARY In summary, tis essence is for sensitive people wo easily pick up on te tougts, feelings and energy of oters. Teir sensitivity is due to a deficiency in teir vital energy, arising from a ypo-function of te digestive system. In energetic medicine, te strengt of te aura (protective energy) comes from te power of te digestive system. Tis complex is te big transformer tat canges food into useable energy for te body to use in a variety of ways, including protection, nourising, activating and maintaining. It also delivers te energy tat drives te brain, te largest consumer of energy in te body, and gives strengt and coerency to tougts. A weak digestive function results in unclear, indecisive tougts and a weakened aura (or protective capacity). Tis leads to feelings of vulnerability around oters and being open to teir influence. Te overall sense ten, is lack of confidence and a tendency to isolate oneself. Anoter use for te essence is to assist in moter-cild bonding so tat feeding - te most critical way to establis strong emotional bonds in early infancy - comes easily. Te wole process of breastfeeding triggers certain responses in te infant tat are critical for establising a strong digestive function and for bond-attacment to oter uman beings into adult life. Good bonding wit te moter enables te infant, later on as an adult, to maintain ease in intimate relationsips and to support a strong sense. Acacia works well wit Black Nigtsade, for moter and baby, to assist wit breast-feeding difficulties. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 43

44 It works on te Stomac, Heart and Kidney meridians, supporting te ability to nurture, trust and accept te self. Acacia resonates to Cakras 2 and 3. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For feelings of vulnerability. For separation anxiety. For moter-cild conflict. For fear of intimacy. For psycic attack. For entity attacment. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES Brings a sense of calm and confidence. Encourages inner strengt and self-esteem. Promotes moter-cild bonding. Enances te moter-cild relationsip. Enances intimate connection. Clears te aura of entity attacments. Brings a feeling of safety in crowds. 44 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

45 AJUGA Ajuga australis KEYWORDS Negative: feels under duress, insecure, indecisive, aving bizarre tougts or feelings of being possessed Positive: feels protected, trusting, promotes discern-ment, feels capable and safe. To tose wo serve us as angels, in eaven and upon eart. Tank you for your love, dedication, and service. Please continue to ave patience wit us, wile we learn ow to accept your gifts wit gratitude and grace. Doreen Virtue Tis little plant, wic belongs to te mint family, Labiatae, as soft, furry, dark leaves and flesy stems. Te flowers grow in tiers up te erect stem. Te flowers are purple and saped like a tiny wite angel wit arms outstretced and wearing a long flowing gown. It as te appearance of a tiny face wit a purple dot on te foreead in te region of te tird eye. Te upper petals form unfolded wings wile te lower petal forms a cup sape, over wic te angel figurine is standing. It seems to form a safety net to catc anyone wo falls from grace troug fear or lack of trust. Tis essence is for asking for protection from te angels and for calling up our angels, to be present in our everyday lives. ANGELS IN OUR LIFE Angels are like energies from iger dimensional realities tat protect and assist us to resolve dilemmas in our lives. Angels also, as devas, direct te energies of te Plant Kingdom. Tey are known as te arcitects of form and ensure tat eac individual plant reaces its igest potential. As we read in Capter 1, Rudolf Steiner identified te Elementals, te spirit beings of eart, air, fire and water, as te builders of form in te natural world, wose work is overseen by te Devas. Every blade of grass as its angel tat bends over it and wispers Grow, grow. Te Talmud Angels are described as messengers of God, or if you prefer, te Creator. As far back as te sixteent century, Angels ave been recognized and acknowledged by many people. Heinric Cornelius Agrippa von Netteseim, a German doctor and pilosoper, publised a book in 1531 in wic e stated: No-one is unaware of te fact tat troug good work, a pure spirit, mystical orations, pious mortifications, and oter similar tings, we can draw Angels from eaven. We must not doubt tat similarly, troug material and worldly tings, we can also attract divinities of te world, or at least teir accompanying spirits wo act as teir agents. Angels are intelligent beings, capable of feelings, yet belonging to a different Kingdom - tey ave teir existence on a iger, finer, vibrational frequency from te one to wic our pysical senses are tuned. For tat reason, we cannot pysically sense tem using our pysical senses, but we can wit our subtle energy senses or our extra-senses. ANGELS ORDER THE UNIVERSE However, tey can perceive us - our realities interpenetrate one anoter - wit teir reality encompassing and enfolding ours. As described in te book, Ask Your Angels, by Daniel, Willie and Ramer, te word angel is a generic name for te collective group of beings wose role it is to organise te structure armoniously of te universe - and te multi-verse (universes witin universes, beyond our own). Tey can be likened to te organisational intelligence of te living world/s and teir work is to be seen in te far-flung reaces of Creation, as well as in te ome paddock of our own planet and all life forms tat inabit er. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 45

46 Tere are angels tat oversee te Animal, Mineral and Plant Kingdoms, as well as te Human Kingdom. Among tese are our closest companions - our guardian angels - along wit oters wo watc over virtually every aspect of uman activity. It s not your imagination. Angels are wit umanity now, more tan ever, or more truly expressed, umanity as recently become more aware of teir presence in everyday life. Increasing numbers of people are reporting encounters wit tese eavenly beings and, in tese encounters, angels deliver timely messages, ealing remedies and lifesaving measures. Wy is tere suc increased awareness of tese exquisite expressions of coerent and perfect energy resonance? Partly it is because of te increased spirituality brougt about by more and more people seeking to live teir lives to te best of teir ability, causing an increase in te vibrational frequency of te planet and er inabitants. As umans increase teir collective and individual frequency, tey are more able to tune into te iger frequencies of te Angelic Kingdom. Te oter reason is tat as te planetary vibration increases, it attracts more beings tat inabit te iger frequencies. HEALING POWER OF THE ANGELIC REALM Te angels are ere to teac us tat, as we gain more energetic integrity in our own lives, we can expect answers to te questions and callenges tat ave previously aunted and distressed us. As we move to a iger awareness, te angels move in to elp us eal from te effects of fear. Tey are powerful ealers and we can work troug tem by invoking teir presence in our everyday lives, speeding up our ealing efforts. Te more we invite te angels into our lives, te more readily our lives reflect te splendour of eaven. Your Angels are always wit you in your everyday life to make it easier for you. All you ave to do is become aware of tem, and call on tem wen you are in need. You will find tat elp comes in te most seemingly ordinary ways, and smootes out all bumps and lumps tat normally would make te day a difficult one. Having suc ready access to divine elp like tis provides one wit a warm and secure feeling in one s life. We can ask for elp for even te most seemingly minor tings, suc as clearing te roadway for easy travelling, granting good weater, getting tat job tat we wanted, protecting te car wen we park it, ealing our relationsips and so on. Like everyone else, you ave one or more guardian angels wit you from te time of your birt until you die. Wen you use Ajuga you call in your Guardian Angels to elp to make your life flow smootly. For example, te angels always find a parking spot for me, even at te most crowded sopping centre. CALLING IN THE ANGELS Wen we ave an issue requiring a decision we often agonise over te way to proceed, becoming stuck at te mental level and unable to move eiter way. Ancient Wisdom olds tat wen our life is flowing well, we never ave to take a decision because te direction is tere before us. We only need to follow our eart and pat of least resistance to know wic way to go. Quite often, following our eart is te furtest ting tat we tink of doing wen we are faced wit a difficult decision. Tis is wen our angels can be a wonderful elp. We just need to follow a few steps to elp te angels to elp us: Ask: Angels cannot intervene in our lives witout permission based on te Natural Law of Free Will. Tis means tat if we want elp, we must ask te angels to intervene or assist us wit someting. Te only exception to asking is wen we are in a life-treatening situation, and under Greater Purpose it is not our time to go yet. By taking te flower essence Ajuga, you are asking for angelic elp, and you will feel a strong sense tat tey are tere waiting and willing to elp you wen you take tis essence. You will find tat Ajuga will encourage you to take certain steps to assist te Angelic Kingdom to elp you resolve any dilemma tat is troubling you. Ajuga will elp you to: Surrender te problem: Before you can be elped, you must be willing to be elped! Holding on for grim life to finding a solution to a problem wile simultaneously asking for elp is a bit like sending someone a letter - you ave to let go of te envelope to put it in te mailbox. To be open to receive, we must first let go of te situation and all attempts to resolve it. Trust te process: Te next step is to put our fait into elp being granted in wicever way it comes. Tere are many more solutions to watever situation you may be wrestling wit in te realm of creation tan you ave ever dreamed of - you just need to let te creativity in. Te uman mind is limited, especially wen attempting to resolve a situation of its own making. 46 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

47 Follow te directions you receive: You will receive guidance in any number of ways: a voice in your ead, a dream, a vision, knowing or an intuition. You may even ear te solution from someone else s lips, even toug te person is not consciously focusing on your situation. Your Guidance may direct you to take some action or steps to resolve te dilemma, suc as calling someone, visiting an old friend, or seeking elp from a Natural Healt practitioner. ANGELIC AJUGA Ajuga opens you to going troug tis surrendering process wen solving a dilemma in your life. Ajuga elps you to feel safe in your own skin. By invoking te angels, you can feel protected from negative psycic energy being directed your way, eavy vibes tat you sense in an unfamiliar environment, or te stress tat accompanies sopping centres of places of commerce were tere is a distinct pull on you to buy, buy, buy. It assists you to apply discrimination in watever situation you find yourself in, so tat you retain your own resonance rater tan being pulled unwillingly into tat of oter people. It combines well wit Acacia for tis purpose. Ajuga also elps in warding off entity attacments tat attempt to direct one s life to teir bidding. Wen te mind is weak or indecisive, or affected negatively by eavy drug abuse (aggressive patogen energy), discarnate entities can seize te opportunity to climb onboard and freeload. Discarnate energies are, for te most part, uman beings wo ave died but not passed over and exist in te neter realm between te dimensions, neiter in tird dimensional reality nor returned to te ligt from wence all souls originate. Traditional religions refer to tis nebulous state of existence as Purgatory. Te reason tese souls do not pass into te ligt is tat tey are tormented, aving usually died in a state of great fear, morping temselves into a vortex of contracted negative energy on leaving te pysical body. Tey still possess wilful emotions and are seen by tose wit psycic ability to glide around te fringes of life on eart, looking for a veicle (a person wit a weak mental body) to take control over. Tey are often found in places were tere is a low vibration energy, suc as roug taverns and street corners, but can often inabit places were many people ave died in torturous or sad circumstances; for example, killing fields were tousands died in war atrocities. Port Artur is an example of suc a place, altoug tere as been muc work done by a number of aware ealers to cleanse te energy of te place. It is no accident tat te sooting took place tere considering it was suc a place of desperation for so many convicts wo lived and died tere in orrendous conditions so many years before. Te energy of deat and desperation drew Martin Bryant, wo previously ad a istory of mental weakness, like a magnet. Ajuga protects tose wo are over-sensitive to negative influence by surrounding te aura wit a ig-frequency ligt energy. Tis beautiful essence works on te Heart and Lung meridians. In Traditional Cinese Medicine te Lung governs te exterior, including te skin. One of its main functions is to protect te body from armful energy, from eiter environmental patogens or psycic invasion. Tis essence strengtens te Lung and Heart function of qi and blood circulation in te upper body. PROTECTION MEDITATION Find a quiet place for yourself somewere in your living space. Allow at least alf an our. Close te door so tat you are not disturbed and temporarily disconnect te pone. Make sure tat te cair tat you are sitting in is comfortable, tat your back is straigt and your feet are flat on te floor. Use a cusion to rest your feet on if necessary. It is better if te room is semi-darkened. Close your eyes and become aware of your breating. Feel your cest rising and falling as te breat moves easily in and out of your body. Wit eac breat, allow yourself to become more and more relaxed. Breating in and breating out, breating in and breating out, feel your body becoming eavier and eavier as you sink into a deep state of relaxation. Take your attention to te centre of your foreead just above and between your eyebrows. Imagine or see, in your mind s eye, a blank screen appear at your point of focus. Become conscious of your breat again and link back to te screen at te level of your foreead. Imagine tat wit eac breat te screen begins to expand and contract, expanding on te out-breat and contracting on te in-breat. Allow it to gradually expand and contract for four or five breats until on te out-breat, te screen fills te wole space of your mind. Visualise or imagine tat on te screen of your mind an angel appears. Allow your angel to take te form tat seems rigt for you. Notice ow tis angel looks. Take time to visually explore te colour, form, size, face and garments of your angel. Just sit wit te form you ave created for a wile. Ten become conscious of your breat again. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 47

48 On te next in-breate, draw your angel down into te upper part of your cest above your eart. Allow your angel to settle in tis place knowing tat tis is te geograpical location of your tymus gland, te seat of your immune strengt. Become conscious of te corresponding region of Essence your back, between Blends your soulder blades. Feel, imagine or visualize a pair of wings, budding out at te place were your soulder blades interface wit your spine. Wit eac breat, see tose wings grow and expand until tey extend from above your ead to te floor. Ten become aware of flexing your wings so tat tey wrap around you and meet at te front of your body, creating an oval-saped brigt, wite protective energy sell around you. Sit wit te feeling of safety tat tis energy field provides for you. Become aware of te cair tat you are sitting on. Feel your feet on te floor or cusion and notice your cest rising and falling wit your breat Open your eyes and come slowly into te room, being aware tat you are bringing tat feeling of safety and protection wit you. Know tat werever you are and watever you are doing, you can visualize in your mind s eye, te brigt, wite ligt egg of protection if you are feeling unsafe or vulnerable. It only takes a second, and you will feel protected again. Ajuga works on te Heart and Lung meridians, bringing a feeling of clear tinking and protection. Te Lung energy complex in TCM provides wat is known as Wei Qi or protective energy for te body. Ajuga resonates wit Cakras 7, 11 and 12. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For feeling insecure or unsafe. For feeling fractured or fragmented. For bizarre or uncaracteristic tougts. For crippling indecision. For entity attacment. For scizoprenic or multiple personality states of mind. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES For protection. Brings clarity of mind. For re-establising trust. Grants protection during meditation, or any oter out-of-body state. For clearing and cleansing te aura. Aids discernment. Reconnects to Higer Self wisdom. 48 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

49 APOSTLE PLANT Neomarica gracilis KEYWORDS Negative: stuck in body and mind, can t let go self-limiting beliefs, inflexibility, self-destruct life-style. Positive: assists moving forward in body and mind, opens us to our spiritual wisdom, brings life-style balance, acceptance and tolerance of differences. Apostle Plant or Walking Iris is a beautiful iris wit glossy arcing green sword saped leaves, and attractive blue and wite flowers. It belongs to a genus of 16 species of plants in te family Iridiceae. Te genus name is derived form te Greek words neo meaning new and Marica, te Roman nymp. Herbaceous perennial plants, tey propagate by way of a tick rizome and new plantlets tat develop from te stem were flowers once emerged. Te plants grow erect and ave long slender sword-like leaves. Tey produce very fragrant flowers tat last a sort period of time, often only ours, but multiple blooms will come from te same stem in rapid succession. Te flowers emerge from wat appears to be just anoter leaf but is really a flower stalk structured to look like te oter leaves. After pollination, te new plantlet appears were te flower emerged and te stalk continues to grow longer. Te weigt of te growing plantlet causes te stalk to bend towards te ground, allowing te plantlet to root away from its parent. Tis is ow it obtained its common name of Walking Iris Te oter name Apostle Plant or Twelve Apostles appears to come from te belief eiter tat te plant won t flower until it as 12 leaves (wic is probably about rigt), or te appearance of te plant, wit te flower (ie Jesus ) appearing from te centre of te 12 or so fanned out leaves (ie, te Apostles ). Walking Iris flowers from spring to late summer, and likes full sun to ligt sade. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Neo new, marcia nymp or maiden, Gracilis gracefully. Te botanical name suggests moving forward gracefully into a new innocence or state of mind. Te flower suggests te way forward cm diameter tey comprise of 3 large wite flesy petals at te base, wic ave a strong pattern, like an imprinted code, at te base of te petal were it joins te stem. Tis pattern, similar to tat on te Wild Iris, invites us to enter into te temple of te body, were our deep, intuitive, body intelligence is found. Rising above te base petals are tree brigt purple, outward curled petals, resembling a curled tongue, wic ave a repeat of te imprinted code at te base and sides and a purple and wite repeated pattern troug te centre and out to te end of te petals. Tese appear to be te wisdom from on ig, ligt encoded information tat becomes available to us wen we begin to take notice of te magnificent rapidly canging world around us, instead of staying focused on self-limiting and old paradigm beliefs about te world and wat we already know. Two spots of gold adorn te upper curve of te petal giving te appearance of an uprigt cobra wit brigt glittering eyes, long associated symbolically wit spiritual wisdom and kundalini energy, wic is said to be activated in an enligtened uman being. Rising from te middle of te flower is te stamen, wic resembles a wite brigt pillar, geometric and crystalline in sape, like a column of incoming energy or a crystal wand, similar to tat used in ealing practices to cannel ealing energy. Crystals are known to carry ig vibrational energy and act as conduits to facilitate transformation for ealing, te transfer of information (as in bio-electrical tecnology) and in our pysical bodies (crystalline nodes suc as pineal) AS ABOVE, SO BELOW Te flower s markings reflect as above, so below and seem to express te penomenon of cannelling of information as ig frequency energy coming into te planet to be received by tose awake enoug to read, deciper and ten pass on te information. It seems to directly target tose on te planet at te moment known as Ligt Workers, wose spiritual wisdom and understanding enables tem to inform and guide tose less aware in assisting te transition troug tese difficult times to te New Golden Age, said to be in te wings for evolving umanity. Tat tis beautiful and epemeral-looking flower is so transitory in appearance seems to imply te increasing speed at wic old information is being over-turned in favour of newer understandings about te nature of Life and te spiritual purpose of umanity. Tis is evidenced by a rapid increase in te ealing arts and te proliferation of New Age wisdom werever we look, in many societies around te globe at present. Crystals, as symbolized at te crown of te Apostle Plant, are finally being accepted as amazing ealing tools, as tey were in civilizations past. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 49

50 MOVING FORWARD GRACEFULLY Te walking abit of te plant suggests te notion of moving forward gracefully (named Neomarica gracilis) in response to our innate evolutionary drive for iger Essence and iger states Blends of awareness. It does tis by enabling us to move forward wit ease and grace troug emotional attitudinal blocks tat old us back from expressing our igest potential. For example, in ealing a past relationsip it allows us to become aware of te unealed aspects from a different vibrational level and to move troug tem to resolution and gratitude to te oter for a lesson well learnt. It brings grace to te situation. It elps us to sed old beliefs about te world tat no longer serve us and effectively keep us fossilized, or in te dark. It can elp us embrace tecnology, te increasing pace of development of wic leaves many confused, overwelmed and feeling left out. It assists tose wo grieve a loved one to respect te soul s decision to pass over and invites tem to celebrate te loving life and express gratitude rater tan continue to mourn te loss. It elps tose left beind to access te spirit of a loved one easily and gracefully troug te eart s memory, by becoming mindful tat te loved one is now more instantly accessible tan ever before. OUR CHILDREN S CHILDREN Te unique growing pattern of Apostle Plant also seems to refer to te passing on of iger wisdom to te next generation. It reproduces an entirely new plant a distance from its parent wile still being nourised wit ancestral energy direct from te stem of te parent, wile it grows to maturity. Surely tis is te allmark of wise parenting: giving our cildren freedom of tougt and direction, wilst still supporting tem until tey can stand independently on teir own two feet. In so doing, we trust tat tey will grow a consciousness free from conditional programming and te distortion of teir own soul s purpose. Te name Neomarica - new maiden or nymp - is anoter strong indicator tat adds strengt to tis ealing property. Here we are deeply reminded of te new consciousness cildren coming troug at tis time in te evolutionary sift tat Gaia is experiencing rigt now. Indigo, Crystal and Rainbow cildren ave come troug over te last forty years. Te first of te new umans, te Indigo cildren, ave a lot of indigo blue in teir auras. Tis is te color of te tird eye cakra, wic is an energy center inside te ead located between te two eyebrows. Tis cakra regulates clairvoyance, or te ability to see energy, visions and spirits. Many Indigo cildren are clairvoyant. Te Crystal cildren ave opalescent auras, wit beautiful multi-colors in pastel ues. Tis generation also sows a fascination for crystals and rocks. Wile tose coming troug now, te Rainbow cildren radiate rainbow energy, te kind tat we were created wit, to instill witin us ealt and balance. Rainbow cildren are te embodiment of our divinity and te example of our potential. Tey ave never lived on tis planet before. Tese cildren are entirely fearless of everybody. Tey re little avatars, all about service. Tese are cildren wo are only ere to give Rainbow cildren are already at teir spiritual peak. Wile tese cildren are comfortable wit temselves and teir many gifts, some of te older generations are not, and don t know ow to andle tese spiritually precocious young uman beings. Apostle Plant eases te relationsips for bot te new cildren and for teir elders, wo can learn from tem, rater tan criticizing teir beaviour. HERALDING THE NEW AGE Apostle Plant is a plant tat fosters new and consciousness-expanding information coming troug from iger realms to te next generation and for te New Age of umanity. Te cobra-like image is reminiscent of te Kundalini rising, a penomenon tat appears to be appening on a global basis to our uman family as we embrace te new incoming Divine Feminine energies flooding into te planet from te iger dimensions and identified as Te Sift of te Ages. Tis beautiful flower essence grounds encoded information from iger dimensions so tat we can indeed move forward gracefully wit te canges. Apostle Plant resonats to Cakras 1 and 12. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES Closed to cange, scared to make a move Can t let go of old beliefs and values, stagnant attitude, stuck in mind and body Limited by conditioned programming from parents or family Harbours a deat wis, expressed troug unbalanced living Competitive, ego-driven personality, stuck in a 3D reality, unbalanced Spiritual void, unable to move forward 50 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

51 Beneficial in diseases of: o oedema, particularly in te lower alf of te body, o gyneacological conditions including menstrual pain, endometriosis, infertility due to excess weigt and congestion, o o o o bowel conditions suc as constipation, piles, anal fissure and diverticulitis, painful, stiff knees and ankles, swollen feet, weigt problems inflexibility of te body in general YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES Brings balance in life-style and attitudes Assists in moving forward gracefully in one s life and walking one s talk Helpful wen going troug major life transitions, benefits agility and flexibility Helps move troug pysical and emotional blocks, sedding old skin and programming Opens to spiritual trut of as above-so below, to canneling and assists in speaking our spiritual wisdom Helpful in moving forward to fulfill our Higer Purpose, Supports embracing te emerging Divine Feminine principles of co-operation, net-working, caring and umanitarian and environmental concern. Assists in understanding our Indigo, Crystal and Rainbow cildren. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 51

52 BLACK NIGHTSHADE Solanum nigrum KEYWORDS Negative: breast-feeding difficulties, moter-cild conflict, poor body image, tiredness, and discomfort wit being a female. Positive: self-wort, love of body and self as a woman, digestion and motercild connection. DESCRIPTION Found in wooded areas as well as disturbed abitats, Black Nigtsade is an annual plant of te tomato and potato family, Solanaceae. Its genus is Solanum and it is a native to Eurasia and introduced to te Americas and Australasia. It grows to a eigt of cm wit leaves 4 7 cm ovate or eart-saped wit wavy or large-tooted edges. It produces small, greenis to wite star-like flowers, re-curved wen aged tat surround prominent yellow centres. Te fruits are oval, dull, blackberries tat ang in small clusters. Te ripe seeds can be eaten, but te green or ligt purple immature berries contain te toxic alkaloid solanine, wic is te poisonous principle in green potatoes. Te flavour of te ripe berry is sweet. Taken internally in small amounts, tey will promote perspiration and purge te bowels. It is useful for diabetes. Black Nigtsade is a igly effective tonic for te stomac and ulcers. Cooking destroys any trace of toxic substance in te berries and tey are often used in pies and cakes. Black Nigtsade is a igly valued erb for its nutritional support of te digestive system. In Traditional Cinese Medicine Black Nigtsade is used for breast tumours and to alleviate fevers. Te fruit is also used as a cosmetic - it removes freckles. Te juice is used for fever and to allay pain. Large doses can cause poisoning tat is not fatal. Te juice is also used for skin problems and tumours. Decoctions of te stalks, leaves and roots are good for wounds and canker. An infusion of te plant is used for infants wit abdominal upsets. According to Mrs. Grieve in er book, A Modern Herbal, publised in 1931, te leaves are placed in te cradles of infants to promote sleep in Boemia. Green berries are recommended for erpes simplex wile te leaves can be used as a poultice for ulcers or skin conditions. It also as application for te liver and is used to support its function. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Te tiny star-saped flowers are saped like a nipple and breast - te wite pulled-back petals appear as te curve of te breast wile te yellow stamens in te centre look like a large nipple. Te distinct yellow colour at te centre directly relates to te Solar Plexus cakra, te uman energy centre tat is concerned wit nourisment and te ability to selfnurture. Tis centre also relates to self-esteem, particularly in regard to ow well we ave been nourised as an infant and troug cildood. BLACK NIGHTSHADE SUPPORTS THE DIGESTIVE SYSTEM Te berry is sweet. Energetically, te flavour tat supports te digestive energy is sweet. Diabetes is a disease tat often is te result of an over-consumption of sweet foods - tis plant as an action on diabetes. It also as an action on te bowel by purging and clearing tem out. An extract from my earlier book, Te Essence of Woman, describes te relationsip between te bowel and te digestive system, and ow a cild s relationsip wit te moter supports and strengtens tis important function of energy transformation in te uman being. An early well-establised and bonded relationsip between moter and cild minimises diseases of te digestive system. Bonding is deeply associated wit pleasure and nourisment in infancy. Wen a baby is experiencing a sense of pleasure tat permeates er wole body wile se is feeding, a strong connection is establised between te emotional feelings of contentedness, love and self-nurture. Te pysical body, particularly te digestive system, functions optimally, wen a cild is in a state of contentedness. Te Stomac is relaxed, digestive enzymes flow freely and easily, and te bowel moves waste troug te system efficiently and naturally. Te body s intelligence associates feeding wit wellbeing, and te digestive system matures in te infant until suc time as solids can be taken. It is during tis time tat 52 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

53 feeding abits are establised, and if feeding takes place in an environment of love and connectedness, te process just naturally occurs. Wen bonding is not establised well, feeding time can be a power battle were te moter and te cild are locked into a contest of wills. Typically, wen tis is appening, te baby suffers from a range of stress-related digestive problems including colic. Te breasts are te sole source of nourisment for an infant at least until te baby as started to teete. Te appearance of teet indicates tat se is ready to take solids. Breasts are also are a great source of pleasure and comfort for te infant, experienced as a sensory intensification of feeling in te lips lasting for te first two years. Nature designed tis feature in babies especially, to ensure tat te nourisment, vital for er growt and development, is well received by te infant in an environment of contentedness and pleasure. Black Nigtsade assists in conditions of tiredness and low energy caused by poorly functioning digestive system. It elps to tonify te body s capacity to transform food into available energy. PLEASURES OF THE BREASTS Te breasts are te only part of te uman anatomy functionally designed for use by anoter person, rater tan simply serving te owner. Teir primary biological function is to feed a baby, but a secondary, gratifying side effect is tat tey are also erogenous zones tat give pleasure. Again, Nature cleverly designed tis feature in so tat te moter enjoys te process of breastfeeding, as well as te baby. Tat way, te bonding process, critical in establising a quality lifelong relationsip between te moter and te cild, takes place easily and joyously witout stress on eiter side. Te breasts are also a source of pleasure for a man, bot erotic and comforting at te same time, especially if e bonded well wit is moter as an infant and was breastfed. It is quite common for a baby boy to get an erection wen nursing at is moter s breasts as waves of pleasure, not specifically sexual, flow over is body, registering in is penis. All of is senses are aroused troug intimate touc, te comforting sound of is moter s eartbeat, oral stimulation causing a bliss response tat later on in adultood will be re-experienced during sexual intimacy. Black Nigtsade elps a moter to enjoy te process of breast-feeding er baby and assists er to recognize ow crucial it is for te baby s emotional wellbeing to feed and old er baby close. FEMININITY AND THE BREASTS Symbolically te breasts are te most overt, obvious sign of femininity. Tey are depicted in te art world as perky and upward tilting in te Maiden, were tey are classically recognised as an erogenous zone. But later on, in te Moter pase, te breasts take on a fullness and a sacredness, as teir primary role of feeding teir offspring takes centre stage. At te cultural level, it is as if a veil obscures teir nakedness and tey are no longer perceived as sex symbols, retreating into te protection of te family inner sanctum. Some women are uncomfortable being female and ate everyting tat goes wit it: breasts, menstruation, and expressing teir femininity troug teir appearance. Many women coose to cultivate a more masculine appearance and often engage in lesbian relationsips because tey prefer to function in te role of teir male persona. Black Nigtsade assists a woman to accept er femininity witout aving to become a girly girl or callenging er rigt to live out er sexual preference. SEXUALITY AND THE BREASTS Te breasts play a powerful role in male sexuality and fantasy. Often a man will assume a sense of proprietorsip of is partner s breasts, sometimes to te point of being sensitive to is wife, exposing part of er breasts, particularly in te company of oter men. Tis beaviour is due to te action of te ormone vasopressin. Tis neuro-ormone works in males to stimulate pair bonding te way oxytocin and oestrogen does in a female. Once a relationsip as been securely establised, vasopressin acts on te male brain to facilitate social bonding and parenting, giving im a sense of participation in te family circle. Males ave more receptors for vasopressin wile females ave more receptors for oxytocin. Stimulated by testosterone and sexual orgasm, vasopressin as te effect on a male to make im protective towards is mate, causing im to stay sarply focused on is beloved and to keep an eye on er, making sure tat no oter man tries to invade is territory. Tis ormonally driven beaviour assists in maintaining social order troug te tribal ierarcy and is firmly rooted in te male s earliest expressions of ensuring te survival of te tribe. Often, is female partner will misinterpret tis naturally protective beaviour in males as possessiveness and feel restricted. Tis essence can elp er realize ow powerfully erotic and sexually stimulating er breasts are to er partner and understand were is sense of ownersip is based in a need to protect is woman. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 53

54 Black Nigtsade elps er to make te most of er assets in terms of pleasuring bot erself and er partner. Se may even be tempted to buy lingerie tat evokes an arousing response from er partner as part of er love play. It elps young women become aware of and enjoy te full sensuality tat comes wit including te breasts in love play. DISTORTED PERCEPTIONS Women s breasts play a large role in te media s portrayal of sexuality. In te Raunc Culture, breasts are often distorted to look abnormally large to evoke a sexual response. Many women suffer image problems in relation to teir breasts. Naively, tey buy te media ype targeted at men, taking it onboard as an ideal to aspire to, if tey are to be sexually attractive to men. Tis mistaken interpretation of women s sexual image causes many women to be dissatisfied wit te appearance of teir breasts. Tey ten suffer loating of teir body, damaging teir self-image and crippling teir sexual enjoyment because tey believe tat teir partner won t love tem since teir breasts are not attractive enoug. In some cases, women undergo intrusive and sometimes damaging surgery to sculpt teir breasts to a form tat will be appreciated by oters. Not only as tis practice compromised women s ealt troug te use of silicone implants tat ave proven over time to be damaging and unacceptable to te body, but it as also contributed to a negative body image for many women. Lacking confidence, tey buy te notion tat teir body is only acceptable if someone else approves of it. Tis attitude as contributed to a wolesale denial of te power and strengt of teir body, leading to a lack of belief in teir capacity for ealty and natural conception, cildbirt and breastfeeding. Handing tese functions over to te medical profession, essentially a male-dominated institution to manage teir reproductive function wit suc practices as assisted fertility and IVF, caesareans, and bottle-feeding is tantamount to saying, I don t ave te confidence, you do it for me. Black Nigtsade elps women to love teir bodies for teir own enjoyment and satisfaction, not based on someone else s approval, especially a male s. LOVING BEING A WOMAN Tere is so muc joy and satisfaction in doing tings te natural way. Te pleasure principle is built into women s bodies to ensure te best start in life for te cild. Women wo ave motered know tat breastfeeding time can be very arousing. A baby suckling can indeed stimulate a strong pleasurable response in te genitals. Acceptance of te sexual sensation associated wit motering is an indication of te full flowering of a woman s sexuality and is assisted wit te use of tis essence. Tis acceptance signifies tat se as come to te realization tat te aspects of life tat relate to te intimate zone ave not just a sexual flavour, but also grant a deeply satisfying pleasure tat accords wit er feminine need for connection. Tis is er territory; tis is wen women learn to old te place fully and become te seat of pleasure at te centre of te family unit, not just pysically but psycologically as well. Furtermore, wit tis awareness comes te understanding tat as a woman, se is not just perceived as a source of pleasure for oters, but tat pleasure is ers to enjoy too; true feminine power comes wit tis knowledge of er rigt to pleasure and connection. Black Nigtsade strengtens tis awareness. DESTINED TO BE QUEEN As Queen of er domain, se is built for bliss, not just sexual, but te deep content tat being immersed in te intimate, familial and tribal zones bring. Se commands er spere of influence wen se accepts er crown. Te breasts are a symbol of ow well a woman accepts er own femininity. And tis is intrinsically tied in wit er relationsip to er moter. A warm, loving, connected bond wit a moter, easy wit er own femininity and sexuality, is te key to a young woman growing into te fullness of er own womanood. Te opposite is true. A cold, austere moter wo as problems expressing joy in closeness is likely to ave suppressed sexuality. Altoug not at te conscious level, cildren are biologically designed to respond positively to close motering as a way of learning to respond to teir own sexuality in adult life. Teir moter s ang-ups about sex will be subconsciously picked up by tem and will negatively influence teir ability to enjoy teir own sexuality. Cancer of te breast commonly involves an underlying mind-body issue wit eiter motering or being motered. Black Nigtsade works on te Stomac and Heart meridians, supporting self-acceptance and self-love. It boosts immune function JESS Jess ad been battling wit breast cancer for many years. Se came to me in te latter stages of er illness, and it was tis essence, Black Nigtsade, tat I selected for er. Te disease ad returned to er body for te last six monts 54 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

55 after a long period of remission. At tis late stage, se embarked on a pat to ealing and, even toug se ultimately passed over, se managed courageously to eal a lifetime of emotional wounding just before se died. Jess s story unfolded over a number of clinical sessions. As a cild, a trusted uncle abused Jess sexually. It was not an ongoing, insidious ting but a small number of grubby incidents tat robbed er of er innocence and seeded in er young mind a belief in keeping secrets and iding te trut from loved ones. Her family lived by a strict religious code and se understood, even as a cild, ow deeply rocked er family would be if te trut of er moter s favourite broter s abuse came to ligt. So se cose to stay quiet. Se grew up, married and ad er own cildren wile maintaining strong ties wit er family of origin. As te oldest sibling, se ad an almost maternal attitude towards er younger broters, understandable because tere was suc a large gap in ages between te oldest and te youngest cildren and caring for tem ad been one of er given responsibilities. Tey were so close tat te family continued to socialize well into adultood. Jess never revealed te secret, known only to er and er uncle, to er usband or er cildren. But se did boil inside wit an unresolved anger about te injustice tat was dealt to er and tese tougts often distracted er from being present in everyday life. As er tree daugters were growing up, Jess sometimes felt pangs of angst about teir budding sexuality. However, se dismissed any concern from er mind. Se felt tat because teir social activities were largely restricted to family circles, er intuitive promptings tat er girls were someow unsafe must ave been a mistaken eco from er own past. It wasn t until er youngest daugter was in er twenties tat Jess s own family was rocked wit a socking revelation at a family gatering. Jess was not present wen er youngest daugter confronted er uncle, one of Jess s younger broters, wit er memory of ongoing sexual abuse over a period of five or six years starting from te age of five. Se also asserted tat e ad abused er two older sisters over a lesser timeframe. He confirmed er accusations and said tat e was sorry. Jess told me tat se was devastated wen er daugters told er and blamed erself for inadequately protecting tem from te predatory actions of er broter. After muc soul-searcing, Jess decided against telling er own moter about te abuse of er daugters. Se decided to maintain te secret eld since er own cildood because se felt tat it would kill er moter to learn tat one of er beloved sons ad been responsible for suc repreensible beaviour. So se continued to old te secret witin er breast, coosing instead to carry te load. Se also decided not to tell er usband, anticipating is critical judgment because se felt same tat it was er family tat ad caused so muc distress to er girls. Witin a sort time, Jess was diagnosed wit breast cancer. Se was treated wit conventional medicine and was supposedly cured. Te lid was kept on te cauldron, slowly boiling under te surface for many years. Jess felt tat se couldn t talk to er daugters about wat ad appened. It was like te proverbial elepant in te room. Te girls feared broacing te subject wit teir mum and Jess didn t know ow to deal wit te information and preferred to just let it lie. In te Mind-Body energy system of a woman, te breasts represent motering on te one and, and being nurtured and cared for on te oter. For Jess, olding a sameful secret from er moter, wile at te same time being angry wit er for not aving been protected from arm, caused er to feel moterless. Simultaneously, se felt guilty tat se ad not adequately motered er own girls and kept tem safe from arm. Wen Jess finally embarked on er ealing journey, se courageously recognized tat all te secrets ad to come out in te open. Se arranged for family counselling sessions tat allowed er daugters to vent teir ostility in a safe environment. After a couple of sessions, se also brougt er usband along to include im in te family discussions. Te sessions were ard going but allowed Jess to experience and express te love tat ad been buried for all tose years since te blockages were removed. And er daugters were able to vent teir fear and anger at not feeling safe as cildren because teir moter ad not protected tem. Energy tat ad been suppressed in Jess for many years flowed freely at last wit er tears of relief. As te secrets came out so too did er cancer. It began to erupt on te surface of er left breast witin weeks of tese sessions and ten travelled up into er troat, were te trut ad been witeld for so long. It was as if all te ugliness tat ad been fermenting below te surface could finally be faced. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 55

56 Harbouring secrets causes te qi of te body to knot and remain contained. Tis containment will be expressed in te body part tat relates to te idden agenda. Were tougt goes, qi flows is a Cinese saying in TCM tat describes te mind-body paradigm. So a covertly eld secret becomes knotted energy. Anoter maxim of TCM tells ow ealty tissue is maintained by free-flowing qi: a moving door never rusts. Te emotions are seen in Energetic Medicine as energy-in-motion. Wen we constrain our emotions troug repression, olding onto secrets, denial or suppression energy (qi) becomes stuck and instead of nourising and cleansing tissue, blood, bone, nerve fibre and organs, it creates toxicity tat interferes wit cellular function and eventually leads to patological states. Because te eld and knotted energy was located in te breasts, Black Nigtsade was used. Tis essence served to armonise and balance te energies related to motering, bot for te cild and for te moter in Jess s case. It allowed er to become more autentic in er role and to recognize ow muc tis primary relationsip wit te moter affects our emotional wellbeing. As women, te more autentically we respond to our own emotional needs and tose of our cildren, te ealtier and more contented we become. Healing is feeling in te truest sense. Black Nigtsade works on te Stomac, Spleen and Heart meridians strengtening digestive function, facilitating bonding between moter and cild and promoting self-love. Black Nigtsade resonates to Cakras 1, 2 and 3 YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For difficulties wit breast-feeding and aversion to breastfeeding. For moter-cild issues. For poor body image, particularly related to te breasts. For discomfort wit being a female. For constant tiredness and overwelm. For inability to nurture oneself or oters. For digestive problems including constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, stomac upsets, diabetes, liver problems, acne, skin blemises and toxic skin conditions, breast cancer, mastitis and lowered immunity. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES Grants a sense of self-wort. Helps moter and cild wit feeding difficulties. Helps women to love teir body, watever te sape or size. Increases sexual enjoyment troug enanced self-image. Supports femininity and moterood. Supports te digestive system. Assists wit bowel problems and boosts immunity. Clarifies te skin, by supporting detoxification of te liver, troug te skin. Opens communication lines between moters and cildren. 56 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

57 BLEEDING HEART Omalantus populifolius KEYWORDS Negative: sadness and loss, urt and pain of lost love, for te closed eart and co-dependancy. Positive: elps to let go, comforts urt and pain, opens te eart and encourages risk-taking. DESCRIPTION A fast-growing rainforest tree, belonging to te family, Euporbiaceae, it grows to a eigt of 2 5m and 2 4m wide. It as leaves saped like earts. As tey are dying, te leaves turn red, tus te name. Tey make a good sade tree and are tolerant of low ligt conditions. Te minute, cream flowers grow in dense, terminal, slender racemes. It pops up everywere in perfect weater conditions, but wilts and dies quickly once te eat is on. It as greenis berries tat attract birds. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Tis tree is extremely fast growing as if it is in a urry, like tose wo fall in and out of love at te drop of a at, desperately seeking wat tey feel a relationsip sould be offering tem. Te leaves are distinctly eart-saped and just before tey fall off te tree, tey turn to a brilliant and dramatic red colour. Called Bleeding Heart, te tree s growing abit reminds one of te drama and intensity tat goes wit te breakup of a relationsip - painful memories, urt and grief, making te eart bleed. WHAT MAKES THE HEART BLEED Tis essence is for tose wo suffer deep grief and loss, eiter from relationsip breakdown or deat of a partner. It also assists tose wo feel deep urt and pain from love gone wrong and wo vow tey will never love again. It also elps tose wo are never satisfied in a relationsip and constantly seek greener pastures. Te numerous tiny flowers located on a slender raceme seem to be reacing out as if desperately seeking for acceptance and love or for a need to be met. Te abundance of te flowers suggests altoug te affairs ave been numerous, none ave yet satisfied te need. Te smallness of te flowers suggests tat te person feels small and not worty of notice and wat is so desperately being sougt is a feeling of self-love. Tis is te person wo seeks outside of erself for validation and a sense of being worty. Se seeks love in every encounter, and feels validated and alive if se is in te intense oneymoon period of a love affair. Often tis person is dying for love, and can sabotage er own desire for a relationsip by wearing er eart on er sleeve and actually pusing away a prospective partner wit er intensity. Sometimes tose wo ave lost a partner will become so engulfed in te pain tat tey effectively cut temselves off from attracting love again. Or sometimes tis type of person will fall in love wit te unattainable - te clergy, a married man, etc. - tus subconsciously fulfilling er own propecy of never finding te rigt partner. THE ROMANTIC DREAM Tese women romanticize love, olding it up as an ideal and are often unable to sustain a relationsip wen te person turns out to be ordinary. Because of teir idealized view of love, tey put teir lover or spouse on a pedestal and ten wonder wy tey are disappointed wen e turns out to be uman and not superuman after all. Sometimes tis idealization comes about because as a young girl, tis person ad a close and special relationsip wit er fater. Se idolized im, and se was is little princess because e made er feel better tan anyone else could. But of course te relationsip could never go beyond tat of a fater and daugter and so, in er eyes, e would always be unattainable. Se may even experience feelings of jealousy towards er moter and fantasize tat se would make a better partner. Building an image of te perfect relationsip in er mind, owever, se could never actually recognise te more mundane aspects of man to woman relating because se was seeing troug te eyes of a cild. Many women put romantic expectations on teir lover or spouse, and wen e doesn t deliver tey lose teir loving feeling. Tey may fantasize about leaving te present relationsip and finding one were tey will truly be loved. Many a good relationsip as been jettisoned for tese nebulous reasons. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 57

58 Some women cut temselves off from te rest of te world because tey are partnered. Teir unreal expectations tat teir partner will fulfil all of teir needs - pysical, social, emotional, sexual, security and friendsip - puts a eavy strain on te relationsip. Te woman will feel sad wen er partner can t deliver and find tat se is isolated and lonely. A WALL AROUND THE HEART Some women put a wall around teir eart because tey don t want it to bleed again, aving been urt in te past by a love relationsip gone wrong. Tese women experience great pain because in teir deepest eart, tey want to love again, but tey are too scared to reac out. Te key to sustaining a satisfying and long-term relationsip starts wit a love affair wit te self. Wen we love ourselves, we totally accept ourselves for wo we are and we satisfy te energy of te eart cakra, te pivotal energy centre in our energetic-anatomy. Love of te self is not about being selfis, but as researcers tell us, it is crucial to our ealt and wellbeing. Te tymus gland is te associated gland for te eart cakra and plays a large part in te immune response of te body. Psyco-neuro-immunology is te study of ow our emotional state impacts te immunological responses in te body. Researcers ave demonstrated in clinical studies tat te moment we ave a negative self-tougt, te output from te tymus gland is dramatically reduced. Wen te tymus gland, wic delivers immune boosting T-elper cells into te blood, is compromised, immune ealt is dramatically reduced leaving a person open to picking up disease from an outside influence. Feelings of rejection and pain of te eart compromise te immune system. Rejection treatens our basic internal balance - our basic need for affinity. Wen one feels rejected, te eart bleeds. Wen te eart is urting, putting a wall up only intensifies te urt and validates te mistaken perception: I am unloved and unlovable. Instead of feeling connected, one feels once again cut off and separated and sets out again to find te perfect love affair tat will create a feeling of being OK. Fear is te gatekeeper of te delicate eart energy. Fear of being alone and of not being validated as a wortwile person distorts te energy of te eart. SHARING THE LOVE A relationsip can be sustained wen bot partners in te couple ave a ealty self-esteem. A relationsip will not provide feelings of self-wort; in fact, quite te opposite. Self-doubt, uncertainty and low self-esteem will erode a relationsip over time. Mature love flourises wen te balance between individuality and loving anoter is maintained and sustained. Bot parties in te relationsip are equally loved and loving. Tis essence attunes one to te feeling tat one is worty of experiencing true love tat endures in a state of grace, delicacy and gentleness. It elps to recognize tat love can be constant and enduring and does not falter wen te cips are down. It allows one to see tat true love is unconditional and not focused on only wat one is receiving, but also wat one is giving. Tis love does not control, but rater lets tings be te way tey are based in te profound eart wisdom tat everyting is unfolding perfectly as it sould. Bleeding Heart elps a woman to recognize affinity as attraction to a significant oter, and wen tat magnetism is felt, tere is genuinely someting tere. It elps to put into perspective te notion tat toucing and being touced is a demonstration of te power of feeling between tem and not simply an end in itself. Love is a natural state between all living tings. Love radiates trougout all existence, including uman beings and te plant, animal and mineral kingdoms. Te cry of a warrior of te eart is live to love again. Wen we stay open to love, we become more loving and consequently attract love to us. Tis is te ealing energy of Bleeding Heart. Bleeding Heart works on te Heart, Lungs and Kidney meridians, elping to resolve grief, open te eart and dissolve fear. Bleeding Heart resonates to Cakras 2 and 4. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For deep sadness and loss. For deep urt and pain. For tose wo pine for love. For tose wo fall in love wit te unattainable. For tose wo put a wall around te eart. For co-dependency. Fear of loving again. 58 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

59 For eart disease, poor immunity, and sluggis circulation. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES Helps to resolve grief and loss. Comforts tose in pain. Quiets te ungry eart. Brings discernment in selecting a partner Opens te eart to true love. Enables love of te self. Encourages risk-taking. Assists te eart, supports te immune compromised and aids circulation. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 59

60 60 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit BLUE MINK Ageratum oustonianum KEYWORDS Negative: stress, feeling pressured or treatened, aversion to touc, pain from a past relationsip, all skin diseases. Positive: de-stresses, softens, restores connection, eals urt and sootes te skin. DESCRIPTION Native to tropical Mexico, tis member of te Asteraceae family (wic contains daises, sunflowers and asters) is a popular and easily grown annual tat as escaped cultivated gardens and now flourises as a classified weed. It is fully establised in Australia and is commonly known ere as Billy-goat weed, Blue Mink or Blue Top. It as low seen, eart-saped leaves tat are sligtly furry wit sowy blue, lavender and mauve-pink fluffy, soft flower eads. It is an annual growing to 0.3m ig by 0.3m wide. It flowers from December to April (summer and autumn) and te seeds ripen from February to April. Te flowers are ermaprodite (ave bot male and female organs) and are pollinated by mots and butterflies. Hardy, it prefers a sunny position wit protection from te cold wind. It cannot grow in te sade and requires dry or moist soil. Medicinally, it is classed as an anodyne - an agent tat sootes, comforts or relaxes. Te juice of te plant is used externally to treat cuts and wounds. An ornamental plant, te flowers are very attractive to butterflies tat can be seen dancing around teir soft, blue fluffy flower eads in te sunsine. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Te soft, puffy appearance of tis attractive little flower calls out to be touced. It gives te impression tat it could be used to stroke te skin sootingly. It as eart-saped leaves tat are soft, furry and pleasing to touc. Its soft blue, lavender and pink colours are classically feminine and evoke a sense of tenderness. Medicinally, it is classed as an anodyne, wic is used to relax and soote, so it carries te quality of softening te ard lines of tension and stress tat grip and tauten te body. Its use in treating cuts and wounds on te skin suggests a strong ealing quality for emotional wounds tat ave penetrated deeply troug te protective barrier of te aura tat, wen intact and ealty, protects te skin and keeps us feeling safe and relaxed. It loves to grow in te filtered sun, evoking te image of lying in a relaxed state, soaking up gentle warmt and feeling no anxiety, stress, tension, pressure or sense of treat. It likes to be protected from ars, cold, windy conditions, signifying te sense of wanting to be kept safe from te outside world. Originally a cultivar tat as escaped and now roams free across te landscape, it suggests te feeling of freedom tat women experience wen tey are liberated enoug to relax and enjoy teir sensuality and sexuality. FOR STRESS KITTENS Tis soft and attractive little flower evokes a feeling of wanting to touc it. It resonates wit women because of its tactile softness and feminine colours. It is particularly appropriate for women in te area of sexual expression and intimacy were stress is an ongoing factor in teir busy lives. Stress affects women differently tan men, particularly in te areas of sex and intimacy. Te stress ormones of cortisol and adrenaline boost te inflow of testosterone into a male s bloodstream, causing im to want to ave sex. In fact, sexual connection relieves a man s stress by draining te build up of tension from is body, leaving im feeling relaxed, sooted and brimming wit oxytocin, te ormone tat fosters connection and love of intimacy. A sexually satisfied man will sleep easy after a love making session wit is partner, feeling secure and comfortable. But te ormonal drivers work differently in a woman s body. Tey cause a distinct pysical and emotional adverse response to sexual advances from er partner. Cortisol and adrenaline dampen te oxytocin inflow into a woman s body so tat se does

61 not respond to touc in te way tat se normally would wen relaxed. Tey also diminis te production of te neuro-cemical dopamine, wic triggers er desire for pleasure. Terefore, stress acts to restrict and arden a woman to te sexual advances of er partner. In fact, often er stress is increased wen e reaces for er because se feels so stretced already, and te last ting on er mind is sex wen all se wants to do is sleep! One of te old-fasioned advices tat came to me from my grandmoter was, if you want a appy marriage and you can t make it, ten fake it! Te women s liberation movement looked sternly down its nose at tis old adage as it seemed to be suggesting tat a woman is acting against er best interests by giving in to er usband s request for sex wen se doesn t really want it. Te biological reality is tat, for women, all te normal triggers for sexual desire do sut down wen se is stressed, making sex seem like a core rater tan a pleasure. But te secret is tat tere is trut in wat our grandmoters were saying. Researc demonstrates tat even toug we may not be open to sex at te outset, by going aead and engaging sexually, te ormones of sexual pleasure, relaxation and satisfaction start to flow once sex begins. Below te conscious level, te pleasure and connection ormones, stimulated by te act of sex, switc on te body s relaxation response, causing te body-mind to unwind naturally. Te outcome is deep ealing sleep and relief from te tension burden tat could oterwise persist for days and even weeks if not cleared. REDUCES PAIN Stress and tension generate an unealty tigtening of te body musculature and debilitation of te nervous system, causing bot pysical and emotional pain, and reduced function. Pysical symptoms can include eadaces, PMT, tiredness, palpitations, acne and digestive dysfunction. Emotional repercussions can range from feeing overwelmed, anxiety, irritability and irrational anger and striking out, to feelings of isolation, separation and a desire to escape from te world. In te long-term, cronic stress is te precursor to many debilitating disease states. Blue Mink works on te Cong, Central, Heart, Pericardium, Kidney, and Liver Meridian. Blue Mink resonates to Cakras 1, 2 and 4. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For stress. For feeling unduly pressured. For feeling treatened. For aversion to intimate touc. For feeling stressed by sexual advances from a partner. For being closed off and ard-edged. For deep emotional pain from a past relationsip. For skin diseases suc as psoriasis, eczema, neuro-dermatitis, superficial wounds and scratces. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES Relieves stress and tension. Opens a stressed woman to being comforted. Softens te ard lines of tension. Restores a sense of connection and intimacy. Heals long-eld emotional eart wounds from te past. Has a sooting, ealing effect on te skin. For psoriasis, neuro-dermatitis, eczema, especially wen worse wit emotional stress. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 61

62 CASSIA Cassia coluteoides KEYWORDS Negative: for feeling lost or incomplete, a victim, for soul depression, feeling trapped, feeling dull and uninspired and for addictions. Positive: for self-empowerment, fait in oneself, new vision, clarity, selfealing. Strengtens te will. Te task of te rescue of te soul is long and slow And only tose will be rescued wo want to be rescued, For only te soul itself can unmake Te prison it as so carefully constructed. How delicate is te work of te freeing of te soul! Open eyes and open eart, A tongue to speak wat must be said And ands to old troug te terror and te pain Only tose wo are temselves becoming free Can wield tis Fiery Wand. Te rebirt of te soul is an agony and a joy And only one already reborn Can assist tis painful labour. How tender and beautiful is te work Of te freeing of te soul. Marjorie Pizer DESCRIPTION Fast-growing srubs from te old and new world, tis particular variety is known as te Buttercup Tree and is caracterised by butter- yellow clusters of 3.8 cm. (1.5 inces) flowers. It flowers around Easter and is considered a weed in te sense tat it grows on te borders of te re-growt frontier in tropical growt areas. It is a native of tropical America; owever, tere are several native Australian Cassias, more particularly suited to dry districts. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Te flower as tree eart-saped petals, wic form te top of te flower and two cup-like petals completing te circle, making up five petals in all. From te centre, two yellow anters looking like arms reac out in a supportive embrace, upolding te eart. Between tese two, a single green stigma projects outwards and upwards, calling energy back to te eart. At te very centre of te flower, a globe-like arrangement (reminiscent of an energy-saving globe) protrudes forward, topped by tree miniature eart-saped clusters tat eco te eart-saped petals directly above tem. Te centre is green and te petals are a clear brigt yellow. Tis genus produces te senna pods of medicine, te properties of wic are purgative. Tey prompt an urgent, complete bowel evacuation. FOR RESURRECTING THE PARTS WE HAVE LOST Tis is te resurrection essence. Te two arms of te flower give te appearance of pulling energy back into te centre. It elps us to call back te parts of ourselves tat we ave lost or te parts tat we ave given away, as we attempted to gain acceptance in te world. Wen we own our soul fully and completely our eart sings. In respecting ourselves we grow to love ourselves. 62 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

63 Cassia grants us te power and strengt of will to recreate ourselves. It works on addictions - to substances, relationsips, comfort zones or work situations - by allowing us to tap into our deep inner strengt to let go of te old and embrace te new, watever tat migt be, witout te comfort of te addiction to sore us up. TRANSFORMING OURSELVES Te ability to transform our lives or cange watever part we don t like is located at te Solar Plexus. Here te organmeridian systems of te Liver (facilitates movement) and te Spleen (enables transformative function) are located. On te pysical level, it is ere tat incoming food is transformed into useable energy and moved troug te system. On a psycological level, we transform wat we don t like in our lives and move on to te next pase. It is also ere tat te evolutionary function of te soul - to continually be bettering ourselves - is energised. Cassia works at tis energetic level, bringing wit it te power to cange and to move into anoter life pase; for example, if one does not like certain aspects of one s life, say, excess of social drinking and one wants to cange to more moderate abits, based in te desire for a ealtier body. Cassia elps to form te intention, and to make te sift. Cassia also assists in embracing optimism wen a cange is imminent - today is te first day of te rest of my life. RE-PROGRAMMING OLD SCRIPTS It fosters renewal and rebirt. It encourages us to self-adopt - to re-parent ourselves so tat we grant ourselves te benefit of making decisions tat are in our soul s best interest. As adults, we make many of our day-to-day decisions based on te programming tat was put in place wen we were infants, wit te best of intentions, by our parents. Wen we become aware tat muc of our earlier programming as passed its use-by date and needs updating, we begin te process of sorting out wat still works for us, and wat doesn t. Tis sifting process can be likened to re-parenting: we decide wat beliefs and values suit us now, and we jettison te old. Cassia assists in discriminating wat to keep and wat to let go, and assists te clearing. On te pysical level, tis function occurs in te small intestine and bowel. Cassia is well known for its purgative action on a clogged, blocked bowel. Te Saturn Return is powerful time in one s life, wen Saturn as returned to te place in te eavens tat it occupied at one s birt. Saturn s return stimulates a need to let go of te beliefs and values about te world, programmed into te subconscious by tose influential in our upbringing, but tat no longer serve us. Tis essence elps us to evaluate tose beliefs and perceptions and decide wic we want to keep and wic we are ready to let go of, to enable us to tread te pat of our own soul s desire. Cassia is te Saturn Return essence. Te Wounded Healer remedy enables us to learn te lessons tat our wounds in life ave to teac us, and to easily pass onto oters te wealt of experience gained by resolving our own soul issue. It works on te Solar Plexus cakra, strengtening te digestive system. Tis provides a sound base for te energies of te eart to open and assists in loving and accepting oneself fully and unconditionally. It is a strong grower, deep-rooted and well grounded. It brings strengt to te eart and immune system. A SHINING LIGHT A weed in te sense tat it grows on te borders of te re-growt frontier, it puses back te boundaries of disorder and caos, creating a margin of safety between order and being disevelled. It elps bring a sense of rationality and progress in te realm of new ideas. It assists people to be sining ligts, disseminating brigt, new ideas tat spread easily and supports recognition of leader of te pack in bringing new ideas forward tat benefit te wole. It elps a brigt spark to excel in a field of knowledge. Great for students - elps tem to assimilate information and take onboard new ideas and run wit tem. Great for teacers too, wo feel tey ave gone stale, to find inspiration. ENHANCES VISION It grants te power to eal troug a strong, clear vision of te part to be ealed, by aiding te power to visualize. Useful for ealing modalities suc as Teta ealing, were visualization plays a large part in te efficacy of te treatment. It allows one to see te new vision and to embrace it. JENNY Jenny is a gym instructor. For many monts, crippled by an inflamed tendon, se felt compromised in er professional role and wit regard to er own self-image as a fit person. Her dedication to te pat of er own ealing as been driven by te enormous amount of emotional pain se as been troug over te past tree years tat as culminated in er pysical symptoms. Here is er story. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 63

64 Jenny was a girl wo loved to party. Married for twenty-someting years wit two adolescent boys, se still managed to live te lifestyle of a single girl - drinking copiously every weekend, a string of extra-marital liaisons and a cavalier approac to life. Se was an extremely fit person, and er gallbladder as been removed at some point in er past. Se presented in my clinic wit severe inflammation of te Acilles tendon tat was preventing er from er usual program of daily running. From a Traditional Cinese Medicine perspective, te ealt of te tendons is governed by te same energy tat maintains te ealt of te Gallbladder and te Liver (known as Wood energy). Simultaneously, Jenny s digestive energy was under-active and er bowel patterns igly erratic, often clearing only once a week. Se relied on alcool to give er a good clean out! Jenny said tat er usband never seemed to be concerned tat se spent a lot of time outside of te marriage. Se said tat altoug se cared for im, se did not really know wat love was because se ad not experienced tat kind of passion wit im. But it was er mindless leap into intimacy wit someone else wo, for te first time in er life, made er eart sing, tat catapulted er onto te pat of er own ealing. Her pattern of promiscuity ad been to ave a quick sexual fling wit someone, ten discard im and move onto te next, in a mindless round of seeking for someting or somebody to make er feel good. Se met Mark at work. He came to er seeking professional advice to elp im get fit. Tey sizzled on first meeting and Jenny anticipated more of te same game. However, as tings progressed, it became clear tat Mark ad an agenda tat involved more tat just a quick sexual encounter! He was smitten wit Jenny, but still being married, was unwilling to ceat on is wife. Tey played around a lot over a period of tree years, but did not ave sex. Jenny was an emotional mess and was becoming a pysical mess. Te more e refused to ave sex wit er te more se desperately wanted im. Te pain was excruciating. Se knew tat te situation was destructive for er. It was at tat point tat se came for treatment. I treated er Gallbladder and Stomac cannels wit acupuncture to alleviate te pysical symptoms. Her digestion improved, but er Acilles tendon was still inflamed and resisted treatment. Recognizing te Mind-body connection, I prescribed Cassia for Jenny. It was at tis point of extreme emotional pain tat Jenny began er true ealing journey. Te first ting se did was to give up drinking alcool! Once se ad removed te fog, se began to ave frequent aa moments so tat s wat I ave been doing, and wy couldn t I see tat? On a Mind-Body level, Gallbladder energy (wic governs te tendons) relates to te ability to make clear and concise decisions tat support one s soul growt and decided direction in life. Te tendons give us te spring in our step tat comes wit being decisive about our direction in life. Wen tis energy system is ealtily functioning, personal growt takes place easily as we respond to our soul s passion and pursue it in our own unique and creative way. Wen we are not following our soul s direction, we give away parts of our soul (life energy) to anoter. Ten we blame oters wen tings don t go our way. Blame and victim-ood go and in and. Wen we give over responsibility of our life s direction to anoter person, we lose control of our own destiny - we ave given away our soul. We suffer resentment, wic negatively affects te Gallbladder, giving rise to gallbladder disease suc as gallstones and tendon inflammation. Cassia elps to call back our soul. It also assists in becoming decisive in determining our own direction in life. Jenny decided to forget about Mark. Se found tis very difficult, for altoug e was no longer in er pysical life, e still occupied er mind and emotions. Se seemed to be in a continuous seesaw of indecision about weter se ad cosen correctly. Her emotional indecision was still locked into er body in te Gallbladder cannel. However, wit te assistance of te Cassia, se stuck to er original strategy, resisted temptation and stayed away from im. Te release tat was needed at te pysical level came wen se ad cupping terapy in er ip and buttocks region to release te nerve supply to te tendon. Te next day se was sporting deep purple bruises all around te area. Tis is te patway of te Gallbladder meridian, wic criss-crosses te buttocks region. It is also in te buttocks tat stagnant sexual energy is stored. Te next day, Jenny came back to see me in some distress. I ve done someting bad, se said. I poned im and told im tat if e ad just ad sex wit me all tis would be over and I would not be te mess I am today. Her victim personality ad resurfaced momentarily and se blamed im for er distress. Wen er stagnant sexual energy was brougt to te surface wit te cupping, Jenny was finally able to express te idden resentment for being sexually disempowered, buried in er buttocks for tree years. It was tis energy tat blocked te Gallbladder cannel, resulting in inflammation of er tendon. 64 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

65 By pysically clearing te Gallbladder cannel, se ad been able to clear te emotional pain tat ad stopped er from going forward in er life. By assuming control once more, se is taking back te fragments of er soul tat se ad given away to someone else. Jenny stayed true to er decision, one tat accorded wit er best interests. Two monts after er last pone call to Mark, se declared tat se ad completed er first pain-free run for six monts. Sortly after, se announced tat se was entering a competitive run overseas and began er training in earnest, fully confident tat er Acilles tendon would stand up to te callenge. Her vision for erself ad been restored. Jenny is a courageous woman. Her journey is ultimately about taking control of er own life and not anding er destiny over to someone wo does not ave er best interests at eart. By loving someone in a opeless situation, were none of er deepest needs were being met, se ad no control so se became te victim. Wen we are empowered, we are in control of wat occupies our mind - Jenny ad been expending all er mental and emotional energy on seeking an unattainable goal. As se directs er mental energy towards wat is good for er well-being, se can power troug life acieving all tat se wants and more, including a mutually satisfying love relationsip tat meets te needs of bot people simultaneously. Tis is true Mind-Body ealing. Cassia works on te Liver, Gallbladder, Kidney and Colon meridians, restoring a sense of self and connection to one s soul, granting te strengt to cange and to let go of old patterns tat no longer serve. Cassia resonates to Cakras 2, 3 and 9. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For feeling lost or incomplete. For feeling alienated from oneself. For soul depression. For a victim mentality. For feeling trapped in old patterns of beaviour. For feeling dull and uninspired and lacking ideas. For addictions to a substance, relationsip, cause or life situation. Assists wit constipation, diarroea, diverticulitis, polyps, twisted bowel and colon cancer. For inability to see. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES For self- empowerment and confidence. Strengtens te will. Restores fait in oneself. For optimism. Brings clarity and new vision. Assists in creating ealing visualisations. Strengtens te digestive system, works powerfully on te Liver, Gallbladder, Colon and Kidney. Te Wounded Healer remedy. Eases Saturn Return time in one s life. Aids vision. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 65

66 COMMELINA Commelina cyanea KEYWORDS Negative: for negative self-expression, critical self-talk, malicious gossip, fear of psycic attack, blocked creativity. Positive: integrity in wat we say, blocked communication, unblocks frozen expression. DESCRIPTION A soft-stemmed creeper, it is also known as Scurvy Weed because te early settlers used it to ward off scurvy. Today it is commonly known as a weed in te gardens of tropical and subtropical areas; it is found also on creek banks and in moist forests, particularly on te edge, as it loves te sun. Te creeping stems, roots at te nodes, ave broad grass-like leaves. Te spectacular tree-petaled brigt, blue flowers simmer and sparkle in te sun. Te petals flare out from te centre in a eart sape, wit tree gold-tipped stamens arising from te centre. Te flowers come out in pairs, wit one emerging first and coming to full flower, ten te oter bud begins to open. Te petals close over wen te sun goes beind clouds. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Tere are tree blue petals. Te number tree represents te trinity, Fater, Son and Holy Gost in te old order, but in te new Mind-Body paradigm it stands for mind, body, spirit - te tree interconnected aspects tat make up te wole being. Tis plant is a creeper. It survives best by growing close to te ground. However, te brigt, sparkling blue flowers sit up as if tey want to be noticed. It is as if te flower is drawing attention to te connection between te mind-body-spirit, notifying te pysical aspect to be conscious of te interrelationsip. Te stunning blue, wit its iridescent simmer, is like te electric blue of te energetic template tat guides te process of matter (te pysical) into being. Te tree gold-tipped, wite stamens are like antennas, bringing in information from iger frequencies, ensuring perfection in form. Te petals are eart-saped representing te Spirit component. Tis essence represents te point of balance between te Mind, or Higer Self (represented by te upper tree centres) and te Body or Lower self (represented by te tree lower centres) tat occurs at te level of te eart. It is as if te petals grant te balance between Mind and Body tat brings eart-felt contentedness wen te two aspects are in resonance. THE MATRIX Commelina works at te level of te eteric template or te fift subtle body. Tis subtle body is were consciousness determines form troug te eteric template, or te matrix by wic te pysical body is guided into form, as it manifests into matter. Just like a builder creates a ouse according to a plan devised by an arcitect, te energy template is te plan devised by te iger arcitect of form, te Higer Self. Te information filtering troug te Higer Self, downloaded into pysical form, is located in te Causal Body, te energy body tat exists at te outer levels of te aura. Tis body receives information input from te Akasic Records, were te soul s running record is stored, accumulated over lifetimes, as well as from te Higer Arcitects of Form, te Angelic Realm, overseers of life on eart. On a day-by-day basis, we draw on matrix energy from te Causal Body to recreate te pysical. Cells are continually dying and replacing temselves. Our tougts about ourselves, and words we say about ourselves are bot vital energy inputs into te Causal Body. In effect, our tinking and our speec determine te quality and quantity of te replacement cells. We are continually in a process of recreating ourselves based on our inner tougts and dialogue. THE IMPORTANCE OF SOUND Let s explore ow tis process works. Te final form of te body in all its miraculous complexity is determined by vibrational frequency rates. Sound is simply vibration and as a profound effect in te creation of wellness or disease, perfection or deformity. 66 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

67 Masaro Emoto, a Japanese scientist, devised experiments to sow te effect of sound vibration on water. He demonstrated tat water takes on a pattern in its molecular structure, consistent wit te sound tat it as been exposed to. Emoto clearly sowed tat te quality of te sound determines te quality of te form created by its vibrational resonance (te sound template). Our bodies are 75 percent water at te cellular level. Te sounds tat we make (using our voice) affect te cellular structure of our body. Tis occurs via te energetic template created by te vibrational resonance of our voice and te words tat we speak. In te Old Testament, te story of Creation describes ow te Word was made fles. Tis reference sows tat a deeper, esoteric level of meaning written into te ancient text recognised te connection between sound and te creation of form. Te troat cakra and te fift subtle body are located in te neck region. One of te glands located at tis centre is te tyroid gland, wic determines te rate of metabolism of our body; tat is, our wole body vibrational rate. Te oter gland is te paratyroid, wic directly determines te laying down or removal of bony mass in te body. Te bony skeleton is te primary framework for te pysical body. Te sense organs associated wit tis energy centre bot function troug vibration and relate to sound - te voice-box and te ear. Hearing is accomplised by a delicate mecanism in te ear tat picks up te vibration of te sounds we ear and relays tem to te brain for interpretation. Te vibration of te vocal cords produces te sound of te voice. Wat we speak is translated into a vibration and relayed not only out into te atmospere, but also into te cellular structure of te body. In effect, our words determine te state of our pysical body; tat is, wat we say is te basis of wat we become. If one says, I m dying for a cigarette, ten we are commanding te body to die eac time we smoke a cigarette. Wat we speak becomes our trut, for good or for bad. Like weeds in te garden, ill-considered or careless words spoil te balanced integrity of te constantly reforming body and build illness into its structure because of our careless words about ourselves. Tis little creeper, if we are careless and drop bits of it, will become a weed and overgrow all oter plants. On te oter and, well-considered, empowering words create ealt and wellbeing in te body. CHOOSING OUR WORDS Commelina elps to us to coose our words well. It assists te person wo talks for te sake of talking, just to fill te space and cover embarrassment. It is excellent for adolescents wo are stepping out in te world and need to articulate well in te workplace, at job interviews, etc. It assists in alleviating te fear of confronting a boss for a raise, or asking a bank manager for a loan. Essentially, it elps te words to flow. It brings awareness to te gossip of te potential for damage by bad-mouting anoter. Te old saying sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never urt me is not strictly true. Words can urt and can damage a person psycologically and pysically. Adolescent girls often use words as weapons of abuse, creating a culture of fear and negativity tat can deeply wound. Te workplace is anoter place were bullying and malicious abuse can leave deep scars. Studies ave sown tat tis is te predominant strategy used by females wo want to climb te corporate ladder quickly and don t care wo tey step on in te process. According to te study, male competitive strategies for getting to te top are muc more open, wile females tend to use covert gossip and psycological bullying. Tis essence elps women to become aware of te negative energy tey are creating for temselves using tese strategies. Commelina also elps to protect women from te full force of negative energy from oter women. It gives tem te strengt eiter to confront te aggressor or to take te necessary steps needed to protect temselves, by discussing te issue wit a superior or moving away from te situation. THE WIND-GATE Energetic Medicine designates an area at te back of te neck as te Wind-gate. Tis is te region tat extends from te base of te skull to between te soulder blades. It is were we pick up cold wind tat can affect our ealt and wellbeing. For example, it is ere tat we can catc a draugt tat may lead to a cold or stiff neck. Tat is wy we wear a scarf, because te neck region is vulnerable to cold wind. It is also were we pick up psycic wind or are aware of psycic attack. We see it very clearly wit a dog. If a stranger approaces a dog, te ackles will rise on te back of its neck. It is te same wit umans. Often, even wen our back is turned, we can feel somebody s attention on us, as if eyes are drilling a ole in te back of te neck. Curiously, we can often tell if somebody is talking about us, by getting a sensation in tat area. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 67

68 Combined wit Acacia and Ajuga, Commelina elps to protect te Wind-gate from psycic attack. Te brilliant blue colour of tis little flower, and te sape of te petals, like angels wings, is reminiscent of Arcangel Micael, wose classic role is to protect from psycic Essence invasion. Blends Te fift cakra assists us to express our creativity. Sometimes we can be blocked because fear freezes te flow of energy and we lose access to our Higer Self. Commelina reinstates qi flow, opening us up to our creative expression. Tis essence also elps tose wo are terrified of public speaking, or speaking to a large group. It allows tem to relax, move te fear and connect to teir Higer Self wisdom. Commelina works on te Lung and Kidney meridians, dissolving fear and opening us to inspiration. It works well wit Cassia for enancing our power to visualise, by assisting us in creating positive and beneficial affirmations for ealing te Mind- Body. Commelina resonates to Cakras 5 and 8. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For negative expression. For naiveté and lack of sensitivity in communicating wit oters. For constant self-criticism. For te person wo engages in malicious and urtful gossip. For addictions to a substance, relationsip, cause or life situation. Assists wit constipation, diarroea, diverticulitis, polyps, twisted bowel and colon cancer. Aids vision. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES Assists coerent expression of tougts, ideas and feelings. Encourages meaningful interactions and conversations. For elping to guard one s self-talk. For integrity in speaking about oters. Protects te wind-gate - filters te tougts we pick up from te eters. Opens to canneling from te Higer Self, wen public speaking or teacing. Unblocks creative expression. 68 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

69 CORDYLINE Cordyline stricta KEYWORDS Negative: fear, issues wit te faterm co-dependancy, sexism, balancing male and femal witin. Positive: trust in one s inner strengt, acceptance of being female, eals relationsip wit te fater balances. Tere are four basic fears: Fear of being alone Fear of exposure Fear of intimacy Fear of te unknown Fear passes from uman to uman unknowing, As one leaf passes its sudder to anoter All at once te wole tree is trembling And tere is no sign of wind DESCRIPTION Cordyline stricta is known as te Narrow-leaved Palm Lily. It is a member of te Asteliaceae family. In days gone by, it was included in te Agavaceae family. Tere are many species in te genus and eigt of tese are native to eastern Australia. Cordyline stricta is a tall srub of about metres tall wit long, linear leaves and pendulous clusters of purplisappearing flowers in spring. It stands erect, or curved, depending on wat it as to grow around, wit long seating flowers. Te flowers are small and bell-saped, and grow in dense panicles from te upper part of te plant. Tey appear as small wite to purple flowers in winter and spring in clusters (panicles) from te upper leaf axils. Flesy, siny black fruits follow te flowers. Bot flowers and fruits are attractive features of te Palm Lily. Altoug individual flowers are small, tey are sometimes visited by oneyeaters. Cultivated for teir foliage, te leaves are deep, glossy green, linear in sape and up to alf a metre long by about 2.5 cm wide, wit a seating base. Tey require a ric soil and a saded position wit plentiful moisture. Te fruit develops into a crab apple-looking seed, wic, wen broken open, looks like te uman multidimensional anatomy, or uman being, complete wit surrounding aura. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Te flowers are small and detailed, and eac individual flower seems to be lost in a crowd. Tey stretc outwards and upwards as if reacing out. Te leaves are sowy and oversadow te tiny but beautiful flowers. Tese plants are cultivated as decorative plants for teir foliage rater tan te flowers. It is as if te real beauty is overlooked wile te misplaced focus is on te leaves. Altoug te flowers are te parts of te plant tat ensure survival, tey appear to be insignificant. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 69

70 It is as if te important aspects of life are trivialized and inconsequential wit no attention being paid to tem. SEEKING ATTENTION Te flowers are reacing out. It is similar to wen Essence we seek frivolous Blends company or pursuits, including addiction to sopping, to assuage loneliness. Unable to see te big picture, we can get lost in te detail of pursuing anyting tat will prevent us from feeling needy and lonely, just as te flowers, oversadowed by te sowy leaves, appear to be seeking company, or to be noticed. Females and males are biologically designed to be different. And wat s more, teir differences are built into te design of teir bodies. And not only are teir bodies built to function differently, but so are teir emotional responses, tougt processes, ways of interpreting any given situation and wat tey want to acieve in life. WOMEN AND MEN ARE DIFFERENT In fact, te value systems of males and females are often diametrically opposed, driven by ormonal and pysical drivers tat vary according to gender. In reality, females and males can be described as polar opposites. And tat is exactly ow nature intended it to be. In a recent survey, men and women were asked to describe te kind of person tey ideally would like to be. Men cose bold, competitive, capable, dominant, assertive, admired, practical, and to ave prestige and power and to own tings. Women cose warm, loving, generous, sympatetic, attractive, friendly, giving, to give service to oters and to meet interesting people. Te dissimilarity in responses demonstrates a wide divergence in ideals and values between men and women. Given te disparity in ways of viewing te world, it is no wonder tat men and women process stress differently. GENDER AND STRESS Stress affects women s brains in te limbic region, a part of te brain tat is deeply seated in te inner core location known as te midbrain. Tis part of te brain is also known as te emotional brain and sometimes even te cemical brain because it is responsible for regulating many different internal states tat are considered to be automatic suc as body temperature, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, digestion and blood ormone levels. Te limbic system is also tat part of te brain most concerned wit survival on all levels: pysical, mental and emotional. No wonder tat women are described as being intuitive. Because of teir frequent connection wit tese automatic systems of te body, tey are regularly in touc wit teir inbuilt body intelligence, alerting tem to danger in teir world via deep-rooted body signals. WOMEN AND FEAR For te same reason, women are triggered to feel teir emotions acutely and so teir beaviour is compelled strongly by emotional factors, especially tose concerned wit survival. From a biological design point of view, tis is because women need to concern temselves wit te survival of teir babies. Teir intuitive knowing alerts tem to impending danger. Terefore, as a biological design strategy, women are more likely to feel fear and ave it affect teir body-mind more often tan men. Women express teir basic survival needs troug connection and closeness, especially wit teir partner. Wen a woman feels close, se feels secure and can relax - se and er babies will be safe. Conversely, wen se feels distance se gets anxious because er safety, and tat of er baby, may be treatened. Cordyline assists a woman feeling fear and anxiety about er relationsip to trust. It grants er te stillness of mind to wait and see, rater tan force a confrontation tat will most likely escalate into an argument. Women fear isolation and experience discomfort at being alone because tey are biologically programmed for connection wit oter beings. Tis ensures tat wen teir babies are learning social skills, women naturally seek a variety of meaningful interactions wit te people in teir circle tat serve to socialize er infant. Cordyline elps a woman to feel comfortable in er aloneness by find meaningful and creative ways to fill te perceived void. Used wit Verbena it encourages a woman to network, reacing out positively for company tat will satisfy er specific need for connection. 70 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

71 It is important to note tat tese biological strategies are built into a woman as part of er biological ineritance, weter se as ad a baby or not. MEN AND FEAR Men don t know wat women s fear feels like. Tey are biologically programmed to protect teir mate and family, and to translate survival fears into strategies of figting to protect, or fleeing to figt anoter day (figt or fligt). Wen men are under stress, tere is an increased blood flow to te left orbito-frontal cortex of te brain so tat tey can problem-solve to avert danger to te family unit. In general, te frontal lobes are responsible for tougt-inspired action as well as focusing attention. Tis means tat tey function more by tinking rater tan experiencing strong feelings wen under duress. Researc tells us tat te biggest single difference in emotions between te sexes is te frequency and intensity of fear. It also confirms tat baby boys do not feel fear and pain to te degree tat baby girls do. WOMEN ARE CONNECTORS Women, wit teir close interface wit te limbic system, are ardwired for connection, intimacy, closeness, networking and bonding. Tey seek relationsips wit oter people to validate teir sense of wellbeing. Teir greatest fear is of being alone or being deprived. Women tend and befriend. MEN ARE PROTECTORS Men, on te oter and, are ardwired for performance, protection, competition, problem-solving and sexual enjoyment. Tey seek relationsips wit tings to validate teir sense of wellbeing. A man s emotional stress is caused by a sense of inadequacy tat e will be able to fulfil te role of protector and provider, for is woman and family. Men figt or flee. Men and women were designed by nature to complement one anoter. Neiter gender s role or point of view is more valid tan te oter. Women need men and men need women. A true working relationsip occurs wen eac person owns and accepts te biological role Nature designed for tem. Many women like to feel close to teir men so tat tey can feel safe, and men like to protect and look after teir women. Wen we understand and accept te basic principles ardwired into our biology, we are more likely to enjoy a peaceful relationsip. THE FEAR OF BEING ALONE Cordyline addresses te greatest fear tat assails women: te fear of being alone, left alone or of being deprived. Tis fear aunts many women trougout teir lives, even toug te biological reason for needing a man around - to protect te family unit - as long passed. Women regardless of age are ardwired for relationsips - tat is wy many older women experience difficulty being alone after teir partner as passed on. Cordyline is for lonely, older women wo perceive teir future as bleak and empty because tey fear teir opportunity to find a comforting relationsip as passed. It elps tem to be open to te possibility of connection regardless of age. It also elps women wo are contemplating leaving an unsatisfactory relationsip, but fear being alone. Tey may be putting up wit circumstances tat are difficult or strained for fear of making te move. It also assists te woman wo discovers tat er partner as been aving an affair to evaluate er situation coolly and witout a sense of panic wat er best options are. Use wit Storm Lily for te time immediately after te initial discovery to manage te sense of sock and betrayal. Fear of being alone is also wy many younger women pine a relationsip, even toug tey migt be enjoying career success, and an abundance of friends and a close support network. Cordyline assists women wo feel empty or deprived because tey are not in a relationsip. It also elps wit te feeling tat someow tey ave less status tan oter women wo are in a relationsip. It is also for silly, gauce adolescent girls wo appear to be tizzy and empty-eaded but underneat are really unsure of teir identity as women, unaware tat te fear of being alone is intrinsic to teir gender. Tis attitude can lead to early sexual experience and even teenage promiscuity. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 71

72 TAKING SECOND PLACE It also addresses tose women wo aven t yet tapped into teir own feminine intelligence and power, but rater detour teir soul and life s energy into tat of teir spouse Essence or mate, believing Blends tat tis is te woman s place. It is used for tose women wo trivialize teir gender and make temselves small in te belief tat women sould know teir place and stay out of men s affairs. GIRLS AND THEIR FATHERS Cordyline is also for women wo ave grown up in te presence of an overbearing, critical fater. Tey carry te wound into adultood and are nervous and over-sensitive in te presence of powerful and autoritative men. Tey also lack confidence in te world as a result. Te fater as an important role in saping a young girl s confidence in te world. Faters teac teir little girls ow to be confident in te world. It is generally faters tat play te roug and tumble games and identify wit te world of objects and events outside of te family ome, suc as a football game or a racing-car meet. Troug te fater s influence, little girls learn to ave te confidence to venture outside of te nurturing environment of ome to ave fun. On te oter and, it is te role of te moter to teac emotional intelligence and te ability to connect to oters in a comforting way. Eac parent as a gender-specific role tat provides crucial understandings to te developing cild. Moters and faters ave different but complementary roles in parenting, and bot are critical for te rounded development of a cild. It is also te fater s relationsip wit is daugter tat teaces er ow to relate to oter men in er life, suc as er partner, er sons and grandsons in adultood. Faters and daugters ave a special connection. Cordyline elps women to re-forge teir relationsip wit teir dad, if tey feel estranged from im, or if tey carry resentment tat e wasn t tere for tem as tey were growing up. Tis reconnection is intrinsic for a woman to feel confident in er masculine side - tat part of er tat gives enables er to feel self-assured in following er ambitions, be it in te world of business, politics, or any oter endeavour tat brings prestige, recognition and power. ABUSE It also assists if er relationsip wit er fater as been abusive - eiter pysically or sexually. Abuse causes a deep wound tat can afflict a woman for te rest of er life, unless se is able to eal it. Healing it means being able to forgive er fater, not for wat e did, but because it was is wounding tat distorted is loving connection wit is daugter. Wit a compassionate eart, a woman can see beyond te urt and pain tat se carries and find love for er fater, troug understanding te dept of is pain - love im but do not condone is action. It is also necessary for er to forgive erself for being a victim of circumstance. In many cases, sexual abuse carries a double wammy. Te cild can often love being specialed by er fater on one and - it is intense and very alluring for a cild to be singled out by a significant, adult figure - wile at te same time carrying a deep, underlying sense of same and disgust at wat seems to be intrinsically and intuitively wrong. Sexual abuse by a fater is deeply complex and sets up conflicting emotions in te cild wo as been te victim. To recognize te dept of wounding is te first step to ealing, and reconnecting wit te fater is te next step. Sometimes, te reconnection occurs in te woman s eart completely, witout any overt communication wit er fater at all. Sometimes te wound is so deep tat it is impossible to build a bridge wit te real person. One doesn t ave to like te person to forgive im - just to love im in a way tat brings peace to one s own eart troug tolerance, compassion and understanding. And tat can occur in te quiet of one s own private space. Tis essence elps wit tat ealing process. By ealing tis wound, a woman ensures te quality of er present and future relationsips wit te oter males in er life. It combines well wit Acacia and Red Kamala to elp a woman feel safe in te expression of er sexuality and to enjoy te deep pleasure tat sexuality can provide. SEXISM Cordyline assists ultra-feminine, girly-girls wo use teir feminine wiles to get out of taking responsibility for aspects of life, e.g. te girl wo can t cange a tyre on te car, or wo forgets to put oil in te car, wen tere is not a male around to do it. Wen females tap into teir feminine power tey are incredibly resourceful and can do anyting. Creating a false divide between wat is in te male domain and wat is strictly female, limits te possibility of fully optimizing one s life. Tis attitude is often seen in women wo ave lost a partner and suddenly discover tey don t know ow to manage teir affairs, look after money, and re-establis temselves witout teir partner. Cordyline works on te kidney and te eart meridians, dissolving fear and bringing joyful acceptance. Cordyline resonates to Cakras 2, 3 and Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

73 A word of caution is necessary ere. In taking tis essence, a person may prove and face te gost of teir aloneness. Tis means tat tey may feel teir aloneness more acutely for a sort time. Tis is part of te ealing process. If te feeling persists stop taking Cordyline for a day and use Crisis Calm, ten resume te Cordyline wen feeling settled again. Te loneliness will resolve in time to feel more comfortable. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For fear of being alone, abandoned or deprived. For fear of not being in a relationsip, being unloved. For co-dependency. For women wo give teir power to men. For issues wit te fater. For fear of men. For sexism. For feeling tat te male in your life is more important tan you are. For fear of intimacy, and of being seen as vulnerable. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES Re-establises trust in oneself. Assists easy acceptance of single status. For joyful acceptance of being a female. Heals te relationsip wit te fater. Assists women in ealing sexual abuse in te past. Assists women to access teir feminine intelligence. For embracing te male and te female witin. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 73

74 DANDELION Taraxacum officinale KEYWORDS Negative: overwelm, dissociated states, racing tougts, scattered and unfocused, mind won t sut down, tired. Positive: grounds and centres, clarifies tougts, aids focus, re-energieses, calms. DESCRIPTION Tis plant, despised as a weed, is one of nature s greatest ealing aids, and is a medicine cest in itself. It is a ardy perennial, and grows wild nearly everywere. It as a flesy root and a straigt stem up to 20tall tat rises precariously above te ground and is topped by a brigt yellow golden flower a collection of tiny florets eac providing a ripe seed in time. 12 leaves grow flat to te ground in a circular arrangement wit te tall stem arising from te middle. A native of Europe and Nort America, T. officinale as become naturalized in tis country and occurs widely in te cooler parts of Australia. Tis plant as a erbal remedy is good for diabetes, tonifying te liver, kidneys and gallbladder and improves digestion. Te leaves, used as a diuretic, may be taken eiter raw or cooked, and te roots are commonly ground and drunk as a bitter-tasting substitute for coffee. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Te flower of tis extremely beneficial plant overs and waves in te air way above te ground. It s as toug it s as far from te pysical as it can be, cut off from its roots and sustenance. Te leaves and roots ave been used for many undreds of years as erbal medicines, and te leaves are flat on te ground in a circular arrangement, as if tey are ugging te eart. Te flower seems to be totally disconnected from te base. Te flower ead is a brigt, distinct yellow, te colour of te intellect or te conscious mind and is made up of many little flowerlets. Eac flowerlet as a truncated petal, wic appears as if it as been cut off sarply at te outer border. Taken togeter, te flowerlets appear to be igly ordered and structured, sitting closely togeter in a circular arrangement making up te flower ead. It is as if tere are many separate tougts going around and around in te ead, not going anywere. AWAY WITH THE FAIRIES In te uman psyce, wen a person is dissociated from body, tey are so absorbed in teir tougts tat tey are not present, in te sense tat tey are not aware of wat is going on around tem. In tis way, tey can come unstuck, as tey may not notice a proverbial potole, and promptly fall in, injuring temselves. On all levels, being disconnected from te present circumstance like tis can be dangerous and a treat to survival. An example is a true life case I was involved in were a young man, in is late teens, was walking along te side of a busy street, so absorbed in is own tougts tat e did not see a bus coming is way, driving at a good speed close to te parked cars. It was a close save - te bus missed im but not quite because te side mirror wacked im in te ead, trowing im to te ground and rendering im unconscious. He was in a coma for many weeks. Surgeons told is moter tat e would be a vegetable, if e ever regained consciousness. He did, but it took many years of reabilitation and determination before e regained is full ealt status. His only mistake was aving is ead in te clouds. Tere are oter ramifications also. Many a young girl as been raped because se was lost in a cloud of drugs or alcool, not sufficiently present in body to defend erself from abusive and unlawful beaviour. Drugs and alcool over a prolonged period can cause cronic and damaging dissociative states. THE IMPORTANCE OF FOCUS Being able to focus on a task is impossible wen a person is experiencing scattered tinking and out-of-body states. Tings just don t get done, tasks are not completed and dreams witer on te bus if tere is no focus. Dandelion is especially good if tere is a job tat needs doing. It brings ideas to ground and assists in setting down te procedural steps tat must be taken to accomplis te task. 74 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

75 Te 12 leaves are in a circular arrangement lying flat on te ground. It is as if te pysical form, wit its 12 meridians tat distribute te vital force trougout te body, is flat witout te necessary vitality derived from te Mind component to vitalize it. It even as te energy it to sit up and take notice of its surrounding. Tere is a maxim in Traditional Cinese Medicine tat goes, Were tougt goes, qi (energy) flows and were qi flows, blood follows. Tis saying sows ow necessary closely tougt and body energy are connected. TCM is olistic medicine, meaning all aspects of te person - mental, energetic and pysical - are interconnected and mutually vital in contributing to wellbeing. EXCESSIVE THINKING Seen from a distance, no oter part of te plant is visible but te flower. It is as if te tougts are given priority and te body corpus receives no recognition at all. Te critical interconnecting component, qi or energy tat animates te body is absent from te mix. Te leaves and te roots are te parts of te plant are used medicinally. Here is were te value is found in tis little plant and yet ironically it is te flower tat is so noticeable. Wen te Mind component of te wole body (mind and body) is over-valued, te resources and ealt-giving properties of feminine intelligence, nutrition, exercise and fres air tat keep te body vital are considered insignificant and not important. Te mistaken perception is tat te Body component will just run itself. Te leaves and roots of te Dandelion plant ave been used for many undreds of years as erbal medicines, mostly by women ealers, troug te latter alf of te last millennium. Te leaves, flat on te ground, look as if tey are ugging te eart, aware of te sustenance being absorbed by te roots. Because te central flower is strongly suggestive of te sun, it as strong resonance wit te digestive system and te tird energy centre, te Solar Plexus. Tis is were te liver is located, wic is responsible for detoxifying te body. Dandelion is used as a erbal medicine for cleansing te liver. Te brain is te first organ in te body to receive energy transformed by te digestive system. If mental activity gobbles up all te body energy, a person will feel constantly tired and letargic. It can also lead to excessive weigt, due to te inefficiency of te digestive system. Te body becomes eavy and weiged down, leading to couc potato syndrome. Locked into a vicious downward spiral, te person can lose interest in life and become despondent. Apaty and lack of motivation set in and te person begins to lose ope. Dandelion works deeply by supporting te digestive system and assists a person by picking up teir vital energy. Wen a person is overwelmed, wit tougts racing around in te ead, tey will be unable to digest te contents of teir lives. If combined wit self-image problems, often anorexia and uncontrolled weigt loss will be te consequence. REMEMBER TO EAT Many people do not eat enoug food during te day to provide sufficient energy for te body to function. If tey are also using lots of mental energy, te body begins to use up valuable stores, leaving it seriously depleted. Anorexic or very tin people often find tey ave no temperature control and become ot or cold at te sligtest cange in te external environment. Tey perspire easily, feel tired all te time and suffer dull, constant eadaces. Sometimes tey can also feel constant nausea. Tis combination of symptoms points to an underactive and poorly functioning digestive system. Eventually, if te condition persists over time, te ability to tink will also begin to be affected. Te brain needs lots of energy to run it. Dandelion assists by bringing awareness to te need of te body to fuel itself. It also quiets te racing mind so tat more energy is available for bodily function. CONNECTING THE BODY WITH THE MIND Dandelion elps to balance between tinking and activity. Latest researc tells us tat te body is an extremely sensitive and intelligent instrument, serving us faitfully for our igest ealt potential. It as te capacity for plasticity, meaning tat it responds to wat we are tinking just like a car is directed by te driver. Wen te body and mind are fully connected, like an orcestra, Mind orcestrates all te body parts and functions for optimum performance. But wen Mind is disengaged or distracted, tere is no conductor and te result can be caos. Scattered tougts or constant repetitive tougts tat go nowere lead to frustration and a feeling of never accomplising anyting. Dandelion also assists wit insomnia tat comes from racing tougts tat won t stop and te mind tat won t sut down troug worry. Use wit Wite Wandering Jew for best results. Being lost in tougt results in not being present in te moment, so tat any emotional interactions are eiter devalued or not registered, creating a gulf between people. As parents we can be pysically tere for our cildren, but not totally present because our tougts are engaged elsewere. We become like robots or automatons, relating witout feeling. Many people lose years of teir lives in tis way, lost in te realm of teir own tougts until one day tey wake up and wonder ow te time as gone so fast, witout noticing it or enjoying te process. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 75

76 Te secret to fully living life is to be present in te moment. Dandelion assists us to come into te present to fully appreciate being alive. Some relationsips are conducted in tis way. Te eart connection is rarely made because one or bot parties are living in te realm of teir own tougts and can t close teir tougts down to be present to te oter. LEGENDS IN THEIR OWN MINDS Tis essence addresses te legend in teir own mind syndrome. Eiter or bot partners are so stuck in teir eads tat tey become ard-edged and instead of relating to te oter wit wisdom and compassionate understanding, become critical, nagging and sort of patience. In many cases, one partner can be so fully engaged wit teir own tougts tat tey fail to see tat te oter as been aving an affair and react wit sock and disbelief. How could tis ave appened? tey ll say. All teir friends could see it but tey didn t. Dandelion brings us back to te present to navigate our relationsip from a deeper feminine wisdom so tat we see, feel and intuit ealty responses in our intimate zones. GIVING AWAY OUR POWER Anoter way tat we abandon our deeper feminine intelligence is wen we put our fait in an autority outside of ourselves. For example, wen we blindly follow te bio-medical model witout question, it can ave a devastating effect on our sense of personal empowerment. Mainstream medicine is rooted deeply in te patriarcal tradition and is modelled on te masculine principle. It is ierarcal, top-eavy, autoritative and based on problem-solving ealt disorders rater tan ealing te person. It focuses on symptoms rater tan te cause of disease and te solution to an existing ailment can be more damaging tan te problem itself. It largely ignores te self-ealing capacity of te vital force itself and intervenes, in many cases, were a simple lifestyle cange is te answer. Tat is not to say tat tere is not a valuable place for modern medicine. It came into its strengt following te Second World War wen te magic silver bullet approac saved many tousands of lives on te battlefield under emergency conditions. But cronic disease does not constitute emergency medicine. In fact, it requires te opposite approac. It needs a reversal of te lifestyle factors tat are causing te disease and te inclusion of life-enancing practices tat will restore te vital force. Natural medicine rests on igly nutritious foods, plenty of fres air, rest, water, avoidance of excesses of alcool and oter toxic substances and most of all, emotional balance and peace of mind. Not only will a moderate and ealty lifestyle reverse many cronic disorders, but it will prevent furter disease patterns taking root in te body. Many women are eiter so engaged in teir own tougts, creating teir own fantasy world, tat tey don t allow te time or ave te confidence to get in touc wit te deeper wisdom tat lies buried in teir biological legacy waiting to be discovered. Tey become alienated from teir bodies so tat tey lose confidence in temselves and teir ability to know wat is best for tem. Because it is easier to and over te responsibility of teir own ealt to someone else, tey willingly give teir feminine power away to doctors wo, in many cases, are male. THE DE-FEMININISING PROCESS Male researcers and doctors ave readily prescribed potent medications for women tat disrupt te natural armony of te female body, witout due consideration of te effect it is aving on women s bodies. Many women collude in tis wolesale de-feminising process, because tey are not mindfully present to protect te integrity of teir gender ineritance. Tis includes practices suc as: eavy long-term use of te pill, te ormone patc or IUD tat effectively dispense wit te menses and cemically castrate a woman by permanently reducing er libido; IVF procedures tat are continued until suc time as te body suffers damage and furter depleting a woman s fertility; and caesarean birts tat are not medical necessities but rater a preferred option. Tis essence works on te Stomac, Spleen, Liver and Gall Bladder meridians enancing digestion and controlling excessive tinking. Dandelion resonates to Cakras 1, 3 and Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

77 YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For dissociation/ being away wit te fairies. For racing tougts or te mind tat won t sut down. For being scattered and unfocused. For overwelm. For Mind-Body separation. For digestive disturbances, tiredness and exaustion, anorexia, and over weigt, eadaces, nausea and feeling liveris. For insomnia. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES Grounds and centres. Calms te mind. Aids focus. For feeling rigt tere wen engaging wit oters. Assists in acieving goals. Energises and vitalizes. For balancing te Mind and Body. Strengtens digestion. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 77

78 FRECKLE FACE Hypoestes sanguinolenta KEYWORDS Negative: communication difficulties, srill words feeling criticised, frustration, parent/cild conflict. Positive: for safety in expression, for speaking kindly, speaking trut, joy in silence. DESCRIPTION Belonging to te Acantaceae family, Hypoestes sanguinolenta, or Freckle Face, is a plant igly valued for its foliage. Its flowers are insignificant, but te brilliantly coloured leaves are te most noticeable aspect of tis attractive indoor or outdoor plant. It grows to a eigt of cm spreads from cm. It blooms in mid-summer and its flower is considered inconspicuous for te garden lover. Te leaves of tis variety are deep green wit vivid random pink spots tat call out for attention. It is named Freckle Face or Polka Dot plant for te spotty leaves. It produces small, brilliant magenta-coloured flowers tat make a striking contrast against te deep green background of te leaf. It grows in a cusion, mound or clump, starting out rounded and getting taller and more uprigt as te season goes on. It likes some sun, wic increases its variegation, but it can tolerate lower levels of ligt. In tropical climates, it can be grown outdoors, but must be grown in a sady location, as full outdoor sun will kill it. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Te brigt magenta, tiny flower grows ig on te stem as it is lengtening out and reacing upwards in te latter pase of its growt. It looks like a wide-open mout issuing a projectile stream from its dept. It as a top petal, appearing as te upper lip, wic curls back towards te stem. It is truncated, wit tree lobes like tree tick fingers pointing back towards te self. Te lower petal sits underneat, giving te appearance of a wide-open jaw. From between te two comes a long, straigt stamen tat gives te appearance tat someting is issuing from te mout wit force. SPEAKING OUR TRUTH Magenta is te colour of te new iger vibration cakra, identified as starting to appear in people expressing te new consciousness coming into te planet at present. It is located at te base of te brain, rougly in line wit te vocal cords, and is said to be te Mout of God centre, more igly developed in tose wo are speaking teir own trut and wisdom, and cannelling information from iger dimensions. Te leaves are dark green, like te eart cakra, wit pink spots in a random careless pattern all over, obliterating te clarity of te leaf. In Traditional Cinese Medicine, te eart is reflected in te face. Te energy expression of te eart is communicating wit oters. Dots on te leaf, superimposed on te dark green background, draw a viewer s attention, giving te impression tat careless words obscure te clarity of wat is essentially te trut. Te plant is valued for its foliage, rater tan te flowers, and it seems tat te careless words become te focus of attention in communication, rater tan one s eartfelt trut, wic comes from deep witin. Te dots also obscure te trut from te speaker, as if tere are blind spots, wic prevents seeing wat is at te eart of te matter. COMPASSIONATE COMMUNICATION Non-Violent Communication is a worldwide movement started by Dr Marsal Rosenberg, to facilitate relationsips troug communication from te eart. Witin te language of Non-Violent Communication, reference is made to te giraffe, te animal wit te largest eart. Wen we communicate in respectful terms, we are coming from te eart, so we are said to speak giraffe-talk, or ear wit giraffe ears. And of course, giraffes are spotty, just like te spots on te leaf. Tis essence is about communication, and more importantly, ow we communicate. 78 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

79 Communication as te power eiter to create armony or disarmony in our relationsips. From an energy perspective, communication is te language of te eart - it is troug our words and body language tat we convey te intention beind wat we say to oters. Te oter aspect to communication is earing or listening. We also need to ear wit our eart. PARENT AND CHILD COMMUNICATION - KEY TO RELATIONSHIPS Neiter expressing nor earing can often be te case were tere is parent-cild conflict. Eiter party can easily alienate te oter because tey do not know ow to effectively and loving communicate teir needs to elicit a positive response. Nor can tey ear, from te eart, wat te oter person is really saying. Freckle Face facilitates parent-cild communication by opening up te eart. As an active expression of interaction between two people, communication can eiter enance a relationsip, ensuring tat you are aving your needs met, or it can lead to disconnection and feelings of isolation and distress. Wen we communicate wit onesty, power, integrity and compassion, we can be guaranteed tat te people in our lives will respond in kind. However, most people ave not mastered te art of eart-felt communication and instead find tat teir well-meaning attempts to express teir own needs in a situation and to maintain connection end up feeling, at best, unfulfilling, and at worst, empty and disconnected. Communication can be polluted by te distortions in our tinking tat, in turn, taints our language and conveys a message to te oter tat can be disrespectful, judgmental, critical, blaming, labelling, demanding and moralistic. IT S ALL IN THE WAY WE SAY IT Sometimes a person will suppress any attempt at communication because tere is suc an emotional carge on wat tey want to say tat tey fear it will come out wrongly or violently. Allied wit tat is te fear tat, in expressing teir needs, te oter person will react negatively. So rater tan make any attempt to ave teir needs met troug open and clear communication, tey will prefer to stifle teir wants all togeter. Often, in reality, te fear of communicating stems from an underlying sense tat we do not deserve to ave our needs met. Regardless of te underlying reason, te key to communicating our needs, and weter te communication is received in te spirit it was intended or not, is in te way we express tem. COMMUNICATING IN INTIMACY One of te most important tings to remember about te uman spirit is tat most people, males and females, want to feel connected to oters at a deep level. Tis is especially true in an intimate relationsip were an easy, ligt and flowing connection between te couple elicits a sense of peace and wellbeing for bot. However, researc sows tat in intimacy, and in oter speres, men and women communicate and connect in different ways, due to gender-specific ardwiring of te brain. As previously discussed, te female brain interfaces primarily wit te limbic system, known as te emotional brain, especially wen under stress. Tis means tat women are triggered to feel teir emotions acutely, and for teir beaviour to be compelled strongly by emotional factors, especially tose concerned wit survival. Moreover, women express teir basic survival needs troug connection and closeness. Terefore, wen a woman feels close and connected, se feels secure and can relax. Conversely, wen se feels an emotional distance, se gets anxious. Women are wired to communicate teir emotions easily. Often teir communication wit teir intimate partner is motivated by a need to re-connect because tey feel a distance. Superficially, te conversation may be about teir finances, te use of te car or te cildren s needs and so on. However, se frequently seeks reassurance tat er partner is upolding and supporting er, altoug tis primary motivation is usually below er conscious awareness. Wen er partner seems distant from er, a woman s greatest fear is te fear of being alone or deprived. Se wants to know tat e is still tere for er. On te oter and, wen a male is under stress, tere is increased blood flow to te left orbito-frontal cortex of te brain. In general, te frontal lobes are responsible for intentional action as well as for focusing our attention. Tis means tat men tend to function more at te level of tinking processes tan feeling, wen under duress, emotional or oterwise. Te male brain is ardwired to seek solutions in a crisis rater tan to seek te comfort of is partner. Indeed a crucial part of is biological role in being male is to protect and provide a feeling of security, offering er comfort. Researc sows tat males, even from infancy on, are discomforted by intensity of emotion. Teir inbuilt incapacity to maintain a sense of constant connectedness in te way a woman wants arouses in tem feelings of inadequacy or same tat tey cannot reciprocate. Tis underlying sense of inadequacy means tat any conversation callenging te way tey express teir undying devotion will trow tem into stress - straigt into te left orbito-frontal cortex of te brain - and teir tinking brain. So wat does tis mean in terms of communication, especially in intimacy? Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 79

80 If anxiety and fear of being alone drives our communication wit our partner and e, in turn, feels treatened by te intensity of emotional contact in our communication, te conversation intended to elicit more closeness is likely to end up in frustration and escalation, rater tan resolution. How ten are conflicts resolved so tat as women we feel reconnected and our partner retains is sense of masculinity? WIDENING THE GULF Wen we use blaming, demanding, critical and labelling language, it trusts a man deep into te subconscious sense of inadequacy tat e already as about is inability to compete wit females on an emotional level. He will coose from a number of recognizable strategies to deflect from tat sense of same or inadequacy tat e rarely admits to because e is a man - and men are supposed to be good at tings. It may involve any number of patways depending on wic e as perfected - souting or violent response, silence or apparent disinterest, cange of subject or apparent compliance wit absolutely no sign of follow-troug in te days, weeks or monts tereafter. Wicever te response, it is more likely to add to our discomfort rater tan alleviate it. Freckle Face elps us to become aware of te way tat we are communicating. Wen we state our needs clearly and openly, it gives te male an opportunity to respond witout aving to ook into emotionally manipulative dialogue tat makes im feel swamped and defensive. It also elps us recognise tat sometimes silence as a more powerful effect tan words. STATING OUR NEEDS CLEARLY Ideally, good communication elicits a loving response and results in aving our needs met. But tat means tat we ave to be able to identify wat it is tat we need, feel worty of aving tis need met and distinguis between manipulative strategies to get our way and te sense tat we can expect a response wen we operate openly and transparently. Being clear about our unmet needs usually means tat we recognize our partner may need to express some of is own unmet needs too. Terefore, it also means listening carefully to wat e is saying. One of te traps tat we fall into in communication is earing a negative message from anoter, rater tan listening deeply and intuitively to wat is often not being expressed, but wic is driving te communication. Similarly, we often assume tat te oter must know wat it is tat we need, leading to an erroneous judgment of tat person as ars or unfeeling tat furter escalates te situation. Judgments of oters are alienated expressions of our own unmet needs - one finger pointing at you and tree fingers pointing back. If we express our needs ten we ave a muc greater cance of aving tem met. And if we don t value our needs, oters won t eiter. Listing our needs, pleading, imploring and excusing oneself for asking are all strategies tat give te message to te listener: I don t believe tat I deserve my needs to be met. EMOTIONAL LIBERATION Tere are tree stages in emotional liberation: 1. Emotional slavery - we believe ourselves responsible for oter s feelings - tis makes people we care about seem to be burdens. 2. Insufferable stage - feeling angry and no longer wanting to be responsible for oter s feelings - tat s your problem attitude. 3. Emotional liberation - we take responsibility for our intentions and actions. Wen we take te time to explore our needs and to discern wic ones are being met and wic are being unmet, we are at te tird stage of taking responsibility. Te next step is to elicit a response in te oter to elp you meet your own needs. We will not meet wit success if we name-call, blame and same te oter. But we can be sure of an empatetic response wen we name our need clearly and, wit respect, ask if te oter would be willing to meet tat need, weter tey oblige us or not. Freckle Face elps us to discern our needs so tat we can better communicate wat it is tat we want. MELISSA Melissa was at te end of er teter wit Will. As a family wit two teenage cildren, bot in critical stages in teir education at ig scool, tey were bot very busy wit teir own businesses. Melissa found erself to be in a continual state of anger and resentment because te bulk of responsibility for caring for te cildren was left to er, even toug se detected on many occasions tat Will ignored direct calls for assistance from te cildren, particularly teir seventeen-year-old son Jason. 80 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

81 Se ad ad many emotionally fraugt discussions wit Will and ad even, in earlier years, dragged im off to Effective Parenting nigts, but to no avail. Noting seemed to sift im and, in spite of te fact tat Melissa suffered severe pain on a montly basis due to menstrual problems, Will was just as selfis and single-minded as ever. It was Will s selfis attitude tat made er boil - couldn t e see ow often se dragged erself off to parent nigts for te sake of te cildren and drove Jason to martial arts eac week to make sure tat e got te exercise e needed to support im wile e was studying ard? Melissa was at te point of desperation. Se was seriously considering leaving Will and setting erself up on er own wit te cildren. All e seemed to do was add to er burden by expecting is meals to be cooked, even toug se put in a full day at er business as well. Furtermore, se ad not experienced is tenderness for years, and ad long ago decided tat se would make sex unavailable to im because, clearly, e did not love er enoug to tink about ow muc se needed is support. Wen se came to see me, I asked er ow se was meeting is needs. Se replied tat se cooked for im and kept te ouse in order, allowing im to focus fully on is business. I asked er ow long ago it was tat se ad asked im wat e wanted from te marriage. Se replied tat se could not remember. I ten asked er to list all er unmet needs. Se couldn t answer me in terms of er needs, but went on to tell me some of te feelings se was constantly aving. I translated tese into needs for er and se was astonised tat se ad not recognized tat er basic uman requirements were not being fulfilled. Tis ad given er a feeling of being crippled, and tat life was a struggle altoug se was unable to articulate tis sense witin erself because subconsciously, se did not feel se deserved to be appy. Here are some of te feelings se described. I ave added er unfulfilled, basic uman needs in italics. I feel abandoned - need for nurturing, connection, belonging, support and caring. I feel invalidated - need for appreciation, respect, acknowledgement and recognition. I feel ignored - need for connection, belonging, inclusion, community, participation, communication, and to be eard. I feel let down - need for consistency, trust, support and dependability. I feel overworked - need for respect, consideration, rest and caring. I gave er Freckle Face and suggested tat se take some time to be wit te feeling tat, in not recognizing er own needs, se ad to take responsibility for not voicing tem. Se was appy to look at te concept of self-responsibility, and tat er usband was not a mind reader. It took Melissa two weeks to ave te conversation wit er usband tat canged er life forever. Se said tat se was surprised wen se began to explore wat it was tat se really wanted from im and cose er words carefully, but from er eart. Se said to im, Will, I need support and elp in assisting te cildren troug tese vital few years of ig scool. Would you be willing to sit down wit me and take a look at ow we can bot contribute to teir future? Melissa said tat Will s response floored er. He sat down, put is and over ers and replied, Wat?...me? How can I elp? I tougt tat you wanted to do all tat stuff yourself. You are suc a good moter after all. Yea sure, I d love to be involved. Wat types of tings did you ave in mind? In is own way and unwittingly, Will ad just secured is future place in te family ome! He ad responded to a request for elp easily and witout question because e did not feel treatened. Every oter time, Melissa ad served im up an indigestible soup of unrequited feelings and e ad ducked for cover, retreating into wat felt safe for im - is work. He ad even ignored is son s calls for elp because e was so unsure about ow Melissa would react if e stepped into er territory. Every time I see Melissa tese days, er brow is smoot and se looks so brigt and energized. Communication lines are open wit Will and tey are working togeter as a couple for te first time in many years. Compassionate communication as enanced teir relationsip. GETTING OUR NEEDS MET On page 34 of tis book, I listed basic uman needs. I added an extensive inventory of emotions tat we may feel, wen our needs are being met and wen tey are not being met. Te difference in feelings is like tat between eaven and ell. Many people experience constant negative emotional states, never recognizing tat it is because tey ave many unmet uman needs, wic tey ave a rigt to ask to be met. And te saddest part is tat te only ting tat stands between experiencing life as eaven or ell is te ability to be able to recognize and express our needs. Expression of needs and Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 81

82 asking for tem to be met is not a cast-iron assurance tat te loved one s in your life will be able to meet tem. But once articulated, it brings us to te point of being able to decide alternative ways to ave tem fulfilled. It is igly unlikely tat one person can fulfil all Essence our needs. Women Blends in particular ave a facile capacity for networking and often ave certain needs met witin te workplace, suc as te need for acknowledgement and recognition. Or tey may find tat teir women s network or curc group supports te needs for inclusion, belonging, peace and community. And certainly, cildren meet many of women s needs for connection, love and belonging. Freckle Face assists us to discern were our needs are being met, wat tey are and wo is in a position to meet tem. One of te courses tat elped me most in upolding my sense of self troug understanding te dept and breadt of my needs and te ways to ask for tem to be met is called Non-Violent Communication, a strategy first brougt fort by Marsall B. Rosenberg, to assist people to maintain connection troug effective communication. Te course is well wort a weekend as it is guaranteed to cange te quality of your life and your relationsips, bot intimate and in all oter areas. It is especially good for assisting communication between parents and cildren. Here is a testimonial from someone wo took te course: Compassion is not a static state, nor is it a destination to be reaced. Compassion is a way of being in a relationsip - a way of acting and interacting. At te same time, certain practices can elp to cultivate tis way of being. In our experience, Non-Violent Communication is te most practical and powerful of tese practices. Sura Hart and Victoria Kindle, Hodson 2003 Compassionate communication is a perfect way to describe te action of tis beautiful flower essence, Freckle Face. It works at te eart level to open us up to onesty and integrity in our personal relationsips. It assists us in relating to te umanity of oters, in compassionate and respectful relating and in our power to serve Life itself troug loving connection wit oters. Freckle Face works on te Heart and Kidney meridians, bringing self-acceptance and trust into one s communication. Freckle Face resonates to Cakras 2, 4 and 5. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For communication difficulties. For fear of speaking out. Guilt for using srill or ars words. For speaking wit a forked tongue. For frustration tat one s needs are not being eard. For discomfort wit silence. For feeling constantly criticised. For parent / cild conflict especially during adolescence. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES For ease in communicating one s needs. For a sense of safety in expressing oneself. For communicating wit loving kindness. Elicits trutful communication. For feeling loved and supported. Brings te awareness tat words are not te only means of communication. Smootes parent-cild interaction. 82 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

83 LACEBARK Bracyciton discolor KEYWORDS Negative: unattractive and sexually wased up, depression and empty nest syndrome, fear of ageingm, feeling useless and earing difficulties. Positive: joy in sexuality, confidence in passing on wisdom, assists earing, dancing to life s rytm. DESCRIPTION A large deciduous tree, it belongs to te Bracyciton family, wic consists of te most noble and spectacular flowering trees native to te lus rainforests of te eastern coast. Te family includes te dramatic Illawarra Flame Tree, wic can grow to a eigt of 30 metres in its natural abitat, and provides a stunning display of red flowers following a wet summer. Queensland Lacebark is a giant deciduous tree of a spreading abit growing anywere from six metres to twenty metres ig. It as palmately lobed leaves, dark green above and grey, wic are softly textured and ave te sape of a and reacing out to give assistance. Te flowers are dull pink and covered wit a brownis fur on te outside. Larger tan te red flowers of te Illawarra Flame Tree, tey are similarly cup-saped and ave five petals wit a central stamen crowned on top. A rainforest tree, slow in te early stages of growt, Lacebark flowers after fourteen years. By tis time, te flowers are in a lofty and exalted position and are able to oversee te forest floor below. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Tese gracious trees don t flower until tey are fourteen years old - as if tey take teir time maturing. But by te time tey do, tey ave acquired wisdom. Te leaves reac out as if to offer assistance to tose wo would listen. Te flower as many indicators of te ealing qualities of tis lovely essence. Te crown on te top of te stamen resembles a brain. It also looks curiously like an old lady s airdo. It gives te impression tat tis flower carries te wisdom of age. In Traditional Cinese Medicine, te brain is governed by te kidneys, wic in turn determine te seven-year cycles of a woman and te ageing process. Te base of te stamen and te inner flower looks like te inside of te ear wit tiny airs tat rise up from rosy pink fles. It seems to be indicating tat tis flower assists wit earing in te aged or earing te wisdom tat age as to pass on. Te colour around te base of te stamen is brownis, like dried-up blood. Towards te top of te cup, te colour canges to lolly pink. Te outside rim of te cup splits into five peaks. Te outer surface of te cup is brownis orange and igly textured wit fine powdery airs like soft old lady s skin. Were te inner surface of te cup meets te outer surface - te pink meets te brownis orange, it as te appearance of an upside-down, multi-coloured, flared dancing skirt. It is as if age does not matter - we can still dance and ave fun, regardless of age. It is as if te lolly pink entices us to stay young in spirit and to stay dancing. Te name Lacebark is reminiscent of te association of lavender and old lace wit old ladies! WISE WOMAN Menopause is a time wen women transit from teir role as Moter to tat of Wise Woman. It can be fraugt wit a range of pysical symptoms tat can make it a difficult transition. Lacebark elps wit te stress of enduring tese symptoms. Tere are many upsides associated wit tis time in a woman s life. No longer restricted by an unexpected pregnancy, a woman is free for te first time in many years to enjoy sex witout care or responsibility. Women are also liberated from te montly dance of menstruation tat can take tem on a seesaw of conflicting emotional states, driving a pus-me pull-me attitude to sex - one minute I want it, te next minute I don t. However, tere are also many emotional issues tat confront a woman at tis crossroad in er life. EMPTY NEST For some women, menopause occurs concurrently wit teir cildren leaving ome and so it can be a transition tat Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 83

84 rocks te foundation of wat as been teir life s blood over te past tirty to forty years. Confronting te empty nest can be a cause for depression based on a feeling of uselessness, particularly if a woman as not worked or as made erself a doormat for te family tat now as gone on to begin teir own lives. Many women substitute for teir own family by looking after teir grandcildren, tereby avoiding aving to face temselves and teir sense of uselessness. Lacebark assists women to return to temselves by eliciting tat delicious feeling of aving no one else to please. It elps tem face teir fear of loneliness by elping tem to enjoy being alone. Tere is a big difference in feeling lonely and being alone. Wen we feel lonely, we pine for somebody else to fill up te space for us. Wen we enjoy being alone, we fill our life wit our own space. We tap into our creative energy and create a life for ourselves exactly as we want it wit nobody else telling us ow it sould be or demanding tat we do tings teir way. We begin to dance. Being alone does not mean tat we ave to be lonely - women ave usually generated an extensive network of friends by te time tey reac te age wen teir cildren ave left ome. Tis is te time for rekindling tose friendsips tat suffered over te years because tere was never any time to maintain tem. Drawing, painting, craftwork, gardening clubs, genealogy, and book clubs all provide wonderful opportunities for meeting and connecting wit oter women. PASSING ON THE KNOWLEDGE Tis is also a time wen te wisdom gained over a lifetime can be passed on to younger women. Many older women undervalue wat tey ave learned and can be easily intimidated by te myts of te interfering moter-in-law tat ave permeated our culture. Lacebark elps women to feel confident tat younger women in teir network will value te wisdom tey ave garnered over nearly a lifetime. DEAR NANCY One of te women I admire most in my life at present is my ninety-four-year-old moter-in-law, Nancy. Widowed at about sixty-four, se decided, soon after er usband s untimely deat, to move from regional New Sout Wales to Queensland to be closer to er two sons and teir families. Se ad spent te last five years of er married life caring for er aged moter wo was suffering from dementia, and was difficult and irrational. Not long after te old lady passed away, er usband fell ill wit cancer and Nancy nursed im at ome until e died. Te family was concerned for er wellbeing as se seemed to ave ad a difficult time of it. We were all pleased to see er make te move, altoug tere was some initial trepidation tat se migt become a burden, as se was alone and was moving interstate, leaving old friends beind. However, te family s fears never got to touc te ground. Wen se arrived se bougt a double unit and rented out one side. Se worked tirelessly and joyously in te garden and created a piece of paradise tat provided er wit te privacy se needed at te same time as aving a business interest tat kept er well and truly occupied. Se joined te garden club, a craft group and te local istorical society, and over te years proceeded to become a local identity, contributing er tireless energy to tings tat se loved and took pleasure in. Se ad a constant stream of friends from interstate wo came to visit er sometimes for a few weeks on end, and se went off on a number of trips to places like Tasmania and Uluru tat se ad always wanted to visit, but never ad te time. As a competent driver, se began, from te outset, to be te designated driver, collecting te local ladies, driving tem to te various clubs and delivering tem ome afterwards. Tis ad been going on for years wen recently, at ninetytwo, se went to te doctor to ave er annual ceck-up. Wen e asked er about er eyesigt, e queried weter se was still driving. Se replied, O yes, Doctor, but don t take my license away please, as I drive te old ladies to te club and tey would be devastated if I couldn t do it for tem. Old ladies, e said, imagining a car full of nonagenarians urtling around te coast road. How old are tey? Well, se replied, te oldest biddy is seventy-five and se as a walking frame, wile te oters are in teir early seventies! And tis was spoken, wit all seriousness, from te lips of a ninety-two-year-old fantastic, penomenal woman. RETIRED HUSBANDS SYNDROME For oter women, one of te callenges after menopause is aving a usband retire. Tis can be quite disastrous for a couple wo ave spent many years building a life around working and raising a family. Suddenly after tirty-someting years, te couple is trown togeter. In Japan, tere is a condition identified as Retired Husbands Syndrome, wic affects women, causing anxiety, sleeplessness and a range of oter distress symptoms consistent wit stress. In a society were, according to recent 84 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

85 statistics, workingmen in Japan spend an average of seven minutes a day at ome wit te family, te sock of aving a retiree underfoot clearly is a cause for concern. Many women in oter cultures experience a similar sudden cange in ome conditions. In my clinical experience, some of te emotions tat women feel wen faced wit te everyday reality of a retired usband, range from resentment and anger troug to scorn, impatience and a need to escape. In tese cases, te dynamic operating is often tat te separation of teir worlds into clearly defined roles as prevented a couple from transiting te canges togeter. Tis means tat communication lines between te couple closed down over te years, and tey emerged from tat particular pase in teir lives togeter, as strangers rater tan friends. Essentially, women wo are fully engaged in teir own lives and ave developed creative pursuits, tat keep tem passionately occupied, usually fare better. Oterwise tey can feel as if tey are being drawn into a role of being at te beck and call of an almost stranger, bound by a set of expectations tat no longer apply te way tey did tirtysometing years ago. Lacebark assists women to adjust during tis major life transition. Ten, of course, tere are tose couples wose relationsip as evolved over te years to a deep friendsip, in conjunction wit te many canges tat life as trown at tem. For tese women, aving teir man at ome is a welcome new pase in teir union tat as interwoven into a ric tapestry. For tese couples, sexuality can deepen into a new and exciting pase and tey enjoy many new life experiences togeter tat tey ave never been able to previously. Again, Lacebark enrices tis experience by assisting women to open up to te new way of being, unfettered by te responsibility of cildren. It also elps tem to access te wisdom of teir years to pass onto grandcildren, witout feeling tat tey need to be co-opted into te raising of tis new generation of teir family. Standing back and giving space to te moter of teir grandcildren witout te controlling need to interfere is te pat of Wise Woman wisdom. DOING IT MY WAY One of te upsides of te 2009 recession is tat many men and women are continuing to work beyond retirement age, were once tey would ave ung up teir boots and trown teir jobs in. One of te fascinating facets of te Baby- Boomer generation is tat many of tem are very muc alive and well at sixty and seventy and only starting to slow down at eigty! Retirement from an active life were one feels useful, feels job satisfaction and is interfacing wit people outside of te ome is often a doubtful prospect for tose wo are still full of life, energy and wisdom, wit plenty left to offer te world. In many ways, staying on in te workforce as been a blessing in disguise for many women and men in tis still vital age group. Queensland Lacebark assists women to ensure tat tey are working to te dictates of teir own eart, rater tan to tat of a ungry boss, by deciding teir own work ours and conditions, werever possible. If conditions don t suit, ten aving te confidence to move into someting more suitable to teir own needs and wants is anoter attribute of tis powerful essence. STILL SEXY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS Some women suffer wit te feeling tat being older means tat tey are no longer sexually attractive or desirable. In fact, quite te opposite is true. Many older men prefer a woman wo is of a similar age for a number of reasons. For a start, te sense of relaxation tat comes wit freedom from being fertile makes many woman a lot more open, sexually turned on and ready for a sexual encounter at any time, rater tan being at te mercy of te ormonal soup tat drives te lives of pre-menopausal women. In fact, for most men wo are older and past teir testosterone peak, sexuality isn t so muc about is partner being attractive and flawless, but rater about te opportunity for connection and comfort tat is revealed for im wen te full blast of male ormones as passed its peak. No doubt tere are older men wo seek te company of younger women and wo in some cases, leave a long-standing marriage for a younger woman. In tese cases, te underlying reasons are not so muc about sex itself, but rater tat tese men ave become isolated and estranged in a relationsip tat as gone stale and is not fulfilling teir basic needs for love and affection. Often many years of a stony marriage leaves a man out on a limb so tat e mistakenly interprets te fundamental need for connection for a loss of virility. He ten goes seeking, outside is marriage, to validate is sense of manood. Te sad trut is tat in most cases, seeking company based on sexual need usually means tat te subsequent relationsip will not satisfy te underlying need for connection tat drove im out of te marital bed in te first place, due to age difference. Furtermore, attracting a younger woman also means tat e draws a female in te full flus of ormonal drives - er biological clock will be urging er to reproduce, if se asn t already, and in te troes of raising a younger family. Many men find tey are on a Groundog Day round of repeating te cycle tey ave just been troug in teir first marriage, wit a woman wose primary allegiance is to prioritise er cildren. Sadly, e misses te boat on all levels. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 85

86 Lacebark elps women to recognize tat er usband as not left because se is inadequate or unattractive, but because e as mistakenly identified is needs. A TIME TO ENJOY SEX It is easy for a woman to put er sexuality on te backburner wile se is caring for a family as well as olding down a job. Women can go troug years of unconscious stress, wic dampens teir sexual responsiveness and effectively builds a wall between er and er long-term partner. Wit te gradual easing of stress, a woman s need for companionsip, connection and touc can be fulfilled troug sexual intimacy. It just requires rebuilding te bridge to easy intimacy wit er spouse, if te bridge as been not used regularly for a long time. It needs some maintenance and loving attention to be reconstructed. Lacebark assists a woman to open up to er new sexuality. One of te most powerful turn-on s for male sexuality is is woman s availability - tat se will be tere for im wen e wants er - and vice versa. Wen a woman is aroused and driven by desire, a man will respond wit great passion. Te last ting on is mind is weter se is attractive and flawless. I ave a favourite story tat illustrates tis point. It is about a young real estate agent, one of my clients, wo was required to do an inspection of a unit tat was to be placed on te market wit is agency. Te only information e was given was tat a single woman owned te unit. He went around to te address and knocked on te door, not sure wat to expect. A little old lady, wo appeared to be in er eigties, opened te door. Instantly, is eart fell into is boots, since e ad been oping for at least a little flutter of excitement at te prospect of a single woman. Se smiled graciously and wit a carm tat took im by surprise, se said, Hmm, ow nice to see you - you are a andsome one, aren t you. Do come in and I will sow you around. He felt er radiating energy like a bolt and entered te unit. Te interior was contemporary but very feminine, wit vivid splases of colour and framed pictures, a couple of wic were classy nudes, subtly sexual. Tey looked troug te apartment and lastly came to te bedroom. Come into my boudoir, young man, se said wit a saucy smile and an inviting tilt to er ead. Wen tey ad completed te tour, se said farewell at te door and gently sook is and, toucing is arm wit er oter and. He said tat it felt electric. He told me tat se was one of te sexiest clients e ad ever met and tat e ad left te apartment in a state of arousal. He ad wondered weter it meant tat e was kinky. He affirmed tat e ad never experienced any bizarre sexual fantasies for older women before, and never since, so wat was going on? Women can be sexy at any age - it is as muc about ow free we feel to allow our natural attraction for oters to be expressed in a safe and easy way, as anyting else. Really it is about believing in ourselves. Men like women wo are fun, carefree and playful. Menopause and beyond is te perfect time for women to allow tat energy to flow freely and creatively. We don t ave to act on it, but wen te occasion presents itself, wy not? Lacebark opens us to our deep sexuality as mature women. Menopause and beyond can present a number of callenges. Lacebark elps us to navigate te rocky road troug te canges. JILL Jill went troug menopause in er mid-fifties. Se ad been a full-time moter all er married life enjoying an abundant life tat revolved around er cildren. Wen er usband retired, se went into sock. Te freedom tat se ad been used to for many years seemed to disappear wen er usband, Gerry, was around for twenty-four ours, seven days of te week. His working life as a greengrocer ad started at tree in te morning to get to te markets and did not finis until sometimes seven or eigt in te evening. Because of te early starts, e was in bed every nigt by eigt. As tis lifestyle ad been ongoing for most of teir married life, Jill felt tat se ardly knew er usband as a person anymore. Jill was accustomed to managing er life and tat of er active family, but ad always eld te long-term belief tat wen e retired se and Gerry would ave te time togeter tat tey never ad. But se did not count on im increasing is alcool consumption to a daily intake rater tan te weekend social drinking tat ad been is pattern of te past. Jill became angry and resentful and started to find fault wit Gerry, not just for is increased drinking, but also for a myriad of trivial everyday tings tat ad never before concerned er. Se ad anticipated tat e would take over many of te tasks tat se ad carried for years, suc as trimming te edge and keeping te pool clean, now tat e was ome. But increasingly, e began to spend more time playing golf, and retreating to is room at nigt, were e consumed up to a bottle and a alf of wine a nigt. Jill knew ow muc e was drinking because se counted te empty bottles! 86 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

87 Se became a lot more outspoken tan se ad wen e was working, openly criticizing im for is perceived sortfalls. Simultaneously, se felt urt tat e was emotionally witdrawn and grief tat teir relationsip was virtually nonexistent. Tere was no touc between tem and tey ad not sared a marital bed since se left it, declaring tat is loud snoring disturbed er sleep, some time after is retirement. Se felt empty and yearned for connection to satisfy er need for closeness and intimacy. Se did not want to spend er life simply looking after er grandcildren. Se could see strong parallels between Gerry s beaviour and is fater s attitude to is wife in te last years of teir life togeter. According to Jill, er fater-in-law was a mean-spirited, cranky old man and teir relationsip was filled wit bitterness and silent rebuke tat seemed to ave a toxic effect on bot of tem. Altoug loved and respected by Gerry, e ad died a lonely and bitter old man, aving lost is wife a year before is own deat. Se confronted Gerry many times wit er concerns, but felt tat after eac encounter, e seemed to be more witdrawn tan ever. It was at tis time tat se came to see me. I gave er Lacebark because I perceived tat se was suffering from te empty-nest syndrome and retired usband syndrome all rolled into one. Used to caring for a full-on family, Jill ad selved er own needs for many years, and wen Gerry retired se ad mistakenly tougt tat e would replace er cildren in providing er needs for intimacy, just as tey ad substituted for im over all tose years. Wat se ad failed to take into account was tat, over te time tey ad been living virtually separate lives, tey ad grown apart and needed to find a meaningful way to reconnect tat satisfied tem bot. Eac ad ardened into a way of being tat reflected strong individuality and ad closed down teir earts. As an alpa male, Gerry was not going to simply fall into te role of a pampered partner - e ad lived a relatively independent life and was used to doing as e pleased witin te framework of is working scedule. And Jill ad become a superwoman spurred on by a deep desire to do te best for er cildren. Te more Jill criticized im for not being te way se wanted im to be, te more e sougt separation and isolation. He took refuge in te bottle. His need for acceptance was provided troug seeking te company of is non-judgmental mates on te golf course. As te essence tuned er into er own inner wisdom, Jill began to recognize tat se was pusing Gerry away. Se no longer tougt of erself as a sexual being and was disgusted by is occasional reacing out to make pysical contact, wic se soundly rebuffed. Se began to see tat because se automatically did everyting around te ouse to maintain it, tere was no room for Gerry to find a nice tat was acceptable to is own self-image as a male. Se was making im feel useless and inadequate. As tis was te last ting e was going to reveal to er, e cose te bottle and empty isolation instead. Her final realization dawned wen, sortly after taking te essence, se ad a minor accident in te ouse wen se was doing a job beyond er pysical capability. Se was clearing out old eavy encyclopaedias from ig up in a cupboard, stored tere many years ago wen te cildren were young. Se was feeling disgruntled because tis was a job tat Gerry sould ave done - even toug se would never ask im. Perced precariously on a stepladder, se over-balanced, catcing er dress on te rungs of te ladder. Se fell eavily on te tiled floor, winding erself severely and cracking er left wrist. Se said tat se lay tere and wondered about te extent of er injuries and weter se sould move for fear of doing furter damage. Se was frozen wit fear. As if e was responding to er silent call for elp, Gerry came ome unexpectedly. Seeing er on te floor, e galvanized into action, cecking er out to ascertain te extent of damage and elping er to a daybed to rest. He brougt er a warm drink and covered er, sitting wit er and olding er and until se came back into er body and started to communicate wit im tat se was OK. A trip to te local ospital revealed sock and a broken wrist. Over te days tat followed, Gerry tended er, cooked for er and cancelled a trip tat e ad planned. Tey sared laugter and stories and bot disclosed some of teir intimate tougts and feelings, albeit tentatively. Jill was realizing wy se ad fallen for im in te first place and enjoyed tis forced getting to know you interlude immensely. Se began to feel a flood of gratitude in er eart and felt loved and cared for, for te first time in many years. Her major insigt over te next days was tat se wanted love, support and connection. Se saw tat se no longer needed to be a superwoman, compensating for Gerry s absence as se ad for all tose years. Se could see tat it was er vulnerability tat ad triggered Gerry s male protective response, and understood tat se ad idden tat side from im for a long time. Se realized tat se ad been pusing im away, making im feel inadequate by te fierce independence se displayed. Her rejection of im made im tink tat se didn t need im. Males are biologically designed to want to feel needed - it expresses te protective role written into te masculine Mind-Body template. And Jill was not earing Gerry s cries Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 87

88 for elp tat e was being emasculated by er constant criticism, by sinking deeper and deeper into isolation and separateness. Se ad developed er feisty I can do anyting Essence attitude wen se Blends became a work-widow to Gerry s workaolic lifestyle. Tey ad grown so far apart tey no longer recognized one anoter and spun off in different directions because neiter ad been getting teir needs met. Te follow-up essence for Jill is Cordyline, to assist er to call back er feminine side and relax into a sense of allowance of Gerry s different perspective on life, and acceptance of being looked after by Gerry wen se feels vulnerable. A sense of deep relaxation comes wen, as women, we ceris our female side and respect te masculinity in our partners. Anoter nice addition for Jill would be Wild Iris to assist er in enjoying er life as a woman, expressing te fullness of er spirituality. Gerry too will ave some demons to deal wit, but e is more likely to be able to do so if is self-esteem is intact troug te expression of is intrinsic male nature and wen e is feeling loved and accepted by is partner. Tis essence works on te Spleen and Liver meridians, nourising te self and opening to a sense of freedom in expression. Lacebark resonates to Cakras 2, 3 and 6. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES Menopausal symptoms. Feeling unattractive and sexually undesirable. For depression and empty nest syndrome. Fear of aging. Feelings of uselessness and aving passed te use-by date. For retired usband syndrome. For earing difficulties. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES Crone energy - te Wise Woman. Eases menopausal symptoms. Smootes te transition from Moter to Wise Woman Encourages joy in sexuality, in older women. For te freedom to dance again. For ease in passing on wisdom. Grants te confidence to express one s creativity. Assists in earing te inner voice of wisdom. 88 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

89 LANTANA Lantana camara KEYWORDS Negative: guilt, worry, over-nurturing, smoter-moter love, masking one s feelings, and muddle-eadedness. Positive: emotional freedom, fait, calm self assurance, and clarifies personal boundaries. Clears substance abuse patterns. DESCRIPTION A trailing or mat-forming evergreen srub growing to a eigt of two to four metres, it bears eads of pink or orange posy-like flowers, eac wit a yellow eye. A native to te Americas, it is considered a noxious weed in nortern Australia, wile some species are cultivated in te soutern regions. Te stems possess re-curved spines and are sarply four-angled wen young, becoming more cylindrical wit age. Te leaves are usually covered wit airs. Lantana does not ave a taproot; owever, te roots form an extensive mat below te surface tat traps water, soil and nutrients. Tis makes Lantana a rambling, drougt-resistant plant tat as a tendency to smoter oter plants nearby. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Appearing like a veil over te landscape, it is a profuse grower, completely covering everyting it rambles over. Wen cleared, te true sape and nature of te landscape underneat is revealed and can look very different. Little trees, srubs and plants, in fact a complete garden, can appear as if out of nowere once te screen is removed. Te soil is always very fertile underneat - it is nourised by te Lantana even as it covers it. Wen intact, it provides natural wildlife corridors and safe avens for birds and tiny animals. It is as if a wole world exists under te lantana cover. Because of its propensity to take over te native bus land in tropical areas, it is considered a noxious weed. It is usually found in areas were native vegetation as already been previously cleared. Lantana is a muc-loved cultivar in soutern climates were it does not grow so rampantly. It is interesting to note tat Lantana is a common weed in areas tat are known to be astma prone. Te flowers are tiny petaled flowerlets on a flower ead, togeter giving te appearance of a single flower. Tey ave a strong pungent aroma, wic permeates te surrounding environment. Tey first appear as brigt yellow and orange and cange to a soft pastel pink and cream as tey mature. Te cange in te colour of te flowers as tey mature suggests te softening tat takes place wen we apply our inner wisdom in our dealings wit oters - tat instead of dumping our negative energy onto our loved ones, we affirm in tem a sense of inner strengt and fait in temselves. GUILT AND WORRY Guilt and worry are considered two of te most useless of emotions - tey do noting for us in a positive way. In fact, bot guilt and worry cause us to overextend our boundaries, negatively over-influencing oters. For example, wen a parent is over-concerned for a cild, te youngster picks it up on te intuitive level as a statement tat e or se is not adequate or capable of looking after temselves. It is as if te parent says to te cild, I am worried about you because I do not ave fait in you to make te rigt coice, get well again, keep up wit your scool workload, etc. On te oter and, a parent wo places fait in a cild effectively imparts te message to tem: I trust your ability to do wat it is you ave to do, and I know tat if you need elp you will know tat you simply ave to ask and I will be tere for you. Te cild believes in er/imself because te parent does. FEAR OF LIFE ITSELF As we grow into adultood, we carry a deep belief about te underlying state of our world and our ability to andle watever comes our way based on ow well we ave been taugt to ave fait in ourselves. Like lantana, were te veil tat sits on top is only superficial, life at te surface is te topping, wile te real life goes on underneat. Wen we are aware of te strengt in our inner landscape, te superficialities of life on te surface are simply acted out wit ease and grace. Wen we cannot tap into te inner strengt tat lies beneat te surface, we can feel strangled by te profusion of life in te fast lane and become anxious and fearful tat we will not be able to manage. Tis fear of life itself is te underlying emotional cause beind astma. Lantana is good for astma. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 89

90 OVER-CONCERN STIFLES AND SMOTHERS US Similarly, wen a significant person in our lives, suc as a parent or partner, overburdens us wit teir worries for us, we can feel coked, smotered and can pick up on Essence te negative energy Blends as a vote of no-confidence. If se or e doesn t believe in me ten I mustn t be capable. Te ensuing lack of confidence leads to worry and guilt about doing te rigt ting - or te ting rigt! From an energy medicine point of view, astma is caused by an insufficiency of eiter te Kidneys or Lungs energy systems or bot. Te emotion associated wit te Kidneys is fear and tat of te Lungs wit guilt, worry and sadness. Lantana works on bot of tese meridians eliciting trust and confidence in loved one s ability to andle life. Feelings of being smotered can affect ease of breating and lead to respiratory difficulties, suc as astma (I can t take a breat; I can t take in life confidently). Feelings of fear and lack of trust rob us of self-confidence. THE GUILTY PARENT Lantana also works on over-worrying concerns for oters, especially tose close, assisting us to ave fait tat everyting will be all rigt, and tat our loved one will manage. It elps to normalise over-cloying relationsips by elping bot parties to recognize were tey begin and end energetically. Tis discernment assists tem to know wen tey are crossing over into te oter s boundary. It works on bot parties even toug only one person is taking it. Lantana elps by assuaging a parent s sense of guilt about te following: a specific event, suc as an incident of maltreatment or neglect of a cild s need; and from a vague, nagging feeling tat teir parenting is not good enoug. Tese feelings can prompt a constant need to compensate for teir deep sense of inadequacy leading to overindulging and spoiling te cild. Te cild ten gets a pumped-up sense of teir own importance and can become too powerful for teir own good. Balanced and ealty discipline goes out te door and te cild over-grows, becoming rampant, like te Lantana. Te delicate balance of power between parent and cild as been disrupted and te parent loses te ability to influence and guide te cild troug its valuable growt years. Lantana lifts te cloud of guilt, elping us to realize tat we can relegate mistakes to te past after assimilating wat we need to learn from tem. Acting in te present and paying attention to wat is appening rigt now assists us to maintain te integrity of te moment. WEARING A MASK It is also for tose wo suffer from lack of confidence tat everyting will be OK - no matter wat. Sometimes wen a sense of inadequacy is deep, it compels a person to put up a mask of pretence, smiling, seemingly self-assured and competent, wile underneat feeling unworty and incapable. Putting up a screen like tis is energy draining and creates a split reality, leaving a person feeling false and unautentic. Pysically, tey can feel constantly tired and suffer stress-generated lowered immunity leading to frequent colds, flu and upper respiratory infections, bladder infections and acing muscles (from maintaining te mask and guarding teir vulnerability). Lantana works on te Lung, Heart and Kidney meridians, clearing guilt and worry, enancing self-acceptance and building trust. Lantana resonates to Cakras 2, 4 and 5. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For guilt and worry. For feelings of being smotered. For over-nurturing and smoter love. For masking one s inner fears wit a false bravado. For te need to cover one s sense of inadequacy wit substance abuse - marijuana, tobacco. Lung-related disorders, suc as astma and sallow breating. For feeling muddle-eaded. 90 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

91 YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES Brings a sense of emotional freedom and relief from guilt and worry. Brings a deep fait tat everyting will be all rigt. It brings calm self-assurance. Clarifies personal boundaries. Helps to clear substance abuse patterns. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 91

92 LOMANDRA Lomandra filiformis KEYWORDS Negative: jealousy, wite rage, resentment, anger gone cold, olding grudges and controlling patterns. Positive: forgiveness, co-operation, assertion, flexibility and tolerance. Brings back te sweetness of life. DESCRIPTION Creamy wite flowers forming flower eads or clumps along a flowering stem, wit spikes interspersed between te clumps. Tey are tufted plants wit toug, narrow, linear leaves. Te tiny flowers of cream and yellow, sometimes wit brown markings, ave six petals and are clustered into dense spikes or eads. Lomandra prefers a well-drained soil. Te flowers grow in little eads made up of te tiniest little flowerlets, eac of wic opens separately. In bud form, te flower is creamy wite, wit tiny spots of reddis brown. Tere are tree sepals olding te petals closed. Eac flowerlet is in te sape of a tiny eart. As te flowers come to fruition, te sepals partially open to reveal te creamy petals inside, but te flowers never fully open. On maturity, tey fall from te stem only alf-opened. At eac node along te stem, a flower appears and ten brances out. Eac branc as tree to four flower eads made up of twenty or more flowerlets, wic appear in a spere-saped clump. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Grows in a clump, like te masses of resentment we ang onto. Te flowers cluster on te flower stalks, appearing like artritic nodules on a finger. Artritis represents emotional oldings of bitterness, regret and resentment tat we old against oters, in particular, or at te world in general. Te flowers ave an exquisite fragrance, sweet and oney-like but impossible to access because te spikes on te flower stalks prevent getting in close to smell te flower. It is as if te barbs keep oters away from experiencing te inerent sweetness witin. Te colour of te flowers is creamy wite - blanced like cold, wite anger tat as lost its fire because it asn t been expressed. Te reddis-brown stains or spots on te flower are reminiscent of te toxic liver indications seen in te iris of te eye in Iris Diagnosis. Compressed anger creates toxicity in te liver. Te flowers are eart-saped, but tey never completely open and fall to te ground wen spent as if not fully realized. Tree sepals clamp down tigtly on eac flowerlet, olding it closed, like claws around te eart. THE ELEMENT OF WOOD In Traditional Cinese Medicine, anger corresponds to te liver organ, te organ tat ensures balance and te free-flow of energy distribution in te wole being - pysical, emotional and mental. Te spiritual resource of te liver is te soul. Wen our soul is appy and fulfilled, we are balanced in mind and body and fulfilling our destiny. Wen we are prevented from following our soul (wat we want to do), we become angry and frustrated. Te element associated wit te liver is Wood. Te primary quality of Wood is tat of continual growt (trees continue to grow until te day tey die) and vitality. Wood relates to all initiatory pases of life suc as birt and Spring, and is te driving force beind te beneficial cange tat eralds growt, e.g. te ormones of puberty, pregnancy and menopause. Tus, Wood is related to moving troug all te pases of our lives and evolving. Wen we don t evolve, we become angry or frustrated. ANGER IS AN EXPRESSION OF PERSONAL GROWTH Te energy of anger is upward and outwards, like te sape of a classic tree. It rises from witin and expands outward to break troug watever it is tat is preventing personal expression, just as a tree will burst troug anyting tat would constrain its growt. 92 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

93 Anger expressed in a balanced and controlled way becomes te spearead of assertion and is te key to personal power. Te assertive person is doing wat tey want to do and can relate to teir immediate environment wit a sense of autority, obtaining a response from te world around tem. Anger expressed in an uncontrolled and imbalanced way arises wen te expression of personal need as been suppressed, depressed or constrained. Being a powerful energy/emotion, unexpressed anger, in some people, triggered by te straw tat broke te camel s back will eventually make its way to te surface, in an uncontrolled way, doing damage in te external environment. Tis can eiter be in te form of angry abuse, pysical abuse or even wounding or killing anoter person, as as appened in some of te tragic scool soot-out scenarios tat ave occurred in te United States recently. Because te energy of anger is resonant wit te male principle (upward and outward), it is commonly, but not always, males wo deal wit teir unresolved anger in tis way. UNEXPRESSED ANGER Anger not expressed at all, as appens wit many females, circulates witin and does damage internally. Suppressed anger, never expressed in women, intoxicates te liver and results in te longer term in diseases suc as menstrual problems and migraines. Typically, men suffer wit strokes and eart attacks due to suppressed anger. ANGER AND JEALOUSY Lomandra is for te anger tat women feel wen tey feel betrayed by teir partner for being attracted to anoter woman, regardless of weter te attraction is acted upon or not. It is for wite anger - intense jealous rage and tougts of vengeance tat intoxicate er wit poison. If te jealousy is unfounded in reality, Lomandra can be combined wit Cassia, for feeling worty, and Cordyline, for understanding te fundamental differences between man and a woman. If te jealousy as validity and tere is anoter woman involved, combine Lomandra wit Native Bleeding Heart for deep grief at te loss of trust in te relationsip. BITTERNESS Long-eld anger turns to bitterness and assaults te eart. Many women wo are urt and ave not resolved teir anger suffer from toxic liver conditions and eart symptoms suc as arrytmia and palpitations. Outward expression of anger carries a strong stigma. Women in tis society tend to suppress teir anger into nonexistence. Tey will quite proudly state, I never feel angry. RESENTMENT In tese instances, te unexpressed anger goes cold and loses its passion and eat, transmuting into te more insidious expression of lack of personal power, wic is resentment. Anger tat as gone cold creates not only a cronically toxic liver but also spills over to affect te gallbladder, te energetic partner of te liver. Lomandra works on cold anger. Typically, women wo ave gallbladder problems are fair, fat and forty, and classically ave ad teir gallbladder removed. Te psycosocial picture of tis type of woman is te meek and subservient wife wo feels downtrodden, but would never express suc feelings. Often tey are te doormat of te family and never seem to get teir own needs met. Resentment can be a big part of teir self-talk, bitterly resenting te unfairness of teir lives and blaming teir partner, friend or work colleague for being someow better off. Resentment and blame go and in and and typically te person perceives temselves as a victim of life s circumstance and badly done by. Tey can focus teir resentment by keeping a mental account book, mentally keeping track of all te perceived sligts or wounding tey ave been victim to. Eac mental tick causes tem to witdraw furter until tey can become ardened in tat attitude. Altoug tey migt want to reac out and feel te warmt of connection again, someting stops tem and tey stay permanently frozen in te trap of teir own making. In an intimate partnersip, tis can mean tat sex is off te menu, as it is often perceived as a favour to be granted on te condition of good beaviour. CONTROL STRATEGIES Witdrawal of sexual contact in an intimate relationsip can be a control strategy used to manipulate beaviour. Letting go of resentment patterns of coercion means letting go of trying to control anoter. Only wen emotional energy is free flowing and uncontrolled can te energy of te eart open and love fully flouris. FORGIVENESS Te key to letting go of resentment is forgiveness. Forgiveness is a conscious act tat opens te compassion of te eart. It is te first step towards ealing and calls back te fragments of te soul given away in te absence of personal empowerment. Lomandra assists us, as women, to start te process of letting go, wic is te first step to forgiveness. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 93

94 In te words of Mark Twain, Forgiveness is te fragrance given off by te rose to te eel tat crused it. Forgiveness is not a tougt but a feeling tat arises from a deep inner state of peace and connectedness, and asks simply tat tougts of urt and injury be let go. Essence Forgiveness recognizes Blends tat te longer we old grudges, resentments and anger in our eart towards anoter person, place or being, te longer we maintain a belief in our own victim-ood. Forgiveness is a conscious act of taking back our own power. For tis reason, Cassia is often combined wit Lomandra to complete te letting-go process and to pull back to us te parts we ave given away in a misguided attempt to seek acceptance and love. TOLERANCE Tolerance of oters is an intrinsic uman quality tat overcomes resentment and critical blame. Like forgiveness, it requires a compassionate eart. Wen tolerance is practised, life in all its myriad forms can be enjoyed and appreciated. Lomandra opens us to tolerance. Partnersip and community connection is intrinsic to life - we are meant to live in relationsip wit oters, not just in an intimate sense, but in te wide variety of interactions tat fill our daily lives. We need only to look at ow individual atoms join togeter as molecules, wic in turn create tissue, to observe ow eac part needs to work wit te next to be functional and effective as a wole. So it is in society; no one person can do everyting, and joining togeter to pool skills and diverse talents contributes variety, effectiveness and vigour to a community. It is te same wit an intimate partnersip - bot partners contribute teir bit, enancing te relationsip troug te pooling of skills, resources, emotional intelligence and ideas. Cooperative functioning requires tolerance of differences witin partnersips and groups enancing interaction and supporting sustainability. Tolerance is te oil tat keeps te weels of bot a relationsip and a functional society running. Intolerance breeds separation, wic can lead to conflict and war. Cronic disease patterns associated wit tis type of emotional distortion include artritis and ardening patterns generally (e.g. colecystitis, as tey arden off to survive). Lomandra works on te Heart and Liver meridians, clearing toxicity and smooting circulation. It assists wit eadaces, palpitations, arrytmia and facial flusing. Lomandra resonates to Cakras 2, 3 and 4. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For jealousy and simmering rage - wite anger. For resentment, blame and bitterness. For sarp barbs directed towards anoter or oters. For keeping a urts and sligts mental account book. For te controlling personality. For artritis, ardening patterns suc as artero-sclerosis, ankolysing spondilitis (fusing of te spinal column), rigidity of te musculo-skeletal system and gallstones. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES For clearing long-eld anger. For forgiveness. Facilitates assertion. Encourages tolerance. Supports co-operative attitudes. Assists wit flexibility. Brings back te sweetness in life. 94 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

95 MACARANGA Macaranga tanarius KEYWORDS Negative: relationsip anxiety, confusing service wit love, loving too muc, over-sensitivity. Positive: builds self-wort, balances loving, brings inner strengt. DESCRIPTION Tis tree belongs to te family Euporbiaceae, wic contains more tan a tousand different varieties. All varieties ave an unpleasant milky sap in common, wic is usually poisonous. It as flower-like arrangements, wic are not flowers at all, but bracts or modified leaves surrounding a group of tiny, simple flowers. Bot male and female flowers are eld witin te bracts. A rainforest tree wit green eart-saped peltate leaves, it grows to six metres tall. It produces greenis clusters of flowers in panicles. Macaranga are spreading sade trees, seltering underlying vegetation from te searing sun. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Te flowers are deceptively small, and often overlooked in favour of te larger bracts tat contain tem and are easily mistaken for te flowers. Bot male and female flowers are enclosed witin te bracts. Tis essence is for feeling small witin, wile putting up a sow or front of bravado or being magnanimous. Te outer bracts sake in te breeze, like te feeling of anxiety witin te cest wen we feel vulnerable or unsure. WOMEN WHO LOVE TOO MUCH Tese women give too muc and leave noting for temselves. Tey give to te oter as if tey are so full inside tat tey ave plenty to give. But in reality, deep down tey feel empty, insignificant and inadequate. Tey give in abundance, because unconsciously, tey fear tat tey will be seen by oters to be as small and inadequate as tey feel. Tey suffer from anxiety as a result. Below te surface, tese people suffer from low self-esteem and feelings of being unworty. Tey seek a love relationsip because, like te large, green eart-saped leaves, it sows on te surface tat tey deserve to be loved, wen actually tey don t believe tey do. Furtermore, somewere along te way, tey ave believed in teir own subterfuge - if I am loved enoug, ten I must eventually be loveable - even toug I am not at te moment. Tis rationale usually lurks below te consciousness, but its sadow permeates every aspect of te woman s life. TRADING LIFE ENERGY FOR SECURITY It can affect er body image, er motivation and er capability at er job. It can even affect er fertility. Deep down, se may feel tat se does not want to take responsibility for a cild coming into te world, if se does not feel tat se can give a baby te quality love and attention se knows it needs. Tese women can give away so muc of temselves tat tey become like prostitutes wo give away favours in return for money, but in tis instance, trading valuable life energy for a scrap of love from a ric man s table. Tey cannel all teir vital energy into te oter and expect noting in return, often becoming invaluable to te oter, in te process. Te oter person comes to rely on tem so muc tat tey become indispensable. Sadly toug, in te trade-off tey ave given away teir own soul s destiny and condemn temselves to a life of willing servant of te oter. Te more te oter person comes to rely on tem te more of temselves tey sacrifice in te mistaken belief tat te only ting tat makes tem loveable is tat tey would lay teir life down for teir partner and would be tere for im wen te cips are down. Women, wo are not in a relationsip, can often enter into te same kind of self-sacrificing pact wit a cause, say, saving te rainforest, or a boss wo will declare tat se is so indispensable tat se virtually runs te office. Te payoff for tese women, weter giving to a partner, a cause or a boss, is tat tey make temselves so indispensable tat tey ensure teir position. In effect, it s a trade off - teir vital life energy in return for security. GIVING AND RECEIVING NEED TO BE BALANCED Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 95

96 Macaranga opens te eart to self-love and self-value. It elps a person recognize tat love is not just about giving, giving, giving, but it is also about receiving. Just like te eart organ tat receives blood in equal measure to tat wic it disperses, a person wo gives and gives needs to receive, oterwise tey eventually become empty. If te eart did not receive blood but continually gave out, it would collapse. Women, wo give away teir vital energy on a wolesale basis in return for loving acceptance, apparently expecting noting in return, become empty. Tey often suffer from anaemia. Tey get tired easily and sleep a lot wen te oter is not around, as if to restock and recarge teir batteries. Tey suffer from anxiety from feeling tat peraps tey aven t given enoug. OPEN TO BEING DUMPED ON Macaranga also applies to tose wo are urt by te criticism of oters for being so subservient and self-deprecating. In teir own minds, tey see tat tey are living love, not recognising tat tey are undermining teir own life force in te meantime. Because subconsciously tese women feel inadequate and unworty, te judgment of oters urts and stings like poison. Tey are sensitive to minor sligts and consequently leave temselves open to being te dumping ground for oter s negative garbage. In te same way, women wo are so sensitive tat tey pick up every negative tougt and let it wound tem also easily pick up patogens and infectious diseases tat are going around. Tey are immune compromised and constantly experience colds, flus and viruses circulating in te air around tem. Macaranga works on te Heart and Kidney meridians strengtening one s sense of self-love and appreciation and bringing te courage to stand on one s own feet. Macaranga resonates to Cakras 4 and 9. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For anxiety. For women wo love too muc. For women wo confuse service wit love. For women wo trade teir life energy for security. For being over-sensitive to criticism. For co-dependency. For weakened immunity, anaemia, allergic sensitivity. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES Assists in valuing te self - builds self-wort. Brings a recognition tat love receives as muc as it gives. Assists women to stand on teir own feet. Brings a ealty capacity to ignore criticism. Strengtens immunity, tonifies blood. 96 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

97 MILKWEED Asclepias curassavica KEYWORDS Negative: for te difficult cild, manipulative beaviour, learning difficulties, over-dependant cild, te bullying and fearful cild. Positive: develops individuality, encourages sensitivity, improves a cild s self-confidence, activates umour. DESCRIPTION Commonly known as a weed, tis beautiful little flower as a milky sap in te stem. All milkweeds are poisonous if ingested, and te milky sap is a skin irritant. It as a number of common names: Red Cottonead, Scarlet Milkweed or Blood Flower. It is an erect, evergreen perennial sub-srub, often grown as an annual. Like most milkweeds, it as opposite leaves. Te leaves are about 12.5 centimetres long, narrowly elliptic and pointed at bot ends. Scarlet Milkweed grows about metres tall and usually as a few pairs of symmetrical brances. Te flowers are yellow and red and borne in terminal and axillary clusters tat are five to ten centimetres across. It blooms continuously from spring until autumn. Most flowers ave a ring of sepals, collectively called a calyx. Above tat is a ring of petals, collectively called a corolla, wic is a brigt, vibrant red. Milkweeds ave an additional ring of appendages tat sits above te corolla like a crown; it is called a corona. In scarlet milkweed, te corolla is usually crimson and te corona is yellow. Sitting above te corona are five anters, standing up around a central pistil. Te fruits are spindle-saped pods, cm long, tat eventually split open to release little flat seeds tat drift away on silky paracutes. Scarlet Milkweed is easy to grow, triving in dry, moist and even wet soils. Te leaves are sometimes attacked by apids, wic produce excrement (called oneydew!). A greyis black fungus called sooty mould, in turn colonizes tis. None of tis is life treatening to te milkweed, and eventually some oter predators (suc as ladybugs) will come along and polis off te apids. Butterflies and oter nectar-sipping insects are attracted to te blossoms, and bot Monarc and Queen butterflies lay teir eggs on Scarlet Milkweed. Te dried pods are used in arrangements. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Wen te flowers open, tey display a brilliant yellow centre consisting of five anters covered wit a flesy appendage known as a corona, standing up around a central pistil. Te anters are formed into a circle and look like a group of miniature uman beings standing around wit teir backs to eac oter. As te petals open, tey appear to form five distinct legs. Te yellow centre stands up above te legs proudly erect. Known as blood flower, tis brigt and colourful little plant looks like it could be a toy in a cild s nursery. Te arrangement of te flower is like family, standing wit teir backs to te world, teir attention directed inward. Te name blood flower suggests blood relationsip and te sap in te stem suggests milk as nourisment, as a cild is nurtured in infancy. Interestingly, te sap is poisonous, but not to te beautiful Monarc and Queen butterflies tat feed on it, wic is mindful of te way tat a cild loves te food it was reared on, but can often be wary of food served in oter ouseolds and reacts to it as if it were poisonous. Te little plant attracts apids, wic in turn attract black sooty mould; just as in a family, te troubles and difficulties tat affect te family was off witout damage because of te sense of security provided by te unit. By standing togeter, te family can offset trauma and drama wit minimum effect. THE ESSENCE OF CHILDHOOD Tis flower expresses te essence of cildood. Te cild develops a sense of individuality wilst still witin te bosom of te family. Te family unit elps to protect te vulnerable young soul at te same time as encouraging te development of a persona tat can witstand and grow witin te group dynamic. Te little flowers seem to stand tall as if standing on tippy-toe, trying to become te tallest tey can, just like little cildren wo strive to walk tall in teir parents soes. Sometimes, a cild tat doesn t seem to fit in can disrupt te armony of a family. Peraps te cild may be yperactive, maybe ave Asperger s syndrome or autism, ave a pysical disability or just seem to be one tat does not fit te mould. Tis cild will always seem at odds wit everyone else and will often feel quite comfortable in te role of odd Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 97

98 one out. Tis essence brings a feeling of belonging for te cild and a renewed capacity for inclusion on te part of te parent bot can take te essence for mutual benefit. PLACE IN THE FAMILY Family constellation is te study of te development of different personalities, based on te place witin te family occupied by te cild. Tere will always be a first and tat cild will always remain in tat position. Nobody can ever usurp Position Number One. Te first cild as bot an advantage and carries a burden. Te advantage is tat tey often ave a special place in te affections of te moter, te first baby tat opened er eart, and sometimes, but not always, for te fater. In some instances, te first cild bears te brunt of is fater s jealousy, particularly if is feelings of displacement after te birt were never resolved. Te firstborn is also guaranteed to ave at least a year as te only cild and usually gets plenty of attention as a result. By te time siblings come along, Mum s energy is usually worn down and se is too stretced to provide te same amount of quality time for eac of er babies. Also, in many ways, te first cild as to run te gauntlet of is parent s fears for im e is te one tat tey are cutting teir parenting teet on. Subsequent cildren move up in rank wit eac sibling tat is born after tem. In a two-cild family, te second cild as te benefit of being te youngest wit all te attendant perks tat go wit being te baby for a time. However, if a tird cild comes along, te rank of second suddenly loses its glamour, along wit te status of being te baby. In a tree-cild family, te second can be like te piggy stuck in te middle, wit no redeeming features tat can comfort. And so on. Understanding family constellation can be very revealing and explains wy suc totally different personalities can come from te same parents and family situation. THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF THE PARTS From an energetic perspective, in a family te combined family energy always dictates te way te individuals will sape up te wole is greater tan te sum of te parts. In te case were one cild is domineering, te cild tat is closest will grow up to take te subservient role, an angry cild will be matced by a peacemaker and a manipulator will be countered by a pleaser. Oters in te family will sape up as modified expressions of eiter of te first two, eac expressing te unique contribution tey make to te wole. A family follows te natural laws of group dynamics. Group dynamics and family constellation togeter co-create personality differences in a family unit. FINDING A PLACE IN THE FAMILY Milkweed elps a cild to feel comfortable in, and to make te best of, teir position in te family. It assists tose wo feel alienated to get in touc intuitively wit te best expression of teir unique contribution to te family dynamic. STEPPING OUTSIDE THE FAMILY It elps to sore up te cild s self-esteem witin te family, so tat te cild feels confident wen leaving te safety of te family unit. It is excellent for te cild wo won t stay overnigt wen invited by a friend, or wo stays, but gets cold feet in te middle of te nigt, poning mum to pick tem up at some ungodly our. It elps cildren wo are sy to find a sense of security outside te ome troug a soccer club, Guides or Scouts, curc group or te like, to assist tem to feel confident and sure of temselves and to learn to contribute to te group meaningfully. It assists teenagers wo feel tey ave outgrown te family to make te transition more easily as tey step from teir family of origin to find teir place in te larger uman family. It elps tem to feel tat tey don t ave to burn teir bridges, but tat tey can keep one foot in te old wile tey explore te new tentatively and from a solid base. Use wit Pink Samrock to ease te transition. It elps young people wo ave previously left ome to feel tey can return, wit a newer and broader perspective, if circumstances cange. Te essence assists tem to feel confident tat teir parents will respect teir independence, and not treat tem as a cild, in te same way as tey did before leaving. It provides te emerging young adult wit a safety net. USING FAMILY CONNECTIONS It also assists young people to bring troug into teir lives te energy of te family (teir ancestral qi) tat elps tem get a leg-up. Tis migt involve using family connections to elp get a job, take advantage of family resources (money, career interests, knowledge base, ousing, etc.) witout feeling tat tere are going to be strings attaced. It brings a sense of freedom and gratitude in aving a valuable resource backing tem. It also assists tose wo do not want to enter te family business to feel empowered to follow te career pat of teir own eart s desire, witout guilt or remorse. 98 Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

99 ACCESSES THE INNER CHILD Tis essence is also good for adults wo need to access teir inner cild because tey ave lost teir sense of fun troug an inflated sense of responsibility. Researc as demonstrated tat cildren laug at least 120 times a day, wile adults laug only eleven times. Laugter relieves stress because tension and fun cannot be eld in te body simultaneously. A good laug is often te best medicine for a stressed person. Milkweed elps to engender fun and laugter and relieves stress. It is also excellent for te adult wo is exploring er cildood to weed out te events and situations tat created distorted perceptions and beliefs. For example, one of our most important relationsips is te one we ave wit our moter, wic is particularly relevant, as we become moters ourselves. HEALING THE MOTHER WOUND We eal our disconnection wit our own feminine nature by consciously connecting to te energy of te Moter. As a woman, one of te first tings we need to do to move towards our own self-empowerment and love our inerent feminine nature is to acknowledge te Moter witin. Many women do tis in te course of teir lives in teir day-today interaction wit teir real-life moter, if tey are lucky enoug to ave er around as an active part of teir lives. But not all women ave te luxury or te inclination to work troug cildood issues in face-to-face interaction wit teir moters. For some, teir moters may be deceased, ill or estranged, or in some oter way unavailable to experience day-to-day updates on old scripts tat ave never ad a cance to be rewritten. As a cild, you were unable to separate between wat you felt tat you needed and wat your moter could provide in te circumstances tat prevailed at te time. Remember your perception of er as a person as been prejudiced by your lifetime personal relationsip wit er. If se wasn t always able to fulfil your needs, you will ave personalised tis experience and taken it on as a negative belief about your self-wort. It is tis distorted perception tat your moter does not value you or love you enoug tat needs to be ealed for you to fully appreciate and acknowledge yourself. In most cases, it is a misperception tat your moter didn t love you enoug. Because of your cildood need for total love and acceptance, you may ave misinterpreted many situations as evidence tat your moter didn t care for you enoug. As an infant, you were not able to discern te factors tat may ave contributed to a situation, in wic, for example, you felt unloved. However, tis is precisely te time wen your psycological programming was being laid down in your neural network. Many beliefs about yourself stemming from tese early developmental days became ard and fast attitudes as you grew up. By its very nature, tis programming process leads to faulty beliefs being laid down in te circuitry. Regardless of te best or worst intentions of your parents, significant programming occurred, wic was a distortion of reality. As te cild morps into te woman, and especially wen se is moving into te Moter pase in er own life, se needs to re-evaluate er beliefs around er moter and te quality of er own motering. Sometimes tere is a long istory of misunderstandings, resentments, incongruity and dislike tat affects a woman s present relationsip wit er moter. Wile tese feelings drive te relationsip or tere are unresolved matters tat still urt, tere will be self-esteem and self-wort issues. Tese will be passed onto your own cild if tey are not resolved. However, simply asking a woman to forgive a lifetime of perceived urt can be a tall order. Often te relationsip tey ave wit teir moter is so toxic tat it affects tem on all levels of being, including te pysical. In naturopatic diagnostics, it is recognised tat women wit bowel problems commonly ave a current toxic relationsip wit teir moter. To eal on te pysical level requires a woman to clear te old toxic patterning of urt and resentment tat still dominates er relationsip wit er moter. Milkweed, in combination wit Acacia and Black Nigtsade elps to eal te moter wound. Milkweed works on te Spleen, Small Intestine and Colon meridians improving self-esteem, aiding discernment and clearing old toxic patterns. Milkweed resonates to Cakra 2, 3 and 4. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES Alienation witin te family. For te teenager wo feels tey ave outgrown te family. For manipulative beaviour, wic disrupts te family. For te quiet, witdrawn cild. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 99

100 For learning difficulties. For te cild displaying bullying beaviour. For over-dependency. For te cild wo as suffered cildood abuse of any kind, verbal, pysical, or sexual. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES Assists in developing individuality, wile still witin te safety of family. Encourages sensitivity to te needs of te group. Develops a cild s creativity. Smootes te transition times of cildood. Improves a cild s self-confidence, self-empowerment, and resourcefulness. For ealing te inner cild. Activates a sense of umour. 100Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

101 MORNING GLORY Ipomoea indica KEYWORDS Negative: speaking one s trut, timidity and syness, difficulty in confronting oters, for outsining oters, creative blocks, and dominating parents. Positive: for letting your star sine, empowering, opens creative cannels to sing and eal. Permission to Sine Our deepest fear is not tat we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is tat we are powerful beyond measure. It is our ligt not our darkness, tat most frigtens us. We ask ourselves Wo am I to be brilliant? Actually, wo are you not to be? You are a cild of God. Your playing small doesn t serve te world. Tere s noting enligtened about srinking so tat oter people won t feel insecure around you. We are born to manifest te glory of God tat is witin us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our ligt sine we unconsciously give oter people permission to do te same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates oters. Written by Marianne Williamson. Spoken by Nelson Mandela in is inaugural speec. DESCRIPTION A rampant climber, oterwise known as te Blue Dawnflower, tis ambitious vine is covered wit flasy, brigt blue trumpets all summer eac flower opens at dawn and fades by sunset, curling in on itself as if sutting down. Te Morning Glory, in te family Convolvulaceae, contains more tan 1000 species. As te name suggests, Morning Glory flowers open wit te dawn. Morning Glories are native of tropical America. Tey are also present in Asia, and also grow in subtropical and temperate regions. Tey grow so rampantly in subtropical regions of Australia tat tey ave been declared a weed. Tis essence as been made up from te Morning Glory indica, a perennial wit beautiful dark blue-purple funnelsaped flowers in groups of tree to twelve blooms. Te blossoms sow marks were te corolla was neatly folded or rolled up in bud. Te Morning Glory indica flowers start to fade two ours before te petals start sowing visible curling. Morning Glories prefer full sun trougout te day. Anoter popular, fragrant variety Moonflower (Ipomea alba) opens in te evening wit a sweet fragrance. It lasts troug te nigt until touced by te morning sun. Morning Glories ave lus green foliage. Te leaves are eart-saped and about four to five centimetres long. Morning Glory was first known in Cina for its medicinal uses, due to te laxative properties of its seeds. Aztec priests in Mexico were also known to use te plant s allucinogenic properties. Many species of Morning Glory seeds contain d-lysergic acid amide, ergoline alkaloids better known as LSA, wic are poisonous. Ergoline derivatives ave been used in te treatment of migraines, but peraps te most well renowned use is in te manufacture of te psycedelic drug LSD, popularized during te flower power era of te 1960 s and 70 s. LSD was seen to open te doors to perception. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 101

102 Te round seedpods ang in clusters from teir vines. On maturing, te pods turn papery brown and become ard. Morning Glories are excellent seed voyagers and teir efficient propagation is one of te reasons tey are declared a weed. Te oter reason is tat tey are capable Essence of fast growt given Blends te rigt conditions. As strong, twining climbers, tey can grow into te canopy of te rainforest. Teir rampant growt can successfully form a curtain of stems, wic is capable of destroying intact rainforest canopy. Tey are mainly found growing in eavily disturbed rainforest remnants and are largely confined to sunny edges and gaps witin te forest. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Te flower is trumpet-saped wit a very deep centre, pure wite at te base. Wen eld up to te ligt, te centre appears as a sining star emanating wite ligt. Te wite canges to a beautiful pink ue and ten to a brilliant blue as it flares out to create te trumpet sape. Pink bands radiating from te centre and out to te peripery divide te flared flower into five segments, giving te appearance tat tere are five separate petals, but indeed tere is only one. Te stamen is pure wite and looks like an illuminated ligt bulb. LETTING OUR STAR SHINE Tis essence is for speaking our trut and letting our star sine. It is a remedy to address empowerment a sense of being aligned to te core (star) of one s being. It differentiates between speaking to impress oters and speaking to express one s own inner wisdom and trut. It assists tose wo are too sy to express temselves or wo are too timid to speak teir trut. It brings a sense of integrity to te way we express ourselves. FOR OUTSHINING OTHERS Te flower curls up at te end of te day as if it knows wen to exit centre stage. Morning Glory is for outsining oters by continually aving to be on top. It grants te grace to be able to allow oters teir time witout aving to upstage tem. Te ability to let oters sine is especially relevant wen we are parents. Cildren wo grow in te sadow of a parent wo is a ig aciever and a star can develop a sense of inferiority tat sinks deeply into teir being, dissuading tem from any attempt to find teir own ligt. Role modelling for our cildren can be a fine line to walk. Actually, it can ave te opposite effect, by preventing tem from attaining teir igest potential if in te process te parent is perceived to be unapproacable and bigger tan life. Te obvious examples of tis type of reverse role modelling can be seen in te glittery world of stardom, were many cildren of stars ave descended into a ell of negativity and substance abuse because te task of coming up to level wit teir famous parent is perceived as overwelming and unattainable. One example tat comes to mind was Keit Miller, te famous Australian cricketer, wose four sons all ended up eroin addicts. Wen asked to speculate wy tis ad appened, te oldest, in a television interview, said tat tere was no point in trying to be like is dad because e was so good at wat e did tat e (te son) could never ope to be tat talented. Morning Glory assists a parent, weter female or male, to recognise tat wen a cild outsines us, ten we ave done a great job of parenting we ave encouraged oters to sine. Wen we do allow oters to sine in teir own ligt, we pass te baton of ligt on, because we ave simply been te cannel for information to come troug us, not te source. Wen we are empowered and standing strongly in our own integrity, we can stay open to oters in teir need to sine also. We feel a sense of love and acceptance of te Self, reminiscent of te streaks of pink in te petals. As te flower witers and dies, te blue petal curls into te centre giving te appearance of a pink ligt bulb - te ligt moves on. Te seeds are poison, so wen we outsine oters and occlude teir ligt, te fruits of our labour are also poisoned. It is as if we delude ourselves tat we are more important tan te next generation coming troug. HEALING WITH THE LIGHT Morning Glory is also for ealers so tat tey do not become arrogant, believing tat it is tey wo are doing te ealing. It assists tem to call on te ligt and let it pour troug tem, rater tan work wit te notion tat it is tem. By canging tis attitude, tey do not tire or find teir ealing sessions to be burdensome. It also elps tem to pass on teir knowledge graciously, in te attitude of giving service to umanity. 102Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

103 CREATIVE EXPRESSION It elps tose wo speak publicly or as teacers, to speak openly and clearly from te eart. It elps wit stage-frigt. It assists wit all kinds of creative expression - singing, painting, performing arts, interior design etc. - to open creative cannels. It grows on a vine and as eart-saped leaves. Te bud appears as a swirled candle wit te calyx aving a manyspiked appearance. At te bud stage, it is ard to differentiate between te bud and te spikes of te calyx, as if any, or all, could flower. Tis gives te impression tat tere are many alternatives, many tings tat one could say and tat one as to coose consciously to speak te trut, wic will ultimately flower into reality. Tis essence elps us to be conscious of te effect of our words on oters. It works well wit Commelina for speaking wit integrity and Freckle Face for communicating from te eart. It works on te Spleen and Liver meridians, assisting to transform selfis, egotistical attitudes and to let one s star sine. Morning Glory resonates to Cakras 3, 5 and 9. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For speaking one s trut. For timidity and syness in speaking out. For difficulty in confronting oters. For intellectual arrogance. For dominating parents. For ealers eavy wit pride and ego. For creative blocks. For stage frigt - performers block. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES For speaking from te core of one s trut. For letting your star sine. Empowers te faint-earted to speak up. Encourages wise parenting. Opens cannels to creative expression and ealing. Facilitates public speaking, singing. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 103

104 NATIVE HIBISCUS Hibiscus eteropyllus KEYWORDS Negative: emotional and pysical pain, victims of abuse, sadness and guilt of abortion or miscarriage and unwanted pregnancy. Positive: grants courage, ligtens grief and guilt and eases period pain. DESCRIPTION Belongs to te Malvaceae family. An erect spreading srub to small tree wit dark green leaves and wite flowers wit a red troat. Hibiscus eteropyllus is a medium to large srub of open abit, from about tree to six metres ig. Te leaves are up to 200 millimetres long by 100 mm millimetres wide and may be linear to oval-saped eiter entire or tree-lobed. Flowers are large, up to 150 millimetres in diameter of typical ibiscus sape. In common wit most Hibiscus species, te individual flowers last only one to two days but new flowers continue to open over a long period, generally from spring troug to summer. Te blooms are wite wit a deep red centre. Hairy seed capsules, containing a number of seeds, follow te flowers. Te airs on te capsules can cause severe skin irritation and need to be andled wit care. Te flower buds can be made into a jam. Oter parts of te plant are also edible and ave been used by Aboriginal people as a food source. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Te flowers are large, attractive and pure wite wit a deep reddis-purple troat. Tey ave a delicately veined streak of reddis-pink on one side of eac petal, giving a swirling, spiralling appearance as te flower unfolds. Te veined streak is like te placenta were baby and moter s blood supplies intermingle to give life to te newly forming foetus. It can also be likened to a trickle of blood tat comes from a new wound. Te flowers close at nigt, curling into an inverted uterus sape. It is as if te flower folds up to old te foetus, reminiscent of te way one curls up into a foetus sape wen feeling fearful in te dept of te nigt. At te base on te outside surface, te flower is a witis to baby pink colour, mindful of te rosy ue of a newborn baby s skin. Te stamen, wic is a deep red colour, rises from te centre like a pallus seeking opportunity. As te flowering bud opens, it untwists itself as if unwinding from a tigt knot. It is as if te flower is twisted wit pain and as it relaxes, it unwinds. Te tortured look gives way to smoot un-creased petals, like te un-furrowing of a person s brow, as tey relax. Te centre of te flower is a deep mud red, like a pool of congealing blood. Te tree is slender and somewat insubstantial looking. Te leaves are palmately lobed and ave a oley appearance as if tey ave been assaulted by someting. Tis gives te impression of te aura being faulty, ill-formed or damaged, or wounds and blows on te skin from being attacked. Te tin-looking brances ave fine prickles on tem, as if tey are transmitting prickly energy. Tey seem to be saying, Stay away or Don t become too attaced. Te flowers appear only for a sort time, and ten witer on te stem. Tey seem to be transitory, gost-like appearances by Spirit, as if tey ave only a moment in time to deliver teir valuable message. Or it is as if teir fleeting appearance suggests tat it is only sort bursts of activity tat do te damage, and ten life goes on again. Tey gradually unfold as tey open, giving te appearance of a swirling skirt, revealing te deep mud-red dirty centre, like a lack of clarity at te very eart of te matter. FREE-FLOWING BLOOD - THE KEY TO GYNAECOLOGICAL HEALTH A prolific network of large and small blood vessels feeds te blood supply in a woman s pelvis, nourising te uterus, generating menstruation and providing te stimulus for te pleasure of orgasm. Free-flowing blood in te pelvis is critical for a woman s ongoing gynaecological ealt. Congealed or slow-flowing blood obstructs te blood vessels, causing pain upon movement. Tis means tat during menstruation, wen blood needs to flow out of te uterus, it is obstructed in its passage leading to dysmenorrea (painful menstruation). Endometriosis is a condition were blood becomes congealed and stuck in te pelvis and leads to bot severe pain and difficulty in becoming pregnant. Stuck blood can also mean tat if a woman is pregnant, nourisment 104Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

105 to te baby in te uterus will be restricted and can potentially slow normal foetal development in te womb, leading to possible birt defects. It also denies te nerves tat bring pleasure during orgasm, te stimulation tat normally occurs by te engorgement of blood in te genitals during sex, resulting in frigidity. Stuck blood comes about troug a combination of lack of movement (exercise) and cold penetrating into te lower body congealing te blood flow. Native Hibiscus assists painful menstruation and elps wit sexual frigidity by increasing blood flow in te pelvis. DENYING THE BLOOD Native Hibiscus also elps tose women wo suffer guilt and same around aving a period. It may include feeling dirty, ating te odour, discomfort using pads or a sense of same wen menstruation is discussed. It is particularly useful for young girls wen tey first begin to menstruate. Similarly, it is of assistance for women wo coose to discontinue teir periods troug te use of ormonal treatments, te ormone patc or te IUD. It elps tem to feel at ease wit being fully a woman, bringing an acceptance of te cyclic rytms tat tey dance to. It can be used wit Black Nigtsade for tis purpose. SUFFERING THE GUILT OF AN ABORTION Native Hibiscus is also used to assist a woman wo is suffering from guilt because se as ad a miscarriage or a terapeutic abortion. It elps er to grieve and to forgive erself. Wen a baby is conceived in an unealty body, or te inter-uterine development is faulty, Nature will attempt to abort te baby to make sure tat te foetus doesn t survive. A spontaneous miscarriage is Nature s way of ensuring te survival of te fittest and tat te uman race produces strong, ealty cildren to carry te baton troug to te next generation. A terapeutic abortion can be seen in te same ligt. If a moter is unable to give er cild te best support se can offer and cannot upold te infant troug many years of growing and developing, ten te cild will suffer during crucial developmental years. Te ensuing damage, weter emotional, mental or pysical will decrease its cances of being fit and in te best condition to survive. Nature intended te species to survive and trive, and by aving an abortion were tere are difficult circumstances, a woman is working wit Nature, especially if tere is a ig possibility tat te infant may be deprived enoug for its ealt and wellbeing to be compromised. Tis awareness is cold comfort to a woman wo feels se as no coice but to ave an abortion. Women are biologically designed to recognize intuitively weter se feels rigt about er ability to moter; tat is, supported and safe. Her circumstances may range from feeling unsupported by te fater, emotionally or financially, to becoming pregnant after a one-nigt stand, to feeling inadequate for te task of moterood due to age or life situation. No matter wat factors are determining te decision, it is never an easy one, particularly as te longer te pregnancy goes on, te more motering ormones flow into te woman s blood, stimulating er ead and eart to feel like se is becoming a moter. Women connect to te soul of te baby very early in te pregnancy troug te ormonal inflows preparing er body and soul for moterood. Tis makes te decision to terminate an emotional one, and for some it can feel as if tey are literally tearing te baby from teir womb. It can seem quite violent, and se may feel as if te doctors carrying out te procedure ave violated er. It is imperative tat se dialogues wit er baby, to release er from guilt, and te baby s soul from being eart-bound troug te strong emotional ties binding er to er moter. On a metapysical level, te baby and te moter ave made a soul pact to assist one of tem in learning a valuable life lesson peraps te moter s lesson is about learning ow to grieve and let go gracefully, or maybe to sort out some issue between te fater and se tat could only be recognized following a termination. It could be tat te baby s soul as to learn te lesson troug a pysical incarnation lasting only a few weeks. It is important tat te moter names er baby weter se as ad a spontaneous miscarriage or a terapeutic abortion. Tis acknowledges te soul of te baby and can be quite comforting. Holding onto grief, regret and guilt will only serve to energetically bind a woman so tat se is not open and ready to fall pregnant again. ENERGETICALLY CLEANSES THE WOMB Weter a baby comes or not, a woman enters te pase of Moter wen se falls pregnant se as become fully a woman. Studies ave been done tat demonstrate tat a woman s brain undergoes irreversible canges during pregnancy. Many of tese canges are initiated by te strong inflow of ormones, wen se first falls pregnant. If se miscarries, te baby dies at birt or is still-born, te wole of a woman s being is noneteless cemically, emotionally, psycologically and spiritually geared to moterood. Te emptiness se feels can be extremely painful wit er Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 105

106 wole body crying out to nurture and nouris er baby. Native Hibiscus elps wit feelings of sadness after a miscarriage, triggered by seeing oter Mums wit teir babies. It also elps a woman wo feels unsupported by friends Essence or family wile Blends going troug a miscarriage. It elps tose wo ave karmic links to a baby in a past life. It cuts te ties and lets eac entity go to teir igest good. Native Hibiscus clears te ties tat bind er to er part-term baby, energetically clearing te space for a new soul to come troug. VICTIMS OF ABUSE Native Hibiscus also assists women wo ave been te victims of abuse, and more specifically, tose wo ave been violated to te point of pysical injury. For many women, te outbursts of violence tat satter te peace of teir soul and break teir bodies are a small price to pay to maintain teir relationsip. Suffering in silence, tey will even cover evidence of pysical aggression so tat oters do not question te wisdom of teir decision. For deep down, most women are aware tat pysical violation is wrong and cannot be sustained in te long term. Soving it under te carpet only serves to condone te beaviour and reinforce te destructive pattern of beaviour tat teir partner is victim to. Broken-earted pleas and promises never to beave in te same way again reveal te guilt and regret tat many men genuinely experience, after a brutal, possessive attack on a loved one. But sometimes tey can also serve to weaken te resolve of a woman, determined to leave after being violated, wen er partner tells er tat e is sorry, tat e loves er and tat e didn t mean to urt er. I LOVE YOU THEREFORE I OWN YOU A recent finding seds ligt on wy some men feel tat tey can repeatedly inflict injury on a family member witout compunction. Te finding describes ow varying levels of a gender-specific ormone, vasopressin, affects te degree to wic a man believes e as a rigt possess is partner. Altoug males and females bot ave tis ormone to assist in modulating blood pressure, it is only in males tat vasopressin stimulates a feeling of wanting to protect is woman. It as been sown tat men wit ig levels of te ormone equate love wit possession. Possessing or owning an object implies tat I can do wat ever I want wit te item. Hig levels of vasopressin and testosterone can lead some men to objectify teir partners. According to te researc, it seems tat tis is were te misperception of possessing a loved one becomes distorted: I own er, so I can do watever I like wit er. Tis attitude can be te very one tat keeps te woman coming back. Se perceives tat te alternative to er current life is being alone and feeling deprived (igly masculinised males are often excellent bread-winners). Se fears solitude so opts to accept te relationsip, as it is, warts and all, including frequent basings. AVOIDING RESPONSIBILITY Anoter factor is tat many women love te feeling of being owned and possessed. It can absolve tem of responsibility of standing on teir own feet, as tere will always be someone tere to take te brunt of life, paying te bills, fixing te plumbing, looking after te car, even disciplining te cildren. Tis attitude seems to be a angover from te prevailing mentality of te late forties and fifties, following te war, wen women bated in te glory of aving been saved by teir menfolk, from te evil menace tat treatened to destroy teir omes and kill teir babies. Tat led to an automatic assumption of subservience tat fed power to er mate like meat to a starving lion. STANDING ON HER OWN FEET Native Hibiscus elps a woman facing tis dilemma to take action tat will ensure er safety. It elps er to prioritise er safety ig on te list of self-elp strategies, above tat of te fear of being alone. It also assists er to face er fears by getting in touc wit te strengt inerent in er gender. Tis will elp er work alongside er man, not under is yoke. By managing er own vulnerability, se takes er place at is side and stops giving away er power to im. Se begins to soulder some of teir sared responsibility, gaining respect in er own eyes and in te eyes of er partner. It will give er te strengt and commitment required to walk away to begin a new life. Use in conjunction wit Cordyline to ave te strengt to turn er back on a situation tat no longer serves er soul. Native Hibiscus works on te Lung, Kidney and Spleen meridians granting confidence and freedom from pain. Native Hi biscus resonates to Cakras 2 and 4. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For emotional and pysical pain. For abused women. 106Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

107 For women wo feel controlled by teir partner. For sadness and guilt following a miscarriage or abortion. For pregnancy wit an unwanted baby. For guilt and same around periods. For menstrual pain, frigidity, fibroids, cysts and all conditions related to congested blood in te pelvis. For deficiency of Lung/Spleen energy. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES Relieves emotional and pysical pain. Grants courage in an abusive situation. Assists wit te grief of miscarriage or abortion. Energetically cleanses te womb. Helps wit te decision to terminate a pregnancy. Helps women accept and love teir feminine biology. Eases period pain by assisting te free-flow of blood in te uterus. Clears same and disgust around periods and bleeding. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 107

108 PINK SHAMROCK Oxalis debilis KEYWORDS Negative: adolescence problems, cild wo won t grow up, teeting problems, cild beaviour problems, alienation and rejection, ereditary disease patterns. Positive: smootes transition from cildood to adultood, belonging, selfidentity and clears ereditary disease patterns. DESCRIPTION Native to Sout America, Oxalis is an introduced weed in Australia, growing well in tropical Australia. It is commonly termed invasive. In Europe, tis species of Oxalis is known as wood sorrel, but more generally in Australia te incorrect name of Pink Samrock is used. Tey are familiar to most people wit teir caracteristically eart-saped tree leaflets, giving te appearance of a samrock. Te clusters of pink bellsaped flowers are very attractive, altoug not to some ome gardeners wo find tis to be a most troublesome weed. People find tem pleasant to nibble, owever, and te leaflets are often cewed at te base. Tey are considered to be succulently sour and refresing. Pink Samrock is not tougt to produce seeds, so all propagation is troug spread of bulbs. It re-establises from bulbs in spring after spending winter in dormancy. Te sugars stored in te bulbs allow te foliage to be pused up successfully troug most mulces and troug most residual erbicides. Leaves arise from te top of te subterranean tuber, wic produces a large number of small bulbils beneat te soil. Tey scatter in unwary ands and spread widely. Te troublesome nature of tis weed is tat it propagates troug negligence. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Te clumping of te bulbils beneat te surface, exibited by Pink Samrock can be likened to Ancestral Qi, a concept in Traditional Cinese Medicine tat describes te collective energy of te family. It is passed down troug te generations and includes emotional and attitudinal legacies as well as pysical caracteristics. Te abit of clumping togeter below te surface, wile appearing to be independent above te ground, is mindful of te beaviour of teenagers, wo ang around togeter for a sense of tribal security, but wo like to appear independent. ADOLESCENCE - A TIME OF TRANSITION Adolescents are stepping from te family of origin into te greater family circle of community. Tis is a major transitional time for young people. Often teenagers need te security of tribal energy; tat is, tey need to feel a sense of belonging tat elps tem to navigate te strange yet compelling attraction of te new larger family group, te uman family, as distinct from teir family of origin. Teir peer group plays tis role and cusions tem from te assault of constant new experiences, attitudes and responses. Feeling secure in teir own identity witin te group ensures tat tey ave a sufficient sense of inner autority to witstand negative peer group influences. But if teir self-esteem is saky, i.e., teir sense of self-identity is not yet strong tey will inappropriately seek approval from te group, easily abandoning teir own inner trut and acting beyond teir own best interests. Pink Samrock assists teenagers to get in touc wit teir own trut and act from a position of inner strengt wen immersed in te all-consuming energy of te peer group. Pink Samrock s clumping abit beneat te surface also describes te relationsip of te cild wo is transiting troug various stages of cildood towards independence, but is still energetically attaced to te umbilical cord at te deepest level. It assists a cild wit all te major transitions of cildood; teeting, walking, going to scool, menarce, leaving scool and leaving ome. It does tis by tapping te cild back into te deep sense of security gained troug place in te family. HEREDITARY PATTERNS From an energetic perspective, te family of origin is bound togeter by deep ties tat are strong and binding, many of wic are unconscious or beneat te surface. Te emotional, psycological and pysical patterning tat we take on board from our parents is not always easily recognized, particularly witin te family circle. Peraps oters will say, My, but you are like your fater, and you may not be able to see it. However some of tese patterns may be te seeds of destruction tat can go on later to be te underlying cause for a disease condition to arise. For example, a parent wit diabetes wo suffers from low self-esteem may pass tat attitude onto a cild. Later on in life, te cild, 108Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

109 aving unconsciously taken on board te sense of unwortiness, may develop diabetes also in response to bot a DNA predisposition and a prevailing attitude of unwortiness. Te inerited attitude ensures tat te pysical disease pattern will be repeated. DNA science tells us tat if we inerit a particular disease-causing gene from our parents, tere is little escape from its dire effects. Tat is not true in te ligt of new researc into gene expression. Tis new evidence tells us tat gene expression (weter a gene turns on or off) can be affected by emotional, environmental and/or psycological factors, if tose factors are ongoing in a person s life. Wat tat means is tat te Body-Mind is so plastic tat a cange in attitude, lifestyle, diet, place of living, etc., can be a factor, or factors, wic ensures tat te body will not inerit te disease. Te tendency towards te disease may still be present but wat is different is te body s response to te genetic predisposition. Te body can overtrow a tendency and maintain a ealty condition. It is not a given tat a person will inerit a disease tat is parent ad. Disease comes about because our subtle energy components translate our emotional and spiritual distortions into pysiological weaknesses tat may result in te breakdown of tissue. As well as DNA coding directing te pysical, subtle energy components, including our emotional, beavioural and tougt patterns are also anded down troug families, as inerited traits. If we still tink and feel te way our parents did, we are more likely to repeat te pattern of teir disease. But te more we cange emotional responses, beavioural traits and revise attitudes tat don t work for us, te more likely we are to live a long, ealty and appy life. For example, a cild brougt up in an abusive ouseold learns tat te way to relate to oters in te intimate family circle is wit disrespect and violence. If tat cild cooses not to carry tis pattern of relating troug into er adult life, se as to cut te energetic ties from te family tat would keep er repeating te same pattern over and over again. Witout severing beneficial energy ties, se needs to reprogram er means of interrelating so tat se will still ave er needs met in te family, but will relate to tem wit dignity and respect. Freckle Face is te essence tat assists us to develop effective eart-felt communication wit our loved ones and to smoot interaction witin te family. It combines well wit Pink Samrock for parent-cild conflict troug te tumultuous teenage years. Tis essence elps to bring to awareness emotional patterns and attitudes inerited troug our family tat are not resonant wit our own soul s pat. It also elps to clear inerited disease patterns. HEALTHY INDIVIDUATION It elps a cild to identify er own soul note witin te cacopony of sound tat makes up a wole family. It elps er know wo se is and to be aware of er differences. It elps er to onour erself, rater tan lose er soul in te family energy. Te family is te first social group were a cild learns about er identity. According to er position in te family, er relationsip to eac parent and te gender of er siblings, se learns to know wo se is in te context of te big picture. Freckle Face elps a cild to navigate te rocky road from aving a safe place witin te family to finding a place in te wider world wit a sense of confidence. Families operate in different ways: some function wit a ig degree of independence wile oters are robustly interdependent. Were tere are strong personal boundaries wit minimum enmesment, cildren often suffer from a sense of isolation and separation and find it ard as adults to connect in teir own family situation. In igly enmesed families, individual personal boundaries often merge and te pat to individuation for te cild can be difficult. Were tere is an overprotective or smotering moter, te cild often as difficulty in discriminating wat is best for erself, wat se likes and ow se wants er world to be. Energetically, er moter s energy surrounds er like a protective over-blanket, obscuring er own capacity to relate to te world on er own terms. Milkweed combines well wit Pink Samrock and Lantana for tis type of smotering enmesment. RHIANNON Riannon came to see me wit menstrual problems. Se is 18, and er mum came too, sitting in on te consultation. Wen questioning Riannon for information about er symptoms, se constantly referred to er moter, Jenny, wo also directly answered many of my questions. Often Jenny would comment, O yes, just like me if I was quizzing Riannon about wat se tougt or felt about someting. I recognised tat many of Riannon s problems stemmed from an unconscious stress pattern tat caused constant tigt musculature, preventing te free flow of blood and energy troug Riannon s pelvis. As I treated er, Jenny insisted on olding Riannon s and and stroking er brow, wile Riannon wimpered and flinced at every touc, even toug I was working extremely gently. I could see tat Jenny was anticipating Riannon s pain and was trying to protect er from feeling it. It gave Riannon no opportunity to draw on er own ability to tolerate te pain, teacing er not to trust in er own strengt. Jenny s over-concern was really a burden for Riannon and te stress pattern tat se ad developed Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 109

110 was evidence of er own disbelief tat se could andle te everyday callenges tat life trows up to er by tapping into er own inner resources. I used Pink Samrock, Milkweed and Lantana for bot te moter and te cild. Riannon poned me a week after er first session. Se said tat se was sleeping beautifully and felt a lot stronger in erself. LETTING GO Wen over-motered cildren move out into te larger family of community during teir teen transition, tey are often unskilled in relating to teir peers and oters, because tey don t ave a clear idea of teir own personal boundaries. Tey can be easily influenced, unable to take responsibility for teir own actions and lack te discrimination to know rigt from wrong. After all, tey ave never ad to make any of tese decisions for temselves. Moters ave a difficult task as tey rear a cild tey need to know ow to be so close and protective wit teir infant tat tey are essentially one, at birt and for some time after. Tis provides te newly born babe wit a necessary sense of security during te in-arms pase, up to nine monts old, before taking teir first independent steps into te world wen tey stand up and walk. From tat time on, te moter begins te long, slow process of letting go, so tat te infant can learn about te world around er, by direct experience. Of course, on an energetic level, te umbilical cord is never cut as our relationsip wit te moter is te most significant in our life and continues on until we ourselves die, weter se is alive or not. However, a moter, in er wisdom, needs to allow er cild to experiment wit life, witin reason of course, and always appropriate to te cild s developmental pase. But te moter wo is always overing over er cild, overprotecting and smotering, does more damage to er cild s psyce tan if se were not tere. Te message se is continually giving er cild is tat se can t do anyting on er own and tat indeed, se is incapable of doing anyting witout assistance, eroding te cild s sense of confidence. Wise mums sprinkle a good dose of toug love into raising teir cild, letting go in increments tat reflect te cild s pase of development. If little Mary is learning to ride a bike and Mum stands by wit anxiety written all over er face, wringing er ands and making a fuss if Mary as a small tumble, te cild receives a message tat se can t do it and suffers from lack of confidence. Se will be scared to get back on te bike again; after all, er moter is telling er to be afraid, be very afraid. Energetically, Mary is carrying er moter s anxiety for er as a burden. Pink Samrock elps mums to let teir cildren go gradually so tat tey learn to trust teir own inner voice rater tan being overly affected by oters. Cildren wo refuse to grow up ave a vested interest in staying small. Often te youngest in a family will learn tat life comes er way wen se acts like a baby. Wen se goes out into te world, se will be ill equipped to meet er own needs. DONNA Donna came to see me because se was feeling depressed. At forty-seven, se is single and says tat se doesn t care about anyting anymore and feels cut off from God. Yet, se disclosed tat in er deepest eart, se longs for connection. Her story revealed tat ten years ago, se ad a painful relationsip breakup tat ad built a wall around er eart; se didn t want to experience tat degree of pain anymore so se stopped contact wit oter people, apart from work colleagues. Se said tat se ad lots of love to give, but tat se did not trust tat tere was someone out tere wo could give er wat se wanted. In fact, se ad ad an experience at work were se was loaded wit responsibility to suc an extent tat se ad a breakdown. Se said tat se felt totally unsupported by er boss. He sould ave been able to see tat I needed support, se said. I enquired weter se ad asked im for elp and se replied, O no, I could never do tat. People sould be able to read wat it is tat oters need. I certainly do. Tat s wat appened in my relationsip I gave so muc, but noting was given back to me. Donna was te youngest cild in a family of six, five of wom were girls. From te time se was born, se was cosseted, cuddled, motered and smotered by er four older sisters to te extent tat every need se ad was pre-empted and provided for. Se grew up never aving to ask for anyting it was always tere for er. Donna s discomfort in asking for er needs to be met ad not served er well. Donna always appeared strong on te surface, so ow would er friends and work colleagues know tat sometimes se felt very vulnerable and needed support? After all, se didn t ever communicate tese feelings to anyone. Pink Samrock was te essence tat elped er to access te cild witin to better understand tat er expectation, tat tere would always be someone tere to second-guess wat se needed, was unrealistic and tat se needed to learn ow to ask for wat se wants. Se needs to open er eart and respond to its yearnings by learning ow to ask and ow to receive. I combined Pink Samrock wit Freckle Face to elp er access er eart so tat se can communicate er needs more openly and Bleeding Heart to open er eart to take te risk to love again. 110Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

111 FOR RE-PROGRAMMING OLD BELIEFS Pink Samrock elps tose wo need to re-programme beliefs tey ave acquired witin te family, tat are no longer working for tem in te wider world. It can be used wit Milkweed to clear out old patterns learnt in cildood tat no longer serve us. It also assists teenagers to get in touc wit teir own trut and act from a position of inner strengt wen immersed in te all-consuming energy of te peer group. Pink Samrock works on te Kidney and Heart meridians, supporting easy transition from cildood troug adolescence to adultood. Pink Samrock resonates to Cakras 1, 8 and 10. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES Adolescence problems and peer group pressure. For te cild wo won t grow up. For te precocious cild. For teeting difficulties and separation anxiety. For pre-pubescent beaviour problems. For ereditary disease patterns. For feeling alienated from te group. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES Eases te transition from cildood to adultood. Releases negative trans-generational energy ties. Assists wit clearing ereditary disease patterns. Supports a sense of belonging. Assists in strengtening a sense of self-identity. Supports te little princess transition to young goddess. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 111

112 RED KAMALA Mallotis pilippensis KEYWORDS Negative: frigidity, sexual guilt, same and fear, loss of interest in sex, stifness and inflexibility. Positive: Wild Woman essence, encourages sexual freedom, renews interest in sex, assists flexibility, eases back pain and inspires creativity. DESCRIPTION A tall tree belonging to te Euporbia family, it grows to 17 metres. Te brances are slender wit pale bark, and te younger ones are covered wit dense reddis-brown fine air covering. Te leaves are ovate, longer tan broad, tree-ribbed at te base, are glandular and also covered wit a fine reddis-brown underneat. Te yellow flowers are inconspicuous wen seen from afar. Te flowers are dioeciously arranged; tat is, male and female flowers are on different plants of te same species. Te female flowers are on sort spikes attaced directly to te stem. Eac flower is on a stalk witin a cluster. Te flowers are not petaled, but ave many delicate stamens wit pure wite filaments. Tey open in sequence, along a raceme tat stands uprigt at te growing tip of te branc. Male flowers are found on longer stalks tat attac directly to te stem. In te centre are one or sometimes two brigt red anters. Te bark is a deep red, ence te name of te tree, Red Kamala. Wen cut, te sap flows abundantly. Te seed capsules are cloted wit a deep, red glandular substance. Tis is used in India as a dye for silk, and known commercially by its name Kamala, bearing te same name as te tree. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES A detailed look at tese beautiful flowers reveals te image of a swirling dancer. Te little buds appear on a raceme and burst into flower, splitting as if uncloting. Tey appear as a stunning display of tiny flowers, like ballerinas, row upon row wit teir tutus flying in a coreograped dance. Te seed appears as a tree-lobed ball-saped capsule wit reddis-brown dense pubescence (dense or fine air indicating sexual readiness). Te tree as a renowned affinity wit red; underneat te leaves are red and glandular, te sap flows ricly and red and te pubescence, or fine airs growing on te seed capsules, is a dusky red colour. RED IS FOR PASSION Tis essence is for female passion, wic once revealed is like te dance of life. Te red of passion is mindful of te red blood of life tat flows wen a woman comes into sexual readiness at puberty. Free-flowing blood is essential for te fullest expression of sexuality. Along wit te ric redness come te inflow of ormones tat awaken te young woman from te slumber of cildood to a world of feeling and sensuality tat expresses er feminine essence. Blood circulation in te pelvis affects many facets of a woman s reproductive life. If blood flows freely, it engorges te genitals granting pleasure, it enables pain-free menstruation by allowing blood to exit te body witout constraint and it nourises te baby in te womb. Many women keep circulation flowing in te pelvis by keeping te pelvic region warm, exercising and aving regular sex. Belly dancing is a wonderful way to support circulation in te pelvis and legs. Essential for obtaining full pleasure during sex, it is well in a woman s interests to maintain tis important circulation. Many gynaecological problems, ranging from menstrual difficulties troug to frigidity and infertility, arise simply because te blood supply troug te pelvic region is stagnant, deficient or sluggis. Keeping warm, along wit exercise and regular sex are te primary ways tat women can support teir reproductive system. It can be used wit Native Hibiscus for painful periods and stuck blood situations. UNDERSTANDING THE EFFECT OF OUR SEXUALITY ON MALES Puberty users in te Maiden pase, wen as te bud, se feels te first flus of sexuality. Often younger women are unsure of te effects of teir sexuality on men and due to teir unease in knowing ow to manage sexual advance, tey stifle teir passionate nature because tey fear tey ll attract a sexual response. Red Kamala elps women to understand te impact of teir budding sexuality on men and elps tem express teir passion 112Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

113 witout giving a sexual come-on. It elps tem understand te power of sex and ow it affects te men in teir social circle. Armed wit tis understanding, young women are less likely to get temselves into a situation were tey are pressed for sexual favours against teir will. LUCY Lucy came to see me in distress because some monts prior, a work colleague ad raped er. A brigt, bubbly and loving young woman, se ad responded wit warmt and friendliness to tis man wen e was recently ired as a new employee. Se worked in a large organization wit many employees and tis particular man was to be working in er department. Se suggested a few drinks one evening after e ad commenced work to elp im feel welcome and to discuss a project tat tey were about to begin work on, jointly. During a pleasant evening, tey ad lots of fun, and wen e dropped er off ome, se suggested a coffee at er place, as se wanted to finis catting about some topic tey ad been discussing. Her boyfriend was away and se knew tat tey could talk witout disturbing anyone. After se prepared te coffee and sat down, e got up and approaced te sofa were se was sitting, sat down and started to kiss er. Se was socked. His move took er completely by surprise. Se rebuffed is advances, but e insisted, becoming aggressively pysical. Tey wrestled and e became quite roug. Se began to feel scared and before long e ad er alf undressed and was penetrating er. Se started to cry and e took no notice, continuing on until e was spent. Immediately afterwards, se pulled erself togeter and told im to leave, wic e did, quite willingly. As e left e said, I don t know wy you are upset; you acted like you wanted it. In te aftermat, se felt socked and distressed by te way te events unfolded. Se gingerly told er boyfriend wen e came ome from is work trip and spent lots of time debriefing wit er parents and getting teir support. Tey advised er to inform er boss at work about te incident because tis man could be dangerous, considering teir work involved interfacing wit young impressionable people, many of wom were women. Se told er male boss wo eard er out and ten later confronted te employee involved, in private. Wen e came back to er to discuss te issue, e said tat te employee ad told im it was a storm in a teacup and tat se ad wanted it. He still remains employed by te company today. Her distress at ow er report was dismissed by te company boss is anoter issue, as is te employee s unlawful beaviour, but wat was it tat Lucy needed to learn from te disturbing incident tat would elp er in understanding er sexuality? Lucy was totally unaware tat te new employee was interpreting er kind and bubbly nature as a come-on. Se was conscious of ow sexy and attractive se was, but innocent of te way tat some men perceive good looks and a kind, friendly reacing-out as a signal tat tey are being sexually targeted. Part of wat se needs to learn from is experience is ow powerful women s sexuality is in te way it affects te males around tem. Males are sexually aroused by attractive, good looks and can easily misinterpret friendly beaviour, wic is no excuse for tem acting out teir desires, but common enoug for tem to register it in teir consciousness. Te oter lesson for Lucy is to learn ow to put out signals tat clearly express se is not interested, at te same time as retaining er easy friendly manner. Inviting im up to er apartment was a bad move, and a signal tat e clearly misinterpreted. For tese understandings, I gave er Red Kamala to make er conscious of er sexual power and Freckle Face to communicate er feelings and needs clearly, ensuring tat oters understand te extent of er boundaries. I also added Acacia to strengten er protective aura and sore up er personal boundary so tat se can more readily discern wo and wat se lets into er intimate zone. EARLY SEXUAL EXPRESSION Maidenood is a pase of experimentation for a young woman and usually starts at about eigteen, altoug many young women experiment wit sexuality a lot earlier. Early sexual expression can be damaging for an adolescent wo as not yet developed a sense of self. Te brain is still developing troug te teen years and tis later pase is important for bringing in tat sense of self in relation to te rest of te world. Te loss of innocence a young woman experiences wen se first as sex is about losing te singlemindedness tat caracterises cildood. Wit te onset of sexual activity, er energy is split and now supports a sticky energetic connection between er and er boyfriend. Sexuality creates very strong energetic connectivity between te lovers tey excange te fluids of sex, wic transfer more tan just pysical sperm. Water comprises percent of body weigt. All people ave a unique energy resonance, imprinted on te water content of teir pysical body. Energy transfer takes place witin te intimate act of sexuality (including ancestral energy if a baby comes as a result of te union) via te fluids of sexuality. Water is a powerful transference medium, imprinted wit te unique energy vibration of a person. Many fluids are transferred during te sex act. Wen we excange sexual fluids, we are excanging our unique energy signature. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 113

114 Te younger te person, te less ready tey are to take on board te energy patterns of anoter. It is too confusing and often leads to merging of te boundaries between two young people long before tey ave developed teir own identity. Tis essence assists a young woman to tap into Essence er inner knowing in Blends determining weter se is ready to start aving sexual relations. It elps er to discriminate between er readiness and te pressure se is feeling to conform to er boyfriend s urging. It also assists er to pace er sexual activity to er own rytms rater tan tose of er partner. It elps er to stay in touc wit er own sense of self, rater tan losing erself in te partnersip. FRUITING OF THE FLOWER A woman s sexuality comes to a ead wen se as a baby. Tis is te fruiting of te flower. If er pregnancy, birting and early motering fills er wit passion, se begins to tap into te ancestral energy tat comes wit te experience of moterood. Moterood represents a deepening of er sexuality, and se will find tat te wole journey wit er baby is resplendent wit sexual feelings, stimulated by contact between te two. In te true sense of te word, er sexuality as been unleased troug er fruiting. If se can go wit te natural feelings and not be frigtened by tem, se fully awakens as a sexual being. Red Kamala assists er to take deligt and pleasure in te deep feeling side of te early pase of moterood, witout guilt. TEMPORARY LOSS OF FIRE A moter s attention is directed to te baby for a few years following birt, and often se is disinterested or too tired to ave sex wit er partner. In fact, most women experience te most passionate love affair tey ave ever experienced wit teir baby, triggered by massive inflows of te connecting ormone, known as oxytocin. Te fater is often sidelined and can suffer from feelings of rejection and lack of inclusion, especially wen e is denied sex, is most comfortable and effective way of making connection wit is partner. In fact, many relationsips and marriages come unstuck because of te temporary lack of interest in sex after cildbirt. Not only is a woman being stretced in many ways to accommodate te canges in er life, but er sexual energy is also depleted. Te energy tat drives sex is te same energy tat made te baby in er womb; se as just expended a tremendous amount of energy for nine monts growing te foetus. Te apparent lack of interest a woman displays post-natally can easily be misinterpreted by a partner as a personal sligt, wic e may ten perceive as loss of love in te partnersip. Similarly, many women don t connect teir lack of desire for teir partner wit te function of baby-making tey ave just been troug. In some cases, a woman can also misinterpret er lack of libido as falling out of love wit er partner. One way to deal wit tis temporary impasse is to talk about it, in te ligt of understanding, in te moments wen tere is no sexual tension anging in te air. Modern medicine makes no establised link between libido, sexual expression and making babies, in any oter way tan te most obvious (intercourse makes babies!). In reality, te reproductive processes draw massively on a woman s energy. Te energy expended in creating a baby can take up to tree years to be fully restored, provided se allows time for rest and restoration. Red Kamala assists a woman to take te necessary steps to restore energy and wellbeing following te birt of a baby. A woman s role in bringing a baby into te world is obvious, but a man s role can equally be seen as no less important. He as to display patience and loyalty in te interests of someting greater tan te two of tem te family tey are creating togeter by putting is sexual needs on te backburner for a wile. Tere are many ways for a man to find sexual satisfaction besides bump and grind, and some of te gentler and more subtle ways can be deligtful and certainly less draining on a woman s energy. THE RETURN OF THE SPLENDOUR Wen er energy is restored following te birt of te baby, er libido does come back, and it returns wit even more dept and passion. He will discover a new dept to te deligts tey sare togeter. Sometimes e can even feel treatened by te dept of er feelings during sex and er increased pleasure during intercourse. A woman s sexuality is closely aligned wit er blood flow. Not only does se bleed in rytm wit er montly cycle, but te blood tat engorges er genitals transports er to a world of pure pleasure, biologically programmed into er body. A woman s genealogical ealt largely depends on ow freely and abundantly blood flows troug er pelvis. After birt, er blood flow is usually stronger and more freely flowing, ence se experiences greater eigts of pleasure post-natally. Having a baby clears and cleanses pelvic circulation and introduces te body to depts of pleasure troug te inflow of oxytocin, or love ormone tat as flooded er system before, during and after te birt of er baby. 114Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

115 FIRE AND WATER At its eigt, a woman s sexuality is different to a man s. Women are described in energetic terms as belonging to te element of water, wile a man is said to express fire. Te sexual act is described poetically by Cinese Medical pilosopy as follows: A woman is water and cool, and a man is fire and ot. He brings er water to te boil and se extinguises is fire. Once fully opened to teir sexuality, women s route to orgasm is described as circular. Women take longer to reac orgasm tan men. But wen tey ave arrived, tey can sustain pleasure for a lot longer and are multi-orgasmic; tat is, tey can ave multiple orgasms in one session. Men, on te oter and, are described as experiencing orgasm vertically. Once te train as left te station, it won t stop until it as delivered its load. Once delivered, te train isn t going anywere te man is spent. One of te reasons tat women ave been described in certain cultures as being inferior to men is based solidly in tis fact. Men ave felt treatened down troug istory by women s capacity for sexual pleasure, even declaring tat women enslave men by tempting tem sexually. Sometimes women ave been created second-class citizens as a consequence. In some cultures, women are required to cover temselves up so tat tey do not tempt men to indulge in sexual fantasy all day, instead of working! In our own culture, tere is still an attitude, a angover from Victorian times, wic strongly suggests tat men are freer to indulge teir sexual desires tan women. Tere ave been recent outcries about young male football eroes wo take advantage of teir popularity to sow teir wild seed. One case involved a group rape incident. Te public outcry suggests tat is it no longer OK for tis kind of rape, pillage and plunder mentality. But te idden message is tat women are simply tere for te pleasure of men, an attitude tat as its roots in recent istory, left over from te prim constraints of te Victorian era and prevalent until as recently as te 1950s and 60s. Te sexual revolution tat accompanied te Flower Power movement, bolstered by advertising and te media, definitely freed up some of te more obvious gender prejudices from te past. However, tere are remnants of te sexist attitude still lingering, as evidenced by te grubby beaviour of te notorious football eroes. More importantly, it is te cringe attitude to sexuality still carried by some women tat as a real effect on teir sexuality on a daily basis. BUILT FOR PLEASURE Women are biologically built for pleasure, but are often programmed to deny temselves tis inbuilt capacity. Feelings of same, guilt and fear around teir sexuality often rob women, particularly younger ones, of one of teir most basic and intrinsic needs, causing tem to surrender te power of teir sexuality to a partner. Tese feelings also prevent many women from exploring teir own sexuality troug masturbation. Masturbation is te most direct way of knowing ow one loves to be pleasured. Troug getting to know erself, a woman can ten tell er partner specifically wat it is tat turns er on. Tis kind of communication ensures tat se is a willing and active partner in te sexual encounter and allows er to stay in touc wit and direct er sexual power. Red Kamala works for women wo stifle teir passionate nature because tey feel guilty about enjoying teir sexuality. Tis essence elps women to take back teir sexual power and place it back were it belongs in te pelvis region of te second cakra. Tis energy centre is known as te Water cakra, and it is te seat of a woman s power. Te element water features very strongly in all processes tat involve sexuality and reproduction. Water is a part of intimate sexual expression, reproduction, gestation and birting. For example, sperm is delivered to te woman in a fluid medium; female sexual fluids lubricate te sex act; te foetus grows in a watery environment until te birt; and te fluids generated in te gestation process mediate a ealty birt. Furtermore, until te baby is nine monts old, se takes er food as a liquid (milk) from te moter. Tese functions are related to female biology, so no wonder a woman is described as belonging to te Water element. Water is fluidic and flowing. Women can be described in te same way, especially wen describing teir sexuality. Women are flexible and adaptive by nature, just like water, wic morps into watever container it is poured into. Women dance to te tune of teir menstrual cycle, granting tem te capacity to adapt to constant cange. Tis essence elps women touc into te undulating rytm tat is part of teir essential feminine nature. RELAXING INTO OUR SEXUALITY Sexuality goes troug one more pase wen women transit into menopause. As described earlier in discussing te essence Lacebark, women freed from te constraints of managing teir fertility can take teir enjoyment of sex to its greatest eigt. By tis stage, women can be fun, sexy and caring in teir relationsips, pleasing temselves more tan at any oter pase in teir life. Tis is te time to put on red soes and dance troug life! Red Kamala is also a wonderful essence for increasing flexibility in women so it elps for tose wo want to learn to dance, do yoga or gym work, but lack confidence because tey feel stiff in te body. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 115

116 Red Kamala is te essence for musicians or artists wo ave lost te ability to dance wit teir artistic expression. It fires up creativity. Red Kamala blends perfectly wit Snail Vine for increasing Essence fertility. Blends Red Kamala works on te Kidney and Liver meridians, ensuring free-flow of energy in te pelvis. Red Kamala resonates to Cakras 1, 2 and 4. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For frigidity. For menstrual pain, and infertility. For same, fear and guilt around sexuality. For same around masturbation. For loss of interest in a sexual partner, particularly following birt. For low or absent libido. For fear of movement and a feelings of stiffness. For creative blocks. For low back pain, acing legs, oedema in te ankles and bladder problems. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES Te Wild Woman essence. Assists women to get in touc wit teir capacity for pleasure. Grants freedom from sexual guilt. Renews stale relationsips. Te aprodisiac essence, it kindles sexual excitement and passion. Enances flexibility. Eases back pain, balances fluids. Enlivens and inspires musicians and artists. 116Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

117 closely related to te genus Dianella. SEEING EYE Stypandra glauca KEYWORDS Negative: can t see one s options, soul depression, limited vision, fear of psycic gifts. Positive: expands range of possibilities, attunes us to our soul, sees te bigger picture, opens psycic vision. DESCRIPTION Widespread in open forest and woodlands in soutern Australia from te soutwest of Western Australia to sout-east Queensland. Stypandra is a genus of about 6 species. Tey are perennial erbs wit small lily-like flowers and are Stypandra glauca is te most commonly encountered species due to its wide distribution. It as a somewat srubby abit of growt wit stem-clasping, lance-saped leaves from 50 to 200 mm long arranged alternately on eiter side of te stems. Te leaves are generally blue/green in colour, wit some variation upon tis teme. Older leaves turn brown/ black, wic gives te plant a striking appearance. It can reac eigts between 0.6 and 1.5m. Te pretty flowers of S. glauca droop terminally from slender stalks, facing downwards as if directing teir energy from above to te ground below. Tey are indigo blue in colour, te colour of te sixt cakra, wit recurved petals tat look as if tey are swooping down from above. Te flowers are bisexual wit prominent yellow stamens arranged in a circle, eac aving a gold base, resembling te Wisdom of Higer Consciousness. Tey give te appearance of a large spotligt directed downwards creating a pool of ligt in an oterwise darkened space. Flowering occurs in early spring, less often in winter. Te fruit is a black capsule and leatery in appearance. Stypandra glauca also reproduces asexually via rizomes, wic radiate below te surface like unconscious connectors, reminiscent of te collective unconscious tat gives rise to intuition wen illuminated by te ligt of Higer Consciousness or wisdom. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Te name comes from te Greek words: Stype - waste flax and andra - male, referring to te appearance of te beaded stamens, Glauca - glaukos bluis, referring to te foliage and indigo flowers. MYTHOLOGY In Greek mytology, Glaucus was a mortal wo was transformed into a sea-god after eating a magical erb. He was described as a blue-skinned merman, wit copper-green air and a serpentine fis-tail in place of legs. Tere was a belief in Greece tat once in every year Glaucus visited all te coasts and islands, accompanied by marine monsters, and gave is propecies. Fisermen and sailors paid particular reverence to im, and watced is oracles, wic were believed to be very trustworty. Te sea is a powerful symbol for te innate wisdom of intuition. In tis myt Glaucus lived in te sea (is intuition) and te people benefitted from is propecies (is ability to see te bigger picture). Te mytical story of Glaucus symbolically tells us about elevation to god-ood (our capacity for all-seeing wisdom) after taking up residence under te sea (wen we take eed of our deep intuitive understanding). In appearance te flower looks like an enormous brigt spotligt sining down on centre-stage, revealing all witin its golden orb - tere are no sadows and all is bated in te ligt of understanding. Te flowers of Stypandra glauca always face downwards to te eart as if tey look to te depts for inspiration. CENTRE STAGE At te same time, it appears as an alien space-craft overing above and beaming down ig frequency ligt energy, immersing tose below in a pool of radiant and all-knowing Ligt. te Ligt tat passet all understanding. Te purple re-curved petals seem to be te repository of a iger wisdom specifically directing teir energy downwards to te mere mortals below. It is as if it were a spotligt creating a vast enligtening energy pool below, delineated by te circle of golden filaments and focusing downwards, as if directing us to look inwards for our wisdom. INTUITION Te sixt cakra (te Tird Eye) corresponds to te development of enligtened insigt tat is a blend of iger wisdom wit deep intuition. Tis essence works on te Tird Eye, opening it to greater perceptions and a more expanded over- Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 117

118 view. It assists us in rising above te petty blind spots tat blinkered vision can bring, limiting our life-coices, restricting our relationsips and blinding our soul to its life purpose. It enables us to see our place in te wider world as well as te bigger picture in relation to umanity s evolutionary progress. It brings revelation and expanded insigt in te face of te rapid canges accompanying te Sift of te Ages. Transformation is speeding up and many are unable to cope because tey cannot deal wit te rate of cange as te old order disintegrates and te New Order begins to emerge. LOSING CONTROL For many te Sift appears as caos were everyting seems to be spinning out of control. Tese people try to ang on, grin and bear it, wile staying true to teir old programming, little realizing tat it can no longer serve tem. Holding on rigidly to old ways of tinking and being is no longer an option as te old paradigm, upon wic many ave ung teir ats, as passed its use-by-date. It can be used wit Apostle Plant for tese feelings of spinning out of control. We are being required to continually update our tinking, our programming, to get wit te scene, leaving old baggage beind, suc as out-dated values, rancid old stinking tinking, stuck fears and outworn belief systems. We ave to bravely and fearlessly step into te unknown to keep up wit rapidly advancing consciousness, as new ideas and previously un-tougt of concepts musroom into creation, in rytm and response to te exploding population and te subsequent pool of knowledge tat continues to accrue as a result. But we ave to be able to see our way forward and tis is te gift of Seeing Eye. As uman beings, te more knowledge we acquire te more expanded our consciousness becomes and te more we can see. Expanded consciousness catapults us into new realms of understanding our purpose and soul s destiny, bot as individuals and as a species. Wit new understanding comes greater awareness of our obligations and responsibilities to te planet, oter Kingdoms, suc as te plant and animal realms and to our cildren s, cildren s cildren and beyond, all of wom stand to inerit te legacy we leave tem. SEEING THE TRUTH Seeing Eye seds te ligt on long eld mindsets and value systems and liberates us so tat we can see te pat to updating our programming to te now. Te sixt cakra, of intuition and wisdom, elps us to connect into our innate intelligence, te natural endowment gifted to us by Nature. Seeing Eye opens us up to Kyros (or Intuitive) time rater tan being tied into te illusion of Cronos (or cronological time). In tis way it allows us to expand into seeing te bigger perspective, rater tan being tied down to te minutiae of detail. So, tis essence works on te vision, bot inner and outer, bringing clarity, awareness and recognition of iger truts. It can trigger aa moments, allowing us to see te patological patterns tat cripple and limit us in our life in a flas of insigt often accompanied a deep belly-laug as we recognize past misperceptions and limitations. Coupled wit Apostle Plant it provides a soul-map for moving forward gracefully troug cange and transformation, so tat we come up to speed in te evolution of our soul. And it seds ligt on te pat to tread in order to participate in taking individual responsibility for umanity s role in care-taking our beautiful planet. It also elps tose wo are fearful of teir psycic abilities or for tose wo wis to develop tem. It is excellent for natural practitioners and ealers. HEALING QUALITIES Wit recognized ealing qualities, for example, one web source (1) says te juice from crused stems applied to wounds promotes ealing, tis beautiful essence is truly an essence of te moment. In seeing te wounds, we can eal tem and move on. Increasingly, we are being required to step up to te mark to keep up wit te rapid canges over-trowing our way of life. In spiritual terms tis time, known as Te Sift, is bringing dramatic canges to te old ways of doing and being and te transformation is perceived as necessary to erald in te new consciousness sweeping umanity, demanding new ways. It is in tis environment tat we are being required to seek our own guiding star and moral compass to navigate te unknown waters of rapid cange. Rising from our deep inner knowing and linked wit a profound understanding of te uncanging Laws of Heaven, te soul carts its own course. Seeing Eye taps into our innate capacity to embrace enligtenment and clear-seeing allowing us to plan our way forward under te guidance of our Soul Purpose so tat we take our place in te new order. 118Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

119 META S STORY Meta carried muc sadness due to a split wit er life partner, wic ad te ongoing effect of alienating er from er beloved grandcildren. Always an animal lover, over te years se became a staunc and vocal advocate for kindness and respect for our four-legged friends as well as a feisty campaigner for er local environment. Being so active and assertive se often complained of painful eyes and eadaces. Se visited a doctor wo informed er on te basis of eye tests tat se ad extremely ig ocular pressure and tat se needed medical intervention following furter testing. Being veemently natural in er approac, se opted to take Seeing Eye during a two-week period wen se was unable to get back to te doctor s because Xmas floods ad closed te road into town. Wen se finally ad subsequent tests er doctor was amazed because tey sowed er eyes to be clear wit no periperal damage! Meta declared tat along wit te pysical improvement, se felt tat a feeling of well-being ad emerged during tis time and tougt tat it was someting to do wit te ability to see a bigger picture of erself. Meta died some years later of a brain tumour, and at er funeral, wen I eard er valedictory, bursting wit stories of er compassion and er fierce guardiansip over tose less able to fend for temselves, I couldn t elp feeling tat er bigger picture of erself ad someow contributed to te peace and acceptance tat sone from er as se took te ps on er life s journey, towards er greater destiny. Seeing Eye resonates wit Cakras 6 and 9. HEALING CHALLENGES: Feelings of being trapped or limited in one s life, inability to plan aead Can t make a decision or see options Ignores one s intuition and inner voice Soul depression, feelings of opelessness Myopically focusing on one part of a problem, limited vision Blinkered reality, ead in te sand attitude Fear of psycic gifts Sore, red, dry or gritty eyes, migraines POSITIVE OUTCOMES: Attunes us to our soul purpose Can see wat needs to be done to self-eal and transform Stimulates te aa moment, encourages epipany, bringing new insigts and inner wisdom troug dreams and symbolism Seeks creative solutions in resolving callenges Brings a sine to te eye (Sen), revitalizes te spirit Opens psycic vision, aids visualization Sees te bigger picture and a new perspective Encourages new perceptions or ways of seeing te world Sees a new vision for umanity and te planet. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 119

120 SENSITIVE PLANT Mimosa pudica KEYWORDS Negative: immobilizing fear, panic, witdrawal, yper-sensitivity, feelings of vulnerability. Positive: courageous action, inner strengt, balance, strengtened immunity. DESCRIPTION Te name comes from te words Mimosa meaning a mimic, alludes to te fact tat te leaves are sensitive (Greek)and pudica wic means sy, basful, srinking (Latin). A creeping annual or perennial tat is often grown for its curiousity value: te compound leaves fold inward and droop wen saken, warmed or touced, re-opening minutes later. Tey also droop regularly at te end of te day as dark descends and remains closed until te morning ligt appears in te sky. Teir curious beaviour is being currently researced for possible use in programming robotics. Native to Sout and Central America, it as now become a pan-tropical weed. It as an erect stem in younger plants, wic creep or trail wit age. Brancing and sparse to densely prickly, te slender stem grows to a lengt of 1.5 metres. It as a don t touc me quality to it. Leaves are bipinnately compound, wit one or two pinnae pairs, and leaflets per pinna. Te petioles are also prickly. Te acutely sensitive beaviour resembles te feeling of paranoia as it instantly contracts on contact. Stalked pale pink to purple (ligt magenta) flower eads arise from te leaf axils like delicate puffballs. Te globose to ovoid eads are 8 10 mm in diameter and looks like a miniature pine-cone, similar to te pineal gland. Te fruit consists of 2-8 tiny pods, prickly on te margins. Te flowers are pollinated by te wind and insects. Te seeds, encased in pods ave ard coats, wic restrict germination. It is as if te plant goes into lock-down. PLANT MOVEMENT Te curious beaviour of Mimosa pudica as fascinated observers for tousands of years. Te ancient Greeks studied tis very plant because of its rapid plant movement. Tis takes two forms: Nycinastic movements in te evening as dark descends te leaflets fold togeter and te wole leaf droops downwards until te re-emergence of te ligt at sunrise. Seismonastic movements toucing te leaves, saking te plant, or a sligt warming of te leaves, cemical or electrical stimuli or subjecting te plant to lack of water will cause te leaflets to fold togeter and te wole leaf to droop downwards temporarily. Te reason for tis caracteristic beaviour is tougt to be a survival strategy wit te plant srinking from its predators as a defense. Sensitive plant is known by numerous common names including: Humble Plant, Sameful Plant and Touc-me-not. Oter non-englis names include: Sy Plant, False Deat, Wilts by Touc and Sy Virgin DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Te extreme sensitivity of tis plant is te most obvious significator for its use. Te plants contract instantly on touc or stimulation, as if witdrawing in panic or fear. Te leaves freeze momentarily until te stimulation is removed after wic tey gradually expand again to normal. Fear Te energetic direction of fear is to contract suddenly inwards. It is well recognised tat many people will pee teir pants or even defecate in te face of extreme fear. Tis is because te contractive energy of fear causes te bladder or bowel to srink inwards causing a voiding of te contents of te organ. It is also known tat often at te point of deat, a similar loss of bowel and bladder control occurs. Many people die in a state of fear. Bot te kidneys and te bladder function by contraction: te kidney filters te blood by squeezing te vessels tigtly (by contracting inwards) and te bladder contracts to void. In Traditional Cinese Medicine, wic views eac organ system wolistically, te contractive emotion of fear is attributed to bot of tese organ systems. 120Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

121 Reproduction In tis system of medicine te Kidney/ Bladder complex is also directly related to reproductive capacity it is Kidney energy tat underlies te ealt and functioning of te ovaries and sperm and te capacity to bring tem togeter in te sexual act. Sensitive Plant seems to ave a contraceptive effect due to its action on te ovaries. Studies on te root extract of Mimosa pudica sowed a contraceptive effect wit prolongation of te oestrous cycle and disturbance of te secretion of godatropic ormones in albino mice (1). Cancer Similarly recent studies (2) (3) reveal tat Sensitive Plant contains alkaloids tat assist wit ealing cancer of te uterus, a primary organ in te reproductive process, governed by te same Kidney/Bladder energy complex as is related to fear. It is also sown in a study to reduce te instance of cancer. Neuro-psyco-immunologists are confirming, after many years of clinical researc tat cancer is a disease tat results from idden and unexpressed fears and deep sensitivities. Pysically, cancer can be considered to be a stagnation condition were due to lack of qi activation in te area, te cells ave become so dense and overgrown tat tere is no space for te free-flow of oxygen and nutrient-carrying blood to vitalize te cells, ence te proliferation of te cancerous overgrowt. As a flower essence, Sensitive Plant as a positive action on bot emotionally and stagnation induced cancer of te uterus. Pineal Gland Anoter remarkable attribute of tis powerful plant is te resemblance of te seed cone to te pineal gland, wic governs te ligt-dark cycles of te body. Te pineal gland sits on te midline between te two emisperes of te brain, eac side aving its own attributes and function. Te rigt side of te brain is typically described as te female side and deals wit te uman capacity for accessing intuition, creativity, wolistic awareness and process-orientated function. It relates to being, stillness and contraction. Te left side is described as te male side and enables logical, linear and sequential tinking, seeing detail and problem-solving function, doing, action and expansion. It seems tat te pineal, by its central location between tese two opposite but complementary brain emisperes, plays some role in mediating between te aspects of: being and doing, stillness and action, and contraction and expansion. Te beaviour of te leaves as tey are triggered to move instantly between te two extremes of open and closed, seems to resemble te action of tese polar opposites. Te seed cone also remarkably resembles te ovary. An interesting connection is tat te ovary s ealty growt depends on te dark environment of te womb. It is dysfunctional in bot te presence of constant ligt and by pinealectomy (surgical removal of te pineal). Sensitive Plant as strong indications of action on bot te pineal gland and te ovary, regarding ligt and dark. Melatonin Pysiologically speaking, te function of te pineal is to regulate te uman response to ligt and dark. It controls te body clock. As a gland, it excretes a ormone called melatonin, wic is triggered to release in response to te onset of nigtfall (or te absence of ligt), causing relaxation, drowsiness and sleep. Te leaves of Sensitive Plant are not only yper-sensitive to touc, but tey also droop and close at nigtfall and stay tat way until te first streams of rising sun ligt te morning sky. Tey ten gently open and stay tat way until tey are touced, or nigt falls again. Electro Magnetic Resonance Studies ave sown tat all life is electro-magnetically sensitive witout electrical signalling inside and between cells, life would cease. In turn witout te magnetic fields of te planet (7.83 ertz) uman life would not exist. Mammals, birds, insects and plants alike respond to te magnetic fields of te planets in different ways directional, as in insects, birds and umans, and by responding to te circadian rytms of ligt and dark. Te uman body, under te influence of te ormone melatonin, closes down during te nigt and commences te all-important function of cell repair and DNA replication, bot critical for ealty functioning and anti-aging. So essentially melatonin is necessary for te restoration, recreation, repair and restocking tat is fundamental to active ealty life. It is interesting tat melatonin levels are iger in cildren tan adults, but dramatically begin to decrease wit te onset of puberty. Hig melatonin levels in cildren are considered to inibit sexual development, owever in te presence of a pineal tumour precocious sexual development always occurs. In animals te pineal gland regulates sexual development, ibernation, metabolism and seasonal breeding. In Cinese Medicine te stages of development, Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 121

122 cycles of activity and rest and even in te larger picture, life and deat itself are attributed to a quality known as Jing Qi one aspect of te Tree Treasures: Sen (Spirit) Qi (function) and Jing (Ancestral Qi). Known in modern Wolistic terms as Body Mind and Spirit, tese tree qualities underpin all life on Eart. Toxic EMR s Te toxic manmade electro-magnetic fields associated wit mobile pones and wireless tecnology create radiation tat overwelms te natural Hertzian radiation of 7.83 emitted by te eart, in wic umans ave evolved and lived wit for many tousands of years. Te radiation environment on te planet as increased many millions of times over te past 50 years, due to manmade tecnology. Our natural biological engineering (body function) resonates to 7.83 Hertz. However, many people today are suffering from wat is now known as electrical sensitivity, wic is a yper-sensitivity to te electro-smog pervading our natural Hertzian environment tat interferes wit te natural rytms of te body. In people so afflicted tere is a wide pletora of symptoms ranging from sleeplessness, depression, and nervous stress troug to cancer (studies ave identified Non-Hodgkin s Lympoma) and early aging. Te WHO acknowledges te condition of electro-sensitivity and yet tere is only one nation - Sweden, were government treats tis condition, diagnosed in an estimated 2.5% of te population. Tis toxic pollution comes from devices tat are on te increase as aspects of modern life we can no longer do witout, suc as computers, mobile pones, microwaves, wireless earpones, medical tecnology. Toxic EMR s are on te increase, a side-effect of te increasing resonances we are exposed to as we speed towards te fift dimension, in a universal consciousness raising process known as Te Sift of te Ages, wic we are currently transiting. Sensitive Plant protects from manmade EMR s, reducing and neutralizing te effects of toxicity on all levels. Wolistically Speaking From a wolistic perspective te pineal gland influences te uman being on tree levels: Pysical body clock, aging process Energetic daily cycles of meridian circulation and seasonal cycles of adaption to yearly cycles Spiritual life cycles. Te Crown cakra wit its associated gland te pineal, is a portal for te animating life force entering and leaving te body at birt and deat, and te receiver of Higer Transformational energies coming into te planet from te far reaces of te galaxy as Ligt energy (information carrying). Wit te incoming New Golden Age, iger frequency energies are entering te planet carrying new information (consciousness) to uplift and evolve umanity. LORRAINE S STORY In June 2011, Lorraine said after taking Sensitive Plant, I ave been trialing Sensitive Plant for about two weeks now. I feel I ave become more sensitive to my inner voice and to te feelings of oters. I feel we take on oter people s energy, including teir emotions. I m more aware tat I do tat now, after taking Sensitive Plant. I seem to be more aware of old patterns and old issues tat arise. I am more able to let go of oter s beaviour patterns because I m not as sensitive. I seem to be more accepting of oter s journeys, more aware of my own unelpful sensitivities, more tuned in to oters needs and more solid in my own core. I also seem to be accessing a iger consciousness, more softness, strengt and awareness and earing my inner wispers. I ve also noticed a greater awareness of my own boundaries. CONSTITUENTS Te seed contains a toxic alkaloid, mimosine, a non-protein alpa-amino acid, known to cause air loss and depressed growt in mammals (unlikely toug as it would require uge doses in umans). Leaf extracts ave yielded an adrenalinelike substance. Sensitive Plant is considered to be an expectorant, anti-astmatic, analgesic, antispasmodic, alterant, sedative and anti-depressant. USES Mimosa pudica is being investigated for its anti-proliferative effects on a uman and rat ovarian cancer cells. It also as been demonstrated in a study to ave detoxifying and cell restorative actions on te Liver. It is sited in te study to be as effective as Silymarin, a well-known liver cell regeneration erb(4). 122Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

123 In te Pilippines it is used as a diuretic, for dysentery and dysmenorrea, as an anti-astmatic, for ypertension, menorragia, glandular swelling, sore troat and oarseness. Te root is considered aprodisiac and used for bladder gravel and similar urinary complaints. Powdered seeds are applied to wounds and sores and battered leaves are applied to bruises and a decoction of leaves used for diabetes. Powdered roots and leaves are taken wit milk for piles and fistula. In India it is used as an anti-fertility agent, for pain relief (1:1 etanol extract) and te seeds are used as a coffee substitute, wile in Cina it is used for treatment of anxiety and depression. In India it is used for birt control and in ico to alleviate depression. Sensitive Plant resonates wit Cakras 1, 7 and 12. HEALING CHALLENGES: Immobilizing fear, panic, fear of te dark, inability to face one s inner fears contracting into one s self troug inability to deal wit te world outside gloom and doom in te face of planetary cange fear of cange, resistance to life and growt, fear of sexuality Beneficial in diseases of: o potopobia, fear of te ligt, scizoprenia, depression, autism, ADHD, bladder stones, cancer, allergies, including electrical sensitivity from toxic electro-magnetic radiation, mobile pones and wireless, sexual dysfunction and/or disease, frigidity, diabetes, developmental retardation, lack of sexual development, insomnia, dark nigt of te soul Beneficial for tose under te influence of te astrological signs of Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces and Leo POSITIVE OUTCOMES: Fosters trust, dissolves and ligtens fear, encourages feel te fear and do it anyway facilitates and embraces cange and transformation brings balance between inner and outer worlds expands orizons, opens up to new possibilities, informs encourages sexual exploration and liberty assists wit yper-sensitivities suc as allergies, electrical sensitivity syndrome strengtens te natural bio-field and aura supports Ligt-workers. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 123

124 SILVER WATTLE Acacia podalyriifolia KEYWORDS Negative: depression, despair and pessimism, SAD syndrome, struggle and poverty mentality, for propets of doom.. Positive: renewal, rebirt and emergence, restores ope, brings optimism, encourages environmental concern. DESCRIPTION Tall srub to small tree, tree to five metres ig wit a slender trunk, low branced wit a spreading crown. Bark is grey and smoot; te branclets are covered wit dense rigid airs. Mature leaves are alternate, ovate to elliptic or oblong, two to five centimetres, long and twelve to tirty millimetres wide, on very sort stalks, mealy blue on bot surfaces, wit tickened margins and a prominent mid-rib. Flowers are golden yellow and crowded into fluffy globular eads six to eigt millimetres across on stalks four to seven millimetres long, arranged in axilliary or terminal racemes five to ten centimetres long. It is a spectacular sigt in full bloom. Fruits are broad oblong, flat silver-grey turning brown pods wit raised margins, tree to nine centimetres long and ten to twenty-five millimetres wide, ripe in summer. Flowering in winter from May to July. Te tree grows in sandy, welldrained clay soils bot inland and along te coast of Qld and nort-eastern NSW. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Made up around te sortest day of te year, its brilliant yellow flowers bring brigtness and ligt into te drabness of te contracted days of winter. Te flowers are balls of sunligt illuminating te greyness, opening us up to te ligt again, as te sun begins to trace its return journey back into te fullness of summer. Te sun is te central ligt source for te planet we inabit. If te sun were to disappear suddenly, life on tis plant would cease to exist. Virtually all life occurs because sunligt as been transformed in one way or anoter into form. THE PATTERNS OF LIFE Te diurnal cycle, te alternation of day and nigt, as a profound effect on te functioning of te body. During te day, te body is geared for activity, and at nigt for maintenance and repair. Similarly, te seasons follow te same pattern during winter plant and animal life is more active, wile in te winter, growt and activity slow down. Some animals even go into ibernation in winter. Humans are te same. During summer, te warmer, longer days stimulate increased social activity and a preference for outdoors. In winter, te opposite is true wit most people preferring to snuggle up indoors and keep warm. Te body is geared to expend energy in summer in growt and activity (even air and fingernails grow more in summer!) and to conserve energy in winter. Emotions also follow along te same track joy, fun and social interaction are caracteristic of summer, wile introversion and rumination are more te tendency in winter. Traditional Cinese Medicine describes tis pattern as te alternation of yin (winter and nigt) and yang (summer and day), wic togeter make up te wole. Excess yang translates into mania and yperactivity wile excess yin is expressed as depression and ypo-activity. Terefore, winter is a time wen a person will slide into depression if tere is a propensity for low energy and negative tinking. DEPRESSION Silver Wattle lifts depression along wit te person s spirit, encouraging movement and activity bot pysically and mentally. Researc into depression over te years as demonstrated tat exercise is a potent ealing strategy for tose wo feel low in spirit and divested of ope. Silver Wattle supports a person finding an age and agility appropriate exercise program tat will move bot te body and te stagnant energy, wic is contributing to depression. Wen ope as gone, despair seeps into te soul and apaty sets in. Witout motivation, te return pat to ope, to seeing te sun appear on te orizon again, is lost. Te dark nigt of te soul lays claim and te life force begins to dim. 124Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

125 SUN IS VITAL TO OUR HEALTH Silver Wattle assists in reconnecting us spiritually to te ligt Source of our being. Many ancient cultures worsipped te sun as a symbol of te central ligt source tat underpins all living form. Te gold of te sun reflects te igest order of energy vitalizing our life systems and is represented twice in te uman energy centres: Te Solar Plexus, wic corresponds to te sun in our solar system, te transformative function of te body and relates to te capacity for clear, rational tinking. It is known as te lower mental body. Te second centre is te crown cakra, wic corresponds to te Grand Central Sun said to be te Source of all life at te multi-dimensional level of existence. Te Crown centre receives original life energy and relates to te iger uman functions of spiritual understanding and iger wisdom beyond tougt, but accessible as inspiration and creativity. It is known as te Higer Mental Body. Symbolically, te sortest day of te year is a reason to celebrate te return of te sun. Many cultures incorporate tis into teir traditional folklore wit te celebration of te Winter Solstice. In Scotland, it was believed tat trolls and evil spirits walked te eart during te winter wen te sun was at its lowest point in te sky. Winter Solstice was believed to be te most dangerous time. On tis day, darkness comes earlier tan any oter time of te year. People worried tat te sun would not return. Witout te sun s ligt, tere could be no plants, animals or umans. Wit evil spirits everywere, tis was te time to band togeter for protection. It was a time for goodwill, forgiveness and love. Many ancient people believed tat special rituals and ceremonies could elp te sun be reborn. In some places, animals or even umans were sacrificed at te solstice. Priests dressed up as animals or birds and canted. Tey believed tat eac detail of te ceremony ad to be rigt so tat te next arvest would be abundant. Stoneenge is a place were ancient people placed uge stones togeter to frame te setting sun on te day of te winter solstice. As te sun sank slowly in te west, te last rays gleamed troug a special place between te stones. Tey needed to be sure tat it would come again so tey marked its pat on te last day to make sure tat it would. LIGHTING THE WAY Silver Wattle flowers in abundant glory in te dead of winter, its brigt ball-like flowers looking remarkably like te sun and bringing warmt and joy into te drab greyness of winter skies. It elps tose suffering from depression and lack of ope. It brings attention to te ligt at te end of te tunnel, invites people to emerge from low spiritedness and move towards te ligt of ope and anticipation. It nourises te soul and uplifts te spirit. Te syndrome known as SAD, or seasonal affective disorder, was first identified in England were it was noticed tat many more people suffered from depression in winter tan in summer. Te cause was eventually traced to te reduction of sunligt in winter, adversely affecting te pineal gland. More specifically, te reduction occurs because te angle of te sun is different in winter tan it is in summer. Te decreased intensity of ligt causes te pineal to increase its production of melatonin, wic in turn influences pysiological canges in ormonal, immune and nervous systems, especially tose tat rely on te internal biological clock. It also makes us sleepy, wic can precipitate a feeling of sluggisness and low spiritedness. Silver Wattle elps to bring a sense of acceptance of te long winter aul and elicits an inner knowing tat no matter ow dark tings seem, spring is around te corner and te birds will sing again. STRUGGLE AND POVERTY Silver Wattle is te essence to use to assist wit poverty mentality and a belief in struggle. It elps to see te pat paved wit gold and elps us to tap into an abundance mentality. LOSING HOPE In eastern tradition, winter solstice relates to te feminine principle winter is yin compared to summer, wic is yang. Te sortest day of te year, terefore, is te yin of te yin. In a woman s body, te corresponding organ is te uterus (yin of te yin) te infant palace were te infant resides during pregnancy. Silver Wattle is used for tose women wo ave lost ope after aving been on an extended fertility assistance program wit little or no success. KRISTINA Kristina came to see me in despair. Se is forty-one and ad been trying for ten years to ave a baby. In te last two years, as se became aware of te ticking of er biological clock, se felt anxious and embarked on an IVF program to elp er fall pregnant. Her case revealed tat from te initial egg collection two years ago, se ad ad two failed implantations and one success over te two-year period. Te pregnancy, wic was twins, aborted spontaneously at about twenty weeks. Se was devastated and grieved long and ard. Wen se came to see me, se was just undergoing er tird implantation and requested acupuncture to assist wit Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 125

126 preparing te uterus for implantation. Te procedure was fraugt wit anxiety. Tese were te last eggs from te arvest tat ad taken place two years ago and if tis one failed, tere were no more eggs. Her fear was tat te next arvest would be taking place wen er eggs were tat muc older, and er fertility doctor ad impressed upon er te problems associated wit ageing eggs. Wat I detected wen se came to see me was te sense of despair tat was underlying er anxiety. Se was sorttempered and fractious, losing sleep and figting wit er partner in te days surrounding te implant. Unappily, it was unsuccessful. Se returned several days after te onset of er period. Se looked like a different woman. Her face was clear and se was talking animatedly about te new business se was creating (se was pregnant wit er creative project!) and wat se was planning for it. Wen te topic came around to er fertility dreams, er face darkened and er spirit sank low. I am beginning to lose ope, se said. Wen te eggs are arvested next I will be close to forty-two, and eggs just aren t viable at tat age. My usband and I are actually beginning to tink about adoption. Se ad totally bougt er doctor s opinion, and tere was not a glimmer of ope in er voice. I used Silver Wattle for te deep despair tat se was feeling along wit Snail Vine to build er Jing (strengten er ovaries) and er kidney energy. Last time I saw er se was aving plenty of relaxation time and eating well in a conscious effort to rebuild er bodily resources and make sure tat er ovaries were at teir most optimum ealt for te next arvest. Se was full of entusiasm again and was keen to be optimally ealty to increase er cances of success. HEALING THE EMPTINESS Use Silver Wattle for restoring ealt by maximising te benefit of winter. It is a wonderful time to restock, restore and rebuild te inner fire tat ignites and fuels te fire of vitality in te body, in readiness for te expansion of activities in summer. Depression is a state of being tat is not always to be feared. Many people mistake a tendency for inner reflection and rumination for depression. As we go inwards in response to te yearly cycle of energy witin and witout us, we follow te natural laws of nature tat are designed to keep us ealty and vital. Reflection is a necessary part of life, if we are to live consciously, cleaning and clearing te inner cambers of te mind and soul for renewal in spring. Silver Wattle elps us to manage our quieter times in a positive and life-enancing way, putting tem to good use to restore and restock. Silver Wattle acts on te Stomac and Liver meridians, bringing clarity and ope wen all seems dark and doomed. Silver Wattle works on te pineal gland, te Crown cakra and te two cakras above te crown, te gold eigt and silver nint carkas. Tese cakras are starting to open up in umans as tey sift into iger consciousness, giving passage to te abundant joy and expansiveness of eaven. Silver Wattle resonates to Cakras 3, 8 and 9. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For depression. For despair and pessimism. For SAD syndrome. For te dark nigt of te soul. For a struggle and poverty mentality. For a sense of impending disaster for te planet. For te depression tat accompanies a run of failed IVF procedures. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES For a sense of renewal, rebirt and emergence. Restores ope. Reconnects us to te Ligt after te dark nigt of te soul. Brings joyful optimism, uplifts. Encourages a willingness to act locally for global transformation. Works on te pineal gland. 126Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

127 SNAIL VINE Cocliasantus caracalla KEYWORDS Negative: infertility, frustration wit IVF, frigidity and impotence, confusion over sexual preference, sexual timidity. Positive: stimulates fertility in females and males, clears sexual preference confusion, strengtens ovaries and sperm production. DESCRIPTION A decorative, evergreen, twining climber wit soft green foliage and curiously twisted, pea-like flowers in sades of purple, wite and yellow. Te flowers ave a deligtful perfume and are produced from mid-summer to early autumn. Caracalla means tat it comes from Caracas, in Venezuela. A fast-growing, twining perennial vine, it attracts butterflies wit fragrant flowers from midsummer into autumn. Te five-centimetre blooms ave upper petals tat contort and bend backwards, wit te elongated keel coiled in four or five spirals like a corkscrew or snail. Te flowers are quite fragrant and are mostly pollinated by ants. Te roots are used in Mexico to make an exciting alcoolic drink called batari. It is a vigorously growing vine, clinging sensually to watever form supports it. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Te purple colour represents spirit precipitating into matter. Te flower is saped curiously, looking like te male and female sex organs rolled into one. Te penis is represented by a pallic-saped keel, wic arises from underneat and curls up between two labial-looking outer petals. Wen an insect lands on te yellow-tipped, clitoris-saped mound on one of te outer petals, te penis extends, producing a sticky pollen-covered anter and touces te clitoris mound wit its tip. ARTHUR OR MARTHA? Representing bot female and male sexual organs, it is as if tis little flower can easily accommodate bot. It is for people wo are confused about teir sexuality and aven t yet made up teir mind. Snail Vine is for women wo are repulsed by te male organs of reproduction. It elps tem to perceive te sape and form in a more accepting ligt. It is also a great essence for women wo ave a preference for lesbian relationsips, but want to cange sides to reproduce because te biological clock is ticking. It elps to make te switc more easily witout feeling tey ave compromised teir ideals. Snail Vine also assists women in lesbian relationsips to conceive a baby using assisted reproduction or turkey basting. Te essence strengtens er capacity to conceive by supporting er kidney energy and elping er to accept te male energy of te sperm being introduced into er body. THE BASIS FOR FERTILITY Te bud is foetus-saped, green at te base and canging to a blood colour, reminiscent of te baby in te womb. Wen still tiny and just emerging, te buds are kidney-saped. Witin te context of Traditional Cinese Medicine, te energies of te kidney, located in te vicinity of te second cakra, grant te capacity for libido, sexual function and reproduction. Te specific energy of reproduction is called Jing. Snail Vine is for infertility. It directly supports and strengtens te Jing, enancing a woman s capacity to become pregnant. Wen a cild is born, its soul enters te capsule of te moter-sip and begins its journey of incarnating into body, for a lifetime. Te critical moment wen te soul enters te stage for its next life performance is wen te sperm enters te ovary and conception takes place. Te sperm and ovary are direct pysical expressions of Jing energy. Jing can best be described in Western terms as te strengt of our inerited constitution and represents te body s Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 127

128 basic reserves or resources. Jing is te name of te component of kidney energy directly responsible for te pysical body inerited from our parents. Te quality of te Jing derived from te parents determines te quality of te body te cild inerits. Te concept of Jing includes te genetic constitution, but it implies more tan weter te cild as blue eyes or not. It is te ancestral energy tat is passed on, and includes inerited caracteristics suc as strengt of will, prowess in playing musical instruments and family patterns of beaviour. Terefore, it includes te subtle energy components of a cild s ineritance troug te family as well. If te ealt of te parents is good at te time of conception (good Jing), te cild conceived will be born wit a robust constitution. Conversely, if te ealt of one or oter of te parents, or bot, is compromised at te time of conception, ten te cild will be born weaker in constitution and may suffer ealt problems trougout its lifetime. MEDICALLY ASSISTED FERTILITY - IVF Tis understanding makes sense of studies tat ave looked at te difference in ealt between IVF babies and naturally conceived babies. IVF babies consistently demonstrate lower base levels of ealt tan tose conceived naturally. Tis is because te parents were essentially Jing deficient in te first place, wic is wy tey couldn t conceive. Snail Vine works on Jing and assists couples wit te awareness of ow best tey can prepare for conception. It also elps wit parents wo are aving difficulty deciding weter to embark on an IVF program to assist tem wit fertility. It also elps during an IVF program, in te lead up to implantation, to strengten te woman s capacity to produce ealty ovaries. Tis essence is particularly effective in cases were te fertilized egg fragments soon after conception and prior to implantation. For te implantation pase, te essence Swamp Lily is used. GOOD JING EQUATES WITH HEALTHY LONG LIFE Te amount of Jing tat a cild inerits from er parents determines er longevity. If er inerited Jing is abundant and subsequently preserved by a balanced lifestyle, ten se will ave a long and ealty life. However, if te initial Jing ineritance is inadequate, te quality of er ealt will be reduced. Wen Jing runs out, te person dies. PASSING ON JING Jing is intimately concerned wit te pysical capacity for life itself. In te bigger picture, it is te underlying energy tat ensures te survival of te race troug reproduction. Tus, wen a woman ensures tat te Jing se is passing onto er cild is strong and abundant, se is acting in concert wit Nature s best plan for er, as well as contributing to evolution of uman life. Snail Vine assists a woman to tap into and strengten er ancestral female energy. INFERTILITY As Jing energy is a component of Kidney energies, tey need to be abundant and well functioning to optimise a woman s cances of falling pregnant. Tis means tat te sperm and te ovary bot need to be ealty. Conditions suc as anovulation (not ovulating), menstrual difficulties caused by stagnation or insufficiency of blood flow in te pelvis, low libido, and tiredness after sex are all clear indications tat te Jing (and Kidney energy) is low. In te male, poor sperm production, eiter in quantity or quality including low sperm motility, poor sperm formation and reduced sperm levels all indicate low Jing energy. Jing and te Kidney energies are depleted troug excess pysical and sexual activity and ageing. For example, long ours of working witout adequate rest for days or weeks on end produces ongoing pysical and mental stress, depleting te body s resources. As te living system is a bio-energetic, self-maintaining energy production unit, it needs periods of rest interspersed wit activity to refill te tank. So eiter te woman or te man working long ours under duress reduces te cances of a ealty pregnancy and baby. Some couples, faced wit an inability to conceive, intensify teir efforts to become pregnant by aving more sex. Unappily, tis can ave te opposite to te desired effect, by furter lowering te Jing (and Kidney energy) level. Te likeliood of becoming pregnant is furter diminised. CONSCIOUS CONCEPTION - PLANNING FOR A HEALTHY BABY Wen planning a pregnancy, a couple needs to build up te specific energy of te kidney. Because kidney energy also governs te sex act, it is important to make love more sparingly wen on a program to restore kidney energy. Excessive sex depletes and drains te kidneys; quality, not quantity, is better. Te next question is, How muc is too muc? Individuals ave different reserves of kidney energy. Some ave a stronger constitution tan oters. Oters ave depleted teir basic kidney energy in te past troug overwork, ongoing stress and past (or present!) excessive sexual activity. 128Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

129 Te standard gauge is weter a person is tired after sex and as symptoms suc as a dull, low backace and acy, tired legs. Oter more serious signs migt include sudden excessive urination, a feeling of weakness in te knees, poor memory and a reduced libido, inability to come to orgasm in females and impotency in males. Wit tese signs of tired, lagging kidney energy, a temporary respite is needed to restore and restock. Tis may mean days of abstinence, weeks or even monts, depending on te degree of deficiency. RESTORING AND RESTOCKING JING Tere are pleasurable rewards tat come from an intentional rest from sexual activity. Potency and strengt (including tat of te sperm and ovum) return, often wit renewed vigour. It may be tat only one partner needs to rebuild sexual strengt. Tis can require patience and emotional restraint from te oter partner. Lots of sleep also elps to reclaim lost energy. Rest and sleep restore kidney energies best. Te season for maximum kidney restoration is winter, so wat can be better tan snuggling early into a warm bed on a winter s nigt for a long peaceful nigt s sleep? Many people try to get away wit minimum sleep. Tis can result in a sleep debt, triggering disease if maintained over a long term. CLAYTON S SEX Aside from aving sex to reproduce, te capacity to enjoy sex just for pleasure is also dependent on strong and abundant kidney energy. Snail Vine is a great pick-me-up for tose feeling too tired to appreciate sex. It elps to bring an awareness of ow to maximize sexual enjoyment troug ealty lifestyle abits. Ageing also affects te ealt of te sperm and te ovum. For older parents trying to conceive, Snail Vine assists tem in maximizing teir Jing energy to produce te best quality sperm or ovum. It blends perfectly wit Wild Iris for fear of not being able to conceive: Snail Vine strengtens te pysical Jing component, wile Wild Iris dissolves te fear. It works wit Swamp Lily to support an IVF programme. Snail Vine works energetically on te Liver and Kidney meridians. It also works on te Extra Meridians of reproduction, te Conception Vessel and te Cong Vessel. Bot of tese meridians support and enance reproductive ability, via te Yin and te Blood, by underpinning Kidney and Liver organ-meridian systems. Liver Blood, is Cinese medicine concept, wic describes ow well nourised a person is. It is particularly important for women to ave abundant Liver Blood because it is precisely tat wic nourises te baby in te womb. Rest, a good diet and a stress-free environment are critical for a woman wo wants to conceive. Tis essence elps bring te awareness of looking after te body, to mind. Snail Vine resonates to Cakras 2 and 10. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For infertility, weter female or male. For te frustration and disappointment of repeated IVF failure. For frigidity and impotence. For confusion over sexual preference - feeling repulsed by men. For inability to enjoy sex, intimacy and touc. For being unable to initiate a sexual encounter. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES Stimulates fertility in females. Normalises sperm production in males. Encourages sexual enjoyment, and enances sexual satisfaction. Helps in determining sexual preference. Assists couples wit IVF, wit successful conception and implantation. Assists in restoring body energy. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 129

130 STORM LILY Zepyrantes morrisclintae KEYWORDS Negative: sock, trauma, emergencies, after-effects of rape or violence, for cildood tantrums and distress. Positive: restores calm, brings balance, cleanses and reclaims, resolves sock, settles a cild. DESCRIPTION Zepyrantes is a genus of about seventy species in te Amaryllis family. Common names for species in tis genus include fairy lily, rainflower, zepyr lily, magic lily and rain lily. Te name Zepyrantes comes from Zepyrus, te god of te west wind in Greek mytology. Terefore, one translation for a common name migt be Westwind Flower. Te west wind presumably brings rain tat tese plants revel in. Foliage in te wild is often epemeral. Leaf colour is a brigt grassy green. Te flower is pink wit an erect stalk supporting te flower, wic may be upward facing or sligtly nodding. Funnelsaped, te flowers ave six petals and are reminiscent of a crocus. Tey ave no fragrance. Flowering typically lasts only for a day or two, but new flowers may appear in a succession of blooms, especially during umid or rainy weater. Tey bloom wit fluses of blossoms after rainstorms, ence one of te common names, Rain Lilies. Oter names applied to te Rain Lilies are Fairy Lilies because of teir diminutive stature and epemeral nature, Pink Lady because of teir elegant appearance or Storm Lilies because tey appear to be persuaded to bloom as muc by cyclonic canges in barometric pressures as by rainfall itself. Storm Lilies flower far better if natural rainfall triggers te bloom a mere garden ose does not fool tem! DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Storm Lilies appear like magic after a storm or summer rains. In a warm climate like Sout East Queensland, tey are likely to bloom any time of te year after a downpour. Tey ave six petals (six is for domestic armony), five anters (five relates to te eart) and one stamen. Storms vent teir fury wit a passion, creating violence and destruction tat satters te peace. Tey wreak a pat of destruction in teir wake, acting out teir wrat wit a passion. Tey are arbingers of cange, for good or evil. In teir aftermat, te silence can be deafening and numbing, providing a quiet space for ealing and licking of wounds. Tese little flowers appear like te calm after a storm, nurturing te space. Te more violent te storm, te more speedily tey pop teir little faces out to te sun and bate in its brilliant calm, soaking up te life force and revitalising. LIKE VIOLENT STORMS Domestic violence, verbal abuse and even strong arguments can be like a violent storm lasing te psyce. During an argument tere is a lot of energy being flung around, like an electric storm. Te more violent te argument, te more damage occurs to te psyce of bot people, disrupting te smoot flow of teir energy circulation along wit teir state of mind. A violent argument can trow a person into caos, leaving tem saken and disturbed afterwards. Some people even become pysically sick following an argument it is as if tey can t stomac te powerful emotional climate and teir body energy revolts. Te effect on te Body-Mind is akin to sock. SHOCK Te way sock is dealt wit in te body is an encoded strategy designed to protect from te effect of cange tat is too rapid or traumatic to be absorbed immediately. It numbs te body and freezes te mind, creating a state of suspended animation so tat te various systems of te body can rebalance and restock. After all, te Body-Mind as already expended muc energy in dealing wit te trauma. Te Mind as to ave time to assimilate te new information arising out of te sudden cange in circumstances, and to adjust it s tinking. So our energy freezes and we enter a state of suspension. Tis is Nature s way of allowing te body and psyce time to absorb te new information so tat it can come back into balance in due time. Tis feeling is remarkable like te awesome sense of quiet and stillness tat pervades te air after a storm ealing and taking stock after te battering and bruising. Storm Lily brings back a sense of ealing peace following te trauma of a violent episode. It may be an argument wit a spouse or a cild, a confrontation at work or an instance of rape or domestic violence. In eac case, coming back to a state of balance and calm again after te trauma allows te body-mind to process te event. 130Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

131 Wen we ave ad a violent encounter (words can ave te effect of an aggressive assault), we need to assimilate any cange in circumstance precipitated by te encounter and let go of te rest. Initially, te reinstatement of peace and calm is paramount, allowing te person to begin te process of evaluation in te appropriate time. In some cases, reevaluation needs to be instant, especially if te person is still in danger and needs to escape. Tis essence acts like an emergency salve, bringing a sense of immediate calm after a storm. CHILDHOOD TRAUMA It is especially useful for te cild wo as a tantrum (an electric storm) or is inconsolable. It brings an immediate relief. Anoter name is Fairy Lily, suggestive of a cild s fun, fantasy world. It as excellent results for te aftermat of playground disputes or if a cild is being bullied, particularly if combined wit Milkweed and Pink Samrock. CHILDBIRTH Tis is one of te essences useful in cildbirt and for te time immediately after. It settles te spirit again and brings immediate relief in te cases of post-natal sock. It can be used for new mums wen baby is upset or crying uncontrollably. It elps to instil te calm needed in te moter to soote te baby. It can also be applied externally to te infant on te foreead between te eyes, on te crown of te ead and on te breastplate, in te centre of te cest, to soote and calm. CALMS IN A CRISIS It can also be sprayed in a room were tere is panic or distress in te air, suc as during an emergency were tere as been an accident. Te sense of calm engendered allows te rational decisions to be made in a deliberate way tat migt be crucial to saving a life. It is also effective for animals after a dog or cat figt, or wen te animal is introduced to a new environment, suc as coming to a ome for te first time, or following te trauma of an accident or visit to te vet. Wonderful to add to te watering can wen watering plants tat ave been traumatized by drying out or being transplanted. THE SHOCK OF DEATH OF A LOVED ONE It is also te essence of coice in te case of a deat of a loved one or friend. It can bring an immediate sense of support to te grieving person. Wen a loved one dies, we go into sock. Tis sense of suspended animation is like being betwixt and between dimensional realities time distorts and we experience eigtened awareness. Some call tis te space on te orizon were te unicorns roam tat place between te worlds of matter and energy, at te interface between tis and te next reality. Te wole Body-Mind is in a state were day and nigt merges, as eigtened awareness brings about te necessary adjustments on te emotional, psycological and pysical levels, taking on board te socking information about te loss. Tis is te process of mourning starting at te numbing sock stage and extending into te classic stages of anger, remorse and sadness and finally letting go. Te first numbed pase involves initially coming to terms wit deat, or traumatic cange of circumstances, so tat te deeper processing can begin, eventually enabling te resumption of normal life again. In tis state of suspended animation, we seem to ave close access to tose wo ave passed over. Immediately following on from te trauma of deat is often a eigtened time of dialoguing wit a loved one wo as passed over. BRINGING IN THE CHANGES Often a marriage break-up or discovering your usband is aving an affair can register as sock to te system, especially if te news comes suddenly. Storm Lily is te first essence to call on to elp bring about te calm necessary to deal wit te immediacy of te situation. Te after-effects of swift and violent cange can initially seem ars and brutal. Time reveals, in many cases, tat te cange tat issued from trauma was beneficial in te final outcome, but it can often take some time to realize tis and a capacity for reflective indsigt. In trut, cange is te only constant tat we can be sure of. Cange is life and wen we resist cange, we are resisting te stream of life itself. Sometimes we ang onto tings so muc tat cange as to come violently and abruptly. Trauma can be a powerful way to bring about cange tat is good for te soul, but wic, on te conscious level, we did not wis to confront. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 131

132 THE BEGINNING OF DISEASE Sock can be seen as a powerful dose of stress, assaulting te Body-Mind. Te body reacts in self-defence and goes into conserve or freeze mode. Some people never Essence recover from sock. Blends For watever reason, tey fail to go troug te assimilation process and remain in a state of suspended animation. Tis causes energy to stagnate, setting up a disarmony tat will later translate into a disease pattern. Many diseases begin wit a sock tat was never resolved. Te stagnant energy tat arises from sock assaults te eart. It is as if we lose te eart to live. Wen we fail to learn from te experience, we live in fear. Fear is an emotion tat contracts energy. We witdraw from life, covering up te eart. Wen te eart is unappy, te organs tremble. And so te disease process sets in. Storm Lily elps to resolve sock tat as never been processed and elps to kick-start te circulation of vital energy. Storm Lily is used in Crisis Calm te blend tat assists in trauma, crisis or emergencies. It is combined wit Acacia, Ajuga and Dandelion. It can be taken orally, or added to a natural cream base and applied topically. It can also be added to bat water (seven drops of stock strengt in a bat) for relaxing tigt muscles following sock or trauma. Storm Lily works on te Heart and Kidney meridian, restoring circulation tat as frozen due to sock. Storm Lily resonates to Cakras 1, 2, 4 and 10. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For te after-effects of violent anger. For after-sock of arguments, verbal and pysical abuse, sexual abuse, domestic violence. For te sock of bad news. For sudden loss of a loved one. To resolve socks from te past. For emergencies, especially to do wit cildren. For te trauma of an accident. For te after-effects of rape, forced sexual act. For animals in trauma. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES For calm after an emotional storm. Restores a peaceful eart. Brings back balance to a ouseold after trauma, or domestic violence, especially if sprayed. Useful for new mums. Cleanses te inner ouse after te invasion of rape. Te main constituent of Crisis Calm Essence. 132Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

133 SWAMP LILY Crinum pendunculatum KEYWORDS Negative: tiredness and exaustion, weiged down by responsibility, wants to escape, feels like a servant, dried up and depressed. Positive: secures te foetus, re-moisturises and re-energises, strengtens commitment, nurtures te self, for endurance and calm. DESCRIPTION A large bulbous perennial plant to tree metres, flowers wite, tis variety belongs to te commonly cultivated exotic species tat includes ten kinds, capable of existing under a wide range of conditions. Tey are perennial bulbous erbs wit toug, flesy leaves, some of wic die down eac year wile te oters remain evergreen. Tis largest variety as large leaves on a tick stem, wit a large ead of flowers on a long stem. Tey take a number of years to reac te flowering stage. Once mature, flowering occurs in late spring and summer. Tey grow from seed and are readily transplanted. Wile found in Victoria, New Sout Wales and Queensland, a common name for Crinum pendunculatum in te Queensland region is Brisbane Lily. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Te single flowering stem rises up troug te middle of te plant as if rising from a very strong foundation. Te flowering ead is made up of a number of flowers, eac of wic as six petals (te number six represents domestic armony), one stamen and six anters. Te petals are pure wite wit a moist flesy look expressing a succulence and sweetness tat attracts attention. Te stamen and anters are purplis-blue, like congealed blood, and tey ooze a sweet liquid tat attracts ants to fertilise tem. Te ants love to congregate in te central well were te liquid gaters, supping away to teir eart s content. It is as if te flower creates a deep, sweet centre were life is busy and nourising, just as a woman is te centre of family life, representing all tat is sweet for er cildren. Tey grow on te soutern side of er land, te yin (te female principle) side, and get only te morning sun. It is as if tis is te best time of day for tem, like te woman wo gets up early to get ouseold tasks done wen er energy is ig. HOLDING THE PLACE Tis plant, like te woman wo is te centre of er family, olds te place, and cannot be overlooked by virtue of te seer presence tat it exudes, and te sweetness wit wic it attracts. Women wit teir powerful feminine essence provide te nourisment tat gives life to te cildren tey bring into te world, not only pysically but emotionally and psycologically as well. Te qualities of individuality, personal power, confidence and learning capacity arise from a strong sense of self as an empowered individual, based on a ealty self-esteem and an ability to recognize tat tey ave a place in te world. Tese qualities are found in cildren wo ave been well nurtured and ave a sense of place in teir family of origin. FEEDING OUR CHILDREN Digestive function operates from te tird cakra. Swamp Lily works on tis energy centre. Te cakra is also associated wit issues of personal power. Te neuro-peptides most active in te solar plexus region regulate digestion and absorption. Recognizing te power to accept or reject food is an infant s first expression of personal control. Swamp Lily assists cildren wo are fussy feeders. Pysically it relates to te digestive organs a well-nourised cild will generally ave good digestion trougout life. Te efficiency wit wic food is converted to energy determines te quality of energy for te wole body. By ensuring a good wolesome relationsip wit food, a moter can assist er cild to ave a lifetime of available energy. BUILDS SELF-CONFIDENCE Tis essence supports emotions tat are associated wit a ealty self-esteem, personal power and confidence, and a sense of safety in te world in wic we live. A moter s relationsip wit er cild is critical in supporting not only er cild s digestive capacity, but troug caring support, se also provides te cild wit an innate capacity to self-nouris. Te birting process sets te original pattern for self-nourisment troug te bonding process between moter and cild, as described at lengt in my first book, Te Essence of Woman. Here te cild learns tat se is essentially loved and secure, and tat se can relate to oters in an intimate way in adult life. Se will carry tis feeling wit er for life. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 133

134 COMMUNION Tis sense of confidence is furter enanced trougout cildood by te quality of connectedness and loving communion between moter and cild. A moter Essence wo is approacable Blends and not restrictive or witdrawn and wo promotes a sense of connectedness wit er cildren nourises te cild s sense of self. Swamp Lily elps a woman to nouris er cildren, on all levels. Connectedness and loving communion are food for te soul and wen te cild feels loved and nourised on an emotional level, it enances te cild s pysical digestive capacity. SELF-WORTH A cild introjects er moter as te beingness of erself. Tat is, se role models er moter, taking into erself er moter s perspectives, wic rapidly become er own as se moves into sexual maturity. All tis occurs at a deeply subconscious level. Te confidence to do tings and acieve out in te world stems from er relationsip wit er dad, but er self-wort and er ability to be, witout aving to prove erself, comes from er relationsip wit er moter. Lack of self-wort on te moter s part will pass onto er daugter. As se grows up se may allow boys to use er sexually, to boost er sense of feeling OK-ness witin er peer group. Her lack of self-esteem prevents er from standing up for erself and acting from er own beliefs. Se gains a false sense of popularity from te peer group, for te wrong reasons. Swamp Lily boosts a moter s confidence, so tat se can enjoy er motering rater tan struggle wit it, and develop a sense of self-wort and self-esteem in er cildren, particularly er daugter. BRINGS BACK THE JUICE Swamp Lily also resonates wit te second cakra. Tis is te energy centre responsible for sexuality and reproduction. Te seer size of tis plant and its eavy preponderance suggests tat it is deeply connected to te eart via its large root system. Te sweetness at te centre and its closeness to te warm, moist eart suggests wetness tis essence makes a woman juicy. IMPLANTING THE EGG Te way in wic tis plant sits securely on te ground and olds te space is its best clue to te role of te woman in te family. It is te safe place were all return to rest to gater te strengt so tey can pick up and get going again. For tis reason, tis essence is perfect for te implantation stage of IVF te egg is being placed at te centre of te family, were it can rest and develop (gestation) until it is ready to move to te next pase (birt and post-natal life). Use it wit Silver Wattle if tere as been a series of repeated failures at tis stage of te IVF process. MULTI-FUNCTIONALITY Te role of te moter in te family is to provide te central strengt and pivotal focus for all tose in te family circle. It is te moter wo deals wit te many eaded demands of te family were tere are so many pulls in so many directions at once. Women are adept at functioning wit a multitude of tings going on at te same time, requiring attention rigt now weter it is te sexual and emotional needs of er spouse, te demands, requirements and emotional caring of te cildren, te day-to-day running of te ouseold, te finances and so on. STAYING SWEET Many women become exausted and overwelmed by te seer ongoing nature of te task, wic seems to stretc out forever before tem. Just like te sweetness of te plant at te centre, women need to realise tat instead of seeing temselves as doormats to family members, tey need to put temselves at te ead of te queue as often as it takes. Tis ensures tat te sweetness is retained and tat tey do not become soured and bitter by feeling used and unrecognised. Swamp Lily elps to re-energise a woman wo is exausted by being swamped by teir many-eaded role of being te centre of te family. QUEEN OF THE FAMILY Swamp Lily elps women to ensure tat tey are seen, recognised and acknowledged for te crucial part tey play in te family, and tat te way to make oters aware of tese truts is to take time for temselves, do for temselves and insist on being onoured for teir role. Te moter is te queen of te family. As we see ourselves, so oters will see us! Swamp Lily works on te Kidney, Bladder, Conception and Cong meridians, restoring resource energy and strengtening endurance and supporting self-nourising. Swamp Lily resonates to Cakras 1, 2 and Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

135 YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For tiredness and exaustion. For feeling weiged down by responsibility. For te urge to escape te every-day drudgery of family life and commitment. For feeling torn between one s own needs and te needs of te family. For feeling like a servant. For feeling dried up wit weariness. For repeated failure at te implantation stage of IVF assisted reproduction. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES Brings te strengt to old te place at te centre of te family. For endurance and calm wen facing trauma witin te family or wit a family member. For renewing commitment to family. For attention to one s needs for nurturing and consideration. For a sense of revitalization and re-energizing and re-moisturising. To secure te foetus during IVF implantation. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 135

136 VERBENA Verbena rigida KEYWORDS Negative: despondency, syness in connecting wit oters, loner attitude, exausted carer, loneliness in te aged and superwomen mentality. Positive: promotes cooperation and networking, builds confidence troug reacing out to oters. DESCRIPTION Two undred and more species are recognized in tis large group of perennials, most of tem easy to grow and suitable for warm, dry climates. Verbena rigida is used as a perennial rockery plant. Most verbenas ave a pleasant spicy fragrance. Te leaves of te verbena are typically tin, lance-saped leaves in medium green. Te fine cut foliage is attractive and combines well wit oter plants. Verbena tends to ave a loose, sprawling growt abit. Te flowers are five-petaled and very tiny individually; owever, tey grow in beautiful clusters or domed eads eld above te foliage. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES: Tese little flowers grow in trident sape tat looks like te symbol of Neptune, te God of te sea. Women s energy is like te ocean, undulating and rytmic wit waves on te surface tat appear to be separate. But at te depts of te ocean, all is connected and still, sustaining many strange and beautiful life forms, adapted specifically to life in te deep. It is like te inner landscape of a woman wose dream world sustains er and gives substance to er creative life at te surface. Te flowers grow in groups of tree wit flowering eads made up of many tiny magenta-coloured flowerlets, creating a spere. Magenta is te colour of te extra cakra or energy centre located at te troat, wic opens to information coming from iger dimension realities. Te appearance of te flowers in clusters suggests te connected way tat women relate to one anoter wit teir innate ability to network and co-operate, in contributing towards te greater good of society. As tey mature, te flowering eads elongate, giving te appearance of a parao s ead, as if eac successive flowering as accumulated wisdom. Women s life pases are designed cleverly by Nature to ensure tat te older tey become, te wiser tey are. Wit teir innate propensity to pass teir accumulated wisdom on (te Wise Woman pase), tey support and sustain teir gender, and future generations of cildren benefit. WOMEN ARE BIOLOGICALLY INSCRIPTED TO NETWORK Tis is an aspect of Nature s intelligence in biologically encoding women to network and connect, se ensures tat eac generation as te benefit of accumulated wisdom supporting te evolutionary drive. If eac generation ad to go back to te beginning and start afres eac time, te uman race would not progress. It is an axiom of Nature tat eac generation outsmarts te one before it, so tat te race goes forward and not backward. By passing on knowledge in a loving and cooperative way, women provide a strong platform for growt into te next pase, rater tan competitively or jealously guarding teir acievements to witer on te vine, dying wit tem. Verbena assists tis process, elping women to find effective ways of saring teir knowledge and wisdom. For an older woman, Verbena can be combined wit Lacebark to elp er find creative ways to pass on te dept of er understanding. THE SHIFT TO FEMININE VALUES We live in an era of explosive cange encoded in te eavens and foretold in te propecies of spiritual traditions around te world. A wave of evolution touces all areas of our world and our lives, from climate cange and economic freefall to politics, business, medicine, te arts, religion, education and science. Tis magical moment in Eart s istory is a turning point, a time of sifting consciousness filled wit quantum possibilities for transforming our lives and our world. Tis new spiritual consciousness pasing in can be likened to a magenta mantle tat enfolds te globe, protecting it and connecting it to te next dimensional level, and lifting us out of te old reality. Te male principles of te old paradigm competition, continual expansion, ierarcical institutions, aggression and war mongering are all currently under fire. World consciousness is responding to te more feminine qualities of conservation, caring, cooperation and support, in a world tat is groaning under te weigt of te rape, pillage and plunder mentality tat as prevailed over te past tousand years or more. 136Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

137 Our moter, te planet, needs to be onoured and supported rater tan exploited, and uman beings are coming to tis realization en masse. Feminine energy is encoded wit te drive to look after its own. Te Obama administration, voted in unanimously on a wave of te new consciousness, promises to support its own rater tan look outside of itself to expand and conquer. Tis new consciousness, speareaded by Obama, expresses te uprising of te feminine principle beginning to take its place alongside te old paradigm. It is softening and connecting all te separate parts into a new global awareness. FEMININE INTELLIGENCE Tis is te energy of te magenta Verbena te feminine intelligence tat is being felt across te planet as a new wave. Women are intrinsically linked into tis energy from te deepest part of teir being, and it is ere tat tey connect wit oter women. In reality, wat is appening is tat tere is a polar sift appening tat represents a turnaround in global direction, from a prevailing masculine energy saping te views, structures, customs, beliefs and beaviours of te world we live in to a more feminine energy tat is fast becoming prevalent and preferred. Te rise of te feminine principle eralds a radical cange in te way we ave been tinking and calls on bot males and females to embrace a new world order to replace te old ways, wic are no longer serving umanity or te planet. Te feminine principle is more about te following: nurturing oters rater tan focusing singularly on one s own needs (e.g. questioning corporate ig flyers taking te cream off te top and calling for equality in wealt-saring); connecting and networking wit oters rater tan competing (NB. te power of te Internet to connect people); conserving resources rater tan expending tem (te environmental duty of care as opposed to mindless plundering of planetary resources); and moving towards peaceful co-existence rater tan territorial skirmises leading to war and destruction. MOTHER EARTH IS MIRRORING US AND WE REFLECT BACK It is interesting to recognize ow geopysical canges are a distinct parallel wit consciousness canges currently sweeping te planet. It is as if our moter, Planet Eart, is erself mirroring te canges. Scientists ave been baffled by te expansion of ice in Antarctica (te Sout Pole), wile te opposite is appening in te Arctic Circle (te Nort Pole) ice is retracting fast. A recent finding by te Britis Antarctic Survey and te US space agency NASA explains an apparent contradiction between te recent record taw of ice in te Arctic and an increase in ice around Antarctica during te past 30 years. Te scientists say damage to te ozone layer, wic sields te planet from ultraviolet rays, cooled te stratospere and disrupted wind patterns around Antarctica. Tey say tat te sift meant winds blew off te continent more often, cooling te sea and creating more ice. Sea ice around Antarctica as expanded at a rate of around 100,000 square kilometres per decade since te 1970s, and now covers an area of about 19 million square kilometres at its winter maximum, doubling te size of te continent. By contrast, summer sea ice around te Nort Pole srank in 2007 to te smallest since satellite records began in te 1970s. Symbolically speaking, te Sout Pole, wic classically relates to yin and te feminine polarity, is literally gaining ground, wile te yang, male polarity, is retracting, brougt about by te cool winds of cange. THE RISE OF THE FEMININE Furtermore, te general populace, more informed tan tey ave ever been in te istory of umankind, tanks in large part to te Internet, is demanding tis softer, more female approac. One example is in teir coice of ealtcare. People want to be proactive and take responsibility for teir own ealtcare, not just go to a doctor and be directed, troug te use of ars parmaceuticals and invasive tecniques, by an autority outside of temselves. Since te late 1980s, over 60 percent of Australian people ave exercised teir option of coice by selecting Natural Medicine as a preferred treatment strategy. Tis is compared to a twp percent usage rate for natural terapists in te 1960s. People are voting wit teir feet and coosing an inclusive form of ealt management were tey are in a cooperative and collaborative relationsip wit teir terapist. Verbena elps women to make coices about teir ealt and wellbeing tat are consistent wit te way tey are biologically designed to function. Natural terapy involves te client in a relational strategy tat gives a woman control over er ealing process. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 137

138 CONNECTING Verbena supports women s networking and teir need to connect. It elps women reac out to oter women, breaking down te barriers of isolation and separation. It works wit te principle tat te wole is greater tat te sum of te parts. It assists women to engage profitably, and wit a sense of fulfilment, in activities tat encourage and support te oter. It is te favoured principle of business at te moment, and is recognized as a profoundly effective way of reacing more people and connecting wit tem. Te internet is a primary example. THE INTERNET - FAST-GROWING EXPRESSION OF THE FEMININE PRINCIPLE Feminine values of cooperative co-creating, networking, alliances for group enancement, nurturing, connection and consideration of te wole, rater tan te part, are all expressed in te way te internet functions. Te internet operates as an interconnecting web wit no ierarcical, linear structure organizing or controlling its direction. Te primary product sold online is information, muc of wic is sared freely and cooperatively. Products are commonly not only tangible and concrete but often involve participation in a resonance group of likeminded people forming cells of tougt, for wic membersip is paid to enter te network. Alliances are formed between website operators tat involve cooperative marketing in a win-win strategy tat is te antitesis of competitive marketing. And in many cases customers, or members, are consulted about product development so tat tey not only feel included in te evolution of a product, but ensure a better product troug te wole is greater tan te sum of te parts principle (te old two eads are better tan one approac). All of tese strategies are expressions of te feminine value system, biologically inscripted into female biology: cooperation, saring, and working togeter. Verbena elps women to conquer teir fear of tecnology and assists tem in becoming a computer nerd to maintain connection. SHARING AND CARING It assists women to reac out for assistance wit an appropriate natural terapy wenever tey are in a flat spot, or need a and to get out of a ole. It elps women to ask for assistance wit babysitting wen tey need a break, rater tan plugging along on teir own and becoming frazzled. It elps tem to set up support systems for cildcare and cild socialization. Women are biologically built to sare and cooperate because tey need social opportunities tat will support te socialization of teir cildren. It works on te Higer Heart by supporting women wo are carers in te ome of te aged, or of mentally or pysically andicapped cildren or relatives. It elps tem to see te need to reac out and join support groups tat can ease te burden of aving to do it alone, and carrying resentment. It also assists volunteers working outside of te ome to remain ligt and easy rater tan being brougt down by te depressed conditions tey face daily. Verbena elps elderly women wo feel deeply alone due to illness of a spouse or to aving been widowed. It gives tem te courage to join a local interest group for te companionsip tey will receive, or to move into a ousing situation tat will provide ready company for tem on a daily basis. WORKING TO HELP OUR PLANET Verbena galvanizes people into taking action on bealf of te planet, as te nourising Eart Moter of umanity. It elps to raise awareness of recycling, energy sustainability, low-energy ousing and conserving resources. It assists in clearing te spend spend mentality of te old paradigm, replacing it wit a deep sense of valuing and maintaining wat we ave rater tan always substituting te old wit te new. TAPPING INTO FEMALE RESOURCEFULNESS It is a wonderful essence for tese times wen te economy is retracting and we are faced wit te fear of not enoug to go around. Instead, it focuses our attention on te abundance of te planet as well as te dept of resourcefulness encoded into te bio-circuitry of women. Te capacity of a moter to always provide for er offspring draws on tis biological imperative buried deep in te ancestral energy of te female gender. Women ave scraped up bits and sewn on patces since te beginning of time to provide for teir young. Tis capacity in women is being rekindled by te gloomy recession currently facing te globe. Tis essence stimulates a sense of excitement tat all will be well, along wit a desire to contribute in tis time of need. 138Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

139 WOMEN S SPIRITUALITY Verbena is te essence for women s spirituality. It elps women recognize tat ultimately we are all One and tat wen we stand togeter as women, we can eliminate fear, war, greed and oppression at te global level. We do tis by being true to our feminine biological ineritance and working troug loving connection, acknowledging te Spirit witin all of us weter we are female or male. Men taking tis essence respond to te softer aspects of te feminine spirit and need not feel tey are being toppled or unted from teir place of ascendancy. Women are inclusive by nature, so men will feel uplifted and supported wen tey step into te new feminine energy and sare te world platform wit tem. Te rapid world canges taking place currently point to te breakdown of te old and an emergence of a new way of being. Feminine values are by no means new but are at last taking teir place on te world stage alongside te existing masculine paradigm to soften, solidify and moderate future directions of te planet. In te truest sense, females and males are now ready to stand togeter respecting and onouring eac oter to create woleness and generate armony tat as never before been known on te planet. Tis is te emergence of te New Age of Enligtenment, predicted to occur in 2012, and is eralded by a polar sift in consciousness from te masculine to te feminine polarity. Tis essence works on te Heart and Lung meridians, bringing a sense of inspiration to cange and compassionate saring, biologically designed into feminine intelligence. Verbena resonates to Cakras 2, 4, 6, 9 and 11. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGE For despondency at aving to go it alone. For timidity, syness or inadequacy in connecting wit oters. For lack of cooperation, loner attitude, superwoman mentality. For te emotional stress of being a carer or volunteer. For feelings of isolation and despair as a lone moter. For feelings of loneliness and neediness in te aged. For doom and gloom about not aving enoug to fulfill te needs of te family. For women feeling out of touc wit teir spirituality. For men treatened by te emerging feminine energy. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES For women s spirituality - encourages tinking globally, acting locally. Promotes cooperation and facilitates group mentality. It promotes networking. Assists women to reac out for elp. Promotes confidence in cild-care for your cild and for yourself. Galvanises women to take an interest in elping to save te environment. Assists men to feel comfortable wit women, and wit women s energy. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 139

140 WHITE WANDERING JEW Tradescantia fluminesis KEYWORDS Negative: melancoly, despondency and despair, lack of fait, jetlag, fear of deat and ageing, fear of te dark, sleeplessness and spiritual void. Positive: eases dying, assists wit cannelling, renews trust, ligtens fear, balances and deepens spirituality. DESCRIPTION I invoke te ligt of God witin, I am a clear and perfect cannel, Ligt is my guide. Wite Wandering Jew is a trailing groundcover plant wit succulent stems. Te glossy forest-green to parrot-green parallelveined leaves are oblong to ovate wit pointed tips. Tey are generally centimetres long and centimetres wide. Sometimes te leaves are sligtly puckered wit a seersucker texture. Tey emerge alternately from fuzzy margined closed seats tat encircle te stem at te nodes. Te little wite tree-petaled flowers appear in clusters at te stem tips from spring troug to autumn. It is a pure wite flower wit tree petals and delicate wite fibres, including six stamens tipped wit gold, radiating out from te centre. Tis dark green, long-stemmed variety creeps discreetly beneat srubbery and perennials and decorates te planting wit emergent sprays of baby s-breat-like wite flowers. It is common in moist and sady areas, and te sort-lived flowers close at nigt and open again in te dayligt. Te tree-part capsules contain pitted black seeds. Wite Flowered Wandering Jew does not commonly reproduce from seed, but it roots readily from stem fragments, so long as eac piece of stem includes at least one node. It is easy to transplant successfully. Tis is considered an extremely invasive species. Stem fragments break off easily and float; tey easily propagate via streams and floodplains were storms can was pieces downstream. Some Tradescantias may cause dermatitis in sensitive individuals. Dogs kept in yards wit a groundcover of Wandering Jew ave developed rases. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Tis essence is for calling in te ligt. Te tree pure wite petals relate to te trinity of Mind, Body Spirit te tree aspects of te wole person, wic, wen functioning in alignment and armony, bring a sense of bliss and contentedness on all levels of being. Gold is te colour of wisdom. Te six gold-tipped stamens represent te armony and peace tat prevails wen a person is feeling balanced. Wen tere is no discord on any level, te wisdom of iger awareness cannels troug a person freely. Tis essence is for people wo are working in te ealing field, and assists tem to call in te energy of wite ligt. Te number six resonates wit te iger quality of peace and armony, particularly domestic armony. Terefore, it is also te wisdom of te ouseolder, te person wo walks teir spiritual pat, not by entering a monastery, but by living te more mundane aspects of life, suc as family life and making a living. For tese people, all aspects of life are a cause for celebration, bringing a sense of joy, bliss and contentment. HELP IS COMING Tis beautiful essence elps to lift te feeling of melancoly, despondency and despair tat comes from feeling locked in a desperate and bleak situation tat seems to go from bad to worse. It elps us to access a Higer Power to take over te problem. It blends perfectly wit Ajuga, for problems tat seem insurmountable. Te wite fibres tat emanate from te centre are like a corona or luminescent bio-field emanating from te ead, suc as te alo depicted in old portraits of te saints, sitting above te crown (te tird eye cakra is located ere). Wen we are in a state of allowance or surrender, we are acknowledging tat tere is a greater Source of Knowing tan ourselves and we give over to tat greater wisdom of Life itself knowing tat all tings will pass. In te darkest our, wen we can and over our problems, te solution always arrives, in one way or anoter. Tis is true spirituality regardless of one s personal belief system. 140Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

141 CLARITY Tis essence elps wit clarity. as we become clearer, we become more and more capable of cannelling iger frequency energies for our own ealing tat of oters and for te planet. Many spiritually aware teacers are elping us to understand te range of symptoms tat accompany tis sift into iger vibrational consciousness. One symptom is an increase in rases and skin irritations. Wandering Jew assists in reducing irritation and inflammatory conditions of te skin. IN SYNC WITH NATURAL LAW Closing at nigt and opening during te day, tese little flowers are totally in armony wit te Natural Law, active during sunligt ours and passive at nigt wile restoring and maintaining. Te energies of te body flow in te meridians in a well-ordered, coerent pattern tat is sequenced to reflect te greater energy cycle of te planet, te twenty-four-our diurnal cycle. In dayligt ours, te sun s warmt promotes growt and expansion in living beings, wic requires energy transformation and expenditure output of te body. At nigt, wen te sun is absent and energy contracts inwards, te important job of repair and maintenance of te body s systems takes place, wit minimum energy expenditure. Energy meridians flow troug te body in a particular sequence tat supports te organ systems to upold te 24-our diurnal cycle. For example, te Large Intestine (colon) becomes active between te ours of five and seven in te morning. Tis ensures tat te leftover waste products from te day before are eliminated prior to taking in new fuel for te day. Te next meridian to be active is te Stomac, between seven and nine in te morning, so tat food, as fuel for te day, can be taken on board to supply necessary energy for te day aead. Next is te Spleen meridian, active between nine and eleven, wose job is to transform te food taken in, to useable energy tat is delivered to te brain and various oter body systems. Te next meridian to be in ascendancy is te Heart cannel between eleven and one, wic ten circulates te nourising energy troug te blood to all te cells of te body. Next comes te Small Intestine, from one to tree wic extracts te last of te nourisment taken in, supporting te nourisment of blood. By tis stage, te system is fully nurtured and so begins te process of eliminating te waste products of metabolism. So next, we ave te Bladder, between tree and five in te afternoon, and ten te kidney between five and seven. Following elimination comes te need to rebalance te system (Tree Heater between seven and nine in te evening) and for energy to begin to flow in te interior for te nigt ours. Te time to relax and enjoy starts wit te Pericardium meridian, between nine and eleven. Tis meridian is known as te sex and circulation cannel (or enjoyment of life cannel)), so no points for guessing wat uman activity is slotted in ere! After relaxing, we sleep and tis is wen te body s detoxification, maintenance and repair systems are fully functioning, wile our energy is flowing internally. Te meridians tat accomplis tis task are te Gallbladder between eleven and one and te Liver between one and tree. Anyone wo wakes consistently at tis time is suffering from Liver disarmony and may need to go on a support program for te liver. Finally, we are back almost at te beginning, and to te Lung cannel, in carge of te circulation of energy trougout te body and active between tree and five am. Its job is to initiate energy circulation in te exterior to make ready for te new day. And so te twenty-four-our cycle begins again. Tis is te natural flow of energy built in te uman body. Its design gives valuable clues as to ow we can best ensure te optimal functioning of our body awake and energized trougout te day, and sleeping soundly at nigt wile te body s repair and maintenance systems swing into gear. People wo do regular nigtsifts over long periods are transgressing tis natural order set into te body and will eventually suffer from distressing symptoms tat indicate te body is functioning out of balance. Tis natural order of body cycling, known as te Cinese Clock, is also disrupted wen we travel, particularly by plane, as we are transiting time zones tat trow te body s natural clock out of balance. Known as jet lag, many people ave experienced tis penomenon wen travelling. NASA, familiar wit te symptoms troug experimenting wit space travel were te body is no longer subject to te -our diurnal cycle, identifies tat for every two ours a person ceats te time zones, it will take nine ours for te body systems to catc up. THE PINEAL GLAND Te gland tat governs te 24-our wake sleep cycle is te pineal, a gland about te size of a pea situated deep in te interior of te brain and sensitive, via te ypotalamus and te eyes, to ligt. Te pineal gland is saped like a pinecone, from wic it gets its name. Te pineal gland or epipysis syntesizes and secretes melatonin, a structurally simple ormone tat communicates information about environmental ligting to various parts of te body. Ultimately, Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 141

142 melatonin as te ability to entrain biological rytms and as important effects on te reproductive function of many animals. Melatonin is known as te ormone of darkness because it is inibited by ligt, but stimulated by darkness. Tis gland controls te various biorytms of te Essence body. It works in armony Blends wit te ypotalamus gland, wic directs te body s tirst, unger, sexual desire and te biological clock tat determines our aging process. Wite Wandering Jew elps to readjust te body clock, particularly wen it as been trown out due to travel or consistently working nigtsift. It is also a great pick-me-up following a rave party or eavy nigt. SEEING THE TRUTH Te ligt-transducing ability of te pineal gland as led some to call te pineal te tird eye. Wen te tird eye awakens due to spiritual advancement, one is said to feel a pressure at te base of te brain. Tis pressure is experienced troug connecting to iger frequency. A ead injury can also activate tis centre. People traumatized by ead injury benefit from taking tis essence. (My understanding is tat te pineal gland is associated wit te crown cakra, as indicated by many popular texts, wic describe te associations of eac of te cakras. In trut, bot of tese centres are so closely linked in te subtle energy ierarcy tat it is difficult to differentiate tem, so you will often find tis variance expressed in different texts on te cakras.) Meditation also assists in opening tis centre. Te iger subtle energy realm of te tird eye is associated wit insigt our uman capacity to gain a deeper perspective on te events tat occur in our day-to-day living. It is also considered to grant us te ability to perceive events in te world outside of us in symbolic terms. An example migt be noticing a ole in one s wallet and perceiving tat it may mean to be careful wit money. Wile te pysiological function of te pineal gland as been unknown until recent times, mystical traditions and esoteric scools ave long known tis area in te middle of te brain to be te connecting link between te pysical and spiritual worlds. Considered te most powerful and igest source of etereal energy available to umans, te tird eye as always been important in initiating supernatural powers. Development of psycic talents as been closely associated wit tis organ of iger vision. Wite Wandering Jew assists in attuning to a meditative state. It elps to quiet te mind, opening te person up to te deeper states of awareness tat bring about enligtenment (turning on te ligt of understanding). DEATH AND DYING A still larger cycle tat replicates te daily pattern of alternating day and nigt is te life cycle itself, wit te sunligt symbolically representing one lifetime and darkness as te time between lives. Many ancient pilosopies, suc as Buddism and Taoism, perceive tat a soul goes troug many lifetimes in a repeating cycle, known as reincarnation. Te place were te soul is said to depart tis mortal coil wen it dies is te Tird Eye, te energy centre associated wit te Pineal gland. Many people from a diversity of cultures ave reported Near Deat Experiences (NDEs). Tese people ave all ad an experience in common were tey nearly died on an operating table, in an accident, or watever but for one reason or anoter ave come back to life. Eac as described te passing-over process (deat) and despite a wide divergence in cultural backgrounds, eac description ad uncanny similarities, commonly eld to signify a ig degree of credibility to te notion. In eac case, tere was reference to a number of te following experiences: Seeing a tunnel of ligt tat was drawing tem closer, earing angelic voices as if in a eavenly coir, seeing te image of God as represented in te religion of teir own particular persuasion, seeing loved ones wo ad already passed over, ready to guide and elp tem in te transition, feeling drawn as if pulled magnetically, experiencing a great surge of love, seeing loved ones tey ad left beind mourning tem and oter similar images. Consistent wit all was te sad realization tat tey ad to return to Eart, because teir life was not yet fully over. One of te understandings inbuilt into te sevent cakra is te ability for a wise and peaceful passing. Tis process takes place troug bot an understanding of te deat process and as a natural consequence of a life well lived, aving fulfilled te directive tat te soul took on wen entering tis particular incarnation. Wite Wandering Jew brings peace to te dying person and to tose wo are going troug te loss of a loved one; to be able to fully appreciate tat te soul of te loved one needs to go ome it s time and tat we best support tem by letting go gracefully. If it is not yet te soul s time to die, tis essence aids in restoring te will to live. It assists in making te toug decisions around caring for an aged parent tat can involve decisions over life and deat. 142Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

143 It elps us move troug te transitional pase of generational position in te family. Wen a moter dies, a daugter as to step into er moter s soes and assume te matriarcal role, in owever one sees fit. Tis essence assists wit tat transitional process. FEAR OF AGEING It also assists people wit a fear of ageing, by elping tem to relegate importance to oter aspects of te being, besides te pysical body. Wite Wandering Jew also uplifts and deepens te spiritual experience for a soul by opening one s awareness to te wite ligt of iger-frequency consciousness flooding te planet as umanity s evolution is quickening. OPTIMISING OUR POTENTIAL Tere is a universal need for people to asten te process of awakening to wo we really are. Wit iger and iger levels of vibrational frequency energy entering te planet from te cosmos, new information is coming troug at an increasing rate and troug a variety of ways an increase in non-sensory modes of experiencing Self, cannelling penomena, New Pysics breaktrougs tat expand our awareness of te nature of life. It opens us to te possibility of expressing our greatest potential and enances our spiritual practices, suc as meditation, sacred song, journal writing, etc. Tis essence works on te Heart and Lung meridians, opening us to iger wisdom. Wite Wandering Jew resonates to Cakras 7 and 11. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For melancoly, despondency and despair. For lack of trust, aving no fait in an outcome. For te after-effects of jetlag. For te negative effects of prolonged nigt sift. For fear of deat and ageing. For fear of te dark, for potosensitivity. For sleeplessness. For feeling spirituality blocked and cut off from God. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES To assist wit invocation, canneling and bringing down information of a iger nature. For wite ligt protection in all situations. For trusting te process even toug a solution is not clear. Affects te pineal gland, balances biorytms, assists wit jet lag. For deepening spirituality. Eases dying - brings peaceful acceptance of inevitable passing. For peaceful sleep. Ligtens fear. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 143

144 WILD IRIS Dietes iridioides KEYWORDS Negative: fear of cildbirt, denial of te feminine, fear of infertility, for corporate women, for feeling unbalanced and for lack of confidence as a woman. Positive: confidence, body love, supports natural conception, balances te body, enances motering and encourages expression of te feminine. DESCRIPTION Dietes iridioides is an evergreen, rizomatous perennial. Te flowers usually last only for a day, but new buds open over a long period in spring and early summer. Iris-like flowers are wite, wit central yellow marks tat cange to a deep brown towards te centre. Tey ave six snowy wite petals wit purple featery stamens rising from te centre. Tey ave strong sword-like leaves, wic form large and attractive clumps. DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES Te small, mostly wite flowers ave featery lavender stamens tat look like tree purple featery antennae stretcing up into te air to pick up any transmission tat is floating troug te eters. Tey ave deep gold central markings on te petals tat look like a patway wit golden stepping-stones leading you into te centre of te flower. Te markings cange to ric brown, aving te appearance of code symbols, stamped onto te wite petal in a distinct pattern. Tey look like ieroglypics, a message imprinted onto parcment waiting to be decipered by te person prepared to look close enoug in contemplation. Tey re-flower from te previous year s flower stems as if tey are carrying te baton of wisdom troug from one generation to te next. Te trinity is repeated bot in te sape and te pattern: a purple trinity in te centre standing up as if to be seen, a gold trinity drawing te contemplative person into te centre and a morse-code trinity imprinted on te petal wit a cryptic message. Te tree trinities are set against a background of six pure wite petals, six representing domestic peace and armony. AN ACT OF BALANCE Tis flower draws one in to contemplate te inner mysteries at te same time as stretcing out like antennae, seeking information from te stars. Te pat to te inner mysteries is grounded firmly on a lily pad of six supporting petals, magnetically attracting one to contemplate and seek witin. It reminds us of te wisdom gained troug experience wen we ave consciously sougt to learn from our own experience. Te pat as been trodden from te tree-fold perspective of mind, spirit and body, guaranteeing balance and wellbeing by tapping into feminine intelligence and intuitive faculties for validation and autentication. Te form of te flower acknowledges goddess energy, te ancestral female lineage imprinted into female biological design, activated and accessed by being fully a woman. Te entrance requirement for embracing te goddess is troug full acceptance of womanood. At te same time, te antennae sit up, poised, gatering information from te eters to add to te body of experience seated on te ground. Tis connection troug te eters to te finer and iger frequencies of dimensions beyond te orizon informs te feminine body-mind and carries te frequency of ealing. According to te ancient Taoists, te wise uman being stands wit er ead and ands in te eavens and er feet on te eart. Se stands between te two, maintaining te balance between eaven and eart. Women do tis very well. Tey attend to te daily tasks, compelled by teir gender determination, wile at te same time impelled towards teir greatest potential, troug to consciously listening to te wisperings of Spirit alive in te eters. Wild Iris assists in balancing all te ormones of te body for optimum ealty functioning and wellbeing. 144Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

145 FULFILLING OUR HIGHER PURPOSE Women ave te capacity to fulfil teir greatest potential as tey do te rounds of daily life, attending to family, olding te place, gatering and garnering to nouris and upold tose witin teir spere of influence. Tey take it all in teir stride, accomplising muc by fulfilling te dictates of teir gender imperative to te best of teir ability. A woman wo as a baby, for example, wen attuned to er divine goddess energy, loves and nurtures er cild wit every fibre of er being, fulfilling te nature s design for perfection and betterment wit eac succeeding generation. Embedded in women is nature s evolutionary drive fine-tuned to vibrate to te love frequency of connection, support and nurture, te basis of nature recycling erself for greater perfection. Witout love, te wole system would falter and break down love is te essential component, te glue tat ensures Nature s plan for evolutionary development of life on eart. Cildren wo are loved and secure during te early stages of life and continuing into cildood become successful, compassionate and loving adults, carrying te baton of Nature s wisdom into teir own generation. Tey imbue teir cildren wit love, sending te eco down troug successive generations and beating to te drumbeat of life s best offering. Wen women do wat tey do naturally love, nurture and support teir cildren tey are fulfilling a far greater purpose tan appears on te surface; tey are implementing te powerful evolutionary drive of life itself, troug te natural functioning of teir body, mind and spirit. Wen women onour teir bodies and ensure te ealt of teir reproductive functioning troug wise stewardsip, tey create te next generation in better sape tan tey temselves are tey do tis troug wanting te best for teir cildren, often by sacrificing teir own comfort and pleasure. DISHONOURING THE MOTHER WITHIN Wen women disonour teir bodies troug artificially regulating teir cycle in te long term, relying solely on assisted fertility procedures to create teir babies, allowing teir babies to be cut from teir bodies for convenience and denying teir infants te comfort of te breast for sustenance because it is easier, teir babies suffer. Tey grow to be adults, teir vitality crippled from te very start troug undue interference in te life process itself. Tere are occasions wen assistance is needed in recreating a life; owever, wen tese practices become te norm and women subscribe to tem troug fear, desperation, ignorance and lack of confidence, it is time to speak out. Women are built powerfully and strongly to carry out all te functions of reproducing life wit flexibility and sustained effort; it is inscripted into teir design. Tey need to believe in temselves, rater tan take on board te crippling doubt in teir own abilities, purveyed by tose wo would strip tem of teir power, troug te media, te entrenced institutions of mainstream medicine and religion and in te workforce. Tis essence assists women to own and embrace teir feminine essence, and to grow confidence tat by being teir autentic selves tey are fulfilling life s best plan for tem. WILD IRIS GRANTS CONFIDENCE TO BE A WHOLE WOMAN It elps women wo lack confidence in teir capacity to conceive or ave a baby, instilling in tem a firm belief in teir capacity to manage teir own reproductive processes, in tandem wit a terapist wo supports teir natural biological processes. Wen te body is operating at its optimum best, it is driven by a motivation to reproduce, built into its design. For example, as discussed in my earlier book, Te Essence of Woman, tere is an inbuilt capacity embedded in women s pysiology tat enables er to seek and find te perfect partner for er and er future cildren. Se does tis subconsciously around about ovulation time by evaluating te scent of er current partner to determine weter e is genetically suitable to fater er cildren. Tis inbuilt biological function ensures tat se and er partner s genes and immune systems are complementary, tus increasing te couple s cances of aving a ealty cild, not vulnerable to infection or disease. Tis instinctive process is driven in women by te female ormones tat regulate and enable reproduction. Because it governs a woman s coice of life partner and compatibility, it directly affects te longevity of te relationsip. It also supports fertility and te success rate of te pregnancy, birt and early cildood environment of a cild, wic is directly dependant on te level of workability tat exists witin te relationsip. However, recent researc conducted in Britain as made a startling and significant discovery. Wen women take te contraceptive pill, it skews teir ormones to te point tat many women are missing te biological cues for selecting a mate and are instead coosing te wrong man. Effectively, according to te researc, te pill alters a woman s taste in men to tose wo are genetically less compatible and as implications for fertility, miscarriage risk as well as te future of te relationsip. Once a woman stops taking te pill, se is likely to find er boyfriend or partner is not so appealing. Tis latest researc, publised in te journal Proceedings of te Royal Society, is part of a series of studies publised into te idden effects of bot natural and artificial ormones on te total wellbeing of a woman. Previous studies ave sown tat women wo are in relationsips tend to prefer te smell of men wo are different from tem in a cluster of Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 145

146 genes called te major isto-compatibility complex (MHC). Tis instinctive beaviour embedded into teir biology ensures tat wen a cluster of genes of parents are different, te cildren conceived will ave a better biological advantage tan in a case were tey are similar. Tis natural penomenon is known as ybrid vigour and as been recognized for decades as te single most important factor in ensuring tat eac succeeding generation as better ealt tan te one before. Women wo allow te natural expression of teir bodily functions can be guaranteed tat nature will operate in tandem wit tem to optimize teir life. Tis is a powerful tougt we need just to rely on our natural feminine instincts and te rigt conditions will manifest. Wild Iris strengtens a woman s belief in er own capability. THE DEMANDS OF CORPORATE LIFE Many women forgo teir natural feminine instincts wen tey move into te corporate ig-flying environment of te competitive business world. Classically tese women need to take on a masculine perspective because tat sector of te social fabric is imbued wit te male etos caracterised by competitive, aggressive and corporate ladder climbing. Women function in a completely different way troug networking, saring and cooperating. None of tese qualities can be supported in te corporate environment. Intrinsically masculine, it is ierarcical and top-eavy, wit te boys on te top driven by te golden andsake mentality and a top-dog cuttroat mindset. Statistics sow tat tere is a ig incidence of breast cancer in women wo pursue a career single-mindedly, in favour of an eclectic mix of ome, family and career. Wild Iris assists women to reevaluate teir coices wen tey are looking down te barrel of barrenness and te cold comfort of corporate success. Use wit Black Nigtsade to elp a woman touc into er intrinsic femininity. Tose wo do make te compromise and live wit te mix, labelled formerly as superwomen, are finding tat te softening of rigid timeframes around daily work commitments, often including te option of working from ome, is muc more suited to te need for flexibility built into a woman s biology. Se needs to be flexible to juggle all te various parts of er multi-dimensional life. Wild Iris assists women to find te mix tat suits teir needs at te time, and furtermore, to maintain a continual process of readjustment of teir timetable, based on te canging needs of er family. It gives women te confidence to know tat tey can manage, particularly tose wo are trying to make te decision wen to start teir family. Tey begin to feel secure in teir own judgment of te optimal time to plan for a baby. NEW MUMS Anoter use for is essence is to give women confidence in teir own instincts wen tey are new a mum. Moters and babies enjoy a unique and personal communication, designed to ensure tat tey bot transit te mewling stage wit te best and ealtiest outcome for bot. Te birt process activates an instinctive facility in te moter to know wat is best for te infant. One of te most crucial needs tat a newborn as is te need for constant touc and presence of te mum. It is baby s only language and continual touc and presence is crucial for a newborn s sense of security and safety, carried troug as confidence in te self as an adult. Mums are ormonally driven to instinctively know wat is best for teir baby. Te faters don t ave te same access to instinctive care for teir baby s best interest in te same way tat moters do. Tey express teir parenting in different ways. Many women instinctively feel tat new babies need te comfort and contact tat comes wit sleeping in te bed wit tem. Many men are treatened by tis unexpected intrusion into teir intimate sared space wit teir partner. Already smarting from feeling marginalized by te intensity of teir woman s love affair wit te new bub, sometimes even perceived as an interloper, tey can experience real jealousy, coupled wit displeasure at te disruption in access to regular sex and loving. Mums are usually exausted after a baby and ormonally driven to bond deeply wit te newcomer and teir libido is non-existent, all life energy directed to connection wit te bub. Wild Iris elps women to follow teir instinctive promptings in meeting te needs of teir newborn and at te same time finding loving ways to communicate teir flagging libido to teir partner witout feeling guilty. It will elp a woman insist on wat se knows is best for te baby. WILD WOMEN It assists women to accept and enjoy all aspects of being a woman. In doing so, tey step into teir power an ancient lineage tat goes back as far as umans ave walked te eart. Connected in tis way tey align wit Moter Nature and feel confident in teir capacity to create, nurture and support incoming life. MARIE Marie is te tird of tree girls. Her older sisters were twins and se grew up wit a sense tat someow se always felt on te outer. Se is in er early tirties now but er adolescence and early twenties were difficult times, fraugt wit emotional pain tat se expressed outwardly by frequently cutting erself and going troug regular bouts of bulimia. Wen se came to me, se was under a gynaecologist wo ad prescribed te pill for er to manage er violent mood storms associated wit er menstrual cycle. Se ad been using te pill for a long time, but over te past couple of years as er emotional distress increased, er doctor put er on Marina, an IUD tat secretes ormones to control er cycle. 146Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

147 Marie seemed to be so far out of contact wit er own femininity tat se was scared of it. Se loated er periods, perceiving tem as causing er extended bouts of emotional pain and distress. Over te monts we talked about wat se really wanted in life, ow adept se was at getting wat se really wanted and wat was stopping er from being satisfied and contented. Work stress was a large factor in er eyes, but wen we got a bit closer to te bone, se revealed ow lonely and disconnected se felt and tat often se perceived erself as on te outside looking in. I gave er Wild Iris to reconnect er back into er own being and ancor er in te body se ad spent so long loating and punising because it seemed suc a source of pain for er. During tis time, se met a deligtful young man wo swept er off er feet. Se felt connected for te first time and visibly blossomed in te glow of te relationsip. Tings progressed and tey decided to get married. Her emotional storms settled and se was calm and peaceful for te first time since cildood. Se was enjoying a strong regular sexual connection wit er man, and it made er feel good, desirable and loved. Marie was coming into er own power as se relaxed into te intimate spere of er life, a place se ad never been able to explore before. In er cildood, se ad witnessed er sisters in suc close intimacy tat se ad felt marginalized and ad believed tat se would never experience tis degree of closeness. At last, tis was te first relationsip were se felt sufficiently comfortable wit er intimacy tat se could relax into it, and se was blossoming. In our ongoing sessions, se began to question te wisdom of keeping er contraceptive device intact as it made er feel mecanical and se was no longer comfortable wit it. Se began to talk about ow se would like to ave cildren wit James, er partner, and declared tat se was beginning to believe tat se could do it. Up until recently, se ad been terrified at te tougt of aving cildren se didn t feel confident enoug. Marie now presents as a confident young woman. Se is planning er family togeter wit James and tey ave just moved into teir new ome. Se started plotting er menstrual cycle and is currently using a natural metod of contraception, combining te rytm metod wit condoms, saring te responsibility of family planning wit James. Her sessions are now directed towards getting er body back to a state of optimum ealt wit a view to conceiving a cild. I ave complete confidence tat Marie will undertake tis process naturally and wit a sense of self-assurance, guaranteed to underpin a successful outcome. Se looks forward wit optimism to er baby wo will be born naturally and easily. Se as tapped into er feminine essence. Tis essence is for women wo are out of touc wit teir power and strengt as women. Tey give away teir power by anding over te care and maintenance of teir bodies to an autority outside of temselves often male. In so doing, tey fail to listen to te wisdom of teir own body, wic speaks clearly and insistently wen tey stop to listen. Tis wisdom, inscripted on teir biological design, as supported and given counsel to women since time began and is in its optimum expression in te intimate zone. It is ancestral energy tat ecoes down troug time, providing te substratum for te life process itself. Tis essence works on te Heart and Kidney meridians, giving women te confidence to follow teir eart and instincts in working troug personal issues tat concern tem. Wild Iris resonates to Cakras 1, 6 and 12. YOUR HEALING CHALLENGES For fear of cildbirt. For loating of te menstrual cycle. For fear of not being able to conceive naturally. For lack of confidence as a moter. For unappy, competitive, corporate career women. YOUR HEALING OUTCOMES Grants confidence in being a woman. Brings an acceptance of natural female bodily functions. Supports natural conception strategies. Enances and supports te experience of motering. Assists women to express teir feminine nature in te workplace. Works on te second and sevent cakras. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 147

148 ABUN-DANCE JOY IN RECEIVING Ajuga, Apostle Plant, Cassia, Dandelion, Lantana, Pink Samrock, Red Kamala, Seeing Eye, Silver Wattle, Verbena, Wite Wandering Jew Opens te eart to gratitude, te mind to te limitless abundance of te Universe, and te spirit to joy and optimism. Helps eliminate te sense of not enoug and clears tese family patterns. Raises awareness of being te magician in one s own life. Supports successful networking and win-win relationsips. BLESSED BIRTHING BIRTHING WITH CONFIDENCE Acacia, Apostle Plant, Ajuga, Blue Mink, Dandelion, Sensitive Plant, Storm Lily, Wild Iris Supports te moter s confidence in er body s ability to move troug a safe birt, and te parents in entering into te birting process as a sacred journey to parenting as a rite of passage. Helps smoot baby s passage into te world. BODY LOVE (HAPPY HORMONES) COMFORTABLE IN YOUR OWN SKIN Acacia, Black Nigtsade, Dandelion, Pink Samrock, Red Kamala, Snail Vine, Wild Iris Helps you appreciate and feel gratitude for te power and beauty of your body. Focuses you on fine-tuning your ealt by tuning in to your body. Assists disconnecting from ancestral patterns about ow women sould be, and energetically supports ealty balanced functioning of ormones. BRAIN BALANCE TURN ON TO WHOLE BRAIN ENERGY Acacia, Blue Mink, Cordyline, Dandelion, Freckle Face, Lacebark, Milkweed, Pink Samrock, Snail Vine, Wild Iris For balancing te many functions of te brain, and to bring about a sense of woleness and optimal functioning. Balances te adrenals to protect brain function from te over-effects of stress. Balances left-rigt and back-front brain energies. Helps wit memory loss and brain canges as te brain ages. Supports brain canges trougout cildood, and assists in opening new patways of understanding. BREAKUP EASING THE PAIN Bleeding Heart, Cassia, Dandelion, Lomandra, Macaranga, Native Hibiscus, Silver Wattle, Storm Lily, Verbena Supports you wile going troug a breakup and assists wit recovering from a relationsip breakup. Energetically supports te very pysical feelings of eartbreak and elps process te feelings of grief, blame, guilt, fear, rejection, and abandonment. Helps bring repeating patterns to awareness so tey can be resolved. CAESAREAN RECOVERY HEALING AND STIMULATING FOR MOTHER AND BABY Acacia, Apostle Plant, Black Nigtsade, Blue Mink, Freckle Face, Lantana, Native Hibiscus, Storm Lily Energetically supports te ealing of te wounding of caesarean birt, for bot moter and baby. Assists in kindling bond attacment and a sense of safety and security in te baby. Energetically stimulates te baby s skin to begin triggering te energetic systems tat are turned on during a vaginal birt. Supports te emotional after-effects of miscarriage and abortion. CHILDHOOD SUPPORTS THE GROWING FAMILY Cassia, Lantana, Milkweed, Pink Samrock, Seeing Eye, Storm Lily, Swamp Lily Energetically assists in balancing te development of te cild s body, mind and spirit. Supports transition from baby to cild to adolescent. Opens te moter s awareness of te cild s developmental milestones, allows age-appropriate risk-taking, and elps er let go appropriately. Energetically clears negative transgenerational patterns. 148Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

149 CLEAR SKIN BEAUTIFUL INSIDE AND OUT Acacia, Blue Mink, Cassia, Dandelion, Sensitive Plant, Snail Vine, Wild Iris Assists wit energetically clearing te emotional patterns tat may underlie skin conditions. Harmonises te bio-field tat interfaces wit te skin and strengtens te aura to protect te skin. Helps to clear stress patterns from te body tat prevent elimination of toxins. Supports te kidney and bowel to assist elimination of toxins. CONCEPTION ENERGETICALLY ASSISTS FERTILITY Acacia, Apostle Plant, Black Nigtsade, Blue Mink, Snail Vine, Sensitive Plant, Swamp Lily, Wild Iris Strengtens te Jing (vital) energy of te parents, to ensure te best energetic template for te conception of te baby. Also prepares te Jade Palace (uterus) for te baby-to-come by building te energy of te uterus, softening, and opening up conception energy and energetically balancing ormones. CREATIVE MUSE OPENING TO YOUR UNIQUENESS Cassia, Commelina, Dandelion, Morning Glory, Red Kamala, Seeing Eye, Wild Iris Opens energetic patways tat assist in accessing creativity, in all fields. Helps us transform old not-good-enoug scripts to tose wic enance our creative vision and bring our ideas into te pysical realm. Grounds ideas and opens us up to our uniqueness, wile encouraging us to confidently, explore and speak our individual trut. CRISIS CALM BE THE CALM IN THE CENTRE OF THE STORM Acacia, Ajuga, Apostle Plant, Blue Mink, Dandelion, Pink Samrock, Sensitive Plant, Storm Lily Helps connect to te sense of calm at te centre of any storms around you, weter a trauma, sock, emergency, or stress, be it pysical emotional, or psycological. Energetically clears imprints of tese situations as tey appen so tey do not set in te body. Clears imprints of past situations. Supports one to relax and adapt to canging circumstances. DADDY S GIRL HEALING FATHER ISSUES Ajuga, Apostle Plant, Black Nigtsade, Cassia, Cordyline, Freckle Face, Morning Glory, Sensitive Plant Te fater relationsip gives a woman confidence to go out into te world wit ease and self-assurance. Tis essence elps to clear distortions in te fater-daugter relationsip and smoot te patways to relationsips wit all males. Helps recognise and appreciate te many non-verbal ways males communicate. EMPTY NEST NEW PURPOSE AND BEGINNINGS Acacia, Apostle Plant, Black Nigtsade, Bleeding Heart, Cassia, Lantana, Lomandra, Morning Glory, Seeing Eye, Verbena Supports parents as tey transition back to establising teir lives witout dependent cildren. Assists wit appropriate letting-go and wit developing strong clear boundaries wit adult cildren. Helps clear patterns of resentment, blame, jealously, and loneliness. Opens te way to reclaiming te soul, reigniting old interests and friendsips and developing new ones. EXPLORING SPIRIT OPEN TO YOUR SOUL S JOURNEY Ajuga, Apostle Plant, Cassia, Commelina, Freckle Face, Morning Glory, Seeing Eye, Silver Wattle, Verbena, Wite Wandering Jew, Wild Iris Helps us onour our Soul s journey, aligns us to our iger purpose and wit te Ligt. Supports working wit te eigt and nint cakras and accessing iger-dimensional elp. Opens our earts to communion wit oters and wit our igest potential and assists us to speak wit integrity and awareness tat our words and tougts create our reality. GIFT OF TIME - STRESS LESS ABOUT BUSI-NESS Ajuga, Apostle Plant, Commelina, Dandelion, Pink Samrock, Seeing Eye, Silver Wattle, Storm Lily, Wite Wandering Jew Allows iger dimensional, iger frequency assistance and resets te energetic matrix around perceptions of time. Aids being in te present moment, and knowing now is te greatest of life s gifts. Supports releasing old notions about time being scarce, and releasing fears around time, and life, passing too quickly. Opens us to becoming a uman be-ing rater tan a uman do-ing. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 149

150 INTIMATE ZONE SEXY, CARING AND PLAYFUL Blue Mink, Cordyline, Lacebark, Milkweed, Native Hibiscus, Red Kamala, Sensitive Plant, Snail Vine Eases stress around sexual expression, Essence encourages ease in Blends intimate situations, supports self-image and elps clear pain and same around normal female body functions. Helps to energetically clear abuse patterns. Strengtens te sense of connection wit te oter troug sexual expression, at every stage of life. ME, MYSELF, I LOVING BEING ME Acacia, Black Nigtsade, Blue Mink, Cassia, Cordyline, Pink Samrock, Red Kamala Attunes us to te exuberance of being alive - pysically, emotionally and spiritually, and elps us access te vibrancy of life so tat we feel restored, refresed, revitalised, regenerated and rejuvenated. Taps into te magician witin, able to transform te mundane into te sublime, by arnessing pure intention, will and desire. Lives to love and loves to live. Adopts ealty life style patterns. MOTHER LOVE HEALING MOTHER ISSUES Black Nigtsade, Cassia, Lantana, Morning Glory, Native Hibiscus, Pink Samrock Te moter-cild relationsip grants deep feelings of self-wort. Tis essence assists in clearing toxic patterns from te relationsip, let go of perceived urts, sligts, or feelings of being devalued by te moter and aids in understanding loving meaning beind tat communication. Releases patterns of smotering. Balances negative patterns learned from te moter. Assists in building self-wort. Assists bot moter and cild. PRECONCEPTION PREPARING THE GROUND Acacia, Black Nigtsade, Blue Mink, Dandelion, Native Hibiscus, Red Kamala, Sensitive Plant, Silver Wattle, Wild Iris Helps to energetically prepare te body, mind, and spirit for te incoming baby. Assists in developing or restoring confidence, and belief tat aving a cild is possible. Te pre-conception pase sould last for 3-6 monts. Bot parents can take tis essence; assists wit aligning te partners in teir parenting aspirations. PREGNANCY SUPPORT GROWING BABY GRACEFULLY Apostle Plant, Blue Mink, Cordyline, Macaranga, Pink Samrock, Storm Lily, Swamp Lily, Wild Iris Supports te transition from Maiden to Moter. Supports te swift, profound canges in te Body-Mind under te influence of a cascade of life-promoting ormones. Supports emotional, pysical, and mental wellness in bot parents. QUIET MIND INNER PEACE AND CALM Ajuga, Apostle Plant, Blue Mink, Dandelion, Freckle Face, Seeing Eye, Verbena, Wite Wandering Jew, Wild Iris Te stress essence. Supports inner peace and calm. Helps quieten te conscious awareness so tat te eart awareness can ear te silence. Accesses te sage witin. Allows angelic protection wile te aura is open during meditation, grounding wile your ead is in te ligt, and opening to iger consciousness. Helps align wit te 2012 frequency sift from te linear mecanical paradigm to te flowing networked paradigm. SELF HEAL BELIEVE YOU CAN! Acacia, Apostle Plant, Blue Mink, Cassia, Commelina, Lantana, Pink Samrock, Seeing Eye, Sensitive Plant, Silver Wattle, Snail Vine Triggers te confidence and innate capacity to self eal on all levels of being. Fosters follow-troug and maintains te delicate balance between te inner and te outer. Helps to clear stress and bring te body back to a state of relaxation. Helps to reset te energetic matrix for ealing. Supports creative ways to easily bring about lifestyle canges tat support ealing. SPEAK EASY EASY, HEARTFELT COMMUNICATION Ajuga, Apostle Plant, Commelina, Freckle Face, Lacebark, Lomandra, Morning Glory, Seeing Eye, Snail Vine, Wite Wandering Jew, Wild Iris Supports understanding and expressing needs - openly, easily, and respectfully. For listening to communications from all realms including angelic and devic. Helps to listen witout blame and to take responsibility for our part in all communications. Helps to ear wit te eart. Supports te energies of earing, and te vocal cords. 150Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

151 THE BABY YEARS GETTING TO KNOW ONE ANOTHER Acacia, Apostle Plant, Black Nigtsade, Blue Mink, Commelina, Freckle Face, Pink Samrock, Storm Lily Supports te easy flow of information between moter and baby. Assists moter-baby bonding process. Strengtens te energetic capsule of moter, fater, and baby, and siblings. Helps te moter consciously restore and restock er own energies and resources. TOGETHER BALANCES RELATIONSHIP ANGST Acacia, Ajuga, Apostle Plant, Dandelion, Pink Samrock, Swamp Lily, Wite Wandering Jew Aids developing trust so tat pysical, emotional and spiritual intimacy can blossom in a relationsip. Helps clarify and support acceptance of gender differences. Clears negative trans-generational relationsip patterns. Helps release struggle around relationsip issues, and balances te fear of being alone so it does not sabotage te relationsip. VITAL ENERGY ENERGY TO GO AND THEN SOME! Cassia, Dandelion, Macaranga, Snail Vine, Seeing Eye, Swamp Lily, Wite Wandering Jew Helps you focus, protect yourself from burning out, and gives an energetic boost. Supports intuitively conserving our energy for te tings tat matter. Builds understanding of te true meaning of service and of learning to give and receive in equal measure. Assists rejuvenating, regenerating, revitalising, renewing, refresing, restoring and restocking life force energy. WOMAN WORTH STAND IN YOUR POWER AS A WOMAN Acacia, Black Nigtsade, Cassia, Macaranga, Morning Glory, Pink Samrock, Verbena, Wild Iris Helps wit calm confidence and self-assurance, and feeling safe in your own skin. Supports becoming aware of setting and olding personal boundaries, and respecting oters space and responsibilities. Encourages feeling as-good-as oters and recognising our own unique contribution. Dissolves guilt. Assists in feeling magnetically attractive, and aving a spere of influence. WISE WOMAN MATURING WITH EASE AND GRACE Apostle Plant, Lacebark, Macaranga, Morning Glory, Red Kamala, Seeing Eye, Sensitive Plant, Snail Vine, Swamp Lily, Verbena, Wite Wandering Jew, Wild Iris Supports ageing gracefully and accessing te deep well of personal power tat mature wisdom brings, wile being open to inspiration; maintaining te dance of sexual expression and Spirit, and supporting te vital, Jing, energy; keeping Yin energy moist and retaining te juiciness of life; trusting inner wisdom and graciously articulating it to younger women. Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 151

152 Repertory Essence of Symptoms Blends PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL Empty ne st syndrome - Lacebark, Apostle Plant Retired usband syndrome - Lacebark Abuse pysical or sexual - Cordyline, Native Hibiscus, Milkweed Acing legs - Red Kamala Acne - Blue Mink, Cassia, Apostle Plant Addictions to a substance, relationsip, cause or life situation - Cassia Alcool abuse - Cassia, Lomandra, Wild Iris Allergic sensitivity - Macaranga Anaemia - Acacia, Cassia, Dandelion, Macaranga Anger - Acacia, Blue Mink, Black Nigtsade, Freckle Face, Lomandra, Storm Lily, Seeing Eye Ankolysing spondilitis - Lomandra Anorexia - Dandelion Anxiety - Blue Mink, Cordyline, Freckle face, Lacebark, Macaranga, Pink Samrock, Silver Wattle Artero-sclerosis - Lomandra Artritis - Lomandra, Apostle Plant Astma - Lantana, Sensitive Plant Asymmetry, imbalanced Cordyline Auric wea kness Acacia, Apostle Plant Bladder problems - Red Kamala Body image problems - Black Nigtsade, Cordyline, Red Kamala, Seeing Eye Bowel polyps - Apostle Plant, Cassia, Lomandra Breast cancer - Black Nigtsade, Cordyline, Wild Iris Breating difficulties - Lantana, Sensitive Plant Bullying beaviour - Milkweed, Seeing Eye Cildood abuse of any kind, verbal, pysical or sexual - Milkweed Circulation - Apostle Plant, Bleeding Heart, Lantana Clearing toxicity - Cassia, Lomandra, Lantana, Snail Vine Colds, flus and viruses - Macaranga Colon ca ncer - Cassia, Seeing Eye, Apostle Plant Communication difficulties - Commelina, Freckle Face, Lacebark Confusion over sexuality - Cordyline Constantly tired - Dandelion, Apostle Plant Constantly seeking love Bleeding Heart Constipation - Cassia Creative blocks - Morning Glory, Red Kamala Debilitation of te nervous system - Blue Mink Despair, doom and gloom Silver Wattle Depression - Cassia, Lacebark, Silver Wattle, Wite Wandering Jew, Wild Iris Desire to escape from te world - Blue Mink Despondency - Silver Wattle, Seeing Eye Diabetes - Cassia Diarroea - Cassia Difficulty in confronting oters - Freckle Face, Morning Glory Digestive dysfunction - Black Nigtsade, Blue Mink, Cassia, Dandelion Digestive problems including irritable bowel syndrome, stomac upsets, diabetes - Black Nigtsade Diverticulitis - Cassia Domineering parents - Morning Glory Dull, constant eadaces - Dandelion, Lomandra Emotional confusion - Cassia Emotional and pysical pain - Blue Mink, Native Hibiscus Entity attacments - Acacia, Ajuga, Wite Wandering Jew Excessive weigt - Dandelion, Wild Iris, Apostle Plant Emptiness, feelings of - Macaranga Fater issues - Cordyline, Seeing Eye Fear - Acacia, Black Nigtsade, Bleeding Heart, Blue Mink. Commelina, Cordyline, Freckle Face, Lacebark, Lantana, Macaranga, Morning Glory, Native Hibiscus, Red Kamala, Snail Vine, Silver Wattle, Verbena, Wite Wandering Jew, Wild Iris and Sensitive Plant Fear of being alone - Cordyline Fear around sexuality - Red Kamala Fear of ageing - Lacebark Fear of movement - Red Kamala, Apostle Plant Feeling sexually undesirable - Black Nigtsade, Lacebark, Wild Iris 152Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

153 Feeling unattractive - Black Nigtsade, Lacebark Feelings of uselessness and aving passed te use-by date - Lacebark Fibroids - Native Hibiscus, Red Kamala, Wild Iris Fragility Dandelion, Cassia, Sensitive Plant, Wild Iris Frigidity - Apostle Plant, Native Hibiscus, Red Kamala Gallstones - Apostle Plant, Lomandra Guilt around sexuality and masturbation - Red Kamala Guilt and same around periods - Native Hibiscus Guilt for not doing enoug - Macaranga Haemorroids - Acacia, Dandelion, Wild Iris Headaces - Blue Mink, Dandelion Wild Iris Healing te inner cild - Milkweed Hearing difficulties - Lacebark, Sensitive Plant, Snail Vine Hate - Lomandra, Seeing Eye Immune compromised - Bleeding Heart, Macaranga Infertility - Native Hibiscus, Red Kamala, Snake Vine Insomnia - Dandelion Intellectual arrogance - Morning Glory Intolerance Lomandra, Seeing Eye Irritability - Apostle Plant, Blue Mink Isolation - Blue Mink, Sensitive Plant IVF procedures - Snail Vine (strengt of ovaries), Swamp Lily (implantation) Lack of umour - Milkweed Learning difficulties - Milkweed Letargic - Dandelion, Swamp Lily Libido low or absent - Cordyline, Lacebark, Red Kamala, Snail Vine Liver problems - Cassia, Lomandra, Seeing Eye Loneliness - Cordyline, Wild Iris, Verbena Loss of interest in sex Blue Mink, Macaranga, Lomandra Loss of interest in a sexual partner following birt - Red Kamala, Snail Vine, Wild Iris, Loss of temperature control - Dandelion Low back pain - Red Kamala, Snail Vine, Lowered immunity - Black Nigtsade, Macaranga Lung-related disorders, suc as astma and sallow breating - Lantana Manipulative beaviour - Cordyline, Milkweed Mastitis - Apostle Plant, Black Nigtsade Melancoly - Silver Wattle Menstrual pain - Lomandra, Native Hibiscus, Red Kamala Migraines - Lomandra Muddle-eaded - Dandelion, Lantana Nausea - Dandelion Oedema in te ankles - Red Kamala, Snail Vine Ovarian ypofunction Snail Vine, Wild Iris Ovarian cysts - Native Hibiscus Over-dependency - Cordyline, Milkweed, Wild Iris, Over-sensitivity - Bleeding Heart, Macaranga, Milkweed Overwelmed - Blue Mint, Dandelion, Macaranga Palpitations - Bleeding Heart, Blue Mint, Lomandra, Palpitations arrytmia and facial flusing - Lomandra Perspires easily - Dandelion Pysical pain - Blue Mink, Native Hibiscus Pysical exaustion - Swamp Lily, Dandelion, Snail Vine PMT - Blue Mink, Native Hibiscus Poor vision - Cassia, Lomandra, Seeing Eye Pregnancy - Swamp Lily, Wild Iris, Snail Vine Pregnancy wit an unwanted baby - Native Hibiscus, Swamp Lily Prolapses, including bowel and vaginal - Acacia, Cassia, Dandelion Quiet, witdrawn cild - Milkweed Querulous, timid - Verbena Rigidity of te musculo-skeletal system - Blue Mink, Lomandra Sadness and guilt following a miscarriage or abortion - Native Hibiscus Sexual abuse in te past - Cordyline, Native Hibiscus, Milkweed Same around masturbation - Red Kamala Same around sexuality - Red Kamala Sock, past and present Storm Lily Skin blemises including acne, and toxic skin conditions - Black Nigtsade, Blue Mink, Lomandra Smooting circulation. - Bleeding Heart, Lomandra Speaking one s trut - Freckle Face, Morning Glory Speaking arsly Freckle Face Stage frigt - Morning Glory Stiffness - Red Kamala, Wild Iris Stress - Blue Mink, Dandelion, Macaranga, Seeing Eye Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit 153

154 Stress and tension - Blue Mink, Apostle Plant Strokes and eart attacks due to suppressed anger - Cassia, Lomandra Substance abuse, especially marijuana, tobacco - Lantana Timidity and syness in speaking out - Lacebark, Morning Glory, Sensitive Plant, Verbena Tiredness - Acacia, Blue Mink, Macaranga, Swamp Lily Trans-generational diseases, mindset Pink Samrock Transition times of cildood/ adolescence - Apostle Plant, Milkweed, Pink Samrock Trauma Storm Lily, Apostle Plant, Sensitive Plant Twisted bowel - Apostle Plant, Cassia Weakened immunity - Apostle Plant, Black Nigtsade, Macaranga Weakness of te spine, specifically te middle back - Acacia Worry - Apostle PLant, Dandelion, Lantana, Macaranga, Milkweed, Swamp Lily 154Spirit of Woman by Annie Meredit

155 About Annie Meredit s d n e l B e c n e s s E Annie Meredit as been working at te cutting-edge GNIVIECEof R NMind-Body I YOJ ECMedicine NAD-NUBfor A 30 years. Recognised for er entertaining, compelling and umorous style of lecturing in EIVING gnirednaw etiw,anebrtraditional ev,elttaw rcinese evlis,alamedicine mak der and,kcorvibrational mas knip,medicine anatnal,nat oilte ednaustralian ad,aissaccollege,aguja of ntana, Pink Samrock, Red Kamala, Silver Wattle, Verbena, Wite Wandering wej Natural Medicine since its inception in 1983, Annie is well-loved and acknowledged dna yoj ot tirips et dna as,esran eviinspiration nu et fo ecinnate dnuunderstanding ba sseltimil etofotte dnibody-mind m et,edutparadigm. itarg ot traese ealso t snetaugt po te mind to te limitless abundance of te Universe, and te spirit to joy and around for fo ssenerawa sesiar.snraustralian ettap ylimabus f eseflower t sraelcessence dna gworksops uone ton fo esnes Australia et etanimand ile ste plehworld.msim itpover o 12 sense of not enoug.and Raises ofppus.efil nwo s eno ni naicigam et gnieb spisclears noitaletese r years niw-family nias w dsenior npatterns. a gnilecturer. krow ten luawareness fsseccus stro wn life. Supports successful networking and win-win relationsips. Annie wrote te Australian Bus ECNEFlower DIFNOEssence C HTIWCorrespondence GNIHTRIB GNCourse, IHTRIB Ddescribing ESSELB NG WITH CONFIDENCE te energetic underpinnings of te uman system. Designed specifically to explain te siri dliw,ylil mrots,noilednad,knim eulb,aguja,aicaca connection between emotions and te pysical body, te course as been entusiastically ndelion, Storm Lily, Wild Iris ni stnerap et dna,acknowledged trib efas a guoby rtmany evompeople ot ytilibfrom a s yall dobover re te ni eworld cnedifinterested noc s retin ombody-mind et stroppuealing. S nce in er body stability ooms sto plemove H.egtroug assap foaesafe tir a birt, sa gniand tnerate p oparents t yenruoinj dercas a sa ssecorp gnitrib et otni gniretne worksops and teleconferences and draws ess as a sacred journey to parentinginasannie s a rite ofbooks, passage. Helps smoot.dlroon w eer t owebsites, tni egassaannie p s yba b on er extensive clinical practice to assist women to get in touc wit teir feminine core, by understanding and. NIKpower S NWO RUOY Ninto I ELB ATRO FMOC design. )SENOMROH YPPAH( EVOL YDOB accessing te inerent strengt and inscripted teir biological ONES) COMFORTABLE IN YOUR OWN SKIN siriparticular dliw,enivfocus lians is,ain lam akareas der,kof cofertility rmas kand nip women s,noilednad,edaand stgias N kacagifted lb,aicand aca skilled In er clinical practice er te ealt, ndelion, Pink Samrock, Red Kamala, Snail Vine, Wild Iris spiritual relationsips. gninucounsellor t-enif no use oy seassists sucofbot.ydobwomen ruoy foand ytuamen eb dnina realising rewop emutually t rof edutsatisfying itarg leef d na etaicerppa uoy spleh gratitude for tenepower and beauty of your body. Focuses you on fine-tuning ow woabout tuobannie, a snrettaand p larto tsereceive cna morfer gnitfree cennnewsletter, ocsid stsissa please.ydob ruvisit oy otwww.anniemeredit.com. ni gninut yb tlae ruoy To find outmmore ur body. Assists disconnecting from.ancestral senomropatterns fo gninoabout itcnufow decnwomen alab ytlae stroppus yllacitegrene dna,eb dluos y supports ealty balanced functioning of ormones. YGRENE NIARB ELOHW OT NO NRUT ECNALAB NIARB TO WHOLE BRAIN ENERGY,eniV lians,kcormas knip,deewklim,krabecal,ecaf elkcerf,noilednad,enilydroc,knim eulb,aicaca Dandelion, Freckle Face, Lacebark, Milkweed, Pink Samrock, Snail Vine, siri dliw Ot er Product s lamitpo dna ssenelow fo esnes a tuoba gnirb ot dna,niarb et fo snoitcnuf ynam et gnicnalab rof ons of te brain, and woleness secntoalbring ab.ssabout erts foastsense ceffe-rof evo et morf and noitcoptimal nuf niarb tcetorp ot slanerda et secnalab.gninoitcnuf enals to protect brain function from te over-effects ofa stress. Balances. s e g a n i a r b e t s a s e g n a c n i a r b d n s s o l y r o m em tiw spleh.seigrene niarb tnorf-kcab dna tgir-tfel THE ESSENCE OF WOMAN energies. Helps.gwit memory loss and brain canges as te brain nidnatsrednu fo syawtap wen gninepo ni stsissa ages. dna,doodlic tuoguort segnac niarb stroppus Designed to encourage teir inerentof understanding. gout cildood, and assists in woman openinginnew patways NIAP EHT GNISAE PUKAERB nature, Te Essence of Woman is a beautifully N woven narrative,ylil mrand ots,exploration elttaw revlisof,swomanood ucsibih evitan,agnaracam,ardnamol,noilednad,aissac,traeh gnideelb elion, Lomandra, Macaranga, Native Hibiscus,energetic Silver Wattle, Storm Lily, troug te perspectives of traditional anebrev Cinese Medicine and modern ealt terapies..pukaerb pisnoitaler a morf gnirevocer tiw stsissa dna pukaerb a guort gniog eliw uoy stroppus ug a breakup and Delving into,fete iassists rg fbasis o sgwit niof lerecovering erelationsips, f et ssecofrom rp sdrives, palerelationsip dna kaerbtbreakup. rae fo sgnileef lacisyp yrev et stroppus yllacitegrene pysical feelings of eartbreak and elps process emotions nacand yetmotivations, os ssenerawte a ot Essence snrettap of gnwoman ite taepfeelings er gnirbofspgrief, leh.tnemnodnaba dna,noitcejer,raef,tliug,emalb nd abandonment. Helps bring repeating patternsteir to awareness so tey can.devloser eb maps te inerent biology of a woman, pysical and emotional ealt YBABwen DNA facilitating REHTOM ROF GNITALUMITS DNA GNILAEH YREVOCER NAERASEAC a new generation, and ultimately teand onoured EALING AND STIMULATING FOR MOTHER BABY yliannie L mrotsmeredit,sucsibihwrites evitan,anatnal,ecaf elkcerf,knim eulb,edastgin kcalb,aicaca journey into mature age. e Mink, Freckle Face, Lantana, Native Hibiscus, Storm Lily to inspire, stsisempower sa.ybab dand na reencourage tom tob women rof,tribtonaeraseac fo gnidnuow et fo gnilae et stroppus yllacitegrene ling of embrace te wounding of designed etat t sewic talucaesarean mitey ts yllawere citbirt, egbiologically renfor E.ybot bab emoter t ni ytiand rucesbaby. dna Assists ytefas fo esnes a dna tnemcatta dnob gnildnik ni nd a sense of safety and security in te baby. Energetically stimulates to be, but were modern pressures, expectations et stroppus.trib lanigav a gnirud no denrut era tat smete tsys citegrene et gnireggirt nigeb ot niks s ybab g te energetic tat are turneddesire on during a vaginal birt. Supports and te systems biologically-encoded to co-operate,.noitrobate dna egairracsim fo stceffe-retfa lanoitome arriageas andforced abortion. women away from teir true essence. YLIMAF GNIWORG EHT STROPPUS DOOHDLIHC Uplifting and encanting, Annie s gentle and HE GROWING FAMILY ylil pmaws,ylil mrots,kcormas knip,deewklim,anatnal,aissac inspirational guidance will cause women to onour nk Samrock, Storm Lily, Swamp Lily teir natural noitisnabody-mind rt stroppus processes..tirips dna dnim,ydob s dlic et fo tnempoleved et gnicnalab ni stsissa yllacitegrene ng te development,senotselof im te latncild s empolebody, ved smind dlic and et fspirit. o ssensupports erawa s rtransition etom et snepo.tnecseloda ot dlic ot ybab morf ent. Opens te -snmoter s art evitagawareness en sraelc ylof lacte itegcild s rene.yldevelopmental etairporppa ogmilestones, tel re sple dna,gnikat-ksir etairporppa-ega swolla king, and elps er let go appropriately. Energetically clears negative trans.snrettap lanoitareneg Spirit of Woman tiderem einna yb nby amannie ow fomeredit tirips