On Healing, Healers & Healees...

Being able to heal others implies that one has been through the process of healing the self and done the inner work necessary for self mastery. Which involves facing the ego, vices, the shadow self and the dark corners of the soul.
Don't deny them. Acknowledge them, understand them, accept them, soften & tame them if you can, and turn your inner lead into gold much like the alchemist would do.
Shed your old skin and be reborn like a phoenix from its ashes...And become a new you, better & stronger than before.
Only once the self healing process has been achieved, that one can start helping, healing & teaching others. Showing them the empowering path to follow (though everybody is different yet all the roads lead to Rome) in order to get to know themselves & heal themselves.
The true gift of the healer doesn't reside in "supernatural" abilities (which are tokens given by Spirit to anyone committed to a spiritual path) but in showing and teaching others that they too can heal themselves and the world around them...

There is Something...

...Something in the cold, something in the immaculate snow that keeps calling me. Even in the heat of the Summer, I see icy blue glaciers when I close my eyes. And the lonely stillness of the barren North...All so quiet, too quiet maybe.
But yet He, She or They are calling.
Is it the Spirit of the Wind in the blizzard? Is it some long forgotten Ancestors buried deep beneath the thick blanket of snow? Is it the broken carved stone circles/sanctuaries humming to be remembered and used again?
I don't know yet. The further I go, the more answers I get and when I think I'm getting closer to the answers I seek, new questions arise and then I realize how little I actually know.
Somewhere I read "what you seek is seeking you". I know the answers are buried inside of me, somewhere. I need to go further and keep digging deeper, going back in time.
The antlered one, the ancient Deer Goddess she knows, I know she does. She's be watching me for a long time and she will teach me what I need to know, what I need to remember. She imposed a taboo upon me so I know she's here to stay and that somehow I am, have been or and/will be her priestess...

The Runic Half-Month of Jera (Dec 13th-Dec 27th) & the Celtic Months of Ruis (Nov 25th-Dec 22nd) and Beith (Dec 24th-Jan 20th)

From ISA we have moved to JERA so the worst is now behind us. But we are still under the dominion of RUIS so we're not quite out of the Underworld just yet.

JERA represents the personal harvest: the result of a long year of hard work, patience and perseverance. It's the rune of causes and consequences, therefore the harvest will depend entirely on our actions and/or inactions. It forces us to see the good, the bad and the ugly in ourselves, our work, our spiritual work and, our interactions with people and the outside world. You can't cheat or lie with JERA. It's like karma, you can't escape it. I'm sure the Norns will agree. But it's not really the quality of your harvest (good or bad) that matters here, rather than the lessons learned. Because just like the alchemist can transform lead into gold, so can you transform your bad harvest into something empowering and change for the better if you have honestly faced the dark ISA & learned your lessons.

JERA is a temporal rune, it is all about cycles: beginning & end, death & rebirth. It's the wheel of fortune in the Tarot, which gives us hope after the cold, dark & creepy ISA that something good and better is coming our way. JERA announces renewal and rebirth, and it is no coincidence if the Winter Solstice occurs under its dominion, followed by the beginning of the Celtic month of BEITH (the birch). In magical work, you can use JERA to bring evolution and changes to a situation.

Now on the health side, I associate JERA with toxicity. You may want to pay attention to and support your liver (especially during the holidays) to get rid off toxins, support your entire digestive system and increase your vitality. You can extend the detox to toxic thoughts and toxic relationships which can and will affect you healthwise.

As I said above, RUIS - the Elder is not over yet and if you haven't done your inner homework yet, I urge you to do so. Winter is not just happening in Nature, it happens to our body and soul as well. Whether you like it or not, this period of rest and contemplation is necessary. RUIS ends with the Solstice and as the Sun will be reborn, sap (and our chi) will slowly start to flow upward, and days will begin to lengthen again.

Then BEITH - the Birch kicks in and it's all about new beginnings and regeneration. And to start anew you need to be in good shape inside and out. In traditional herbalism, the birch has long been used as a (Spring) tonic, a detoxifier and a purifiyer of the urinary system, and as such echoes the healing uses of JERA.

Yule Blessings to You & Yours,
Zenseer

The Runic Half-Month of ISA (Nov 28th - Dec 12th) & the Celtic Month of RUIS (Nov 25th - Dec 22nd)

Don't let the California sun fool you, Winter is already here. Look around you, Nature is resting and so should you. Your energy level is much lower than during Summertime anyway so why not just go with the non flow since this is what ISA is all about?
There's no need to feel frustrated: this period of enforced rest and stagnation is only temporary. The Winter Solstice is just around the corner and under the sign of JERA which should get things moving again soon.
Remember that just because you can't see the glacier move with your naked eye doesn't mean that it's not moving...The same phenomenon applies to you as well.
Keep your inner fire burning with nourishing, warming & comforting food and activities that soothe your body and soul...Now is not the time to turn into an ice mummy. Don't let the freezing mists of Niflheim get to you either: while now is a time of contemplation and reflection, it doesn't have to be gloomy.
ISA as icy crystallized water (and graphically very close to LAGUZ) can be challenging emotionally: blocked or repressed emotions, coldness, harshness, rigidity...But mentally ISA's gifts can be beneficial: as a rune of concentration it can help with discipline, stability, organization and (self) mastery. Be careful not to become too rigid though, because there's just one step from ISA (balance) to NAUTHIZ (which is also very close to ISA graphically).
But if you play your cards right during this runic half-month you may come out of it more centered, autonomous, independent, powerful and with a stronger will than before.
Be also aware of the physical manifestations of ISA inside the body. They can take many forms and are all signs of blockages: lack of flexibility, spinal issues, joint problems such as arthritis, paralysis (blocked nerves), circulatory and/or lymphatic issues often stemming from stagnant chi.

The half-month of ISA is overlapped but the Celtic month of RUIS, which gives us another clue as to what's happening right now. RUIS is the Elder tree: tree of change, transformation, evolution and gateway to the Underworld with its physical, emotional and spiritual implications. Sacred to the Sidhe, the Elder is connected to the Morrigan and the Cailleach (crone). RUIS forces us to delve into the deepest & darkest parts of the self in order to deal with our fears, weaknesses & inner ugliness so to speak. It is a necessary process, a little death of some sort in order to cleanse ourselves of what no longer serves us so that we can be reborn like phoenixes on the day of the Winter Solstice. RUIS and ISA combined emphasize this endeavor. There is a reason behind the time of icy cold stagnation and it is a required step for spiritual growth

Take care & be well ;).

Cards of the Day: "Life Renewed" and "The World" from the Tarot of the Hidden Ream

A couple weeks ago, I decided to do a tarot reading for my birthday. I normally use the Tarot of the Sidhe or the Faery Oracle, which I both find very accurate. But this time I chose to give the Tarot of the Hidden Realm a try; I wasn't disappointed.

I won't go through the details of my birthday reading, which I was pretty satisfied with. The first card (Five of Swords) I picked reflected my present situation very clearly: confusion, chaos, illusions. It was not a time to take major decisions or start a project. So I decided to not do anything and just wait for this period of confusion to pass, I knew it was only temporary. After all the Summer had ended and it was the beginning of the Fall (at least on the calendar) and this is my season. Summer is always some kind of Nature imposed sabbatical for me, while Fall is when I get into my is dear to me, what resonates with my soul and when I get stuff done.

And I was right to wait, I knew something positive and good was coming (and cards don't lie). While I wasn't very active these past few months, I learned some lessons, sometimes the hard way. It was a necessary step for my own personal growth and now I can see things more clearly.

The Fall has now arrived and brought some much needed re-energizing fog, it's like coming back to life. Anyway, back to today's cards: I picked "Life Renewed" and "The World", both shown above.
"This is her favorite time of the year. The scent of clean earth makes her happy. And the air...The air carries promises".
This card (Life Renewed) brings "the promise of fresh starts and new beginnings. This card brings more than just a clean slate; it brings a clean slate with a sense of purpose. Just as an acorn transforms into a tree and an egg into a bird, when you get this card, you are given the opportunity to begin anew to become what you are meant to be."
Sounds good to me!

Now for "The World": "...This card celebrates the successful completion of something you determined to achieve. We tend to rush from one achievement to the next goal. In doing so, we miss part of the gift of this experience. Reflect on what you've done and how you've changed. Feel it in all areas of your life. Acknowledge and appreciate what you've done and how others have helped."
To me the world also refers to that geomancy distance learning course I took. Time to finish what we have started.

I just turned 36, which is number 9 in numerology and a sacred number in Northern spirituality. I believe this year will bring some change, something major, something positive and beneficial. Some foundations and stepping stones for the years to come. Next birthday will mark the beginning of a new cycle...

Runes and the Immune System

It's been a while since I've talked about Limbrunar: runic (energy) healing. Runes are normally encountered in divination, though it is one of their uses, I feel like it's just the tip of the iceberg. In other words, there's more to runes than meets the eye.

In my practice, based both on research and my own intuition, I have come up with various healing uses for each runes. Some people may or may not agree with me but that's what I feel is right and what works for me. Of course, nothing is set in stone (no pun intended) and there's always new insight added to my discoveries.

Enough babbling, shall we start? (I am focusing here on the upper respiratory system).

• ANSUZ: Breathing & respiratory system (nose, throat, larynx, lungs). From sore throat, to cough, congestion, bronchitis and pneumonia.
• KENNAZ: Fever, infection, inflammation, low immunity, toxins.
• ALGIZ: Enhancing the immune system, building up a resistance, preventative action. Specific parts of the body: head, face, skull, back of the neck, upper spine.
• TEIWAZ: Low immune system, being attacked from the inside, healing rune, curative action.

Use these runes in meditations, visualisations, energy work, mantras, mudras and rune yoga, whatever suits you best. Combining runic work with alternative therapies and proper nutrition will help get better results.

It is also good to remember than stress, lack of sleep, lack of vitamins C & D and accumulated toxins in the body (the filthy liver and/or intestines) contribute to lower immunity.

Be well.

A Little Bit of Earthy Poetry...

As a teenager who grew up in France, I used to enjoy reading and writing poetry. I was and still am a big fan of Victor Hugo, the master of words ;).

Today I guess I felt inspired to write some poetry again, this time in English...

THE EARTH TALKS

The Earth talks to those who wish to listen. 
Tales of epic battles, lost loves, forgotten knowledge and timeless wisdom.

The Earth talks with dirt and leaves, stones and bones 
From a time before time, a time and place beyond...

The Earth talks and whispers to your ears secrets that reason doesn't want you to know.
Hidden treasures in your memory, past lives, ancestors in your blood and bones.

The Earth talks, forget about reason,
Use your senses, feel its pulse in a heartbeat.

The Earth talks...Will you just listen?