A warm welcome to all our readers!

We hope you are enjoying the longer daylight hours and warmer temperatures.

If you are interested in upcoming Spring and Summer workshops scroll down to our calendar section.

This newsletter features articles by three of the teachers at Northern Star. If you enjoy working with essential oils read Laurie’s article which gives you important information regarding how to work with them.

For those of you who work with gemstones, Skye writes about how to combine gemstones and tapping.

If you have become too rigid in your thinking or approach to life read Catherine’s article on flexibility.

Enjoy the unfolding of spring!

‘And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.’ Anais Nin

Essential Oils – This Is Essential To Know

Laurie Szott-Rogers

Should I take essential oils internally? There has been a movement for individuals to take essential oils internally. I published this article a while ago, but wish to republish, as many MLM, essential oil companies are promoting the internal use of essential oils.

This must be done very carefully, or better yet, not at all. The urge to ingest is usually precipitated by a belief that essential oils will help protect and heal. Using them internally can backfire and cause health problems and may even be fatal.

 Essential oils can be very healing, but they are extremely potent. To illustrate their strength, visualize that in some cases it takes a pound of plant to make a drop of essential oil. This is very different than consuming tinctures, infusions or teas, which are significantly weaker and safer for internal use. This issue of concentration is important!

Another point to consider with safety is the plant itself. Some are gentler than others. Essential oils can be deadly when ingested. Eucalyptus, one of my favorites for cleaning and the steam room can be fatal at a 4 mls if taken internally. For this reason, keep your essential oils locked away from children.

Age and condition matter when looking at the practice of internal consumption. Are you pregnant, epileptic, asthmatic, allergic, or on medications)? All of these variables are relevant. Anyone under the age of 4 should not be using essential oils, except for the mildest ones, like lavender, in very low concentrations. And never internally! If you are pregnant use very little essential oils for the first 6 months. If you are breastfeeding, do not use them at all.

Essential oils are safest when used in a diffuser, where you breathe them in, or topically, diluted to a ratio of .5-5%. Yet, peppermint, ravensara and eucalyptus are not recommended even this way, for young children. According to Tisserand an aromatic researcher, these essential oils in rare cases can cause problems with the larynx and respiratory system, in children.

Some essential oils can be diluted and used on skin and may be very healing, but certain essential oils can cause skin irritation. In the case of bergamot worn in the sunlight, can cause very nasty burns.

Oregano is a very aggressive essential oil and there are many conflicting opinions about how to use it. I recognize oregano as a warrior. It is called to action when there is a cold or flu threatening to invade. Use it on the soles of your feet. It will absorb. Taking it internally can be hard on the liver, especially if done over a significant period of time.

Frankincense is a wonderful essential oil, many people use for cancer treatment.

According to Robert Tisserand an expert on toxicology, the essential oil is less effective for cancer and less safe, than the herbal tincture. The tincture is much milder and suitable for internal. Instead, use frankincense, in essential oil form in the air for heightening spiritual connection.

Essential oils are extremely useful for healing but should be used intelligently.

We are passionate about essential oils, as they are sensual, healing and wildly enjoyable. We have sold essential oils, The Scents of Wonder line, for nearly 30 years. www.selfhealdistributing.com

We have also taught classes on aromatherapy for nearly this long.

Our courses at Northern Star College have evolved, as people’s needs have changed. We still teach Practical Potions, Aromatherapy in a fully online program.

It is for people who want to learn aromatherapy in a depth way. Some of our students go on to create products for personal and professional use. This an e-course and can all be taken online from wherever you are.

You can take a free cruise to try out the first piece, free.  http://northernstarcourses.com/practical-potions/

Most of all learn about the essential oils you love and use them sensibly and safely.

Want to learn about Earth Spirit Medicine follow the link

As Well As

Catherine Potter

I love the phrase “as well as”. When I notice I am getting locked into a rigid perspective regarding a person or how to unblock an area of my life I use the phrase as a way of opening up.

The idea of “as well as” is subtle in that it doesn’t make your current mindset wrong it simply suggests that there is always more than one way of looking at a situation.

For example, if someone has a different opinion than you and you find yourself getting into a “my way versus your way”headspace change your mindset to “your perspective as well as my perspective” can exist. It then opens up the possibility for a win/win solution.

Another example would be if you feel blocked and can’t see a positive outcome regarding a challenging situation. In that type of scenario,  we can get boxed in by a limited imagination.

As soon as you stop and ask what other outcomes might exist “as well as” the current one, you begin to open up and become more flexible.

Even if at that point your mind can’t figure out how to manifest a different outcome, simply by opening to the possibility that there is another way, you have already become more fluid and creative in your thinking. You have allowed your mind to play with the potential for a different manifestation.

For the next month play with the phrase ” as well as” and you will notice the lessening of rigidity and tension in your mind, body and manifestations.

For astrology buffs who like to keep track of the New Moon cycles and Mercury retrogrades follow this link to my March newsletter.

Want to learn more about Astrology click here

Want to learn more about Practical Mysticism click here

Tapping With Gemstones

Skye MacLachlan

The practice of tapping usually involves using the pads of your fingers to tap various energy meridian points on your body.  It utilizes the same principles as acupuncture and acupressure.

Recently I’ve been experimenting with using small (35mm or 1 ½ inches long) gemstone eggs to replace the pads of my fingers when tapping.  Here’s what I’ve noticed:

1. Using gemstones takes me into a deeply relaxing state as I’m doing the tapping.
2. The gemstone egg guides my hand quite naturally, indicating which area of my body is ‘calling’ to be tapped.
3. When the session is complete, the egg will sometimes tumble out of my hand or will quite naturally pull away from my body.
4. My results in dealing with both physical and emotional pain have been very effective and lasting. I did tapping with a nephrite jade egg on my ankle that had been bothering me for a few days.  After only one session the pain was gone and didn’t return.
5. I feel nurtured and uplifted at the end of a gemstone tapping session.

If you’d like to try gemstone tapping, here are a few guidelines:

1. What shape and size is best for you to tap with? As long as the end or point of a gemstone is softly rounded, you can pick the shape that feels best in your hand.  Experiment with using different shapes and sizes.  Eggs represent hope and new beginnings.  They tend to be very soothing to use and it’s quite natural to enter an altered transcendental state while using them.  For myself, I find the egg shape has a natural ability to guide one’s hand to tapping points on the body.  You can also use gemstone wands that have a rounded end, using the rounded end to tap.  Wands tend to be easier to find than eggs.  The energy of wands is more direct and works more strongly to keep you conscious and aware when tapping.  Sometimes a tumbled stone will feel just right in one’s hand, as a bonus, the price is usually very affordable and the selection is huge!
2. If you have a particular issue that you’d like to heal, honor the gemstone that you’re most attracted to. Your attraction is your spirit’s way of guiding you to the gemstone that will be most helpful for you at this time.
3. Cleanse the gemstone before using it for tapping and cleanse it immediately after your gemstone tapping session.
4. It’s fine (and often lovely) to have more than one healing gemstone tapping tool. Have a special home for these healing tools.  You might wrap them in silk and keep them in a special bag.  These are not gemstones that should be left out in your environment.  Remember that when gemstones are in the open, they’re quite naturally working to cleanse and balance the environment where they are.  This includes the people that surround them.  When a gem is wrapped in silk, it is shielded from environmental energies.  In this way it has fresh healing energy to offer you when you begin the tapping session.
5. You don’t need to research the areas of your body to tap, just trust where the gemstone guides you. Also pay attention to your body signals.  If you have an area of your body that is twitching or feels activated, that’s often the area that wants connection thru the tapping and gemstone.  Begin with tapping gently, over time you’ll naturally know the right pressure to apply.  Remember that a gentle tap with a gemstone is probably equal to a stronger tap with your finger-pads.
6. Experiment! The fun of a new technique always lies in the exploration.  Start with one gemstone tapping tools, focus on the issue you’d like to heal and start tapping!

Skye teaches in the Tarot and Crystalline gemstone programs.

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