Chinese Angelica

Angelica sinensis syn. A. polymorpha
The herbal product made from the Chinese angelica, also commonly called the dong quai, the dang gui, or the tang kuei is derived from the root of the Chinese herb – the Angelica polymorpha Maxim – botanical name. The variety of the species is sinensis Oliv. The herb is also known as A. sinensis (Oliv.), and it is a member of the plant family Apiaceae common in and native to China. The herbal remedies and herbal medication prepared from this herb has a mildly laxative effect on people, while, it is used primarily as a uterine tonic in women, it is also used as an antispasmodic herbal agent, and it is also used for its alterative-or blood purifying-effects, which are said to be very beneficial to affected patients.

Apsu

God of underground primeval waters. Mesopotamian (Babylonian-Akkadian). Derived from the Sumerian ABZU. In the Babylonian creation epic Enuma Elisˇ, Apsu is killed, while sleeping, by ENKI, who establishes his own abode above the deeps. Apsu’s death triggered the cosmic challenge between the forces of MARDUK and TIAMAT.

 

Out Of Body Experience

We are limited on the physical world, we are somewhat trapped inside our bodies. There is still a part of us that can go beyond these limits and thus travel outside the body.
There are three types of traveling out of the body. An out of body experience or astral travel is when the “spirit” exits the body, still connected to the body, and then returns to the body after a short while. The spirit is still connected to the body by what some say is a “silver cord” attached to the body and to the spirit. This would explain why the body doesn’t die when the spirit travels outside.

Lodestones:

It is naturally magnetic, one of its prime magickal uses is for attraction. Attraction of just about anything. One lodestone on the altar can be used for attraction of positive things, while a second one can be used to repel negative items. It is a power stone, and can be used to strengthen any spell. Also can be used to draw illness from the body. Very protective stone, due to its magnetic nature.

Dream Catcher Instructions

To Native Americans, dreams were messages sent by sacred spirits. According to legend, the hole in the centre of a dream catcher web allows good dreams to reach the sleeper, while the web itself traps the bad dreams until they disappear with the first light of morning.
The following steps will help you to create a personalised dream catcher.

Dangers to Meditation

By Bhikkhu Khantipalo

 
While the number of ways a meditator may go astray is legion, the few mentioned below deserve a special mention due to their common occurrence. First, a danger that cannot be stressed enough is the lack of right motivation for the practice of meditation. When the Eightfold Path is described, in its “wisdom” section, standing next to the (at first) intellectual right understanding, comes right motivation, thus emphasizing that the emotional roots underlying practice of the Way must be skillful ones: those connected with renunciation (non-greed), goodwill (non-hatred) and non-violence are mentioned. If one approaches Buddhist meditation with neither right understanding regarding dukkha and its cessation, nor with right motives, then one’s meditation is liable to seriously astray.

Grounding and Shielding

by Anja Heij

 
With grounding or centering we mean being firmly present in your body and cleaning it from lower frequencies, so that the ‘holy spirit can descend into matter’ or, put in a different way, you can easily make contact with your intuition and unconsciousness knowledge. Shielding means using some energetic shield or defense to keep unwanted spirits and negativity out or your energy field. Especially before starting spiritual practice it is important to use shielding, because then you are opening up yourself for contact with other realms. If you are sensitive to absorbing problems, emotions, thoughts or even physical pain of others, it is advisable to ground yourself every morning and evening for a short while. And if you sense that others are tapping into your energy or spread a heavy, negative energy, immediately put an energetic shield around you.