Ian's April 2021 Newsletter

I’m writing this update just a few days after the equinox, a time of year I greatly enjoy as the heat of the summer subsides, but the cool of winter hasn’t yet started. The equinox, which comes from the Latin words aequi, meaning “equal," and nox, which means "night" occurs in both the northern and southern hemispheres where the day and night are of equal length. The equinoxes have also been seen as highlighting the struggle between darkness and light, death and life.

For me I always feel this to be a time of balance and equilibrium and a wonderful time for reflection. Consequently, it can be an opportune time to be working with Essences from our three spiritual ranges, White Light Essences, Light Frequency Essences and the Divine Presence Essences. Apart from a general choosing of Essences within these ranges, in the northern hemisphere, the vernal equinox represents the beginning of spring and the Water Essence is energetically linked to spring. At the beginning of each new season, I recommend taking the relevant White Light Essence for two weeks to introduce and align you to the new season.

Synonymous with this time of the year is both the Christian celebration of Easter, the resurrection of Christ on Easter Sunday after his death on Good Friday and the Jewish Passover. Easter is always the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring. Passover, also called Pesach, is a major Jewish holiday that occurs in the spring, on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan. It is an eight days-long celebration of the ancient Israelites' liberation from Egyptian bondage and their subsequent exodus. Of course, in pre-Christian times this was a very powerful Pagan time of celebration heralding the beginning of spring and new life.

Both Bottlebrush and Bauhinia could also be considered as Essences for the beginning of the spring and new growth. Bauhinia to be open to change and Bottlebrush to help you when you are in the middle of the change.

In the southern hemisphere we have entered the autumnal equinox, which marks the first day of autumn. The White Light Earth Essence will help you align to this season. The autumn equinox, spiritually speaking represents the harvest time of year, a time also to acknowledge the growth and expansion in our life and the world around us. Our own lives go through these cycles of growth, harvest, death, and rebirth just as we see in nature. Philotheca is the specific remedy to help you acknowledge yourself. Pink Flannel Flower, still in flower now after many months and which I have recently remade the mother tincture of, (the video of Pink Flannel Flower was in the February newsletter) is the Essence for gratitude and seeing the abundance in all aspects of our life. So, this essence would also be very appropriate to be taking at this time.

In autumn, the growing cycle gives us ripeness and maturity. The harvest is associated with abundance, prosperity and wealth. Abund Essence anyone? Spring represents new birth and childhood; summer symbolises youth while autumn represents adulthood and maturity. Kangaroo Paw could also be thought of in autumn as it helps you to be more mature in your behaviour and relationships.

Of course, we are now entering our second year of Covid 19 and the subsequent massive changes in our world. Springtime has also traditionally been a time of energy and vitality and coming out of winter hibernation. It’s marked by a desire for and an escalation in general social interaction and traditionally a time, “when a young man's (and a woman’s too, no doubt) fancy turns to love.“ Unfortunately, with many countries in the northern hemisphere entering either their third or fourth wave of infections and subsequent lockdown, there hasn’t been the opportunity to catch up with family and friends – or make new ones! There has been great debate and argument around whether the perceived benefits of lockdown to restrict the spread of the pandemic have been beneficial overall when taking into account the economic and mental wellbeing of people involved. A topic I taught in great detail in my Graceful Ageing webinar last month, if you are socially isolated you will die earlier than if you have a good social interaction and network of friends and family. You will die of the same things, but you will die earlier.

As a result of the isolation, there is a tremendous level of loneliness and sadness. Coupled with this is the tremendous increase in anxiety, especially in teenagers and young adults. There is a greatly increased fear and pessimism about the future along with the total uncertainty as to how long these restrictions and the virus itself will last for. So many people have been economically ruined with their businesses unable to continue, millions of jobs have been lost and students have had to put their academic training on hold. Suicidal ideation has dramatically increased, again especially among young people, though fortunately, the actual rates haven’t increased too much. However, the impact can be seen in the general lethargy and weariness that people are experiencing. The specific stresses associated with the pandemic have left so many people not being able to deal with the day-to-day stresses of life. Our Boost Essence was released last year to help individuals deal with the emotional consequences of the pandemic and help make them more resilient.

The earliest Easter Bunny legend was documented in the 1500s. The symbology of the Easter rabbit was due to the animal's high reproduction rate, as spring symbolised new life and rebirth; eggs were an ancient symbol of fertility. Easter eggs represent Jesus's resurrection. The egg itself became a symbol of the Resurrection. Just as Jesus rose from the tomb, the egg symbolised new life emerging from the eggshell. In fact, the rabbit was the symbol of Eostra - the pagan Germanic goddess of spring and fertility. Easter became superimposed on Pagan traditions that celebrated rebirth and fertility.

Interestingly even with lockdown, there has been a decrease in the birth rate in most countries – quite the opposite to that found during times of blackouts! This decrease has been attributed to the uncertainty and pessimism about the future, with couples seeing and feeling that it is not the best time to bring a child into the world. Maybe concerned governments should consider adding She Oak to the local water supplies!!

Overall, these last fourteen months have been a very testing time for intimate relationships with divorce and separation rates at all-time highs. With people not able to leave their home or go to work it certainly has revealed the cracks in some relationships. Sadly there has also been a marked increase in domestic violence. Both Mountain Devil, for rage and hatred, along with Dog Rose of the Wild Forces, for loss of control address this.

Bush Gardenia, for both renewing passion and interest in a partner along with Red Suva Frangipani, for when a relationship is going through a very raw and rocky time have been widely prescribed in this time. Both are found in our Relationship Essence. Our sales of Sensuality Space Mist have also skyrocketed!

We have recently released the Mumma Mojo essence as part of our new Parenting & Childcare range and along with Carers are two Essences that specifically can be considered in helping people’s relationships and all their challenges, especially these new ones they are facing during this time.

The pattern I’ve always noticed is that when there is a need in society there is always a Bush Essence available, or one that comes down, to meet that need. This is a very powerful time, there are so many positive benefits occurring, especially on a spiritual level. Fortunately, we have the Essences to help us deal with all the change and uncertainty we have been undergoing. To use a very often quoted saying “This too shall pass”! May you enjoy the equinox and prosper in the new season.