Complementary Medicine for Everyday

The biological diversity of Earth is our teacher. Within Nature are revelations for solving problems and accomplishing tasks. We are one with Nature, and if we understand that relationship, wonderful things unfold for us.

I love how our world supports us. Every thing has a purpose, a role in supporting this fabulous,
sometimes confusing human existence we are in. Often when life is at its topsy-turvy best and we

Spider Web: creativity, we have all we need, not getting caught in our own web, weaving the life we desire

are standing around scratching our heads, wondering “what next!!!?”, nature is right there beside us offering up little hints – messages via symbolism that can decode life and help us make sense of the mysteries. While some find it confusing in the beginning, learning the language of symbolism in nature actually connects you with Spirit and grounds you in the physical world we live in. As you learn this exciting language you will see it is nothing more than simply noticing the world around you and considering what you have noticed in a different way.

Merriam-Webster has many definitions of the word “sign”; one is: “something material or external that stands for or signifies something spiritual”. Signify means to “convey or express”.

Does every aspect of Nature have meaning – yes! However, not all are direct messages to us about something specific to our life – many are subtle reminders to support our effort to stay balanced. “Listen to the small sounds”, “notice there is abundance everywhere”, “see things in a new way”.

“Messages” or signs in nature can be anything – plants, animals, insects, seasons, climates or landscapes. At times when nature shows up for me, I’ll share my thoughts so you get a feel for it – you can then form your own interpretations, as we are all individual and so are our messages! [Read on for some basic tips]

Living and Loving in the Natural World!  ~Cin

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Spring – the Vernal Equinox – 2014 February 27

The word equinox is derived from the Latin words meaning “equal night.” Days and nights are approximately equal everywhere and the Sun rises and sets due east and west. (The Old Farmer’s Almanac)

Cessation of winter, graciously giving way to the wiles of spring.  Rebirth of flora and fauna.  New beginnings.  Rhythm of Emergence.  Fresh and new.  Mother Nature’s party look.  Sow, Germinate, Sprout, Grow, Blossom!   Awakening.  Rain, refresh, rinse, new vision.  New Gift. Kingdom Animalia: Migratory return. Emergence from hibernation. Ritual of nesting, mating and birth – begins another cycle of life.  Creation. Bold Expression.

Springtime, March, April and May, are the perfect periods to partner with the rhythm of the seasons and initiate new endeavors, manifesting our tomorrows through the evolution of dreams to ideas to action.  [Full Post…]

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Elements in Nature:  Autumn and Walnut Tree – 14 November 2013

The elements of nature and its cycles and phases move and flow just like the rhythms of our life, and when we consciously work with the energies and cycles of nature it supports us in making the difficult transitions seem more effortless.

Autumn Colors of Ozark Mountains

We are currently experiencing the Autumn, or Fall of the year. Here in the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas, we are blessed with the beginnings of a spectacular display of colors for the turning of the leaves because we have had a combination of intermittent rain throughout the summer months and varying sunny fall days with cold nights in early Autumn. Symbolically, Autumn and its aspects show us how it’s done!  They portray how we transition from one cycle of life to the next. [Full Post..]

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Garden: Time for Nurturing – 13 January 2013
Keynote: Creating and nurturing life; developing growth and opening to the mysteries of Nature

 Gardens are Nature on a tiny scale. In a garden Nature is managed. It is Nature captured. It is also a symbol of the feminine energies, the ability to create and nurture life. The kind of garden you maintain (vegetable, herbal, etc.) and the kind of animal life that visits it can be very insightful. It can often reflect how well you are consciously using your innate creative energies and abilities.
As your garden grows and produces you will see movement & growth in corresponding areas of your life. Garden will strengthen your connection with Nature and animals. [Full article…]

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Elements in Nature:  Earthworm – 14 May 2012

Earthworms are sightless. Their activities are mainly focused around finding dead plant material to

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eat, and in so doing they consume soil which they deposit around their burrows in the form of castings. They are able to just push through loose soil, however, the hard soil they actually ingest. In this way Earthworm is an example for us of how we can benefit from taking things in, “working old ground”, giving thought to all that we have been experiencing, to examine and digest what has occurred in our life. [Full article…]

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Elements in Nature: Ant – 3 April 2012
Community, Architecture, Persistence, New Views, Processing Emotions

For every person there are one million ants! In fact if you weighed all the people in the world then weighed all the ants they would weigh about the same. There are over 10000 species – all live in colonies. Ants are all about community and they are very successful. There are a few solitary ants, but most ants are social and oriented to sharing tasks and raising young.

Besides being the greatest insect killers on earth, it is estimated that about one-half of all woodland flowers are planted by ants. This happens when they carry seeds back to the nest where they eat the outer covering and discard the seed into a waste chamber where it germinates.

Skilled architects – they teach us how to build the framework of our life, how to construct our dreams into reality. Large ant hills can be up to several feet high and inside, up to half a million ants can reside. Large mounds represent many years of construction and are as deep inside as they are tall. Each grain of soil is carried to the surface by a worker ant. (Symbolic of the greatest success that occurs with persistence.) Their hills and nests are designed to capture the sun’s rays and be several degrees warmer than the ground around it. The tunnels inside are angled for good drainage with chambers on the sides which are nearly vertical to keep any water out. Tunnels are sealed each night to keep the heat in and any water out and reopened the following morning, circulating the mound air. (Water is symbolic of emotions – we need to remember to air our feelings, experience them, release them, and allow our new climate to come in on that next new breath of acceptance.) [Full article…]

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American Badger (Taxidea taxus) – 11 January 2011
Range: Continental US and Canada

Badger can help us learn self-reliance and self-expression. Just as they make many burrows and tunnels, and use different ones for different things, we may have to make new plans if communications cause obstacles in the old ones.

American Badger
NPS Photo by Sally King

Nocturnal primarily, but often active by day, waddling about and occasionally moving at a clumsy trot. Home territory varies from 590 to 4,200 acres. Although primarily terrestrial, it swims and even dives, and on hot days sprawls in shallow water to cool off. It buries its droppings and cleans itself frequently. Although badger does not hibernate, it may be come torpid in coldest part of winter, remaining in a nest chamber deep within its burrow for several days or weeks. While we measure ourselves often by our productivity or active periods, we must remember that we must also go within, allowing time to build for future activity and assimilate what we have learned. The badger’s inactive periods remind us there is a time for spiritual pursuits as well as mundane pursuits and now is a time to dig into these activities. It reflects a time of successful self-reliance and practical pursuits. If we work hard on pursuits they will succeed and lay a foundation for future projects. Times of solace are not wasted times. [Full article…]

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