Songlines...

Beyond the atom is energy, vibration, sound…..

The song of creation, embodied in music, the voice…

Traditionally Indigenous Australians ‘sang’ up the land to keep it healthy…..

They mapped their country with ‘songlines’…..

We sing lullabys to our children to ease and soothe their souls….

Traumatised or distressed people are often ‘silenced’….

‘Finding ones voice’, ‘Speaking out’, are metaphors…..

Sound can shift emotional blocks…..

We say to ‘play’ an instrument, which the body and voice, of course, be…..

In yogic traditions each chakra has a corresponding sound……

The ‘sound of creation’, it’s said in such traditions is ‘aum’……

Doe, ray, me, far, so, la, tea, doe…..

Root, Sacral, Solar Plexis, Heart, Throat, Third Eye, Crown….

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, purple….

From heart chakra on up, pop tongue on roof of mouth, nnnngg, feel for vibrations within head area…..

Keep em knees soft, tai chi way…..

Move that pelvis, bellydance way….

Sing from these places and spaces…

Feel your story coming through….

Make dat song your own…..

Play with da shapes of your mouth as you make sounds, a, e, i, o, u….

Hit them high notes from your fanny….

Over the last two weeks, working continues in a massive reframe from psych patient, to medicine woman, wounded yet open. I have been both ‘seen’ and ‘heard’, blessed. My wounded little girl has been comforted and held in ways that could only happen through love and safety. My empowered woman has been affirmed, I awaken as does the Goddess, Gaia energy. There is a window opening in the static of sabotaging paranoia and abusive inner voices, seeds planted by perpetrators, surprisingly are becoming blooms of a different hue! The lineage of abuse and grief is being transformed into a new evolving story, composting the old and keeping barefoot. I can now hear my own voice, amidst the others. With time and continuing practices, I see my own voice increasing and the others quietening down, moving on into Source. Nightmares easing. My path of healing service becoming as is…

Perpetrator….

You are not welcome in my space,

You are not welcome in my body,

You are not welcome near my soul,

You are not welcome in my mind,

Perpetrator, you can not hurt me anymore.

We are the children of the Goddess, you can no longer hurt us,

She is awakening, we are awakening,

Perpetrator, you may no longer hurt the land.

Integration of this time is still in its early days, I remember and acknowledge this. I also let go of any feelings that suffering is a measure, it’s good to release, shed tears but I need not take it all on at once. One’s healing journey is not for to be compared to any others, will not occur in one, or even several sessions, but a craft to be honed with times passage, organically. Nourishment is key. Selfcare, and accepting with grateful heart the loving presences in our lives. Those who support me to be my best, and for whom I do the same. Those who give me the space I need when I have to retreat, without taking offense, and for whom I can do the same.

I have flashed back into old trauma fresh as, remembered. I acknowledge this, and go gently with these spaces. Allow myself to hold my little girl, as medicine woman in the now. Let my fella, Miles hold me. My familiarcat, Mush be with me. I see now that I can hold space for women in distress, but that to do so I must maintain my practices, centre and ground. Otherwise, I go down. Go slow. There is no rush, and if anyone says otherwise, question it. Certainly, moments of distress or intensity are opportunities to shift, to be aligned with, but pressure is not support. I know I work hard to build, to face my issues, there is nothing to prove, Great Spirit sees me, even if she sends me challenges that once drove me mad. I no longer dwell there as a resident, visitor mayhaps 😉

Dark moon, Sacred Basil flower, and heylo there, Obsidian gem, essence ponderings...

It's Dark Moon, the time in her cycle when our shadow places and issues can indeed surface. Have they ever! I'm pondering, as you do at such times, where things are at personally. I was kinda triggered into little choice but to! How and where to refocus my energies in alignment with hers, and what supports this. 

Do you hear the whispers of the green folk? Those who both oxygenate our world, and fill it with such abundance. I find, when I'm calm n heart centred, with a sense of belly humour about, that's the best timing for such soul listening. If I can carry this energy into making remedies, like the flower essences, which I seem increasingly to be crafting, it effects the process in a magic way. Usually then as I come close to a plant, it's messages are audible, but at times nigh on shouting is required, even with one who considers herself relatively open...

 Most recently personified, (scuse my anthropomorphism, how rude!) by our 'Sacred' or 'Tulsi' Basil plant, her flowers seen gloriously pictured above. Ocimum  sanctum, what a beauty name! Her flowers, as part of the mint family, rise  up on spikes. She sent up a couple of them at first, some months back, and quietly suggested I brew a flower essence from them. 'To bring the sacred in' she informed me. Then when I didn't, she sent up a few more, and finally, in an ongoing display of gratuitous generosity, she virtually screamed 'DO IT!!'. So bit slow off the mark ol me, did it, and infact I've been taking it morning and night, for some weeks now. Easing the depression I can tend towards when I forget to turn towards my dear flower essences, in her own ways of reconnection to the divine. We say plants don't move! Ha! It was obviously the right move, cos she's kept happily, right on flowering away!

Last dark moon a gemstone dialogued similarly with me, to a plant, somewhat although not altogether to my surprise! 2 shards of Black Osidian, who had been sitting upon one of my altars for some months. For this very purpose. A volcanic rock, looking almost like black glass, this is a stone potently connected with shadow work, so it kinda made sense to pop some on my outdoor altar in the garden under the bright stars of the dark moon. In Scorpio, for a double whammy!

I had never made a gem essence before, but I presumed t'would be a similar process. Appears so, this baby feels potent. The Obsidian also happens to be the foundational bed rock of the culdera around Wollumbin/ Mt Warning we dwell in, so I imagine will be fab for supporting connecting to locale. Mayhaps, its part of the reason some folk dance through this area so transitionally, and still others are drawn to come work on their shit?

When I first read Edward Bach's wee book 'The Twelve Healers and Other Remedies', (originally published in 1933) I found it rather harsh and judgemental in the signifying emotional qualities it ascribed to each flower. Then I had it reframed. Discovering that each of these, he acknowledged he had himself experienced (sometimes along with physical symptoms). Both before, and whilst, seeking the appropriate plants to create the flower essence remedy. I realised, these remedies were supportive of a 'process' based approach, not finite declarations laid down like law, but very much developed through a lived experience of challenging times. Quite exquisite really. Life's work from a one time doctor who wanted to create a 'medicine chest' for every home. That could be accesible, and affordable. Made and used, to support well being.

Although Bach is probably the name most familiar for being 'called' to this way of vibrational, or energetic medicines. Indigenous peoples such as the Nyoongah, or Bibbulmun peoples, of South Western Australia have an ancient lineage of flower essence medicine, going back through time, at least ten thousand years....

Folks connecting to plants, flowers, and gems, in different landscapes at differing times. Listening for their messages, and working towards increasing their sensitivity to them. Gotta be a good thang! Bach himself predicted that as times changed, remedies would reveal themselves to suit. On the Australian land, the bush here, offers up wonderful wildflowers with properties, just as England did for him. Look to which plants are close by, or catch your attentions, when you are in a particular process....

 
I feel these coworkers are here to assist us in the growth pains that come as we make shifts, and heal ourselves, and the land. Sometimes shit gets harder before it moves, but if we can hang in there and allow the inner portals to open, in safe space, it's a pretty cool journey. Bonus is they can be used pretty safely in combination with other modalities.

This is only my experience, so use your inner wisdom when making health choices, and be aware of knowing plants, or rocks, that may bear poisons. Identify em. Enjoy!

Some resources you can choose to checkout your intuitions with n such:

Edward Bach 'The Twelve Healers and Other Remedies' note: try and locate a pre 1970 version, as this will include instructions for making flower essences (mayhaps I'll do a post on my version o this?) A link to youtube videos by Dr Bach Healing Herbs, with discussion of 'Twelve Healers' https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLBC827CEF3DD326EE

Vasudeva and Kadambi Barnao 'Australian Flower Essences for the 21st Century'. note: Some of the info from this book is included in this report https://www.yorgum.org.au/assets/Uploads/Annual-Report-2016-2017.pdf for the Yorgum Aboriginal Corporation.

If you feel to get a bit more woo woo, as my partner describes it, try 'Gurudas' channelled through Kevin Ryerson 'Flower Essences and Vibrational Healing' 1983 note: it has some adaptable cool ideas on amplifying essences using copper pyramids in combo with quartz crystals.  

Candy Hillenbrand 'An Online Short Course in Bach Flower Remedies' note: some parts under construction https://www.aplaceinspace.net/bachflower/course/lesson1

Patricia Kaminski and Richard Katz 'Flower Essence Repertory' published by the Flower Essence Society, Nevada, California

Marion Leigh 'Findhorn Flower Essences: Straight to the Heart of the Matter' 1997
 
Ian White 'Australian Bush Flower Essences' series of books

I'd love to introduce 'Cloud Tales', a journey in bookform....

I have a friend dear, soul sister with whom I have walked, through both shadow and light beside, for many years. Ilka Blue Nelson, from Latorica studios. I would like, kindly for your heart, and the lands, to share with you that she has recently, self published a limited edition book, 'Cloud Tales'...

Ilka, wordsmith and creative ecologist, chose in her Masters thesis to focus on environmental storytelling. She then chose to study water diplomacy through the United Nations institute for Training and Research. However, don't let such formal qualifications vibe you that she is some dry distant academic, she lives poetry, and deeply connected life immersion, as indeed Cloud does. This story is an encouragement of such ways, what is called for in the shift we are called to make in these times. The book has been likened to 'The Little Prince', for the wee one within and without. 10% of all sales go to The Rainforest Action Group eh.

There are 12 hand painted illustrations, in this cozy in the hands sized, square format, hardcover book. Now I know, Ilka drew herself away, entered a focused sacred space to do these pictures, some of which have origins rooted back many years in sketch's, ideas and responses to feeling the environmental crisis of species extinction and water pollution. You won't find doom and gloom here though, this spell is cast in hope by both Cloud and Ilka. Now I shan't say any more, to find out more or purchase a copy pop over to www.latorica.net. You never know what you may find....

Ecodye explorations and stitching experiments....

So, heylo folks! Have been pretty quiet of late on blogging front, for all my massive following, hee hee. There are several reasons. My beloved is now a Cancer survivor and that whole journey has required much of us. Blessings on his healing recovery....

Creatively, I have been immersed in my botanical dyeing, and making along these lines. So much to share! Mostly, with the dyeing, or 'bundling' I have learned, I have been experimenting with the scribbly gums that grow locally. They give a blue /black/ purple coloration depending on fabric thickness, and mordants. I work mostly with op shop finds, cottons and linens generally. Now the word is spreading, and requests, and clothes are coming.

 These trousers were for a friend, JC, who once I offered to dye her something, appeared with two pair!

The above was a fine cotton mini skirt, (not very me) with two layers of fabric, which I cut the waistband off, and then hand stitched the two pieces together to form a longer skirt (more me). Added a new elastic, a la abundant belly, waistband and now I'm happy :). My wardrobe is an evolving thang it seems, not many synthetics left anymore.

I also needs be share this wee singlet for Miles granddaughter, Grace, just cos its so leetle! Noting as I look at that pic, I'm developing rather interesting fingernails with all this ecodye!

I made a shirt n dress for my dear Mum, and frock for my Aunt Marian (first pic) which included a florists bunch of what is increasingly hard to get heart shaped leaf Eucalyptus which isn't the one where the leaf is directly connected to the main stem. Some 'reality' tv show featured them as a wedding bouquet, and they're nigh impossible to source now, combine that and the drought! Who'd a thought rare gum leaves!

The above frock, I think because of the strong browns of the mordant appears as if some ancient ceremonial or ritual robe from times gone by. I did enjoy the look of the separate leaves round the neckline!

Oh and I mustn't forget my making chair, (scuse the very unstyled power cordage spaghetti!) which I've begun reupholstering in a very ad lib fashion, with bits n bobs from my learning curve with all these marvelous processes! Gawd I have been rather immersed!

Its been a wonderful journey of discovery! Guided by my enrolling in India Flints 'Conscious Clothing' course some months back now. She is an inspiration! Very down to earth, and encouraging of going slowly. Love a bit o humble pie in amazingly talented folks. Are we not all gifted in eachs own ways?

Well, thats probably enough said and shared for now! Ha! Have a wonderful day!

Blessings and good vibes, ChloeOpal

Those Scribbly Gum leaves find their way to the Dye pot....

If you mayhaps read my previous post, you will have seen wordology referring to the call of gathering Scribbly Gum leaves, for L plate experiments with 'eco dyeing' cotton fabrics? Well, those leaves soaked for nigh on two weeks, and were joined by a variety of others, as the local electricity company were rather kindly trimming around their precious wires! I was terribly chaotic, no species labeling, just memory of tree n leaf shapes and locations. Then this morning I felt the time had come, aka I was busting at the seams, to try and see how things unfolded. So I lay out the variety of leaves with a sigh...

This time I had added a 'premordant' to the preparation of the fabric. Bits n bobs of rusty joy brewed away in a jar of white vinegar, which I then diluted with ordinary ol tap water, and dipped said cotton in. Allowing it to dry, n cure a whiles. I had rather pale tea like, still lovely, nothing wrong with a cup o tea, type results last time around. I was hoping the mordanting, not sure if that word exists, could deepen my colours, and mayhaps result in a leaf imprint here or there.

So I laid my mix o leaves out like an abstract painting, n bundled, to maketh ready for the cauldron, with my Spirit kin Moraig dancing a wee jig o glee beside me. So excitingk, and a wee bit ad hoc. The soundtrack was 'The Isle of Roan Inish' mixed with several disco tunes. I feel this helped proceedings.

I wasn't looking at my pot with a lid whilst folding n rolling, hence I found they were too long! Bum! However, fear not my friends, the local tip shop had regaled me with a larger one, lidless but sized perfectly! I reread my references, and decided to cover the wee wool bound rolls o magik with water n boil em, rather than steaming. See how that goes...

I added some Lichen, carefully collected and Australia posted to me by my Mum, and some Cronewort from the garden, for her sheer presence n blessings, to the water. Turned up the unwooded hearthfire and off we go journeyers! What will happen in those potently intentioned waters that smell like walking in a forest???

Oh the joy!! They worked!! Leaf prints n all. My beloved who had been wondering quietly at the buckets of soaking leaves, oohed and aaahhed appreciatively. The shots are taken when freshly unbundled, so the colours lightened some as the fabrics dried but big learning curve from my first attempt. Stoked! The skirt I dyed,which doubles as a dress has barely left my body :)....

References:

'Eco Colour: botanical dyes for beautiful textiles' by India Flint, Murdoch Books, 2008.

'Gum Leaf Alchemy: Eco printing on Cotton' by Louise Upshall, Gumnut Magic.

Scribbly gums, scar tissue and beauty therein...

A few days ago, my beloved and I set out on foot, basket and secateurs in hand, to gather Eucalyptus leaves for my fledgling experiments with 'eco dyeing'. These words coming from the title of a book on plant dyeing I recently borrowed from the local library, by the inspiring India Flint. Specificly on colouring fabric using plants and minimal toxic mordants (fixatives). Eucalyptus species, especially those with leaves o a blueish tint, she discovered work pretty good without 'mordants' on protein fibres, like wool and silk. Of course, I chose to work with cotton! That'd be right. Ha! The tale of preparing cellulose fibre is mayhaps for another time, but began with me swimming in the ocean with 3 metres of unbleached cotton and numerous doilies from the op shop 3 weeks earlier...

Back to ambling with a basket in hand towards local bushlands. We were heading along a path into a deeper part of the Scribbly Gum forest, (so called because of the 'writing' created by small grubs under and upon the bark). I began to notice that those blueish tint leaves, were all way up high in the canopy, beyond reach. However, I recalled a patch nearby, who's form was a more scrambling nature. So we reversed, and made our wending way towards the area. We entered what is a relatively close to suburban realms place. Here the trees have had their cores burnt by bush fire several times, yet regrown around these wounds, and continued to live. In one of the holes created in a trunk by this scarring, we were greeted by a special sight....

A cluster of orchids! Beings who had found their niche, literally amid scar tissue. In a world where for us people, life requires navigating challenges, these Cryptostylis erecta, otherwise less formally known as 'Bonnet Orchids' or 'Tartan Toungue Orchids' had discovered their groove. Sprouting where ants had carried a kind of fine saw dusty soil and moisture collected, upon the dead tissue. It felt like an affirmation, a gift. Keep going you two, you never know what you'll find, or where the trail will lead!

Merrily, I collected my fresh gum leaves, some with nuts, and dried windfall from the ground. I took them home and proceeded to boil n steam up my first pieces of bundled cotton fabric, wrapped upon copper pipe. The results were fairly pale greens and browns, darker where copper touched, but I love them, because they are a start! It's a learning curve. I have some idea's of how to deepen the colours, mayhaps even get some clear leaf prints furthur along. I have rusty iron bits n bobs brewing in white vinegar in a glass jar as I type. An ' iron mordant' said to help with these processes. I am definitely on my L plates, but what delightful diversions along the journey! Seems we stumbled upon both surprise orchids, and for me, another way of engaging with the magic of plants!      

Logo's, eclipses and self care....

I'm in the process of designing a new logo slash labels for my herbal makings, and it's been a time of reassessing. Who am I kidding, I'm always reassessing, I have little choice! Ha! However, attempting to simplify essences of your tangent, with enough detail to include what's important, whilst being able to fit on a 30mL dropper bottle, can be tricky. Although, the recent series of eclipses seem to be aiding in the honing down!

I wanted to write about nourishment, gentleness and self care in such times. These may seem like obvious traits for any apprentice to the green folk. Yup, that's the textbook version. It's an indicator, when you haven't showered for days, or attended to self care. I've experienced this in times of peak mental health challenge, if you, or someone you love, have too, know you're not alone.....

That being said, by goddess when you can pull it out of the bag to do what's kind, it's both a good feeling, and waving flag! If I am making a herbal infusion before bedtime in prep to drink the next day, or a cuppa specific to whats going on, making medicines with the moon, remembering to reach out to my spirit kin, smudging our home, getting dirt between my toes in the garden...well, the stars (at times despite them) and my self care, are aligning. We all have these signs, different and diverse. Yay!

Fish in rivers rarely swim against the currents to the point of exhaustion. Ok spawning Salmon are an impressive exception, lucky for our Bear cousins. Most finned ones however, rest in the eddies and pools, periodically retreating as they navigate their waterways. For those of us who live, play and work with underlying distress, allowing for this with gentility is a gifting.

Internalised stigma can have one flagellating about the fact I'm utilising pretty full on pharmacetical support. In my dream world, I would be wholey managing my life with love, herbs, music, spirit connections, fresh air and good food. Skip de skip, tra la la! Clean and pure, aarggh watch out for that type of language! Just ain't my reality, yet. I'm emphasising the YET folks, not the pure bit, not interested, mayhaps the clean, and all for the skipping ;).

Growth, and indeed healing, take time. She says who goes out each morning to check if those seeds she planted are flowering yet! Anyone who says otherwise is selling something, which is ok, as long as there's honesty there. It takes about 15-20 minutes for a benzodiazepine medication to kick in during a panic attack, I find Motherwort tincture, tea and support, about the same, BUT getting off benzo's can take years. Therein lies the catch. Rebuilding wholth and integration, especially after experiencing trauma, can be slow. This is basically the best of what pharmaceuticals are allowing the space to do.

I don't get the stuff about the science of altered receptors in the brain, and the truth is the drug companies don't either really! However, I do gel with the fact that these are mind altering substances, which suppress and change us. Everything we imbibe through our senses, and body, does!

Whilst at times for various reasons I have been forced to take these meds, they have at times been useful tools to help my situation. In the same breath, I try to work with reclaiming and exploring other ways to nourish, I believe these tangents can co exist, and be in process. That's what I live, and want to share with my story....

So I will continue to sketch my designs, journey, experiment with cheap, accessible ways to make food n medicine, and I'm enrolling at Tafe to take a course in anatomy and physiology. To get there I catch the bus for 40 minutes, with my trusty spirit kin Moraig at my side. They may not sound like big career moves, ain't, but they are some of my wee steps of reclamation. What are yours?