Fishhook Cactus ~ Communication

Fishhook Cactus gets their name from the shape of their spines. Fish Hooked shaped spines of this Cactus help divert heat and shade the growing tip of the plant. The plant body is nearly concealed by these dense, white, radial spines.

The Fishhook Cactus is very good at hooking into your skin when you try to pull them off your pant leg. They do not let go easily!

These are small cacti usually growing up to six or seven inches, and are shaped similar to a barrel cactus. Fishhook Cactus is found in the Sonoran Desert from southeastern California to western Texas to northern Mexico.They are also commonly known as Pincushion Cactus because they grow close to the ground in clumps that resemble pincushions.

This plant uses nurse plants to protect against frost, harsh sun, or trampling and so you must look carefully under shrubs and trees to find them.The flower buds are produced during the preceding summer's growing season and usually remain dormant through the winter and spring.

The buds burst to bloom five days after the first rain of the summer and last about a week. Plants produce a second and third batch of flowers after subsequent rains. Its large, yellow or violet flowers are bell or funnel shaped.

The Fishhook Cactus reproduces from seed. After flowering, small, sticky yellow berries appear on the plant. The berries contain seeds that drop to the ground and naturally root in the immediate area ~ or birds and rodents eliminate the seeds through their digestive tract to grow over a wider area.

Native Americans would burn the spines off and boil the Cactus. The resulting liquid was used in the ears for easing earaches.

Fishhook Cactus Flower Essence ~ Communication

Are you afraid to express yourself?

One characteristic of this particular cactus family is that they hide. You find them blooming under bushes, other plants or rocks. The blooms on the Fishhook Cactus are a stunning, beautiful expression of the Fishhook Cactus. Yet, they can be easily overlooked because they are hiding.

Flowers communicate on many levels. They are a standard gift for any event and can express anything from “I love you”, to “Best Wishes”. The language of flowers is practically unlimited.

Someone in the therapeutic community told me once that reluctance to communicate was due chiefly to fears of disapproval. This is probably true, it takes very little observation of everyday life to conclude that most people dearly love approval, whether compliments, rewards, bonuses at work, medals or however else the general community chooses to communicate its favor.

Fear of disapproval discourages, postpones and blocks initiative; whether this consists of failure to speak up or engaging with others. The negative threat of others' disapproval or potential negative evaluation exists in a kind of nether world ~ one is not sure it exists, but imagines the worst.

Fishhook Cactus Flower Essence can help us release the fear of communication. It supports us in accepting that it is only by taking the risk in communication that we can transform and grow in relationships. When we get in touch with the courage to communicate, we usually find that the reaction we receive is not what we expected. There is definitely something to be gained and not lost through communication!

This Essence supports us with confidence in public-speaking, intimate relationships, or speaking a foreign language.

Fishhook Cactus Flower Essence is available at A Path To Wholeness

Animal Wisdom ~ Owl

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

There are approximately 135 species of Owls, 17 of which are found in North America. They come in all sizes, from tiny miniature Owls that live inside the cactus in the desert, to the Great Horned Owl - the only bird able to out-fly the Golden Eagle.

While different species of Owl each have their own unique symbolism, there are also universal characteristics common to all.

One of the principle characteristics that all Owls are recognized for is their large and alert eyes. Their stare is direct and penetrating. Its night vision is so powerful that it can see prey 2500 feet away. The Spirit of Owl assists us in penetrating beyond masks, untruths, and deceptions of others in order to see the Truth of the matter, situation, or person.

The Owl is associated with ancient female wisdom, moon energy connections and the unknown. A bird of magic and darkness, of prophecy and wisdom.

In Greek mythology, an Owl was sacred to Pallas Athena, the Goddess of wisdom, because it sat on her shoulder and lit up her blind side. The large eyes of Owl seem to reflect otherworldly knowledge and wisdom. Today, the Owl is often used as a symbol for education, and used as a graduation mascot.

During medieval times in western and central Europe, it was fabled that Owls were actually priestesses (witches) and wizards in disguise. To this day the Owl is considered a witch's familiar (an animal soul-spirit linked to a spiritual person via a unique, communicative bond).

West African and Aboriginal Australian cultures viewed the Owl as a messenger of secrets, kin to sorcerers, as well as companions to seers, mystics and medicine people.

Taking symbolism from the Owl directly, it is a creature of the night. Nocturnal creatures are symbolic of inner-knowing, psychic ability, and intuition. Birds are considered by many cultures to be messengers between earthly creatures and spirit.

The Owl is honored as the keeper of spirits who had passed from one plane to another. Often myths show the Owl accompanying a spirit to the underworld - winging it's newly freed soul from the physical world into the realm of spirit.

Their secretive ways, silent flight and differing calls such as whistles, screeches and hoots, have made the Owl symbols of superstition and even fear in some parts of the world. Some native tribes regard Owl as a symbol of death, while others believe that they represent the mysteries of shamanism and witchcraft. Owls are sometimes believed to visit those about to die. This doesn’t mean a physical death as much as it means letting go of a part of us that no longer serves us.

Their association with death comes from their unequaled ability as hunters of the night, they are able to navigate through the most densely forested areas in order to seek out and capture their quarry. The Owl is keenly aware of its surroundings.

Their extremely soft, thick wings let them fly silently to swoop down on their prey. Their ability to move unnoticed teaches us how to do the same. As well as their almost supernatural eyesight, they have supernatural hearing, which symbolizes wisdom and ability to see and hear clearly despite the darkness.

With their ethereal senses, the Owl helps guide us through the dark tunnels of fear, change and unknowing to the light at the other end. Owl teaches us that it is safe to look at what we may consider the darkness of our own souls, and that in that darkness we may find much food for growth.

Owl is the Birth Totem for those born between November 23 and December 21.
Totem Owl Flower Essence is available at A Path To Wholeness.

Prickly Pear Cactus ~ Adaptability

The Prickly Pear cactus are familiar to just about everyone since they are very common and grow in a variety of climates. Prickly Pear species are found in abundance in the West and Southwest of the United States as well as Mexico. Prickly Pears are also found on the plains as far east as Nebraska, and one species grows along the Atlantic Coast. Throughout the city of Los Angeles, large and small patches of Prickly Pear are common on hillsides and vacant lots. In fact, it is so common that it's often just regarded as a "weed."

Different species have adapted to different locales and elevation ranges. Most require coarse, well-drained soil in dry rocky flats or slopes. However, some prefer mountain pinion/juniper forests, while others require steep, rocky slopes in mountain foothills.

There are many different varieties of Prickly Pear Cactus. This plant is composed of numerous pads (flattened segments) which vary in size and shape and that look like large leaves. The pads are actually modified branches or stems that serve several functions ~ water storage, photosynthesis and flower production.

Most Prickly Pear cacti have yellow, red or purple flowers, even among the same species. They vary in height from less than a foot to 6 or 7 feet.

One of the main features of these cactuses is their edibility. The pads are eaten as well as the fruits from which the plants get their name.

Prickly Pear cactus has been a staple of the Mexican and Central American diet for thousands of years. In parts of the United States it has been gaining popularity as an exotic, gourmet and healthy addition to one's diet. The Prickly Pear plant has two different edible sections: the pad of the cactus (nopal), which can be treated like a vegetable , and the pear (tuna), which can be treated like a fruit.

Prickly Pear Flower Essence

All the plants in the Prickly Pear Cactus Family have to do with adaptability. One of the patterns of the Prickly Pear Cactus is being extremely adaptive to locations and environments. They have adapted to many different climates and are found in many areas of the world.

This Flower Essence’s qualities help us in surrendering to the flow of life’s events. Ideally, we live in the moment. We don't see the future as a fixed destination. Instead, we see it as a place we create out of the choices that we make right now. Therefore, we discover our future one choice at a time. This doesn't mean that we don't have plans. We probably do. However, this idea of adaptability allows us to respond readily to the demands of the moment even if they pull us away from our plans. Unlike some, we don't resent sudden requests or unforeseen detours. We expect them. They are inevitable. On some level, we actually look forward to them. We are, at heart, a very flexible person who can stay productive when the demands of the world are pulling at us from many different directions at once.

Resiliency is the end result of adaptability. Resiliency is having the ability to deal with life’s challenges, pressures, major changes, and stress. It is being able to successfully adapt to harsh conditions. Resilient individuals are able to quickly adapt to change and with today’s society being in a state of continuous change, building resiliency is even more important.

As stated above, one of the patterns of Prickly Pear is to be extremely adaptive. We may find ourselves so wiling to adapt to situations that we lose a sense of ourselves. Prickly Pear Flower Essence supports perfect adaptability without surrendering our Inner Truth, and secures an unshakable peace and sense of harmony in the midst of diverse situations.

This Flower Essence is available at A Path To Wholeness

Animal Wisdom ~ Dog

Faithfulness and Protection

Dog is a symbol of loyalty, unconditional love, protection and service. Its wisdom incorporates the loving kindness of the best friend and the protective energy of the guardian.

Dog teaches us about the constant care and attention friends and companions need. Good friends will comfort us when we are sad and will seldom leave our side if we are upset.

It is through Dog that we learn to accept others as they are, and to serve others with no thought of self. Dog holds the key to unconditional love, serves selflessly, and is able to forgive freely. His exceptionally indomitable spirit is one of its most outstanding characteristics.

Most Native tribes had Dogs as protection and as an alarm system that guarded the tribe's dwellings and protected them from surprise attacks. Dog also helped during the hunting and provided warmth in winter.

Early Indian Dogs were usually half-wild. This wildness, however, never robbed the owners of their Dogs’ innate devotion.

A warrior society of the Cheyenne called themselves the Dog Soldiers, or Crazy Dogs, and vowed never to retreat in combat, regardless of the severity of the battle or how badly they might be outnumbered.

The traditional Iroquois see the Dog as representing fidelity and devotion, the symbol of a friend who is always available whenever he or she is truly needed.

The Dog is also a totem of faith, reliability and mentoring. His basic instinct is to serve a master, and even though he is often physically abused, he always answers with love. Dog is the guardian of his master and willing to do anything for him, possibly even follow him into death.

Dog shows us what friendship and devotion can be. He also shows us the true nature of honor and duty.

Dog is willing to overlook human weaknesses and his heart is overflowing with compassion. The Spirit of Dog can help bring these qualities to life in each of us. He teaches us about mentoring, that is, being the one who believes in us more that we believe in ourselves. Dog asks us to examine our loyalty toward others and ourselves.

He reminds us that our loyalty should always be to our own truth, and by respecting and valuing ourselves, we can truly render a service to those who honor what we can give them.

In ancient lore, Dogs were considered guardians of paths and roadways. Symbolically, they were seen as guarding the threshold between the land of the living and the traditional land of the departed. Dog was there to make sure everyone found their way safely.

Dog is one of the best spirit guides to have because they are well attuned to the nature of humans and understand the best ways to guide them. Each time the Spirit of Dog is near, we will feel strong emanations of love surrounding us, and he will be a dependable guide in our explorations of higher consciousness.

Psychic gifts have long been associated with the Dog because of their ability to detect subtle energy frequencies often unknown to humankind. Pay attention to your immediate surroundings and let the Dog guide your footsteps.

The behavior of a Dog often reflects the personality of his owner. Through his observation and constant interaction with us, he anticipates our next move, and serves as a mirror image of who we truly are. The Dog is a great teacher for those who are willing to be loyal students.

“What is man without the beasts? For if all the beasts were gone, man would die of a great loneliness of the spirit”.
Chief Seattle

Fairy Duster ~ Responding Rather Than Reacting

One of the more unique flowers found in the desert is this little pink number called the Fairy Duster. It looks just like a fairy-sized feather duster, and ranges in hue from light pink to a bright fuchsia. In addition to its unique flower, the Fairy Duster is different from most desert plants in that it does not have thorns!

Like many desert plants, this low-lying shrub with feathery leaves is inconspicuous until it bursts into bloom. The petals are small; however, it is the stamens that get your attention. The long stamens resemble the tufted head of a dusting brush. A hundred or more delicate filaments make up a fluffy pink ball. The tendril-like stamens seem to dance excitedly about when moved by even the slightest breezes.

Fairy Duster, also called Angel Head, comes from a family often described as “powder puff trees.” They are the Mimosa Branch of the Pea Family. It includes legumes such as peas and beans. The seeds of the Fairy Duster are in what looks like dry pea pods, which pop open and eject seeds for a great distance at maturity. Their curled open pods remain on the plant for a long time afterward.

The delicate Fairy Duster blooms in the harshness of lower desert and grows in sandy washes and open slopes in deserts and arid grasslands. This thornless, perennial shrub provides food for many Southwest Desert animals and its flowers have several pollinators, including bees, flies, butterflies and hummingbirds.

In overall appearance Fairy Duster is a low growing shrub, 2 feet high by 3 feet wide, that has an airy appearance with its light green leaves and loosely branched structure. During times of dryness, the leaves wilt but renew themselves with moisture. Its brilliant pink puff-like flowers bloom almost all year long.

Fairy Duster Flower Essence ~ Respond Rather Than React

When you watch Fairy Duster's flowers, you may see them all stirred up, moving about in even the gentlest breeze. Do you overreact to the slightest stimulus?

“If you're feeling uptight a lot of the time it is because you overreact to the events in life. Life’s events themselves do not cause stress and tension; it is only our reactions to these events that cause us to suffer.” Hale Dwoskin, CEO and director of training of Sedona Training Associates.

While some stress and worry is a normal part of life, chronic stress experienced by frequent over-reactions to life’s daily challenges can interfere with our health and well-being.

People who go into reaction mode are generally driven by fear. These days, due to the economic meltdown, most people have short fuses due to increased anxiety.

When we react, we become a victim. In order to maintain control of a situation, we must teach ourselves to become response-able rather than to re-act. When we do, we will experience a tremendous shift in the outcome. Things will be so much easier, and our chances of getting a positive response from people who are hard to deal with is much higher.

What is the difference between responding and reacting?

When we react, we let the other person's words and behaviors determine our words and behaviors. We react to their words in an equal manner. If the other person's behavior seemed inappropriate to us, our reaction will likely seem inappropriate to them. Then we lock ourselves in a continuing cycle of "bad" behaviors that escalates the conflict rather than resolving it.

Responding calls for a reply in a favorable choice of words. In other words, we remain respectful and kind, even in conflict. When we think response and not reaction, we focus our energy and thoughts on resolving rather than escalating the conflict.

Fairy Duster Flower Essence helps to stabilize the flow of energies from the nervous system, enabling one to handle greater intensities without trouble while feeling grounded and aligned.

This and other Flower Essences are available at A Path To Wholeness

Animal Wisdom ~ Squirrel

Planner and Gatherer

Squirrels come in three main groups ~ Tree Squirrels, Ground Squirrels, and Flying Squirrels. The Flying Squirrel glides through the air using a flap of skin between his front and rear legs. Pushing off from a tree branch, he stretches out his arms and legs and glides to another branch. Unlike other Squirrels, Flying Squirrels are active at night.

The animals that are in the Squirrel Family also include Chipmunks, Marmots, Prairie Dogs and Woodchucks.

Squirrels are talkative and you will find them frequently chattering, but they also communicate by the use of their body and bushy tails. The flicking of a Squirrel's tail is how they express emotion.

The most notable trait of the Squirrel is their excellence at preparing for the winter season. At this time of year and for a few months to follow, Squirrels busy themselves foraging for nuts, grains, seeds and fruit, and will proceed to store much of it away by burying it where they can dig it up later when needed.

The Squirrel teaches us to gather our energies for the important tasks in life and honor the future by preparing for change.

It is not commonly known that the Squirrel only actually finds 10% of the nuts he hides for safekeeping. All those nuts Squirrels do not recover are all primed and ready to seed themselves. This means we are gifted with new generations of trees and plants sprouting from all the seeds and nuts buried in the soil by Squirrels.

This symbolically coincides with the old adage "what we sow is what we reap." What may seem like absent-mindedness, on the part of Squirrel, is actually a strong message to us to be mindful of the metaphorical seeds we plant in our own lives because we will surely reap the consequences.

Known as the acrobats of the animal kingdom, Squirrel amazes us with daring high-wire acts, as they race through the tree branches and scurry along telephone wires. Their determination to find a way to get seeds from a so-called "squirrel proof" bird feeder is amusing to watch.

Learning how to maneuver risky situations without falling and always having a goal in sight is part of Squirrel Wisdom.

Squirrels are fast at everything they do and remain in constant motion during three seasons of the year. However, even with all that energy, they can suddenly be as still as a statue at a moment's notice. Knowing when to stop and listen, and knowing when to move along, is one of Squirrel's best teachings.

Cautious and yet at the same time trusting, Squirrel will often eat from your hand. This wonderful quality of Squirrel teaches us to trust one another in personal relationships and trust the Creator in all things.

Squirrels are social and enjoy hours of carefree time wrestling each other. Here Squirrel teaches the importance of balancing work and play, and will help you bring out your own playful side. They show the necessity of striving for a balance between work and play in order to keep healthy in mind, body and spirit.

As a friendly, quick and industrious worker, Squirrel knows the ways to survive. The gathering power of Squirrel is a great gift. It teaches us balance within the circle of gathering and giving out. They remind us that in our quest for our goals, it is vital to make time for play and socializing.

“To put it in a nutshell, Squirrel is the Boy Scout of the animal kingdom—always prepared. Its message is to be prepared, but not to go nuts with it.” Copyright” “Medicine Cards”, David Carson and Jamie Sams.

"Squirrel reminds us to stay dedicated to our goals. If we persevere, we will succeed.” Copyright: “The Animal-Wise Tarot”, Ted Andrews

Desert Marigold ~ Self-Empowerment

The name, 'Marigold, originated from the altered form of a foreign phrase. In this case, the original term was the Anglo-Saxon "merse-mear-gealla" or "marsh-horse-gowl" ~ the "marsh marigold". Marigolds came to be associated with the Virgin Mary in the Middle Ages, and the word is often said to be derived from "Mary's Gold.

Desert Marigolds are one of the most noticeable spring wildflowers across the dry lands of the southwest. They commonly grow on stony slopes and sandy plains and mesas and are most abundant on roadsides, where they take advantage of the water that runs off the highway. Desert Marigold is from the Aster family ~ its showy and often profuse bright yellow flowers look like little suns that brighten up the desert landscape as few others can.

This annual is a plant whose seeds sprout with moderate rain, regardless of season, as long as it's warm enough to allow growth. Its flowering, like its germination, depends on the right moment ~ a rain is the signal that its time to go to work. Many desert plants have this characteristic ~ taking advantage of the brief moments of time when conditions are right for sprouting, growing leaves, or blooming.

Desert Marigolds have soft, grayish, hairy leaves, clustered largely at the base of the plant and divided into irregular close-set lobes. The upper leaves have a small amount of lobes, or may be narrow and smooth edged. Hairs are an important desert plant adaptation because they both increase light reflection, resulting in lower leaf temperatures, and they block ultraviolet light.

Researchers at Arizona State University have extracted several Desert Marigold compounds, which might help in cancer therapy by inhibiting tumor formation.

Desert Marigold Flower Essence ~ Self- Empowerment

The Desert Marigolds look like little suns radiating forth energy. The bright yellow color reminds me of the Solar Plexus Chakra. This Chakra is the focus point for our power and will. Our sense of power, ego and authority, as well as self-control and discipline are centered here. Yellow relates to self worth. How we feel about ourselves and how we feel others perceive us.

Do you feel in control, or do you feel like a victim?

We are in a time where we need to look to ourselves to be empowered. No one is going to do it for us. Self-empowerment is the means to a happy satisfying life.

The world around us is constantly changing and shifting. While it may appear that we are challenged to keep pace with it all, there is an even greater calling to step more fully into our own ‘Authentic Self’ for an easier time navigating these challenges and changes.

A lack of power and self-esteem prevents us from following our dreams and doing what we really want in life. By empowering ourselves, we can blossom into our true being, a prospect that is achievable for anyone.

Whatever challenge we face, we can rest assured that someone else has had it even worse, and yet gone on to triumph. If so, what prevents us from doing the same? If others faced similar external challenges and triumphed, then external circumstances are not the primary determiners of our life.
Our attitude of mind is.

Self-empowerment is a way to gain strength within ourselves in overcoming obstacles or challenges that we face in our daily life.

This Flower Essence supports us in feeling a new sense of confidence, strength and assertiveness. There is a center of unlimited power within each of us and it is from this center of power that we are effective in making a difference in our world.

Self-empowerment is a journey to make our life more fulfilling, more enriched, and more loving towards ourself and others.

Desert Marigold Flower Essence is available at A Path To Wholeness.