Everyday Safe Skin Care

Ever had a look at the amazing amount of creams and serums, lotions and potions there are on the shelves these days? Ever tried to say some of the ingredients on the back of the packaging?! Maintaining good skin is all about having a great dietary intake, and managing our lives so that stressful times are balanced with times of calm and peace too. Its not about which cream you use, or how often you stick to a rigid regime of 'cleanse/tone/moisturise'. However, it is good to have a maintenance program for when our skin needs some help. Hormonal 'times' in our lives, or if we are going through stressful periods, can affect the radiance and health of our skin, and that can have a big effect on the way we feel, our self confidence, and our outlook on life.

Here are a selection of everyday basic ingredients you can use to maintain your skin without buying into the false promises of commercialised, chemical laden products.

To clean - add one tablespoon of Ground Oatmeal to one teaspoon of Raw Honey. Wet your face then rub the mixture over your skin gently in upward circular motions, using a little water to make it gooey. Wash off with luke warm Water. (oats are very balancing for all kinds of skin types)

To tone and condition - Splash the face with ice cold clean water and Aloe Vera gel (fresh from a plant, you'll only need about half a teaspoon of clear gel) and then pat gently with a clean cloth. (aloe is very soothing and healing, as well as being a good firming agent for skin)

To moisturise - On damp skin (from the conditioning) apply two to three drops of cold pressed Coconut Oil or Rice Bran Oil, mixed with another half teaspoon of fresh aloe vera gel. Allow the oil to air dry for a few minutes and be absorbed. (cold-pressed virgin oils are excellent for plumping and nourishing our skin layers, mixed with aloe it is absorbed more easily by our skin)

My aloe vera plants looks a bit hacked at times as I'm always out there whacking off another spike,... :) but they are well loved and grow so easily in abundance with little effort. Aloe vera gel is excellent for burns, scrapes, cuts, blemishes, rashes, pimples, etc., but be aware that commercial products contain additives, preservatives and fillers, which might not be good for your skin. Always check the label and ask questions if you don't know what an ingredient is.

I'll be sharing more ideas about skincare from your kitchen pantry and garden in my book 'Scrub Yourself Silly', (available for purchase very soon!) which will have recipes for Soothing, Cleaning and Healing your skin and yourself. And if you want to know where you get safe, pure and potent skincare products already made up for you, then please visit my Miessence website, where you can buy certified organic products made without any synthetic ingredients at all.

Blessings for Bright and Beautiful Skin!
Jannette
:)

Tuning into Love 025 - "So far..."

Wow, this year has certainly begun with its full share of Destruction from the Star 7 energy. We are all feeling the effects of shock, sorrow, displacement and sadness, but also there is immense hope, beautiful energy of compassion and kindness that is emanating from all of the events in the past two months. Humans are realising that we are here for each other. Out of all of this pain comes something as dazzling as human love. And for those of us who are still raw and bruised within the grip of grief, or experiencing first hand the grief of someone we care for, we can take heart that in time the shock eases, the pain eases, and the memories of the best times with those now lost, or times past, bloom soft and soothing.

"I now invite Beautiful Memories to my Mind"

Star 7 is the Ruling Influence for 2011 to Feb 2012, and its name is 'The Spirit of Destruction', with associations of Pleasure, Destruction, Joyousness and Speech. It has the energy of 'hidden messages' because the ancient way to write its name using a Trigram (three lined drawing) looked like a mouth speaking, and of its other association with the landscape of a marsh...shallow water (emotions on the surface) and unstable earth below. It is compelling for me as a student of Flying Stars Feng Shui to study the correlation of events this year with the Ruling Influence associations. Floods that have moved over our landscape and earthquakes that have rocked the stability of our world. While it is great to be forewarned of possible misfortune, it is quite difficult to predict what our planet will go through with pinpoint accuracy, and to do so can systematically destroy a flow and beauty to Life itself.


"I am Me because of the happenings of my Life"

For now, the emphasis is on looking to support those in need. If we are not physically close we can help energetically, by performing meditations, quiet contemplative moments sharing our Heart energy with anyone in need. If we are physically close we can open our homes, and our hearts to people who need comfort and sustenance. Its not about how much money you can or cannot donate, the currency of Love and Understanding, of really being there for someone, far exceeds any financial assistance we could offer. And yes, that means putting up with the question of 'why me', or patiently accepting that the natural instinct is to find someone to 'blame'. If you are providing assistance as a carer or counselor, you too are in need of support. A combination of therapies like 'time out' in silence, regular doses of Rescue Remedy (Bach Flower Essences) and soothing aromatherapy like Rosewood and Chamomile to encourage good sleep will help you cope with the emotional onslaught.

Destruction is always a catalytic thing. It brings about change and new growth. People find within the experience of Loss, emotions never felt, and reserves of strength they've never tapped before. With the event of Solstice 2012 coming up, there is much for the human race to consider. As an observer of planetary and galactic energy I see there is a powerful shift taking place during the last decade, it has been building and building from one massive display of action and emotion to another, each one changing the consciousness of our societies. The culmination of it all is something I trust the powerful force of Love that guides this reality has in order.

"We are all Infinitely Powerful and Loved"

So far, we have come, and so far we are here, and so far, we are able to provide relief, help, comfort, love and understanding for those who need it. So far. We have come SO far and wherever we are now, we will get 'there' from 'here'. Exactly where we are Now.
Blessings for Hope and Security, Love and Compassion
Jannette

Love my Miessence! and love a discount too!

I know its a bit late in the month, but, Miessence run a promotion every February to celebrate their 'birthday', and its a huge discount on the membership cost. Usually a membership costs roughly $88 and for that you can choose to just buy your certified organic stuff with the great discounts, or, you can 'grow a business' with the help of the MLM set up that is Miessence. The cost this month is only $8.80, as they are 8yrs old :)

Eights coming in everywhere...nice.

I just received my monthly order of products from Miessence and had one of those gloriously happy acknowledgments about how fortunate and grateful I am to have bumped into this company years ago. I had unpacked my essentials (shampoo, conditioner, hair treatment, and dishwashing liquid) and found my little selection of thankyou sachets, and had a wonderful feeling of abundance. I'd gotten all these things at the click of my fingers...or the click of my keyboard really, but, at a 20% discount as usual, and delivered for free. Sooo-per! Plus I'd used some of my bonus payment to pay for it too...so it hadn't cost me a lot at all. Really happy when things like this happen! :))

So the deal is to sign up your membership before the end of the month, and then you can enjoy buying certified organic products at a discount all the time, and enjoy the possibility of growing your own business from it...IF you want to, there really is no hard-sell on this point at all. Miessence are great at answering questions and teaching about the organic industry...you'll find plenty of resources to look at if you choose to.

Get in touch if you would like to know more or just follow this link to my Miessence webpage. I'm always happy to talk about my Miessence... ;)

Many Blessings
Jannette

Email me: Jannette@HolisticTherapyConnections.com
Phone or txt: Mb 0427 152 756  9am-5pm, or by appointment at other times :)

Forecast for February 2011

Wow, its here :) Officially we are at the turning point on the Solar Cycle, about to zoom on into the New Feng Shui Year overnight! This month's forecast sees the Ruling Star in the Centre change from the 8 to the 7, indicating a year of communication with both challenges and beauty. Always aim for the Beauty though..much nicer.

From the Annual Influences Guide and Calendar:

"The Ruling Influence for 2011 is Star 7, a complex energy relating to pleasure, joy, destruction and communication. Energy has two ‘sides’; its Yin and Yang aspects, and more than anything, Star 7 is an energy that is fundamentally ‘dual’ in nature. The Trigram is called ‘Dui’ or ‘Tui’ (pronounced ‘dway’ or ‘tway’) and represented by a three lined drawing (a trigram) depicting solid foundation (two Yang lines) with a shallow opening (one Yin line) at the top…it is often likened to a mouth in speech and for this reason Star 7 is related to the energy of talking. It can be useful for giving information, sharing, chatting etc, but also it can be responsible for gossip, arguing and sniping."

(There is loads more about what to expect from this dominant energy layer during 2011 in the AIG, available for order from www.HolisticTherapyConnections.com) 

During February we have the wonderful occurrence of the Star 8 manifesting with this Ruling Star 7 in the Centre to help bring this energy up to a beautiful level. 8 and 7 are both the 'youngest' personality associations, and for this reason this combination is called 'Young Romance'. Its beautiful, but is also a sort of classical 'opposites attract' situation. Solid and calm Star 8 with chatty and joyful Star 7. 

Because Star 7 is not in its most favourable position on the cycle of energy (it ruled between 1984 and 2004, so it's just lost it major influence) we will benefit from subduing it during 2011 by removing Earth representations from the Centre area of our buildings, and/or, implementing Water representations. 

Star 7 in the Centre / Stability sector means that we will also benefit from inviting Joy into our lives with pure and high vibrational means during the year. I'd suggest a Bach Flower Blend of Beech (for tolerance), Impatiens (for patience and slowing down) and Cerato (to stimulate trust in your intuition). This blend is available as the 2011 Blend from the website for only $10, and will help you begin the year in good stead by taking a dosage course. You could also choose to place the essence in the Centre of your house to increase its 'usage' :)

Tip: Enhance the Star 8 with Fire representations, like beautiful gems in reddish hues, and subdue the Star 7 with Water representations, like black and dark blues in wavy designs.

So the Centre is all about seeking the easy, pleasurable, joyful expression of life; which is great, but how does this affect the other sectors of our buildings? Seeing as 'Perception is Everything', lets have a look at the South sector first and see what is going on there...

In the South the Annual Star is now 2, the Earth element and Mother personality. It is also not on its most favourable place on the cycle of energy, so the area in the South needs to be cleaned up and kept beautifully all year. Star 3 comes to visit for February, which can indicate arguments and disagreements based on ego. Release all that, its a matter of Perception. Change the way you are viewing someone's 'attack' to see it as their 'defense', and things work out in a more compassionate way.

Remedy: The Sound of Metal from a metal windchime, piano music, bells on the doorknobs here, etc...anything that can make that sound often and sweetly. Metal in Shape and Colour as well, so use round and fecund objects in White, Gold/Silver, Pearlescent and Irridescent shades. Put in place your Salt Water Cure now :)

The SW has the Passionate Annual Star 4 in residence this year, but is afflicted somewhat during February with the Star 5. We may feel confusion towards a specific relationship with this kind of combination, and may in turn feel that our connections to certain individuals are unclear. My suggestion is to back off and stay quiet, be diplomatic and reserved but kind, and get through to March where we will see the 'double up' effect of the Annual and Monthly Star aligning, which will bring a burst of renewed energy to this particular Life Aspect. Academics who sleep here will feel inspired again by their true loves, and lovers will feel inspired by their true loves. All good :)

Tip: Don't put the usual Pale Fire remedies in place for Star 4 yet. Use February as a month to quietly and slowly tidy this area up, removing anything that could be 'low level' energy.

In the West the balancing combination of (Water) Star 1 visiting the Annual Star 9 (Fire) sees ideas and wisdom visit inspiration and energy in the Creativity sector. SUCH a good spot this year for a workdesk/homeoffice/hobbyspace! Face West this year for best directional support for all endeavours.

Tip: Enhance with Fire representations, clean running water, and a tidy spot to do your work :)

The NW has the Annual Wealth Star in it all the way up until February 2012, so get stuck into the great energy layer here that invites beautiful synchronicity in all things to do with teachers, gurus, mentors, guardians of all kinds etc. It has the Vivacious Star 9 visiting during February, so do do do do do motivate yourself to clean up and gorgeousify this area of your building and property to manifest great wealth opportunities.

Tip: Enhance with Earth and Fire representations and clean running water inside and/or outside this sector of the property.

The North is going to get a boost of energy from the Star 3 all year which should make it easy for us to 'feel ambitious', however, Star 3 is capable of intensity leading towards Conflict, where its Competitive nature runs amok. Keep it in check with thoughts of integrity towards a higher purpose for all things relating to your Vocation. With the Star 4 visiting this month, our thoughts will again be moved towards what makes our hearts beat faster, and what our higher purpose is here on Earth now. Does your Vocation/Career/Life Purpose synchronise with your daily/weekly activities? Is your lifestyle aligned with your greatest good?

Remedy: Balance this energy with Pale Fire representations and images of Compassion. 

The NE Contemplation sector is brought brilliant 'Sheng Chi' all year with the Annual Star 1 of Wisdom, Ideas and Expression aligning with the area that can help us ponder Life's broader issues. A good spot to enjoy setting up a meditation 'space', which could be as simple as removing a few things and popping a comfy cushion or three in place. This Star 2 visiting during February has the potential to cause mum's to feel oppressively pushed into action. If you sleep here and are a 'working mum', please take care of your energy levels by introducing a superfood or three, and detoxing too.

Tip: Organise this space to recieve great energy all year long, but for Feb, put in place a Salt Water Cure, or Salt Cure and take more notice of health (particularly digestive health) and energy levels.

The East has the unfortunate Star 5 in residence all year. As it is the Family and Health sector, it represents all that we do in Preparation for Life. PLEASE do clean this area, fix things that need to be repaired, brighten it up and air it out. Keep it quiet if you can. If it is your front door and you cannot change the entry to your home or business you will benefit from implementing some Sound of Metal cures and placing Rock Salt under the doormat, growing Holy Basil here, and generally doing some sort of 'clearing' energy maintenance on it all year. Star 5 is the agent of Change, and it can often be uncomfortable if left to find any low level energy. As this is teaming up with the Leadership and Authority Star 6, it has the potential to bring 'bad news' from superiors or governing bodies. It can also cause 'general mental confusion',....great hey?!

REMEDY: (Of course we need to Remedy this and prevent any sort of potential 'uck'!) Sound of Metal cure in place! Metal representations in shape and colour. Remove low level energy 'anything' and keep it clear. Do not face East for working extended periods of time during 2011. (more info in the AIG regarding other directional influences you may need to be aware of)

Finally, the SE, the Wealth and Growth / Abundance sector, and we see that the Authority and Leadership Star 6 is here all year. This can help all of us 'take the reins' and manifest our wealth into the reality we want. It approves 'direct action' towards your goals. Take some time, identify a strategy, put it in place and PROCEED. 

The Star 7 visits this month and as these two are both Metal element, this combination is 'Clashing Swords', and can bring about fights and arguments, accidents with metal objects etc. It has the potential to bring reprimand from an Authority figure because of reckless talk. Zip the lip, nod politely and back away towards the door. 

Tip: Input some Water in Shape and Colour during February to allay the potential conflict from the combination of 6,7. 

Blessing for a great start to the Feng Shui New Year which occurs over tonight and during tomorrow on the 4th February 2011 :) Open up the windows and doors to the NE to receive in the Sheng Chi Angel Star 1, the West to receive in the Angel of Vivacity and Vigour Star 9 and the NW to receive and invite in that beautiful Angel of Wealth and Happiness Star 8!! wooohooo!

Sparkling Lights 
Jannette
xxx

Tuning into Love 024 - 'Watching the Gratitude grow'

Many years ago, I discovered that I felt really good when I loved where I was, instead of wanting to be somewhere else. I discovered that this feeling of being grateful for what I had made me feel wealthy, contented and happy. I felt 'good'. I didn't know at the time that I was tapping into any kind of 'secret' way of thinking that provided success and good health, I just noticed that it helped get me through some very tough life challenges, and situations that were 'bringing me down' ;)

With the rise in interest created by using concepts of 'being in the Now', we find that more and more focus is put on being or feeling grateful for what we have, even if what we have is only a few things left over from some disastrous occurrence. After a tragic happening in my own life I remember distinctly that focusing on what I still had helped me get through the worst of the pain and helped my recovery. Something as simple as realising that I could still walk (shakily) was liberating, because I knew I would get stronger and stronger, and walk easily again one day. And I do now.

I see so many websites and businesses now that focus upon Gratitude as a powerful force of Life. The Law of Attraction works with, or in tandem with, many other Universal Laws, but especially works well with Gratitude. And it doesn't have to be overtly difficult to find things to be grateful for.
I find that closing my eyes and requesting beautiful memories brings up feelings of Gratitude.

Remembering the sound of my Grandmother's chiming clock, and the smell of her house, and the carved woodwork in the doorways of her house. This memory fills me with Gratitude for the time I spent with her in my childhood; the endless pots of tea, the pikelets and jam :) I was loved and adored, and I had a place that I was welcomed into, and at that moment in my life I belonged there, completely. That's something I am truly grateful to have a memory of, because I use it whenever I feel like I am in the flux of Life, and without an anchor...I use these kinds of memories as my anchors.

"I am Loved and Treasured in all Time and Space"
"My Existence has Infinite Purpose"
"I am held softly in the arms of Grace"

Acknowledging my many wealths makes them to Grow even more. Have a look around, there is so much to be grateful for.

What are some of my simple joys?
Teacup print Pyjamas
Chatting, and the sound teacups make when in use
Comfortable sheets
Healthy children
The need to ask "?"
Blue sky, and clouds, and rain, and grass
Sunset
Plants in my garden that I can eat
Almonds in my pantry and Blueberries in my fridge
The desire to 'help', 'assist', 'serve'
Coconut Oil (SO MANY uses...)
Knowing that nothing really needs to be done quickly
Being taught to breathe out slowly when I stretch

...and now my Mind is just chugging away like a locomotive, accessing 'this and this' that I am grateful for, that I find joy and pleasure in...amazing to experience the sparkliness of the human Mind in its happiest state! :))
So good to sit back, and watch the Gratitude grow ;)

Blessings and Beautiful Dreaming of All Things That You Love
xxx
Jannette