Aloe has been known in the cosmetic industry as an effective treatment for acne and dry flaky skin. It contains healing and soothing properties to help heal sunburned skin no wonder a lot of sunscreens use aloe as one of the active ingredients. Making your own aloe vera moisturizer at home is very easy and you don't have to worry about harsh chemicals that can cause allergic reactions to your skin. If you want a simple moisturizer, you can mix one part of raw aloe vera gel to one part of mineral or distilled water. Heat this mixture in a double boiler until it forms into a cream. This is great for dry, sore or sunburned skin. You can apply it on your elbows, knees or any rough skin in your body.
An aloe vera moisturizer is also great when used as an anti-aging cream. We all know how expensive anti-aging products are and most of them do not really work. We get carried away by advertisements and we just end up throwing away our hard-earned money and being disappointed. To make your own at home, you need:
- 1 tbsp. Aloe Vera gel
- 1 tbsp. beeswax
- 2 tbsp. lanolin
- 2 tbsp. rose water
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 to 3 drops of essential oil (lavender, orange, lemon or rose)
Combine the lanolin and beeswax together, melt them in the microwave for about 30 to 40 seconds. Mix the olive oil and aloe vera gel in a large bowl using a wire whisk. The aloe will help hydrate the skin, it also contains plumping agents to keep the skin looking young. With regular use, your wrinkles will be less visible. Combine the two mixtures together with the use of a rubber spatula. Beat until you get a very smooth consistency. Add the rose water and the essential oil. Keep beating until the aloe vera moisturizer is thick and creamy.
Pour the mixture into a clean jar that you can tightly seal. You can use and store the moisturizer for up to 4 weeks. Use it every morning and night after cleansing and toning your face.
The Thai massage is primarily based on an acupressure system of Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine with an added touch of yoga. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The growth in medicine and technology has also made significant growth in possibilities to stay in good health. There are medications for sleeping and staying awake, relaxing and gaining energy, headaches and an imbalance of systems. All of these medications begin to pump various things into your system that your body then is forced to react to, sometimes not so naturally.
If you want to take a different approach to your healing, why not try a more natural remedy? Chinese medicine understands how the body can be naturally healed and has developed a variety of methods to help bring this into place. One of the popular methods used is traditional healing massages. Not only will this help you to heal by clearing up blocks that may be making you ill, but it will also help you to relax in the process.
The Chinese traditional healing massage was developed over 2500 years ago in the Orient. Through this development was an understanding of how the human touch, combined with specific pressure points could help to stop disorders. Each of these touches would stimulate specific areas of the body that was not in tune with the natural flow of energy. This would then allow one to begin there own healing process.
Not only did massages begin to develop various reactions to touch, but they also began to develop into focus points for healing. For example, many of the traditional massages for healing will be focused on the abdominal area in order to help balance out internal organs. Other parts of the message will focus on the tissues and muscles that may not be receiving the proper nutrients or flow of energy.
The idea of Chinese medicine is one that moves beyond the prescription pills and into a method of complete relaxation. By doing this, one is able to find an alternative method to begin healing and developing a holistic approach to health. The various massages that have been developed through Chinese medicine are a great way for you to stop taking the extra medications, and instead, sit back and relax.
Native Americans enjoy a strong and rich cultural heritage that still permeates many parts of their everyday lives, and particularly of those special moments. Many young Native Americans want a ceremony that not only keeps with modern traditions and celebrations, but that also includes a connection to their heritage, to make their wedding a cultural event that honors both the present celebration and the past.
There are many online resources to find some traditional, or “modern traditional” blessings and vows that are individual to a tribe. Soon to be newlyweds who are Native American could talk to a local tribal council, or other resources to find something suitable. There are websites with long lists of ceremonies that do not seem to be solely for one group. Two of the most beautiful Native blessings are the Apache and the Cherokee, an example of each which follows:
Apache Blessing
“Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be a shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be a companion to the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years, May happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth.”
Cherokee Blessing
God in heaven above please protect the ones we love.
We honor all you created as we pledge our hearts and lives together.
We honor mother-earth - and ask for our marriage to be abundant and grow stronger through the seasons;
We honor fire - and ask that our union be warm and glowing with love in our hearts;
We honor wind - and ask we sail through life safe and calm as in our father's arms;
We honor water - to clean and soothe our relationship - that it may never thirst for love;
With all the forces of the universe you created, we pray for harmony and true happiness as we forever grow young together.
Amen.
These are only two of many examples of what is available, and this is not just limited to Native Americans. There are Medieval ceremonies, old Celtic or Celtic Christian ceremonies. As more and more people become interested in their backgrounds, the demand for these traditional vows increase and add a beauty, elegance, and tradition to the ceremony that all can admire.
Bhakti means devotion to the Almighty. Bhakti yoga deals with devotion to God and achieving the union with Him. This is the easiest of all yoga types. This branch of yoga teaches the relation between the devotee and the divine. It does not involve any technical or complicated procedures. There is no need of any intellectual capacity to master this yoga. It has appealed to the common man because it gives him a feeling security and develops a kind of reliance and dependence on the object of his devotion.
Bhakti yoga assumes that there is a higher power that has created the universe and is all-powerful. This power has the capacity to confer grace and mercy on him and thus protecting him from all the harms and evils. The devotee or bhakta is expected to make himself fit for receiving this divine grace. For this, he has to practice devotion and virtue. His ultimate goal should be to unite with this divine power and rest eternally in happiness and peace. The devotee surrenders all his motives and acts to the Divine Power. He renounces all responsibilities towards the good or bad consequences of all his actions and ascribes it to the will of the Supreme.
Devotion and faith play a vital role in this branch of yoga. The devotee or bhakta is supposed to be highly religious, should adopt a friendly stance towards all the other living beings including animals, read religious texts, concentrate on the symbol of the Divine, think and wish well for others etc. The beauty of this yoga lies in its simplicity. This has made it one of the most appealing of all the yoga types. Following this yoga develops the peace of mind in an individual. A peaceful individual will always think happy and prosperous thoughts and will thus lead a happy life.
There are over 700 varieties of the eucalyptus tree with over 500 producing a type of essential oil. They form 75% of the flora of Australia and have naturalized themselves to many other countries. Some are medicinal oils, some industrial oils and some are used in perfumery. Each oil will have different constituents, different properties, and uses. The oil comes not from the bark of the tree but from its leaves. Eucalyptus is definitely an oil that should be in everyone's medicine cabinet. All of the eucalyptus oils are in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae).
The Australian Aborigines used eucalyptus in the treatment of all kinds of fever, including malaria. There are so many different varieties, each having a unique chemistry and therefore different healing qualities. For instance, Eucalyptus globulus known as blue gum tree is especially good for infections of the respiratory tract but also for treatment of rheumatism, arthritis, and wounds. E.globulus is great for purifying air and the trees produce ozone. Its chemistry shows its high in oxides, specifically 1,8 Cineole. Of all the medicinal grade eucalyptus oils.
E.globulus is the most widely known and used. Eucalyptus citriodora is lemony in fragrance and is more cooling in action than the E.globulus. Its key constituent is citronellal, an aldehyde. This variety of eucalyptus is better to use when mucus secretions are yellow indicating infection and heat in the body. It's also a great insect repellant especially helpful against cockroaches and silverfish. One important point about E.citriodora is that it is mild and thought to be best for children because of its lemony fresh smell.
Here's another great eucalyptus-E.Dives, also known as Peppermint Eucalyptus. It has a menthol fragrance and its key constituent is piperitone, a ketone. This eucalyptus has great mucolytic properties and is used for infections especially sinus, ear, kidney and for vaginitis. E.Dives is the strongest of the medicinal eucalyptus oils and therefore best used topically. Eucalyptus polybractea is also called Blue Malleeand like E.globulus, it is high in 1,8 cineole. It is a very antimicrobial and an expectorant oil yet gentler in action than some of the others.
The final eucalyptus we should all be aware of is Eucalyptus radiata. It too is high in 1,8 cineole. E. radiata is very antibacterial, antiviral and an expectorant oil that is great not only for respiratory conditions but is especially good for sinus infections. It is by far the gentlest and most effective of the eucalyptus oils since is it so low in aldehydes which distinguishes it from E. globulus and E. dives.
Want to learn more about the healing properties of the various eucalyptus oils as well as other essential oils? Consider becoming a certified aromatherapist. Educational courses in healing energy and aromatherapy can help you understand how essential oils heal the body/mind/spirit.
Check this out for more information on learning to heal through the art of aromatherapy as a clinical aromatherapist. http://www.ISHAaromatherapy.com For educational courses on healing energy and the laying-on of hands, you can go to http://www.HTSpiritualMinistry.com You can also read more about aromatherapy and the eucalyptus essential oils in Linda Smith's books: Called into Healing, Reclaiming our Judeo-Christian Legacy of Healing Touch, and Healing Oils Healing Hands, Discovering the Power of Prayer, Hands-On Healing and Anointing. You can find these books and much more on my website at http://www.ISHAhealing.com/HealingStore/tabid/348/Default.aspx
In 1949, I had a real problem with a dental phobia. Four dentists had turned me down as a patient. I had two abscessed teeth and a mouthful of other cavities. My dental phobia was so bad that it had forced me to go to a hospital some years earlier in order to have three abscessed teeth removed while I was unconscious.
“Behavioural” experiments under hypnosis at the Budapest clinic of the Department of Mental Health and Pathology. (a) Hypnotic suggestion of praying. (b) Hypnotic suggestion of suicide. (c) Hypnotic suggestion of swearing an oath. (d) Hypnosis produced by the tuning-fork. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I went to a dental convention where I found the recommended dentist who did hypnosis. He couldn’t work on my teeth, but he said he thought he could help me. So, at the lunch break, I went to his room with several other dentists, and he hypnotized me with a “standard” induction technique. Then, he taught me a psychological trick of relaxation. If I raised my left hand whenever I felt my right hand becoming a fist, indicating tension, the dentist would stop, and I would relax my right hand, and lower my left hand.) I didn’t believe it would work, but I made an appointment with the last dentist who had turned me down and had recommended hypnosis.
For the first few minutes, I kept raising my left hand, and he stopped immediately. After that, I didn’t need to raise my left hand much at all, and he worked fast.
He pulled the two bad teeth and drilled and filled a dozen more in one single hour and a half session. I had Novocain for the bad ones and didn’t need it for the others. Both the dentist and I were amazed at this, and he asked if I were really twins
To me, a 22-year-old engineering student, this was a genuine “miracle”, and I started to learn all I could about this miracle cure. I read everything I could find, from the 1700’s literature about Mesmer, Coue, etc, up to Erickson, Barber, etc.
I became an electronic engineer and pursued this as my major career, but my avocation continued to be hypnosis, and by extension, psychology. (Much of behavioral psychology is similar to hypnosis). I used it professionally, taught it in a major university to doctors, and continued to learn about it. I performed some “shows”, and considered a career as a stage hypnotist, but was more interested in using it for helping people, as it had helped me.
In 1979, I left electronic engineering and turned to psychology. I went back and obtained a Doctorate in Psychology based on my education, life experience, and my doctoral dissertation. I became a successful Behaviorist Psychologist for years in private practice in Florida. I gradually converted to an Orthomolecular practice when I found that these types of therapies worked better than any “talk therapy”, although talk therapy is sometimes used as well.
Hypnotic Relaxation
During this many year of study, and later career as a psychologist, I realized that what that original dentist who hypnotized me had actually done. With hypnosis, he had simply given me a “new” conscious tool of relaxation. Using this simple tool, I could actually change something in my unconscious called a “phobia”. It wasn’t really a miracle, though I had thought so at the time. Adding this knowledge to my knowledge of Pavlovian “conditioning responses”, I came up with what I called the Bate Relaxation Technique.
This is very simple, yet it can be very powerful – much more powerful than most realize because of its simplicity. It starts with a general hypnotic induction technique of relaxing the body muscles, starting with the toes and going up to the scalp and face. Then, in a state of muscle relaxation, ask the subject to visualize a very beautiful relaxing scene he/she is in. Describe the scene. Ask them to concentrate on how beautiful and very relaxing it is.
Then, ask the subject to memorize the feelings of relaxation and concentration they are feeling at that time. Have them put these feelings into their memory like a photograph. Then, give them a post-hypnotic suggestion that they can now recall those feeling anytime they simply count to three. End the session, and have the subject stand up, take a deep breath and simply count to three.
It’s simply amazing how the shoulders often slump 2-3 inches or some other muscles that the subject usually tenses from stress relax. I describe the “strange” feeling as sort of a “blah” feeling. (As subjects stand up from the session, their “normal” pattern of muscle stress takes effect, and the “instant” relaxation is definitely experienced.)
I then tell the subject that they now have the pattern, but it up to them to use it often, several times a day, even if not needed, for the next week or so. This will set this pattern into their unconscious as a “conditioned response”. (Remember Pavlov’s dog?) Now, they have the same tool I got from the original dentist, but it is much more enhanced and valuable. It instantly relieves the stress of any kind.
Driving a car a long distance is very stressful. My wife and I recently drove over 20 hours straight thru, with me driving about 14 of those hours. At 78 years old, that’s not “usual”. The secret – we both simply count to three every so often and are able to relax behind the wheel. Muscle tension is very tiring, and few are able to relax this muscle tension behind the wheel.
This relaxation technique is very useful in many ways in helping to solve psychological problems of phobias, compulsions, and even some serious physical problems. I was able to solve dozens of Asthma problems in all persons between 7 and 15 years old and was often successful with older persons as well. (Kids in this age range are very suggestible; some adults are too cynical.)
The system is simple but effective. First, teach the relaxation. Then, have the patient emulate a really bad asthma attack. “Come on, get really bad, your throat is closing more and more.” It’s getting worse and worse.” When the patient really starts to become in distress, say, “Now, count to three”. As he gets to three, he relaxes, and says, “Now, it’s gone, and you are in control”.
Many years ago, I did this routine on the 14-year-old son of lifelong friends. When I was visiting them a few years ago, I walked into the store of the son, and he recognized me immediately. I was surprised as it had been over 20 years since he had seen me. He said, “Do you think I could ever forget the man who cured my Asthma?”
It was another great day for my ego.
There’s nothing magical or even mysterious about it. All you are doing is teaching a new “trick” to the unconscious mind. This “trick” of instant relaxation is learned as a conditioned response by repetition and use. It becomes a tool for the conscious mind to use in all types of situations to reduce stress. As everybody knows, stress ages us diminishes the immune system and helps to kill us.
The various forms of yoga and other meditation techniques are similar, yet different. They relieve the stress of course but are of little use in immediate stressful situations. This relaxation is immediate.
This also can be used for self-hypnosis, positive statements, and visualizations.
I also used it for patients that wanted to stop smoking as a “substitute” for that instant craving that comes to an addicted smoker.
One idea makes a lot of people “afraid” of hypnosis. The idea that another person has “control” over them, and can make them do literally anything. Every experiment ever conducted has shown that this is simply not true. Hypnosis cannot force a person to do anything that is against his/her moral code. The unconscious mind is very protective and is what we are working with either with hypnosis or subliminal training.
There is some possibility of “indirect” misuse of hypnosis. I once witnessed a hypnotist demonstrating this. He had a very attractive woman who was very hypnotizable (instantly into somnambulism by snapping his fingers). He hypnotized her and told her to take off her clothes. She awoke instantly and was embarrassed, but had no conscious memory of why.
He then hypnotized her again, and this time, told her that she was at home in her bathroom with the door closed, and she was going to take a bath. She calmly started to take off her clothes. He stopped her before she got too far, but she was obviously going to completely strip.
It was interesting how he stopped her. He told her that someone had come into her home, and was near the bathroom door. She said, “Don’t come in. I’m not dressed”.
He then had her get dressed and woke her. She had no memory of the incident.
When I was a young man, I had a girlfriend who I had sex with once or twice. And she had been hypnotized several times as well. One night I wanted sex, but she didn’t. I used the cue that hypnotized her but to no avail. She refused, even hypnotized. So, the idea that someone can make you do something you do not want to do is false. I can testify to that personally. Our unconscious mind is very protective of us in all ways, even though some ways may be wrong.
Of course, if you work with either hypnosis or subliminal training, or virtually any type of serious psychology you have to be aware of the unconscious mind, as that entity is always what you are trying to influence.
Hypnotic Age Regression
This is a very useful tool for a psychologist, or, for that matter, any doctor of any stripe. Under even “light” hypnosis, it can be used to “pull” details from the life of the patient that he/she has forgotten consciously. (The unconscious memory has everything in it.)
There are several “tricks of the trade” involved. After my Relaxation Technique, I used a “deepening” technique that went something like this, “Now, I want you to imagine and visualize yourself going down an escalator as I count to ten. One, imagine yourself stepping on and feeling the steps from under your feet. Two, as you move down, relax even more. Three, as you go down further, concentrate more and more. Four, and as you relax more, you can concentrate more. Five, this positive circle of concentration and relaxation continues as you move down.”
Continue with similar repetitions thru nine, and then, “Ten, step off the escalator into a room. This room is yours alone. It is only in your mind, and no one else can ever get into it. You can make it anything you want. In this room, you can do anything or visualize anything that will help you to be a better person. In this room, you can remember anything you want.”
Next, I would start the questioning. For example, a man came to me to try to find a lost valuable diamond engagement ring. He and his fiancé had broken up, and she had returned the ring to him. He remembered taking the ring, but when he got home, he couldn’t find it at all. I did the above technique and then started.
I said. “I want to you to go back in time to the moment when she handed you the ring. Where were you and she at that time?”
He replied, “We were in her living room.”
“Alright, see yourself taking the ring. What did you do with it?”
He said, “I’m putting it into my small watch pocket of my jeans.”
“OK, now you are leaving her. What happened next?”
“I’m getting into my car, and driving home”
“Good, what happens next?”
“I’m going into my bedroom, and changing clothes.”
“Why?”
“I have to go to a baseball presentation dinner.”
“OK, what did you do with your jeans?”
“Oh NO! I had put them in the washer!”
That was the story. He went home and found the ring stuck in the washer. (The usual story of such is that it gets caught in the “U” drain under a sink.) This illustrates the value of “age regression” as a memory aid.
Of course, it’s also useful to uncover the beginnings of phobias and compulsions. A woman came to me with a cat phobia and asthma. I did the usual as above, and with a couple of other useful techniques found the problem. One “trick” is to say, “OK, now you are going back in time. It is your 15th birthday. You are awake in that morning. Do you have asthma?”
She replied, “yes.” (She had earlier said on intake questioning that her asthma had started very early. I start well past that so as to get the patient used to go back.)
“Ok, now you are ten years old, just waking up on your birthday. Do you have asthma now?” Same answer.
“OK, you are now five years old, on your birthday. Do you have asthma now?” Same answer
I worked back thru 4 and 3 and 2, 1, and started back in months. I got to the ninth month, and she didn’t have asthma. Still, she had no memory of anything that was related. So, I went to her tenth month, and went backward, day to day with the same question. I got to the day when she did have asthma. Now I asked her, “What happened to you during the last day that caused you to have asthma? I am going to count to three, and when I get to three, you will remember everything. One, you’re starting to remember. Two, memory is coming back. Three, you now remember everything.”
She then related, “I was lying on my back in a crib, and the cat jumped into the crib and lay across my mouth. I couldn’t breathe, or call out, and I was scared. I don’t know what happened, but I think I hit the cat, and she went on me.”
It was two birds with one stone. Cat phobia, and asthma caused at that point. Asthma is often a “protective” device used to keep oxygen in the body. Most can easily breathe in but have real problems breathing out. This was her case.
Then, we get to the really interesting part. Age regression to past lives. As an agnostic, I don’t really know if the many stories I have heard from many persons are true, or something from the universal mind or what?
Probably the single most impressive story is the man who came to me with two lifelong phobias that he had had since earliest memory. He was deathly afraid of fire and water. He thought that these phobias might be from past lives, and asked me to try to find out.
He was easily hypnotizable, and with little urging went back thru birth to the previous life. He had been a circus clown and been burned to death in a circus fire. It was then simple to go back to a previous life to that. It seems that he had stolen a horse, and was caught. The vigilantes didn’t have a tree, so they hanged him from a bridge. The rope broke, and he drowned. Of course, it took much more time to go thru, and some suggestions from me. He was cured according to a phone call a week later.
I’ve had several such interesting cases. Another was fascinating to me. Under hypnosis, a man kept saying, “All I can see is a bird”. I kept after him about this bird for 10 or more minutes, but he couldn’t see much more than this bird. Finally, he said, “It’s a black bird, and it’s on my shield”.
I pressed him harder about his shield and did he have a sword and a horse. He suddenly screamed, “There’s blood all around me, and all over me and my horse. I’m killing people all around with my sword, and they’re trying to kill me! ”
I questioned him closely, and it became evident that the date was 1066 at the battle of Hastings as the Normans conquered England.
Is the story true? I cannot say with any certainty, but it was impressive.
When I gave seminars and talks on hypnosis, I usually finished with doing my Relaxation Technique, and my deepening. Then, I would say, “In your room, sitting comfortably, I want you to let your mind go out of your body. Let it go out into space, and as you see earth behind you as that familiar blue and white marble, see space as almost velvety, with stars and planets being very clear and steady. It’s really beautiful out here in space. Now, you are coming to a white cloud that is getting bigger and bigger, and you are now entering it. On the other side, there is another blue marble world. As you approach, it looks like Earth, but as you get really close, you see no huge cities, but beautiful parks and lovely buildings that seem to be a part of the landscape. As you come to it, and walk about, you notice that the people are all friendly, and the animals are all friendly, and the gardens and parks all around are simply the loveliest you have ever seen. You are filled with the same sort of happiness that it seems everybody there has. You are at peace with yourself and that place.”
“Now, it’s time to leave, and we are going back into space again. Ahead of us is that same white cloud, and this time, as we enter it, we make a left turn, and we are now going back in time. The year is 1700 on Earth, and as we come back to Earth in that time, we are going to each go into a body in that time and place. I want you to look at your feet, and your clothes, and your surroundings, and have a sense of who you are in that body. Now, it’s time to return. We are leaving this time and place, and going back thru that white cloud, and back to that blue marble of earth, and back to that comfortable seat, and into your own body again. As I count to three backward, you are going to awaken, not drowsy or sleepy or affected by my voice at all, and you will remember everything you experienced.”
Then, I count, “Three, two, one, awake fully awake. Now, how many persons really experienced that beautiful planet?”
About a third or more really did visualize it clearly. (A few were somewhat angry with me for not leaving them longer!) Then I asked, “Now, how many persons experienced themselves in 1700?” Surprisingly, about one-third had very good and clear visualizations. One woman was indignant “I had bare feet and scratched legs, and I was a serving woman”. She had a very high opinion of herself in this life obviously. Needless to say, these stories were very interesting and varied. One woman impressed me with, “I was in a dark place waiting to be born.”
Of course, such stories do not prove anything. They could be products of imagination, or simply scraps of something from the unconscious or universal mind. However, or whatever they are, taken in bulk from honest persons with no known vested interest, they do prove something beyond our conscious knowledge.
An “Impossible” Story
Here’s a true story that is unbelievable to many people. In reading about hypnosis, I came across an article where a professional hypnotist had claimed that he had been able to increase a woman’s breast size using hypnosis. I dismissed that claim until in 1978; I read an article by Dr. Ted X. Barber in the Journal of Clinical Hypnosis about hypnotic phenomena. This article discussed many different hypnotic phenomena, including several experiments at several different colleges that had all done a similar experiment. As I recall (at this much later date), each college used 8-12 women, all of whom were somewhat flat chested, and all wanted larger breasts.
All were carefully measured, above and below the actual breasts, and across them at the nipples. Once a week for 12 weeks, they were hypnotized as a group and told to visualize things like, “See yourself in a mirror naked with larger breasts. Admire your larger breasts. See how good they look, and how good you feel with them. Now, see yourself dressed in a very becoming dress, and how well it looks on you with your new breasts. It increases your self-confidence as well. “
These comments were repeated several times. As I recall, the average for all of the various experiments was that 80% actually increased their breast size, and the average increase was 2.1 inches.
Let’s take another deeper look at this. The average success rate for losing weight by hypnosis is considered to be less than 65%. In other less reported breast size experiments, DECREASING breast size in women with overly large breasts, the success rate was negligible.
In addition, this suggestion is specific – add body cells to a certain part of the body only! We have no knowledge if actual mammary cells were added, or only fat cells, but still!!!
I’ve won two bets from other psychologists that this story was published in a reputable scientific journal. I made a hypnosis tape specifically for “breast enlargement”, and heard for a few of the women who purchased it that it did indeed work for them. Unfortunately, few people report either success or failure.
Why doesn’t hypnosis work better on the “lesser task” of losing weight, or losing breast weight? The explanation is difficult, but in my experience, the social “advantage” to women of large breasts inhibits the unconscious from losing this “advantage”. Some women are “punishing” their selves (or their husbands) by being fat. (Sort of “love me for me, not for my body”). Motives of the unconscious mind are often murky and difficult for our conscious minds to understand. The computer analogy of “garbage in – garbage out” applies here.
Harmful Unconscious Ideas
The unconscious mind can be a force for good or bad. It apparently doesn’t discriminate – again like a computer. If a virus gets in, it can distort many other programs in different ways.
Let’s examine a very illustrative case. A woman brought in her 8-year-old boy for hypnosis for bedwetting. I did the usual direct suggestion and told her to keep him off all milk products for at least a week.
Two days later, she and her son were back. No success. This time, I did age regression hypnosis. He went back (with a little urging) to when he was 4. He was in bed almost asleep when he heard someone trying to get in his window. He was so scared that he wet himself, and cried out. The burglar (real or imagined) left. The unconscious “logic” to this boy – urination protects from intruders in the night. It wasn’t difficult to remove this logic (computer virus), and his mother said that he hadn’t wet again a few months later.
The great master of hypnotic therapy, Milton Erickson, once had an almost comic situation that he solved in a unique way. It seems that a recently married couple came to him because each was a bed wetter. On their honeymoon, the bed was wet each morning, and each thought the other was very thoughtful in not mentioning it. After a few days, they each confessed and came to Erickson.
He made them agree to do exactly what he said and then told them to kneel on the bed when they were ready for sleep and each had to urinate, and then sleep in it. They came back several days later, and they had kept their word. He then told them, “Since you did as I told you, tonight you can go to bed normally without the urination, and come back tomorrow”. The next day, they said the bed was dry in the morning, so he “allowed” them another dry night. Then another, and then he declared them “cured”.
These two stories illustrate the immense power of the unconscious for both good and bad. One of the major jobs of the unconscious mind is to “protect” the physical body (home of the unconscious mind) from harm. If a threat is perceived whether real or imaginary, it goes into action, even if the action may be harmful to itself.
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Making candles can be great fun. It is very exciting to decide what type of candle to make and get your supplies. However, some individuals quickly become disappointed and frustrated with the process and give up. There are some common problems that beginners experience with candle making. Most of them have quick and easy solutions. It is recommended that all beginners start with the basic candle making process. This gives you the opportunity to learn the basics, then you can move on to making the types of candles you really want to.
One secret to making great candles is to use quality products. In general, candle making supplies are inexpensive. If the wax you purchase is of poor quality, then it is never going to make quality candles. Heating the wax to the proper temperature is very important. The temperature will change depending on the type of candle you are making with it. If the wax isn’t hot enough it won’t form correctly. Likewise, wax that is too hot will lose luster and won’t be as sturdy once it cools.
Have you ever made a beautiful candle, but when you lit it the room filled with smoke rather than the fragrance of the candle? This problem has to do with your wick, it is too long. Simply cut them shorter for future candles. You can snip the tips of the candles you have already created and this should remedy the situation.
Some candles burn and smell great, but they look ugly after a few uses with a crater in the middle of the candle while the edges of the candle jar haven’t even been touched. This is the result of a wick that isn’t wide enough. It isn’t much you can do for candles you have already made except melt the wax in them and start over. You can purchase a wider wick or braid three together to get a good thickness. The wider the candle jar, the wider you need your wick to be for the candle to burn evenly.
Cooling candles is an area of trouble for many beginners. Don’t rush the cooling process or you will damage the hardness of the candle. Forcing the candle to cool will also result in bubbles forming in the top and middle of the candle. While it won’t be a physical defect, the melting wax will go into these bubbles when you have the candle lit resulting in the wick going out. Candles should be allowed to cool in an area where they won’t be moved until completely cool. The area needs to be flat and out of direct sunlight. You will also want to make sure there aren’t any heating or cooling vents in the cooling area.
If you notice that your cooled candle isn’t as appealing as you’d like because the wax pulled away from the glass jar in some areas, try heating your jars in the microwave for a minute or two right before you fill them. This will help the wax adhere to it correctly with a very smooth look all the way around the jar.
It is important to remember that candle making involves some basic concepts. It will take a few tries to complete the steps properly, but give it some time. You will have to experiment to find the methods that work best in your work environment to make the candles you want.
Divination is also referred to as fortune telling. Divination uses aspects of the supernatural to predict the future or give insight. There are many different forms of divination. Divination usually involves a ritual or other formal routine. This could involve the lighting of candles, chanting of incantations or burning of incense is a way to connect with the other side, which could be those who have passed away, spirits or holy beings.
Divination is a highly criticized practice. There are many people who believe that divination cannot be proven as real. They believe that since divination usually involves one person connecting with the other side that the person is simply scamming or faking the connection. Many skeptics believe that divination is merely tapping into the sub-conscious mind and not communicating with the other side at all. Still others believe that there is no connection at all and the person doing the divination is just saying whatever they believe people want to hear. Despite numerous attempts to prove critics wrong, there is still skeptics out there who will never believe in the supernatural abilities of those who practice divination.
Some of the more popular and best known forms of divination include the following:
Astrology- Using the positions of the planets, sun and moon in correspondence with time, date, location and the Zodiac to give insight into one’s life and future.
Tarot- The use of a 78 card deck that is laid out into spreads or patterns then read to look into one’s situation.
Palmistry- Reading the lines on ones hand to interpret their life path.
Rune Casting- The use of runes that are cast upon the ground or a cloth to tell a persons situation.
Channeling- Connecting with the other side, spirits, and delivering their messages.
Psychic/Intuition- Connecting with a spirit or other celestial being to deliver messages, can be used with other forms of divination.
Divination may be something that a person is born able to do. For others it is something to be learned. It is widely thought that every person has the ability to tap into the supernatural. It just takes time for some to learn how to do it.
Divination has been used for centuries. It is often looked at as evil or as something that is only done by those who do not believe in God. This is not true. Many religious activities often include divination style practices. Anything that brings a connection between a person and a celestial being, be it God, a Saint, an angel, is a form of divination.
Most divination is done in a proper setting. The area used for divination is only used for that purpose. Nothing else is done in that area. Many times there are alters or other things to honor the spirits that may be present. It is done in a manner that shows respect to those beings that are coming to help or send messages. For people that practice divination it is a very serious ritual.
Divination is something that requires great patience and dedication. It may take a person a long time in order to connect to a spirit and when they do it can tae even longer to understand the messages they may be sending. It is a process that should be done with the knowledge of how to do it properly. Many times people expect to see amazing things, like lights flickering, the person performing the divination to fall into a trance or something else spectacular. This is usually not how it happens, though. It is usually a rather peaceful process that happens almost naturally.
Marissa Valentin is owner and webmaster of a top rated free psychic reading resource website . She has been a psychic advisor for 34 years and has the natural gifts of clairvoyance and clairaudience as well as an amazing empathic abilty.
Aleister Crowley was a pioneer, a trailblazing searcher who opened the door of magick to reveal the secrets that had not been, until his time, even whispered in the confines of a closet. Aleister opened the doors and swung them wide for all followers of the occult to rush through in pursuit of their magical attainment. For this reason, he has been called a genius as well as a trivial madman but one thing is true; he has not faded into the facade of history nor has his persona quietly died. Quite to the contrary, Crowley has continued at the forefront of those cited as contributing the most to the spiritual dark arts.
During Crowley’s youth, he traveled with his father who preached across the country and so, Aleister was exposed to the work and skills needed to communicate a message and idea to the masses. In the days before technological advances, the “face to face” communication was not only the most effective; it was one of the few ways to spread the word of any philosophy. Aleister was drawn to belief: not good or bad, but he had a deep-seeded wish to search for more and this trait was one that served him well throughout his life. Ever a student, he would spread the word of his magical workings throughout his entire life.
Young Aleister’s father died of cancer and the experience left the impressionable youth stunned and ultimately, bitter. He set his path on an unspoken philosophy of “anything that does not conform”. His earliest poetry illustrates the idea of “anti” while opening the mind to that which was “unthought” or never spoken. I do not say that Aleister’s heart was filled with hate; that would be untrue and an easy way to dismiss his life-long works. Aleister was filled with something much different. He was filled with a burning wants to question everything (a trait embraced by Satanists even today) and a tenant to believe only what could be proven. This served him quite well throughout his life.
Crowley was a connoisseur of sex and he loved sexual encounters with both men and women. He often remarked that he “only had sex to fulfill the requirements of his magical workings” yet it seems that he also took great pleasure in the many deviations to sex acts that were anything other than conventional. He would enjoy paying a prostitute to degrade him by inserting various household items into his rectum and on one occasion, was sodomized by two men in a Turkish bathhouse while performing ingeminating fellatio on yet a third man. He also enjoyed subjecting his partners to pain as well. During a sex magick ritual, he placed his fist into a young man’s anus to the point of almost rupturing his intestinal wall. All within the spirit of magick and finding a higher awareness of “self”.
Aleister was also interested and even curious about the fragility of life itself. After hearing a saying that a cat had nine lives, he reasoned that it would be almost impossible to kill a cat, and he set out to do just that. Crowley caught a cat and administered nine different terminal treatments to the animal which culminated with the cat being thrown from a second story window to “remove any remaining life”. Quite to the contrary, the animal had been dead since giving it a lethal dose of arsenic; the first of the treatments. For the curious young lad, the event was performed in the name of science and the results were simply a byproduct of a scientific experiment.
Crowley’s “The Book of the Law” is hailed as his best work even though there are other great titles to choose from. His writings were factual, confusing, poetic and mystifying, all at the same time. He had written poetry since a young boy and that motif operandi was seen as a common thread in all of his future writings. Prolific yet reserved, he preferred to write poetry and insisted on being called “The World’s Best Poet”.
He was an enigma that was perhaps, before his time and I often contemplate what he could have achieved if he lived in our wonderful time of email, internet, and cyber chat. Oh, what he could have accomplished! Without conscience and devoid of humanity, he is what all members of the human race should strive to be… “a searcher”. He was not encapsulated by hearsay, dogma or urban legend. He opened his mind and all senses to receive all he could discover. Satanists take so many of his attributes to heart and strive to learn that which will show itself during a magical endeavor.
Crowley’s magick was without bounds and he did not set out to be evil at all. He believed there were forces and spirits just beyond our worldly grasp and he wanted to experience those dark images that do not cast any shadows on the floor. “Evil” was a moniker that was assigned to Aleister by a self-righteous society unable to open their minds enough to discover and benefit from Crowley’s work. His acts frightened the population and his words angered the monarchy of the time. He was not a Satanist per se. Satanism was not his primary focus and Aleister did not seriously believe in a pointed-tail viper, as it were. He communicated with demons and spirits thus being more of a student of demonology than any other magical operation.
He has been the inspiration for countless searchers; myself included. He inspired L. Ron Hubbard through his magical workings which can be glimpsed in Hubbard’s Dianetics and The Church of Scientology. Anton LaVey cited references and praised Crowley’s written works. Led Zeppelin guitarist, Jimmy Page, was an avid follower of Crowley and even purchased the house “Boleskine” once owned by Crowley, on the south-eastern shore of Scotland’s Loch Ness. Page claimed the house was haunted and also confessed the house “held a sacred and creative feel that allowed for total artistic freedom”. Crowley continues to inspire and influence music and writers in modern society today.
Aleister Crowley was one of the first practitioners of the occult to blend magick with consumption of mind-altering drugs during his rituals.His grimoires, which read like scientist’s process books, recorded many occasions when Aleister and those asked to join him, would ingest large amounts of narcotics and natural stimulants to achieve a higher state of conscientiousness and open their minds to events that would enlighten the participants. Experimentation in such arenas was frowned upon and in some cases, the act of performing a blasphemous ritual as he often performed, was illegal. His connection with the other side of the human brain can be called “cutting edge” however, Crowley’s grimoires were often dismissed as “drug-induced gibberish”.
Within the framework of magical operations, Aleister was meticulous in the execution of rituals. He would labor over the details and weigh the effects of each slight deviation from the original working to gauge the expected result. He also looked at magick as cumulative or “cross-collateralized”, which built upon the earlier building block; increasing power and heightening the magician’s experience. Nothing was taboo, too sinister or any idea dismissed without fully exploring the possibilities that might reap benefits. Aleister was anything but shy and if the ritual called for him to be treated with violence, disdain and abusively injured, so mote it be.
Aleister Crowley was a well-known member of the group Ordo Templi Orientis (Order of the Temple of the East) which closely resembled the Freemasons and Masonic Lodge until Aleister joined. He led the association in a different direction which adopted Thelema as the core principle. The Book of the Law communicated two of Crowley’s best-known verses which are still used quite often even today. First, the groundwork for his belief and theology was laid with a simple phrase; “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love under will” which is cited regularly by those practitioners of all magical arts. He was never quick to dismiss anyone’s ideas or beliefs without first evaluating and contrasting the belief compared to his very own.
Aleister was always fascinated with lines, angles, and voids created by an enclosed symbol, especially a unicursal creation. Aleister’s unicursal hexagram is a star that can be drawn in one line without stopping the continuous flow. Geometric shapes were often drawn by Crowley to illustrate his projections occurring in astral travels. He believed “reason” was shielded by logic and by understanding motivation, one could clearly look deep into the logical progression of magick. Transitional Logic and Cognitive Modeling were paramount to understanding the results of magick rituals and by disseminating the logic relationships, one could also change the variables to estimate the results of a ritual, having slightly changed the inputs and elements. The idea was revolutionary for its time and the general population was too critical of Crowley to even seriously consider the possibility that he might very well have a theorem that was truly brilliant. He did not help his cause when the press ran articles about his magical escapades including homosexual encounters, spells/hexes, animal sacrifice and a report revealing that Aleister had eaten his own feces as well as the feces of others in his ritual group. Reports of killing animals during sexual intercourse did not help his cause at all.
Aleister was also an avid Astrologer and he studied astrology almost as in-depth as magick. Evangeline Adams was one of the most important influences on the development of American astrology and Crowley developed a relationship with Adams that was based upon their mutual passion of studying the stars and planets. The two would collaborate on articles, papers and books about astrological aspects and the relationship of celestial bodies and planetary orbits. Crowley also used many astrological illustrations and references in his magical writings as well. One such reference was used to explain how a person cannot readily change their path through life and how inertia plays an important role in continuing the established directional path and momentum: “There are no ‘standards of Right’. Ethics is balderdash. Each Star must go on its own orbit. To hell with “moral principle”; there is no such thing.”
So, I have pointed out some facts and observations of Aleister Crowley; some good and some “not so good”. To me, he is truly a pioneer that was perhaps a few generations ahead of his time. I read and study his works from time to time and I appreciate his dedication to his craft. His entire life reads like a grimoire of magick, experimentation, excess and theories “tried and proven”. Because Crowley and searchers like him have documented so much – so well, we are able to take advantage of his efforts which allows us to be light years ahead of where we would be had he never written even an article about magick. We should recognize the advantages we have and the knowledge passed down to us by Crowley. His efforts of being totally uninhibited have allowed seekers to “pick up where he left off” in the never-ending quest for increased magical knowledge. We are better magicians, seekers, followers, practitioners and ultimately more powerful because of this man. Yes, he was eccentric and his approach to the magical arts was unorthodox (and stomach turning as well) however, he blazed a path into history and for his efforts and sharing of his art form, we are better for having access to his writings and privileged to do some of the same workings that he not only practiced but actually created.
Aleister Crowley will live forever and his words will be shared for all eternity; which is something he could only dream of in his time.
Author Aleister Nacht is a Satanic Magus and leader of a regional coven comprising of numerous groups located in Florida. With a modern view of Satanism, he brings the darkness to life in a very tangible manner. His books have found favor with a multitude of searchers crossing all demographic and geographic boundaries. Nacht is also the spiritual/technical advisor for the “Gods of the New Church”; a Satanic group that meets in a virtual sanctum created by Nacht in cyberspace. Nacht’s audio recordings (Aleister Nacht’s Satanic Audio Blog) are available for free download on iTunes.
His books on Satanism have connected with the emerging multitude that refuses believe the lies of the religious establishment. Nacht manages to offer searchers an alternative based upon truth and reason instead of hypocritical rhetoric and lies. His digital and hard-copy books are distributed worldwide by Loki / Speckbohne Publishing. Recently, Nacht was approached by an independent producer/director interested in filming a documentary entitled “The Resurrection Next Door” that will explore modern Satanism and the recent increasing interest and popularity in Satanism. Nacht lives in the Tampa Bay area and enjoys the “Salt Life”.
Horoscope was drawn for the birth of Martin Luther appearing in Ebenezer Sibly's Astrology. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
When it comes to Astrology there are usually only two opinions: for or against. Some people believe Astrology can predict events, others scoff at the idea. The truth is that both camps are wrong.
Claiming that Astrology predicts exact events goes against the nature of the study of astrology. This statement will disappoint some earnest followers of the study. But these people and others must learn that the strength of astrology is not in predicting exact outcomes but general tendencies which reveal themselves as time wears on.
Imagine someone making the prediction that next Wednesday you will be bitten by a neighbor's dog as you step out of your house and as the neighbor screams angry words at you. Who knows, that might happen. But that kind of precise prediction is not what astrology is about. If someone makes that prediction in the name of astrology do not trust the person making the prediction.
It is in the nature of astrology to make general predictions about tendencies. An astrologer, after doing a careful study of your horoscope, for example, might say you will have trouble at some time in the future because (fill in words were derived from the study of your horoscope). The astrologer might predict that something bad might happen to you in the near or far future. But that's about it. Just likelihoods and probabilities. No exact times and certainties.
For some people, this is astrology's strength. For others, it is a weakness. Some people want astrology to predict things like the winning lottery number in next Friday's drawing. Others, the true believers, are satisfied learning whether and when and how to handle the general run of events which will unfold in their future.
The proper role of astrology is to help gain insight and understanding in the patterns and directions life. The predictions, whether based on natal charts or on planetary motion, are never absolute. One of the important reasons the predictions can never be precise is because there is a certain kind of human element. The individual may follow or choose not to follow certain paths. The person may 'fight' his or her destiny. There are too many variables at play all the time which frustrate any prediction with any degree of accuracy about anyone's future.
r is also great when used as an anti-aging cream. We all know how expensive anti-aging products are and most of them do not really work. We get carried away by advertisements and we just end up throwing away our hard-earned money and being disappointed. To make your own at home, you need:
was developed over 2500 years ago in the Orient. Through this development was an understanding of how the human touch, combined with specific pressure points could help to stop disorders. Each of these touches would stimulate specific areas of the body that was not in tune with the natural flow of energy. This would then allow one to begin there own healing process. 
is one that moves beyond the prescription pills and into a method of complete relaxation. By doing this, one is able to find an alternative method to begin healing and developing a holistic approach to health. The various massages that have been developed through Chinese medicine are a great way for you to stop taking the extra medications, and instead, sit back and relax. 
. They form 75% of the flora of Australia and have naturalized themselves to many other countries. Some are medicinal oils, some industrial oils and some are used in perfumery. Each oil will have different constituents, different properties, and uses. The oil comes not from the bark of the tree but from its leaves. Eucalyptus is definitely an oil that should be in everyone's medicine cabinet. All of the eucalyptus oils are in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae).
and like E.globulus, it is high in 1,8 cineole. It is a very antimicrobial and an expectorant oil yet gentler in action than some of the others.
s as well as other essential oils? Consider becoming a certified aromatherapist. Educational courses in healing energy and aromatherapy can help you understand how essential oils heal the body/mind/spirit.
. Then, have the patient emulate a really bad asthma attack. “Come on, get really bad, your throat is closing more and more.” It’s getting worse and worse.” When the patient really starts to become in distress, say, “Now, count to three”. As he gets to three, he relaxes, and says, “Now, it’s gone, and you are in control”.
, I used a “deepening” technique that went something like this, “Now, I want you to imagine and visualize yourself going down an escalator as I count to ten. One, imagine yourself stepping on and feeling the steps from under your feet. Two, as you move down, relax even more. Three, as you go down further, concentrate more and more. Four, and as you relax more, you can concentrate more. Five, this positive circle of concentration and relaxation continues as you move down.”
usually involves a ritual or other formal routine. This could involve the lighting of candles, chanting of incantations or burning of incense is a way to connect with the other side, which could be those who have passed away, spirits or holy beings.
may be something that a person is born able to do. For others it is something to be learned. It is widely thought that every person has the ability to tap into the supernatural. It just takes time for some to learn how to do it.
is something that requires great patience and dedication. It may take a person a long time in order to connect to a spirit and when they do it can tae even longer to understand the messages they may be sending. It is a process that should be done with the knowledge of how to do it properly. Many times people expect to see amazing things, like lights flickering, the person performing the divination to fall into a trance or something else spectacular. This is usually not how it happens, though. It is usually a rather peaceful process that happens almost naturally.
