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Enlighten Up / Healthy Seasonal Foods / Sign of the Month
Enlighten Up
Illuminating Chakras
by Freya Sampson Custodian Eartheart
What is a Chakra? In English there is no translation that really makes sense to a western mind. ‘Chakra’ is a Sanskrit word that means ‘wheel’, with ara (spokes). This meaning comes from one of the Hindu scriptures, the ‘Rig-Veda’. This translation speaks to the shape of and motion of a chakra, which is like that of a spinning wheel.
There are a number of different schools of thought about how many chakras there are. Many say there are 7 personal chakras, some say 8… and so on. Personally, I relate to 11 personal chakras, which have a front and a back or top and bottom which correspond with organs, systems and functions of the body.
The number 11 corresponds to the scared geometry of the Tree of Life, which has 11 houses/cities or mansions, which are joined by pathways.
In the Kabbalah System, the subtle bodies and dimensions are described as; Yod = Divine He = Soul Vav = Astral He = Physical The Tree of Life itself represents the Etheric Dimension and Body.
The circles are called Sephora and are the chakras, the lines that join them are the meridians and the geometry it sits within - the Flower of Life is the Aura.
The 11 Personal chakras and first two transpersonal chakras are; the Soul Star Chakra - Connection to Soul Dimension. The Earth Star Chakra - Connection to the Earth - makes incarnation possible.
The Soul (above) and Earth Star (below) are also chakras, they are the first 2 transpersonal chakras (of many), which connect the human being to the incarnation and to their home of origin - Soul.
The above 11 Chakra System with front and back aspect is generally condensed into the standard 7 chakra system, as it is a little easier for most people to conceptualize.
Healthy Seasonal Foods
May Fruit - Kiwi and Zucchini What’s in Season for May and June?
by Jane Offer
Luscious and delicious Kiwi fruit is available right now. Native to the Yangtze River valley of northern China there are two varieties, the normal green fruit and the creamy, sweeter and less acidic gold type.
With high levels of vitamins E, A, and K plus flavonoids, antioxidants and minerals such as magnesium, potassium, iron and antiinflammatory properties, the health benefits are enormous. Kiwi also contains more vitamin C than an orange so is helpful in boosting the immune system.
Kiwi fruit aids digestion and is a useful diuretic, helping to remove excessive sodium build up in the body which can cause bloating, swelling and water retention. It supports the respiratory system and may help shorten the duration of colds and ease coughing. Kiwi is useful at keeping ear, nose and throat infections at bay, improves eye health, balances blood sugar levels and even the seeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids essential for cognitive function.
Kiwi fruit adds another dimension to fruit salads, is refreshing as a snack with coconut yoghurt and can be chopped over a plain sponge cake and drizzled with cream, ice cream or yoghurt for a quick dessert.
Quick Fact: Did you know Kiwi contains an enzyme that stops gelatine setting?
Zucchini (known as courgette in Europe)
This vegetable, resembling a small cucumber, contains no fat, is high in water and fibre content and is packed with significant amounts of vitamins B6, riboflavin, folate, C, and K plus minerals such as potassium and manganese. Therefore, it is a good inclusion to any eating program, helping to improve digestion by reportedly reducing the incidence of constipation and helping ease the symptoms of ulcers, IBS and other colon issues.
There appears to be evidence of anti-aging properties too as they are rich in antioxidants and antiinflammatory phytonutrients, which help rid the body of free radicals and excess inflammation which contribute to the aging process. Being low in fat and sodium, but high in fibre and potassium, Zucchini help to maintain healthy blood circulation and the high fibre content reduces the need for carbs and therefore balances sugar levels.
To read the whole article go to www.supernalmagazineaustralia.com.au/past-iissues/
Sign of the Month
Gemini I Am
by Varij Varidium
“Where can I find a man, who has transcended words? I would like to have a word with him”
- Chuang Tzu [paraphrased]
“The more you talk and think about it, the further astray you wander from the truth. Stop talking and thinking and there is nothing you will not be able to know.” -
Sosan [Book of Nothing]
Did you know a typical Gemini opening line is, do you know that Gemini knows everything? Sorry, that’s not quite right, that’s more Sagittarius. No, to be more precise, Gemini knows a little bit about everything, or at least they know how or where to find out about whatever it is you might want to know.
Okay Gemini, what do you know about Enlightenment?
Gemini: I won’t even try to answer that question because the Taoist sage Lao Tzu has already checkmated any meaningful answer with his much quoted sutra: ‘those who know do not speak; those who speak do not know’. But then again, if he said that, he checkmated himself too, didn’t he?
Nice try Gemini, but in point of fact, he wrote those words down rather than spoke them, so the checkmate still applies.
Gemini Take Two: To tell the truth, which I don’t always do, I must say that after reading widely on the subject, reading about enlightenment is not very enlightening. It appears to indeed be true that attempting to grasp what enlightenment is through conceptual understanding is akin to trying to describe what colour is to a person blind from birth.
So where does that leave us? With the radically different approach of Zen, I would suggest. Zen aims to provoke a direct experience of enlightenment through various methods, ranging from direct transmission from a master to contemplation of a ‘koan’.
