A joint-venture newsletter by Jaki Daniels and Marilyn Geddes

Hearthlight Publishing Spring 2009

Editors Corner

byDeborahBurke

Jaki Daniels
Jaki Daniels. As many of you know, Jaki has been given the gift of hearing the voices of plants, as well as other aspects of Earth. This Spring, in collaboration with friend and col league Marilyn Geddes, she started looking for ways to share those messages with a wider audience. Soforthoseofuswhoyearntohearthe voices of Life, and for those who never imag ined such things were possible, I invite you to joinmeinreadingthecontentsofthisnewslet ter. Let us open our hearts to hear the song and voices of the plants who quietly and lov ingly serve us everyday without asking for any thing in return. Let us expand our beings and embracethelovingguidancegiventousbyour very surroundings. And with that said, it gives megreatpleasuretoinviteyoutolistentothis special offering from one of Alberta's native messengers of Spring, the soft and lovely Prai rieCrocus.......
Our Editor, Deborah Burke, is an intuitive heal ing practitioner and dream reader, who, in spired by some wonderful teachers in her life, hasbeguntowalkthepathofSpirit. Email:gentlehealing@shaw.ca Website:www.redfeatherhealth.com

It's Spring! Wonderful Spring! That lovely time when our thoughts turn to new beginnings, warm weather, and the life that lives beyond the confines of our homes and places of work. Birds sing beckoning us to walk out our doors to feel the warming breezes, and to feel the joy in the air from the very Earth herself. Life, in all its beauty and glory, returns in full force, waiting to share its lovewithallthosewhoareopentoseeit. How many times have you, like myself, been so wrapped up in the daily schedules, deadlines, and commute to work, that you have forgotten to take a moment to listen to the joyful song of the little meadowlark? Or to see the tulip stretching its arms upward through the warming earth to herald the start of the new season? What will it take to open that doorway for all of us to have that awak ening that we are so very lucky to live in a world that is literally teaming with life in all its myriadcolors,shapesandsizes? In the past year, I have been on a quest an inner quest to find that part of life that has eluded many throughout the ages that deep inner connection with the world of Na ture. On my journey I was fortunate to meet and begin to work with a very gifted woman,

is a practitioner, author, and teacher of the ancient art of shamanism. Her book, Heeding the Call: A Personal Journey to the Sacred is available at independent bookstores across Canada, distributed by Dempsey Distributors. For more information about Jaki and the courses sheoffers,pleasegoto:

www.earthandskyhealing.com

Marilyn Geddes

is a shamanic practitioner andauthor.Herbook,Ask the Very Beasts: Words of Wisdom and Comfort from Unexpected Sources is availableviaherwebsite:
www.rattlesnakebooks.ca

Marilyncanbereachedat:
marilyngeddes@shaw.ca

~~Prairie Crocus~~ Anemone patens

This plant is also known as pasque flower or American pulsatilla (PulsatillaludovicianaorPulsatillapatens).

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Jakis Corner
WithintheLawofNature,nothingistoo wonderfultobetrue.MichaelFaraday Over the past decade, in my work and in my life, I have discovered that truth first hand. There is a line in a poem by Rumi, We dont hear the inani mate ones speaking to each other, and to us! How dowelistentowhatdoesntspeak?Theartofsha manism provides the doorway, and I feel privileged tobeabletoshareoneofthoseintimateencounters here. While sitting with the prairie crocus, tuning in to their character and energy tone, I sense the strengthinthisplant.Theyknowwhoandwhatthey are,andtheyhaveastrongpresence,yetthepartof themmostexposedtotheworld,theirflowerheads, are delicate and easily harmed. I find myself sitting thereforalongtimebeforetheteachingscome: Icarrythemessagesoftheearth.Imarkthe arrivalofSpringasoneofthosemessages.The groundhasthawed,theinsectsawakened,the bacteriaagainreproducing,allthemicro organismsstirring.Isignalallofthesethings. LookhowIfacethesunandmycenterislikea radiantsun.Thecoloryellowsignalsthesun touchingtheearthagain,itsraysreaching downtothesurfacetowarmandenliven,not distantlikeinthewintersolsticephase.Bytell ingyouabouttheearth,Ialsoteachaboutyou. Comeoutsidenow,comeintothelight,bewith theearthagain.Iamasasunrise,signalinga newday.Timetogetup.Timetogetout.Time tobeactive.Theearthwillnowtakeyouinher openingarms. As I look out across the sea of prairie cro cuses, I am in awe of the gifts the natural world of fers us, each and every day. I realize I have a lot to sharewith mypeople. Justthe meeting andgrowing friendship with this one plant could be a little book, a doorway for people into the world of plants and plant medicines. Each time I meet with them, they reveal more about themselves, as in any deepening

friendship. Then I realize another facet of their en ergy and subtle influence. They are here for me, not justtoteachmebuttohelpme.Therearemoresto ries I need to tell, of my life and experiences, of the plants and the natural world. They offer their sup port,tellingmethatnotonlywillIbesupported,but that I am supported now, to accomplish my work. The universe will not ask of me without providing themeansformetofollowthrough. I allow myself to enter the dreamtime with thisplant.Ifindmyselfsittinginsideoneoftheflow ers. The strength of presence of the prairie crocus enlarges. The petals feel very strong and sturdy around me, as if protecting me. In fact, there is such astrongsenseofprotectionthatforamomentIfear being shut in, trapped. Then the petals open and light streams through. I lie back, now basking in the balance between being held safe and close, and the vastopennessofthesky. Our attunement deepens. While the connec tion is strong I am surprised to find myself replaying an incident in my mind from a few months ago where I was placed in an awkward position, in front of many witnesses, and was expected to respond instantly. At the time, I found the easy way out, which worked fine, but I knew in my heart that I gave in, that I had sacrificed my personal truth in order to quickly resolve the issue. Later, I contem plated how I could have managed it better, but the wiserpatheludedme. Continuedonpg3

www.earthandskyhealing.com

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Continuedfrompg2

The awareness that I am sitting with the prairie crocus returns and I wonder why that incident sur facednow.Asitwasnotmyintention,Itrustedthattheremustbeaconnection.Inthenextfewmoments another vision flooded my inner sight: the same initial incident but this time easily flowing into a different outcome.Icouldseeitandhearit.Thewisdompathwasrevealed.InthisnewvisionIwasgentleyetclear. Thisalternateapproachalsoavertedanymisunderstandingorconfusionthatcouldariseinthefuture.The planthadoffereditsmedicineandIhadreceivedit.Sometimelater,itcontinueditsteachings: Getclearaboutyourplans,whatmakesthemostsensetoall?Dontnarrowyourfocustoonlyyou andyourworldlydesires.Clarityaboutyourpurpose,yourplan,yourtiming,isallimportant.Blossom whentheconditionsareright.Ifyouholdbackthroughfearorexcessivethinking,apartofyouwill die,apartofyouwilllosethemomentumforgrowthandexpression.Experienceclarityofthought! Experiencecontentmentwithyourpurpose!FEELyourreasonforbeinghere,dontTHINKyourreason forbeinghere.Somepeoplestandout,othersstandapart,butnoonestandsalone.Ourroots,our history,connectsusall.Ournourishmentcomesfromthesamesource.Strengthcomesfromclarityof purposeandawarenessthatyourrootsarestrong.

Mytimewithprairiecrocushadcometoanendforthisyear.Maybeforyoutheresstilltime.Go outside,seekoutthisplant,introduceyourself,andmaybe,justmaybe,abeautifulfriendshipwillbegin.

Jeri-Lees Corner
Early this spring as I was walking through the dried winter grasses at Nose Hill Park, seeking out the new growth, I was appreciating the cycles of life and how they are so closely related to our personal lives. I found my self searching and searching, eyes strain ing,almostslightlydisappointed.Iwasnothavingany luck. I stopped, took a deep breath, looked around, andsatonthegroundalmostreadytogiveup.Aftera few more breaths and stillness, I looked down beside me,andsawacrocuspokingthroughthetallgrass.As I noticed the shape and color, and took all of it in, I suddenly started to see more and more all around me. What I had been searching for had been there all along. All I needed to do was become centred and grounded, without expectation, and theywerepresenteddirectlytome.AsIfeltthestrengthofthispreciousplant,Iwasremindedof the prayers and dreams I had before winter hibernation. It was all coming back to me. I thank thePrairieCrocusforitsgentlereminders.
Our graphic designer, JeriLee Rose, is the Office Manager for Hearthlight Publishing, Assistant to Jaki Daniels, and a student of ARCEnergyBodyWork.ShehasdedicatedherlifetolearnandgrowthroughtheteachingsofSpiritandLove.

Inournextissue:MarilynsCorner.Watchforit.
Tobeplacedonanemaillisttoautomaticallyreceivefutureeditionsofthisnewsletter, pleasewritetojerilee@earthandskyhealing.com

www.earthandskyhealing.com

Withinthepagesofthisbookyouareinvitedintoasacredcircle,wheretheintimate andpersonaldetailsoftheauthorsjourneytoaworldofancienthealingpractices,sha mans,ceremony,andthepowerfulforcesinherentinnaturearerevealed.Letyourselfbe carriedalongassheshareshersixyearquest,catalyzedbyamysticalexperienceinAl bertasRockyMountains,followedbytravelsintheUS,Mexico,andPeru,andculminating inacceptingherselfasamoderndaymedicinewoman,willingandabletoofferthehealing giftsshehasbeengiven. Stepoutsidetheordinary.Learnhowtoventureintotheseotherwisehiddenrealms andexperienceforyourselfhowtheshamanicspiritualwayscanbeapersonaldoorwayto thesacred.

AsktheVeryBeastsisaninspiredcompilationofmagicalconversationswithanimals andalsosomeunexpectedsourcesthatwilltouchtheheartofanyonewhohaseverloved apetormarveledatthesightingofawildcreature.Fromperspectivesthatarenottypically availabletous,theuniqueofferingsfromthesenonhumanteachersspeaktoourdeepest longingsandmostprofoundquestionswithclarity,grace,wisdomandhumour.Through theirwords,wearehumbledanduplifted,forwecannothelpbutrecognizethateverything inourworldhasvalue,intelligence,andacapacitytoinformus.Thisbookwillchangefor everyourunderstandingofyourtrueplacewithintheweboflife.

www.earthandskyhealing.com