Perspective

Living in Maine has given me many gifts, as well as learning about the seasons and what each one has to offer. While the world climate as a whole seems to be changing, so have the seasons I have grown to love in Maine. After reading Thea’s beautiful words about finding your passion, I realized I have many. One, which is not my first on the list, is flowers. I love flowers, all flowers. I love color. I love hummingbirds, bees and butterflies. Every spring I watch with amazement as little sprigs of green start sprouting out of the ground, saying “hello” from a long winters nap. It is the cycle of life and the internal beauty of it all. As the earth warms and the sun holds it’s space long in the sky, those little sprouts transform themselves and as summer approaches the magic is about to happen.

Now, of course, for years I tended my gardens with a flock of chickens which are rather helpful, but along came Randy (the best black sheep ever). Randy has definitely created some gardening challenges, most of which I approach as a competition. Some days, he does win more than I would like. After not being able to figure out the best way to Randy-proof my beloved gardens and flower pots last year, 2021 was going to be my year. A full week into summer and I AM WINNING!!! (knock on wood). My perineal beds look like fortresses of metal ‘decorative’ fencing, endless amounts of bamboo sticks, odd yard pieces blocking the ‘weaker’ areas of protection. They look amazing. Go team Nicole. While I have spent hours weeding, edging and improving my soil to make those gardens flourish, there is something more about flowers that I love.

There is a magical feeling in the air when the end of spring is near and the green houses start to open. The anticipation of seeing the color and the smell of nature after a winter hibernation. It expands the senses and reminds me everyday about the cycle of life. Of course, in planning my annual flowers, which are simply a labor of love. I lug out all my pots from the shed, prepare them with fresh soil and get ready for opening day. I find myself at my favorite greenhouse the day the flowers arrive, of course living in a small town, I keep in close contact with the owner!! It could be rain or shine, but I am there picking out all colors of the rainbow, smiling from ear to ear, talking to the flowers and filling my cart. Once my truck is full and my heart is happy, off I go. I spend the next few days mixing colors and figuring out how to protect them from Randy, he loves flowers too. This has been a great year for my flower pots, protected from Randy, they are flourishing in the summer sun! Since this summer has decided it is going to be the hottest one on record, watering has become very much a full time job. Can you imagine it takes 3 hours a day, to water flowers and all the animals? It has become part of my exercise routine lugging around 300 feet of hose and IT IS WORTH every second!! Even on the dark foggy Maine days my flowers are bright and cheerful making my soul smile. It truly is a passion enjoying what nature has to offer. I am looking forwards to what lies ahead for the summer and I don't even get me started talking about Fall Mums!!! While this seems like work, it is what helps keep me in nature, keeps me outside and remembering with care we can all keep blooming, even when the flowers fade there are deep roots that keep us planted.

All My Best,

Dr. Nicole

Working with Crystals: Black Tourmaline and Celestite

Hello to all of you lovely people!

We are going to go over two different types of crystals this week. Black Tourmaline, and because we have just come out of Mercury Retrograde this week, Celestite as well.

We will start with Black Tourmaline. The picture you see here is Black Tourmaline combined with a clear quartz crystal. Generally, if you are looking them up and finding them for sale in shops and online you will most likely see an all-black crystal.

Black Tourmaline protects from electromagnetic energy, negative energy, and psychic attacks. It helps to cleanse and purify. It can also transform dense energy into higher, lighter vibrations. This makes Black Tourmaline wonderful for cleansing your aura. It also helps to release negative thoughts, anger, and unworthiness while assisting in enhancing positive thinking and creativity. It can assist in grounding your spiritual energy to the Earth and help with clearing and balancing all of the chakras, but especially your base chakra.

To start working with Black Tourmaline remember to clear the energy from your crystal, ask for its assistance. Then, set an intention you would like to be assisted with. Remember this is a crystal that can be used in all areas of the body. If you like you can amplify its properties by using a clear quartz crystal with it as well.

This piece of Black Tourmaline is combined with crystal quartz and was found here in Maine!

If you would like more information about the crystals we present here, please do! You can also use books like “The Crystal Bible, A Definitive Guide to Crystals” by Judy Hall, she actually has three books full of information. We find these books invaluable.

This second crystal is called Celestite. Celestite is a blue crystal with high vibration, it is usually found in clusters or in a geode form.

This crystal is wonderful to use after coming out of Mercury Retrograde. You just spent a couple of weeks working directly with letting go of things that are not working for you, and now you are moving on to finding new paths, thoughts, experiences, etc… Celestite has several attributes that will be especially helpful during this time. Celestite helps to calm and sharpen the mind. It has a sweet and gentle energy that assists in inner peace and is also strong in assisting us to be open to new opportunities and experiences. It helps sharpen the mind while helping us stay calm and alleviates worry. It brings great assistance when planning new paths forward.

Celestite is also known to have strong metaphysical properties and will help you develop gifts that include connecting with your guardian angels, purifying and cleansing energy in a room, and even psychic prophecy or precognition.

Celeste works well with your throat chakra, and third eye and can make a direct connection from your third eye to your crown chakra. This can help facilitate higher spiritual awareness.

Also, with this crystal, we need to mention a couple of things about the care of your crystals. First, some crystals need to be kept out of direct sunlight or they fade, Celestite is one of these crystals. Second, there are many stones that you cannot get wet or they will start to dissolve, many of them end with “ite.” Celestite is one of these stones as well, so when clearing this crystal use a method that does not use water or salt water.

We hope that you have found some valuable information here, and have found a place to start you exploration of these crystals.

All Our Best,

Dr. Nicole & Thea

Passions, Priorities, and Healing

I myself met Dr. Nicole when I was in a very difficult place in my life and she started me on my healing journey. Like many I wanted to do everything and get it done with, but healing does not work that way. Changing foods and adding supplements is the tip of the iceberg. No argument, they do make you feel better and get your body more in balance, give you more energy, and cleanse you of what is hurting your body. However, other things are more challenging, let’s talk about self-care that does not include the dietary changes you have made for yourself. These are the changes you need to make for your mind and your spirit. You know those self-care things we are all supposed to do, say we know how important it is, but just can’t fit in anything more right now, we will get to them when we have time, money, energy, after work is finished, after I get my children get a bit older, my wants can wait for now…the excuses are endless and let’s be honest we know better.

What we don’t realize is, the things that feed our minds and spirits are the things that we are passionate about, get creative with and do our best interactions in and with this world. These things my lovely people are not wants, they are needs for our hearts and souls. Those moments with working with what we love to do are a very big part of what sustains us, and makes us thrive.

During those first few years (yes, years, I’m stubborn and willful and at that time fought everything as if it where an epic battle, epic things take a lot of time) while attempting to gain balance within myself physically, mentally and spiritually, I thought the only thing I could do was take care of my body. During this time of healing I had low energy and my body hurt. Somedays I could not get off the couch. I would knit, crochet spinning, embroider and everything I could get my hands on to explore deeper into in the fiber arts world. I felt like I was being lazy, I should push myself more housework, cleaning, working part time and being a mom taxi and I did. However, those where the days are when I felt the worst, but thought I felt better mentally because, I overcame my bodies limitations and strained it again in order to get what I though was most important done. This stagnated my progress for quite some time.

During my first year of healing I spent enough time on that couch to make enough things to have a homemade Christmas for my family, our parents and closest friends. This completely elated me, and my family as well. I went into the next year knowing I would do better. Of course that meant being 100% in a couple of months, right? Well, no, but I did improve. However, I was still missing the point of what was actually helping me heal and move forward. Every hat, mitten, sock, sweater, afghan, and piece of art work was an act of saving myself at the time. While creating I was immersed in learning, making, feeling excited and building a passion for something new. This creating was moving me forward, making me want to get up, feeling good about myself for what I was creating, no matter how bad I was at it in the beginning. I found that wanting to create made me not only want to live, but to be active, participate in life and continue exploring what I love to do.

Your interests and passions most likely live elsewhere than where I found mine to be, but the amount of self-care you give to yourself while pursuing what you love, gives so much more love, healing and self-worth back to you, it is priceless. It does not have to be a full time job, and probably at the moment it cannot be, however, making time for it daily even just a few minutes to move a project forward bit by bit is fulfilling. This is a big thing asking yourself to make yourself a priority, a number one priority at that, for just a little while each day. How could we think we did not have time for this? Why we are not worth our own time? I found I had to do it before I could understand why it was helping me, and I found that it made it easier to give to others when I had already created the”love” they needed me to give, it had been created when I was creating. This has increased my ability to give, rather than feel like it was being drained from me.

So, what is it that you are passionate about, curious about, want to learn about, want to say yes to? How about making your passion a priority?

Love and Blessings,

Thea

Working with Crystals: Clear Quartz

Good day lovely people! Dr. Nicole and I are starting to bring new tools to the website to assist you in your healing. We will slowly be rolling out new things for you over the next couple of months. Today we are starting by adding with Working with Crystals to your tool box.

Many of you may already know this information, but sometimes a quick review will also give you a needed reminder of a crystal’s properties or just a word that resonates with an intention you feel you need to make.

If you are new to working with crystals please enjoy the information that you find here, and let it lead you to explore if it captures your attention.

Today we start with Clear Quartz, due to its specificl crystalline structure it is the most powerful healing and energy amplifying crystal. It can be found all over the world and is known to be called the universal crystal do to its many uses. It is able to enhance energy by absorbing, storing, amplifying, balancing, focusing and transmitting it.

This crystal is helpful to the body, mind, and spirit. For healing it is helpful with any condition for it helps with the immune system and helps bring your body back into balance. It helps to cleanse and purify as well. I can be used for any part of the body and chakra. For the mind it improves concentration, and balances it with the body and spirit. For the spirit, it helps raise your energy to its highest level, back into harmony and balance, before you knew dis-ease.

Clear quartz is also helpful in the amplification of properties with all other crystals when they are used together.

To start working with this crystal, choose one that calls to you. Crystals need to be cleared of any energy that they have come in contact with or previous use, you are going to be creating a ‘blank slate” so to speak to work on the energy you want to work with. You can do this by running this crystal under the tap, in a water fall, cleansing it in the ocean or other salt water, smudging or letting it sit under a full or new moon. Please choose what ever cleansing technique call to you.

After this is done, sit with the piece of Quartz in your hand or on any part of the body you wish to focus on, it should be rather easy, quartz with help you with your focus as well. Be clear on what you would like assistance with. Remember it can be used anywhere one the body, for need of clarity for the mind, and helps raise your spiritual energy in matters in this area as well.

Make sure you give yourself enough time to work with your crystal, that your words, prayers and intentions are clear, you feel that you have been heard and have allowed the changes that you are seeking to start to take place for you. Trust yourself to know this has started.

Quartz is also helpful when you focus on an affirmation or mantra in regards of what you would like assistance with.

Questions to ponder:

What would you like to have healing assistance with?

Do you need something to come into focus? into balance?

Do you need assistance in spiritual work?

Love and Blessings,

Thea

Please let us know if there is additional information you would like about crystals themselves, we will have a Q&A answering post as well!

What Brings You Joy?

What really brings you joy?

Is the sun on your face that warms the body through?

The sound of someone’s laughter that makes you grin?

The quiet of a morning sunrise until you notice the chorus of the birds?

Greeting the morning no matter the weather, ready to see what today has in store.

The five minutes breathing that relaxes your shoulders and clears the mind?

Reading a book all afternoon?

Taking time to enjoy your tea?

Creating with your own hands, heart, and imagination?

There are so many more that I could list, but I find the underlying theme is taking time to do what makes our hearts happy. To slow down enough to witness, enjoy and reflect on a moment, task, or creative endeavor. To help you get into the slower place I thought I would share one moment with you.

I exhale loudly as I give myself a momentary break from prepping gardening beds. I look up at the sun and all at the same time the sun warms my face as a breeze cools me off, my back is bit achey, my hands are throbbing a bit from meeting my demands of them, I can smell fresh earth and I feel the dirt on my hands as well as on my feet, and I start to remember all of my gardens past, and planning this years garden all at the same time. It is all so beautiful and there is so much of this beauty that surrounds me. It fills my heart with joy. I saw, smelled, and felt all of this within seconds, but I take the time to enjoy each in turn.

You see, doing what brings you joy has a long story in your heart. When you first encountered it, how you made it part of you, and how you grow and learn with it. This is not to say you do not find new things everyday that can bring joy and awe into your life. But the next time you encounter them, you have a possibility of choosing to make it a part of your continuing journey, and this conscious choice expands your heart.

My daily walk with Rosie, Lester and Randy

The more time I take to witness each in turn the slower things seem to move, my pace slows down, its history combines with that moment and my heart is filled, for this am truly grateful, for every encounter before and for the present moment. The more time I take in experiencing the joy of a moment, the deeper it lives in my heart, and I can use this memory to settle me when I need to remember what brings me joy and the feelings that accompany it, and experience it all again. It is what feels my soul and helps in creating my new ways to fuel and explore what I am most passionate about.

Please take a moment to slow your pace, do what you enjoy or go over slowly in your mind what brings you joy on this journey. How do you feel? How does it change your mood, fill you, challenge you? Does it make you passionate? Does it feed your soul?

What Brings You Joy?

Please go do that thing! ❤️

All My Best,

Dr. Nicole

Giving Gratitude for each day I am blessed with to pursue my passions.

What the animals are saying…

We have welcomed the calendar years entrance into Spring. We all have different times and ways Spring announces it’s arrival where we live. Have you noticed all the shifts in nature that is coming with this season? Here, not only has the sap begun to move from the roots of trees to bring life to it’s branches and buds are beginning to appear, but animals have started to show themselves everywhere. Coming out from hiding or from the south. They are all here now, out in full force.

I was trying to think back to the time that this book, Animal-Speak, The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small by Ted Andrews, came to me. The exact moment has not returned to my memory, most likely because it is not relevant, but what is important is that this book has traveled many miles with me. On many hikes, many island visits, may camping trips and I’ve slept with it right under my pillow for immediate reach when it’s needed. This book and information within keeps me connected to my soul and my spirit.

In many shamanic traditions they have a journey to find you spirit animal is a part of learning the way of the elders. For thousands of years we have lived in among many, many different animals on this planet. We have watched their patterns, their paths and have “listened” to what they have to tell us. They have messages about the weather, predators, and life patterns. Within the teachings of this book I have truly witnessed and learned many lessons about what animals are here telling me. Most importantly, what insights they have for me about myself.

Enjoy this book, embrace this book. If it speaks to you, allow yourself to find your spirit animal or animals. Seek the messages that are here for you, today and always.

There is magic happening here!

It is the last week of winter, even though I find myself sad about “letting go” of the solitude I find durning the darker months, nature is steadily showing signs of spring.

The geese have all returned, their continual chatter and gossip of their winter travels are being relayed and are an enjoyable rhythm to listen too. I wonder if they too, are feeling the energy shifts on the planet? How could they not? The shifts are palpable.

Spring is showing its subtle signs in nature. Squirrels are abundant, they have started to come out and play as well as forage. The chorus of spring birds is expanding, and as each arrive, they are adding their melodies to the music that awakens the Earth from slumber.

The earth beneath my feet is softening, the energy of the trees is changing as they are waking up. There is magic happening here! As the snow and ice gradually melts, hints of the lush, green ground cover is exposing itself to longer days. As droplets slowly melt and free them from there winter encasement, they reach for the sun, and it makes my soul feel alive.

This past year has definitely given me time to reflect, time to reconnect and be present. It is so easy to get lost in schedules, projects, and “life.” It has truly been awhile since I have been able to get myself settled. It is truly important to remember to keep coming back to the present. It is a tough task some days, however the more you practice being present, the easier it becomes.

Gentle reminders as we come into Spring:

Be Kind to Yourself

Positive Self-talk

Be Gentle, You are just tapping into your roots.

Feed Your Soul

Listen to Your Surroundings

Breathe in Fresh Air

Walk Barefoot on the Fresh Grass

Take Time to Be Present

Allow yourself to feel the magic of Spring. Be open for all this beautiful season of renewal had to offer. XOXO

Dr. Nicole

Signs of Spring

I went out to do my morning barn chores this morning, and there was 3 extra inches of grass that has emerged from underneath the snow, and some of it is even green! Every morning now the grass area will get bigger as the snow recedes.

As I open up the chicken coop for the day, I hear a hen clucking, they are starting to lay again. I wonder if I will have a clutch hidden on me again this year and have baby chicks seem to pop up out of no where.

I look out at out towards the pond as I close the coop door and I realize that the Canadian geese that come every year are probably not far way now. I love when they return again to swim, explore, call to each other, and raise their young.

I pass the my garden that is laden with snow, and ponder the arrangement of veggies that I grew last year, and where they will need to go this year, and did I remember to order the last couple of seed packets that I wanted to try…

The walk way to the barn is changing from ice and snow to a bit of mud. I let Rosie the cow and Randy the sheep out for the day. Rosie will have green grass to munch instead of just hay she has had for the last few months, and soon Randy will need shearing.

The list of changes that comes with the arrival of spring runs through my head: the violets and johnny jump-ups, the cats chewing on plants started inside, the shrubs blooming, how to keep Randy from eating all the flowers, robins hopping and flying about he ground and trees, the mud that will be here for a couple of weeks, the grass that will need mowing soon after that. So many things are about to happen!

But for now I stop to inhale the smell of spring that is on the breeze, the energy that is coming from the earth as it wakes, and the possibility of life that is awaiting to “Spring” forth. I will enjoy witnessing each of these things in there own time. Until then the excitement of the Earth awakening resides in me as well.

What are you waiting to see or feel this spring?

All My Best,

Dr. Nicole

20 Hawks

Ever have a time when a few chapters in your life where everything feels stagnant? No matter how much you try to meditate, try to change your surroundings, fight off the urge to run, basically just try to see things differently, just to feel something that is different than the “funk” surrounding you, the “funk” that is within you? It is difficult to sit with your own energy, especially when the world around us feels like a slow hamster wheel.

I have been lost many times along my way, and while I do manage to spend time every single day outside due to the needs of my animals I don’t always take enough time to just be in my surroundings, soaking in the messages from nature.

Have you ever been traveling somewhere and seen a bird, deer, dragonfly or raccoon? Did you ever take a moment to think in that the exact moment about the message that came along with seeing that animal? Being present in the moment is the best way to allow your energy to be open to receive the spiritual gifts that are presenting themselves to you.

Last month, the energy during Mercury Retrograde was heavy for some, almost feel like having blinders on, or basically treading water. It was during this time spirit reminded me to take time to be in my surroundings, to “see” what animals and messages that where coming my way.

It was a random day of the week, it felt no different than any other day, except I noticed a hawk sitting in a tree. All of a sudden my heart felt lighter. I felt my energy shift, as hawks represent the ability to use intuition and higher vision in order to complete tasks or make important decisions. Within an hour and a half, I had seen 14 hawks, and by the time the sunset, I had seen a total of 20.

Up until that day, I had been feeling stuck. These bird messengers gifted me with a new perspective, a sense of clarity and a big hug from the spirit world and beyond that there is never a moment my soul is left alone. It was extremely powerful, and a reminder to be present, to keep you heart open and be willing to be uncomfortable in your own skin, for it is a way to shed off a few energetical layers to reveal something new.

While I have my own spirit animal through my shamanic work, every encounter I have is a message from the spirit world and is gifting me a piece of wisdom I need to have in my life. Take a deep breath, ask for help when you need, look around and you will be surprised what you see.

The Love That You Are

This month the theme of love and the shining of our light that carries our love has been a theme, and how very timely this theme has been. I also mentioned, sometimes the love that surrounds us is hard to see, but really love is always with you. Some of us love ourselves implicitly, some of us love passionately everyone around us, but forget ourselves. Some days we are both of these people. Either way we benefit when we give ourselves time, attention and our own love.

You know that I love to be outside no matter the season, to have the sun on my face, my feet on the ground and surrounded by animals. Here I can close my eyes and come back to myself, remember the love that I am, and that I have for myself. It is these beautiful moments like this that I would like to be able to help you with, to find or remember that place within yourself where your sun shines, where you can ground yourself and be the part of nature and love that you are.

To do this, I have a few suggestions for a meditation for finding a place of peace to look inward, towards your heart and finding love there. A love for yourself and the grace to receive it unconditionally. Your heart holds the light that allows you to see the Love That You Are.

Where do you feel the most relaxed and at peace? What are your ideal circumstances for comfort, healing and safety? Can you physically be there? If so, great! If not, making yourself comfortable and envisioning yourself there is a wonderful place to be as well.

Please start with getting to your space and getting comfortable. Take three deep breaths and start to notice your surroundings. Slowly ask yourself: What do you see? What do you hear? Do other senses come into play? Make sure to acknowledge and enjoy what brings you this ability to ground and enjoy the calm and peace that surrounds you.

When you have settled into this place take notice of in what part of your body does this awareness take place? On your skin? In your mind? In your heart?

Let’s try to bring that awareness to your heart. Bring the peace, warmth and contentment you have in this space to your heart. This may take some practice. If you need to place your hand over your heart to start with, just bring one aspect of what you are feeling there. In time more will follow. This is where the light of your love shines, it shines right there within you. This love is for you and it is you. Take your time there, getting to know this love and that it is really you. Let it spread throughout your body as your heart beats, let it grow, let it fill you, and let it spill over into the world.

Welcome your love back to yourself, welcome yourself back to yourself.

Carry this light within you where ever you are or go, and remember these sensations of love for what they are, You! The more you visualize and remember who you are, the easier it is to hold this understanding and bring it forth.

I do this daily, as there are many distractions in this world that can make it easy to forget to remember myself, and as many teachers say, on the days where I don’t have time, I do it twice.

All My Best,

Dr. Nicole