Kokums' Den
Thornhill area V2W 1K5 Maple Ridge, BC, Canada

Broms The Poet https://www.facebook.com/thepoetbroms/

This poem is stunning. Just wanted to share it. It is used in the Reform Jewish liturgy, as an optional reading, before Kaddish Every once in a while, a poem o...r song is so well constructed, so clearly conveys the authors meaning and is so precisely expressive that it becomes something of an anthem. The poem below, Epitaph, was written by Merrit Malloy and as one of those poems, has become a staple of funeral and memorial servicesfor good reason. Epitaph - By Merrit Malloy When I die Give what’s left of me away To children And old men that wait to die. And if you need to cry, Cry for your brother Walking the street beside you. And when you need me, Put your arms Around anyone And give them What you need to give to me. I want to leave you something, Something better Than words Or sounds. Look for me In the people I’ve known Or loved, And if you cannot give me away, At least let me live on in your eyes And not your mind. You can love me most By letting Hands touch hands, By letting bodies touch bodies, And by letting go Of children That need to be free. Love doesn’t die, People do. So, when all that’s left of me Is love, Give me away.

Yup. Learning so much about it... thank you CoVid.

May you receive the Blessings of Sheela Na Gig on this day of celebration of Wimmins

Wow!!! Mmm...I recommend taking some time to listen to this Teaching, this Wisdom...What a Gift. Nia:wen ko;wa Auntie.

My prayer for you. May the rest of the month guide you towards your possibilities. May all messages designed to inspire your personal growth be presented in a ...way that helps you love more deeply because you stand in awe of the beauty that surrounds you. May these messages become the launching pad that you soar from. May only gentle teachers appear as guides so that you celebrate your resiliency and inner strength. However, should mean-spirited people desire to cause disruption in your life; may your powerful boundaries create an impenetrable barrier to your personal space. For it is in this action of self-love, others comprehend that your personal space is sacred and is meant to be honoured. May this be the time that you trust your intuition; if the person, place or situation doesn’t match your personal value or makes the bright light of your spirit feels as though it is fading, take this as a sign that it is time to make solid plans to leave. Should any event cause you to feel saddened, dishearten or discouraged and cause you to lower your head; may this action cause you to pray. May grace surround at that very moment and may your prayer become a sacred instrument that allows you to send good thoughts and healing light to those who need it. May all your prayers include those who are lost in the perpetuation of lateral violence; those who are self-destruction; those whose hate-filled actions harm others; those who chose power over people; and, other similar examples of the sad and lost. May your prayer be that people such as these, return to their authentic self through healing so that they too, may allow love to surround them. May your prayers always include gratitude for those who do their best every day by allowing love to guide them. Those whose actions demonstrated what pure love is so that you allow this light to guide you. May you always include all of creation in your prayers. May feelings of negativity float away, leave you feeling as though you have just smudged. May you be embraced by a positive energy that feeds and nurtures your spirit, in the exact way that you feel when you are surrounded by emotionally healthy people and gentle traditional Elders. May you and your loved ones be safe, warm, healthy, happy and left feeling blessed by the all that transpires during this month. May your possibilities unfold in a way that inspires you to awaken to your highest calling. Kkithaw niwkomkanak (All my Relations), (author) Kihci Têpakohp Iskotêw Iskwêw (Emily Jane Henry) Original home territory: Ochapowace Cree Nation I am grateful to you for liking-loving-caring-sharing-tagging and leaving your comments about my work. Please dear gentle reader, respect my work and do not copy my work without crediting me. Please do not remove my signature block when sharing. Should you like to reproduce my work for publication elsewhere (e.g., your website, your school, your workplace, your publication), please contact me for permission. _________________________________________ If you haven't already do so, please like my page in order to have my written creations on your newsfeed. If you have already liked my page, kinana'skomitin from my heart to yours.

I love Emily, she is a Wise Woman. Like her page, or simply keep watch, I do share her posts fairly often. Not all advice is for everyone. Feel free & make it easy... Take what resonates, simply leave the rest behind.

Here we go Ladies!!! You must EMAIL me in order to register, and then I can send you a Zoom invite. I cannot do this without your EMAL confirmation. Thank you so much! FYI- This Women's Medicine Circle has been running monthly (mostly, we did miss a few...) for OVER 10 years!!! Woooooot Wooooot!!!! It is powerful, and women step up and share their Wisdom, they step into vulnerability with courage, they share deeply... and we lay down what we are struggling to let go ...of, and we pray for what we need. Not always easy work, but it is Power Full work. And the women who come, newbies and oldies, well... I am consistently awed by their Strength, Courage, Wisdom, Beauty, Honesty, Compassion and Love. Looking forward to this Circle, as always. <3 Blessings~ Monique See more

I let another one out of the stash. ;) lol. Jackie Greenaway is the brilliant artist that managed to inspire me, and create images I love. <3 Learning to love myself has been a long, long healing journey. People who have experienced trauma often have difficulties loving themselves, putting others before, or simply coping with self destructive habits. Well, I've ditched those... (still working on impulsive buying... ;)) But wow, I've come a long, long way. And I am feeling better about being Seen. <3 May you be blessed on your Healing Journey, may you release all the Negative Patterns that you have been taught, and embrace the amazing Radiant Being that you truly are...and have always been. <3 It is our Birthright. All of Us. <3

The Grove, as I like to call it, on the Land where I live and work. <3

Horse, Elk and Deer, all laying in the grass. <3

Okay Ladies~ It is time...to send those email confirmations in! [email protected] ***I WILL BE CHECKING MY EMAIL ACCOUNT SUNDAY MORNING, TO SEND OUT LAST MINUTE INVITES. I WILL BE AVOIDING FACEBOOK AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. <3 For me this means, no Messenger or Facebook messages on the morning of Circle. This is important to me, and to be honest I usually stay away from my computer completely on the day of a Ceremony, and this Circle is a Ceremony. However, I feel... compelled to do this for this Circle. <3 I am setting up the Zoom Meeting tonight, and will be sending out invites tonight & tomorrow. <3 I am looking forward to sitting in Circle again...and have some loving thoughts to share. Hope to see you!!

WOW!! Hy'ch qa!! To my Friend Marlisse. Thank you for the Re-Membering.

NETTLES + MARS :: If there's any plant that shows the connection between plants and planets most clearly out of all, I would say it is Nettles and its re...lationship to the red planet: Mars. Medically, Mars rules the blood, the male reproductive system, the adrenal glands, immunity, and processes involving heat and inflammation. Psychologically, Mars represents our dynamic will power and action out in the world. Classically, Mars was the planet of war, battle, bloodshed, intensity, and violence. The metal associated with Mars is Iron. And then we turn to Nettles. Here is a plant with sharp serrated leaf margins, studded with intense needles which contain formic acid, which when broken provoke an inflamed, hot, red rash on the skin. All of these qualities are distinctly Martian. And yet when we take Nettles into the body as a medicine, we see that it works directly on the blood, both cleansing the blood as an alterative, and building the blood as a nutritive. Interestingly enough, Nettles is incredibly rich in Iron, just as Mars rules Iron and our blood is full of it. It cools excessive heat, irritation, and inflammation, which an excess of Mars can provoke. The seeds of Nettles have an affinity for the kidneys as well as the adrenal glands, and the root is specific for the prostate gland. Even more interesting, is that Nettles oftentimes is best harvested in the early spring, when the leaves are fresh and green. While this timing differs depending on where you live, where I'm from in the PNW, this is usually around late March- early April, which is the seasonal period of Aries, the first sign of the zodiac whom is ruled by none other, but Mars

Welcome to the 4th and final part of the Alchemy and Herbalism series! Today's blog post is all about the idea of Illness as Initiation. Spagyric medicines wor...k holistically on the whole person because they contain the whole plant in the way that they are concentrating the chemical, energetic, and spiritual properties of the plants - giving them the ability to work on the physical, psychological, and spiritual levels within a person that takes them. But, how exactly are they healing us? I like to summarize this to our illness is our initiation, but what do I mean by that? According to Alchemy, everything in nature is in a constant state of change or transformation. We can see this transformation in the turning of the seasons, the cycles of the moon, the way that plants grow, and the ways animals migrate and hibernate. Everything in nature is going through these processes of transformation and human beings are not separate from that. Even though we've built a world to try to separate ourselves from nature, we ultimately can't. And when we do try to separate ourselves from nature, it ultimately makes us sick in different ways. Alchemy is ultimately a spiritual practice as well as a practice of medicine. But, it is inherent that our spiritual development is tied to our healing process. The way I like to think of it is that healing and our soul's evolution are really two sides of the same leaf. And anyone that's ever embarked on a spiritual path - wanting to reach a greater level of self awareness and collective awareness - always faces those challenges. We always hit those blockages, those parts of ourselves that are resistant to change, that are resistant to transforming, and that are stuck in the past. Click the link below to learn more - and to check out the whole Alchemy and Herbalism series https://www.evolutionaryherbalism.com//alchemy-and-herbal/

DANDELION + JUPITER :: The ancients considered Jupiter to be The Great Benefic, meaning that it brings all things good, joyous, happy, and uplifting. Jupit...er, as the king, bestows gifts and blessings into our lives- it is where we get the word jovial. The king is also the protector, and his placement within our charts indicates a place in our lives where we are protected and kept safe. It is generally an area that we are blessed and gifted, hence Jupiter’s relationship to work and abundance. When we focus on our gifts and talents, naturally our path and purpose unfold, as we nourish the truth, goodness, and beauty within our own nature. There are a number of different signatures in Dandelion that point towards its primary association with the Planet Jupiter. While many look at the bright yellow, radiant flowers of Dandelion and immediately think it must be ruled by the Sun, upon deeper inspection we see otherwise. While certainly the flowers are Sun-like, it’s important to consider the meaning of the color yellow and what it commonly signifies in medicinal plants: bile. Many yellow colored plants are bitter tonics with a strong affinity for the liver and the liver is ruled by Jupiter, along with fats, oils, and digestion, which is regulated by bile. Another Jupiter signature is the airborne seeds that have the ability to travel long distances, are lightweight and expansive like Jupiter. People strongly under the influence of Jupiter, either by transit or constitutionally (i.e. natally), can have tendencies towards patterns of excess. This can be excess consumption of foods, drink, drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc. The gas Planet has no boundaries, and often says yes! to what life presents us. As the limitless Planet with no boundaries, it can also be common for Jupiter people to set high expectations upon themselves, with big goals, dreams, and visions for themselves. While this is good, when excessive, it can lead to them pushing themselves too hard, overworking, overextending, and pushing themselves beyond their natural capacities. Jupiter plants have the ability to expand our consciousness, uplift our spirit, and instill a faith into our hearts.

ROSEMARY + the SUN :: Rosemary encapsulates the vibrant radiance of the Sun, sparking the inspiration and motivation to live with the passion of the soul’...s purpose. It awakens the senses, brings clarity to the mind, and instills the feeling of being alive and radiant. This is a fabulous plant to bring warmth and stimulation to those boggy, stagnant places within the emotions, the mind, and the channels of the body. It brings brightness and rejuvenation into areas that are lacking luster or vitality, the places where one may have become unmotivated, stuck or lethargic in their lives. The Solar virtues of Rosemary are incredible tonics for the heart, the mind, digestion, blood & blood vessels, nerves, liver, and the respiratory system. It supports the cardiovascular system through promoting circulation to all of the areas of the body, reaching the small capillaries in the eyes, brain and extremities in particular. This makes it a beneficial tonic for enhancing vision and memory. Though Rosemary is beneficial for short-term memory, it has the ability to reach into the deeper layers of memory as well- the forgotten places within our past or within our ancestral lineage. Shining like the Sun, it reveals the areas of pain or trauma from the past that need to be brought forth into the light in order to have resolution and healing within the emotions. As this remedy is strengthening to the heart, it instills the courage and compassion necessary to confront, forgive and let go of those blockages. Rosemary illuminates the true gifts of the soul, filling the heart with a deep knowing of the self and the purpose for being here. This understanding of one’s placement in life allows the shackles of past limitations to be liberated, giving strength to the choice to live and love fully without holding back. Hope you're having a beautiful SUNday

MULLEIN + SATURN :: Saturn plants are some of the deepest initiators of the soul, as they break down all the structures and illusions we carry that are not t...rue to our essence. Many of these remedies help us to establish clear boundaries, protecting us from unwanted psychic influences and bringing a solidity to the auric field. Conversely, many of these remedies will also break down these boundaries if they are not of our truth. Reaching towards the heavens with its tall slender stalk jutting up into the sky in perfect alignment, Mullein is active upon the structural systems of the body (Saturnian quality) and shares with us a signature for the spine, specifically for back pain. It relieves dryness in the joints, increasing synovial fluid secretions and moistening and supporting the integrity of joints, bones, ligaments and cartilage. In contrast to its structural properties, it is also primarily utilized as a tonic for the respiratory system. The leaves are wooly and gentle, covered with tiny hairs that look like the villi of the lungs. It is deeply strengthening and nourishing to the airways of the body, supporting health within the lungs, throat, and sinuses, which many of us could use right now. Ruled by Saturn, Mullein in its essence softens that which has turned hard physically or psychologically. This plant has the ability to help to soften folks who are constantly analyzing and being hard on themselves. Emotionally, Mullein wraps this hardness in its fuzzy leaves, holding the heart safely in a cocoon of softness, allowing the release of any held emotions. It teaches that there is strength in vulnerability and gentleness. Mullein is a wonderful ally to bring softening and acceptance into the heart to allow self love and appreciation to grow within. Happy Saturn-day everyone

Some people may not agree but I'm grateful for my triggers. They beckon me to freedom through doing my inner work and healing.

Awesome!!! I love it... Worth a few minutes of reading & breathing....

Language of Love. An Elder held up a stone high in the air. She requested that the people in her circle; all of whom represented different ethnicities; to shout... out the word ‘stone’ in the language of their people. In response to the Elder's request the word 'stone' was shouted in Cree, ‘asinîy’; in Ojibwe, ‘asin’; in Michif (Métis), ‘enn rosh’; in Mi'gmaq, ‘guntew’; in Halq'eméylem, ‘smá:It’; Spanish, ‘piedra’; in French, ‘pierre’; in Italian, ‘pietra’; and so on. As the group silenced, the Elder stated, ‘though words may sounds different, in reality we are all saying the exact same thing in our own language. Therefore, does it not follow that we all mean the same thing when we say Creator? Some call Creator, God, some say Buddha, some say Allah, some Jesus, some Messiah, some Shiva, some Krishna, and so on. Some may not even have a word for Creator. Some people say they find their understanding of Creator in nature, by being close to creation, such as animals and birds. Some find Creator in honouring others by being in compassionate service. My dearest ones, it is not how we say Creator that truly matters; it is how we demonstrate our connection to our one another, and to Creation. In other words, it is not our language that matters; it is how we live in honour of our understanding of the Creator. The way we express our purest, most loving intention for the world, becomes our language. Our actions become our language of love. As we truly comprehend that we are interconnected, and therefore, are all related, it is then that we become the living expression of our understanding of Creator. As we honour the greatest gift given to us all, which is our life; it is then that our life becomes a prayer.’ Kkithaw niwkomkanak (All my Relations), Kihci Têpakohp Iskotêw Iskwêw (Emily Jane Henry) Original home territory: Ochapowace Cree First Nation Picture from google images. If you would like to reproduce my work for publication elsewhere, please contact me for permission; otherwise, please feel free to Like Share Tag Comment through this venue. If you copy and paste to another page, private message me or place a link to this page. Please do not remove my signature block. If you haven't already do so, please like my page in order to have my written creations on your newsfeed. If you have already liked my page, kinana'skomitin from my heart to yours.

Love is not an aberration, or the brief bumping together of meaningless molecules... Love is the fabric and foundation of every manifest thing.... The visible universe is an ornament of a seething boundless net of Love. It condenses into every weird and wonderful shape. Occasionally one may glimpse this timeless firmament, the infinite One, the sacred marriage field of all beings, the mystic primordial background to the foreground of the material world. This glimpse can be found in the eye of the Beloved. Lovers are temporal extensions of the trans-temporal field. One reason loving relationships can be successful is in their recognition of themselves as extensions of a transpersonal field of Love. Featured art: ‘Embracing’ (1989), 20 x 24 in., oil on linen.

4 things white parents need to know when raising Black and Brown children: 1) Your white privilege is not transferable - your child will experience racism. 2) E...ncouraging your child to embrace their identity & heritage will not make them love you less it will bring you closer together. 3) Standing against anti-Blackness & racism is essential in affirming their worth & cultivating self-love. 4) Having Black or Brown children does not cure you of a lifetime of racial socialization and internalized white supremacy your kids need you to keep working on that every day! ****If you know enough to know that there is a whole lot more you need to know, Register for our 6-week series today! **** https://www.subductionconsulting.com/whiteparents We start next Saturday 9/12! Participate in the live sessions and/or watch the recordings at your convenience, sliding scale and scholarships available.

Amma is a living saint. Her humanitarian work is unfathomable to most. People from all corners of the world seek out her embrace. I am one of them If you d...on’t know her, visit amma.org . . . . . #mataamritanandamayi #innerflame #consciousness #consciousliving #meditation #awakening #lightwithin See more

Yes, the New Moon was last week, we can however...still honor the Medicine of the Stars and sit with this for this Moon Cycle. <3 I just got an amazing Reading from Elise. Her reading of my chart is incredibly insightful and she is a great messenger for the Stars. I highly recommend her. I often ask her for auspicious dates to begin, launch or end projects...I also ask for the supportive times & Star energies that support my personal journey. I never leave a Reading dissatisfied. :D I am always FULL, and have a recording to continue to refer to. ;) Thanks Elise!! <3 Many Blessings to you, and yours~

Jaiyajohn Your boundary need not be an angry electric fence that shocks those who touch it. It can be a consistent light around you that announces: I will be treated sacredly. Jaiya John Freedom: Medicine Words for Your Brave Revolution

Carry your heart through this world like a life giving sun. - Hafiz