Over the last few days as I’ve been mulling over the direction of this new journal, the Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo have been gathering for a series of conferences. The Cockatoos’ measured conversation has been lending me a grounded strength and focus as I begin this new venture. While it is unusual to have more than a handful of Black Cockatoos here at any one time it is not unheard of for a “conference of the wise” to occur. The hill is a gathering place in times of danger for many of the wild birds and animals, a place of refuge in fires and seemingly a good place to have a chat when the need arises. In the 30 odd years we have lived here there have only been a few times the Black Cockatoos have gathered in such numbers to have this sort of discussion. Unlike many of the other cockatoo varieties the Yellow Tailed Black Cockatoo is not prone to wild parties and raucous gatherings, so when they gather like this it is for good reason. Flying in from all directions, they have settled on the hill in the trees and banksia. They go through welcome greetings as new groups arrive, then return to the more measured conversation that has become the daily back drop to my own process of sorting through my thoughts for the journal.
While my office is home to literally piles of journal books collected and filled over the years of making essences, writing a publicly accessible journal is quite new to me and in many ways challenging. My journals have always been very personal and rarely, if ever, shared. They have what I call a very fluid organization, kept in stacks on the desk and any flat surface. They are filled with comments on the making of each essence and the research and building of the mandala oils. These comments are interspersed with shopping lists, Christmas lists, sketches and garden plans. These physical journals are a resource in describing essences and material for webinars and workshops. Here, I am endeavouring to lay out a more accessible journal which is the next step towards that book some of you keep asking for. This public journal will have a deeper level of detail on the actions of individual essences and the mandala oils.
Over the years there has been a growing awareness and interest in flower and gem essences, a gradually developing community with knowledge of essences. In adding to this community discussion I hope to deepen the awareness of essences and the making of them as an ongoing support for growth and transformation. Essences offer an artistic, creative path of transformation in our ongoing development of conscious wellbeing. Or, as some are saying in recent years, the path of living “awake”. The journal will, I hope, offer a small window into the mind of a long term essence maker and develop our understanding of essences as a communication of distinct patterns of frequency and their role in supporting our unfolding awareness. It’s my intention that this online journal will be more than my private scribbled notes, offering a celebration of the rising will in our communities to embrace inclusion, acceptance of interconnection and the interdependence all of life has with each other.
That being said, I’d like to take this moment to warmly welcome you to my new endeavour into the world of blog writing. Please ask questions. This is important, not just for you in getting your own questions answered, but for others who have not yet formalized their thoughts into questions. It is also important for me as it assists in the process of gradually dragging my internal musings out into the light. When I teach face to face, I find it easier to impart understanding through speech and nonverbal means, and to assess the developing understanding of what I am teaching in those in the room. The process of the written word is, I find, more challenging and focused. So, don’t feel like a flood of questions will be unwelcome, no matter how simple or trivial they may seem. If it seems I have brushed past a topic you are wanting deeper exploration of, or if there is an essence or a question relating to the role of an Essence Practitioner you are wanting information on, let me know and I will focus a post on that or answer you directly in the comments sections.
Over the first four months of this year, I will be introducing three journal streams, focusing on individual essences, the essences made by students and a series of journal posts which will follow the making of an essence of the Scribbly Gum (Eucalyptus haemastoma).
The journal stream which focuses on individual essences will gradually replace the collection of in-depth Essence Descriptions which some of you used in the previous Humanifest Website. This journal stream will begin with essences I am giving to clients in current dosage bottles or that you are requesting more information about. Essences of Pebble and Epacris obtusifolia are likely essences to be first in this stream of posts.
I have looked forward to the opportunity of showcasing the work and essences made by students and friends for some years. Several of the people around me have taken essences up as part of their lives in very different ways. Whether it is in working with their own wellbeing and growth, as essence practitioners, as artists, or in the making of essences. Each person is walking a very individual path with essences. This stream of posts will support the diversity possible in our engagement in the vibration of life, in an ongoing widening of view.
The stream of posts following the process of making the Scribbly Gum Essence (Eucalyptus haemastoma), will occur every few months over the year, through its flowering season from July to November and then over the next few months as the essence is more thoroughly described. While some essences are made relatively quickly , or in response to the needs of an individual, there are other essences that can take years before they are completed. The essence of Scribbly Gum is an essence that has been in the background of my mind and gently coming forward over many years. Very often, it has been my experience that an essence which surfaces slowly can manifest a depth of presence and clarity which allows for multiple layers of action . It will be an interesting essence to follow as it comes to fruition.
In closing, welcome and thank you for joining me on this journey. You can sit back and read the posts as you like and jump into the discussions as your curiosity is piqued.