Mama's Home Remedies: Discover Time-Tested Secrets of Good Health and the Pleasures of Natural Living (37 page)

Elm,
the tree of Fairness and Solidarity

January 12–January 24

July 15–July 25

Cypress
, the tree of Freedom and

January 25–February 3

Recognition

July 26–August 4

Poplar
, the tree of Moderation and

February 4–February 8

Doubt

May 1–May 14

August 5–August 13

Cedar
, the tree of Achievement and Nobility February 9–February 18

August 14–August 23

Pine,
the tree of Modesty and Wisdom

February 19–February 29

August 24–September 2

Willow
, the tree of Humanity and Intuition March 1–March 10

September 3–September 12

Lime
, the tree of Sensitivity and Satisfaction March 11–March 20

September 13–September 22

Hazelnut
, the tree of Ambition and

March 22–March 31

Performance

September 24–October 3

Rowan,
the tree of Harmony and Perfection April 1–April 10

October 4–October 13

Maple
, the tree of Determination

April 11–April 20

October 14–October 23

Walnut
, the tree of Passion and Power

April 21–April 30

October 24–November 11

Chestnut
, the tree of Honesty and Quality

May 15–May 24

November 12–November 21

256 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies

Ash
, the tree of Flexibility and Healing

May 25–June 3

November 22–December 1

Hornbeam
, the tree of Loyalty and

June 4–June 13

Protection

December 2–December 11

Fig,
the tree of Comfort and Balance

June 14–June 23

December 12–December 21

Oak
, the tree of Vitality and Power

March 21

(spring vernal equinox)

Birch,
the tree of Light and Beginning

June 24

(summer solstice)

Olive
, the tree of Happiness and Prosperity

September 23

(autumn vernal equinox)

Beech
, the tree of Necessity and Patience

December 22

(winter solstice)

Yew,
the tree of Survival and Death

November 3–November 11

\

Dialogue with the Trees of Strength and Everlasting Life @ 257

This is interesting to know:

^ In federal reserves and national parks, the United States and Canadian governments have the largest area of protected forests in the world–greater than Russia, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Brazil, and the United Kingdom combined. Canada has nearly 86.5 million acres of protected forests, the largest protected area in the world. Canada’s area of protected forests is equivalent to the size of Germany. National parks in 49 states of the United States account for another 83 million acres (33.6 million hectare) of forest and no forest land.

^ North America’s forests are abundant and growing. The forests in the United States and Canada make 15 percent of the Earth’s forest cover. The coniferous trees of the Pacific Northwest, the broadleaf forests of Appalachia, and the mixed forests of the United States South support a large number of diverse species of wildlife.

^ According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, forest planting in the United States currently averages about one million hectares a year.

^ The average North American uses 18 cubic feet (½ cubic meter of wood) and 749 pounds (340 kilograms) of paper per year, equal to a 100-foot (30 meter) tree.

^ The single oldest living tree on Earth is a twisted bristle-cone pine named “Methuselah.” It grows in the White Mountains of California. It is 4,723 years old and there are other pines in the area that are nearly as old. These trees have been growing since the time when Egyptians were building the pyramids.

^ The tallest tree in the world is a 367.5-foot (112 meters) redwood in Montgomery Woods State Preserve in northern California. This tree is 63.5 feet (19.4 meters) taller than the Statue of Liberty and over twice as high as Niagara Falls.

^ More than 5,000 products are made from trees: houses, fences, furniture, baseball bats, books, newspapers, tires, cellophane, fabric rayon, and explosives.

^ Wood fiber derived from the trees and cal ed cel ulose is one of ingredients in production of ice cream, toothpaste, and shampoo. 258 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies

Each disease has its own healing herb.

—Russian proverb

ƒ

Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps the singing bird will come.

—Chinese proverb

ƒ

Tall oaks from little acorns grow.

—Anonymous

ƒ

It is remarkably pleasant occupation, to lie on one’s back in a forest and
look upwards! It seems that you are looking into a bottomless sea, that
it is stretching out far and wide below you, that the trees are not rising
from the earth but, as if they were the roots of enormous plants,
are descending or falling steeply into those lucid, glassy waves.

—Ivan Turgenev (1818–1883), Russian writer

ƒ

. . . because the Forest will always be there . . .

and anybody who is friendly with bears can find it.

—A. A. Milne (1882–1956), English poet and writer

ƒ

Dialogue with the Trees of Strength and Everlasting Life @ 259

We all travel the Milky Way together, trees and men; but it never
occurred to me until this stormy day, while swinging in the wind,
that trees are travelers, in the ordinary sense.

—John Muir (1838–1914), Scottish-born American naturalist
ƒ

. . . old Indian teaching was that it is wrong to tear loose from its
place on the earth anything that may be growing there. It may be cut off,
but it should not be uprooted. The trees and grass have spirits.

—Wooden Leg, 19th-century American (Cheyenne) warrior

ƒ

I like trees because they seem more resigned to the way they
have to live than other things do.

—Willa Cather (1876–1947), American novelist

ƒ

Those beeches and smooth limes—there was something enervating in the
very sight of them; but the strong knotted old oaks had no bending lan-
guor in them—the sight of them would give a man some energy.

—George Eliot [Mary Anne Evans] (1819–1880), English novelist
ƒ

The wonder is that we can see these trees and not wonder more.

—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882), American essayist and poet
260 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies

As Isis, So Is Mama . . .

She existed before time began. Time was one of Her children!

—Nancy Blair,
The Book of Goddesses

As Isis, the Egyptian goddess; Kali, the Indian goddess; Tara, the Mother Goddess of Tibet and India; Greek goddesses Hera, Demeter, and Gaia; and the tender and powerful Mother Nature are archetypes of the Mother, so is Mama. Thus, we all are. We are the sense of the Universe’s existence. We conceive, give the birth to, and hold a new life, a new generation.

The mother archetype drives women to be generous; to nourish, provide, and care for others; to nurture body, soul, and spirit. Just as a pregnant woman radiates love, beauty, and blissfulness, so do all “mamas” pass those traits along to their children and others whose lives they touch.

The mother archetype influences men and women alike, at first by building them cell by cell and then by guiding them gently yet firmly and fully into their own lives with all the wisdom she bestows upon them. So what do you do first to live in this wisdom? Where do you begin and how do you become a wise guide for yourself and your family? How do you organize yourself at first to be a good achiever? I hope the following remedies without herbs, but with healthy thoughts, will help you answer these questions.

As Isis, So Is Mama… @ 261

Fifteen secrets of success for all moms who

work at home or away from home

1. Style of Thinking

Different people think in different ways. The relation of thinking to being, how you think, is everything: Always be positive, punctual, considerate, and confident in yourself. Don’t be negative; you can lose. As you know, positive energy creates and builds us. Negative energy destroys us.
2. In Search of Yourself

Determine your goal and dreams. Write down your specific goals, decide upon your true dreams, and develop a plan to achieve them. Then just go for it. Don’t listen to others who want to discourage you. Trust your soul.
3. Preparation and Action

Prepare and begin acting without any delay. Do everything you can today. Don’t leave your decision until tomorrow. Goals are nothing without action. Don’t be afraid to get started now. Just do what you plan. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, a German poet, said once, “It is not enough only to wish. You must act.” Actions always speak louder than words.
4. Educate Yourself

An old expression teaches us “Live a century, learn a century.” Take some additional courses at college. Read “know-how” and “do-it-yourself” books. Absorb to your benefit good examples from stories about people who have reached their goals and are successful. Perfect yourself and your knowledge. Cultivate your talent or gift. Get training and acquire new skills, if you feel a need for them. Your efforts will be repaid a hundredfold. 262 ^ Mama’s Home Remedies

5. Be Self-Confident, Persistent, Consistent, and Fearless
and Work Hard

Success is a long marathon. It is not a fast sprinter’s distance. Success doesn’t happen overnight. It happens overnight only in fairy tales, but don’t get discouraged. Never give up what you started already. Sooner or later a right beginning will bring you a bountiful basket of good achievements.
6. Analysis and Consideration

Learn to analyze all details and think them over. Our life and everything we do is like a big oil painting by a great artist. Put together ideas, facts, and details. Every small detail makes a big difference and adds to a whole picture. Learn from your mistakes and setbacks. Don’t ignore them; they are a good lesson for the future.

7. People, Attention, Time, and Money

Value your time and money, but remember people should always come first. Focus your attention on these matters. Don’t permit other people or things to distract or confuse you. Beware of negative environments and irritating or manipulating people. Defend yourself by keeping an “arm’s length” distance or just ignore them. Make friends with good, decent people. Search for those who stimulate your interest and respect.
8. Experiments, Innovation, Changes, and Challenges

Don’t be afraid to experiment, implement innovation, and head for challenges and changes to the better life. Be different. Following the crowd is annoying and a sure path to mediocrity and intellectual sluggishness.
9. Communication Skills, Respect, and Effectiveness

Communicate and deal with other people effectively and respectfully. No person is a lonely star but a part of a big constellation of others. Learn to understand and motivate others in a positive way. You will usually get a good response.

As Isis, So Is Mama… @ 263

10. Combination for Success

Be kind. Be loyal. Be pleasant and friendly. Do the best you can. Help and respect other people. Take responsibility for your actions and your life. Don’t blame others for your failures; this attitude shows your weakness. See the root of your problem in yourself at first. It will show how strong you are. This combination leads to success.

11. Faith and Hope

Remember an ancient wisdom “
Dum Spiro, Spero
,” (Latin) which means

“While I breathe, I hope.” Hope is like a shining lighthouse in the azureblue ocean of life. There we fight for our survival every day. Life proves that only the strongest and the best wil be able to swim so far to the shore and reach their big goals. Be one of them! Believe in this truth; thus you may understand: “Faith is an understanding of life and the recognition of duties fol owing this understanding,” said Russian writer Leo Tolstoy.
12. Standards

Put in front of you only high standards in everything as your great motivation. This way you will accomplish a lot in your life. If your life is based on low standards, you’ll achieve very little.

13. Be kind and reasonable

By doing kind acts, we strengthen ourselves. Being reasonable, we do good deeds automatically which leads us to success in the end.

14. Credo: Honesty, Dignity, and Conscience

Honesty and dignity are not a safe shield of self-defense, but convey to others our values in life. Our conscience is our guide in the search for the best in us. It is our internal judge that determines if our actions, words, or attitudes are reprehensible or merit censure.