Illness, Inspiration, and a Technicolor Moon

Tonight as I was walking home from running some errands, my eyes were drawn skyward. Just above the horizon, still low in the sky as She began Her climb to the heavens, was a most amazing full moon. So full and ripe was this moon, that I wondered how the inky sky was able to hold Her. So luminous and ethereal, She was cloaked in a halo of saturated gossamer gold. She stole my breath in a moment. She was magnificent, this full moon. She whispered to me of Night’s magick, of the great Mysteries, and of Hope. She bathed me in her ethereal light, and I felt clean and beautiful and blessed. And, indeed, I was blessed to experience such a gift on a Tuesday evening in January. I hope Mother Moon smiled on you, too.

This has been a challenging period for me, since I last wrote. As it is, the mold population in my dwelling has aroused my latent candidiasis (also known as Candida Related Complex, or CDC) to an acute state. My symptoms have begun to plague me to varying degrees, though all uncomfortable (to say the least). While I was, at first, hosting a pity party for myself, I am now seeing this outbreak of symptoms as a blessing. I finally understand that while the symptoms may have been lessened for long stretches, I never truly healed myself of the root problem – the Candida overgrowth – the first time it surfaced for me. So, now is my opportunity to do so. And while it terrifies me to think of the long and arduous road to health, it also inspires me to think of what life might be like in a truly healthy body/mind. I will appreciate any support you have to offer me (and those around me) as I embark on this journey.

And, to lighten the mood a bit, and in honour of that spectacular full moon, I’m gonna share with you a few of my current inspirations. They are, in no particular order, the things I am finding enriching, endearing, empowering or just enjoyable. May they serve you well, also!

*The Body Ecology Diet: Donna Gates pioneered this diet primarily as a way to bring healing to bodies with CRC, but the book and the website have a wealth of information and suggestions that are beneficial to everyone. I strongly suggest reading this book if you have a body.

*Mint.com: This is a fantastic website that links up all your financial information (including your bank accounts and investment portfolios and such) so that you can get a clear picture of your financial state. Especially helpful, for me, anyway, is the ability to track all of my expenditures so I can actually see where all my money goes each month.

*My dance class had a substitute instructor, ShaLeigh Comerford, this week while our regular teacher was away at a conference. ShaLeigh was AMAZING! She was everything that I had been hoping for when I enrolled in the dance class. Fortunately, she just relocated to the area and will be teaching classes next session. I am really excited about taking her class as soon as the next session rolls around. Hooray!

*Amaranth: Amaranth is a gluten-free, alkalizing grain. It’s one of the grains that I am allowed to eat during the initial phase of the Body Ecology Diet. I’m only just beginning to experiment with amaranth, but the really delightful thing about it is that it has a texture and appearance very similar to brown sugar when it’s cooked. This provides me endless amounts of comfort somehow, as I embark on a diet with no sugar … not even most fruits! Amaranth is delicious as a breakfast porridge with winter squash puree, a little vegetable broth, some salt and pepper and cayenne. It’s also really amazing topped with sautéed greens and mushrooms with a little raw coconut vinegar and raw coconut aminos. (Hey, don’t judge it ‘til you’ve tried it!)

*zerowastehome.blogspot.com: This is the blog of a family that strives to, well, produce zero waste. They only dispose of about two handfuls – HANDFULS – of actual trash each year – YEAR! I read a bit piece about them in an old People magazine that was passed along to my sister at work. (She, naturally, passes those magazines on to me when she’s finished. It’s a great system since neither of us would ever really buy one of those magazines, but we both enjoy the guilty pleasure of reading them.) So, now I’m feeling very inspired to start making changes to decrease the amount of waste I produce in my own household. Check it out and see if you might find some inspiration, too! Mother Earth can use all the diligence and support She can get!

Well, that’s gonna have to do for now. It’s getting late, and I have to get ready for my full moon celebration. Until next time, I hope you find health, inspiration and the light of the moon on your path.

xoxo,

Melanie