For a dreary day and a dark mood, use the strength of this olden unguent to release both mind and body. This desert plant produces a protective gel which works as both a sunscreen and a moisturizer. Combine the following oils with either four ounces of unscented body lotion, or two ounces of olive oil or sweet almond oil:
Any body or herbal oil can be turned into a salve with the addition of wax. When the moon is waxing is especially a perfect time for spiritual growth. The ratio for a body salve is three ounces coconut oil to one ounce of beeswax. If you have a pot of the herb rosemary, pick some fresh leafy stems and crush. Take a fresh lemon, peel it and grind the peel in your mortar and pestle until broken up into fine little pieces. Mix the rosemary and lemon peel together and give one last grind. Use a double boiler to heat the oil slowly and wax until completely melted. Test the viscosity of your salve by pouring a dab onto a cold plate. If satisfied with the consistency, pour off into jars to cool. If you need to add more wax, now is the time to do it.
Balms are simply salves with the addition of essential oils. Add two drops of eucalyptus essential oil and two drops of lemon oil when mix is still warm. Sprinkle in the finely crushed rosemary and lemon peel into the mix, stir well and seal to preserve the aroma. This balm will have a wonderfully calming effect anytime you use it, and can be rubbed on your temples when you need to reduce stress. It is also really good for your skin. I recommend Sunday night baths, where you slather on the balm before stepping into a hot bath. Take a washcloth and massage your skin, then lie back and relax for twenty minutes. When you drain the tub, your stress will also empty out and you can start your week afresh and ready to handle anything that comes your way.
Erin Lale
Fellow faculty at Harvard Divinity School posted an open letter to Wolpe in response to his article. It's available on this page, below the call for p...
Erin Lale
Here's another response. The Wild Hunt has a roundup of numerous responses on its site, but it carried this one as a separate article. It is an accoun...
Erin Lale
Here's another response. This one is by a scholar of paganism. It's unfortunately a Facebook post so this link goes to Facebook. She posted the text o...
Erin Lale
Here's another link to a pagan response to the Atlantic article. I would have included this one in my story too if I had seen it before I published it...
Janet Boyer
I love the idea of green burials! I first heard of Recompose right before it launched. I wish there were more here on the East Coast; that's how I'd l...