Central Florida is still recovering from the hurricane damage from last summer. Many trees have been lost, and plants damaged. I lost three big trees that provided shade and good Feng shui energy to my home and yard. Many people lost their orange trees to canker due to the storms. The earth here needs a lot of healing.
I let the healthier plants grow naturally until the end of our winter here, then cut them back. I have three big and beautiful hibiscus bushes that are always full of huge and colorful flowers. Hibiscus need to be deeply pruned so they don’t get "leggy" and to keep the flowers big and blooming. But it is gut wrenching to cut a gorgeous hibiscus taller than me, all the way to the base. I pruned one every two weeks so I could enjoy them a little longer. I started with my biggest plant, and I took the pruning loppers to each limb until they were all cut back, not even a leaf left on them. I watered it well, and as I gave it a handful of iron, I started to make the Cho Ko Rei symbol over it. When I finished watering and feeding, I gave it some more Reiki for several minutes. Every day I gave it some Reiki, and the leaves started appearing again. Remarkably, before it even started growing, it got big blossoms. The other two hibiscus didn’t get the Reiki, and are making a "normal" comeback. The third hibiscus is in a shady area and after three weeks still didn’t have new growth, so I gave it daily doses of Reiki and it is coming back fast now.
Everything around here gets some energy all the time. Reiki benefits people, pets, and the planet.
Pets respond to energy, whether it’s Reiki, Qi, or other energy modalities. My cats have always laid at my feet when I am doing my gigong, and are often an obstacle course when I play my taiji form. My little gray cat Dolly died two years ago, and as she was dying I was able to soothe her with energy, and when I completed the Transition Reiki symbol she passed on peacefully. Lucy is 18 years old, and as I start my daily form, she is there soaking up the energy. Lucy is having many age-related health problems, and after I have my energy flowing with my practice, I give her a good energy treatment which she is ready for after absorbing the energy from my practice.
Pets probably aren’t going to "sit" for a formal Reiki session, but it doesn’t matter. The Reiki positions for a cat or dog are similar to that of humans. I start at her head, gently stroking, and sending as much as she will take, then move to the other positions. I stroke her fur with Reiki hands, and spend more time at her painful hip. You can tell that your petting is "getting it" when you see they are enjoying the experience and their eyes get glassy, and perhaps they drool.
And as with giving Reiki to people, I get out of it at least as much as I give. My body feels better when I have worked the Reiki through me to Lucy.
World Tai Chi Day was Saturday, April 30. At 10 AM where ever you are, people in groups and individually played tai chi or did their qigong form. Tai chi and qigong help you to heal yourself, and heal others and the earth. Check out the wellness articles, and watch for more.
People often write to me about a piece of antique jade they have in their collection, or recently acquired, requesting information about how to get an appraisal. There is more fake "antique jade" than genuine antique jade out there, so it’s really important to know what it is you have so that you can get it insured if it is a priceless treasure. Most jewelers truly cannot appraise jade, don’t have experience with jade. You need to find a jeweler who is GIA certified to do you appraisal. Appraisals can be done without damaging the jade, so you don’t have to be concerned that your jade will be ruined.
Be very careful when you buy "antique jade". I receive many offers from "antique jade dealers" in China to buy their "priceless antiquities". The pieces I purchased as samples turned out to be soapstone, or some other kind of stone, or resin. I have seen some of these same "antiques" being sold on reputable web sites and on ebay. If you do buy what you believe to be antique jade, be sure to get a guarantee of a refund if you get your piece appraised and it is not what it is supposed to be. And never trust any certificate that comes with antique jade, as most are fakes, also. Get your own independent appraisal.
Buy jade, enjoy it, but know what you are really buying.
Today I received an order from a chiropractor for jade gua sha tools to use in his practice. He had been using other items for gua sha work, and decided to get some real tools. He chose #3,4,6 and 7, a good selection for getting started. He also ordered liniment to help with the blood flow and provide lubrication.
I often get requests for bufallo horn gua sha tools. I don’t sell these because jade is closely related to the body "qi" (energy) and an animal doesn’t suffer so we can do our gua sha work.