March Events Due to the size of our space, seating is limited. As such, registration is required. You may register for an event up to 30 days prior to its occurrence. This insures equal opportunity registration for everyone. Please call holEssence at 815-276-7173 to reserve your seat. Registration is not available via email.
Because of their popularity, events tend to book up quickly. Please call early to secure your seat. Once an event is full, we start a waiting list in the chance there are any cancellations.
They're Baaack! Offset Donut Pentants These are not the typical hole-in-the-center donuts. As you can see by the photo, the hole has been intentionally offset, making for a beautiful and unusual pendant. We have an assortment that includes Rose Quartz, Fancy Jasper, Bloodstone, Red Jasper, Moss Agate, Yellow Jade, Unakite, and more. Len has strung each of the pendants on leather (some black, some brown) with slip-knots that allow for adjusting the length. They are a great, affordable gift for yourself or others.
Check It Out
Did you know that if you eat locally 'grown' honey, you are less likely to suffer pollen-type allergies?
At HolEssence we carry one and two pound jars of clover, wildflower, and cranberry honey from a beekeeper just up the road in Richmond.
We also carry honey straws, honey dippers, and all of the accoutrements for a well-dressed cup of tea.
To learn more about the health benefits of locally 'grown' honey, simply scroll down to the 'Frequently Asked Questions' section in this newsletter.
New Arrival!
We now carry this trilogy in paperback at HolEssence - books that inspire!
It all started with a poem – The Invitation – that Oriah wrote one night after returning home from a party. She says, “I don’t usually attend parties but on this occasion, berating myself for being anti-social, I made an effort to go and be friendly. I returned home feeling frustrated, dissatisfied with the superficial level of the social interaction at the party. I longed for something else…”
Here is that original poem: The Invitation It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing. It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive. It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life's betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain!
I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy. I want to know if you can see beauty even when it's not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence. I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!” It doesn't interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.
It doesn't interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back. It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away. I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.
A natural mix of Amethyst and Citrine, Ametrine cleans the aura of any negativity and replaces it with the energizing and stabilizing qualities of pure white light. It releases blockages in the mental, physical, and emotional body. It helps us to combine personal will with deeper spirituality. This stone balances the mind, augmenting the imagination and the rational mind. It aids in meditation, relieves tension, and disperses negativity. Physically – Ametrine assists in the release of emotional attachments to unhealthy cravings. It has a strong cleansing effect on the metabolism and in the tissues.
It enhances the activity of the autonomic nervous system and harmonizes the interplay between the inner organs. It is useful for stimulating oxygenation, and can also be used to help one to both consciously recognize and accept changes to the body. It aids digestion, eases gastric upsets, and strengthens the digestive system. Ametrine diminishes blood-related problems. Ametrine can help relieve some of the symptoms associated with diabetes, rheumatism, and anorexia.
Ametrine is associated with the solar plexus, brow, and crown chakras.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Local Honey it Alleviate Allergies? Honey has long been recognized as a natural remedy and has been used as a medicine for thousands of years. Its healing powers include everything from relieving a sore throat, to alleviating allergy symptoms, and even healing wounds. I am often asked about the potential health benefits of using local honey. Please know that I am talking about alleviating allergy symptoms, not ‘curing’ allergies, which is easier said than done.
Research shows that a spoonful of honey is more effective than DM (Dextromethorphan) cough syrup in treating coughs — and is safe for children over 12 months old, according to Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, December 2007.
Research from the University of California, Davis reveals that honey consumption raises antioxidant levels. Honey soothes on contact and has well-established antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, which helps explain its contributions to wound healing.
In the study, 25 people were told to eat between four and 10 tablespoons of buckwheat honey, depending on their weight, each day for a month. They could eat the honey in almost any form, but it couldn't be baked or dissolved in tea. Many chose to eat straight from the spoon. Antioxidant levels rose in the participants. This is important because antioxidants are believed to fight cancer and heart disease. Additionally, researchers discovered that honey contains as many antioxidants — which combat the free radicals which can damage cells — as spinach, apples, oranges, or strawberries. Scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign say honey appears to have a ‘mild protective effect’.
It was already known that honey contained varying levels of antioxidants, with dark honey having more than light. This is the first study to examine honey's effect on human blood. In the study, researchers checked the blood of 25 men aged 18 - 68 over a period of five weeks. They found that drinking four tablespoons of honey mixed into a 16-ounce glass of water each day improved the antioxidant levels in their blood. This same team is currently conducting a study to see if honey can slow atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.
The Local Honey Advantage Allergies arise from continuous overexposure to the same allergens. If you lived in an area where bottlebrush trees were frequently used in the landscapes or perhaps you had a bottlebrush tree growing in your own yard, your odds of overexposure to this tree’s tiny, triangular and very allergenic pollen are greatly enhanced. If you eat honey that is local to your area, it may prevent your seasonal allergies. Why? Because local bees use the pollen from local plants and it eventually ends up in your honey acting as quite a powerful immune booster. The positive effects of local honey are enhanced even more when the honey is taken a little bit (a couple of teaspoons) a day for several months prior to the pollen season.
The types of flowers the bees pollinate determine the flavor and color of honey. Buckwheat honey comes from the buckwheat plant and is dark in color with a distinct flavor. The darker shades of honey are believed to have more antioxidants. The study showed no weight gain in participants for the month they were consuming honey. And, some claimed that eating honey for breakfast actually made them feel full and satisfied.
Approximately one half of the human diet is derived directly or indirectly from crops pollinated by bees. Today honeybees are an essential part of a healthy agriculture economy.
Health-promoting compounds found in honey make this ingredient a more attractive option for food makers currently using bulk sweeteners such as high-fructose corn syrup. Those who want to jump on board the growing health foods trend are making the switch. Mead (honey wine) has for centuries been renowned as an 'aphrodisiac' and the word Honeymoon is derived from the ancient Viking custom of having newly-weds drink mead for a whole moon (month) in order to increase their fertility. Honey contains vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, and is a wonderful beauty aid that nourishes the skin and the hair. Honey acts as an antibacterial and antifungal agent and helps disinfect and speed the healing process in wounds, scrapes, and burns.
Honey mixed with finely ground almonds makes an excellent facial cleansing scrub.
A tablespoon of honey whisked together with an egg white, 1 teaspoon of glycerin and about 1/4 cup of flour makes an excellent firming mask. Just smooth on the face, leave on 15 minutes, and rinse off with warm water. You will be pleased with the results.
Honey also makes a great moisturizing pack. Just mix 2 tablespoons of honey with 2 teaspoons of whole milk, smooth over the face and throat, and let it do its job for 15 minutes. Rinse off with warm water, and finish splashing with cold water.
Honey also makes a great lotion for dry patches of skin on hands, elbows, or other parts. Just mix 1 teaspoon of honey with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and a 1/2 teaspoon of lemon juice. Apply to hands, elbows, heels of your foot, etc., and wash off after 15 minutes. Fast relief!
Honey works well on chapped lips and for acne because of its antibacterial properties.
To give your hair a lustrous shine, mix 1 teaspoon of honey into 4 cups of warm water. Use as a hair rinse. And if you're a blond, add the juice of 1 lemon, too.
Mix 1 tablespoon of honey with a cup of warm water. Use it as a mouthwash. Honey cleans teeth and dentures, and kills germs in the mouth.
A good portion of March is ruled by Pisces. To learn more about this Zodiac sign, simply click on the link.
Looking Ahead You may register for an event up to 30-days prior to its occurrence. This insures equal opportunity registration for everyone. For details, simply click on the links. The month of April has two events:
