​Gitchie Manito- The Great MysteryI was recently reminded, of my past experience with the Ojbawea language course I took at UWM 13 years ago. The sound of my teacher expressing herself in a poetic way that was ancient, unfamiliar and very mystical still sits with me from time to time. This recall mostly happens when I am in nature, watching the Neebageesis ( moon) or just simply hearing thunder (animikee) in the distance. But the most significant word and phrase and lesson I learned from studying with these amazing indigenous people was that of The Great Mystery. In every religion there is that, the mystery of it all. We are living in times where we have to ask ourselves, am I living each day to my fullest? Are you able to sit with not having it all figured out, not having an absolute plan and allowing the mystery of life to unfold as it should? The ultimate in surrender yes? We are in big huge, big huge time of transition right now friends. In that transition piece lays a part of us that wants to let go of everything and everyone who does not serve our higher good, and as of Thursday 11/2 you have the universes permission. Let go let go let go.

Making a decision of who,what and where to let go, might come as a shock. It might come as fear, it might not simply come up at all. Deciding not to decide is still a decision. So then you have the upcoming winter, ( winter is coming) to  sit with all this. This is the season of going inward and reflection. Action will take place in Spring, but for now it's time to make your list of all the things, people, issues that are holding you hostage to not being able to see and trust into the Gitchie manito. 

One of my favorite new quotes I have hanging at my desk is this:
"if you have a talent, use it in every which way possible. Don’t' hoard it. Don't dole it out like a miser. Spend it lavishly, like a millionaire, intent on going broke." Brenda Francis

So if you have a talent my friends, use it in every which way possible. Even if that talent is just holding space for someone, hold it. Baking cookies, bake. Sewing quilts, sew. You get the idea. The time is ripe for us to let our gifts and talents shine and come out. Find your voice, speak your truth and know that when you are feeling oh so unsure, it's just a transit. It will pass, it won't last forever.
Surrender into the Gitchie Manito and allow yourself to listen.

Reiki and essential oils help with this type of surrender & release work. And during the month of November I am going to be using a wonderful new blend of oils in your custom blend. This will include two amazing healing oils, tobacco and sage. The mother tincture will be created on the Full Moon 11/2 . This full moon is sure to be potent and the blends will reflect this vibration. To schedule a session please email or call today. -  414-699-9947 or deltaofvenusskincare@gmail.com

Until next time
Gi zah gin
Kimberly

Every bride craves for that 'Bridal Glow' on her Wedding day. For this, it is very important to start early and take good care of one's skin, mind and spirit. Here is a quick count down for the inner and outer glow you need.

6 Months to go:
Start booking your facial treatments 1 month apart. Include a peel or microdermabrasion treatment.
Dimond tip microdermabrasion helps to give you that flawless canvas, your products, primers, and make up will go on flawless and your skin will be ready for the special day. Booking these early helps your skin get used to the new treatments and plenty of time to see the results you want.
You might want to book your first Reiki session at this time as well. Rekik can help to balance any stress in the body, help to clear the energy centers, bring clarity to the mind and help you to feel validated when you have to cut the invite list short. Seriously, my Reiki treatments help you clear the space, clear the mind.
 
5 Months to go
After your first Reiki session, you will be “reset” so to speak. Able to start adopting fresh habits, which include and not limited to a better diet, and some excursive. Long term healthy habits start now, and will ensure your skin and soul has the vitality it needs. Eat a rainbow diet, the more colorful your plate the better. This way you get the larger variety of minerals, vitamins and antioxidants that you need. Exercise helps to increase bloods flow, thereby flushing out impurities while giving you the energy you need. Sleep sleep sleep… Reiki also helps to balance your energy, which helps you sleep deeper. The body resets itself during periods of sleep, REM sleep. To see more please read the Blog here called:
 
Sign Outside Your Bedroom Door Should Read: Beauty Sleep In Progress Do Not Disturb
 
 
3 Months To Go:
Let’s do a peel or add some Alpha Hydroxy Acids to your enzyme treatment. By this time we will know what your skin needs and what it doesn’t need. By adding in new treatments to help with pigmentation, acne or stress break outs at this time, still gives us plenty of time to even out skin that is damaged, or too dry, oily.
Don’t forget your back!! You might want to add in your first Back Facil at this time. Wearing a backless dress or off the shoulder dress will expose skin and back skin that often times gets neglected, polish it up and get rid of any acne, so you glow in your gown.
 
Second Reiki Session would be great here too, by now you are on the path to your new life and things might of shifted after you made the initial cut to your invite list. Get some perspective and balance now.
 
1 Month to go:
Now you are getting close to the wedding and the anxiety must be skyrocketing. Stress can cause pimples and shallow looking skin! So, try to de-stress as much as possible. A good bath and yoga are what I recommend. Or if you need a quick coaching call, just call me I’ll talk you off the ledge. Meditation at this time also helps and any mantras that I’ve given you in your Reiki sessions will also come in handy now. Your skin will not suffer if you work hard at avoiding stress. Also, try to avoid the sun. Excess sun exposure can cause pigmentation, and you do not want this to occur so close to your big day. Besides, we’ve worked hard the last 6 months to keep your skin clear, don’t expose it to the sun yet.
 
Try your spray tan at this time, see how you like it or if you need to find an alternative. For Spray Tan recommendations, please let me know.
 
Your Man Needs Some Attention: To his skin that is… time to book that facial for the groom. Men need skin care too and one month before the big day will give him the clear completion he needs too. Trust me, once they do it, they will love it.
 
2 Weeks to go:
Avoid using any new skin or hair products at this time!!! I repeat NOTHING NEW!!!Many brides try new things because they desperately want to look beautiful for their big day. However, I have seen many brides come in because they had tried multiple new products the week before their wedding and then had a reaction to it. Maintain the same skin regimen you have been using previously. If you really want a pre-wedding glow, I will give you a sample mask of what we’ve been using during your last 6 months with a little boost in it. . You will use this 3 or 4 days before the wedding for wedding day glow. Trust me, again NOTHING NEW!!!
 
1 Day to go:
Rescue Remedy Sleep Spray- Flower essences for sleep right before bed, lots of water and a good night’s sleep. You will be awake for what will feel like an entire 24-hour day tomorrow…peace calm and rest. You don’t want bags under your eyes. Oh, speaking of eyes, I can give you some under eye treatment pillows for you to use right before you go to sleep, it will help destress the eyes so you wake up fresh as a daisy. Seriously, water and rest today, tonight… tomorrow you become a new you, a new person with a bright new life ahead of you.
 
2 Months After:
Book your last Reiki Session with me. Let’s balance you out and see where things are at with your new life. It’s great to stay on track with not only your relationship goals, but your relationship with yourself goals.

In the meantime, remember to breathe and be good to yourself

 

So, we survived, or I should say I survived the Eclipse that hit on August 20,2017. What doozie... it hit me like the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie...yeah yeah. The whole point of that is because I now know what it's like to truly live out an Eclipse season and really have the lights go on. This eclipse was full of so many ah-ha moments, it's too many to count. But what I know for sure is that there is a balance when working with truth and kindness. There is a way to talk to people who don't agree with you without dehumanizing them. There is a beauty in surrender and there is a joy in watching your 72 year old Mother move half way accross the country with her dogs, and birds and the unknown. There is a lot of love out in the world amongst the hate and a ton of beauty amongst the ugly.  Ugly, what a odd word, I never liked it and it's just such an odd word to even type, or spell, but I digress. I also know that in the absence of data, we all spin a narrative that often times brings more suffering than love and at the end of the day, the other thing I know for truth is that love is the answer, to everything. Be nice and love yourself. 

Lots of exciting and new things happening here, and hopefully I will have more space in my day to day to share with you all that is unfolding. Share with you all the new scents and energy that is being lifted. In the meantime, continued prayers and support to the people in Houston, USVI, Florida who need our energy, even if you can't give monetary donations, sending love and lighting candles in your next ritual and holding space for them in your meditations does help. It's distant healing at it's best. And right now, I think we can all use a little of that. Much Love Kimberly

Sleep is one of the great mysteries of life. Like gravity or the quantum field, we still don't understand exactly why we sleep—although we are learning more about it every day. What is known is that good solid sleep is a cornerstone of good health and high quality daily functioning. But how much sleep do we need, to reduce the signs of aging and help to optimize our day to day? From all the research that I’ve found, 6-8 hours is the right amount, however, it has to be solid sleep, no interruptions and definitely no getting up turning on a light and then trying to go back to sleep. Six to eight solid hours.
Surveys done by the National Sleep Foundation over the last 10 years show that most women in the United States don’t get enough sleep. Although this has huge impacts on a women’s life and their overall health, there is a connection to weight gain and lack of sleep. To keep you engaged, I am not going to cover that in this blog, but will in a future post, so stay tuned. Since we’ve established that a good 6-8 hours of sleep is what we need, some may need and be able to function on more or less, here are the top ten things you can do to optimize your sleep. 

1.         Sleep in complete darkness, or as close to it as possible. Even the tiniest bit of light in the room can disrupt your internal clock and your pineal gland's production of melatonin and serotonin. Even the tiniest glow from your clock radio could be interfering with your sleep. This will help decrease your risk of cancer.  Close your bedroom door, and get rid of night-lights. Refrain from turning on any light at all during the night, even when getting up to go to the bathroom. Cover up your clock radio. Cover your windows—I recommend using blackout shades or drapes.
All life evolved in response to predictable patterns of light and darkness, called circadian rhythms. Modern day electrical lighting has significantly betrayed your inner clock by disrupting your natural rhythms. Little bits of light pass directly through your optic nerve to your hypothalamus, which controls your biological clock. Light signals your brain that it's time to wake up and starts preparing your body for ACTION. I've been trying to convince Bob of this for  years, he still doesn't get it, however I've solved this by see #7 below 
2.         Keep the temperature in your bedroom no higher than 70 degrees F. Many people keep their homes and particularly their upstairs bedrooms too warm. Studies show that the optimal room temperature for sleep is quite cool, between 60 to 68 degrees. Keeping your room cooler or hotter can lead to restless sleep. When you sleep, your body's internal temperature drops to its lowest level, generally about four hours after you fall asleep. Scientists believe a cooler bedroom may therefore be most conducive to sleep, since it mimics your body's natural temperature drop.

3.         Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields (EMFs). These can disrupt the pineal gland and the production of melatonin and serotonin, and may have other negative effects as well. To do this, you need a gauss meter. You can find various models online, starting around $50 to $200. Some experts even recommend pulling your circuit breaker before bed to kill all power in your house.

4.         Move alarm clocks and other electrical devices away from your bed. If these devices must be used, keep them as far away from your bed as possible, preferably at least 3 feet. Remove the clock from view. It will only add to your worry when you stare at it all night... 2 a.m. ...3 a.m. ... 4:30 a.m.

5.         Avoid using loud alarm clocks. It is very stressful on your body to be suddenly jolted awake. If you are regularly getting enough sleep, an alarm may even be unnecessary. I gave up my alarm clock years ago and now use a sun alarm clock, an alarm that combines the features of a traditional alarm clock (digital display, AM/FM radio, beeper, snooze button, etc.) with a special built-in light that gradually increases in intensity, simulating sunrise.

6.         Reserve your bed for sleeping. If you are used to watching TV or doing work in bed, you may find it harder to relax and drift off to sleep, so avoid doing these activities in bed.

7.         Consider separate bedrooms. Recent studies suggest, for many people, sharing a bed with a partner (or pets) can significantly impair sleep, especially if the partner is a restless sleeper or snores. If bedfellows are consistently interfering with your sleep, you may want to consider a separate bedroom. I personally would have this as number 1 as I can attest to this from firsthand experience, and it’s WONDERFUL… Love my “Bobbay” but having separate bedrooms is amazing…just saying

8.         Get to bed as early as possible. Your body (particularly your adrenal system) does a majority of its recharging between the hours of 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. In addition, your gallbladder dumps toxins during this same period. If you are awake, the toxins back up into your liver, which can further disrupt your health. Prior to the widespread use of electricity, people would go to bed shortly after sundown, as most animals do, and which nature intended for humans as well.

9.         Don't change your bedtime. You should go to bed and wake up at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help your body to get into a sleep rhythm and make it easier to fall asleep and get up in the morning.

10.       Establish a bedtime routine. This could include meditation, deep breathing, using aromatherapy or essential oils or indulging in a massage from your partner. The key is to find something that makes you feel relaxed, then repeat it each night to help you release the tensions of the day.

I've talked about spiritually cleansing essential oils in previous classes and today I'd like to talk about another spiritually cleansing and purifying essential oil that is not popularly discussed in common aromatherapy literature for that purpose is Juniper Berry Essential Oil. The branches and berries of the Juniper, a coniferous tree, have been used for medicinal and spiritual purposes since ancient times.

The Old Testament includes several references to the juniper tree including Psalms 120:4. This verse references burning a person with a false, deceitful tongue with the coals (perhaps burning branches/logs?) of the broom tree, an ancient name for a variety of juniper shrub that grows in Palestine. This passage can be looked at in several ways, one being that the juniper was used to cleanse, purify and eliminate that which is false and negative.

Native Americans use juniper berries for medicinal applications and burn the berries to cleanse and purify the air. I dabble in making natural forms of incense and include juniper berries and Juniper Berry Essential Oil in several of my personal recipes. Some involved in energy work and crystal healing use Juniper Berry Essential Oil to cleanse and clear crystals.
 Juniper berries still on the branch.Juniper berries are a natural antiseptic, as is the essential oil. It can help combat acne when used at low dilutions in skin care applications. A room mist/air freshener made with Juniper Berry Essential Oil may help to kill airborne germs.

Emotionally, Juniper Berry Essential Oil is calming and helps to ease stress without imparting the sedative effects that clary sage and the chamomiles are known for. Spiritually, Juniper Berry Essential Oil used in a room mist or diffusor it  cleanses and purifies the air. It is a good choice for use during prayer or meditation. I prefer to use Juniper Berry Essential Oil in a candle diffuser instead of a nebulizer.

Juniper berry essential oil has a distinctive aroma that is woody, sweet, fresh and crisp. Juniper Berry Essential Oil blends well with wood oils like cedar wood, sandalwood  and rosewood  and other conifers like cypress  and fir . I also enjoy it blended with clary sage, or the grounding base notes of vetiver  or oakmoss. I also enjoy juniper berry blended with citrus oils including grapefruit or orange

Juniper berries are responsible for giving gin its distinctive flavor. The name gin is a loose dirivative of the word juniper. Jenever, a Dutch predecessor to today's gin was named from Jeneverbes, the Dutch word for juniper.

During this ending of the eclipse season, there has come a huge amount of suffering. I've been told of and have had clients going through tremendous change and subsequently suffering. The deep waters of Scorpio, with the opposite earth loving Taurus ( I know I have a Taurus moon) can create a conflict of knowing things will end ( Scorpio) and not wanting to live without it (Taurus)...So, just know, without an ending, we will not have that beginning.

This leads me to another thought, the fear of not knowing what will happen if we risk the ending? Sometimes it's not always our time to know how things are going to shake out, sometimes we just have to be okay with ok-ness and not know hot it's all going to turn out, surrender + risk= reward. 
So then, how do you deal with things that are ending, weather it's relationship, a job, moving to a new space, home or dwelling? Endings are difficult for most of us, no matter what the level of change. I have found comfort in simply having the awareness of a shift happening and that "hey, I'm in a change state" therefore, I am going to pass on the book club tonight, or I am going to tend to some reading, laundry, a bath etc. instead of doing this______________fill in the bland.  Without resistance, we are free to be open to what is really trying to be sent to us. A message, a new connection, a suggestion or even a song, something that creates a scene of calm, security and inner knowing, inner peace. And sometimes we just want to hear, everything is going to be okay.  

So next time you find  yourself going down that slippery slope of change, transition, no matter how small or how grand, know, this  too shall pass, without this ending, there is no space for something new, a beginning, just waiting FOR YOU!
Aromatic blessings
Love Kimberly

I have been the educator for the Dr.Hauschka Skin Care line since June 2006. I've been a F.O.H. "fan of hauschka" since 2004. During this time I've used the cleansing cream for the most part with short stints of using other products, just to see, how my skin would react or not, feel, and respond. Time and time again, I always find myself going back to this beauty(pictured in this post) Although this post is not a plug for Dr.Hauschka, it is however,  a plug for the simple act of Cleansing your face.

 Being an Aesthetician I am always amazed at how many people do not do the simple act of washing their face. I am not trying to shame anyone, or judge, I am simply making a point, about the simple act of cleansing and the importance of this first, simple step. 

As the first step towards what you can make as simple or as involved as you want, cleansing is circuital. Finding a cleanser that is your perfect match is the tricky part, and we often go through a few different brands, types and textures before we find the one that we love, and when we love it, we use it. 

During your facial service, a skin analysis is one of the firs things that should take place, and it is at this step that your Aesthetician can provide you with the right product recommendations, which in turn include the right type of cleanser. 

This brings us to texture. The three basic type of textures you find with cleansers are creme base, foam base , gel base. This is a personal preference, and within most types, a good Aesthetician can recommend a cleanser for your skin type/condition. 
So next time you decide to not brush your teeth, and how wonderful that feels, smells,looks, ... remember your pretty face, and how that needs a good washin'... just a suggestion
*for more information on which cleanser is for you, stop in for a facial and a full skin analysis, your face will thank you~