We are all wounded healers. Healing is a life-calling for some, but everyone who has recovered from a cold or watched a scratch form a scab that eventually fell away has the ability to heal. That pretty much includes everybody. We don't need to study or learn how because it comes naturally. The first inkling I had of intentional access to my own healing abilities came through a leaf soon after my hysterectomy when I was twenty-eight.
A friend had invited me to take a course with her to develop our intuition. The course was taught by a lovely Gypsy lady named Ursula who had previously read our palms, or maybe it was cards, and the classes were held in her upscale home in southern California. If memory serves me, there were eight of us in attendance, all of us ladies. Nowadays, this is not groundbreaking, but back in the day, it bordered on being scandalous. Past life and/or ancestral memories of being burned at the stake as witches caused flares of anxiety that we hinted at but never actually discussed. Nonetheless, we persisted in our quest to become more intuitive.
One evening, Ursala led us to a jade plant growing in a large pot on her patio in the back yard where she instructed each of us to choose a leaf and pluck it from the plant. She then led us back inside and told us to make a tear in the leaf we had chosen without actually pulling it apart. Carefully, we examined each others' leaves. Mine was torn along the vein from top to bottom, save about a quarter inch from the stem. Then we placed our leaves in plastic sandwich baggies and took them home for repair.
The assignment: As instructed, I held the leaf between my hands and felt loving feelings three or four times a day. Usually, I focused on my kids. I envisioned their faces lighting up with joy over ordinary things. The promise of an ice cream cone. A walk to the park. Playing with the litter of puppies snuggled up to their mama in the basement. Watching birds and smelling flowers at the Arboretum. Helping me to bake a cake. Reading to me. That's right! As soon as they could sound out words, they eagerly took their storybooks out of my hands and became the narrators. Once I was totally saturated with love, I set the leaf aside until the next time.
Love is the healer! The following week, we ladies showed up with our leaves. The tear in mine was almost completely healed. I'm sharing so that you can perform this easy little experiment and prove it to yourself. A jade plant or any succulent with large broad leaves is a good choice because the severed leaf won't wither before it can heal. Sad to say, many years passed before it ever occurred to me to love myself. During your experiment, I hope you'll add yourself to the equation. I'm not talking about pampering. I want you to feel the same intensity of love for yourself that you feel for your child, your beloved pet, or your lover. Just give it a try. I'd love to hear your results.
Next chapter coming soon
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