The Luminous Spirit

  The Good The Bad And The Ugly Of Internal Fetal Monitors During Birth                    photo by DFID - UK Department for International Development is licensed under CC BY 2.0 So my personal opinion is to definitely research this prior to birth because when you are in labor you only have probably at most 15 minutes to mull this over before making a decision and let’s be honest, that just isn't enough time for a true informed, educated decision. Look up the pros and cons and write it down. Speak to your doctor about it and then together you can decide the reasons to or not to use an internal fetal monitor. Then you both can be prepared during labor if anything were to go sideways. You have already made the decision together and you know what you both are in for. Fetal scalp electrode (internal monitor) I am not 100% against these because There are times where I feel that yes it would be best to use these in situations that really ...

This is a post today that is a deep one so if you are triggered with the mention of loss, please ignore this post today. This is the trauma of miscarriage (my 2021 experience)   So I don’t normally write diary type blog posts, but I felt the need to after a deep meditation I just came out of. Good ole posts like these can seem long winded but literally take me all of 30 minutes to write so here goes. This passed year has been a fucking world wind of emotions for me. Just straight torture emotionally. January I felt my best friend was pulling away and I just honestly didn't understand why. Then I had my billionth miscarriage at 8w4d. I have so much guilt around that. You see, I had no intention of having another baby considering my last son is so attached to me and still breastfeeding. I felt like I was replacing him. I was going to hurt him for bringing another baby in and doing all the things I am doing with him. How replaced and less important he would feel and just betrayed by h...

This is my journey as a radical birth keeper. There are many things I have always wanted to do but I never knew where to begin. I was just in my early 20’s when my gynecologist told me that I should become a fertility specialist. That I could help so many young women who have no clue about their own bodies. I laughed and said, I do know about as much as you. He giggled and said, you should hold classes. Many years go by and I pursued other careers. I'm in my 30’s now and I never followed that path. Let me just be real here, public speaking isn't my thing. I am terrified about speaking to people. Especially face to face or large crowds. "Doctor Hand"   by  Truthout.org  is licensed under  CC BY-NC-ND 2.0   I know a shit ton more now than I did then and I have healed my body temporarily to conceive 4 babies after being told by 4 different doctors that there was nothing they could do. They explained that I have unexplained infertility. All of my bloodwork was fine....

  What all do you need to know about purple deadnettle? Latin Name: Lamium purpureum                      Family: Lamiaceae Growing zone: 4-8 mostly found on roadsides and disturbed ground. It can stand full sun to part shade. Identification: Annual that is pollinated by bees and it is a hermaphrodite. It likes light sandy - clay soil. Prefers well draining moist soil. Single stem that grows ½” to 2 ½” tall. In my yard where it is growing has reached every bit of 8 inches tall. Mostly shade and heavily fertilized. The stem: is square and can be a green to a reddish purple with tiny hair like fuzz on it. Lower 3rd of the stem has no leaves on it. Leaves: Young leaves are scalloped and wrinkly Underside is very hairy which makes them unappealing to most that are trying to consume. The leaves are reddish purple and as they age they become more green. They are densely crowded and each pair of leaves rotate 90 degrees from the...

  I am so new to this.  Wanting to know what herbalism is and why it chose me so that I can figure out where to go from here. So herbalism and being a Wiccan kind of go hand in hand but even if you're not Wiccan or pagan or anything of the sorts it really goes hand in hand with the self sustainability of homesteading. So it was a calling that made me, well me.  So what is herbalism?  Herbalism is a way of life. It is being able to forage wild herbs and make your own medicine. To heal yourself from the inside out and help others heal themselves.  What herbalism is not.  Not a replacement for your health care practitioner.  Sometimes you just really need to go see a doctor. Yes, nature can help with so many things and our bodies need that. But there are definitely times where seeking medical attention from a professional is best.  What is herbalism and why did it choose me? This is a loaded question. As a small child I was always drawn to nature. Th...