How to Make Black Walnut Tincture

Why Make Black Walnut Tincture: 

It is a very strong and effective remedy for parasites (and the problems they cause) especially when mixed with wormwood and clove.  Black Walnut Hull is also very effective on fungal infections of all kinds.  It can be used to treat athlete’s foot and impetigo and is very effective.  If you are a farmer, it is also good to have on hand for animals. It is said that Black Walnut Hull has also been used successfully in the treatment of cancer.  In addition to the tasty nut, the leaves can also be used for medical purposes.  

Collecting Walnuts:  

The walnuts are ready in August/September depending on your region.  These trees are very common and plentiful and their nuts are often seen as "litter" in people's yards so they are easy to collect or get permission to collect on other's property.  You can also find them in state parks.  It doesn't take many to make a large batch tincture.  It is strong and a little goes long way!  You want to get the walnuts that are all green.  I avoid any browning.  You want a nice bright green color.  Stay away from the ones that are yellowing or have lots of brown specks or spots, cracks or blemishes. You can even take a stick and knock them out of the tree if you wish to get them without any brown.  These will be the strongest and healthiest hulls to use.

Making the Tincture:   

You should use a high proof vodka or grain alcohol for making the black walnut tincture.   Use a large glass jar for making the tincture.   You can also wear gloves if you wish since the walnuts can stain your hands green or brown but it’s usually not necessary.  It is best to put your walnuts in the jar whole.  Simply drop your walnuts into the jar and pour in enough alcohol to cover the nuts, put the lid on, and put it in a warm dark place.  Once the tincture has turned to a dark green it is finished.  Just strain it and bottle it in dark glass.  Old wine bottles with screw caps work well for this. It is important to keep all tinctures out of the light to preserve their properties/strength.

A Wonderful Experience with Reiki

I experienced a wonderful Reiki session yesterday afternoon with a very good friend of mine named Krista.  I always love it when I am given the opportunity to show someone what Reiki can really do for them for the first time.  It was an awesome experience.  I have known this friend for many many years and she had never experienced a Reiki session before.  People who have never experienced Reiki before are always my favorite clients.  Usually they come in a bit nervous, unsure what to expect, and end up leaving afterward feeling absolutely amazing and often telling me what a wonderful experience it was and how they definitely felt the heat and tingle of the energy and tell me what amazing things they feel and experience during the session.

Yesterday for example my friend came in complaining of stress and anxiety, then later admitted afterward that she had been experiencing severe pain in her lower back prior to the session.  Strangely enough, though she didn't tell me before hand, I felt it during the session.  Being an empath helps immensely in doing Reiki.

When I do a Reiki session for a client I generally work the energy down the front of the body and into the chakras.  After scanning the body for energy variations I always have the client roll over and again work down through the chakra system but from the back.

Yesterday while doing the session on my friend I was working down the back when I reached the lower back/sacral chakra area and felt an immense pain surge through my back at the same location.  I knew at once from my years of experiencing my empathic gifts that she was actually the one experiencing this pain so at that moment I shifted my hand position to focus energy from both sides of the region.  At that very moment I felt the pain leave my lower back and I knew I had managed to heal hers as well.

After the session she sat up and began to explain that she had left something out of her description of her health concerns, and that indeed she had been experiencing pain in her lower back.  She then proceeded to tell me how the moment I shifted had positions to the sides of her back the pain immediately disappeared.  She was basically glowing as she told me this and it made me feel good to have this confirmation that what I did during the session had indeed helped to relieve her pain.

I wanted to share this story here on the blog so that others who have not yet experienced a Reiki session could know exactly what kinds of wonderful things can happen for them during a session.  It is my hope that through this blog and my practice that I can help to bring Reiki Healing to many people who might not otherwise ever know the healing and freedom from pain that it can bring them.

Namaste,

Will

A Tribute to an Old Friend

Mary Ann Haddad 1958-2013

I've had a rough few days here.  I lost a very dear friend this past week very unexpectedly to brain cancer.  This is the reason I haven't been posting regularly lately on the blog.  Her name was Mary Ann Haddad and she was only 54.  My thoughts are with her and her family and most especially with the love of her life Andrew who happens to be like a brother to me.  He's been having a very tough time dealing with her loss and unfortunately he is in Nevada which is a bit far for us to travel too to be with him.  Her body was shipped back to Michigan by her daughter and will be buried today in Bath, Michigan.

It's hard to even express how we've all been feeling the past few days.  I've been barely sleeping at night worrying about my friend and brother, Andrew.  He is so special to me.  I know as does he that we have spent many lifetimes in each others lives, and it's so hard to know that I can't be there for him in Nevada to help him deal with Mary Ann's loss.  I am lucky though to know where she is and how she is on the other side because of my gifts which Andrew knows about and I have had the privilege of sharing many messages with him from Mary Ann's spirit as she has been with me since her passing.  That's the one thing that helps me get through loss is knowing that those whom I love who know of my gift will come to me and let me know they are still there.  Unfortunately it doesn't always make it easier when it comes to dealing with the grief of those they left behind.

Andrew has promised that he will come back to Michigan though and that the three of us, Andrew, Timothy, and I will be finding a place together up north once he returns so that he won't have to be alone.  We finally managed to make him see that it was important for him to do so as Mary Ann has requested that I take care of him for her and be there for him when he needs someone to turn too, and I will do so gladly.  He's a good man with a good heart.  I know others out there that don't seem to believe that, but that's because they don't know the Andrew that I have always known.

I look forward to carrying out Mary Ann's final wish and being there for the man I have always known as a brother and friend.  He has always been an unexpected blessing in my life as she was for him.

I have learned something from all this these past few days.  The most important things in life aren't things we own or things you can purchase in a store.  The most important things, the thing that last, the only things we take with us when we leave this earth are how much we love others, and how much we are loved by others.  Nothing else in this life matters but those two things.

So to anyone reading this I say to you, hold the ones you love close to you.  Tell them how much they mean to you, and let them love you in return.  None of us ever knows how much time we have, so love each day as if it were your last on earth.

Namaste,

Will

Reiki Self-Healings: Day 21 of 30

Pre-Session: "I'm Late, I'm Late!!!"

Didn't get to my self-healing as early as I normally do today.  Been a busy day.  Finally got my Wicca Altar put back together.  Spirituality has definitely become my central focus lately, which is a wonderful thing.  We all need to nourish our spiritual sides daily.  It does wonders.

This evening I am just trying to take it easy.  Finding time to unwind and relax.  Sounds like a good time for Reiki to me, but then again when isn't a good time for Reiki? :)  Tonight I will focus my Reiki self-healing on calm and relaxation, a perfect thing for Reiki to be focused on.

Post-Session:

Very relaxing!  I love Reiki for relaxation!  It's my favorite us of the Reiki energy.  Anyone who might be reading this who has never experienced Reiki for relaxation should definitely do it.  It's amazing.  The sensations of heat and tingling in your muscles and chakras is unbelievable unless you can experience it for yourself.  In my personal opinion there is no other relaxation technique out there that is as soothing and relaxing as Reiki.

Good evening everyone and pleasant dreams!

Namaste,

Rev. Will

Reiki Self-Healings: Day 18 of 30

I haven't posted much on here the last few days, so I felt it important to post today as I am getting closer to the end of my 30 days of Self-Healings.  The last 18 days have gone by so quickly it seems.  Been working on a lot of things revolving around Reiki.  Self-healing, Reiki sessions with family, and even started working on my future Reiki Handbook for Universal Light Reiki and Natural Healing.  Believe it or not I have the handbook nearly completed and I'm not even finished with my own Reiki Master course.  My Sensei has been a big inspiration in the writing of my handbook along with Mikao Usui himself.  I have added my own experiences to the handbook as well and will probably add more by the time my own Reiki Master course is complete.

So life has definitely gotten a lot busier lately.  I'm feeling so much more useful and attuned with spirit since I started the course.  I feel like this is what I was meant to do all along, the one thing I have been waiting to find within myself to share with the world.  It's a beautiful thing when you think about it.  Here I was before a scared 37 year old man with social anxiety and panic issues, basically rendered powerless by my own fears.  Now I am strong, vocal, and no longer afraid of anything that life brings to challenge me.  I feel a strong sense of belonging to something greater than myself, and empowered to heal and to soon teach others.  Something I never before thought possible.

I am proud of my accomplishments on my journey thus far.  It surely has been a journey of self-discovery for me.  I think it is what I have needed for a very long time to make me feel vital and needed.  For so long I have sat here in my living room shying away from people and from confrontation, afraid of what others might think of me, afraid to be myself, always wanting to run away form life.  Now I find myself running toward life, toward confrontation, toward conversation, toward people in general.  I'm not afraid anymore and I love the way it feels.  I'm confident in who I am and in my place in the world which I live in.  No longer will I shy away from others, hiding in the background, lurking in the shadows of doubt and fear.

My health has even improved.  I'm losing weight, gaining energy and vitality, and feeling less anxious and more confident in my pursuits.  My blood pressure has finally begun to balance, and the aches and pains in my joints and muscles have minimized significantly.

This is what Reiki has done for me.  It's made me a whole person again.  It's given me strength, hope, courage, compassion, and purpose.  It's healed my body, my mind, and my soul.  I am truly thankful for all these gifts which Reiki has brought into my life and they will always be a part of my spirit from now into the future.  Blessed Be!

It is my hope the Reiki can bring this into others lives as well as it has mine.  Life is to short not to live it to the fullest, with good health, happiness, and peace of mind and spirit.  This is my prayer for the world that through Reiki many will be healed and live a good long life full of happiness and faith.

Namaste,

Rev. Will

Reiki Self-Healing: Day 17 of 30

What is Reiki?

People have been asking me the question a lot lately,"What is Reiki?"  Well here is a little bit about what it is and how it works! :)

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by "laying on hands" and is based on the idea that an unseen "life force energy" flows through us and is what causes us to be alive.

The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words - Rei which means "God's Wisdom or the Higher Power" and Ki which is "life force energy". So Reiki is actually "spiritually guided life force energy."

A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing. Many have reported miraculous results.

Reiki is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use. It has been effective in helping virtually every known illness and malady and always creates a beneficial effect. It also works in conjunction with all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery.

An amazingly simple technique to learn, the ability to use Reiki is not taught in the usual sense, but is transferred to the student during a Reiki class. This ability is passed on during an "attunement" given by a Reiki master and allows the student to tap into an unlimited supply of "life force energy" to improve one's health and enhance the quality of life.

Its use is not dependent on one's intellectual capacity or spiritual development and therefore is available to everyone. It has been successfully taught to thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds.

While Reiki is spiritual in nature, it is not a religion. It has no dogma, and there is nothing you must believe in order to learn and use Reiki. Because Reiki comes from God, Goddess, Divine Mother, Higher Power, Buddha, etc., many people find that using Reiki puts them more in touch with the experience of their religion rather than having only an intellectual concept of it.

While Reiki is not a religion, it is still important to live and act in a way that promotes harmony with others. Mikao Usui, the founder of the Reiki system of natural healing, recommended that one practice certain simple ethical ideals to promote peace and harmony, which are nearly universal across all cultures.

During a meditation several years after developing Reiki, Mikao Usui decided to add the Reiki Ideals to the practice of Reiki. The Ideals came in part from the five principles of the Meiji emperor of Japan whom Mikao Usui admired. The Ideals were developed to add spiritual balance to Usui Reiki. Their purpose is to help people realize that healing the spirit by consciously deciding to improve oneself is a necessary part of the Reiki healing experience. In order for the Reiki healing energies to have lasting results, the client must accept responsibility for her or his healing and take an active part in it. Therefore, the Usui system of Reiki is more than the use of the Reiki energy. It must also include an active commitment to improve oneself in order for it to be a complete system. The ideals are both guidelines for living a gracious life and virtues worthy of practice for their inherent value.

Reiki Self-Healing: Day 15 of 30

Pre-Session:

Feeling good today.  Very well rested.  Getting a lot of things accomplished.  Not really feeling like I need healing today, but for the good of my Reiki work I will do my self-healing regardless.  Asking the Divine Mother for Love, Light, and Purpose today.

Post-Session:

Feeling a little light headed but very energized.  Feeling a sense of inner peace and love.  I am ready to tackle my day with love, light, and purpose.

May love, light, and purpose fill your heart today and always!

Namaste,

Will

Reiki Self-Healing: Day 14 of 30

Woke up this morning feeling a bit nervous.  This afternoon I will be going to my parents home in Carson City to do a Reiki session on my mother for the first time.  I'm praying that she will be open to receiving the healing and that everything goes well.  For today's self-healing I need to focus on calm, inner peace, and an inner knowing that all will go well.  I will also focus extra energy on my sinus region as I seem to have a blockage there which is hindering my breathing a bit.

Post-Session:

My sinuses are now opening up and draining  like crazy.  I do feel a great sense of inner peace and calm that seems to always accompany the healing, and I do feel much more confident about the healing I will be doing on my mother this afternoon.

May the Reiki flow within us all for the betterment of humanity!

Namaste,

Will

Reiki Self-Healing: Day 13 of 30

Pre-Session:

Woke up this morning around 10:30 feeling like I could go back to sleep for a few more hours, most likely because my cat Charlie kept on trying to wake me up throughout the night.  Feeling very sleepy, but peaceful.  When I was sleeping I was dreaming about Mikao Usui again.  He has now come to me every night for a week or more.  His visits make me feel really good, but it doesn't feel like I am sleeping much.  Today during my self-healing session I will focus on peace, goodwill, and wakefulness to get through the day.

Post-Session:

I started by asking the Divine Mother to send the Reiki energy through me for the purpose of instilling a sense of peace, goodwill, and wakefulness.  I began by focus the energy into my hand by rubbing my hands together to generate heat and electricity in my palms.  I separated my palms to about an inch apart and felt to make sure that the energy was flowing strongly between them.  I stretched the energy and then condensed it into a ball of healing light.  I placed the ball into my crown chakra and began the traditional healing from crown all the way down to the root.  I then as I have been recently doing worked slowly back from the root to the crown stopping at each chakra for 5 minutes or more until the energy felt equalized in each and I could see the strong vivid color of the energy from each chakra.  I have found that this technique of working down then back up the chakras seems to be much more effective at balancing the energies within the chakras and making them flow together as a more cohesive unit.  I believe my spirit guides are the ones who showed me this technique and I definitely give them the credit for it's effectiveness, most especially Mikao Usui.

After the session I feel my energies much more in harmony and balance, and I even feel much more rested and wide awake than before I began.  I look forward to the day when I can use this technique to help others with their health concerns.  To that end I have already scheduled 3 appointments with potential clients for complimentary Reiki Sessions this month.

May the Reiki flow within you and heal your spirit!

Namaste,

Will