by Ellen F. Franklin, PhD
As temperatures and tempers skyrocket it is so important to remember we have sound medicine tools to help us creatively navigate the demanding challenges we face. With unity, deep connections, compassion and a bold fiery spirit in alignment with the Element of Fire, let us nurture our internal and external gardens with a new sense of purpose for healthy hearts and minds able to work for peace and a more just world.
This newsletter is filled with treatment tips to support our navigation through these unprecedented times. As you explore the Element of Fire take the time to try some of the treatment ideas presented by our contributors. Carmen Cicotti guides us through ways to align our external radiance with internal clarity. Cody Foor provides ideas to address a burning world, physically, emotionally, spiritually his contribution Cooling the Fires provides a great example of how to incorporate the gem tips into a treatment. Associate Acutonics Practitioner Juli Realy, invites us to light up our brain, using Acutonics tuning forks for gamma wave entrainment. Jude Ponton writes of the spirit of the heart, the unifier that defines our humanity our Shen which guides inspiration and compassion. Cultivating Shen Jude writes, allows us to live in harmony even in the face of adversity and chaos. Judy Bernard provides self-care strategies to avoid burn out and Tracy Quinlan explores the astrological themes and bright shift in planetary tones for this solstice.
It has been challenging to collect my thoughts for this newsletter as I am deeply troubled by the political landscape and rising fascism in the US that demonstrates rampant abuse of power and erosion of personal freedoms hallmarks of our constitution. It is encouraging to see the mobilization for more than 2000 No Kings Day protests planned this weekend in all 50 states in opposition to the insanity being put forth by our government.
Concerns are high that exercising our First Amendment rights, speaking truth to power and engaging in peaceful protests could result in further military action against US citizens and legal immigrants. Not to mention the absurdity of the planned military birthday parade in DC. Grappling with all of this my thoughts and spirit were uplifted by a Facebook post from Shyla Nelson Stewart.
Years ago, Donna and I met Shyla at a diverse gathering of people working in the Sound Healing field. We share a birthday, and although we are not often in touch, I am deeply impressed by her life-long focus on activism and being a voice for change. Recently she created a personal page on Facebook to share relevant information about the acute crisis facing our country and to suggest simple action steps we can take to meet this moment in history.
In addressing the purpose of her posts, I was particularly struck by: “I am calling upon all of us to imagine, together, an artful, BIG, gorgeous movement to defeat the oligarchic-fueled rising fascism that has hijacked our country. Let’s harness the collective brilliance and creativity among us to respond with unassailable beauty and courage.”
On June 9th, while troops were being deployed to Los Angeles, Shyla in need of irrigation parts for her plants reluctantly headed to Home Depot. She noted the absence of day workers looking for jobs near the parking lot entrance. Yet, in the store she experienced the diversity that is LA, a sense of community and people looking out for each other. Hearing Japanese, Mandarin, Spanish, and Zulu, each encounter was met with a smile and nervous exhausted relief. She wrote:
“This is LA. This is our community. And we are beautiful. The breadth of our diversity is the ultimate source of our strength. Today in the aisle of spigots and valves, couplers and tubing, we became an embodied fulfillment of the wild-haired promise of this implausible 250-year-old experiment in human possibility. Never perfect. Often deeply flawed. But striving, always striving, for some more perfect union. This is the country we live in…There is goodness all around us. There are good people too. I pledge to do all I can to be their champion at every opportunity. I know you do as well. And maybe, just maybe, through all our striving and struggle we will find what we ALL need in order to grow the most beautiful garden possible with our lives, which is our birthright. Every single one of us.” — Shyla Stewart Nelson
As you reflect on the Fire Element remember that it may be expressed as joy, love, laughter, and enthusiasm. It can be expansive and warm, inviting growth and flowering. Let’s nurture our internal and external gardens and find the strength in unity to hold strong, speak our truth, and be courageous agents for change. May each of us find inspiration and renewed strength in this summer season planting potent seeds for peace, healing and harmony around the globe.
Ellen F. Franklin & Donna Carey are co-founders of the Acutonics Institute of Integrative Medicine, LLC. They can be reached via email at ellen@acutonics.com, and donna@acutonics.com
