|
Dinn taught me how to choose a good walking stick, she needed one for balance, and if Dinn needed a walking stick, so did I. I still look for the perfect walking stick when I am walking, and now like to carve them in front of a fire adding my own artistic flair. She taught me my colours, and how to read. She did not teach me how to write, I taught myself as I scribbled over her carefully handwritten pages of The History of New Ross. Writing was a skill that she wished that I did not learn, and she blessed me many times for assisting her.
Dinn was an avid gardener; through our walks, I learned the names of wild and domestic plants. She taught me remedies that the “old people” as she called them used to make. I learned to read the clouds and the weather. She also taught the importance of history and understanding our roots. She spoke of the native people who used to travel by her families original homestead and of the time when the natives became afflicted with small pox. She told me stories of her Poppa and how he moved his family from Poplar Hill to the end of Leville. She loved Poplar Hill.
Dinn was a collector of rocks, a pastime she passed on to my father, a pastime that they passed on to me, and one that I have passed on to my children. I have added their rocks to my collection. I use stones and crystals in my healing work. It is my belief that stones and crystals have the potential to cure any illness we have. I have had interesting successes with this and have rocks everywhere.
Dinn was my first Goddess, the embodiment of everything good in my world. She crossed over when she was 101 years of age, while I was at Acadia. I knew that she was gone, I did not get out of bed that morning, I just lay there and waited for my mom to call, and she did. Foresight, an interesting gift.
My dad taught me how to read the signs of nature and how to survive in the woods by eating what we can find. I still like to pull ferns occasionally to find the rich tangy finger like piece of meat in the middle. I learned how to make tea out of dried dandelion leaves, and coffee out of toasted dandelion root. Back then; I vowed that I would never eat anything dandelion again. Now, I can hardly wait for the first dandelion leaves to sprout so that I can make a salad. I learned how to survive a winter’s storm if stuck outside, how to shield oneself from the cold winter’s wind. How to make a mask of birch bark so that my face would not get wind burned, and the theory behind starting a fire by friction to keep warm.
The most amazing skill that dad taught me was… how to “witch water”… when I was five. You have to choose just the right stick, from just the right tree, and hold it just the right way. Dowsing is what it was called; I did not know this until I was in my thirties. Better still, my mother had also taught me to dowse with a needle and thread when I was young. She taught me my “Yes” and “No” and how to find answers to questions. A silly little game I thought to keep my siblings and I occupied.
Imagine my surprise when I realized that I was now in my thirties, and I was paying money to learn a skill that both my mom and dad taught me when I was five. Needless to say, I can dowse, and I dowse well.
Ghosts…my Dad taught me about ghosts, and everything he taught, my mother confirmed. I learned that most ghosts would not hurt you, and about the haunted places in our community. I learned that ghosts are very real, as real as we are. I learned of forerunners and what they foretell. My dad…he was big on ghosts, and as a ghost, he still visits both my daughter and I on a regular basis.
From my mother, I also learned the art of tea reading. She denies it now, but I know that it was she who taught these lessons. There were 6 of us, and when we made tea, we made tea. Not bagged tea, but loose tea in a big sauce pan and we used a strainer to strain it. No matter how well you strained the tea, there would still be leaves in your cup. My mom would read the leaves and we would too.
My mother taught me almost everything that I know about superstition and what is acceptable and what is not. Even in my forties, there are still things that I would not do because of the superstitious beliefs that my mom has passed on to me. My mom is Irish and very rooted in tradition and the beliefs that were passed on to her by her mom.
~
Growing up in rural Nova Scotia, the lessons that my elders taught me were…just a way of life. It was what was done before them, and they passed it on to me. It was part of our heritage, and the passing on of the information seemed silly when I was younger. As an adult, I am very thankful for their insight and wisdom in taking the time to teach my lessons.
~
After high school, I earned a Bachelor of Science from Acadia University in Physical Education and Biology. This gave me a strong base from which I have diversified in several areas. I expanded upon my degree by adding alternative healing courses in Healing Touch, Therapeutic Touch, and Reiki. I have taken course in Palliative Care and Pain Management. I have re-learned dowsing and find that you learn something new from each teacher. I enjoy energy work and the interconnectedness that we have with each and everything in the universe; it is quite fascinating.
From the Maritime School of Social Work, Dalhousie University, I received a Level II Certificate in Counseling. I incorporate its teachings in my Tarot and Healing Practice and in my everyday interactions. An important part of my practice is not only to have the ability to read cards or to assist with the healing process; it is to have the ability to communicate to you in a kind and respectful manner.
I utilize the teaching aspect of my degree by developing and facilitating workshops on many subjects especially healing, tarot, dowsing, and drum making. My Diploma in Business Technology allows me to desktop publish my workshops and other projects.
My skill set is vast; I have knowledge and experience, humour, and a love for the work that I do. Having the skills to express my work is a very important part of who I am. Not only do I like to be in control of my own destiny, I like to know that the information that I pass on to you is my own, not that developed by someone else.
Each day there is a new lesson in living, whether it is grounded in this reality or is a glimpse to the other side. This is who I am; an accumulation of my past experiences and those that are yet to come. I welcome the opportunity to share in your journey with you.
In love and light,
Edith
© Edith E. Leopold 2009
|
