Sage Leaves, July 23, 2024

Welcome to Sage Leaves, a compendium of wisdom for those seeking to heal ancestral wounds. This is our first newsletter! We would love to know what you think!

Table of Contents

• What is Ancestral Wounding?

  • Understanding the Concept

  • Real-Life Examples

  • Breaking the Cycle

    • The Fool's Journey Explained

• Self-Soothing Herbal Tea Recipe for Ancestral Woun …

What is Ancestral Wounding?

Ancestral wounding is like a family legacy, but instead of passing down heirlooms or traditions, it’s about passing down emotional and psychological hurts from one generation to the next. Imagine a ripple in a pond. When you throw a stone into the water, the ripples spread out far from where the stone landed. Similarly, ancestral wounds are emotional ripples passed down through generations.

Understanding the Concept

1. Emotional Hurts: Imagine your great-grandparents lived during a difficult time, like a war or a severe famine. They experienced a lot of fear, stress, and sadness. These intense emotions can sometimes affect how they think, feel, and even how they raise their children.

2. Passing Down: These emotions and behaviors can be passed down from parents to children. For example, if your grandparents were raised in a very strict and fearful environment, they might raise your parents in a similar way. Your parents, in turn, might pass some of these fears and strict behaviors onto you.

3. Generational Patterns: This passing down can create patterns. If one generation experiences and responds to trauma or stress in a certain way, these responses can become habits or behaviors that the next generation also adopts.

Real-Life Examples

• Behavioral Patterns: If a grandparent experienced a lot of scarcity (like not having enough food or resources), they might develop behaviors like hoarding or being overly frugal. Their children might learn these behaviors and also start to worry about scarcity, even if they now have enough resources.

• Emotional Responses: If a family member experienced a lot of fear or anger, they might have trouble expressing their emotions healthily. This can lead to a family environment where emotions are not discussed openly, and this pattern can continue for generations.

Breaking the Cycle

Understanding ancestral wounding is important because it helps people recognize and break these cycles. By becoming aware of these patterns, individuals can work on healing these wounds and changing behaviors. This might involve:

• Therapy: Talking to a counselor or therapist to understand and process these inherited emotions and behaviors.

• Education: Learning about family history to understand where these patterns come from.

• Mindfulness and Self-Care: Practicing mindfulness and self-care techniques to manage and heal from these emotional patterns.

In summary, ancestral wounding is the passing down of emotional and psychological hurts from one generation to another. By understanding and addressing these wounds, families can break the cycle and create healthier emotional patterns for future generations.

In Jungian psychology, the Fool’s Journey is like a path to understanding ourselves and growing up. The journey starts with the Fool, a character who is new to everything and is about to learn about life. This character represents a person beginning their life’s adventure, full of innocence and curiosity.

As the Fool moves along, they meet different characters, each representing parts of our own minds. For example, the Magician stands for our skills and potential. The High Priestess symbolizes our inner wisdom and intuition. Each character helps the Fool learn more about who they are and how they relate to the world.

This journey reflects what Carl Jung, a famous psychologist, called "individuation." Individuation means becoming your true self. It's about discovering and integrating different parts of your personality. Through the Fool’s experiences with each character, they learn important lessons, face challenges, and grow stronger.

By the end of the journey, the Fool has transformed into a wise and whole person, just like how we can grow by understanding and accepting all parts of ourselves. The Fool's Journey shows us that life is about learning and becoming who we are meant to be.

Self-Soothing Herbal Tea Recipe for Ancestral Wounding

This gentle herbal tea blend is designed to help soothe and heal emotional wounds passed down through generations. It combines herbs known for their calming, grounding, and healing properties.

Ingredients:

1. Chamomile(1 teaspoon)

   • Known for its calming effects, chamomile helps reduce stress and anxiety, promoting relaxation and emotional healing.

2. Lavender(1 teaspoon)

   • Lavender is soothing and helps calm the mind, reducing tension and emotional stress.

3. Rose Petals (1 teaspoon)

   • Rose petals have a gentle, uplifting effect on the mood and can help open the heart to healing and love.

4. Lemon Balm (1 teaspoon)

   • This herb is known for its calming properties and can help ease emotional pain and promote a sense of peace.

5. Holy Basil (Tulsi) (1 teaspoon)

   • Holy Basil is considered an adaptogen, helping the body cope with stress and emotional upheaval.

Instructions:

1. Combine the Herbs: Mix the chamomile, lavender, rose petals, lemon balm, and holy basil in a bowl.

2. Boil Water: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil.

3. Steep the Tea: Place 1 tablespoon of the herbal blend into a teapot or infuser. Pour the boiling water over the herbs.

4. Let it Steep: Cover and let the tea steep for 10-15 minutes to ensure all the beneficial properties are extracted.

5. Strain and Serve: Strain the herbs from the tea and pour it into a cup. You can add honey for sweetness if desired.

6. Relax and Enjoy: Sip the tea slowly, focusing on the warmth and soothing flavors. Take this time to reflect, meditate, or simply relax and allow yourself to feel comforted and supported.

Notes:

• Chamomile: Known for its anti-inflammatory properties and ability to promote relaxation .

• Lavender: Effective in reducing anxiety and improving mood .

• Rose Petals: Uplifting and heart-opening, aiding in emotional healing .

• Lemon Balm: Calming and soothing, helps with stress and emotional balance .

• Holy Basil (Tulsi): Adaptogen that helps the body deal with stress and promote emotional well-being .

This herbal tea can be a comforting companion in your journey towards healing ancestral wounds, helping to calm the mind and open the heart to deeper understanding and healing.

That’s it for this week! Look for Sage Leaves in your inbox on Tuesday afternoons (North American time.) We look forward to exploring more about Tarot, Healing and more! Take care, be well, and good-bye for now!