Burn, Bane and Butcher

We're going to talk about something on the serious side today.  Cancer.  It is a word that incites fear, which I believe is one of the worst feelings to harbor, and I also believe is unnecessary.  So little is understood about cancer by the masses, it is seemingly a death sentence.  According to cancer.org the average man has a 42% chance of developing it in their lifetime, and a woman, a 36% chance.   However when presented with preventative actions to better your chances, most people "keep on scrolling."  Most submit to defeatism before they even have cancer with a quiet fear they will someday hear the dreaded diagnoses (eg. "everything kills you these days, I'm not going to change anything").

Lets talk about today's modern treatments for cancer:

1.  Chemotherapy (bane, or poison - kill everything in its path and destroy your immune system)

2.  Radiation (burning - just scorch the tumor off)

3.  Surgery (cut it out like a butcher to a flank steak).

4.  Go home and die.

 Wow!  It is not my intent to start off sounding bleak, but the “reality” of getting cancer, generally is.  We are in the 21st century and that’s the best we can come up with for conventional cancer treatment? After billions upon billions of dollars have flooded through the “cure cancer” foundations and research and awareness groups…this is really the best we can do??

It makes me furious.  And you know why it makes me furious?  Because the barbaric treatments used in conventional medicine today are ineffective and outdated.  Not to say that it never works.  Sometimes people survive, but they barely survive, after being processed through a hellish "one size fits all" cancer cattle chute.  

What most people don't know is that there are pockets of doctors out there - virtually unheard of - whose progress is suppressed, who are actually curing cancer at wildly higher success rates than conventional treatment.  These treatments come with low, if any side effects, and don’t kill your body in the process, but rather restore your immune system so that it can target the cancer and rid your body of it.  

My question is, why are the methods used in these holistic treatments completely ignored and considered quackery by “modern medicine” when there are literally thousands upon thousands of cancer cases cured by these methods (what conventional docs call "spontaneous remission")?  More than that, when the average joe hears about the possibility of these treatments working, why do they scoff or ignore?  Why doubt? Why turn a blind eye?  I mean good God, if there’s something to it, isn’t it worth your time?  We are talking life or death here.  We have the gift of endless information at our fingertips, and yet we are going to leave it all in the hands of Dr. Soandso who learned everything from a text book funded by big pharma, who’s recommending burn, bane and butcher which is one of most damaging options & has the lowest cure rates in comparison? If holistic, naturopathic methods prove to have more effectiveness than the conventional treatment, than lets talk about what the real fraud is!

You see, I’m a little passionate.  In fact I’m really angry about this, but I’m hopeful for change.  I’m anticipating people being fed up with the way things are, dying or watching people die miserably without knowledge of options, without hope.  Truth really can only be contained for so long.  Awareness is really all I can offer, so take what I say or leave it.  But I’ve had a strange obsession with researching alternative cancer treatments for almost four years now.  I’ll state clearly here, no I’m not a doctor and I’m not telling you what to do in regards to treating your or someone else’s cancer.  But I urge you to have a mind of your own and look into your options before jumping on the chemo-train (yes, you have more options than the above four)! 

For the record, lets look at some facts about cancer.  

Cancer is a symptom.  

You don’t just “get” cancer like you catch virus.  Cancer is a symptom of something else going wrong in your body.  When your immune system is consistently tending to some other ailment in your body (particularly anything causing long term inflammation), when it isn’t given the proper support in food, supplements, emotional wellness, exercise, proper alignment, etc. it becomes too weak to fight off cancer cells.  We always have free radicals floating around in our bodies.  Right now even.  If allowed, these free radicals become cancer cells.  But in a healthy, unstressed, well nourished body, your immune system kills and flushes these guys out on a daily basis.  

Chemo isn’t a cure (hence why they're still looking for "the cure").  

If you are dealing with cancer or know someone who is, next time you go to the doctor, ask them, “What is the probability this treatment will cure my cancer?”  Don’t let them talk to you about how it will make you feel or how it’s the latest longevity drug.  Ask how possible it is that it will cure you - make you better, cancer-free, healthy.  Ask them the likelihood of it coming back.  Ask them what could have caused cancer in the first place (genetics cause only 5% of all cancer cases.  What causes the other 95%?)  Ask about the symptoms, and if any symptoms of your chemo are that it can actually cause cancer (because guess what, it can and it does. It’s on the side effects of many chemo treatments.  You can GET more or different cancer from chemotherapy).  Most people know chemo takes the good down with the bad, it doesn't differentiate.  A substance that kills is just that, a killing substance.  

Cancer stem cells are basically immune to chemotherapy.

What many don't know is that most tumors are made up of daughter cancer cells, developed off of a parent cancer stem cell.  Chemo does kill daughter cells, but the stem cells are much harder to kill this way.  So after the daughter cells are killed off (a tumor is shrunk for example) the parent stem cells are still alive and well, traveling and multiplying throughout the body, except this time, the immune system has been blasted by a chemo A-bomb.  Thats why so often the cancers return, often times in another location, and the lack of healthy immune system is why the second time around it is so much more aggressive.

Cancer isn’t a death sentence.

Here’s the truth.  Cancer can be treated and cured with natural, holistic treatments that are extremely scientific, in fact more so than the famous 3 Bs.  You don’t have to believe me to find this out.  Learn for yourself.  Most doctors are not allowed to discuss them (can lose their license over it!), don’t know about them, or bash them due to the status quo.  But it is possible.  People are not just beating cancer and other degenerative illness with whole body wellness, but are conquering cancer holistically and living long, healthy lives with revived vitality.  

All of my information was gathered from the sites below, and then some.

The Truth About Cancer

Chris Beat Cancer
Cancer Crackdown

Antineoplaston Treatment (Burzynski)

Trace Minerals and Micro Nutrients Synergy Program (Dr. Rath)

Essential Oils

CBD & THC oils

Detox

Essiac Tea

The Gerson Therapy
LifeOne

Biomedical (Hoxsey)

Hope for Cancer

Chiropractic Care

Rigvir

GCMav

Budwig Protocol

B17 & Hypothermia

Hyperbaric chambers

Hydrogen enriched water (Mret)

PEMF

And in your nutrient dense diet, don't forget these essentials:

-Turmeric

-Moringa

-Broccoli Sprouts

-Probiotics

-cordyceps mushrooms

-Cannabis

-iodine

-Wheatgrass

-Magnesium

-Devil's Apple

-Vit D

-Spirulina

-Living Fuel

Please don't believe or not believe me because of a preconceived understanding.  Please look into it yourself.  Know your options.

Shaloha!

Vetiver is Bett-iv-er

Maybe it's a love my dad secretly instilled in my mind when I was young - secretly only because I remember hating playing the "what's that plant" game, or maybe it is true that my hippie side has blossomed over the years,  but whatever the case, I now have a deep love for learning about plants and their usefulness.

This particular plant I'm going to share with you is like the Batman of plants.  Not Superman, because it can't really fly or have actual supernatural powers, however it's natural skill set is used with hero tactics, and looking at it you'd never even know it was a like a man in a bat suit, saving lives in its free time - it's just that unassuming.

It's called vetiver.  You probably already gathered that. 

All you oily people are like "I have that essential oil!"

And to you I say yes, yes it is a great essential oil...but it is also so much more.

What is Vetiver?

Vetiver is a grass. A big bushy stand alone clump of grass.  Over here on Kauai, we are surrounded by an irritating, invasive, tall clumping, scratchy grass we call "buffalo grass" (aka guinea grass). Vetiver looks a lot like buffalo grass, but the differences in it's innate qualities are huge!

Vetiver grass has a root system like Asha Mandela's dred locks: thick and ridiculously long.  Above ground it reaches heights of around 8 feet, and underground, the roots reach lengths of 9+ feet.

A great quality of vetiver is that many varieties are not self propagating - meaning you have to propagate it purposefully for it to spread.  It will not take over your yard - which you cannot say about many grasses. All in all, it doesn't appear to be that useful.  Ah, but you could say the same about Bruce Wayne.

Uses

This plant is on the up and up.  Be ahead of the game and start using it already!  Vetiver is helping solve huge problems worldwide, it is so dang affordable, and it's applications span the spectrum!  

Vetiver Solutions

vetiver.org

The bushiness of vetiver makes it a great hedging plant.  Since it's roots run thick and deep, if planted on contour (horizontally level) rows, plantings about 3-5" apart and rows about 3' apart on a hillside, it is perfect for erosion control.  This is coming in particularly handy for our property, as it is largely a steep, eroding slope.  The root system does not branch out around the plant, but down instead.  This means planting between rows is totally possible (most grasses choke out other plants surrounding them).  Again, the plant does not spread like other grasses, so it will not invade your yard.  

The upper half of the plant is thick and strong at the base and perfect for catching debris and slowing and spreading water runoff.  Over time, if planted on a steep slope, it will begin to create natural terracing as dirt and debris collect behind each hedgerow and settle into a flat area.  It grows in a wide variety of soils & loves the sunshine.  

Vetiver is a purifier!  The roots filter soil and water like a boss.  It is not afraid of cleaning up waste contamination, metal toxicity, chemicals, scum and general impurities.  They've actually created this floating vetiver billboard in Manila to clean up a river.  Something my little island of Kauai could follow suit on, as surprisingly our streams & rivers are highly polluted!

Floating Billboard

Thought the usefulness of the plant is done? Nope.  Chop the tops to refresh the plant once and a while and you can use it as soil enriching and protecting mulch.  Deter pests from areas where it's planted and from burrowing because they don't like the smell of the roots. Its multifaceted benefits make vetiver a permaculture staple grass.  Here's a nice little visual of how it can change the world if done right.  

The Perfect Grass

We're Not Done Yet!

All that was just how it's useful when it's planted in the ground.  I'm not even going to go into detail on the other half.  But here's the summary: When used for it's parts (oil, medicine, materials, water) vetiver has body, mind & emotional worth!  

Vetiver naturally...

• cools your body & environment
• treats ADHD & insomnia
• boosts energy
• is a super antioxidant
• drink infused root water for blood purification
• great for treating skin imperfections and problems
• can put you in "the mood"
• helps with anxiety
• repels termites, mosquitos and other critters
• can be made into blinds that cool the home and give off a relaxing scent & other natural fiber household items.  

In my own life, we have just recently planted vetiver along our steep hillside, and it's in it's baby stage.  I plan to plant a bucketload more, and I'll do an update when it's erosion control duties are in full effect.  I also have the oil.  When diffused it makes me feel like I just drank a glass of red wine - super relaxed and sleepy and just a little bit goofy.  Also, I'm a little obsessed with putting just the smallest amount on my wrist and sniffing it throughout the day.  It smells glorious, but a little bit like a man's cologne...so "just enough" to keep me stress free and sane through the day.  So good.

For a full reading on the value of vetiver's material properties, just click on the picture below, or here. 

Courtesy of Dr. Axe

That being said, you heard it from me. Vetiver: the batman of plants.  

Shaloha!

The Other Holy-Days: Passover

“Tis’ the season!”

Wait, aren’t the holidays over?

Ah, but they are just beginning.  You know what I love about the biblical feasts/holy-days?  While they aren’t all technically “feasts”, there are 7 celebrations and two of them span a week!

Talk about who knows how to throw a good party.  That would be GOD.

How my family got to where we are is a long, long, involved journey, but one I am finding out many besides us are taking.  The long and the short of it is that the feasts are in the bible, and xmas and easter as they stand…aren’t.  It’s a can of worms you’re welcome to open on your own.  I can’t be responsible for your life’s traditions & belief system turning upside down.  Only my own.

However, I can tell you how rich and interesting the biblical holidays are, and that the first 3 in the 7 series are upon us!

An Introduction

I don’t want to lay it all on you at once, so we will start with the first 3 spring days that are back to back.  It is likely, if you grew up in the church, that they will sound familiar.  

1.  Passover

2.  Unleavened Bread

3.  First Fruits

Passover starts the series, on the 14th of the first month.  There are differences in how people who celebrate the feasts track these holidays, but mostly, if you look it up on google, there’s a general understanding (not that the majority is always right! ‘Cause sometimes it’s not.  But we’re keeping it simple).  

It was (and is still) celebrated as a memorial of the Passover & Israelite exodus out of Egypt, but for those who believe in the Yeshua Hamashiach (Jesus Christ), you get to see how these days also played an important role in ushering in the Messiah, and how paying attention to the fall feasts will bring to light some of the “end times” debacles.  

Back in good ol’ Leviticus (one of my personal favs), YHWH calls his feasts days “moedim” or “set times,” considered to be “holy convocations” or “rehearsals”, that the LORD gave Moses to give the Israelites to observe.  He set the dates and some guidelines to follow regarding them and said to celebrate them.  What is actually commanded to happen on these days is minimal.  

eg. Passover, & unleavened bread (somewhat rolled into one): getting rid of leaven in your place, eating unleavened bread, stop working on the first and seventh day of the festival (see Leviticus 23 for the rundown).  Pretty easy stuff.  As far as the sacrifices go, since there’s no temple, it would actually be against the law to offer any sort of sacrifice in your backyard and what not, so don’t bother trying.  In fact, we can’t “legitimately” observe these holidays, so considering them as memorials, or rehearsals is a better way of looking at it.  

Now, as it would happen over thousands of years, there have accumulated some traditions surrounding these festivals (the traditional pesach meal for example).  They are great!  They can be fun and very meaningful, and full of wisdom.  But lets just remember they are man made traditions, ok?  However the feasts themselves are God-made and I believe of a lot more importance than we give them credit for. 

How the First 3 Feasts Weigh-in with the Church

Not to limit this to the first three - as they all are important to the Church! But for the beginning, lets look at why the first 3 feasts carry importance to the church today (aside from the fact that it's in the beginning of the Bible and the rich heritage of the Christian faith!):

1.  Yeshua (Jesus) died on passover (the passover lamb, right?)

2.  Yeshua was in the ground by the day of Unleavened bread (leaven is often likened to sin - he was buried although had no sin)

3.  Yeshua was the “First Fruits” of the resurrection on the feast of First Fruits (my intent is not to offend, but no, easter and First Fruits are not the same). 

Remember, these were days that the Israelites had already been celebrating for forever, and Yeshua is making his biggest moves on the days his Father said to rehearse on.  Rehearse for what?  Could it have possibly been rehearse for this? His son’s death & resurrection?  

Just sayin’.  

Imagine if they’d forgotten about the festivals altogether for some man-made tradition long before Yeshua came along…the actualization of these first three feasts would have been entirely missed!

What’s even crazier is how the latter four festivals sync up to the return of the Messiah and things to come.  The parallels are fantastic.

Wheels turning?

So the idea is nice, but in all reality, it’s hard to give up long held traditions.  If we even want to, how can it be done?  Especially with older kids?  

Granted my husband and I started this journey pre-kids, but I can tell you with certainty - it’s a weaning process.  For all involved.  The good news is, while I recall christmas memories with warmth and happy times (my parents did great christmases!), I don’t miss it now, nor am I nostalgic about not raising my kids in the same traditions.  I must never have a particular attachment to easter because that one I weaned from easily.  I’m more excited than anything, now that we have kiddos, to instill some longstanding Feasts of the Lord traditions with our little ones (lighting the candles on Chanukah was a hit with our almost 2-year-old this year).

Etsy

Since we are replacing our inherited traditions (christmas and easter) with the moedim, we are going through a huge learning curve.  We are failing, learning more, accomplishing, creating and mostly just rolling with it.  We don’t pretend to have it all figured out - we’re total nubes, wondering how much tradition on the Jewish side of things we should include (since we aren’t religiously Jewish, but they’ve been celebrating the feasts for ages, so they have some nice ways to celebrate), or should we just make it our own?  Following of course, the basic outline of Leviticus 23.  

Kid-Application

If you’re worried it won’t be as fun, don’t be!  The feasts are most definitely family-friendly. 

A messianic buddy of ours does some educational & fun activities with his family…In the ten days leading up to passover he puts red dye in water vessels (water turns to blood), uses black out blinds (darkness), has ice fights (hail), etc. all to commemorate the plagues before passover.  

There are always traditional games like cleaning the leaven out of the house and then having pops and the kids go around searching like detectives with a light and feather to sweep up “missed” (purposefully left) bread crumbs.  I think we will be giving this one a try this year.

I’ve seen crafts like building houses of matzo (could put red licorice over the front door).  

Even just watching Prince of Egypt as a family after a commemorative passover meal every year sounds nice!  

There are many ways to make it creative and meaningful for the whole family, and each feast of the Lord has so much depth, history, & relevance to a follower of Christ.  More than we realize - more than we’ve been taught.

Above left:  Planetsmarty

Above right: Coolmompicks

Real Talk

I get kind of bummed out at the fact that these feasts are universally ignored by *most* (not all) Christian teachers.  But the tides are changing because people are curious. Others are seeing inconsistencies in our traditions vs. what’s in the bible.  I’m seeing it happen around me, and it’s exhilarating to see others searching these things out for themselves (I’m not the only one! *sigh of relief*).  If you're one of them, there are tons of resources.  Keep looking.  Keep searching.  It's an endless, awesome adventure!

For those on the search for information on the feasts, here are a few links & books to get you started:

-A lovely set of sermons on the feasts of the Lord by Mark Biltz  

-Some history and alternative thoughts on christmas & easter

-A great book detailing the feasts, their memorial & their fulfillment (or future fulfillment)

-This book about Torah and it's relevance to Christians

Shaloha!