Eastern Prickly Pear cactus, Opunita humifusa
THE STORY
I found a patch of Prickly pear cactus growing on the top of a ridge in an open, barren, gravel patch. The bright yellow flowers are what caught my eye. They looked like the drawing a child would make of the Sun, the color of sunshine.
It was April 18, 2020 about 3-4 weeks into the quarantine for Coronavirus. Everyone, around the globe, was in a lockdown scenario. Many people had not ventured out of their houses for many days. All of Mollie"s favorite walking trails and parks had been closed down.
I found a park, more of an open, empty field with a sidewalk running through it. On one end of it there was a sign pointing to a nature area, but all I could see was a corridor running behind people's houses. One day I was bored and yearning for the woods so I decided to explore. It led me back to a meandering nature corridor that runs along a ridge for many miles.
Could it be a secret parkway, overgrown and wild, NOT closed down during Covid? I felt like the little girl who stepped through a threshold into a secret world. Butterflies and dragonflies were fluttering everywhere. A giant tortoise was sunning himself on his front porch. Bluejays and cardinals flitted through the foliage while crows made themselves known with their loud caws.
On this wonderful day of discovery, amidst the gloom and doom of a viral pandemic, this beautiful sunshine flower appears in my path. As I picked the flower, i ended up with 4 prickly cactus hairs in my finger, awakening me and reminding me to pay attention in the moment.
Several messages came through this beautiful flower covered in thorns:
- Sunshine: whenever I was sick as a child, my mother would make me sit outside in the fresh air in the sun. It just so happens, that viruses do not like heat. Heat can kill them fairly easily so they prefer cold.
- Everyday, no matter what is going on in the world, the Sun rises, and gives us light and warmth. it is always there for us, probably why so many ancient peoples worshipped the Sun
- Pay attention! be in the moment! Wake up those nerve endings!
So whenever you or your dog need a little sunshine in your life, pandemic or not, allow the medicine of this little yellow flower warm your heart!
SPECIFICS:
- Boundary setting: learning where one ends and the other begins
- Adaptability: surrender to the flow of life events instead of resisting; excellent for events that shock the body or senses.
INDICATIONS FOR ANIMALS:
Useful for helping animals learn boundaries during training, eg jumping, overly friendly, respecting space of other dogs and humans.
Learning about territory, healthy boundaries, when to protect, when to allow.
Rigid behavior patterns, adapting to a new way of behaving or doing something.
Helping an animal adjust to a new home, new routine, new situations ie traveling, new pack members.
Stock Bottle Ingredients: Pure spring water, organic French cognac to preserve, flower and stone essences listed above.
For more info on what it's good for and administration please visit FAQS page and blog "WHAT'S IT GOOD FOR?"