Editorial
Volume 22 Issue 2 — July/August 2016
by Melva Armstrong

I found the spring to be really lovely this year and now I’m enjoying the gorgeous summer days. These two seasons always feel so welcome after the long cold winter. I am enjoying living in the country where it feels peaceful and relaxing. For the first time today, I was delighted to see two loons gently gliding across one of our ponds. They are such beautiful birds with their mystical calls. A few weeks ago, we had a groundhog visit us near our barn. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen one. It just sat there, next to the barn, while we took some photos of it. When we went away and came back, it had disappeared. I think it might be living somewhere nearby. Nature excites and delights me every day.

As I work on this new issue, I continue to see how many more people are dedicating their lives to helping others and the world be a better place. I find it exciting to hear about new businesses where the owners are passionate about their work and about sharing joy and healing with those who come into their lives. The wholistic health consciousness is growing and helping more people wake up and take control of their health, happiness, and overall well being. It is exciting to see this happening, knowing that as we all continue to evolve, then more folks will become aware and awake. We are all here to help each other become enlightened and evolve to a higher level of consciousness. These are exciting times in which to be living.

I recently listened to a radio interview with Wayne Pacelle, President and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). I was impressed with the extensive work he has done to help stop cruelty to animals, both domestic and wild, on our planet. He has a new book called The Humane Economy: How Innovators and Enlightened Consumers are Transforming the Lives of Animals, and we have provided an overview of it on page 32. I was happy to hear that many big businesses, such as Walmart, are being influenced to change their policies and carry only humanely-raised animal products. These kinds of changes have come primarily because enlightened consumers are speaking up and choosing only to purchase products where there has been no cruelty to the animals. A reminder that we, the people, have the power to change things. I would highly recommend this book and to also search for any interviews with Mr. Pacelle. He’s well-spoken, articulate, and extremely knowledgeable and passionate about animal welfare.

When it comes to animals, have you ever wondered if they are trying to share messages with you? Jadi Kindred believes they are, and tells us about her experiences working with rescue animals in her article, Animal Communication: They Can Hear, Feel, and Sense Our Thoughts (p. 20). According to Jadi, intuition plays a big part in the process of connecting with animals and nature, and it is only a matter of practice. Everyone can do it.

As we move more deeply into the garden growing season, it’s a time when I realize how little I know about providing my own food. If there weren’t grocery stores around, I’d have to buckle down and learn much more about being self-sufficient so I could stay alive. Nadine LeBean of The Wandering Market has been thinking a lot about these things and has finally found the words to express how she feels about the natural abundance that grows all around us in her article, Eating the Abundance (p. 18). She says she sees nature’s edible food everywhere she goes, from a bush loaded with buffaloberries to a patch of horsetail to dry for tea. I would say most of us have lost the concept of foraging for our food, yet there it is growing wild all around us, just waiting for us to make use of it.

There is so much more to discover in these pages, so read on, my friends. There are many talented and dedicated people in our province and elsewhere who are providing an abundance of services and products to help us lead healthy, happy lives. Their contributions to WHOLifE are greatly appreciated and they are there for the benefit of all.

May the summer be a time for you to soak up lots of sunshine and spend oodles of time savouring the beauty and abundance of Mother Earth.

Namaste
(The spirit in me honours the spirit in you)