I want to begin this bulletin with a heartfelt thankyou to the many people who have reached out to see if I’m OK.

I live in Byron Bay, one of the most beautiful parts of Australia (and yes, I am biased!). Located at the easternmost tip of Australia’s mainland, Byron Bay is famous for our iconic Lighthouse, the breathtaking beauty of our forests and beaches, and our spiritual heartbeat. Movie stars, surfers, nature-lovers and healers all call Byron Bay their home.

But this week, Northern NSW and SE Queensland were on a collision course with Tropical Cyclone Alfred (a Category 2 Cyclone). It’s been a little worse for people in my region, because it comes on the back of another natural disaster. Only 3 years ago, devastating floods caused whole towns to go under water and massive landslides, leaving many people in our region homeless. My own home came within an inch of being flooded.

Some of those homes have only just been repaired, and the warning came out to prepare for more flash floods. Being sensitive to energy, I have been acutely aware of the trauma that the impending cyclone has brought to many of our locals.

The motto for the week was “Hope for the best, but prepare for the worst”.

I want to share with you a little glimpse into my life this past week, and the Young Living products that were at my side. Enjoy!

In the path of Tropical Cyclone Alfred

When I heard that a cyclone was approaching, I didn’t know what to think or expect. I was 8 years old when the last cyclone hit this region. All I can remember is the massive flooding that went with it, and how scared my Mother had been.

I decided on a moderate approach – I bought a couple of extra candles, made sure I had flashlights, a full tank of fuel and a week’s supply of food (not too much, as it was likely we’d lose electricity). I also took the precaution of moving myself and my cats to the far end of my home, away from the tree line.

I live next to a koala corridor, with magnificent 40 metre high Eucalyptus trees adjacent to my home. In a previous severe storm one of these trees had broken in half, so my greatest concern was that one or more of these trees would come down on my home.

I set up a buddy system with a couple of neighbours, letting them know I’d be sending messages morning and late afternoon if I could. If they didn’t hear from me, please come and check.

1. Transformation oil for Change

My cats are incredibly sensitive. Not only could they feel that something was going on in the weather and the collective energy of fear, they also had to contend with a change in their daily routine.

Many years ago when I moved them from our home in Victoria up to Byron Bay, they just didn’t settle into the new home. 6 months later, they were unsettled, and had lost their desire to play.

I started diffusing Transformation oil, and within days they embraced their new surroundings and became playful again, and we never looked back.

BEFORE

AFTER

2. Awaken oil on my pillow

Sleeping in a different bedroom and hearing the wind howling through the night didn’t set me up for a good night’s sleep. So after that first night, I brought my entire oils case into my guest bedroom where I was sleeping, and put Awaken oil on my pillow every night.

Awaken oil has always been my favourite go-to for sleep, and every night after that first night, I slept deeply and restfully. One night I even managed 10 hours’ sleep!!!

3. NingXia Red – my healthy treat 

Every day (twice a day) I have my Red Drink.  

I’ve been doing the Red Drink since April 2020, and it’s a non-negotiable in my day. But I noticed through the stress of the impending cyclone that I began craving more comfort food and sugar. 

Fortunately there were no chocolates in my home, so I reached for my healthy sweet treat, ie. an extra sachet of NingXia Red when I needed it.

It’s wonderful for calming stress, and many other things!

4. Cooking up a storm

I knew we were likely to lose electricity once the storm really got underway. The winds were picking up, and it was becoming pretty scary to watch the trees doing a frenzied dance in the cyclonic winds.

Thursday night, I got the nudge to “cook up a storm” while I still had electricity. So I made enough Pumpkin Soup with Ginger oil to last me 6 days, and enough Parsley, Lemon and Lime dip to last me a week.

Here are my recipes. I love these two dishes, and they’re great comfort food during a stressful time…

Pumpkin Soup with Ginger oil:

The recipe is really simple (and even simpler in a thermomix).

Ingredients (serves 3):

• 1 brown onion
• 10g butter or olive oil
• 600g Japanese or Butternut pumpkin
• 1 large red capsicum (bell pepper)
• 500ml water
• 4 drops of Ginger oil

Chop onion, then saute in butter or olive oil. Add 600g of diced pumpkin and a diced red capsicum. Blend all ingredients until finely chopped, then add 500ml water, heat and cook for 20 minutes. Add 4 drops Ginger oil, and process in a food processor or thermomix until you have a rich, creamy soup.

Garnish with salt, pepper (and a dash of yoghurt or coconut yoghurt if you wish).

Parsley and Citrus Dip

This is another super easy recipe, inspired by a recipe in Anthea Amore’s book, Hungry for more crazy good vegan food. Every time I make it, people flock over it. At first they think it’s guacamole…until they get that wonderful, tangy first bite. Then it’s love at first munch! 

Ingredients (serves 7 – 10):

• ½ cup cashews (soaked for 15 mins)
• 1 cup macadamia nuts
• 1 small garlic clove
• 1.5 tsp of Celtic or Himalayan salt
• ¼ cup lime juice
• ½ cup lemon juice
• ½ cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp water
• 3 drops Lemon oil
• 3 drops Lime oil
• 1.5 to 2 cups of fresh parsley

Blend the garlic and macadamia nuts together. Then add all remaining ingredients and blend in a food processor on high until creamy. Serve with crackers.

5. When there’s no electricity, internet or phone….

As the cyclone got closer, we lost electricity and internet, and eventually phone service. The hardest part for me was having no contact with the outside world. Every now and then a text message would get through, or the phone would ring only to drop out again just as quickly. So what does one do when there’s nothing to do? Well I cleaned, of course.

I sparkled my sink with Thieves Kitchen & Bath Scrub, and I wiped down skirting boards and walls with my Thieves Household Spray. 

Then I mopped with a special Thieves Household Spray mix, containing 1 tbsp Thieves Household Cleaner, 50 drops of Peppermint oil and 500ml water. It makes my home smell like a healthy lolly shop!

When I wasn’t cleaning, I used whatever battery I had left in my computer to mark student logged sessions for our Raindrop Technique Course, Egyptian Emotional Clearing Technique Course, and the ParaSET course. 

And when I was out of puff from doing that, I pulled out my Bowen Technique notes from pre Y2K, and began refreshing on the various steps. Before I came across Young Living I used to have my own Bowen Technique practice, and I’ve been getting nudges to revisit this technique. I’d love to experiment with using essential oils in combination with the various moves, in much the same way that essential oils can be combined with acupuncture. ie. put a drop on the spot, then do the move. 

6. Gratitude oil for my guardian angels

You know the saying, “When life throws you lemons, make lemonade”. That’s a great way of saying that we can’t always change what’s happening outside, but we do have the power to choose our attitude. 

That’s where Gratitude oil comes in for me. It shifts my focus from fear and lack, onto the things I appreciate in life. That’s why it’s an essential part of my 7 Oil Ritual. 

As I looked outside at all the debris, I also saw these beautiful orange mushrooms popping up in my garden amidst the pebbles.

What a beautiful reflection of the resilience of nature.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared as Tropical Cyclone Alfred drew closer. In the Southern Hemisphere, our cyclones turn in a clockwise direction. It’s the regions to the southeast of a cyclone that get the worst impact, and Byron Bay was in the hit line.

When I spoke to my brother and sister in Brisbane, all they had was light sprinkles of rain and a bit of gusty wind. But here in Byron Bay (2.5 hours’ drive south of them) the wind was ferocious and howling like a banshee, and the rivers began flooding. Thursday night, our local SES began evacuating beachside areas that were only 7 minutes’ drive from my home.

I knew I was on high enough ground that I wouldn’t be evacuated, but I woke up one morning and my garden was under water, and the water was lapping at the pavers around my home. 10cm more rain and it would have been inside my home….and they were predicting 40 or 50cm of water. Fortunately the rainfall was much less than predicted, and the water began subsiding after that.

Seeing the trees being whipped around by the intense winds, I fully expected to see a lot of trees come down…and they did, over powerlines and streets and vehicles, and even on top of some houses. But fortunately none came down on my property. I had a whole lot of large branches come down, most of which I could drag off my driveway. But one was much too large, and a local builder came and gave me a hand with his chain saw to slice it up so I could move it away and have car access again.

On Saturday, after no phone or internet for 24 hours, I decided to venture out. It was still windy, and two large trees had fallen down on my street (but fortunately hadn’t blocked the road). I walked a few hundred metres to a neighbour’s home for some news and some company. They were so delighted to see me. They made me a cup of peppermint tea and put on a lovely platter of fruit, and I enjoyed some nourishing conversation.

The good news is that we’ve come out the other side, and Alfred wasn’t as bad as the predictions. Winds were expected to hit 155 km/hr, but they made it to about 115 km/hr. That’s still high….but it could have been much worse.

Some people have lost electricity for 5 to 6 days, whereas my electricity outages have been intermittent, and I’ve been grateful for the small comfort that light plays in my life. As for having no internet or phone – that’s a small inconvenience, and I know it will be restored soon….hopefully by the time you read this!

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