LATIN: Castilleja chromosa

GOOD FOR: Artistic codependence essence. For people who use/lean on others and won't use their own creativity or energy to accomplish things in life but use others as a crutch, instead. For those who cling to others and live their lives voyeuristically through another instead of living a full and creative life on their own. Codependence.

DID YOU KNOW:

You are a visceral, gut-level experience kind of person. Your survival instincts, inner knowing and trusting what you know, is your classroom. You do well out of doors, or in a vocational environment. And talk about a risk taker! You're into anything that will give you a 'rush' to make you feel alive in every possible way. Many of you will want to serve your local area, regionally or perhaps, nationally. Many politicians and states people, the caring professions such as teachers, nursing and health related fields are found here. You like to give. Wisely, however, you know your boundaries very clearly so that you don't give at the expense of yourself. And serving your country may also appeal to you, as well.

HEALTHY YOU:

Thinking and understanding for you come from visual observation, hearing, as well as involving your emotions to 'feel out' a situation. You learn through mistakes; many of them. Understanding that success does not always happen the first time around, you are passionately eager to try your game plan again until you get it right. You do not care for standard schooling and are likely to avoid academia in lieu of living your life in order to become educated.

UNHEALTHY YOU:

Living your risk taking life-style to the extreme, you may become what is known as a "trauma junkie." We see this in firefighters, EMT's and paramedics, as well as the security service and the police department. Drug addiction is a huge lure to you and we hope you don't step into this trap. Many will start smoking cigarettes, unfortunately. Or, your addiction could be to love, gambling, or any other obsession that can control you. Being obsessed with sex and sexuality can entrap you in another way: STD's--sexually transmitted diseases, as well as AIDs and HIV, if wise precautions are not followed first. And you may develop a victim or codependent mentality--the "poor me"--look at what life's done to me. What you have to realize is life isn't going to treat you any better until you move out of this state. Life isn't about giving, giving, giving until you exhaust yourself on every level.

PROVING:

Indian Paintbrush
Family: Figwort (Scrophulariaceae)

Copyright ©1997 - 2004 Eileen Nauman
All Rights Reserved

PARASITE PLANT

Indian Paintbrush is a unique plant in our world. It belongs to a group known as a 'partial parasite' plants. That is, in order for it to survive at all, much less grow and procreate, it must send its roots and tap into another, nearby plant and suck up the nutrients from that plant so that it may live. It can, however, convert chlorophyll via sunlight, to make its own nutrients, too.

Indian Paint Brush is known by many names, depending upon what part of the U.S. you live in. Even professional botanists have trouble differentiating the two-hundred species of Indian Paintbrush in Western North America! The one type that most people are familiar with is the bright red-orange type. However, Paintbrush comes in feathery white color, magenta, purple, deep red, pale orange, and yellow, too.

The only way for a Paintbrush to survive is to stick it's tubes, which are called 'haustoria' into the roots of a host plant. Out West, that could be a sagebrush, Scorpionweed or some other unsuspecting plant. The roots of an oak tree or grasses can also be used. Parasitic plants are quite intelligent about selecting the strongest and best nutritious resource for their needs in order to survive.

From a botany perspective, paintbrush are from the Snapdragon or Figwort Family and are known as hemiparasites or a root parasite. They depend upon another plant for not only nutrients, but water, too. They are annuals. And remember, if you plant their seeds--they need a 'host' plant in order to survive, or they won't live. To buy Paintbrush seeds and to think they'll survive alone is throwing money away.

DESCRIPTION

The desert conditions of "Ghost Ranch" in New Mexico provide a dramatic backdrop for this beautiful wildflower. Indian Paintbrush is fairly easy to see. It has several erect stems, about four inches to two feet tall (depending upon how much water the host plant gets) with a brightly colored red-orange 'head' on each stem that reminds one of a flaming paintbrush. The 'bracts' are green to orange-red color as one moves up the stock, the actual flower is inconspicuous and generally well hidden within each elongated looking bracts.

As the bracts near the top of the plant, they turn into one of the above colors. The rest of the bracts beneath it are green colored and look like leaves which are reddish-green, grayish haired and either linear in shape or linear-lobed. Each bract may be two inches in length.

The leaves are narrow and undivided. The upper leaves may be dived into three to five very narrow lobes.

HABITANT and RANGE

Sandy prairies, mountains up to ten thousand feet, dry desert areas or places where there is some kind of water seepage, is where you'll find the Paintbrush. It takes advantage of the dry, sterile soil conditions, and tries to remain near a water source, if possible. If not, it will attached itself to a plant that is able to supply it.

Paintbrush is found from western Minnesota and eastern Kansas and throughout the rest of the West. It is a plant of immense flexibility; it will be found in damp, well watered alpine mountain areas to dry, arid, infertile soil of the desert region conditions.

COMMENTS

I've found Indian Paintbrush at 9,500 feet in the Tahoe, Nevada area of the Sierra Mountains to just outside our area of La Casa de Madre Tierra. When one sees it, it's always a happy experience because the boldness of the color immediately catches your eye. It is, quite literally, like a bright paintbrush palette color out in the greens and browns of Mother Nature. One might say it 'sticks out like a sore thumb,' also.

The height of a Paintbrush entirely depends upon the richness of the soil and how much water it gets. The more water, the better the soil, the taller it becomes.

DOCTRINE OF SIGNATURES

People who 'suck' energy and deplete them, are known as psychic vampires. These individuals are usually unconscious of their activity, although they can be consciously aware of it, too. When this occurs, from a clairvoyant's perspective, one sees a long arm of energy moving from the vampire's aura or vital force, and 'plugging' into or connecting into the victim's aura.

Usually, you will know this a few minutes to an hour later because as the victim, you will feel physically drained, and barely be able to think straight, much less walk straight. There can be memory loss, loss of words (on the tip of the tongue but they never come out), and loss of physical energy.

When this situation occurs, you can generally recover from it by getting a good night's sleep and being away from this energy-sucking individual. It gets problematic when you must live with this person or work with them, and this is where a Natural Essence from the parasite plants, may be a helpful answer to your situation.

Any plant that is a semi-parasite or a full parasite would be good for people or animals who depend or lean too much on another person or family or situation. They don't have the ability to stand on their own two feet, to embrace and empower themselves with their own uniqueness, rather, they live through another person who embodies these things they think they do not have.

We all know of people who we consider 'blood suckers' or 'psychic vampires' who leach off us, manipulate us, want to be around us or know us because they think we're more powerful, more affluent, more of something--that they don't have and want. This is not a positive for either person--or animal, depending upon the situation. A person can become too clingy and needy, just as an animal can with another animal or with a human being. In all cases, this is an out-of-balance energy drain that needs to be corrected as soon as you realize it's happening.

Depending upon the species of Paintbrush, the stem can be extremely woody. It is erect and inflexible; like a tall, proud, straight spine. The woodiness of the lower stem connotes that this plant is able to GROUND someone back into their body; so it could conceivably be for someone who was spacy, and partly out of their body.

This would make perfect sense because people who are out of their body can inadvertently 'steal' energy from other people via the above methods. When you are not fully in your body, in order for your etheric body (the one closest to your physical form) to survive and be fully nourished so that it can stay strong and protect you from the seen as well as the unseen, then stealing energy from others to feed your own needs, usually occurs in some form. For some people, it's a daily thing; for others, it is much less.

This plant could bring a person back into their body so that can empower themselves adequately to the point where they don't need 'hosts' in their life to feed or nourish them, instead.

STAGE ONE PROVING--Squaw Valley, California, October 4, 1994.

My husband and I were treking around at 9,500 feet when I spotted some bright red flashes of color near an ice fed streamlet. Going over, I discovered it was Mountain Paintbrush. It was a moon-void-of-course, moving from Virgo to Libra at the time I made the Mother Essence from the Paintbrush. There is no fragrance or odor to the Paintbrush. A day earlier, it had snowed, and they'd had a 140 day drought before this, so everything was fragrant and damp smelling as a result. There were a lot of granite boulders rocks and some very fertile soil nestled in between them. The Paintbrush was in a granite wash where there was a small bed that occasionally received water in a small puddle. There were numerous other plants there that the Paintbrush were obviously using as hosts.

The plants used in this Natural Essence were twelve inches high and a medium orange in color. I noticed as I observed this plant that the stem was very woody and tough and inflexible. Further, the stem was RED colored, and it might have to do with the blood, circulation and heart. Possibly, I thought as I observed it, with Kundalini, root Chakra, energy of creativity.

Looking at the flowers, which were well hidden within the elongated bracts, I notice that there were two tubular peals on each bloom, plus two equals four--which is foundation, solidity and grounding of energy. Each bloom had three of these, so it would be 2 + 4 + 3 = 9, the number of completion. The number 3 is about creativity, the child (brain child) and fertility on some level. The number 4 was the physical manifestation of energy into this dimensional reality we all live in. The number 9 is the number of completion which means slow but sure, a lot of starts, stops and delays, a giving over or surrendering over to a power higher than one's self, and sticking to our dreams/goals and visions regardless. The 9 asks us to have the blind-faith-knowing. If we will shift into that mode, we get our dreams/goals/visions, coming true.

Obviously, to me, the Paintbrush was just full of hidden surprises and more importantly, hidden POTENTIALS that could be unlocked. But how?

As the blossoms sat in the glass bowl filled with spring water, I asked the plant if I could journey within her and find out more about her. She gave me permission and this is what I found in my journey:

SHAMANIC JOURNEY INTO THE PLANT

1. Unfoldment of creativity, but grounded and with the help and nurturance/support of others (the parasite facet of this plant) the creativity can bloom.

2. Pale green and medium orange colors involve the heart and naval Chakra of a person (green for the heart, orange for the naval).

3. Reaching for a conscious connection with the Great Spirit/God/Goddess (the "head" of the plant looking as if its on fire or the Kundalini energy once it rises) via the rising of the snakelike energy from our root Chakra (red color).

4. It is enduring 3 and strong 3 with the help and support of others--it can't (it thinks) do it alone.

5. Blossoming of creativity. Giving it grounding, expression and reality.

6. Works within a group structure and needs others to bring their creativity to fruition.

7. This particular plant works with codependent issues of the Naval Chakra. Or, if more red colored, could involve the root Chakra, too. Both Chakras regulate our sexuality, our expression (or lack thereof) of it, via baby or a fertile 'brainchild' idea. How do we express our sexuality? Do we? Is it controlled by another experience/trauma? Are we trapped in the past by an experience that continues to siphon off our energy, our creative expression?

PATTERNS OF IMBALANCE IT CAN ADDRESS :

If a person is made a victim, for and by whatever reason/person/family/country of origin, this essence may help break the parasitic hold it has over the victim. This is learning to stand on one's own feet, to honor their unique creativity that they bring into the world--using it, grounding it. It is about utilizing the social fabric of the family (Root Chakra) and friends/spouse (Naval Chakra) and utilizing these social fabrics but not being overwhelmed by them--and most importantly, not being told how to live or express your innate talents and skills. A person who is codependent--that is, leaning on others for some kind of support, be it security, money, emotional, via abuse, and who wants to break these connections from their past which is sucking them dry (the situation is the parasite and the victim, the host in this case), then Paintbrush can help.

This is good for loners who cling to one person or thing, who need to learn the value of working within a community, family, having friends or some other positive social structure such as a group or club. Paintbrush can help at this juncture, too.

"Fire in the head", like the plan, can mean sudden ideas that come from the 'ground, up' through a lot of work, discipline and organized effort on your part. And this will work on an unconscious level and take shape (the number 4) with a sudden flash of intuition or insight to bring it to your awareness.

Paintbrush may be involved directly in helping the Kundalini "fire" from our Root Chakra manifest. It will address issues having to do with our second or Naval Chakra which has to do with the positive or negative way we relate to our spouse, our children and our friends and coworkers.

The SHAPE of the Paintbrush suggests a sudden explosion from the top of the head--these bright red bracts, like strands of a paintbrush, opening, developing and being 'there' to be painted onto something--a physical manifestation of the creative idea or insight that you may have.

The flower heads themselves are very hidden and protected; which suggests that this person is very shy and introverted and painfully aware of their shortcomings and in most cases, would suffer from low self-esteem issues. These are not leaders; they are followers--or so they are led to think/believe. The questions they want to ask of themselves are: 1. Why am I following? 2. Is the person or group I'm following supporting me to be all that I can be or are they using me/my talents/time/energy without an equal giving to my giving to them? 3. Is the person or group I'm with nurturing me to express myself as a unique person? 4. Or, am I a shadow to someone else in their life, with no self-fulfilling expression or achievements of my own? 5. Am I constantly giving to others (spouse/children/friends/groups/organizations) and feeling as if they are draining me dry until I feel numb and without my own nourishing inner resources? 6. Am I playing a victim's role? 7. Do I want to remain a victim? Why or why not? 8. Do I have a hobby that reflects some inner creative urge or drive from within me? 9. Does my hobby give me joy? Do I look forward to being in this hobby? Why or why not? 10. Do I take one hour out of each day and give it to myself as a gift to do exactly what I need to do to nourish myself? Why or why not? 11. Am I living in the NOW? Not the past? Not the future? If I'm living in the past, what specific event/person is from my past that I have not worked through or with? If I am always dreaming of the future, why? What is it about my present, every day living that makes me not want to live fully, 100%, now, in the present?

Paintbrush will encourage people who are not used to 'taking the bull by the horns' or following their own 'star' or their own creative urges for self-expression and nudge them gently out from behind the shadows of the family or spouse/children. This is a wonderful Natural Essence for women in their 40's who are going through pre-menopause, as well as for menopausal women, who are in their peak creative time in their 40's and 50's. Paintbrush will underscore and nourish/support that part of your keen, heart-centered yearning to be creative in other things than just children!

The arms or petals/bracts of Paintbrush are like a multitude of tiny limbs raised skyward, as if reaching out, beseeching or asking for help or wanting to connect with a higher power. This Natural Essence will help a person learn to stop siphoning off others, or leaning on them too much for words of wisdom, direction, ideas and to start trusting their own inner knowing and processes (which have always been there, but they never trusted themselves to that degree).

This is for people who want to follow their creativity in whatever form, but are afraid to, don't have enough confidence in themselves or enough self-esteem. Paintbrush is about learning to lead one's self and following your own dream--not someone else's dream/goals or vision. It helps give one the courage to try to create on their own terms, values and standards--not someone else's.

NOTES AFTER TAKING THE SHAMANIC JOURNEY:

While working during the journey, a Bluejay flew over head. And then, after the journey, I saw a red and black ant come over to the bowl filled with Paintbrush blossoms. She carefully moved up to the rim of the bowl, touched the water briefly, as if to bless it, and then left.

I found this interesting synchronicity because it was very cold (snow the day before) and at 9,500 feet was close to freezing--and ants simply do NOT come out in this kind of weather because they are cold blooded. She was the only ant I saw and I look around me for some time, trying to spot others. To me, this was a powerful blessing and reminder that the red of the Root Chakra with the black of her body, which is the great Void of the Goddess, her womb where all creation begins, was symbolized in this ant. Her color also matched the color of the Paintbrush, almost exactly.

There were a lot of honeybees working on a big bush right behind where the Paintbrush was located and during the making of the Natural Essence, the journey and note taking, there was a HEAVY BUZZING sound. This is the sound that the Kundalini energy, when it is raising from our spine, winding in and out of our chakras, and finally, shooting up through our crown Chakra to connect with the incredible loving energy that is all around us. The Kundalini, when raising, can make other sounds, besides the buzzing of honeybee one.

When I poured the mother essence into the amber bottle, there was about one-quarter cup of the water left. I tasted it. There was a light, delicate taste t it, not a bitter one. I could not smell a fragrance to the water.

ANECDOTAL CASES:

CASE #1:
4 Mar 1997
LR

What was it? Could it have been "dream hand" night? A friend told her dream to me on Sunday. She had dreamed that her hand kept swelling and swelling and it got so large that she felt it was going to burst so she woke herself up--but she wasn't doing the Paintbrush essence.

I too, had depression and I wanted to be alone but I was doing the Paintbrush thing while the moon was in Scorpio and got intensely tied up in what I was feeling only to have it blossom into a really good feeling after I stopped using it. My insights have given me renewed zest for creativity. I'm going to try it again but only after our power packed weekend is over and the dust has settled.

I found that it helped,me to look very deeply at the negative side of myself only to discover that my perception was lopsided. But then again we do need to keep perspective on ourselves and just as an ego can get too large it can also get too small. Paintbrush helped me to look at the too small side of myself and when it passed I realized it was only a different perspective, not a reality--unless I let it rule me. And then I started this basket making craze thing and next I turned to my studies and made some great progress after a period of stagnation. I feel good; and happier than I have for some time.

LR

CASE #2:
GC
4 Mar 1997

I did the paper remedy on Paintbrush for 2 nights, just under the pillow at night. Weird rather psychotic dreams, where it seemed there was an influence that had gotten into my psyche that was upsetting and psychotic. I remember a dream the first night where there was something wrong with one of my hands, so my solution to this in the dream was to just cut the hand off, which I did (no blood, but also no hand now). Then I remember standing back and being horrified on another level at what I had done, watching myself seeing this as a viable solution on the other. I don't normally think of solutions like this, so it felt like a foreign psychotic influence had worked its tentacles into my mind. Since all elements of the dream are you in some form other other, this was a scary dream to me, since I felt forced to conclude that there is a part of me that has the potential to be psychotic, and to see non-solutions as solutions.

My energy level was low, I was aimless, couldn't get going on a project, just sat around the first day after I did the paper Paintbrush, depressed, like I couldn't get it together, lost, confused.

I liked the picture of the paintbrush - looked lively and creative.

The third night, I lay down with the paper remedy under my pillow, and after about 2 minutes, threw it away from the bed and breathed a sigh of relief. I did not go to sleep easily, which is unusual for me.

CASE #3:
4 Mar 1997

I don't know if you saw my experience post, but I felt just like you did in many ways. I too had a severe depression come, one like I hadn't had in a long time. I too thought that kind of depression was finished. I did some healing work to get me through the very next day.

LOL I am using the paper Paintbrush again this week. Slept with it last nite, couldn't get much restful sleep at all. Can't say I feel tired today. In fact I had a very busy doing type day. I kept the paper in my left pocket all day as well. I may sleep with it again tonight, but will remove it if I am sleepless! I love my sleep time. :)

No depression, in fact, I have more confident. That was what I was hoping for!

CASE #4:
21 Oct 2000
DC

Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to thank Laura, especially for posting her experience with the Desert Paintbrush. What a wonderful freedom it is to do something like speak up for yourself, without having to have a lot of anxiety and "stuff" about it. I purchased some a while ago and haven't taken it yet. I had quite a different picture in mind of how it might help me creatively, but have had a few months of anxiety about speaking up for myself and avoiding the need to do so, which doesn't work, so I am thinking it might soon be time to try the paintbrush.

The essence I have been taking in the past few days is Saguaro Cactus. With it, I have been experiencing a big charge of energy in my front solar plexus chakra area - if I "look" it is like I have a big golden yellow ball of energy there, which is helping me to do what I need to do in a way that feels more effective and graceful, whereas before I was easily distracted and ran out of steam. And when I went to sleep, I slept well and woke up refreshed by the sleep, which is unusual for me.

love, DC

CASE #5:
LK
19 Oct 2000

Hi Everyone,

Eileen has helped me with the essences, and I emailed her a few weeks ago with some of my results. She suggested I post it to the list when it's Flower and Gem Essence week again, for those that are interested. So, here you go...

LK

*****

I thought I'd let you know how the essences I've been using have been working.

The latest one I ordered was the Desert Paintbrush for my lack of boundaries. It was just a few days after starting it that I had a little problem in a store and handled it a bit differently than I would usually. It was just a simple matter of speaking up for myself in a situation. I didn't suffer any anxiety as I would have before. I just decided what to do and did it. In this case, just going up to the cashier and pointing out that I and another lady had been waiting to buy lottery tickets as she continued to wait on people stepping up to the counter. I was a bit frustrated but not really angry. I didn't seem to stuff anything. Just acted, and with out becoming overly concerned or emotional. It seemed effortless and it felt good. I walked away afterwards feeling good and thinking that was a better way to handle a situation like that.

I do feel as though I am not getting swept up in other people's stuff. I feel more centered and calm. Nothing major just a nice subtle difference.

CASE #6:
BY
3 Apr 2001

RE: Desert Paintbrush. Boy oh boy this stuff keeps me yawning.

Every time I take my dosage I breathe deeply and then yawn, then cough. Must be releasing stuff held in my lungs.

Just thought you would like to know an update on my situation taking this remedy.

My intention was to help myself lose weight, to let go of whatever it was that was keeping the weight on. The following things happened.

1) Right off the bat the astrology list I was holding for another astrologer, who should have been in charge but wasn't, was taken over by the other astrologer. Phew, codependent no more on that one.

2) I had an intense dream where someone was clutching my hand walking me through crowds of people and then finally put his arm around my waist and wouldn't let go. I woke up with my hand hurting and a sense of tremendous loss followed me for two days. (I'm still crying it through).

Old boy friend called wondering if I had dropped off the face of the earth again as the joke emails I was sending him and his wife (long story) had stopped. I explained that the source of the jokes had passed away and I wasn't in the mood to laugh. He then let me know that the weaving I had done for him 35 years ago was one of his most precious possessions on display in his office along with a sculpture he had made with a rattlesnake's tail.

I thought that if he and I had gotten together way back then he'd be dead by now as I'm not a southern belle as he married who forgave his every indiscretion. However the hurt is bubbling up from deep inside working it's way out. My skin on my neck has all kinds of scabs as I keep scratching it. Maybe my throat chakra is opening up, ability to speak my thoughts and emotions instead of suppressing them.

3) A lesbian met me at the health food store, gave me that up and down look hunters give their potential prey (I have hated that look from men as well) and then interjected a comment to my searching for something to help me loose
weight, "you really should slim down, don't you want your slender self to come out?", all the while giving me that look like she was sharpening her knives for dinner. I practiced facial control while I was giving her a look .... Ahem. You know you've hit rock bottom when a lesbian thinks you're too fat!!! Ah the joys of being a Scorpio, attracting people like bees to flowers.

4) I bought two 5lb weights to help with the weight loosing regime. Daughter immediately was glad they came home as she wanted to work out with them as well.

Oh and the best part...

Since I've been taking this remedy my daughter has announced that she's graduating from High School a year earlier than expected and will soon leave the house. Not sure how I feel about it, am torn between wanting my freedom and my maternal instincts of judging of how strong her wings are for the final push out of the nest.

Still haven't finished processing stuff. Also hidden secret things from the Rosicrucians have also percolated up that I think have to do with the weight problem, things I gave up for knowledge.