The Herbs in the Soy Layer

From Orthodox Church in America, "The Protection of our Most Holy Lady the Mother of God and Ever-Virgin Mary":

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“On Sunday, October 1, during the All Night Vigil, when the church was overflowing with those at prayer, the Fool-for-Christ Saint Andrew (October 2), at the fourth hour, lifted up his eyes towards the heavens and beheld our most Holy Lady Theotokos coming through the air, resplendent with heavenly light and surrounded by an assembly of the Saints…

After completing her prayer she took her veil and spread it over the people praying in church, protecting them from enemies both visible and invisible. The Most Holy Lady Theotokos was resplendent with heavenly glory, and the protecting veil in her hands gleamed 'more than the rays of the sun.' Saint Andrew gazed trembling at the miraculous vision and he asked his disciple, the blessed Epiphanius standing beside him, 'Do you see, brother, the Holy Theotokos, praying for all the world?' Epiphanius answered, 'I do see, holy Father, and I am in awe.'...

Saints Andrew and Epiphanius were worthy to see the Mother of God at prayer, and 'for a long time observed the Protecting Veil spread over the people and shining with flashes of glory. As long as the Most Holy Theotokos was there, the Protecting Veil was also visible, but with her departure it also became invisible. After taking it with her, she left behind the grace of her visitation.' " (OCA).

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From Ella Z, "Motherhood is a Spiritual Journey":

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“ 'Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.'

(Kahlil Gibran, 'On Children' in The Prophet, 1883)

In the words of Dr. Shefali Tsabary, 'Every relationship in our lives is called for the higher, more sacred purpose of evolving.' The child is pure consciousness, expressing itself, through you. Yet, you as the parent have called forth this being to learn from them. They have arrived as our teachers, and likewise, they chose us because we have some lessons to offer them. This is why the parent-child relationship is so utterly profound.

‘This is the spiritual test… you now get this unremitting love that you’ve never received before, this child looks at you with adoring gaze, it’s a trip for the parent. It’s a huge ego trip… If you can… know that your child is a sovereign being, and you’ve participated in that and they’ve helped you become a more sovereign being, and [you are both] just guiding each other… then you’ve released your Ego in most everything else. So in this way the parent-child relationship becomes the spiritually regenerative relationship of your life, the one where you awaken.’(Tsabary)...

I deeply believe in the karmic realities of individual people as well as of their families. What I mean by that is we all carry within us generational trauma, emotional pain, destructive patterns and false perceptions that come directly from events and people that came before our time, which then gets carried on through us unconsciously, and given like a rotting gift to your child who never asked for it. We all have it. We must recognize it. Then we must end it…

I hope to keep my children’s curiosity alive…this is where all knowledge of Life and of Self comes from. It’s a tool that will keep them afloat when things get rough. If they continue to love the process of discovery, then they can uncover many things for themselves rather than rely on what they’ve learned from me…But if they keep questioning for themselves, with their own God-given minds and hearts, they will inevitably find the answers within.” (Z, 2018).