Spiral Way

From Angelika’s diary: So let’s talk about what’s got you in such a state of disrepair, shall we? You’re tired all the time, you don’t feel particularly good, although you don’t feel particularly bad. Your skin’s got boils on it that’s nothin’ to do with youth. You get a rash in your nethers that a good dose of goldenseal or echinacea won’t fix. Your joints ache, you get colds all the time. So, what have you done to yourself to get you here? You haven’t taken care of yourself, you haven’t eaten properly, and your blood’s gone bad. Don’t argue with me. ‘tis the only fluid in your body that flows everywhere, and pretty much, you’re in a state, all over your body. If I were to send you to the barber surgeon, not that I would, mind you, those butchers would just as soon cut off a body part as bleed you, he’d tell you the same thing, and then make you pay a pence just to cut you, and let some of the blood drain off your body. I’ll tell you this – it took you a long time to get your ...

From Angelika’s Diary: “And here we begin, child, with one of the most important things that you’ll ever learn: how to figure out what’s wrong with the person who’s come to see you. You must observe, usin’ each of the five senses God gave you, to see what’s off in a person. Look with your eyes – is their skin a different pallor? Is somethin’ enlarged? Are there signs that they’ve eaten recently, like stains upon the dress or food in the surroundings? Is there evidence of tears in their eyes? Are they movin’ more quickly or more slowly than you might expect them to do? Watch them. Listen with your ears – what is the quality of their breathing? Is their gait altered by something? What are they saying? And what are they *not* saying? This is particularly important with children and old men. Smell with your nose – illness often carries with it its own stench. Infection has one smell; bad blood, another. Food can go bad to the point that it’s not fit for dogs, and yet in times such...

From Angelika’s diary: In the same way that seasons have cycles, so too, do people. There are times in each person’s life where some events can be a wee bit harder than others, and usually, there are physical and spiritual reactions to them, for the body and the spirit are quite connected in how they work. As a midwife, most often I am called upon to help with the changes in a woman’s life, particularly changes brought about as a woman begins to travel through the changes she will experience. One of the differences I have noticed over time is how a woman reacts to her monthly cycle. Oft times, those who look upon it as a curse will experience cramping, discomfort, and generally wish to take to their beds. As my own mother taught me, that’s a waste of time for what should be a time of joy, a celebration, as God has blessed women so that we may some day have children. This difference in attitude provides a difference in the levels of physical discomfort, and I’ve had a bit of luck ...