This article is an extract from our book

Oil and Water

Crimson Pea
Lathyrus setifolius
Transformation is a process of profound change, a metamorphosis that is often accompanied by deep pain. There are many archetypal images to describe this process including the long night of the soul, walking through a dark tunnel and a journey into the Underworld. It is for many of us a time of darkness and depression / illness, when there appears to be no solution apart from to see it through until the light once more emerges. It’s a lonely process, very much a personal journey through the dark lands, where support from loved ones is of little use, in fact can frequently make matters worse.

Transformation is an intensely personal experience, we face it alone, as we do our own death. In this space we encounter the truth we have created for ourselves. It is a time of self-scrutiny when our shadow, prejudices, fears and taboos are most likely to be confronted. Only we can deal with this painful and revealing part of the process. We are moving towards a point of tension where we will either break through or break down. Even after the Rubicon has been passed there is still a great deal of processing that has to be done as we adjust to change on every level of our being. Although a perfectly natural aspect of living, change can be extremely difficult and painful to cope with.
Suggested uses for Crimson Pea:

• in the process of personal transformation
• to assists the soul through the turbulence created by profound change
• to helps us see and receive the healing, the gifts and the blessings that appear at times of transformation
• to affect a shift of consciousness at a deep level of being
• as we move away from the period of transformation, it continues to support us as we rebuild our lives
• for those involved in the process of dying and those witnessing and supporting the dying.

These small and intensely colourful blooms are packed full of vibrational energy. Their initial effect is to create star-like bursts within the subtle anatomy that can act as catalysts for profound change. As the aura becomes accustomed to crimson pea, the effects diffuse into the whole of the aura.