mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Do Not Mess with Cupid
February 13, 2013
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Apollo and Daphne
The myth of Daphne is an illustration of fate and revenge of the gods. She was part of cruel power play between two archers, Apollo and Eros. The proud Apollo bullied Eros who shot two arrows, one tipped in gold and the other in lead to find revenge. Eros, the son of Aphrodite enchanted his arrows to cause total lust and desire in the golden arrow victim, and total hatred in the recipient of the lead tipped arrow. Apollo was hit with the golden arrow, and the object of his desire, Daphne, was struck by the lead one. The struggle between lust and chastity is ended when Daphne turns into a laurel tree. She begged her father to transform her body forever in order to escape Apollo’s desire for her.
Eros is the god of sexual desire. He marries Psyche, a goddess/human representing the human soul. They have one daughter Hedone. Hedone is the quest for pleasure with only good consequences. The English word hedonism is derived from this word, but has a meaning far from the original. Eros is also known in Rome as Cupid. We know this god as a logo for Valentine’s Day, a time when we honor a Christian martyr by consuming mass quantities of cheap chocolate. Neither Valentine nor Cupid will be impressed nor honored with a mindless mandatory purchase of tacky gifts. That is neither pleasurable nor sexy. Eros, Apollo, Daphne, and Aphrodite are archetypes that exist in the human pantheon of possibility. Which one will you play on Valentine’s Day?
Aphrodite, Cupid’s Mother
February 10, 2013
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Aphrodite
The Greek goddess Aphrodite was born from the sea near Cyprus. Some claim she had parents (Zeus and Dione), others say she sprouted up in the vicinity of the severed genitals of the Titan sky god Uranus. She walked ashore where she encountered the seasons who were beautiful, but had nothing to compare with the loveliness of Aphrodite. She was taken to meet Zeus at Mt Olympus who recognized her striking beauty and the power she wielded with it. He insisted that she marry immediately, and arranged a marriage to his son Hephaestus, blacksmith of the gods. He made her jewelry and even a fabulous girdle that made her even more desirable. She was pure attraction and her husband was busy making all the weapons for the gods, so she had several affairs with gods and mortals.
The Olympian gods took power from the Titan gods. Kronos, the son of Gaia and Uranus (Titans) removed his father’s genitals at his mother’s request and threw them into the sea. The ambiguity about the birth circumstances ( Did she spring up on the scallop shell as an (un?)intended consequence of the disposal of Uranus’ genitals ?) cloud her relationship to the gods of Mt. Olympus. Her full-time job is love, desire, and the attraction that draws people together. This naturally lead her to attract Ares, the god of war, to her bed. She had many children, but none with Hephaestus. Her most well-known child is Eros, also known as Cupid. He too has parentage issues, but some say he is the son of Ares. It reminds me of all those WWII movies in which they are at war, so they fall in love.
Get your red dress out for Valentine’s Day , but give a nod to the mother of all desire. Consider wearing some very sexy sea foam green panties as your foundation.
Lunar New Year in China
February 9, 2013
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The official political message this year of the Communist leaders of China is curb waste and conserve air quality this lunar new year. Banquets and fireworks are under fire for waste and pollution. The ancestors are featured heavily in celebrations of this holiday in China. The festival begins on the new moon, this year 10 Feb, 2013, and lasts for 15 days. Many Chinese people travel great distances to be at home for this time of year. Fireworks are central to the family party. I am a huge fan of pyrotechnics. I am not attracted to witness displays in China because frequent fires and accidents are the result of unregulated manufacture and distribution.
The practice of making noise to scare away evil spirits is ancient. China produces 90% of the fireworks in the world after inventing them. The original firecrackers were chunks of wet bamboo thrown into a fire. The invention of gunpowder in China around 600-900 AD changed everything. The public and private parties to welcome the Year of the Snake will last for a month. If you want to party with the Snake, clean your house, wrap even numbered dollar amounts in red paper and give them to your family, and do not wash your hair or sweep your house on the first day. You may be able follow up with Lion dancers in your community, and if you are lucky, some fireworks to scare away the evil forces in your life. Good to go.
Moon Dance
February 8, 2013
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The moon, the way we view it ,and the power it holds have been studied for all of history. The phases of the moon are significant in agriculture as well as business. Lunar calendars were used to measure time until the Catholics went Gregorian on the Euros. Since the Julian calendar , created by Julius Caesar in 46 BC was inaccurate in terms of the planets, the Pope became concerned that Easter was sliding into summer. Catholic calendar year is key to the liturgy practice and costuming. The whole system supporting the Easter Bonnet was slowly slipping away with each new year. Astronomers were hired to deal with the issue. The Greek Orthodox religion uses the Julian calendar now, as do the Berbers, the Ethiopians, and others concerned with historical continuity.
The Pope as a symbol was resisted by the Protestants. The idea that Pope Gregory would now change the way they counted time was not going to go over with the new religions that sprung up precisely to combat Popery. At his death the Vatican treasury was empty, but Gregory XIII had left his mark on time. For this reason the Gregorian style was not adopted at the same time. The Swiss used both calendars simultaneously for more than 100 years. The Catholic cantons adopted it when they got the bull from the Pope in 1582. The Protestants kept the Julian style rather than agree with a Catholic concept. The Protestant cantons gave in to the new calendar in 1700. The canton of St Gallen was the last hold out, continuing on the lunar side of life until 1724. The Chinese succumbed in 1949, but they still use their own lunar calendar.
News from Pope Gregory XIII
Gregory XIII in elaborate Easter Bonnet
People of the First Light
February 2, 2013
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The Wampanoag tribe is known as the People of the First Light because they lived, hunted, fished and made wampum along the outer banks of New England before the Pilgrims landed. The dawn as viewed on this side of the Atlantic assures one that Europe is distant. New dawn in a new world is powerful natural medicine. As goes the story all across the nation, that medicine proved to be easily hackable by flim flam Euros. The First Light, and all the real estate with a fine view of same was desired by colonial imperialists as soon as they found it. Bare naked greed was employed to occupy the territory, form a government, and launch right into a big fat slave trade with big fat profits. Early in the disagreements King Philip, a native with a following, attempted to oust the invaders. This was used by the colonists as an excuse to starve and otherwise decimate the surviving native inhabitants in order to occupy all their real estate.
These same religious zealots who gave us the Salem witch trials used the Harvard Indian College as a political ploy to gain financial support in England for conversion of whatever was left of the heathen native people. This institution in Cambridge, like the Indian boarding schools in the western US, was designed to strip the natives of language and culture in order to make them good Christian citizens. Why colonize a place if you can’t decimate the population and make good fearful Christians of the survivors?
Exit the Dragon, Enter the Black Water Snake
February 1, 2013
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The Chinese New Year will arrive on Feb. 10, 2013, ushering in the year of the black water snake. The lady above and her snake, Precious, demonstrate snake power in action. Long associated with healing, the snake is a symbol of wisdom, contemplation, insight through meditation. In the Chinese zodiac the snake is a fortuitous influence that increases the flow of wealth around it. Snake year bodes well for profit through attention to detail. The significance of the color black is that of deep, unexpected change. It is important to be very mindful and attentive to detail in the coming year to avoid unexpected deeply tragic change. The flow of water inside the body deserves full attention, as the year will be all about kidney chi. Everything is always about kidney chi, but the importance of fluids in every sense, will be key in managing good health in the year of the black water snake.
Wampum
January 27, 2013
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Wampum, or shell beads has been used for centuries in New England. After colonists arrived in America a currency exchange value was set to convert it European currency. This forever changed the meaning and trade value of what was a Native American tradition and source of historical pride. Once it was adopted by Dutch and English as currency it was manufactured in New York on Long Island as well as by Native tribes that dominated the newly created market for trading currency. Since both Native and Europeans could trade with it, it’s use thrived until the end of the 17th century. Counterfeiting was a problem during colonial times as it was more widely used. It was eventually phased out in favor of metal coins as the official currency of New England.
Before the colonists changed the meaning and tradition wampum was used in ceremonies and agreements.It is important as a covenant record and means of communication. Language was commonly understood in terms of wampum color. Messages and agreements were sealed by way of wampum belts created for the specific meaning. White shells had a brighter meaning and dark purple shells indicated heavier subjects. The tapestry woven into a wampum belt was a story. I am looking forward to seeing the new wampum being made today and perhaps some of the historical pieces. I will be visiting museums as well as living wampum artists. It is a fascinating subject.
Quadequina Wampanoag, 11th Great Grandfather
December 26, 2012
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Natives of New England
It is with great excitement that I have found an ancestor from my mother’s side in Plymouth Colony. Most of her forefathers sailed to Virginia or below, but this particular Taylor branch had some distinctions. Margaret Diguina Weeks is said to be the Wampanoag daughter of Quadequina. There is dispute about this, but I do hope I can confirm these facts. My 11th great-grandfather, Quadequina, introduced popcorn to the Pilgrims at the first Thanksgiving.
It becomes complicated because there were two Richard Taylors, both married to women named Ruth. I have not traced them back in England to know if they match up in the old country with the other Taylors. Ruth Wheldon’s father officially objected to her marriage to my Mr. Taylor, helping us narrow down some of the facts. If Ruth Wheldon had a full-blooded Wampanoag mother, Ruth was a kind of Pocahontas of the north. I need to do some research on this to see what I can learn. The story is amazing.
Quadequina Wampanoag (1576 – 1623)
is my 11th great-grandfather
Margaret Diguina Weeks (1613 – 1651)
Daughter of Quadequina
Ruth Whelden (1625 – 1673)
Daughter of Margaret Diguina
John TAYLOR (1651 – 1690)
Son of Ruth
Abigail Taylor (1663 – 1730)
Daughter of John
Martha Goodwin (1693 – 1769)
Daughter of Abigail
Grace Raiford (1725 – 1778)
Daughter of Martha
Sarah Hirons (1751 – 1817)
Daughter of Grace
John Nimrod Taylor (1770 – 1816)
Son of Sarah
John Samuel Taylor (1798 – 1873)
Son of John Nimrod
William Ellison Taylor (1839 – 1918)
Son of John Samuel
George Harvey Taylor (1884 – 1941)
Son of William Ellison
Ruby Lee Taylor (1922 – 2008)
Daughter of George Harvey
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Ruby Lee
Here is one account of the story of Margaret Diguina and her tribe:
“Gordon B. Hinckley, Shoulder for the Lord” by George M. McCune page 35- ” Two of the early immigrants to Plymouth colony were Gabriel Wheldon, of Arnold, Nottingham, England, and his brother (name unknown). Gabriel had been married in England before sailing to America but his first wife named Margaret evidently was deceased at the time of his migration.
Both brothers had a free spirit much like Stephen Hopkins and found their way to the camps of the Wampanoags. There they both fell in love with two of the daughters of Chief Quadequina, younger brother of the Great Chief. They each married and Gabriel gave his second wife the English name ‘Margaret’ after his first spouse. The two counseled with their father-in-law and his older brother Massasoit regarding what to do. The Plymouth Colony would probably punish them for their intermarriage. Massasoit advised them to return to the colony and all would be well.
The Plymouth Colony tribunals saved face by banishing the couples from Plymouth for life but did not send them back to England. Gabriel and Margaret established their home in Barnstable where the Hinckleys came in late 1630’s and here Gabriel and Margaret raised a large family of girls.
One of those girls was Ruth Wheldon. This is a score!!
Christmas Dog Party
December 26, 2012
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- Dogs’ Christmas
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- Dressed to party
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- Lodge on the Desert Dogs Party
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- Newly Rescued
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- Dogs rule the Patio
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- Poodle strikes Pose
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- Merry Christmas
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- We watch from inside
When we arrived for our Christmas party for two at the Lodge on the Desert we were greeted by a festive group of dogs and their owners who clearly came to be of good cheer. These jolly folks gather to eat outside at the Lodge on the Desert because the canine companions are welcome to join in the fun. The Retriever in the fancy dress was given an order of scrambled eggs, which we were able to observe from our seats just inside the doggie patio. A rip-roaring good time was had by all. We are more than pleased to have chosen Lodge on the Desert as our restaurant of the year for 2013. We don’t go out to eat very often, and look for a superior quality that sets a place apart from the rest. Tucson’s reigning Iron Chef is on the job there, and was willing to adapt for my vegetarian requests. He was personally riding the range on Christmas, and waved to us at our table as he walked across the patio. Our food was superb, as was the service. I will detail the gourmet delights for you at another time. For now, if you love your dog and want to party, this is my highest recommendation. My coon hound Artemisia was none the wiser that her parents celebrated Christmas dinner at a dog restaurant without her. I will appreciate it, gentle readers, if you keep this as our little secret. She howls at other dogs, and at food, therefore would be too loud and rowdy at a food centered event. We do love to see quiet well-behaved dogs enjoy the restaurant privileges the Euro dogs take for granted. I believe this hotel, with a recent remodel that has brought back the charm, will build a reputation for hospitality and gourmet dining among the human and the canine connoisseurs of elegance and good taste.
Man in Black, Down Home for Christmas
December 19, 2012
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For those of you who missed the man in black during his lifetime, he left a legacy of charism. You can have your Perry Como Christmas Special and the June Taylor Dancers, no offense intended. Johnny Cash is America’s Prophet. He married into our most authentic folk music lineage when he and June Carter were hotter than a pepper sprout. She stood by her man through some very difficult times. Together they produced a body of work to lift and enlighten everyone who listens. This, gentle readers, is my curated holiday special gift to you. Thanks so much for visiting my blog and helping me find my voice. May the love be with you this solstice season.
