mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Pandora, What is in That Box?
August 11, 2016
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Pandora and box
The myth of Pandora is a Greek creation story. Zeus ordered Hephaestus (blacksmith of the gods) to make the first woman. He did this using water and earth. Her name means all gifted because various gods gifted her with talents. She was married to Epimethius as a major prank. She was designed to punish disobedient humans. She was irresistible. She arrived with a box which was not to be opened. We know the part of the story in which she does open the box and evil and suffering escapes. In fact, evil runs rampant on earth as a result of Pandora’s weakness of curiosity. She has something in common with Eve, the first woman who just had to try the forbidden fruit in the garden.
When Pandora sees that she has released illness and evil on the earth she attempts to close the box quickly. In the original story she came with a jar (pithos). Later translations from the Greek changed the jar to a box. Either way, she managed to close the container with hope trapped inside. I feel this myth is pertinent to our world situation today. The evil, the misery, the illness has been released into our atmosphere. It is swirling all around us everywhere. Hope is often obscured, as if it is enclosed in some secret vessel.
Pandora and box
Mars, God of War
May 28, 2016
Mars/male gender symbol
Mars will be so close to the earth next week that it will visibly outshine our brightest star, Sirius. The red planet is retrograde in Scorpio as it appears shining brightly in the night sky. The planets (as well as recently demoted Pluto) are named for Roman gods because they have certain qualities the ancients identified with them. Mars rules battle and martial arts. The word martial is derived from his name. He was the father of legendary Romulus and Remus who founded Rome. Thus he is the true god-father of Rome. Citizens of Rome referred to themselves as sons of Mars and worshipped him copiously. Indeed, war was perhaps the best talent of the Romans as a civilization. They certainly developed the first global takeover strategy. Sure, they had common currency and governance from the emperor in Rome, but none of that would have been possible without their military conquests. Mars was their main man.
The famous adulterous affair between Mars and Venus has been immortalized in many ways. The symbol for Mars the planet is the same one used for the male gender and the element iron. Similarly the symbol used for Venus is the same for the planet, the female gender, and the element copper. Men actually have more iron in their blood than women, while women have more copper in the bloodstream than men. Chemically this is just a fact. There are the theories in psychiatry about communication styles and the conflicts they naturally engender between the sexes. From Roman mythology to pop culture the planets Mars and Venus represent archetypal male/female roles. In reality nobody is made up of a single archetype, although we usually have one that is more developed than the others. The Mars archetype is aggressive and militaristic. It is protective of farmers and soldiers. In the Roman Empire Mars was a unifying factor, linked to local gods in order to strengthen the empire. I can see how Mars has been the god we share with all of our war partners around the globe.
We can no longer live without war on earth. Security forces are needed to prevent all out chaos. However, as Mars approaches the earth this Memorial Day to salute his people, let us give some thought to our use of his powers. Military suicides are highest in the time before deployment because Mars is one scary boss. The general public generally hides from the gruesome details of the horror of war. This year as you pass the potato salad look to the sky as Mars passes by look directly into his flaming red eyes and take an oath to direct his energies to a higher purpose. As protector of farmers he has work to do on global warming. Happy Memorial Day, gentle reader. I wish you a cloud free sky and a clear view of his majesty, Mars, in all his glory.
Fire Escape
May 11, 2016
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structure
The flames swirl around the stairwell growing hotter
Banisters on fire fall, crashing melting decorative copper
Elegant mythology and theories made in the distant past
Have been blown to pieces shattering with a loud balst
Where is the mental door that leads to the blissful truth?
Does the fire escape lead us to the place of nothing to prove?
Veritas, Goddess of Truth
May 8, 2016
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Harvard motto
In ancient Rome the goddess Veritas ruled truth and sincerity. In Greece she was known as Altheia, and is mentioned in Aesops Fables:
Aesop, Fables 531 (from Babrius 126) (trans. Gibbs) (Greek fable C6th B.C.) :
“A man was journeying in the wilderness and he found Veritas [Aletheia, Truth] standing there all alone. He said to her, ‘Ancient lady, why do you dwell here in the wilderness, leaving the city behind?’ From the great depths of her wisdom, Veritas (Truth) replied, ‘Among the people of old, lies were found among only a few, but now they have spread throughout all of human society!’”
[N.B. This fable is preserved only in a Latin text. Aesop’s Aletheia (Truth personified) becomes Veritas in the Latin.]
Her father is Saturn in Rome and Zeus in Greece. One creation story found in Aesop’s Fables tells us how she was created by Prometheus along with her arch enemy Mendacium. She is the mother of virtue. Her name is often included in mottos. Harvard’s motto is simply Veritas. The pursuit of truth was considered to be an essential part of Roman citizens’ duty. To discern and tell the truth is a full time job. Forgery and subterfuge are everywhere and always will be. The difference between Veritas and Mendacium is feet. Mendacity literally has not feet on which to stand. Veracity walks away with conviction.
Aesop, Fables 530 (from Phaedrus Appendix 5) :
“Prometheus, that potter who gave shape to our new generation, decided one day to sculpt the form of Veritas [Aletheia, Truth], using all his skill so that she would be able to regulate people’s behaviour. As he was working, an unexpected summons from mighty Jupiter [Zeus] called him away. Prometheus left cunning Dolus (Trickery) in charge of his workshop, Dolus had recently become one of the god’s apprentices. Fired by ambition, Dolus (Trickery) used the time at his disposal to fashion with his sly fingers a figure of the same size and appearance as Veritas [Aletheia, Truth] with identical features. When he had almost completed the piece, which was truly remarkable, he ran out of clay to use for her feet. The master returned, so Dolus (Trickery) quickly sat down in his seat, quaking with fear. Prometheus was amazed at the similarity of the two statues and wanted it to seem as if all the credit were due to his own skill. Therefore, he put both statues in the kiln and when they had been thoroughly baked, he infused them both with life: sacred Veritas (Truth) walked with measured steps, while her unfinished twin stood stuck in her tracks. That forgery, that product of subterfuge, thus acquired the name of Mendacium [Pseudologos, Falsehood], and I readily agree with people who say that she has no feet: every once in a while something that is false can start off successfully, but with time Veritas (Truth) is sure to prevail.”
[N.B. This fable is preserved only in a Latin text. Aesop’s Aletheia (Truth personified) becomes Veritas in the Latin.]
These fables are useful to us during the campaign season during which a large part of our job is to distinguish truth from rhetorical and cultural beliefs. It has never been more important for us to verify what we believe.
Iris, Rainbow Goddess
April 23, 2016
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- Iris looks up
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- Iris looks up
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- Iris looks up
Liquid colors dripping down the landscape washing the background with rain
Iris connects the magical eternal womb of life to earth’s never-ending thirst
Rivers gather force falling down the mountainside, bring relief as well as pain
The dark sky full of swiftly traveling heavy clouds has explosively dispersed
Light to follow darkness, rainbow bridge from now to then, from here to there
Mystical highway to heaven, optical affirmation of higher power in glorious display
The fading intensity of stormy connection to nature is both common and rare
Colors draw a map to her pot of gold, the secret light no darkness can betray
NaPoWriMo2016
This April ride the poetry train at #NaPoWriMo to find poetry and submit your own work.
Gravity
April 22, 2016
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red leafed tree
rose
grapefruit
Hanging from the tree to ripen, we fall when we are ready
Weight and pull toward the earth is constant and steady
Without orbit and centrifugal force we could not anchor to the ground
Our voices would float into space leaving no trace, vanishing without a sound
There would be no palpable difference between light and heavy
Our fate is to look up to find the place where divinity is dwelling
Religious orders, creation stories, iconic books are all-compelling
Yet earth itself holds us here with an understanding that we will return
To become dust when the time bell rings and we take our final turn
To bless this grave planet whose great wealth we have been selling
NaPoWriMo2016
April is a month for poetry writing all over the world. Tune in to #NaPoWriMo to find new poets to read or submit your own work.
Instant
April 8, 2016
— 1 Comment
blurry flowers
woman with vessel
Wake and take in the surroundings, sift them through a fine sieve
Look for the truth as it encompasses the conversation and the will
Harmony and dissonance find places in the choir, singing praise and doubt
Words without meaning come pouring out of mouths fed with rhetoric
No thinking behind the listless existence slumping along the time line
History will remember how complicated and yet how vapid we have been
Preening our personal images and treasuries for self sustenance
We fail to notice that everything is connected to everything, us included
Tragic environmental horrors are being concocted to torture the future
While we wait for somebody else to be present and stay present in this instant
NaPoWriMo2016
The poetry party is rolling across the internet in April. Join the fun by submitting a poem, attending a local event, or just reading something new. Find out how to participate at #NaPoWriMo. You may find out that you are a poet!!!
Ride the Poetry Train
April 6, 2016
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poetry train
caboose
The journey on this train takes place in the dark, starlit cabins full of images
Rush through the night collecting emotions, memories, deeper instincts
Collecting these soul-shaper consciousness experiences into words takes place
In the dining car over tea and coffee in the morning, and in the lounge all day
Poets sit in silence to straighten out the prose that spills onto the pages
Comparison is healthy, normal, and confusing as each work grows into itself
The train is full of poets yet each one of us has a different destination and fate
In prompts, styles, discussions and reverie we join in a common mission
To bring forth the poetry that only we as poets can bring up from the mine
History holds poets and potters in high regard, finding all the meaning
Of civilization in broken ceramic chards and discarded recorded words
NaPoWriMo2016
The poetry train departed the station 1 April and will travel non stop until 1 May. Join the fun at #NaPoWriMo by submitting your own work or finding new poets to enjoy.
Finishing Sugar by Terre Botanicals
March 8, 2016
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I am surprised and pleased with my discovery of a new product for my kitchen. When Terri Nacke offered me a taste of her fine finishing sugars I told her I don’t use sugar. This is a little exaggeration because I do use sugar to ferment ginger beer, lacto fermented lemonade and other beverages. In the case of the fermented drinks the sugar is consumed by the yeast in order to grow and make the final result fizzy. A little sugar goes a long way at our house. I tried the chocolate sugar and liked it, but decided it would last for 10 years in my cupboard. After chatting for a few minutes at her booth at the Old Town Farmers’ Market in Scottsdale I learned that we had much in common including a love of botany and aromatherapy.
When I lifted the Rose Petal Darjeeling sugar to my nose it thrilled me. The taste blew my mind because this super deluxe product is made with essential oil of rose, a pure and direct love note to the brain. I knew before it hit my tongue that I had to have some to take home. Terri mentioned stone fruits and the natural affinity the rose has with apricots, which got my attention. My apricot and peach trees have just set fruits, and this year I am determined to keep them for myself instead of gifting them to the birds. She told me that for those who have a sweet tooth (a group I rarely join) the enhanced flavor of the essential oils reduces the amount of sugar needed to get the results desired. She does not skimp on the oils, very expensive additives.
I left the market with a recipe card that gave me many ideas about putting my new darling ingredient to use. I had a long drive ahead of me, but when I arrived in Tucson her suggestion of trying a small amount of the rose sugar to flavor a fine whiskey was still in my mind. I stopped at the store to find a good rye whiskey to try her idea for my reward at the end of the trail. Indeed, a very small amount of rose sugar in a glass of rye on the rocks created a unique and exotic cocktail. I was both happy to be home and felt very lucky that I took the time to listen to the reasons this sugar is different from other sugars. It is my new favorite ingredient! I am very happy to know that recipe ideas as well as a mail order form are available at Terre Botanicals website. I highly recommend this fabulous line to all the gentle readers. A little goes a long, long way, and there is really nothing like it I have seen on the market.
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- finishing sugars
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- botanical wizard
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- Terri packs my purchase
Pisces Month and Mental Health
February 20, 2016
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Pisces
The sun has just entered Pisces for a month. I am working on clearing my desk and finishing my tax preparation, which always happens this time of year. I am particularly interested in clearing my space as well as my body and mind of the past this month. Cleaning up and getting rid of useless garbage always brings me great joy and a feeling of moving forward with everything. This year I am giving the Pisces month full attention because I see a metaphor for better health through karmic cleansing of beliefs. In my own natal chart I have three planets in Pisces, most significantly my north node is the twelfth house. I am a relative amateur in astrology but am learning more as I investigate and read. I follow a few good astrologers all the time. One of my favorites is Dr. Loretta Stanley who also created my most recent chart. She has urged karmic cleansing of the past during the Pisces month in preparation for a new life this spring. Physical and mental as well as belief cleaning is what she recommends during this time. Sounds reasonable to me. I am sure I hold at least a few beliefs that no longer serve my best interests.
My own needs coincide with karmic cleansing and attention to the mystical, magical powers of Pisces for several reasons. Pisces rules the feet, and I am slowly recovering from a nagging chronic foot pain that has plagued me now for a couple of years. It is definitely on the mend, but still causes a bit of pain. I have acupuncture once a week which is very effective in reducing the swelling and discomfort. I am back on the walking path and functioning well, but I have a feeling the injury/chronic issue has an emotional component. Everything always does. There is a powerful metaphor about stepping forward without pain that I believe is soon to be opening a happy new pathway in my life.
Pisces rules the 12th house of karma or self-undoing. It is a very emotional, mystical, spiritual and intuitive sign. The 12th house is the end of the line for astrology, the last house. It represents the unconscious, and therefore transformation. Our unconscious minds are powerful guides that process the unknown and unseen parts of our lives. The symbolism of the 12th house is the deep understanding, both spiritual and physical, that will decide how we move forward. I have applied many remedies and treatments to my foot disorder to find a cure. It makes sense to take this month to take a deeper look at what my gait is trying to say to me. The little limp on the left represents a deeper issue, I think. I plan to use this month to meditate, clear, clean, and simplify my spiritual practices. I believe (the motto of Pisces) the answer will be found deep in my subconscious.
