mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Feminine Archetypes
January 20, 2013
— 4 Comments
Hekate at the Crossraods
Toni Wolfe, colleague and lover of Carl Jung, identified 4 feminine archetypes. These cardinal qualities divide feminine characters into power centers, or capabilities. Toni understood when she created this foursome as a guide that no individual is purely one archetype on the stage of life. These are ways of looking at personality and talent, not so different from fairy tales and mythological tales.
Life is circular and the core, or center of the circle, is essentially a seed from which the rest of the circle sprouts. Our DNA, birthplace and time, our circumstances at birth are at the center. We contain unique combinations of archetypal power and symbology, both in waking life and in dreams. We begin in the middle of a complex mandala, and work our way out to the edges of consciousness. Limitations are imposed for our education and edification. Dream images give us hints to our own potential as well as to danger. Fairy, Wise Woman, Lover and Queen existed in most cultures before Toni Wolfe mapped out her quadruple qualities. These can be divided, in turn, into variations on a theme.
All people have both male and female archetypes, anima and animus. These might be thought of as north and south, visible and invisible, cardinal points that must also be balanced in the fully realized being. No individual is completely masculine or feminine, good or evil, right or wrong. Tyrants represent an imbalance, a shadow or hidden quality of power, a failure to employ wisdom. Wisdom was historically embodied in the Titan goddess Hekate, guardian of the crossroads. She has three faces, looking in three directions. She carries, along with three torches, a key, a rope, and a knife. She meets you at the crossroads of life and has the power to both assist and punish humans. If she didn’t have three heads, a polecat and a pack of hounds she would resemble the Virgin of Guadalupe, and have similar intercessional powers. Her ancient symbol is a wheel with three parts.
Hekate’s Wheel
Cultural Delusion
January 19, 2013
— 4 Comments
Cultural mendacity is a flawed belief system taught and accepted by groups. Plato and Tennessee Williams were very concerned about this subject. Folklore and folk medicine, like belief in the chupacabra, is brought over from the past. Political and commercial propaganda is created daily to influence cultural habits. Pavlov trained his dog to be delusional, consistently. You are trained to think buying Fruit Loops on credit is a fine practice for your budget and your health. The political parties are training you to donate money to feed the status quo without even knowing what the status quo is.
Lance, the psycho bully, Armstrong needs to stand tall as a role model for all of history. Protesting too much is a classic sign of dishonesty. Willful blindness extends to all layers of our society. Most of it is not as harmless (not to indicate that these crimes were petty) as doping cyclists. Mortgage fraud and investment banking fraud, as yet to explained to the victims in clear terms, are examples of cultural delusion. Sick work ethics that ignore misdeeds and reward anti social behavior fall into this category as well. Systems are mendacious, but cultures are easily duped. Like Pavlov’s dog, groupthink salivates at the sound of the bell because it has been taught to associate the bell with food. Pavlov in this experiment plays the part of the government. The bell is congress. The dog is the tax paying citizen. The dog food cupboard is full of imaginary dog food, known as the budget. Mendacity is the system in which we live.
Cat and Mouse with the TPD
January 16, 2013
— 2 Comments
Yesterday I received a call from a lady at the TPD who identified herself as a detective. I told her that I am Nancy Drew and she was dead silent. I asked her if she knew who Nancy is, and she replied in the affirmative. This was the first clue that I had that this lady had called to play cat and mouse, having absolutely no idea that I am a tiger. She said she was investigating a peeping Tom incident from last year and had heard that I know a lot about our ‘hood. This was my second clue.
I have seen the Police Academy movies and think the whole thing looks like a lot of fun. Something happens to them between those heady days of graduation from the academy and grinding out the day-to-day police reports that goes terribly wrong. This detective lady called to find out if I am crazy or not. I let her know, in no uncertain terms, that I am indeed crazy from reporting the same crimes over many years to the TPD, until I am blue in the face. She asked about crimes in my area, I told her a few facts, and then told her what I thought about working conditions for the cops. She had no idea how to be the mouse, so she said she was only calling about the peeping Tom last year and would not be able to investigate the other crimes we discussed. Even Nancy Drew knows there is little point in trying to find out who was peeping last year when we have active full time, already confessed under oath, felonies going on right this minute. I had to hang up when she asked me to call 911 if I see anything. There is such a thing as insulting the intelligence of the public. These guys should have studied Tom and Jerry back at the academy.
Throw a Dog a Triberr Bone
January 15, 2013
— 6 Comments
The hardest working men in the publishing business have responded, repaired, and restructured the idea tested recently of limiting members’ posts to 6 per week. They truly care about being excellent Chiefs of this Digital Nation. They have graciously served all the free loading members like me who have gathered to suck down services and enjoy the free ride while they beta test the system. They have now generously capitulated to allow 14 posts to non paying members. This is perhaps a dangerous slippery slope for our three musketeers, caving to the whining of the never satisfied. To balance what has become an unfair fight in my estimation, I am going to start my subscription to the newly created Prime Lite. I double dog dare all other members of Triberr to follow suit. Put up, or shut up, as they say.
I do not resent losing the imaginary bones that were created as currency within they system. As Dan explained, since there is no way to spend them, they have been retired…like Green Stamps, or the game at the grocery store with the bingo stickers. Do NOT resent losing the silly bones. They were imaginary….okay? The expenses the Chiefs incur to create our little wonderland are real. So many have expressed opinions about how the system operates, but so few have bothered to pay for it. I personally love to pay for quality. It means that quality can thrive and be there for me next time I want to pay for it. Triberr is a very high quality service. I want to help it to grow and prosper, because it helps me grow and prosper.
I firmly believe that if you have time to write 14 blogs a week worth reading, you also have time to cough up $10 a month to keep the system flowing. Let us find that $10, and show our Chiefs we love what they do for us. If you have $40, I encourage you to just send it. Go Prime…this is probably the only thing in the world that you can do all the way to Prime for just $40 a month. If you have some reason you do not want to pay, I ,very specifically,do not want to hear about it. You can just go be cheap and quiet in your own pitiful corner.
Triberr Changes Rules, Uproar Ensues
January 13, 2013
— 16 Comments
I have been enjoying meeting and spreading the work of bloggers on the Triberr platform. I went to NYC in September to learn more about it, and have been pleased with all I have gained from my enjoyment of Triberr. Yesterday the stream of blogs started drying up and today we learn that a limit was imposed of a maximum of 6 posts a week for each member. I am not as prolific as many of my tribe mates. I do not advertise or promote anyone’s products on my blog. My thing is simple. I am just shocked that they are going all Netfix with no warning.
I predict there will be an exodus of some kind, and maybe a knock off site. In the meantime it will be the talk of the town, not in a good way. I do not mind paying a small fee, but there is something about changing the rules overnight that causes uproar. Triberr has some ‘splainin to do.
Who is Crazier than Whom?
January 10, 2013
— 1 Comment
There is no crazy in the big overview. There is only true and false. To establish a mental health norm we need to establish a norm for the plain old truth. The truth will set us free, but the will to quibble about what is true is stronger than our will to be free. I attended the University of Texas at Austin in 1968 where our very famous tower had been featured a couple of years earlier in the first spectacular insane school shooting in America. The tower says, in giant letters, “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.” During the school year someone managed to steal Bevo ,the longhorn mascot, and take him to the top of the tower to hold for ransom. I believe this was part of the Send Bevo to Biafra movement, but that is not the important point. The point is that Bevo himself could be taken to the top of the tower two years after the mentally ill Nam Vet found the perfect spot to take aim at society…that tower. Let us not debate what is true and not true, what is safe and not safe. Let us take a rational overview to see what is happening to our social fabric. Let us be willing to be still and know the truth in order to be set free from our own self inflicted crazy.
A Tale of Two Tucsons
January 8, 2013
— 2 Comments
Coopers Hawk Fledgling
I live in the middle of Tucson like Gabrielle Giffords. She lives somewhere just south of my neighborhood in a much fancier part of town. On the anniversary of her shooting two years ago, today there are ceremonies to ring bells, hang bells, pray, and commemorate. Tucson seems to me less peaceful, less educated, more reactionary, and more dangerous than it was two years ago. The city creates PR about how we have come together as more civil and less crazed, less armed, less scary…as IF!!!!!!
Where I live the cops do not respond for at least an hour and then they do not bother to even report the crimes you report to them. Nobody calls them because nobody wants to wait around for no reason. The gun store close to my house has had an overflowing parking lot for the last month. My next door neighbor who goes to the shooting range with a bunch of cops on Sundays told me their highly armed group is freaking out because there is no ammo in town to be purchased. They know that the government is a threat to their freedom, and want to buy all the ammo they may need to defend themselves against the government when they try to take their arms.
While commemoration is all well and good, there are plenty of mentally ill people roaming the streets where I live with instant access to weapons. Unfortunately, they have no access to or interest in mental health therapies. There are no cracks to slip through because there is virtually no safety net to treat mentally ill Tucsonans. There is a place where they can score prescription drugs, but no therapy. There is no evidence of effective law enforcement. If Gabby stayed in my neighborhood for a few days she would understand how futile law passing is. With all due respect to her point of view, nobody enforces the laws we have now. Why would adding more laws have a positive effect? I notice a frightening negative effect in the ammo buying population, all agitated and wanting more arms. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. It bears repeating, gentle reader.
The Spleen and I
January 5, 2013
— 1 Comment
To vent one’s spleen is an expression that means to express anger. The spleen is located in Thoracic Park, on the upper left side of your ribcage. It has very important work to do as part of the lymphatic system. In history it has been thought of in different ways, as has all anatomy and physiology. I have been studying the spleen and learning what it likes in order to make mine happier.
Your spleen likes to be warm and dry…What? It wants to be dry in terms of not waterlogged by stagnation, and warm in terms of internal energy combustion. Diet and exercise are the remedies to use to create the warm and dry conditions your spleen desires. Heaviness or lethargy is referred to as moisture in the system in Chinese Medicine, a clinical example being arthritis. This moisture is regulated throughout the body by the spleen, which works in concert with the pancreas. The happy spleen is given a diet of orange vegetables, ginger, garlic, cardamom, corn,mushrooms, barley and rye. The problem with my spleen seems to be that a happy spleen also avoids SALSA!!!!, citrus, alcohol, coffee,tofu, avocados, and some other staples in my diet. One can only hope these can be brought back in moderation after my spleen and I are on better terms.
The earth element represents support. Since my spleen supports me by filtering my lymphatic system and producing white blood cells, I feel very loyal to it. I am going to give it the kind of attention it needs and wants, including lots of core strength exercises. Plenty of movement is essential for healthy spleen Qi, including abdominal moves that help pump the lymph. Stagnation is a result of too much unhealthy food and lethargy. Together they form the vicious cycle of spleen gone out of whack. My lucky spleen has had strong advocates showing me the error of my ways. I hear you and promise that spleeny and I will be charting a better course, thanks to your professionalism. I am now ever so aware of the neglect and negligence on my part which lead to this condition. I applaud and appreciate my spleen for sticking with me while I learned how to mend my ways. I have many nice orange vegetables on hand to feed it.
Intelligence vs Negligence
January 4, 2013
— 3 Comments
We have so much negligence that it is necessary to break it down into its various categories:
Negligence per Se is obvious disregard for regulation that harms society. Criminal negligence is a gross deviation from the risk assessment skills of an average person. Gross negligence is failure to act with the slightest degree of care. Concurrant negligence is a group acting without the slightest degree of care. Obstruction of justice is acting to impede the law enforcement system. Seems a bit blurry, but we all know negligence when we see it.
The Latin root word in question here is about discernment and understanding. Intelligence is the ability to discern clearly, and negligence is sloth, injury and injustice. We do not have so many legal categories for intelligence because it is rare. There are laws, and there is the spirit of the law. Intelligent citizens will make the bureaucracy responsible for negligence of every kind. We pay for this negligence, and I think it is a raw deal. Good management practices eliminate negligence and waste of resources. The status quo looks to me a lot like concurrant negligence.
Black Sheep Ancestors
January 1, 2013
— 5 Comments
black sheep in dreadlocks
When a family member does something disgraceful or distasteful the general way it is handled is by denial. The person who commits suicide or bigamy or general black sheepery is dropped from the story. Three of my grandfathers, fall into this category. My paternal great-grandfather, Edward Ewing Scott, married another woman while he was married to my great-grandmother who had 4 young daughters at home. My other paternal great-grandfather , Jason A Morse, was referred to as a bum, had a wild Cherokee wife purported to be a witch (after his boy’s mother died), and was never mentioned favorably to me. I very recently have seen his picture which was sent to me by a cousin. My mother’s father, George H Taylor, killed himself at home leaving his 10 kids orphaned during the depression. I have never seen a picture of George H, and did not know about his suicide until I was a teenager. One of my first cousins had a very elaborate suicide downtown Houston in the 1960’s which brought the subject back to light. I remember thinking how weird it was that nobody had ever told me. His wife, my grandmother, had died at home as well, in childbirth. I knew about that, but not his suicide. This denial makes it very hard to find information about the black sheep and how they blackened themselves.
This is your shadow family. This is the information that has specifically not been given to you in an effort to protect you in some way. This is the nature that is hidden in an effort to improve the self-image of the family through spin. Everyone wants to believe that his or her family represents the best and most worthy genetic material. If you can remember your parents being imperfect, then you can extrapolate how imperfect your entire tree really may be. If you look closely you may be frightened that we all descend from loonies. If you look more closely you will see how this evens out over time. The concept of the family curse is as real as the family glory and royalty. We have all arrived at this point in history together because of a long line of imperfect beings who survived and tweaked the story along the way.
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