mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Space, Time, Alchemy
January 19, 2013
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Alchemy Symbols
Alchemy is the act of transformation. Throughout history the alchemists have studied nature and mystery. We participate in alchemy when we focus our spiritual talents on the elements of the earth. Inventors and those who are especially creative tap into alchemy to turn imagination into reality. It has been associated with medicine, but all science is the realm of the alchemist. Carl Jung brought alchemy and archetypes into psychiatry. The collective consciousness communicates through symbols and dreams. The alchemists, like wizards and magicians, use mythical power to transform or create.
Our time and space are literally created and projected by us. We are active participants in our entire experience of reality. My favorite alchemist in history is the Swiss Paracelsus, who practiced medicine and magic at the same time. He was searching for the Christian version of pagan natural magic. He promoted Jacob Boehme’s Doctrine of Signatures, a spiritual belief that plants are designed to communicate their healing properties to man. His work was both controversial and respected during his lifetime. What distinguishes the alchemist from a wizard or magician is a constant experiment. The science of chemistry was developed from the never ending experiments of the alchemists.
If you could focus your spiritual energy on nature to transform your life, what would you transform? If you were to focus do you think you could change the quality of your experience?
Mintha, Green Goddess
January 18, 2013
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Persephone stomps on Mintha
Mintha, Greek goddess of the mint plant is a fertile herbal mother. Stewing, growing, and drinking mint can cause euphoric uplift. Soothing, aiding digestion of food and intuition, mint tea opens the senses and the mind. Bathing or washing with mint stimulates the skin and the circulation. The high notes of these aromas evaporate quickly. The use of mint in aromatherapy is widespread and well accepted. Peppermint oil is used for everything from headache cure to memory tonic. In the middle east, especially Morocco, mint tea is the beverage of choice for all occasions.
Growing mint is easy. I grow several varieties, with the most dominant ones winning out and taking over the space. A source of moisture is all they need to spread like crazy underground. To harvest it, cut it and hang your bundles in a dry dark place until dry. I store mine in brown paper bags once dry because I have too much to use jars. I harvest mass amounts throughout the year. In the summer we drink it every day for the cooling qualities. Mints mix very well with other herbs and fruits to create flavor layers in tea.
Mintha, the water nymph of myth, had an affair with Haides, god of the underworld, pissing off Persephone, his wife. In an all too common scenario in Greek mythology, angry wife takes revenge on the nymph, in this case by by stomping on her. She turns into the mint plant so that every time Persephone steps on her the aroma of mint wafts all over the angry queen. So whether you want to uplift your spirits or annoy an angry queen, the goddess Mintha is the tool for the job.
All Flesh is Grass
January 18, 2013
The idea that all flesh is grass comes from the book of Isaiah. It is meant to signify that life is short. It has another connotation that applies to Lance Armstrong and all who create level playing fields for themselves. It means that when it all comes down you’ve got to get back to Mother Earth.
You are leaving a legacy, now, this minute. Your life’s work and your charism can take any form. Your talents and gifts can be lavish or downright undiscovered. Your soul is here to learn how to use power. Your ancestors have used power in a myriad of ways that incarnate in you without your awareness or consent. Your ethical will is a choice you make by either accepting blindly or seeking new wisdom in new ways. If you are easily angered, chances a very good that you are easily duped..by none other than yourself.
Cat and Mouse with the TPD
January 16, 2013
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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.
Winter is the Season of the Water Element
January 14, 2013
The elemental nature of winter coincides with water. Diet and activity can make a big difference to our health during the cold season. Water and the kidney meridian will determine if you are easy going and flowing, or timid and fearful. Your basic constitution, your resilience, is found in the health of your kidneys. During winter it is important to cover the head, neck, and abdomen to stay warm. It is helpful to eat a diet that includes some ginger and cranberries, to preserve the water balance in the body. Nettles are an herbal remedy that also works very well as a balancing tonic. You can simply drink tea made from nettles, which has a very mild flavor, but a powerful effect.
If you have too much water you will feel sluggish and swollen. Too little will result in bitterness and brittle bones. All the organs depend on the kidneys to balance PH and electrolytes. During winter the kidneys are most vulnerable, prone to deficiency or excess. This causes a stagnation of all the organ functions. this sluggish state causes depression and confusion. Simple movements such as the qigong above, twists and bends the area of the kidneys to bring fresh circulation to the adrenals and kidneys. This one is simple to follow, but there are many examples you can learn. TCM is becoming more popular in the US because it works. Try it. You might like it, and your renal system will thank you for it.
Ghost Tourism
January 13, 2013
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My Dead Peeps
I have traveled in person only once to visit my dead ancestors and look for local records of their lives. I went to Tulsa, where I was born, and my grandparents are buried, but I can not find their graves. After my cousin went back to Iowa I did more investigation in the town where my father was born, Independence, KS. I drove to the small rural town of Ladore, where many of my ancestors settled when they came from Ohio and New York. I found the grave of one of my 2nd great grandmother while looking for somebody else. It made the hair stand up on my neck even in sweltering humid July in Kansas. I have been all over the world on all kinds of journeys, but this is a whole new way to look at travel…visiting history by combining the ancestors and geography. Kinky, and very cool.
I have accumulated and am trying to geographically arrange data on ancestors around Plymouth Colony, MA and around Jamestown, VA. I will go to both destinations eventually, but have to choose one to be the first. The peeps are mostly very fancy in both places and we know how to find many of the graves, some homes, etc. I am not really into them for the royal blood and fame, I just like them because they survived. It is nothing like visiting living relatives. They are past judgement and are all very low maintenance. They are what you might call spooky. I just learned from a local that Virginia is a vortex for ticks, which makes graves in Massachusetts instantly sound so much more appealing. I am thinking now of flying to tick free, but cold Boston. Someday I will procure the right tick graveyard gear to safely visit my Virginians…like Mary, who is in the private and elite graveyard at Warner Hall with a lot of my other ancestors:
The walled family cemetery of the Warner and Lewis families is located on the Warner Hall property, southeast of Warner Hall. Access to the Graveyard is from the road North of Warner Hall and not from Warner Hall or the Driveway to Warner Hall located West of the Graveyard. The cemetery is the final resting place for many of the Warner and Lewis family members. The family cemetery, is also the resting place for such well known ancestors of George Washington, Robert E. Lee, The Queen Mother of England, and Queen Elizabeth II. Queen Elizabeth has visited Gloucester where she placed a wreath upon her ancestor’s grave. The cemetery has thirteen graves and plaques in memory of all the family. The cemetery is owned and maintained by the Association for Preservation of Virginia Antiquities (A.P.V.A.). The A.P.V.A. acquired the cemetery at Warner Hall in 1903, since which time the Association’s Gloucester Branch, now known as the Joseph Bryan Branch, has zealously maintained it.
There are thirteen graves in the Warner Hall Grave Yard. they are:1 Mary Warner (believed to be Mary Towneley Warner), 1614 – 16622 Augustine Warner I, 1611 – 16743 Augustine Warner II, 1642 – 16814 Mildred Reade Warner (wife of Augustine Warner II), 16945 Augustine Warner III, 1666 – 16866 Elizabeth Warner Lewis (d/o Augustine Warner II w/o Col John Lewis), 1672 – 17197 Col John Lewis (s/o John & Isabella Lewis h/o Elizabeth Warner), 1669 – 17258 Mary Chiswell Lewis (d/o John & Elizabeth Randolph Chiswell w/o Warner Lewis II, 1748 – 17769 Warner Lewis II (s/o Warner Lewis I & Eleanor Bowles Gooch Lewis & grandson of Col John Lewis & Elizabeth Warner Lewis), 1747 – 179110 Juliana Clayton (d/o Dr. Thomas & Isabella Lewis Clayton), 1731 – 173411 Isabella Lewis Clayton (d/o Col John Lewis & Elizabeth Warner w/o Dr. Thomas Clayton), 1706/7 – 1742 (the dates 1706/7 is exactly what is engraved on her stone)12 (Dr.) Thomas Clayton (h/o Isabella Lewis), 1701 – 173913 Caroline Lewis Barrett (d/o Warner Lewis II), 1783 – 1811
Mary Cant Towneley (1614 – 1662)
is my 11th great grandmother
Son of Mary Cant
Daughter of Colonel Augustine II
Son of Mary
Daughter of Augustine Warner
Daughter of Martha
Son of Mary
Son of Johannes John
Son of Henry
Son of Swain
Daughter of Jerimiah
Son of Minnie M
Son of Ernest Abner
I am the daughter of Richard Arden
Private Graveyard at Warner Hall
Bubbling Spring of Health and Confidence
January 12, 2013
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I was reminded of a meditation technique I used to practice, but have almost forgotten. The bubbling spring meditation is an active way to make contact with the earth element and move stagnant energy in the body. It is powerful and easy to learn. I need to brush up and use it, since it is vital to remember how energy flows (and becomes stagnant) in the body. Kidneys, as well as kidney chi, are the source of confidence and mental clarity. I think this is the big mental illness plague confusing and freaking out the United States. The kidney chi of the nation has been trashed with coffee and alcohol, drugs and junk food. The adrenal gland of the nation is shot from constant flight or flight paranoid delusional thinking. This is a people in need of contact with the earth, our supporting element. The water element of your body meets the earth at a specific point on the bottom of your foot known as the kidney one point. You can learn about this in more detail from a teacher of qigong, Tai Chi, or any Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner, such as an acupuncturist. I encourage you to do so.
Kidney one, a point to be found on the sole of your foot, is the important gateway to health available with each step you take. All you need to do is to find kidney one and start to know how it makes your life either lovely or hellish. Once you know, you will respect the kidney meridian. I spent a lot of time in dementia wards for a few years when my mom needed care. We rescued her from that care because the standard of care was to dehydrate the helpless seniors to death. A few years later all the citizens of my country, including the congress, resemble the folks we met in the locked dementia wards. They are angry, and irrational like crazy fire. Kidney chi, gentle reader, kidney chi.
The water element is as unhealthy in our emotional society as the bodies of polluted water are around the globe. We polluted the water on earth the same way we emotionally pollute our society. We dis the flow. We fight the river. We ignore the Tao. Simple steps can be taken to restore balance and order. Awareness is the key.
Groupies of the Chef
January 9, 2013
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We have a new favorite restaurant in Tucson. It was recommended to us by a friend, so my neighbor Heidi and I went on reconnaissance. We enjoyed a lovely lunch with gourmet touches and warm service the week before Christmas. I decided to take advantage of a special offer on gift certificates, and purchased three for 2013. I received a 30% discount which always makes me feel smart and happy. Lodge on the Desert is creating a seasonal artisanal menu that suits me perfectly. I am a dedicated groupie of Ryan Clark who tickles my tastebuds exactly the way I like. Dining out is a rare special occasion, so I need to make it count.
Christmas brunch was pure delight. Now I can return for two more blow out gourmet dining experiences when the season changes. The chef is brilliant, the cuisine local and contemporary. This is my idea of ideal dining, right in the ‘hood. Chef Ryan Clark is a local treasure. I am looking forward to tasting our next meal in his restaurant.
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- grilled romaine
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- Sangria
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- passionfruit chiltepin cocktail
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- Christmas Cheers!
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- Flatbread made veg for me
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- crispy tortillas for garnish
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- duck confit salad
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- chocolate torte
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- chocolate chili gelato
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- too much dessert
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- charming historical lodge
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- outdoor fireplace
Goldilocks in Business
January 3, 2013
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Three Bears and Goldilocks
My story in business since I returned to commerce now seems like Goldilocks and the Three Bears to me. While learning inbound marketing and social media I attempted to find the right marketing partner. I understand how this works because for years I was the marketing partner for all travel providers (travel agent) , and fancy spas sold my services as a teacher ( employee). Commission is something I have always paid happily, even back when I was young production potter paying a gallery to sell my pots. It is fair, and it keeps overhead where it belongs.
My first guess about the perfect partner was focused on Watsu. I decided that the Watsu people maintain pools which are not fully booked, therefore Floatli would give them something else to sell in their pools. I wandered around from hot spring to hot spring looking for the right one, but this combo was not going to happen, for whatever reason.
Next, I decided that mermaids naturally combined with Floatli and were trending. I learned about the people who are into mermaids, and organized a weekend at a hot spring for mermaids to meet water fitness enthusiasts. This was not the match I had imagined either. I did not suffer terribly through these experiences, mind you. I simply found no appropriate fit for a marketing vehicle.
My digital wanderings had exposed me to Chris Brogan and Anthony Innarino who taught a workshop on sales last year. The well presented course provided the piece that had been missing in my technique. They carefully explained the process of qualifying customers. I had clearly demonstrated that deciding myself that the customer needs my product was the wrong initial step to take. Then they gave me the secret to reverse all errors made in the mama bear’s bed and the papa bear’s bed. To qualify a potential customer you first ask if they want to have a conversation with you about whatever you are pitching. Proceeding without taking this step is the number one way salespeople turn others off forever. The interest as well as the ability to execute has to be there, or you are wasting time. Thanks, Chris and Anthony, that information arrived none too soon.
My target now is Zappos, which fits perfectly because Floatli is the exact opposite of shoes, and Zappos is very sporty. This time, however, I will proceed armed with my new information, and ask the Zapsters if they want to have a conversation about marketing Floatli. That is why I will send this post to them in hopes of a positive response. I believe I can show how we belong together in business, for the benefit of all sentient beings. Gravity meets weightlessness, outside the box (but inside a Zappos box). Please say yes, Zapsters.
Culture Clown at Zappos
Black Sheep Ancestors
January 1, 2013
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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.
