mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Provide for the Future
April 17, 2013
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We are always providing something. It can be waste and decay, or it can be brilliance. Usually it is both. The buzzword-o-moment is provide value through content. This blog, for instance, is intended to provide the gentle reader with some facts, entertainment, and history. Unlike printed media, if the system does not crash this digital data will exist forever. We are now kicking out content of all kinds a mile a minute to be archived permanently in the cloud. Value is not only in the eye of the beholder, but in the almost infinite ability to search and surf on this future cloud. While we stuff this cloud with presumed value the earth itself requires more attention.
Bees and pollinators provide for the future. Seed libraries leave a legacy to generations that follow. Look down, gentle reader. Wisdom resides in nature. Meditative attention to nature is healing and holistic. Withdrawal from the seasons, the botany, and the wildlife of the land deprives the spirit and represses the soul.
Wellness Account
April 3, 2013
Paying attention is the first step to wellness. Our individual health is like a bank account. We deposit good constitution and healthy habits such as whole fresh food and solid rest. When things go wrong it is impossible to tell which check has overdrawn the account. If you take out more than you put in this will always be the result. Rather that be too crazy about diagnosis and specific remedies, a good overview can help sort out the most crucial from the unimportant. How and why do you use your own resources to damage your health?
Our bodies consist of an advanced bundle of cells and energy connected to create this network of life, feeling and emotion. We are a conduit to something fantastic and sometimes unimaginable; a Responsive Universe…. Our bodies are our best friends. We need to listen to our bodies signals – wellness is the only true focus. Are you listening?
Please check out my latest article published at MindBodyGreen which focuses on listening to our bodies and how we can positively respond to those signals…
Do You Listen To Your Body’s Signals?
John C. Bader
About the Book: www.responsiveuniverse.com
Now Available: Amazon Barnes & Noble
Cycles of Rebirth
March 30, 2013
— 6 Comments
Aesculapius
I: And the crown? Solve the riddle of the crown for me!”
Soul Bird: “The crown and serpent are opposites, and are one. Did you not see the serpent that crowned the head of the crucified?”
I: “What, I don’t understand you.”
Soul Bird: “What words did the crown bring you?
“Love never ends”-that is the mystery of the crown and the serpent.” ~Carl Jung; Red Book.
Carl Jung was the son of a reform minister who grappled with his own religion throughout his life. He had high aspirations and did some deep Dante style soul searching. His final spiritual expression was the Red Book, published after his death. In it he links symbols to deeper meaning. He was a student not only of mythology and history, but also of the ancient sciences. He studied the astrologers and the work of the alchemists to find clues to the collective consciousness as it has passed down through history. He was interested in Kundalini, the serpent coiled at the base of the energetic spine.
During the time of Christ the GrecoRoman god of healing Aesculapius was still popular. Cures and diagnosis in the cult of this demi god involved dreams and dream healing. His symbol, and indeed his assistants in healing temples, were the snakes. They were deemed to be powerful psychics. The symbol of the snake as natural healer was traded for the image of snake, the temptation of Eve, which got everyone thrown out of the Garden of Eden, reptiles included. We are not sure who lives there now..
If you have dreams of crowns or serpents, pay special attention. Something may be attempting rebirth within your soul.
Femme Fatale Archetype
March 24, 2013
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Rita Hayworth embodied the ultimate femme fatale in her movie role of Gilda. She was the pin-up goddess that excited WWII soldiers with her sexy alluring figure. Classic dangerous women come in a few formats. In literature this woman can be everything from a succubus, destroying men in their sleep, to a sexy helpless woman hiring a private eye. She differs from the Vamp in her indirect approach. She uses manipulative behavior to acquire money and men without investing any personal emotion. In some stories, she also kills her victim. When she is rejected, like Scarlett O’Hara is in Gone with the Wind, she may experience an opening of the heart, and a change. Is this woman totally a myth, or do we see her in our lives? Are there public femme fatales?
Dreams and Dreamers
March 22, 2013
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Your dreams are personal and they arise from the collective unconscious as well as your own. We all share a foundation of unknown mythology that our ancestors built into our beliefs. We share, and sometimes rebel against, cultural practices and teachings. To deeply analyze our own psychological types dream work is necessary. The setting and the characters portrayed in dreams are metaphorical players in our spiritual lives. Deeper understanding of our own unconscious leads to better understanding and appreciation for all of life.
There has been an attempt to hijack the word dream and turn it into a house or a car, or that illusive American Dream. The big consumer consciousness promotes purchases of certain items in order to fulfill a dream. It also spotlights outer image as the key to dreaminess. I think it is important to note that marketing experts use the personality types to design ad campaigns and sales persons use them to craft the appropriate pitch for the prospect. The archetype technique is being used strategically to manipulate you and your dreams. If you submit willingly you will buy a lot of stuff with dubious dream fulfillment. Take the reigns, gentle reader. Design your own dreamscapes and accept no substitutes.
The Prince Archetype
March 21, 2013
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In literature and mythology the prince is an archetypal figure. In drama or our lives the prince represents one who must take the mysterious and trying journey to become king. His dark shadow companion is the wanderer, who never accepts reposnsibility and continues to avoid the dignity and responsibility of his royal inheritance. They look a bit like William and Harry, honestly. The prince can be charming or dark in his presentation. He may complete his journey and become king, but there is no guarantee.
Carl Jung identified 4 masculine archetypes, and made the assertion that to be whole man must be in touch with all of them. He also explained the bi-polar potential inherent in each character. They are described as shadow and positive qualities. The soul embarks on an epic journey to mature on earth. The heroes and Prince Charmings of our lives have lessons to teach as well as to learn. When you think of this archetype who pops into your thoughts? Americans have some pretty wild versions of the prince from Disney to the artist formerly and once again known as Prince. How do we know when our American prince becomes a king? tricky..
Synchronicity and Synchronization
March 19, 2013
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To move in synchronicity with others requires concentration and practice. The more a performing group practices the more it develops coordination and precision. From flying trapeze to marching band groups, timing and focus make all the difference. This Chinese troupe is hearing impaired, which makes the synchronization very impressive.
Synchronicity is not practiced, and may appear to be unrelated. The coordination of meaning is personal, but it depends on the oneness of the universe. The individual must notice and connect the dots to appreciate synchronicity. One must look from a new frame of reference to see the connections that fall into place every day.
Process Addictions
March 18, 2013
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Americans are going deeper into process addictions daily. The repetition of compulsive behavior as a substitute for involvement and enjoyment in life is a growing national disaster. Our national diabetes and obesity problems are highly related to the indoctrination created by the food industry. If people are vulnerable and advertising is unquestionably absorbed by the public, where is the ethical line of common sense? I heard that one in every four health care dollars in the US is spent on diabetic patients. Our nation is not in control of our health or our advertising. Compulsion rather than appreciation is promoted at every level.
Professionals are being trained to recognize the symptoms and help patients who suffer. The behavior repeated may be socially acceptable, making it hard to distinguish from healthy behavior. Eating disorders are a common variety of process addiction. Eating itself, working itself, sex itself, and even gambling itself ,are not the real problems with the process addicted person. The overwhelming need to repeat and continue to seek reward in a behavior as the thrill diminishes is the hallmark of process addiction. Joy is drained away from the person who stays in a deep rut of compulsive habits. The remedy is similar to substance abuse treatment, since the same brain centers are involved. To evolve and escape the tyranny of habit is everyone’s job. To make better choices, the first step is to be present and aware. If most of your choices are made by default, this is a good time to begin to choose more deliberately.
Divine Family of Archtetypes
March 9, 2013
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What is your relationship to God? Your archetypes will define and expose your spirit. While we may all want to be a visionary or some very special rare spiritually gifted being, our story may be stronger than our experience. If you know the spiritual archetype, you will also have some experience with the shadow of it. Spirit does not bring along only happy good time feelings. It brings lessons required for our own wisdom and advancement. If you really are a martyr you have used your own suffering to manipulate others. The depth of the reality depends on how truthful and open you are. None of us worships like our parents before us…well, very few. Do you give your spirit a rich practice or a platitude?
The Spa in Bedford Springs, Pennsylvania
March 4, 2013
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I stand corrected about the spa culture in Pennsylvania. It is alive and well in Bedford Springs. The indoor and outdoor pools are heated with mineral spring water. The hotel, now operated by Omni, is an historic building as well as a health resort from another era. The historic Bedford Springs Hotel was a favorite of many presidents of the US. The healing waters were taken internally as well as used in bathing. The existence of 8 different sources makes this a very special location. The revival of the hotel to a glorious state of the art facility warms my heart, and will warm my body in September. I love to visit places that have been in continuous use as health resorts for centuries. They acquire a certain culture that is always interesting and usually healthy too.
As an historic landmark the hotel building has very specific restoration standards. They are exacting. A source of water was discovered during the renovation that is known as Spring Eternal. The new deluxe spa is named after this spring. The large property was purchased by Dr Anderson in 1796 for development as a health center. His approach included diet and exercise as well as use of the healing waters. The inclusion of local botanicals as well as the spring water is still part of the treatments at the fancy new facility. I look forward to taking a dip, wishing the live musicians were still playing at the indoor pool. There is even an herbal steam room..be still my heart.
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