mermaidcamp

mermaidcamp

Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water

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Divine Family of Archtetypes

March 9, 2013 1 Comment

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?

Peach Flower Essence

February 27, 2013 2 Comments


The use of flower essences was made popular by Dr Bach in the first half of the 20th century. He was a physician who discovered the effects on his own emotions when he took simple essences of flowers.  His formulas are used widely today, the most famous being rescue remedy, which is a combination of flowers. I have used these concentrated bottled products for years and find them to be effective.  However, when the flowers bloom I enjoy making and drinking fresh pure flower remedies.

Practitioners of this method must know and study carefully the proper dosage for a patient.  Since I am enjoying my own, I am not concerned with the conventional practice of using a few drops diluted in alcohol for a remedy.  I drink much larger quantities straight up. I always know the meaning of the flower and the cure for which it is used commercially. There are many local companies doing remedies now, so finding a reference to a specific flower is not so hard.  It does require the use of the Latin name.  Common names in botany can lead to serious errors.

My peach tree is in bloom now and the bees are busy turning the blooms into peaches.  I will make an essence when the weather warms later in the week.  Peach, Prunus persica, is used for altruism.  It is a catalyst that facilitates the release of tension by those who fret excessively over their own problems.  It allows nurturing from wholeness rather than from neediness.  It is recommended for external application.  This is important.  The remedy works if you put it in a bath or rub it into the skin.  You do not need to consume it to enjoy the benefits. The first step in making an essence is to meditate on the plant.  Enter a quiet state, the best you can, and ask the plant for healing.

This is not natural to you yet, but if you do it for a while, you will begin to feel (notice, perceive) the plant respond to your request.  Staying quiet and respectful, pay attention as you pick the flowers so as not to strip or deplete the tree.  Placing the flowers in a clear vessel full of clear water, rest the glass container in the sun (or moon) for a while.  This is subjective.  Do not let it become sun tea, as the flower is delicate.  Stop before the flower wilts, but after a taste has entered the water.  It often tastes like cucumber or melon. Roses, iris, violets, and citrus taste just like they smell, which is lovely.  Peach has little smell or taste, but the beauty of the flowers makes a very happy meditation.

bee in peach tree

bee in peach tree

prunus persica

prunus persica

busy bee

peach blossom special

peach bee

bee on peach

bee with pollen sacks

bee with pollen sacks

prunus persica with bee

bee in peach blossom

Bee at work

bee in peach tree

prunus persica

prunus persica flowers

Civilized Dining Near Death

February 27, 2013

seasonal food

seasonal food

“The preparation of good food is merely another expression of art, one of the joys of civilized living…” Dione Lucas

Survival depends on finding a source of nutrition.  Today there is a trend to look to restaurants for food service.  In the distant past the household was challenged to grow, kill, store, and otherwise provide the food for a family.  Now by driving through, it is possible to leave the drudgery of dietary delicacy decision making to the folks at Dairy Queen.  Restaurants now exist in giant chains with processed ingredients provided by the central supplier.  This has given rise to a slew of cooking shows and networks, and celebrities.  These celebrities enjoy food and know how to prepare it.  That is why they are out of the ordinary in 2013. They remember, or have been trained, to eat and enjoy a variety of seasonal foods.  They may have even visited a farm. No wonder we regard them as very special beings.

The McRib is not a seasonal food, although Americans believe it is.  The pumpkin spice latte is not either. Pumpkins themselves are seasonal, growing outside in fields and needing to be picked at a certain time. Latte flavoring is forever.  It is possible it will remain in your organs forever also. How is it possible that America is so far removed from grow it, kill it, eat it, that they have no idea where their food has been, or by whom it has been handled?   I am not a stuffy or a picky eater, which might be challenged, since I am a vegetarian.  What I want when I pay another entity to feed me is attention to detail, each and every detail.  I want to feel the careful work that has been done to please my palette every time I put a bite into my mouth.  When I cook that is what I hope to achieve.  Of course, I do not always succeed, but there is never a doubt that I have made the effort. I would rather fail royally in my own kitchen than to be fed by the careless.

Regular Guy Archetype

February 25, 2013 2 Comments

 

Everyman, also known as the regular guy, is one of the archetypes in Carl Jung’s core breakdown.  The primary goal of this player in the personality is to be accepted. Blending in, not standing out, is the way the regular guy relates to society. Ad companies use this profiling to create messages that they hope will reach the market of choice. To be desirable to a regular guy a product needs to show that everyone uses it. The most common experience is the target.

This player has much in common with the orphan child archetype, having similar needs and fears.  This personality will forfeit much in order to feel like a part of something.  After finding the fold in which to fit, they often find it unrewarding and not what they had hoped it would be.  The irony of seeking  approval from others by being like them is that your own desires may never be made clear.  If standing out in a crowd is your worst fear, your own dreams (and personality) may forever remain a mystery to you.

I do not respond well to messages aimed at Everyman.  They have a negative effect by showing me that everyone is doing something.  I recoil from that.  A Eurofriend said this week she does not understand Oprah, the American phenomena.  I tweeted her that Oprah is everywoman, as a joke.  But, in truth, Oprah does market herself as everywoman (who can afford to buy $900 blouses).  That is pretty ironic in itself, that her favorite things are out of range in price for most of her audience. She makes many feel like they are a part of her network, even if she is really the queen.

Do More with Less, Just Add Water

February 24, 2013 4 Comments

The eighth core value at Zappos is Do More with Less. This is an essential philosophy to make it in the world now. Using what we already have is a first step to achieve better results. Recent economic bubble popping has shown us how wasteful and risky spending can have dire consequences. As household and government debt grew so did people’s expectations that the prosperity could never end. Now that the economy is reorganized. People look for value and efficiency like never before. Many have embraced thrift over extravagance as a necessity.

Floatli does more with less by versatility. It uses the common floatation noodle, which is easy to replace. Since it works in all kinds of water, including a jacuzzi, it provides a new activity or sport to pools and natural bodies of water. From light to heavy work can be done, by everyone from elite athletes to those recovering from injury. That is another reason Floatli is the perfect official sport for Zappos. It works anywhere there is water, and will be really fun in Lake Mead in summer.

Red Book

February 19, 2013 2 Comments

“My friends, it is wise to nourish the soul, otherwise you will breed dragons and devils in your heart.” ~Carl Jung, Red Book, Page-232.

Carl Jung changed the history and the practice of psychiatry. His work is used today by some who are not even aware of his influence or the story of his life. The Red Book was published posthumously after being locked in a bank vault in Switzerland for many years.  Finally out of the shadows itself, the book serves as a deep reference as well as an artistic guide to the underworld.  How would the Red Book of your soul look?  When do you plan to create it?

Drawing Red Book

Drawing Red Book

Passionate and Determined

February 18, 2013

Feet of Culture Clown

Feet of Culture Clown

Zappos Insights

Zappos Insights

The number nine core value at Zappos is about passion and determination. This one may be the determining factor in my quest to make Floatli the official sport of Zappos. I am positive that many have, are currently, and will pursue a spot in Zappos future. In order to make my offer stand out in a giant crowd I accept the challenge of showing more passion, and ultimately more determination, than others who are vying to be the provider of the official sport of the company.

With any luck I will be the only one applying for this position.  Zappos is full of healthy employees who enjoy working and playing.  The presence of the company coach supports this balanced lifestyle.  Employees can schedule coaching sessions for work or personal reasons.  The popular program is much utilized, therefore a waiting list exists for appointments with her.  I admire this kind of development program because a passionate determined employee is a content and personally fulfilled employee.

Zappos Education Dept

Zappos Education Dept

As the most insightful capitalist venture I have ever seen, Zappos screams sport.  The minute you walk into the place the vibe is all about personal expression and fashion extravagance. The team spirit is overwhelming.   My guide, Culture Clown, told us how she and her firefighter husband enjoy Lake Meade and participation in  outdoor fitness events.  She had completed a tough mudder with Marines that impressed me greatly.  The reason Floatli is the perfect team sport for Zappos is that it is non competitive.  What gravity does, Floatli remedies.  The more you wear shoes and play tough games on land, the more you need to reverse that action.  Floatli downshifts the joints and prehabilitates the body to do more sports without risk of injury.  Summer is hot in Vegas, but they still have a big beautiful Lake Mead, as well as millions of pools.

I want the chance to to market  Floatli with Zappos.   More fun even than that would be to organize an exciting  alternative fitness program that enhances staff levels of health and satisfaction within the company.  The integrity of the company comes from taking care of the employees so they can deliver happiness to customers.  I want to deliver some happiness to the discriminating employees to give them a new way to chill and stay fit.  I am passionate and determined to get an audition.

Punctuality, Politness, Professionalism

February 15, 2013

The the P’s have served me well as a guide since I first saw them on a sign in a panyard in Port of Spain, Trinidad.  I hung out at the Neal and Massey Trinidad All Stars yard in the early 1980’s.  I took my video camera and shot the practice sessions.  I adored the look as well as the sound of the steel drum.  The panman was just leaving the shadows of  Trini society in the 1980’s.  The Despers, The All Stars, and some other very old steel bands were representing very hard neighborhoods in Port of Spain.  The idea that you could build an instrument out of an oil barrel and make a professional orchestra of people who did not read music was not yet considered to be a fine art by everyone.

I had some of the best times of my life at that yard.  I remember Dane Gulston for his artistry and also his super friendly attitude.  He was very young, but was already indoctrinated with the discipline of the All Stars.  Dedication and cooperation are the ingredients needed to win in Panorama and in life.  Today Pantrinbago oversees educational programs and the nation is proud of their indigenous instrument. Brooklyn has a large contingent of the best musicians for at least part of the year.  In the above solo Dane ably demonstrates the benefits of practicing the three P’s.

Genealogy is Like Crochet

February 12, 2013 2 Comments

tatted doilie

tatted doilie

My grandmother did  tatting, a lace work done with a tiny plastic shuttle which produced doilies. I have a large variegated doilie that she made but it is in the closet.  In my house it would be a big dust collector.  When I was young I did crochet, embroidery and some knitting. I taught myself to sew at boarding school when I was 14.   When I was 17 I learned to weave on a loom.  I like the art and enjoyment of crafting things for my own fashion purposes.  My mother was an advanced self styler creating matching hats, shoes and belts to go with her dresses. All of these activities are so satisfying until…..you make a mistake.  Then you find there is only one way out of your predicament..rip it out and start again.  The entire time you are ripping it out you must take care not to damage the materials, which requires that you not enter rip out rage too deeply.  This was agony to me, so I became a potter.  If you blow your creation before firing you simply quickly turn it back into mud.  If my pots were ugly and I did not want them to live I put them in a bush in the desert and shot them with a 22 pistol.  There was no ripping and remorse.  A different kind of patience is required to make pots.  You just accept that a certain percentage will fail and that is fine.

Last week I opened a message on Ancestry.com from a common descendant of Swain Smith.  I am always happy to hear from my fam on Ancestry because they bring extra data and sometimes have documents and pictures to share.  This cousin pointed out to me that I had an obvious error in my tree.  Swain’s father married twice, and I had listed his mother as the second wife.  Since he had been born before the second marriage my mistake was easy to spot.  I have revised my tree, and now have no clue about the pedigree of Swain’s real mother.  I can only rip out the branches of the tree that I built on a specious assumption and start again.  I am so totally back in crochet world.   I have to go back to the place where I skipped the loop of my 4th great-grandmother, Sarah Archer, born in New Jersey in 1787.  She is my new mystery woman.

Sarah Archer (1787 – 1866)
is my 4th great grandmother
Henry Smith (1780 – 1859)
Husband of Sarah
Swain Smith (1805 – )
Son of Henry and Sarah
Jerimiah Smith (1845 – )
Son of Swain
Minnie M Smith (1872 – 1893)
Daughter of Jerimiah
Ernest Abner Morse (1890 – 1965)
Son of Minnie M
Richard Arden Morse (1920 – 2004)
Son of Ernest Abner
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Richard Arden