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Full Moon for Healing
February 22, 2016
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full moon setting
Native cultures around the world have celebrated the significance of new and full moons. Full moon is the apex of light energy for the month. Although we wish to retain some of our practices and enhance them, the full moon is a perfect moment to discard beliefs and addictions we wish to shed. In the brightness of the full moon light we can harness the symbolic power of lunar mystery and magnetism. We can use it to focus intently on replacing worn out, maybe meaningless things we do and say out of habit. Not every addiction is harmful, but blindly following a path from the past without scrutiny is less than our best. Full moon is the time to discern, time to look within for answers to spiritual questions.
Without complicated chants or candle light we can choose this time to make a list of all the thoughts words and deeds we see ourselves doing without thinking. We all get into ruts and find ourselves repeating mistakes or just blindly following what we have always done. This full moon today is a wonderful time to concoct a quick, simple ritual to banish stale thinking and acting.
- Write a list of 5 things you do or own that no longer serve you
- Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes to ponder and read the list
- Visualize a higher octave, a replacement for these unwanted things
- Use music, scent and bathing to create a cleansing atmosphere
- Submerge yourself in meditation, sitting, walking, bathing, whatever is natural to you.
- When your meditation is complete, burn the list and kiss it goodbye
If weather permits hold your ceremony and meditation outdoors in the light of the moon. Take the feeling with you into the next month to remind you of the changes you have set into motion. Carpe noctem, gentle reader.
Elizabeth Cocke, 6th Great-grandmother
February 21, 2016
— 17 Comments
Malvern Hill
My 6th great-grandmother was born in Virginia in 1720 in the home where her father had been born. The Cocke family came to Virginia in the 1600’s and played a significant part in the colony’s affairs. She married into the Holt family, another prominent family in Williamsburg. When I was a child my parents took me several times to vacation in Williamsburg. I always looked forward to being there to be immersed in the history of the place. We stayed at the Inn and walked around town to see the blacksmith, the candlestick maker, and many historical reenactments. I have vivid memories of buying sealing wax, which I used on all my correspondence until I was about 18. I had a real thing for fancy stationery and sealing wax that began when I saw it in use at Williamsburg. Now that I know my ancestors lived there I am even more thrilled that my parents (who had no idea about the ancestry connection) gave me the gift of an early interest in history.
Elizabeth Cocke, probably b. 1720’s; m. Dibdale or Dibdall HOLT, son of David HOLT & Margaret DIBDALL of New Kent, Hanover, and Williamsburg, VA (b. 1720’s; d. aft. 1792). Dibdall probably met Brazure COCKE’s family in Williamsburg where the HOLTS were a prominent family. Dibdall’s brother John HOLT served as mayor of Williamsburg and later published newspapers in New York City and Norfolk VA. Dibdall is named in John HOLT’s will, dated Oct. 1, 1749, proved Oct. 30, 1784, in New York. Dibdall’s sister Jane HOLT was married to a famous Presbyterian minister, Rev. Samuel DAVIES (1724-1761), of Hanover Co., VA. Dibdall probably married Elizabeth COCKE roughly 1745 and moved to Amelia Co., VA, soon thereafter. He can be found in Amelia Co. as early as 1748 when he witnessed the will of William STONE (Amelia WB 1, p.55) and was still there in 1762 when he appeared on a tax list. He lived in Nottoway Parish, which later become Nottoway County. A deed dated Dec. 14, 1751, from Phillip STONE of Johnston Co., VA, to Charles CONNALLY & Robert TAYLOR of Nottoway Parish, describes 100 acres in Nottoway Parish adj. where Dibdall HOLT now lives, Charles CONNALLY, Joseph HARPER, Robert TAYLOR’s line by the county line, and William STONE’s line now Dibdall HOLT’s. (Amelia Co., VA, DB 4, p.338.) Robert CHEEK worked as Dibdall Holt’s overseer and lived with him in 1754 and 1755, according to the Amelia Co. tax lists & court records. Dibdall’s daughter may be the Elizabeth HOLT who m. Samuel BIRCH (or BURCH) on May 1, 1764, in Granville Co., NC, with Robert CHEEK as bondsman. Dibdall moved to the Natchez District of the Louisiana territory sometime in the 1770’s & settled in an area that later became Jefferson Co., MS. Dibdall’s name appears on a petition dated Oct. 4, 1779, “from the citizens of Natchez to Lieut. Col. Dickson, 16th Reg. commanding his Britannick Majesty’s Forces in the River Mississippi. . . .” He is also mentioned in his sister Sarah TRULY’s will dated Mar. 15, 1792 (Natchez Dist.) and in other Natchez records. Children may have included David HOLT (m. Rebecca BELK), John HOLT, and William HOLT (d. 1836 in Hinds Co., MS).
Elizabeth Cocke (1720 – 1773)
6th great-grandmother
Elizabeth Holt (1747 – 1811)
daughter of Elizabeth Cocke
Elizabeth Betsy Truly (1782 – 1851)
daughter of Elizabeth Holt
Minerva Truly Darden (1806 – 1837)
daughter of Elizabeth Betsy Truly
Sarah E Hughes (1829 – 1911)
daughter of Minerva Truly Darden
Lucinda Jane Armer (1847 – 1939)
daughter of Sarah E Hughes
George Harvey Taylor (1884 – 1941)
son of Lucinda Jane Armer
Ruby Lee Taylor (1922 – 2008)
daughter of George Harvey Taylor
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Ruby Lee Taylor
ruins of Malvern Hill House
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.
Patience and Gratitude
February 18, 2016
— 3 Comments
“Take full account of the excellencies which you possess, and in gratitude remember how you would hanker after them, if you had them not.” Marcus Aurelius
This quote from ancient Rome is a good reminder for all of us. I recently had a small surgery done on my shoulder for skin cancer. I dropped my car at the shop at the same time for some quirk that caused it to not be “ready” for emissions testing. I expected to be personally out of action for a couple of days so the missing car would be no inconvenience to me during that time. Indeed the wound on my shoulder healed quickly and stopped hurting after two days. The car spent the entire week at the shop. I had to use it over the weekend, so I picked it up on Friday afternoon. I paid a $400 bill for the analysis, but the car was not cured of the unready state. I was to do the drive cycle again and bring it in on Monday (the deadline from the state to register the car) to test the readiness. It failed!!!! I sat at the mechanic’s office for 2 hours while the test was done only to learn that I had to try that drive cycle one more time to heal the problem.
Modern cars have electronic brains that record all the data about their lives. My car had simply lost it’s mind. We had replaced the oil cover with a non factory part, and that was all it took for this car to go totally psychotic on me. The mechanic discovered the issue and replaced the cap but before the car will resume normal function it must be taken through a “drive cycle”. This tedious and very specific way of driving at certain intervals using specific speeds jump starts the thinking mind of the car. I had never heard of this thing before and felt very put out that I had to pay that big bill and still do this drive cycle several times without success. Fortunately for me, when I drove up the freeway to Pinal County on Monday and returned to the emissions testing station the car finally passed the test without incident.
This entire experience pointed out to me how delicate my little patience system is. I lost it entirely when the car cost so much to repair and was not really repaired. Loosing my cool at the mechanic’s office on Monday I had to focus on my breathing and tell myself that my issue did not compare to most tragedies occurring at the same time. Driving up and down the freeway for the fifth time I reminded myself that many people would be very happy to trade places with me and my situation. There I was feeling very put upon because I had to repeat this tedious process to comply with regulations and register my car. Alone with my crazy thoughts I came to the conclusion that my irritation sensors were way to sensitive to bothersome problems. I reminded myself that:
- I own a big fancy car that almost always serves me very well
- I have a life of leisure and fun with very few interruptions
- I own my home and have never been in debt for a minute of my life
- I share my home with a loving, honest partner with a good sense of humor
- I now have Medicare and a fabulous primary care doctor near home
- I am not a Syrian refugee or a homeless American military veteran
- I have a strong healthy body able to easily recover from my surgery
This list could go on forever. I possess so many excellencies that I would hanker after if I had them not. Even Marcus Aurelius was not, in certain ways, as well off as I am now. He may have been a Roman Emperor, but he didn’t have a car. I hope this experience has reset the sensors of my car’s brian as well as my own. Life may not always be a bowl of cherries, but we must be patient and appreciative of the advantages we are given.
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- Marcus Aurelius
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- Marcus Aurelius
What Law and Order? #BlackPanthersPBS
February 17, 2016
— 4 Comments
I am a revolutionary. I am in flashback mode during this political season. When I watched the PBS documentary about the Black Panther Party my mind was blown thinking about the similar tactics employed by our government today. Police are still outside the law, are still involved in brutality rather than community protection. In my neighborhood the police force protects criminals and refuses to respond to those who want to stop crime. I think it is scary that abuse of power continues to be our greatest obstacle to peace and prosperity. In 1968 J Edgar Hoover had absolute power to invade privacy and snuff Americans at will. Today the FBI is asking Apple to give them a back door to everyone’s iPhones. Today we have drones out killing people for our “freedom and democracy”. Have we ever had freedom and democracy for all our citizens? I think not.
I was involved, but not old enough to vote, in the 1968 election that sent Tricky Dick Nixon to the White House. I was in the audience at the University of Texas at Austin to listen to Eugene McCarthy, and later to Hubert Humphrey, during my freshman year on campus. I decided to register to vote as a Libertarian as soon as I was 21. The Democrats were more to my liking but both parties struck me as corrupt anachronisms dedicated to keeping war and prejudice alive around the globe. I was not alone in this belief. I am still not the only person who sees our system as dangerously off course.
We all feel that things have gotten out of hand, and we all want a better future for our country. I know that is true, even though the campaign rhetoric has become vile and toxic. With the new twist of a Supreme nomination stakes are high and emotions are higher. If we the people allow super pacs and nasty grudges to continue to drive our political outcomes we will all continue to feel let down by our government. This election, very much like the election of 1968, will have profound consequences on our image around the world as well as our own economy. No matter how you feel (Bern or no Bern) it is time to register to vote and exercise your right to elect officials you trust. History is being made very rapidly. Get out the vote, gentle readers. Do it now before all the hippies drop dead from exhaustion.
Gasherbrum
February 16, 2016
— 1 Comment
This is a word to add to your vocabulary. Use Gasherbrum in a sentence as soon as possible in order to remember the meaning.
Imagine yourself climbing one of the highest mountains in the world, a steep jag of rock in a corner of the Karakoram, pinched between Pakistan and China. You are hanging on a rope, swinging against a rock face, a mile above the glacier below but not so far from the glacier to your side. A chunk breaks off the glacier hanging just over there… it resounds: “Gasherbrum!” You swing on the rope, thrash for room, bump on the rock and gash your bum.
Heck, why settle for one of the highest mountains in the world? Take seven of them. Or anyway seven peaks in one massif. That’s the Gasherbrum. One might be forgiven for thinking it’s Gascherbrunn, which would seem properly Germanically alpine, but these peaks are nowhere near Switzerland or Austria. And their name is from Balti, a language that is a form of Ladakhi, which is in…
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Captain Cook and Vitamin C
February 15, 2016
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Captain James Cook
The famous British naval captain James Cook lived from 1728-1779. He was in command of the HMS Endeavor sailing in 1768 to Tahiti to investigate the Venus transit and explore. On board he stocked 7,860 pounds of sauerkraut for the voyage. He devised a system to keep the crew healthy that promoted new practices on board ship for the British Navy. The crew was required to exercise on deck in the fresh air daily, and wash themselves and their property. In addition to the hygiene regulations Captain Cook fed the entire crew sauerkraut and lime juice regularly. Those serving in The Royal Navy are still known today by the nickname Limeys because of the Cook cure for scurvy. He stopped at any port where he could purchase fruits and vegetables to include in the crew’s diet. Since his voyages were much longer than any that had been attempted he brought sauerkraut to fill the long gaps without fresh produce. At first the sailors were refusing to eat the kraut, so he used an old trick. He served the sauerkraut only to officers until the sailors saw it as a desirable addition to the diet. The ship’s medical doctor used cabbage as a poultice on wounds to avoid gangrene. Cabbage truly saved the day.
Although the discovery and isolation of vitamin C as a nutrient was not made until 1932 sea captains had been experimenting with dietary changes to avoid the dreaded problem of scurvy at sea for many years. Cabbage contains vitamin C but the fermentation process releases extra C, creating a true superfood. Sauerkraut made long voyages at sea possible without risking the lives of the crew and passengers. This regimen changed the world and man’s ability to explore it. Today there is a renewed interest in raw fermented foods. The health benefits of eating probiotic foods are becoming more widely known. There are many people interested in reviving this valuable art of food preservation. In the 1700’s sauerkraut made the world smaller. Today the same fermented cabbage has the potential to make the world much healthier.
Cook’s Voyages
Tucson Hop Shop for Beer Week Festivities
February 12, 2016
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Arizona Beer Week is being celebrated all over town with tastings, pairings, and special events. Next weekend is the big craft beer crawl downtown, but beer gardens all over town are gearing up for special toasts and tastes all week. Tucson Hop Shop is our very local beer garden (.7 of a mile from home) with a family friendly atmosphere. Food trucks are scheduled to cater for the patrons on the weekend. Picnics of any kind are permitted as well. Weather is expected to be perfect for a bike ride and a flight. My partner Bob is a big beer fan with a wide range of interests in beer styles. I am much more particular. I like porters, stouts, and some copper ale if it is not very hoppy. What I like about beer week is the fun we have meeting other happy beer drinkers in a community setting. We look forward to a festive time this week that includes new flavors and new friends in Tucson. Cheers!!! Enjoy in moderation and use a designated driver for best results.
Tucson Hop Shop
Why Bernie vs Hillary Matters More Than People Think
February 12, 2016
— 2 Comments
Income inequality is the issue that is driving our destiny. Pay attention to the details.
Lately the internet has become full of arguments about the merits and demerits of Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Over the past couple weeks, I’ve been discussing and pondering all the various views about this, and I’m increasingly of the opinion that most of the people engaging in this debate don’t really understand what is at stake in the democratic primary. This is in part because many Americans don’t really understand the history of American left wing politics and don’t think about policy issues in a holistic, structural way. So in this post, I want to really dig into what the difference is between Bernie and Hillary and why that difference is extremely important.
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Jonathan Aaron Taylor, 3rd Great-Grandfather
February 11, 2016
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revolutionary pension
My third great-grandfather served in the Revolutionary War. On his pension his rank is listed as Dragoon, which is a name for cavalry soldier. After the war all of the cavalry units were disbanded. His wife Joanna received $50 twice a year from 1836-1850 to compensate for his service. He married at the age of 26 and died in South Carolina at the age of 60.
Jonathan Aaron Taylor (1760 – 1820)
3rd great-grandfather
John Samuel Taylor (1798 – 1873)
son of Jonathan Aaron Taylor
William Ellison Taylor (1839 – 1918)
son of John Samuel Taylor
George Harvey Taylor (1884 – 1941)
son of William Ellison Taylor
Ruby Lee Taylor (1922 – 2008)
daughter of George Harvey Taylor
Pamela Morse
I am the daughter of Ruby Lee Taylor
Jonathan Taylor enlisted in service in Cumberland County, Virginia. He was discharged at Cambridge in South Carolina on June 9, 1781. He was wounded at the Battle of Herrington, N. J., and also was in the Battles of Brandywine and Monmouth in New Jersey. He served under Col. Bailee and Col. William Washington.
revolutionary pension
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