mermaidcamp

Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water

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December Delete

November 30, 2013 — 10 Comments

My physical space is crowded as much as my digital space. I plan to use the month of December to remove all kinds of paper records, clothing, household items, and energy in general that I am not using. My closet is in dire straights because I have not taken my summer clothing to the barn for the winter. I have twice ( at least ) the amount of clothing than I can fit in my closet, just bursting and dripping off the shelves. I am sure that I can donate at least half of the summer clothes to a thrift store and never miss them. All real and digital items that are not in use must go. The clutter will not go away by itself in my computer, barn, or office files. In December I will:

unsubscribe from almost all my e mail subscriptions
donate all extra decorative items hidden in closets and in the barn
eliminate desk clutter, as often as needed
burn old paper records no longer needed
go through the freezer and eat or remove everything from the past
sell the antique gas stove I know I will never use
trim my peach tree
trade in some old books at the used book store
change my daily routine my adding one desirable activity per week
juice fast every Monday and Thursday

The month of cleansing will make my office, my home, and my body cleaner and more spacious. The mind works best in beautifully designed spaces, and although I love my home I have allowed it to become too crowded. I feel that restoration follows a good purge of unwanted goods and energy. I purposely have a desk with a glass top. When it is clear and all clean I adore my desk. I know in my heart I am happiest when I feel order, clarity, and well organized space. I have no desire to acquire. I want to feel more like a zen monk and less like a consumer of objects. The darkest days are ahead, and this is the perfect time to make way for an abundant spring, by clearing space and time. I am into it, and I am sure all those things would rather go be used than spend another year in the back of my closet.

Twelfth Month

November 26, 2012 — 2 Comments

Twelve is a perfect mathematical way to look at everything. There are twelve of everything important because this is a simple, even way to divide any whole. The twelve astrological signs are found in twelve houses that represent different aspects of life and parts of the heavens. The twelfth house is the one that rules the unconscious. By keeping the public from seeing the contents the owner of this house reviews the risks and benefits of the unknown parts of the self. In the heavens, the twelfth house is the one just above the horizon at sunset, the last one visible before darkness. There are twelve Chinese animals that rule the years and hours of each day, passing in a slower, but even pace. These animals rule a year rather than a month, but it is all still divisible by 12.

We have a practice of creating a list for the first day of the first month known as resolutions. These are widely discussed and abandoned in short order until the following first month of the next year. By observing the universal failure of this practice I have devised a new one. By using the last month of the year to review and discover the deep, unconscious meaning of the 11 previous months, we may be able to make significant progress. By facing the shadow, the unknown, the undiscovered that we glaze over with overactivity on a regular basis, we may find wisdom and useful knowledge. You do not need to analyze all of your past to know that important emotions and facts have been swept under a big busy rug of quotidian fuss. You don’t need to meet all your demons, addictions, or delusions of actions past to make progress on taking good care of yourself. You simply have to be willing to consider that the darkness of your own heart may be the only thing blinding your vision. You need to be able to reverse all your assumptions for a while.

Saturnalia is the party time dedicated to Saturn, the ruler of Capricorn, and therefore part of December. Romans reversed all rules and authority during the celebration. After the darkest day of the year, the light returns, reversing the visibility available each day until the summer solstice. The celebration of the darkest time when the world is reborn in the form of seeds and saplings is a universal need through all of history. Here we have some present day Brits dressing up like Romans and getting down for Saturn in December. The beat goes on.