mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Pandora the Robot
September 1, 2025
Pandora, who had a famous box,
Was a robot designed to deceive.
Hephaestus, blacksmith of the gods,
Crafted a perfect woman as a ruse.
This myth has been repeated for centuries
Yet the moral of the story is not perceived.
Let Us Eat Cake (or Not, But Let Us Not Give it Superpowers)
December 8, 2012
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American Gothic corn bread
If you go to war with cake it will win. If you pretend that December makes food more important than Jesus, you will be damned in all possible ways. I have nothing against cake, but only eat it two or three times a year. Since bakery cakes usually do not satisfy any of my gourmet desires I make my own. In order to glorify the special event of cake creation I purchased a bunt cake pan that is super gothic. Making the cake your creation and your gift is the opposite of going into a trance to eat an entire crappy tasting store-bought cake quickly before you become aware that you are shoving something into your mouth. If you give a cake power to control your actions, what are your saying to your own soul? If you take your time and select the ingredients with care your cake can be a reflection of your Epicurean celebration of good taste and tasting good.
Goth cake pan
I have dusted off the super goth pan for a winter delight. In the running for chosen recipe is a green tomato bunt cake I made a few years ago. It is not unlike zucchini or carrot cake, in that one does not associate the taste with the vegetable right away. Persimmon pudding is another favorite of the house. I never get as far as icing, and hold my breath every time I dump it out, hoping it will not break as it exits the bunt mold. I have bought a gigantic piece of lovely fresh ginger root which is already being used in all kinds of dishes. I think it is fitting to find a gingerbread creation that can go gothic.
overhead shot of corn bread
Archetypes
July 17, 2012
I have begun an in-depth study of archetypes with Caroline Myss, a favorite author. She has recorded the lessons and homework for an on line course entitled Sacred Contracts, based on her popular book of the same name. As a home student I have already done a few things out of order, which seems to go along with my choice of the rebel in my core archetype group. I am a teacher, another one of my core archetypes, but this is balanced by the rebel not exactly following any orders ever. It is fascinating and will eventually make me follow all the sequences in order because I really do want to learn to teach this subject.
The process I am learning is based in part on the kind of Jungian analysis that takes years with a therapist to achieve big expensive revelations. The archetypes used by Jung, and also made popular by Joseph Campbell, Bill Moyers, and PBS, are similar to the gods in any pantheon. They are primal forces, and active participants in the journey of the soul. When I was about 40 a friend gave me a book about analysis and archetypes and proclaimed that I am definitely Aphrodite. With this intro, I read the book and agreed with my friend. I don’t remember much about the book, but am sure I was not enough involved with the depth of the subject at that time to be able correlate what I read with my life experience. I just liked the idea that my friend saw me as Aphrodite.
Now as I honestly remember and become familiar with these players on the karmic stage I am struck with how powerful they can be. I am in the very beginning of an understanding that is changing the way I perceive time, space, and matter. I feel that I am expanding my way of looking at phenomena. Usually one needs to look back over time to notice profound change. This one I am doing on purpose. Since the purpose is to discover the purpose of my life, I thought it best to do it on purpose. I have done similar studies and reading before so I feel appropriately warmed up to the task. I love being a student, and this subject matter suits me perfectly.
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