Tuesday, December 28, 2010

childish context...part two

In a previous post I mentioned my reemerging love for children's books and highlighted a few of the ones that I have found to be imaginative, inspiring, and full of simple wisdom. This holiday I found a few more goodins to add to the list!


The Dandelion Seed - written by Joseph Anthony, illustrated by Cris Arbo
This story follows the life of a dandelion seed, with a beautiful message about letting go and captivating artwork, this husband and wife team has created a gem of a book. I can't wait to read their other one, titled "In A Nutshell".



On the Day You Were Born - by Debra Frasier
Simply beautiful artwork and a heartwarming message that welcomes the reader and shows our connection to mother earth and all of the other earthlings. Makes you feel honored to be a part of it all.


When the Wind Stops - written by Charlotte Zolotow, illustrated by Stefano Vitale
I love a good story about the cycle of life, and this one is adorable. Written in the style of a young inquiring mind, with the question and answer format of which so many parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings and teachers are all too familiar. The illustrations are imaginative and colorful, just like the questions.


Beautiful Oops - by Barney Saltzberg
A book that helps us to realize that sometimes the most beautiful works of art come from what we initially think is a "mistake". Fun, creative, and dimensional!

 Appearances: clearings through the masks of our existence - written by Rusty Berkus, illustrated by Christa Wollan
An illustrated book for the older children of the universe (aka teens and adults) in search of our answers. The images are delightfully reminiscent of my '80s upbringing and combined with a beautiful, peaceful, and encouraging message about remembering, loving and being who you are. My mother gave it to me as a gift recently and I read it occasionally for a good dose of nurturing. The author has a number of other books that I hope to check out sometime.

Happy reading!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

the bird is the word



 I am apologizing in advance - this is a very long post! AND I CAN'T STOP ADDING TO IT! There have just been so many connections coming together that I couldn't contain them all in a collage. And a lot of the connections have been through looking at the etymology of words, so I feel the need to attempt to explain my thoughts with words as best I can. Okay, here we go...

The other night I spontaneously decided to watch one of my favorite movies from my youth, the movie "Mermaids" starring Cher, Winona Ryder, and Christina Ricci. The entire movie I was thinking about how Christina Ricci as a child looked so much like my niece Meghan when she was small. Christina Ricci is 'the little mermaid' in that film as she is the little sister and is obsessed with all things having to do with swimming.


Looking up tidbits about Christina Ricci, it's interesting to note that she has a number of tattoos, among them is a lion on her back shoulder, a BIRD on her right breast, and a mermaid on her left ankle.

Also interesting to note is that Christina Ricci has an Aquarius Sun. Aquarius as we know is the water bearer and is associated with the Star card in the Tarot. I will talk more about further connections that I see here later, but mermaids could be seen as the combination of Aquarius and Pisces, Uranus and Neptune, the cognition of human (Aquarius), but rooted in the water with the lower half of a fish (Pisces) - representing the unconscious. Mermaids are right-brained, artistic, water spirits. Which is why they are often associated with taverns/drinking alcohol (spirits), aka a mundane way of achieving union with god.


So Christina Ricci as the littlest mermaid, of course reminded me of the Disney movie "The Little Mermaid" about Ariel (which means lion of god). Ariel is the youngest and 7th (crown chakra?) of King Triton's daughters, has the loveliest VOICE, which she ends up using as a bargaining tool with the evil Ursula, in order to achieve love through the use of a pair of legs. Basically, she sells her voice/soul.





Mermaids are also associated with the Sirens of Greek mythology.
Wikipedia on Sirens: In Greek mythology, the Sirens (Greek singular: Σειρήν Seirēn; Greek plural: Σειρῆνες Seirēnes) were three dangerous bird-women, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting MUSIC and VOICES to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island.


*Isn't it also interesting that the word vocation means 'spiritual CALLING'?






 The human voice is a product of the lungs, larynx (also known as the voice box or vocal cords), and articulators (tongue, lips, palate, etc.). Interesting, when I was looking up the makeup of the human voice, I was listening to the music of "Forence &The Machine", because a friend had recently got me on a kick after sending me their music video "Cosmic Love" and realized that the title of their album happens to be "Lungs"!





Well now I have to look up more information about lungs. Lungs are "the light organ" as the word originates from other words meaning LIGHT.
The Online Etymology Dictionary says:

lung 
O.E. lungen (pl.), from P.Gmc. *lungw- (cf. O.N. lunge, O.Fris. lungen, M.Du. longhe, Ger. lungethe light organ," from PIE *lengwh- "not heavy, light, easy, agile, nimble" (cf. Rus. lëgkij,lekki "light;" Rus. lëgkoje, Pol. lekkie "lung," Gk. elaphros "light" in weight; see also lever). Cf. Port. leve "lung," from L. levis "light;" Ir. scaman "lungs," from scaman "light;" Welsh ysgyfaint "lungs," from ysgafn "light." See also lights. Lung cancer attested from 1926. "lung"), lit. " Pol.


This makes sense why many schools of wisdom teach that the BREATH and enLIGHTenment are intimately connected. Vibration is everything; energy, light, sound, logos. As a minor side note, as a resident of Seattle, Washington, its interesting that we have the Sound Transit Light Rail transportation system. Hmmmm....

Well I suppose that connection isn't so minor, as transportation is associated with the planet Mercury in astrology. Mercury is associated with transportation because it is related to all things having to do with making connections; COMMUNICATION, thought, mind, etc.  Mercury is also known as Hermes in Greek mythology, MESSENGER of the gods.  And Mercury/Hermes is known also as Thoth in Egyptian mythology, the god/father of language. Thoth was often depicted with the head of a BIRD.


Wikipedia on Thoth: "He was often considered as the HEART, which, according to the ancient Egyptians, is the seat of intelligence or the MIND, and TONGUE of the sun god Ra; as well as the means by which Ra's will was translated into speech. He had also been related to the LOGOS of Plato and the MIND of God Later in ancient Egyptian history, Thoth became heavily associated with the arbitration of godly disputes, the arts of magic, the system of writing, the development of science, and the judgment of the dead." (see The All). In the Egyptian mythology, he has played many vital and prominent roles in maintaining the universe, including being one of the two deities (the other being Ma'at, who was also his wife) who stood on either side of Ra's boat.


I was talking to my friend one day, and he mentioned the phrase, "The bird is the word." Looking at the above paragraph we can definitely see that the bird is indeed the word. This paragraph was also exciting to me because I have been thinking a lot about the connection between the HEART and the TONGUE.





I have heard Drunvalo Melchiezedek, author of the Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life, say before that in our embryo development that the heart is the first organ to form, and then the tongue grows from the heart. This article about the Kidney Essence, in the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine, also refers to the developmental process of the tongue from the heart:

"From the heart sprouts the blood vessels through which the blood circulates, and there develops the tongue which will allow the human to communicate the images of the mind."- by Subhuti Dharmananda, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Traditional Medicine, Portland, Oregon
READ MORE HERE.

This also makes me think about SPEAKING IN TONGUES and the TONGUES OF FIRE that descended upon the heads of the biblical disciples. Speaking from the heart? 














Speaking from the heart is speaking the TRUTH. In the above paragraph from Wikipedia about Thoth, it mentioned the goddess Maat. Maat is the WINGed goddess of TRUTH who measures the weight of man's HEART against her FEATHER. (We saw the wings before when looking at the Sirens.) More on Maat in a minute!
*Also, I would like to note that the origin of the word "Wing":
wing (n.)
late 12c., wenge, from O.N. vængr "wing of a bird, aisle, etc." (cf. Dan., Swed. vinge "wing"), of unknown origin, perhaps from a P.Gmc. *we-ingjaz and ult. from PIE base *we- "blow" (cf. O.E. wawan "to blow;" see wind (n.)). Replaced O.E. feðra (pl.) "wings" (see feather)

Recently, I was reading this post at one of my favorite blogs, The Sync Whole. I encourage you to read it as they make many fascinating connections, this post being primarily about, Libra (the sign of balance and harmony), law, Maat, serpents, it goes on. Well right after I had been reading through that post, I happened upon a random YouTube video, which wasn't anything I would normally watch, it was a video of photos of scenic settings, with serene music and bible verses. One of the first verses shown caught my eye in relation to the above mentioned blog as they had been seeing connections with hair. The verse in the video was:

"Even the very HAIRS on your head are numbered." from Matthew 10:30

So I decided to look up more of that chapter of the bible to see what else it was referring to and this is what I found:

"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as SERPENTS, and harmless as doves." Matthew 10:16

"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a SWORD." Matthew 10:34

These verses seem to fit perfectly with the syncs mentioned in the blog post. So it got me thinking about this Matthew guy. "As a disciple, Matthew followed Christ, and was one of the witnesses of the Resurrection and the Ascension." Wikipedia



You may have heard of the four evangelists in the Christian tradition, known as Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  The symbols of the four evangelists, the Bull, the Lion, the Eagle and the Winged Human/Angel are often depicted in churches, and they happen to fit accordingly with the symbols of the 4 fixed zodiac signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius. Matthew is the evangelist symbolized by the human/angel/winged man, the symbol also associated with Aquarius. The glyph for Aquarius is two parallel waves/currents (which might also be seen as wavy hair). In the Tarot, the Star card is associated with Aquarius. This card depicts MAAT (also known as Nuit) with her flowing, spiraling locks of hair. The star of Venus is also shown.


So we can see that there is a connection between Matthew and Maat and Truth, both are depicted as humans, often times with wings.

Back to Matthew 10:16 "... be ye therefore wise as SERPENTS."

How wise are serpents/snakes?

The prefix ser- is said to mean 'to line up, join' and pent, 'to go, pass, path, bridge'. If we revisit also the mythological god Mercury/Hermes, we see that he carries a staff, known as a caduceus, which has 2 serpents entwining and spiraling up the staff, symbolic of the rising of the kundalini energy. Snakes are often associated with the coiling, infinity symbol. They shed their skin, symbolic of death and rebirth. So we can see that serpents/snakes are indeed associated with some very wise symbolism. Interesting also, that snakes are also covered in overlapping SCALES. Something they have in common with FISH AND MERMAIDS.




There are many different kinds of scales; the scales mentioned above, as well as the scale used to measure weight (as mentioned in connection to Maat as well as the sign of Libra), a MUSICAL scale, to scale is to climb, and scale in terms of size in relation to another.




It is also relevant that the planet Venus is ruler of the sign Libra, the sign symbolized by the scales of balance and the sign concerned with HARMONY. But Venus is also ruler of the sign Taurus, which in turn rules the area of the THROAT. The throat is the point of the 5th Chakra, and Venus is also associated with the PENTAgram because of its unique orbit. Interesting to note that apples, when sliced in half have the shape of a 5 pointed star, and that the protrusion of a throat is called an Adam's APPLE. Wait...serPENT and an APPLE...where have I heard those things mentioned together before?



*Also, speaking of Venus, I highly recommend the sync video Lady of Fire! The connections that the filmmaker has made are amazing and beautiful.




So we have seen connections between things involving fish, birds, and snakes. What else do these have in common? They are all vertebrates, meaning joint of the spine. They all have back bones, just like us. Spines extend from the base/genitals to the head/crown. (And just now, in looking at the word spine, I notice sPINE, as connected to the pineal gland, which is said to be the third eye).

So, now this part might seem unrelated at first, but it connects too - I have recently been reading the book "Archetypes of the Zodiac" by Kathleen Burt. Great book, but in particular I have been focused on Chapter 11 - the archetype of Aquarius. The author relates the story of Perceval and the search for the Holy Grail to the Aquarian progression. I won't go into detail about this, as it is a lengthy subject which she has already laid out in her book. But amongst the other connections there, while I was reading this chapter, I read a sentence that contained the words 'his word'. And in that moment I saw, hiS WORD. SWORD.

The word sword means 'to cut, the cutting weapon, to hurt, tool to cut with'. To cut can also be to sHEAR, SCORE, sHARP. Interesting I thought that words related to music were within the words associated with sWORD, which connects to the musical SCALES and the VOICE, mentioned earlier. I also think its interesting that SHEAR can be SHARE when the letters are rearranged slightly, and both words mean 'to portion, divide ones own, and give part to others'. I guess this gives meaning to what people are saying when they refer to cutting with words. But words can also be used to SHARE information. (What can take you up can also bring you down).

Also, remember above from Matthew 10:34? "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a SWORD." 

The EIGHTH card in the major arcana of the tarot, called Justice or Adjustment,  also shows the connection between the scales of balance, the sword, Maat, and the serpent.



Another minor side note, I also think the lowercase letters b, d, p, q can look like swords, as well as musical notes. 

In the Tarot, the Ace of Swords has been shown pointing upward to a "crown". The crown is the top of the head, another indication of the higher mind. The sword could be the spine that points to the crown, the path upon which we find the chakra points. And speaking of the mind, this takes us back to Mercury/Hermes/Thoth. Mercury, messenger of the gods, who travels from heaven and into the underworld, is making the connections, sharing/shearing the word/vibration.


I also noticed today, that the modern, futuristic version of a sword, as seen in the Star Wars films, is the LIGHTSABER. It seems our symbol has gotten even more appropriate!


I know there is more and that it could go on, but I'll end here for now. I'm still in the process of synthesizing but I just needed to put it out here to see it all in one place. :) I would love to hear what you are seeing and thinking too! Now I want to go watch the Sound of Music.


*Update 10/24: I was just pondering the word SHARE/SHEAR some more and noticed that it is also SHE-RA - The animated fictional heroine of the 80's. My mom didn't allow me to watch anything "magical" growing up so I haven't seen the cartoons myself, but looking into it now it's interesting to note that She-Ra was first introduced in a movie called "The Secret of the SWORD"! 

Also, we have just entered into the sign of Scorpio, one of the symbols of the sign being the scorpion. The word 'scorpion' also has its origins in 'to cut or shear'. The other symbols associated with the astrological sign of Scorpio are the eagle, phoenix and serpent. Symbols associated with death and rebirth; the phoenix rising from the ashes, the snake shedding its skin. I just thought I'd mention this here as its relevant, but it really could be another whole blog post! She-Ra definitely has her phoenix fire power going on.

image found here




Wednesday, October 20, 2010

aquarian musings

I've brought some show-and-tell: I used to write all of the time - just jotting down random thoughts automatically, creatively. Somehow I completely forgot about this old pastime until recently when my mom was trying to clear out her space and sent me home with a pile of old notebooks. Here are some thoughts that were flowing through me 10-15 years ago. (Well, these are the ones that weren't rooted in angsty love-lust). I look at them with such new eyes, like a mother amazed at the perceived big word that her toddler speaks. A time capsule: A young, limited experience, innocent - unaware, unconscious of what she did and didn't know. It makes me want to start writing again, in hopes that I may have some fun, inspirational reads to reflect on in another decade. I hope you enjoy, there is definitely a common theme!

(2000-2001)

The only thing I understand in this world is the desire to escape it. And the only thing I desire to excel at is breaking all of these limitations.


The worn path will wear you.



I miss being young and free
I miss the feeling of not knowing intoxicated pleasure
but just the moment itself
I will forever need my mothers nourishment,
I now realize
Nourish yourself; her wisdom



What is wholesome?
What is good?
I watch us take each step carefully along the hard, narrow cement after one another
Conformity? Is that good?
All of these gigantic boxes really get into my head sometimes
And I long for the water, 
the air that tunnels through trees and passes through my body
awakening my senses and thoughts with each inhale
I long for moments in life where my eyes easily close 
without the heaviness of the material world 
pressing in on my brain and exhausting my intentions 
to try to free myself from the assembly line.



You've always resisted opening your eyes underwater because you're afraid of the sting. But you get used to it, and then you realize how much you were missing, and how many wrong turns you made, just because you feared the discomfort that seeing entailed.


(1997-1998)

This Blank Piece of Paper
This is my bible
Whatever I write
I follow
If I disagree with myself...
I cross it out and rewrite
These words that I have written
This is what I follow
This is what I believe
These are my thoughts, my faith in myself
This Blank Piece of Paper
This is my bible.

What would you say if you bumped into yourself?
Would you say 'excuse me' or would you blow you off?
Swear to your mother or plot to kill your soul
Save you from the cowardly planet
Save you from the dog next door
Save you from the fire in the sky
Save you from the vision of the MAN wearing that weird bow tie.
If you listen closely, you can hear the sound of a man working on the chain...right next to you.
If you watch carefully, you can see that the small print reads
"I wouldn't sign this if I were you, but instead I'm me, and I'm getting paid to sucker you in."




The slope of the shadow along the torso
leads to the nature, the long, since prehistoric obsession
The touch, the smell of living, breathing
It is within only your comprehension that the mystique is uncovered
Your own eyes, your own hands
Your own heart, YOUR OWN
Where we come from
What we search for
Its more than flesh, its more than blood
And although senses mightbe heightened, its not what you'll feel for eternity
In that place between 
Go through the maze and reach for the light. 
 On your mark, get set...go





I feel as though you understand
And that even though you don't know my place of birth,
you know who I am, I am you
You know my passion that remains hidden - and you didn't even have to look.
You're special.
You are on fire.
You feel and your soul is lifted by the steam of your heart. 
I love you as a person - you're a true human - you feel. 
Hold my hand like the grass is rooted in the earth. Complimentary.

(painting by Gil Gatfield)

Monday, October 18, 2010

pyramid power

Recently watched the dvd series "The Pyramid Code" with the husband. The documentary series, produced by professor, author, researcher, explorer and filmmaker Carmen Boulter, is amazing and ground breaking! It explores the scientific indications that the pyramids were power sources (not tombs) among many other things.Watch the trailer below. Then watch the full series on YouTube if you like. And visit the website. You also might be interested in taking a listen to this interview on Red Ice Radio.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

conception perception

(In the spirit of double rainbow guy, "what does it meeeeaaaan?")

We often look to visual artwork, movies, commercials, poems, songs, etc., as expressions of ideas with the use of symbolism. But lately I'm thinking about this 3 dimensional realm that we live in, and that literally everything that we see and touch around us is a symbol for an idea, a collective belief that we all have. We create/manifest our thoughts into material existence. Some people reject this idea, thinking that this statement implies that when you think something it instantly appears. Following this line of thinking - seeing as that this obviously doesn't seem to happen for most of us (based on our definition of "instant" in our concept of time), the statement doesn't seem plausible. But who decided that manifestation had to be instantaneous? Every object around us has originated with a thought, something non-material. First came the idea/thought/belief, then came the act of using our tools to build something based on that vision. So we literally do manifest our reality, whether it takes billions of years, or some amount of months, or a 30 minute meal. So I am interested in the part of the physical reality that most of us can't see - the slippery, elusive thought matter behind every thing we have created.

con*cep*tion [kuh n-sep-shuh n] -noun  1. the act of conceiving; the state of being conceived. 2. fertilization; inception of pregnancy. 3. a notion; idea; concept: She has some odd conceptions about life. 4. something that is conceived: The machine is the conception of a genius. 5. origination; beginning 6. a design; plan. 7. the act or power of forming notions, ideas, or concepts.  

 

"...We work with being, but nonbeing is what we use." Lao Tzu



While having the stream of thoughts flow through my mind, my eyes focused in on the railing around our porch, which I normally don't even acknowledge or think about. "What does a railing symbolize?" I thought to myself. It signifies our belief that we need a boundary wherever we find a railing, that for whatever reason we believe that we need a reminder that without that boundary we may find or inflict harm or discomfort if we go there (wherever there is). That there is a need to keep something in, or keep something out. The belief that we can separate inner from outer. If we did not have these beliefs, we would not have created railings and fences, for there would be no reason for them, as it would not yet have become our conviction that we needed to attempt to isolate one part from another. In exploring the symbolism of the railing, we can ask:
What would the world be like without boundaries? What was it like before we brought about this symbol of separation? And if we removed such a symbol, would it alter our belief that we need such boundaries?


This of course, is just one example of the symbolism that is all around us. Paying attention to the meaning inherent in every structure gives new perspective and profound meaning to the world. It makes you think about what your beliefs really are, and what you want them to be. If we want to change our collective beliefs, then manifesting a physical structure - or maybe more importantly removing structures and things that aren't relevant anymore, is our task. Of course, this brings us to the realization that there are some groups of individuals that are well versed in shaping the collective belief systems simply by introducing the idea into our physical environment. (One obvious means of doing this is through the use of media). This you probably recognize, also happens to be explored in the movie "Inception".

*update 9/16/10* Today I read this quote which is all too fitting with the subject of this post!
"...everything on the material plane takes on new meaning because it is seen as a symbol for an inner quality or state of being." Liz Greene, from her book Saturn: A New Look at an Old Devil

What do we believe? We can see by looking at what objects and symbols we surround ourselves with. And what do we want to believe? What ideas and frameworks still have value, and which ones are outmoded and should be deconstructed to build something new? Hmmmm...
And who knew a porch railing could be so mentally stimulating?



Recommendations:
*The previous post "crystallization" also relates.
*For further exploration of the power of your beliefs, I always highly recommend the work of Dr. Bruce Lipton.
*The work of Michael Tsarion and his study of symbols, words and history has also enriched my life and added perspective.
*The work of the individuals over at the The Sync Whole (and the myriad of other blogs that interweave there), make amazing connections and decipher symbolism through the observation of film, pop culture and more. Their stream of connections is enlightening, but is also just plain fun and inspiring!

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