Cedar and Foxglove reflections 11-11~11:11

Sanctuary

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Tree

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Water

Birth

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Broom Tops. Irish Tops. Basam. Bisom. Bizzom. Browme. Brum. Breeam. Green Broom.

Scotch broom

(Cytisus scoparius) BroomBotanical: Cytisus scoparius (LINN.)Family: N.O. Leguminosae---Synonyms---Spartium scoparium (Linn.). Genista scoparius (Lam.). Sarothamnus scoparius (Koch).

Broom Tops. Irish Tops. Basam. Bisom. Bizzom. Browme. Brum. Breeam. Green Broom.

---Part Used---Tops. ---Habitat---The densely-growing Broom, a shrub indigenous to England and common in this country, grows wild all over temperate Europe and northern Asia, being found in abundance on sandy pastures and heaths. It is sparingly naturalized in sandy soil in North America.
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It is remarkable as the only native medicinal plant used as an official drug that we draw from the important order of the Leguminosae, or pod-bearing tribe. Though now more generally known as Cytisus scoparius (Linn.), it has also been named Spartium scoparium (Linn.), Sarothamnus scoparius (Koch), and Genista scoparius (Lam.). Its long, slender, erect and tough branches grow in large, close fascicles, thus rendering it available for broom-making, hence its English name.

The local names of Basam, Bisom, Bizzom, Breeam, Browme, Brum and Green Broom have all been given it in reference to the habit of making brooms of it, and the name of the genus, Sarothamnus, to which it was formerly assigned, also points out this use of the plant, being formed from the Greek words signifying 'to sweep' and 'a shrub.' The specific name, Scoparius, also, is derived from the Latin scopa, a besom. The generic name Cytisus is said to be a corruption of the name of a Greek island, Cythnus, where Broom abounded, though it is probable that the Broom known to the ancients, and mentioned by Pliny and by Virgil under the name of Genista, was another species, the Spanish Broom, Spartium junceum, as the Common Broom is in Greece and not found in Southern and Eastern Europe, being chiefly a native of Western, Northern and Central Europe.

The medicinal use of the brush-like branches of the Broom, under the name Genista, Genesta, or Genestia, is mentioned in the earliest printed herbals, under Passau, 1485, the Hortus Sanitatis, 1491, the Grete Herball, 1516, and others. It is likewise the Genista figured by the German botanists and pharmacologists of the sixteenth century. Broom was used in ancient Anglo-Saxon medicine and by the Welsh physicians of the early Middle Ages. It had a place in the London Pharmacopceia of 1618 and is included in the British Pharmacopoeia of the present day. Bartholomew says of Broom: 'Genesta hath that name of bytterness for it is full of bytter to mannes taste. And is a shrub that growyth in a place that is forsaken, stony and untylthed. Presence thereof is witnesse that the ground is bareyne and drye that it groweth in. And hath many braunches knotty and hard. Grene in winter and yelowe floures in somer thyche (the which) wrapped with hevy (heavy) smell and bitter sauer (savour). And ben, netheles, moost of vertue.'

---Description---It grows to a height of 3 to 5 feet and produces numerous long, straight, slender bright green branches, tough and very flexible, smooth and prominently angled. The leaves are alternate, hairy when young the lower ones shortly stalked, with three small, oblong leaflets, the upper ones, near the tips of the branches, sessile and small, often reduced to a single leaflet. Professor G. Henslow (Floral Rambles in Highways and Byways) says with reference to the 'leaves' of the broom: 'It has generally no leaves, the green stems undertaking their duties instead. If it grows in wet places, it can develop threefoliate leaves.' The large bright yellow, papilionaceous, fragrant flowers, in bloom from April to July, are borne on axillary footstalks, either solitary or in pairs, and are succeeded by oblong, flattened pods, about 1 1/2 inch long, hairy on the edges, but smooth on the sides. They are nearly black when mature. They burst with a sharp report when the seeds are ripe flinging them to a distance by the spring-iike twisting of the valves or sides of the pods. The continuous crackling of the bursting seed-vessels on a hot, sunny July day is readily noticeable. The flowers have a great attraction for bees, they contain no honey, but abundance of pollen. 'In flowers without honey, such as the Broom, there is a curious way of "exploding" to expel the pollen. In the Broom the stigma lies in the midst of the five anthers of the longer stamens, and when a bee visits the flower those of the shorter explode and disperse their pollen on the bee pressing upon the closed edges of the keel petal. "The shock is not enough to drive the bee away . . . The split now quickly extends further . . . when a second and more violent explosion occurs." The style was horizontal with a flattened end below the stigma; but when freed from restraint it curls inwards, forming more than a complete spiral turn. It springs up and strikes the back of the bee with its stigma. The bee then gathers pollen with its mouth and legs.' (From The Fertilization of Flowers, by Professor H. Mueller, pp. 195-6)

---History---As a heraldic device, the Broom was adopted at a very early period as the badge of Brittany. Geoffrey of Anjou thrust it into his helmet at the moment of going into battle, that his troops might see and follow him. As he plucked it from a steep bank which its roots had knit together he is reputed to have said: 'This golden plant, rooted firmly amid rock, yet upholding what is ready to fall, shall be my cognizance. I will maintain it on the field, in the tourney and in the court of justice.' Fulke of Anjou bore it as his personal cognizance, and Henry II of England, his grandson, as a claimant of that province, also adopted it, its mediaeval name Planta genista, giving the family name of Plantagenets to his line. It may be seen on the Great Seal of Richard I, this being its first official, heraldic appearance in England. Another origin is claimed for the heraldic use of the Broom in Brittany. A prince of Anjou assassinated his brother there and seized his kingdom, but being overcome by remorse, he made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, in expiation of his crime. Every night on the journey, he scourged himself with a brush of 'genets,' or genista, and adopted this plant as his badge, in perpetual memory of his repentance. St. Louis of France continued the use of this token, founding a special order on the occasion of his marriage in the year 1234. The Colle de Genet, the collar of the order, was composed alternately of the fleur-de-lys of France and the Broomflower, the Broomflower being worn on the coat of his bodyguard of a hundred nobles, with the motto, 'Exaltat humiles,' 'He exalteth the lowly.' The order was held in great esteem and its bestowal regarded as a high honour. Our Richard II received it, and a Broom plant, with open, empty pods, can be seen ornamenting his tomb in Westminster Abbey. In 1368 Charles V of France bestowed the insignia of the Broom pod on his favourite chamberlain, and in 1389 Charles VI gave the same decoration to his kinsmen. The Broom is the badge of the Forbes. Thus, according to Sandford, it was the bonny broom which the Scottish clan of Forbes wore in their bonnets when they wished to arouse the heroism of their chieftains, and which in their Gaelic dialect they called bealadh, in token of its beauty. 'This humble shrub,' writes Baines, 'was not less distinguished than the Rose herself during the civil wars of the fourteenth century.' Apart from its use in heraldry, the Broom has been associated with several popular traditions. In some parts, it used to be considered a sign of plenty, when it bore many flowers. The flowering tops were used for house decoration at the Whitsuntide festival but it was considered unlucky to employ them for menial purposes when in full bloom. An old Suffolk tradition runs: 'If you sweep the house with blossomed Broom in May You are sure to sweep the head of the house away.' And a yet older tradition is extant that when Joseph and Mary were fleeing into Egypt, the plants of the Broom were cursed by the Virgin because the crackling of their ripe pods as they touched them in passing risked drawing the attention of the soldiers of Herod to the fugitives. The Broom has been put to many uses. When planted on the sides of steep banks, its roots serve to hold the earth together. On some parts of our coast, it is one of the first plants that grow on the sand-dunes after they have been somewhat consolidated on the surface by the interlacing stems of the mat grasses and other sand-binding plants. It will flourish within reach of sea spray, and, like gorse, is a good sheltering plant for sea-side growth. Broom is grown extensively as a shelter for game, and also in fresh plantations among more important species of shrubs, to protect them from the wind till fully established. The shrub seldom grows large enough to furnish useful wood, but when its stem acquires sufficient size, it is beautifully veined, and being very hard, furnishes the cabinetmaker with most valuable material for veneering. The twigs and branches are serviceable not only for making brooms, but are also used for basket-work, especially in the island of Madeira. They are sometimes used in the north of England and Scotland for thatching cottages and cornricks, and as substitutes for reeds in making fences or screens. The bark of the Common Broom yields an excellent fibre, finer but not so strong as that of the Spanish Broom, which has been employed from very ancient times- it is easily separated by macerating the twigs in water like flax. From the large quantity of fibrous matter contained, the shoots have been used in the manufacture of paper and cloth. Tannin exists in considerable amount in the bark, which has been used in former times for tanning leather. Before the introduction of Hops, the tender Freen tops were often used to communicate a bitter flavour to beer, and to render it more intoxicating.

Gerard says of the Broom: 'The common Broom groweth almost everywhere in dry pastures and low woods. It flowers at the end of April or May, and then the young buds of the flowers are to be gathered and laid in pickle or salt, which afterwards being washed or boiled are used for sallads as capers be and be eaten with no less delight.'

Broom buds were evidently a favourite delicacy, for they appeared on three separate tables at the Coronation feast of James II.

The flowers served the double purpose of an appetizer and a corrective. Sometimes a bunch of green Broom tied up with coloured ribbons was carried by the guests at rustic weddings instead of rosemary, when that favourite aromatic herb proved scarce. Withering (Arrangement of Plants) stated that the green tops were a good winter food for sheep, preventing rot and dropsy in them. The blossoms were used for making an unguent to cure the gout, and Henry VIII used to drink a water made from the flowers against the surfeit. Dodoens (Herbal, 1606) recommended a decoction of the tops in dropsy and for 'stoppages of the liver.' Gerard tells us: 'The decoction of the twigs and tops of Broom doth cleanse and open the liver, milt and kidnies.' Culpepper considered the decoction of Broom to be good not only for dropsy, but also for black jaundice, ague, gout, sciatica and various pains of the hips and joints. Some of the old physicians burned the tops to ashes and infused the salts thus extracted in wine. They were known as Salts of Broom (Sal Genistae). The powdered seeds are likewise administered and sometimes a tincture is employed. Bruised Broom seeds were formerly used infused in rectified spirit, allowed to stand two weeks and then strained. A tablespoonful in a glass of peppermint water was taken daily for liver complaints and ague. The leaves or young tops yield a green dye. The seeds have similar properties to the tops, and have also been employed medicinally, though they are not any longer used officially. They have served as a substitute for coffee.

---Cultivation---Broom is most easily raised from seed, sown broadcast in the open air, as soon as ripe. Seedlings may be transplanted in autumn or spring to their permanent position. Prune directly after flowering, if the shoots have not been gathered for medicinal use, shortening the old shoots to the base of promising young ones. As their roots strike down deeply into the ground, the plants can be grown in dry, sandy soil, where others will not grow. They do well on rough banks. Broom may also be increased by layers. Choice garden varieties are generally increased by cuttings inserted in cold frames in September. ---Constituents---Broom contains two principles on which its activity depends. Sparteine, discovered in 1851 by Stenhouse, of which about 0.03 per cent is present, is a transparent, oily liquid, colourless when fresh, turning brown on exposure, of an aniline-like odour and a very bitter taste. It is but slightly soluble in water, but readily soluble in alcohol and ether. Stenhouse stated that the amount of Sparteine in Broom depends much upon external conditions, that grown in the shade yielding less than that produced in sunny places. Scoparin, the other principal constituent, is a glucoside, occurring in pale-yellow crystals, colourless and tasteless, soluble in alcohol and hot water. It represents most of the direct diuretic activity of Broom. Volatile oil, tannin, fat, wax, sugar, etc., are also present. Broom contains a very large quantity of alkaline and earthy matter, on incineration yielding about 3 per cent of ash, containing 29 per cent of carbonate of potash. Sparteine forms certain salts of which the sulphate (official in the British and the United States Pharmacopceias) is most used in medicine. It occurs in colourless crystals, readily soluble in water. Oxysparteine (formed by the action of acid on Sparteine) is used as a cardiac stimulant. The flowers contain volatile oil fatty matter, wax, chlorophyll, yellow colouring matter, tannin, a sweet substance, mucilage, albumen and lignin. Scoparin and the alkaloid sparteine have been separated from them.

---Part Used Medicinally---The young, herbaceous tips of the flowering branches are collected in early spring, generally in May, as they contain most alkaloid at the close of the winter. They are used officially both in the fresh and dried state. Broom Juice (Succus Scoparii) is directed to be obtained by pressing out the bruised, fresh tops, adding one-third volume of alcohol and setting aside for seven days, filtering before use. For the _expression of the juice the fresh tops may be gathered in June. Broom Juice is official in the British, French, German and United States Pharmacopoeias. Infusion of Broom (Infusum Scoparii) is made by infusing the dried tops with boiling water for fifteen minutes and then straining. It was introduced in the British Pharmacopoeia of 1898, in place of the decoction of Broom of the preceding issues. The Fluid Extract of Broom of the United States Pharmacopceia is prepared from the powdered dried tops. The drug, as it appears in commerce, consists of very long, much-branched, tough and flexible twigs, which lie parallel with and close to one another and are about 1/25 to 1/12 inch thick, narrowly five-winged, with alternating, slight nodes, dark-green and usually naked; internally, greenish-white. When fresh, the whole plant has a strong and peculiar odour, especially when bruised, which almost entirely disappears on drying. The tops are dark green when fresh and dark brownish-green when dried. The quality of the drug deteriorates with keeping, and this condition can be determined by the partial or complete loss of the slight, peculiar odour of the recently dried drug. The deep yellow flowers, dried, are considerably employed separately, under the name Flores Genistae, or Flores Scoparii. Broom Seeds are used sometimes and are as active as the tops. Water and alcohol extract their active properties.

---Medicinal Action and Uses---Diuretic and cathartic. Broom tops are used in the form of decoction and infusion, often with squill and ammonium and potassium acetate, as a feeble diuretic, generally in dropsical complaints of cardiac origin. The action is due to the Scoparin contained, whose action on the renal mucous membrane is similar to that of Buchu and Uva-Ursi. The infusion is made from 1 OZ. of the dried tops to a pint of boiling water, taken in wineglassful doses frequently. When acute renal inflammation is present, it should not be given. Broom Juice, in large doses, is apt to disturb the stomach and bowels and is therefore more often used as an adjuvant to other diuretics than alone. A compound decoction of Broom is recommended in herbal medicine as of much benefit in bladder and kidney affections, as well as in chronic dropsy. To make this, 1 OZ. Broomtops and 1/2 oz. of Dandelion Roots are boiled in one pint of water down to half a pint, adding towards the last, 1/2 oz. of bruised Juniper berries. When cold, the decoction is strained and a small quantity of cayenne added. A wineglassful is taken three or four times a day. The statements of different investigators, both clinical and pharmacological, concerning the effects of the Sparteine in preparations of Broom, have elicited absolutely opposing views on the effect upon the nerves and circulatory system. It is found to produce a transient rise in arterial pressure, followed by a longer period of decreased vascular tension. Small doses slow the heart for a short period of time and then hasten its rate and at the same time increase the volume of the pulse. Those who advocate its employment claim that it is a useful heart tonic and regulator in chronic valvular disease. It has no cumulative action, like Digitalis. In large doses, Sparteine causes vomiting and purging weakens the heart, depresses the nerve cells and lowers the blood pressure and has a strong resemblance to the action of Conine (Hemlock) on the heart. In extreme cases, death is caused by impairing the activity of the respiratory organs. Shepherds have long been aware of the narcotic properties of Broom, due to Sparteine, having noticed that sheep after eating it become at first excited and then stupefied, but the intoxicating effects soon pass off.

---Preparations---Fluid extract, 1/2 to 1 drachm. Juice, B.P., 1 to 2 drachms. Infusion, B.P., 1 to 2 oz. ---Substitutes---It is essential that true Broom be carefully distinguished from Spanish Broom (Spartium junceum), since a number of cases of poisoning have occurred from the substitution of the dried flowers of Spartium for those of the true Broom.
Bear in mind "A Modern Herbal" was written with the conventional wisdom of the early 1900's. This should be taken into account as some of the information may now be considered inaccurate, or not in accordance with modern medicine.

© Copyright Protected 1995-2003 botanical.com

Remembrance*~

In fog and dew the morning breeze is parting through.

It finds it's way towards light reys

contouring the horizon.

It moves to where the voice,

so barely audible is heard.

I hear the song.

Is it wrong.. to imagine the refrain

before it's sung?

Sun song. Wind Song.

I long to hear the song that other's ears have heard. Bird song.

Rain song.

The sweet lips that utter are none other than my own , pressed against your cheek, in remembrance.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

LVX, LLL,

10-11-2007

Blue Nile morning musing

...all mixed up with Rubies and Seaweed*~

Talkin' Sweet Jesus on the Sabado

The NEW Jesus..
I believe this IS IS his real name. ISSA, perhaps?

(Male super model..fwiw)

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My parents are living in the house I grew up in. Louie has been their neighbor for 47 years. I played with Brenda, and Linda who were Louie and Wanda's children. We used to play QUEENs and KINGS...and fight over who was the Queen. Linda usually won because she was older.

Three years ago Brenda shared her genealogy with me. Our families in this life are middle class, living in homes purchased in the 50's, new for 10-15 K. We discovered late in life that we are related to the offshoots of Le Conquorer..they through Edmund, father of the Black Prince, and we on mom's side to Edward, father of Thomas of Woodstock. William Shakespear had fun with those ancestors...Hehe.

Brenda has recently moved home to care for Louie and her adopted son., and I see her sometimes when I'm at my parents home.

Louie had a garage for his motor bike, attatched to the house where we kids in the neighborhood played. Louie loved Vargas...hehe, and so did the neighborhood boys. It was strange for lil' miss lani who, for her first, second, third and fourth grade, attended Notre Dame parochial school. (I alway threw up after madatory confession. Not a joke!!) *~*~lala

Soooo....back to Louie. He kept his "naughties" in the pure light of day. He's an awesome guy, and almost died recently. Wanda died , goddess rest her soul, two years ago. We were naughty children yes, but oft' the naught was directed to she who "cannot look because you go to Catholic School". Thus began my ostracization from "the others". I learned to love adult conversation, and had a few great kid friends. Now, this reformed Catholic says to enjoy life always. Hedonism only destroys brain cells...and many a Catholic Priest were drunk in our home ...tipping whiskey with the parents. Father Fagan (no kidding) smoked pot...and ran away with a nun. (I was his minstral playing music for folky mass until age 16!!)

Trees are fun to climb as kids...but this tree finds lila time traveling often through fictional history, mellow musing, and through reading about the past.

Religion no longer has a hold on me. Only the wind, rain, sun, moon and stardust do.

The church of the holy earth is always eager for tending.

Welcome Autumn...

Prayers for the healing of this Planet
and her all embracing Sphere..
Prayers for the kingdoms which abide here.

Give thanks for the air which gives our life,
and for the water, the earth, and the fire

May this prayer continue on,
For 7 generations finding comfort,
and shelter from the storm.

Heaven and Earth

Jon Anderson from legendary band "YES" produced this album with Warner Music and sings in two of the tracks, this video was done for one of them: "The 2nd Prey", and it was possible thanks to a generous donation by the Tony Osher Foundation/Productions + Warner Music.

Heaven & Earth was born from a small group of friends that would sing in the campfires of annual reunions at the beach. Later, they all got involved in ecological activities and spiritual gatherings and the circle of friends became bigger and the songs better.

"Councils of Visions" are gatherings of people of different nationalities and spiritual beliefs that have organized giant gatherings to share the knowledge of different ancient and new age traditions, among them: the Red Path of the Native American tribes, the warrior & sacred path of the Pre-Hispanic traditions of America (Olmec Toltec, Mayan, Aztec, etc.), Quartz Nature, Auto-Sustainable Living, Alternative Energy workshops and a mix of practices & wisdom from Buddism, Hinduism and Tai-Chi as well. These "Council Gatherings" became huge, sometimes up to 10,000 people camping on the middle of nowhere with months of proffesional eco-preparation for 2 weeks of Utopian Living (like a "Rainbow Festival" upgraded with conferences and a "Buring Man Festival " organization), and did several giant gatherings and rituals on different energy spots of America including pyramids and sacred chackras of the land all over the continent in which "Cielo y Tierra" participated and also played their music.(check out: Consejo de Visiones, Consejo Birregional, Rainbow Gathering, or Tortuga Island on Google)

Jon Anderson heard "Cielo y Tierra" in one of his mystery magical journeys and got amazed by their music, he offered to bring them to the commercial world of music and produce for them an album, the band agreed as long as their way of working and music would be respected.

"Cielo y Tierra" is: Pedro Vadhar- composition and lyrics & 4 beautiful girls: Estushia-lyrics, guitar and percusions, Angelica, Luana & Mariana-choirs and percusions.

The video was shot in Amatlan de Quetzalcoatl, Morelos Mexico,
(hometown of the "Great Quetzalcoatl" lider and messiah in Pre-Hispanic times) a few miles from the famous pyramid of Tepoztlan and Malinalco piramids.

It is a MusicVideo-Documentary testimony of a real shamanic ritual night, held specially for the video by shamans of 3 different traditions: Hopi, Huichol and Aztec. At first, all 3 shamans rejected the idea and told director Leonardo Bondani that they would never mix their ritual with another tradition and that it had never been done, also that cameras where totally out of the question.
Pedro, the girls and Leonardo asked the elders if it wasn't the time our ancestors had predicted for all traditions to come out of obscurity and be shared with the world at no delay to awaken as much souls as possible before the year 2013.

An all day & night ritual that started with ceremonies for the 4 elements and dances during the evening made the setting for the night chants, drumming and a sweatlodge ceremony in which the sacred tobbaco pipes where lit, and share with the viewer how after hours of singing and dancing, this altered states of mind done in a proper & respectful way conect us all to the sacred world of love & life.

Producer: Tony Osher
Directed by leonardobondani




http://www.youtube.com/lanilila


Binah is the Spere of Saturn, and Saturn is the astrological correspondence to the finitising principle. Saturn condenses, fixes, materializes, restricts. Thus Saturn corresponds to the alchemical idea of saltiness associated with the Great Sea of Binah. But just as "FINITISING" and "FINISHING" both come from the same Latin root, so Saturn, as the representative of that which establishes definite form, is also representative of that which brings things to COMPLETION. This is one of the reasons why Saturn is so often symbolized as an old man with a scythe. In the Qabalah the same thought is intimated by the attribution of Sanctifying Intelligence to the third Sephirah, inasmuch as a saint is a "JUST MAN MADE PERFECT."

(pg. 133) Esoteric Keys to Alchemy by Paul Foster Case

This may end up being a log blog...for my soul serves and searches, and knows the fullness of this harvest is for All My Relations. I must share broadly, and this means and ways creates avenues of illumination for plentiful light-showered travel.

My Mormon ancestors know I reach to them in celestial heaven. Having not been brought up with anything more than "churchianity"... social catholics we were, I've found Nature to be the grounds of worship that brings most fruitful abundance, and towards this Earth I've often humbled. A Child has returned to pick up a shovel and heave some soul, exposing worms. The work never ceases, though it pleases not only I, but All My relations. Great Spirit furthurs each breath with wanton..and desire is what keeps the ember alive, for a future fire.

Today a soror on the Path of Qabala, and fellow non-Mormon on the Mormon Mystic yahoogroup shared some light bits to chew. I love Chrys...and she's powerful significant in my life. A fellow of B.O.T.A., and newly accepted into Co-Masonry, her sincerity and love enhance this life. From Chrys this morning:



"The Egyptians believed that human beings were the "seeds" for stars. It was believed that
human beings were walking, talking, thinking, conscious "starstuff". And indeed that is what
we are. Our bodies are made from interstellar dust, which is the remains of ancient dead
stars, cosmic debris and galactic particles. Throughout the course of our history on this
planet, dust and water miraculously created animated star matter."

http://www.alchemylab.com/ka.htm

This reminds me of Thelema, and also, Mormon doctrine of God(dess)es.

Love and L.V.X., yep...that was from Chrys, and thinking of muses, and getting into a position of sharing music again. I'm thrilled to have re-connected with a former bard friend who will be coaching me again soon, towards releasing some new tunes. We all need muses it's true..yes! So it's into the wood shed she goes.

Sid Meister...thanks buddy. It'll be awesome to work witch ya again. Remember Redding Civic Auditorium? There I backed on Rhythm guitar whilst you competed for your second flatpicking championship. For some reason, Whiskey Before Breakfast became my least liked song from the past. Hehe. So's it goes. Methinks to get the picken licks chopped up again.

Sid Lewis:

http://www.jamming101.com
http://www.acousticcollege.com
http://www.crazygrass.com

"Let imagination lead, reality will follow"
- Michael Hedges

Listen to and watch the great M H !!

I remember when we had our picture taken with Michael Hedges, rest his soul!! We invited him to the Blue Nile, after the concert at Cedar Grove..and he said he was going to come over for a massage!! We gathered an interesting crowd of Hedges enthusiasts...hehe...we all were waiting with eagerness. To no avail. Now Michael sings in my mind often, I carry his heart with me... Rest in Peace brother.

~*PRESENCE*~

A CIRCLE DANCE

Petals of the Lotus are Many..The Flower is One
Teachers and Religions are Many...The Truth is ONE..
Lakes and Rivers are many...The Ocean is ONE..

You are my Father, you are my Brother, you are my Lover and you are my friend. You're the Beginning, You are the Center...and you are BEYOND the END..

And I love you so, you help me to see.
To see You in Me..is to see we are FREE..
I'm in you and you're in me.

We are a circle within a Circle with no Beginning and never Ending*~

"When we are looking through our magical glasses, we can learn to
realize that there is only energy in a primordial form. But the full leap in
consciousness occurs when we realize that the one who is looking
through the glasses, and indeed the glasses themselves, are the same as what is
being seen - it is all energy, or all love; the subject is identical with the
object. We realize that there is no separation between what is being
seen and the 'who' that is seeing. This is the ultimate and deepest meaning
of Presence.

At first we may think that we 'experience' Presence, but that
is a dualistic mindset that will eventually be transcended. One may say: 'I
had a wonderful experience today; I experienced Presence!' However the
statement betrays the fact that the speaker is using dualistic language - there
is a subject, 'I,' and an object, 'Presence.' This is a deluded experience.
The student has missed the point. When we fully realize the all-consuming
nature of Presence, we release our sense of self and all of its encumbrances.
This is the point of liberation: there is only Presence, the oneness. Thus,
the actual experience might be stated, 'Presence is all there is,' or,
'This is it'."

- David A. Cooper (Ecstatic Kabbalah)

And, for the brave at heart...take heed of the message...When the Chips are DOWN...we can always dance!!!

Life is short.
Break the rules;
Forgive quickly;
Kiss slowly;
Love truly;
Laugh uncontrollably;
And never regret anything that made you smile.


Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here, we should dance!!



I received this great mail from a friend...(>waving to ya buddy<)*...Randy spends most of his time in a wheel chair, CP keeps 'em from dancing on his toes..but oh..how the spirit knows to Waltz. xoxo

And, just thinking about abundance happening...Love, sex, Moonblood, sunshine, starshine...extacy, living full and drinking of the nectar..as jubliant recipients filling and fueling, gracefully spilling... thinking ceases and experiencing becomes the thesis of our Living.

My Return to Innocence...

When sitting at the control panel...KZFR...circa 1992-6,
I played Enigma...often. Jeffrey, a man of furs and frolic..
was my muse at the time...giving much reflection, and
direction, about something that we all encounter...

the brain and it's ability to function wholly.

So..thinking of falling feathers, of great loves from 12 years ago...and of those musical Zephyr days...playing the tunes , I bow to the inner child.



HAD I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet,
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams

W.B. Yeats


"Return To Innocence" Enigma..from Cross of Changes

That's not the beginning of the end
That's the return to yourself
The return to innocence
Love - Devotion
Feeling - Emotion
Love - Devotion
Feeling - Emotion
Don't be afraid to be weak
Don't be too proud to be strong
Just look into your heart my friend
That will be the return to yourself
The return to innocence
If you want, then start to laugh
If you must, then start to cry
Be yourself don't hide
Just believe in destiny
Don't care what people say
Just follow your own way
Don't give up and use the chance
To return to innocence
That's not the beginning of the end
That's the return to yourself
The return to innocence
Don't care what people say
Follow just your own way Follow just your own way
Don't give up, don't give up
To return, to return to innocence.
If you want then laugh
If you must then cry
Be yourself don't hide
Just believe in destiny.

On a raft out to sea...Monkey Queen finds immortality..

"The next day,the Monkey Queen set out on a raft to travel across the sea. After travelling for many years, she still had not learned the way to immortality."

(written for Julian 12 years ago...)

Heart a'fire,
I sing this song..
The depth of feeling
no diver reached.

Though I seek
to immerse myself
in these unchartered seas,

my trembling body ashore
begins to release
the necessary fear to take the risk
to Swim or Sink.

I let my heart unfurl
and feel the winds
that change and blow
the gusty sails.

Where the course will lead
I do believe is such a mystery.
My mind, it stretches to know
a place that's still unseen.

The children beckon me
to throw away my maps,
forget the storms and,
dance in the rain.

I hear their music,
smiling at their songs..
I, too, remember...an age of innocence and trust...

Where all that is
is where it is...

And....That is Where it Belongs!!

Tonight I cried...for I lost a part of myself In Lakech...

There Are Delicacies
by Earle Birney

there are delicacies in you
like the hearts of watches
there are wheels that turn
on the tips of rubies
& tiny intricate locks
i need your help
to contrive keys
there is so little time
even for the finest
of watches

Love is letting go of fear....

We let you go Julio...it's now your time to fly...

When leaves turn brown ,
& the grasses bend down low,
come and visit our Blue Nile Home,
for we know this too is our own little death.

Take us to heaven if you will,
for in this time of life we seeks to know dimensions
far beyond , and above this world.

Science 101...Cordyceps and Ants *~ WOW!

Cordyceps is a genus of ascomycete fungi that includes thousands of species. The species that parasitizes the vegetable caterpillar — Cordyceps sinensis is the most famous of these, having long been considered a precious ingredient in Chinese traditional medicines.

All Cordyceps species are parasitic, mainly on insects and other arthropods (they are thus entomopathogenic fungi); a few are parasitic on other fungi like the subterranean, truffle-like Elaphomyces. The mycelium invades and eventually replaces the host tissue, while the elongated fruiting body (stroma) may be cylindrical, branched, or of complex shape. The stroma bears many small, flask-shaped perithecia that contain the asci. These in turn contain the thread-like ascospores, which usually break into fragments and are presumably infective.

The genus has a worldwide distribution and most species have been described from Asia (notably China, Japan, Korea and Thailand). The genus has many anamorphs (asexual states), of which Beauveria (possibly including Beauveria bassiana), Metarhizium, and Isaria) are the better known, since these have been used in biological control of insect pests. Cordyceps species are particularly abundant and diverse in humid temperate and tropical forests.

AND...from and Ants point of View...!!!

Centerville Estates*~

Thanks to the Watchers...who live in the trees,

Who swim with the fishes and buzz with the bees, who fly with the birds, without any words...like how butterflys dance and are free*~

(Before the wedding I was walking along the pathway to the spot where Andre' and Kathy's ceremony took place)

The video is a wee bit shakey...so use your imagination.

This place Rocks Ishi Nation!

http://www.centervilleestate.com/

Colour*~*~

There is
much magic
to be found in colour.











In ancient times alchemists designed stained glass windows. Guarded secrets, these formulas for colouring glass were. Light shining through colour would enhance the view of all who gazed upon the beauty.

Awesome.

I live for light ....and love for colourful reflections.

070707=21=3 Ruach Hakodesh

Hot summer time in the city of Chico on this day July 7, 2007:

I visited our local "Children's Park" seeking to experience, and view, the festivities around this sustainable Al Gore event. Our town is devoted. Ever present are stalwart activists. Blessed BE!

Arriving to hear Sherrie Quaman singing original songs with a voice clear and words spoken articulately, I smiled, and sat peace~filled. I watched as Nicole danced in the shade of the old Bidwell oaks, reminding me of Earthdancer days. Happy.

I was surprised to find an empty tent with one metal folding chair. Was it waiting for someone?

Deciding the shade was tempting I seized the opportunity to sit in peace, listening.

Making sure to wear dark glasses I hid the swollen teary eyes I carried this day.

Needing a people fix, and a bike ride, ...I joined in community refrain as the inner child wished for a magical potion to take away tears, even though at times they are necessary.

It is for greater learning that I now, for the first time in mature history, arise into the crows nest for vantage.

A lonely boat...floats....and thoughts sent forth on random rafts meet starry sea of sky.

Flight.

HARMONY*~ ANDRE' AND KATHY's double happiness!!!

Blessings to you, beautiful two*~

Joining together as you do is a demonstration of creation, a great elation, your solution in evolution and magic in the beauty of your combined love.

Mama Lila smiles, and lets the earth receive a little tear. My dear, son so far away....You know I smile and think about you....each day.

Love, bliss and eternal comfort be yours!!

Hallelujah!

Jeff Buckley moved me from the moment I first purchased and listened to his album, Grace, from Melody Records, Chico. I bought it used, for a few "bucks".

I couldn't put the album down...and played it for hours, days, & months. That was 9 years ago.


Today NPR did a little review of the late Jeff Buckley...and I thought, "hey, perhaps I'll find something of his on YouTube." Alas. Jeff died 10 years ago...drowning in a Memphis swimming pool. His father, Tim Buckley was a recording artist also. I have his vinyl album Goodbye and Hello. Tim Buckley, like his son died at a very young age.

May their souls rest in peace.

Here is one of Jeff's recordings of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah".

I Never asked to be Your Mountain....Tim Buckley

So awesome to find Tim online. YouTube is my friend. :-) Listened to Hello and Goodbye... favorite album of high school days, 1971-4. I would love to find title song somewhere online. ??

THE LIFE AND PHILOSOPHY OF AKHENATEN, KING OF EGYPT

Roughly fourteen hundred years before Christ, at the time Egypt was at the height of her power, King Akhnaton ruled over that great country for a few years.

Akhnaton was born in Thebes, in about 1395 B.C.1 in a world already as old, as civilised and as sophisticated as our own. And he was the son of the greatest monarch of that world; the last offspring, in direct descent, of a long and glorious line of warriors over-loaded with the spoils of conquest; the heir of an empire that stretched, in modern words, from the Sudan to the borders of Armenia, and of a culture more than four thousand years old.

He was a thinker; he was an artist; he was a saint--the world’s first rationalist, and the oldest Prince of Peace. Through the visible disk of the Sun--Aton--he worshipped "the Energy within the Disk"--the ultimate Reality which men of all creeds still seek, knowingly or unknowingly, under a thousand names and through a thousand paths. And he styled himself as the Son of that unseen, everlasting Source of all life. "Thou art in my heart," he said in one of his hymns, "and no one knoweth Thee save I, Thy Son." And his words, long forgotten, have come down to us, recorded upon the walls of a nobleman’s tomb--these amazing words in what is perhaps the earliest poem which can be ascribed with certainty to any particular author: "I, Thy Son. . . ."


When he was a child, the famous Pyramids of Gizeh were nearly as ancient as the Roman remains in England are today, and the first empire-builder of whom we know something definite--Sargon of Agade--was already as remote in time as Nebuchadnezzar is now.2 And beyond the glories of which the oldest monuments bore witness, and beyond the mighty shadows of half-forgotten heroes and king-gods lost in the midst of legend, a still remoter antiquity, with its immemorial art and wisdom, extended over centuries, down to the dim beginnings of the Neolithic Age, and further still. Crete and the Ægean Isles had flourished for over two thousand years, and Babylonia and Elam for several millenniums more, while, unaware of each other and of the rest of mankind, distant India and China counted long centuries of polished life.

Other great souls have had disciples to preach their message, martyrs to bear testimony to their greatness in torture and death, missionaries to carry their name and domination to the limits of the earth; they have had commentators, admirers, detractors--philosophers, poets, artists--to keep their memory alive century after century. But Akhnaton’s fate was different. He had no sooner died than the fervour of his followers seems to have been spent out. Within a few years, his name was anathematised, his new city pulled down stone by stone, his remains profaned and his memory systematically destroyed, without, apparently, a single cry of protest on the part of any of those eighty thousand1 or more who had, in their zeal, left Thebes with him, thirteen years before. Ever since then, until a part of his foreign correspondence and fragments of his hymns were brought to light, some fifty years ago, there was not a man on earth who knew of his existence. (!!)

Akhnaton, in his love of truth, seems to have deliberately stripped himself of all the mystery that had helped his fathers to appear as gods in the eyes of their prostrate people. He was of unconventional manners and of kindly approach. His divinity was not the showy privilege of a Sun-born king, or of a prophet, asserted by external signs, but rather the innermost perfection of a man whose heart, will and understanding were in complete harmony with the eternal laws of life; of a man who had fulfilled man’s divine purpose as naturally as others drift away from it. He felt therefore no need of ascertaining it by a fastidious pomp, any more than by strange renunciations. There was no excess in him; nothing that the vulgar eye could look upon as "striking," nothing that popular enthusiasm could catch hold of and magnify. He wrought no extraordinary deeds, as other teachers are said to have done. The only wonder of which he spoke was the everlasting miracle of order and of fertility--the rhythm of day and night, the growth of a bird or of a baby.

And to this very day, notwithstanding the genuine admiration of a learned few for his rational religion, there are hardly any people in the world whose daily life he fills with his presence. ('Twould the Torah bearers recognize Mos!)



http://members.tripod.com/~neuro_net/asonfgod.htm

A 12 year old speaks at UN

"President and the Press."

Thats right, old JFK says everything thats happening now is basically...well... unamerican...

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW

Making Mundane Beautiful

Kalachakra Mandala

"War will continue until every human heart becomes a peace and justice center"...Anon

And when just one heart is at war there is war. Though it may be a silent cold & lonely war, it still affects the environment.

Teaching peace is noble. But how DO we teach peace? That question often has me baffled, whilst pondering life's lessons. This wonderful Life has it's variety of teachers. They add to the stew pot the best (and sometimes the worst) of their collective knowledge. Tracking over half a century now, a few brilliant teachers come to mind. Some stand out as profound practictioners of peace.

As a youth I decided to practice the style of Peace that the Bible stories taught. Catholic, for certain, these stories brought not only inspiration, they were artfully penned with color plated pictures, contained in large bound books. Once, I peeked inside to see how heaven was.

I'm feeling a lot smarter now. It's good to see the revelation, "All the world is a stage".

Teachers, like actors, "bring to life" the past. Those parochial school teachers did a so-so job of bringing Jesus' life to the classroom. It was enough to inspire the growth of nubby wings on this lil' gal. Fortunately the message did nothing to thwart a good many Babylon adventures.

"Do what thou wilst, and harm none. Love is the whole of the Law."

In making the mundane beautiful by taking junk and turning it into substance, we become self sustaining...in a spiraling way. It's like we are freecyling through our own UNI~verse as a brilliant and simple deduction. Revealing it's perpetual rhythm, harmony, frequency, and periodicity...it beckons us towards greater personal comfort and peace. It is like the tetragrammaton, Yod Heh Vav Heh...and un-nameable at best.

"It" brings only what is focused upon into the center, to be blended, and understood as...

...the peace that passeth all understanding.

And the point I'm making ..??

Know thyself,
Distractions happen....
Be Happy for YOU are Loved!!

Become a visible, walking/talking, Peace and Justice Center!!

"The Tibetan word for mandala is "kilkhor" which means "centre of the circle with exteriors walls and surrounding environment." Mandalas may be created with precious jewels, flowers, dyed rice, coloured stones, or coloured sand. Sand, traditionally made from crushed precious stones, is considered the most efficacious materials because of the precious substances involved and the great skill required to create the mandalas' exquisite details. Since each grain of sand is charged with the blessings of the ritual process, the entire sand mandala embodies a vast store of spiritual energy."

Which Wolf Will WE FEED?

Michael wrote:

> No matter how terrible the situation seems - I am sure, there are many> ways to change it.

A Fool answers:

Exactly. There are as many ways to change it as there are people who view the situation. Each can contribute in a unique way.
The degree of change is dependent on how much attention it is given. When the energy of attention is focussed on beneficial change, rather than pushing against those who are creating the situation the desired change occurs more rapidly.

Which wolf wins? The one you feed.

Here Comes the Heavy

Ready for the ride of your life...Open that parachute, Open your Mind!!

The PARK on Park....Avenue, that is

Here we are, Lila, Rich, and Beau....the chocolate labrador.... in a photo taken by our friend and Beau's master, Jeff Greening. I could write journals about "The Park on Park"...but will keep it down to a REaders Digest version for whatever it's worth. It was a beautiful Saturday, 2-17-07. We took a leisurly stroll through Chico's newest park. The three of us know and appreciate the magic that allowed the aquisition of this property. It has been a year and a half since we hosted , "Music at the Park", to create interest in the purchase of this parcel, (and...to persuade Maureen Kirk to change her "NO" vote to a "Yes...") . There was great satisfaction in seeing how much trash and debris had been cleared from the homeless camps. Hopefully the park will soon be open to the public.

Formerly a hog ranch, back in Chico's early days, the Thomasson family recently sold this parcel to the City of Chico. We know it was meant to be. Great Spirit saw to it.

Give thanks.

A new bicycle path will come soon...or so the little birdie said. ( How 'tweet it tiz.)

Madwagon lil gears up for Candalmas

she is her own thrill



Dancing dreams awake
while rearranging the furniture of this life... she muses

enough to laugh

An ordinary girl in an un-ordinary world

of Activating Excellerating Radiating Rays...


......thinking upon the Blessed Brigid, triple *3* goddess feasting..

honoured by the Crone, whose glossy maiden hair weaves around rose red rafters..

looking upon us...from her ancient ayin

Wafting long after the delete button is clicked.

~*Come to Egypt*~

http://www.pyramidcam.com/
I'm there..we're here...Everywhere Is.

Is Is

She

BLUE NILE REFLECTIONS...GRANDMA PAULINE'S BARDOS

Sisters One and all... (OKAY.. bruddas too...)

Awake she IS! The Divine Feminine has returned. The table is set...she is hungry for truth.

Soon...in a couple of new moons...We will celebrate her Wedding!! This is the show we've been waiting for. And, we are creating it!!!

Happy New Year!!


This coming year of Ding Hai, (yin fire pig), marks a 60 year cycle...and is also a Golden Boar Year marking a 600 year cycle.

(We have a Boar/Pig/Hai year every 12 years differentianted by one of 5 elements in either a yin or yang state. )

Have located an informative site:

http://english.seoul.go.kr/today/infocus/specialreport/1239293_5093.php

The article provides much on the significance of the coming Year!
A short quote concerning the year..

"And to top it off, 2007 is no ordinary Year of the Golden Pig. When further calculations are made using the principles of Ying and Yang, the year is a special kind of Golden Pig year that occurs only once every 600 years! For adherents of the science of divination, this makes it an extremely fortuitous time to pop out a little one."

This feels like a year to birth the divine femINine into her next level of perfection.





Bless you dear one! :-)

We are opening up to the sweet surrender of the luminous love-light

of the ONE!!

You are eternal, sister of manzanita, pine and corn...olive and earth, sky and sea.

Lila is out each day...no hermit yet...though it's a lovely thought.

Parents across town are now our prime focus.

Living with almost no dinero..!!

Most all our fun these days is free...

Burning very little fossel fuel... !!! Teeny tiny footprint according to those online calculators.

Just watched "The Future of Food". Focalizing on the immanance of seeds.

Also just rented "An Inconvienient Truth". Personally am feeling in equalibrium with Mother Nature..It's a great movie...stirring and evocative.

Creativity is soaring in this approaching cycle of the Golden Boar....Chinese New Year coming Feb 18th. A 600 year cycle of Yin..Mother Divine Feminine !

Always in heart connection with the larger family...but much work now required of the small family...hearth and home.

Happiness

Am realizing that which is available through global exchange.

Drinking deeply this great possibility.

We are what we create...

In L.V.X.,

lila

BBC's video series, Himalaya, covered an episode on Bhutan which I've recently viewed. Such a peaceful kingdom!!.

http://www.kingdomofbhutan.com/

Attilla:
There is a place in the world where the King (establishment, The Temple) is truly interested in the well-being of the nation: Bhutan. They measure the country's success in a kind of a Happiness Factor... You can't really go there - even as a tourist, visa is not easy to obtain and only the "stay in the country" fee is hundreds of dollars per day. They don't really want visitors... :-)