Getting To Know The Plants Around You: Part 2

I have enjoyed seeing the newly blossoming trees and flowers on my hikes at Griffith Park lately.   One yellow flower was present on the side of the path for nearly the whole trail.  

Turns out it's Wild Mustard, whose black seeds are used to make the condiment and the spice.

        
The condiment was first created by the Romans, who mixed the crushed seeds with young wine to form a spicy paste.  The word mustard comes from the latin words "mustum" meaning new wine, and "ardens," meaning fire, or burning.  

Quantum Mechanics

The Double Slit Experiment

This is a clip from the documentary What The Bleep Do We Know?

Fear

"Novelist Margaret Atwood asked women what was their greatest fear concerning men.  The most common reply: A man might kill them.  When she asked men to confide to her their greatest fear concerning women, the most common response: A woman might laugh at them."


-Leonard Shlain, Sex, Time, and Power

Short story

The Creative Man

There once was a man who was born with a desire to create, to love, and to live.  As a child he created, he loved, and he lived as much as he was allowed to by his parents, his teachers, and his nannies.  The adult figures in his life were very encouraging, as far as adult figures go, but it was still not enough room to contain all the inspiration that poured from his soul.  As a young adult he became accustomed to the ways of the world and to the demands and expectations of his particular society.  He wanted to create, and tried to, but found it difficult, as if everything was working against him.  He did not understand why there were so many rules and obstacles that kept him from creating as much as he would have liked.  As he grew older he became increasingly more frustrated with his circumstances.  Soon he was too busy to create— he needed to focus on surviving.  He had a family to support, and a mortgage.  It wasn’t long before he forgot what it was like to be creative at all.  The suggestion of creativity began to seem silly or whimsical, and then it became threatening.  For many years he kept his creative urges hidden, and became so accustomed to brushing them aside to make way for more important, useful thoughts that the creative insights eventually ceased almost completely.  Though he was not consciously aware of them, these insights continued to multiply, but now they had nowhere to go.  Keeping all this energy inside him took a toll on his body and mind.  He became tired, angry, and depressed.  By the time he was wrinkled and hunch-backed he felt he had somehow wasted his life, but couldn’t explain why.  He had spent most of his life either working or sleeping, but that didn’t seem too unusual.  Still, he could feel that something was missing.  He wondered if he should have spent less time working.  But then he thought, no, I had to work.  What else could I have done?

-IAM

"It's lovely to live on a raft.  We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made or only just happened.  Jim he allowed they was made, but I allowed they happened; I judged it would have took too long to make so many.  Jim said the moon could 'a' laid them; well, that looked kind of reasonable, so I didn't say nothing against it, because I've seen a frog lay most as many, so of course it could be done.  We used to watch the stars that fell, too, and see them streak down.  Jim allowed they'd got spoiled and was hove out of the nest."

-Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

"Not to be able to stop thinking is a dreadful affliction, but we don’t realize this because almost everybody is suffering from it, so it is considered normal." 


-Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now

The Voynich Manuscript

The Voynich Manuscript, aka "The World's Most Mysterious Manuscript," is named after the book dealer who acquired it in 1912, but nothing is known of it's true origin or author.  It's thought to have been written sometime in the early 15th century, and it's basically 240 pages of writing and illustrations divided into six sections: Herbal, Astronomical, Biological, Cosmological, Pharmaceutical, and Recipes. 

What's amazing is that it was written in an unknown language, and so far no one has been able to decipher the text, though it's been studied by many professional cryptographers and codebreakers.  The letters, which sometimes look similar to Roman and Latin glyphs and sometimes look completely different from any written language, are arranged in close formations like words, but appear in odd patterns.  Some letters appear only at the beginning, middle, or end of words, and common words are often repeated three times in a row.  It was written fluidly from left to right, and there are no obvious errors or corrections.

Another strange thing is that none of the plants can be identified.  Many of them are puzzling combinations of roots and leaves that wouldn't normally grow together.  

Based on the illustrations it's thought to be some kind of pharmacopoeia or medieval medicine guide. 

Getting To Know The Plants Around You

I thought I'd start doing a series on plants because I don't know much about plants but would like to.  We have some beautiful trees, flowers, and bushes in Southern California that dazzle the senses.  Nature is awesome, and it's a shame many of us are so removed from the Earth in our daily lives. 

This is a Bottle Brush Tree.  There's a nice big one outside my living room window, and from my observations I have discovered that it's where the hummingbirds go to party.

The Bottle Brush Tree, or Callistemon, is native to Australia.  It prefers a warm, humid climate and is drought resistant.  It blooms from late winter to late summer.  They are quiet, peaceful trees—we have had no complaints about the one outside—and they're calming to look at.

The name comes from this kind of bottle brush, which is a common tool used by humans.  

"You say you can't see a reign of goodness and truth on earth. Nor could I, and it cannot be seen if one looks on our life here as the end of everything. On earth, here on this earth" (Pierre pointed to the fields), "there is no truth, all is false and evil; but in the universe, in the whole universe there is a kingdom of truth, and we who are now the children of earth are- eternally- children of the whole universe. Don't I feel in my soul that I am part of this vast harmonious whole? Don't I feel that I form one link, one step, between the lower and higher beings, in this vast harmonious multitude of beings in whom the Deity- the Supreme Power if you prefer the term- is manifest? If I see, clearly see, that ladder leading from plant to man, why should I suppose it breaks off at me and does not go farther and farther? I feel that I cannot vanish, since nothing vanishes in this world, but that I shall always exist and always have existed. I feel that beyond me and above me there are spirits, and that in this world there is truth."

-Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace

We Oppose Deception

This is a crop circle from 2002.  The message written in binary code reads: "Beware the bearers of false gifts and their broken promises.  Much pain but still time.  Believe there is good out there.  We oppose deception."

Uncontacted Peoples

There are still native tribes that exist today that have had no contact with the outside world.  This is an aerial video of an uncontacted tribe in Peru that has been forced to relocate because of illegal logging.  The Peruvian government refuses to admit to their existence. 





For more information visit http://www.uncontactedtribes.org/

One’s own experience is far more significant proof of what is so than platitudes of logic that one has learned to parrot, and against which one’s reality is often measured.  

-Rasha, Oneness

5 Easy Ways to Improve Your Health

Breathe deeply.  Breathing helps eliminate the toxins from our bodies.  The more oxygen that flows through our bodies, the better they function.  The average person takes very shallow breaths.  Breathing deeply can also help us become calm and centered, which is why it is often used as a meditation technique.  Close your eyes and breathe deeply in through your nose and out through your mouth for ten minutes to observe the healing effects.

Go for a walk in nature.  Being in nature is healing, purifying, and energizing, and is especially useful after spending so much of our time inside, sedentary, breathing stale air and bombarded with artificial stimuli.  In addition to being a wonderful daily exercise for our bodies, walking helps us diffuse unneeded energy; hence the phrase "walk it off."  Walking is also known to encourage insights and ideas.  Many artists go for regular walks as part of their creative process.    

Drink more water.   You may not need eight glasses a day.  Each person requires different care and maintenance so it's important to listen to your body.  I carry a water bottle with me at all times.  People often mistake thirst for hunger, and drinking a big glass of water can be quite filling.  Water, like oxygen, purifies our bodies and eliminates toxins very efficiently.  It's best not to rely on juice, soda, or even sparkling water for hydration, but instead look for pure, natural spring water.  It is also helpful to bless your water and ask that it be purified.  To learn how water can respond to our intentions, watch this.  

Stretch.  Stretching often gives you more flexibility and reduces the risk of injury.  It's also great for releasing stuck energy.  I do a 15 to 30 minute yoga practice each morning which consists of mainly gentle stretching.  There's no need to take a yoga class.  Just do what feels natural, and if you're looking for more options do an online search for basic stretches.  The more you stretch, the more your body will want to be stretched, and you’ll wonder how you lived such a stiff life before. 

Eat more plants.  We have been so conditioned to crave non-food masquerading as food that we’ve forgotten why we eat food in the first place.  I like to think of it this way: food is our fuel, and if we don’t get the right fuel our bodies won’t function correctly.  You wouldn’t put orange juice into the gas tank of your car, so why would you put potentially harmful chemicals in your body?  Try slowly incorporating more real food into your diet.  Real food is not heavily processed, does not contain chemical additives, and is not grown with genetically modified organisms or pesticides.  Making sudden, drastic changes in your diet isn't always beneficial or sustainable.  Be gentle with yourself.    

It does not matter to a man of awareness whether he is successful or unsuccessful, well-known or absolutely unknown, powerful or just a nobody. To a man of awareness, these dualities don't matter at all, because awareness is the greatest treasure. When you have it, you don't want anything else.

-Swami Chaitanya Keerti

One of my favorite pages on the internet:


The Scale of the Universe 2

I AM

Saint Germain

A few weeks ago I started reading The “I AM” Discourses by Godfre Ray King.  These are channeled discourses by Ascended Master Saint Germain which reveal the true power behind the statement “I AM,” and offer suggestions for using this statement regularly in a way that will greatly accelerate a person’s spiritual growth.  Some people might be put off by the fact that it’s channeled material, but it would be a shame for a person to miss out on such a valuable text simply because of an unfavorable reaction to the way it came into being.  It’s the kind of book that will appeal to those who are already consciously on the spiritual path and wish to go deeper into their practice, and I suspect the ones in this group would be more open to channeled material anyway.  

I have read many spiritual books, but only a select few have had as powerful an effect on me as this one.  It has motivated me to incorporate the mantras into my daily life, which I’m not usually very good at.  With most spiritual books, anytime I get to a section that says something like “Guided Meditation” I don’t even glance at it because I know I won’t do it.  The “I AM” Discourses are not about meditation— the suggestions are much more concrete and doable.  

The basic idea is that our thoughts create our reality, but there is actually much more truth to this than most people would imagine.  The phrase “I AM” is the most powerful phrase in the English language because whatever you put that phrase ahead of is on its way to manifestation.  If you say, “I AM sick,” you are creating sickness in your body.  If you say, “I AM healthy,” and truly believe that you are, the cells in your body will instantly respond to this command and begin to heal.  We’ve seen this universal law demonstrated many times in western medicine with the placebo effect.  

The idea then is to decondition yourself from saying and thinking things that you do not want to create, and replace them with whatever you do want.  Saying this is difficult would be an understatement.  In order to fully benefit from this, it means you must recognize that you have complete control over your reality— that you have the power to manifest whatever you wish to experience, which means you can no longer blame outside forces for causing you to act or feel a certain way.  This is the complete opposite of what most people were brought up to believe, and it means nothing less than rewiring your brain.  But I’d say the freedom and abundance and peace that follow are worth the disciplined effort it takes. 

There are a many, many mantras given in the discourses that a person can use to purify, expand, and significantly improve his or her life.  These are a few that I have been repeating daily, some slightly altered from the way they are written in the discourses, and some that I created on my own:

I AM the light that paves the path ahead of me, removing all obstacles and putting everything in divine order. 

I AM the Mighty, Magic Circle of Protection around me that is invincible and repels from me every discordant thought and element which seeks to find entrance.

I AM the ascended master I wish to be now.

I AM the strength, the courage, the power to move forward steadily through all experiences, whatever they may be, and remain joyous and uplifted, filled with peace and harmony at all times, by the Glorious Presence which I AM.

I AM the presence of peace which nothing can disturb.

I AM physically healthy, emotionally fulfilled, financially abundant, mentally aware, and spiritually enlightened.

When you say “I AM,” you are acknowledging that you are God.  Saint Germain warns us that “dynamite is less dangerous” than using this phrase without the full understanding of what it means and does:  “Perhaps the simplest, most powerful single thing that the individual can keep himself reminded of is that when he says "I AM," he is knowingly or unknowingly, setting into action within himself the Full, Unadulterated Energy of God.” 
I have been repeating these mantras in my head for the last three or four weeks and I have seen incredible results in my own life.  It has also helped me to have a stronger and more stable connection to God (or Nature, or the Universe or whatever you prefer to call it).  I repeat them whenever I can remember to throughout my day, especially when I catch myself worrying or getting caught up in some issue, I instantly start repeating the mantras to correct my thinking.  After getting used to repeating such positive statements, I am now much more able to recognize and put a stop to the chaotic, destructive thinking that takes up so much of my time and energy.  Repeating the mantras has made my normal daily tasks like washing the dishes or driving become much more enjoyable.  Saying these statements makes me feel instantly uplifted, plus it gives me an activity to do instead of letting my mind wander, which gives me a sense of purpose and accomplishment.  It has tremendously improved my self-discipline and sense of empowerment, and I can’t stress enough how much I’ve benefited from it.  

I wrote out my favorite mantras on pieces of paper and put them in front of my yoga mat, and every time I stretch or do yoga during the day I read through them, which has helped me memorize them.  I try to read at least one discourse a day, and every day or two I come across another I AM statement that I incorporate into my own collection.
  
You can read The “I AM” Discourses for free online here.