Faerie Bones

I found these faerie bones (come on, we all know that's what it is!) on my way to work today.  I love the dynamism in it!  I wonder what he was like alive...

A Fall of Dreams

Through a window

I watch the day pass

Leaves turn red as blood, golden, brown

Cool air brings a rust upon the world

The sky, blue against it

A dream seeks me out

As I lay, with a head of fog

Joints unmoved, aching

The walls muffle the rustle of leaves

No, I can't even hear them

My dream, he floats 

Much like the leaves on the wind

Then, he falls quickly

And smashes to the ground

There's blood at the corners

I get to keep a piece of it, the wing

Three feathers to be exact

Two plain, one like a peacock's

Only they're the Raven's

Or Maldoc's, as he claims

I cuddle my treasure

Leaves still ride the air

Cracking against the wind

I don't know how to mend it

The wires need to be set again

The dream, he arises

Broken from the fall

Held together like the dying leaves

Wind pushing his wings

Coaxing them to release

I lay here, watching

Autumn embrace upon my world

The sun play upon the colors

And he perches, out there

Watching my little jerks

There's a strange chord

That ties us 

It binds us unknowingly

And we fall together

Our wings help us to fly

Debates You'll Never Win!

While I'm on the whole vegan rant, I want to say, that after obsessively browsing a number of discussion threads on various forums, I realize that it's all a losing battle.  People want to be right, and because food is enmeshed with ethics, morals, theories on human evolution and purpose, religious concepts and a variety of other sociopolitical issues, the passions fly.  People want to be right because they're afraid, mostly of realizing they're wrong which leads to pain, punishment, and "Hell".  The truth is, even science can't agree on one optimal diet or dietary system for humans.  As for the moral/ethical side of the diet debate, well, there again, nothing can be concretely proven as fact.  Some people swear up and down that animals were put here for us and that they neither feel, think, nor have souls.  I completely disagree with this sentiment, but am I going to convince a committed "Uberhuman" to think otherwise?  Only if they want to be convinced, which is unlikely.  The whole meat vs. no meat debate is about as reconcilable and provable as the God vs. no God debate.  The only truth that I can surmise from all of the philosophizing that happens between us humans is that the real truth is a mystery.  The best we can do is find the truth that makes the most sense to us at any given moment in our small lives.  

My plea; love and honor your truth, share it freely, embrace it, expect that others will see/feel things differently and maintain a sense of wonder about that.  

If your truth originates in fear, it's not truth, it's fear.  This is where all the self-righteousness, dogmatism, and proselytizing come from.  Fear is only helpful as a survival technique.  Most fear eats us from behind while we attempt to pretend it isn't there, but it always rears it's ugly head in insidious ways, whether we realize it or not.  Truth originates in love and compassion, mercy and forgiveness.  When you get down to all that, the details aren't very important.  The questions is what is your intent, what is your motive?

Here's another link that I found interesting regarding veg/vegan diets:

BeyondVeg

Also, I was totally banned from the forums on the PostPunkKitchen site.  I have yet to receive an explanation from the moderators.  It seems that they don't want any contrary views threatening their little Shambala.  No insight wanted (or is that incite?)!  Damn shame...

Hey Look at This!

Here's a beautiful example of the self-congratulatory, snobbish, and small-minded attitudes that many vegans exude, as I once did!  

Read it and fume, laugh, cry, or nod in deafening agreement!

http://www.postpunkkitchen.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=45501

It's not the individuals that I take issue with.  They are attempting to make their way through this labyrinth of a world as best as they can.  Unfortunately, their attitudes are doing nothing to help.  They aren't helping me anyway.

P.S.  I posted a response at the bottom of the thread and after only two people responded to me, they closed the discussion.  Go figure!  

Confessions of an Ex-Vegan, Pt. 2

A few days ago, I picked up a pamphlet entitled "Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating", propaganda distributed by Vegan Outreach. I figured I would read through it and pick it apart, thereby picking apart my own old dogmas. Surprisingly, there wasn't that much for me to fuss about. It wasn't sensationally profiling the horrors of factory farming like many other vegan rags and it actually promoted checking the "holier-than-thou" vegan standard at the door in order to share information with others without sparking so much defensiveness in them. The pamphlet mostly focused on how to maintain a healthy vegan or vegetarian diet whist acknowledging the individual needs of people based on their unique make-up, age, etc. While it was still adamantly proselytizing the benefits and superiority of veganism, it was more fair and balanced than a lot of other vegan info out there.

It must be noted that "Guide to Cruelty-Free Eating" is not without flaw. Throughout the pamphlet, the health benefits of veganism are touted using citations from a number of studies. I'm sure these studies are as reputable as any other study on human health, which from my perspective should be approached with a "healthy" dose of scrutiny and caution. The subject of human health is a many layered and mysterious one indeed. After years of studying "alternative" health, I have found that often times "health", "healthy", and "healing" are a matter of perspective. For instance, a number of vegan protein-sources are suggested in the pamphlet, most of which are highly-processed, plastic encased, non-organic, wheat and soy-based foods. Now, perhaps I'm biased since I discovered my gluten and soy sensitivities, but I wouldn't consider TVP, seitan, and other "meat analogues" to be healthy or for that matter, "cruelty-free". Certainly, on occasion, these would prove relatively innocuous for non-allergic folks, but as a replacement for flesh foods? Considering how often most people consume meat, that's a lot of vital wheat gluten mucking up your gut and that's more than enough plastic added to the landfill! Now, I'm not saying eating a bunch of meat everyday is any better. What I'm saying is, the answer is not so simple.

I whole-heartedly support an end to the genocide and torture of animals worldwide. I also whole-heartedly support the move towards a conscious and compassionate lifestyle that works in balance with ecosystems and honors the lives of plants, animals, minerals, and microbes alike. In someways the vegan argument doesn't go far enough, often coming from a place of fear set in righteousness, it lacks a necessary self-consciousness. Factory farms are only one piece of a far larger problem with not only our food system, but our "civilized" lifestyles in general. If one wants to live in a way that supports vitality on this planet, as I do, then one must be willing to scrutinize all aspects of daily life. What we eat is definitely a part of this, as is whether or not we drive a car, how much water we use, where we buy our clothes, and what we use to clean our sinks. A person can be vegan and still have a major "negative" environmental impact on the planet. Shoes made out of synthetic material are not by virtue of being leather-free and thus "cruelty-free", more environmentally-friendly. Soy and corn are great examples of plant crops, subsidized by the government for a variety of uses, that are having major environmental impacts on river ecosystems and other environments (see "Spilling the Beans on Soy" by Heidi Sopinka). Yes, much of this crop is used as feed for livestock, but it's also used for a variety of other industries.

There's no doubt that meat production uses an obscene amount of resources and is rife with political controversy. I personally encourage others (and myself) to cut down on their meat consumption, to boycott animal testing, and to consume less and locally, among other things. It's important for us to see the big picture and realize that we can find a balance between being compassionate towards our fellow beings and towards ourselves. For some of us, using animal products is a matter of survival, but in the process of survival, do we have to inflict unnecessary suffering upon those creatures that feed us and keep us warm? I don't think so. Somewhere there's a balance where we can honor the lives of the plants, the animals, the waters, and the sun-rays that feed and nurture our bodies. At the very least we can invoke gratitude in the name of All Our Relations, or Aho, Mitakuye Oyasin (in the original Lakota) when ever we are at the dinner table or donning our favorite leather boots. And then we can take that sentiment and turn it into actions in our daily lives that support the liberation of all of Mother Earth's beloved creations.

Here are a few links that I found interesting:

The Conscious Carnivore: The Ethics of Eating Meat

The Eco-conscious Carnivore

For Meat-Eating Authors, a More Tender Approach - www.washingtonpost.com

Are You There?

Hello all!

I've been wondering if there's anyone out there reading my blog.  So, if you are, please leave comments to let me know.... even a "Hi!" and "Hello!".  Tell me who you are and what you love/don't love about my stuff!  You can now subscribe to my blog too!  (See the right column).  

~Be Well~

Mlle. Novadawn M.

Am I My Own Worst Enemy?

What sparks this question is the 8 of Swords.

This card popped up in a reading recently, and sparked a rather strong reaction in me.  Like any metaphoric system, there are multiple interpretations to be had.  However, the most important one's are those with personal significance, the one's that speak to us in a language we are able to receive and understand.  With this in mind, I wish to explore the significance this card holds for me.

So, let's begin with the number.  Eight is a numerological symbol for power.  Some sources have a materialistic take on it, interpreting it as a number of material wealth, business acumen, and positions of authority, while forgetting more esoteric significances.  Eight can also symbolize the joining of the above and the below.  Turned on it's side, the eight is the sign for infinity.  While the materialistic interpretation has a value of it's own, I'm more privy to the arcane interpretations.  The fusion of spirit ("above") and matter ("below") is the work of the magician or alchemist.  Through the process of this "Great Work", one discovers the source of true power (the ability see beyond illusion/delusion, manifest through Will, serve as conduit to the Divine, etc.).  Thus eight, is a symbol for the achievement of true power (which is not power over, but power within).

The suit of swords in the tarot represents the intellect and the air element.  The eight paired with the swords indicates a relationship between power and mind.  It asks us to ponder what purpose intellect serves in the wielding of true power.  It warns us that the mind when given credence over the heart, only serves to bind, blind and banish us from our power (see the woman in the card).  This is not to downplay the importance of the intellect.  On the contrary, it serves a very important role in our ability to discern, critique, explore and understand.  However, for true self discovery and empowerment to occur, the mind must work in service to the heart (otherwise defined as intuition, Holy Spirit, Chante (Lakota), etc.).  It is through the heart that we receive pure guidance (inner knowing) from our essential selves.  The fusion of the above and the below takes place at the heart center.  It is here that intellect and emotion meet to share their respective observations and information so that one can act consciously from the heart.  

Considering the above, we can see that the eight of swords card is a symbol for powerlessness caused by intellectual beliefs.  In other words, the state of powerlessness shown is merely an illusion of the mind, choice still exists, it's simply unacknowledged.  The woman in the card is bound and blindfolded, barren and barred.  However, the way in front of her is clear and she has the freedom of movement in her feet.  A trickle of water lays a path for her.  The water being a symbol for emotion, gives her the encouragement to feel her way out of her predicament.  To be freed, she must loose the shackles of the intellect, allow her emotions to flow and will the two to meet in a moment of self-realization.  She has been party to her own oppression all along.  She has created many of these limitations for herself by buying into dis-empowering messages, external and internal alike.  On the other hand, some of the limitations have likely been imposed upon her from outside sources and are out of her control.  However, the point is not where the limitations originated, but what she perceives as her level of choice in the situation.  The better she can recognize what is, the better she can recognize the what kind of power she has to shift her circumstances.  This is the number eight, this is the magical act of grounding intent through the use of Will.  So, does she choose to give in to the limitations or use her creative spirit to find ways around, through, and beyond them?  Does she choose to activate her latent emotions and give them as much import as her fear-filled, dominating mind?  Is she what stands in her way? 

Alas, I must ask myself these very same things.  When considering these questions in the context of the intellect I must be careful not to negate the hard reality of social inequities that exist outside of my immediate control.  That said, I am challenged to see how, in my beliefs about myself and the world, I disallow myself a better life.  To tell the truth, my life isn't all that bad, especially when compared to many of my fellow relations, but subjectively speaking, I'm not fulfilled.  My dreams seem forever unattainable and I feel powerless for it.  But, perhaps I have fallen victim to my own lack of faith and my unwillingness to call up the creative forces innate in me to solve the riddle of my bindings.  It's difficult to put a mirror to one's mind, to deconstruct those brilliantly laid internal stories, in order to really see what's going on.  I've already asked myself what I want.  I know what I want.  Now, I just have to see what's standing in my way.  I have feeling that, as I lift my blindfold, I'll discover many faces of me staring back.  It's just a matter of convincing them that I know what needs to happen, that I've got it straight from the Source, and that they've got nothing to worry about.  Well, it's easier said than done, isn't it?  Or is that just a good example of how my mind is tricking my heart?