Friday, March 10, 2023

Community and Knowledge Building


Being the publisher of niche community content means accepting the time commitment and the processes involved. It means being brave enough to make mistakes, show my weaknesses, and face my self-contradictions. It means being fully present in body, mind, and spirit, and willing to learn. It means being as much a part of the processes as other team members and contributors while remaining aware of my role and the narratives I bring to these projects. Part of that narrative is my experience as an educator in community colleges and vocational schools. I’ve developed curricula and established learning centers focusing on the success of adult learners. A personal objective is making the process of growing knowledge experiential and enjoyable.

Through my work with The Cartomancer, I strive to create an open learning community where knowledge is shared, expanded upon, and ignites innovation. I work to provide not only a reliable learning base, but an environment that fosters shared expertise, reflective dialogue, interaction, and collaboration. And I desire this publication to create lasting supportive connections among community luminaries, contributors, and readers.  

A learning community connects people. It convenes change agents across disciplines, experiences, and geographies to connect, share ideas and results, and learn from each other. These communities unite participants around theories of change, technique enhancements, measured achievement, and areas of practice. They enable shared learning. Communities share learning from both successful and unsuccessful experiences to deepen its collective knowledge.

Learning communities lend themselves to a form of guided discovery. Knowledge is socially constructed and best supported through collaborations designed in a way that participants eagerly share knowledge that incorporates teamwork features, real-world application, and the use of varied information sources.

Knowledge building directly addresses the need to educate people for a world in which knowledge creation and innovation are pervasive yet expanding. Knowledge building may be defined as the production and continual improvement of ideas of values to a community, through means that increase the likelihood that what the community accomplishes will be greater than the sum of the individual contributions and part of broader efforts.

Important distinctions exist between learning and knowledge building. Learning is an internal, unobservable process that results in changes in belief, attitude, or skill. Knowledge building, by contrast, results in the creation or modification of public knowledge—knowledge that lives “in the world” and is available to be worked on and used by other people. Of course, creating public knowledge results in personal learning, but so does practically all human activity. Whether it's scientists working on an explanation of cell aging, engineers designing fuel-efficient vehicles, nurses planning patient care improvements, or tarotists blending psychology and self-development into their reading sessions, knowledge builders engage in similar processes with a similar goal. That goal is to advance the frontiers of knowledge as they perceive them.

Take what you know, add insightful discoveries, make it your own, and then share your development. Doing so will strengthen your base and your community, propelling both toward new and exciting horizons. 





Sunday, March 5, 2023

Nourish Your Higher Self


The 7th Chakra or Crown Chakra is the energy center of spirituality, the divine (our divine nature), and the transcendence of ego. It is the meeting point between the body and the ego, and between the Universe and the soul. It is the place where time and timelessness cross, and where death and life intersect.

Higher Self is a term associated with multiple belief systems. Its basic premise describes an eternal, omnipotent, conscious, and intelligent state of one's true self. The Higher Self is our greatest potential. 

Our Higher Self is the wise being within each of us. It is a calm, loving, spiritual guide that brings our positive characteristics to the surface and tasks us with questioning our lower nature. When we live in alignment with the wisdom of our Higher Selves, we become the best possible version of ourselves. Our Higher Self knows our purpose in life and encompasses our potential to live a fulfilling and joyous life through personal growth and self-awareness.

We are forever linked with the cosmos and can expand our spiritual selves in important ways once we embrace our personal cosmic connection.

When you understand that everything is interconnected and that everything is part of a larger whole, you will begin living in gratitude, trust, and faith instead of anxiety and fear. In essence, the Crown Chakra focuses on being of service to others, sticking to values, observing high ethics, being humanitarian, and being sensitive to the environment. The challenge of the 7th Chakra is liberating the spirit and opening to the divine, while at the same time remaining firmly rooted. The simple act of reaching out and helping others is an expression of this chakra's main purpose which will strengthen your connection to your world and keep you grounded.

When fully activated, the Crown Chakra holds many gifts and blessings that improve a person's life and personality via multi-layered healing. 

No matter your quest, desire, or wish, you require nourishment. Honoring yourself and your needs builds a lifestyle of enjoyment and gratitude. 

Eating with intention helps you tune into your body and mind to reconnect with the sensations that arise from within. With this awareness, you are better able to make choices that help you feel nourished physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

This violet-colored smoothie may be the tasty ticket to a bridge of connection that helps you tap into your Higher Self.

1 1/2 frozen bananas

1 1/2 cups purple cabbage

1/2 cup frozen blackberries

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup purified water or plant-based milk

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until desired smoothness.




Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Dream Importance

 

Dreams are a mystery. Scientists still cannot explain with any certainty why we dream. Dreams are magical, linking us to another world full of wisdom and symbolism. Our dreams reconnect us to our true wild self. They reveal to us the wisdom of our intuition, not easily accessible by the conscious mind. Dreams play with our fears, testing our limits. They link us back to our ancestors through the shared collective knowledge of all humankind.

CULTURAL INTERPRETATIONS OF DREAMING

Different cultures have widely varied interpretations of dreams and the importance of dreaming. The dreamtime of Aboriginal Australians, for example, is “A kind of time out of time … That time before the world itself was entirely awake.” During that time, the Ancestors emerged and made their marks upon the land, forming mountains and valleys, rivers and forests. When a baby is born in their culture, she inherits a particular stretch of the Dreamtime song—a stretch of the Earth—as her own personal property, which belongs to no one else. The child is one with the Ancestor who shaped that tract of land. No matter how far away she ventures over the years, at the end of her life she will return to the place of her conception, “to sing [her]self back into the land.”

Another culture, the Sng'oi people of Malaysia, believe that the dream world is real and the waking world is an illusion. They believe that they travel to the real world each night in order to bring back experiences that will help them to know what to do in the shadow world, the waking world. They gather together at dusk in small huts, softly touching, leaning against each other, arms draped over one another as they fall asleep. In the morning light, those who slept near each other form a small circle and, while still drowsy, share their dreams with one another. Often it occurs that several of them have the same dream, or similar dreams. What they dreamed about will frequently come true in some way during the following day, or provide needed guidance to the community.

The Achuar people of Ecuador, are a true "dream culture" like the Sng’oi. They wake every morning at 3 or 4 a.m., several hours before sunrise, to share a herbal infusion made from the wayusa plant and begin a ceremony to share their dreams and plan their day communally. Dream sharing is considered a social responsibility, as one person’s dream may have an impact on another person or even on the entire community. The Achuar believe that the two realities—waking and dreaming—are one continuous existence, and that dreaming and sharing the dreams with each other help to reveal underlying layers of meaning in their world. If a dream is negative, the dreamer has a chance to re-dream as many times as needed until they receive a dream that is acceptable to them or to the community. It is key to the Achuar belief system that we can all re-write our lives if we choose to do so.

In all of these cultural beliefs about dreaming, there is a softening of the edges of what we in modern society consider “reality.” There is an opening to powerful magic, a trusting in the collective wisdom shared by people and the Earth. There is less resistance; more acceptance of what the heart knows. The dream interpretations are layered and woven into a story of hope for the days and years ahead, with guidance for the people coming from an ever-present source of wisdom.

There is tremendous beauty in living this way. How can we incorporate this trust, this opening, into our own lives?

PERHAPS THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS WILL HELP YOU TO FIND MEANING AND GUIDANCE IN YOUR OWN DREAMS:

What kind of dreamer are you? Are your dreams infused with symbols or metaphors, or do they contain more mundane images such as a replay of the prior day’s events? Do you visit your fears? Do your dreams feel loving, playful, or stressful? Some theories state that dreaming helps to refresh our memory and aids in storing new learning. There is also evidence of touching another world in dreams, or having wisdom revealed to us. This occurs in the case of the indigenous dream cultures, and as many people have experienced when they dream something and then a very similar event occurs in their waking life.

Do you remember your dreams? Or do you forget them in the rush of the morning as you wake up to your alarm clock and your mind races for the day ahead? If you want to remember your dreams, place a notebook and pen near your bed, easy to reach when you are half-asleep, and try to jot down just a few words about a dream if you awaken in the middle of the night. These words will trigger your memory to recall more details about the dream later that day.

Have you ever experienced a marked increase in the frequency of your dreams? During times such as pregnancy, many people report an increase in the number and intensity of dreams. Some of the dreams may be linked to changes in the body, such as dreaming of water or fish when the womb is filling with life-giving fluids. Some pregnant women have had dreams that revealed the name or predicted the sex of their baby.

A NEW DREAM FOR THE WORLD

Do you ever feel that the dream of the modern world is headed in the wrong direction, darkened by materialism and environmental destruction?

If you believe in the possibility of a new dream for our world, a dream in which love and gratitude take precedence over profit and greed; where all life is honored; where true environmental sustainability is possible when we join hands and work together, then hold those energies and desires close to your heart the next time you drift into peaceful slumber. 



 

Saturday, August 20, 2022

A Phase for Surgery

Given the option, I would not choose to undergo a surgical procedure during; A waxing or full moon, an eclipse, or a mars or mercury retrograde. Why? To me, aside from planetary influences, it feels counterintuitive to buck centuries-old experience and wisdom. Our ancestors understood the potent transformational energy of the moon, sun, and planets. They timed the planting of their crops for the most beneficial farming. They performed synchronous healing procedures. Some watched the position of the stars to guide their nomadic lifestyle. Assuming that same powerful energy would not still affect our human body seems illogical.

Obviously, emergent situations are not able to be so dictated. Likewise, with the overcrowding of medical units and tight surgery schedules, we are often limited to dates that do not fall into our preferred astrological timing. All is not lost, however.

Armed with the knowledge of potential challenges, we can move (supplement and support) areas of our physical and mental health toward achieving the best possible outcome. Medical Astrology is an ancient system that associates various body parts, human physiology, and illnesses as being under the influence of the twelve astrological signs and planets. It is referenced in ancient texts from Babylon, Egypt, India, and Greece, as well as in early American folk medicine.There is evidence that up until the 18th century physicians and surgeons also studied and practiced astrology. They believed that the phases of the moon exerted a critical influence on human blood flow, particularly the full moon, and thus it was critical to know when it would occur. Additionally, the astrological sign the moon was transiting through on a particular date and time, determined the best date to perform surgery and bloodletting.

Hippocrates, regarded as the father of medicine, taught that all disease originated from the physical realm. He also believed in the influence of astrology to manipulate human health. He is quoted as saying, "He who does not understand astrology is not a doctor, but a fool." He touted the value of a physician's understanding of astrology in order to be a better doctor, and that surgeons, in particular, should be well versed in the phases of the moon and its assistance in controlling blood flow and other bodily fluids in performing surgery.


In addition to his notoriety as a seer and astrologer, Nostradamus was a physician. He regularly charted the transits of the moon and other planets when treating his patients. And in 1996, the cardiothoracic department of Rhode Island Hospital conducted a study about the potential influence of lunar cycle phases on cardiac surgery patients. Among other findings, they discovered increases in intracranial bleeding during the waxing and new moon phases. At the conclusion of their research, Dr. Frank Sellke (then chief of cardiothoracic surgery) stated, "Though procedures cannot always be timed around the lunar cycle, a better understanding of the effects of the environment--including seasonal and lunar cycles--on our health can help us to better understand these rhythms, and ultimately provide better care for our patients."

Medical Astrology is far vaster than can be expressed and shared in this blog post. I will concentrate on sharing the general influences of the moon's transits and offer suggestions for how you may enhance or ease its influence.

According to Medical Astrologers, the most advantageous time to have surgery is during a Waning Moon phase. This is because complications are more common and recovery is prolonged when the moon is waxing. Patients may experience more pain or bleeding, inflammation, and side effects. 

Tip: If no contraindication is present, during the weeks leading up to your surgery day, consider adding a natural anti-inflammatory (such as Bee Pollen) to your regular vitamin and supplement regimen. You may also look to add turmeric, chamomile, and green tea to your menu. Of course, check with your general practitioner and surgeon before adding any supplement to your diet.  

Avoid timing the surgery from 30 minutes to 36 hours after the New Moon. Especially if only local anesthesia will be administered. Take caution as during this time, you may feel more anxious and tense--not the optimal mindset for a successful recovery.

If you are able to choose the surgery date, it is recommended to have that date set to begin and end within 5 days before, to 30 minutes after the New Moon. People tend to bruise less, swell less, and do not usually experience hemorrhaging during the Last Quarter to New Moon vs. Full Moon to Last Quarter. 






Tuesday, August 9, 2022

The Choice Is Yours

 

Personal transformation is a combination of knowledge, healing, and divine mystery. As your inner and outer worlds become inceasingly complex, allowing time to focus on your personal evolution is important for your health and peace of mind.

Holistic Health can be defined as an approach to life. Rather than focusing on illness or specific parts of the body, this ancient approach to health considers the whole person and how they interact with their environment. Holistic Health focuses on the connection of mind, bosy, and spirit. The goal is to achieve maximum well-being, where everything is functioning at the highest level possible. The concept of Holistic Health encourages people to accept responsibility for their own level of well-being, and everyday choices that effect their health.

The process of personal transformation begins with learning; using intuitive guidance to help you see yourself more clearly. The next stage is about about inspiring healing at the core energetic level. Once these two processes have begun you can integrate the new awareness and spiritual changes into your everyday life. The shifts that can happen with insight and spiritual support, combines with your active participation in making changes in your life, lead to personal evolution.

Reclaim your wholeness. As you embark on this adventure, pause and ask yourself, 

"What am I like when I feel great--when I am well?"

 "Am I in harmony with my living environment or where I spend most of my time?"

 "What do I love most about myself?"

 "What am I grateful for today?"











Thursday, December 30, 2021

Universal Connection

"All matter originates and exists only by virtue of a conscious and intelligent non-visiblee living energy force. This energy force is the matrix mind of all matter."

~ Max Planch, developer of Quantum Theory


The collective consciousness permeates all beings, affecting our attitudes, feelings, and behaviour. We all are part of the whole, just like cells within a body. They function separately, but also work together as the basis of life itself.

Connections exist not only between objects within the framework of a gien form of matter, but also betweenall its forms, woven together in a kind of infinitely huge skein. Our consciousness can contain any idea, real or imagined, that expresses connections. This idea must of necessity be a link in a chain of other ideas and conceptions.

Just as the collective consciousness can impact you you too can influence the collective consciousness for the better. When we get together and focus our intention on healing something, the vibration we put out affects all beings and the earth. A mass expansion of self-awareness is needed and the opportunity before us is to better harness the energy of Universal Connection in meaningful ways. We are a network of instinct, knowledge, signs, and symbols which may require interpretation before they can be understood.

As a comprehensive system of symbols, tarot is a distinctly Jungian method for accessing the collective unconscious. In, The Archetypes of the Collective Consciousness, Jung wrote, "If one wants to form a picture of the symbolic process, the series of pictures found in alchemy and good examples. It also seems as if the set of picture inthe tarot cards were distnaly descended from the archetrypes of transformation." Tarot has the potential for accessing the alcemical process of transformation. While many believe tarot is used for fortune-telling, it is more usefully viewed as a connectiion to the essence of the internal and external realities at the precise moment the card is brought into consciousness. In theis sense, a tarot card can be a manifestation of synchronicity. 

Every so often, events in the shared reality that make up this multifaceted world coalesce into a moment in which humanity stands poised to make a grand step forward into collective evolution. If ever such a time has been, it is now. You, as you read these words, are an integral part of the waking world. To what extent are you, emerging form the dreamworld of engineered illusion and moving toward greater evolution?

We, the Seekers--the Fools, it is our responsibility to accept the concept of Universal Energy and draw upon it for the improvement of ourselves and each living thing around us.



Monday, September 20, 2021

Rolling In and Rolling Out


In intuitive philosophy, there is a concept called involution. There is also the concept of evolution. Eastern philosphy sometimes refers to this a the Inbreath and the Outbreath of Brahma.

The idea of involution-evolution is multi-facted with one aspect being to perfect the relationship between life and form. 

Simplified, involution is Spirit becoming substance, wrapping itself in a form (a body), and using that form as a means of expression.

The word involution comes from the Latin"involvere". The prefix "In" meaning, in and "volvere" meaning, to roll. Therefore, involution means "to roll into, envelop, and to surround". 

The Latin roots of evolution are, "ex" meaning, out and "volvere" which we learned means "to roll". Evolution has to do with the process of unrolling.

The process of evolution is a process of identification. First, we identify with the physical body, then with our emotions, then with our mind, then with our personality, with our Soul, with our Divine Self, and ultimately we re-identify with Source and oneness. Essentially, that is what evolution is about. And it's what the Spiritual path is about.

So, what does this have to do with our everyday life?

Everything.

The purpose of life is evolution. To evolve means to become less matter and more Spirit. We become that by being committed to daily improvements. This is when real growth happens!

Improvement happens when we watch our selves each day. Observe your thoughts, your emotions, your words, your actions, your moods, your haits--be determined taht you are going to correct some deficiency or do something with greater discipline, care and mastery than you have ever done it before. All it takes is consistent regularity, and before you know it, you will have made 365 improvements!

Every accomplishment, each improvement we make is a step up the ladder of evolution. Why? Because an improvement, in essence, is a subtle raise in frequency, and as we steadily raise our frequency, we evolve out of a dense spectrum into a high frequency one.

Evolution is a step-by-step process. Every deliberate improvement in our thinking, feeling, speaking and acting creates change in the fabric of our bodies through which our consciousness operates. Each good thought, kind deed, pleasant word, or positive goal adds strength to our auric field. Therefore, a commitment to small, daily improvements literally rearranges the constitution of our bodies at a cellular level, increasing the frequency of our auric field.

The higher the frequency of your energy or vibration, the lighter you feel in your physical, emotional, and mental bodies. You experience greater personal power, clarity, pleace, love, and joy. You have little discomfort or pain in your physical body, and your emotions are easily dealth with. 

When you raise your vibration, you create an energetic environment where low density, low vibrational energies are unable to be and function. Low density or low vibrational energies can be negative emotions and thoughts, attachments, imprints or entities. Raising your vibration makes these lower energies no longer part of your reality.

As low vibration energies are reduced, and high, positive ones increase, you will feel more alert, vital and focused. You get a boost to your sense of well-being and wholeness. Things that you once felt were lacking or missing are replaced with a stronger and grounded sense of being.

The higher your vibration, the more expansive you aura and energies become. You take up more space and feel the underlying energetic connections with all of existence more deeply and profoundly. You tend to feel and experience a more palpable oneness with all. Your connection with Mother Earth is strenghtened and you are more grounded which may, in time, reduce over thinking and a feeling of separateness from life.

Raising your vibration is as simple as breathing in and out, deeply and with intention. Place your hand on your abdomen. Invite the vital life force that travels upon breath, into your body. When we breathe down into our bellies and fill ourselves with breath all the way up to the top of our lungs, we are inviting fresh oxygen into each one of our cells. This, in turn, nourishes every system in our bodies. And we stimulate a bundle of nerves at the base of the spine which engage the parasympathetic nervous system, thus inducing relaxation.






Community and Knowledge Building

Being the publisher of niche community content means accepting the time commitment and the processes involved. It means being brave enough...