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.




Panthers in the Temple

  Guardians of the Sacred, Symbols of Transformation Panthers crouch in the shadowed recesses of the Temple of Artemis in Corfu, their stone...