The Four Kingdoms of Food

I wanted to share this great interview that my wonderful partner, Daniel Vitalis, did this past week on Patrick Timpone’s radio show, One Radio Network. Daniel’s teachings revolve around the Elements ~ Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. In this interview with Patrick, he shares information about the Four Kingdoms of Food ~ Animals, Plants, Fungi, and Bacteria ~ How those categories apply to our health and vitality. Daniel goes in depth with information, and strategies to implement into your personal diet to heal and thrive. This is a must listen, for sure!

Follow this link and scroll down, to find the button leading to this amazing interview with D! www.oneradionetwork.com

Visit Daniel at his personal site, www.danielvitalis.com

Fishy Goodness!

This weekend I am up in Maine visiting a few of my close friends, one of whom is a superb traditional style chef. Spring and summer up here means fresh, wild fish from right off the coast, which I am so excited about! This weekend we are going to visit a fisherman down the road to purchase some local fish, who sells fresh fish out of the back of his truck everyday! In my opinion, wild harvested fish are the most nutritionally saturated and stable of fish. Farm raised fish, such as salmon from farms in Canada, are hybridized and unnatural species. I think it is important to consume animals as close to their natural species as possible. Not to mention, it is excellent being able to purchase fish from a local source, rather than fish from the health food store that has been shipped across the U.S. or overseas.

Wild fish are a great source for omega-3 essential fats – Particularly DHA and EPA, the fats that our brain thrive on, use to stabilize and increase function for that matter. Wild fish are full of protein, vitamin A & C, calcium, and iron. The nutritional properties of fish help in protection from all sorts of degenerative diseases, help to treat inflammation, autoimmune disorders, high blood pressure, and arthritis. Not to mention, pretty much all fish are totally delicious! NICE!

Below is a video of my friend Franky, “Chef Franky G”, sharing a simple and delicious crusted wild salmon recipe! Wild salmon are one of my favorite types of fish, and foods in general! Find Franky on youtube for more wonderful video recipes which he posts almost daily, or on his website www.frankgiglio.com

Journeying

Here I am, back in motion with reality… Grounded into home life after a epically transformational journey.

I just returned from Arizona, where I worked and played at a retreat hosted by a few of my Sisters, out in the desert on magickal land. The retreat is known as Epic Eden Hot Springs (www.epicedenhotsprings.com) Side note: Get to the next Epic Eden retreat if you know what is best for yourself! The next retreat is being held October 6-10, 2010. It is held on powerful land and is guaranteed to be a transformational experience. My visit to Eden was a potent one: Yes, transformational, for lack of a better word. I have been processing the experience, attempting to summarize it verbally, but continue to be at a loss for words in fully encompassing how amazing this experience was. Every moment on the land, surrounded by the beautiful community was pure magick.

If I tried to write a entry going through the whole trip, I would be writing for eternity. I spent ten days on the land of Eden connecting with my long awaited Spirit family, soaking in geothermal hot springs, harvesting wild plant medicine and salt, eating fresh goji berries, sungazing, dancing, celebrating, laughing, crying, and feeling Gaia in all her embrace. Learning more about myself in each passing moment. Eden changed me.

Now I am back, integrating my experience into my reality. There is one experience that I am choosing to share, which stood out for me in particular. While on the land, I spent some time communing with the local medicine. I chose to journey with one medicine, on a special evening accompanied by some family, gathered at the Source of the hot springs. All of the six geothermal hot springs stem off from the same initial source, up on the hill of Eden. Below is a photo of the Divine Source, taken by my friend Sean Stuchen – A phenomenal photographer, he is (www.seanstuchen.com)

Gathered around the Source, we chose to honor it – The element of water, in our ceremony. We gave a focus to the Source, but we also honored all of the elements – Earth, Air, Fire, Water, Ether – Accompanied by the Seven Directions – North, East, South, West, Father Sky Above, Mother Earth Below, and Within. Thanks were given. The space was sacred. Completion of our ceremony led into our journeying. A journey I will never forget.

I was blessed with a vision. A special vision, that correlates deeply with my life. Yes, we went DEEP. My vision represented the six senses, embodied by the Eye of Horus, from Ancient Egyptian Symbology. The Eye of Horus, also known as the Eye of Ra (Sun), is the Ancient Egyptian Symbol for protection and royal power. It is personified by the Goddess Wadjet: The risen one. The Eye of Horus and Wadjet herself, were known to ward off evil. The symbol was used frequently by the Ancient Egyptians in hieroglyphs and painted on various things they wanted to protect. In the Ancient Egyptian measurement system, the Eye Of Horus defined Old Kingdom number one (1) = 1/2 + 1/4 + 1/8 + 1/16 + 1/32 + 1/64. These numbers are the divination of the senses, all encompassed within the Eye of Horus. It is a fractional quantification system to measure parts of a whole.

Above, is a representation of the Eye of Horus itself. I will now explain how the Eye is broken into pieces and the numbers it is associated with. The Eye is its whole, is measured at 1, whole. The piece below the corner of the eye is 1/64, and is associated with the touch. Individually, it represents planting a stick into the ground; A stalk that will take root, deep into the Earth. Earth is touch. The planting is physical contact and touch.

The swirl below the pupil is 1/32, and is taste. It reminds me of a tongue. The swirl is the sprouting of the wheat or grain from the planted stalk, mentioned previously. We eat the planted food, thus… Taste. Touch + Shape = Taste.

The left corner of the eye, the triangular shape on the left side of the pupil is 1/16, representing the ear and hearing and points toward the ear. Sound requires touch and taste; A combination of the lower senses.

The line above the eye, the eyebrow, is 1/8 and is associated with thought. We use our eyebrows to animate our though processes. Eyebrows are close to our third-eye where our consciousness is held. Touch + Taste + Hearing = Thought

The pupil of the eye is 1/4 – You guessed it, it represents sight.

The right corner of the eye, the triangular shape on the right side of the pupil is 1/2. It points to the nose, and represents smell.

How cool, eh? I never enjoyed arithmetic growing up, but this blows my mind because there is so much more being presented with that image that math! Not to mention, it is a totally gorgeous image too!

So, why was the Eye of Horus the center of my vision? Why has it stayed with me, ingrained in my memory bank? Why do I feel totally drawn and connected to the image? It could be the Goddess history that is associated with it, and I am fully into Goddess worship and studies. Perhaps it was calling in of the elements and directions that brought awareness to the senses. We need our senses to connect to the elements and directions. Maybe it was the reminder of interconnectedness that proved clear through my journey in that sensitive state – So very sensitive to all of the senses, I was. The Eye of Horus is an interconnected representation of our sensory function in life. It feels completely inter-dimensional to me – Like some kind of catalyst, or conduit into my Higher Self.

Now, I am feeling totally drawn to studies of the Ancient Egyptians and travel to Egypt. I am interested to see how the Eye of Horus presents itself more in my lifetime; What other interconnected relations surface with that image – What it teaches me.

Eden taught me. She taught me about my being, my relationships, my voice, my passion, my love. She crocheted me deeper into the ever present, deeply weaved community of life which I am forever grateful for. She shared love. That is all it really is anyway, right? It’s all-ways all love

Spring Regeneration

I’m feeling that spring is in full swing at this point! With a few consecutive warm and sunny days up in New England, the renewal of this season has gone into effect. With new seasons, come new chapters in life.

This state of renewal has been flowing strongly through me. Winter seems to be a time of introspection, and boy did I inspect my inner self this winter! Major physical healing, emotional shifting, realization, and over all life transformation took place, for me. With spring at our heels, I feel ready to come out of my winter shell. I having been waking up joyful, to the sun beaming through my window, excited for the adventures to come of the day… and every day certainly is an adventure, it seems! I am awake and prepared for the next phase of this experience and all it has to offer.

I learned something very important this winter, at some point along the emotional roller coaster. I see that there tends to be an image projected at times, or at least there was an image that I attached to at one time or another, promoting that a constant state of bliss, happiness, or joy is the way of life and how we should feel at all times. A kind of fantasy emotional state of being. Maybe it was the teachers whose work I was following previously, or somehow just developed the idea in my head that perpetual bliss was how I should always feel in order to have an abundant, and happy life. Of course, blissful emotion and states of simplistic joy are embraced, welcomed and one of the best feelings in the world – I am not questioning that. Nor am I promoting that a negative attitude or living in a state of anger is normal, or healthy. Really, I came to the realization, that emotions of lower spirits such as a state of melancholy or a surge of anger for whatever reason, are normal. Our emotions ebb and flow like the rolling waves, and are sensitive to the experiences that come up in life.

I somehow cultivated this way of thinking, that if I wasn’t happy all of the time, there was something wrong with me. I wasn’t living my life the way I should be. I was unhealthy. I looked around at people, and moreso teachers whom I admired that seemed to live in these blissful states all of the time. You can imagine the fight that went on between my inner critic and myself, in my head. I was happy (and am very happy, currently) but would experience sorrow, anger, dull emotion, or random gloominess and really resent myself for it. I hated the fact that I wasn’t constantly blissed out, prancing around with a smile on my face. The surges of joy would come and go, and I would always wonder where they went. Why wasn’t I always just purely overjoyed?

Maybe it was the further study of Women, our bodies, and our emotions that brought on this realization, or maybe it was beginning to follow the work of teachers who were more real and open about their emotion. I say, it was probably a combination. Not that I follow the every move of those I study from, but of course we are all influenced by those who teach us on a large scale. My studies of Women, and my experiences with my female teachers kept coming back to the same conclusion: Times of low emotion are just as beneficial as time of higher vibration emotions.

When I found peace with these emotions that I resented myself for experiencing, those surges of bliss became much more frequent and even more intense. Interesting how that works, eh? I made peace with the fact that it is completely natural to experience anger, feel uninspired, or sad. Low times are our teachers. We battle with our emotions and dig up the roots of what brought on those feelings, thus healing ourselves on a deeper level. We are warriors on a quest to heal years, past lives, and the damages done to our earth over hundreds of years. Of course feelings of grief are going to come up, sometimes! Look at what has happened to our world over the years. Our cells are imprinted with the good, and the bad history.

Now, I have learned to embrace the emotions considered to be negative, as much as I do the positive ones. Both have valuable lessons to share with us, bringing forth growth and greater happiness in the long run. The bliss is ever greater, the love ever stronger, and the life ever better!

Feeling gratitude for it all – good and “bad” feelings, and the new chapter I have begun on this path.

Our Primal Scents

Body odor – Or so our scents are classified as, generally, these days. I would rather refer to these odorous chemicals as, our pheromones; Rightfully so, as that is what they are.

Pheromones are secreted/excreted chemical factors that trigger a response in members of the same species. We all react to the smell of another, through some kind of judgement (attraction, disgust, curiosity, etc.) correct? These chemicals, pheromones, act outside of the body of the secreting individual provoking a behavioral response in the receiver. By the receiver, I mean, the person in contact with whom is secreting pheromones. Here are the derivatives of the word, pheromone: Pherein (to transport) and hormone (to stimulate). Transporting stimuli is exactly what they are!

There are several kinds of pheromones which we produce. One is the alarm pheromone, which only some species secrete upon being attacked. Many are aware of the polyphenols in plants called tannins, which are released upon their consumption by another species. The tannins bind the proteins and amino acids in the plant, causing them to be indigestible by us. Well, you could guess it… These tannins are the plants alarm pheromones! Could it be, perhaps, their attempt at conveying their not wanting to be eaten?! There are several different pheromones produced by species to mark or guard their territories, such as territorial pheromones, aggregation pheromones, and information pheromones.

Here is the juicy one – What this post is all about… The Sex pheromones. We both secrete them; Women and Men. They aid in our attracting one another, as well as the function of the female reproductive system. A wild study was done by researchers in Philadelphia, in which extracted male pheromones were taped to the upper lip of several Women. All of their menstrual cycles regulated. Who knew… The masculine scent can aid in our hormonal regularity! At the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, their studies showed that Women who had sex with Men at least once a week, had more regulated cycles, had higher fertility rates, and milder menopausal symptoms in comparison to Women who rarely had sex.

I chart my menstrual cycle daily, tracking the each day individually, while calculating my fertility. I have spoken previously about how I was without my cycle for quite sometime. Well, since I have had it back with pretty exact regularity, I took note of something interesting potentially taking place. I read the study above, about male pheromones influencing Women’s cycles. Aside from one month since November, I have had a regulated cycle while I have also been spending time with the same man every two weeks, relatively. Our visits always land when I am ovulating, or when I am menstruating. Could our regular time together, and his potent pheromones have influenced the regulating of my cycle? Well, among other things, I think it may have played a role! Making this connection, that could perhaps be influencing my hormone balance was really cool!

It is interesting to me, the way that Women tend to try and cover up their pheromones. I can understand why, I suppose, for our odors tend to be categorized as body hair is, in society: Dirty. If someone has an odor to them, generally they are thought to be “smelly” or “dirty”. Yes, there is a difference between not showering and actually being dirty, and the natural pheromones we produce all day long, even after showering. Personally, I love the smell my body secretes. It is a natural secretion from my temple! Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy complimenting my own scents with fragrant essential oils. However, perfumes? Really?! Most perfumes are composed of dozens of toxic, xeno-estrogenic, chemicals and even a bit smells like too much. How about encouraging your own beautiful scent with natural oils instead?

Quick aside – Knowing this information about our pheromone secretions, I pay attention to when my scents are strongest or the changes that they make. I have found that when I am around the Man that I am attracted to, my body secretes a very potent scent which he always seems to notice. Am I calling in the sexual exchange? On a day-to basis without seeing him, my pheromones are extremely tame, and almost non-existent! Wow! Another time when my pheromones are strong, is when I spend time around powerful Women, high with feminine energy. The higher the energy is amongst us, the more potent the smells are! One time in particular, after at Women’s empowerment event that was completely full-on, I left feeling really grounded in my sexual feminine nature and my pheromones were totally over the top! Like, seriously… So potent. It blew my mind, making it so obvious what kind of energies and environments influence the secretion of our “sex scents”.

Majority of Men I have spoken to about the smells Women produce, absolutely love it! They think the smells are sexy… Maybe because they are sex hormones being transported to the male, via scent? I’d say so! I must say, a man with his intoxicating pheromones radiating off of him is freaking HOT! I mean, come on… Their primal scents actually aid our hormonal health. SWEET! Talk about the right reasons to embrace the Divine Masculine!

Anyway, I thought it important to share my thoughts and research on this amazing chemical exchange we have between sexes. We actually draw one another through our bodily scents. How primal

Sustainability in an Un-Sustainable Society

The focus of today’s post is around the topic of sustainable lifestyle. For me, it is all about self-reliability. Self-sustainability. Not out of a fear-based mentality, but because I find value in being able to take care of myself without having to rely so dependently on external sources, in any aspect of life. In this context, I am mainly referring to food sourcing and the ability to sustain myself without so many of the tools of domestication we have today. Yes – Primitive skills are important. Who knows what could happen at any moment, leaving you only the tools of nature work with! Say, the power goes out mid-winter, for example. It would come in handy to know the hand-drill method of creating fire, naturally, to heat your home. What about how to layer clothing to retain the most body heat possible? What is the best fiber to wear to retain this heat? The answer is wool, over and over, again! Do you know how to check for dehydration? Well, you can press your fingernail, causing it to whiten… If the pinkish color returns immediately, you are hydrated. If it takes a few seconds, you need hydration. You can use the same method with your skin: Pinch the skin on your hand, and it should snap back into place with elasticity. If it does not, you need water.

The same concept goes for food. I want to know where my food is coming from. Every part of my meal. Personally, I don’t want fruit shipped from Argentina in January, supplied by a farmer I do not know. In my opinion, the least impact I can have on my environment is by sourcing all of my foods locally, from Vermont or within the North East. This involves the least use of fossil fuels in transportation and the knowledge of who is producing the foods I choose to put in my body. I know they are safe, free of excessive toxins from transportation, and from right in my area. They are what my natural environment is providing me; Not an environment in another corner of the world, which I am not tuned into. Not only do I find it important to know my local source of foods, but I like to be able to forage foods on my own. This means, having the ability to identify wild edibles in nature, know how to consume them safely, how to trap animals for consumption in the wild, etc.

For me, self-sustainability is gratifying. Knowing that I can thrive, totally in-tune with my current ecosystem feels natural to me. I do not need papayas in February, flown to Vermont from Hawaii – Killing large numbers of animals in the process due to the toxicity produced by the methods used in getting the produce here. I would much rather take a ten minute drive to a farm near my home, to pick up some nourishing raw, organic milk and cream from some beautiful grass-fed Jersey cows who want to share their milk. Do you know the farmer of your produce? Luckily for Vermonters, we are blessed with an abundance of local foods year round. Winter time brings us tons of root vegetables, great for nourishing soups. Dairy and meat are definitely a staple for me during these cold months, especially. The animal products are always available in abundance. I know the farmers of my food. I play with the cows who give me their milk and see the whole process of where my meat comes from. I see them eating highly-mineralized grass which will be converted into minerals in my body in just a few minutes. A cup of Chaga tea, extracted by myself personally, from a mushroom that I found in the wild forests here in Vermont has healed me on a much deeper level than any supplement imported from China, California, or who knows where, ever has. I feel safe knowing how to build a snow-hut that I can sleep in overnight… Warmly, for that matter! Or how to make totally durable cordage from a plant like Milkweed, that grows abundantly all around the North East.

Yes, we are living in a highly domesticated society at the moment where it may seem these primitive and sustainable practices are useless because technology has replaced these natural methods. However, it is quite the opposite. Now, more than ever, we should be practicing self-sustainability if the whole mission itself, is to pursue sustainability in this lifetime and try and take care of the planet. Maybe we should take a second to consider where our food is coming from and what we would do if we had to survive in an extended power-outage. This world throws us curve balls regularly, and we don’t know what is coming next. It might be a good idea to delve into the knowledge and understanding of living self-sustainably, in honor of your being and Mother Earth.

I find deep passion in practicing these primitive skills and knowing the sources of everything I consume. It brings me the utmost joy and satisfaction to build a fire in my fireplace, completely by hand, for fun (and sometimes out of necessity) – Using two sticks to create a burning coal which I use to light a roaring fire. No matches, no lighters. Going to the farm, hanging with the farmers and cows is totally fun for me. I am anything but fearful! Really, I am excited. Excited to have come to a place in my journey where I am living a lifestyle that feels optimum for my health, happiness, and for the planet!

In January, I attended a primitive skills workshop where we learned how to make fire by hand, build snowshoes with natural materials, build live-able snow huts, create animal traps, etc! Below is a video of our class making the snow huts! I am featured in part of it, helping to build a hut called a Quinzee, that we slept in, in -8 degree weather!

They are totally amazing crew up there, and recommend all of their courses!

One more video I want to share with you, was made by my friends Camille and Frank Giglio. In the video, they share their vision of sustainability and living in harmony with your surroundings. They are on the same mission toward sustainable living as I am, and bring great awareness to the topic!