Dedication

We have the power to change our circumstances. All of us do.  Even if we cannot fix every minute problem or relieve every discomfort, we all have powers and abilities that lay dormant at times but that can be awakened, with consciousness with the right catalysts and right energies, within and around us. I intend to provide tools that can be used by anyone, but I am dedicating this work to folks who have been told they will be mentally ill for the rest of their lives, who in many cases are not provided with tools due to the fact that so many believe they would not be competent enough to use them. This assumption is destructive and unfair. I offer what I have and I will not stop offering more as I learn more, in the hopes that my offerings are found useful, even to one other living being.

joining the chorus

joining the chorus can
go hand and hand
with
preaching to the choir
but I do both
on a regular basis
because it must be done
the fights must be won
and yes
I choose my battles
more and more selectively but
there are times
for the warrior to rise
and she does
and eventually she gets wise
wearing a convincing disguise
make way
there will be
so
much more
to say

Dragonfly

"One of the most magical sights on a summer day or early evening is that of the dragonfly. With its shimmering wings and delicate form it seems a creature from the land of Faerie, and it is a power animal which can help to put us in touch with nature spirits.

Dragonfly medicine is about the breaking of illusions, especially those illusions that prevent growth and maturity. Dragonfly is the bringer of visions of power. Flighty and carefree dragonflies symbolize whirlwind, swiftness and activity.

Dragonflies and damoiselleflies live and breed near water. Therefore, they are found around ponds, pools, lakes, rivers, streams, even bayous or swamps. Access to running water is not only preferred, it is essential. Eggs are laid in the water and the entire nymphal (infant) period is spent there. As adults they take to the air. Those who find themselves overwhelmed by emotion and seek some detachment from their problems so that they can solve them can benefit from Dragonfly medicine.

Dragonfly medicine helps during a transition, or it may fortell a time of change. If uncomfortable with innovation, seek assistance from dragonfly, for such things are within its domain.

Dragonfly is of the dreamtime and the illusionary facade we accept as physical reality. The iridescence of Dragonfly's wings reminds us of colors not found in our everyday experience. Dragonfly's shifting of color, energy, form, and movement explodes into the mind of the observer, bringing vague memories of a time or place where magic reigned.

Dragonfly is the essence of the winds of change, the messages of wisdom and enlightenment, and the communications from the elemental world. This elemental world is made up of the tiny spirits of plants, and of the elements air, earth, fire, and water. In essence, this world is full of nature spirits.

Part of dragonfly's medicine is its ability to play among the air currents and to dazzle others with light. However, its gift also carries an implicit warning; as master of illusion, those with dragonfly medicine should be warned not to fool themselves.

If Dragonfly has come to you, you may have forgotten to water your plants. On another level, you may need to give thanks to the foods you eat for sustaining your body. On the psychological level, it may be time to break down the illusions you have held that restrict your actions or ideas.

Dragonfly medicine always beckons you to seek out the parts of your habits which you need to change. Have you put on too much weight, or have you started to look like a scarecrow? Have you tended to the changes you have wanted to make in your life? If you feel the need for change, call on Dragonfly to guide you through the mists of illusion to the pathway of transformation.

See how you can apply the art of illusion to your present question or situation, and remember that things are never completely as they seem.

Dragonfly teaches us how to balance emotion and mental clarity and control. Dragonfly medicine works in a two year cycle, so if Dragonfly has come into your life you can expect change within this time period. Dragonfly people need to honor their health by spending time outdoors in the sunlight near streams or lakes. Dragonfly also teaches us to see through our own illusions."

unknown source

ways to say it

1.
Life is temporary. Express yourself.
Love, The Universe.

2.
Life is. Temporary Express.
Yourself Love. The Universe.

3.
Life is temporary
express yourself
love the universe

Tara

Way back in the beginning of this blog, I explained that Tara's Tongue is named partly for the Goddess of Compassion. I have been giving much thought lately to who or what I think she is. I was raised in an Alternative Faith Tradition, which I will not really go into now, I am only mentioning it to point to a familiarity with the idea of Goddesses.

Faith and practice are separate but very connected. What you believe directly affects what you practice, or do not practice. Like most folks, I work on figuring out what I believe over many years and by trying out different practices. For some folks, this all seems very simple. The truth is such and such, that is all, there is no more to it. Move on. For me, the subtleties, nuances and complexities that are present in spiritual awareness cause me to constantly edit what I was thinking in order to update it to what I currently think. The practice that seems to stay consistent with all the shifting that goes on is compassion. That does not go away. It seems so vital and necessary, and the way I see it, compassion is directly connected to intelligence.

This relates to Tara's Tongue because one of my ideas is that the language of compassion is a language unto itself. Maybe one name for it would be Tara's Tongue, specifically, the mother tongue of our species is inherently a compassionate one. Infants of our species have innate understanding of compassion and a deep need for it. As anyone, who knows anything about human development; will know, without loving touch, without being held for a good part of each day, an infant will suffer terribly and in some cases, may even die. This blog is in many ways a devotional work, the content therein being devoted to the spirit energy of compassion manifested in us and beyond us.

As far as Who or What Tara is, this question is still very much up for debate. The story that seems likely to me is that there is an archetype; meaning : A very typical example of a certain person or thing, or: An original that has been imitated. Maybe she is an archetypal energy found in many places- inside ourselves and each other, in other spirits perhaps, in the water, in the soil and that which nourishes us, that has been so compelling to us that we as Humans, needed to give it a name and honor it as a deity, a Great Goddess. This seems most possible.

Mental health and Choice. Mind over matter, right?!

"Some of the first research in this area focused on simple correlation studies, looking for quantifiable evidence that mental illness is more common among creative people. In a 1987 study, Dr. Nancy Andreason of the University of Iowa, found that a sample of creative writers had significantly higher levels of bipolar disorder than a control group. It is not hard to see how these symptoms might be loosely analogous to creative processes – drawing unusual connections or thinking in a unique way are hallmarks of the artistic mind. But the traits of creativity are not only descriptively similar to some of the side-effects of mental illness – the neurological brain states are actually the same."


Note-
If the brain states are the same, as stated above, why then, would some people express these states in a way that indicates real suffering and other people express them purely in ways that boost their creative output? How can we learn from those who only use the state to be creative, minus the suffering? Is there a way to transfer this ability or teach this ability to people who experience similar states but who appear unable to channel the energy in creative and or productive ways?

Chemical Imbalance theory-

Scientists are quite convinced that medication can correct chemical imbalances. These imbalances typically result in deviant behavior and symptoms people report which suggest that the person is suffering a great deal.

The question that does not often enough get asked is; what are all the other factors involved in each case? There are almost always possibilities that people can recover fully from mental states that were, at one point, or at many points, debilitating.

How much of these cases are mind over matter? How much of the behavior is a choice? None? Some? All? Some variation of these options?

Like so many things, the most probable answer would be that the level of choice involved varies from individual to individual. It would make no sense that two people with the same diagnosis would have all the same abilities to use self control and discipline and so forth in regard to handling their symptoms. It also makes no sense at all to pathologize a person's behavior and attribute all of it to an illness. What kind of role does the "chemical imbalance" really play?

If there were nothing at all to the imbalance theory, as some of the more radical folks suggest, then why would so many people have been successfully treated with medication? There must be some legitimacy to this method of treatment, but clearly it is not the only one or always the right one. We must use discretion and discernment, two things so frequently thrown out the window when it comes to mental health.

My intention in writing about this is to pose questions about a complicated subject and encourage people to think outside the boxes of traditional perspectives. We must think for ourselves, when we are blessed enough to be able to think clearly.

Taking this post in a slightly different but related direction, the idea of heaven and hell as states of mind, not actual places seems very relevant to mental health. This also brings in the matter of spiritual awareness. Many believe that each person "creates" their reality. I think this is an over simplification but what resonates is the idea that our mental state is directly connected to what we create and focus on. Some of what we collectively dream and create is a shared reality, some of it is not shared from community to community let alone from person to person.

In a Christian dominated society, such as ours, with Churches and Cathedrals in great numbers all over this land, the idea of salvation for many laypeople has been relegated to the concept of an external force "saving" us from ourselves. Most people adjust this idea to fit what seems more plausible. I assert that on any given day, we have some heaven and some hell in our thoughts and psyches that we are working with. It is rarely a clear case of either/or. It tends to be a combination.

To be continued....

IN the world, not OF it

"In most of the secret teachings there is the belief that one must separate oneself from the world if one is to awaken to the greater reality beyond this life. Yet if we look closely at this belief, we find that the separation is more accurately a detachment than a separation. One is to strive to release oneself from the possessive power of the things of this world while still actively participating in it. In other words, one is to enjoy food and drink without being possessed by food and drink; one is to enjoy material life without being possessed by it."

This sounds deceptively simple, doesn't it? Do not be possessed by it, right? Just choose not to be. Maybe it is that simple. Maybe, in most cases we can make a conscious choice not to be taken over and possessed by material substance, that which we wear, consume and so forth. If you are in a relatively clear state of mind, this is a task that would not be too challenging to accomplish.

The Occupy Movement has a clear purpose-here is a version of it

"We the people (also part of Occupy Wall Street) declare treason against any corporations or banks who seek or have sought to subvert the will of the people by unconstitutional means. We declare the purpose of the occupy movement is to make known that there are private corporations and banks in this nation who have systematically infiltrated all the branches and boards of our government as well as our voting system by bribery, promises, rewards, and monetary gain thus trampling the rights and the will of the people. We demand a reversal of all laws created by bribery to the benefit of said corporations. We demand enforcement of all laws designed to prevent such infiltration. We demand any such corporation or branch of government in violation are held to account and charged with treason and enact the people's power to dismantle and rebuild each branch in accordance with the constitution."

and a good quote to follow...

"Loyalty to the country always, loyalty to the government when it deserves it!"