consciousness Archives - Page 9 of 20 -

Garden Time

By Simone Lipscomb | April 16, 2013

How much grass is in a bit of land eight feet by twenty feet? After three days of intermittent hard-core shoveling, kneeling, sorting and sweating I am no closer to knowing how much sod it takes to cover that much ground but I do know how much fuller my compost bin is after hauling the final remnants of grass from my new garden space.

I live under live oak trees with very little sunny areas for growing vegetables or sun-loving flowers so the decision to take this small strip of grass and turn it into a place to grow food and flowers seemed the next step in rebelling against the corporate mindset that seduces us into believing we have to purchase our food from a box or can that has been adulterated with toxic chemicals, petroleum-based fertilizers and genetically altered food. The only grass that had to be mowed on my property is now being composted. So I’m saving fuel, creating less carbon emissions and I’m growing food…and food for my soul–flowers.

It was grueling work that was aided by heavy rainfall that softened the soil. There was a window of opportunity that would close once the ground became dry. So hours were spent on my knees listening to song birds, hawks, the neighbor’s chickens and rain drops dripping from branches. My mind relaxed and I sank into earth time. If I tried to rush it seemed little progress was made; however, once I paused and intentionally connected with that slow, steady heartbeat of the planet, it seemed as if the task progressed quicker. Ah….a good lesson.

During the hours of manual labor my mind brought up questions to ponder. Probably the most important was this: What would it be like if we let go of roles we think we should play and simply were present to enJOY relationships? Or jobs? Or places we live? What if we let go of the need to assign a task to ourselves, a reason for being….and simply enJOYed life?

How often do we validate our worth by the role we play? Or think we should play? What if there really are no roles we are asked to act out? What if our ‘value’ simply comes from being present..with ourselves…with others…with the planet….with life! Why do we believe we have to ‘serve a purpose’ to another person? Isn’t just being present enough?

Obviously I spent a LOT of time digging and sorting over the past few days and have pondered many questions. The rhythm of Earth Mother pulled me deeper into my body, into relationship with Her and in the process helped me gain understanding. Perhaps my new little patch of freshly planted soil will bring more than vegetables and flowers. Perhaps my new path to healing and wholeness is garden time.

Alchemy

By Simone Lipscomb | April 3, 2013

*Adam Burgess and Kerry Parks heating glass*

The audience sat transfixed as these magicians created a work of beauty, of art, from scraps of glass–bits left over from other projects. Recycling at its best.

Adam Burgess and Kerry Parks took us through their process of glass making beginning with a flat sheet of bits of different colored glass. With careful heating, molding and blowing, these artists wove a spell of magic as they demonstrated the art of creation.

As I watched the intense heat necessary it reminded me of the heat present when this planet was formed….magma, lava, hot gases spewing and the end result was this blue planet…this ocean planet.

And our lives too are created from the stress of intense events or heat and pressure that cause us to evolve into higher expressions of ourselves…or break into pieces if we choose not to grow. It seems so simple writing it here but the process of self-transformation is truly a journey of creation, of becoming.

I’m grateful for Kerry and Adam and their art that reminds me to allow the fire of purification to consume me, burn off the dross and create within myself something really, truly beautiful. We’re all works of art going through alchemical changes that help us become, in essence, who we already are.

Adam and Kerry work at the Hot Shop in Orange Beach Art Center. Classes are available as well as their beautiful art at the gallery.

A Living Shoreline

By Simone Lipscomb | March 28, 2013

On April 6th volunteers working with The Nature Conservancy, The Ocean Foundation, Restore Coastal Alabama, Alabama Coastal Foundation and Mobile Baykeeper will create another living shoreline at Pelican Point at the mouth of Weeks Bay. The area of Pelican Point has experienced significant habitat loss and erosion. This effort is part of a goal to restore 1000 acres of coastal marsh and seagrass.

What an amazing opportunity…restore a place to its original condition. That helps the fish, crustaceans, birds and people who live in and around it.

It made me think about opportunities we have as humans to restore ourselves. As we move through life we experience wounding. Much of this happens in childhood and it’s not necessarily intentional from those who hurt us. It happens. So we develop a story around our wounds and our entire life is choreographed by the story we have created around them. We come to identify almost completely with the wounds instead of who we really are.

For instance, if as a child you are constantly criticized, you might come to the conclusion that you are not good enough. So you weave a myth around this and draw experiences to you that tend to mirror this belief. Or maybe your parents were disappointed that you weren’t a boy…or a girl…or even that you were born. The story you weave could be that you were not wanted so you tell yourself that nobody really wants you for who you really are. Or if your parents divorce or a parent dies you might feel abandoned and carry this very deep storyline throughout your life and consistently ‘create’ situations in relationships where you are abandoned, rejected.

What if we identify our ‘original’ wounds and create a living shoreline within ourselves…we can restore ourselves to wholeness by naming the beliefs that eroded our lives.

With the Living Shoreline Restoration Project they are using over 20,000 blocks to build a reef. The concept is the same for us. We can rebuild our lives by re-writing our personal myth–the story we live by–and in essence change our lives.

What a different life a person could live if he believed he is smart and capable and worthy of love. Or that she is wanted and beautiful. Or that she can have a consistent and dependable relationship and be accepted by her partner. Wouldn’t that be worth the effort?

What if we think of ourselves as a living shoreline in need of repair and build on the beauty within us…that’s always been there. What would your new story be like? What would you use for building material? What is your happily-ever-after?

To Be a Bromeliad Farmer….or Vulture Goddess?

By Simone Lipscomb | March 24, 2013

This is NOT representative of this morning's behavior from my darlings. — *This is NOT representative of this morning’s behavior from my darlings.*

I awakened to soft thuds overhead. Cat play on carpet. I had been dreaming of a white vulture soaring overhead and waked in the middle of the dream. I lay there half awake wondering the meaning of such an unfamiliar symbol. Heady thoughts so early in the morning and soon interrupted by the thundering of cats down the stairway.

Gracie practiced her balance beam act on the footboard while Stanley practiced his gymnastic moves above me on the headboard. The hawk screeching outside my home and the combined acrobatics of my cat companions called me to get up and check the weather forecast.

Last night I read where high winds were predicted for today so when it was quiet outside I literally ran to put on my SUP boarding shorts and shirt and was out the door before coffee. I could smell the salt marsh far upriver so the wind announced itself with gentleness, prior to anything more than a whisper. By the time I reached the downriver side of Bemis Bay the ripples began. As I rounded the corner at Washer Woman’s Point, I saw and felt the beginnings of the ‘serious’ wind…but that wasn’t what really caught my attention.

Perched on a cypress tree was a beautiful vulture, wings spread, heart facing the morning sun. Her wing feathers were white and so I remembered the dream. But I had the rest of my four mile paddle to complete and lucky for me, had a downwinder on the way back up river.

My experimental wall garden..the 2 x 4 will be painted once it is dried — *My experimental wall garden..the 2 x 4’s will be painted once they are dry*

The rest of the day was spent putting together a project I’ve been dreaming of for weeks–designing and building a system to grow veggies and herbs on the east side of my home. Literally…on my home. It’s very sunny there, while the rest of my yard isn’t and the garage gets very hot in the summer so I wanted to install some sort of green wall to see if it would keep my garage from boiling during July and August.

*My new bromeliad friends make the courtyard an even happier place*

I would rather grow flowers because I simply have a thing for them. But my farmer genes nudge me to try my hand once again at growing food. My dad and grandfather would probably laugh at my vertical garden. And honestly, I bought more flowers—some outrageous bromeliads. I can’t help it. Can’t I live off of beauty? Do I really have to eat?

All through the day of building, possibly cursing at trying to hold 8 foot 2 x 4’s up while screwing them into the wall, attaching the boxes, planting the plants into the boxes….I kept thinking about the white vulture. When I finished my farmer-girl activities I ran upstairs and looked up ‘white vulture’ on my trusty internet search engine.

It is a symbol of the feminine in Egyptian mythology. In Pueblo mythology it is a symbol of restored harmony that had been broken. It is a symbol of the return of the self. (Pause…..and repeat please).

Photo of me probably 17 years ago.... — *Photo of me probably 17 years ago….*

How appropriate. How perfect. Since my father’s illness and death (when I was 21) I have been in a series of relationships with no gap between them. Recently I have done some deep healing as I find myself alone for the first time in 32 years. And I wanted to be alone as I found myself repeating the same old patterns. Sick of myself, I journeyed out on my own to heal. To grow. I couldn’t repeat the familiar behaviors anymore. It was deadening.

At this almost year mark of my time with only me and my baggage, I find myself dreaming of white vultures and realizing that I am discovering who I am…I had never given myself space or time to figure that out and in some ways had remained the wounded young woman throughout my relationships. How appropriate that in my time of conscious healing, the goddess of feminine energy pays me a dreamtime visit.

After all these years I am finally healing the old wounds. I have no idea where this new-found wholeness will take me but I’m guessing it has something to do with growing flowers or morphing into a vulture….once I figure it out I’ll let you know.

Blue Heart of the Planet

By Simone Lipscomb | March 21, 2013

When the weather doesn’t cooperate with my exercise plans I use the elliptical trainer. I’ve been watching TED talks while working out–specifically the series on the Ocean. One of the presenters referred to the Ocean as being the ‘blue heart of the planet’ so on this first day of spring, I wanted to celebrate the Ocean….the one massive Ocean that covers 71% of the Earth’s surface and contains 97% of the planet’s water (NOAA).

We know that the Ocean is the lungs of our planet. Although estimates vary, somewhere between 70 and 80% of Earth’s oxygen is produced by phytoplankton in the ocean. Rain forests and trees are very important and provide the other 20% to 30% of vital oxygen.

Dr. Sylvia Earle reported in one TED Talk that 90% of the Ocean’s big fish are gone. Ninety percent….gone. This is directly the result of overfishing…taking fish faster than they can reproduce.

I was thinking about the interconnection of the Ocean and all life on the planet. Truly, if the Ocean dies, humans will die…unless we learn to breath a mixture of less than 21% oxygen. Divers know better, so do scientists….and physicians. We simply cannot survive on less oxygen…at least not for any length of time.

After watching the TED talks, two stories came to my attention that broke my heart. First, over 200 manatees have died this year due to red tide or an algae bloom in Florida waters. Red tide is caused by a combination of factors that can include warm Ocean temperatures, high nutrient content (from fertilizers and sewage effluent) and low salinity (that might happen after heavy rain). Manatees are endangered and their recovery was looking very good so this is a major setback. You might not care about manatees so why should it concern you? The algae associated with red tide can cause respiratory distress in humans and can make people sick if they eat shellfish or fish that have eaten or been exposed to the algae. That interconnected idea…it’s for real!

The other news was especially difficult to hear and even though it doesn’t involve ocean animals directly, it is a species genetically related to manatees. A story on NPR told of how poachers are killing African elephants in numbers so great that their numbers have been reduced 62% in ten years. A reporter told of witnessing 100 men on horseback rounding up herds of elephants and using assault rifles and grenade launchers to kill elephants for the ivory trade in China. Diplomatic jets from China transport the ivory back where the growing middle class and upper class pay over $1300 a kilo (2.2 pounds).

*Overlay image of dolphin necropsy taken from a baby dolphin in Key West*

Can you imagine our planet without elephants? Or manatees? Can you imagine humans capable of murdering innocent animals such as elephants…or dolphins like they do in Japan? Innocent creatures.

The heart of our planet is in danger and not just the blue heart. It seems as though the collective human soul is filled with violence and greed. While listening to the elephant story I sobbed and screamed….I am so angry about human arrogance and greed. We are capable of such love and beauty and at the same time capable of unspeakable acts of violence and aggression.

One of the TED talk scientists spoke of how easy it is to become overwhelmed with all of the horrible things happening on our planet. His suggestion was to do everything you can in your own life and then choose one place or one animal on the planet and call that your project of hope. Support it, educate people about it, study it. If we focus on everything that’s wrong we get depressed, angry…we become ineffective. But if we work on our home life and that one special project of hope, we can continue to be an advocate for positive change in the world.

Now is not the time to give up. It’s not too late. As Sylvia Earle said, “The good news is there’s still 10% of the big fish left on the planet.”

May our hearts join together in support of the blue heart of the planet and may there be a collective awakening of love and light. Nothing else will create the change that is necessary for planetary health…of which humans are an important part.