regenerating clear waters with Earth

orange, ultramarine blue & ultramarine violet oxides
on stone with a tributary of the Roundout River,

Alligerville, Ny, 7/3/15

chakra/Grafton Peace Pagoda

beeswax and natural pigments on stones

6/21/15

Summer Solstice

~Love, Peace and Co-Creativity with All~

the Grafton Peace Pagoda was my third stop preceded by Providence, RI and NYC/Turtle Pond in Central Park and Union Square in this land geometry energetic piece. I'll be writing more on this and posting...

~enThanks~

EmPower 

Aligning with inner

and outer 

perfection of nature.

discovering the power 

of alignment, 

through a process, 

time,

space,

honoring our unity 

of oneness,

layering of color, 

& line

creates me whole,

in gratitude,

peace,

love...


                                                                       
....© *    Greg Patch  2011.....

* © is intended for thieves only...

Full Moon in Libra and ...

...Grand Cross effecting mutables; Pisces, Gemini, Virgo and Sagittarius... (i didn't know!)
http://newpa.info/ astrologer Tom Lescher for a look at the week...

P48 & P50 a collaboration continues

a collaboration continues

P48 & P50 http://gregpatch.blogspot.com/2012/03/p48-p50.html

"...a proc(gr)essing transformation..."

is at Progressive Gardens, 6005 Oleander Dr in Wilmington, NC. Please stop by and collaborate by contributing your artistic expression (yeah, like the heart, we all have it!). While there you can sign up for CSA/Community Sustainable Agriculture or get your self a new Vortex Brewer for the new year...

Our spoken/drawn/written/etc words will be imprinted into the land and travel the ley lines of the earth grid, delivering our intentions around the globe and into the universe.  These spoken intentions will travel within, along the grid of meridians within our bodies and awaken and reinforce our cellular memory, reinforcing our commitment to our new evolution.

Love, Peace and Co-Creativity

May the Solstice Be with You

onion                                                         ©Greg Patch

Brownies

Brownies                                digital                             ©Greg Patch

8' bamboo ends circular

8' bamboo ends circular                         ©Greg Patch

yesterday went out to friends Damon and Georgia and gathered bamboo with being feasted upon by swarms of mosquitos after a rain. was that really a necessary sacrificing!? Many thanks to Bamboo, Damon, Georgia, My Self and yes, the friggin mosquitos!
after pruning branch and branch nodes i cut 8' lengths and tied together for hanging "Love, Peace & CoCreativity ...a pro(c)(g)ressing transformation...".
"may the circle be unbroken".

"...a pro(c)(g)ressing transformation..." note 16

it's a couch painting

at a hanging to dry stage with "...a pro(c)(g)ressive transformation...". I'm applying a mix, 6:1, of yellow beeswax and Dammar resin. Beeswax that is yellow versus the white is abundant with pollen oils and propolis. I'm enjoying the warmth of the yellow tones of it now and will play with the white at some time.
Have not yet found a local beekeeper who has enough to supply me with the wax. The beeswax & Dammar resin I ordered from www.earthpigments.com.
"Dammar is a natural resin used as a very traditional medium and varnish. For use as a varnish, dissolve the resin in a solvent such as turpentine or our citrus solvent. Dammar can also be melted. It is often combined with beeswax for Encaustic painting to harden and add gloss. Our 100 g Dammar resin is smaller pieces packaged in cotton bags ready to submerge in 200 ml of solvent, and the 250g and 500g are sold as loose nuggets. Obtained from a renewable resource, its production helps support indigenous people and protect the rainforest by replacing other non-renewable industries such as logging. Melting point 176 degrees farenheit. Do not heat over an open flame."
Earthpigments also has many recipes on their site. I'm using a recipe I got from another source because.

practice uniting our hearts with our minds we begin to unite with Love and Peace within and without

Cypress Bolus Cones                    2011                     ©Greg Patch

 Went to Moores Creek Battlefield on the Capricorn Full Moon to activate Love, Peace and Co-Creativity into the land as a way to release violent revolution from the land's memories. The ancient Cypress in the swamp there have been doing the work for melennia in releasing these Earth energies. My speaking with them and photographing them gave human acknowledgement that the time is now. In the background is the replica of the bridge where dozens of Loyalists to the King of England were shot down by Patriots waiting behind "earthworks" in the cold, dark night of the swamp on February 27, 1776 at the beginning of the American Revolution. Taxes and injustice by the ruling Colonial government of England were basic reasons behind the Revolution.

Ripples of Co-Creativity              2011              ©Greg Patch

Through our practice of Love, Peace and Co-Creativity ripples span out infinitely on the calm healing waters of swamp. By uniting our hearts with our minds we begin to unite with Love and Peace within and without.

"...a progressing transformation..." note 15

The dimensions of the piece is 47" x 73". Finer particles of ash, a couple more lighting sticks, perhaps some crayon, plant materials, etc aren't placed at this stage. Am working on the right combination of beeswax, sustainably harvested Dammar resin and solvent for an added an adherence and a preserving finish. 

 The coals from the fire that were formed at this stage when the water from the rains fell.

 Elder Sambucus nigra from the land gifted us with leaf and stem. Later in the summer the bush will flower and its delicious berries and strong dye will appear. Elder is a powerful healer.

I highly recommend further reading from the sidebar on this blog in exploring Elder. In being aligned with Elder its energetics and medicine is gratefully accepted.

Below is from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elder_tree

A 2001 study entitled "The effect of Sambucol, a black elderberry-based, natural product, on the production of human cytokines: I. Inflammatory cytokines" concluded: "We conclude from this study that, in addition to its antiviral properties, Sambucol Elderberry Extract and its formulations activate the healthy immune system by increasing inflammatory cytokine production. Sambucol might therefore be beneficial to the immune system activation and in the inflammatory process in healthy individuals or in patients with various diseases. Sambucol could also have an immunoprotective or immunostimulatory effect when administered to cancer or AIDS patients, in conjunction with chemotherapeutic or other treatments. In view of the increasing popularity of botanical supplements, such studies and investigations in vitro, in vivo and in clinical trials need to be developed."^[10]

A Modern Herbal by Mrs. M. Grieve suggests several elderberry syrup recipes:^[6]

To make Elderberry Rob [syrup], 5 lb. of fresh ripe, crushed berries are simmered with 1 lb. of loaf sugar and the juice evaporated to the thickness of honey. It is cordial, aperient and diuretic. One or two tablespoonsful mixed with a tumblerful of hot water, taken at night, promotes perspiration and is demulcent to the chest. The Rob when made can be bottled and stored for the winter. Herbalists sell it ready for use.

'Syrup of Elderberries' is made as follows: Pick the berries when throughly ripe from the stalks and stew with a little water in a jar in the oven or pan. After straining, allow 1/2 oz. of whole ginger and 18 cloves to each gallon. Boil the ingredients an hour, strain again and bottle. The syrup is an excellent cure for a cold. To about a wineglassful of Elderberry syrup, add hot water, and if liked, sugar.

Toxicity

The leaves, twigs, branches, seeds and roots contain a cyanide producing glycoside. Ingesting any of these parts in sufficient quantity can cause a toxic build up of cyanide in the body. In addition, the unripened berry, flowers and "umbels" contain a toxic alkaloid.

Due to the possibility of cyanide poisoning, children should be discouraged from making whistles, slingshots or other toys from elderberry wood. In addition, "herbal teas" made with elderberry leaves (which contain cyanide inducing glycosides) should be treated with high caution. However, ripe berries (pulp and skin) are safe to eat.^[13]

Ecology

The berries are a very valuable food resource for many birds. In Northern California elderberries are a favorite food for migrating Band-Tailed Pigeons. Flocks can strip an entire bush in less than an hour. Elders are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Brown-tail, Buff Ermine, Dot Moth, Emperor Moth, The Engrailed, Swallow-tailed Moth and The V-pug. The crushed foliage and immature fruit have a strong fetid smell.

Valley elderberry longhorn beetle in California are very often found around red or blue elderberry bushes. Females lay their eggs on the bark. Larvae hatch and burrow into the stems.

Dead elder wood is the preferred habitat of the mushroom Auricularia auricula-judae, also known as "Judas' ear fungus".^[14]

The pith of elder has been used by watchmakers for cleaning tools before intricate work.^[15]

Folklore

Folklore is extensive and can be wildly conflicting depending on region.

• In some areas the "elder tree" was supposed to ward off evil influence and give protection from witches, while other beliefs say that witches often congregate under the plant, especially when it is full of fruit.

• In some regions, superstition, religious belief, or tradition prohibits the cutting of certain trees for bonfires, most notably in Witchcraft customs the elderberry tree; "Elder be ye Lady's tree, burn it not or cursed ye'll be" – A rhyme from the Wiccan rede.

• If an elder tree was cut down, a spirit known as the Elder Mother would be released and take her revenge. The tree could only safely be cut while chanting a rhyme to the Elder Mother.^[16]

Pop culture references

• The most powerful wand in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter is a wand made of sambucus known as the "Elder Wand".^[17]

• In Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the keeper of the French castle taunts King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table by telling them that "[their] Father smelt of elderberries."

The stalk and seed head of Yellow Dock Rumex crispus. The roots have also been used medicinally as an astringent, tonic, and laxative. Compounds contained in the plant's roots have been clinically verified to bind with heavy metals such as lead and arsenic and expel them from the body by stimulating biliary function in the liver. The plant is considered a highly effective blood cleanser and is used by herbalists to assist the body in eliminating heavy metals and to treat other hepatic disorders.  

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumex_crispus (I've quoted wikipedia for my own convenience. Suggested reading is available; check my sidebar for my recommendations.)

In the ceremony and this artwork I was gifted by the Yellow Dock rt to make a dye and the seeded stalk as both herbal and plant spirit medicine to clear the heavy metals and toxins from the land and all that lives upon, above and below the land here and in the extended directions carried by the energetic ley lines of Gaia.

"...a progressing transformation..." note 14

 

added some yesterday; the heart cutout from Peter Champoux's contribute showing the triangular ley formation adding comfirmation to the site, Olive Guinea Farm & Kitchen, placed some of the fire transformed pieces from the original panels, grass & tree leaf, some pieces of the charcoal from the fire pit we used to ignite the panels as the rain/water had dampened the jute ends/panels. There are some wonderful grays and textures from the hot finer ash imbedding with the panels and canvas. This morning I recognized one of the drawn hearts on the canvas playing an upward movement with the map heart placement made yesterday. There's joy in discovering/seeing elements we had not seen before here, as with living.

Wholistic Co-Creative Healing

 

a self/other cathartic writing of ...a processing transformation...

  Moved this past winter in shifts, in a flash, drove to/from the northeast to visit family/friends and dropped from the ladder of the loft I was constructing. Was returning to my bed after taking a leak around 2:30AM am in the dark and the mattress I was gripped onto to pull myself up shifted. Letting go... and landed in a crouching position. One of my favorite yoga positions. The damage done. Acumulatively into the now with a sprained rt knee, strained right sacroilliac joint, stressed already stressed/never repaired dislocated left shoulder and severe bodily misalignment from compensating from the injuries had me down. Wholistic injury! Coming back up, leg stretches and twists are still shaky. Lots of stretching/restrengthening rehab to go and bionic dental surgery scheduled for the summer.
  Many thanks for all the wonderful support I have received from 2 amazing physical therapists, several Reiki practitioners, an acupuncturist for depression; compromised liver, a fantastic alignment masseuse, an Ayurvedic dietary & herbal counsel for my prostate cancer combined with my own herbal protocol, making art, astrology, 3 different restorative yoga instructors, all the many guides, friends and family (particularly some of my Mom's great genes and encouragement that keep me trucking on!) and my own persistence and still learning self love/respect and accepting myself as a spiritual being in a human body. Toward healing Wholisticly. Tomorrow will start seeing a Network Chiropractic for more continuous healing work - enThanks all!
Love/Peace/Co-Creativity in healing to I/WE/ALL.

"...a progressing transformation..." note 12

photography by Georgia Routsis-Savas

a pattern emerges in the night as fire of "...a progressing transformation..." is assisted with rains/water that came to co-create at the pre Summer Solstice Celebration in Atkinson, NC at Copper Guinea Farm & Kitchen. the pattern appears like a constellation. In the above it seems to be symbolizing within the darkened grid a demon dragon letting go...

Summer Solstice Day 2011

Stonehenge

In ancient Chinese thought, summer was associated with the color red, the sound of laughing, the heart organ, the fire element and a red phoenix bird.

The Chinese were also great believers in balance. So to celebrate the summer solstice as the Chinese philosophers did, you might …
Stand facing south, considered the direction of summer in ancient Chinese philosophy. Just stand for a few moments and honor the “southness” of summer.
Balance your fire element. Go swimming in a cold, dark pool or stream.

Image Credit: Sanjay B.

Wear red!
Laugh. In the Chinese tradition, there are sounds associated with the five phases, and the sound associated with this part of the cycle – summer – is laughter. Remember, as I said above, that this phase is also associated with the heart organ? More and more often, in western thought, you hear that “laughter is good for the heart.”
The ancient Chinese philosophers would agree.

by Deborah Byrd
http://earthsky.org/earth/celebrate-this-solstice-as-the-chinese-philosophers-did

from http://expertscolumn.com/content/june-21-impact-summer-solstice-health

Impact of solstice on health
Ancient medicinal systems such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicines utilized these occasions of solstice to provide holistic treatments during these natural processes. Considering the needs of individual physical, emotional, and mental health, they treated to build up the body’s natural energies and keep them in balance.
1) Solstice may affect the balance of the body
According to the ancient Ayurvedic medical traditions summer is related to the element fire, which has much to do on metabolism and body systems. Ancient Chinese systems also say that the increase of Fire element affects the Yin and Yang balance.
Disharmony of this balance in elements may cause various ailments from headaches to muscle pain – especially in the elbow and the back of our shoulder.
2) Summer solstice is accompanied by the maximum heat of the sun and the climate in the atmosphere is affected resulting in storms, heavy rains and floods. The warmth and moisture due to climatic changes affect health of the body. In some Asian countries this change causes monsoons and spreading of diseases.
3) Due to high heat and temperature, much water from the body is eliminated by perspiration which causes dehydration and other troubles. If water is not replenished adequately, blood volume would reduce and brain will suffer from lack of blood that may cause nausea and headache.
4) Another reason for health problems in the body is the expansion of the periphery vein and more blood flow to periphery. This will affect the pressure condition of blood which leads to further complications. People who are generally weak and lack immunity may suffer from poor sleep, weak spleen and stomach, or poor appetite, etc.
5) Solar radiation and variations in the gravitational energy may affect the health system of the body. The patient with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular or urinary system diseases should be very careful during these changes of seasons.
Although the impact of the summer solstice is minor it is advisable to be careful, taking preventive methods not to expose oneself too much in the hot sun. Diet with fruits and vegetables and plenty of water is always encouraged.

...a progressing transformation... note 11

great stills of our PreSummerSolsticeCelebration sent in by Georgia Routsis-Savas Love/Peace/Co-Creativity / enThanks Georgia...