“Remembering” The Sacred Art of Nourishing

This month's special guest in the Creative Soul Circle (my online social site and support group for women-only) is Mary Lane, chef, wildcrafter and author of Divine Nourishment: A Woman's Sacred Journey with Food. To chat with Mary in a special November thread held in the Circle please sign up here - it's free to join!

“Remembering” The Sacred Art of Nourishing by Mary Lane

Mary Lane

The sacred art of nourishing was practiced in ancient goddess traditions in many forms. It was a way of honoring the sensual pleasures and blessings that came with our physical existence. Nourishing one’s self through food, beauty, touch, sex, music, art and nature is an act of receiving Divine love. The destruction of the goddess cultures has resulted in disconnecting from this sacred art and the belief by many that they are unworthy of this nourishment. 

I have met and worked with many women over the years and it has become glaringly apparent to me that just about every woman I’ve known is comfortable with offering nourishment to others. Receiving it is another matter.

I lived in a rather funky little jungle house built into the side of a ridge in the rainforest on Maui. It was an indoor, outdoor lifestyle. The house was all glass on one side overlooking the jungle, with the ocean a short walk away.

I decided to create a day of nourishment for five of my women friends and called it Pele’s Parlor. They gathered one morning at my jungle home for tea from local herbs I had gathered and dried.

We walked down a rutted, dirt road that ended on the cliff of the north shore overlooking the ocean and a special bay. It was whale season so we hung out on the cliff awhile, watching the whales breaching and swimming past. The view was breathtaking. The bay was lined with lava rock that had been ground smooth from the ocean’s constant ebb and flow. I could lie in my bed at home and listen to her roll the rocks back and forth in the stillness of the night. It was her song for the whole neighborhood.

"Trees" from Mary's blog

The five of us built a small fire in the shade under a large false almond tree. Then we stripped off our clothes, dove into the ocean waves, and lounged on the warm boulders with the surf crashing around us. I ceremoniously brought out the sacred red dirt harvested from a vein that ran through the cliff, put it in my coconut bowl and added a little ocean water, mixing it into a fine slip. We gathered around and smeared this iron-rich mud all over our bodies. The only thing showing that was not bright red were the rings around our eyes. We basked on the boulders in the sun as the sacred mud drew out toxins and filled us with blood-nourishing iron.

Some women could not help but release their primordial screams as they danced on the rocks, covered in mud with the waves crashing around them. We dove into the ocean and scrubbed off the mud with seaweed, then returned to the fire for a snack in the shade. Each of us ran our fingers over our silky skin—oohing, aahing and feeling primal.

We walked back to the lanai of my jungle house where I had set up a table filled with bowls of avocado, yogurt, papaya, oatmeal and yogurt, breast massage creams, foot massage oils, moisturizers, washcloths and towels.  We gave ourselves facials with the various ingredients and ate the wonderful fruits that grew wild in the jungle, We had bananas, mango, guava, pineapple and coconut.

After awhile, with faces smeared with food, we all went into the kitchen and prepared a meal together giggling, talking story and drinking my wild-crafted tea. We convened back to the lanai and sat around a beautifully-set table with flowers that grew abundantly around the house.

Mary Lane Food Blog ImageAnother woman friend who specializes in the ancient Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage set up a massage table and altar in the downstairs, outdoor room. Each woman took her turn receiving a massage. Another woman brought her Tarot cards and gave each of us a short reading. We continued to drop deeper into self-nourishment while being filled by our friendship. The image of one of the women sitting on my lanai eating wild guava, tear-streaked face smeared with avocado while she massaged her breasts with oil, will forever be etched in my memory. Her tears flowed with the merged feelings of gratitude for this experience and the deep grief of not feeling worthy of such frivolity.

As the day unfolded every woman had a moment of deep grief woven with joy and ecstasy.  At some point throughout the day, each of us fell into our moment of recognition of the absence of this in our lives. Unanimously the feeling of not deserving nourishment in the form of pure pleasure was expressed by the women as if it came from the same underground pool.

Soon it was dusk. With the candles lit, the Hawaiian music playing, another snack, we all melted into a moment of deep nourishment and self-love. We were full.

The next morning I received a call from the one of the husbands. “I don’t know what you women did yesterday, but a monster left in the morning and a goddess returned.”

Mary LaneAbout Mary

Mary Lane is the author of Divine Nourishment, A Woman’s Sacred Journey with Food. Through her 30 year career as a professional chef she deepened her understanding of the connection between food and nourishment, the wisdom of nature, sexuality, and the Divine Feminine. She is dedicated to supporting women to transform self rejection to self care, honor and love. http://www.DivineNourishment.net

New Moon In Taurus: The Beat Goes On

Welcome to The Kosmic Mind Astrology Column written by Guest Astrologer Chad Woodward. Chad is an astrological researcher, massage therapist, healer, and artist PLUS a good friend of mine who I highly respect for his ongoing and unique explorations into the awesome potential of astrology and how it effects us on a microcosmic and macrocosmic level. New Moon @ 12 degrees Taurus 31' May 2, 2011- 11:51 PM PDT May 3, 2011- 6:51 AM GMT

This new moon takes place in the sturdy, dependable, and deliberate sign of Taurus, grounding much of the energy we've been experiencing these past few weeks and bringing things a bit more 'down to earth'. As we set our intentions for the next lunar cycle, our attention is drawn into the essence of Taurus, as well as the Sabian symbol from which the new moon will fall. The Sabian symbol reads:

A porter carrying heavy baggage

The symbol embodies the notion, and indeed the inevitability, of carrying responsibilities in order to participate within an "organized society". The man in this modern image is a porter, one who is employed to carry luggage and such, usually at some form of transit station such as a railroad, airport, or even hotel. I feel the symbol of the porter, in reading into the nature of his occupation, gives us much more detail than interpreting the symbol solely on his actions alone. We get a sense, an image, of transport, movement, and the potential for travel whether literally or metaphorically. We see the image not of the journey or even the means of travel itself, but rather the preparation for travel, or perhaps, the arrival from a trip, and the loading or unloading of belongings and essentials. In fact, the porter is also, and sometimes entirely, a gatekeeper, or doorman, the one who shows the way in or out, and deals with the daily fluff as it passes by. Aside from the usual disparaging role such a figure plays, he embodies a deeply crucial archetype through which filters our means of interchange and communication. In a sense, he is essentially indifferent to any particular 'charge', in that his role is fluid and changing, neither up nor down, left or right, but pointed, always, in various directions at any given time. Interestingly the symbol uncannily reflects the sign of Taurus in the porter's actions, carrying belongings, stuff, material goods, possibly slowly, due to the heaviness of the luggage. We get the sense of social burden also from the heaviness of the baggage, and a sense of sacrifice on behalf of others regardless of whether he is 'paid' for his services or not. Perhaps this symbol suggests to us the intention of gaining clarity as to who we are burdening or who is burdening us? Are we carrying too much, are we sacrificing our own needs to take care of someone else's wants or demands? Are we depending too much on others to take care of our own needs or responsibilities? How can we lighten the load a bit, make the baggage less heavy for the porter?

The new moon in Taurus quincunxes Saturn in Libra, shedding light on how our needs or even belongings and resources conflict with those of others, how they function within a relationship or partnership. The cluster of planets currently residing in Aries: Uranus, Venus, Jupiter, and Mars, draws much energy into self projection and self interest. Venus and Mercury are closely conjunct and in opposition to Saturn, again, reiterating the awareness of self and others, the need to love oneself, and whether such need is being allowed expression by others, or vice versa. The north node currently sits at 24 degrees Sagittarius, urging us to embrace our inner truth and expand our perception of the world and life's manifold possibilities. Jupiter, the ruler of Sagittarius, sits in Aries, conjunct Mars, and thus the nodal energy is working at maximum potential and momentum, generating a collective and individual yearning to conquer new frontiers of the outer world and inner psyche, to see beyond imposed limitations, and embrace what’s foreign. This symbolism fits quite nicely with the symbolism of the porter, assisting us in preparation for some form of journey or trip whether in the physical outer reality or the inner realm of our own unconscious. Blending the nature of this Taurean Moon, with the powerful and fiery conjunction of Mars and Jupiter, we feel a powerful draw to our own physical bodies, and getting more in touch with our own sensual and primal archetypes, creating a deeper awareness and attunement to the subtleties of our own organism.

The sign of Taurus embodies the cultivation of beauty, harmony, and consistent productivity. How can we bring more beauty into our lives, into our environment, and into the world we all share? How can we make things more enjoyable, harmonious, and efficient? What do you want right now? What do YOU value, what brings you inner joy and peace? These are all crucial questions we should each be asking ourselves, so that we can get clear about what we want to create in our own lives. Ceres in Pisces and Juno in Virgo are in a very tight opposition to one another, another configuration affecting our relationships, urging us to see deeply into the core truth of the matter and beyond delusions. Are our needs being sufficiently nurtured in our relationships? Are we nurturing the needs of others? Are we nurturing ourselves, our own needs? This may have the effect of having one deeply reflect on the core dynamics of a relationship, whether it is truly real and authentic, or whether things are being kept in the dark, stifling the truth. How can we nurture the situation with compassion so that we can get clear and create balance, and ideally, a win-win situation for all involved?

Take some time this new moon to enjoy simple pleasures, stop and smell the roses, and just experiment with BEING as opposed to doing. Sometimes when the answers you're looking for aren’t to be found by actively looking, the most profound solutions often arrive when we simply allow them to come to us on their own accord, when we're patient and receptive. Get in touch with your own inner beauty, and the beauty of the world, of your own body, and of nature. Explore the endless bounty the world has to offer. Currently, in our day and age, the media and consensus culture bombards us with all the atrocities and horrors of the world, all the "what's wrong", and we forget to notice all the truly beautiful and stunning creations that surround us. We forget to just stop and look at this magnificent creation, the truly remarkable beauty and intelligence that has evolved on this planet for millions and billions of years......and when we look at it from this perspective, we realize that "what's wrong" is a recent and fleeting arrival on this great and remarkable planet we call home. As we gain clarity into the deeper facets of our lives, try not to judge what comes up as "good" or "bad", but rather look at everything as a necessary component, assisting us in reaching our highest potential. Beauty, bliss, peace, joy, and functionality all around us, you just have to open your eyes, nature has been doing it all along, will continue to do so whether we're conscious of it or not.

Again, much of the energy of this new moon appears to be focused on the preparation for some kind of movement, some symbolic exodus. Look to your own life and see where such symbolism is relevant. What could you possibly prepare yourself for? What necessities would you need to take along? At the time of the Full Moon on May 17, much of this energy will fully culminate in the sign of Scorpio at the 26th degree. The sabian symbol reads:

A military band marches noisily on through the city streets.

Here we get an almost garish image of pomp and show, a loud and noisy display of “cultural values”, as Rudhyar interprets. On an individual level perhaps this suggests a process of fully integrating and then displaying or broadcasting ones own personal values, the potential of fully accepting and thus actively sharing one’s deepest passions with the outer world. On a collective level, perhaps this suggests some collective initiation of an event or process, and this new moon symbolizes its crystallization and eventual execution at the full moon. With this in mind, I feel it necessary to urge us all to focus more on our own values as opposed to getting swept away by collective fanfare, or the values and ideals of others. Stay true to yourself and to your own path, and sometimes, when you find little or no support, its best to just march onward to the beat of your own drum....

chad woodward astrologerAbout Chad Kosmic Mind Blog

Ever since I was young I found myself fascinated and mesmerized by the night sky, gazing up at its brilliance and immensity in awe. Somehow, this innate part of myself was looking for omens in that very sky, completely unaware of the vivid and profound art known as astrology, which has graced this planet for thousands of years. It wasn’t until I was 19 that I discovered the real horoscopic astrology that, from that point forward, would change and shape my life in ways I would have never imagined. It was truly love at first sight, a love that has only increased in its intensity ever since. Life with astrology is truly an adventure, as it unveils the magic of destiny, which has been sadly lost to our world for far too long.

My goal, as the late Joseph Campbell so eloquently stated, is to simply follow my bliss. Astrology is a guide to the unfolding of self and of the cosmos itself. It is in the proper application of this guide, that we as humans, can learn to no longer be an obstacle to the brilliance and intelligence of this cosmic unfolding. Currently, I am simply a researcher, massage therapist, healer, and artist doing my part in the ascension of the planet. I hope to share the joy and bliss that astrology can provide, as we learn to dance and flow in synchronicity with this great and mysterious divine plan.

Nobody's Perfect

Nobody's Perfect - acrylic, charcoal and pastel on masonite - 48" x 48"

I can breathe again! It's been a whirlwind three weeks with the opening of my new eCourse and lots and lots of soul readings, but today I go back to painting - a steady diet is required!!

I can feel my body melting into joy.

"This guy has prayed for me And I have prayed for him This guy was made for me And I was made for him... I have no regrets There’s nothing to forget All the pain Was worth it."

Lyrics from "I Deserve It" by Madonna

I'm learning more about singletons, missing functions and elements in an astrological chart. These kinds of things can relate to areas that erupt out of nowhere in one's life, transforming us in explosive ways. On the other hand, we may overcompensate in these areas, becoming an expert. One can't tell from studying the chart which way things will go - that part is up to the individual. A great book about this subject is by Richard Idemon ~ "The Magic Thread, Astrological Chart Interpretation Using Depth Psychology". Richard comes from an acting/drama background and love to infuse archetypal meaning and mythology into a chart interpretation. He turns the planets into actors, the signs into the roles they play and the houses into the stage.

Musical Ambiance: Madonna ~ "Music".