The Trap

bus lanes graffiti

Last Monday, at a bus stop in Tacoma, i chatted with a man on his way to the B & I. He asked if the dragon on my hand was a scorpion, fairly soon we were speaking of other things.

He had recently lost his mom, which changed the direction and tone of the conversation quite radically. We spoke of pain and changes. He told me how he had stopped drinking and was believing in God, not the old skool version, but still a faith thing. I agreed.

Since we had gotten so far so fast, i told him how i had been experimenting with life. That i am following my heart voice and not just the voice of authority that has proven to be so mistaken or worse. (Lies My Teacher Told Me, Loewen) Whatever the intent, that voice has led us into a big, unsustainable mess and continuing that road is crazee, so why not follow "knowing," the voice from our heart core.

Then I told him how my becoming more sure footed on this path, has seemed to attract strange verbal attacks. These "stones" are coming from acquaintances, old friends, family even and I am trying to understand what this is about.

I suspect that denial, "kill the messenger" stuff is going on. I think we want to believe someone/thing is looking out for our well being, I mean that is what we are taught in school, right? So letting people know they have to research the toxic load and question almost everything is huge. It is far easier to deny the responsibility than to acknowledge that our trust has been abused.

That is when he said, "the devil wants to pull you back" Wow, whatever the name given to the reason, that was a message I needed to hear. Thank you, sir, for your voice in my life. You helped me clarify the chaos, to shoulder the pain.

With so much of our time and attention used in navigating the ways and means of the man-made construct, we have forgotten to listen to LIFE. Life shows up when we are aware and willing to hear, see it.

Life wants our attention and that is big, very big indeed. There is so much more going on than the headlines and the skyscrapers and what Sally rides. We really need to shake off the mantle and claim our higher potentials, starting now.

Grateful

Grateful yes, Thanksgiving, no.

Cranked Turkeys, GMO produce, pumpkin pies infiltrated with BPAs and the other "edible stuffs" showcased today on tables across the USA, has me freaked. While killing us slowly with dead "food" is good for business (as are patents , long shelf life, addictive qualities) it is also doing a huge number on our hearts and souls.

How can anyone feel good about themselves when they knowingly are part of the dis-ease. How long can anyone justify, tolerate or otherwise accept those sic old premises, now that the consequences are known? How much $ or fear, does it take to look the other way?

Isn't this set up a crime against humanity? Against life itself?

That T-Day is topped off with loads of "Black Friday" propaganda, designed to goad the stuffed yet ever famished into shopping frenzies, is perfect. Consume my little chickadees, consume!!!

I suspect this is just a plot for some mad science horror show.

the Aha!

torn from huge voter issue postcard

The Money Fix, is that last aha doc. it really rounds it all up. Under all the distortion, damage and unreal "reality" is an antiquated system based on false premises and untrue beliefs. That system has been massaged, abstracted and bolstered into global dominance and that system is money.

The chit ($) is actually an IOU. We pass it around until one day the bank calls in the loan (the IOU is made by the banking system and regulated by its very own federal reserve) and guess what? Someone now owes the interest on top of the chit. If that person hasn't exchanged upwards, hasn't gained or profited but instead has been ok with enough, well guess what? That person can't pay up ( can't pay the "interest") so now falls into the web of debt.

No problem, prices on the necessities will rise to cover the loss. Corporations that make, distribute and control the majority of goods depend on the banks and they aren't going to blow their good thing. Therefore, we the public, assume the loss and then government loses tax revenue but so what, once again it is the general ( not the privileged) public that suffers. (another huge issue connects at this point, later gator)

So greed comes into the system as a no brainer. Greed is a defense mechanism. That it makes for a human developmental issue is neatly boxed into psychology and somehow subtracted from the whole. However, in reality greed is encouraged to blossom, in fact we dress it up all sparkly as material wealth and flaunt it as a sign of success.

That it is as inefficient as it is socially unjust should make it an intolerable thing, but because of its power (and its ability to dodge by creating its own gamblers vocabulary, like derivatives, futures-i didn't say it wasn't clever!) it it is now bullying all monetary systems to agree with it.

This money system is like a game of musical chairs. (please watch The Money FIX!) Someone has to lose. Eventually there is only one chair left, winner take all! Only thing is -that win is the biggest loss humanity can suffer. For as connected beings, winning is now not a win at all, but an ultimate loss of all that makes us truly human. Is it just me or is this not totally ridiculous?

So as we talk about win/win we are actually desperately ignoring or justifying the fact that we are engaged in a win/lose construct. We made a very scary monster and yet we seem to be trying to pretend it away.

Meanwhile, this construction continues to eat away at the best of us. Its capacity to devour everything grows the more it devours. As long as we give it energy it lives and the energy we give it can't be used to create something else. That is the take away point.

This might not be noticed (marketers sway ideas and distractions rule) except that as it is happening on a finite planet. Sooner or later nature will collapse the system, which means the monster will die, but by then the quality of life on this planet will be diminished.

The moral of the story: Rise up, escape and build new systems that align with nature, health and well being. We do not have to await permission from those blinded by "reality ruts," the whole of another vision is dawning. Get out of the rut, you can't breathe, live or see from that viewpoint - climb out and the world opens.

grounding

print transfer to fabric, appliqued and in progress, but 11/7/11 had to have a post

I have to check out the science, but mom always said working in the garden "grounded her." I am thinking this is probably mega true in many ways.

Today

twice is nice.
Real signs near Elephant Car Wash, Antioch in Seattle.

Peoples Media Arts Uprising 2012

fog lifting

I have spent a little time at Occupy Seattle though my protest days are over. I agree that large gatherings get attention and help people unite for a cause, feel empowered, hopefully heard and even more hopefully, will result in some real changes.

However, so far, it seems the changes made in social policy have not actually changed the economic construct (class system, exploitative inequity that protects the wealth of the few- see Howard Zinn). In fact keeping people believing in the American Dream has been necessary in order to keep business as usual.

The illusion of meritocratic and just access to the Dream is a myth perpetuated by just enough examples to keep the tease. Now i think the very idea of amassing wealth needs to be opened up for discussion. Wealth pulled from resources leaves a gap and now that gap is showing up in the declining health of many people, the environment and most other systems nature provides to enable life, all life. What are we doing?

So, I am playing with the idea that protest and reactionary means, even when not in a direct confrontational scene are aspects of the male archetype. That archetype has been ruling "civilization" for a long time and is in terrible need of balance.

"Peoples Media Arts Uprising 2012" is bringing in the feminine archetype. By putting energy towards a solutions model, we are building a new nest. Instead of aiding and abetting the rut, putting energy into turf wars and bellowing, we are preparing "home." Creating the safe space for the tired, the wounded and those in need of solace. Creating the haven that even the most victorious warriors eventually crave.

However this is beyond the tussle. We are creating space for the heart, mind, spirit, the whole body, whole systems "next reality," that trusts potentials and possibilities. This will enable relationships to move us towards the new street up economy.

Can you dig it?

PS Archetype - not gender specific, just classic models dumped on our culture.

Street art North Seattle

We were not born just to consume.

Occupy Everything

Street Jacks for Occupy Seattle, so yes.

Street or Plaza art that has a message just tickles me. Nothing like a great simple poignant, right on target message. Street art, beats Wall Street ads over and over again. So once again the Banksy enabled street art documentary comes to mind. Now on youtube....enjoy.

Exit Through the Gift Shop,

Is Occupy Wall Street the manifestation of the international street arts movement? Both stake claims on public spaces, both are about waking up from the stupor of consumerism and privatization, both give systems as usual conniptions. Both speak to things money can't buy, and some how that relegated the best of us to the scrap pile during systems management and "budget " cuts. Living to create wealth is a major social handicap, I am thrilled that it is being recognized!