Steven

[Steven]

Not an experienced gardener by any means, but my take on the ants is that they are neither friend nor foe. They just are. Just like everything else is. There’s a reason nature put them there, at this time and place, they have a job to do for the soil and surrounding life. If they aren’t hurting anything, I’d let them be! If they are hurting something, I’d say finding out what their purpose for being there is, and change that condition. Just like everything else in nature, you cant “get rid of them,” you can only reroute them!

• This reply was modified 1 month, 1 week ago by  Steven.

[Steven]

@abramara Finally had a chance to listen to this! Absolutely fantastic guys!

[Steven]

Haven’t had a chance to pull out the books and identify many of these yet, but these are all mountain flowers that bloom around here. I took these while hiking the other day!

+3 More Photos

[Steven]

Hey that looks delicious! How was the taste and texture?

[Steven]

Mike! I’m glad you agree! As I mentioned to Barre above, I’ve been thinking about just that concept in relation to our inner beings for some time now, and I think it’s beautiful. It isn’t just for ourselves that we become what we are meant to be, but for the sake of everything and everyone else around us too!

• This reply was modified 6 months, 2 weeks ago by  Steven.

[Steven]

Oooooooooooooh you just upended my whole world and snapped a bunch of concepts into new relations and the mind is blown! What a rush that was. As above so below!

Man, and I’ve been so MEAN to these guys haha. I’m going to have to make it up to them.

• This reply was modified 6 months, 2 weeks ago by  Steven.

[Steven]

Interesting insights Kev! I’m wondering if perhaps the calcium is the body’s way of congealing all of the material it wants out in one solid form. It probably doesn’t have to be calcium though, so perhaps, like Barre said, there’s an over-production/ intake of it and the body chose to use that material as the congealing substance in order to kill 2 birds with one stone?

[Steven]

Thank you for that detailed response Barre! I have been working on internalizing the idea that dis-ease is nothing more than the body-mind’s attempts to eleminate what it doesn’t need, spiritually, mentally and physically, but being unable to normally for any number of reasons. So, it needs to find alternative ways to do that. Chronic dis-ease developing from repeated attempts to do so, and so the body adjusts to the new condition. I realize that’s a rather over-simplistic synopsis!

I think my main problem is that I’m still partway stuck in the official paradigm, where everything is an isolated problem, not a larger indication of the whole. Which is reinforced when speaking with people who are still firmly stuck in this paradigm and demand that you explain things the way they would understand it. I also find that I happen to be very good at weaving the macro-story, but I struggle a bit with micro-details, so I sputter out when trying to explain things to people who want answers to every detail. I am eternally grateful to you and others who help give me these better understandings!

One thing I’d like to elaborate on while I digest the rest of what you said, is the bit about the indigenous bacteria. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how these organisms aren’t really separate from us (not that anything really is, but these little guys are a bit more intimate than the rest of the organisms in our realm). Knowing what I know about microzymas/protids, and riffing on the idea that apparently “there are more bacteria in the body than human cells,” I would say we are them, they are us. It’s just that they are protids within us that have morphed to fullfill a role. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find that they really aren’t any different than our “human” cells at all. Depending on our terrain, we can make them morph into happy, productive cells, or we can morph them into unhappy, scavenger ones. The same goes for bacteria that come from the outside. They don’t change us. We either change them, or they find a way to fit into our already unhappy terrain and contribute to making it worse.

I think this is a physical representation of what Harold Percival called “The Human University.” By working on elevating ourselves, in spirit, body, and mind, we passively elevate the organisms inside and around us. We don’t even need to positively act on them in most cases. In this way, I’d say that bettering ourselves isn’t done just for the sake of ourselves, but also for everyone and everything else around us.

What do you think about that rant?

[Steven]

I do that regularly, but I can’t seem to convince others to do it!

[Steven]

Oooooooh I see! If he’s correct, the deposits themselves aren’t the body cleansing itself. But, they are a result of the pathways that the body uses to cleanse the tonsils being unable to do thier job because of toxic buildup. So things get trapped in there and buildup until the ducts can’t take anymore and they push out the lump. That makes much more sense than the official explanation. He didn’t explain where the calcium in the deposit comes from, so I’ll have to look further for that. In any case, a cleanse is still the answer!

Thank you kindly Rian, I appreciate the video share!

[Steven]

Hmm, a rocket stove wouldn’t be a bad idea. But yes, I don’t want to miss out on the fire element! For all the modern tech of this era, sometimes I feel like modern Alchemists have a tougher go of it haha

[Steven]

Ah I see, you do the part that should create the most smoke outside, and finish the job inside. I like that approach! I’m still playing with different ideas. I want to try and keep the smoke as contained as I can, because I do live in a neighborhood. If you have any ideas, please let me know!

I look forward to hearing more about your discoveries Aron!

[Steven]

Challange accepted my good man! Let’s see… according to my books…

1. Good call! I’m wishing I had a better pic of the leaves, but I’m thinking it’s likely Philadelphia Fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus)

2. Interesting! I couldn’t pick out which foliage belonged to which plant, but looking at Polemonium caeruleum in my book, it very well could be. It wasn’t as tall as it says these things grow. Perhaps they’re smaller at higher altitudes

3. Right on the money!

4. The only member of the violet family in my area that looks like this would be Early Blue Violet (viola adunca) so I’m gonna go with that. The leaves match up. That shade of purple being one of my favourite colors, I was immediatly awestruck!

5. Right again!

6. Your guess is as good as mine on this one, it’s not in any of my books. It was too far up in the hills to have been a rogue house plant or something. Lobelia looks close, but not quite. It’s going to bug me though, I know I’ve seen it before!

7. One on the left is indeed Northern Geranium (geranium erianthum) and I’m thinking the one on the right is actually Arctic Lupine (lupinus arcticus)

8. I think it’s a type of Arnica. Mountain Arnica (arnica latifolia) being the most likely candidate.

[Steven]

Ya know, I was never a big fan of the original song, but I love Disturbed’s version. I prefer Disturbed’s older stuff but this cover is beautiful

[Steven]

@Kev Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants is the version I have, and it covers your area too!
@Shawnna Not a problem at all, hope you enjoy the book, I look forward to hearing about your finds!

• This reply was modified 1 year ago by  Steven.

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