The Adventures of Athena

Life In the Past Two Years

2011-11-18T19:08:00.001-08:00

Wow, its been almost two years exactly since my last blog entry. Soooooo much has happened but i'll sum it up here and write in depth later. Since November of 2009, my life partner has become my business partner and we travel doing festivals almost full time now, my love and i have purchased land and begun to build our dream house (an earthship) and most recently i have had a hysterectomy for a grapefruit sized fibroid in my uterus. It's been an intense couple of years but its been amazing too. I'm excited to share it...now i just need to find the words.

My Life Since June, Some Anyway

2009-11-25T20:30:00.000-08:00

Well a lot has happened since I last blogged. My love and I have traveled to Guatemala, Belize and across the U.S.A and back, I held a baby monkey, had another fabulous festival season, saved a family of baby ducks and watched my closest friend and familiar of 15 years pass on. Here are those stories.

Athena, Angel in Disguise

2009-11-25T20:24:00.001-08:00

Video of Athena

My dearest and most loyal friend passed on recently. She was an amazing inspiration, so full of love and extremely resilient. She had four major surgeries last year to remove tumors but the cancer took control in the end.

In her lifetime Athena traveled cross country twice, seeing more sites than most Americans ever dream of. During her time here she lived in New Orleans, Iowa and Atlanta, met the love of her life and gave birth to 8 beautiful puppies. She made friends with everyone she met and I never once saw her fight with another dog.

Here is a video of her in her last days. She was so full of life you would have no idea she was ill. She passed into the next world a few days later, still smiling and happy as ever despite her pain.

Coast to Coast Adventures

2009-11-25T20:04:00.001-08:00

After our trip to Central America (see previous posts) we returned home and I went to work for the summer on the Gulf Coast as planned. Of course you already know that that did’nt last because I got called out to L.A. to work the Big Fair. (see previous posts) It was a month long run, very exhausting but worth it for all the knowledge gained and more money than I would have made otherwise. I was so happy when A came to get me and begin our cross country travels together. We got to really enjoy the airstream and live it up in style in some of the most beautiful national parks and seediest RV resorts ever. Here is a miscelaneous group of photos from our travels. We were all over the place and the posts to come will show where we went in detail.

Big Sur, Always Like a Dream

2009-11-25T20:00:00.000-08:00

So many beautiful sites here but i can only show you a few. It takes days to take the entire hwy 1 on the west coast but if you have the time it is sooooo worth it. This was one of my favorite parts of our cross country tour. It was a blessing to have all of our family with us for this monumental trip.

A Gets His Face Hennaed

2009-11-25T19:50:00.000-08:00

It did'nt matter where we were, people still looked at him odd. But Kree did a great job and the stain got pretty dark on the face. Freak! I love that about him!

Lake Tahoe

2009-11-25T19:28:00.000-08:00

Beautiful place. Slightly too pretentious for me. Two days was plenty and we were off.

The Gorgeous Southwest US

2009-11-25T19:23:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite US regions. It was a blessing to be in this place of such sheer beauty again. The Grand Canyon was breathtaking. I love Sedonas' canyons as always. And Native American art continues to dazzle me.

White Sands, New Mexico

2009-11-25T19:12:00.000-08:00

I finally made it to White Sands.

Gilla Cliff Dwellings

2009-11-25T19:09:00.000-08:00

We could almost hear the ancient voices of Native Americans living in the Hilla Cliff Dwellings. It was a beautifully haunting place to visit, way in the mountains of New Mexico. There are pictographs over 500 years old on a stone wall with an image that looks remarkably like a peace sign.

Las Vegas

2009-11-25T18:57:00.001-08:00

Las Vegas was interesting for a minute but the main reason for going was to see the Cirque Du Soleil show, the Beatles LOVE. It was fabulous! We stayed in the KOA at Circus Circus with the airstream. It was 113 farenheit by day. Been there done that!

Belize, An Unexpected Adventure

2009-11-25T18:52:00.001-08:00

After leaving the wildlife center we decided we might as well check out Belize since we were already so close and now I had more time to travel anyway. So we took a bus to Belize and then a boat to Caye Caulker. We boarded the boat and heard “Welcome to Caye Caulker. Enjoy the Lobster Festival!”. Needless to say we had tons of very tasty lobster during our stay.
The best part of Belize is its ocean and marine life. It was the first time I have seen the actual color of Aqua in nature. The water in the Carribean is the most beautiful blue in the world.
My favorite part of the trip was snorkeling. We swam with the biggest fish I have ever seen. I remember looking down at one point and seeing A swim below beside a sting ray and nurse shark as big as him! We had met the nurse sharks when we first arrived at Shark and Sting Ray Alley and our guide tossed chunks of fish into the water for a school of them to devour. They were so big that they were a little intimidating but after awhile we realized they were harmless, like our guide said, and unless you put your arm right in their mouth you would be fine.
At another stop our guide saw Manatees and we all jumped in to go swim with them. They were beautiful and huge, twice the size of any of us. They just floated there beside us, lounging in the water like they were enjoying time on a sofa watching the show, us. They were the most docile creatures and it seemed they would never hurt a human. I just stared into their big peaceful eyes feeling like one of them and never wanting to leave. It was probably the most precious moment in the wild that I have yet to experience. Our guide later told us that is was pretty unusual for them to be so close to humans and especially to stay for so long.

Guatemala, Home Away from Home

2009-11-25T18:37:00.001-08:00

It is a very peaceful place and the culture is steeped in its heritage, being very proud of its customs and ancestry. It was my first time to Lake Atitlan, the most beautiful place I have ever been to, and we were only there a few days before we were looking for land to buy. Here are some of my favorite pictures of the lake and people.

Beautiful Lake Atitlan

2009-11-25T18:34:00.000-08:00

We went to a wildlife reserve where we got to ride the zipline too. In this video you can get a great view of much of Lake Atitlan. Ziplining Above Lake Atitlan

Lake Atitlan

2009-11-25T18:27:00.000-08:00

Our Stay in Hotel Aaculaax

2009-11-25T18:22:00.000-08:00

We stayed in a gorgeous hotel in San Marcos on Lake Atitlan. The window here was made with a technique using paper mache' and recycled glass, a technique we want to learn and use in our own home someday. The hotel was built on the side of a cliff and our room had a stone wall which a water fall ran down when it rained.

One of Many Mayan Sacred Sites

2009-11-25T18:14:00.000-08:00

We only made it one of the Mayan Sacred sites but it won't be our last visit. Here is a view of the lake from there. It was a bit risky trekking up the steep cliff but here I am sitting beside a couple of ancient stone candle holders, possibly hundreds of years old. The red spots on these rocks are natural and our guide says not animal blood, Could they be a result of thousands of ceremonies held in this spot?

Antigua, Guatemala

2009-11-25T18:07:00.000-08:00

Although not our favorite part of Guatemala, Antigua is still a beautiful city. I especially loved the lactating fountain.

Wildlife Volunteering

2009-11-25T17:57:00.001-08:00

It was only a few hours after arriving for my volunteer position at ARCAS that I knew I could not stay there. I had been told that it was primate baby season and I would be needed to help with the babies but really I was given very little contact with any animals and only about two hours of work a day. I only stayed there for 48 hours, instead of a week, because I knew I was wasting my time and would be better off just traveling more. But I soaked up all the info I could and got the opportunity to hold a baby howler monkey. They are the hardest primates to rehabilitate due to their extreme sensitivity. Here is a video of me and Pearl the Howler baby.Pearl the Baby Howler Monkey

Volcan Pacaya

2009-11-25T17:39:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful climb up Pacaya the Volcano. It was an intense hike, beautiful and well worth it. This last image is of a smoking volcano in the distance. In the photo next to it, A and I stand by the hot lava flow. Simply gorgeous.

Baby Duck Rescue

2009-11-19T19:23:00.000-08:00

Baby Duck Rescue

I got called on a rescue of baby ducks in May. With a yardstick taped to a butterfly net I was able to scoop them all out of the storm drain they had fallen into. It took several hours and I almost thought I’d lose a few when they kept getting scared down the unreachable water pipe below but with patience I was finally able to get them. Returning them to their mother in the pond across the street was a beautiful sight. Here is the video of the very comical rescue. In the picture, mama duck waits in the parking lot watching the rescue. She flew by every once in a while trying to protect her babies. The last picture is of the mama and babies being reunited. See the video of their rescue by clicking on the link above.

A Small Contribution to Saving Wildlife

2009-11-13T17:46:00.000-08:00

Love the last bit of this video. I almost lose the babies down the drain again trying to show them off to the camera. We scooped them up and got them back to their mama though. It was a joyful day.

Venice Beach

2009-11-10T18:38:00.000-08:00

It’s amazing how California just runs with something when it is finally accepted. I saw these all over the place there. Prescriptions seem quite easy to come by too.

Henna Pics from the Fair

2009-07-22T00:59:00.000-07:00

At the Big Fair, I work with another artist, Kree, who is simply an amazing artist. She has been very inspiring in her ease with henna as an artform and with her encyclopedic knowledge of the origin of designs. Very interesting and at any rate we have been having fun creating beautiful art. Here are some pictures of my work. It's long long hours but still a blast! These are all done by my henna co-worker. Are'nt they beautiful!

My Work at the Big Fair

2009-07-22T00:52:00.000-07:00

These are some of my designs. The Phoenix is an original. I have been pushing my limits to learn to do more on the spot freeform designs.You like?

The Big Fair

2009-07-22T00:42:00.000-07:00

I got called on a last minute job to come out to L.A. for a month, so i have been here for a week. I am staying in a luxury apartment with a gorgeous pool and spa, pictured.
Pictured is a photo of some of the Cirque Du Soleilesque performers that come through to entertain. Yesterday, one of them was wearing one of my hats! It was so exciting to see my artwork so alive and still viable!
I'll get a picture next time they come through.
It's fun to be at the fair but also bizarre to see how much junk people carry out of there. Mostly huge stuffed animals the size of your bed! Very strange.
But its all entertaining!

Athena's Sweet 16

2009-07-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

That's right! My little girl turned 16 in May ( we are guessing May is her birthday)! She has already had such an adventurous life. Traveling cross country twice, visiting california, the sonoran desert, the gulf coast and even living in New Orleans for several years.
Tough times too. Last year was very hard for her. She had 4 surgeries for tumors last year, 1 emergency room visit for getting attacked by our now dear friend marley, lost her tail and could grow back her hair. Luckily she is healing well, no more tumors have come up and after a year her hair is finally growing in thick and even! Whew! We were afraid she would'nt make it another month this winter but she is the strongest animal i have ever met.
She is the sweetest, gentlest creature i have ever known as well and my very best friend.
So we wanted to make her birthday a celebration of her life. Most of our family came to celebrate with us, doning lots of fabulous gifts for the Sweet 16 princess.
Well pictures are worth a thousand words, so here they go.

Who you callin' a Pollyanna?

2009-04-06T11:46:00.001-07:00

I was called a Polyanna today. I guess when you decide to do the opposite of most other people, by choosing not to be exposed to negativity, they sort of don’t know what to think of you.
Our culture has this tendency to be drawn to creepy, negative forms of expression, in books, t.v. and even conversation. It’s bred in to us through the media which is almost impossible to ignore…. unless you choose otherwise.
Lately people want to argue with me that it is good to be informed by the news or that they want to hear or read about other peoples tragic stories so that they can be informed and wise enough not to allow it to happen to them. But really just by reading and watching it they are experiencing it as well…on some level. You are feeling the angry or depressing emotions brought on by the story right? So it is affecting you in a very similar way, emotionally. If everyone fully realized the effect negativity has on them would they really want to be exposed to any of it? I doubt it but most people know no other way. This is what they are accustomed to and they do not even realize that they have a choice to live this way or not.
But at some point I did realize this and I knew that I did not want to keep going through it, reliving those emotions myself. I have a choice for how I want to be, depressed and angry or happy and at peace. So now, I am very careful about what I expose myself to. Not because I am a Polyanna who wants to live in a perfect world. I am not naïve, all I have to do it step outside of my front door to know the world is not perfect….but because I understand the effect that these negative stories have on me and I choose not to live that way. And every one of us has the same choice, to experience positivity or negativity. It’s all up to you.

Square Squabble

2009-03-15T20:45:00.000-07:00

Before I ever moved to New Orleans, a boyfriend gave me a sign that he stole from the fence in Jackson Square that said Jackson Square Artists Colony, New Orleans Oldest and Only Artist Colony
And how poignant that I would one day, 10 years later, work there and still own the sign. It was a fabulous experience, for seven years, while at the same time a royal pain in the ass. An article has been written about the most recent drama on the square and i was interviewed for it. There are a number of responses below the article and this one was my response to those responses. It was the first time I got to say all of is and it felt very freeing.
“First of all let me just say, that in all of the comments so far, I cannot find one from a “buyer” who is siding with the elitist faction that is against prints. In fact they all are in favor of having access to prints for sale. And would’nt good business sense be to listen to the voice of the buyer if you want to be successful?
Secondly, kudos to the artists who are standing up for their rights and “breaking the print rule”! Without the countless others like them, who stood up for their civil rights, we would not have many of our key human rights today. Freedom to express your self as well as to have access to art are two of these basic rights. Whose side do you really think the courts are going to take? Seriously?
I also think it is very funny how those that are the most opposed and most angry seem to be the ones hiding behind fake names on these comments. What are you afraid of? That if any potential buyer knew how spiteful you are, they would never want to buy a painting from you in the first place? (as the police officer above has said). Or that you will have to admit that you are one of those that hold secret meetings to determine the fate of the entire square without honestly representing the other artists? Or perhaps you would have to admit that the only reason the same committee members have been in place for over a decade is that you never announce public elections to the entire community, only to your chums who will undoubtedly vote you in again? Or maybe you would have to admit that you are the one that holds back information about bank statements regarding the square (which should be public for any Jackson square artist to see) because you do not really want them to see where the money from filming goes (like maybe to a lawyer for your side, who knows?)?
Sounds like a totalitarian government to me. NO Democracy in any of it.
Instead of always pointing the finger, why don’t the rest of you long time committee members (Sandra, Lee, Bill, Joan) take a look at how you yourselves have broken more than a few MORAL laws: secret elections and meetings (I know I was excluded from your meetings even after I was elected as a committee member), lying (when I confronted you about things you said in meetings you claimed you never did), and general backstabbing (calling the police on Tanner and others over the years without good reason). Take some responsibility of your own! Do you plan to live the rest of your lives set in your ways of negative reactions and behavior?
And lastly, I don’t think there has been this much open dialogue between the artists for decades. Thank you Richard Webster for bringing this subject to public attention and to City Business for offering a place and opportunity for an ongoing dialogue to be heard by all. “

Mr. Tater Tot Marries Miss Cheese Pizza

2009-03-15T20:41:00.000-07:00

On a cheesy note (literally), I have recently been hired to design the costumes and body painting for a Cici’s Pizza promotional and I had so much fun with it. Mr. Tatter Tot Marries Miss Cheese Pizza. Here are some pictures for you to see. Notice the bouquet has tomatoes and hand made tater tots! Great experience but the pizza was terrible!

It's a New Day!

2009-01-22T13:52:00.001-08:00

Never before in my life was I interested in watching an inauguration ….or anything to do with one. I don’t even watch T.V. really but on Tuesday I watched the entire days’ events, from the ceremony to the parade straight into the balls. Thirteen hours of it! I felt like I was celebrating a new era along with the whole world! And I think it may have been one of the most emotional days of my life. I must have cried ten times. I loved every minute of it!
After I watched the events with family all day, I went home and turned on a channel with no commentary or voices, only the sounds of the parade with Mr. And Mrs. Obama watching it. Most everyone else had left the viewing stand already but the Obamas stood watching with delighted interest until the very end. Right then a carnival krewe from San Antionio, Texas came through and I watched as the two of them shared a moment. I saw a look in their eyes that proved to me that they are sooooo in love with each other. And I realized, as well as everything else, that we had gained a wonderful role model, a couple who are genuinely in love with one another other.
And the day just kept getting better! The parade was one of the best parts to me of course. It was incredibly diverse. I loved seeing the Special Olympics marching right before the Peace Corps, then hundreds of uniformed service men marching in perfect sinc and later on the Native American representation. The stateliness of it all was just so amazing.
But my very favorite part of the parade was the Gay and Lesbian Band of America. Their band leader was so incredibly flaming! I loved seeing him strutting down the avenue, head held high, marching to the tune of his own drum! I can’t remember seeing someone so proud to be alive! I just burst into tears then because that is when it really hit me…..I knew then that I was witnessing history. It had to be the first time ever that the Gay and Lesbian Band of America had been permitted into a presidential inauguration parade. At that moment it was truly evident that the Obama Administration really would embrace diversity. It was beautiful! And then at the end came NASA and the astronauts in their space suits and I just burst into tears again!
The American dream of, we can accomplish anything, is happening and I believe we have manifested a brilliant leader. When I look at Barrack, I feel like “ I know this man. This man is just like me.” He is really just an average person wanting to live up to the fullest potential and do his best to help humanity. Someone who recognizes the diversity of all people and accepts them for who they are.
I have been singing this song for two days now. The dream that I’ve been dreaming, finally came true! It’s a new day! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHWByjoQrR8
And if you were not inspired enough, go check this out! ? http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1603121/20090120/story.jhtml
I pledge to spend more time to work for the rights of indigenous people and animals. What’s your pledge?

Happy Birthday Martin Luther King!

2009-01-16T05:39:00.000-08:00

I love this Stevie Wonder song. It must have been written in the 70’s because it’s all about how there should be a day dedicated to Martin Luther King, Jr. I heard it for the first time just a couple of days before Barrack was elected President and I just could not stop thinking about how much he reminds me of King. His acceptance speech was so eloquent, just like King was. Then I heard a lot of others saying the same thing about him.
Anyway, for the first few days after the election I would just sit at my altar listening to this song over and over and just crying tears of joy. Realizing “the Dream” really was coming true, for humanity and for myself as an individual. When I was young, M. L. King was my greatest hero and my whole life I have wished for someone else who could be a great leader to us all. And now I believe humanity has finally been gifted with him, a man who is for the people, who is genuine and peaceful and will listen to us for a change! Let’s hope so!

Now it does’nt make much sense
Oughta be a law against
Any one who takes offense
At a
Day in your celebration

Cuz we all know in our minds
That there oughta be a time
That we can set aside
To show
Just how much we love you.

And I’m sure you would agree
What would fit more perfectly
Than to have a world party
On the day you came to be!

Happy Birthday to Ya!
Happy Birthday to Ya!
Happy Birthday!

I just never understood
How a man who died for good
Could not have a day that would
Be set
Aside for his recognition

Because it could never be
Just because some can not see
The dream as clear as he
That they
should make it become an illusion

And we all know everything
That he stood for
Time will bring
Or in peace our hearts will sing!
Thanks to Martin Luther King!

Happy Birthday to Ya!
Happy Birthday to Ya!
Happy Birthday!

Why has there never been a holiday
When peace is celebrated
All throughout the world

The time is overdue
For people like me and you
Who know the way of truth
Is love
and unity to all gods children

To be afraid of it
In the hope that should be spent
In full rememberance
Of those
Who lived and died for the wonders of our people.

So let us all begin
We know that love can win
Let it out!
Don’t hold it in!
Say it loud as you can!

Happy Birthday to Ya!
Happy Birthday to Ya!
Happy Birthday!
Haaapppppy!
BiiiirthDaaaay!
Haaapppppy!
BiiiirthDaaaay!

We know the key
to unity of all people
Is in the dream you had so long ago.
A glimpse in all of the hearts of people
Who believe.
We’ll make the dream become a reality.
I know we will,
Because our hearts tell us so.

Quit Buying So Much Stuff and Use What You Already Have!

2009-01-16T05:18:00.000-08:00

My sister gave me a great poster for Christmas, which I’ll use as my new motto’ “Give Love, Buy Nothing”.
Like most Americans I have tons of stuff. I have stuff to decorate my house with (like tons of draping fabrics), stuff to make my job easier in the kitchen (like two pizza cutters), stuff to keep the house clean (like 3 brooms), and stuff to just have (like an altar to Fairies). But how much of it do I really need or even use?
Lately I have decided that the point to having this stuff is to use it, so I have been going through all my stuff to find stuff that is not being used and use it. Being a costume artist I have lots and lots of it so what I have done, for starters, is to compile as much of my stuff as possible into my best costumes, so that now my favorite costumes are even more spectacular! It’s a great feeling knowing you are using what you have!
I am no longer going to buy stuff for the hell of it. It’s a total waste. We are wasting money, natural resources and people’s energy just to make all this stuff. Somehow we all came to believe that to consume is part of our duty to keeping the economy alive. In fact we were told that and have been taught that since the 50’s.
You see we all collect stuff we need, or think we need, stuff for fun and stuff to make our lives more comfortable. But I bet if you looked around you would see a lot of stuff that you have that you never use! How much clutter do you have in your house when you really look at it?
I recently heard that 99% of the stuff we obtain gets trashed or becomes useless soon after we buy it. Here is a great link about the Story of Stuff. It will really make you think about the wastefulness of such massive consumerism and has lots of enlightening facts to consider. http://www.storyofstuff.com/
And let’s not forget what a distraction all this stuff is too. We are so involved in our stuff (moving it, reorganizing it, shopping for it and earning money to buy more of it) that we don’t seem to have enough time for the things that are really important to us like family, friends and relationships.
Just start to pay attention to it and you will see how all your stuff even wastes your time just thinking about it constantly. It is time for us all to reconsider how we spend our time and money, how we consume and how we really truly support the economy. Take time to think about how we can best support the economy without being so damb wasteful! Please, for the sake of every one of us (and the planet) quit consuming and use what you’ve already got!

Proof That Mary Jane Has Been Used by Medicine People for Millenia

2009-01-03T08:13:00.001-08:00

The World's Oldest Stash: Scientists Find 2,700 Year Old Pot
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2008/12/08/the-world%E2%80%99s-oldest-stash-scientists-find-2700-year-old-pot/

Save Troy Davis

2009-01-03T07:56:00.001-08:00

A couple of months ago my Mother and I went to a vigil for Troy Davis. Troy has been on death row for something like 17 years, is presumed innocent and was scheduled for execution.
We were there with a couple of hundred others on the State Capital steps in protest of his execution. Troy was accused of killing a policeman in Savannah after 9 witnesses claimed that he did it. Since then 7 of the 9 have taken back their confessions. One said he could not even read but the police were telling him to sign the statement or else. And there is also no physical evidence to prove that Troy did it, not even a murder weapon or DNA.
Why, in the year 2008, is our court system so antiquated that it still feels it has the right to take anothers life, regardless of the circumstances? Should’nt that be the Creator’s job?
I don’t believe in the death penalty.
I think it’s a system that should be abolished all together. Too many times people are executed without enough evidence to rightfully call them guilty or after execution it is discovered that they indeed were innocent. Not to mention the surmounting evidence that indeed the execution drugs used are inhumaine and cause tremendous pain. The drugs used for execution are not even used by the Humaine Society because of their torturous effects.
And here are a few other facts, from the Amnesty International website:

The death penalty is broken!
• 130 people since 1973 have been exonerated from death rows (5 from GA)
• GA has not fully funded legal defense for the poor
• Race, poverty and county often play a stronger role in sentencing than the brutality of crimes
• 80% of Georgia death sentences have been reversed due to serious error

T h e G e o r g i a G e n e r a l A s s e m b l y s h o u l d :
Ta k e a t i m e - o u t o n e x e c u t i o n s , s t u d y a n d a d d r e s s t h e s y s t e m a t i c p r o b l e m s
P r o t e c t t h e s a f e g u a r d o f h a v i n g a l l 1 2 j u r o r s d e c i d e o n d e a t h s e n t e n c e s
En s u r e l a w e n f o r c e m e n t f o l l o w s s t a n d a r d s f o r a c c u r a t e e y e w i t n e s s i d e n t i f i c a t i o n s
Fu l l y f u n d t h e p u b l i c d e f e n d e r’s o f f i c e s o t h e p o o r h a v e e q u a l j u s t i c e

It looks to me more like a broken system where people are do not have the priviledge of their full human rights. Where especially the underpriviledged are treated with distrust and disrespect as though they do not deserve the same treatment as others. It is just another power trip and it is obviously not working to scare people from commiting crimes (seeing as how our prisons are more full than ever in history or even anywhere else in the world).
In the end however, it looks like our efforts and those of many others may pay off. In October Troy's case arrived in the high court of Georgia just two hours before he was to be executed. We are still waiting to see if the judges will rule on whether there is enough evidence to grant Davis a new trial. There has been no date set for when the panel will issue its ruling.

Not all Hunky Dorey

2008-12-07T19:43:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I like to live in this fantasyland where everything appears just right and my life is really very great. And in general it is….. but every once in a while an event occurs to remind me that I am not quite all that. I still have a lot to work on.
A few weeks ago, while working a craft fair, I suddenly got really cold and nauseous and started to shake uncontrollably. I went to the bathroom thinking I would vomit but could only sink down onto the floor of my stall. By now a woman had noticed me and came to help. She helped me outside to sit in the sun to warm up. I could barely walk and felt completely out of it.
I guess it alarmed some people and they decided to call an ambulance…. despite all of my protests.
I knew what the problem was. I had not been eating enough…for a few days probably… and when I ate a couple of brownies from the bake sale about half an hour earlier, my body really rejected and that’s when I got ill. I knew what the problem was because I had been through it before.
So here is the big news. I’m anorexic. I know….it even alarmed me when I found out because, you see, I never worried about my weight or ever wanted to lose weight. It’s an eating disorder as a result of having food issues. Meaning, too many dislikes of various foods and neglecting to eat enough, not on purpose though.
I even dated a doctor who told me that he thought I was anorexic but I had never heard of this type of anorexia before. In fact I think most people still don’t know it exists. And I can think of a few people I know or knew whom I believe also have varying degrees of it.
I learned that I had it a few years ago, when I went to see a doctor for a staff infection. After an analysis of my diet and eating patterns she proclaimed me anorexic and said she would have me committed to a hospital if I did not gain weight immediately. It was a total shock to me but I did everything I could to gain weight, eat better and introduce a lot more foods into my life (foods that I’d stopped liking for one reason or another throughout my life). And in a few months I felt better than I had in years and had gained about 15 pounds.
These days, I’m doing a whole lot better than I once was. Once a year or several months between episodes is nothing compared to how it used to be…. migraines and vomiting monthly, for years.
Unfortunately, I still find myself relapsing from time to time.
I start to believe I’m over it…until it happens again. They say it’s a battle that can last for years.
It’s completely mental. There is really a very simple solution. It’s all about remembering to take the time to eat, not allowing life to distract me so much that I neglect to eat and not being a picky eater. It’s as simple as that. Or at least it seems simple.
Now, I am only telling you all of this for blogs sake. I started this blog in hopes that others could learn from my own life experiences. I think people should be aware that it exists like this.
I am not writing this to get sympathy or to talk about it with everyone. So please refrain from bringing it up unless you are willing to share your own deepest darkest secrets. Thank you.
I still have a lot of healing to do…..but don’t we all…….in one way or another.

Monkeys, My Favorite Animals

2008-09-29T08:34:00.000-07:00

In Peru I went to this amazing butterfly farm and animal rehab center outside of Iquitos. It was a wonderful experience to hang out with the monkeys and be so close to them. They are wild because they live in the trees around the center but they were rescued animals and so are fed by the staff. I hope to go back there and volunteer with them someday. Here is a video of me with the monkeys.

Funtime in Rural A-Town

2008-09-26T18:56:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I had a fun and interesting day. I was in Kennesaw, Georgia for a small town festival, which I was face painting at. I guess I did not realize that there were such hillbilly towns so close to Atlanta still. When the first little girl asked me to paint a cow on her cheek it was a big clue. So was the big confederate flag flying at the towns main restaurant. I think also that the freight train was their idea of a parade because it went by, right through the middle of the festival, at least 8 times in the 5 hours that I was there. I could not decide if that was louder or if the two radio station booths battleing it out for attention were. I think the Fish Christian radio station won that contest though because we could not even hear what was happening on the very nearby stage by the end of the day.

There was a stage with lots of interesting entertainment too, including cloggers dancing to “The Devil Went Down to Georgia”, which I had not seen at a festival for at least ten years. (See video below.) Then it was quite bizarre when the scene changed drastically and a group of preteens appeared on stage in pin striped mini skirts and black hats and vests doing lots of Britney Spears moves and appearing way too racey for a Kennesaw family festival. I just had to laugh at the irony. I’m sure the Fish station was appalled. I was glad to see the diversity.

Later that night I found myself at a pizza joint in Tucker, Georgia watching perhaps the most amazing electric guitar player I had ever seen, an Australian named Geoff Atchison. (See video below.) It was obvious that most of his fans were guitar aficionados because they all sat staring and studying his every move. No one danced, they just sat at tables in awe of the master at work. He played so fast and with such dexterity that his hands looked disfigured. Later a kid no more than 15 years old came up on stage and wowed us with a guitar ability as amazing as Jeff’s. His guitar face was pro as well.
Anyway, I just wanted to share that. I love when a day like this comes along to remind me of what a interesting life this is.

New Orleans Lives On

2008-09-03T18:11:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to believe that it has been 3 years since Katrina hit New Orleans. Thankfully they made it through Hurricane Gustav this week but there is still great fear that the levees may not hold if another hurricane made a direct hit. With Katrina our country witnessed the worst case of neglect by the government since the Trail of Tears. In the end it was U.S. citizens who helped and rescued New Orleanians, more than anything the government finally did. The people of this country opened up to evacuees, feeding and housing perfect strangers for weeks before they would be allowed back home. They gave us hope and reminded us that at least our fellow man gives a damn even if the government does not.
I lived in New Orleans for 7 years until Katrina hit and changed my life forever. I had a successful life as an artist there and was active in the community. I bought and renovated a gorgeous house and put my costume storefront in it. It was a dream come true and I imagined it would become a family heirloom. I was happy and loved being a part of a great community. But after Katrina, the place I knew and loved would never be the same to me. With no tourist industry and half the population gone I knew it would be too much of a struggle for me to survive there as an artist. My friends were now all over the country and I might never see them again. And, I was concerned about my health and safety in the now toxic and overly crime ridden city. (My house did get some damage but not compared to the loss others experienced.)
I was torn. I wanted to stay and help but I knew that what I could do for New Orleans would amount to nothing compared to what it would need to breathe life again. I can remember how the first few times I went back, it felt like the heart of that city was barely beating and I remember feeling like it took so much energy just to be there, that the city needed every bit it could suck out of you in order to survive. I know a lot of people felt that way. Thankfully, there were some who had the energy to give and it is due to them that there is even a New Orleans left to speak of.
I decided to relocate….but I got a ton of hell for it. Some people were really supportive of my decision but others thought I was selfish and that I should come back and play an active role as I always had. All I knew was that to live there would probably kill me or drive me crazy and I had to take care of myself first. I know that for me I made the best decision. I have a new life, completely different really and I believe many blessings came from my decision to take care of myself. I have no regrets. I will always love New Orleans and the blessings it shared with me while I was there.
It has been a long journey since then but New Orleans is recovering, though very slowly. There is not much reported on the progress of New Orleans any more but if you are interested, here is an article I found that seems to be more realistic than anything else out there. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/how-we-forgot-the-city-of-jazz-and-jambalaya-907652.html
I also was sent this one which is very interesting called “The Katrina Myth”, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wln_iq5bc8k
New Orleans is still one of the most beautiful, culturally diverse, and entertaining places that this country has ever known. I recommend anyone who has never been to go visit it and even those who have been there to go back and be a support to the most unique culture this country has to offer.
(If you would like to know more about my life and role in New Orleans you can visit the history link of my webpage on the bio page at http://www.rosemaryi.com/history.html starting at 1998.)

My Passion for Henna

2008-08-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

I have been so excited about my travels and everything else that I have not even touched on my henna art. It’s the henna that pays the bills and allows me to travel more than any other art form I do. So I wanted to give honor to it now.
Henna is actually one of the oldest art forms on the planet and can be found on paintings in the Egyptian pyramids. It starts as a greenish paste that once applied to the skin turns to an earth red color, a perfectly painless temporary tattoo. It is believed that Egypt first brought henna to India where the art form is known as Mehendi. Traditionally Mehendi has been used ritually in birthing ceremonies and in wedding ceremonies to insure a lasting marriage. Often the name of the groom is written on the palm of the bride, very cleverly hidden, and the couple cannot mate until he finds it. Also it is said that the bride does not have to do any housework until the stain has completely faded, which can last for weeks. (I always imagined brides hiding in a closet to reapply the henna and put off the housework for a few more weeks.) I have found Indian people to be supportive of my work and often excited to see that their native art has traveled across the globe.
Ironically I was visiting New Orleans in 1997 when I first saw henna applied. A friend of mine had told me about it a few months earlier and instinctively I knew that it would become my passion. The artist doing it saw my enthusiasm and gave me a free tattoo. I bought my first henna kit from him and have been practicing it ever since.
The next year I moved to New Orleans hoping to make a living in Jackson Square doing henna. It was not that easy. Many old school portrait artists, mostly antiquated in their own right, were opposed and put up quite a battle to keep me out. Luckily I met another artist who was also starting to do hand painted temporary tattoos, in color. His name was Tanner and through our long term battle with the city’s artist licensing office and those reluctant Jackson Square artists, we won the battle and claimed the right to do body art in Jackson Square.
Since then I have traveled all over creating henna designs and making a living from it. It really is my favorite art to do and one that I know will be with me for the rest of my life. Many thanks to Egypt, India and to all of the other cultures that have been generous enough to share this gorgeous art form with us.

Working With Wild Animals Native to Georgia

2008-08-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

I have more great pictures to share. I never did tell you about how I got started in wildlife rehabilitation. I wanted to work with wild animals for quite a while but never had the time when I lived in New Orleans. So when I came to Atlanta I began thinking a lot more about it until one day it just happened. I found an injured possum in my yard, which I rescued and took to the closest rehabilitator I could find.
From there I discovered AWARE (the Atlanta Wild Animal Rescue Effort) where I volunteered for two years, on and off, helping rescue and rehabilitate wild animals native to Georgia: including possums, squirrels, raccoons, foxes, bobcats, snakes, song birds, bats, and chipmunks among other creatures. I learned so much and enjoyed bottle feeding babies and helping to heal the animals. Of course lots of dirty work cleaning cages comes with this but it is all worth it. When possible the animals would be re released into the wild.
I have not been able to help out much for the past several months but I am finally available again to do rescues for the organization and to help with events. I am planning to get more involved again soon and am also looking for other local organizations where I can accomplish my dream to work with primates as well. These photos are of some baby possums and a bob kitten as well as me with two of the ambassador education owls, Goliath and Owlbert.

More Bizarre and Cute Animals

2008-08-25T12:10:00.001-07:00

I especially love the little hedgehog and the kitten with four ears is too cute!

Bizzare and Cute Animal Images

2008-08-25T11:51:00.000-07:00

I love animals, in case you had'nt figured that out already. So i have compiled some bizzare and cute pics of some that i found or have been sent to me. Fascinating!

Out Out Damb Pathogen!

2008-08-24T20:52:00.001-07:00

So I’ve had a pathogen living in my body for the past four years! It has been called “an amoebic infection” by my acupuncturist and a “parasite” by shaman Don Javier but I like the word “pathogen” because it sounds so “X-Files”.
It has been like an x-file too because for so long I have had these terrible colon issues: from constipation to diarrhea and flatulence to belly aches, with no idea why. I even had an impacted colon about two years ago, that almost killed me!
By July of this year I had been having diarrhea for weeks on end and just could not take it anymore, so I finally went to an acupuncturist to help cure me. I answered a simple questionaire and then he diagnosed me with “amoebas”, mostly by using his intuition. He gave me some Chinese medicine and said I’d feel a big difference in a few weeks.
He told me that you get it from bad food or water and I knew right away when I had gotten it. I was in Brazil for a month, very careful not to eat any salads when on my last week I went to a fancy restaurant and decided to take the risk. I was sick for two days and when I came home the colon problems began.
Soon after visiting the accupuncturist I went to Peru, still with belly aches and beginning to notice headaches as well. Then on my first visit to Javiers for ceremony, he too diagnosed me with a “parasite”. He said that it was filling up my entire belly, robbing me of all my nutrients, keeping me from gaining any weight and generally trying to kill me. Almost precisely what the acupuncturist had already said. He said that if I did not have such a strong spirit I would already be dead. I went to him for two private healings hoping to finally be rid of the nasty varmit.
By the time I came home I thought it was about gone but low and behold the belly aches came back and refusing to wait any longer I went to a western medicine doctor for testing. Then the county health department called, having received the results even before my doctor. They said that the lab let them know because legally the health department has to be informed of these cases. Although two healers had already diagnosed what it was, the tests were more proof of a pathogen with the medical name of “campylovacter”. They said that in most people it goes away in a week or two but in 20% it relapses. I decided to just take the damb antibiotics and be done with it. They ripped up my stomache but within a week I knew it was finally out of me. I can not stand to take western medicine but I am grateful to have the option when it is absolutely necessary.
I feel better than I have in a really long time now and energy is returning that I have not felt in years.
Although I believe it was a combination of all of the medicines that helped to make me well, it was not until I began to fully focus on healing myself that the healing truly began. I also believe that it is due to my neglect of the issue from the start that it lived inside of me for so long.
The lesson? To pay close attention to any health issues as they arise and do not expect the healing to come completely from an outside source when you yourself have the willpower to manifest healing.
(Here are some pictures of the acupuncture at work, helping to heal my digestive system after the damage the pathogen and antibiotics did to it.)

Mi Amor

2008-08-15T12:59:00.000-07:00

So amidst all of the excitement of travel and of making a most wonderful living as an artist, I am also falling in love!
My love is an amazing, funny, motivated, hard working man who was born on the Winter Solstice and has a great ear for music. He loves to travel like me too and we’ve already had some beautiful trips together. We are both fire signs, which makes for a most vibrant relationship. It seriously seems like when we are together amazing and fascinating things happen around us. Even wildlife, which we both adore, is drawn to us!
Also he does an unusual thing for a man….he actually communicates how he feels! Kudos to his parents for raising him to be a caring, communicative, open and positive human being! I swear I’ve never had a relationship with someone who actually does want to talk about issues and even brings them up before I get the guts to. It is truly amazing to find this man. Oh and also, he makes me laugh a lot, a lot!
There is only one thing that bugs me about him, He farts really loudly! Oops, was that too much information? Well nobody is perfect right?
I met this beautiful man in a most bizarre way, when his slightly psycho dog sort of bit my dog. (He was a rescue so we don’t know what he went through before he adopted him.) It was as if the universe took drastic measures to be sure that we met, as if living around the corner from each other just was’nt going to do it. He was so upset about my girl getting hurt, he paid the $1,000 plus vet bill within a few days and then started coming to visit her during her recovery. Seriously I think he was visiting my dog at first and not me!
So now we have been together for 5 months and it just gets better all of the time! What a beautiful life! Thank you generous universe for making another dream come true!

Everything Happens For A Reason

2008-08-15T10:49:00.000-07:00

Within two hours of arriving in Iquitos I met two great women, each of whom had traveled on their own to come to the conference, just like me. From then on we did practically everything together, ceremonies, eating, talking all night long and watching out for one another, until we all went home. We became great friends and formed friendships that will last forever. Here are some photos of us together, loving life. As one of them said, meeting them was some of the best medicine I had in Peru.

The Curandera from North Dakota

2008-08-15T10:30:00.000-07:00

In South and Central America, Curanderos are the medicine men and shamans of their culture. Likewise a Curandera is a female medicine woman, which there are few of compared to the number of men.
Lately I really felt guided to find a medicine woman to do ceremony with, which is part of why I went to Peru for the conference. I knew that several women would speak and that I would be in the company of some of the leading experts on ayahuasca and shamanism, who could at least lead me in the right direction.
I had all these grandiose ideas about the Curanadera that I would meet. That she would be indigenous, having traveled from her home in the far off jungle somewhere and needing an interpreter to translate her complex ancient language to us.
Who I found was Wendy. Wendy is a humble Curandera who really prefers not to have a title at all. She would just rather be a friend and not someone to be revered. She wears tye dyes and speaks only a little Spanish. But, she has trained with shamans from all over Peru for many years, including Don Augustine Rivas.
My first ceremony with Wendy was beautiful. It was for women only and we worked with a beautiful medicine. It is an integrative plant, meaning it teaches you how to connect with nature and with spirit. It was a day ceremony at the zoo. We started off sitting under a little maloca (palm hut) on a lake for a couple of hours, reciting our intentions for learning from the medicine that day and waiting for it to take effect. Wendy got a reading off of each of us for where our original bloodlines were from. Mine, would’nt you know, is of Elven decent, meaning of the Fairies.
When we were ready we ventured into the zoo, first visiting with a gorgeous water boa (see picture). At one point we ended up at a Jaguar cage where I witnessed something I had never seen before. Wendy stood looking at the animal for awhile and then the cat actually came over to the cage, stood on its hind legs and leaned up against the bars, staring at her and purring. He obviously felt a connection, without any threat or he would never have bared his belly. It was incredible.
We all got so excited, taking pictures and talking that is distracted him and he sat down again. Then the other women walked on and Wendy explained to me what had happened. She said that she had gone into a space of just feeling the cat, sort of shifting her energy to be on his level. She did not ask him to do what he did. She just opened up to who he was and he felt her connection and returned her honoring of him with that gesture, showing his honor of her as well. It is really hard to explain. She had me do an exercise to understand it myself. I truly felt the tree I was leaning against. I felt its connection to everything around it and to me, its acceptance of everything exactly as it is. And I felt like I was the tree. It was the most amazing lesson in connecting with nature that I have learned yet. It happened again later when these monkeys sat staring at me for several minutes.
That was proof enough that I had found the woman I had looked for, a Curandera from North Dakota who is as brilliant as any other shaman, if not more so. I am honored to learn from Wendy and I feel a wonderful friendship is developing with this amazing sister of mine.
huachuma

Photojournaling of Peru 2

2008-08-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

The markets too were fascinating places, with shelves of corked bottles containing medicines and ointments made from hundreds of Amazonian plants. After all, the Amazon is the pharmacy to the world. And the Plaza de Armas was always a happening place on weekends, with plenty of nightlife and entertainment on Saturday night, including an airband of 8 year olds.

Photojournaling of Peru

2008-08-15T10:17:00.001-07:00

Here are some more pictures of my trip to Peru. I enjoyed riding in the moto taxis, although they make Iquitos one of the noisiest cities on earth. The boat ride to my camping spot was always interesting, like being in another country compared to the city, where local people fished, swam and washed their clothes, seemingly unaware of the nearby noisy Iquitos. I thought the kids playing in the water from the storm runoff were adorable as well as this cutie at a fruit stand.

Body Painting for a Living

2008-08-15T10:15:00.000-07:00

You may wonder how I can afford all this traveling. Well honestly I’m just getting by really but I lately have been doing pretty well (for an independent artists’ standards) by doing body painting. My latest client has been hiring me for a bunch of gigs to promote their product at some swanky Atlanta bars. Here are some photos of my designs on the fabulous models that are hired for the gigs. Wowee zowee! It’s a fun and bizarre living to say the least!
What is even more bizarre to me is that the money I made from these gigs, painting the logo of a liquor company on naked ladies, is what got me on my most spiritual journey yet……to Peru!

A Gifted Shamanic Healer

2008-08-14T08:47:00.000-07:00

On going to Peru, I wanted to find a shaman with the ability to heal and a true desire to help people. I had already done ceremony with several shamans and although I’ve had lots of good experiences, I also found that many shamans are just as lost as the rest of us, with alcohol addictions, adultery issues and a craving to make money more than to heal.
The first day I got there I heard about a ceremony to be held at the house of a talented Banco Espiritual in Iquitos, Don Javier Dasilva Oliveira. Bancos are rare because they work on each of the three planes (here, above and below) while many shamans work on only one plane.
Don Javier was originally from Brazil and had been practicing shamanism since his early teens, trained by his father, who in turn was trained by his father. He was said to be an amazing healer. He held ceremonies in his home, a small house with many chairs and a alter to the Baby Jesus. The dining room and kitchen was where those of us who would drink the ayahuasca (around 15 people) would sit for the night, while the front room would hold all of his other “patients”, locals mostly (about 50 or so people).
Throughout the night Javier would perform limpias (cleansings) on each person there, giving valuable information about health and things to watch out for in the future.
Javier said that he worked through the Baby Jesus, his main spirit guide, and that it was only through him and the “doctors” that he was able to perform this magic. He called these spirits the “doctors” because when they were alive, about 250 years ago, they were powerful healers. Now they performed healings and psychic surgeries through Javier. He would embody these spirits, speaking in their ancient languages and singing icaros throughout the night. It was amazing how his personality would change with each spirit that spoke through him. By the end of the night he would become even more vibrant and would have performed limpias on 50 to 80 people.
The man was clearly a powerful shaman. This was evidenced by the fact that each person I talked to found his assessment of them to be right on, including myself.
I had never seen a shaman with such focus and devotion to his “patients”. His icaros were powerfully beautiful and I felt I could sit and listen to him sing for days. His medicine was very pure too. He used only ayahuasca and chacruna in his brew.
I wish I could better express what an incredible impact he had on us all. The best I can say is that being in his ceremony was one of the most amazing experiences ever. I truly believe that not many as powerful as him exist, and that I was blessed and guided to find him.
Here are a few pictures of him next to his alter. In one he is blowing tobacco smoke into the jar of ayahuasca, cleansing it to prepare for the ceremony and there's another of him and me. I am also posting a video is of one of the private healings that he performed on me, during a regular business day.

More Photojournaling of Mexico

2008-08-14T08:35:00.000-07:00

Here are some more pics of Mexico and a video of some Huichol acrobats in the plaza one Sunday. There are photos here of Palm Sunday, where the locals create gorgeous art from palm fronds and of amazing sandcastles of the last supper, next to the Plaza de Centro in Puerto Vallarta.

Photojournaling of Mexico 2

2008-08-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

Let me try that again. Here are the photos.

Photojournaling in Mexico

2008-08-14T08:14:00.000-07:00

I love to photograph things, everything in my life. I call these images my photo journal and I must have thousands of them documenting my life. So I wanted to show you some of them, from my recent life at least.
This batch is from the Mexico trip and there is a video of a cute Mexican girl singing on the bus. There are pictures here of an elaborate cemetery, some day of the dead dolls and smoking fish.

My Trip To the 4th Annual Amazonian Shamanic Conference

2008-08-08T10:39:00.000-07:00

I had been wanting to go to Peru for awhile to work more with Ayahuasca but I wanted to go and meet some true healers and women shamans as well, without having to wander around the country trying to find them. For about three days I could not get Peru out of my mind. I knew I had to go there this summer, somehow, someway. Suddenly, on the third day of this, the opportunity arrived. I saw an ad for the 4th Annual Amazonian Shamanic Conference. Instantly I knew that that was the answer I had been asking for. I paid for the conference that day and got a plane ticket to Peru, leaving in three weeks.
The conference was fascinating. There were speakers on just about anything having to do with Ayahuasca, the paranormal and shamanism. Topics included plant teachers, sorcery, near death experiences, trance, and visionary art, among others.
The first day we were introduced to many of the curanderos (healers/shamans) that would be leading ceremonies throughout the conference. A panel was set up with about 8 at a time and each curandero gave a summary of their work and life. Some gave the short version, “I work with Ayahuasca and use it to help heal people.” while others went on and on about their power and work with the plants since birth. One, the rock star of shamans, wore an elaborate headdress and held a decadent staff, shaking everyones hand beforehand like a politician. Another just simply sang an icaro (ayahuasca ceremonial song). It was a diverse group to say the least.
One of the real treats of the conference was when renouned visionary artist, Pablo Amaringo, spoke about his art and work with the sacred Ayahuasca. Amaringo was once a powerful shaman himself until others became so jealous that they tried to kill him with black magic. From that point on he focused on his art instead, using his paintings to demonstrate the lessons he learned from the sacred plant teacher. His art is a wonderful example of many of the visions produced by Ayahuasca and its sacred teachings.
Also speaking at the conference was Dennis McKenna himself. He came with no formal lecture but discussed how the Ayahuasca teaches us to connect with nature. He expressed his belief that plants want to migrate. They want to teach us and to grow everywhere in everything so that they are integrated into our lives on a deeper level. Ayahuasca is one plant especially that does that through us, spreading itself across the world through our experiences and sharing of them and through the mass conciousness.
Another fascinating part of the conference, maybe a little too new agey for some, was the “Telekenises Party”. We were all given cutlery to practice bending with our minds. Of course that does not happen without lots of practice but we did learn how to bring energy down into our minds and bodies to be able to bend the forks with very little physical pressure. Once one person got it then people all around them began to have the power to bend metal cutlery and watch it melt like butter in our hands. It was an amazing testament to how powerful our minds truly are.
The conference was a very well produced event, held in a beautiful ampitheatre at a nice hotel. There were too many speakers to mention them all here but it was a diversified and educational program. I would recommend it to anyone who is serious about learning more on these topics and I will probably go back myself next year.

The Beginning of My Experience with the Sacred Medicine of the Ayahuasca

2008-08-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

I had read about Ayahuasca about 15 years before ever coming into contact with it. I was so fascinated with the potential healing powers and access to the spirit realm that it was claimed to give, that I decided then and there that one day I too would experience this sacred plant teacher.
Ayahuasca is a psychotropic plant from the Amazon, which has been used for practically forever to help shamans with healing and to connect with spirit on a deeper level. It is called “medicine” because that is what it truly is, for the healing of ones soul. In Peru today, it has even begun to be used in special clinics to help treat drug and alcohol addictions. Sometime in the 70’s, Dennis and Terrance McKenna wrote a book about their findings on this plant teacher and ever since the subject has gained interest for its healing properties with spiritualists and scientists around the world. However, it is still a very foreign topic to most westerners.
Little did I know, when I first learned of it, that this ancient medicine would change my life forever and lead me down my souls true path. I did know at the time however that it would be a very powerful experience and that I was not going to go looking for it but to let it come to me when my soul was ready for it.
Then, a few years ago, my best friend began to work with the plant in ceremonies with shamans from the Amazon. Together we had read about Ayahuasca for the first time so many years before, so she was excitted to share the opportunity with me. I was finally able to make it out to San Francisco for my first ceremony in the summer of 2006. I did two nights of ceremony and the second night was perhaps the most enlightening experience of my life.
I met Mother Earth that night. I fell in love with the universe and was blessed with so much love like I had never experienced before or even knew existed. It started when at one point I felt sort of stuck, like I needed to get something out of me that was stunting my growth and so I asked for the medicine mans’ help. He came to me and began to rub Agua de Florida on my forehead over the third eye and on the area above my heart. At first there was a burning sensation so I kept asking him to put the water on me to cool me down. Eventually I felt a sort of opening up and I began to cry deeply and to release what felt like years of pent up emotion. Then I felt my third eye open up and light started pouring into me. Finally my heart just blossomed, like a lotus flower, and I felt generous amounts of love streaming into me from the heavens. It was the most beautiful feeling I can ever remember having. I knew it was a rare blessing that occurred only because I was so open to it, and that my soul had wished for that connection with spirit for a very long time.
From there I received many messages to give to loved ones, including the shaman, all of whom agreed that they were right on. My own messages from the Mother were that I too have the ablility to heal and that I would learn skills to help humanity in its spiritual evolution. My art and work with wild animals would be the catalyst for this in years to come.
After that, the shaman invited me to Colombia for ceremonies with his tribal family there and the next summer I invited him to the U.S. to do ceremony with my own friends and family. I had a number of beautiful ceremonies with him and learned a lot about myself. The universe truly blessed me with meeting him but the real blessings and teachings came from the plant medicine itself, an amazingly enlightening and healing teacher whom I have been honored to know.

Peyote Ceremony……In the Mall!

2008-07-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

In Mexico one of my main hopes was to be a part of an indigenous ceremony with one of the sacred plant teachers. But even with my contacts through the yaje community I could not make it happen. It’s just not that easy. Understandably, they are not that open to allowing just anyone into their sacred ceremonies, especially westerners.
Instead I found an article online that told of a Huichol tribe that would be performing a Peyote ceremony at the local mall. At first I thought this was just too weird and how could any true shaman want a part of this but as I read on it made perfect sense.
They had come down from the mountains, where many of them had always lived and never ventured from, to big city Puerto Vallarta, to educate the public about how important the sacred plant medicine, Peyote, is to their culture. They had risked so much in leaving their home. They were unfamiliar with our ways and laws and while they were there, their head shaman got arrested for swimming in the river. They were selling their art to help pay for his release and to pay for the cost of bringing the tribe there.
The Huichols use peyote as medicine for healing and connecting with spirit. It has been used by them in a sacred way for eons and they are legally the only ones allowed to possess the plant. They are truly brilliant artisans and much of their artwork is designed from the elaborate visions they receive from working with peyote.
Ever since peyote was discovered by outsiders, as a psychotropic plant, it has been harvested in mass, from the land in Mexico for recreational use and has become much harder for the Huichols to obtain. And with so much land ownership, it is very hard for them to even get to the land that it grows on due to property lines and fences that exist today.
So I went to the mall to learn more about these beautiful people and their sacred traditions and also to see how a peyote ceremony in the mall would play out. It was very fascinating. I fell in love with the art and jewelry and bought a ton of it from them.
The whole tribe was there and they sang and danced the traditional songs around the medicine men as their head shaman prayed to the medicine and then cut up and ate the peyote. I could’nt believe I was watching this, right by a McDonald’s, but it was clear to me that this really was not a show but for our education.
I believe that even more than for our education, they were there for the healing of us. Bringing their work through the peyote medicine to give us the healing that we need to be able to respect and connect with nature, spirit, peyote and all of the sacred plant teachers again in a way that we have forgotten.
Photo description: My cousin snapped one picture of the head shaman holding a baby and from the look in his eyes the medicine was at work.

Dolphin Dream Come True!

2008-07-10T09:05:00.000-07:00

Okay….rewind. I went to Mexico about two weeks before I visited the primate sanctuary. My cousin lives in Puerto Vallarta where she trains dolphins and I was so excited to see her at work and meet her animal friends.
The dolphins were such beautiful and aware creatures. Dolphins are not only some of the smartest creatures on earth but are also said to have telepathic abilities (this fascinates me). They are also one of the only other species, besides us, that have sex for pleasure, not just procreation, which makes it even more clear to me how truly aware they are.
I had the rare opportunity of being able to sit alone with them and my cousin as she interacted with them in their simple human/dolphin communication way. It was obvious to me that these creatures really do have a massive intelligence. The wonderful opportunity of being in such close contact with them, touching and kissing them, was one that I will never forget.
My cousin always dreamed of working with dolphins and I am proud of her for making her dream come true. However, she knows that this is not truly how she wants to work with them and wants to one day do work that will benefit the dolphins. Although, they are being well taken care of, I believe that they know that they do not belong there, even those who were born there. I again hope that our society can learn soon to stop caging animals for our own amusement and realize that taking animals from the wild is a crime.
Here are some photos and videos of these magnificent creatures. Enjoy!

How Life Might Have Been

2008-07-09T15:27:00.000-07:00

Soooooo much has happened since I last blogged. I feel like I’ve lived so much. I guess I better give you the quick update first.
I went to visit the primate sanctuary and I knew within 6 hours that it was not going to work. As soon as I arrived I began the tedious chores. We had 20 minutes for lunch during which we were being given directions, via walkie talkie, for what to do next. Finally, at 9:30pm we were done, starving and ready for dinner. It was 11pm by the time I got into bed and all I could think about was how I had to get up again at 6am and when would I ever have a moment to myself. After a long talk with my boyfriend, I had decided that this definitely was not the place for me. I wanted so badly to work with primates but I knew that the director would drive me crazy and I’d never have time off, even for lunch. The other girls had already informed me that days off were rare and that there were no breaks to speak of. It was clear that the director cared much more about the well being of her monkeys than those that took care of them.
At 6am I got the call on the walkie talkie and I had to confess that I would be leaving that morning and that this just was’nt going to work. The director tried to convince me to stay but I just told her that I knew myself well and that even to stay the week I would not be happy there. She was pretty angry, to say the least, and when I told her that I had decided that I would rather be doing rehabilitation than sanctuary work, she blatantly told me that I could never do that. At that point it was clear to me that she would not have been a good support and I just said, “Well thank you and goodbye.” and I hung up the walkie talkie. Then I packed my stuff and got the hell away from that negativity as fast as I could.
The only good thing that came of it was that I got to be around the monkeys for a few hours and that I realized that where I really wanted to be was in animal rehabilitation, like I had already been doing with native species of the southeast U.S., and where I knew I could be truly beneficial.
But the biggest lesson in that adventure was that I realized there were so many times in my life when I felt I had to do something, even if I would not be happy and that it did not have to be that way. That there will always be other opportunities.
Here are some images of the monkeys themselves. Living in a sanctuary is their only option, having been rescued from abusive situations and labs that have given them up after years and years in captivity. Many of them are depressed and mentally ill, as you can imagine, pulling out their hair and screeming at their caregivers all day long. It’s a terribly sad state and I only hope that our society will soon learn that to catch and cage any wild animals for our own pleasure and experimentation is immoral and a crime against nature.

A New Path in Life

2008-03-03T08:44:00.000-08:00

I am so excited. My phone interview for the monkey sanctuary I applied to went really well. She loved me! I think. We clicked enough that I know I could work with her. She seems gentle enough.

The director is who I’m talking about. We need to click because I’m not selling everything and moving to Florida to work with someone who I don’t jive with. You hear me?
It really is exciting to think about. I’ll be working with primates. A dream come true. It is happening so fast I can hardly believe it. I have heard that when you reach a certain point you begin to manifest things very quickly. Is that what I am doing? If so, what else have I manifested?
It was a little over a year ago that I held a baby monkey in my arms for the first time. It was the most beautiful moment of my life until that event. And two years ago the medicine told me to go work with animals in the jungle. But I have been craving the jungle since I was a child. I just somehow knew that I would work with monkeys some day. I’m only 34 and already I’m on my second career. How exciting for me!

Letting Go Of My Costume Art Business

2008-03-03T08:24:00.000-08:00

I have decided to stop doing my costume art for the public. I am giving up working with feathers that are factory produced, including my favorite feather of all, the ostrich plume.
These birds are put through hell when their feathers are plucked and cut off. They are not even given the consideration of allowing them to naturally moult (drop) them.
The ostrich plume is an essential Mardi Gras feather. It is the key element to many of the finest Mardi Gras costumes. I adore them but I’m giving them up in support of the rights of animals. I hope to bring awareness to people through my art now.
And I have started an organization. The Feather Drop, for the collection of cruelty free feathers for use in art. I will collect donations from birds of private pet owners, sanctuaries, rescue organizations and zoos. The organization will eventually sell cruelty free feathers to artists and designers, and make enough to cover the cost of the organization and continue to bring awareness.
Shocking I know! I am giving up costuming! Well only when it comes to selling to you guys anymore.
Of course my soul needs nourishment so I won’t be giving up art entirely. I will still do henna and face painting as well as a couple of other new art hobbies, painting on clothes and medicine jewelry.
With the new feathers, I plan to create costumed characters that would educate about the environment and animal rights. It’s a plan that’s been in the making for awhile and I am ready to make the commitment. Thanks so much to all of you who have supported my work from the beginning and especially to New Orleans for motivating me to become an amazing mask maker and costume artist!