Marine-Botany and Standing Rocks
We are reminded of the weight of water; the power it holds. Water shifts equilibrium, re-orients completely. Water betrays, refuses to be controlled, knows all. Master teacher of humility, water will come first for your pride, then break your heart. Water refuses detachment, sustains consciousness, mocks the masculine threshold for pain. Water delivers a breaking only the feminine could withstand.
All year I’ve been subject to lessons from water. There is nothing more violent, more protective. Our relationship to water defines us unequivocally; water is mother.
This piece highlights the nature of aquatic plants, other plant species, and their relationship to water with hopes of better understanding our own.
…silent prayer, long meditation, stillness of breath, standing rock…
Recollection is a specialization of diatoms. Diatoms are small, unicellular organisms with long memory found in damp soils and moist mosses. Silica make them among the most beautiful microfossils. The fossilized structures of diatoms keep records of environmental conditions. A diatom can tell the quality of the soil and the contents of the water at a given time. Diatoms are used forensically to determine the circumstances of a death, particularly in a drowning. Diatoms do not decompose in the body. They can be used to determine the time of death based on the habits of replication in diatomic structures. Diatoms can also determine the body of water where a death occurs. Merchants use diatoms for the filtration of water.
…feast on ocean flowers, cradle webs of light, spin beauty in astral planes…
Kelp is a re-mineralizer that restores energetic efficiency in the body, and stops the hemorrhaging of blood. Kelp is a form of seaweed that attaches itself to rock to grow in water. If eaten kelp has vitamins A, B, C, D, E, increases metabolism, activation of the thyroid, makes the stomach swell and feel full, causes reduction of appetite, and produces a mucus that coats the stomach limiting the negative impact or feeling of gastric acid, and is anti-ulcer. Externally kelp can be used to stop bleeding (nasal, dental, and skin lacerations), and is anti-bacterial. It can also be used as treatment for hypertension, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, constipation, and dehydration.
…cheek to dirt, trade love songs for seeds and cardinal messengers…
Moss is a protection. It can both shelter and hide you. Some forms of mosses are spongy and dense enough to be used as a source of drinking water. Dried moss is highly flammable, and can be used to start a fire. Moss can be used to dress wounds. Its’ natural iodines help it to be a naturally sterile material. Moss is veritably waterproof with a shallow root system that can be used in tracts to cover roofing. Moss is capable of growing together and sealing its root system within 24 hours. Moss as insulation can keep warm or cool air inside. Some forms of moss are edible; others can be used to filter water.
…tend night fires, and burn pain…into art…then… into love…
Ferns [Braken]exists on every continent except Antarctica, and grows best in poor soils. Ferns have a tendency to take over in good soil, and recovery quickly after fire and logging. Ferns can thrive anywhere and tolerate brief periods of drought. Ferns are a cure for stomach weakness. It can be used for nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, cramps, and headaches. Ferns can aid with weakness of blood, tuberculosis, infections, and chest pains. Ferns can be used to purify the blood after menses or childbirth. Ferns treat rheumatism, lung challenges, and gynecological issues (including menstrual, postpartum, and breastfeeding). There are warnings, however, for the over consumption of ferns. If eaten too frequently or for long periods of time, ferns have been associated with an increase in stomach cancer. Ferns, after all, live with little water.
…weave sacred water spells, black lives inside the pocket — dark matter, most…
Blue-Green Algae is one of the most nutrient foods on the planet do to high values of protein, nutrients, and vitamins. It contains 70% vegetable protein, 65-minerals, vitamins, and enzymes, 97% of which are easily absorbed through the consumption of blue green algae. It increases levels of vitamin B-12, and, also carries eight of the essential amino acids, 10 non-essential amino acids, and produces the most biologically active chlorophyll of any known food. Blue-Green Algae displays antioxidant qualities by scavenging for free radicals, and reducing oxidative damaging. It is also used for the proliferation of stem cell growth and repair. Blue-Green Algae helps the body adapt against stressors.
Healers are known by their response to wounds:
In spring I received an invitation from a spiritual elder and teacher, who organized an inaugural spiritual healing (Soul Shifting) retreat in Puerto Lopez, Ecuador. Stars aligned, and I was able to attend by subsidizing costs for photography and film-work. Soul Shifting centers indigenous technologies, and the apprenticeship model of teaching elemental healing and spiritual practice. Essentially a spiritual ceremony that lasts for days, there is time spent in instruction, and more time spent with water. Rituals initiate a chain of events that are relentless in the awakenings they catalyze. These teachings allowed me to hear my own voice, again. And, trust its guidance through trails and heavy darkness.
Early fall I visited Sojourner’s Land in the Tennessee mountains, a project designed to be a safe haven for Queer folk of color. Covered, though it was not filmed there, is inspired by my brief stay at Sojourner’s land.
Heal. Support. Invest in healing strongholds directed by Master teachers. Soul Shifting and Sojourner’s Land are invaluable, transformative spaces.
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*A special thank you to Dr. Geryll Robinson and Dr. Zoe Flowers of Five Directions Wellness, Soul Shifting Retreats, and Soul Requirements for allowing the use of this footage for the purposes of this piece. Also a special thank you to Dezi Solèy, the dancer featured in Worship, follow her @dezisoley . A final thank you to Valencia Wombone and Rose Wonderfabulous for hosting my stay at Sojourners Land; and Tiffany Danielle Joseph for inspiration and unfailing support.
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