Midsummer Dreams Made Real

~July 27th. 2010

Today I pulled the Hecate card from Kiana’s deck: which signifies the Crossroads, which seems to be the theme of the moment.   Here is a short post about the definitive midSummer times we are in individually and collectively…

Jobs, relationships, home, your view of yourself.. — What is changing in your life? We are now in the times astrologers have been preparing us for over the last few years. You have been weighing your options, making decisions and changes, taking mental notes, feeling stronger and more vividly picturing what your new life will look like, the one you get to choose. The last couple years you let go of people and objects that you dont need to bring into your next leg of life. People from your future have been knocking on your door. Recently you have been partnering with the people who get what you are doing and can help you take it to the next level.

The part of you which isn’t ready for your new life is going to have to hold its nose while the epic salty waves of change come roaring in, through early August. One of my favorite quotes these days is “when you see a fork in the road, take it.” Trust that whatever decision you make, if done with your true self in mind, will take you the place you need to be.

This time period, which shows itself in the sky exact this upcoming weekend, on August 1st has been named the Cardinal T-Square.  That means there are planets in the sky squaring each other from four “corners”. As above, so below; as within so without. Everyone is effected differently but no one is immune. Collectively, we can see the opposition of the old guard and the change of the guard in the push for a transparent, accountable government and its spending. Lately, I have had many conversations with people about their practices to stay centered and focused through the current upheaval. Change is the time when you draw upon your resources to “be OK.” The spiritual quest of self mastery includes self knowledge and the seeking out of tools to empower and balance oneself.

I have much to relate about the healing journey but the most important thing that is needed, especially when the walls are falling down is a strong foundation– is feeling safe. Be Wild Woman teaches women to tune into one’s own healing teacher, with energetic practices and bodily wisdom, and communicating with other wonderful women on a similar path. I have found Kiana’s “Mother Rooting” practice, connecting to the earth in the morning and whenever I am feeling uncentered to be not only healing, but I know feel my relationship to the earth and the world around me has been awakened.

The Hecate card reminds us to take the stress and worry out of decision making by removing ourselves from the actual choices, in a bird’s eye view, to more intuitively see the bigger picture. We can go with the flow, allow the winds of change to cleanse us without shattering our windows, and even the ability to death-defy an unexpected tornado.

I feel that what is important now is being true to oneself while also tackling big jobs with others, feeling worthy of our wildest dreams, and taking time to relax, rest, and reflect on what you want from all of the change in the air.

In these historic times of change I wish you all peace of mind by following the calling of your heart.

now i have a name for it

Jumping back into writing about what i’ve been up to since i last updated –  realizations, activities, knowledge about adoption, activism, being wild and the Integral Life Path. lots  going on and i feel like things are connecting in a particular direction.

Adopted

A few weeks ago i went through a couple weeks of deep heart pains upon realizing how much being adopted has effected me. I want to make this info public because i know the primal wounds of adoption are not mainstream– i am 31 and just dawning on the significance. the loss of the birth mother is a primal wound. i was adopted at 11 months old so i dont remember being adopted–my adoptive parents sat me down at about age 6 to explain to it to me and that they loved me as their child.

The common sentiment to say to an adopted person/child is– you are lucky, you were chosen by your parents!.. but as i have learned, this discounts the enormous loss the adopted person has encountered early in their life, and because the adoptee doesnt know any different they cover up their emotions and just attempt to be normal as well as thankful, they were chosen. but there are common threads of difference with many adoptees and i encourage other adoptees to research if they are feeling different. Ive been connecting more with my adoptive family and my birth family too– im in touch with my birth mother’s uncle and that is going great. This uncle has been sending me images of my birth-mother, who was a concert violinist.

Magenta skills

Im finally finished Carl Jung’s memoir and im getting more in Jungian/dream analysis. Im feeling the synchronistic path all over the place now. I feel an urgency to connect my creative work (curating), activism, and healing/spiritual journey. For clues, Im looking into the Intregal Life Path. I  think that deep down I want to package everything in my aesthetic.

Astro Think

Astrologically, i blame it on my chart’s Thor’s Hammer–which is like a live grenade which needs an outlet. It involves my Venus square Moon, which are both semi-square a stellium of Sun, Mercury, Mars (Aquarius/2nd house =values) opposite Jupiter. ouch and oomf! i worked on this all last week like crazy, trying to synthesis how to join up activism with transformative art events and promote the self-knowledge tools i have been learning from very talented people… and then i learned there was a Thor’s Hammer in the sky yesterday morning when i woke up thinking about it in reflection to my astro chart. cool.

West Point 6

Had the trial last week in Highland falls for getting arrested while protesting the escalation of the war outside of Obama’s speech at West Point. It was a fascinating 2.5 hour trial with our amazing lawyer going at it, cross-examining the chief of police, who he is friends with. It was all very interesting, and the judge “Reserved Judgment”. We will find out via mail soon. I went to an anti-war/peace protest in DC on March 20th. it felt great to be out in the streets meeting all different kinds of folks, all ages and backgrounds. my friend came with and face painted peace symbols.

Thanks for stopping by, i plan to write more often now….I joined the Women’s International Writing Guild and will be attending their memoir workshop in April and the conference at Brown in the summer. I look forward to any replies/questions.

after 6 months

I want to commit again to this blog. I haven’t been sure as to how much personal information to put up here but ill going to jump back in the water with a tale made from a mini-adventure i took last week.

first off the bat ild like to share a list of things in my so-called life right now:

• moving to Bushwick in 2 days! Jefferson stop. great roomies and neighbors. 2 cats, backyard and a massive wacky salon style art wall. I will miss lovely Ditmas and the Cortelyouans, and will surely make return visits.
• starting a curatorial project with Art Connects New York next week
• speaking with The Flushing Farm about curating/promoting
• nursing a hurt knee (fell off my bike 6 weeks ago…slipped in the rain)
• loving Pandora Radio Ild be happy to share some of the stations ive made, let’s trade!
• enjoying new black wings
• swimming
• selling many special art books on Amazon
• DOING something to pass the health care option
• ***taking Astrologik class with Antero Alli
• starting a creative Astrology Charting service (pre-beta…is presently in surreal dreaming delta waves)

On October 20, I took a trip to visit a Labyrinth in Staten Island. I was inspired by Antero’s Astrologik that I would receive benefits from engaging in spiritual activities: you may know that astrology charts which look like a pie, have 12 separate slices, commonly known as astrological houses, which Antero names as States. These have to do with the different parts of our lives — resources, home, relationships, service, creativity, etc. You may also have heard about the Nodal Axis of the moon, which astrologers say show us where we are comfortable/knowledgeable (south node) and where we should strive to gain experience (north node). All the striving and effort should result in being more balanced as well as becoming Destiny’s Child. It’s our major life mission (dharma) if we choose to engage. So with my north node in the 9th house (in Virgo), I decided to make a pilgrimage (3rd house Pisces south node is more comfortable with hermitting and reading) and then write about it in a creative way.  In true pilgrim fashion I made sure the journey had many legs, and I traveled via bicycle, ferry, and subway and I made a couple stops and conversations on the way. Oh, I was headed to ***Staten Island***.

But here is the story…and yah, it’s kinda goofy

Today I am a pilgrim. My destination is a fabled labyrinth on a distant island called Staten next to a lake, surrounded by hilly lands and all kinds of danger.  My voyage consisted of taking  my trusty black steed through the woods, going through miles of underground tunnels, a giant boat and on foot through hilly mountains. I made it to the boat and through the market town unscathed. I must have stood out in these foreign parts as I was searched for weapons before embarking on the boat. The waves were calm and the sea air invigorating on an unusually warm and sunny fall day.

When I arrived on the isle of Staten I bartered at an outpost selling dusty old wares and special clothing for a pair of black wings to quicken my journey. My now winged horse and I were hungry and stopped for Sri Lankian fare before making it to our destination. We were confronted by a big strong-looking man who asked us where we got out wings, and introduced himself as Angel. With energy from the tasty spicy food we were able to make it onwards through the hills and along the lakes. We passed a sign that read, “Wild Forever.” Finally, it was true, I found the 8-circuit Labyrinth at the foot of the Church on Victory Road.

The Labyrinth was 20 ft wide and made of perfectly carved red and blue stones. The sun was still shining through the trees and no one was around. I took a careful serene walk, full of prayer. Walking while making 180 degree turns felt like a new experience. In the center, I experienced safety within it’s six petals and a satisfaction I had reached this point. I rested for a while in the center and finally headed back to the beginning and took the return ride back to the boat. Enjoying more sea air a stranger from Germania helped me with my wings and I gave him information for his own Manhatta pilgrimage and passed him the baton.

FIN

Uncertainty = lust for life

Don’t turn away from You

The last couple weeks have found me focusing upon spiritual learning and getting more clearer about curatorial goals/general goals. I am taking 2 classes which are helping immensely and i have brilliant people in my life who are my teachers/priestesses/therapists/healers.  I am taking a 9 month chakra journey class with Kiana Love (she is a grad of this program http://www.sacredcenters.com). We are one month in, and it has involved being connected to our bodies and how we feel, as well as flowing energy and noticing where the major chakras are. Presently, I am very into feeling my feet chakras and am flowing energy in and out. The other class I am taking is an intensive 6 week class at Maybe Logic Academy with Antero Alli, Angel Tech. Using the 8 circuit brain model which Timothy Leary began (connected to the chakra system) this class is about getting away from living as a robot (autopilot) and being aware enough to change patterns of behavior–it’s about feeling the body deeply (intelligence #1) to uncover the  unconscious. The class is experience based and is very much tied to the concepts of energy, commitment, and self-knowledge.

Curators are People too

I went to a day long symposium about Curating & Activism at the Moore Galleries in Phili. I found the dialogue and ideas helpful to thinking about curating/art making practive and I met some great artists and curators (shot out to Critical Art Ensemble!).  Can curators be activists? There was much talk about artists wanting or not wanting to be called activists or solely artists– Martha Wilson (Franklin Furnace) said art which is not activism is crap. Other artists, like Sharon Hayes, wants to be called an artist because activism signifies working with a specific goal. Artists have the luxury to ask questions and spark dialogue. Sometimes curators’ asses get put on the line due to activist artists…sometimes they get fired or have to endure many bureaucratic headaches on  behalf of artists/ideas/beliefs/ideals.  But who cares about labels… Relational Aesthetics is here to stay so let’s up our game…

It is what it is is an artwork which was organized to happen in Phili the same day as the symposium. Creative Time (public art organization in NYC) commissioned international phenom Jeremy Diller, whose project involves touring America with a US Iraqi vet and an Iraqi in a big trailer pulling a bombed out car from Baghdad.  They are not carrying political views, no left, no right. They are open to dialogue to the general public, wherever they should park their trailer/car. In Phili they were invited to park outside the new Constitutional Center. I can see how some parts of the population will get information from this project– including troubled veterans or people who are shy of protesters.

Pure facts need a place to go– it is almost impossible to get unfiltered information because we get our information from people. Yet I think that alternative outfits like Democracy Now and Truth Out are getting facts out and are also progressively calling for justice and are supporting those who are. I feel that “It is What it Is” is being led by war-hardened men, who are taking the war at face value and allowing individuals to make up their own minds. Their openness may help open up people to straight information about from Iraq, but I am torn because there is nothing wrong with having an opinion. Nobody wants to listen to whiny protesters or feel their opinion doesn’t matter but there is lots of injustice which needs to be shouted from the hill (Capital). Protesting has a place– smart protesting which connects to a broad public, sparks dialogue and opens hearts and minds –the Art of Protesting. Elaine Brower who is a war protester with a son in Iraq, helped bring the  The Arlington New York State memorial, of civilian shoes, each tagged with the name of a victim of the Iraq War to places and is able to speak with people from all different political backgrounds. She has found that Republicans and Democrats alike want this war over.

thanks for reading, abl

Let’s Visit the World of the Future

1973 SubGenius

intentional living

cohousing communities in the USofA

doing things

So sleeping has not been going well lately and it’s been off and on for months now. I used to have trouble sleeping if i had a presentation or test or I was excited about something or a celebration but I can not say that is what is keeping me up lately or waking me up early. I can not figure if out and therefore it must be unconscious or beyond my control. astrologically, this makes sense b/c uranus just started transiting my moon now for a year. my seat is buckled.

I am presently really frustrated about the following: the noise my old house makes when people walk around upstairs, figuring out why people think Obama will make the world perfect without the public pushing him (our occupations are not ending anytime soon) (also how did people not think that the bailouts would go to rich pockets– duh times a million!), & i havent been finishing my curatorial projects– instead i seem to just be coming up with more ideas.

I am presently excited about the following: working with Kiana Love and taking her 9 month class on the chakras; the Maybe Logic class with Antero Alli which started last week… its called Angel Tech and its based off of the 8 circuit brain intelligence system which Tim Leary started; the couple warm days we have had; traveling this spring/summer (undecided so far) –thinking Maine and Scotland since Brazil has been pushed back to 2010 because the art space  wants to postpone  the DEVO show, more counter recruitment work with World Can’t Wait and Code Pink, new music by Annie Lennox, Peaches, and Pet Shop Boys (i know im excited that old dogs got new tricks).

Even though i have been super sleepy…I have been up to some neato stuff and here is a spattering of great events i’ve been to the past 1.5 weeks.

• i saw Desmond Tutu speak with bestselling historian Thomas Cahill to talk about Mr. Cahill’s new book, A Saint on Death Row: The Story of Dominique Green, a young man who was executed in Texas in 2004. they had an actor read stories by Dominique Green. Did you know GW Bush executed more people during his governorship than any other governor in history? texas scares the crap out of me.
• helped curate Jamie Vandenberg at Vox Pop and attened his fun workshop: “Inspiring and entertaining, the Workshop will have something for everyone, including model drawing, a brief lecture on Western Art History, live music and individualized tips and pointers from Jamie Vandenberg.” it did. it was. mucho fun and sharp.
  
• Laughed my ass off at Rev Jen’s Really Cool Neighborhood. it was so wrong!
  
• participated in World Can’t Wait’s war protest on the 6th anniversary of the Iraq War. 6 years! makes no sense to me how we allow for this. I got to march from Union Square to Times Square with A.R.T as a ghost of a dead iraqi child. It took about 2 hours, and it felt like a walking meditation-it felt good because hundreds of people saw us. was great to see dozens of high schoolers in attendence. the rain kept the older folks in doors.
  
• I attended a business conference for women in Brooklyn by LDC ENY– there were lectures on internet marketing, facebook (did you know there is a facebook stat page?), how to sell your ideas when you hate selling (get over it), and a talk by Lisa Price who started her beauty profuct company Carol’s Daughter as a teenager in Bed Stuy. Mary J is now one of her clients. I also won a raffle (again!)– a book about making and keeping money– its got a golf theme and im totally into it because i should be. strange but true!
  
• Free tickets to Impressionism, a new play on Broadway featuring Jeremy Irons and Joan Allen. It was beautiful and so sweet… she owns an art gallery selling impressionist works,  30+ and a dummy at love. he is older, a National Geographic photographer who is in Africa, and becomes distraught when a young boy he photographs and loves dies. he returns to America and finds her gallery…and because she is too tied to the stories behind the art works in her gallery to sell them, he sells them for her. the stories about the meaning of the master paintings come to life when people come to buy them… in turn both characters realize their hurts and misconceptions…and fall in love. Great conversations, heartfelt moments, interesting topics. loved it. and i got to go with Courtney Weber.
• um thats it i think. yawwwwwm  goodnight!  more soon i promise. i want to tell you about the classes i am taking
• oh, i am looking for artists to show at Vox Pop…ASAP.
• and i’ld love if you left nifty comments– im trying to write this unfiltered and it’s a bit scary. xoxo abl

brave new world

LET IT DIE: Rushkoff on the economy

im excited about stuff

paint.a.rumour

intent = share enthusiasm

im hoping that even if you don’t share the same ideas as me you will still find this information interesting and/or helpful as i attempt collate groundbreaking artistic, political and spiritual news and ideas.

about = me

im a site-specific art curator, enthusiast of ideas I think are mind-shattering, organic food eating-smoothie loving, new wave obsessed 30 year old. I have a tortie cat named Peaches and live in a Victorian house in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn. I hope to explore other dimensions soon. I have BAs in Sociology and Studio Art (I love to draw, paint and collage which doesn’t happen so much lately) and an MA in Contemporary and Modern Art History. i also hope i have collected some street cred pounding the NYC pavement on my own since i was 16.

now serving = organic forwards

i love sending politically interesting forwards, and sometimes silly stuff with cats in it or youtube videos displaying large shoulder pads. this blog will probably stick to: great artist projects and great thinkers, fun helpful spiritual stuff like astrology weather, cool women, healing, 2012 (not the panic kind), wacky cats, etc. it is unlikely i will discuss the following: BBQ ribs, dog breeding or taxes tips. I’ll try not to get to personal but the political is personal.

art is = not a mirror

art. The art world. i love art but i’ve got issues with the art world. i love art in alternative spaces, but the white cube sanitizes objects and ideas. I can’t get past how the art institutions try to slip lots stuff in just b/c it sells, which doesn’t mean it’s good. good art is stuff which produces oohs and aahs and makes you excited or happy or does something else useful like thinks in a new way or simply depicts a fantasy or optical illusion. art which is lowest common denominator with sex and violence is boring. Like TV. art should do more than mirror society. charlie finch gets it.

surprise! = surprises exist

in the last couple of years I have had a spiritual awakening. they call it initiation.  it was brought on through rediscovering astrology and an interest in magic, spiritual teachers both in NY and on the internet (Kiana Love, Courtney Weber, Lisa Paul Streitfeld, Stephen Popiotek, Michele Meiche, Robert Wilkinson thank you), as well as yoga at Go Yoga in williamsburg, BK. it has been about understanding the mind body connection and how there is information out there – teachers waiting for you and in our intuition,  friends, and divination. this has all helped me because im a very sensitive person (HSP) and have struggled with centering my emotions most of life. we just have to ask for help. now I feel like a satellite in this world with lots of tools in my belt which may fall under the category of magick, but if magic exists then it’s just energy and spirits and maybe aliens and angels and oodles of love and not woo woo at all huh? i love astrology, and to quote Antero Alli, “i don’t believe in astrology, i use it because it works.” If you contact me with your birth time and place I will send you your chart and info for free. i also really love energy healing (reiki). its therapy without having to talk! less messy. enter the fairyrealm.

the world = needs you

also some words on big new changes with the economy and structures, and the new times with enlightenment/awakenings…aren’t we ready for this? the ancients seemed to understand our time line, cyclical periods, and it all seems to be saying this is the time for change. 4D is here. we are in the future. anything is possible. (7 out of 10 atheists agree.) follow your heart and find yown truth. be the most you. if it isn’t working out you may need to clear out the crud (cibo matto’s lint of love). you know things aren’t right when you’re not living in the Present. that’s what healing is for. yoga is the uniting of your selves.  Most people are multiple-personalities, the disorder is not acknowledging this. enlightenment is remembering who you are. i know all the sayings! know thyself. this is why i love astrology. we all have shadows which we keep in the closets, but then they tend to escape sometimes. usually the monster in the closet is yourself. best to invite them out to dinner once in a while to see what they want. just don’t do shots with them.

enough about me…here is the world, or my world:
**************
im going to begin with this amazing piece by Douglas Rushkoff up on Arthur’s new blog today, and with a blog about my previous week and what i’ve been up to. it’s proof that i live in NYC. thank you for reading and i hope you will check back.

-abl.