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Rhythm and Soul Angels; Art that Heals Artwork by Alyssa Couture

Rhythm and Soul Angels; Art that Heals

Artwork  by Alyssa Couture

Alyssa Couture's high vibe paintings are rooted in the healing relics of story, symbol, and nature. Art, as a healing instrument, a way to commune with heart is why she joins forces with paint brush and gouache.

 

Her latest collection 'Rhythm and Soul Angels'  gives  a musical experience. It's about individuals expressing/feeling their inner rhythms and oceanic cycles. Truly, a rainbow bridge to heart.

"The Rhythm and Soul Angels" come from cosmic, celestial and earthly realms.  Mother Nature's heartbeat is the heart and home within these realms."

She was the illustrator for Elizabeth Foley's "Nature Spirits Oracle Cards" released in 2008. http://www.amazon.com/Nature-Spirits-Oracle-Cards-Elizabeth/dp/0980080630

Her most recent project, illustrator for Sue Singleton, cofounder of  "The Way To balance" and her soon to be released book. http://www.thewaytobalance.com/

Alyssa is currently painting, sipping tea, and living in New Hampshire. Contact Alyssa: [email protected] Visit her website portfolio to view her latest collection! http://www.wix.com/leecouture11/alyssacouture1#! 

~Love~Spirit~Joy~  

Wild Geese

Wild Geese

by Mary Oliver

You do not have to be good.

You do not have to walk on your knees

for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.

You only have to let the soft animal of your body

love what it loves.

Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.

Meanwhile the world goes on.

Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain

are moving across the landscapes

over the prairies and the deep rivers.

Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,

are heading home again.

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,

the world offers itself to your imagination,

calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting-

over and over announcing your place in the family of things.

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

With Love and Gratitude,

Stephani-lila

 

Cinnamon, Cardamom, and Nutmeg

Cinnamon, Cardamom, and Nutmeg 

Susun S Weed

The aroma of winter is wood smoke and evergreen. But winter holidays smell spicy. Herbs that grow only in the tropics — such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, mace, cardamom, allspice, and vanilla — are called spices. Their aromatic oils and volatile esters entice us with delicious smells and mouth-watering tastes. And spices warm us from the inside, as if we had ingested the tropical sun on a cold day. Spices help preserve food and counter a variety of illnesses, too. Come, sit and warm your feet by the fire. Close your eyes and imagine the dense green forests where aromatic spices grow.

Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum) made me an outlaw. A toothpick soaked in cinnamon oil was the "drug" of choice in my grade school. No matter how much the adults attempted to dissuade us, no matter how they threatened, we found a way to get our cinnamon "fix." As an adult, I prefer my cinnamon in sticks or finely ground, though I can still vividly recall the hot rush of a fresh cinnamon oil toothpick. Any food can be enhanced with cinnamon, from apple pie to baked beans, from meat marinades to salad dressings. The scent of cinnamon heralds holiday cheer.

Medicinally, cinnamon is a warming tonic. It chases chills, prevents colds, and warms the hands and feet of those who feel cold all the time. Cinnamon has been used for over 2500 years as an appetite enhancer, a stomachic, a carminative, an antimicrobial, an antispasmodic, an anti-rheumatic, and an anti-fungal. A cup of cinnamon tea — made by steeping a cinnamon stick or a scant teaspoonful of powdered cinnamon in a cup of boiling water for no more than ten minutes — is a good way to cheer up and prevent the flu on frosty winter nights.

A cup of cinnamon tea also eases menstrual cramps, soothes sore joints, relieves gas pain, and allays that feeling of fullness after a big meal. A sip or two of cinnamon tea before meals improves digestion and prevents acid reflux. Those who drink cinnamon tea regularly will have less cavities, stronger gums, and fewer insect bites.

Cinnamon made the news recently for its ability to counter diabetes. Modern herbalists are intrigued by its mildly estrogenic and strongly antioxidant effects.

Folk medicine reminds us that cinnamon tea is a gentle but effective remedy for both childhood diarrhea and infestations of worms. In India, cinnamon tea is regarded as a remedy against halitosis, nausea, and vomiting. Cinnamon is frequently used by herbalists everywhere to improve the taste of strong, rooty brews.

The essential oil of cinammon is a good substitute for clove oil in treating toothache. It is particularly effective in killing the organisms that cause periodontal disease.

Those who are pregnant and those with stomach or intestinal ulcers are advised to avoid cinnamon. It can poison. A little of the essential oil of cinnamon (of course the parents were right!) and very large amounts of powdered cinnamon can cause symptoms. Poisoning begins with central nervous system sedation — characterized by sleepiness and depression. This is followed by tachycardia (rapid heartbeat) and stimulation of the vasomotor center, which causes increases in intestinal peristalsis (diarrhea), respiration (panting), and diuresis (perspiration).

Cinnamon has been used for centuries as a perfume and a preservative. It was considered more precious than gold in ancient Egypt where it was valued as essential in embalming. Both Christians and witches are said to have known of the spiritual energy of cinnamon and so included it in their rituals. Why not make cinnamon part of your holiday rituals?

Cardamom (Eelettaria cardamomum) is an exotic spice that is not used much in American cuisine. Perhaps because the powder loses its taste almost immediately. Buy cardamom seeds still sealed in their pods for best flavor and effect.

Chewing cardamom seeds freshens the breath and improves digestion. Herbalists consider cardamom effective for helping the liver, the appetite, the stomach, and the intestines.

In Germany, cardamom is approved for use against the common cold, to relieve coughs, to counter bronchitis, to lower fevers, to ease inflammation of the mouth and pharynx, to resolve liver and gallbladder complaints, to counter loss of appetite, and to improve the ability of the immune system to counter infection.

In folk medicine, cardamom is used, like cinnamon, as a general remedy for all digestive complaints, especially gas. Unlike cinnamon, it is safe for use during pregnancy and a nice way to calm morning sickness. In India, cardamom is considered a remedy against urinary tract problems. Modern medicine is investigating the antiviral properties of cardamom.

For a special winter treat, try freshly-ground cardamom sugar instead of cinnamon sugar on your holiday toast.

Nutmeg (Myristica fragrans) is another seed valued for its aroma and healing powers. Everyone who's had eggnog has tasted nutmeg. The tight outer covering of nutmeg is the spice called mace.

Modern medicine validates nutmeg’s ability to inhibit diarrhea and slow down the action of the gastrointestinal tract. Folk medicine agrees, using nutmeg against diarrhea, dysentery, inflammation of the mucus membranes, flatulence, and vomiting. Nutmeg has also been shown to effect prostaglandin synthesis and to be a particularly potent antimicrobial. It may also be anti-rheumatic.

Chinese herbalists use nutmeg against diarrhea, worms, and all digestive upsets. In India, herbalists choose nutmeg to relieve headaches, to improve poor vision, to bring sleep to those with insomnia, to lower fever, to ease malaria, to counter impotence, and as an aid when there is general debility. American herbalists view nutmeg as an aromatic, carminative, digestive stimulant, and a hallucinogenic poison.

The oil of nutmeg, applied cautiously and externally, can relieve the pain of rheumatism, sciatica, and neuralgia. When inhaled, it counters respiratory tract infections.

As few as two n utmegs can poison. Overdose symptoms — which can last for up to three days — include stomach pain, nausea, intense thirst, double vision, reddening and swelling of the face, anxiety, lethargy, delirium, and hallucinations. Death from kidney failure may occur.

For best effect, and safety too, heat one whole nutmeg in a cup of full-fat milk for 5-10 minutes, add honey and enjoy. The nutmeg can be rinsed and reused many times.

Like cinammon, nutmeg carries a powerful spiritual/magical energy. Carrying one in your pocket or suitcase is said to insure safe travels.

Green blessing are everywhere, especially in your spice chest.
Happy Holidays!
©. 2009, Susun S Weed

 

Susun Weed’s books:
	Wise Woman Herbal for the Childbearing Year Author: Susun S. Weed. Simple, safe remedies for pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and newborns. Includes herbs for fertility and birth control. Foreword by Jeannine Parvati Baker. 196 pages, index, illustrations. Retails for $11.95 Order at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com
	Healing Wise Author: Susun S. Weed. Superb herbal in the feminine-intuitive mode. Complete instructions for using common plants for food, beauty, medicine, and longevity. Introduction by Jean Houston. 312 pages, index, illustrations. Retails for $17.95 Order at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com
	NEW Menopausal Years the Wise Woman Way Author: Susun S. Weed. The best book on menopause is now better. Completely revised with 100 new pages. All the remedies women know and trust plus hundreds of new ones. New sections on thyroid health, fibromyalgia, hairy problems, male menopause, and herbs for women taking hormones. Recommended by Susan Love MD and Christiane Northrup MD. Introduction by Juliette de Bairacli Levy. 304 pages, index, illustrations. Retails for $16.95 Order at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com For excerpts visit: www.menopause-metamorphosis.com
	Breast Cancer? Breast Health! Author: Susun S. Weed. Foods, exercises, and attitudes to keep your breasts healthy. Supportive complimentary medicines to ease side-effects of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or tamoxifen. Foreword by Christiane Northrup, M.D. 380 pages, index, illustrations. Retails for $21.95 Order at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com
	Down There: Sexual and Reproductive Health the Wise Woman Way Forthcoming Release Publication date: June 21, 2011 Author: Susun S. Weed Simple, successful, strategies cover the entire range of options -- from mainstream to radical -- to help you choose the best, and the safest, ways to optimize sexual and reproductive health. Foreword: Aviva Romm, MD, midwife, 484 pages, Index, illustrations Retails for $29.95 Order at: www.wisewomanbookshop.com

 

The Dance of Forever

The Dance of Forever

by Spider

 

The foreverness of the Earth is my foreverness.

The song of the birds is my song.

I remember the dance of the Grandmothers

Bringing the Way into being,

Long ago creating the path to this world.

 

I stand on the Earth, a strand in the Web of All That Is.

Following the example of the trees, I reach up to honor the Sky World.

There is a dance going on above my head.

The wind carries messages that speak to my heart.

 

Water drops down to touch the Earth.

This soft rain, the ebb and flow of the tides, the raging river, and the bubbling brook

All soothe my spirit as they flow cool and soft over my body.

Thunder awakens my being.

Lightning rejuvinates my soul.

I dance my own creation song, my honoring of life.

Wet and alive, I walk on the Ancient Ones’ path of discovery.

 

The wildness of the wolf lives within me.

With furry sisters I run through deep forest dreams

And know the words to sing to Grandmother Moon

In a song meant for all creation to join in the dance.

 

The snake moves by my feet.

We are sisters dancing together,

Entwined in endless cycles of shedding our skin,

Creators continually birthing the new.

 

My whole life becomes the dance.

Every step has meaning.

I weave as Grandmother Spider weaves;

With quick fingers plying the harmonies of the Web of Life,

Knowing the Universal Dream,

Appreciating the gifts of All Our Relations.

 

When I stand tall, my back to a tree,

I can hear the voices of the Ancestors speak in the rustling of the leaves;

I can feel the deep-rootedness of healing offered by MotherEarth;

I can dance with the wind, swaying with the canopy overhead,

In the arms of the trees, in the dance of love for all creation.

 

 I smell the soil, the damp rotting leaves,

Through them the seed and the sweetness of new life unfolding.

It is certain that, through the spongy soil

There is a promise of a field of flowers,

Just as it is certain that, through my empty womb

There is a world waiting to manifest.

 

What cloud knows deeper mysteries than I have known?

Carrying the sea within, growing larger and larger,

Expanding farther than I could ever imagine,

Then releasing my fertility to nourish new life.

I grow my children,

I grow the plants and trees,

I grow all Earth’s children, for they are all my own.

 

Inside MotherEarth is a heartbeat that inspires my own,

A heartbeat as old and reliable as this Universe.

The rhythm of life that changes with the seasons;

The consistency of life ever reforming itself.

 

I lay down on soft mud.

My body sinks into the Earth,

My hair entwines around the grass.

MotherEarth speaks to me.

She supports my body, my breath, my thoughts, my being.

I become her and she becomes me.

We always were.

 

The Grandmothers speak to me.

I hear them singing as they harvest corn,

Honoring life, giving thanks.

My Granddaughters speak to me.

I see the long hair of my daughter’s daughters,

Bouncing as they dance to celebrate the spring planting.

It always was.

It always will be.

This Pivotal Moment In Time

This Pivotal Moment In Time
Startling Truths You Need to Know About the Coming Transition

by Kristen Ann

"You are living at a time of Noah."  Those enigmatic words penetrated the air, filling the room with a sense of mystery.  Werner spoke them loudly and with a stark sense of importance.

The year was 1974.  I was twenty and studying at the Waldorf Teacher Training Institute, which was at that time in Detroit.  The Waldorf system is based on the philosophy and science of the gifted clairvoyant Rudolf Steiner.  Out studies were made all the more interesting because our dear professor Werner Glas was also profoundly clairvoyant.  Everything he said came from a deep sense of knowing.

So began one of countless fascinating classes over my two years of studies at this unforgettable place of learning.  This was one of the classes that stood out because it was about this point in time, what made it different, and what will be coming.  Werner then pulled down a screen at the front of the room and projected an image of a wide oval.  Along the inner edge the oval was divided into 12 segments with the 12 zodiac names.  Around the outer edge there weren't as many partitions.  Is was divided into eight segments with names used by the ancient Hindus and Tibetans.  At the top it was titled "The Great Wheel Of Ages".

Werner explained how time has always gone in cycles of 25, 920 years, which was the duration of that Wheel of Ages.  Interestingly scientists have recently pointed out that there is a rare galactic alignment of planets that occurs at exactly this interval.  Also of great interest, they've indicated that the next of these great alignments will happen on December 21, 2012.  They've indicated that it will have some effects on Earth, though they have no idea what the effects will be. 

The wheel shows that this marks the entry into the Age of Aquarius.  It is at this point, we learned in this unforgettable class, that a great shift occurs.  Always in the past at these points, Werner explained, most of humanity has died in a great cataclysm.  The relatively few remaining would have to begin civilization over again at a much more primitive level.  It has gone on this way for eons.  The technology and histories have been lost and over time they're known only as legends -- as in the legends of Atlantis and the far older Lemuria which was known to have existed in the Pacific area.

This time, however -- at this great shift -- something unprecedented will be taking place.  This will be a Transition like no others throughout the vast history of this planet.  This Transition will be an inter-dimensional one.  We will transition both through the dimension of time as well as into a more spiritual-etheric level or dimension.  Our bodies themselves will be much less "physical" as we know it.  The most impiortant point is that it is VERY IMPORTANT that most of humanity makes this Transition alive.  We will be making it alive to what the Bible has spoken of as the "New Earth".

To date all information that has been given about 2012 or the coming Transition or Ascension has all been speculative.  I felt it was important to share this view because it is based on more than speculation.  It is based on clairvoyant knowing of what WILL BE rather than what might be as seen from a much more limited level of understanding.

I realized this knowledge from this deeper perspective needs to be shared.  I've given this information in detail along with many more disclosures in a book called "Exploring Sacred Space: A Vast Quest".  The book contains information that needs to be known at this critical point in time.  You can see details about the book at http://ExploringSacredSpace.com.  Scroll down to find a complete list of the chapters.  You can also click on highlighted chapters to see the illustrations in color.  There are also links to the interviews that I've had in which I've discussed the book and its contents.

My life has been one filled with unusual experience, constant "coincidences", anomalies and "chance" meetings with people who've had an in-depth level of knowledge.  My experiences have included a near-death experience, meeting Dan Fry a contactee from the 1950s..., and eventually meeting an extraplanetary friend of his.  These experiences and conversations have enriched my life and understanding.  Together they've created a very real picture of our point in time, why this Transition is different, and details of what will be happening.  I also include practical points of how to prepare.

In the spirit of Understanding,
Kristen Ann

http://ExploringSacredSpace.com

The Hot Flash Pillow™

The Hot Flash Pillow™

www.hotflashpillow.com

The Hot Flash Pillow™, a product so extraordinarily soothing and effective in relieving hot flashes that it’s likely to become your new “best friend.”  The Hot Flash Pillow™ offers a quick “pick-me-up” anytime a hot flash strikes.

No matter what you choose to call it – a power surge, personal summer, hot flash, hot flush, menopause, perimenopause, the change, the change of life, vapors, night sweats or any other name – the bottom line is hot flashes and sleep disturbances affect millions of menopausal and perimenopausal women, not to mention a significant population of breast cancer survivors! 

Learn more here: http://www.hotflashpillow.com/

For Our Spanish Speaking Wise Women ~ La Luna en tu Vientre

La Luna en tu Vientre

Por Roslyne Sophia Breillat

Traducción: Christian Ortiz

 

La mujer comienza  su viaje lunar interior durante la fase joven de su vida, cuando su vientre comienza a ovular y sangrar con los ciclos de la luna. Esta fase está simbolizada por la media luna en forma una fina luna nueva.

A medida que su cuerpo madura y madura, se mueve a través de la fase de la Madre simbolizada por la redondez brillante de la luna llena. Y a medida que desciende a las profundidades de la sabiduría y al poder de su vientre durante la fase de menopausia, se convierte en la Diosa Oscura, la que vive en el misterio profundo de la fase oscura de la luna.

El reflujo natural y fluido de su naturaleza interior lunar a menudo no son muy reconocidos, incluso son olvidados y reprimidos. Provocando la desconexión interior – exterior  de la  armonía que danza cíclicamente. .

El ciclo menstrual y el sagrado ciclo de la menopausia, están ligados por naturaleza con el ritmo de la luna. Es muy fácil desequilibrarlos cuando te concentras en hacer demasiado, te mantienes muy ocupada, o dedicas demasiado tiempo y energía a los demás; hasta que finalmente te olvidas de nutrirte a ti misma.

Después pierdes el contacto con los susurros misteriosos de la esencia femenina, con tu propia naturaleza receptiva y sabia, y con la habilidad natural de sintonizarse con el lenguaje de la tierra y los ciclos lunares.

Michas mujeres han sido condicionadas a percibir el ciclo menstrual y el de la menopausia como procesos dolorosos, con molestia, irritación, fenómenos incomodos, incluso una maldición que interrumpe su trabajo, su vida social y las actividades de la vida cotidiana. Siempre presionadas a estar en el exterior, terminan perdiendo el contacto con la sacralidad lunar, con la profunda sabiduría de la matriz y su conexión con la tierra. 

La menstruación es un tiempo sagrado, un tiempo bendito en que la esencia femenina, se vuelve hacia adentro y se funde  con un aspecto más profundo de la conciencia femenina. Sin embargo, la sutil sensibilidad y las abundantes bendiciones de este tiempo sagrado no se pueden recibir, disfrutar y honrar si no recibes tu ciclo en conciencia y amor.

Cuando te sintonizas con las fases lunares, con el tiempo oscuro de la luna nueva y con el tiempo lumínico de  de la luna llena, se genera armonía con la naturaleza cíclica de la ovulación, la menstruación y con el profundo misterio cósmico de la matriz.

Las mujeres al terminar sus años de menstruación, entran en fase de  menopausia. Después de haber experimentado el ritmo cíclico y de estar íntimamente inmersas en el ciclo de vaciado menstrual, la reposición y el llenado de la matriz; a veces temen perder el contacto con este proceso cíclico –lunar. Sin embargo, la fase poderosa y sagrada de la menopausia está íntimamente relacionada con los ciclos lunares femeninos.

Después de que la fase menstrual de la vida termina, la psique femenina continúa el flujo y reflujo de los ciclos de la luna desde un lugar más profundo. Desde el vientre de la sabiduría y el poder,  la esencia femenina ahora infunde su conexión con las fases naturales de la tierra y de la luna desde un lugar más profundo en su interior.

Invoca   este poder lunar esplendoroso en tu vientre de mujer en menopausia, es un elixir de luna personal. El  cuerpo y la psique siempre fluyen y refluyen  con la luna creciente de plata hasta la delicada luna nueva, con el brillo dorado de la luna llena, con la profundidad misteriosa de la luna oscura, porque no hay un lugar en tu vientre que deje de danzar cíclicamente con las fases de la luna.

Cuando  la luna esta mas llena y creativa, así estas tú. Cuando ella desaparece en la profundidad de la oscuridad, así también tú lo haces. Cuando se prepara para retornar y crecer, así estas tú. La esencia de la luna siempre está en ti, su belleza, su luz, su oscuridad y sus poderes viven dentro de tu vientre.

http://www.wisewomanuniversity.org/breillat/

Read the Article in English in the Wise Woman Ezine: http://wisewomanherbalezine.com/wordpress/2011/11/15/november-14-2011/

Thank you to Christian for the beautiful translation. Visit Christian's weblog at: http://ladiosaluna.blogspot.com/search?q=wicca

The Mystical Visions of Judy Mastrangelo

The Mystical Visions of Judy Mastrangelo

At this time, my desire is to paint Joyful, Beautiful paintings that people can hang on the wall to look at and live with each day, to give them Inspiration, Guidance, and Happiness.  

I love the Fairy Tale quality of Fantasy Art.  It uplifts me and brings out the childhood imagination that I enjoy.   At this time in my life, I tend more toward the Lightful positive side of Fantasy, rather than the interior dark side of it.  I do enjoy the macabre, it's just that I would rather not be immersed in it myself.  It would tend to depress me. 

My Soul Mate and Husband Michael, a true Renaissance Man, has been the most influential and greatest inspiration to me, in my growth as an Artist, and as a Woman.  

I have always been inspired by great Artists throughout history, and regard them as my teachers.  Some of my favorites are those of the Italian Renaissance, the Pre- Raphealites (I like John W. Waterhouse the most), the Victorian Artists, The Hudson River School of Landscape Painters,The French Impressionists (I love Monet's colors and landscapes),The Brandywine River School of illustrators, etc.  

Maxfield Parrish is my favorite illustrator, and I feel that Sir Joseph Noel Paton is one of the greatest Fairy Artists.  In my small way, I also enjoy continuing in the tradition of Beatrix Potter with her little animal people, and Cicely M. Barker with her lovely Flower Fairies. There are many Artists of today who are my heroes.  There are too many to list here, but many are a great Inspiration to me.

I find my Inspiration everywhere. The Beauty of Nature is a great influence on my Art work, and I try to portray my love for it in my paintings. Fantasy Literature, Movies, Music and other Art forms are a wonderful stimulous to my Imagination. 

I plan a painting in my head, through a technique I am developing that I call Mind Painting. With this method, I close my eyes and envision the finished creation. Then I strive to paint it. I don't do any sketches at all. Somehow, a sketch isn't good enough to portray my ideal vision that I want to paint. I prefer to Day Dream about it, and never loose that ideal image in my mind.

You have to love Art in order to have patience to stick with it and never give up. I have had many set backs in my career, as have many other Artists. But I don't let these bad experiences get me down. I just pick myself up and continue on. That is because I love doing it so much. The world of Painting is a great joy to me, and if I gave it up, there would be a great void in my life.

Please visit my website at: www.themysticalvisions.com and my online store: http://www.judy-mastrangelo-mystical-fantasy-art.com/index.htm

and for the UK and the rest of Europe:

http://www.magicalfairyartshop.com/

Are We Too Prudish For Our Own Good? The Difference Between Sensuality and Sexuality

Are We Too Prudish For Our Own Good?
The Difference Between Sensuality and Sexuality
By: Tiberio Simone

Being an American citizen, I enjoy the freedom of expression enjoyed by artists in this country. However, I wonder sometimes if we grasp some of the ironies of how we express that freedom.

I am from Italy, which is known as one of the most romantic countries in Europe, a destination for lovers who come to visit from all over the world. So, perhaps I have a slightly different perspective on how Americans express themselves, particularly with regard to romance and sensuality. In Italy, we embrace these concepts in everything we do – the way we dress, the way we cook, the way we dine, and the way we live.

In America however, I sometimes sense a split personality with regard to these concepts. More specifically, I think we sometimes confuse our sensuality with sexuality, and as a result, try to keep both of them hidden for fear of corrupting our children. My point is, there is a difference.

For instance, if any part of the human body that would traditionally be covered by a bathing suit on a typical American beach is shown in a film, that film is rated for adult content, usually getting an “R.”  If it is shown in a TV show, the scene is either deleted, or the “naughty bits,” as the British call them, are digitally pixilated out. And of course those areas are not necessarily even covered by bathing suits in Europe, as many of the beaches there are clothing optional.

In this type of censorship, there is no accounting for context. It’s not about the type of scene, but rather the anatomy. If it is a romantic scene, with a context of love and respect, soft lighting, and appropriate mood, it is considered just as “dirty” as a scene in which naked women are running around and shown as sexual objects and nothing more.

The same goes for modern art. Gallery shows in which the human form is depicted tastefully and sensually are regarded as pornography by many “morals” groups, leading some Congressmen to suggest that public funding from the National Endowment for the Arts should not be awarded to any artist who deals with the nude form. The chilling effect, when we approach the sensual and the sexual in the same way, is that we teach our children that nudity itself is a dirty thing, and that they should all be ashamed of their bodies.

That is why young adults in America go directly from puberty straight to pornography – because they do not have anything in between, such as public art or other forms of healthy nudity – things that would help them develop an understanding of sensuality.

Here is the ultimate irony. While we demonize certain parts of the human form, we don’t demonize treating women as sex objects at all, because we use sex to sell just about everything in the consumer marketplace. In TV commercials, young, attractive, and barely dressed women sell everything from cars to beer, weight loss plans to gym gear, breakfast cereals to vacation destinations – even snack foods practically guaranteed to make the men who eat them incredibly unattractive to the women used to sell them.

The difference here is context. We enter the world naked. It is our most natural state as humans, yet the naked body is considered dirty and inappropriate for all time zones. Meanwhile, treating women not as people, but simply as objects of sexual desire, which demeans all women in the process, is perfectly acceptable.

We need to create an environment in America in which sensuality is not confused with sexuality, so that we can all enjoy a freedom of expression that is based in context and meaning instead of an unhealthy and negative obsession with sex.

(Born in southern Italy, Tiberio Simone is a James Beard Award-winning chef and co-author of La Figa: Visions of Food and Form www.LaFigaProject.com, a coffee table book that features a spectacular collection of sensual photography – models wearing nothing but Simone’s edible creations.)

Featured Website ~ Info on Herbs

Info on Herbs

http://www.infoonherbs.com/

I am a holistic and intuitive healer who enjoys sharing information about holistic healing, spirituality, love & relationships, and business. I offer distant healing meditations from my personal site: www.lessonsonhealing.com ~ Sandy Freschi