I've only done one cleanse, The Master Cleanse and I've done it five times, the first and the most recent being the most succesfull attempts.. or communes, if you will.  I was drawn to it from first hearing about it by how radically different it is from "the norm" and that it would be probably the most challenging thing I'd attempted to that point.  it was, though a Vipassana meditaion course has since surpassed it.

Stanley Burroughs seems to be coming about this idea of cleansing as a spiritual practice. The book was a fantastic read and I felt well supported by that alone.  Almost like a bible.  being non-religious for my adult life, I can now understand more experientially the notion of a bible.  this little yellow book is preceded 'biblically' for me by "Healing With Whole Foods" by Paul Pitchford... though not in quite as radical an experiential way.

Taking the leap into such an endeavor as the master cleanse is an act of faith.  Trusting the powerfull creative force of the universe to take care of things while you journey into radical unknown territory is akin to any mystical journey.

As I get to know my body on a more intimate level~as the cleanse progresses, I notice more clearly how habit-patterns are so well entrenched.  I begin to feel a lightness that comes from breaking those bonds. it's like, as the body is getting cleaner, the pathways for cognition are becoming more like the superhighways they're supposed to be.  There's a fogginess that clears (many many times over...  many many layers of fogginess) and this human machine that I embody suddenly feels like a really well oiled and tuned device that is so well connected to the "primal matrix".  This usually happens at about day eight...

are you able to describe the process?

on goals

I would like to do an extended commune with the master cleanse (at least) once a year.  the next time I want to do 20 days min... mebbe this summer.

I would like to pick entheogenic mushrooms in the wild and eat them in their natural habitat.

I'm in a pretty carnivorous diet right now and it needs amendment.  I've stopped smoking tobacco after 17 years only four months ago and since have gained about 25lbs.  I look GREAT!!! right now but am concerned it won't stop... and if I keep eating all the free meat I can at work.... definitely a dietary goal.  I was 170 as a teenager and it was too heavy.

As an adult I've had a mostly vegetarian diet with meat phases scattered throughout. While, up until I was twenty I ate meat at least twice a day.  I think I'm a lot less terrified as a middle-aged adult than as a  young adult.  Diet could certainly play a key role in that.  A recurring theme throughout journals is the need to clean up the dietary and lifestyle. 

It feels like I'm getting cleaner all the time.  (I was in SUCH HUGE denial about how filthy smoking was!!!)  The last four months have been incredible and I'm excited for being in the current we're in. 

There is a guiding force.  I won't waste time trying to name it.  I'll just trust it... and what it moves me to do...

on benefits

If I try and think what my life would be like without doing what I do in relation to diet and spirituality, I firstly can't totally get my mind around it but then, it seems a life that is drab and mundane... at best.  I don't know at all if I would be alive if I wasn't living this life.

The downfall, but not in all ways a challenge, is that my spiritual lifestyle is technically still illegal.  This is the truth for many plant-Lovers out there.  Herbalists included.

But whatever!  The payoff is huge.  The biggest benefit is that it feels like i am getting it.  Like total liberation (or whaever you want to call it) is within my grasp.  Whether this is simply an opportunistic... who knows.  I do know that i'm really excited about what it feels like in a body growing old... but i'm not attached to it happening either... simply trusting.

so how about you tell me your story?

When we scream 'till there's
No sound left in our lungs
Only to feel the ricochet
Of exactly how loud we could get;
The magic of connection.

Then to collapse into
The enlightenment of laughter
Each in turn and together.
Your eyes afire with the light of
Continuous discovery,
My eyes moist in the pulse of
Joyfull perental glee!

As we explore
The more
That exists
When we
Expand and

The more
That Love
Is made of.

We were born before the wind......

On our way to Mystic Beach, we stopped at Jordan River for a peek at the surf.  There were several people out on the point catching some pretty decent waves but alas, by the time Leah got out there, the wind had picked up and blown it out.  Meanwhile, I scoured the beach for  big stones for the firepit, hauling twelve up to the van.    We  then piled back into MO and continued on  for a few kilometres to the trailhead for Mystic Beach.

The trail to the beach is built through second or third growth forest.  Very hilly terrain as it makes its way along the coast over a pretty great little suspension bridge and finally down a massive fallen old growth log that has had 200(at least) feet of stairs chiseled out of it.  We could hear the wind grow more pronounced as we approached the beach.  The forest seemed to thin a little as we got closer and the noise of the waves crashing in was more apparent.

From the stair-tree, we were blasted with continuous wind for the rest of our adventure at the beach.  A very windy day.  The beach is pretty small with a nice sandy part and big sea-smoothed boulders well-scattered about.  The forest stretches up from the beach steeply and begins in some places as high cliffs... under which there are some really special caves.

Tyler told me how incredibly different this beach was only a year ago before the wind storms.  There are places where several feet of sand has been obviously displaced... pretty suddenly too.  Mother Nature is a potent force.

As witnessed too, by the massive waves coming off the ocean. While I squattted in one of the caves (right by a delightfull waterfall waterfalling away... right under the mossy spot), essentially underground, I could feel the earth rumble with the force of a few of the larger waves.


Also younger than the sun...


As we got onto the beach we were blessed with some chance breaks in the cloudiness of the day.  We watched Sun poke through here and there and soaked in the glorious and songful rays.  We ran and climbed and romped around over to the rockier area.  The tide was out some, so there was much room to get around and explore. 

It was over past the camping area, by the large cave where sOMa was surprised by a quick wave and he jumped to get out of its way, On his way to see the sea foam that was blowing about.  He recovered quickly but it was the beginning of the end of fun-ness for him as the intensity of the wind, coupled with the abundance of wet was beginning to discomfort.

He started but then decided not to join Tyler and I as we continued up the beach for  a little more discovery.  I was boulder-hopping while Tyler was going around the huge rocks when he suddenly startled a Golden Eagle with its fishy lunch.  He screamed and I saw the eagle as it landed.  The bird was cautiously standing its ground as I approached.  I got off the boulder and went around the way Tyler had gone, not being sure what had just happened, he guided me through the carnage.  We were so carefull and then energy was so tense between the eagle and us.  We were maybe twelve feet apart.

Then laura Leah sOMa and Chance started on their way toward us, with Chance the good dog leading the way.  As he came closer, the eagle appeared to not even notice the dog.  Chance even got right up to the bird and sniffed it.  Tyler then distracted the dog from the fish and still, the Eagle stood its ground and protected its meal.  But, as sOMa and the girls got closer it got fidgety and eventually took off right over our heads and perched on a tree sticking out from the cliff just up the way.  It grabbed the tree with its beak as it struggled to land on the precarious perch.

laura handed me the camera as they began to make their way back.  Tyler and I followed the bird for a bit and got some pics and then went beyond that to where it really rockied-up and we were treated to some massive mussel beds... On our way back, when we got to the spot of the standoff, we startled a couple of crows and the fish was pretty much polished off.

The mist began to rain on us just as we were leaving the beach. 

The hike back out was arduous.  I carried sOMa up the big hilly parts but couldn't manage the whole way and he had a pretty rough go of it.  Tired, wet, hungry, pooped....

The next time we go, I hope it's clear to see across the Juan de Fuca straight to the Olympic Mountains.  But whatever it is, it's sure to be Mystical.

In fairness to the birds,
It’s their world we’re tromping through
And birds will be birds… allways… it’s true;
Whatever that may look like
To someone like me or you.

Now in all fairness to we,
It’s our world they’re sharing too
We do belong here, me and you,

In all that this Earth brings:
Be it the bounty of bird calls in ecstasy
Or the soaring of wind through wings

If only we could claim what little we really need
Instead of practising in worship of things.
May we all find the precious balance required
So that ALL may glory in all that’s transpired
And we ALL may fully become one being

On this journey through enlightenment
Whatever exactly that may mean.

a link to the original post....

 

This nightscape
it
drips
subtle
phenomena
from its inky star-speckled depths:

insight and
resonance
and Light and

I'm just sitting here,
skipping stones of unlimited wonder
across a vast, everwaving wave of 'what if?'
into...

...

this

nightscape
drips subtleties
into the quiet space of mind
onto its reflection for a
fast refraction back
to understand it
in a way that
dayscape
seems to
lack.

This

tool of
understanding
I wield from space of mind
of openness and viscous
clarity, as I can
be it, with all
that we've
created to
distract
from...

...

this.

Sweet chocolate beverage warms
Our bodies. With every thick sip,
Magic yummy smiles
And Love, create

This!
In now and in then, we wade,
In moments only just lived;
Living as eternity

Along with all of
The other eternities we play.

"Tell another story Pa," you say,
Grasping at understanding this place
In the language that I'm showing you;
Putting it all together in the way
That best suits you.

So we share and we grow
This universe together...

And when the chocolate is gone,
Our warm bellies cuddle comfort
And glee, we
Quietly slip into slumber.

Dream,
Sweet sOMa
As you see it fit
Love.

I Love the food dehydrator.  Since picking it up at a thrift shop a few weeks ago, it has given me an abundance of interesting and nourishing fun-and-play.  I Love dried bananas as a sweetener with granola or in energy balls.  Having banana chips around anytime for snacking is a SUPER treat!  Apples, grapes, pears, potatoes... right now there are crackers on the go and my mind is reeling with the possibilities.

It's really super-handy because I've found that a lot of the dried fruit that's available in stores has had sugar or oil or other things added.  I'm so excited to dry cranberries WITHOUT SUGAR!!!  And herbs and mangoes and strawberries and... beer! The next batch of potatoes are going to have sea salt on them.  My favorite so far though has got to be pears.  Pears also happen to be my fave tree fruit.  There are so many varieties and most of them look like they're pregnant. The grainy mushy sweetness of a pear is so yum.  It's perhaps this quality that leads to its paperiness upon dehydrating.  Whatever it is, they're so great!

All this is re-kindling in me the sprouting bug too.  Sprouted wheat berries and garbanzo bean mush dried into crackers is something I tried long ago, with the oven.  The dehydrator will make them an easy go.  Sprouting is quite related to gardening which has been an important process for me lately.  It's a lot of new in this new abode with a lot of the old mixed in too:  Old patterns are surfacing in interesting ways all the time... sometimes to positive and beneficial results.

This is a rainforest.  What's referred to as the 'Wet Coast' of Canada.  And while it is true that for a good part of the year, South Vancouver Island is a very wet place, it is also true that for the four-ish summer months, it's traditionally hot and dry.  Like a desert dry.  Like the well here where we live in Shawnigan commonly dries up...  Like, strangely enough, it did just today, during the rainy season.

It's given us an immediate wake-up call about conservation.  With our house in Ontario, water conservation was an important issue for us as well.  Except that it wasn't about lack of it coming in, it was about the system of disposal's capacity. 

I feel the quickening
do you feel the quickening?
It makes me wonder seriously...
How much time we've got like this...

Now that we have a dehydrator, I miss our juicer. 

 

Moist
Outside, the fog clogs
The crickets' bows. They know
To be winding down now anyhow.

The soloist who remains:
At play with a simple serenade
Into the thick and magical misty night.

Inside, Lovers' quiet breaths breathing
A mystic aria into brief instants of silence.
Tonight's  chorus: a melody of coyote at prey.

What did you do for Equinox?  I know it's kinda late, what with Easter just having passed and all but I really feel inclined to write about the experience of this March Equinox day.  It was a pretty special day... it's been pretty busy since.  Happy belated Equinox!

I'll Start by saying that the Blisstians, who've been staying with us for a couple of weeks now, have bought themselfs a Delica.  I'm SO excited for them and eager to get one for ourselfs.  It's going to be their home for the rest of the spring into summer as they stay at the OUR Ecovillage in Shawnigan.  This in itself is pretty exciting too as it means the'll be staying close by for a bit longer.  Just across the Lake.

They got the van the day before and on that special Equinox day, we awoke and, after a hearty breakkie, we piled in and headed out onto the logging roads... because we could.   We found a great little spot that's part of the Koksilah River Provincial Park and set out to explore the river.

We evacuated the van and began our exploration of the wood quite randomly.  I was first out and walked right on in to pee while others meandered about at their own pace.  The trees in this part of the park are pretty big.  The canopy begins quite high up.  It feels quite vast.  The Koksilah river provides a constant rush of sound and excitement while slicing through the forest to the ocean.   It moves pretty rapidly these days. 

sOMa found me getting sticks together for the raft he spoke of building.   We observed a little swarm of water striders on smal calm beachy spot of the river.  Then sOMa went off by himself for a bit and found the Blisstians a little up river.  laura and I followed behind a little, in Love and out in the nature (wink wink! :o) and found that Christian was walking in the frigid water, exploring the painfull healing energy.

This sparked discussion about the merits of immersion in frigid waters as a healing exercise.  It was mentioned that the key was to stick on dry clothes immediately after and one would become warm.  I was very intrigued and while Blair was getting half-naked to wet her feet, I was getting ALL naked to immerse my body.

The water was SO SO COLD on my legs...painfully so. It was about thigh-high where I was exploring.  I Shook out all off the heebie-jeebies and plunged straight down into it, head and all, somewhat fetal and I floated for about a second, maybe two then plunged right back up and out and OH MY FG!!! It's so cold stepping out and to the rocky bank.  I shuddered excitedly and so full of adrenaline and rubbed my arms and quickly felt the warm air and it was all really great as I warmed up in the sun over a few minutes.

Christian went next.  Right by where I went in he got down on his back, keeping his head above the water and floated for a couple of seconds, squealing and excited as he made his way out. 

I went back in again.  I stayed down for a little longer than the first.  It was more clear the second time.  I had time to hear the river and to feel the sting.  I found that there was something eerily compelling about staying in the water.  It was an innate knowing that I could find the place that I'm looking for with Aya and other plant and fungal allies.  It added a dimension of bliss and glee to the experience that went beyond the simple challenging of bodily limitations.  Felt kinda like I found 'church' again. 

Well, sOMa went in (but couldn't immerse fully) then Blair and after, laura, beautifull belly and all, both dove full-on into the deep spot.  And each quickly ran from the water, brimming with sacred excitement.  A complete and brilliant communion...

...presque.

As we were making our way back, Blair stopped with Sequoia for a sip and I joined.  Koksilah tastes really fine.

After such an event, we went for some Hot beverages at the local cafe and roastery, on our way to Tyler and Leah's for an equinox pot-luck and fire and circle:  A perfect cap to a most magical day.

Since then, my life experience has been markedly different.  Not unlike my experience with Daime.  I've got an incredible desire to do this again.  The next time however, to dive in a-la laura and Blair.  There is a strong pull To make this part of some practice.  I think that with the right crowd, it may be possible to find authentic and communal mystic states of consciousness... using nothing but water and the body.

So pleased to have found a rambunctious patch of Nettle goodness nearby.  It will provide our growing family with an abundance of nutritious greens in the months ahead.  Today's harvest, much like yesterday's, was largely made into this amazing tonic soup:

Chef MyKLove's Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) Soup

1 Large Onion
1 Bulb of Garlic (10ish cloves)
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1Tbsp Virgin Coconut Oil (optional)
2lbs tubers and/or roots
2lbs Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) tops
1 Gallon Pure Water
1tsp sea salt (to taste)

I sautee the minced Garlic and diced Onions in EV Olive Oil until they're translucent, throw in the coarsely chopped tubers/roots (today was Parsnips, ytd was Potatoes) and the Nettles which I've sliced up with scissors.  I fry this mix about 'till the Nettles begin to soften slightly... not too long, and then add the gallon of H2O.  Pshhhhhhhhhhht!  Get it boiling and then simmer for fourty minutes.  About halfway through, I stick in an electric handblender and randomly chop it up.  I haven't tried yet but it would probably cream up nicely.

The rest of today's harvest went into the dehydrator.

Oh  beLoved Nettle!  It feels especially  wonderfull to have an abundance of this  ally with us ... and especially this early in the spring.

So how about you tell me
About the warm Sun's Moon-swoon along
The small of your back tonight:

How the whisper of light, quiet as a wonder
In a sea of shouting feelings
Feels,

While you stand in Love, laughing
At the whirlwind of a world
in such Motion,

Cacophony!....

Tell me anything!
Tell me, quick as
You can stand--
I can't stand not knowing
Much longer than this.

The way we shudder in embrace:
A testament to this wonder.
Shhhhh...

We'll quietly fall away
Into this brisk
Unfolding dream.