Reflection for today…Storms Are Omens -Don Quixote/Miguel de Cervantes & John Lennon/Chris Cornell

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Aloha. How is life treating you? I pray well.

I really wish I had Don Quixote’s optimism but these have been very spiritually dark days.

I have meditated a lot about what to write to you about the global vaccination restrictions and mandates. {I have deeply pondered this for several months so that is partly why I have maintained my silence}.

I decided that not writing about it would be a disservice to you regardless of whether you agree with me or not. This discussion is irrespective of vaccination status but is focused on how people are being discriminated against. {To take away someone’s right to work, take public transit, go to the gym or other social events can be seen as an attack on their livelihood and mental/physical health- not to mention their human rights}. We are currently also in a concurrent pandemic of mental health {which I hope to explore in the future}.

Injustice in any manifestation is deeply troubling to me. To take away people’s freedoms on the basis of coercion is unethical and would be illegal if the law was being followed. 

co·er·cion

/koʊɜrʃən/

Noun

1. Actual or threatened force for the purpose of compelling action by another person; the act of coercing.
2. Use of physical or moral force to compel a person to do something, or to abstain from doing something, thereby depriving that person of the exercise of free will.
3. A specific instance of coercing.

At a time where we need to be intricately united, we are becoming bitterly divided. It is the vaccinated versus the unvaccinated; the virus deniers versus the virus enthusiasts, etcetera. This further tearing of social fabric might not be as damaging if our freedom, privacy and dignity did not hinge on the current state of affairs.

I have been watching the protests online. {I am so grateful for YouTube because you won’t see them on the fake news}. It really gives me deep spiritual strength to see people fight for their rights and yet it breaks my heart that it has come to this. 

What I know is that the only way out of this labyrinth is finding the path together. Sadly, this might not be how this manifests in reality. I am still hoping for the most peaceful outcome.

{I will leave the discussion here for now. I hope I was able to articulate my thoughts since I haven’t written in so long}.

The future is uncertain but I am trying to keep the fire of hope alive.

{Let’s hope that 2022 will be a year of spiritual awakening}.

Happy New Year.

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For some reason, listening to imagine has soothed my soul in the midst of all of this injustice and chaos.

Of course, we all know that John Lennon’s imagined utopia is a stark contrast to the situation we find ourselves in.

{What can I say? I am an idealist and a dreamer on a good day.

“Imagine all the people living life in peace…”}.

Please enjoy John Lennon’s timeless song Imagine…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkgkThdzX-8

Imagine sung by the soulful Chris Cornell…

{My heart still cannot accept his death in 2017.

I have been listening to a lot of his music lately from Soundgarden, Temple of The Dog, Audioslave to his solo work. It will be featured in future blog posts/reflections}.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2YukBYq4Qj4

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Lyrics

Imagine

John Lennon

Track 1 on 

Imagine 

The antithesis of a call to arms, John Lennon’s “Imagine” is one of the most beautiful and awe inspiring songs of all time. Released in 1971, deep in the heart of the Vietnam… Read More 

Produced by

Phil Spector, Yoko Ono & 1 more

Release Date

October 11, 1971

View All Credits 

[Verse 1]

“Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us, only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

I[Verse 2]
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You

[Chorus]
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one[Verse 3]
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world
You

[Chorus]
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one.”

“The antithesis of a call to arms, John Lennon’s “Imagine” is one of the most beautiful and awe inspiring songs of all time.

Released in 1971, deep in the heart of the Vietnam War, on his solo album of the same name, “Imagine” asks listeners to envision a world of peace and unity. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100, and remains one of the most well-known and respected songs worldwide.

Now I understand what you have to do. Put your political message across with a little honey. This is what we do… to try to change the apathy of young people.”

Despite the popularity of the song, some have criticized its message and Lennon’s sincerity in living out its message. The 1993 novel, The Giver, depicts a utopia similar to that in “Imagine” and then depicts that dream as tragically flawed, since what it takes to remove the bad from society in this manner also necessarily removes the equivalent wisdom, joy, and passion.”

Copied & Pasted from https://genius.com/John-lennon-imagine-lyrics

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Further Research…

John Lennon…http://www.johnlennon.com/about/

Chris Cornell…https://chriscornell.com/

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Peace & Revolutionary Love,

-V.

Tea Reflections… A Lovely Cup of Tea -Jaime Oliver

Jaime Oliver is a food alchemist and food revolutionary. I highly respect Jaime for his infinite passion, culinary talents and especially his health advocacy. He taught me how to cook after all. I used his Food Revolution book and YouTube videos as guides. As they say, “when the student is ready, the teacher appears.” I was finally ready to learn.

Although I have just started my culinary journey, Jaime Oliver gave me the supportive push to begin. He is such a passionate and gifted teacher. I love to learn from him. He taught me the excitement of cooking through creative expression. Jaime is like an alchemist experimenting and creating in his kitchen laboratory. I am always thrilled to discover his new creations.

{I hope to include more posts on Jaime Oliver in the future}.

 

Jaime asks, “what is your ‘hot toddy’ and herbal drink of choice?”

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In this short video clip, Jaime teaches about herbal teas, herbs and spices; their medicinal/healing properties; how to experiment with flavours; how to make a lovely cup of herbal tea. He uses the cancer-fighting, antioxidant-rich turmeric which also happens to be high in iron. Jaime tells us that you can absorb more iron when you add citrus fruit {vitamin c}. He notes that spices {e.g. cinnamon and fennel seeds} are packed with micronutrients. Herbs are full of nutrients, vitamins and minerals {e.g. thyme is full of calcium}.

Jaime says that heated fruit extracts beautiful flavours; conversely, chilled tea has a different flavour spectrum. I can attest to that as I love to drink hibiscus tea both heated and chilled {which is technically dried hibiscus flowers. My love of hibiscus is profound. I have made hibiscus popsicles in the past. They are so refreshing in the hot summer days}.

Tea is one of my favourite ways to hydrate {along with chlorophyll water}. I drink tea all day and I can agree that it is a lovely way to start and finish the day. How better to reflect on life than over a cup of tea? Most people invite you to go out for coffee but I prefer tea. What about you?

What soothes the soul better than a cup of tea? I agree with Jaime that tea is comforting and therapeutic. Perhaps tea could end wars, mend broken hearts, awaken creative passions, give birth to enlightening ideas and heal relationships? Well, that might be a little unrealistic. The truth is that tea is my elixir of life.

What about you?

Or are you a coffee connoisseur?

Have you tried to make Jaime Oliver’s herbal teas?

What are your favourite teas?

{I hope to explore the science of tea and its healing properties in future tea reflections…

I will also include my favourite teas}.

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Further Research...

Jaime Oliver…https://www.jamieoliver.com/

Jaime Oliver’s YouTube…https://www.youtube.com/user/JamieOliver

Food Revolution Book by Jaime Oliver…https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8435032-jamie-s-food-revolution

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/jamies-food-revolution-rediscover-how/9781401310479-item.html

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For the Love of Tea…

-V.

Reflection for today…Deconstructing Happiness -Karl Pilkington

*This post is dedicated to my friend Olly who is the biggest Karl Pilkington fan that I know.

Karl Pilkington is a critical thinker.

Karl Loves To Think Outside The Box…

Part of Karl’s mass appeal is that he stays true to himself. Despite his massive success, Karl seems to still be authentic. He is always honest, curious, humble and so funny. He is best known as comedian Ricky Gervais’ friend and colleague on their very successful podcasts The Ricky Gervais Show. He was the star of an idiot abroad and even wrote a diary about his adventures. His latest creative endeavour is the moaning of life.

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In this short video clip Karl deconstructs happiness in relation to physical beauty/fitness.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnoIj624Wf8

Happiness | The Moaning of Life | Karl Pilkington

For the moaning of life, he meets a man who has had 120 procedures and approximately $150,000 worth of plastic surgeries. Karl posed without his shirt next to the man who’s had all the plastic surgeries. The interviewer says to Karl, “I am quite impressed with that you don’t care. You are happy to stand there posing with your top off. And let’s face it, you haven’t the best body known to man.”

I love Karl’s humble yet refreshing attitude in response to the interviewer. He replies that his body is “not a bad one…it works. But I understand that any women watching this wouldn’t go…oh, look at him. But that’s the reality isn’t it? That’s what most people look like.” Why is Karl’s physique so unattractive or unacceptable?? I don’t think it is by any means. It’s a manner of perception and what we are being sold {in an ideological sense i.e. perfection}. Most people prefer fantasy and illusion instead of truth. Karl Pilkington is the ultimate realist and he employs his critical thinking skills to deconstruct the situation.

Karl inquisitively asks, “So I don’t know what’s happened where they think that’s normal on the left.” Adverting has sent people on a relentless quest for perfection, beauty/sex appeal and youth. Men are now being attacked with similar psychological warfare that women are attacked with {albeit to a much lesser degree}. Even children are being groomed as consumers.

We are reduced to our exterior appearances- not even amounting to the sum of our parts. In the mainstream media, what we look like has solely defined who we are. Our rich inner life, emotions, intellect, spirituality have been erased from the discourse and divorced from our identities. I wonder what consequences this emotional and spiritual disconnection will bring. We cannot allow society, marketing/advertising to dictate to us who we are. Your self identity needs to be your own creation because only you know who you are inside.

The ridiculous new plastic surgery that Karl mentions is testicle ironing. What has happened to people that they need to invent these new procedures? Are they really that bored or obsessed with unattainable perfection? Why don’t people focus on true problems in humanity: poverty; hunger; war; abuse to children, animals, women, the environment; human trafficking; genital mutilation; acid attacks; rapes; racism, sexism, discrimination of all types; social inequality, etc? I always wonder what great things people could accomplish in their personal lives {and humanity as a whole} if we wouldn’t be seduced by this culture of narcissism and distraction.

Will people wake up to their own power in order to enact change in their lives and in the context of the world? Will most remain asleep? Time will tell but hopefully more will realize this matrix is a prison {if we chose to stay enslaved in it}. It is time to wake up and realize that emancipation from society’s brainwashing is in our hands. We hold the key. This quest for perfection, endless youth and eternal beauty is a social construction and an illusion.

No one will argue against self-care as caring about one’s health and appearance is quite healthy. The danger lies in caring too much because it can distract you from more important things in life that are more deserving of your time, energy and attention. Focusing obsessively on such trivial and vain things such as perfection seems like such a waste of energy, time, money and human potential but that’s just my opinion. As Karl says, “don’t worry about it.”

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Do you agree or disagree with Karl Pilkington?

Why or why not?

{I hope to feature more moaning of life clips and Karl Pilkington in the near future}.

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Please enjoy Clutching at Straws by Andrea Parker {from her Kiss My Arp cd}….

{I was lucky enough to see her in person when she opened up for Radiohead. It was divine and I loved her music}.

I copied this from her biography page…

“”Known as no1darker – Parker has always been uncompromising, passionate about the music and loaded with don’t–give-a-shit resolve. She has a love of art, arps, photography, architecture, graffiti, 808, concrete, glaciers, adidas, Bass, rust and all things white.  She is incredibly hard to pigeon hole : one minute she will be in the studio making dark, menacing, haunting music-  going from Booty shakin’ beats to string drenched ballads. The next she’ll be climbing mountains and reaching new summits; from Kilimanjaro in Africa to the avenue of the volcanoes in Ecuador.  She has worked for many charity’s, including Crisis, the NSPCC, Get kids going and many more, she even dressed up as Pudsey Bear for Children in Need!!  An old school analogue girl at heart, she still remains a die hard B Girl and is defiantly a freaky B*tch! One things for sure: She’d give the men in white coats a run for their money if they even dared think about taking her away…”

-Time Out magazine

“Beats so phat, so dope and so dark, there ain’t a NYC MC alive (cept maybe Rakim) that could handle them”

-New York Times

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40JbtBCjz1U&feature=share

“Knowing our self
Who we think that we are
Constantly changing
Constantly changing
So near and so far
Knowing ourself
Who we think that we are
Constantly changing
Constantly changing
So near and so far
Who we think that we are
Who we think that we are
Who we think that we are.”

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For more information…

Karl Pilkington…http://www.karlpilkington.com/ 

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1797453/

The Moaning of Life…http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3277670/ 

Andrea Parker…http://www.andreaparker.co.uk/ 

http://www.andreaparker.co.uk/about-andrea

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Peace & Namaste…

Reflection for today…The Surrealism of Life -David Lynch

I watched David Lynch‘s film Inland Empire.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBENalLEnSE

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460829/?ref_=sr_1

{“As an actress starts to adopt the persona of her character in a film,

her world starts to become nightmarish and surreal.”

Tagline: A Story of a mystery…

A mystery inside worlds within worlds…

Unfolding around a woman…

A woman in love and in trouble.}

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On the bonus features disc, David revealed that he opens his film premieres with an improvisation of the Aitareya Upanishad.

“We are like the spider…

We weave our life and move along in it.

We are like the dreamer who dreams and then lives in the dream.

This is true for the entire universe…” 

David Lynch: The Awakened Dreamer

Dreamer Within A Dream…

Surrealist Spiritual Ascension…

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Buddhism speaks about life being an illusion.

We are living in a dream within a dream.

The goal is to live our potential by awakening our Buddha nature.

Then we can live accordingly by developing our wisdom and compassion.

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Please enjoy Karmacoma by Massive Attack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbZPyWI0Wds

This song has such a surreal vibe that reminds me of David Lynch’s art.

It has that Edgar Allen Poe “dream within a dream” quality.

{I love Massive Attack}.

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For more information…

David Lynch…http://davidlynch.com/index/

Massive Attack…http://www.massiveattack.co.uk/

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Have a surrealist day.

Peace & Namaste…

Related articles

• Reflection for today…Cinematic Experience -David Lynch (mysoulsonice.wordpress.com)
• Reflection for today…The Goal of Creativity -Moby (mysoulsonice.wordpress.com)
• Reflection for today…Music & Creativity -David Lynch Interviews Moby (mysoulsonice.wordpress.com)
• Reflection for today…Art Is A Question Mark -Marilyn Manson (mysoulsonice.wordpress.com)

Reflection is Fuel for The Creative Process -Gotye

“These songs come out of so many random and contradictory thoughts bouncing around my head- like sound waves between sheets of glass and when I’m lucky they also allow me to reflect on the world around me.”

-Gotye

Gotye – Making Making Mirrors – a short documentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZXLyeatI0s

Gotye – The Making of Eyes Wide Open – documentary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_iuE_L2wys

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These short documentaries give a glimpse into Gotye‘s creative process.

I am fascinated by the creative process and creativity overall.

{I hope to explore it more in future posts}.

Reflection is Fuel for the Creative Process…

Gotye’s creative genius shines through.

I love how Gotye uses older and sometimes forgotten/obscure music and recycles it.

{I also love how he used his dad’s art for his album cover}.

Wally de Backer/Gotye reflects on life as a part of his creative process

He is an alchemist {and his studio is his alchemical laboratory}.

Awaken Your Creative Potential…

I love how dedicated Gotye is to his art.

He is so infinitely talented.

Wally de Backer/Gotye is an example of someone who develops his creative potential.

{We all have creative potential and Buddha nature but we don’t all choose to awaken it}.

The most beautiful thing is the happiness and beauty he must feel while creating such beauty.

I have always felt that musicians and artists have the potential to contribute to the healing of the world.

{This is why I have a music therapy category.

It is because music and art have therapeutic powers}.

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For more information on Gotye,

please visit his official website..

http://www.gotye.com/

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What are your reflections on Gotye’s short documentaries?

What are your reflections on creativity and the creative process?

I would love to read them…

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How can you develop your creative potential?

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Peace & Namaste…

Related articles

• Somebody That I Used To Know – Gotye featuring Kimbra (mysoulsonice.wordpress.com)
• Reflection for today…Creativity & Intelligence -Albert Einstein(mysoulsonice.wordpress.com)
• Reflection for today…How Art Evolves Consciousness -Alex Grey (mysoulsonice.wordpress.com)
• Reflection for today…The Goal of Creativity -Moby (mysoulsonice.wordpress.com)
• Reflection for today…Music & Creativity -David Lynch interviews Moby (mysoulsonice.wordpress.com)

Reflection for today…Cowards Run From Love -Bob Marley

“The biggest coward of a man is to awaken the love of a woman without the intention of loving her.”

–Bob Marley

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I really love this quote.

The idea of awakening love in someone without loving them or intending to love them is so cruel and selfish yet it happens.

It is deceitful and disrespectful to use someone.

It should also be noted that a woman who awakens the love of a man without the intention of loving him is also a coward.

Same goes for everyone.

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Please enjoy Waiting in Vain by Bob Marley & The Wailers…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z3yFUhasqs

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For more information on Bob Marley,

please visit his official website…

http://www.bobmarley.com/

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Peace & Namaste…

Related articles

• Reflection for today…The Price of Love- Bob Marley (mysoulsonice.wordpress.com)

Reflection for today…Pain is Meant To Wake Us Up- Jim Morrison

“People are afraid of themselves, of their own reality;

their feelings most of all.

People talk about how great love is, but that’s bullshit.

Love hurts.

Feelings are disturbing.

People are taught that pain is evil and dangerous.

How can they deal with love if they’re afraid to feel?

Pain is meant to wake us up.

People try to hide their pain. But they’re wrong.

Pain is something to carry, like a radio.

You feel your strength in the experience of pain.

It’s all in how you carry it.

That’s what matters. Pain is a feeling.

Your feelings are a part of you. Your own reality.

If you feel ashamed of them, and hide them, you’re letting society destroy your reality.

You should stand up for your right to feel your pain.”

–Jim Morrison

{These pictures will be featured on an up-coming post discussing the social construction of masculinity and subversive crying}.

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Today is Jim Morrison’s birthday.

Happy Birthday Jim!

You always lit our intellectual and creative fires.

Related articles

• In memoriam: Jim Morrison (bizzam.wordpress.com)
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Reflection for today…Some Never Awaken- Anais Nin

“You live like this, sheltered, in a delicate world,

and you believe you are living.

Then you read a book… or you take a trip…

and you discover that you are not living, that you are hibernating.

The symptoms of hibernating are easily detectable: first, restlessness.

The second symptom (when hibernating becomes dangerous and might degenerate into death): absence of pleasure. That is all.

It appears like an innocuous illness. Monotony, boredom, death.

Millions live like this (or die like this) without knowing it.

They work in offices. They drive a car. They picnic with their families. They raise children.

And then some shock treatment takes place, a person, a book, a song, and it awakens them and saves them from death.

Some never awaken.” 

― Anaïs Nin

American Beauty is a movie that will awaken you.

What a brilliant film!

Spectacular.

Reflection for today…The Sea Inside/ Mar Adentro -Ramón Sampedro

Sea Inside

“Sea inside, sea inside
In the weightlessness of the bottom
Where dreams come to fruition
Two wills unite
To realize a wish.

One kiss ignites the life
With lightning and thunder

And in a metamorphosis my body no longer is my body,

It is like a penetration through the center of the universe.

The most puerile embrace
And the purest of kisses
Until seeing ourselves reduced
Into the only desire.

Your look and my look
Like an echo repeating itself without words
Deeper, deeper
Until beyond the realm of everything
By the blood and by the bones.

But I always awaken
And I always want to be dead,
To remain with my mouth
Entangled in your hair.”

Spanish Version:

Mar Adentro

“Mar adentro,
  mar adentro.
  Y en la ingravidez del fondo
  donde se cumplen los sueños
  se juntan dos voluntades
  para cumplir un deseo.
Un beso enciende la vida
 con un relámpago y un trueno
 y en una metamorfosis
mi cuerpo no es ya mi cuerpo,
  es como penetrar al centro del universo.
  El abrazo más pueril
  y el más puro de los besos
  hasta vernos reducidos
  en un único deseo.
  Tu mirada y mi mirada
  como un eco repitiendo, sin palabras
‘más adentro’, ‘más adentro’
  hasta el más allá del todo
  por la sangre y por los huesos.
  Pero me despierto siempre
  y siempre quiero estar muerto,
  para seguir con mi boca
  enredada en tus cabellos.”

–Ramón Sampedro

I highly recommend watching the brilliant film: The Sea Inside.

Please click on this link for more information: The Sea Inside IMDB.

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Peace & Namaste…