Color Connections Part 1/3

Stimuli of the world profoundly affect us. Senses are navigational context tools, but they also determine mood and behavior. Color, like scent, is an especially powerful trigger. Most influence occurs on an unconscious level. We pay attention to strong stimuli but subtle ambience evades our conscious thought.  The atmosphere, the feeling– somehow, color has the …

Learning About Learning About Learning

Accepting the process of learning: difficult at times, but at other times, easy, natural, instinctive, simple. The carrying out of life is fraught with inconsistencies and surreal coincidences and I don’t understand any of it but I’ve still learnt. When I’m older, I might better understand the circumstantial variables, today I merely need to be …

Psychological Healing: Experiences with the Alchemical Crow

We’ve all known catastrophe. The apocalypse exists within Caput Corvi, the symbol of a decapitated crow. Our internal reasoning cannot keep up with the crises of our circumstances. The crow forces us to change so that we may learn to begin doing so willingly. Patterns repeat, break, transform. Life is a series of cycles, some …

Sacred Simplicity

Ornate thought compliments many topics but some states of mind are more conductive than others in the realm of self improvement.   I’m prone to lengthy in-depth rumination which ultimately brings me no conclusion. My opinions bear several definitions of productivity but above all else, I’m found asking myself, “Is this necessary? Does this sustain me? …

“Draw a Sacred Circle Around Your Recovery”

You and I must remain protective and nurturing of our growth and healing. Prioritization is at times genuinely agonizing, the worst of most growing pains, because the way we prioritize is influenced by our very core, so to change, we must change our most inner structures. Consistency in our dedication to our development is not …

Alchemy of Self: Putrefaction Part 2

The fifth stage of death after pallor mortis, algor mortis, rigor mortis, and livor mortis, and the fifth stage of alchemical transmutation: putrefaction. Psychological transmutation is the same as any other and must follow the laws of nature— our body hosts our mind, and one day our body will rot and become dirt. We can …

PTSD and the Ordinary Object

Trauma, fear, our experiences can give contextual power to any object we have encountered before. An article of clothing, a certain scent, an everyday household item, so unassuming and yet when tied to a particular memory, to us and our instincts they become anything but harmless. CW: references to abuse and sexual violence Most people …

Alchemy of Self: Putrefaction

While the beginning of this stage may feel like Caput Corvi and the shame ridden days of calcination all over again, our wisened mind can recognize these times as being full of life in death. We’re less than halfway through our transmutation of self— we must expect there to still be hindering thoughts and behaviours …

Alchemy of Self: Conjunction Part 2

“In too much water you may easily be drowned; too little water, on the other hand, soon evaporates in the heat of the sun.” — Basil Valentine Success utterly relies on temperance. Parts of a whole cannot merge back into one if one part is neglected. All aspects must be released from toxicity and nurtured …

Alchemy of Self: Conjunction

Conjunction is the bringing together, the reconciliation and amalgamation of parts. The many facets of ourself and our life are ready to start showing a whole reflection. This is the coagula of ‘solve et coagula’. In this phase of Albedo we’ve found clarity after acknowledging what hinders us, which in turn reveals what enriches us.  …