Regarding a journal.

For as long as I could read or write I have been keeping a journal.  When I was a young child I called it writing to "Dear Diary." Now I use the computer or a beautifully decorative small book with plain paper pages.  In all cases I pay attention to giving it good quality for when I reread it.  My words matter and I should honor myself by making the writing the best I can. 

What constitutes "quality" in a hand written journal?  In my opinion, one could look at the journal, the object itself.  It should have a pleasing decorative cover and good quality paper.  It should be dated at the very front with what period is covered.  Each individual entry should be dated, and often I note the time of the day, also.  I use a pen rather than a pencil, as not erasing discourages too much self-editing.

My computer journal is also beautiful.  I carefully designed a private blog hosted by Blogger.  In honor of my quilter-mom, the background is a beautifully pieced quilt.  I use tags and, often, images as illustrations.  And I have a little piece of html "boilerplate" for each post that has helped my journal writing a great deal: 

• My feeling is --
• Biggest thing of the day --
• Contacts --
• Gratitudes --

Beginning with writing honestly about feelings is one reason that regular writing in my journal is so very therapeutic.  Noting the biggest thing of the day is a way of looking at my priorities.  Contacts-- helps me keep track of the most meaningful communications I had with other people.  Noting that for which I am grateful helps me keep my feet on the ground and my spirit uplifted. 

If you never reread your journal entries you will miss out on several unexpected psychological benefits.  You will not be able to gain the perspective that, "My, I have come a long ways since then."  You would not be able to give yourself credit for honesty, or perseverance or courage.  Nor would you be able to say to yourself with a grin, "Now, that was dumb," and forgive yourself.  This is what I mean about the therapeutic benefit of keeping journals.

I began keeping a journal when I was ten.  My first diary was given to me for Christmas, according to its front inscription, by my younger brother, N. I was 10 years old and in the fourth grade, he was almost 7, our sister D. was 5½, and our baby sister G. was just under two months.  The first two entries follow [brackets enclose my adult explanations to you the reader]:

1 - On Jan. 1, 1947:

[The first entry talks about what “us kids” played that New Year’s day]. N. and I "played house," I cleaned out N’s closet, and “found 3 old dresses, and I gave one of them to D., “and G. was our girl” [child].

2 – [My next diary entry reports that] “we went for a walk up in the rocks. Mama and G. went too. Mama and I went over to [her dear friend] J’s to see how she was.  

My first messages to "Dear Diary," clearly qualify as actual journal entries in that small black book from the Dime Store.  As I reread what I wrote in pencil in careful longhand, I now know that "playing house" was the biggest thing of the first day about which I wrote.  Going all together for a walk to a special place,  and going visiting were the biggest events noted in the second entry.  I also recorded my contacts on both days -- my siblings, and my mom and her dearest friend.  Back then I had not yet learned to regularly record my feelings or voice gratitudes.  But I still remember the warm feelings that going together for a walk in the country engendered in me.

Connecting times long ago with those of the present is one of the benefits of long term journal writing.  We begin to understand patterns and intuit continuity as the years are recorded.  I remember well, for example, the pleasure in a visit my sister and I made in recent years to another of my mother's oldest and dearest friends.  I learned how to be a friend from watching my mother do it so well, and for that I now have gratitude.  And I am grateful for my free weekend cell phone minutes that allowed my to have a lovely long distance visit with my dear brother, N.

In conclusion, you must know by now that I have high regard for the practice of journaling.  Whether you intend for anyone ever to read yours or not, it is never to late to start by saying on paper,
Dear Diary:


Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.
Technorati tags: journal writing

Volunteering, what's in it for you?

Today at my political website, South by Southwest, I wrote about the importance of citizen participation in the political process. The writing took me back in memory to the days when I was actively involved in volunteering for a variety of causes in my local community.

Those days of working without a paycheck brought me other riches. As a member of the League of Women Voters, I got the equivalent of a degree in government. I learned how county government worked, how fair elections come about and how to influence policy change. Making a difference can be heady stuff.

Volunteering brings a certain freedom of action and independence. Though volunteers in agencies or large organizations are most often supervised by paid staff, they are always free for the most part to set their own timetables, vacations, and job descriptions. In later years I was one of those paid staff supervisors, and I was acutely aware of the power those volunteers wielded.

Volunteering puts you in touch with interesting people. In the League, I met elected officials and city planners, as well as community activist leaders. As a volunteer for the Mental Health Association I met mental health professionals, clients and community advocates and educators. I felt inspired and as if I were among kindred spirits. I eventually became a mental health professional myself.

Volunteering meant that I traveled to places I would not have seen if it had not been for my involvement. As a church altar guild member, I traveled to the diocesan convention, and as a Camp Fire Girls leader I traveled to camps in the woods. Volunteering will inevitably enrich one's perspective and life experiences. I gained confidence with each new challenge, and built upon all the previous knowledge gained through the work.

Volunteering earns annual recognition banquets, thank you's, smiles of gratitude, hugs, certificates and kudos. Volunteering for the first 15 years of my worklife, put me on the educational and professional path I eventually took. I am retired now, and I know that my life would have been very different had it not been for liking to be a volunteer. You ought to try it, if you haven't done it.

See "Behind the Links."

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Technorati tags: [tagname]

Study claims single ancestry for Native people

Image via Wikipedia

This story was sent to me by "Diane's thinking of you today." It is dated April 29, 2009. Diane is a friend of Betmo's. (Note: Not all the links in her e-mail are live because they are non-standard and brought up virus warnings when I clicked them).

Here are some other Internet articles on the same subject that are safe: Science Daily (4/29/09); UC Davis - News and Information; and physorg.com.

Diane's material itself is fascinating. To quote:

A study published in the May issue of Molecular Biology and Evolution claims all modern-day Native people descend from a single group.

Researchers examined the DNA from 20 Native groups in the U.S., Canada, Greenland, Central America and South America. They found a common genetic marker in all of the populations.

The genetic marker was not found in the DNA of 31 modern-day Asian groups, leading researchers to conclude that the ancestors of modern-day Native people lived in isolation before expanding to the Americas. The study estimates the most recent common ancestor lived somewhere between 7,325 and 39,900 years ago.

The marker was found in two Native groups in Western Siberia, in Russia, that are closely linked to Alaska Natives.

Get the Story:
Native Americans descended from a single ancestral group, DNA study confirms (Physorg.Com 4/29)

Get the Study:
Haplotypic Background of a Private Allele at High Frequency in the Americas (Molecular Biology and Evolution 2009 26(5):995-1016; doi:10.1093/molbev/msp024)

Previous related posts at Making Good Mondays:

1. Imagery - old - Continued - May 1, 2009
2. The First Photograph - February 17, 2009
   

See "Behind the Links," for current news references.

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Technorati tags: science news anthropology native american DNA

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• A Neanderthal in the family: working with ancient DNA (arstechnica.com)
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Letting Go Of Anger

Today's post is intended as background reading, or for self-help. Reading it may help you understand why people, who do not have or use these coping skills, can escalate all the way to clinical personality disorders and be capable committing hate crimes.

"The Steps for Letting Go of Anger"

1. Awareness of your feelings and behaviors


2. Taking responsibility for your emotions and responses


3. Attitude -- will greatly influence your success of failure. If you have a negative attitude don't expect good things to happen.


4. Self-talk. What you say about yourself to yourself will determine how you think and feel. it is a choice.


5. Don't take responsibility for people and other things that you don't have control over.


6. Develop resources and a support system that encourages the positive changes in you and in your life.


7. Self-care behaviors. People who take care of themselves feel better about who they are, have more energy, and are more likely to be happy.


8. Develop positive self-esteem.


9. Develop positive alternative responses to counter the older anger responses.


10. Practice rehearsing the new responses. Keep a journal to track and reinforce change. A journal will also clairfy issues which require further problem solving, or dysfunctional patterns which are keeping you from the progress and change you desire.
    

This list is taken from: Therapist's Guide to Substance Abuse Intervention, a book by Sharon L. Johnson, 2003 Academic Press. It was found on Google Books.

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Technorati tags: psychology self-help anger

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Promise Yourself

Promise Yourself, by Christian D. Larson

I used this as a client handout for years when I was doing counseling at a womens' center. Quoting from the website linked above:

"The Optimist Creed was authored in 1912 by Chistian D. Larson, appearing in his book Your Forces and How to Use Them. It was adopted as Optimist International's creed in 1922. Many have found inspiration in The Optimist Creed. In hospitals, the creed has been used to help patients recover from illness. In locker rooms, coaches have used it to motivate their players.

The following version, without the title "The Optimist Creed," is quoted from Science of Mind 71 (June 1998):"

Promise Yourself

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.

To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature you meet.

To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud word, but in great deeds.

To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

To continue the website quote:

"A somewhat different and shortened version of this is the one adopted by Optimist International, which publishes it on the Webs.

When Ernest Holmes' two-year-old magazine changed its name to Science of Mind in 1929, Ned L. Chapin became editor, and Christian D. Larson was associate editor and a frequent contributor.

In short, Christian D. Larson was an important New Thought leader in his own right and in influencing the founder of one of the major branches of New Thought, Religious Science, which also is known as Science of Mind. New Thought has influenced many, such as Norman Vincent Peale and numerous other inspirational, self-help writers far beyond the bounds of New Thought in its organizational forms."

Carol Gee says, Hope you had a good Monday. And promise yourself to have a good week, huh?

See "Behind the Links." for further info on this subject.

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. My general purpose/southwest focus blog is at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Technorati tags: optimism famous prose

Space News Update

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is in the midst of great change these days, and yet many of its ways are remarkable and wonderfully the same. In a very quick turnaround, the space shuttle Endeavor will launch June 13 with Mission STS-127. It was moved to a different launch pad after being readied for a rescue if needed ot the repair of the Hubble Space Telescope, a landmark mission completed recently. To quote NASA News on STS-127:

The 16-day mission will feature five spacewalks and complete construction of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Kibo laboratory. Astronauts will attach a platform to the outside of the Japanese module that will allow experiments to be exposed to space.The STS-127 crew members are [Commander Mark] Polansky [@Twitter], Pilot Doug Hurley and Mission Specialists Dave Wolf, Christopher Cassidy, Tom Marshburn, Tim Kopra and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Julie Payette. Kopra will join the space station crew and replace Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata. Wakata will return to Earth on Endeavour to conclude a three-month stay at the station.

A panel of experts is beginning an independent review of NASA's plans for the future of the space program. And the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee has invited the public to give its input via a special new interactive website, according to NASA News (6/5/09). The Committee will be chaired by Norman Augustine. About the site he said, "The human space flight program belongs to everyone. Our committee would hope to benefit from the views of all who would care to contact us." Those interested will be able to ask questions, upload documents or comment about the committee's operations. The first meeting will be held June 17 in Washington, D. C and will be free and open to the public. Members of the Augustine review committee with whom you might be familiar include former astronauts Dr. Leroy Chiao and Dr. Sally Ride. Others are all leaders in their fields associated with space flight. Quoting from the story:

During the course of the review, the panel will examine ongoing and planned NASA development activities and potential alternatives in order to present options for advancing a safe, innovative, affordable and sustainable human space flight program following the space shuttle's retirement. The committee will present its results in time to support an administration decision on the way forward by August 2009.

. . . The committee will hold several public meetings at different U.S. locations. The first public meeting will take place June 17 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. EDT at the Carnegie Institution, located at 1530 P Street NW in Washington. Topics on the agenda for the meeting include previous studies about U.S. human space flight; national space policy; international cooperation; evolved expendable launch vehicles; commercial human space flight capabilities; and exploration technology planning.

. . . NASA Acting Administrator Chris Scolese signed the charter for the committee Monday, enabling it to begin operations.

New administrator to be appointed -- It was announced in late May that President Obama will name a former astronaut, space shuttle commander Charles Bolden to lead NASA, as I reported in a previous post.

Decades since we landed a man on the moon, space programs around the world are interested in sending humans back to the moon, or in unmanned lunar exploration. The NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, or LRO, and Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, spacecraft are set to launch together to the moon aboard an Atlas V rocket on June 17. This exciting dual spacecraft mission will send a very sophisticated and powerful orbiter around the poles of moon, in preparation for NASA's human return to the moon in a few years. And four or five months from launch the LCROSS will slam into the moon to send up a debris plume that can be studied to determine lunar composition and the presence of water ice or hydrated minerals, according to NASA News.

Every Monday you can look forward to another "space news update" at this website. I am a "space junkie" living not too far from NASA in Houston, and I am so very pleased to have this new blog for a more concentrated focus on our Southwest news.

Blogs: My news and political blog is at South by Southwest. This article is cross-posted at Southwest Progressive. And Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Technorati tags: news space news NASA science

Hubble updating history

Today's post is a collection of miscellaneous links from Making Good Mondays that have one thing in common, the Hubble Space Telescope, or HST. The image for this post is one of the top ten Hubble image favorites.

After cautious anticipation by NASA, the Hubble servicing mission in 2008 was canceled. In effect Hubble's bubble broke, because a major piece of HST equipment went out just before the NASA repair mission was to commence. Such an event is understandable because Hubble just had its 19th birthday.

The mission is now actually underway, with the first of five spacewalks to repair and refurbish Hubble to begin shortly. The entire population of "space nuts" like me will be glued to the NASA TV channel. Space related Twitter tweets and Hubble hopes will be at a high level. We are excited because of the possibility of many more years of science coming from the work of the HST repair crew now in orbit.

Astro_Mike, Mission Specialist Mike Massimino, just sent down a Twitter message from orbit this morning "From orbit: Rendezvous and grapple were great, getting ready for our first spacewalk set." It was enough to set off a Kindle buzz and Twitter "terrifics!" He will be one the inside astronauts choreographing today's space walk, and he will be one of the outside actual space walkers tomorrow. The crew of Endeavor is standing by to effect a rescue in the unlikely event that Atlantis could not come back to earth.

You will be amazed by the eye candy for Endeavour and the various other visual links available if you follow some of these links, see Space and savor the images, for example, or if you check out the post with "The bestest list," as well as learn who's reading and why.

NASA and Congress are not yet in sync because of other priorities. President Obama has not appointed a new NASA administrator, again because of higher priorities. But from all I can tell the acting administrator is doing fine and the mission is doing fine. I look forward to several days of "space nut" fun.

Godspeed to the crew.

My brand new blog is called "Behind the Links."

Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Technorati tags: news space hubble nasa

Kindle Buzz and Twitter

Image via CrunchBase

Ever since I heard about the Kindle a few months ago I have been excited about the electronic reader's possibilities for the troubled newspaper publishing business. Time Magazine's tweet asks "Will Amazon's Kindle rescue newspapers?" Here from the NYT-Twitter is a link to an interesting story about Amazon's release of a more expensive model of the Kindle reader, with a bigger screen. Students in an experiment will use it instead of text books. People can read their newspapers on the wireless reader, as well as the most popular application books, and now magazines.

Journalist John Dickerson in someone I follow on Twitter, because he regularly writes stuff like this: "At 40 I'm still hopeful that there will be a National Magazine Award for desk and bookshelf reorganization in avoidance of deadline." My kinda guy. I thought I was the only one who had discovered this procrastinator's trick.

The New York Times also twitters this fascinating little tidbit. They say that women are nearly a work-force majority. Can you believe it?

And speaking of work, Astronaut Mike Massimino, who Twitters as "Astro Mike," will soon be leaving on the shuttle with the crew headed for the big repair job to the Hubble telescope. His tweet, 11 hours ago said, "Just had breakfast with my crew, really bright lights are on in crew quarters when we wake up to help the shifting of our sleep cycles." An Astronautics link announced yesterday that the European-built Node 3 starts its journey to the International Space Station.

I close with a couple of updates from my favorite Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa.

• May 2, 9:30 AM: "Baucus and I to lunch w Obama WHouse Wed to discuss Health Care reform."
  
• May 6th at noon: "Just had a hamburger w obama at WH. Hour lunch discussing health care reform and four Ag/EPA issues"

Peace to all. . .

My brand new blog is called "Behind the Links."

Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Technorati tags: [tagname]

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• STS-119: NASA News Conference on February 20 to Discuss Discovery's Flight Readiness. (space.gs)
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Imagery - Old - Continued

Image via Wikipedia

Many people are fascinated with history, including pre-history. Making Good Mondays is often about imagery. This post combines the two ideas. It is a continuation of an earlier one here at Making Good Mondays: "The First Photograph." I was inspired by an e-mail from my blog friend "Spadoman," who read the post about the first camera. Spadoman blogs at Round Circle. I commend his piece, "The Real Reason for the Crow Creek Ride," as background reading and to get acquainted with his very fine writing and good soul. Here are portions of his e-mails:

1) The first e-mail, with Spadoman's thoughts and ideas related to my (old photograph) post:

These drawings and pictures on cave walls and rocks are fascinating. I first saw them here in Minnesota. Up in the Boundary Waters Canoe area, a wilderness area that borders Canada, there are places where the drawings can be seen. It takes a lot of work to see them as you pretty much have to canoe to where they are and there are no short cuts. It is a day or two journey to get there from any embarkation point. There is also a place where painting are found on rocks that are not verticle, but rather horizontal on the flat in a place called Jeffers, MN. The Jeffers Petroglyphs: http://www.jefferspetroglyphs.com/

Last year at this time, I spent a week or so with the Havasupai people whose reservation is at the bottom of Grand Canyon. One man I met from down there took me on a ride down a road that runs from the main highway, old route 66, to the Colorado River. It is on reservation land. Along this road, he stopped here and there to show me some things. One of the places was a petroglyph site, undiscovered by tourists, hidden from view on a desolate semi-private road. Pristine viewing of an ancient artform.

Then again, rocks that are defaced by graffiti and initials of those in love, (JS loves BM), or gang signs painted on many types of surfaces might be the petroglyphs of the future. I wonder about this and how these types of things will be depicted by future anthropologists long after we're scattered to dust. The findings of us in the distant future is also a fascinating subject.

Man did leave marks all over. The voyageurs made gashes high up in the pine trees to be seen by navigators on the lake and portage system. The Nez Perce piled rocks along trails to tell the comings and goings of people and which direction they were traveling, these are still found along the Lolo trail from long before Lewis and Clark in Eastern Idaho's Bitterroot mountains. And of course, the trash this string of generations is leaving buried in the ground in landfills and generally just scattered on the sacred earth mother.

2) February 22, 2009. Subject: Petroglyphs. Spadoman added:

Feel free to use anything I sent you. Those canyon wall pictures at the Grand Canyon were magnificent. I was right up close to them. I didn't touch them. There are also some more modern ones at a place in South Dakota called the Horse sanctuary near Hot Springs, SD. http://www.gwtc.net/~iram/

The site doesn't talk about them, but a long time ago, people used the area down by the Cheyenne River for ceremony, (Sweat Lodge, Sundance) and left marks, circles, on the banks of the river and the sandy area along the river bottoms. On some cliffs, they did some carvings into the sandstone. You can see them if you take the tour at the sanctuary. Many amazing places on this Earth Mother.

References regarding petroglyphs - these famous ones were found in caves in France:

1. The Cave of Chauvet-Pont-d'Arc.
2. The Cave of Lascaux.
   

As human beings we seem to carry a psychological affinity to old images. Jung described it as the "collective unconscious." I am not sure whether it is also somehow connected to what we might call DNA memory. In any event we are connected to our forebearers from all over the world. We all descend from our common ancestors in Africa, whose traces are lost to history except in fossils. I would love to get a sense of what they did with their earliest impulses towards imagery.


My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.

My new blog is called "Behind the Links."

Technorati tags: imagery history blogosphere

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• The Journals of Lewis & Clark Online (janawillworkforbooks.blogspot.com)

Links for Making Good Mondays

Image via Wikipedia

Earth Day gets bigger every year. April 22, 2009 celebrated "The Green Generation." It brings to mind how fragile our home planet is and how much we are tied to the waters of the ocean and to the land. The oceans are home to our cousins the whales and our friends the dolphins. These are the Green Generation's core principles:

• A carbon-free future based on renewable energy that will end our common dependency on fossil fuels, including coal.

• An individual’s commitment to responsible, sustainable consumption.

• Creation of a new green economy that lifts people out of poverty by creating millions of quality green jobs and transforms the global education system into a green one.

Here are a few related links sent by my regular contributors:

"Oprah Shines Light On Great Pacific Garbage Patch (VIDEO)#," from The Huffington Post (4/23/09).

"Trooper charged with stealing loads of mulch*," from Press & Sun-Bulletin, (4/23/09). Betmo comments, "Wow, you know things are tough."

"BigAg Ticked at Michelle Obama's Organic Garden,*" from Common Dreams (4/23/09). Summary: "Michelle Obama's decision to make her new White House vegetable garden entirely organic has angered America's powerful agribusiness lobby who are urging the First Lady to consider the use of appropriate "crop protection products". This link courtesy of Dusty, who is a mutual friend of Betmo and Carol Gee.

"Longest place name spelt wrongly*," from Anova. The post begins: "Embarrassed US officials have been forced to admit that they have been spelling Lake Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg wrongly for years." Betmo quips, "guess they have eeggg on their faces:)."


Hat Tip Key: Regular contributors of links to leads are Betmo*, Dan'l+ and Jon#.

My news and political blog is at South by Southwest.

Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Technorati tags: earth day blogging news links

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Tools for Dreamers - Part IV

Image by Zerone Eric Ouano via Flickr

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The Five Dream W’s

Questions to ask myself . . . . .

Who

Who are the characters in my dream?

Are they people I know?

Are they strangers?

Are they alive today, or have they already passed on?

Am I a character in my dream, or an observer?

Who might these characters represent or stand for,

or do they represent themselves?

Where

Where is the dream setting?

Where is the dream taking place?

Is it a familiar place; or is it a place to which I’ve never been?

Have I dreamed of this place in the past?

Is it an interior scene or an exterior scene?

Do the scenes change, seemingly without reason, or does the action go “on and

on and on.”

When

When does the action of the dream take place?

Is it in the past, the present or the future?

How old are you in the dream? How old are the other characters?

Is this a recurring dream?

Does this dream represent one in a series of dreams with the same theme?

What

What is the action in my dream?

What is going on in my dream?

Does the scene have a beginning and an end?

How does the plot turn out?

What are my feelings as these things happen?

What is going on in my life these days, that might be a precipitator?

Why

Why did I dream this dream?

What was the function of this dream?

What did I need that might be fulfilled by this dream?

Why did I dream this dream at this particular time?

Why was I “ready” to have this dream?

By Carol Gee.

My brand new blog is called "Behind the Links."
Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.
Technorati tags: dreams

Tools for Dreamers - Part III

Image via Wikipedia

My Dream Language

How does my dream-maker write my dream story . . . The Five W’s

By Carol Gee

Who

Who are the regular characters in my dreams? Do they stand for themselves, for another, or for parts of myself?

Name the people or representational types that regularly inhabit my dreams, or the dream in question:

Who speaks and what is the dream dialogue like?

State some ideas about what characterizes the usual conversations in my dreams, or the dream in question:

What

What is the plot of my dream drama?

Write a synopsis of the story of what happened in this dream or in my typical dreams:

The language of objects or dream props –

For what do the “things” in my dreams stand, or what are the meanings of the main items that my dream-maker showed in this dream?

Where

What does the dream location say?

Describe the place in which the dream events happen. What are the most frequent locations of my dream dramas?

Inside or outside is a question

Do most of my dreams take place inside or outside? Where does the dream action occur in this dream?

When

Orientation to Past, Present or Future?

Is this dream set in the past, present or the future? What is my normal internal consciousness orientation to time?

Time’s message from the dream

Do the time orientations of conscious and unconscious match? How long does it take for the dream to unfold?

Why

Translating from conscious to unconscious

What “day material” routinely influences my dreams or influenced the dream in question?

Remembering my (habitual) internal dialogue’s shorthand phrases -learning my own unique words, my dream language

What is the literary style of my internal dream-maker? What does this shorthand tell me about what I might infer about the meanings of my dreams?

My brand new blog is called "Behind the Links."

Carol Gee - Online Universe is the all-in-one home page for my websites.

Tools for Dreamers - Part II

Image via Wikipedia

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On Archetypes

Joseph Campbell, in a conversation with Bill Moyers, defines archetypes this way:

“The human psyche is essentially the same all over the world. The psyche is the inward experience of the human body, which is essentially the same in all human beings, with the same organs, the same instincts, the same impulses, the same conflicts, the same fears. Out of this common ground has come what Jung has called the archetypes, which are the common ideas of myths.

Moyers asks, “What are archetypes?” Campbell replies:

“They are elementary ideas, what could be called ‘ground’ ideas. These ideas Jung spoke of as archetypes of the unconscious. ‘Archetype’ is the better term because ‘elementary idea’ suggests headwork. Archetype of the unconscious means it comes from below. The difference between the Jungian archetypes of the unconscious and Freud’s complexes is that the archetypes of the unconscious are manifestations of the organs of the body and their powers. Archetypes are biologically grounded, whereas the Freudian unconscious is a collection of repressed traumatic experiences from the individual’s lifetime. The Freudian unconscious is a personal unconscious, it is biographical. The Jungian archetypes of the unconscious are biological. The biographical is secondary to that.

All over the world and at different times in human history, these archetypes, or elementary ideas, have appeared in different costumes. The differences in the costumes are the results of environment and historical conditions. It is these differences that the anthropologist is most concerned to identify and compare.”

Arthur Benard, Ph.D., M.F.T., in his workshop, “Dreams: Awakening Your Sleeping Genius,” lists archetypes:

“There is a part of the unconscious that all people have access to, which Carl Jung labeled the ‘collective unconscious.’ It is a psychic storehouse for all humankind, and the contents of the collective unconscious are called archetypes: patterns that are found within the conscious of everyone.

It is important to understand that the universal meanings and generalized definitions are of minimal value in terms of self-understanding and personal growth. Only through discovering your own translations of symbols, even universal ones, can you effect any real change or insight. Another limitation is that symbols change meaning according to the context in which they appear and the personal experience of the dreamer.

Angel – spiritual ideals; higher self-image, guiding angel

Bull – strength; earthly desires; take the bull by the horns; ‘bull market’.

Cave – hidden aspects of self; deeper levels of mind; exploring the depths of the inner self; site of mystery and healing; secrecy; hiding place when troubled.

Cross – difficulties we have to bear; the way of Christ; rebirth

Fire – at its worst-uncontrolled temper, jealousy, vengeance, hatred; its opposites are the fires of love, zeal, patriotic fervor, cleansing and purification.

Light – mental understanding; insight; spiritual illumination.

Mandala – designs usually enclosed within a circle, which represent wholeness and the higher self.

Mountain – attainment of spiritual awareness after surmounting obstacles; high ideals; mastery of earthly concerns; climbing a mountain – making spiritual progress.

Ocean – our emotions and their condition; subconscious and super-conscious areas of the mind; mysteries of the deep within us.

Rainbow – God’s promise to people; protection, happiness, joy and good things to come.

River – the course of life; flow of ideas and emotions; spiritual activity

Serpent/snake – the kundalini, the creative force that flows through us and can raise our energy to spiritual awareness; represents both good and evil; negative aspect - lust and temptation; positive aspect - wisdom and healing.

Star – high, spiritual ideals

Stone – foundation of truth, solid, dependable

Tree – support, strength, permanence, dignity; indicates growth and un-foldment; flowering tree – inner beauty, abundance, promise of the fruits of your labor.

Water – source of life; spiritual depths; feelings and emotions; deep, clear still water often represents truth about the inner self; murky water – emotions upset and in turmoil.

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My topical posts today at South by Southwest, Behind the Links, and The Reaction are all about politics.

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Cruisin'

In these perilous economic times, not as many people can just pick up and go on a cruise. So how about going on a fantasy cruise, a pretend trip, an imaginary sail?

Let's go together. I'll show you the way. I'll be your guide. It will be fun, I guarantee you. And it will be free for the taking.

Taking a cruise takes a little work beforehand. You have to decide what to wear, which means you have to study the cruise line documents for suggested dress, and for the cruise's itinerary. Packing carefully is a good way to get off on the right foot for fun. You have to arrange for someone to water your plants and for the care of your dog, and for a ride to the airport.

It usually takes a plane ride to take a cruise, unless you live near a port. Then it takes a bus or cab ride to the dock where the ship is preparing for its next trip. Those who do not arrive on time miss the boat. . . and all the fun.

Everyone boards the ship after almost all the supplies have been loaded. The cruise ship sails. You follow the signs to your cabin, only to hear that you will have to participate in the lifeboat drill the very first thing. Taking your own life vest from the cabin, you make your way to an assigned station and learn how to save your own life in case of bad, bad, trouble. But take heart. And take note. You only have to do it once during the whole trip.

Now everyone is anxious to get unpacked and to find their way around the ship. Often, by the time you are through with life boat drills, your bags have arrived at your cabin. Your cabin has a closet and plenty of drawers and space for all your things. That is the beauty of cruising -- no packing and unpacking as you travel from place to place. You will be hungry and wondering what's for supper by now, and whether to change for dinner in the dining room. Or you might decide to eat at one of the more casual places that abound on board.

If you eat in the dining room, traditionally, you will probably be seated at the same table with the same people throughout the cruise, except at lunch, which is normally open seating. And you will get to know each other fairly well, often exchanging Christmas cards with them for a year or two. You will order from a menu and it will be some of the finest food ever, for "free."

Meals are included in the price of the cruise. You will need to take money for liquor, tips, on shore excursions, gambling and whatever you purchase from the ship's shops or on shore. Tips are given to the room steward, the bartender, your waiter, the wine steward, and the Maitre'd. All the live entertainment is free, as are the midnight buffets. So cruises offer almost the very best value for your travel dollar.

Entertainment on board varies widely. The lounges sometimes have a small group of musicians. There will always be some kind of stage shows or productions, two a night. Daytime entertainment might include a tour of the ship's bridge, the kitchen, a chef's demo, silly games and dance contests, bridge, a casino and special excursions at almost all ports of call. Solitary activities include a jogging track, swimming pool, a spa, a library, computers, or just sitting on a deck chair watching the waves and the sea birds. Or sleeping, or eating, or eating, or eating. Save your biggest clothes for the end of the trip, as you will gain weight. You cannot help it unless you are anorexic.

And before you know it your three or seven or 14 days are up and you arrive, safe, sound and relaxed at home port. You have tipped generously for absolutely wonderful service. You have your purchases from exotic places, along with instructions on how to pay the duties, if needed. And, hopefully, you have something to wear home, as your packed bags have been picked up the night before.

You will come home with a bit of a suntan, a few extra pounds, lovely memories, new friends, treasures from other countries, and a bit of laundry to do. And your will be thinking of where you want to go on your next cruise. . . very soon. I can almost guarantee it. In fact, now I am in the mood for a trip, myself.


My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.

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Constitution Day -- Sept. 17, 2008

In honor of the original signing of the United States Constitution on this day in 1787 --

What they thought about the Constitution.

JOHN ADAMS:

I first saw the Constitution of the United States in a foreign country. . . I read it with great satisfaction, as the result of good heads prompted by good hearts, as an experiment better adapted to the genius, character, situation, and relations of this nation and country than any which had ever been proposed or suggested.

FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT

The United States Constitution has proved itself the most marvelously elastic compilation of rules of government ever written.

JOHN MARSHALL HARLAN

But in view of the Constitution in the eyes of the law, there is in this country no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens. There is no caste here. Our constitution is color-blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect to civil rights, all citizens are equal before the law.

WILLIAM GLADSTONE

As the British Constitution is the most subtle organism which has proceeded from progressive history, so the American Constitution is the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man.

CALVIN COOLIDGE

Out system of Government mad up of three separate and independent departments, our divided sovereignty composed of Nation and State, the matchless wisdom that is enshrined in our Constitution, all these need constant effort and tireless vigilance for their protection and support.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

As the patriots of Seventy-six did to the support of the Declaration of Independence, so to the support of the Constitution and the Laws let every American pledge his life, his property, and his sacred honor. . . .

JOHN MARSHALL

The government of the United States, though limited in its powers, is supreme; and its laws, when made in pursuance of the Constitution, form the supreme law of the land, 'anything in the constitution or laws of any State to the contrary notwithstanding' . . .

JOHN F. KENNEDY

I hold the view that the Constitution is the most revolutionary document, with the Declaration of Independence, ever written, and it should to the new countries serve as a source of stimulation and enterprise. . .

Quotations from The U.S. Capitol Historical Society 1987 Constitutional calendar.

My topical post today at South by Southwest and The Reaction is about politics.

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