Enough already..

Robert Duncan went to prison Monday for working in a collective/dispensary in Northern California. The owner of the operation was sentenced to five years, Duncan to two. The business is legal in California, but that didn't matter to the feds. They prosecuted them and now they're serving time for something that is legal in that state. Oregon legalized dispensaries last summer. Applications began this month. Will it matter? Will they go to jail too? 

When is this going to stop? When are states going to stop letting the federal government arrest people for following state law? Where are the lawsuits on behalf of residents who are doing everything right, yet still lose everything? Where is the outrage from governors and legislatures? Law abiding citizens are helpless in the face of federal abuse. And that's what this is. Abuse. The feds have known for years that medical cannabis is legal in many states. Why haven't they taken steps to solve the parity issue between state and federal law? Why is it okay in their estimation to ruin lives? The cost to taxpayers is enormous to incarcerate everyone and then to deal with them when they come out of prison, jobless.

The whole situation is beyond ridiculous. No one should go to prison for a plant, especially one that has so much use, whether medicinally or industrially. Industrial hemp could have been so beneficial to our country, let alone the world, but the lie was told and sanity went away, replaced by a profit motive so great that honesty and integrity went right out the window. Isn't it about time that we got some of that back?

Two states have legalized cannabis. Washington is in the process of screwing over patients, which many of us saw coming during the I502 battle. Here's the thing..we didn't get medical cannabis laws passes so that we could get high. We did it so that we could get well. I realize the Washington State Liquor Control Board doesn't agree with that and views patients with disdain, but that's not based in reality. Patients will suffer in Washington if this happens. So, I hope someone steps in and stops these fools. Otherwise, patients will be in real trouble there. Things seem to be going better in Colorado, but there's always time for shenanigans to occur.

Alaska is set to vote on legalization this summer, and many more states, including Oregon, will have legalization initiatives on the November ballot. Washington DC decriminalized cannabis in limited amounts yesterday, instituting a $25.00 fine for up to an ounce. Imagine that..sanity in our nation's capital. Even Italy understands the travesty that cannabis laws have on people because they're poised to let 10,000 of their citizens out of prison for cannabis violations.

So much would be solved if the federal government would come out and say, once and for all, that cannabis laws should never have been instituted, that cannabis is safe, and that everyone who is currently incarcerated will now be released with their records expunged. It's the only fair thing to do at this point. The truth about cannabis is coming out daily now and the federal government's denial of the truth only makes them look dictatorial and small. Legalization is favored by the majority of citizens now, and those numbers would rise substantially if the government would be honest about this plant.

People suffer when governments lie. We've had too much of that in our history. It's time the truth was told. Cannabis is safe. Cannabis heals just about everything. Hemp can heal the earth. Stop the insane lie that has destroyed so many lives. I think we reached critical mass on this years ago. How about we do something positive for a change?

Sunday Runecasting - 2 March 2014

Left to right: Tiwaz, Fehu, Inguz

In today's three rune spread, I drew Tiwaz (Issue), Fehu (Action), and Inguz (Outcome). Representing cosmic law, justice, balance and right-minded thinking, Tiwaz, in the Issue position, reminds us that our moral compass should be driving our decisions. By remaining in alignment with Source, our decisions will be just. A Course in Miracles tells us that "Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God". It's our premise..our beginning point, from which everything else emerges. It's our foundation and our guide while we exist here. It speaks to the notion that we should only embrace or place value on what reflects Source or God.

Fehu, in the Action position, represents cattle or wealth, and the status or position that may follow. It's also the point at which individuality starts coming into play. When we're born into this existence, we're dependent upon our parents and the world around us for our survival. Fehu depicts our transition away from dependency to independence. As we begin to own things, wealth may accumulate, which tends to create more separation between people. True wealth, has less to do with acquiring possessions than with the awareness that we cannot exist independent from each other, and the understanding that we are, in fact, One. Wealth in the hands of a few can result in the oppression of many, making the drawing of Tiwaz even more significant as issues of poverty and income inequality affect so many. Remaining in alignment with Source, wealth becomes a means by which unity is achieved rather than the separation that a focus upon duality, or individuality, often brings. 

Tiwaz stresses balance and harmony as we progress through life. And how we do that matters. Inguz, in the Outcome position, represents the seed, or beginning of life..in short, creation. As co-creators with Source or God, we can create a world of duality and all its ego-related problems, or we can create a world that expresses the Perfect Oneness of All That Is. We exist in Reality as One Mind. This universe is a projection of our Collective Consciousness that has our attention at the moment. Inguz represents the continuing process of creation within that projection. When we prefer duality as a basis for creation, we tend to make quite a mess of things. With duality, the outcome is seemingly up for grabs. In Oneness, it's assured.

Runes give us pause. They make us consider a perspective that can improve how we relate to the world. I see them as remembrance of spiritual truth which we can then use to extend love and unity to everyone, making every encounter a holy one.

~ Blessed Be!

Note:  The above quote, as always, was from A Course in Miracles. Foundation for Inner Peace. 2007

Grow Journal - 3rd Entry - Week 2 of Flower

I finally have bud pictures..or bud porn as they say. The Flav is the biggest..the Vortex is the smallest, but then I flowered Vortex sooner this time. I did the final shaping yesterday and now all I will do is take out questionable or dead leaves. That, and take pictures. My husband added the rest of the TGA Super Soil on top of the plants. Now, we'll just water with a few additives such as B-1, Liquid Karma, Silica Blast, and some bloom boosters until they're done. Of course, we always take our cues from the plants as to what they might need. Pennywise, the higher CBD variety, has awesome looking buds. I'm excited about this one because I've never had a higher CBD variety before and I'm eager to see what effect it will have on my RA. 

Day 8

The plants love the Dominator XL LED lights from Lush Lighting. This is Day 8, the beginning of week 2.

Day 15

Lush living!
Day 15

The Ladies

Filly Bean - Jilly Bean x The Flav

Day 15

Day 13

Vortex

Day 13

Day 15

Timewreck

Day 13

Day 15

The Flav

Day 13

Day 15

Pennywise

Day 13

Day 15

Orange Vision - Jilly Bean x Top 44

Day 13

Day 15

All varieties are from TGA Genetics, either individual or contained within crosses. I like their stuff.. I've been an herbalist forever and there's nothing like herb magick for healing! Cannabis should be in everyone's medicine cabinet. Particularly when it's grown under lovely pink lighting.. 

Happy gardening!

~ Blessed Be! )O(

Sunday Runecasting - Feb. 23, 2014

Left to Right: Uruz, Tiwaz and Raidho

Uruz (Issue), Tiwaz (Action) and Raidho (Outcome) are today's three-rune casting. Uruz is considered the rune of becoming and survival; Tiwaz is our moral compass, respect for truth, and alignment with Source; Raidho reflects our journey. 

Uruz is thought made manifest. It's the world in which we live as well as our own bodies that make up the world. It's how we influence the environment to not only survive but to also flourish as we do so. The downside of Uruz is, with all our efforts to survive, we tend to hang onto old patterns of behavior that don't serve us well and negatively affect how we go forward. If our lives are governed by the past, it's difficult to respond appropriately to issues that arise.

It would seem then the casting is suggesting with Tiwaz that old patterns, while necessary for a particular time, need to be viewed dispassionately to assess their true value. Do they reflect an alignment with Source? In other words, is any of this working anymore? Have we made everything about us, or are we still capable of extending love to others? If we are in alignment with Source, then Tiwaz suggests that our moral compass should drive right minded behavior. As a navigation rune, Tiwaz guides us as we navigate our messy lives, emphasizing ethical and moral behavior, urging us to stand up for what is right. Sometimes survival is more about letting go of what we think we need and letting the needs of others prevail. Tiwaz reminds us to look at the big picture and not just at ourselves.

Raidho represents life's journey and positive forward momentum, and reflects the inner moral compass that is reinforced by Tiwaz. It encourages us to actually live our lives, instead of waiting for one thing or another to happen before we can go about the business of living. With Tiwaz as our guide, the journey will take full advantage of the positive energy that Raidho expresses, mindful of the fact that life is about change and we should be ready for anything. We live in the present and take responsibility for our choices.

In closing, thought creates form. The form we create can reflect an alignment with Source where positive growth is assured, or it can be something else entirely. Our journey..our choice. Choose wisely..

~Blessed Be! )O(

Grow Journal - 2nd entry - 1st week of flower

Day 1

Day 2

The second entry of my pictorial grow journal is showing vegetative growth after switching to a 11hrs on/13hrs off flower cycle. Plants are grown under Dominator XL LED lighting from Lush Lighting.                                

Day 3

Day 4

I confess..Day 5 is not there.  I was there. My memory was  not. So, no picture. But they  did grow that day..promise!

Day 6

Day 7

No buds yet..but then it's only been a week..they're still stretching. Eventually, I'll show pictures of bud development on each of them. But for now, it's the canopy..

One last picture..well, two.. under the canopy and no, that's not where day 5 went..and my first seeds! I call them RipperWise..they're Jack the Ripper x Pennywise. The picture includes both mature and immature seeds from five buds I pollinated on one branch.

                                                   

I LOVE growing stuff!

Sunday Runecasting

Today's runecasting brought forth (left to right) Thurisaz, Uruz, and Dagaz. A three-rune casting involves Issue, Action and Outcome. Runes are broken down into three categories or Aetts. Both Thurisaz and Uruz are from the first Aett that deals with our own personal development as well as how we relate and integrate into the larger community surrounding us. Dagaz, is from the third and last Aett which deals with universal law, truth and ultimately, our true Reality. In short, today's runecasting reflects the process we go through to awaken.

Drawing Thurisaz as the Issue rune, suggests that there may be some assumptions or beliefs that need reassessing. Powerful in its nature, Thurisaz indicates that focus and intention are necessary to look clearly upon whatever is standing in the way of our personal growth. Uruz, in the Action position, is considered to be the rune of becoming and survival, but it doesn't always accept challenges well, so drawing Thurisaz gives us the protection and encouragement we need to cast aside old patterns of behavior that create separation from others and a lack of peace in ourselves. Uruz illustrates that our lives are always in flux and at times, immediate action is necessary for either our physical or emotional survival. Thurisaz suggests that judgment isn't always the answer, giving us the push we sometimes need to face up to what's troubling us as well as to make the changes we need for growth. 

Dagaz sits in the Outcome position of the runecasting. It speaks of our essential Reality as part of the Oneness of God. Our entire reason for existing in this projection we call a world, is to remember we are part of that eternal Oneness. We are projected Thought and a part of our Mind is here, experiencing the idea of duality, which actually doesn't exist at all. We have created the idea of time and all that goes with it, to experience again and again, the drama of being in human form. Because it feels real, it is real to us. Dagaz represents the Collective Mind that sits outside of time, observing all that is going on in this projection. The Collective Mind could, at any time, choose to stop looking at this world and simply remain part of the Mind of God, but for whatever reason, we're not done yet. Dagaz reminds us that as our fully conscious and natural state, our spiritual awakening is the only outcome possible . It's the Mind's final rejection of the ego and the remembrance of our Oneness that results in our awakening.

Sometimes we need a swift kick in the behind to wake up to what we already know. We can play out the drama, or we can see the essential holiness in others. And whether or not we accept it, our time here is always a journey back to Oneness. And that's pretty cool when you think about it..

~ Blessed be.

Revealing ourselves..

“The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them.” ― Maya Angelou

I love Maya Angelou. And she's right. It would save so much drama and heartache if we would only pay attention to what people show us instead of what we want to see. Behavior can be telling, but should that be the only factor that we consider? It's the "who they are" part that's open to interpretation and for me, the most important factor involved. Because when we know that, everything becomes clear.

We can't change other people. But what we can do is change how we view them, and then, with any luck, respond more positively in difficult situations. We're a disparate group that, in reality, are One. We struggle in an effort to preserve our individuality, when we should drop resistance and embrace each other as the same. We can choose to see the drama where, as individuals, we are at odds with each other, or we can choose to see Oneness where none of the drama exists. Illusion versus Reality. If we know who we really are in truth, then the drama expressed is part of a painful illusion we've both chosen to experience.

The notion that what we see as life in this world is actually a projection of our collective mind can be daunting to consider let alone accept. It not only challenges current religious teaching on the subject, but also turns the idea of God creating this world on its head. But that's what A Course In Miracles does. We created this world by thinking we could be separate from God. It explains that our only real choice is to continue focusing on the projection, or awaken to the fact that we are still One. Hell or Heaven. It's not that we vanish from this world when we awaken to this..because we don't. We simply see things differently, choosing to see through a holy vision versus an ego vision. We look upon the world without judgment, staying removed from the drama that pulls us back into the illusion of individuality. Since our Minds are joined as One, as each of us begins to respond this way, all receive the blessing, or miracle as the Course says, whether or not they actively participate.

Each of us is responsible for our own reactions to negativity others may express. As unpleasant as the situation is, if we engage with others in a similar way, it keeps our focus on the projection instead of Reality. The question is, do we focus on illusion or Truth? If we know that we are actually part of the Oneness of God, and that what we see is a projection or dream, we should understand that our hostile brother is in pain, or his hostility wouldn't be possible. He's focusing on the illusion instead of Perfect Oneness where only Love exists. We should extend love and kindness, and if that's not possible at the moment, we need to stay in the present, in the now, and not react at all. It only keeps the expression of pain going in the other person. The situation ratchets up, and so does justification on all sides. If a problem truly exists, then it has to be viewed dispassionately so that a solution can be found. Staying present in the moment can create the space for that to happen. Negative emotion dissipates in the extension of love. And isn't that what people in pain really need?

We reveal ourselves in every moment we spend here. We offer opportunities to everyone to either engage in the drama of illusion or in the presence of Perfect Oneness. We can judge, or we can love. That's our only free will..our freedom to choose right-mindedness over ego-mindedness. When I first heard Maya Angelou's quotation above, I thought it meant that I should pay attention and not set myself up for heartache by engaging with people who clearly don't have my best interests at heart. Although I still think that's probably a good idea, it's less clear cut now. Instead of believing the behavior we see as the only factor involved, we can see the pain that exists behind the behavior. We can view this projection as a place where we practice forgiveness and love, or we can view it as a battlefield.

The question then becomes: what would happen if we each chose to step away from the battlefield?