Shifting from Autumn
to Winter very soon....

   We have had a very unusually warm Autumn here in the Northeast United States. Today for example it was 62 degrees Farenheit, very welcome because it allowed us all to work on our leaves, that suddenly fell all at once with storms and wind and rain. Some days it is raining leaves, with all the colors swirling around and around.

Autumn Colors in the Hamptons

   We will transition into Winter very soon, but it is always a gradual process, for not even the tide comes in all at once. Generally cooler days, turning gradually colder, less sunlight, as things begin to retreat for the Winter. Even so, I believe here we have only had one real frost, and the temperatures remain above freezing, unusual for this time of year.
   One thing I noticed was that we had some warm days, followed by a brief and sudden cold snap, while the leaves were still on the trees and just starting to turn color. I made note of this, because when that happens, the leaves die on the tree, suspended in whatever state they were in at the time of the cold spell, like being freeze dried. So what I am able to see, and will cherish throughout the winter, are some trees, particularly the oaks, that will retain their leaves. Some are a darkish brown color, but others are red, as they were just starting to turn, and now remain on the branches. Only a stiff wind or storm would make them come down now.
   So at least some trees will not appear barren this winter. What a treat to the eyes and the senses and a sense of the aesthetic.
   The light of course is fading, and sunset gets earlier each day. But the good news is that somewhere within the first week of December, things will go stationary, and then sunset will begin one minute later. And although the Winter Solstice will occur later in the month, the solstice in this case is a day where light and dark are of equal value, not necessarily the earliest sunset, which some people may not understand. So soon the Sun will make its journey back towards Spring time!
   Next time it will be time to look at how the Winter season affects our bodies and health so we can prepare and be healthy and fit and happy!

No Leaves in an Autumn Sky

Until next,
Maery

Should I buy a Village in Spain?

Where does your heart and soul belong.....

   These days it is quite common for people to not only travel to distant places and foreign lands, but often relocating far from where one was born. Or sometimes people come back home, where ever that is, to be back home again.
   The possibilities are endless with travel being so easy, instead of horses and wagons in earlier days, or even stage coaches. Now we have planes and trains and automobiles. How the world has changed, but sometimes you long for a simpler life.
   Where would you live, if given anywhere on the planet? Would it be in some far exotic land? Would you live in a tent, an igloo, a yurt, a cabin, a palace, a cottage, a mansion, a trailer? Would you live in a city or the country, in a desert or on a mountain, in a valley, on a river, stream, lake or pond? Would you live on the ocean or a cliff high above the world below? In a forest? A prairie, a meadow, a field, an apartment building on Park Avenue? A penthouse?
   I know I recently wrote an article asking about why people live where they do and I still wonder about it. If you were born and grew up in a small village, when you leave do you carry the customs, the language, the ways and means of that village with you? And when and if you go back to where you born, do you bring with you what you have learned and seen and experienced elsewhere in the world?
   And again I ask the question why do we feel better in certain places than others?
   The thing that prompted me to visit this again was when I came across an article last week about buying a whole village in Northern Spain, it peaked my interest. The article said many towns were being abandoned because of hard times in the economy. The one pictured in the article had just a few houses in it. I imagined friends and family occupying many of the houses, creating a little community. Or you could make it a retreat, a spa, a healing refuge and accommodate guests.
   It was on the coast of the Bay of Biscay on the Atlantic side, not far from my brother's place in St. Jean De Luz in France. So I would already have family nearby.

St. Jean de Luz

Mon Frere St. Jean de Luz

   The only thing is I don't speak Spanish, having learned Latin and French in school. And I am not ready to retire and make a big move, but it is good to dream.
   There are many places I would still like to visit. I know that France agrees with me very well, but there are still parts to explore, like Normandy in the north, where many of my ancestors came from. There is also Denmark, especially Copenhagen, where my grandfather was born.
   I've been to Germany, but found the land somewhat hard and intense. Holland was a bit softer and more cheerful, but I regret I was too early for the tulips. And I got a good recipe for apple pie while there!
   I never made it to Dublin, but will get to Ireland someday. I have been to London many times, but don't know if I could actually live there. I stayed near where Charles Dickens lived, one of my favorite authors. In the shadows and in amongst the crowds on the sidewalks and cars and buses in the streets you could almost hear the whispers of Dickens' characters, as though they had actually lived. Were the characters real people? Or were they just caricatures of people living at the time in a great city? A place that has much history, and palaces and kings and queens, of history playing out.

Me at Merlin's Cave

   The coast of Cornwall is charming and picturesque by the sea, and yes I climbed those stairs at Tintagel and had a cream tea. I also went to Tribarwith, and sat inside a cave, pretending it was Merlin's Cave. But there are so many caves carved out the rock by the sea, and it all seems so wild and untamed. A kind of refuge in and amongst the fury of the sea and the wind.

Climbing down the Steps of Tintagel

   Wales was wild and green. The fog that rolled in at night was a bit spooky, like a gothic thriller. I remember sitting on the cliffs by the sea, while two friends sat and played their flutes to the wind.

Tintagel

   Israel was both mountain and desert, and cold especially at night. I experienced my first sand storm, and there was sand and grit everywhere. In March I was cold, even during the day. I traveled to the Dead Sea and floated on its green waters. I got to see what life would be like in these small villages. At night there would be campfires and storytelling, while in the distance other villages were being bombed. We were told it was just fireworks! 

   I have been to the Caribbean islands, with the warm turquoise waters and the island of Bermuda out in the ocean all alone. And to Saint Martin, where I sailed on a catamaran all day long, returning at night into the glorious sunset.

   I have been across the U.S. to many places, but have yet to see the Grand Canyon, the Redwood Forest, Yosemite and Yellowstone Parks. I have not seen Niagra Falls. So many places to see and explore. 

   Yet where does one feel comfortable? Where does one truly belong. I think, like me, if you can, you travel to other places, just to see and feel and compare. And ask yourself where you feel you belong. Only you have the answer!

Maery

Hurricane Matthew Strikes
Haiti and the U.S Coast

Stormy skies

   A hurricane struck the island of Haiti and then moved into the waters along the Atlantic coast of Florida, finally making landfall in South Carolina. At this very moment it is raining here, as remnants of the storm go by, but nothing like what the rest of the country faced with high winds, 12 inches of rain and storm surges.
   Sadly about 300 people died in Haiti, and from the water people are now getting cholera. I know relief in the way of help is on the way.
   There has been alot of flooding in Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. Millions without power. The storm was a category 3 at one point, but the storm and the damage could have been worse.
   I remember thinking this summer we were due for a hurricane because we were having a drought, and often hurricanes will follow a dry season. Also the waters of the Atlantic Ocean were very warm, which is one of the conditions needed for a hurricane to form.
   The hurricane season is not over yet, but it is hoped that there will be no more storms of this magnitude and people will be safe.
   I am grateful that we are just having a little rain!

Wishing well for everyone,
Maery

New York City and New Jersey
Violence and Sadness in my City

A New Day - A New Dawn of Hope

   For many years I worked in Manhattan. I drove every day to the city, and felt I knew its highways, bridges, tunnels, streets, neighborhoods. East Side, West Side, Uptown, Downtown. It would take me six weeks to go through the entire city and to see every client. And it meant walking from a parking garage to many offices.
   And in doing so, in and amongst the traffic and the people, and the buildings and the weather and seasons, I felt I knew the pulse of the city. Varying times of the day would be different. Morning was the brightest light and the freshest. By noon or 1 pm things would shift. By 3 p.m. the light begins to wane and things shift to people leaving the city in a mass exodus to points north, east or west to the suburbs. Nighttime was very different. Darkness of course would descend, but it is true that the city never sleeps. There are bright lights and people walking every where throughout the night, whether it be to go to restaurants or movies or plays. People constantly on the move.
   I had decided a long time ago that in order to survive in the frantic pace of the city I had to imagine the flow of life in the city like a river, and that while I was there to go with the flow of that river, rather than fighting it. I am not a city girl, and I was always glad to go home at night to my own house in suburbia.
   One thing I used to do was attend lectures and classes in the evenings, on all kinds of topics, and to meet all kinds of interesting and wonderful people, all as unique as the city itself. For awhile I traveled to 39th Street off of Park Avenue at a tiny place called the Kittredge Club that was rented out for these lectures. What a magical time for me.
   But things change, and later I went to lectures on West 29th Street for a few years. I'd hear all kinds of wonderful stories and learn about life, much of which I have been able to incorporate into my own life, and then make into articles such as those I write here on this blog. And later on I attended lectures somewhere near 22nd Street as well, until my days in Manhattan became few and far between.

   Last weekend on September 17th I was dismayed and saddened to hear of a bomb exploding in Chelsea, on 23rd Street. Some people were injured, buildings destroyed, lives shattered. And yet it was only 6 blocks from where I had some of my happiest days in New York City, as well as only about 2 blocks from where I also met with friends.
   On the same day, there was a bomb in New Jersey, not so very far away.
   It was sad to know that violence and hatred seems to be spreading like a virus everywhere. What can one do about it. Except live a good life and keep the memories of what you hold dear.
   And my condolences go out to those who were directly affected. Not only here on this side of the globe, but around the world. For aren't we all connected somehow someway? I would like to think so. We are all humans, all trying our best in our lives.

   I do not have answers, but I can think and feel and live and love and always try to do the right thing.
   And pray for peace.

Be well and safe,
Maery

Autumn and Health

Autumn grasses

   Autumn is a time of reflection. Summer has ended and we move into another cycle of change which will ease us into winter. Once the harvest is over, things will begin to go dormant. A time of rest, reflection and regrouping. What we do for ourselves in the time of Autumn in regards to our health and well being will surely fortify us for the long winter to come.
   Autumn begins officially on September 23rd on the Autumnal Equinox - when the night's darkness equals the length of the day, and now nights will become longer, until December 21st on the Winter Solstice, which is the longest night. The days then slowly become longer.
   Animals start to gather food for winter, and we all slow down from the fast pace of Summer. Each cycle is in preparation for the next.
   In the Chinese Five Element Theory, Autumn is associated with the element of Metal. metal governs communication such as phones, television, transportation and speech. People who talk alot or talk too much have an imbalance of Metal. Metal is also associate with the minerals of the Earth.
   Metal is expressed in the mind and expression in the development of ideas, creativity, writing and speaking.
   Its direction is the West, which is where the Sun sets. So it makes sense, Autumn represents endings, the sunset of our lives for the season. The color associated with Metal is white. If you need Metal you can decorate with more white or incorporate more white into your wardrobe.

Autumn colors

   The emotions that relate to Metal are worry, grief and sorrow. A moderate amount of these emotions is reasonable, but excess can injure or affect the lungs or large intestine, which are the We remember the good times of the recent past, we remember our loved ones who have passed away. Again it is good to reminisce but not to hold onto the past. Autumn can be a time of letting go, deciding what needs to stay and what needs to go. Together with emotions, the sound of Metal is weeping or crying. It is all right to shed tears, it is a normal release of emotions, but not to take over your whole life or interfere with your daily life.
   The sense organ of Metal is the nose, and then of course the sense associated with Metal is the sense of smell. Our sense of smell is very keen, and is a direct conduit to the brain through the olfactory nerves. Using essential oils during the Autumn months as things transition could be very helpful. Mint is very cleansing but also very calming and good for the emotions. Lavender too is very relaxing. Find what scents work for you. It would seem Autumn would need musky, earthy smells, combined with something medicinal and cleansing as well. To ground oneself and cleanse at the same time would be ideal.
   The flavor of metal is spicy or pungent, with things like peppers or mustard, which help to pen the sense, clear the sinuses and stimulate the lungs. However, too much spice can injure the lungs.
   The body fluid connected with Metal is mucus. One of the functions of mucus is to coat and protect the mucus membranes and the fluid can wash away debris and bacteria. Excess mucus can indicate a Metal imbalance, not enough water or eating too much mucus producing foods. It can promote accumulation of bacteria and also cause inflammation which is a key factor in many disease states.
   The climate is dryness. A state of being too dry or too wet is not ideal and is not helpful. So there needs to be a balance. If your home has heat via hot air, you may need to humidify your air. If you live in a damp area such as near the water, you will need to worry about mold accumulating in the air and the home, so an air purifier might be needed, or a dehumidifier if extremely wet. Each place requires different things, but you can work towards gaining balance.

 The organs for Metal are the lungs and large intestines. They are about taking in nutrients and expelling waste products. It is easy to see that if these organs become inhibited by toxins that the rest of the body will suffer, for toxins can build up and clog the systems.
   Diet is important of course, but so are environmental toxins such as pollution and cigarette smoke. If you live in a city or area that is heavy polluted you might want to invest in an air purifier for your home, especially the bedroom. I also use a mister with mint water to purify the air. If you have central air conditioning make sure to clean the filters regularly. Keep the home free of dust by vacuuming and cleaning often.
   One the of the best ways to purify the air in your space is to have plants. They are great ecology cleaners and clean toxins from the air. Plants do best with a southern or eastern exposure -depending on where you live.
   Deep breathing is also essential for lung health and for cleansing as well.
   Problems with lungs can turn up in the skin and hair.
   Lungs do not do well in a cold, damp climate so it is important to keep warm
   Congestion of the large intestines leads to dysfunction and can cause abdominal discomfort as well as back aches in the low to mid back area. It can also cause pressure in the head, nose, sinus, neck and result in headaches, sore throats, and lack of energy.
   Dietary considerations fro both the lungs and large intestines include eliminating alcohol, fatty foods, fried food and chemicals and preservatives, as well as meats, dairy and refined foods. Eating fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, high amounts of fiber and foods low in fat is helpful. Mucus forming foods include dairy, meat and sugar. Also try to avoid too much caffeine.
   A cold is often a sign that toxins have built up in the body.
   Since Metal is associated with the mind, meditation is also helpful. It allows the mind to relax and repair instead of being constantly supercharged by all the stimulation of modern times with televisions, phones and computers.
   Autumn is a good time to do a cleanse, however always remember to check with your doctor before making any dietary changes. Cleansing, eating properly and exercise and proper rest will help to set the tone for having a healthy Winter.

Be well,
Maery

The Fury of Nature

Stormy skies

Hurricanes in the Atlantic,
Earthquakes in Italy,
Floods in New Orleans

   Here on the East Coast of the U.S., we have just been spared from Hurricane Hermine, which thankfully has been downgraded to a Tropical Storm. We will still experience some wind and rain and rip tides and flooding and erosion, but not to the extent it could have been.
   I have recently spoken and written about how we were experiencing some drought, with very little or  no rain, and how hurricanes usually follow a drought period. Also it has been 4 years since Hurricane Sandy hit here, and 11 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005.
   Both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans seem very active right now, with multiple storms in a procession, one after the other. And the hurricane season does not officially end until November 30th, so we could still experience more storms. Although in the Pacific and Indian Oceans the storms are referred to as cyclones or typhoons.
   But I thought about the fury of nature, and despite all of our modern technology and evolution, we are still subject to nature. We need to live and dress according to the season and temperature, and take an umbrella when needed, and to shovel snow or melt ice, and be wary of storms. We think we are the masters of our own universe, but Mother Nature still has the power to humble us and remind us who we are. I hope this does not mean that someday society will make us live in temperature controlled glass domes, for then it seems we would no longer be human.
   For me, I think the key is to always respect nature, and as I have often said, try to live within the cycles of nature. The seasons, the months, days and nights, cycles of the Moon, movement of planets and the existence of stars and other galaxies, the flora, the fauna and people like ourselves. It is all part of being human.
   The winds are picking up now, but the Sun is still shining. Animals seem to scurry for cover, the ospreys have already gathered fish for their nests in the trees. Where do birds go in storms? Hiding for cover in trees? Rabbits burrow underground. Fish go deeper into the sea?

The angry sea

   I remember Hurricane Donna in the 1960's, and Hurricane Gloria, and Hurricane Sandy. For Donna, the tide came right up to our driveway, but did not damage the little house built into the hill. My grandmother wanted to stay in the house alone in the storm. I will never understand why she wanted to do that. Maybe it made her feel close to nature. I don't know.
   By the time Gloria came, my parents had a power generator, so I went to stay with them. The storm raged on and on, and we had a few lights and the refrigerator to keep my grandmother's insulin cold. We went out the next day to get more food and were amazed at the piles of trees along the way that looked like match sticks lying on the ground. We went to a deli to beg for a chunk of bologna for my grandmother to have some protein, but the man would not sell it to us because he couldn't figure out what it would really cost. I was stunned.
   Hurricane Sandy was 4 years ago, but some families still don't have their houses rebuilt yet and many have been demolished. No power or heat for 14 days. No gasoline. And once Sandy left us in her wake, it was very cold, and it snowed a day later. It was Halloween when it snowed, and the children in the neighborhood never went out for their candy, because there was no power and no candy.
   But I was lucky because up here on the cliffs there was no water damage, just the wind. The roof peeled like an onion and I had a blue tarp on my roof for 6 months, but many people lost their entire homes, and their oil tanks in their basements floated down the street. Water, fire, floods, wind. Devastation.

   I remember during the height of the storm I had only 1 station on my little battery operated radio. It was broadcasting in Staten Island. And the announcer said oh no, here comes the high tide, and Staten Island was swamped. Shortly after, the wind seemed to dissipate. The house had been shaking for about 5 hours. In the  morning, when it was finally light, a neighbor came and knocked on my door and said don't worry I will remove your fallen tree for you. There was debris everywhere. Two fences torn down, and another tree. The wind had whipped through the back yard like a wind tunnel. Many neighborhoods looked like multiple tornadoes had gone through.
   But still this is nothing in comparison to what some people have gone through. In the Midwest tornadoes are a regular occurrence. And what about the recent earthquake in Italy?
   My sister travels to Italy quite regularly, but to the town of Torino. She knows better than me the land and the people and the skies and the Mediterranean Sea. I went to Italy only once, while we were in Nice, my family and I took the train to Ventimiglia to a market, and we had lunch.
   So no I do not know Italy so well, but can still have concern for those who suffered from the recent earthquake in central Italy. I did not know until now that the Apennines in central Italy is an active zone for seismic activity, and there have been many earthquakes. And there were over 1800 aftershocks that were felt as far as Rome, Florence and Bologna. They were medieval towns, so how many lives were lost in those ancient buildings that can never really be replaced? And what about the little dog, who was saved 9 days after the earthquake? In the midst of devastation, can miracles still occur?
   And why do people live in active zones. Is is because they have always lived there for generations and generations? Why did people first settle here? Was there something about the land, the  mountains, maybe even the energy in the land, as it is active geologically.
   It is curious, because I ask myself why I live where I do, and it is embaressing to think it is mostly because I was born in this area. I did travel to some places, but for now this is my home base. So why do people live where they live? And why do some people move, even across continents or oceans? What are they seeking? A new life, a new place, a new adventure, or do they simply want to leave their past behind.
   And lastly, New Orleans. Epic floods, people losing their homes, streets filled with water so that boats are needed. It is a very low country, and flat, and close to the sea. It is ironic perhaps that New Orleans was hit by Hurricane Katrina 11 years ago. Another cycle of water and destruction. It makes you think. It makes you appreciate and value what you have.
   I remember the week of Hurricane Katrina. I was at a family reunion is South Carolina, and driving my little car afterwards to Florida, while Katrina was making its initial cross over South Florida. It went into the Gulf of Mexico and proceeded to gain strength until it became the epic storm that ravaged New Orleans and other states like Alabama and Mississippi. We did not know it would be like this, perhaps we were too complacent. So Mother Nature teaches us never to underestimate the power of nature.
   Wishing you all a safe year and years to come.

Maery

Harvest and earth

Living a Natural Life

Changing with the Seasons - Late Summer

   Every year around this time, the beginning of August, a cold front comes through, making an unusually cool morning and day, that to me somehow signals the beginning of the end of Summer and the onset of Fall. Change is in the air.
   And also this time of year is called Later Summer in Chinese medicine, and so we must adjust once again, as the daylight hours begin to grow noticeably shorter.
   It is also a time when the harvest begins, so it is a good time for letting things go, while reaping the rewards of our endeavors at the same time.
   Late Summer is associated with the element of earth, which seems to make sense because it is the time of harvesting crops from the Earth, at least here in the U.S. With the influence of earth one can become more grounded, take stock of oneself and one's life, reflecting on the events of Summer and preparing for Fall.
   From the element of fire comes the production of earth, through the ashes, as we manifest things in the physical. Summer projects or ideas come to fruition.
   Earth also nourishes, for example when you think of Mother Earth, the maternal nurturing aspect. This season, according to Chinese medicine, governs the stomach and spleen, so digestion becomes important. All too often we see stomach viruses in the Summer/Late Summer cycle. We need to slow down and take care of ourselves, which is sometimes hard in the fast pace of today's society. So it is a good reminder to ourselves. The stomach and spleen work together to digest and give energy and nutrition needed. Diet, as always, is important, building in some heavier proteins, whole grains, seeds, nuts and beans instead of the light salads and juices of midsummer. But not to forget the fresh produce and vegetables as well, and not to go to extremes with alcohol or heavy meals. Of course do not change your diet or habits drastically if you have certain health conditions and always notify your doctor or health care practitioner of any changes you make.
   It is important to be flexible in this time of transition, and not to resist the changes that are coming. We begin to ease slowly from Summer towards Fall, then inevitably Winter.
   The sense organ associated with Late summer is the mouth and taste, so again to do with not only digestion and assimilation, but also nutrition and nurturing oneself. The mouth also enables us to speak out our ideas and expressions, and singing also goes with the element of earth. A doctor once told me singing is healthy - it gets out any locked up emotions or hidden angers. The sound of earth is singing, so this makes sense. So feel free to sing in the shower if you don't want anyone to hear you, or sing along in the car to the radio or cd's. 
   The fluid for Late Summer is saliva, which also helps us to begin the digestion of food, so have an Autumn harvest feast of fresh foods to celebrate Late Summer. The lips is the organ where you can detect imbalances, whether they are dry, cracked or peeling. This is an indication of imbalance somewhere in the body, and to do with the element of earth.

Rocks go with the element of earth

   The compass direction that goes with earth is the center, which is not surprising, as we try to ground and center ourselves at this time of year, through the influence of the element of earth. In Feng shui, the center of the house is to do with health and healing, so it is good to keep the center of the home clean and clear of clutter. Put a sparkling clear crystal in the center of the home to radiate the seven colors of the spectrum.
   The climate to do with Late Summer is moist, and here where I reside it is a time of high humidity. Humidity moistens things and allows things to grow and come to fruition and to have less friction. Too much moisture however can promote the growth of mold and too much dampness is not good either. People who despise humidity with a vengeance may have an earth imbalance. In contrast, think of the desert where it is so dry and hot. Or in the mountains of Colorado it is so dry that my skin would crack, and lungs would hurt to breathe, since I am accustomed to the moisture and humidity of the east coast.
   The emotion to do with earth is sympathy. Although it can be wonderful to be empathetic and sympathetic in our daily lives, especially towards others, there is always a danger here to be too giving. If you give too much and sacrifice yourself for others, you can be draining your own energy and emotional reserves. For those who give too much, learn to say no sometimes. And for people who are "cold" like the cold earth, learn to give some more warmth to self and others.
   The color to do with earth is yellow. It is a bright and cheerful color, and reminds me of the sun, and like the sun, yellow brings warmth into our lives. You can use the color yellow during this time, whether you have too much earth or not enough. Everything is a balance.
   The smell of Late Summer is fragrant, like the ripe flowers, berries and crops. Use aromatherapy with fruitlike scents or anything that is fragrant - like lavendar.
   The tissue with earth is the flesh and muscles, so it is a good time to build strength through exercise, and gain strength before the Winter months come.
   As we head toward Fall, things can become bittersweet, cherishing our memories but also knowing that now a new cycle begins.

Be wll,
Maery

My little wild rabbit enjoying the feast of clover