Totem: Seal

Seals are creatures that can vary in size and are able to deal with both land and sea. On land they can be awkward, but in water they are graceful in movement.

Balancing opposites can be tricky at times and can be chaotic, yet it the seal sees the power of doing so. It may not seem worthwhile when first attempting to do so, yet in the long run will be.

Going from land to sea, the seal sees the joys of going underneath the tops of water to see what is beneath. The seal tells to set aside whatever fears or problems there may be with going into water and to enjoy it.

A part of fun is imagination, the seal teaches how to develop imagination and even focus it. The seal also teaches the power of play, something that is to be enjoyed even if for the self over others.

Spiny-Headed Mat-Rush

The Spiny-Headed Mat-Rush is a plant that can grow 50-100cm in height and 75-90 in width. It is botanically called Lomandra longifolia. It grows in large tussocks and its flowers in clusters. The flowers are small and with a creamy-yellow colour, growing during spring and early summer. Leaves are stiff, flat and with several points at each tip.

Spiny-headed mat-rush has male and female plants, with the male flowers producing pollen while the female flowers are scented and typically larger.

It is a plant that enjoys its full sun and is very hardy, being able to grow also in shade. It has tolerance to frost and drought. It is not fussy of soil, being able to grow in soils both waterlogged and dry

Joyous Brooding

The teenage years can be described as a rollercoaster due to its ups and downs. For some, this stage of life is easier while others certainly more difficult. Being generally negative and brooding is just going to make things more difficult, especially if around those who do not want to deal with it.

One problem for teenagers is dealing with a variety of people at school. It can be annoying as other students are those who they wish to distance themselves from and teachers who are bothersome to deal with. This can be useful in the long run as learning how to deal with a variety of people is gained. Whining about a certain teacher, who is alike to that boss who was painful to deal with, is not going to help.

A girl in particular decided to take up whining about a teacher who she has little success in dealing with during her spare time, rather learning how to deal with this teacher for the time she has him as a teacher. Being negative and simply insulting her own intellect, later to only claim she is more intelligent than the teacher without evidence of it being true, is apparently the best course of action.

Looking at it, being negative about ones intellect not is exactly the best position to take. People generally are going to have some if not extensive knowledge in a particular subject or two, even more. While a person may be knowledgeable in certain subjects, there are many more subjects any person could learn. In this context, people will remain unenlightened about majority of what there is and has been. While this is the case, there is no need to whine about self-stupidity. Some are going to have higher intelligence and others going the opposite direction. Such is life. One way or another, everyone can be considered an idiot.

On the other hand, if a claim is going to be made be prepared to back it up with some sort of evidence. There is always that particular person who is going to ask for a claim to be backed up. As lovely as it can be to make claims, there is going to be that one person who is going to be asking for evidence whenever a claim is made.  Whatever said can also be told to others and easily cause unneeded attention and trouble.

It is a matter of thinking before speaking or acting. Solutions or better ways around a problem tend to exist in some shape of form and typically better to take over complaining about it.

Gods And Goddesses: Chimatano

Chimatano, also called Chimata-no-kami or simply Chimata-no, is the deity of signposts, crossroads, highways and footpaths. Chimatano is said to be responsible for anything that happens at the places he rules over. His symbol is the phallus, which is supposed to be stroked for luck.

Chimatano is said to be born when the god Izanagi took off his trousers to wash himself after returning from the land of the dead known as Yomi.

Totem: Squid

Squids are a variety of species from the oceans depths, with the giant squid being the best known species of squid. The squid is also connected to the octopus.

The squid is the aquatic creature teaching to look into the body languages of others, to ‘read’ others. Looking at the body language of others, it can give information on the person at that current situation such as their mood.

Parental Stupidity

The joyous news often reports despairing stories, it can be easily of any tragic event that may have happened and should be expected. A lovely case of apparent child endangerment by a woman called Patricia Krentcil was reported on the news last night.

I didn’t think much of it as the mug shot of the mother was shown, which only showed a rather unflattering black line around her lower lips. I simply wondered what Patricia was thinking as she took her daughter to a tanning booth when she shouldn’t have in the first place, at least until this morning. Again, it was the news reporting on the same case but with different photos of the same woman. What made it different? A very dark tan that makes that black line seen in the mug shot seem flattering. This made me think no thought was made by Patricia as she went tanning that day.

I sadly cannot help feeling sorry for her child. Good luck for the little girl, as she probably done absolutely nothing wrong. As far as I can tell, it is likely a case of parental stupidity.

And a small congratulations to Patricia in particular, as she has probably brought the world one step closer to people requiring licences to be able to have children.

Mexican Bush Sage

Mexican Bush Sage is a spreading shrub botanically named Salvia leucantha. It typically reaches the height and width of 0.9m. It is a fast growing plant with soft, narrow flowers which is felted beneath and dull green in colour. The flowers will be white or purple and in spikes.

It can be grown in full sun or partial shade, but it is best suited for full sun.  This species needs moist and well-drained soil, but can tolerate some drought. There is also some tolerance to frost.