Wolfgang Laib, Pollen from Hazelnut

Days, months and years of labor laid right before your eyes, materialized. Laib’s piece reminded me of the artworks of Buddhist monks – pieces made of ephemeral, powdery materials on the floor that are diligently worked on over long spans of time, but could be destroyed in an instant. Wolfgang Laib lives and works in the same small village in Germany that he did as a child, collecting pollen by hand every year during the spring and summer. As the name implies, the pollen in this piece was collected from hazelnut bushes. It was as if Laib was a worker bee himself, exhibiting the results of his efforts.

Thinking about Laib’s ritual – a set of repeated actions done with an intended meaning or consciousness – of collecting the pollen and his intimacy with the material and his natural surroundings makes me feel an odd sense of intimacy and introspection myself.

"I am not afraid of beauty, unlike most artists today. The pollen, the milk, the beeswax, they have a beauty that is incredible, that is beyond the imagination, something which you cannot believe is a reality–and it is the most real. I could not make it myself, I could not create it myself, but I can participate in it. Trying to create it yourself is only a tragedy, participating in it is a big chance." 

Quote of the day

The majority of the perceptual activity of human beings is interpretation, and human beings are the kind of organisms that need only a minimal input of pure perception in order to create their world. -Magical Passes, Carlos Castaneda

Trembling Giants  Adansonia digitata (Baobab)

It's a strange giant with branches that look like roots reaching up to the sky. Bushmen legend tells how, in a frivolous mood, the gods tossed the baobab to the Earth below where it landed.  Wrong side up.  Bushmen still believe that the baobab doesn't grow like other trees, but crashes to the ground fully grown. 

The African baobab tree is known as the tree of life; it is capable of storing life-saving water during the drought season which is vital to local nomadic people who may not have any other means of obtaining water. Large baobab trees are said to contain more than 30,000 gallons of water; to access this water, the Kalahari bushmen use hollow pieces of grass (much like a straw) to suck the water out.

The baobab tree is a vital nutrition source for many local tribes; the fruit of the baobab tree contains both pulp and seeds which are eaten. The pulp can also be mixed with water and made into a drink; the seeds of the baobab tree can be eaten alone or mixed with millet. The seeds can also be traded for the extraction of the oil or eaten in a paste; seedlings and young leaves are eaten like asparagus or are used in salads.

The hollow trunk of the tree (either aged naturally or through human intervention) is a place where native people have stored grain, water or livestock. The size of some baobab trees is so great that natives have used the hollow of the baobab tree trunk in which to live.

The medicinal uses; the baobab tree is high in vitamin C and calcium and therefore the leaves and fruit are eaten to protect against illness. The bark of the African baobab tree is used to treat fever; its medicinal use was considered to be of such value that Europeans used the bark in place of cinchona bark (from where quinine was obtained) to protect against malaria.

The inner workings of the tree provide a fiber which indigenous people have used to make cloth, rope, nets, musical instrument strings and waterproof hats. The bark of the baobab tree has to be removed to obtain the fiber; the baobab tree can regenerate the loss of bark if it is cut away.

Superstition surrounds the tree. It develops a hollow trunk said to be inhabited by spirits who haunt anyone foolish enough to cut it down. It’s revered as a repository for ancestral souls and the community’s spiritual power. Some believe that if you pick a flower from a baobab, you will be eaten by a lion; but if you drink water in which a Baobab’s seeds have been soaked, you’ll be safe from a crocodile attack.

Baobabs are hard to kill. They can be burnt and stripped of bark but quickly regenerate. When they do die, they rot from the inside and suddenly collapse with great noise, leaving behind only a heap of fiber. Many believe that they don’t die at all, but simply disappear as mysteriously as they arrive.

"People look at a tree and think it comes out of the ground, that plants grow out of the ground, but if you ask, where does the substance [of the tree] come from? You find out ... trees come out of the air!" -Nobel laureate Richard Feynman

Plant of the Day  Ligusticum porteri (Osha)

Osha, Porter's lovage, Porter's licorice-root, Porter's wild lovage, loveroot, bear medicine, bear root, mountain lovage, Indian parsley, mountain ginseng, nipo, chuchupate

Osha is an herbaceous perennial growing from 50 to 100 cm tall or more. In winter, the above-ground parts die back to a thick, woody and very aromatic rootstock. The plant has deeply incised, elliptic or lance-shaped leaf segments that are 5 to 40 mm in width with larger basal leaves. The white flowers appear during late summer, and are approximately 2 to 5 mm in diameter with five petals. They are grouped in flat-topped, compound umbels and are followed by reddish, oblong, ribbed fruits 5 to 8 mm in length.

Osha is native to mountains of western North America from Wyoming (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah) to the states of Sonora and Chihuahua, Mexico. Osha often grows in rich, moist soils in wooded habitats—from pine-oak woodland to spruce-fir forest—but it is also found on slopes and in meadows with drier, rocky soils from1,500 to 3,505 meters ( 4,900-11,500 feet;  Cronquist et al. 1997, Welsh 1993, Martin et al. 1998) 

Like many plants in the Apiaceae, the flowers are attractive to a variety of insects such as flies, beetles, bees and wasps. However, studies of pollination biology among plants in the carrot family find that there is a distinction between mere visitors and effective pollinators, with the latter being andrenid, colletid and halictid bees (Lindsey 1984) in some cases. Halictid bees have been seen visiting flowers of osha in the Chiricahua Mountains of Arizona (M. F. Wilson, observation Sep. 2, 2003). Seeds of osha are not dispersed by animals or wind and most likely remain close to the parent plant when they drop (David Inouye, pers. comm. 2007).

Osha has been used medicinally by indigenous people for centuries and subsequently absorbed into the pharmacopeias of other peoples. The genus contains many plants that are used medicinally in both the Old and New Worlds (Mabberley 1997).  The roots have been used in various preparations (tinctures, infusions or teas) and taken internally especially for catarrh, colds, coughs,

bronchial pneumonia, flu and other respiratory infections. Root preparations are used to treat fever, diarrhea, gastrointestinal disorders, hangover, sore throats and rheumatism (Moerman 1998, Reina-Guerrero 1993, Wilson & Felger, in prep., Yetman & Felger 2002). Externally, root preparations were used to treat aches and pains, digestive problems, scorpion sting, wounds and skin infections. The hollow stems have been smoked to break the nicotine habit (Bye 1986, Curtin 1976).

The genus Ligusticum consists of 40-50 species of circumboreal plants (Mabberley 1997). Many are used medicinally. American Ligusticum species have been used as anticonvulsants, to stimulate appetite, and to treat anemia, hemorrhage, tuberculosis, stomach disorders, heart troubles, respiratory infections, earaches, sinus infection and congestion, and other ailments (Moerman 1998). Some Asian members of this genus are important in Chinese, Japanese and Korean herbal formularies. Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. (L. wallichii Franch.), Szechuan lovage root, is used to treat amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, headaches, ischemia and thrombosis (Bensky & Gamble 1993). Many peoples of north temperate regions eat portions of a number of species of Ligusticum raw, cooked as potherbs, or as condiments or spice (Tanaka 1976). 

Quote Of the Day

Each day is a little life: every waking and rising a little birth, every fresh morning a little youth, every going to rest and sleep a little death.  -Arthur Schopenhauer

Sacred Plant Medicine: The wisdom in Native American Herbalism, Stephen Harrod Buhner

The Sacred: Our capacity to recognize and seek out the sacred is one of the basic drives that makes up the fabric of a human being and which has shaped our common human ancestry. The sacred as I use it is more akin to the dictionary definition of holy, "having divine nature or origin." It must be recognized that because the sacred is made up of both non-rational and non-linear elements, any reduction to simple definitions always fails to capture its essence. One must enter the realm of the sacred and experience its transcendent nature to fully understand it. There is a distinct reality that underlies all religious articulations. It is this reality that, when experienced, is felt to be the REAL, a deeper and more meaningful reality than that we experience in our normal day-to-day lives. The maps that travelers create from their travels in sacred domains, and the bureaucracy that springs up around control over the map, make up the form and substance of religious movements. The maps correspond to specific lineages of religious or spiritual devotion. All humans have a propensity for how they experience the sacred. For example, human beings may experience the sacred as a territory (Native Americans), as a personification (Christians), or a state of mind (Buddhists). This propensity for how one experiences the sacred can lead to arguments (and sometimes wars) over the correct way to experience the sacred, over "The Way." But as the eminent religious historian, Mircea Eliade, has said, "There are no definitional limits to what forms the sacred can take."4 The manifestation of the sacred, hierophany, may occur in any person, place or thing. The sacred, by definition, can take any form. Each religious articulation has its place within the human frame. To claim superiority for a religious expression is to claim the thumb superior to the fingers, the foot superior to the leg. Each has its necessary place and function. One must search for the real center of religion and go beyond the linguistic representations contained in religious maps. If one does not, one finds the human, not the sacred. The sacred has a dynamic aspect in that it has a tendency to manifest itself of its own accord. It tends to come into the world and make itself known. Further, each incarnate form, each object of matter, has a tendency to realize its archetypal, universal, sacred meaning. These two tendencies— that of the sacred to manifest itself and that of each incarnate form to realize its deeper archetype—come together in such a way that any object at any time can incorporate within itself all the power of the holy. When the sacred manifests itself in the world, something in the human allows it to be immediately recognized. A part of the human, most often a subconscious part, experiences the sacred and says to the conscious mind, "that is the REAL." The conscious mind is then made aware of that which is beyond it and that from which it comes, the sacred. The intrusion of the sacred into human experience represents a direct transmission of the REAL, a transmission of God, Creator, Allah, Great Spirit. The human who experiences this is made aware of a reality that transcends the human and thus predates human linguistic and cultural constructs. This presents difficulties. How does one retain the memory and experience of something that predates all things human? To explain the experience and to retain memory of it, human beings automatically structure the direct experience of the sacred into internalized symbolic constructs. Thus the sacred comes to be expressed in visions, wondrous feelings, thoughts, and sometimes smells and tastes. This is due to the nature of memory patterning. Human memory patterns are constructed of aspects of the five senses,-that is, memories are encoded bits of sights, sounds, smells, tastes, feelings. Thus the experience of the sacred is translated into visions, sounds, smells, tastes, and feelings even though the sacred is both all and none of these things. Examinations of the written and oral records of those who encountered the sacred show that their experiences were very rich and generally included all of the five senses.5 Strong visionary experience is often accompanied by imperatives for human conduct. Conveyed during contact with the sacred, these imperatives often require the person to whom they are given to act in a certain manner, engage in a specific life work, or make changes in lifestyle or behavior. Because these imperatives are usually interpreted as language when experienced, they most often take on the pattern of language that is already encoded in the person receiving them. To make the imperatives sensible people also interpret them through previously learned cultural experiences and values. Thus, if one is raised in a primarily Christian environment, any direct experience of the divine will often tend to take on Christian forms and symbols. All these things—sensory memory bits, linguistic and cultural structures that give the experience of the sacred memory form—become symbols that contain in themselves the capacity to reinvoke the original sacred experience. Though these elements are used, the sacred does not become only those things. Inherent in the experience of the sacred is the memory of its transcendent nature and humans, according to their capacity, are forced to generate more powerful constructs out of their own existing structures to encompass the immense morphology of the sacred. In this process it is not possible for the human to retain the full experience of the sacred. It is too large a territory. Even so, the human has been changed, is no longer only secular, and the symbols retained point the way to something other and more REAL than the human. Within many cultures, the search for personal contact with the sacred is an integral part of our maturation and development. When contact with the sacred occurs, its nature and content shapes the direction of that person's life. It provides meaning by which that person determines ethical and honorable behavior and life's work. Further, frequent contact with the sacred through personal visionary experience or community ritual gives direction for the deepening of one's own spirituality over time. Though experiences of the sacred cover a wide spectrum of styles the oldest and most widespread is Earth-centered, or what is sometimes referred to as pagan religion or nature mysticism.

International Ecocity Frameworks and Standards (IEFS)

15 conditions, for which to analyse the biological, geographical, ecological and social progress of the cityscape:

1. Access by Proximity: Walkable access from housing to basic urban services and transit access to close-by employment options.

2. Clean Air: Air quality conducive to good health within buildings, the city's air shed, and the atmosphere.

3. Healthy Soil: Soils meet their ranges of healthy ecosystem functions as appropriate to their types and environments; fertility is maintained or improved.

4. Clean and Safe Water: Access to clean, safe, affordable water; the city's water sources, waterways and water bodies are healthy and function without negative impact to ecosystems. Water is primarily sourced from within the bioregion.

5. Responsible Resources/ Materials: Renewable and non-renewable resources are sourced, allocated, managed and recycled responsibly and equitably, without adversely affecting human health or the resilience of ecosystems.

6. Clean and Renewable Energy: The city's energy needs are provided for, and extracted, generated and consumed, without significant negative impact to ecosystems or to short- or long-term human health and do not exacerbate climate change. Energy consumed is primarily generated within the local bioregion.

7. Healthy and Accessible Food: Nutritious food is accessible and affordable to all residents and is grown, manufactured and distributed by processes which maintain the healthy function of ecosystems and do not exacerbate climate change. Food consumed is primarily grown within the local bioregion.

8. Healthy Biodiversity: The city sustains the biodiversity of local, bioregional and global ecosystems including species diversity, ecosystem diversity and genetic diversity; it restores natural habitat and biodiversity by its policy and physical actions.

9. Earth's Carrying Capacity: The city keeps its demand on ecosystems within the limits of the Earth's bio-capacity, converting resources restoratively and supporting regional ecological integrity.

10. Ecological Integrity: The city maintains essential linkages within and between ecosystems and provides contiguous habitat areas and ecological corridors throughout the city.

11. Healthy Culture: The city facilitates cultural activities that strengthen eco-literacy, patterns of human knowledge and creative expression, and develop symbolic thought and social learning.

12. Community Capacity Building: The city supports full and equitable community participation in decision making processes and provides legal, physical and organizational support for neighborhoods, community organizations, institutions and agencies.

13. Healthy and Equitable Economy: An economy favoring economic activities that reduce harm and positively benefit the environment and human health and support a high level of local and equitable employment options – the foundation for "green jobs".

14. Lifelong Education: All residents have access to lifelong education including access to information about the city's history of place, culture, ecology, and tradition provided through formal and informal education, vocational training and other social institutions.

15. Well Being – Quality of Life: Strong citizen satisfaction with quality of life indicators including employment; the built, natural and landscaped environment; physical and mental health; education; safety; recreation and leisure time; and social belonging.