OWS sustainability bazaar kimchi demo

I posted the video on my food/nutrition blog. maybe i should just start a feature to combine these two blogs; occupy your body with good nutrition, or something like that.... not today.

Kimchi Demo

Terrain of the Heart

As I drove away from a farm in upstate New York after sunset Christmas Eve night, I drove through a village center lined with plastic jugs. Shops in the town were open, and when I parked, a man walked out of the church and lit a candle in the first jug. Then the next. When I came out of the natural foods store, lights were shining for half a mile. I smiled when I looked at those candles and the colored lights adorning houses and shops. Though we got lost in the giving of stuff, the holiday never really lost its meaning. Light is still what we celebrate in habitual ritual. We celebrate because we're leaving the darkness and coming to the light.

The woman in the natural foods store was excited to hear about political young people coming in, and farming. She said, "that is just what we need!" Her card points me to a website about the dangers of fracking. Apparently there are a lot of people who want to sell to the fracking industry up there, and she's been trying to illuminate her neighbors to the danger. Let's join her.

Let's grow food. Let's grow community. Let's grow the changes, from the ground up.




"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet, and the wind longs to play with your hair." (Khalil Gibran)

The time has come for us to play this game with life. To dare ourselves to dream big and work in service to those dreams. The earth needs us to play with light hearts, and allow her to nourish us back to health. Our society is sick. We are suffering. The planet suffers with us. The videos and photos of sea life from the gulf coast after the oil spill and the dispersants makes my stomach turn and my tears pool. When the oceans rise, will we be glad we didn't have to wear our winter coats? Andrew Faust said the other day (and probably many times before that) that its a totally encouraging circumstance that our climate change crisis is caused by humans. That means the power to change it is also in our hands. We can change. We must.



So, there I was, in my pre-solstice funk, trying to keep myself from falling apart, when from up on the roof there arose such a clatter.

Something like that. The other day I was faced with a choice. Go to this job that I feel totally misaligned with but am afraid to leave because my income stream is so unsteady and small OR go to a meeting of Occupy Farms, which was just starting to reveal itself to me as something totally in alignment with the visions and goals I have been walking towards for years. With tears running down my face, I walked around lower midtown knowing I had just hit on something true. It was only a tiny hint of a good feeling, but it resonated deeply. Needless to say, I did not go to work. I went to the meeting and today I went to the farm. Thank all that is holy, my heart still tells me what to do. Its been quiet for weeks, while I have been struggling to maintain composure without knowing where to sow the seeds of my life.

When it is winter, I have easy patience with the frozen ground which does not bear fruit. May I learn to have that same patience with my heart when it is quiet.

The farm. The farm is a piece of land. A beautiful piece of land. It is not a productive food farm at this time, although apples and berries most certainly grow there. Horses and dogs roam freely, gracing the earth with the nourishment of their footseps and their manure. They were all rescued by the kind, generous, free-spirited elders on whose land we're plotting to cultivate some serious joy.





I'm excited. So many times I have set off for the sunset with conviction, and this time, there are sundowners before and behind me, ready to walk the path together. This is the time we are upon. This is where we belong. If we are willing to invest the time and energy to this work, be sincere and acknowledge the sacred, the sacred will come forth and delight in our attention.

Let us be good stewards of this place.




do you kill by jackie dandelion

listen to andrew faust

OCCUPY THE ECONOMY : Andrew Faust - Permaculture - OWS from TerraVisus on Vimeo.

(personal life) the path of least resistance vs. the path of joy and exaltation

Being stuck upstate wiped the road buzz bliss out of me that had been so nourishing while traveling down the coast, the nice euphoria of meeting like-minded loves every day, and working for good every step of the way- it went away, and the pain and fears of my childhood patterns found their ways back into my psyche. I've been back in NYC for about a week now, and I feel like I'm on very unsteady ground, but gaining a little footing...
The occupy movement is real, and strong, and beautiful. The face of it that I am seeing at the moment, though, is fragmented and elusive. Groups meet constantly, and there are so many of them! As a bodyworker-artist-musician-traveler-farmer, nutritional-healing-enthusiast, environmentalist/sustainability advocate, and as a generally mindful/responsible/caring and individual, I'm finding it hard to choose where to direct my energies.

During my brief time in the park in October, it felt so easy to be freely acting on impulse and finding myself in the right place at the right time to do something worthwhile. It felt easy to find people to click with. I felt magnetized to the things that I was good for, and by chance they happened upon me. So many things I'd like to attend now overlap, and I find my choices being made by means like coin-flipping, or convenience.

Also,

i've been driving myself crazy with worry and doubt since i stopped traveling. maybe its the time of year, or maybe its the time of man, i don't know who i am...  (sorry... ) 

thoughts grow thick around me, and i find myself unsure which way is towards the light.

contemplating:

-throwing myself in fully, letting go

-disbelief in monetary system, but desire for certain things money can buy (living space/home and computer top priorities, plus paying for phone, car/insurance/maintenance, upgrading phone to be a more effective tool, specific food stuff -chocolate-and supplements for physical and mental health, etc...)

-alone/together (i need both. can i have both?)

-safety net (personal/societal)

-trust (process, people, self, ups and downs)

-how to be most effective

- getting my hands on a computer for keeps


seriously. Do i work for the things that made sense to me to work towards before occupy, for myself, or do I work on the things I've been trying to work towards for forever, within occupy? Do i throw away the entire path i felt comfortable with, and trust that a new one will open up? i want to, but so far the path is not clear. my heart does not say jump. nor does it tell me to follow the previous path. i'm in a thicket here, and my next steps are not clear.




I have been trying it both ways while I can, while I have a temporary place to come home to while cat-sitting. I got a job, but so far it don't pay, and it doesn't feel in line with my priorities. I've been to OWS meetings of Wellness/Meditation, Sustainability, Farms, D17 planning, banner/sign-painting, and environmental actions and teach-ins. I taught a quick workshop on making kimchee during the Sustainability group's Holiday Bazaar on sunday, which was great and fun and served me some of those connecting moments i'd been missing, and was inspiring (especially listening to Andrew Faust on permaculture) There were a lot of interesting people teaching and trading lots of beautiful things.

I guess i'm just trying to have patience and find the path of joy. Patience, trust in the universe, and love all the time.
 

no matter the size of the sea, sometimes two ships meet

This lull of information, currently, is not because I've fallen off the movement, that is certain.




After my travels, I got a little stuck in upstate NY at my parents' house. With a clear vision but a dwindling budget, I've been participating as I can, and working towards sustaining myself, as well as making a home for myself. I've known for months that I need to be in NYC now, but its not easy just to jump in. Even after attending the OWS spokescouncil meeting on wednesday, where respresentatives of each working group come together to share information, I didn't know where to go for housing. OWS housing is still a big issue, so anyone who can help to provide a place for people to sleep, you are very much encouraged to do so. http://www.nycga.net/housing-support/

The meeting I attended was not representative of all the meetings of the spokescouncil that came before, as the council was trying something new by eliminating facilitation. It was a highly charged meeting. Both tension and love were dancing through the space. It was overwhelming and beautiful the way people try to serve peace even while bubbling with chaotic tension. The human beings who have devoted so much time and attention and intention and resources of their own to serve this movement are so inspirational. What a task, changing the world is. Seriously. This group convenes with the total intention of making the world a better place, and the commitment is stirring. I loved it, and I am so excited to be back in NY where I can direct my own energies towards these goals in good company.

The collective power is so beautiful. It is really empowering to be amongst like-minded individuals. All these years of traveling and of being alone have served to provide me with this idea of myself as the solitary bearer of an enormous weight. As an artist, as a healer, as a sensitive and curious observer of the world, I have held a lot of knowledge, both of beauty and suffering. Moving through the world as I have, I have kept myself away from groups especially when I couldn't understand what tied them together. Occupy is the best thing to ever have happened to my social life. Knowing that I can enter a space and find other people who see all the things I also see and who still believe that something greater is possible and are willing to work for it... well, there are no words. There are tears.

I've been up near Poughkeepsie, NY, since Thanksgiving. I've attended Occupy Poughkeepsie, especially as eviction was threatened, and I stood with beautiful people in Hulme Park for 5 nights at 11pm through to wee hours, as 11pm was the time when police were expected. The 6th night, the night with the least attendance, and (guilt) first time I didn't go, was the night police came, near 4am, and dismantled camp, throwing things willy-nilly (yes, I, said that) into pickup trucks, despite Occupiers telling them to preserve these things which could be donated rather than dumped. Its another vision of the illness. Consumer-mind which says everything is junk and can be replaced, without thought to where it comes from and where it will go. It makes me sick.

An interview with some of the OPK loves who were there to witness the dismantling of camp. The video shows the park, empty of tents, canopies, and the yurt which made up the camp since mid-october.




Other things I've been witness to lately involve wellness+healing, as well as Climate Change. I've been in small group meetings and also listened in on the conference call via the Tar Sands Action group and I am so glad there are people willing to devote energy to ideas for winning the fight for the planet. Big oil is a serious monster to contend with and the fight is a real war. Beautiful warriors for peace and equality are everywhere, and it makes my heart so full.

 I am excited about moving forward, I am excited by all the potential. This moment is a chaotic one, it is still the beginning, really. We are scattered forces, trying to organize, trying to come together, and really, actually doing it, and trying to do it in a way that hasn't been done before. The organization of the machine which has been in power for so long may appear strong, may even influence us all right now since it HAS been a major source of our knowledge and experience for so long, but it is losing ground to the beauty and truth of the new way, the way of peace and love and honor. I remember reading a horoscope maybe a year ago or so, not an individual horoscope but an overall atmosphere thing, and it talked about balance between aquarius and leo- Leo wanting to be in the spotlight as an individual and Aquarius being the sign of brotherly humanitarian love. I think we are coming to a point of understanding between these things, as a culture and as a movement. We must honor eachother for our uniqueness, and we must use that uniqueness in service to the greater good. And, we are.

Personally, the traveling I've been doing, really for the past 10 years, is coming to a close, and I am working on making myself a place in the world to call home. It is a struggle for me, and a big change, and because its at a head right now, I'm busy trying to birth myself from this coccoon. I hope to be able to write more and be of better service in this way in the coming month. When I am a little more settled, I will be a lot more involved, and able to make time for this in a more disciplined way. For now, I'll continue as I can, and I appreciate your audience. Much love.

Democracy Now!

Occupy Everywhere: Michael Moore, Naomi Klein on Next Steps for the Movement Against Corporate Power

for some reason, embedding the videos from democracy now only works half the time. so, click the link to watch the episode. its great. Towards the very end, Michael Moore gets almost giddy and its ridiculous and wonderful. I'll quote him, but you gotta hear the delivery!




MICHAEL MOORE:

And when you say there’s—right, there’s 400 that have more than 150 million, but they only have 400 votes. And that just has got to—every night when they go to bed, go, "Holy [bleep]! This is like—there’s 150 million of them, and there’s only [ 400 ] of us!" "But we can buy candidates. Yes, we can buy candidates." "I know. But we can’t go in the booth and put our hands on everybody’s lever." "I know. I know. I know. OK, well, we’ll just—we’ll feed them a lot of nonsense on TV, and that’ll get them afraid. And we’ll make their schools like so crappy that they’ll be ignorant, and they won’t know when we’re trying to manipulate them with fear. And that’s—you know, this is how we’ll do it." And—I just love—I just wish I could be in their bedrooms tonight. They’re just—many of them are in Connecticut. And they’re not far away. If anybody’s watching—I would just love to just be in one of their bedrooms tonight, just—they just have got to—they’re just so—got to be so frightened by this—

THE REVOLUTION IS BEAUTIFUL

EFT radio with Lillian Fimbres

tonight at 11 pm i will be on EFT Radio with Lillian Fimbres, of The Genuine Life, to talk about Healing as it relates with the Occupy Movement. Listen Here.

<3 <3 <3
EDIT: here's the show. ideas for being the change; standing up to authority (and your mother), pollution in the mind and the water, compassion, money... Thanks, Lillian, this was fun.

Listen to internet radio with EFT Radio on Blog Talk Radio

Nov 21-23, Trenton and Raven

Today I sang a song that a 7 year old girl wrote. I've already forgotten some of the words, I gotta get better at recording these things...

When I am happy
I go to the woods
In the woods I am happy
The sun shines bright

When the sun shines brightly
My heart feels happy
And when I'm happy
i go to the woods

-Raven Cassandra

Looking into the eyes of babes sure renews my commitment to fighting as hard as I can to change the world and make it right.




Raven's mother suffers from Lupus, and works hard to make a loving home for her two beautiful children. In this economy, things are ridiculously tough. Raven's father is a combat veteran of the Afghanistan war. Because he left the Marine Corps under General Discharge, he is not recognized as a Veteran by the VA, nor is he entitled to the benefits he should have. This very hard-working couple is doing their best to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table, and are facing certain eviction without a definite place to live, mere days after Thanksgiving. On the bright side, both have potential opportunities on the horizon.

This is NOT how it should be. People with this much love, and loving service to others, deserve to enjoy more quality time together. They deserve a permanent home in which to raise their children without the threat of landlords' power trips or cutbacks at work, without the threat of starvation or having nowhere to go.


This is why we Occupy. This is why we must fight for a better world. Everyone deserves a chance at happiness. It's even in that constitution! But how can we be happy if the earth is poisoned? If all the woods are gone? If the water is bad for us? WE ARE 65-90% WATER!!! If we must struggle to cope with all the down sides of trying to live good lives within this faltering system, we've at least got to have some nature for respite.




I spent Monday in Trenton, after driving from Florida straight through the night to Baltimore and doing a quick round of sleeping, working, laughing, and dancing there. Unfortunately, I didn't get to meet with the NYC to DC OWS march, though they were in town the one night I was as well. I really applaud what they've done, what a beautiful sojourn...

In Trenton, though, I was blessed to meet some incredible people. What was going to be a non-violent action to influence the DRBC vote became a celebration rally, as the vote was cancelled, presumably due to public influence (thank you if you used your voice to contact the governors! you did right by the water and the world and the future of the planet depends on these actions!)

from Josh Fox's invitation to the celebration we had two days ago in Trenton,

...I think we have to look forward.  And realize that we can’t go home again until we have built the community that we would like to live in for all of us across the globe fighting extreme energy.  That if the folks in Dimock, PA or in Ft. Worth or in Wyoming or Queensland, Australia are getting fracked. Then we are all getting fracked.  And that we can’t go home until they can too.

And this is true in more than just metaphor.

....

We may win in the Delaware River basin, we may avoid fracking there.  But we may lose the entire eco-system of the river in a short time thereafter due to destruction from climate change.  If fracking reigns supreme from PA to the UK, our goose is cooked.  Which is why, beyond all metaphor, we can’t go home again.  Even if we were to unequivocally ban fracking in the river basin or in New York state or in one or another region.   It has to be stopped all over the planet

I want to write about my experience in Trenton, as it was powerful both personally and more broadly. But Ms. Iris Marie Bloom has already said most of what I was wishing to say, here:

...it could be that the four elements which were key strengths of today’s rally — a marker event and turning point along the way, will not be identified in so many words among the hundreds of news accounts of today’s events. So, allow me to lay it out.
Those four elements are: broadening the circle, deepening understanding, intensifying commitment, and introducing direct action with the potential for civil disobedience into the mix of tactics and strategies.

I wish I could write more, the details are rich, but I have been spreading myself a bit too thin. Much love to you all.


Thanksgiving. <3

Bill Hicks, Its just a Ride

The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are. The ride goes up and down, around and around, it has thrills and chills, and it's very brightly colored, and it's very loud, and it's fun for a while. Many people have been on the ride a long time, and they begin to wonder, "Hey, is this real, or is this jus...t a ride?" And other people have remembered, and they come back to us and say, "Hey, don't worry; don't be afraid, ever, because this is just a ride." And we … kill those people. "Shut him up! I've got a lot invested in this ride, shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry, look at my big bank account, and my family. This has to be real." It's just a ride. But we always kill the good guys who try and tell us that, you ever notice that? And let the demons run amok … But it doesn't matter, because it's just a ride. And we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings of money. Just a simple choice, right now, between fear and love. The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as one. Here's what we can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride. Take all that money we spend on weapons and defenses each year and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would pay for many times over, not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace.

-Bill Hicks

via B. Foges

I am a Patriot

via damien nichols:

From a great friend:

I remember when I was taught what true patriotism was. When I was educated on our three party system of government and how checks and balances were supposed to supposed to work. When I learned what States Rights were, and that we all live in a Republic, in which we are represented by our elected officials. It was our Civic duty as patriots to to ask questions, to stand up, to... demand our representatives represent our best interests.

It seems that the same people who so passionately taught me this are now content to hide in their homes while being spoon fed the very same propaganda we were told was so horrible when used by the USSR during the cold war. Your media is lying to you. This is not about Democrat or Republican, this is not about Liberal or Conservative. This is about a intentionally flawed financial system. About this country being sold out to the highest bidder. About our children intentionally being dumbed down. About the fact that people have become sheep, who can be lead by the nose. "terror freedom, freedom terror". It is all bullshit and you know it.

The media is owned by the same people who own our politicians. That is a problem. All of this information is right in front of you if you choose to see it. Blind faith has worked out so well in the past, look at the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, the Dark Ages, the patriot act... I for one reject ignorance, I reject hate, I reject blind faith. I support what this country was founded on, I support the founding fathers who warned us of everything that is happening today due to a central bank that is less Federal than Federal Express. I support intelligent debate and conversations. I support the right to ask questions and I support freedom.

Will Bergey, Disabled American Veteran, Pissed off US Citizen...

Occupy Baltimore Occupy Wall St. Occupy Together We are the 99%

THANK YOU ALL!!! nycmarch2dc

Distractions and getting back on course

A lot has been shown to me recently. The layers of my personal story have become rich with details, family stories, guilt and sorrows of my lineage as well as gifts and triumphs, glories. In florida, I became somewhat distracted from my own goals by letting myself be of service to other peoples' dreams. and i love that, and I wouldn't change it, but I do need to work on reigning in the time I spend on the microcosms so that I can also be of service in a broader sense.

I don't know if everything I write will make sense to every reader, but I can only speak my truth.


Yesterday on my drive to Baltimore from Florida, many things happened but the biggest was an impromptu ceremony, a rite between myself and the world. I married myself to my deep calling, that of using my divinely granted gifts to do good by the world. I solemnly swore, in the woods behind a rest area, in a very highly charged natural setting, near part of the Purple Heart Trail in Virginia, my commitment to the things I believe in. And I asked the world to support and protect me as I fight for these ideals:

Beauty
Truth
Love
Nature
Humanity
Goodness



While I realize these ideals are broad, the power behind them connects me to divinity. In my sacred rite, I left behind some powerful tokens, symbols of the journey so far. I was initially compelled to leave all of my money and my bank card, to show my absolute disbelief in the money economy.



Instead I left a little bit, as well as a very significant symbol I have been carrying with me since I first visited Occupy Wall Street. The buffalo tooth, given to me during a sacred time (i mention it in this piece) as well as a tiny cross that belonged to my great grandmother, Eleanor Shepley (I can't remember her maiden name, unfortunately. Maybe it was Nyahy? Someone had that name... anyway...) which I have tucked away in very random places since I was a little girl.



 I felt that these two things together connected me to past stories that I am part of. I bound them together with part of a broken bracelet, a bracelet that each girl I was in Montauk with in 2010 had gotten, and this symbol connects me with the stories of my generation and younger. (if you would like to read about the significance of Montauk to me, read the third-to-last paragraph in this very personal essay. )



My commitment to this movement is unwavering. Along this journey, I have come to realize that my visions for the future have been haunting me since I was young, and the momentum of the now is what I have been waiting for, and preparing for, all that time. I understand my role, or parts of it anyway, and I see that all I can do is continue to spend my time, energy, and attention in service to that dream. The dream which has been dreaming me all along.


The two things I feel strongly about bringing forth are Healing and Building. Healing is a significant part OF building. People are sick, from toxins in the environment, and also in food, and in the old information.

Beliefs are part of the poison. Moving from one paradigm to another is going to be challenging for many people who are going to hold tight to those teachings of the old system. I do believe that some of those beliefs are a poison, intoxicating human beings to go against their very natures and to sabotage their own forward motion. So Healing involves the mind, the body, and the environment.

Personally, I feel fit to serve the world with my gifts. In working as a massage therapist since 2006, my bodywork has become an extension of the beliefs I hold. Even my singing voice carries the energy vibrations of my very strong desire to connect others with healing energy. Because of my connection with nature, my intuition allows me to bear witness as other people connect with the source of healing energy within themselves. With strong healing vibrations, we can cleanse and purify ourselves and our world.

We can start anywhere, as our minds and bodies are the first house, our dwellings then, our cars, our closets, our yards, our neighborhoods, city, and on. The planet is our home. We must heal on every level. (I highly recommend the book Clearing your Clutter with Feng Shui, by Karen Kingston.)

 In this way, we can come to see how cleaning our rooms is progress forward. Cleaning our bodies. Every step towards any honorable goal is a step towards building a better world.


 And then there are some big goals. Some lofty, beautiful, big dreams. Those, I can visually see in my mind's eye, but it will take a lot of conversation and planning with people of like minds to bring them about. Suffice to say, we must build new community centers, and that task will be a joyful one. I would outline the new community center I envision, but it would take all night, and I have places to be! Instead I will leave it to your imagination for now!

There is so much happening every day. There is so much you can choose to pay attention to. Make sure the information you are feeding yourself is serving your highest good! I am working on that- it is too easy to get distracted by all the good information!

I'm becoming able to reign in my attention more easily, and allow my commitment to the highest good to lead me. Its easier with a body clean from distracting substances (sugar, gluten, other substances deemed safe and normal, but actually quite detrimental to at least my own sense of clarity...)

Now that I'm back up north, you can expect to hear more from me soon. I'll be in Trenton tomorrow and Monday for non-violence training and the rally that's been in the works for awhile but no longer serves the purpose of changing the DRBC vote, as that was cancelled (presumably due to public outrage! thanks be to you if you participated by calling governors/ etc) I'm sure it will still be a worthwhile meeting of the minds.

I may be on this radio show on Friday, with the energy healer I mentioned receiving work from at OWS in early October. (same post as buffalo tooth link above) If not Friday, then in December.

Not sure if I'll make it downtown until Friday, but I'm excited to return to New York, and start working from there!

Right now I'm in Baltimore and there are new stories to make! Much love

jackie dandelion

the revolution is love

FL wrap up and future plans

 getting a little crazy in florida! family ties and sunny skies. It all distracted me from the very important work I feel I must do. So I'm heading back up north, tonight or tomorrow morning, to engage with the broader community of movers and shakers, where I am meant to be. Its just so easy to be freewheeling, I forget. Not having internet access is TOO hard! If anyone has a laptop they're getting rid of, I could seriously employ it. I am also looking for a permanent residence in NYC, preferably alone, but if not alone, somewhere I can have a lot of freedom to make it the way I want it to be (nutritionally functional kitchen, quiet space, room for friends...) Anyway. its been a few days since I visited any occupations, and there is so much happening in the world around them every single day. its hard to stay connected without the internet- i'm at the library near my great aunt's retirement community right now. My plan is to be in Baltimore when the marchers from NY swing by on their course to DC. That's tomorrow night. Then Baltimore til NJ on the 21st. Beyond that the only other definite is Thanksgiving in NY with my family. SEE YOU IN TRENTON? ! be there. EDIT: 11.19.11 the DRBC vote is cancelled! Too much public interest and pressure for them to make those choices right now. We must be watchful after elections for the resurgence of these issues, but for now, this is significant stuff. We are changing the world. ANYWAY I am still going to Trenton on the 21st as there will be functional group space in which to convene around ideas for building the world we want. Plus it's on the way between Baltimore where I am now, and NY where I must soon be. much love

Well she knew, but she could not say

 found this gypsy-mary statue woman in my great aunt's bathroom. from above, she looks mysterious and sly. tilted slightly, she looks sweet and sincere. what do you see?

Earth! Fire! Wind! Water! Heart! GO PLANET!

Goldie, asleep at the wheel.



Goldie Yvonne Gougelet

ceaseless planetary warrior princess. congratulations on your successful audition! I can't wait to see you on the silver screen <3

We're the planeteers,
You can be one too!
'Cause saving our planet is the thing to do,
Looting and polluting is not the way,
Hear what Captain Planet has to say:

"THE POWER IS YOURS!!" 

ps. did you know Phil Collins wrote the theme song to Captain Planet? 

Occupy Tampa

this is a taurus shaped sculpture, beautifully scaled, standing poised between a reflecting pool and a very very tall building in downtown tampa. i looked for the artist's title, but it was hidden beneath a flower pot. i could JUST make out the artist's name by shining the light from my phone there. sharles o perry. Thank you, Charles O Perry, for this testament to the strength of nature and beauty, plopped right out front of the bank of america building. I surely appreciated taking respite there.

@Occupytampa ampitheater GA

Occupy Tampa is full of courageous and beautiful humans. I feel like I may be back here sooner than I expected. The road leads me now, and every stop brings new truths to light. There is a lot of work to be done, the water quality is poor in florida, and we are going to have to work on that if we want to purify ourselves. The vibes are so high, the warrior princesses are badass, while the masculine energy is ferocious at first, with its softness revealed slowly to the honest pilgrim.

They've got a sweet ampitheater with which to resonate their general assemblies. They've got a police force which makes them evacuate the actual park every night at 10pm, so they sleep on the sidewalk or stay up to guard and enjoy the night. The police force actually arrested people not as people but as "articles or objects left in the park." Let that sink in.

Tampa, you're beautiful. Stay strong.

Charles O Perry in front of BofA in Tampa

Goldie and Dandelion on the Beauty and Truth tour.

Through the woods I'm goin',
Through the bogs and mire,
Straightway down the road,
To my heart's desire

If I was where I would be,
Then I would be where I am not,
Here I am where I must be
Go where I would, I cannot. 

Today in Florida, i was greeted by circling birds of prey, butterflies, belladonna, lizards, young girls named Aurora and Evangeline playing with flowers in a culdesac, warm lemons sweet in the sun, dragonflies, and a giant pine cone from some phantom great pine tree. The journey has been at times beautiful and illuminating and at times, very hard and trying work. Most of my sleep has come in the back seat of the car, while my soul-mirror sweet sunny sister friend Goldie takes the wheel.

Goldie and Dandelion, on tour for beauty and truth.

I have heard stories from residents of towns along the way. How they're coping with the struggle of being alive in the world today. There is so much hardship, so much disease, poverty, and pain. People are trying to make good lives for themselves, but the resources are so scarce. I go into all these roadside markets- these places along the road which should be unique centers of trade, waiting in welcome for sojourners. Instead, we find the same damn thing over and over. A vast display of non-food substances in brightly colored packages, newspapers and magazines with mind-boggling heaadlines designed to distract people from eachother and the natural world, tobacco and caffeinated mutant beverages decorating this bizarre, fake plastic, fluorescent-lit would-be oasis.

At least the humans there are individuals. Dee in Florida told us about http://survivalist.info/ which is an awesome resource for us all right now. Joe in Georgia told us about how ridiculous it is, that in his neighborhood there are all these empty homes, and the garbage pickup service leases garbage cans to each one, yet there are families living two to one house, sharing also the garbage can and not allowed to use the unused. Sounds like a common situation, no? How many homes are empty? How many people need homes? What is going on here?

 Sherl, Ashley, and Ashanti, in South Carolina, I think, (we were a little road-weary and not sure if we'd crossed a border yet) told me where I could go for a salad bar, informed me of all the grocery options (IGA, Publix, Walmart) and treated me so kind. Ashley, probably in her late teens or early twenties, had bright eyes, and a beautiful smile. Ashanti, probably about four years old, gave me the sweetest hug. Sherl was kind to take her time explaining to Goldie and I where we might find some real food. We decided not to stop, though, as our journey was a winding one.

It was Wednesday when I left Baltimore. The night before, I rode a borrowed bike down to McKeldin Park, where Occupy Baltimore makes its home. I got to participate in the discussion between small groups about how to spend the time of GA's. I think this is probably a common thing amongst growing occupations. How long should we spend talking about camp-specific issues (like quiet time, tent-sharing rules, how to deal with people who disturb the peace there, etc) and how much time to devote to political action and ideas. The night I was there, we discussed a few ideas that seemed promising, including having a weekly schedule of changing focus topics, and designating one weekend day and one week day for large-scale meetings in hopes of gathering greater attendance from the general public who cannot devote as much time to being in the square.

I just learned that police refused to allow local band, Celebration, to perform at the Occupy space. Ridiculous. I don't know what the specific issues are, here is a facebook thread about it: http://www.facebook.com/#!/permalink.php?story_fbid=163063733789607&id=144588345637146

Here is an electric tarot card:


I arrived around 9pm to gather Goldie and her things for the drive south. She was heading to Florida, where she was raised, to audition for a film on Saturday, which is today, and I am currently sitting in her family's home, typing this to you while she is finishing up the audition. We met on Sunday, the 6th, after the Tar Sands action to stop the Keystone XL Pipeline, which you may have heard about... The action reached the objective and Obama has halted the project, "indefinitely" and I hope that's the truth, but we will continue to protect the planet from such atrocities, no matter when they're threatened again.

The next thing to really stand up for, that I know about as a resident of the East Coast, is November 21 in Trenton, NJ. Its very important. You should probably go, and/or, call/write to the governors of NY and Delaware, and Obama's rep and tell them off about fracking. http://savethedelawareriver.com

This is no joke. Our natural resources are under attack, and WE MUST vocalize our non-consent. The rivers don't speak a language the politicians hear, but you do. You have power. Use it!


The night in DC before we set off south was pretty instense. I won't bother with the myriad details, I'll save them in case anyone ever wants to write a screenplay about this wild wild ride. Suffice to say, we didn't leave DC limits until nearly 6am. We'd hoped to stop at the Richmond Occupy, but our directions were faulty from our exhaustion, and we didn't realize until we'd already passed by. The brave Occupiers there, though, had decided to ReOccupy Richmond that very night, after their first camp was bulldozed by the Commonwealth. From what Ben in Baltimore told me, the laws are different in Virginia because it is a commonwealth rather than a state, and the government functions differently there. Huh! Wierd! Whodathunkit? Anyway, I guess the authorities have been pretty harsh. I would have loved to come and meet the courageous ReOccupiers, and I hope to in the near future.

Goldie and I brought a box of the Occupied Washington Times, distributed by the encampment on K street in DC. We left them at rest stops and gas stations, in waiting areas, in newspaper boxes, diaper-changing tables in womens' restrooms, and in lots of peoples' hands. If I'd prepared more for this, I'd have printed some pamphelets myself with some more direction for online resources. People are hungry for information. A lot of people haven't yet heard about what we're doing. They will, though, and I hope when they do that they're getting an accurate idea of what we're all about.

Relying on a lot of kind strangers, we got the engine checked (theres a lot of corrosion in mine which leads to a very noisy ride) we got to sleep in a safety-patrolled parking lot rather than a seedy motel, and found places to purchase food and natural remedies. We meandered beneath tall pines at rest areas, and examined the varieties in small islands of plant life between asphalt and concrete corridors. We collected roses and marigolds and geraniums, pinecones and spanish moss, little living mementos of our journey.

To fuel our bodies, we've been consuming mostly nuts, fruits, bee pollen and propolis in raw honey, and coconut butter, along with some supplements and a lot of water. So far, so good. It feels like we've struck a natural rhythm together.



Goldie and I are an interesting match. Dandelion and Goldie, Golden girls, soul-mirror sisters. The coincidences are uncanny, but I won't draw them out too far right now. We're both 28-yr-old aquarians with long blonde hair and an unrelenting feeling of responsibility to the planet. We are true mirrors to eachother, and are constantly learning from our shared experiences, able to collect new information about how to integrate aspects of the other into our own personalities. She is much more organized and practical, so well-informed and formulaic about implementing action. I am so very intuitive and abstract, motivated by my sense of beauty and adventure. Our bottom lines are the same, though, and we both mean business about this task ahead of building a new world.

As a movement, we really are shaping the world to come. The existing power structure is failing before our eyes, and I believe our movement is here to provide a true safety net for when the inevitable collapse leaves people stranded in unfamiliar territory, with no money and none of the supposed security of the previous paradigm. What we are now building is a different type of infrastructure, powered by people and the natural world, a true world community. We are connected via this information age already. Now, we will connect also in person and on the ground. There is so much power for change accessible to us all right now.

Now is the time to clean up your life. We are working on healing here. We must all heal from the inside out and the outside in. Cleaning up our minds, bodies, homes, yards, neighborhoods, towns, counties, states, regions, countries, and earth are all part of the same task. This is the true occupation. It is time to heal. We can do it together.


On the road I get so hungry for information! It is like water, and I find myself so glad when I get to spend some time on the internet. My updates may be sparse as I travel, but I will try to give my best when I can. There is so much more to this story! There will continue to be more! Shout out to the sweet hearts of OccupyJax (Jacksonville FL) who welcomed us into their standing occupation the other night. No camping! The occupiers take shifts! Everyone is so awesome. Everything is going to be alright.

Hopefully, we're heading towards New Orleans very soon, though the road seems to direct our course somewhat. We both have work we know we have to do now, and its a beautiful thing. Maybe I'll see you in Trenton on the 21st to save the Delaware River from poisoning, or on the 22nd in DC to welcome the sojourners walking from NYC through Philly and Baltimore to our nations capital. I hope we have a huge party on the whitehouse lawn. It is our own yard, after all. Or maybe I'll see you in your own hometown!

Much love to all! Be good!

Jobs and China; Naomi Klein at #noxl

The speakers were fantastic. The vibe was so high. The outcome, successful. And for me, propelled me forward on this journey and introduced me to great allies. These actions are fun. So much fun. Listen to Naomi, she knows what she's talking about.

golden girls

en route. productive journeying so far! Its lovely in the south. check tweets from me @jackiedandelion and my new twin sister @callmegoldie


its been a wild ride so far, and its only just begun!

people have the power.

Heading South Today

Today, I will be driving straight south to Florida. From there, I will be working my way back north through different cities and visiting Occupy camps. Hopefully, I'll get to document what I see. I feel a sense of duty to keep learning from people about their communities, about their stories, so that I can help spread information. It is not easy without the necessary technology. I don't even have a smart phone, haha! I will continue to spread information as best I can.

http://twitter.com/#!/jackiedandelion
http://www.youtube.com/user/bigskydandelion

facebook me too same.

MUCH LOVE

THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE; specific reasons for the revolution

The most important thing that happened for me this past week is that I decided I need to travel to more cities.

 The most affecting thing I witnessed was... well, I don't even know how to put it into words. Hopefully I will find some video documentation of what went on.

Thousands, if not millions, of people who make their homes on the gulf coast have become ill after the disgusting "clean-up" of the BP oil spill. It is SO disturbing how systematically atrocious it all is, I am tearing up a little as I write this to you. Through greedy eyes, people are nothing but a source of power to steal from.

It was my privilege to meet and interact with courageous people from the gulf coast who are fighting for justice in their communities.

Listen to Kindra Arnesan.




search terms:
bp plague
operation people for peace
boycott bp
kindra arnesan
cherri foytlin
art rocker
dick gregory
e. faye williams
bp oil genocide
protest ken feinberg
gulf plague

occupy now. links.

Just want to say, if you aren't regularly checking OccupyWallSt.org and Occupytogether.org, well, you're missing out on some seriously good stuff.

and some other solid resources;

democracynow.org
wearechange.org
motherjones.com
organizingforpower.wordpress.com

Great Teaching Video for Occupiers

This video is quite long, but if you are involved in occupying, its full of valuable information, many ideas for  going forward. Raw footage of an interview with Lisa Fithian, who has a vast bank of experience with political activism. There are some beautiful pieces of advice here. Easy to play this and listen while you multi-task! <3 She says so much that I have been saying and thinking, and other stuff I hadn't thought of that I agree with. Listen up. Even if you're not that involved in Occupying, or not at all, whether you want to be or not, this is a great discussion to hear about moving forward as a community, as citizens of earth. Highly recommended. Spend some time, get some value. <3

On the Ground; life update, Bmore, DC

My heavy updating isn't sustainable right now. I have SO much to share! The past week visiting Occupy Baltimore, the Tar Sands Action in DC, and the two Occupy encampments in DC has been incredible. So many people are out there fighting the good fight! We circled the White House four-people deep, to let Obama know we are serious about protecting the earth. We are!

When I have a little more time, I will share some stories and information. I don't have a computer (or a smart phone) or even a reliable camera of my own, so I'm not able to update as much as I would love to. Right now, I am still in Baltimore, doing some extra work so that I can fund a trip down the East Coast and tour some more Occupied parks. I will update as often as I am able. Beauty and Truth Tour!

The people on the ground are inspiring. I'm so blessed to be free to move around right now and experience connections with so many positive, motivated, revolutionary people.

The Revolution Is Beautiful. YOU ARE INVITED, and I expect to see you

I want to live in a world where culture is a participatory activity.
A world where good information spreads and dialogues constantly occur.
I want to live in a world of curious and insightful human beings who are hungry for the truth, hungry for beauty, and feasting all the time.
The world I imagine is one where we break out of our alienation and isolation, break through the prison of loneliness, and see the reflection of ourselves in each other.
A world where everyone has Good Food to eat, and good knowledge so they know what good food is.
Where everyone has access to education which challenges and incites them to honor their own curiosity.
A world with public forums, so that we may define the environment around us, have input on the structures we'd like to see in our towns, have some say in where our resources come from and how they're put to use.
I want to see more community! We can have places that serve as educational centers, therapeutic centers, places to feast on good food, spaces in which to play games... The world needs to play. These centers do not have to be based on traditional models. We CAN build a new world. We are resourceful, visionary, motivated.
I want to live in a world where people are encouraged to tap into their creativity, rather than to be quiet and listen to authority.
I am tired of this place where we have been told since day one, someone else knows best.
We know what's good for us. Deep down, we know the truth. I want to live in a world where people WAKE UP and listen to that deeper knowing. And ACT.

The world we live in now is breaking down. If we do not act, collapse is inevitable. The resources are being depleted and every day the outcome of staying the course looks bleaker and bleaker. We MUST take responsibility, and move forward into a a better world. It is our duty to be wildly progressive, or our silence and inaction becomes consent to the powers that be to shape our world for us.

Now is the time for generating ideas TOGETHER and implementing these feats of brilliance I know people are having, to reach a wide audience and DEMONSTRATE the beauty AND THE REALITY of creating our world together. Now is the time to bring your beautiful mind to your community and let it play. A mass of visionary, creative, honest, hard-working people coming together must lead the world to a more honest place. YOUR VOICE IS NECESSARY. Our voices, our ideas, together, will shape the world to come. PARTICIPATE! Not just in the bubble you have made for yourself off the beaten path. The revolution began at home! Now, the revolution is in the streets! Come out and DANCE WITH IT!

Occupy Baltimore, Troy Alexander; the duty of artists and intellectuals

I went to Occupy Baltimore during the day, and was disappointed to find very few people occupying, and of those few, many homeless folks. Baltimore is a very poverty-stricken city, so I wasn't surprised by their presence, but by the scarcity of intellectuals and common people. Its a very different scene from Wall Street, where college professors, anarchists, musicians, labor union workers and common people of all ages are mingling at all hours. I have yet to be there for the GA which happens nightly, so I hope to attend later and see how the space changes when the community fills it. I did meet some smart and kind people down there, including Troy Alexander, who has this important message:

Remember, the state is the people. That means the state is an institution for the people. No one single person is above the state. When the state becomes a means to enslave and work against the common interest, against the common person, action must be taken. It is the duty of the artists and the intellectuals of this state to express and put into words and action the protest of the common person. If we fail to do this then we, as an entity of the state, keep the power in the hands of the few. We must live up to the obligations and expectations of what god created us for; to be the voice of the people. It is not our right, but our duty, to serve people against the corrupt institutions of wealth and extremism. We are the shepard; the corrupt are the wolves. 

-Troy Alexander

support the movement from wherever you are

great article, Simple Ways To Support the Movement Without Sleeping In a park.


starting with:

1. Understand the Movement
Chances are, you’ll find yourself in a conversation about Occupy-something sometime soon.  One of the most important things you can do, short of sleeping in a park, is be able to intelligently defend and support the movement in conversation.
To begin, make some time to do a bit of preliminary reading.  Here are some articles and videos I recommend in the short term to get yourself hip to the overal messages.  Bookmark it, if you like.  I’ll be adding to the list over time.
Don’t parrot the mainstream media’s take on Occupy Wall Street.  They mostly get it wrong.

 Highly recommended reading. <3

Naomi Klein; this is a joyful space

This is a beautiful video.

"It is life-changing. You will never believe again that there is no alternative."

Angela Davis at Washington Square Park October 30

Angela Davis gives a great speech on what this is really all about.


"We say YES to Hope, We say YES to the Future!"

Winter Halloween Occupy Wall Street

here is a link to a list of urgently needed supplies and the address to send them to.

well, and i'll post it all here, too.


Urgent Needs:
•insulated gloves, wool hats, scarves
•long underwear / smart wool thermal socks
•300 hand warmers, 300 foot warmers
•waterproof boots in all sizes
•disposable shoe covers
•winter coats
•hot beverages
•thermal heaters
•all weather sub-thermal sleeping bags
•tarps
•insulating tents; foam padding for inside of tents
•wooden pallets to get tents off the ground
•cots to get people off the ground
•Emergency Blankets
•Dry Socks, Gloves, and Hats
•Payless gift certificates for Shoes
•Towels
•Plastic Bins
•3 post tents
Shipping address:
118a Fulton St
PO Box 205
NY NY 10038

Dropping off in person: Daily until 9pm at the United Federation of Teachers building, ground floor, 52 Broadway Ave.
After 9pm at the OWS Comfort Station on the east side of Liberty Square (aka Zuccotti Park)
The support we receive in the form of donations plays a crucial role in helping the #OWS movement succeed. Below is a list of places to send money and/or supplies that we believe are legitimate.
Occupy Wall Street
•NYCGA General Fund & Material Donations (~$300,000 raised)
•OccupyWallSt.org Fund (~$5,000 raised, not accepting currently)
•OWSJ Print Newspaper Fund (~$75,000 raised, exceeded budget proposal)
•LiveStreaming Team (unknown amount raised)

change the way the whole world works. patience @occupy detroit

its a little hard to hear because of wind, but this is a sweet, short video from a protester named Patience at Occupy Detroit.

it's so simple!

i hope someday you will join us.

Conquer Your Fear; You Can Do Anything

"life is short, live it up."
my newest hero, Luke Rudkowski

We Are Change; "GET INVOLVED"

Great video on why the deomcratic process and why you need to participate!

"the constitution is a beautiful document"

another veteran for the people

Saturday, October 8, 2011 -- Occupy the Fed, Los Angeles: Dani Rascon, co-director of Oath Keepers of LA, interviews Paul, an 8 years veteran of the Army Reserves. Paul says, “If the Constitution was enforced effectively and properly, we wouldn’t be here today. The Constitution is a beautiful document.” He also addresses that the 16th Amendment was never properly ratified.

Paul is an Army veteran, having served 8 years in the Army Reserve, currently works as a school teacher in LA County, describes himself as an independent, not trusting either of the two major parties.

via Oath Keepers

Sgt. Shamar Thomas, Iraq Veteran FOR AMERICAN FREEDOM

"that Patriotic blood runs through my veins."







great interview with Iraq War Veteran, Sgt Shamar Thomas. Thank you to another hero.

and the reason he was interviewed, "1 marine vs 30 cops"

the revolution is beautiful; images

a lot of these are from occupy LA. found via flickr searching. just thought it was about time for more images.
enjoy

Occupy Wall Street RADIO!!!

"OCCUPY WALL STREET" to Occupy WBAI

Its birth was Wall Street, here in New York, but it has now crossed continents to Europe and Asia and is alive in 73 cities all across the United States. What will you hear? NYPD activity, arrests and releases, celebrities and personalities, the latest corporate greed target, newest additions and organizations to the movement, the “Occupy Everywhere” segment, a series of reports from national and global occupations. The radical voice of the silenced majority will be heard loud and clear, every day – welcome to OCCUPY WALL STREET RADIO on WBAI 99.5FM.

listen (this link may not work for long, but if it doesnt, just search the main wbai archive for Occupy Wall Street)

NOVEMBER 6, Spectra Pipeline/Tar Sands Action at the White House

I will be less able to update between tomorrow and November 8th, as I will be traveling, sans computer, to Baltimore and Washington, DC.

Listen to Mark Ruffalo. Then join him, me, and thousands of others in DC on November 6

http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/2133/p/salsa/web/common/public/signup?signup_page_KEY=6006


watch this, as well, you can stop after 2/3 through as the end is a call to action for something that already happened. but come, on november 6!

Tar Sands Action/ Josh Fox from JFOX on Vimeo.

horizontal society, archetypes of compassion, and non-violent protest. Brian Willson, veteran and activist, on Democracy Now!

AMY GOODMAN: Did other people agree with you?

S. BRIAN WILLSON: No. At the time, nobody did. My superiors laughed at me. I said the rules of engagement require us not to target—prohibit us from targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure. And they laughed. And of course I realized there is no such thing as a real law of war. It’s rhetorical. It’s written down. But once you’re in a war zone, there is virtually no rules or laws. And I just—that was a great—I mean, it was illuminating to me. I mean, I probably had to go through that experience to really get it, to really get that my conditioning had really dehumanized me, and I now needed to embark on a process that I call being a recovering white male, which is a lifetime process of learning about my empathy and my deep interest in mutual respect and cooperation, and not to shoot people and to harm people, even if I don’t agree with them. It’s called nonviolence.

This interview is awesome. This guy is a really smart, courageous, heroic individual. After serving in the vietnam war, he started to question the powers that be. In a nonviolent protest against US involvement in military action against Nicaragua, he lost both his legs as a result of being run over by a Munitions Train. The interview is mostly about his life, but he talks about OWS more towards the end, and the archetypes of compassion. I'm into it.

the revolution is beautiful; personal account

Ever since I spent the rest of the week at Occupy Wall Street, after the October 5 Labor March, I have been telling people that the revolution is beautiful. It is. I have met a lot of people out in the world who don't know that this revolution belongs to them, too. Those frightening images of police brutality scare some people away. Those other images of angry young rebels yelling their demands also scare some people away. These things exist. In my experience, they are the slim exception, not the rule. The rule is love. The rule is acceptance, realistic optimism, and solidarity. The movement is a demonstration, not exactly a protest. To me, it looks like a gathering of people who have been fighting institutionalized abuse, refusing to buy in to the concept of consumerism as salvation, and doing their best to live outside the dominant paradigm now coming together to show the rest of America and the world, "Look. There is a better way. We CAN take care of everyone. We CAN have real community. The good life is possible. We've been doing our best to live it and you can, too. Our government should support us."

On the day of Naomi Klein's speech, I arrived two hours prior, planning to survey the scene before listening to one of my biggest heroes speak. Before I knew it, the echoing of the peoples' mic at the other end of the park jolted me from whatever conversation I was having at the time, to go and listen. Time at Occupy Wall Street moves in the way self-improvement books will tell you time moves when you've found your passion. It moves fluidly. I found myself going effortlessly from one engaging moment to the next.

There were three or more waves of the peoples' mic (people repeating the speaker's words, in waves so it spreads to the outside) awhen I walked up. I found a dead zone, where only every other word or so was audible. Everyone around me was straining to listen, so I felt compelled to find a spot where I could hear and project into that place where the words were being lost. Naomi Klein's words were so moving, so sweet. It was funny to watch her catch herself each time she forgot to wait for the waves of human voices to reach the outer circles. It was amazing, thrilling, beautiful to feel and internalize the truth in her words while repeating them in my own voice with hundreds of other voices. Her last words: "Treat this movement as if it's the most important thing in the world, because it is."

A General Assembly began soon after, and again I felt compelled to lend my voice where it felt necessary. It was my first assembly, and I was introduced to the hand symbols which everyone is free to use to participate in the dialogue.




The GA was just so cool. I don't know if I had ever seen true democracy in action before. People cling to the notion of the Great American Democracy, but I remember learning in 4th grade or so, this is a Republic. In a true democracy, every person's voice counts equally. There are not representatives whose voices take the place of their constituents. While it definitely makes the process of decision-making slow and meandering, it also educates the people as they participate and does take into account certain perspectives which would certainly be neglected or underrepresented if the conversation was limited to some elite circle. The assembly I took part in went very slowly when the subject of money was included. The specific issue was that the Comittee for Arts and Culture was asking permission to pay money for security at a gallery event. The gallery space at 23 Wall Street was offered up, but in order to maintain safety codes for the turnout expected, security guards would be necessary. Most of the crowd was easily in favor, as the money being asked was a negligible amount compared to the total budget. After much ado, the motion was passed. Before that could happen, many concerns were aired, but many digressions began as well. Attendees were not all paying attention to the code of conduct and tried to exploit the free platform of being able to get one's voice heard to talk about themselves or other off-topic concerns. No one was shamed, but these people were made aware by the crowd that this was not the time or place. So, in the process, those participants learned how to effectively participate by staying on topic and lending attention to the ideas at hand. The motion passed and the Occupy Wall Street art show, No Comment was beautiful. (some photos)I went with my parents, who came down on the day it opened. It was a 24-hour exhibit. My original intent to go was that there would be bathrooms! Using McDonald's and Pret a Manger gets old after awhile, and I sometimes feel a kind of debt if I use their resources and don't make a purchase. My parents and I walked towards Wall Street, and almost overlooked it, due to massive barricades and police presence. The gallery was right next to the stock exchange. We had to walk a full block extra to wind our way around the labyrinthine barricades.

I really enjoyed this image, appropriated from Alphonse Mucha by Libor Von Shonau




My visit to NYC was not solely for the movement, I was also meeting up with close friends who were visiting from Chicago, and I was visiting colleges to decide where I'm going. I didn't realize that once I became acquainted with Occupy Wall Street, I would have a hard time wanting to extricate myself. That first night, after the GA it was just past 10pm. An impromptu quiet jam session was happening and I couldnt help but sing and make joyful noise with others, especially when someone started playing Get Up, Stand Up. Who can resist?

 Most people think,
Great God will come from the skies,
Take away everything
And make everybody feel high.
But if you know what life is worth,
You will look for yours on earth:
And now you see the light,
You stand up for your rights.

A lot of people were already laid out in sleeping bags by the time the quiet music died out. Spontaneous conversation bubbled between me and the Irish girl who was sitting by me during the music. We talked about the adventures of our lives, the darkness and the brilliance, and how comfortable we both felt in this place. These connections came so easily in this occupied space. People were so PRESENT, so available, so willing to operate on a deeply honest, soul-baring level. It was refreshing.

I hadn't planned to sleep in the park, but after awhile I realized I couldn't kid myself anymore, I couldn't drag myself away. A sweet young traveler had just arrived to the movement and I was his first contact. We talked about the places we've seen and I told him what I knew about this place. He shared his blanket with me in a very kind gesture. We talked about our values and our perspectives about the world. He was young and angry at the world, which I found endearing, but could not let my truth remain unspoken. I countered his argument that "to love, one must also hate," as I do not believe that love and hate are opposites! Love and loneliness are opposites, in my opinion, and I reiterated that I do not hate the oppressors. I don't. I pity them.

Besides the conversation, I was too distracted to sleep. The place we were in was right at the foot of the steps as one enters the park. I was cold, I was not feeling completely safe, and I had a lot to think about. Knowing that police were keeping watch over the park overnight was actually a comfort. I had waited too long to ask for blankets, and there were none left when I inquired. Next time, I will most definitely bring my own gear. We slept on cardboard appropriated from the sign-making station, and a layer of clothing, with the blanket on top. The wind blew right through, and I regretted not taking a crinkly, metallic, heat-conducting, space blanket. (side note: any industrious seamstresses/ tailors/ garment contructors out there, see what you can come up with for heat-conductor clothing?! space blankets could be a good material to keep people warm AND shiny all winter!)




After an apple and some tangerines for breakfast, brushing my teeth and peeing at McDonald's, I was pretty exhausted. News of a massive clean-up prevented me from seeking deep rest, so I sat by the Tree of Life and meditated for awhile. The Tree of Life is a tree at one corner of the park with a ring of marble benches around it, that occupiers have designated as a sacred space. There is a beautiful altar of offerings like chocolate, money, jewelry, flowers, words like "the heart wants what the heart wants" and multi-faith religious objects. At this space is also where one can find news and ways to participate in the Consciousness Committee. My involvement with the consciousness committee happened as spontaneously as so many other beautiful, magical things did during my attendance at ground zero of this revolution (which is RIGHT next to 9/11 Ground Zero, btw.)

Early in the day, I attended a theater games workshop with a dear new friend. I can't recall if it was under the title Theater of the Opressed, or Liberation Theater, something to an effect like that, led by a dynamic woman named Jenn. We played roles such as Opressor/Opressed and explored aspects of that relationship through games. We spontaneously created human sculptures expressing themes such as War, A Better Life, and Racism. A fun game we played was exploring a previously unknown partner's hands with eyes closed in silent physical dialogue, and then linking up with them again, blindly, amidst a mass of everyones' hands. Playing these games really dared me to challenge my own perspectives and see very simply, with no pretensions, where other people were coming from.

Walking back from Battery Park from this workshop which was held in the green space there, my friend and I, having our own sacred moment, were passed by the Consciousness Committee, about to hold a meeting about Sacred Space and planning. They went to the same green space we had just occupied to hold the meeting and I caught up with them at the tail end after taking care of some more mundane details I needed to see to. The part I got to tune in for was incredible. After finishing the meeting with assignments for sub-committees, like signs, writing, internet communications, etc, the 22 attendees formed a big circle, which we turned inside out while still linked by the hands. As one big circle of linked human beings, we sincerely shouted out into the public of Battery Park, "WE LOVE YOU!" and proceeded to form a nebula of bodies in group-hug formation, reaching out through our intentions and our voices, making tonal sounds to radiate metta loving kindness. I cannot express the feeling of being in the middle of this group. What a feeling!

One of the participants here was drawn to the group serendipitously, from his meanderings in Battery Park. He was a very kind-looking young man wearing white, and he said he knew he had just found his people. For years, he had carried with him these buffalo teeth, given to him by the granddaughter of a Native American Tribal Chief, Lakota if I remember correctly, but I'm not positive. In dispersing them amongst us, he told me there was exactly the right number for everyone present to get one. Besides being a symbolic object of connection between us all, this object has come to symbolize, for me, also my connection to a timeless movement where people have stood for Love and Compassion. The reighteous path in which one lives an honest life in accordance to natural law, HARMING NONE and honoring one's deepest truths.




That is what this movement is. Occupy Wall Street is an organism. The growing movements around the country and the world are proof of the way it can work when people come together for the common good. When you speak the truth, it comes out effortlessly, and people LOVE to listen to it!!! Since that first day, I have been interviewed multiple times by all kinds of media, including salon.com where I was interviewed alongside a very intelligent professor and architect, John Lowe. (I haven't been able to find any article where either of us is quoted, though.) Its amazing how communication flows so easily when the truth is behind it. A lot of people seem to want short answers to their questions, and I came to my short answer to the question, "why are you here?"

I am here to support a radical, progressive shift in the operating paradigm. I am here because the system into which I was born is NOT the world I want to live in, and I know there is a better way.

You can quote me on that if you like.


Besides food, blankets, friendships, vitamins, information,  healing energy work, and so much more, I was also given an opportunity to express myself creatively and passionately in support of a truth I fully, whole-heartedly believe in. What empowerment! This is a moment in time that I have been gearing up for for my entire life. What beautiful soul-rebels adorn this square in downtown Manhattan, and I am positive are also occupying all the other sites around the country and the world. I want to yell it from the rooftops, I want to sing it everywhere I go, The Revolution is Beautiful and it belongs to YOU!