Underwater

 

I vow to survive this month because I know that

my reward is to finally get myself some of these

lovely healthy food

March, here you are again. The glorious, high waters of March coming right back at my door.

When March arrives, I always think of Aguas de Marco

The foot, the ground, the flesh and the bone
The beat of the road, a slingshot's stone
A fish, a flash, a silvery glow
A fight, a bet, the flange of a bow
The bed of the well, the end of the line
The dismay in the face, it's a loss, it's a find

~

March is the time of the year when I have to hold my breath, not unlike swimming. It is being under. Deep deep under, but not the sort of contained water, it is being in the swirly, dizzy, ever-morphing layers of water. Yes, water has layers. Observe when we swim, there are different pressures, different water temperatures, different gradations of water, have you ever noticed that?

Somehow, these waters of March are mesmerizing. They entice and they lead you to follow them. But to explore  them thoroughly and to catalog them, that's an impossible task. Water refuses to be analyzed and named and rationalized, they don't even want to be contained, it is rude for them. That's one part of their nature. But why do I keep on trying to do it? Why oh why? I tried to understand myself and I tried to explain to myself, but to no avail.

The funny thing is, when I finally decide to leave the waters alone, after a while and after they realized it, they keep on coming to me. They get back to me like a deluge or, like an angry storm, or sometimes both at the same time. So, my poor self is always drenched. Both sides, above and below, heaven and earth. What a poor, poor soul I have.

I have tried running away. I have tried avoiding them. I have tried floating away, but then they will come around and find me and I have no choice but to engage with them. No use running away, they will find me anyway.

What to do? What to do?

I have to build a system where I can co-exist with them harmoniously. 

Am I making sense?

I am not, and I don't care.

I will just keep on listening to Aguas de Marco.

Full of colors

 

Male and female mandarin ducks

Males are famous for their colorful plumage, 

while the females are just toned down with their more earthy /wood-like colors 

picture credit to mentalfloss

Though they are not rare, it is still something to find and behold a colorful male mandarin duck. It caused some frenzy over the internet when people frequenting Central Park in New York found a mandarin duck gliding along its pond in 2018.

What's fun to note is that it holds a lot of symbols in East Asian cultures. These ducks are famously referenced for their compassion and marital loyalty. They are observed as monogamous species due to frequent displays of courtship with the same partner, moreover they are fierce with intruders, especially the males. Most Japanese, Koreans and Chinese couples have these mandarin ducks as their symbol for fidelity and great love.

How to fall from a tree with dignity

Or, when the lioness is calling the big mighty lion king to climb down and continue their stroll around the jungle. 

Actually, according to animal behaviorists, lions are proficient tree climbers. They scale these tall trees to (1) escape the sweltering heat of the ground or (2) to have a panoramic view and an excellent vantage point of the plains where they can get a look of where the water source may be and to observe the movement of preys.

The leopards actually scale trees more gracefully but that don't stop lions from trying and eventually perfecting their skill of doing it. Many seasoned animal behaviorists believe that lions are not evolutionarily adapted to scale trees but over time these lions have mastered this skill, a good example of learned behavior as opposed to natural instinct.

Of course it is such a rare talent for lions that only two populations of lion around the planet exhibit this kind of skill, mostly they are found in East Africa.

Cycle of Light

Full moon tonight my dear friends.

Don't I love full moons? Yeah, I do.

According to some books I read, moon cycles are like the stages in a females' life, there's the maidenhood (new moon, waxing) then the motherhood (full moon) and  of course the Crone / Sage phase (full moon, waning) and finally, the silent/quiet wisdom of death (waning to new moon again). 

Maidenhood is of course the stage where everything feels possible. The raw and strong energy is on the verge of blossoming. We learn, we fail, we integrate and then we own our skills and talents from these experiences. It is the time of high ideals and lofty dreams. All potentials are welcome. It is like there's no limit at all, but this energy is actually a preparation for something more, something bigger, something that is yet to come. 

Motherhood is not always literally about conceiving and parenting. For some, it can really mean bringing a baby into the world, but to others it may mean nurturing something or creating something for the world. It could be a project, it could be a system, it could be an artistic creation. The energy here is the expression of manifestation of the energy from maidenhood. The continuation of what we internalised and cultivated when we were younger, when the energy was still raw and free like the wind. In this phase of motherhood, we are called to shape it and bring it out in the physical realm because its fullness has been achieved. I read somewhere that when a mother gave birth, she will be nursing and nurturing the young for about 20 years, so full moon/motherhood energy is not really short, it is actually quite a span of time. There is a flavor of mindful commitment in this phase as compared to the maidenhood because it is not solitude anymore. The woman will be taking care of (mothering) another life form 24/7, that's where all the maturity must be practiced aside from patience and feminine strength. Where in maidenhood there was a bit of seclusion from the world, I feel that motherhood is being out there in the world, showing the fullness and completion of feminine energy.

Next, there is the crone / sage phase, possibly the time of wisdom that comes from age and experiences. It is a time when ripeness achieved its full form already that the energy will now turn into a different kind of shape or vibration. There is brilliance that comes with it and a vision that is tempered by deep sensitivity to realities of life after experiencing it in many cycles. Maybe time to go inwards again, fully focusing on a rich inner world created through the tides of life and love. 

Eventually, there is death. The greatest mystery of all. That's the perfect rest and quiet after weathering all there is to face in the world. Death is yet a vehicle for rebirth where the cycle will continue again and again.

~

So, let's honor the full moon as it reminds us that in life, there is always a time for everything. Perhaps we are feeling scared, melancholic, or that sometimes emotions have been there with us for too long, the moon cycle reminds us that things eventually fizzle out, that the hold of these emotions on us actually ends; and like it or not it is not permanent. There is always a beginning and an ending. Like the talents that we choose to cultivate, we can choose which emotions to cut and which ones to intensify. We are in control, we just have to be mindful. And when it is time to let go, then let go and let it be. Trust that life will fill it in. 

La Playa Beach and Kawasan Falls, Badian

Til summer comes again

I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know with a white quilt and perhaps it says, "Go to sleep darlings, till the summer comes again."

Lewis Caroll, Alice in Wonderland

Coron, Palawan pictures

Greens and blues and hues (Hidden Lagoon)

Pristine Malcapuya Beach

Travel buddies, Romina, Joyce, Ryza and Paolo

Snorkeling, lovin' it

Picture perfect moment during hike to Kayangan Lake

Journey essentials (cuatro) Love the earth campaign

I am planting this idea for so long ~ to promote awareness about our environment ~ I am making good progress with the conceptualisation but it is still a vulnerable tiny bud, it needs to wait for a little bit before launching it out in the big world.

But I am excited to share the possible topics of this campaign

(1) Recycling
(2) Permaculture
(3) Living simple
(4) Conservation
(5) Alternative lifestyle

I do hope dear readers that you will read posts regarding this idea of mine and of course apply some ideas in your daily lives. So drumroll,  love the earth campaign coming very soon . . .  I have yet to create a better name for it so it's easier to recall.

night dears, have sweet dreams