#march week 2

[thepatchworkcrow]

My Method for Grounding & Centering

Jumping back into the @2019grimoirecchallenge posts! This in answer to both Monday AND Tuesday’s prompt since I usually ground AND center my energy before and after ritual. This particular exercise isn’t particularly new: I think it’s been posted pretty much everywhere as like “The Tree Meditation” or “The World Tree Visualization” and such, but here goes my version of it!

First, you’re going to want to sit, or stand in a comfortable position. I typically plant my feet shoulder-width apart, and if I can help it, like to stand barefoot on the floor or grass.

The first step will be the grounding part of the exercise. How I usually do this, is I start first by relaxing myself by focusing on my breathing. 

Once I’ve gotten in that headspace, I will visualize all the stress, anxiety, and generally disruptive energy flowing down through my body to my feet and down into the ground. Literally, sending that energy into the ground to be neutralized and released.

Next, while I’m still sort of focused on my feet and the earth beneath them, I’ll visualize that my feet have grown roots that push through the soil. I’ll then focus on pulling cool, calming, steadying energy up from the earth, just like a plant would draw up water or nutrients from the soil. I imagine this energy filling me, and making me feel steady, strong, and secure.

Next, I’ll bring my arms up to stretch over my head, and I’ll visualize them growing up further and further into leafy branches.

Like I visualized drawing in energy from the earth, I also visualize drawing in energy from the sun/moon/sky. First through the leaves, then down my branch-like arms and all through out my being. This energy is light, inspiration, clarity, purpose...

Where the two energies meet in the center of my being I focus a moment to allow them to merge and find balance. I feel myself sustained by both the earth below and the warm light of the sun above. I am calm, and focused, and inspired to begin work on my ritual.

I then take a deep breath, visualizing myself returning from tree back into my human shape, and open my eyes to continue my work.

I do this before ritual to put myself into the proper mindset to do the work before me. It helps to release the energy of my day to day that can be disruptive to my intentions.

I also do this after ritual, so that I can release the residual energy raised during the ritual, and re-center myself before returning to the more mundane parts of my life.

[kyeleereads]

Towards a New Architecture - Le Corbusier

BACKGROUND OF AUTHOR:

Le Corbusier is truly one of the pioneers of Modern Architecture. The biggest fan of the automobile to developing one glass x concrete tower for 3 million. There have been many many (too many) investigations, analysis and biographies of Corbu, so I don’t think I am nearly near well read enough to do so. 

Rather, I will insert a few documentaries I have watched as a summary. 

This adorable documentary was found in a yard sale, so we do not know much about the origins. 

Le Corbusier Documentary Part 1 - Unite d’Habitation

Topics talked about:

Ville Radiuse - How fragments are built, but a whole scheme of machine serves the man was never built. 

Unite D’Habitation in Marseille

Time frame of the text 

Le Corbusier is a traveler. He moves quickly and constantly sketching architecture and urban planning from various countries, many of which inspired his seven articles for his avant-garde magazine, L ‘Esprit Nouveau. He eventually compiled them this very book. 

Just finishing up writing this book, Le Corbusier did not build (1918-1922) and concentrated on his Purist Theory which he started with Amedee Ozenfant (eventually, he built a house for!). Together, they wrote several books ( Après le cubisme 1917,  La Peinture moderne 1925 ) , started a journal (L’Esprit nouveau ) and eventually constructed his studio / home

So what is this Purist theory? Together, they constructed a manifesto:

Purism does not intend to be a scientific art, which it is in no sense.

Cubism has become a decorative art of romantic ornamentism.

There is a hierarchy in the arts: decorative art is at the base, the human figure at the summit.

Painting is as good as the intrinsic qualities of its plastic elements, not their representative or narrative possibilities.

Purism wants to conceive clearly, execute loyally, exactly without deceits; it abandons troubled conceptions, summary or bristling executions. A serious art must banish all techniques not faithful to the real value of the conception.

Art consists in the conception before anything else.

Technique is only a tool, humbly at the service of the conception.

Purism fears the bizarre and the original. It seeks the pure element in order to reconstruct organized paintings that seem to be facts from nature herself.

The method must be sure enough not to hinder the conception.

Purism does not believe that returning to nature signifies the copying of nature.

It admits all deformation is justified by the search for the invariant.

All liberties are accepted in art except those that are unclear.

The Engineer’s Aesthetic and Architecture

Much like his purist theories - “lack of truth is intolerable”. This indicates how seeing pure elements, pure processes using the tool is vital. This is linked to “morale” is adjusting our ways to develop through most efficient, most truthful manner. 

The Tool (pp13) He compares architecture to the tool. Much like a tool which “are the result of successive improvement” Architecture should do the same. 

“Cult of the House”(pp14) This refers to how we live the same way as for centuries- we need to develop a new moral and truthful way of living. 

RISE OF THE ENGINEER

“Engineer fabricate the tools of their time” (pp14)

The engineer is the innovators of their time, they are “happy and virile, active and useful”. 

Corbusier proceeds to describe our architects as “disillusioned”.

Engineers > Architects

“Our engineers produce architecture,.. mathematical calculation...feeling of harmony” (pp15)

Relates to the “morale” - description of true mathematics is used when engineers design. Architecture should find a “certain path” to intervene the mathematical problem.

“It is the engineer who knows...the best way to construct, to heat, to ventilate” The purpose of a home is to generate the best space using the best tools - beit tools of the mind or tools of the physical fabrication realm. An engineer will utilize materials which are “capable of affecting our senses”. Architecture should be morale in affecting our body. 

“The purpose of construction is o make things hold together; of architecture is to move us” (pp19)

“Plastic forms”(pp 16) These forms create “certain relationships are thus born which work upon our perceptions and put us into a state of satisfaction”. They are also “elementary and subtle” 

The Machine > Styles (pp17)

Mass - which is the element which our senses perceive and measure and are most fully affected.

Surface - which is the envelope of the mass and which can diminish or enlarge the sensation the latter gives us.

Plan - which is the generator both of mass and surface ... irrevocably fixed.

“regulating lines” (pp 18) created in architecture through mathematics and create “grateful perception of order”.  We only know the truth. 

client - “eyes which do not see” (pp18)- One of the purveyor of evils in architecture. 

At the end of this essay, he wrote a few main points:

“mass production ... definite results have been achieved in both detail and in mass”

“Steel and concrete have brought new conquests”

“Styles no longer exist for us”

“new needs have arisen, consciously or unconsciously” 

“architecture or revolution”

Architecture or Revolution

AGE OF THE TOOLS

“These tools in the past were always in man’s hands; to-day they have been entirely and formidable refashioned and for the time being are out of our grasp.” (pp271)

Shows how before, we alter tools to our liking and use - now we are servants of the tools. 

Le Corbusier goes on to comment on during the past age - man would “(live) like a snail in its shell, in a lodging made exactly to his measure”. Now, it is the “mass produced article” and the age of the “Industry”. We are now tied to “machines; an absolute precision”. Everything must be in “order”. (pp274)

He concludes, “The spirit of the worker’s booth no longer exists, but certainly these does exist a more collective spirit” (pp275). This is because each human is a small cog in the bigger achievement - collective achievement of the inventing new tools. i.e. a Car

SERVANT OF THE HOME AND SYSTEM

Le Corbusier comments on the living condition - the architecture of the home. If the workplace also acts like a machine, the home should be too. - we should generate a machine which facilitates the 8 hours where we do not work, to connect meaningless activities such as “factory, the office, the bank”. 

“men’s minds (are) demoralized in servitude to anachronisms” (pp277)

An anachronism (from the Greek ἀνά ana, "against" and χρόνος khronos, "time") is a chronological inconsistency in some arrangement, especially a juxtaposition of person(s), events, objects, or customs from different periods of time. 

This indicates how servants to ridiculous academies - Work / Monetary / Family which have no connection to one another. We are servants to societies way of organizing their own life. - “A mass of demands” (pp278)

“since remuneration bears no real relation to the quality of their work” (pp279)- A home is a place to live easily, simply. There is no real quality of living.

COMMENTARY ON THE ACT OF BUILDING

“human enterprise is subject to the... warfare of competition, ...landlord..he is a king...” (pp281) The system of building today - how we create architecture does not allow for improvement:

“On the existing principle of property, it is impossible to establish a constructional program which will hold it together. And so the necessary building is not done”  - “There would be a enthusiasm for building, and we should avoid Revolution”  (pp281)

AGE OF CONSTRUCTION

“Architecture finds itself confronted with new laws” (pp 286) 

“Construction has undergone innovations so great that the old “styles” ...can no longer clothe it.... no longer close our minds... which are established on mass, rhythm and proportion” “there has been revolution in the conception of what Architecture is”(pp286)

The role of the engineer and the development of buildings are now based on engineering - how much concrete we need and how we bend materials to our functions. 

END OF FAMILY

Logic of work -> Confusion of Lodging -> “hinder him from...creat(ing) a family to live” -> “destruction of the family” (pp288)

“The problem is one for adaption, in which the realities of our life are in question” - How do we push ourselves to go back to reality, organic processes (pp288)

MY CONCLUSION.

Le Corbusier is a writer to traverses across a large variety of topics - it is hard to conclude his ideas due to the sheer mastermind of his words. Each one has a specific thesis and conclusion. I think he is trying to say - how the human spirit can capture architecture to work for us. To work for our organic human adaptation and to establish a new order which adapts for the machine of the home.We are to forget the past and grasp the Industrial and the Engineer to create morale and truth in our machines. 

[kyeleereads]

Architecture As An Art - An Interview with Professor Liang Ssu-ch’eng

BACKGROUND OF AUTHOR:

Also known as Liang Sicheng ( 梁思成), he was often cited as the “father” of Modern Chinese Architecture. His partner in life, Lin Huiyin was also a trained architect and distinguished poet. Together they pursued the measured drawing of ancient Chinese architecture. They developed the term “grammar” in Chinese architecture.

In 1931, he became a member of a newly developed organisation in Beijing called : Society of Research in Chinese Architecture.

TIME FRAME OF TEXT 

This was an interview conducted on July 1961, during the Cultural Revolution. Unfortunately, I do not really know much about it. There were many key ideals brought by Chairman Mao’s communist ideology explored in this text:

Hundred Flowers Campaign (百花运动 ) :"The policy of letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend is designed to promote the flourishing of the arts and the progress of science."  

Proletarian Politics: The term proletariat refers to the class of wage-earners in a capitalist society whose only possession of significant material value is their labour-power (their ability to work) . Of course, to refer it to politics indicates a laws in reference to such individuals. During Maos Cultural revolution I believe many individuals fall into this category. Professor Liang referred to this term when gesturing to the ‘public’ as a general whole - gives an insight to how the society was categorized in mainland China. 

Feudal Dross: I am still confused by this term, but dross is the waste / foreign matter of precious metals. This can refer to various architectural elements that appear foreign or wasteful - which Professor Liang criticized. He indicated when questioning such individual architectural elements, these questions “cannot be put forward so naively. ... We should not... take it apart and analyse each architectural element as if it were an independent thing.” 

TEXTUAL ANALYSIS

PART I - ARCHITECTURE AS AN ART

In the second paragraph of this text, Liang demonstrates his theory: “This knowledge of building houses is a technological science in which art is also embodied”. He explains further how currently there appears to be“diverse schools, each of which has its own definition of architecture”. He identifies 2 interpretations:

“Architecture is the art of building beautifully”

“A house is a machine for living”

to further elaborate on the 2 interpretation, Liang identified these individuals as functionalist:

These individuals believe that “covering up of any structural element were ‘artificial’ or ‘dishonest’. ...beauty is intrinsic in a structure that rationally achieves function.” 

SO HOW DO WE BALANCE FUNCTION / ART 

A combination of both schools is the true solution -  “architecture has the twofold role of being both a work of engineering and an art; aesthetic consideration is given a structure subject”. This blend is achieved by inputting what he calls “spiritual demands” and “artistic demands”. This is the first time he mentioned these two realms - it will be further elaborated on the Spirit of the Times section

Architecture must also promote “Good content”. This is achieved by understanding: “Utility is the content of architectural structure - a building’s content is its usefulness. Beauty is the emotional response produced by the form embodying that content”.  

Architecture is then unified by three requirements - Beauty / Practicality / Economical. A solution must combine all these three elements. We will look at each on in depth:

BEAUTY / AESTHETIC

Liang belives that when designing, we must understand that “different social classes react differently to the same set of aesthetic principles.” These principles are then “constantly being modified as social ideology, science and technology develop.”

TECHNOLOGY / PRACTICALITY

Architecture is still an art to Liang, but when compared to other forms, “Architecture is restricted by building materials and structural technique, and is subordinate to the demands of utility and economy” This indicates that architecture is a tangible form, connoting a sense of permanence and record within our society. Liang comments that “It will stay there for decades or even centuries”.

ECONOMY

Architecture is a servant of the economy. The expression of ideology through architecture is directly connected the current condition of the environment. This control is constant and will thrive through time.

STYLE IN ARCHITECTURE

Similar to the last definition of architecture, when style is involved it is a “reflection of a whole social ideology”. Liang separates the views into 2 points:

One view holds that materials and structures determine the style of architecture 

Social Ideology > structure 

Liang is inclined to believe in the second view - architectural style is the “result of the unity of technology and social ideology”. Rather than materials dictating the style. He gave the example of England vs. China where both use timber as an architectural medium, but different styles of architecture appeared, this is due to the use of space, difference in cultural climates, ultimately differing social ideologies. 

Liang concludes: “it is mans ideology that determines architectural style”

SPIRIT OF THE TIMES

“man should be the master, not servant of them”. ‘Them’ refers to materials and structure. In Architecture we should strive to understand materials in that we use them as tools, rather than restrictions due to their technological qualities. 

Liang here cites several projects which depict China under the “three red banners”:

Yang Tze River Bridge, Wuhan, China 

Lu Xun Memorial Hall, Hong kou, Shanghai 

all these structures coveyed a “bright, joyous and vigorous spirit”

TRADITION AND INNOVATION

To analyse tradition, we must not i. We must understand tradition from a historical perspective - we must not compare each element to the standards of today. 

Here Liang comments on how politics have changed drastically in the country. Tiananmen Square was only for the kings, for the royal. Now it is liberated for the people. It has also been adapted and rebuilt to sensitively address the changes in politics and circulation in the city. 

It appears as if the balance between the traditional and the modern is difficult to gauge from what Liang is noting. He enjoys “colored glazed-tile roofs” and he also encourages us to “absorb...foreign architecture” 

But what he truly despise is the “indiscriminate reproduction... nothing more than imita(tion)” of traditional, historical architecture. One has to “understand the essence of legacy and tradition” 

This text has been a fun read, a snapshot into socialist China during the hundred flower bloom, where they were able to fund ways to further Mao’s vision. To see how the intellectual manage to understand the world and to implement these ideas into a ‘utopian’ regressive society. Liang was interviewed during the age where socialist architectural style was developing, and he had a say. One can see through this holistic understanding of “masses of people” ultimately is to find ways the Communist party policies can be exemplified through architecture. It also questioned the how architecture, like other texts have told me before -  that there is only so much you can do with space. 

Then I questioned, if unifying the identity of people in the age of the cultural revolution in China, much like current North Korea, can we design buildings which "satisfy the masses”? Or is there no difference to how we utilize architecture today? Does architecture, like art play a role in aligning minds through propaganda?  

This text piqued my interest in getting to know architecture as an aid to contributing to communist regimes. We always see buildings and representation of power, greatness. Sometimes, fear is also raised. 

[a-bookish-wildling]

GC: March Week 2 - Garden

Garden Activity: Lock down on your definitive garden plan. What are you going to plant? What kind of containers will you use, if any? When will you be planting them? How long should they last? When will they be ready for harvesting? Are you going to be doing a seed or seedling blessing? What is your seed blessing?

Garden Activity - Plan

Containers I have 3 large containers, 3 mediums, several smaller pots, and one flower box style container. I should buy one more large/deep one for the new plants.

Test soil in March-April

*start seeds in March - April for planting in May

What to plant Kitchen herbs - I’m going to buy seedlings at local greenhouse

From seed:

monkshood (perennial)- I don’t have appropriate soil or sun to grow in the ground. spires of blue-purple flowers in summer and early fall. NEED - large container to keep aconite in scale, with plenty of lower annuals and perennials to hide the somewhat bare bottom stems. Aconitum napellus can grow in average soil, so possibly can grow in ground garden.

fox glove (biennial; good companion to monkshood) Foxglove blooms from the late spring until September. Blooms in second year. Needs good soil, but I might try in corner of ground garden, which has the best sun

lemon verbena - 12 inches in diameter pot; full sun

yarrow - might be able to grow in ground (poorer soil) blooms early summer, mid-summer

Helpful site : Perennial Resource : The Complete Guide to Growing Perennials in Containers

Seed or seedling blessing

I’ll bless seeds specifically with deity correspondences: Hekate (aconite and mandrake), The Devil (morning glories, yarrow), Inanna (general growth and fertility)

I’d like to do this on the equinox.

[a-bookish-wildling]

GC: March Week 2 - Journal

Journal Activity: Choose one of your herbalism goals from last week. Research this goal. Make an action plan for how you will achieve this goal and start working toward that goal.

Journal - Herbalism Goal

Growing Mandrake There are two main types: Officinalis (white flowers) and Autumnal (purple or black flowers) The autumnal may be easier to grow.  [image]

Action plan: 1. Find reputable seller 2. Buy seeds 3. Germinate indoors in spring (March-April) 4  Buy containers for planting indoors 5. Sow in containers

Sellers of seeds: Mandragora autumnalis (purple ): 5 seeds for $5.50, available in March http://www.alchemy-works.com/mandragora_autumnalis.html

Mandragora officinarum L. (white): 5 seeds for $5.00 (currently out of stock)

http://www.bouncingbearbotanicals.com/mandrake-seeds-p-515.html also have live plants for $25(out of stock)

Purple Mandrake: 13 seeds for $9.95 White Mandrake: 13 seeds for $14.95 https://www.strictlymedicinalseeds.com/product.asp?specific=569

Also, you can buy them on Amazon. Who knew?

[grimoirechallenge]

Hello, friends! It’s week two of March and we’ve got a lot of work to do! If you’re just joining us, check out the previous challenges here and the FAQ here. Last week I asked you to get your tea leaf reading supplies ready and I hope you have, because we’ll be experimenting with that a lot this week. 

If you have resources for herbalism that you’d like to see featured on this blog, whether they be resources you’ve created or others have created, please @-mention grimoirechallenge in the post! I’ll reblog them as soon as I see them. I am also tailoring the herbalism challenges based on what I see you guys write about in the challenge posts you make, so please make sure you’re tagging your posts with the #2016grimoirechallenge tag! 

Okay, let’s get to it!

Monday

Journal Activity: Choose one of your herbalism goals from last week. Research this goal. Make an action plan for how you will achieve this goal and start working toward that goal. 

Garden Activity: Lock down on your definitive garden plan. What are you going to plant? What kind of containers will you use, if any? When will you be planting them? How long should they last? When will they be ready for harvesting? Are you going to be doing a seed or seedling blessing? What is your seed blessing? 

Tuesday

Divination Activity: Find a list of tasseomancy symbols and meanings. Do you agree with them, disagree with them, or have no distinct feeling toward them? 

Tasseomancy Activity: How does one conduct a tea leaf reading? Come up with a procedure that you feel comfortable using to complete tea leaf readings. 

Wednesday

Correspondence Activity: How can the different types of tea affect your tea reading? Will they have an effect or does it not matter what type of tea you use? If you do think there is an effect, make a list of tea correspondences. Do these correspondences relate to spell work as well?  

Tasseomancy Activity: Using the tasseomancy procedure you developed yesterday, conduct a general tea leaf reading. How did it go? What have you learned from this experience. 

Thursday

Spell Activity: Choose a spell from your list of spell ideas. Write it. Try it out. Use your spell procedure sheet to document the results. 

Tasseomancy Activity: Find another tea leaf reading procedure. Do a tea leaf reading using this alternate procedure. How did it go? How did it compare to the procedure you used yesterday? Are there any aspects you want to incorporate into your procedure? What have you learned from these two readings?

Friday

Herbal Activity: What are the different products you can make herbally? Make a list. Star the ones you want to try. 

Sigil Activity: Make a sigil to protect something.