Cosmos & Psyche

 Cosmos & Psyche

According to Richard Tarnas, who also wrote of The Passion of the Western Mind, history is on the verge of a major shift, comparable to the one wrought by Copernicus and Galileo, but a seemingly antiscientific one: an astrological turn that can only be understood thorough chronicling planetary alignments as they correlate to the rise of the modern mind over the last 500 years. Understanding planetary alignments, for Tarnas, is crucial to the world's future and requires a genuine dialogue with the cosmos, by opening ourselves more fully to the other, to ancient and indigenous epistemologies, even to other forms of life, other modes of the universe's self-disclosure. 

The book is filled with philosophical, religious, literary and scientific thinking ranging from Luther and Kepler through Hemingway and even Hitchcock and Dylan. Reading it will require a strong background in the history of modern thought, an advanced knowledge of astrology, a willingness to withhold skepticism about the role of planetary alignments of the past in understanding life today and the avoidance of imminent world catastrophe. Tarnas's call to redefine what we consider as legitimate knowledge will resonate in some sectors, but it will be a tough sell with the more scientifically hardheaded. 

In terms of planetary cycles, our present condition in history is most comparable to the period five hundred years ago—that era of extraordinary turbulence and creativity, the High Renaissance. Not since Copernicus conceived the heliocentric theory has the human community faced such a profound realignment of the way we think. 

Perhaps it’s time for us to move back to the philosophy that man is part of the universe, not placed here to conquer it. Just as we’re finding some older medical procedures, such as the use of leeches, to have value today, perhaps we should open our minds to the distinct possibility that astrological forces can be a powerful influence on our lives.

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5 Kisah Cinta Tragis Yang Selalu Dikenang Sepanjang Masa

Apakah Anda percaya akan cinta pada pandangan pertama Ladies? Adakah cinta yang bertahan selamanya? Pembahasan tentang cinta memang tak akan pernah ada habisnya. Cinta selalu akan menjadi hal yang menarik dan menggairahkan.

Namun tak selamanya cinta bisa bertahan Ladies. Ada pula berbagai kisah cinta legendaris yang berakhir dengan tragis. Kali ini Vemale akan mencoba menghadirkan 5 kisah percintaan tragis namun selalu dikenang sepanjang masa. Simak kisah-kisahnya di halaman berikut yuk

Romeo dan Juliet

Siapa yang tak kenal dengan kisah super legendaris yang satu ini Ladies. Romeo dan Juliet ini telah menjadi kisah cinta yang selalu diperbincangkan dari masa ke masa. Rome dan Juliet ini merupakan tragedi yang ditulis oleh pujangga tersohor di dunia yakni William Shakespeare.

Kisah cinta Romeo dan Juliet ini sangat tragis Ladies. Kisahnya menceritakan tentang dua remaja yang saling jatuh cinta, namun mereka berasal dari dua keluarga yang berseteru. Mereka jatuh cinta pada pandangan pertama dan memutuskan menikah. Mereka rela melakukan apa saja demi cinta. Sampai ketika keduanya memutuskan mengakhiri kehidupan mereka demi cinta.

Cleopatra dan Mark Antony

Kisah nyata Cleopatra dan Mark Antony ini juga menjadi legenda. Cleopatra dan Antony jatuh cinta pada pandangan pertama namun hubungan mereka ini terhalang oleh kekuasaan pada saat itu.

Hubungan mereka jelas merupakan ujian cinta yang sejati. Keduanya berada di pihak yang bermusuhan, namun mereka memutuskan untuk menikah. Pernikahan mereka mendapatkan kecaman dari banyak pihak. Dikatakan saat berperang Antony mendapat kabar palsu bahwa Cleopatra tewas, ia pun jatuh dan meninggal. Saat Cleopatra mendengar kabar tentang kematian Antony ia pun mengakhiri hidupnya. Cinta yang besar memang menuntut pengorbanan yang besar.

Layla dan Majnun

Ini merupakan kisah yang ditulis oleh penyair abad pertengahan di Iran yang terinspirasi oleh legenda Arab. Layla Majnun merupakan kisah cinta tragis. Kisah ini diceritakan terus menerus selama berabad-abad.

Alkisah Layla dan Qays jatuh cinta sejak masa sekolah. Cinta mereka diamati oleh pihak keluarga dan dicegah serta tak boleh bersatu. Qays pun putus asa, akhirnya ia mengasingkan diri di padang pasir. Ia tak makan dan akhirnya tubuhnya berubah menjadi sangat kurus. Karena perilakunya yang juga berubah jadi eksenrtik ia pun dikenal sebagai Majnun (orang gila), Ia punakhirnya berteman dengan suku Badui tua yang menjanjikannya bersatu dengan Layla. Akhirnya suku Badui bisa mengalahkan suku Layla. Namun, ayah Layla tetap menolah menikahkan mereka. Layla dinikahkan dengan orang lain. Setelah suami Layla meninggal Badui mempersatukan Majnun dan Layla, namun mereka tak pernah sepenuhnya bersatu di kehidupan dunia. Akhirnya setelah mereka meninggal mereka dikubur berdampingan. Kisah ini merupakan alegori dari kerinduan jiwa untuk bersatu dengan Tuhan.

Marie dan Pierre Currie

Ini merupakan kisah pasangan cinta dan juga dalam ilmu pengetahuan. Tidak dapat melanjutkan studi di universitas karena kaum wanita saat itu tidak diakui, Marie Sklodowska Curie melakukan perjalanan ke Paris pada tahun 1891 untuk menghadiri Sorbonne. Ia menghabiskan setiap jam untuk membaca di perpustakaan atau laboratorium.

Ia pun bertemu dengan Pierre Curie, direktur salah satu laboratorium di mana Marie bekerja. Pierre tertarik dengan Marie dan menikah pada tahun 1895. Pada tahun 1898 mereka berhasil menemukan polonium dan radium. Ia pun memenangkan Hadiah Nobel untuk Fisika pada tahun 1903 karena menemukan radioaktif. Saat Pierre Currie meninggal di tahun 1904, Marie berjanji untuk melanjutkan pekerjaan mereka. Dia pun menjadi guru wanita pertama di sekolah. Ia pun memenangkan Hadiah Nobel kedua di tahun 1911 untuk kimia. Ia terus bereksperimen dan melanjutkan kuliah sampai ia meninggal karena leukimia pada tahun 1934.
 Kisah cinta ini menceritakan tentang bangsawan Inggris yang meratapi kematian suaminya selama 40 tahun. Victoria adalah gadis yang ceria. Ia gemar menggambar dan melukis. Ia naik tahta Inggris pada tahun 1837 setelah kematian pamannya Raja William IV. Pada tahun 1840 ia menikah dengan sepupu pertamanya Pangeran Albert.

Pasangan tersebut memiliki sembilan anak. Victoria sangat mencintai suaminya. Saat Albert meninggal pada tahun 1861 Victoria terpuruk. Ia tak muncul di hadapan umum selama tiga tahun. Ia tak pernah berhenti berkabung dan selalu memakai pakaian hitam sampai kematiannya pada tahun 1901.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert

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Quick Swiss Ham Bake

While this photo is not one of my best, this last minute 'throw together' dinner turned out so yummy that I just had to share it with all of you. This took minutes to throw together and can be altered to your liking. I used Swiss cheese but Gruyere would be perfect in this as well. Use ham, Canadian bacon or turkey bacon if you prefer. I used broccoli because my kids love it but spinach or any veggie you like can be added.

The trick is sauteing the white parts of a green onion, leek or a minced shallot and  then browning the ham. Meanwhile, you want to whisk your eggs very well with a splash of milk. Add your salt, pepper and seasoning (I used tarragon)

and then pour the eggs into your oven ready pan. Wait a minute, then push the eggs towards the center of the pan, working your way around once or twice till the eggs just start to set. Sprinkle on your grated cheese then pop it in a pre-heated oven at 450F for 8-13 minutes (depending on how many eggs you used).

Voila! Dinner is served.

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New Years Day Traditions: Potato Collard Cakes with Simple Rouille and Black Eyed Peas with Collards and Sweet Potatoes

Do you believe in the importance of traditions? How about folklore and superstition? Even if you don't I think it's fun to celebrate Holiday's and special occasions by making special memories and creating lasting traditions that will comfort and make your family and friends feel special.



This is actually a post I did last year but honestly, it was so good I just can't imagine making anything else to celebrate the New Year.


We all know that eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day is supposed to bring good luck and prosperity. 

Black-eyed peas are a common Southern dish, and the practice of eating them for luck is generally believed to have begun during the Civil War. When Union soldiers moved through Mississippi, they burned all the crops except the peas because it was believed that only farm animals ate them. When Southerners found that black-eyed peas were the only food left, they considered the legumes a sign of good fortune. 

Other legends say that the practice dates to ancient Egypt when it was believed that eating a meager food like black-eyed peas showed humility before the gods and you would receive blessings of prosperity in return. 



Whatever you believe this recipe is fancy enough to  celebrate with family or friends on New Years Day and simple and healthy to start your year off to a healthy new way of living.

Potato Collard Cakes with Simple Rouille and Black Eyed Peas with Collards and Sweet Potatoes.

click for recipe

Do you have any special traditions or foods you celebrate with on 

New Years Day?

Have a wonderful New Year!

Simply Healthy Family

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Chicken Tagine with a Twist!

Some days I have to work a very long 12 hours. A 12 hours in a busy O.R. that wipes me out. A 12 hours that isn't as easy to recover from as it used to be. These are the days that cooking is the very last thing I want to do at the end of the day. Eating a hot, home-made dinner however, is just what I do need. Dilemma.

Crock Pot to the rescue! I keep most of these ingredients stocked in my pantry and only had to pick up some chicken thighs as we have been really limiting chicken lately for various reasons (read more about this life changing decision in my post/rant here). Also, I have been trying to not eat meat for dinner since IMO it isn't good for your body to be digesting meat while you sleep. Meat takes several hours of hard work for your GI system to digest and disrupts sleep.

Chicken Tagine is a classic Moroccan dish made several in several yummy variations but usually with the spices ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, paprika and turmeric.  Tajines are slow-cooked stews braised at low temperatures, resulting in tender meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce. The best thing about Chicken Tagine is that you can throw in any combination of your favorite ingredients such as dried fruits, nuts, olives, veggies, preserved lemon, honey ect. and as long as you use the classic base of spices and tomatoes you've got yourself a Moroccan Delight!

I love my veggies and so I threw in some diced eggplant along with my olives, dried apricots and fresh cranberries. *On a side note, I don't think I will use fresh cranberries next time as they were pretty tart, or maybe I'll just use less to compliment the other flavors without over powering them.

A pretty Tagine pot is on the top of my wish list. I use a 'crock pot' for now ;)

Image from Emily Avila

The traditional tajine pot is formed entirely of a heavy clay, which is sometimes painted or glazed. It consists of two parts: a base unit that is flat and circular with low sides, and a large cone or dome-shaped cover that rests inside the base during cooking. The cover is so designed to promote the return of all condensation to the bottom. With the cover removed, the base can be taken to the table for serving

Recently, European manufacturers have created tajines with heavy cast-iron bottoms that can be heated on a cooking stove to a high temperature. This permits the browning of meat and vegetables before cooking.



PRINT THIS RECIPE

Ingredients


2 tablespoons olive oil

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 large onions, thinly sliced

4 large carrots, thinly sliced

1/2 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup green olives, sliced

2 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons garlic salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup water

1 cup couscous



Directions:
* Searing the chicken before adding it to the crock pot is important to lock in flavour.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken pieces and eggplant in the heated oil; stir and cook until the chicken is browned on all sides but not cooked through. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Place the browned chicken and eggplant on the bottom of a slow cooker. Layer the onion, carrots, cranberries, and apricots over the chicken.

Whisk together the chicken broth, tomato paste, lemon juice, flour, garlic salt, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and ground black pepper in a bowl. Pour the broth mixture into the slow cooker with the chicken and vegetables.

Cook on Low setting for 8 hours.

Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Stir in couscous, and remove from heat. Cover, and let stand about 5 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork.

PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

 
 
 
  I'm sending this over to Potluck Fridays at eKats Kitchen!
 

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AWESOME TIPS FOR BEAUTIFUL LIFE!!!

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. & while you walk, SMILE.It is the ultimate antidepressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.

3. When you wake up in the morning, Pray to ask God’s
guidance for your purpose, today.

4. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

5. Drink green tea and plenty of water. Eat blueberries, broccoli, and almonds.

6. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

7. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past,negative thoughts or things you cannot control.Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

8. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

9. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

10. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Forgive them for everything !

11. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

12. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

13. Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.

14. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what
their journey is all about.

15. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

16. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In five years,will this matter?’

17. Help the nedey, Be generous ! Be a ‘Giver’ not a ‘Taker’

18. What other people think of you is none of your business.

19. Time heals everything.

20. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

21. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

22. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

23. Each night before you go to bed ,Pray to God and Be thankful for what you’ll accomplish, today !

24. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.

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APHORISM

An aphorism is an original thought, spoken or written in a laconic (concise) and memorable form. 

Aphorism literally means a "distinction" or "definition", from Greek ἀφορισμός (aphorismós), which is from ἀπό (apo) and ὁρίζειν (horizein), meaning "from/to bound". The term was first used in the Aphorisms of Hippocrates. 

The oft-cited first sentence of this work (see Ars longa, vita brevis) is:

“

"Life is short, art long, opportunity fleeting, experience deceptive, judgment difficult."

”

The term was later applied to maxims of physical science, then statements of all kinds of philosophical, moral, or literary principles. 

In modern usage an aphorism is generally understood to be a concise statement containing a subjective truth or observation cleverly and pithily written.

Source:Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia

Now let us look at some of the aphorisms:

1. The nicest thing about the future is . . .  that it always starts tomorrow. 

2. Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail. 

3. If you don't have a sense of humor, you probably don't have any sense at all. 

4. Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs. 

5. A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you're in deep water. 

6. How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night? 

7. Business conventions are important . . . because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without. 

8. Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?

9. Scratch a cat . . . and you will have a permanent job. 

10. No one has more driving ambition than the teenage boy who wants to buy a car. 

11. There are no new sins; the old ones just get more publicity. 
12. There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 a.m. - like, it could be the right number. 

13. No one ever says "It's only a game" when their team is winning. 

14. I've reached the age where 'happy hour' is a nap.

15. Be careful about reading the fine print . . . There's no way you're going to like it. 

16. The trouble with bucket seats is that not everybody has the same size bucket. 

17. Do you realize that, in about 40 years, we'll have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos in strange places? (And rap music will be the Golden Oldies!)

18. Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Cadillac than in a Yugo. 

19. After 60, if you don't wake up aching in every joint, you're probably dead.
20. Always be yourself because the people that matter don't mind . . . and the ones that mind don't matter. 
21. Life isn't tied with a bow . . . but it's still a gift.

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