HALLOWE'EN

 

The Roots of Hallowe’en (and Day of the Dead):

What’s it all about?

 [Nyerges is the author of several books including “How to Survive Anywhere,” “Extreme Simplicity,” and “Foraging California.”  Information about his books and classes is available at www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com.]

 

 

Why has the day of All Hallows Eve – Hallowe’en --  devolved into a day of  fun and fear?  How was this once- Holy Day commemorated before it was all commercialized into a scary night?  Is it possible to discover the roots of this day, and observe it in its original fashion today?

 My circle of friends attempted to answer these questions.  We determined that we’d need to dig up whatever historical facts we could find that show how this day was commemorated before 1700, more or less.  Though we couldn’t be 100% certain, we at least assumed that “commercialization” didn’t really exist in 1700, and all the European and some American commemorations before that year probably retained some semblance of what the day was all about, originally.

 So, first, let’s begin with the day.

 It is believed that the ancient Celts observed something called a “Samhain festival” towards the end of October.  Says the World Book Encyclopedia. “The Celts believed that the dead could walk among the living at this time. During Samhain, the living could visit with the dead. Elements of the customs can be traced to a Druid ceremony in pre-Christian times. The Celts had festivals for two major gods—a sun god and a god of the dead (called Samhain), whose festival was held on November 1, the beginning of the Celtic New Year.

 This day, or period, was to mark the end of the harvest and the beginning of winter. 

 Samhain (pronounced “sow-in,” which means “summer’s end,” or the name of a god, or both) is seen by some Wiccans as a time to celebrate the lives of those who have died, and it often involves paying respect to ancestors, family members, elders of the faith, friends, pets and other loved ones who have died. In some rituals the spirits of the dead are invited to attend the festivities.

 Various sorts of activities done on Samhain have been described over the centuries. In Ireland,  Samhain was a time to take stock of the herds and food supplies. Cattle were brought  to the winter pastures after six months in the higher summer pastures. Then, the people chose which animals to slaughter before the winter. After the slaughter of the animals, there would be feasting. And obviously, if you aren’t an animal-raising farmer, how would you celebrate this aspect, except for the feasting?

 The Catholic Church was aware of all the so-called “pagan” observances, and had their own day to commemorate the dead, May 13. This began in  609 or 610 A.D., when Pope Boniface the 4th dedicated the Pantheon— the Roman temple of all the gods—to Mary and all the martyrs.  Later that date was changed by Pope Gregory III (731-741 A.D.), who dedicated a chapel in Rome to all the saints and ordered that they be honored on November 1.  This was done, in part, to overshadow the pre-existing Samhain commemorations.

In the 11th century,   November 2^nd was assigned as "All Souls’ Day" in commemoration of the dead.   So this began the use of the term Hallow’s Eve, or Hallowe’en for October 31.

Hallowe’en customs are similar to the observance of Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, commonly racticed in Mexico and which can be traced to early Aztec times.  Apparently,  this “day of the dead” was originally commemorated in Mexico in May, and was changed to November 2 sometime after Spanish contact, possibly to correspond with the “Christian” tradition.

FOOD and GIFTING
Trick or treating in modern times goes back to leaving food and wine for roaming dead spirits and ghosts. The custom was referred to as "going a-souling" and was eventually practiced only by the children who would visit the houses in their neighborhoods and be given gifts of ale, food and money. It was believed the spirits of the dead returned to visit their old homes during this time, so in ancient times, people left food out for them and arranged chairs so that the dead would be able to rest.  

Treats called “soul cakes” were given out in memory of the departed.  The Middle Age practice of souling — going door to door begging for food in return for prayers — became popular and is even referenced by William Shakespeare in 1593.  This is obviously the root of the modern “trick or treating” for mini Snickers bars, a practice no doubt loved by every dentist.

Seasonal foods such as apples and nuts were often used in the Samhain rituals. Apples were peeled, the peel tossed over the shoulder, and its shape examined to see if it formed the first letter of the future spouse's name.  Nuts were roasted on the hearth and then interpreted – if the nuts stayed together, so would the couple. Egg whites were dropped in water, and the shapes foretold the number of future children. Children would also chase crows and divine some of these things from the number of birds or the direction they flew.  

COSTUMES
Celts would wear masks when they left their homes during the night hours during Samhain days, because they hoped they would avoid being recognized by the ghosts and be mistaken merely for fellow ghosts.

“Mumming” and “Guising” were a part of Samhain from at least the 16th century and was recorded in parts of Ireland, Scotland, Mann and Wales. It involved people going from house to house in costume (or in disguise), usually reciting songs or verses in exchange for food.  It is suggested that it evolved from a tradition whereby people impersonated the aos sí, or the souls of the dead, and received offerings on their behalf.  Impersonating these spirits or souls was also believed to protect oneself from them.   One researcher suggests that the ancient festival included people in masks or costumes representing these spirits, and that the modern custom came from this.

PARADES
Pagan Celtic priestesses and their followers would roam the countryside, chanting songs in order to frighten away the evil spirits thought to be out on Halloween night.  I wonder how that could be practiced in your neighborhood?

FIRES

Bonfires  were a big part of the festival in many areas of western Europe.  Bonfires were typically lit on hilltops at Samhain where everyone could see them, and there were rituals involving them.  We concluded that a small, safe backyard fire might be a good addition to celebrating the day, though we were pretty sure that local fire departments would take a very dim view if fires were built on local hilltops!

Bonfires comes from the root, “bone-fires” because the priests sacrificed animals and supposedly even people in an attempt to appease the sun god, while also looking for future omens. The fire was said to be a type of sympathetic magic, where the fire mimicked the sun, which has the power to hold back the darkness of winter.  Burning the fires was also believed to be a way of banishing evil, at least symbolically.

DIVINATION

Divination has likely been a part of the festival since ancient times, and it has survived in some rural areas.  In part, this meant that the spirits could enter your world.  Many of the food offerings and fires were directed to these spirits.   Or perhaps, some of the  crops might also be left in the ground for them.    These spirits were addressed in various ways, with food offerings, with walks into the ocean, with the idea to hold off any mischief, and perhaps to learn the future.

The belief that the souls of the dead return home on one night of the year seems to have ancient origins and is found in many cultures throughout the world.

CONCLUSION
So what do you conclude from all this?  Is there an ideal way to commemorate this ancient day, and still avoid the trappings of commercialization?  Is it even possible?

I like the way that the Day of the Dead is commemorated. There are altars with pictures of the dearly departed, and plates of good food.  Candles are lit, rather than a big bonfire which the local fire department would frown upon.  Families gather, and talk in respectful tones about their departed relatives.  Yes, of course, even the Day of the Dead has turned into wild partying in some quarters, but if you seek a return to roots of the ancient commemoration of the dead, perhaps begin here.  

Begin with family or neighborhood gatherings. Prepare a good meal, and keep in the mind the foods that your beloved departeds enjoyed. This is not necessarily because you think their spirits will come to eat (last I checked, ghosts don’t need to eat), but because having, for example, your mother’s favorite dish will give you another reason to talk about your mother, and to remember all the good things she did. 

This is at least a start, and it elevates our day of ghoulish and pointless fear-mongering into one that reconnects us with our roots.  

"EXTREME SIMPLICITY -- Homesteading in the City" book

 

Of all the books I’ve written, one of my favorites is still “EXTREME SIMPLICTY, Homesteading in the City,” which I wrote with my late wife  Dolores.

 

The book is packed with the details of how w purchased a very run-down house and how we proceeded to practice our self-sufficient lifestyle. We didn’t know everything, and we were really on a low budget, but, step by step, we took action.

 

The book describes our efforts to practice "living lightly on the earth," even in the small suburban Los Angeles home.

We describe what we call "integral gardening, " using every bit of usable land, to produce food (for people and wildlife), medicines, fragrance, shade, and useful tools. We also raised earthworms, chickens, rabbits, bees, a goose, a pig, and our dogs in the back yard.

We  take the reader along on our journey to installing a wood fireplace, solar water heating, and a solar electric system.

Though there is much "how to" in this book, it is full of personal stories and rich reading of the learning we experienced along the way.

 

It’s really a timeless book that you’ll enjoy reading, illustrated with both drawings and photos.  You can get your copy from  Amazon, or from the  Store at www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com

 

 

SOME SELECTED EXCERPTS

  

4 MAGIC WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION

    1. Never waste anything.

    2. Continually improve your personal honesty.

    3. Leave every situation or circumstance better than you found it.

    4. Tithe to the church (or organization) of your choice.

    We know that these are genuine practical solutions. We have heard people say that they cannot make these efforts - such as tithing, or improving an environment - because "we are poor." Our perspective is that they have their reasoning backwards. They are poor because they do not engage themselves in the world in these ways. Logical thinking leads to erroneous conclusions when the premise is false.

  

3 STEPS TO HOUSEHOLD ENERGY EFFICIENCY

    1. You can do without some electrical devices.  This will probably involve changing your behavior, for instance, thinking twice before switching on an electrical tool or appliance when a non-electric alternative will work just as well or better.

    2. You can learn to use your existing devices more efficiently.

    This step, too, requires changes in habit, but once you've understood the extra expenses caused by inefficiency and waste, you'll feel good about it - plus you'll save money by practicing efficiency.

    3. You can purchase new appliances that render your household inherently more energy efficient.

    This step requires initial outlays of money, and in some cases higher short-term expenses, but with certain especially wasteful appliances, the best way to save energy and money is to immediately replace the old, wasteful model.

 

 A CONVERSATION WITH VERNON

    During an early morning conversation with our friend Vernon .. he remarked that the musical group that he played with would begin and end each performance with a lively rendition of "Love Makes the World Go Round." Yet he always felt that this was very hypocritical, because it isn't "love" that makes this world go around, but rather fear. He explained to us that fear drives most people for decades to hold down regular jobs that they hate, because they "need the money." This, of course, opened up a whole can of worms - and led us into long discussions about the differences between "needs" and "wants," "cost" and "real value," and about how it is rarely money, per se, that we need.

    Vernon's view was that by letting fear control our lives, we are eternally cut off from the real magic of the world.

 

RAINDANCE

 

RAINDANCE

By Christopher Nyerges

Books by  Nyerges, and the schedule of his classes, can be seen at www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com

 

This is a shortened version of this Raindance story which appeared in the book, “Searching for the Meaning of Life in the City of Angels” by Victor Woodenturtle, a big book that you can obtain from Amazon.

 

 This is the story of something that happened almost exactly 40 years ago, during the ending days of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.  In recent discussions I have had about this with friends and associates, I was told that had I done this today, I would have been harshly criticized for “appropriating” native culture. I wonder. See if you think that this session I had with the children was in any way disrespectful or inappropriate.   

 

 

At 1 p.m., Tuesday, August 14, 1984, I conducted a "rain-dance" ceremony with approximately 20 children in the day camp sponsored by the City of Pasadena’s recreation department.  By 5 a.m. the next morning, the L.A. area was bathed in a heavy and unseasonal rain.  Was there any connection between the rain-dance ceremony and the rain?

I'd told many friends of the Tuesday rain-dance and I was receiving calls first thing Wednesday morning.  "It's raining!! It's raining!!" I was excitedly told.  "The children are going to be shocked."  I was first shocked, then pleasantly surprised.   This was the middle of August, after all, when the rainfall nearly always measures zero inches.

Would it have rained anyway?  Or was the rain-dance -- without my conscious knowledge -- part of a larger drama that was being played out?  Was the rain like the "final curtain" for the special dispensation of weather for this world-wide "gathering of the tribes" we call the Olympics?

On Wednesday afternoon, I called Dr. George Fischbeck, who was a local television meteorologist.  We’d met before, so it was easy to contact him.  During our telephone conversation, he told me that he noted a storm off the California coast at 7 p.m. Tuesday.  By Tuesday evening at 11 p.m., he knew that rain would fall, but not where.  Due to winds that arose, the rain moved further west and north than he expected. 

Dr. Fischbeck believed there was no connection between the rain-dance and the rain, discounting the ability of what he called "prayer" to affect the weather.  Still, Fischbeck told me that he recognizes and respects the sacred nature of the Southwestern Native American dances, having lived among the New Mexico Native Americans for two years as an anthropologist.

So, what are the "real causes" of weather changes?  Weather ­forecasters don't address this since they only look at the forces as they operate, without knowing root causes.  They factually speak of cold and warm air masses, and clouds moving eastward as the earth rotates.  I have come to the realization that our thoughts are real forces, and that we do affect the weather (consciously or ignorantly) with our thoughts, thinking, and emotions.

I reviewed Tuesday's events in my mind in order to reconstruct what -- if any -- effect the rain-dance may have actually had.

Tuesday was to be the last day I'd be working with some of the children, so I had a few special activities planned.  Starting at about 12:30, we began by sampling edible wild plants, and practicing Indian sign language.  Then I introduced the children to a plant called buffalo gourd which is used for making soap.  I demonstrated wetting a few leaves and vigorously agitating them between my hands.  A thick green froth quickly resulted.  Each child made soap with the buffalo gourd leaves, enjoying this new gift from nature.  After we all cleansed our hands, we returned to our circle.

I had hinted earlier that we'd do a rain-dance ceremony.  A few of the children were now asking with voices of eager anticipation, "When will we do the rain-dance?"  Once all the children were seated and quiet, I told them we'd begin.

 I removed my hand-made clay pipe from its container, filled it with a mixture of tobacco and white sage, and carefully lit it.  Once the pipe was smoking well, I stood in the center of the circle and blew smoke to the six directions – the four cardinal points, as well as the sky, and the earth.  I explained to the children that I was offering respect and thanks in an attitude of humility.  The children watched in awe -- they'd never seen anything like this before.

 Next I passed the pipe around the circle for each child to take a puff.  Each child nervously puffed on the pipe.  I explained to the children that this sharing -- this communion -- was a sign of our friendship and unity.  A few of the counselors cautiously looked on and just smiled, reminding the children to not inhale.  In retrospect, I could tell they were a bit uncertain about the fact that I was letting young children smoke a pipe.  A few counselors even looked about to make certain no parents or directors were approaching.

 Once we concluded the pipe-passing, I directed half of the children to dance in an outer circle, while the other half clapped their hands.  We reversed directions a few times, and then I led them in a simple rain chant.  Finally, we let up a cheer for rain.

 "Is it really going to rain?" a few children curiously asked me.

 "Of course," I replied with the innocence of a child.  "It’ll rain within a few days."

 I'd not checked any weather patterns, nor had I planned the rain-dance until that Tuesday morning.         

 Though it rained hard early the following Wednesday morning, there was only a drizzle by the time I arrived at day camp.  Several of the children who had participated in the rain-dance looked at me quizzically that morning, and I could tell they wondered if our rain-dance of the previous afternoon had any connection to the rain.   Several of them came up to me with their questions and comments.

 A few yelled out, "We made rain! We made rain!"  I quickly pointed out that "we" didn't make anything.  Rather, our request was answered.

 A few children asked with open, wondering eyes: "It rained from our rain-dance, didn't it?"  "Yes," I told them.

 However, I was surprised at the lack of comments from others, especially since so many other day campers, counselors, and parents had viewed (or heard of) the rain dance.  The general "ho-hum" response was an example of rationalizing away "Miracles" to the very end.  A mid-summer rain dance and a "freak storm" the next day are not your usual occurrences.  Though it is impossible to ”prove” such connections, I felt in my heart that our rain-dance “prayer” was answered.

 In an attempt to find the science in our rain-dance, I identified at least five important elements. 

1.  We washed ourselves before the ceremony.  

2.  We "requested" rain in an attitude of humility. 

3.  We shared the pipe of unity and friendship. 

4.  We sang, chanted, and danced our rain ceremony, not "by the book," but with feeling and innocence. 

5.  The ceremony was conducted by children young enough to still be uncorrupted by the limitations imposed by adult minds.  They had never been told that they couldn't invoke rain.  I believe that their innocence and lack of prejudice was a key factor in the apparent success of our rain-dance.

 I also reviewed my personal life to attempt to find clues.  A personal state of humility seems essential; also, one should never claim that such ability (i.e., to successfully invoke rain) is "mine," as if the "secret" is some personal power.

In my subsequent research, I filled a thick file on rain ceremonies from different Indigenous people of North America.  I also gave a few lectures on the topic, attempting to crystalize what I had discovered. Invoking the rain is still practiced today by many peoples.   Among the North American Indians, Rolling Thunder occasional­ly invokes rain by use of a curious method (which involves a stink bug) described in a biographical work called Rolling Thunder by Doug Boyd.

Sun Bear, founder of the Washington-based Bear Tribe, describes rain-making in chapter 17 of his Path of Power.  He writes, "The powers that I feel closest to in my medicine are my brothers, the Thunder Beings.  When you're strong and centered in your medicine you can tune into the elemental forces.  You can lock into their energy and have them respond to you, and the process is not the mysterious act of a magician.

"I've worked with my brothers, the Thunderers, for a good part of my life.  When a storm is rolling in, I go out and welcome them.  I offer up my pipe sometimes, and can feel their energy surging into me... When people ask me how I make rain, I simply tell them that I don't make it.  This is the truth.  I ask for it.  If it is meant to be, it comes.  I know that it is not good to try to use the elemental forces to bolster your own sense of power.  I only ask that the Thunderers work with me if it is for the good of Mother Earth, or our relations upon her."

After discussing many of these elements of the rain-dance, my mentor said to me, “Here is THE key to keep in mind:  The essential ingredient in rain-making is personal attitude.  It is inac­curate to state that `asking for’ or `praying for’ rain is effective.”

After much discussion, I could see why it is a blessing that most of us do not know we have such power over nature's elementals.  We are protected by our ignorance since most of us would be irresistibly tempted to abuse such a power.  The built-in safety factor is that such "power" in unavailable until one is ready.  Certainly, the willful manipula­tion of nature would mean the unleashing of dangerous forces by the unprepared dabbler.  Plus, it would seem that there would be a tremendous karmaic effect to anyone who is improperly tampering with nature.

After our discussion, REW pulled out a Tumbleweeds cartoon from the Sunday newspaper.  “Why did this cartoon about a rain-dance just coincidentally appear in the paper, on the first Sunday after our rain-dance?”  He handed the paper to me.  The cartoon depicted the small medicine man saying, "But..." as a giant beast-like tribesman sits in a canoe in a perfectly dry river bed.  The medicine man dances frantically as a helper pounds on the drums.  When they fail to produce rain, the giant picks up the medicine man by the throat.  "Where cloud juice?" he demands.

 “Why did this specific Oracle come in the form of an Alert and Warning at this precise mo­ment?” REW asked me.  I wasn’t sure.   “Through humor,” he told me, “we were given a hard lesson:  Publicize that you possess power -- whether to make rain, to change weather, or whatever, and the  selfishness of the animal-nature will attempt to use you, control you, abuse you, and make you an instrument of its bidding.  This can manifest through other people, or from one of your own baser personas.”  He then asked me to interpret the cartoon, based upon this broader perspective.

The cartoon depicts a captive "rain maker" being coerced by the willful desires of the Beast (i.e., the animal-nature).  The captive (and ignorant) "rain maker" is forced into untimely activity solely to provide pleasure for the beast.  Perhaps it was vanity that paved the way to the "rain maker's" captivity by leading him to believe that he himself was actually able to "make rain."  This would then pave the way to his captivity, since vanity glamourizes. 

“This is a common pitfall among adepts and their apprentices,” REW further explained. “Once they experience mastery over nature's elementals, they cannot resist the temptation to advertise as `magician for hire.’  Even when they do not advertise, others try to exploit them.  This pattern, and its results, have been depicted in numerous television shows, such as "Phoenix," in which Bennu must hide from those who seek to use him; "Kung Fu," where Caine is often being sought out to be used in some way; "Superman," and many others.

[FOR MORE ON THIS TOPIC, GET THE BOOK "SEARCHING FOR THE MEANING OF LIFE IN THE CITY OF ANGELS" BY WOODENTURTLE FROM AMAZON]

PURSLANE--

 

PURSLANE (Portulaca oleracea)

The plant kingdom’s richest source of Omega 3 fatty acids

 

Purslane generally starts appearing a bit later than most of the spring greens, after many of the spring greens have already dried up, typically by June or July. It is a very common annual in rose beds and gardens, though I do see it in the wild occasionally, typically in the sandy bottoms around streams.

The stems are succulent, red colored, and round in the cross section. The stems sprawl outward from the roots, rosette-like, with the stems lying on the ground. The leaves are paddle shaped. The little yellow flower is 5 petaled.

WHERE FOUND:

Though a European native, this plant is now common and widespread worldwide.  It is found in agricultural lands, swamps, fields, gardens, ditches, and vacant lots.  Though it prefers wet soils, it can be found in most environments.

USES:

When you chew on a fresh stem or leaf of purslane, you’ll find it mildly sour and a bit crunchy. It’s really a great snack, though I like it a lot in salads. Just rinse it to get all the dirt off, dice, add some dressing, and serve. Yes, add tomatoes and avocado if you have any. When I first learned of this plant native to India, I ate it mostly in salads.

The famous naturalist Henry David Thoreau lived off the land when he built his little cabin near Walden Pond in Massachusetts.  He wrote, “I learned that a man may use as simple a diet as the animals, and yet retain health and strength.  I have made a satisfactory dinner off a dish of purslane which I gathered and boiled.  Yet men have come to such a pass that they frequently starve, not from want of necessities, but for want of luxuries.”  He wrote that in the mid 1840s! Things are not that different today.

According to Mike Krebill, author of “The Scout’s Guide to Wild Edibles,”  “The tender tips of the stems (of purslane), including the leaves, may be eaten raw in salads, baked in a quiche, or added to a stir fry.  Flexible stems up to the thickness of a pencil may be pickled.”

You can also add the succulent leaves and stems  to sandwiches, tostadas, even on the edges of your chile rellenos and huevos rancheros. I’ve eaten it fried, boiled, baked (in egg dishes), and probably other ways, too. It’s versatile, tasty, and crisp. It really goes with anything, and it’s very nutritious.

If you take the thick stems, clean off the leaves, and cut them into sections of about 4", you can make purslane pickles. There are many ways to make pickles; my way is to simply fill the jar with the purslane stems, add raw apple cider vinegar, and let it sit for a few weeks. (I refrigerate it.)

MEDICINE/NUTRITION: 

According to researchers, purslane is one of the richest plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids. That means that not only is it good, but it’s also good for you!  It has been fed to chickens to create a low-cholesterol egg!

100 grams, about a half-cup, of purslane contains 103 mg. of phosphorus, 39 mg. of iron, 2,500 mg. of thiamine, and smaller amounts of vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, and calcium, according to the USDA.

 

ADVICE FOR GROWING:  Purslane seeds can be purchased from seed supply companies, and planted in gardens or pots if you don’t have any.

The cut stems root easily, so you can cut the thicker stems that you find in the wild, and then root them in good soil in your yard.

 

Purslane is a member of the Purslane Family, which according to the most recent botanical classification, contains only one genus, Portulaca.  There are about 100 species of genus Portulaca world-wide, with Purslane being one of the most common species worldwide.

 

CAUTIONS: Sometimes, prostrate spurge is confused for purslane.  Prostrate spurge, however, lies very flat to the ground, and when you break the stem of spurge, a white milky sap appears.

 

RECIPES:

Purslane Salsa, created by Pascal Baudar, author of “Wildcrafted Fermentation.”

2 cups chopped tomatoes

21⁄2 cups chopped foraged purslane

3⁄4 cup chopped onions

3 garlic cloves

1 cup raw apple cider vinegar

1⁄4 cup sugar

1 large California bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

1⁄2 cup chopped cilantro and some herbs from the garden (such as thyme)

Place all ingredients, except cilantro and other herbs, into a pot, bring to a boil, and then simmer to the desired consistency (light or chunky). Add cilantro and other herbs.

Pour into jars, close the lids, and place in the fridge. It should be good for at least a month.

 

About the Author:

Nyerges has been teaching ethnobotany since 1974.  He is the author of “Guide to Wild Foods and Useful Plants,” “Foraging Wild Edible Plants of North America,” and other books on the uses of wild plants. He can be reached at www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com.

 

DREAMS

 

DREAMS

Christopher Nyerges

[Nyerges is an educator, and author of such books as “Til Death Do Us Part?”, “Urban Survival Guide,” and more. Information at www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com]

 

Can our dreams be interpreted in a meaningful way?  Do our dreams have special meaning, or are they all just a blending of the subconscious thoughts that run through our minds while we sleep?

I’ve paid special attention to my dreams for a long time, and studied several books that purport to explain the meanings of those symbols and actions.  I even took a class in symbolism to assist in discovering the language of dreams. I’ve concluded that the dreamer is the best interpreter, because only the dreamer has the knowledge of the details and specificity that no one else can know. 
One of the dream books that I read years ago was disappointing because it gave the impression that all one had to do was define each symbol, as if the symbol or object always means the same thing for everyone.   But that’s just not so.  I was talking with a friend about dreams, and she mentioned that a snake  in one of her dreams was a very positive symbol.  Yet, I have had dreams where the snake was very negative and frightful.  We discussed the context of each dream, and it became clear that symbols will mean different things for each dreamer.

Still, it’s good to understand basic symbolism and how symbols can be interpreted.  The symbol must be “translated” by the dreamer depending on the context of the dream. A snake, for example, is regarded quite differently in different cultures and so a snake cannot have one single static meaning.  The meaning is within the mind of the dreamer, which is why the dreamer is the best hope for a good dream interpretation. 

Nothing is simple in a dream.  It is as if you are watching a movie, and some parts are highly significant while others are just dressing.   Plus, another factor is that the dream could be about the day before, or it might clarify something in your past.  It might be about your future. The dream might be answering some deeply personal query, and the dream might even be for someone else entirely.  I have dreams on numerous occasions that were clearly warnings or messages for someone else.  I would dutifully call that person when I awoke to give them the unusual news.

The best way to learn about your dreams is to begin recording details of your significant dreams. Do this as soon as awakening as possible.  If you wait too long, you’ll forget details or the details will start to get murky.  At least knowing the basic meaning of various symbols can help your interpretation of the details you write.  It takes a bit of concerted effort to do this in a way that yields results, so if you’re going to approach this, don’t do it casually.

One category of dreams are those that follow your deep personal inquiry as to whether or not you should take some particular action in your life. You’re not likely to get a simple “yes” or “no” from your dream.  In all probability, your dream will seem non-sensical.  It will be for you to interpret, based on the context of your life. 

Some obvious things to look for:  What was I doing in the dream?  Why was I doing that?  What might that action symbolize?  Where was I?  Were the surroundings familiar, or completely unknown?  Who was there with me?  Were these people that I know, or do not know?  What specific involvement did I have with these people?

Did the dream seem to be giving me some sort of message?  If so, what is that message, and how might it apply to my day to day decisions? Did I see any unique objects in the dream? Were certain colors very noticeable?

Only you can answer these questions since you are the one who dreamed the dream and saw the pictures.  When you take the time to look into these secret sleep-time messages, you may find that you may gain deep insight into what is happening in your waking life. 

I have kept records of significant dreams for over 30 years.  Not always, but sometimes they are prophetic, showing me symbolically what might happen to me, to friends, or to the world at large.

 

"GUIDE TO WILD FOODS" lists "Safe (botanical) Families"

 

“GUIDE TO WILD FOODS”

Be Sure to Read the Appendix on “Safe Families”

By Christopher Nyerges

 [Nyerges’ “Guide to Wild Foods” book, originally published in 1978, was published in full color as of 2014.  The book, now titled “Guide to Wild Foods and Useful Plants,” is available at bookstores, Amazon, and at www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com.  It has been adopted for use as a college textbook in one college.]

 

When I was working on my very first book, “Guide to Wild Foods,” it was really a collection of random notes about the uses of the wild plants I had been studying and tasting.  I wasn’t sure how I would get it published, but I knew it should contain the overview of how to use wild plants for food that I’d been obsessed with.

 

The members of the non-profit WTI also wanted to see a local book on wild foods, and their efforts dovetailed with my work.  Eventually, I was working as a typesetter for a local newspaper, and I was able to prepare the entire first draft of the book for the printer.

 

The book is still in print, eight or so editions later.

 

One of the most important parts of the book is an Appendix that I think next to no one ever reads.  This is the section that I call “Safe Families,” which I developed under the tutelage of Dr. Leonid Enari, who was my teacher at the time, and who helped with me with many aspects of the book.   Dr. Enari encouraged me to continue to learn how to identify and use individual plants, of course, but he also emphasized the great leap forward that would occur if I began to see plants in terms of their Family relationships.

 

There are many plant families, of course, and the concept of a “family” is one that has developed over a few hundred years of observing similarities of plants, and the realization that even the chemistry of plants flows within families.

 

Dr. Enari was uniquely qualified to guide me in this direction, as he earned a Phd in both ethno-botany and chemistry in his native Estonia.  We spent many afternoons in his office discussing families that were entirely safe, or worthy of consideration, with certain qualifications.  This was not intended as a shortcut to learning individual plants, but rather a way to open the door to using all plants within a specific family.  You had to know how to definitively identify a specific family in order for all this to make sense.

 

Dr. Enari and I identified quite a few families whose members could all be eaten, again, within certain guidelines.  When the first edition of my “Guide to Wild Foods” was published, we provided a list of 13 entirely safe to consume botanical families.  Each family description included how to recognize that family, and whatever considerations you might need to take into account as you pursue that path.

 

Over time, in various articles I’d written for Backpacker magazine, Mother Earth News, and others, I’d mention these safe families, and I began to see that the idea was being picked up by others. 

 

By the way, this is not a short cut to identifying edible plants. The widely touted “short cut” is the so-called Universal Taste Test, where you are instructed to taste a little bit of an unknown plant.  If it is not distasteful in any way, you are instructed to swallow a little and wait 8 or so hours to see if any sickness results. If no sickness, you are instructed to repeat the experiment and wait another 8 hours.  I think it is terrible advice and I have never been an advocate of this potentially dangerous shortcut.

 

The list of Safe Families in my book includes only those families that most beginners would be able to identify with a bit of work. 

 

For example, we included the Grass family, which is one of the biggest plant families on the face of the earth.  You can eat any mature seeds, and you can eat the young leaves, ideally juiced or cooked.   Of course, I warn the reader to be cautious around commercial lawns and golf courses, where toxic substances might have been used to keep the lawn green.

 

Onions, once part of the Lily Family, are another safe family.  They look like little green onions, but if you have a bad sense of smell, you might have trouble here.

 

Another edible family is the Mustard Family, the same family that gives you broccoli and watercress and radish.   In the wild, you have need to see the flower – especially if you’re a beginner – to know that a plant is a member of the Mustard Family.  The flower has to have four sepals, four petals, one pistil, and six stamens (four tall, two short).  So you need to know what all those flower parts are before you go randomly eating what you think are Mustard Family members.  And even then, you’re only eating tender parts of these plants, since some members can be very woody.

 

“Guide to Wild Foods” also mentions the Amaranth Family, the Cactus Family, the Mallow Family, the Goosefoot Family, and more.

 

In the very beginning of pursuing this method, I did receive some pushback from at least one botanist who objected to what he thought was a “shotgun” approach. However, I countered that my listed families all included thoughtful considerations of what could go wrong.  In time, I have found that the consideration of plant families has gained prominence as a way to teach about ethno-botany, and to see the relationships between similar useful plants.

 

“Guide to Wild Foods” is still in print, all color now, and we have slightly expanded the Appendix on Safe Families.  Yes, it is the part of the book which nearly no one reads, but I hope you’re one of those who will read it, and discover that it assists your learning about this field which can be challenging.

 

Now titled “Guide to Wild Foods and Useful Plants,”  the book has been used as a textbook in some schools.  It is available at Amazon, at bookstores, and at the store at  www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com

 

WHAT I DID ON "GOOD FRIDAY"

 

WHAT I DID ON “GOOD FRIDAY”

Christopher Nyerges

[Nyerges is the author of many books, such as “Searching for the Meaning of Life,” “Watermelon Dreams,” “Urban Survival Guide,” “Extreme Simplicity,” and others.  More information can be found at www.SchoolofSelf-Reliance.com.

 

One year, during the Easter weekend, I saw a picture of the Pope dragging a wooden cross along the path that Jesus is said to have taken after the trials, on his way to Golgotha.  The Pope was commemorating what Catholics call the Stations of the Cross, significant events along the way while the beaten Jesus was dragging the very cross that he would be nailed to.

In the case of the Pope, the article indicated that the Pope’s cross was made of balsa wood, weighing about 5 pounds, and it was fitted with little wheels so that it could be rolled, and didn’t really require any physical strength to carry.

This caught my attention because of the unique exercises I have done with the Survival Training School of Highland Park, beginning in the late 1970s.  The School’s focus involved physical exercises, running, jumping, and other activities that bring the student to their physical and mental limits, with the goal of extending one’s perceived limits.  Needless to say, it was a strenuous regimen, and the number of students was never large.

This was not a religious school, though the headmaster, who also taught Yoga when it was not popular, often attempted to incorporate spiritual or religious principles into some of the curriculum.  For example, we all did an activity called “Cross Bearing” during Good Friday, sometimes on the following Saturday since the classes were always on Saturdays. The instructor told us to look at what happened to Jesus after he was brought to trial and beaten.  We were told to attempt to grasp the intense physical pain that Jesus had to have undergone, and then, after being beaten and bloody, was forced to carry a heavy wooden cross.  Our exercise was then to select logs at our class site, and to carry one over our shoulders, up and down the unpaved driveway to the hilltop school.  We were told to do this physically taxing activity in silence, and to breathe deeply during the slow walking.  In fact, we were given a whole series of instructions on how to breathe, how to deal with the pain, and how to ask our “higher Self” for assistance in continuing just a little bit beyond where we felt we’d reached a limit.  It all fit right in with our general school curriculum, which was intended to be real, and uncompromising.  As I said, the number of students was never large, and many of the student were mysteriously “out of town” during the Good Friday event.

Once a reporter called us to ask if they could come and photograph the event.  “Sure,” I responded.  “This is a religious activity, right?” asked the reporter.  “Well,” I began.  “Not exactly.”  I then tried to explain that this was not some sort of Good Friday replication where we wear robes and whip ourselves, but rather that it was part of a very secular martial-arts-type school where there is focus on physical and mental expansion.  “Oh,” she replied, “we were expecting something else,” and they did not come.   Clearly, what they wanted was to see someone – preferably dressed in a robe -- pulling a small cross on wheels like the Pope, while parishioners stand along and pray along the path. 

Nevertheless, this has been a highpoint for me nearly every Good Friday for the past approximately 40 years.  In the very beginning, I was able to do the Cross Bearing with a section of a telephone pole!  These days, my “crosses” have gotten smaller, though I still focus upon the same breathing techniques, and the same mental focus of  quietly looking at my own “crosses” in life as I slowly walk up and down the driveway.

I am well aware that in many parts of the world people have tried to literally re-create the crucifixion as a way to intensely remember the pain of Jesus.  In my files, I have photos of Catholic groups in such diverse places as Mexico, Guatemala, and the Philipines, where some participants actually get nailed to a cross for a few minutes. They have doctors on hand, and they use sterilized nails.  In other places, the “celebrants” actually get bloody-whipped and the observers take it all very seriously.

Though I have no interest in having someone drive a nail in my wrist, or whip me, I still derive great benefit from my personal focus upon taking on a bit more of a challenge than I think I can.  Though I have respect for the people who choose to replicate Jesus’s ordeal, it still strikes me too much as trying to take on the appearance of something, rather  than actually deeply feeling what it’s all about, regardless if anyone is watching.

This year, just a small group of students from the Survival Training School showed up for the Cross Bearing event.  Everyone carried segments of tree branches from some recent tree-pruning. It was quiet, intense, and deeply moving to everyone present. 

When I was a child, I sat in church on Good Friday from noon to three, not understanding the priest’s Latin, and finding the crowded church quite stuffy.   I sometimes fell asleep.  Somehow, the Cross Bearing, with no religious underpinning, put me more intensely in touch with the presumed theme of Easter weekend.