...But then again, when isn't? A time of transition, I mean. Everything is changing constantly in a perpetual jitterbug of shimmying wavelets and fleeting sub-subatomic particles that may turn out to resemble bits of space-time string wrapped up at every conceivable point into 11 or so dimensions of space-time. Still, there are times of relative apparent stability. Times when the change at least seems linear, or a good approximation thereof, and even predictable. This is not one of those times. On a macrocosmic scale, or (in this case) on a microcosmic one. What I'm saying is, shit has been crazy. Forget the world at large for a moment--can't handle tackling that one right now--let me take the small view. In the last few weeks I have driven across the country to Portland, Oregon (predicably enough, I guess), moved into a new home with an old friend from High School (didn't see that one coming), watched my relationship dangle by a thread, had the keys stolen and gotten locked out of said new house for 3 days (whoever lifted Thandiwe's coat from the Goodwill shopping cart got more than he bargained for), drove a fainting T to the emergency room after she stabbed herself nearly through the hand with a steak knife the same day we got back into the house...except perhaps for a very peaceful Christmas amongst the big cedars up in Bellingham, it's been eventful. And now, after much ado, I'm finally back in school. Today is Day Two of Grade 17. I am going to be busy. What novelty! To go from essentially no schedule to one as tightly-regimented as this, in which I have more class time than I did in college. And I'm excited as hell. There is really no place I'd rather be than here at the Classical Chinese Medicine program at National College of Natural Medicine.
But I'm going to be busy. Business, in my limited experience with it recently, is not good for blogging. What I may or may not be getting at here is that Ill Wind, too, will feel the effects of this particular transition, and I don't know yet how. I hope it doesn't mean that I just post my favorite homework assignments here, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't expect to pull that stunt once in a while. I suppose this is indicative of the happy occurrence of my interests--nay, my passions, my consuming obsessions--converging with my formal schooling. It'll seem like the most natural thing in the world to share with my six or so faithful readers notes on
classical Chinese cosmology, the relevance of the
I Ching to medicine, and the esoteric correspondences between herbs, the subtle body, asterisms, organ networks and mythology. Dear readers, correct me if I go astray!
That's all for now. During this regrettable lapse in content, allow me to appease you with a few photos.
Early explorations in traditional cosmology: arranging foodstuffs amidst the Vedic framework of the 5 elements, 3 doshas, seasons, times of day, and qualities (gunas).
A favorite herb ship in the Ayurvedic district of Bhedasingh, Kathmandu.
Dr. Jonny performs minor trailside surgery with an Opinel knife. Sorry, Alden.
Playing with some Shilajit close to its source, in the Annapurna Himalaya.
