tava

Last night, around a backyard fire, I learned from a very wise man that Pikes Peak used to be called Sun Mountain by the Utes. A little research revealed this to be true. I think I'm going to start calling Pikes Peak "Tava" from now on... maybe it could take hold the way Denali has in Alaska. There's something about it that is sacred, yet it is often so hard to feel amidst the swarm of humanity in its shadow.

From the Pikes Peak Historical Society Museum in Florissant:

10,000 YEARS AGO
Archaic tools and arrowheads found during the archaeological survey of the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in 1974 place human beings in the area about 10,000 years ago. Ute Indians say these are their ancestors. The Ute have no migration story, but instead cite a legend wherein Creator made their nation on Pikes Peak. For thousands of years, they perform ceremonies on this sacred mountain which they call “Tava” (meaning sun in their dialect of the Aztec language). The band of Ute Indians in the Pikes Peak region takes its name from this mountain, calling themselves “Tabeguache” (The People of Sun Mountain). They are one of ten bands of the Ute Nation, whose ancestral lands include all of Colorado, Utah, and northern New Mexico.

the sun

the sun
resurrects itself
each day
whether we
like it
or not

Copernicus fucked with the heavenly bodies,
screwed over their relationships
until what used to be
scattered into the indifferent heavens

a revolution of consequences so vast,
the sun stopped in its tracks
and waited
for the earth (and the others)
to come ‘round

meteors crash-
changing orbits
and even small minds

history spirals ever after-
not happily perhaps
but consistently

the sun
resurrects itself
each day
whether we
like it
or not

summer solstice

You could do this or this, but I prefer to simply imagine, for a day, that the sun really can stand still.

from religioustolerance.org

"Solstice" is derived from two Latin words: "sol" meaning sun, and "sistere," to cause to stand still. This is because, as the summer solstice approaches, the noonday sun rises higher and higher in the sky on each successive day. On the day of the solstice, it rises an imperceptible amount, compared to the day before. In this sense, it "stands still."

Significance of the summer solstice:

In pre-historic times, summer was a joyous time of the year for those Aboriginal people who lived in the northern latitudes. The snow had disappeared; the ground had thawed out; warm temperatures had returned; flowers were blooming; leaves had returned to the deciduous trees. Some herbs could be harvested, for medicinal and other uses. Food was easier to find. The crops had already been planted and would be harvested in the months to come. Although many months of warm/hot weather remained before the fall, they noticed that the days were beginning to shorten, so that the return of the cold season was inevitable.

The first (or only) full moon in June is called the Honey Moon. Tradition holds that this is the best time to harvest honey from the hives.

This time of year, between the planting and harvesting of the crops, was the traditional month for weddings. This is because many ancient peoples believed that the "grand [sexual] union" of the Goddess and God occurred in early May at Beltaine. Since it was unlucky to compete with the deities, many couples delayed their weddings until June. June remains a favorite month for marriage today. In some traditions, newly wed couples were fed dishes and beverages that featured honey for the first month of their married life to encourage love and fertility. The surviving vestige of this tradition lives on in the name given to the holiday immediately after the ceremony: The Honeymoon.

one more reason to love Miranda July

Being a teacher, I love giving assignments. Your assignment is to check out these assignments!
learning to love you more

everyone and no one

I love Miranda July. It really is that simple.

a movie:
Me and You and Everyone We Know


a book:
No One Belongs Here More Than You

summer, not winter, but all the same...

There's a certain slant of light,
On winter afternoons
That oppresses, like the weight
Of cathedral tunes.

Heavenly hurt it gives us;
We can find no scar,
But internal difference
Where the meanings, are.

None may teach it anything,
'T is the seal, despair,
An imperial affliction
Sent us of the air.

When it comes, the landscape listens,
Shadows hold their breath;
When it goes, 't is like the distance
On the look of death.

-Emily Dickinson

from one to another

Belt Promotion Ceremony at The Defense Institute. The best part was watching the expressions on the faces of Grant and Bennett as they watched the older kids with a mixture of awe, fear, and fascination. Hell, I was watching them with awe, fear, and fascination as well!

breaking boards:


stripes:


Sensei Eric:

women in art

First thought: beautiful!
Second thought: they all look so sad.
Third thought: who's missing?