Thursday, March 26, 2009

Plant Spirits, Silkworms and Projector Art

I have been thinking a lot about plant spirits lately.. something a friend was telling about them, and how they are all connected - I will share the line:
"People who have spent a lot of time in the jungle also talk about plant spirits vs. human spirits, how humans gain experience as separate souls moving through individual bodies, but one plant spirit inhabits all the plant bodies of its species simultaneously. So plants have a very inverted sense of movement and travel than we do, it makes sense that the same logic would apply to being eaten. I ate a mango once at the end of a ceremony and Aya explained how the entire universe is contained in aseed, the co-creative nature of human-plant relations, and it was undescribably powerful."

I know this sounds strange but I was asking about plants being eaten. I felt quite sure that they didn't mind and actually liked it.. and it was confirmed, from various sources - that everything on the planet is here for the highest conscious good.. that is their highest calling.. and that fruits, esp with seeds love to be eaten cause fruits LOVE to travel. : ) I really think I could be a fruitarian!! Love that!

Interesting about the plant spirit being in all that species of plant - I remember reading from the Intention Experimentof a study where plants in different rooms could feel the pain of a plant being harmed far away. So, according to this.. a plant of the same species across the planet may feel the same pain. Interesting.

Silkworms. It has come to my attention that most silk is made very inhumanely. & I have been deciding what to do with my silk, not that I have a lot.. but I have a beautiful silk purse which I love. I have decided that I will keep what I have but just not buy any more.

"The domestic silkworm has undergone such strong artificial selection that it is completely unable to survive in the wild for any length of time.
It is probably the most heavily domesticated animal known apart from domestic hybrids such as mules. Regardless whether the domestic silkworm is derived from a wild species that has since gone extinct, or from a stock of Bombyx orange that was taken into human care some 4,600 years ago (Yoshitake 1968), breeding of silkworms cannot have originated before the Neolithic as the tools necessary to make use of the silk thread on a large scale only have become available since then.
.... It is entirely dependent on humans for its reproduction and no longer occurs naturally in the wild.
.... The cocoon is made of a thread of raw silk from 300 to about 900 meters (1,000 to 3,000feet) long. The fibers are very fine and lustrous, about 10 micrometers (1/2,500th of an inch) in diameter. About 2,000 to 3,000 cocoons arerequired to make a pound of silk.
.... If the animal is allowed to survive after spinning its cocoon, it will release proteolytic enzymes to make a hole in the cocoon so that it can emerge as a moth. This would cut short the threads and ruin the silk. Instead, silkworm cocoons are boiled. The heat kills the silkworms and the water makes the cocoons easier to unravel. Often, the silkworm itself is eaten."

BUT Good news! Peace Silk silkworms are raised and processed differently. The moths are allowed to emerge from their cocoons to live out their full life cycle. The silk is degummed and spun like other fiber, instead of being reeled. The resulting yarn is soft, fluffy, and light like a cloud. This is the best silk for warmth and therapeutic use. It is rare and not readily commercially available.

A friend of mines daughter is studying projector art at OCAD. He was telling me of room installations with projectors creating fascinating spaces and telling interesting stories. Sitting in the middle of art going on all around you. Awesome. small example from Puma:

Puma LIFT

& this ..I love YouTube ; )
Water Projection on a Dancer

3 comments:

Millie said...

I love projector art. There is a French movie called "Hasards ou coincidences" where there is a scene using projector art...I think its by a famous person but I cant find his name. Its pretty neat.The title of the movie in English is "Chance or Coincidence". Interesting too about the silkworms I had no idea! I crochet so I know not to by yarn with silk anymore! Thank for the info.

Robin 'Keiko' Gregory said...

I will have to find and watch that movie - sounds interesting!!
Thanks Malilies! Hugs!!

5330 said...

Great post on plant spirits. Thanks for sharing those insights.