The Right Tool for the Job

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Our ability to be effective in life is largely correlated with the tools we have acquired. Our accuracy and precision are deeply affected by our ability to secure the right “tool for the job.”

When the goal in life is constant refinement, our tools should become increasingly precise. No matter where we begin, we can always gain more tools under one condition: we must make full use of what we have in the present moment. A true spiritual seeker will never be denied what they require, provided they take nothing for granted. Even a person who seems to start with absolutely nothing can gain everything with the proper mindset.

Consider an archaeological dig. First, large machinery is used to remove piles of dirt, marking the initial step in reaching the buried “treasure” beneath. The machine is operated from a driver’s seat, positioned well above the actual dig site.

Next, we might employ a shovel. We are now much closer to the action, with a tool in hand, gaining slightly more autonomy. The shovel is far more precise than the machinery. From there, archaeologists use increasingly smaller tools, such as brushes, picks, and trowels to gently remove layers of earth and reveal what lies beneath. Finally, at the very end of the excavation, the human body becomes the final instrument. We use our hands, and even our breath, to blow away the finest particles of dust.

We move from large, clunky machinery operated at a distance, to handheld tools that bring us closer, to delicate instruments of precision, until finally the human body itself becomes the only tool.

Photo from the European Cultural Skills Heritage Alliance

Machinery & Public Figures

We can use this process as an analogy for how we refine ourselves on the spiritual journey. At first, large and impersonal entities may guide us. These include public figures, organized religion, televangelists, and megachurches. We are far removed from the guides themselves, yet we seek their direction from a distance through live streams, videos, or large worship services. The “machine” is doing the work for us, and we are remaining on the surface. This is a shallow, surface-level, and theoretical state of being. This state of consciousness lacks direct experience and even shuns or demonizes it.

This is the stage where we begin breaking spiritual ground. We are far from the buried treasure, yet still attempting to access it in an impersonal way. At this level of consciousness, Source Energy (God, Goddess) is understood as something outside of oneself, accessible only through intermediaries such as pastors, priestesses, gurus, or avatar figures like Jesus.

Shovels & Family Tradition

Next, with the shovel, we move deeper into the mysteries using a more personal tool: family tradition. We place our trust in the spiritual systems practiced by our ancestors and immediate family. We participate in smaller religious services, family prayers, and seasonal rituals passed down through generations.

We have stepped down from the machinery and now stand with a tool in hand, directly engaging with these inherited practices. Yet this is still not direct contact with the mysterious treasure itself. We are still relying on a bridge to connect us to Source. We are closer, but not quite there. Many feel content to remain in this stage, especially if nobody else in the family has gone deeper into the mysteries. At times, this can feel like all there is and the excavation is complete. However, usually the “black sheep” of the family will feel an inner pull to keep going. This is when the next stage can begin.

Statue of a nymph emerges from the waters, 2nd century AD. Found in recent excavations at the Gymnasium of Amastris, (modern Amasra) Turkey

Precise Tools & Personal Practice

At this next stage, we gently set the shovel aside, recognizing that it may now do more harm than good. Continuing with a larger, less precise tool could damage the treasure we seek to uncover. Rather than rejecting our family traditions or deeming them useless, we honor how far they have brought us. Now, kneeling at the site, we require something more refined.

We enter a quieter, more sacred space: personal spiritual practice. Our tools become metacognition, intuition, self-discipline, at-home altars, malas, personalized routines, and silence. These tools are intimate and hand-held, reflecting our inner world, connected to all that came before us, yet distinctly our own. We come to understand that the occult practices which may be demonized by those at prior stages of development are actually deeper ways of understanding ourselves and connecting with Source Energy. Every major religion has a mystical ‘arm’ waiting for the serious practitioner to unveil.

It is mainly the fear of accountability, radical self-awareness, and responsibility that keeps people stuck in earlier stages. Fear itself often becomes a primary tool within certain forms of religious programming. This can serve a protective purpose because those who attempt to practice spirituality with greater precision while still operating through fear are more likely to make serious mistakes. The inner distortion of certain practitioners is part of what has given the occult a reputation for being dangerous.

Here, we should not seek to sever our connection to what shaped us. Instead, we refine it. Here, we come to understand that no one is coming to save us. We are each responsible for our own soul’s development. We step into this stage with reverence and gratitude, aware of the responsibility we now consciously carry. And yet, we must still continue…

“The Hand of Mysteries” by Augustus Knapp

Human Hands

Finally, at the end of the dig toward the mysterious treasure, we see that the tools that kept us balanced, focused, and refined may leave our hands for a moment as we reach to dust off the treasure with our bare hands. We need to touch the treasure directly, intimately experiencing its power with our hands. The final moment of excavation occurs when we use our breath to gently blow away the dust, reach into the ground and pull the treasure up with our hands. Softly embracing that which took many stages to finally bring forth, as digging to the core of the treasure with only our bare hands was never the goal (and this would not have worked anyway). Fittingly, we are on our knees as we do this, almost bowing to the process itself with immense gratitude for the entire path. Now we hold, in our own hands, that which contains all truth, all mystery, and all divinity. 💎

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Divine Architecture

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“The human body is the principal source of proportion among the classical orders of architecture.” – Leonardo da Vinci

To endure the tests of the Earth and the elements, a structure must adhere precisely to the immutable laws of materialization if it is to remain upright. It must be simply perfect, or it will not stand the tests of both Saturn (time, pressure) and the elements. The same laws that allow a structure to stand also govern beauty, the human body, and the architecture of consciousness itself.

These laws of materialization are the same laws that we must learn to engage with through the processes of rising consciousness. Beautiful structures are the crystallization of invisible energetic laws, just as is a perfected human body. This is because beauty arises from geometric and mathematical harmony, and adherence to these same laws is the reason any structure is able to literally stand rather than collapse.

Palais Garnier, Opera House

(Paris, France)

Stunning architecture that takes your breath away is the framework of the Divine mind. It is the vibration of beauty made visible through the medium of stone and glass. Just as the beauty of a flower is the vibration of the Divine made visible through the medium of Earth. As is the beauty of a bright, healthy human body the framework of the Divine, made visible through the medium of skin and bones.

Beauty is a spiritual principle. Beauty is a pattern. A tight, specific, Divine pattern which can express itself through every material on Earth.

Architects tap into the Divine mind when they build temples, high-rising buildings, palaces, museums, and anything else that is both functional and visually stunning. Both of these criteria must be met.

Of course, as humanity moves from Golden Ages to Iron Ages, we witness the degradation of these architectural arts. The collective consciousness “forgets” the purpose of divine architecture and the truths are lost for a time. However, consciousness will always have to rise again, as humans will always require shelter from the elements to thrive. Not just survive, but thrive. And so, as the human Will develops the capacity to stretch toward the Divine, the human ability to build proper protective structures increases. The rudimentary shelter in the jungle evolves into something more functional, and so it continues to build upon itself until we are able to build the most proper housing for ourselves. The cadence increases, rushing toward a rebirth of consciousness, which is now so chronologically far from the last Age of Gold, that it feels brand new again. And so, humanity rediscovers itself through these divine impulses to build beauty. Humanity seems reborn, and we call it a “Renaissance.”

We then seek to build that which will please and serve the Divine impulse which has been growing in proportion to our protection from the elements. The human Will then seeks to move beyond that which is merely functional and desires to create that which is perfect. The absolute intelligence required to do this is god-like, as the creation of anything on Earth is a gift from the Ultimate Creator. So, as intelligence and consciousness grow, our ability to create beauty around us grows.

At the peak of these Golden Ages humanity reached a fever pitch of creating perfected architectural forms. And importantly, the knowledge of why we were doing so remained consciously intact.

However, like a wave, this pitch dulls slightly over time, fading until the reasoning behind the building of such structures is lost. We may retain the ability to make sound enough structures that do not collapse, but we lose the Divine metric, the living proportion that mirrors the enlightened human body, mind, and energetic system.

We may observe an example of this wave of consciousness by studying the construction of the Santa Maria Del Fiore cathedral in Florence. 

By the early 1400s, the Florence Cathedral had been under construction for decades. The main problem was the enormous central space of the nave: the church needed a massive dome to cover it. No one had ever built a dome of that size without using temporary wooden scaffolding from the ground up and such scaffolding was not feasible at that scale.

The builders struggled because the traditional techniques used for smaller domes would not work. Many architects believed it was impossible. And yet, when the human Will encounters an opportunity for expansion, nothing is impossible. 

Enter Filippo Brunelleschi. 

Without scaffolding, he designed a self-supporting, double-shell dome using a herringbone brick pattern and innovative machinery. The result was a structure of immense beauty and mathematical precision, a testament to human ingenuity aligned with the laws of the material and the Divine.

Pictured here, Brunelleschi’s dome still crowns the city of Florence to this day.

Today, because of those who came before us, we can stand inside cathedrals of Divine proportion. We can witness the revelation of Divinity as mathematics solidified through physical materials. Humanity once understood that approaching the Divine should be beautiful, as a way of showing reverence. Yet modern humanity is content to call any old refurbished strip mall a “church.”

The spiritual aspirant should seek the embrace of any perfected edifice, using it to align one’s auric field with symmetry, divinity, balance, and beauty. If one cannot perceive the beauty of temples, this is a result of one’s own dullness. A remedial solution would be to simply spend as much time around physical perfection as possible. A person who is oriented away from truth and beauty will feel physically ill when confronted by them. This tonic is pure and straight to the heart. Consider it a Divine miracle that the state of one’s energetic field is so easily revealed in the presence of Divine proportion.

We must also seek to keep our homes in Divine order, however it may fit our own individual Will, but consciously curated and upheld to the status of a temple. And it goes without saying that if our homes can be the dwelling place of Divinity through beauty, soundness, and structural perfection, so may our own human bodies be.

“Man only becomes fully human when he has become a work of art.” – Friedrich Schiller (German, 1759-1805)

The Bathing Pool by Hubert Robert (c.1777-1780, French)

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On the Necessity of Focus

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By Valerie A. Cody

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The ability to focus is one of the greatest tools we have on our spiritual journeys. It is a complete and total necessity to higher attainments in our physical realm and our inner world. We must do everything we can to cultivate this ability, and as you will likely notice immediately upon setting out on this task, our modern world is built upon the normalization of distraction.

Few take the time to notice their failures of focus. It can feel productive to be scattered; the taking in of information can feel productive. And it is, to a certain point. But informational overload is counterproductive and leads to stagnation or over-intellectualism which will halt any real growth. Worthy are those who cultivate the ability to recognize and take meaningful action.

The success metric is simple: physical, tangible, real-world results. Does your frenetic thinking lead to action, or does it remain in the realm of the mind? Focus and concentration are the engine, the drivers of daily execution of meaningful actions.

When we set out on the spiritual path, we should begin with a daily meditation practice, a tool which asks us to be single-minded in our efforts. Here is where we must apply the skills of focus and consistency. The serious seeker will almost immediately find that they are distracted and unfocused when attempting meditation. This is a good thing and a sign of progress, for without the realization that one is not focused, one cannot become focused. It is always the conscious recognition of what we are not that leads to the ability to become that which we desire to embody.

We should not enter into spiritual practice as an escape from reality, but rather as a way to become even more aware of reality. If we enter into the consistency of a focused spiritual tradition with the goal of seeing rather than feeling “better” – all truths will eventually be revealed to us. As we work with and through the animal nature inherent in humanity, divinity begins to reveal itself. We become worthy of this witnessing through our commitment to “seeing.”

We should seek to open our eyes, to awaken. If we enter into an established spiritual tradition with this mindset, even those religions which have been coated and lacquered with half-truths and literalism (and coded to conceal Divine Truth as a means of controlling the masses) we will eventually be awakened to Divine Truth. This is because we all have an inner thread that connects us to the Divine, and this thread will begin to vibrate and seek resonance with its counterparts when we make this mindset shift. But we must be willing to seek Truth above comfort, and self-sovereignty over the perceived safety of the hive mind. This is the way it must be done in the modern sea of willful ignorance and weaponized distraction.

One very beautiful aspect of this path is that actual truth will lead to unexpected places, which is a testament to the fact that our rational minds struggle with the perception of truth. This is because the mind is accustomed to preserving our sense of self, or ego, which is a necessary component of becoming a self-realized individual. However, the mundane ego can cloud our ability to perceive truth, as it is fundamentally a self-preserving mechanism. The deeper and more mystical aspects of life require a calculated abandonment of rationality, and this is where we meet Divinity.

True and worthwhile spiritual practice will almost always be unsettling at first. I make this distinction because not all spiritual practice is pure enough to make any difference whatsoever in the lives of its practitioners. Some practices instead seek to comfort and lull the individual into a deeper state of sleep, offering a narrative in which someone else has made a sacrifice on their behalf and thus they are “saved.” Happiness and peace are neither the immediate result nor the goal of rigorous, catalytic, and truly transformative practices. And again, that is a good thing.

We do not come to Earth fully formed and flawless; we come to perfect ourselves through life experience. How can one perfect oneself if one does not see the flaws? When we enter spiritual practice with the mission to detect our flaws, we have found the true path. A proper spiritual practice is a luminous, truth-serving, emotionless mirror. When we embrace this, we clear our channels so that we might become a conduit for divine light. We become the perfected surface upon which divine light can reflect.

Through “hard work and perseverance” it “blossoms unexpectedly.” This is written in Latin on these emblems. They are #9 and #59 from the book “Selectorum Emblematum” by the German poet Gabriel Rollenhagen.

When we enter spiritual practice to “feel better” or “find peace,” this is usually a trap, as the common interpretation of these words often amounts to covering over what is unsettled underneath. It is a glossing over of the work required to create true change within one’s body, soul, and perception.

Seek not this glossy covering.

Seek instead the consistent work and focus required to build inner strength that will eventually lead to spiritual transformation. Take the long way. Take the difficult path. Take the path of real and total obliteration of all internal weakness. We must not seek to paint ourselves with the coverings of religion, virtue signaling, or the outward appearances of peace. We must enter deeply and profoundly into the self. We must tie, or “yoke,” ourselves to spiritual practices that are harsh and reveal our true reflection. Then, and only then, are we capable of the change necessary to align ourselves with our true will and Divine Will.

Here is where peace is eventually achieved. It is not through the acceptance of flaw, but through its eradication. This distinction is enormous. The proper path transforms that which is dull into that which shines. We should be unsettled by mediocrity, and to accept our flaws under the guise of inner peace is a waste of human potential.

In the end, we must face ourselves. Until we do, anything we attempt will simply be an external projection of our flaws, embodied as emotions and reactions to “triggers,” which prove that we are neither self-possessed nor self-controlled. The ego will do anything to avoid facing itself, and this is why the sincere seeker eventually employs the steady mechanism of spiritual practice. Self-focus ultimately meets its divine core, and that is the point at which individuality merges with Divine Will, allowing us to discern and define our unique destinies.

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🕰️The Sacred Art of Time-Keeping

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By Valerie A. Cody

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The documenting of the passage of time is one of the most intricate and important of the ancient mysteries. This is due to the fact that methods of keeping rhythmic and cyclical time over large spans such as centuries and millennia were esoteric practices neither meant for nor shared with the masses. These were “behind the scenes” actions that informed outward practices such as yearly religious rites – but the calculation, formulation, and dispensation of time-keeping was implemented by the ruling classes.

The ruling classes set the calendar year after year, as seen in the creation of tools such as the Gregorian and Julian calendars. We see interest-piquing nuances such as leap year and the beginning of the calendar year falling in winter rather than spring, as nature would dictate. When we peer, even for a moment, into these oddities, the mysteries of time-keeping begin to reveal themselves to the curious and spiritually minded individual.

However, these truths were not meant to be observed or examined by the commoner. They were meant to be blindly celebrated in public mass rituals so that certain traditions, especially agricultural ones, could be maintained. Such as the celebration of the ancient Roman holiday of Ceraelia in the spring, which denoted it was time to plant seeds in the ground. If seeds were not planted at the correct time, the harvest would not beat the frost in later months, and the food supply would be shortened. Thus, it was in the interest of the time-keepers to let the masses in on certain mysteries that ultimately benefited the aristocracy.

In Greek thought, primordial time was personified as the figure Chronos, from which we get the term chronological, meaning “of a record of events starting with the earliest and following the order in which they occurred.” This figure, Chronos, emerges at the beginning of all things, pre-dating calendars and even pre-dating seasons and agriculture. In later philosophical and symbolic traditions, Chronos becomes intertwined with the Titan Kronos and is depicted as devouring all things, a symbolic expression of the idea that nothing escapes duration. Everything that arises within time is eventually dissolved by it. The image of time consuming its own creations reflects an ancient recognition that creation and decay are inseparable. Time gives form, and time reclaims it.

As this lineage moved forward into the modern world, time was increasingly abstracted and compressed into mechanical measurement. Clock time became a regulated system of hours and minutes, severed from celestial observation and seasonal rhythm. What was once an intimate relationship with cycles of growth, decay, and return became a quantified structure imposed upon daily life. In this way, modern clock time can be understood as a spiritual narrowing of Chronos, a reduction of infinite duration into manageable units, useful for organization, yet often disconnected from the deeper rhythms that once governed human life.

Divine timing is perfect, but our human methods are simply a workaround to understand the cycles of the divine, which we attempt to quantify as time. Our methods are imperfect. This is why we have leap years, daylight savings time, and why ruling entities of the past such as Pope Gregory XIII and Julius Caesar introduced certain calendars, the Gregorian and the Julian, respectively.

The Julian Calendar was an imperial time-keeping tool introduced by Julius Caesar in 45 BCE. This is a solar calendar, which would not surprise anyone who has realized that the Bible itself is a solar book, keeping the cycles and mythologies of the sun, humanized for mythological reasons as a “son of God.” This calendar was a way to impose order, unity of expectations, and ultimately control upon the growing Roman Empire.

The core features of this calendar were a 365 day cycle with holy days, shortened to the colloquial word “holidays,” celebrated at astrological and astronomical points, and a leap year that added an extra day every four years.

To fully understand the reasoning behind this solar time-keeping method, one must understand the apparent path of the sun’s yearly cycle. In our modern era, the twelve signs of the zodiac have been mocked into the ground. They have been bastardized and ridiculed by the masses to the point of extreme parody at best, and demonized (literally) by the church itself – even though the church’s actual mechanism of keeping its sacred holidays such as Easter and Christmas is astronomical and astrological in nature.

The sun takes 365.2422 days to complete its yearly cycle around the ecliptic. The ecliptic is the band of twelve constellations that make up the zodiac wheel and are marked through the months of the year. This emphasis on twelve appears repeatedly in myth, a theme explored in my post on the Eternal Legend: here. This is known as the solar year and is what modern calendars use to track time, with the sun as the marker. Keep in mind that while we are using Earth’s relationship to this particular luminary – other planets mark time in their own cycles, which is why we observe astronomical phenomena such as retrogrades and “returns.” Again, the ruling classes rely on the social degradation of these very real events to keep the masses from understanding the underlying cycles that govern physical reality.

Back to the Julian Calendar.

Because this precise decimal calculation needed to be rounded so it could be applied to daily life, this calendar settled on a fixed point of 365.25 days in a solar year. This minute inaccuracy accumulated, and the calendar became imperfect to the point of outward flaw. It was off by one full day every 128 years.

Enter Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 with the Gregorian Calendar, which is still in use today.

If we look carefully here, two secrets are revealed at once. First, the tracking of time is controlled by the aristocracy, papacy, and emperors via royal decree. Second, and most importantly, religious holy days are astronomical and astrological.

By 1582, the pope and religious authorities recognized that the holiday commemorating their risen savior, Easter, had drifted about ten days from its original equinoctial set point. This was due to the imperfection of the Julian Calendar and its accumulated error. As a correction, ten days were skipped and leap years became more selective, and so the Gregorian Calendar was imposed upon society.

The church saw it as critically important to ensure that Easter remained aligned with its astronomical markers, which are: the first Sunday after the first full moon following the spring equinox. This alone should prompt the serious truth seeker to look further into the mysteries of religion. If the rising of a dead savior occurred on a specific day, celestial positioning should be irrelevant, and yet it is not. A scholarly and inquisitive examination of Christian holidays reveals the astronomical and astrological foundations beneath the myths of the church.

The idea that masterful astronomical time-keeping functioned as an arm of the elite is still intact today. We can observe this subtly through the emphasis on expensive timepieces as status symbols. This very real signification extends further to considering that one of the richest men on the planet, Jeff Bezos, is funding a forty-two million dollar monolithic clock in the Sierra Diablo mountain range in West Texas known as the 10,000 Year Clock.

The tracking and control of the collective perception of time has historically been the realm of the elite, but this does not mean that everyone must remain within its grip. Through contemplation and understanding, one can transcend these imposed frameworks. With a sincere connection to inner truth, we may orient ourselves into a more conscious relationship with time, which should be a goal of every true and meaningful spiritual practice.

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Astragalus: A Wintry Herbal Infusion

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By Valerie A. Cody

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What Is a Nourishing Herbal Infusion?

An herbal infusion is similar to tea, but much stronger and more mineral-rich. The primary differences lie in both the amount of plant material used and the length of time the herbs are steeped.

With tea, we typically use a small amount of plant material and steep it for about 5–10 minutes. With a nourishing herbal infusion, we use one full ounce of dried herb and allow it to steep for eight hours or longer. This extended steeping time allows water-soluble vitamins and minerals to be fully extracted from the plant.

I have been working with nourishing herbal infusions since 2019, and what continues to reveal itself through this practice is how powerful consistency can be. These herbs work behind the scenes, strengthening the body slowly and intelligently, aligning us with the natural rhythms of the seasons. Astragalus, especially in winter, has become a reminder that true vitality is built through patience, nourishment, and reverence for the body as sacred ground. When we tend to ourselves in this way, we become a vessel capable of holding inspiration, guidance, and creative life force.

Nourishing herbal infusions are one of the most effective ways to deliver bioavailable minerals into the body. Unlike capsules or isolated vitamin supplements, herbs remain in their whole, natural form. They are simply dried and prepared in a way that allows the body to recognize and assimilate their nutrients with ease.

Through herbal infusions, we receive minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, potassium, selenium (and many more) in the exact combinations found in nature. This synergistic balance makes these nutrients easier for the body to absorb and utilize. Rather than extracting a single vitamin and compressing it into a pill, herbal infusions honor the intelligence of the plant itself.

What “Infusion” Means in Herbalism

In herbalism, the word infusion refers specifically to the method of extraction: using water and time to draw nutrients from plant material.

Other herbal preparations use different mediums:

  • A decoction uses water and prolonged simmering on the stove, often for roots and tougher plant material
  • A tincture uses alcohol to extract both water- and alcohol-soluble constituents

Herbal Infusions and the Body/Spirit Connection

When we work with organic herbs, we are working directly with what the Earth provides to strengthen and restore the body. Caring for the physical body in this way strengthens the spiritual body as well. We should never neglect the physical body as something “unspiritual” or unrelated to our soul. The two are deeply and magnificently intertwined, and to neglect one is to neglect the other. We must be vigilantly and vehemently against religious programming that deliberately turns us against our own bodies.

When the body is properly nourished, it becomes fertile soil for spiritual guidance to land, take root, and be expressed through our words, actions, and creativity. Nutrition, ritual, and herbal practice will work to support our capacity to receive and translate insight.

A Seasonal Practice: Astragalus is a Winter Herb

I want to share how you can create nourishing herbal infusions at home using herbs such as oat straw, chickweed, nettle, and astragalus. Each herb has its own rhythm and purpose. Today, our focus is on astragalus which is a deeply wintry herb.

Astragalus is a root traditionally used to strengthen vitality, immunity, and foundational energy, especially during colder months. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is considered a Qi tonic which is an herb that supports the body over time rather than forcing quick results. This makes it especially well-suited for the colder months, when the body naturally turns inward and benefits from conservation and nourishment rather than outward exertion.

Winter is a season of conservation, restoration, and deep nourishment. Astragalus mirrors this energy perfectly. It is warming, grounding, and best used consistently as a preventative ally rather than during acute illness. This makes it especially suited for long, slow infusions and daily winter rituals.

The Modulating Nature of Herbs

One of the great gifts of herbal infusions is their modulating effect on the body. Herbs do not force the system in one direction. Instead, they gently guide the body back toward balance.

For example, if an element within the body is lower than what is ideal, an herbal tonic will not overstimulate or push it beyond what is healthy. Herbs work intelligently, adapting to what the body needs in that moment. This is why many nourishing herbs are considered adaptogenic in nature. Because of this subtlety, consistency is essential. Herbal infusions work best when taken regularly, allowing their cumulative effects to nourish the body over time.

It is generally recommended to prepare nourishing infusions using one herb per batch, rather than mixing multiple herbs together. Each plant has its own mineral profile and energetic signature.

Use one ounce of a single herb per infusion. Density varies greatly. For example, one ounce of astragalus root looks very different from one ounce of oat straw, which is why measuring by weight is important.

Through regular use, nourishing infusions harmonize the body’s systems and support clarity, resilience, and vitality. The physical and spiritual bodies reflect one another, and neglecting the physical body on a spiritual path ultimately weakens both.

For women especially, this form of nourishment is profoundly restorative. These herbs work behind the scenes, at a cellular level, filling nutritional gaps we may not even be aware of. They support beauty, creativity, and connection in a way that is gentle and deeply effective.

Where to Get Herbs

One of the easiest ways to obtain herbs is by ordering from reputable online suppliers. Always choose organic herbs. I trust and use the following brands which can be found on Amazon: Frontier Co-op, Starwest Botanicals, and U.S Wellness Naturals. This is essential because the infusion process uses boiling water to fully extract nutrients and if herbs are not organic, that same process will extract pesticides and chemical residues into your infusion. Organic only.

Astragalus Profile

Botanical name: Astragalus membranaceus
Plant part used: Root
Taste: Mildly sweet, earthy
Energetics: Warming, strengthening, grounding
Seasonal affinity: Winter

Astragalus is a nourishing root traditionally used to support vitality, immunity, and long-term resilience. Rather than acting as a stimulant, it works slowly and steadily, building the body’s foundational strength over time.

Why Astragalus Is Ideal for Winter

Winter is a season of storage, restoration, and strengthening. Astragalus mirrors this rhythm. As a warming root, it offers gentle support to the immune system and helps the body adapt to seasonal stressors without forcing or overstimulating.

Astragalus is best used preventatively and consistently, rather than during acute illness. Traditionally, it is not recommended when a fever or active infection is present, as it is considered a “building” herb rather than one that helps release pathogens.

Astragalus lends itself beautifully to long infusions and decoctions. When prepared slowly, its minerals and polysaccharides are gradually released into the water, creating a grounding, subtly sweet infusion that supports the body over time. This makes astragalus an ideal companion for a winter infusion practice, when nourishment and consistency take precedence over quick results. Used regularly, astragalus supports endurance, balance, and vitality which strengthens the body in a way that is cumulative and aligned with the season.

How to Make a Nourishing Herbal Infusion

Ratio:
1 ounce dried herb : 1 quart water

Use a kitchen scale to measure the herb accurately. Once measured, place the herb into a one-quart glass jar. Fill the jar completely with purified, boiling water.

Cover with a screw-top lid and let the infusion steep overnight. Herbs require two things to release their minerals: heat and time.

The next morning, strain the liquid into another glass jar. Drink the infusion before coffee or food if possible.

Working with nourishing herbal infusions invites us into a slower relationship with our bodies and with time itself. Astragalus teaches this especially well in winter. Through regular, intentional nourishment, the body becomes resilient, receptive, and aligned with its own intelligence.

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The Legend is the Key

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By Valerie A. Cody

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The legend is the key, and the key is the legend. 🗝️🗺️

Tradition gives us the legend; self-study gives us the key. Through introspection, we discover that just as the words legend and key are synonymous to the cartographer, they are likewise inseparable within the terrain of our inner world. Both guide us. Certain enduring legends (whether myth, holy scripture, or word-of-mouth lore) consistently point toward the same essential truth: the power that resides within us.

The reason these two are ultimately one and the same is because the key itself is what I will call the Eternal Legend. Once this reality is recognized, its fragments begin to align effortlessly with the allegories embedded in our time-tested myths. We can observe this, for example, in the ancient alchemical legend of “turning lead into gold.” Within this vast, intricate, and beautifully orchestrated narrative, the alchemical laboratory is the human body itself, and the beakers and chemical reactions symbolize internal processes of transformation. Each element within each legend functions as a key, revealing the Eternal Legend – ready to be accessed by the conscious and spiritually attuned individual. I wrote more explicitly about this Eternal Legend: here.

This process of extracting self-knowledge through archetypal depiction is delicate. It demands a rare pairing of both healthy skepticism and openness. In practice, this means cultivating the ability to test ideas in the physical realm without abandoning the inner one. We must avoid being enamored with the fairy tale while also refusing to throw “the baby out with the bathwater,” so to speak.

Some may linger too long in the waters of imagination and risk dissolving into self-created delusion. Others may under develop the capacity for openness and discard wisdom along with the myth. Inner refinement arises from holding both capacities simultaneously and in balance.

Consider the following enduring myths found across cultures:

  • King Arthur and the Twelve Knights of the Holy Grail
  • Jesus Christ and the Twelve Disciples
  • Hercules and his Twelve Labors
  • Odin and the Twelve Aesir
  • The Twelve Gods and Goddesses of Mount Olympus

The number twelve symbolizes wholeness, cycles of growth, and the integration of diverse energies into a unified whole. Each legend depicts a journey through these twelve forces, externalized as disciples, labors, or deities. Hidden within these narratives are the elements of the Eternal Legend: the path of self-mastery.

Doppelmayr | Novus atlas coelestis, Nuremberg, 1742 (photo by Sotheby’s)

Through careful concentration, self-discipline, and fidelity to a single path, we distill the key that unlocks all other legends. Once we grasp the Key of Truth, it fits any legend (lock) that contains the same truth. Truth is singular, geometric, and not subject to opinion. This is not “my truth” or “their truth”—it is the singular and everlasting Truth. This mindset must be applied rigorously, and we must continually align ourselves with it.

Once the key of internal knowing is grasped, the repeating pattern becomes unmistakable. These legends are variations of a single story, threaded through cultures and centuries. Engaging with them inwardly, especially the tradition that first cradled us at birth, offers our greatest opportunity for self-initiation into the Eternal Legend.

The mythology of religion and legend functions as a natural form of protection for the Eternal Legend. Those who mock these symbolic containers of wisdom reveal, almost immediately, their inability to engage with what lies beneath the surface. In this way, the profane exclude themselves by default, as the disposition required for deeper understanding has not yet been cultivated.

Likewise, those who approach these stories purely literally also bar themselves from their deeper truths. While learning through legend often begins in childhood, seeding the subconscious with principles meant to mature over time, true understanding requires a later unfolding. These truths are designed to blossom through lived experience, reflection, and inner inquiry.

When myth is clung to only at face value, we witness a consciousness that has not completed this maturation. It remains fixed at the threshold, unable to look directly into the myth itself and extract the carefully concealed key.

We must choose depth over breadth and mastery over superficiality. When we resist the tendency to be a “Jack of all trades, master of none,” we begin to touch the essence of enduring wisdom. This principle is why, a few years ago, I wrote an Instagram caption reflecting on a phrase from the Rosicrucian diagram Of God and Nature: “Whoever learns one, learns all. Whoever learns all, learns nothing.” That caption can be read: here.

To journey toward the Eternal Legend, we must become fluent in the language of symbology. The study of symbols is, in itself, an initiation. Through archetypes and symbols, we learn to see beyond surface interpretations and access the enduring truth within sacred texts. This capacity is only available to those who are unsatisfied with superficial understanding. Such dissatisfaction arises from an inner orientation toward truth, a discomfort in the presence of obscurity. This surfaces as curiosity and becomes the driving force of the search.

To move toward the Eternal Legend, we must stoke the inner fire. This fire is the spiritual energy that allows us to burn through the surface of outward teachings and reach the living spirit beneath them – beyond fable, beyond nursery-rhyme meaning. Once reached, the core does not burn. It glows.

Spiritual fire consumes what is illusory and extraneous, but it does not consume truth. Truth is not flammable; only what is superfluous, ephemeral, or fraudulent is reduced to ash. This is why focused attention (especially in the beginning) is essential when studying a spiritual tradition. Scattered attention produces only smoke and confusion. Focused attention, by contrast, becomes concentrated heat: a precise laser rather than a wildfire burning indiscriminately in all directions.

This fire becomes our own source of light, illuminating the paths we must traverse. It requires no borrowed flame; we carry it ourselves, using it to fuel and illuminate our own unique purpose.

The legend and the key are one. Myths are living templates of human experience, and the legend is unlocked from within. The stories of old serve as vessels of remembrance, revealing how we may consciously participate in the Eternal Legend. Through deep engagement, sustained focus, and the disciplines that refine us, we awaken to a simple and enduring truth: the power we seek outwardly has always resided within.

Doppelmayr | Novus atlas coelestis, Nuremberg, 1742 (photo by Sotheby’s)

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The Kiss of the Authentic

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By Valerie A. Cody

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We are qualified to speak about that which we have experienced, alchemized, and solidified into wisdom.

When we set out on the path of self-realization, we are, in a sense, raising our hand and volunteering for challenge. We are not simply bestowed with higher attainments in life without the matching lesson, which must be learned in one way or another. Trials reveal, build, and refine the deeper layers of the self. So when we inevitably encounter difficulty, we face a pivotal choice. We can allow the circumstance to exert its force upon us, shaping us according to its strength and our lack of awareness, or we can use awareness to bring the situation under conscious command. Through awareness, we become the one who shapes. This process of meeting the obstacle, studying its nature, and working our way through it is how we grow into the self-realized individual.

Living this process effectively consecrates our life’s purpose with the kiss of authenticity. Without this essential element, we risk the hollowness that leads to contrived expression and eventual loss of vitality. Authenticity is the byproduct of lived experience, and lived experience must be integrated before it can be transmitted. This “kiss” is the energetic imprint of a person’s completed alchemical processing. It quietly slips past the viewer or listener’s rational mind to press gently into the subconscious, where the body recognizes truth before the mind can interfere. The tonality of this messaging can be whisper-soft, yet devastatingly accurate.

An innate sense for proper timing is necessary here. When we release the energy of a lesson before it has been fully realized, we do not embody the wisdom, and so the kiss is not present. We must come to understand the difference between embodied action and empty movement. Although “busy work” is mostly empty, it can still teach structure and consistency to someone who hasn’t found their deeper direction. That discipline becomes meaningful and useful when it is paired with a clear sense of purpose.

This “kiss” is rare in the modern world, as many hurry to share their insights before the lessons have been fully integrated. There is a reason for this. The gaining of wisdom creates an inner pressure, and that pressure is necessary to transform a person. Yet it is this very same pressure that creates the urge to express through the throat before the lesson has risen to the higher centers of the body. This is a test of the aspirant’s purity and willpower. The question becomes: Do you wish to gain recognition/favor, or do you wish to gain knowledge? Choosing to prioritize the former over the latter will cause one to lose both – as the potency of the lesson is not preserved, and so the would-be wisdom is scattered to the wind.

”Portrait of a Lady in Allegorical Guise, Holding a Dish of Pearls” by Pierre Mignard (17th century).

The utilization of proper timing grants the aspirant both the former and the latter. When we share work that has been kissed by authenticity, it is ultra-powerful and this exchange of distilled wisdom is one of the ways in which the human race evolves. This specific resonance within a message or creation is easy to recognize precisely because it is rare, like a pressure-formed jewel or pearl. This rarity is what gives rise to masterful literature, useful invention, legendary art, and powerful rhetoric. It reflects a refined dimension of the throat center: the precision of timing. Proper timing is neither late nor early—it is exactly “on time,” perfectly synchronized with both the Zeitgeist (the German word for “spirit of the time”) and the individual’s unique purpose. When this is cultivated to its highest expression, it can produce visionaries, capable leaders, and powerful speakers with the ability to shape collective reality.

With practice, we can become masterful in this distillation process. We create an inner environment that is prepared for it. Over time, we develop an intuitive sense for correct timing, and the more we engage with the process, the more familiar we become with the taste of truth. Through this, inner strength builds, and often the simple internal recognition of “not yet” is all we need. This willingness to wait displays true willpower and allows us to pass the “purity test” with increasing ease.

”Romeo and Juliet” by Frank Bernard Dicksee (1884).

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🃏House of Cards or Holy Temple?

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By Valerie A. Cody

Valerie

As we work with our earthly forms, we should ask ourselves: Are we building a house of cards, or a Holy Temple?

The House of Cards
A house of cards forms when we build our lives, our worldview, our spiritual practice, or even our bodies without first anchoring ourselves in truth. The unsteady “house of cards” metaphor reveals the inherent instability we risk when basing ourselves on anything other than alignment with Universal Truth and our individual purified will.

This unstable foundation may have an outward veneer that attracts interest or attention, but when we walk up to it, even the light tread of our slippered feet may be enough to shake it to the ground. This structure relies on sleight of hand, on smoke and mirrors that divert us from noticing its deformed fragility. Those who are drawn to them are also disconnected from integrity themselves, and so they delight in the spectacle without noticing its bizarre angles, its distorted walls, or the way it violently sways in the winds of truth. And those who build them separate themselves from the nourishing, glistening material of veracity. 

This kind of builder prioritizes the weak, false facade because it seems easier and faster to produce than the strong, steady, deep-rooted framework of the Holy Temple. The house of cards seems to thrive in a time when the art of paying close attention has withered. The skill of discernment, the ability to see the materials and methods used in this kind of construction is underdeveloped and atrophied. Few pause long enough to notice the warped floorboards…to open the doors and discover they lead nowhere…to take a second look out the window and sense something uncanny…to lift the decorative painting into the light and see that it is actually ugly. The house of cards fools many because the “fool” is content to be fooled.

The Holy Temple

It takes a desire to build with integrity and truth to construct a Holy Temple. It requires the willingness to sacrifice the pace, expectations, and easy applause of the masses. It demands an inner connection to what is true and an unwavering refusal to build upon anything less than the shining blueprint of one’s unique spiritual patterning. We all have an inner connection to truth, but it requires spiritual discipline, concentration, discernment, bravery and vulnerability to express it.

The spiritual aspirant builds their Temple in silence. They check their construction daily with a discerning eye. They do not allow emotional or egoic projections to solidify into the structure. They select only the finest materials. Everything has its place, so if a deviation occurs, it is immediately noticed and corrected with accountability and precision. These deviations are moments of disconnection from truth which are born of erroneous perceptions, emotional distortions, or spiritual delusion. All are symptoms of internal impurity.

The Holy Temple is balanced. Its walls are steady and beautiful from every angle. The Temple radiates harmony and healing, decorated with the curated artifacts of lived personal experience. Its structure sparkles with cleanliness and integrity, upheld by Ionic, Doric, and Corinthian pillars which represent wisdom, strength, and beauty in perfect proportion.

At the edge of the village, the aspirant builds their Temple from the ground up using their internal guidance system. To onlookers, the process seems strange. What are those materials? Why that floor plan? Why choose that plot of land?

This is reflected in the way that sites of ancient sanctuaries, temples, and even cities were said to have been chosen via “omens” such as lightning strikes or bird flight patterns. The teaching was that “God chooses the place, not the builder.”

To those who have not contacted their own inner point of everlasting truth, the Temple and the builder appear odd…until it is finished. 

When the Holy Temple is finally complete, its height…its materials…its undeniable beauty is mesmerizing to the once confused and gossiping onlookers. The truth of the matter is now immediately apparent and attractive. Now, dwelling within the finished structure, the Temple Master sits in command of their surroundings, unthreatened by storms, winds, or the footsteps of passersby. The integrity of the structure is sound and unaffected by external circumstances. The Temple is fitted with a specially coded lock, one that opens only for the truest seekers with the purest intentions. Any misshapen key fails, and so the Temple becomes a sacred fortress: solid, sovereign, and self-protecting for the builder who labored in truth.

This lock-and-key symbolism is, of course, also a reference to sacred sexuality. It speaks to the feminine aspect and responsibility on this path – her need to be fitted for truth, steady in her own architecture, and capable of discernment. For more on this feminine topic, I highly recommend the work of Claire Nakti.

And just as the house of cards attracts those who delight in ignorance, the Holy Temple calls to those who wish to align their own foundations in truth. To them, the Temple is a distant reminder. It is an invitation to rise.

We see this process echoed in the building of King Solomon’s Temple in the Biblical books of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles. As with all Biblical stories, we can learn the allegorical, metaphorical, and mythological message within the parables. In the narrative, Solomon does not design the Temple himself; he receives the plans from his father, David, who received them from God. This transmission from God to David to Solomon, is a symbolic depiction of DNA genetic patterning. Solomon receives the plans through his father because this is how exoteric teachings point toward an esoteric truth without revealing it outright to be distorted by the spiritually profane. 

Note: I only share the Bible verses below to show that the scriptures of Abrahamic exoteric religions point to esoteric truths using allegorical language and etymological symbolism. The outright words and public rituals are for mass consumption (such as during Catholic “mass”), and so are useful in that context. It is important that those who may be oriented into these traditions go deeper into the teachings in order to avoid being caught up in surface-level understanding. For this in particular, I recommend the teachings of Manly P. Hall.

📜1 Chronicles 28:11–19 (King James Version)

11 Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlours thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat,
12 And the pattern of all that he had by the spirit, for the courts of the house of the Lord…
18 …and for the chariot of the cherubims…
19 All this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.

Notice the repeated use of the word “pattern.” I discussed the etymology of this word further in another post: 🍦here.

Certain spiritual ideologies expand on this idea by translating the construction of Solomon’s Temple into the process of perfecting the human energetic system, physical body, and soul. The emphasis on craftsmanship, geometry, and the sacred tools of measurement are used to guide the process of self-refinement.

Square: moral integrity
Compass: spiritual guidance and sacred boundaries
Level: inner equilibrium
Plumb line: uprightness and alignment with truth

These symbols remind us that a Temple (outer or inner) cannot be built or accessed without spiritual discipline, discernment, and a steady devotion to the blueprint placed within us. This is the same truth I wrote about earlier in this essay: each of us has a unique Divine blueprint. The actions required to build this Holy Temple can appear strange to others, because often the required actions will place us outside of traditional conformity and societal conditioning. When we follow Divine impulse, we act from a place of deep, wordless knowing. The fruits of that knowing often emerge only later, shaped by our faithfulness to the instructions we received long before we fully understood them.

”LOYALTY TO A UNIQUE CHARACTER” is written in Latin across the top of this document. Pulled from “General Ahiman Rezon and Freemason’s Guide.”

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🧶The Entwining of Consciousness

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By Valerie A. Cody

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A diptych is a two-sided altarpiece. One side depicts a deity or sacred scene, the other presents something more earthly, such as a self-portrait, an ancestor, or an influential figure like a patriarch or monarch.  The two panels are bound together by a hinge or spine, much like a book or a locket. Historically, diptychs (unlike the larger triptychs used for liturgical altars) were placed upon personal shrines within the home. During the late Medieval Ages and the early Renaissance era especially, commissioning a “donor portrait” diptych was common. These works of art represent, whether consciously or subconsciously, the seeker’s desire to fuse with the Divine. 


The Wilton Diptych, c. 1395-1399, displayed at the National Gallery in London. Commissioned by and depicting King Richard the 2nd on the left, and the Virgin with Child on the right.

The hinge of the diptych is both utilitarian and symbolic. Outwardly it’s just a joint, but symbolically it represents the “axis mundi.” It is the same motif we see in myths of a central pillar where heaven and earth meet. Specifically, I will be exploring the Nordic myth of Odin and the tree Yggdrasil below. In esoteric anatomy, this axis is the human spine: The subtle corridor where instinct can be transformed into insight and the Divine descends into form.

Placing a diptych on an altar is a physical reenactment of an inner reality. One side shows the Divine, the other the human, and the hinge becomes the meeting-point between them. It is the place where consciousness can move upward or downward without severing itself from the body. Like the nervous system itself, the “hinge” keeps us anchored while we reach upward. It prevents the seeker from dissolving entirely into transcendence, and instead supports the weaving of the heavenly and the earthly. The diptych becomes a symbolic mirror of this inner ascent, showing how human consciousness joins with Divine consciousness through a shared axis. This movement is an internal anointing: a rising, consecrating current within the subtle body.

Exoteric religions echo this inner process through outward sacraments. In Catholicism, a consecrated oil is placed on the forehead of worshippers as a sign of blessing. This is a symbolic reflection of an esoteric secret that happens within. The “inner oil” is a subtle essence recognized across spiritual traditions, it gathers and rises through the spinal channel, enlivening centers of perception as it ascends.

Even the Catholic term “chrism” reveals this esoteric heritage: it is related to Christos, “the anointed one,” and literally translates to “oil.” What is enacted externally as ritual anointing is a representation of the inner refinement and elevation of one’s own subtle essence.

 It is the sacred elixir:

  • the milk-and-honey fluid of the mystics
  • the Shekhinah descending and rising
  • the serpent-fire of the yogis
  • the pneuma carried up the ladder of Jacob’s dream

As the internal chrism rises, it anoints the brain (the inner temple) and opens the higher centers of vision and gnosis. This is how the seeker moves from belief to knowledge, from worship to union. Thus, the spine is the metaphysical hinge through which human consciousness weaves itself with Divine Will.

This ascent is the basis of many mythological journeys. For example, in the Nordic myth of Odin and Yggdrasil, Odin sacrifices himself by hanging himself upside down on the tree (named Yggdrasil) for nine nights. He does this so that he may gain the knowledge of the Nordic Runes. The understanding is that in order to properly intuit Divine knowledge (rather than be spun off into delusion), one must purify themselves. This myth is a good example of the internal annointing because Odin is hanging upside down, which mimicks the act of raising of the inner chrism.

The “Ascent Myth” follows this pattern:

  1. A lower world: Ordinary consciousness, instinct, matter
  2. A middle journey: Trials, purification, initiation
  3. A pinnacle or summit: Revelation, union with the divine
  4. A return: The enlightened hero re-enters the world transformed

This motif mirrors the movement of energy up the spine, from lower instincts to higher perception and finally to Divine union. The spine has 33 embryonic vertebrae, which alludes to why this number is used in certain fraternities to denote a “rise” in rank amongst one’s fellows.

The Feminine and The Masculine

Although the ascent of the chrism is a universal mechanism, the masculine and feminine bodies conduct this ascent in different ways. These differences are not oppositional but complementary expressions of the same spiritual physics. This is why we see symbolism in the form of the sun/moon or fire/water. 

In the masculine form, the generative essence gathers like pressure. It behaves alchemically like steam building within a sealed vessel: focused, upward-driving, and linear. This is why Hermetic texts describe the masculine path as the “fire rising.” It is the solar current that pushes toward illumination through intensity and disciplined direction. When conserved and sublimated, this pressure moves through the spinal axis as a concentrated surge. 

In the feminine form, the same essence does not accumulate as pressure but diffuses as luminosity. It spreads through the subtle body like light filling a chamber, illuminating her inner space before rising higher. The feminine stores life‑force in a more distributed, oceanic way; therefore, her spiritual ascent is not a push but a glow. It brightens the womb, the heart, and the imaginal centers before lifting toward the crown. The internal tide of intuition rises not through force but through fullness. Women are inherently generative and naturally retain more essence; because of this, she can often achieve this ascent without the same strict conservation required of a male aspirant. The ascent can feel spontaneous, almost trancelike, as she channels connections, ideas, or inspiration for art and poetry (her unique interests are a reflection of her own personal essence, genetic inheritances, and Will) — manifesting works that seem to emerge from a source larger than herself, flowing naturally from the wellspring of her preserved essence.

When this life-force is preserved (through purity of input, rest, love, intention, lowered overstimulation), its substance becomes the raw material of inspiration itself. It refines into completely unique ideas, concepts, inventions, and art. These creations are as singular and unique as a fingerprint. This is because the same generative essence that produces physical life (via pregnancy), when redirected inward, produces physical rejuvenation, as well as psychic, intellectual, and spiritual life. The life-giving essence is the same; only the direction changes. 

The diptych is a medieval spiritual device and its impact depends on how it is used. Through spiritual fidelity and consistency, we invite the Divine to enter and reshape our awareness. With pure intention, even the most modest object can reveal profound treasures to the worthy, truth-loving aspirant. When regarded merely as decoration, it may yield only ephemeral wisps of wisdom. When viewed as a symbol of our desire to weave our consciousness with the Divine, the diptych can inspire devotion to our internal ascent.

A page from the Aurora Consurgens, a Medieval alchemical manuscript. It uses visual symbolism to convey this mystery.

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🍦On the Development of Good Taste

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By Valerie A. Cody

Valerie

The following is the extended version of a caption I posted on Instagram today. There is a character limit on that platform and I had to omit some of the original text. Find it in totality below:

“Good taste” emerges from the two foundational qualities of discernment and aesthetic judgment. These qualities simultaneously sharpen the eye and refine the spirit. Through them, beauty becomes something we can learn to recognize rather than something we merely prefer and call “personal preference.” To gain aesthetic intelligence, we study both symmetry and anomaly in order to achieve a sense of context. Knowledge of symmetry allows one to recognize when something is out of alignment. Knowledge of anomaly helps one identify exactly what is out of place. Symmetry is a matter of mathematical proportion and is the physical representation of universal truth. For this reason, symmetry creates objective beauty. Humanity introduces deviation. Emotion introduces asymmetry. Evolution introduces variation. If we want to understand symmetry as Divine truth, we look to the Renaissance Masters and classical architecture. If we seek emotion, imagination or subjectivity, we look to modern art. This is why, on page 91 of my poetry book Slow Motion, I wrote, “Don’t look at modern art.” It was a playful exaggeration expressing this idea. I have shared this poem here:

Don’t glorify the future
Don’t look at modern art
The techniques of the masters, learn them by heart
Renaissance works still stand when pulled apart

Use the past for a proper frame of reference
Not these confounding scribbles on a digital canvas
Only a return to the truth can save us

Goddess, save the art world
God, save us from the screen
-art save the artist from the modernity scheme

In ancient times, symmetrical art and architecture were understood as a form of medicine. To gaze upon perfected form was considered therapeutic, a way of restoring inner harmony through outer harmony. Today, we readily accept that sound can heal—hymns, chants, certain frequencies, binaural tones—yet we have largely forgotten the healing power of symmetry itself. We recognize vibrational medicine in music but overlook the mathematics of beauty as a parallel form of spiritual alignment.

This is distinctly different from what many describe as “healing” through splattering paint or releasing emotion onto a canvas. Such methods are practices of emotional transmutation, valid in their own category, but unrelated to what I am referring to. What I am pointing to is the quiet, corrective effect of merely beholding art or architecture that carries divine proportion. Modern art, with its emphasis on emotion, spontaneity, and imprecision, serves a different function entirely.


⚖️ The first step in cultivating good taste is to immerse the mind in symmetrical perfection. Discernment then develops as an internal system of metrics, created through observation and reflection. This internal vetting naturally shapes our aesthetic judgment. It becomes a silent instrument of measure. Once this instrument awakens, we begin to recognize mathematical cohesion immediately, and a taste for this recognition emerges. What reflects proportion reflects truth, and those who are aligned with this truth instinctively resonate with it. This is why the word “integrity” refers both to structural soundness and to alignment with truth. And why the word “sound” itself is used to describe a “state of being in good condition, the quality of being based on valid reason or good judgment” and also “vibrations that travel through the air and can be heard once they reach the ear.”

Integrity, proportion, and beauty mirror a metaphysical pattern, the Platonic Form of order that underlies both art and existence. This connection alludes to the mysteries of fraternal societies that symbolically use the jargon of masonry to guide spiritual initiates. 🛠️


“Pattern” is the directive masculine principle, and matter itself is the receptive feminine principle. To quote Goethe, who said, “Architecture is frozen music,” vibration becomes form when pattern impresses itself upon matter, translating harmony into geometric structure. The masculine embodies, enacts, and impresses the pattern. The feminine is the substance upon which the pattern is received and revealed. The word “pattern” is etymologically rooted in “pater,” or father/patron/protector, while “matter” is rooted in “mater,” or mother/material/matrix. The word “matrix” literally translating to “womb” or “breeding female.” The interaction of pattern and matter reflects the sacred act of creation. To develop good taste is to consciously participate in this mystery, to train the senses toward the architecture of the Divine. 

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