The feel of a place/space

[Taomeow]

10 minutes ago, Apech said:

 smells like teen spirit

 

Walk like an Egyptian

[Nungali]

On 5/30/2024 at 6:07 AM, Taomeow said:

 

My not hometown, New York, used to feel like that to me when I lived there, and especially when I commuted from New Jersey to work there.  I'd be sleepy, tired in advance in the morning, dozing off on the train, and then -- as soon as I stepped out of the subway underpass -- wham!  A huge jolt of energy.  I liked it for a while, but after a while, not so much.  It felt like some kind of artificial stimulation, too much adrenaline, too much cortisol, too little harmony.  The energy of perpetual stress.  But there was definitely a sense of power to the place.  Manhattan stands on a bedrock of shist that's 450 million years old -- I think that's what imparts its underlying strength, unyielding, hard, aggressive, very yang... I could feel it.   

 

Good point . The  bedrock , regolith  and intrusions  and mineral seams  play  an important part in this .

 

Much of the 'energy' in Australia , specifically in the dry interior , is basically so old and eroded its 'skeletal' .  We have some of the first cratons ever formed as the Earth solidified here .

 

Many years ago I was fascinated by a dream phenomena  I was having ;  I would be walking through the forest , up to the back ridge of the property , everything normal, then the next step, I would be somewhere else , as if I stepped though a 'portal' . I had an indigenous elder visiting and asked him about this . He asked me to describe it . I said the spot where things changed is where the old lightening tree is  ( a  spot that gets hit by lightening  sometimes ; one bolt hit a big tree there , blew the outer wood off in four pieces in four directions ,  the crown  got blown to 'smithereens' , the interior upper part got wedged down sideways through the thick, split base making a weird blackened cross on the hill ) .

 

He closed is eyes and sussed out the energy ; " It 'comes out ' down there in the ground .... somehow  ( it was night, he had not seen the terrain in daytime , arriving that night .  He had pointed out and down at a window .  I told him that is right as out there the land drops steeply away and goes down to the river . I told him about the unusual rock formation there and a little yoni shaped cave at water level . he nodded and said, " Yes .... women's place .... probably birthing pool . It comes up here in a line , through your place , over there and goes up steep  ."

 

Me :  "  Thats  'Pyramid Hill ' its pretty 'energetic up there  . "

 

"  Then it turns,  rises steeply , comes near the surface , probably at that tree , goes up, keeps going, leaves the land behind  .  Thats where you 'step off' in your dream . "

 

I talked to a guy that  was into  'magick stuff'  that was also a professor in geology , he said it is probably a quartz seam, where they come near the surface they attract lightening .

 

Not many can handle this energy , I like it .   I got my place as no one else wanted it . One woman that was thinking of buying before me  slept her one night and said she never would do that again .

 

However many people I know (including my indigenous teacher ) like to go to Nimbin and  a feature there 'Lillian Rocks ' - I can t go near the place  ! Gets weird vibes just doing a drive by .

 

And at nearby Cathedral Rocks , like the place , but stay longer than an hour a bad headache develops .

 

 

Having two huge boulders either side of the track in that look like two matching big brained alien heads  is a good intro the place 

 

Also, at the top  (if you make it ) there is a step up with a small cave under it . It gives a strong message to put your hand in . Why ?  What is in there ?   Something good, or a tiger snake ? even so I could not resist the compulsion, had to lie down and put arm in up to the shoulder, then I felt a little rock, picked it up , it was a black smokey quartz crystal . I took it home and told the story. Someone said I should  show it to Loris and tell him .  I did , apparently he had exactly the same experience and has a black crystal from there too . he said  I should talk to Eleni . I did , she had the exact experience but put her hand in plan up and a crustal fell onto it from the roof of the little cave  !

 

The top :

 

 

 

 

[Paradoxal]

I grew up around Baltimore MD and never noticed the malice that hangs in the air here until I spent some time abroad.

 

I recall getting hit with what felt like a wave of bloodlust as the plane flew towards the airport back in 2019, which made me start thinking seriously about moving away.

 

After spending a year studying abroad in Okinawa, I found almost an exact opposite vibe there, like it was happy and welcoming despite the terrible history (though, admittedly, certain places still had the pain and bloodlust from WW2 hanging around).

 

I feel like the open air shrines common in Japan and Okinawa have a massively purifying effect on lingering energy that I haven't seen in the states yet. Might be very beneficial to invest in something similar over here, though I don't know how to convince folks not to ruin em for fun lol

[Taomeow]

For me, being very sensitive to the energy and qi of places (and knowing classical feng shui too) makes life harder.  It's something cat-like.  A cat -- unless she was an indoor cat all her life -- has this territorial sense she can't explain to us hoomans except via seeking and avoidance behaviors... although urban cats are not as perceptive and get in trouble because the environment is so not suited for cats (or human children for that matter...  and adults are mostly shut down to that knowledge.)  Even with indoor cats you might notice they "know something" if you ever tried to give them a designated place for this and that in your home -- a cat bed, a bowl of water -- you know the bed and the bowl will be ignored and the cat will sleep wherever (changing her commitments as energies change) and drink from the toilet and throw stuff out of a drawer she thinks is better suited to be her bed.  

 

I could describe the feel of every place I've ever been to better than what it looks like -- it's something I always notice, and a lot of it is a nuisance.  Even a nice environment can be completely destroyed by, e.g., luminescent lighting.  But some places are sublime.  Literally make you want to kiss the ground.   

[old3bob]

the City of Refuge on the Big Island of Hawaii has very strong feelings to it for me;  its like you can almost see ancient Hawaiian's walking around there in peace and living their lives.  It is called the City of Refuge because during the bloody inter island wars that went on for a long time it was agreed upon that anyone that made it there and stayed within its boundaries had sanctuary/safety  from outside conflicts and battles.  

 

 

"Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park is a United States National Historical Park located on the west coast of the island of Hawaiʻi in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The historical park preserves the site where, up until the early 19th century, Hawaiians who broke a kapu (one of the ancient laws) could avoid certain death by fleeing to this place of refuge or puʻuhonua. The offender would be absolved by a priest and freed to leave. Defeated warriors and non-combatants could also find refuge here during times of battle. The grounds just outside the Great Wall that encloses the puʻuhonua were home to several generations of powerful chiefs.

Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau is one of the only four places in Hawaii where the flag of Hawaii can officially fly alone without the American flag; the other three places are ʻIolani Palace, the Mauna ʻAla and Thomas Square.^[3][4]"

 

Edited May 31 by old3bob

[Nungali]

20 hours ago, Paradoxal said:

I grew up around Baltimore MD and never noticed the malice that hangs in the air here until I spent some time abroad.

 

I recall getting hit with what felt like a wave of bloodlust as the plane flew towards the airport back in 2019, which made me start thinking seriously about moving away.

 

After spending a year studying abroad in Okinawa, I found almost an exact opposite vibe there, like it was happy and welcoming despite the terrible history (though, admittedly, certain places still had the pain and bloodlust from WW2 hanging around).

 

I feel like the open air shrines common in Japan and Okinawa have a massively purifying effect on lingering energy that I haven't seen in the states yet. Might be very beneficial to invest in something similar over here, though I don't know how to convince folks not to ruin em for fun lol

 

Oooo !   I have an interest in old Okinawan  graves / shrines .

 

What where you studying in Okinawa ? 

 

Before the  mess made of the place , its position offered a very good lifestyle  and created a healthy old generation ; good  local produce , atmosphere, energy and exposed to healthy   and clean ocean currents , good fish .  That all changed after US occupation .

 

My teacher used to fish on what people said was 'the bad side ' .... bad water currents and pollution .  He used to eat the fish , unfortunately he died of brain cancer .

[Paradoxal]

1 hour ago, Nungali said:

 

Oooo !   I have an interest in old Okinawan  graves / shrines .

 

What where you studying in Okinawa ? 

 

Before the  mess made of the place , its position offered a very good lifestyle  and created a healthy old generation ; good  local produce , atmosphere, energy and exposed to healthy   and clean ocean currents , good fish .  That all changed after US occupation .

 

My teacher used to fish on what people said was 'the bad side ' .... bad water currents and pollution .  He used to eat the fish , unfortunately he died of brain cancer .

It was undergrad level stuff; Japanese language/culture and Okinawan culture and history.

 

I got to visit a good number of gusuku (old Ryukyu kingdom-era castles), as well as a few historically significant sites, including the Japanese navy command bunker/tunnels and the site of the first massacre of the Battle of Okinawa on Tokashiki Island, where the Japanese military rounded up all the island's civilians and forced them to commit suicide with grenades before the US troops arrived; I understand the bodies were left to rot for the rest of the war. If ya wanna talk "feel" of a place, both locations were still very definitely haunted when I visited. Interestingly, though, the spot on Tokashiki felt much more at peace than the places in the bunker, perhaps because it was on a mountaintop, or perhaps due to the shrines erected after the war for the victims.

 

As for graves and shrines... the shrines, known as Utaki locally, are a fairly distinct tradition as compared to what I've seen and read of in that area of the world. From what I was taught, the structure of an Utaki focuses on a sacred tree, which is then surrounded by some sort of wall to seclude it; this is seen as the "home" of the local deity, much like Shinto shrines, and only the priestess-like figures called Yuta (also really interesting imo, but focusing on land here, so...) are allowed in or out of one. I didn't study the tombs too much comparatively, but I recall that they were shaped like wombs to evoke the image of returning to the womb upon death. I've got a ton of pictures relating to all this, but need to sort through em to find the right ones to post. 

 

Afaik, the 'bad side' is around the US military base, as they have a habit of dumping carcinogens into the water supply (they had another big spill right as I arrived, for example). What was your teacher a teacher of, if I may ask? 

[Nungali]

Here is a great 'place / space ' ; ' Hangover Bay '  - I cant recall its  indigenous name , its north of Perth , Western Australia .

 

I was doing a trip up WA coast a few years back , I was still weirded out about going there  - my first trip many years ago I was shocked to find the room I was staying in on an 'island resort ' and the whole complex had been  an Aboriginal concentration camp !

 

I have never felt the same since about going over there ....   a very uncomfortable energy got lodged in me  after sleeping there . This trip I was hesitant and eager to get out of Perth and go north straight away .  The bad feeling followed me . Eventually, I came to a turn off marked Hangover Bay , and feeling like I had a psychic hangover decide to check it out . It had a plaque explaining how the area had a long indigenous history of being a healing place , after being sick, recovering from injury or having emotional trauma , grieving , etc .

 

I could immediately feel the calming and good effect of the place . Its the only beach I have been on with waves coming in from 4 directions (including a backwash ), making interesting patterns in the surf , the water was clean and invigorating .  Pure white powdery sand , lots of fish .  I felt healed after 1/2 hour of being there . It was great intro to the area , as it allowed me now to appreciate the  good and fun stuff , its near the town of Cevantes , so I stayed  there - best just off the boat lobster I ever tasted , then I had a dawn experience in the near by  Pinnacles Desert  - W O W !

 

probably would not have happened if I had not got the healing / clearing at at the magic spot first .

 

 

Hangover Bay

 

 

 

PInnacles desert .

Edited June 1 by Nungali

[Nungali]

21 hours ago, Paradoxal said:

It was undergrad level stuff; Japanese language/culture and Okinawan culture and history.

 

I got to visit a good number of gusuku (old Ryukyu kingdom-era castles), as well as a few historically significant sites, including the Japanese navy command bunker/tunnels and the site of the first massacre of the Battle of Okinawa on Tokashiki Island, where the Japanese military rounded up all the island's civilians and forced them to commit suicide with grenades before the US troops arrived; I understand the bodies were left to rot for the rest of the war. If ya wanna talk "feel" of a place, both locations were still very definitely haunted when I visited. Interestingly, though, the spot on Tokashiki felt much more at peace than the places in the bunker, perhaps because it was on a mountaintop, or perhaps due to the shrines erected after the war for the victims.

 

As for graves and shrines... the shrines, known as Utaki locally, are a fairly distinct tradition as compared to what I've seen and read of in that area of the world. From what I was taught, the structure of an Utaki focuses on a sacred tree, which is then surrounded by some sort of wall to seclude it; this is seen as the "home" of the local deity, much like Shinto shrines, and only the priestess-like figures called Yuta (also really interesting imo, but focusing on land here, so...) are allowed in or out of one. I didn't study the tombs too much comparatively, but I recall that they were shaped like wombs to evoke the image of returning to the womb upon death. I've got a ton of pictures relating to all this, but need to sort through em to find the right ones to post. 

 

Love to see them .  I thought there was a connection  with them to sea turtles  ?

 

Afaik, the 'bad side' is around the US military base, as they have a habit of dumping carcinogens into the water supply (they had another big spill right as I arrived, for example).

 

Yes, his fishing spot was near a base , sadly the other side of the island supposedly had cleaner water . I  read once that Okinawa has the most military base acreage  per  overall acre of anywhere   ?  

 

What was your teacher a teacher of, if I may ask? 

 

 

( Can you read that ^  ?  ) 

 

Not my  person-to-person teacher . I never met him personally , but learnt under some of his students  and from studying film of him.   He was a student of Hohan Soken  and after  Soken died the succession was unclear.  Fusei Kise seems to have taken that on  but with us (in Australia )  our head instructor informed us that he considered  Mr. Nishihira  to be the heir and was now 'our teacher'  .  That consideration is based on a few things , not the least that Mr. Nishihira inherited Hohan Soken's swords and weapons . 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosei_Nishihira

 

 

 

[Paradoxal]

 

Images from the Japanese Navy HQ:

(Below is a room where a Japanese soldier committed suicide by grenade near the end of the war)

 

 

In contrast, the below images were taken from the site where the majority of the Tokashiki Islanders were forced into suicide:

 

 

Unlike the HQ, there's a shrine dedicated to placating the spirits of the dead nearby in a secluded and restricted area:

 

 

 

As for graves, I have pictures of two that I can share, both within Urasoe Gusuku.

 

The first site, I unfortunately do not know whose tomb it is and cannot read the kanji well enough to identify, so apologies; if anyone can, I'd love to have a name.

 

 

The second site is the hallowed tomb of King Sho Nei, often cited as the "tragic king" of the Ryukyus due to the Satsuma treatment of him during their takeover. People still come and pray for him in front of his tomb, over four hundred years after his death. 

 

 

6 hours ago, Nungali said:

Love to see them .  I thought there was a connection  with them to sea turtles  ?

 

Unfortunately, I don't know of a connection, but I don't claim to know everything either, soo.... I do know that Okinawans, moreso than Japanese, worship nature itself which may play a part?

 

6 hours ago, Nungali said:

Yes, his fishing spot was near a base , sadly the other side of the island supposedly had cleaner water . I  read once that Okinawa has the most military base acreage  per  overall acre of anywhere   ?  

 

Yeah, it does. According to The Auto Ethnographer, "The island is 0.6% of the Japanese land mass, and home to 75% of U.S. military facilities in Japan" (https://theautoethnographer.com/life-in-okinawa-under-the-american-military/), which lines up very well with what I was taught while I was there. The bases choke the infrastructure of the island and make transport/industry difficult, if not impossible in many areas, in addition to heavily polluting the island and destroying natural wonders.

 

6 hours ago, Nungali said:

( Can you read that ^  ?  ) 

 

I can't read the whole sign due to a combination of my own lack of kanji and the pixelization of the image, but I can make out "Shorin Ryu" at the top. I'm familiar with the name Nishihira, as I've actually done quite a bit of research into the origins of Karate while I was over there! If I'm understanding correctly, you're the student of his student, thus in his lineage, basically? Very impressive. 

 

[Nungali]

17 hours ago, Paradoxal said:

I can't read the whole sign due to a combination of my own lack of kanji and the pixelization of the image, but I can make out "Shorin Ryu" at the top. I'm familiar with the name Nishihira, as I've actually done quite a bit of research into the origins of Karate while I was over there!

 

Ooooooo !   Let's converse  about that in a new thread ?   I can start one when I am less busy  (gotta get offline now )

 

If I'm understanding correctly, you're the student of his student, thus in his lineage, basically? Very impressive. 

 

I feel the 'lineage' died when Mr. Nishihira did , no one was 'appointed' , it was sort of a family tradition  and I believe the next generation had no interest .   Mr. N  was not a modern karate marketer ,  the lineage didnt have a clear name ; Shorin-Ryu is all over the place (in locations branches and style itself ) , even the supposed designation 'Matsamura Seito '  seems wide, I have watched guys under that designation and they just seem like another modern school . To make it more confusing , that modern school stuff was taught alongside the 'seito; aspects .  There was no dojo, club , etc . no marketing . At Mr N.'s funeral hiss neighbors where surprised, why all the foreigners here ?  They didnt know about his  skill or lineage .

 

 

If you look at Wiki articles on Mr N. and Hohan Soken , you will see Theodore Lange , he was the head for Australia , I trained under one of his students  , an 'instructor ' .  However I have left that . It was a reversion to 'new school' in most aspects ... I think it 'missed the point ' .    I have continued on in my own research and development  in what I believe was an 'inner tradition' within it .

 

if you are interested , we can talk more in another thread .

 

 

Edited June 2 by Nungali

[Paradoxal]

16 minutes ago, Nungali said:

if you are interested , we can talk more in another thread .

 

Definitely let's! I'm very interested in hearing more! 

 

[Mark Foote]

On 5/29/2024 at 1:07 PM, Taomeow said:

 

My not hometown, New York, used to feel like that to me when I lived there, and especially when I commuted from New Jersey to work there.  I'd be sleepy, tired in advance in the morning, dozing off on the train, and then -- as soon as I stepped out of the subway underpass -- wham!  A huge jolt of energy.  I liked it for a while, but after a while, not so much.  It felt like some kind of artificial stimulation, too much adrenaline, too much cortisol, too little harmony.  The energy of perpetual stress.  But there was definitely a sense of power to the place.  Manhattan stands on a bedrock of shist that's 450 million years old -- I think that's what imparts its underlying strength, unyielding, hard, aggressive, very yang... I could feel it.   

 

 

 

The lake I live next to is estimated to be at least 500 million years old.  Somewhere I read that the tribes gathered here first, before they spread out around California. That would have been about 14,000 years ago.

The lake is only 52 feet deep at its deepest.  It's still here, because there's a volcanic fault slipping away at the same rate as the buildup of silt.

Kinda like the place, in spite of what the white folks did at the south end (superfund site for a mercury mine).

 

 

Photo by Keith Gronendyke

Edited June 9 by Mark Foote

[Sherman Krebbs]

On 5/28/2024 at 1:47 AM, dwai said:

it’s hard to describe the phenomena - but spaces have a certain feel about them - some feel comfortable, like home, while others feel different/uncomfortable - something that doesn’t go away even with prolonged exposure/familiarity.

 

I agree.  There is a deep energy in everything and every place.  If you are attuned, it can be "felt" (and maybe seen, as in an aura).  I think it goes far deeper than the senses, however.

 

Waterfalls are my favorite.