#mentalhealth

"Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare."

— Audre Lorde, A Burst of Light (1988)

She wrote that while she was dying, which is the detail people leave out when they put it on a candle. Not a bath. The decision to keep a body alive that a system had already written off, and to understand that decision as strategy.

What have you stopped protecting?

https://thistleandmoss.com/p/count-the-motherfuckers-back-a-stolen-election-1-6-million-photographs-and-124-graves#the-practice-armor-you-can-wear-tom?utm_source=PixelFed&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fedica

#AudreLorde #Quotes #SelfPreservation #BlackFeminism #QueerHistory #LGBTQ #Resist #Solidarity #Poetry #Literature #MentalHealth #Photography #Trans #Queer #Druid

When a dread shows up, write one line: the single piece of evidence you actually have for it. Not the fear. The evidence. Then put the pen down.

Most dread cannot produce a receipt. It arrives dressed as a conclusion and hopes you won't ask for the paperwork, and when you ask, it thins out into what it always was. The ones that can produce a receipt have earned your attention — and now you know which ones those are.

Tha do chorp a' cuimhneachadh — your body remembers.

This publication runs on readers, not ad networks. Nine of you covers a week of records requests → thistleandmoss.com/upgrade?utm_source=PixelFed&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fedica

#Mindfulness #Grounding #MentalHealth #Anxiety #Druid #EarthBased #Paganism #Gaelic #SelfCare #Journaling #Photography #Nature #Queer #Trans #SlowLiving

I Bear Witness…

A circular stone fortress reveals interconnected chambers filled with symbolic rooms and winding paths.

Hello, my dear…

It’s been a while I know…

You have no idea where I’ve been, my friend…

The good news…

I have time on my hands…

Ready to begin again…

Removing the gun against my temple helped…

Russian roulette is for adrenaline junkies…

My days of chance are over…

I’m into concrete these days…

Nevertheless I’m about to sky dive through the underworld…

One last time…

Neon-suited skydivers soar above a dazzling cyberpunk city filled with glowing signs and elevated highways.

I prefer the frequency I’ve become accustomed to…

No parachutes need…

I’ve nearly completed the 9th wonder of my world…

From here on in…

My intentions are coming into play…

I’m hoping to spend time with you, my dear…

We need to get this sh*t figured out once and for all…

Before my mind refuses to say another word again…

Silence is where we scaled the walls…

Looking for communication beyond all barriers…

Similarities are uncountable…

Many things fascinate me…

Human Beings…

Now these creatures are they comprehensible…

Are we born with understanding…

The finer things in life…

The details…

I live in the details…

Three dots and a back log of memories…

I found the devil in the details to…

Plus myself…

How’s that going…

Good question, my dear…

For me personally finding true love went beyond this world…

The virtual, the physical, whichever one you call home…

Seeking knowledge of the unknown was my first port of call…

Right now I have a few loose ends to contend with…

Crossed wires avoid at all times…

I will try my upmost to get as close to the truth as I can…

Oh, my Lord increase us in knowledge…

I’m coming from my own perspective, perception, beliefs and opinions…

In no way shape or form am I trying to convince you otherwise…

I have a charity to sell…

The story is about an author of a piece of expressionism…

The same author who is talking to you now…

Telling you about myself…

And how my mundane masterpiece came about…

Keeping my cup empty…

That’s the easy part, my invisible other…

Life has a way of humbling you…

If you know what’s good for you…

If you have never suffered from a heart attack…

The last days are for you…

Nothing but a mercy…

The next time we will meet…

I have no idea…

Soon…

Real soon, Insha Allah

Now you know where I’ve been and why…

I’ve missed you too…

Until next time…

The final encounter…

Let’s make this winter a blessing…

A snowy trail leads toward warmly lit homes beneath dramatic mountain peaks at dusk.

I

#Abstract #art #books #life #love #mentalHealth #poetry #religion #self #spirituality #thoughts #Writing

Face down. Forehead on your stacked hands or a folded towel. Belly on the ground, no pillow under you.

This is not a stretch. Six slow breaths, letting the belly press into the floor on the inhale instead of lifting the chest.

You can't fake a diaphragmatic breath against a hard surface. The position removes the option — the floor gives you resistance you cannot argue with, and after four or five breaths something in the low back lets go that you didn't know was clamped.

What changes first is the jaw. That's strange, and you'll notice it around breath four.

Tha do chorp eòlach air an rathad — your body knows the road.

This isn't relaxation. It's returning your weight to something built to hold it.

Where does the day land in you first — jaw, shoulders, or gut?

Today's issue: https://thistleandmoss.com/p/rot-at-the-top-ice-at-the-bottom-and-kids-left-holding-the-fucking-bag?utm_source=PixelFed&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fedica

#SelfCare #Somatics #Breathwork #NervousSystem #Rest #Grounding #MentalHealth #Anxiety #Druid #EarthBased #Folklore #Gàidhlig #Photography

retelling such birdsong
as sunlight stretches to dusk
reflecting ash leaves

https://www.expositionist.net/daily-haiku/2026/9/7/haiku-298

#poem #poetry #poetrycommunity #readingcommunity #haiku #portland #positivity #tragicoptimism #nature #mentalhealth #photography #dailyhaikuprompt #trees #forest #lake

The tulip poplars on my street started dropping their tired yellow leaves weeks early this year, out of pure August exhaustion, and the clay under them has gone the color of dried brick.

Before you argue with one single soul today, go put your bare palm flat on something the empire didn't build. A porch rail. A tree. The hood of your own beat-to-hell car. Hold it there until your shoulders drop. You cannot out-think a nervous system that believes it's being hunted, and that's the one fight all week you're guaranteed to win.

The earth has never once needed a federal form to know how many of us there are.

This runs on readers. No ad network, no sponsor, nobody upstairs sending memos about tone → thistleandmoss.com/upgrade?utm_source=PixelFed&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fedica-Wendy-New-RSS

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#Grounding #Nature #Druid #Folklore #Seasonal #Georgia #Photography #Herbalism #MentalHealth #Solidarity #Gàidhlig #Community #Autumn

PHASE is a very personal series. Learn more at https://www.keith-michael.com/ and I would love to stay connected via my mailing list.

#photography #mentalhealth #art #prints

At it's core, this collection is about mental health. The photographs in PHASE are self-portraits in a sense as they relate to the emotion of the moment of my photograph. See the series at https://www.keith-michael.com/phase

#art #photography #mentalhealth

The Maya & BoozeThe Maya have always interested me. One of the things I noticed is that they gave themselves alcohol enemas!I was wondering about why they have little of the big troubles our modern society has that are alcohol related? For instance the domestic violence, 90% at least has alcohol in the equation. Looked up why…..

Firstly the enema story. Man I have sat in the Rooms of the AA many times, many years, and have heard things that most would not believe. But never ever heard of an Alky getting his “fix” like this. You would think someone would have tried it, even just to  not get “booze breath”.

Why they did it.

To avoid vomiting: The Maya brewed an alcoholic drink called balché or pulque and mixed it with wild tobacco, water lilies, or other hallucinogenic plants. Drinking large amounts of this toxic, bitter mixture caused immediate vomiting. Administering it rectally bypassed the stomach completely, allowing them to absorb the full payload without throwing up.

To reach rapid spiritual ecstasy: The Maya believed that extreme states of intoxication allowed them to commune with gods and ancestors. Rectal absorption enters the bloodstream rapidly, triggering an intense, rapid altered state of consciousness.

It was an elite social ritual: Far from being a hidden taboo, these events were sacred, communal, and political ceremonies. They were attended by royal family members, elites, and even families.

Ok. Now let’s look why the different results socially…. I found this:

In the ancient Maya civilization, alcohol was used very differently than it is in modern society, which drastically altered its social impact. While the Maya certainly experienced the universal physical and behavioral effects of alcohol, their strict social structures, deeply embedded religious frameworks, and economic limitations largely prevented the chronic, widespread social problems and domestic violence seen today.

1. Highly Controlled, Periodic Availability

Unlike modern society, where alcohol is mass-produced, heavily marketed, and readily available 24/7, Maya alcohol was a limited resource.

Tied to the Seasons: Beverages like balché and chicha had a short shelf life and could not be preserved long-term.

Event-Based Drinking: Drinking was strictly restricted to specific calendar dates, religious festivals, agricultural milestones, and state feasts. Because people could not drink casually or daily, chronic alcoholism was rare.

2. Deeply Taboo Outside Rituals

Drinking outside an approved sacred context was considered a severe violation of social norms. Because drunkenness was viewed as a literal tool for “divine communication,” recreational or solitary drinking was seen as a misuse of the sacred. The surrounding community held intense social pressure over individuals to keep intoxication confined strictly to public, holy spaces.

3. Communal and Public Settings

In modern times, alcohol-fueled domestic violence often occurs behind closed doors in private residences. For the Maya, drinking was almost exclusively a public, communal act. Ceremonies took place in open plazas or designated temples under the watchful eyes of community elders, priests, and local leaders. This highly public setting acted as a natural deterrent against erratic, anti-social, or violent behavior.

Well that is interesting, as some people are now saying that, and I agree, it is not the alcohol or even drugs that are the CAUSE of addiction, but our society.Rate this:

“They say a person needs just three things to be truly happy in this world: someone to love, something to do, and something to hope for.” ― Tom Bodett

#autumn #summer #nature #naturephotography #mentalhealth #art #culture #philosophy #photography #photo

This summer I made a mistake with regards to my camping, hiking and photography trip. I did not take any time before going to figure out what I actually needed.

This made actually relaxing while there impossible. Which led to me trying to force it. And that does not work.

I made the decission to drive home early. Foregoing almost all of the goals I had. And that is fine.

The most important bit is that I did go, and that I choose to return early.

#Photography #MentalHealth #Vosges

Two tennis balls in a knotted sock. Ninety seconds. That's the whole protocol.

Lie on your back and set them under the ridge at the base of your skull, one either side of the spine, on the soft shelf above the neck bone — never on the bone. Let your head's full weight go down into them.

First thirty seconds feel like nothing. Second thirty feel like an ache with an opinion. Somewhere in the last thirty the shelf gives and your eyes water for no reason you can name.

Tha do chorp a' cuimhneachadh — your body remembers. Those are among the smallest and most overworked muscles you own, and they've been braced since Monday.

Where does the news land in your body first?

#Somatics #Selfcare #ChronicPain #BodyWork #Gaelic #Gàidhlig #Herbalism #Druid #MentalHealth #Photography #Wellness #Solarpunk

The Boat Sank –
Get over it..

Mari Rhydwen, (Slow Travel) – A message on a t-shirt of a passenger on a bus in Mombasa.

Five years ago on this BlogBlogger Whipoorwill commented on a previous post about meditation and dreams:

Drömmar. Allting handlar om våra drömmar.

Men vi glömmer.

Swedish to English Translation:

Dreams. Everything is about our dreams.

But we forget.

Photo by Matheus Natan on Pexels.comThis quotation resonated today.

Dreams help us sort daily events in our memory. Dreams can also rehearse how we react to situations. Sometimes we don’t remember, as the blogger alluded. But sometimes we don’t forget.

Do you agree? What are your thoughts on the relevance of dreams and the T-shirt saying?

trees find afternoons
enamored of fading light
like a love-worn path

https://www.expositionist.net/daily-haiku/2026/8/24/haiku-297

#poem #poetry #poetrycommunity #readingcommunity #haiku #portland #positivity #tragicoptimism #nature #mentalhealth #photography #dailyhaikuprompt #trees #forest

The tulip poplars on my street started dropping their tired yellow leaves weeks early this year, out of pure August exhaustion, and the clay under them has gone the color of dried brick.

Before you argue with one single soul today, go put your bare palm flat on something the empire didn't build. A porch rail. A tree. The hood of your own beat-to-hell car. Hold it there until your shoulders drop. You cannot out-think a nervous system that believes it's being hunted, and that's the one fight all week you're guaranteed to win.

The earth has never once needed a federal form to know how many of us there are.

This runs on readers. No ad network, no sponsor, nobody upstairs sending memos about tone → thistleandmoss.com/upgrade?utm_source=PixelFed&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fedica-Wendy-New-RSS

https://thistleandmoss.com/p/when-november-comes-i-wanna-surf-that-blue-wave-straight-into-the-pipe?utm_source=PixelFed&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=fedica-Wendy-New-RSS

#Grounding #Nature #Druid #Folklore #Seasonal #Georgia #Photography #Herbalism #MentalHealth #Solidarity #Gàidhlig #Community #Autumn

I'm excited to announce that (in)visible will soon be exhibited at #CassArt #Kingston.

You can see #InvisibleProject, with #HeadlightEDevon & #ActionEastDevon, at Cass Art, 103 Clarence Street, Kingston, from October 31 to November 28.

#ArtsCouncilEngland

#Photography #MentalHealth

Poems and pictures from 2026.

Bleeding Hearts

Across my bleeding heart

I wish I had it from the start

The petals, the sepals, the style,

It’s a flower I’ll admire a little while

A small flower that’s made smiles of so many faces

Anywhere they are planted is my favorite of places.

ScreenshotSarah’s Salix

Sarah’s Salix, say less. We like Salix the best.

Curly willows, red willows, those are some of our favorite riparian fellows

We love the greens and we love the yellows

I’m eating garlic fries and I wanna take a nap

The fries are really tasty, I deserve a little snack

Buster browns my dog, he knows there-a-here, and that’s-a-fact 

I enjoy my afternoon while he’s sitting on my lap! 

It’s a nice little poem for a nice little day

There will be no snack for Buster, they’re for me, and that’s okay! 

He makes a little wine and I give a little slap

The fries all mine and I’ve had enough of that

Holding on to something that’s mine 

Lately I’ve been struck by your style

I feel a little bit nervous that mines enough

I’m feeling really nervous but I want to try and get closer to you, and did you notice my new tattoo?

Did it catch your eye? 

I feel a little bit nervous,

Have you ever thought when you’re around you’re holding on to something that’s mine?

I’ve got a new neighbor, I’ve known my whole life 

I feel a little bit nervous but,

They’re moving in closer and I’m not sure if that is all right. 

But did you see my new roof or did you notice my style? 

Have you got any clue? Have I caught your eye? 

Have you ever thought when you’re around you’re holding on to something that’s mine? 

Pine poem

Could anything be more beautiful? 

Amongst gods creations that I cling?

My life will be over in the blink of an eye 

Compared to this little piney thing. 

She loves me, not?

Counting up the petals of these nice little daisies, she loves me. She loves me not, maybe?

 I guess I’m feeling a little less than my best lately,

 I’m withered and wilted and feeling unshapely,

 I need sunlight and I need water, but my petals are pulled, so why bother?

I want the new rain and I want the trees, I need you so badly, please!

 And I guess I’m feeling a little less than my best lately.

 I’m withered and wilted and feeling unshapely 

 I guess I’m feeling a little less than my best lately.

 I’m withered and wilted and feeling unshapely 

a gardener’s skill
to call wilderness by name
and speak its language

https://www.expositionist.net/daily-haiku/2026/8/17/haiku-296

#poem #poetry #poetrycommunity #readingcommunity #haiku #portland #positivity #tragicoptimism #nature #mentalhealth #photography #dailyhaikuprompt #trees #forest

little dirt pathways
find worlds in simple beauty
as skies shine through trees

https://www.expositionist.net/daily-haiku/2026/8/15/haiku-295

#poem #poetry #poetrycommunity #readingcommunity #haiku #portland #positivity #tragicoptimism #nature #mentalhealth #photography #dailyhaikuprompt #trees #forest

Two tennis balls in a knotted sock. Ninety seconds. That's the whole protocol.

Lie on your back and set them under the ridge at the base of your skull, one either side of the spine, on the soft shelf above the neck bone — never on the bone. Let your head's full weight go down into them.

First thirty seconds feel like nothing. Second thirty feel like an ache with an opinion. Somewhere in the last thirty the shelf gives and your eyes water for no reason you can name.

Tha do chorp a' cuimhneachadh — your body remembers. Those are among the smallest and most overworked muscles you own, and they've been braced since Monday.

Where does the news land in your body first?

#Somatics #Selfcare #ChronicPain #BodyWork #Gaelic #Gàidhlig #Herbalism #Druid #MentalHealth #Photography #Wellness #Solarpunk