Paradise in Parking Lots

Depave is working to tear up that asphalt and make green spaces bloom again. “From parking lots to paradise.” That’s one of the slogans of Depave, a nonprofit group determined to reverse Joni Mitchell’s grim vision of an asphalt-covered America.

For nearly four years, the Portland, Oregon-based group has been literally tearing up superfluous parking lots and other underused expanses of asphalt and turning them into productive greenspace.

In the summer of 2008, for their first project, Depave’s organizers recruited 147 volunteers to rip up a roughly 2,500-square-foot parking lot next to the Waypost Café in north Portland, eventually turning it into the Fargo Forest Garden. Since then, the group has pulled up unnecessary patches of asphalt all over the city. In its 20 projects so far, Depave has worked with schools, businesses, and even private residents to create new gardens, parks, landscaped yards, and at least one pumpkin patch.  

To Read the whole article: Depave: Returning Parking Lots To Paradise

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I Dig Crystals

idigcrystals@gmail.com

CRYSTAL: Gardens

QUESTION: Anybody know what crystals are good for tomatoes and peppers in a garden? i heard pyrite and certain agates and carnelian. any others? Anybody know what crystals are good for tomatoes and peppers in a garden? i heard pyrite and certain agates and carnelian. any others? thanks.

ANSWER: Hi, I would suggest Moss Agate for the garden. This is a stone with "life chi", growing energies, great for plants.

Sincerely,
Sheila Satin

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CRYSTALS: Medicine Wheel

QUESTION: OK, I have built an American Indian Medicine wheel in backyard in the south side. It takes up about a 1/3 or more of space and is an 8ft circle. To the south of that are perrenial plants - five keeping with 5 being a power number with the medicine wheel. The south side of the wheel is generally speaking the direction of environmental or respect toward the earth. To the right or north of the wheel is the 2nd half of the yard. In the medicine wheel it represents good mental health and a reminder we should always try to stay healthy in our minds even when things happen that makes us sad or happy. The east, which points to where I am sitting now, represents spirituality. It reminds us of a belief in a creator and respecting all things. the opposite of me is the west is a reminder to keep our physical bodies healthy by looking after ourselves. This points to a very large rosemary bush. There is more information and there is alot to the medicine wheel on the web.

Any hoot the question is I would like to get some crystals to place in the areas ouside and maybe inside the wheel. Mostly the area to the north - the mental health area is of concern. This is since in my walk in life and the representation of the medicine wheel being my life's walk, and that I am bipolar. Now this north half of the yard I planted wildflowers and clover. It forms a U-shape with the outer being the wild flowers and inner clover. You stand on the walkway looking into an upside down U. Within this U at the crest of the radius I would like to place one or more spheres.
The question is do you have any recommendations for me? Most likely I will place a short yet wide tree stump at the crest too. So, I will hallow it out at the top large enough to hold the spheres or cyrstals. As far as that goes maybe a different geormetric form may be recommended. I also would like to scatter some tumbled crystals where the plants are sown to enhance growth with them. Any recommendations for this too???

And, don't forget Sheila, I will be working with you on some personal jewelry, hopefully soon too. I would like to thank you for your time with this. I am gon'na post a pic or two in my profile pic area for you to see.

ANSWER: Hi, thanks for your question. It sounds like you have a magnificient project going on in creating your personal medicine wheel. I can definitely make suggestions for you:

1. For Mental Health, I would use Sodalite & Amethyst stones.

2. Spheres are the perfect choice as they are a uniform shape, conducive to the energy of the wheel.

3. As for stones to help the surrounding garden grow, Moss Agate is the best for stimulating growth. However, if you have any chipped stones that you are no longer using, your plants will find their energies beneficial and they will find being back in the earth a relief.

4. Whenever you are ready for your personalized jewelry, email me at sheila@idigcrystals.com and we'll come up with something fantastic!

May health be with you,
Sheila Satin
www.idigcrystals.com

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putting the tower to rest

A loyal customer came to me today heartbroken about a Quartz Tower wand he had been using for quite some time had broken in his hands. After much use of his beloved crystal, it lay shattered in three pieces. He asked me for advice of what to do. As I tell all of those who come to me in this state, I suggested he lay these pieces to rest in his garden or potted plants. These crystal shards are excellent for root stimulation. The plants are the happy and the crystal is happy to be back in the ground.

Why this happens? Especially with heavily used crystal tools, you may encounter surprise shattering when the crystal has absorbed too much energy. In essence, it is done. Sometimes it has not been cleaned enough and can't hold too much of a negative charge. Sometimes it has just drained itself of its own energies. Sometimes it's just physical. Whatever the case, thank it and lay it to rest.

Another idea I have been using recently is placing these pieces in my artwork. It can not harm you because it is not being used actively in healing, but the crystal is still giving off a pleasant, natural vibration from an admirable point of view.

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