Guest guest Posted August 24, 2005 Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 This sounds like one of those silly wive's tales that actually is a good idea considering toxoplasmosis and other parasites... (were they also prevented from changing the kitty litter?) >>>>They are also told to not reach above the head Oakland, CA 94609 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 24, 2005 Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 I wonder if it might be another example of correspondences -- if you look at a plucked chicken carcass, it is rather similar in some ways to the body of a newborn infant. Pat This sounds like one of those silly wive's tales that actually is a good idea considering toxoplasmosis and other parasites... (were they also prevented from changing the kitty litter?) >>>>They are also told to not reach above the head Oakland, CA 94609 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 24, 2005 Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 Hi Pat.. A newborn infant what???? Sorry...my two daughters in no way resembled chickens! .......LOL!! Pat Ethridge <pat.ethridge wrote: I wonder if it might be another example of correspondences -- if you look at a plucked chicken carcass, it is rather similar in some ways to the body of a newborn infant. Pat This sounds like one of those silly wive's tales that actually is a good idea considering toxoplasmosis and other parasites... (were they also prevented from changing the kitty litter?) >>>>They are also told to not reach above the head Oakland, CA 94609 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 24, 2005 Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 " I wonder if it might be another example of correspondences -- if you look at a plucked chicken carcass, it is rather similar in some ways to the body of a newborn infant. " Pat I suspect sometime a thousand years or more ago, some poor woman gave birth to a baby with a deformed limb after doing a lot of cutting off of chicken limbs and the deformity was blamed on that action. Again, we may scoff, but the ancient Chinese were very keen on the idea of subtle energy (qi) cause and effect. The fact that they would consider a developing fetus as being vulnerable to abnormal development based on the actions of the mother or the overall environment is itself quite advanced. Consider some of the ideas of traditional Chinese fertility medicine - that one could help determine the gender of a child by eating more yin vs. yang foods or conceiving on certain days based on the Stems and Branches and phases of the moon. Where does one draw the line on what we accept as a legitimate level of subtle energy influences vs. superstition? Matt Bauer - Pat Ethridge Chinese Medicine Wednesday, August 24, 2005 7:01 AM Re: pregnant chicken I wonder if it might be another example of correspondences -- if you look at a plucked chicken carcass, it is rather similar in some ways to the body of a newborn infant. Pat This sounds like one of those silly wive's tales that actually is a good idea considering toxoplasmosis and other parasites... (were they also prevented from changing the kitty litter?) >>>>They are also told to not reach above the head Oakland, CA 94609 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 24, 2005 Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 I don't know, but some people (not just the mother) have told me they felt queasy or " strange " upon seeing their unborn child's image, especially if it was moving, on an ultrasound scan. I wonder if this is a similar reaction, that is all. Pat " I wonder if it might be another example of correspondences -- if you look at a plucked chicken carcass, it is rather similar in some ways to the body of a newborn infant. " Pat I suspect sometime a thousand years or more ago, some poor woman gave birth to a baby with a deformed limb after doing a lot of cutting off of chicken limbs and the deformity was blamed on that action. Again, we may scoff, but the ancient Chinese were very keen on the idea of subtle energy (qi) cause and effect. The fact that they would consider a developing fetus as being vulnerable to abnormal development based on the actions of the mother or the overall environment is itself quite advanced. Consider some of the ideas of traditional Chinese fertility medicine - that one could help determine the gender of a child by eating more yin vs. yang foods or conceiving on certain days based on the Stems and Branches and phases of the moon. Where does one draw the line on what we accept as a legitimate level of subtle energy influences vs. superstition? Matt Bauer - Pat Ethridge Chinese Medicine Wednesday, August 24, 2005 7:01 AM Re: pregnant chicken I wonder if it might be another example of correspondences -- if you look at a plucked chicken carcass, it is rather similar in some ways to the body of a newborn infant. Pat This sounds like one of those silly wive's tales that actually is a good idea considering toxoplasmosis and other parasites... (were they also prevented from changing the kitty litter?) >>>>They are also told to not reach above the head Oakland, CA 94609 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 24, 2005 Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 It's a good question, Matt. Where should the line be drawn between subtle energetic influences and pure superstition? Is is superstitious to suppose that the phase of the moon influences human thought, health and behavior? Is it superstitious to assert that a person's tongue reveals their health conditions? I suppose that a lot of it depends on the sensitivity of the subject who is performing the observation. The posessor of an unskilled and untrained eye, is easily fooled by many things that appear obvious to one who has developed a higher acuity. Look at music for example. A musician with perfect pitch might sqirm when a note is a 16th tone off pitch, whereas the layperson's ear would unlikely ever hear the difference. Are superstitions similar? Does training, cultivation and the ensuing perception that develops allow some of us access to the subtle dynamics that govern our world? And, if this is the case, are those whose senses are finely honed likely to be labeled as " superstitious " by the masses who are unable to perceive the subtle connections? It is a good question indeed. For myself, I'll go ahead and draw the line at the chicken. Bon apetite to all of my pregnant colleagues. Chicken is served. - David Karchmer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 24, 2005 Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 Hi David - In my Taoist training, we were taught very long lists of things that can violate natural energy and thus cause subtle harm. These weren't classified as sins - just actions contrary to natural energy. Some were obvious and seen in most of the world's religions or ethical teachings; don't kill or speak ill of others, etc. Others were very subtle and uniquely Taoist such as: don't jump over a well or, my favorite, don't point at a star. With these, we are talking about the relative degree of transgression. No one goes through life without ever going against the grain of nature, but the more one stays within the natural flow, the more one embodies the infinite creative energy of nature. To my mind, many of the concepts in Chinese health practices are on similar wavelengths. And - speaking of chickens; my teacher once told me that the amount of qi (jing) lost when a man ejaculates is roughly equivalent to the amount of qi one gains from a good chicken dinner. This being the case, a man's ejaculation was commonly referred to as " Losing one's chicken. " I think I will refrain from closing with the same line your message had. - Matt - David Karchmer Chinese Medicine Wednesday, August 24, 2005 11:03 AM Re: pregnant chicken It's a good question, Matt. Where should the line be drawn between subtle energetic influences and pure superstition? Is is superstitious to suppose that the phase of the moon influences human thought, health and behavior? Is it superstitious to assert that a person's tongue reveals their health conditions? I suppose that a lot of it depends on the sensitivity of the subject who is performing the observation. The posessor of an unskilled and untrained eye, is easily fooled by many things that appear obvious to one who has developed a higher acuity. Look at music for example. A musician with perfect pitch might sqirm when a note is a 16th tone off pitch, whereas the layperson's ear would unlikely ever hear the difference. Are superstitions similar? Does training, cultivation and the ensuing perception that develops allow some of us access to the subtle dynamics that govern our world? And, if this is the case, are those whose senses are finely honed likely to be labeled as " superstitious " by the masses who are unable to perceive the subtle connections? It is a good question indeed. For myself, I'll go ahead and draw the line at the chicken. Bon apetite to all of my pregnant colleagues. Chicken is served. - David Karchmer http://babel.altavista.com/ and adjust accordingly. If you are a TCM academic and wish to discuss TCM with other academics, click on this link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted August 24, 2005 Report Share Posted August 24, 2005 We have no shortage of labels in use within our society currently. Mike W. Bowser, L Ac > " David Karchmer " <acuprof >Chinese Medicine >Chinese Medicine >Re: pregnant chicken >Wed, 24 Aug 2005 18:03:37 -0000 > >It's a good question, Matt. Where should the line be drawn between >subtle energetic influences and pure superstition? Is is >superstitious to suppose that the phase of the moon influences human >thought, health and behavior? Is it superstitious to assert that a >person's tongue reveals their health conditions? I suppose that a lot >of it depends on the sensitivity of the subject who is performing the >observation. > The posessor of an unskilled and untrained eye, is easily fooled >by many things that appear obvious to one who has developed a higher >acuity. Look at music for example. A musician with perfect pitch >might sqirm when a note is a 16th tone off pitch, whereas the >layperson's ear would unlikely ever hear the difference. Are >superstitions similar? Does training, cultivation and the ensuing >perception that develops allow some of us access to the subtle >dynamics that govern our world? And, if this is the case, are those >whose senses are finely honed likely to be labeled as " superstitious " >by the masses who are unable to perceive the subtle connections? > It is a good question indeed. For myself, I'll go ahead and draw >the line at the chicken. Bon apetite to all of my pregnant >colleagues. Chicken is served. > >- David Karchmer > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.