"Paths to Healing": AZIMUTH @ S.U.N.F.A.R.M.

azimuth

the direction of a celestial object from the observer, expressed as the angular distance from the north or south point of the horizon to the point at which a vertical circle passing through the object intersects the horizon. *

AZIMUTH is the first event of "Paths to Healing" and coincides with the first sunset at S.U.N.F.A.R.M. after the winter solstice 2020, occurring on Monday. December 21 5:02 UTC. The 2020 December solstice coincides with the Great Conjunction: planets Jupiter and Saturn appear to an observer on Earth very close to each other, in a phenomenon occurring every 20 years

Uncannily my personal path coincides with the country and world's journey to healing. I am referring, of course, to the pandemic and the 2020 elections results: hopefully the new year will bring some victory on the battle over ignorance as well as social, racial and environmental injustice. Life experience taught me that healing is not a linear process but filled with loops, twists and turns; it is often dominated by darkness with sprinkles of light, before it reaches the end of the tunnel. Tears, pain and fatigue are part of the process. Sometimes even hopelessness can guide in soul searching. But what really helped me has been the awareness / mindfulness of meditative practice on being now and here.

In S.U.N.F.A.R.M. mindfulness can be achieved by walking meditations in paths in the landscape defined by spirals and axes. AZIMUTH IS first event of "Paths to Healing" and consists of a walking meditation along with a path cut along the azimuth line of the sunset on December 21. The walking meditation happens only a few days after the major nor'easter snowstorm of December 16, which produced over 15 inches of snow in S.U.N.F.A.R.M. The azimuth of defined by the sun setting at the December solstice is the southernmost point of the sunset at the latitude of the observer.

Join me in this moment to celebrate the return of light as resilience after one of darkest and challenging years for humanity.

Time: Dec 21, 2020 03:30 PM EST

Watch live on @Daniela.Bertol Instagram

The Growth of Degrowth: From a Circular to a Spiral Economy

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought drastic life changes to the worldwide population. The global economy has been shaken, so are our social interactions. Terms like “social distancing”, “virtual meeting”, “working remotely” have become part of our vocabulary. While the world is slowly returning to—or even only planning—a lifestyle pre-pandemic, the lesson taught by COVID-19 is not learned. The reopening of the economy focuses on returning to the economic growth, mainly based on consumerism and greatly contributing to the environmental crisis, which seemed to have slow down due to the change of lifestyle brought by the pandemic.
    A positive transformation, directly related to dealing with the crisis brought by the pandemic, could have been actualized by the shift from the paradigm of economy growth to degrowth. The term degrowth—a translation of the French term “décroissance”, also known in Italian as “decrescita”—encompasses political, economic, environmental and social theories as well as movements...Read More

Solstice Celebration @ Sun Farm

The JuneSolstice occurs on June 20, 2020, 5:43 pm EDT.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Summer Solstice is the longest day of the year, with the sun at its maximum altitude when it crosses the meridian.

You are invited to celebrate the June solstice at Sun Farm (42.17254, -73.67339), with a walking or mindful breathing meditation.

In Peace & Harmony

 

A Journal of Resistance | The Exhausted Warrior

Manhattanhenge at 79 Street

It has been a devastating and tragic week, both at a collective and at a personal level.

The news have been dominated by COVID-19 reaching the 100,000 death tolls a few days ago and by another episode of police brutality leading to the horrific death of George Floyd on May 25. While the world seems to slowly heal from the Coronavirus pandemic the US is still extremely far from the path to recovery.

New York City apocalyptic vision continues when protests turn into looting. The once almost empty streets have turned into places of often violet protests since Saturday night. Never like now New York is a "tale of two cities."

At a personal level I am dealing with  the sadness of seeing the failure of all my efforts in reaching a positive outcome. Yet there is a peacefulness and almost sense of accomplishment in the resilience and energy of fighting. My daily movement practice keeps me focused and positive.

Ce n’est qu’un début, continuons le combat

A Journal of Resistance During COVID-19 | Ce n’est qu’un début, continuons le combat

It has been another extremely challenging week. The majority of my time has been devoted to find an attorney to help me to rescue Sun Farm  from greed. Nothing yet. The rude neighbors from 5C continue with their noise disturbance and I filed more 311 complaints.
But my  daily dynamic meditation and spatial awareness continues to give me strength and focus.
I started "The Book of Spirals."

Ce n’est qu’un début, continuons le combat 

A Journal of Resistance During COVID-19 | A Mother's Days Gift

It has been a different mother's day; while still "social distancing" in the COVID-19 epicenter (New York) I was still able to enjoy the beautiful spring day, with a rewarding walk in the Fort Tryon Park.
Zoe gave me an unexpected gift  which made me hope in continuing my fight to save Sun Farm—art in nature as utopia.

Ce n’est qu’un début, continuons le combat 

Sequences from my spatial awareness practice in the icosahedron

A Journal of Resistance During COVID-19 | Light at the End of the Tunnel?

It has been extremely challenging dealing with more bullying—this time coming from a real estate agent hired by my ex-husband.  What kept going through this other horrific experience. besides my moving meditation, was one of the most compelling poems ever written

I died for beauty, but was scarce
Adjusted in the tomb,
When one who died for truth was lain
In an adjoining room.
He questioned softly why I failed?
"For beauty," I replied.
"And I for truth,--the two are one;
We brethren are," he said.
And so, as kinsmen met a night,
We talked between the rooms.
Until the moss had reached our lips,
And covered up our names.
                     - Emily Dickinson

The day ended with a majestic sunset viewed by the Hudson river waterfront. On my way back the sun was framed by the tunnel underneath the West Side Highway, a reminder that there will be finally light at the end of the darkness of these past years. And viewing the sun also reminded me that saving Sun Farm is important not only for to preserve the value of arts in human life—already an important effort on its own—but also as a statement of resistance against bullying, greed and corruption.

A Journal of Resistance During COVID-19 | Earth Day

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. The celebration started on April 22 1970 in the US: 20 millions Americans became involved and started the path which led to important reforms. such as the Clean Air Act (1970), followed by the Clean Water Act in 1972. Twenty years later Earth Day became international. mobilizing 200 million people from around the globe.

A Journal of Resistance During COVID-19 | Another Week...

Another week passed. I am still healthy and serene despite the various harassments, but the past week has been extremely challenging.  In extreme circumstances like those we are currently living with the paradigm shift brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, people should be more focused on positive human values instead of greed and hatred. Such loss of human life, happening so fast and unexpectedly, should teach how vulnerable we are and that we should live compassionately, valuing constructive endeavors in respect of ourselves, the others and the environment.
       Instead I am still dealing with the greed from my ex-husband. He dragged me for several years in a brutal corrupt divorce litigation, ruled by a former judge and where I did not have proper legal representation, My divorce story is not unique; I am joined by over a thousand other people who had to suffer tremendous injustice, as you can read in this petition.  Even during COVID-19 is still taking advantage of me, not only financially but also destroying my artwork at Sun Farm. 

Sun Farm

    Another challenge in the past month of "stay home" has been the daily exposure to the inconsiderate and rude behavior of the neighbors from the apartment upstairs. Completely disrespectful of the extenuating circumstances they violate my right to quiet in my home, with annoying noises. Luckily I can still resort to my movement practice in my inner sanctum, the icosahedron.

The Icosahedron, my Inner Sanctum

A Journal of Resistance During COVID-19 | Easter Monday (of the Angel)

Today is Easter Monday, also known in Catholic tradition as Monday of the Angel. I wake-up with a WhatsApp message from Italy, citing a prayer:

Che Dio ci dia la forza di non arrenderci mai e la serenità di cui tutti abbiamo bisogno.

There could not have been a better motivational quote to start my day in these trouble times.

A Journal of Resilience During COVID-19 | My Easter Celebration