Arizona's desert is home to some of the oldest living animals on Earth: dinosaur shrimp, or triops, meaning three eyes. Triops are crustaceans belonging to the order Notostraca, which dates back over 300 million years ago. They have survived mass extinctions, ice ages, and continental drifts. I first encountered these little creatures a couple of years ago during the monsoon season. We had gotten unusually plentiful rainfall that year, and one day, after a hard rain, I took a walk on our land, which is in the high deserts of Arizona. I was just looking around as one does when one lives out in the middle of nowhere in Arizona after a rain. I found the ordinarily bone-dry wash was suddenly full of chocolate water. I was looking specifically for tadpoles because the desert toads will emerge during the summer rains and breed. I did find some tadpoles, but I also spied something else swimming in the muddy water: dinosaur shrimp. Being the nature lover I am, these creatures that I had never seen before excited me. They were orange in color and looked like tiny horseshoe crabs. I knew nothing about them, so I did some research. I thought I would share some of what I learned. Triops have three eyes: one on top of their head and two on the sides. They have a segmented body with a carapace that covers their head and thorax. They have a long tail with two forked appendages called furcae. They can grow up to 10 cm long and come in various colors, such as green, brown, red, or blue. The ones I saw were reddish orange. They live in ephemeral pools of water that form after rainstorms or snowmelt, or in our case, the chocolate waters that flow from powerful monsoons. The waters that birth these tiny dinosaur shrimps can range from a few centimeters to several meters deep and last from a few days to several months. The shrimp have a remarkable adaptation to survive in these temporary habitats: they can produce eggs that can withstand desiccation, freezing, and high temperatures for decades until they encounter water again. When the eggs hatch, the shrimp go through several molts and reach maturity in about two weeks. They can reproduce both sexually and asexually, depending on the environmental conditions. The lifespan of dinosaur shrimp is up to 90 days. Their actual life cycle depends on the water quality they are in and the availability and quality of food they have access to. Dinosaur shrimps are omnivorous and eat zooplankton, insect larvae, algae, and bacteria. They also scavenge on dead organic matter and will even cannibalize their own kind. They will, in fact, eat almost any organic material they can fit into their tiny mouths. Dinosaur shrimp are considered living fossils because they have changed very little over time. They are essential to the desert ecosystem because they help recycle nutrients and organic matter in the water. They also provide food for birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Some Native American tribes consider triops sacred and use them for ceremonial purposes. For example, it is believed that dinosaur shrimp are a symbol of life and renewal and have a connection to their ancient ancestors. Dinosaur shrimp may have been a source of food and medicine. For example, the Navajo boil dinosaur shrimp and drink the broth to treat stomach ailments. The Hopi use dinosaur shrimp in rituals to bless their crops and livestock. Dinosaur shrimps are not endangered in Arizona but are threatened by habitat loss, pollution, and climate change. Their eggs can survive for years in dry desert conditions but need water to hatch and grow. If the pools dry up too quickly or become contaminated, the dinosaur shrimp population will decline. Climate change may also affect rainfall patterns and the temperature of their habitat, making it harder for them to survive. Dinosaur shrimps are not harmful to humans. And believe it or not, they have been sold as pets for years! You can buy triops kits on Amazon to raise your own. The kits have everything you need to grow, house, and nurture your very own prehistoric shrimp ancestor. And if you ever visit Arizona at just the right time, you might be lucky enough to spot some of these ancient wonders of nature in the wild. *Watch the video Hundreds of Dinosaur Shrimp Emerge After Arizona Monsoon that discuss dinosaur shrimp (Triops longicaudatus) that have been found in the ball court pond at Wupatki National Monument in Arizona.
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Spiritual bathing is an ancient and restorative practice that promotes health and wellbeing by combining the healing power of water with various herbs and minerals to shift spiritual energy in your favor. It is found in many cultures all over the world. In the African-derived traditions such as Santería and Hoodoo, spiritual baths are often prescribed for specific purposes such as drawing love and money, facilitating healing, cultivating wisdom, removing negative conditions, uncrossing and reversing spiritual attacks, providing protection, increasing personal influence and domination and creating success. Sometimes used bathwater is saved and utilized in future works. Often, a portion of the bath water is used in a floor wash following the personal bath and the leftover water is thrown in the direction of the east at dawn or at a crossroads.
By its very definition, a cleansing cleanses. It purifies energy states that have become convoluted, polluted and unnatural. Cleansings are designed to expel negativity in order to make room for positive energy. Good things will come when they have somewhere to reside. Positive things cannot stay if they are pushed away by something else. Therefore, the function and purpose of cleansings should not be underestimated in your spiritual work. Next to developing a strong relationship with your ancestors, spiritual cleansings are the most important thing you can do for yourself and for your clients. There are many ways to perform cleansings besides baths. Smoke from special herbs and plants, cigar smoke, alcohol, and fire are but a few cleansing methods. Many times multiple types of cleansings are employed, depending on the type and severity of the condition. Whenever you expect to encounter negativity, fatigue, depression, anxiety, or fear of any kind, or whenever you feel stuck and unable to move forward in life, a cleansing of some sort is recommended. It can also be performed to fortify the spirit following a negative experience. Often, spiritual baths and cleansings take place before other works, and they can be taken every season to refortify and rebalance your spirit. Many times the cleansing is the work itself. It may be performed once or a series of times depending on the condition. Spiritual baths are very prevalent in New Orleans Voodoo and Hoodoo. It is not uncommon for a worker to make up a gallon jug of a specially prepared wash with instructions for a client to take home with them. It is important to make regular spiritual cleansing a part of your life so as to achieve and maintain a natural state of balance and positivity. Particularly if you are a practitioner working with other people, you have to be spiritually fit in order to perform cleansings effectively. If you are not sound spiritually, you run the risk of passing off some of your negative energy onto your client. Spiritual baths and cleansings can be extremely powerful and cathartic. Sometimes people are surprised by the effect that it produces and the results it achieves. I have had clients on numerous occasions cry and feel a profound sense of sadness afterwards and as a result thought it didn’t work because they felt bad. In reality they were actually having feelings they had suppressed for a long time! This is a good sign and it is important to recognize it when it happens. It is indicative of release, and often uncovers an emotional component to the root of the problem. Feelings are transitory; they always change, so even if it feels “bad” you or your client will likely feel much better after the fact. Note that you should always seek supportive mental health therapy if you experience emotions that are too difficult to manage on your own and that are interfering with your life. You should always recommend therapy to your clients if you have any doubt at all about their emotional state. If you are working with clients as a professional, you will encounter people that you will not be able to “fix”. In reality, you can’t fix anyone except yourself. But, work roots for your community long enough and you will come face to face with people with delusions and inexplicable persistent health conditions. You must refer these people to the appropriate medical professional. In fact, if you are a professional practitioner or plan to become one, you should make a list of the various social services available in your area so you can make an appropriate referral. Making note of mental health services, health services, domestic violence shelters and things of that nature are important resources to have on hand. It’s much better to be able to tell your client that you recommend an evaluation from a professional and hand them a number to get started than to just say “go get some help somewhere.” When people are in crisis, the simplest of things become seemingly insurmountable so anything you can do to help them connect to the correct adjunctive treatment in a timely fashion is essential. In the meantime, cleansings may help alleviate symptoms and provide spiritual relief. For more information, check out the class Spiritual Baths and Cleansings offered by Crossroads University. |
Denise AlvaradoAuthor and Voodoo Muser, setting lights, working mojo, throwing wanga, and working wonders in liminal spaces and dusty crossroads. Archives
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