Winter's Coastal and Personal reflections
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| Bandon Crab Encounter |
I find myself presently in the midst of wintertime in the reflection of my personal astrology. As soon as winter sets in (winter Solstice) I come face to face with the opposite of my sun sign Cancer. So for most of us that follow the western zodiac, Cancer is the cardinal zodiac sign that heralds in the Summer season and is determined by the day you were born (from June 21 through July 22). However, we look at ourselves most deeply when we are facing our counter personality (our hidden teacher) and the opposite sign of our sun sign (soul astrological signature). For me, it is the zodiac sign of Capricorn (December 22, to January 19) that has brought us into the present winter experience.
I used to dread the winter experience because things were too much in my face. I had to confront the concerns and issues I did not like about my life during this time. Mind you I also had a Capricorn father as well as a Capricorn brother so the patriarchal dominance had its reign during this time of year. For years, I had to deal with male Capricorn bosses and even partners. They kept coming until I understood how to value that aspect as well as Saturn's influence (Capricorn's ruler) in my own life. I have learned to embrace the cold hard realities of things in order to deal with concerns head-on. And that has been a hard chore for a very sensitive and vulnerable Cancerian female who would rather stay home, sew, cook, paint, make music and take care of plants and puppies, kitties and anyone who visits.
Saturn represents everything that is grown up. The serious stuff of life. The responsibilities and structures that we erect to keep us strong and yes, safe for us sensitive Cancers. Jesus might have been considered a Capricorn who brought a structure of humanity for human beings.
I am pondering an experience recently and the best way to convey it is in a story. So...
For years my great aunt Kay, who raised my mother and was a grandmother to me, loved crab Cioppino, a San Franciscan seafood stew generally made out of sea creatures, fish, shellfish, etc. It is very delicious and I have to admit I have not tasted anything as good as my great Auntie Kay's even in the finest San Francisco restaurants.
Now that I once again live in a Coastal town of Crescent City, California, with a historical working harbor, all my past hankerings for seafood meals have returned. My favorite again Cioppino. Most emphatically has been the Crab Cioppino as it is Crab season in these parts. For our Thanksgiving meal, I had planned to make Cioppino instead of turkey as I am basically a vegan with occasional pescatarian tendencies (cravings). Unfortunately, the crab season was postponed all along northern California harbors as well as into Oregon until recently. So we did without my planned meal until perhaps Christmas, but then that had to wait until new years. By the time New Years Day came my husband came home from the local fish market with a crab and I did prepare the famous Cioppino dish.
O.K. it wasn't the same as my Auntie Kay's and the hardest part was quartering up the crab with a cleaver and realizing the majority of my crab relative's essential being was his shell. I am sure it was a He because of the commercial fishermen practice of usually throwing back to the ocean the females. Even so, I think I lost the taste for eating up my crab relative. Handling my crab specimen that my husband brought in was difficult because I was looking at the entire being of this being. When I ate animal flesh I'd prepare the portions of the body not the entire body and there was no personality connected to a thigh or breast or slab of beef in the past.
That entire undertaking made me reflect intently on myself as a Cancerian and all the seasons of hunting that the world partakes on all the creatures that we so gastronomically desire. I was saddened as I know very much how shy the crab creature is. Most of the time they look for hiding places away from others. However, I do know for a fact how strong they can be when they are confronted and only have themselves to rely on.
Marcus (my husband) and I love the little town Bandon by the sea in Southern Oregon. We occasionally take short getaways there with our baby boy Doxie Auggie. One afternoon on the beach Auggie confronted a tiny loan crab and that crab ran after Auggie. As tiny as the little crab was and as vulnerable he/she would not relent an intruder on his/her space.
With all this reflection on the crab, I decided to research why the Crabbing delay. There were several aspects of that story that held my interest.
From an article written by Ben Fisher based in Seattle WA published in SeafoodSource there were several concerns:
1. Sea Turtles were in the area as well as whale migrations that could be entangled by the crab gear. This concern was brought on by a case back in 2017 by a biodiversity group against the Department of Fish and game. This time of year many whales migrate from Mexico to birth their calves to bring their calves from HI and Mexico to Alaska.
2. Fish and Game reported through the San Francisco Chronicle that the "soft shell or poor quality crab conditions" and the delay was possible if conditions did not improve.
3. In Oregon through the Mercury News posted that the delay was the small crab size. Testings did not meet the meat yield necessary for harvesting.
4. Washington State stated that they would need another test on meat yield and domoic acid testing. Fisher reported that Washington State testing in the past for domoic acid was low but closed the season and in California, Dungeness crab season was stinted in recent years because of heightened levels of domoic acid.
There are several questions that surface from this information. How are the quality regulations determined and what are they? What is domoic acid?
Fish and game determine the safety regulations for marine harvesting. Such regulations are listed on their extensive web sites. The Dungeness crab must be 6.5 inches in body width or what is called Carapace width. The limits are posted as well as how not to harvest and where are the appropriate areas in addition to licenses and permits. For recreational harvesting, it seems to be quite lenient. I did not investigate commercial regulations.
The second question pertaining to domoic acid intrigued me as it is the agent to the subject of amnesic shellfish poisoning. This is an illness brought onto mammals, (animals and humans) after the consumption of a marine biotoxin "domoic acid". The condition can cause memory loss, brain damage, and death.
That brought up another question. How did such a toxin happen to be found in the marine organism? The fish and shellfish that feed on algae and plankton can bioaccumulate (meaning gradually take on pesticides or other chemicals in an organism). So it would be safe to say when referring to the fish and shellfish that need such substances to survive that they are being domoic acid poisoned.
As we all know there are myriad occurrences that leach poisons into our lands, atmosphere, oceans, and waters. All caused by human beings and their corporations. When the fish and game stand in to regulate conditions then I would assume that it is not in a very good condition to continue.
As an indigenous person, I look at all of this information as a sign that holds some significant purpose for me. As a Cancerian, I would say that it is a good time to start being mindful of my health and my inner welfare as a significant factor in reflection to crab harvesting as to have sufficient substance within me and of good quality. To do more research as to what is affecting what I normally partake and reevaluate it if it is not of value and sound for my own stability and balance.
Also, it reminds me that all our relatives are in need of support and our animal relatives are suffering on many levels just because of our consumption and consumerism.
When we have such information and knowledge given to us what do we do? If we take on the mantle of the winter and knowledge from the Elders we find a way of making something happen which is pertinent to now, here and into the future.
Seals, whales and dolphins and other forms of sea life, as well as birds, are found dead or dying on our shores. These are signs that are like canaries in the coal mine, we are traveling through deadly times. People on facebook suggest navy oceanic operations cause this phenomenon, it could be, but I feel there are too many factors involved. We must start to self examine our own lifestyles and take responsibility for what we are contributing to so much imbalance. I will continue to reflect and self examine my own life at this point as I do believe it is a huge face to face encounter I can not ignore.
I pray Saturn and his eldership will impart value and meaning to us all. Though it may be hard to confront I pray we have the courage that does bring peace when we do so. And like the little fisty but courageous crab encountered on a Bandon Oregon shore, he/she was left alone to perhaps continue on with his/her life and grow hopefully with some peace.
Blessings
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