Sexual Healer… by Ms. Madi Gunn (not Marvin Gaye)

I began dancing (exotic) when I was barely 18 years old. I began  my life long spiritual conquest a year later.

I loved dancing for as long as I can remember.. Though I didn’t grow up with a privaleged life I’ve seemed to always have an intensely passionate one. Everything I do.. I do it with my whole heart, which seems to come with the territory of choosing  jobs that match your passions. Sex. Yes I’m going to say it though many think it taboo. I am a sex worker  to some other names to describe my line of work could be sexual practitioner, whore, ho, slut, hooker, prostitute, stripper, madame, pimp, home-wrecker, exotic entertainer, feature performer, pole worker, acrobat, entertainer, independent contractor, escort, hostess, stage dancer, stage performer  or  performing artist; it’s highly subjective and depending on who would be describing me, us, them, or themselves.

Personally, I like to think of myself as a Sexual Healer. A SEXUAL HEALER?!? WTF? WHO DOES THIS BROAD THINK SHE IS? MOTHER THERESE? Well, maybe. Laugh… go ahead get it out while you’re still cynical. There are people that do like me though… love me perhaps, and revere me at best. The truth of the matter is, no matter what your occupation… it is all about the intention you are putting in your work.

While there are “bad seeds” everywhere in life, there are also good ones. I consider myself to be a superb one. I love my clients… and why wouldn’t I? They put organic vegetarian food in my mouth, used clothes on my back, a nice rented apartment (less than a mile from my work) over my head, they pay me adaequtely enough to buy clothing for multiple (11) children, make donations to salmon restoration and other varying charities, start a retailing/consignment business, pay my car insurance, and still they afford me the privelage of going to the chiropractor to fix my f*cked-up-pole-back ( a job disabilty resulting from nearly a decade of acrobatics). Yes, all this and I only get  to go to work and play with my sweeties part-time

I used to not be quite so appreciative though.. I used to not make shit for $$$ either. I know you all are probably wondering… How much $$$ does this insane ho make… Well first of all, I’m not insane (I’m just not that easy to explain) and second of all I don’t make 6 figures yet (and never have before in this incarnation, don’t believe my folks have either).

Money can’t buy you Love

I get paid for my time and my expertise. My esthetic appearance, my aura, my charisma, and the fact that I am an authentic human; all of these attributes and more come into play. When men (or women) tell me I am beautiful.. I digest their comment, I appreciate it, I look them in the eyes… deep into their soul and I remind them and myself that, “Beauty comes from the inside, the way we look is just a reflection of what the inside of us looks like.”  I do have a very healthy sense of self worth, because I don’t measure the essence of my being upon the amount of verbal praise I receive. I can feel when people love, adore, or respect me… those expressions of genuine caring do sink in, and I have enough gratitude, and I have experienced enough loss of the ego to truly connect with their souls as well. I love and respect them too, that is something that you can not ever buy, or own; love is intuitive and it does seem that my caring, compassion, empathy, understanding, nurturing, sexual energy and friendship can be rented… but these are all things that I have taken the time out of my life to develop… I am worth something. They say everyone has a price, I merely measure mine in the amount of time I spend… my rates are based upon thee amount of energy I put in.

People need people

I need people. I come from a large family, and though I don’t like to blame that solely for my loneliness I find myself going back to that mind set over and over. “If only I hadn’t grown up in such a large family maybe (as an adult) I would be more able to cope with my “down-time” (which somehow I’ve made the connection of it also meaning my “alone-time”. Honestly, I don’t mind being alone so much now as am I evolving spiritually  at the speed-of-light instead I have come to the conclusion (via process-of-elimination) that I actually just really do prefer to spend my time in the company of other sweet loving people? Don’t you Scrooge?

Sexual Healing

Here I am incorporating a  list to give others an idea of which practices I pick and choose bits from and apply them to my line of work. I wanted to give you all another perspective i.e. my personal perspective and applied science regarding the true nature of my business. I really do love my work… there is so much more to this occupation than meets thee eye. Explore your sexuality. I do and I love every minute of it.

Please enjoy…

Tantra~

(Sanskrit: तन्त्र; ” weave ” denoting continuity), (anglicised tantricism or tantrism) or tantram (Sanskrit: तन्त्र) is a religious philosophy according to which Shakti is usually the main deity worshipped, and the universe is regarded as the divine play of Shakti and Shiva The word Tantra also applies to any of the scriptures (called “Tantras”) commonly identified with the worship of Shakti. Tantra deals primarily with spiritual practices and ritual forms of worship, which aim at liberation from ignorance and rebirth. Tantrism has influenced the Hindu, Bön, Buddhist, and Jain religious traditions. Tantra in its various forms has existed in India, Nepal, China, Japan, Tibet, Korea, Cambodia, Burma, Indonesia and Mongolia.

There are a number of different definitions of tantra from various viewpoints, not all of them necessarily consistent. Robert Brown notes that the term tantrism is a construction of Western scholarship and that:

It is not a concept that comes from within the religious system itself, although it is generally recognized internally as different from the Vedic tradition. This immediately makes it suspect as an independent category.

Rather than a single coherent system, Tantra is an accumulation of practices and ideas which is characterized by the use of ritual, by the use of the mundane to access the supra-mundane, and by the identification of the microcosm with the macrocosm. The Tantric practitioner seeks to use the prana (divine power) that flows through the universe (including one’s own body) to attain purposeful goals. These goals may be spiritual, material or both. Most practitioners of tantra consider mystical experience imperative. Some versions of Tantra require the guidance of a guru.

In the process of working with energy, the Tantrika, or tantric practitioner, has various tools at hand. These include yoga, to actuate processes that will “yoke” the practitioner to the divine. Also important are visualizations of deity, and verbalisation or evocation through mantras, which may be construed as seeing, listening internally, and singing power into a stronger state within the individual, resulting in an ever-increasing awareness of cosmic vibration through daily practice. Identification with and internalisation of the divine is enacted, through a total identification with deity, such that the aspirant “becomes” the Ishta-deva or meditational deity.^[9]

Tantrism is a quest for spiritual perfection and magical power. Its purpose is to achieve complete control of oneself, and of all the forces of nature, in order to attain union with the cosmos and with the divine. Long training is generally required to master Tantric methods, into which pupils are typically initiated by a guru. Yoga, including breathing techniques and postures (asana), is employed to subject the body to the control of the will. Mudras, or gestures; mantras or syllables, words and phrases; mandalas and yantras, which are symbolic diagrams of the forces at work in the universe, are all used as aids for meditation and for the achievement of spiritual and magical power.

During meditation, the initiate identifies himself with any of the numerous Hindu gods and goddesses representing cosmic forces. The initiate visualizes them and takes them into his mind so that he unites with them, a process likened to sexual courtship and consummation. In fact, some Tantric monks use females partners to represent goddesses. Also, in left-handed Tantra (Vamachara), ritual sexual intercourse is employed—not for pleasure—  but as a way of entering into the underlying processes and structure of the universe.

Relation to Vedic Tradition~

The Tantric tradition may be considered as either parallel to, or intertwined with, the Vedic tradition. The primary sources of written Tantric lore are the agama, which generally consist of four parts, delineating metaphysical knowledge (jnana), contemplative procedures (yoga), ritual regulations (kriya), and ethical and religious injunctions (charya). Schools and lineages affiliate themselves with specific agamic traditions.

André Padoux notes that in India, tantrism is marked by a rejection of orthodox Vedic tenets. Maurice Winernitz, in his review of the literature of tantra, points out that while Indian tantric texts are not positively hostile to the Vedas, they propound that the precepts of the Vedas are too difficult for our age, and so, for that reason, an easier cult and an easier doctrine have been revealed in them. Some orthodox Brahmans who accept the authority of the Vedas reject the authority of the Tantras.

N. N. Bhattacharyya explains:

It is to be noticed that although later Tantric writers wanted to base their doctrines on the Vedas, the orthodox followers of the Vedic tradition invariably referred to Tantra in a spirit of denunciation, stressing its anti-Vedic character.

Tantra exists in Shaiva, Vaisnava, Ganapatya, Saurya and Shakta forms, amongst others. Strictly speaking, within individual traditions, tantric texts are classified as Shaiva Āgamas, VaishnavaPāñcarātra Saṃhitās, and Shakta Tantras, but there is no clear dividing line between these works, and on a practical basis the expression Tantra generally includes all such works.

Secret ritual

Secret ritual may include any or all of the elements of ordinary ritual, either directly or substituted, along with other sensate rites and themes such as a feast (representing food, or sustenance), coitus (representing sexuality and procreation), the charnel grounds (representing death and transition) and defecation, urination and vomiting (representing waste, renewal, and fecundity). It is this sensate inclusion that prompted Zimmer‘s praise of Tantra’s world-affirming attitude:

In the Tantra, the manner of approach is not that of Nay but of Yea … the world attitude is affirmative … Man must approach through and by means of nature, not by rejection of nature.

In Avalon’s Chapter 27: The Pañcatattva (The Secret Ritual) of Sakti and Sakta (1918), he states that the Secret Ritual (which he calls Panchatattva, Chakrapuja and Panchamakara) involves:

Worship with the Pañcatattva generally takes place in a Cakra or circle composed of men and women… sitting in a circle, the Shakti (or female practitioner) being on the Sadhaka’s (male practitioner’s) left. Hence it is called Cakrapuja. …There are various kinds of Cakra – productive, it is said, of differing fruits for the participator therein.

Avalon also provides a series of variations and substitutions of the Panchatattva (Panchamakara) “elements” or tattva encoded in the Tantras and various tantric traditions, and affirms that there is a direct correlation to the Tantric Five Nectars and the Mahābhūta.

~Sexual rites~

Sexual rites of Vama Marga may have emerged from early Hindu Tantra as a practical means of catalyzing biochemical transformations in the body to facilitate heightened states of awareness. These constitute a vital offering to Tantric deities. Sexual rites may have also evolved from clan initiation ceremonies involving transactions of sexual fluids. Here the male initiate is inseminated or ensanguinated with the sexual emissions of the female consort, sometimes admixed with the semen of the guru. The Tantrika is thus transformed into a son of the clan (kulaputra) through the grace of his consort. The clan fluid (kuladravya) or clan nectar (kulamrita) is conceived as flowing naturally from her womb. Later developments in the rite emphasize the primacy of bliss and divine union, which replace the more bodily connotations of earlier forms. Although popularly equated with Tantra in its entirety in the West, such sexual rites were historically practiced by a minority of sects. For many practicing lineages, these maithuna practices progressed into psychological symbolism.

When enacted as enjoined by the Tantras, the ritual culminates in a sublime experience of infinite awareness for both participants. Tantric texts specify that sex has three distinct and separate purposes—procreation, pleasure, and liberation. Those seeking liberation eschew frictional orgasm for a higher form of ecstasy, as the couple participating in the ritual lock in a static embrace. Several sexual rituals are recommended and practiced. These involve elaborate and meticulous preparatory and purificatory rites. The sexual act itself balances energies coursing within the pranic ida and pingalachannels in the subtle bodies of both participants. The sushumna nadi is awakened and kundalini rises upwards within it. This eventually culminates in samadhi, wherein the respective individual personalities and identities of each of the participants are completely dissolved in a unity of cosmic consciousness. Tantrics understand these acts on multiple levels. The male and female participants are conjoined physically, and represent Shiva and Shakti, the male and female principles. Beyond the physical, a subtle fusion of Shiva and Shakti energies takes place, resulting in a united energy field. On an individual level, each participant experiences a fusion of one’s own Shiva and Shakti energies.

Maithuna or Mithuna ~

A Sanskrit term used in Tantra most often translated as sexual union in a ritual context. It is the most important of the five makara and constitutes the main part of the Grand Ritual of Tantra variously known as Panchamakara, Panchatattva, and Tattva Chakra.

Although some writers, sects and schools e. g. Yogananda consider this to be a purely mental and symbolic act, a look at different variations (and translations) of the word maithuna clearly shows that it refers to male-female couples and their union in the physical, sexual sense and is synonymous with kriya nishpatti (mature cleansing). Just like neither spirit nor matter by itself is effective but both working together bring harmony so is maithuna effective only then when the union is consecrated. The couple become for the time being divine: she is Shakti and he is Shakta. The scriptures warn that unless this spiritual transformation occurs the union is carnal and sinful.

Yet, it is possible to experience a form of maithuna without physical union. The act can exist on a metaphysical plane without sexual penetration, in which the shakti and shakta transfer energy through their subtle bodies alone. It is when this transfer of energy occurs that the couple, incarnated as goddess and god via diminished egos, confronts ultimate reality and experiences bliss through union of the subtle bodies.

Sex magic or Sex magick~

A term for various types of sexual activity used in magical, ritualistic, or otherwise religious and spiritual pursuits. One application of sex magic is using the energy of sexual arousal and/or orgasm to visualize an image of a desired result.

A premise of sex magic is the concept that the sexual energy is the most potent force the body contains, and harnessing the unique states that arise through sexual activity may provide an experiential conduit for the transcendence of an individual’s normally perceived reality.

One application of sex magic concerns the use of the orgasm, as some practitioners base their use of sex upon the power that they believe the orgasmic release contains. An example of this type of sex magic is the Great Rite of Wicca, a ritual that involves either symbolic or actual sexual intercourse and orgasm. This union between the High Priestess and the High Priest can represent the union between the Maiden Goddess and the Lover God.

English author and occultist Aleister Crowley used and wrote about sex magick in relationship to his religion and belief system, Thelema, and also used the orgasm as a magical tool.

According to author Samael Aun Weor and other practitioners, not having an orgasm is preferred, even for periods of months or years, and their form of sex magick is to mentally direct all of the sexual energy created during a mutual or solo sexual act into what they believe are higher forms of creativity and spiritual energy.

Kundalini (kuṇḍalinī कुण्डलिनी) Sanskrit, literally “coiled”.

In Indian yoga, a “corporeal energy” - an unconscious, instinctive or libidinal force or Shakti, envisioned either as a goddess or else as a sleeping serpent coiled at the base of the spine, hence a number of English renderings of the term such as ‘serpent power’.

Yoga and Tantra propose that this energy can be “awakened” by Guru, but body and spirit must be prepared by yogic austerities such as pranayama, or breath control, physical exercises, visualization, and chanting. It rises from muladhara chakra up a subtle channel at the base of the spine (called Sushumna), and from there to top of the head merging with the sahasrara, or crown chakra. The awakening is not a physical occurrence. It consists exclusively of development in consciousness. With awakening of the Kundalini our consciousness expands and we become more aware of the truth. When Kundalini Shakti is conceived as a goddess, then, when it rises to the head, it unites itself with the Supreme Being (Lord Shiva). Then aspirant becomes engrossed in deep meditation and infinite bliss. The arousing of kundalini is said to be the one and only way of attaining Divine Wisdom. Self-Realization is said to be equivalent to Divine Wisdom or Gnosis or what amounts to the same thing: Self-Knowledge. The awakening of the Kundalini shows itself as “awakening of inner knowledge” and brings with itself pure joy, pure knowledge and pure love.

However, like every form of energy one must also learn to understand spiritual energy. In order to be able to integrate this spiritual energy, careful purification and strengthening of the body and nervous system are required beforehand. By trying to force results, considerable psychic disturbances and at times even permanent mental damage can occur. A spiritual master who walked this path before is required to guide the aspirant. Often will be found that negative experiences occurred only when acting without appropriate guidance or ignoring advice.

Kundalini can only be awakened through the grace of a Siddha-Guru who awakens the kundalini shakti of his discipline through shaktipat, or blessing . A Siddha Guru is a spiritual teacher, a master, whose identification with the supreme Self is uninterrupted.

The most famous of the Yoga Upanishads, the Yogatattva, mentions four kinds of yoga, one of which, laya-yoga, involves Kundalini.

What is Kali Yuga? Which Kali were you thinking? Are you talking to my Kali?

I’m sure by now many people of the world have heard of 2012. Many people seem to believe it is just a myth.. It seem to be a myth that is held and heralded in many mythos, many spiritualities, and yes many religions all over the world. I myself am a being in search of enlightenment, truth, and eventual transcendence from this version of physical manifest. This blog is in fact my own personal record keeping & sharing of my quest for knowledge and spiritual utilitarian information. You don’t have to subscribe to my beliefs or this shared information. I personally have found this information originating from Hindu beliefs to be a nice addition to all of the mythos coming from the aztecs and the like. I hope you enjoy

Goddess Kali

Kali is a Hindu deity representing life cycles (death & rebirth, destruction & rejuvenation, associated with eternal energy, goddess of time and change,”redeemer of the universe”, consort of god Shiva, the foremost among the Dasa-Mahavidyas ~ ten fierce Tantric goddesses, carries away the spirits of slain warriors and animals, slayer of demons, young and beautiful, has a gentle smile, and makes gestures with her two right hands to dispel any fear and offer boons, she creates AND destroys worlds) Many fear the dark aspects Kali represents death, chaos, confusion… Kali seems to be misunderstood time and time again. I believe the tarot card The Tower would be an awful good representation of the Goddess Kali. Explosive is this energy when it begins to manifest, scary – maybe… Exciting? Oh yes! Kali is very powerful… but SHE is not a demon.

In Hinduism there are actually two, not one but two Kali(s) One is the dark beautiful Goddess Kali, then there is the male Demon Kali. Both Kali(s) seem to have very similar physical attributes (black skin, protruding tongues, generally ferocious characters) but there are definitely differences in the personalities of the two deities.

Demonic Kali

In Hinduism, Kali ( káli; from a root kad “suffer, grieve, hurt; confound, confuse”, apocalypse demon) is the reigning lord of Kali Yuga. According to the Vishnu Purana, he is a negative manifestation of Vishnu, who along with his extended evil family, perpetually operates as a cause of the destruction of this world. His energies can be found with/in : gambling houses (casinos), taverns (nightclubs, bars), women of unchaste lives (whorehouses, porno sites, happy-ending massage parlors, street-walkers, escorts, strip clubs), slaughtering places (factory farms, military bases abroad) and gold (banks, credit agencies, wall street, large corporate entities, sweat-shops, consumerism). Weapon is the sword which can be translated as patriotical society. It is also said that there was a king (Nala) that was not practicing his spirituality with true intentions he was bewitched by Kali causing him to lose his kingdom. Kali is also known to ride a donkey (mascot of the Democratic party, party currently in office and up through out 2012).

What is a Yuga?

The names of the four Yugas of time— Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali—are named after “dice throws” from a game of dice popular during the Vedic period. Their order coincides with the favorability of each throw: Satya is the best throw, whereas Kali is considered the worst.

Hindus believe that human civilization degenerates spiritually during the Kali Yuga, which is referred to as the Dark Age because in it people are as far removed as possible from God. Hinduism often symbolically represents morality (dharma) as a bull. In Satya Yuga, the first stage of development, the bull has four legs, but in each age morality is reduced by one quarter. By the age of Kali, morality is reduced to only a quarter of that of the golden age, so that the bull of Dharma has only one leg.

Kali Yuga (lit. “age of (the male demon) Kali “, or “age of vice”), is the last of the four stages that the world goes through as part of the cycle of yugas described in the Indian scriptures.

During the Mahabharata, king Nala exorcises the disembodied spirit of Kali to a vibhitaka tree, the nuts of which were used to create the dice for the vedic dice game. Therefore, not only Kali’s name, but his penchant for gambling and reputation as being evil comes from this dice game.

The Bhagavata Purana states the very day and moment god Krishna left this earth, Kali, “who promotes all kinds of irreligious activities, came into this world.” Thus, Kali simply came into being because the prosperity brought by Krishna left after his death.

So it seems the Hindus also believe the end or rebirthing is near… things seem to be getting worse in every aspect of our planets future. It seems all we can do now is make a change in our own thinking, share it with others, and keep on living. Now is not the time to panic. If the end is near… Why just save your physical body? I have decided that I do not want to be stuck on this devastated earth all by myself, that seems much too lonely. I would rather live out my remaining days enjoying the sunshine, kissing my kids, sharing, inspiring, and loving all of you… if I could have just one more word of advice for the day~ evolve yourself spiritually… in the end that is all that will be left and all that ever was. Namaste

Cyber dreams of India..

I live, die, breathe in the technological US. But I dream of India… So I have never been there in person, at least not yet in this incarnation..

I eat, sleep, and breathe in the flavors and images of India. Dream of these Deities they began to visit me before I even knew they existed.

India, my mother-land… the mother that I’ve never had. If home is where the heart is… my heart is with the people and the spirits of the Vedas, with India.

To feel as if I am still alive I immerse myself with pictures off the internet… imagining what it would feel like to be there and how much I would love to experience it…  oh the feeling I will get to set foot in India.

My people, my pride, my spirit says this is right… that tingle in my stomach awaiting the the day I can get online and book it… that golden ticket my heart will fly home on a jet; and then one day I won’t have to just look at these oh so beautiful images on my internet…

I’ll make touch down. Bare-feet on the soil, the Vedas ground…

Now THIS is our India…

Earthships = A New Way of Living

An Earthship is a type of passive solar home made of natural and recycled materials. Designed and marketed by Earthship Biotecture of Taos, New Mexico the homes are primarily constructed to work autonomously and are generally made of earth-filled tires, utilizing thermal mass construction to naturally regulate indoor temperature. They also usually have their own special natural ventilation system. Earthships are generally off-the-grid homes, minimizing their reliance on public utilities and fossil fuels.

Earthships are built to utilize the available local resources, especially energy from the sun. For example, windows on the sunny side admit light and heat, and the buildings are often horseshoe-shaped to maximize natural light and solar-gain during winter months. Likewise, the thick, dense outer walls provide effective insulation against summer heat.

Internal, non-load-bearing walls are often made of a honeycomb of recycled cans joined by concrete and are referred to as tin can walls. These walls are usually thickly plastered with stucco.

The roof of an Earthship is heavily insulated – often with earth or adobe - for added energy efficiency.

The Earthship, as it exists today, began to take shape in the 1970s. Mike Reynolds, founder of Earthship Biotecture, a company that specializes in designing and building Earthships, wanted to create a home that would do three things; first, it would be sustainable, using material indigenous to the entire planet as well as recycled materials wherever possible. Second, the homes would rely on natural energy sources and be independent from the “grid”, therefore being less susceptible to natural disasters and free from the electrical and water lines that Reynolds considered unsightly and wasteful. Finally, it would be economically feasible for the average person with no specialized construction skills to be able to create. Eventually, Reynolds’ vision took the form of the common U-shaped earth-filled tire homes seen today. As a concept, the Earthship was not limited to tires – any dense material with a potential for thermal mass, such as concrete, adobe, or stone could theoretically be used to create an Earthship. However, the earth-rammed tire version of the Earthship is now the most common design, and is usually the only structure referred to as “Earthship”.

Unlike other materials, rammed-earth tires are more accessible to the average person. Scrap tires are ubiquitous around the world and easy to come by; there are an estimated 2 billion tires throughout the United States. As of 1996, as many as 253 million scrap tires were being generated each year in the United States, with 70% being reclaimed by the scrap tire market (leaving perhaps 75 million scrap tires available for reuse as whole tires). In addition to the availability of scrap tires, the method by which they are converted into usable “bricks”, the ramming of the earth, is simple and affordable. The earth-rammed tires of an Earthship are usually assembled by teams of two people working together as part of a larger construction team. One member of the two person team shovels dirt, which usually comes from the building site, placing it into the tire one scoop at a time. The second member, who stands on the tire, uses a sledge hammer to pack the dirt in. The second person moves in a circle around the tire to keep the dirt even and avoid warping the tire. These rammed earth tires in an Earthship are made in place because, when properly made, they weigh as much as 300 pounds and can be very difficult to relocate. Additional benefits of the rammed earth tire are its great load-bearing capacity and its resistance to fire.

A fully rammed tire, which is about 2 feet 8 inches wide, is massive enough to surpass conventional requirements for structural load distribution to the earth. Because the tire is full of soil, it does not burn when exposed to fire. In 1996 after a fire swept through many conventional homes in New Mexico, an Earthship discovered in the aftermath was relatively unharmed.

Only the south-facing wall and the roof had burned away, compared to the total destruction of the conventional homes. After testing the walls of an Earthship in Ridgway, Colorado, engineer Tom Griepentrog said, “It is my opinion that the construction method is equivalent to or better than the general quality, strength, effectiveness, fire resistance, durability and safety that is required by the uniform building code.”

Currently, Earthships are in use in almost every state in the United States, as well as many countries in Europe. The use of insulation on the outside of tire walls, which was not common in early designs, is improving the viability of Earthships in every climate without compromising their durability. In the year 2000, Mike Reynolds, in partnership with Daren Howarth, launched Earthship Biotecture Europe, an organization that aims to explore and evolve the concept of the Earthship within a European context. Two more directors were appointed to Earthship Biotecture Europe in July 2006 – Kevan Trott and Kirsten Jacobsen.

Systems

The Earthship was designed as a structure that would exist in harmony with its environment and be freed from the constraints of modern shelters which rely on centralized utilities. It is important that the Earthship create its own utilities as well as use readily available and sustainable materials. In order to be entirely self-sufficient the Earthship needs to be able to handle the three systems of Water, Electricity, and Climate. While these systems are not exclusive to Earthships, a properly designed Earthship must have these systems.

Collection

Earthships are designed to catch and use water from the local environment without bringing in water from a centralized source. Water used in an Earthship is harvested from rain, snow and condensation. As water collects on the roof it is channeled through a silt-catching device and into a cistern. The cisterns are positioned so they gravity-feed a WOM (water organization module), that filters out bacteria and contaminants, and makes it suitable for drinking. The WOM consists of filters and a DC-pump that are screwed into a panel. Water is then pushed into a conventional pressure tank to create common household water pressure. Water collected in this fashion is used for any household activity except flushing toilets the conventional way. Rather, the water used for flushing toilets has been used at least once already: frequently it is filtered waste-water from sinks and showers, as described under “Greywater”.

Greywater

Greywater, water that has been used and is unsuitable for drinking, is used within the Earthship for a multitude of purposes once it is reclaimed. First, before the greywater can be reused, it is channeled through a grease and particle filter/digester and into a 30”-60″ deep rubber-lined botanical cell, a miniature living machine, within the Earthship. This filter with imbedded plants can potentially also be used to produce food (by using a fruit tree, …). Oxygenation, filtration, transpiration, and bacteria-encounter all take place within the cell and help to cleanse the water (Reynolds 2000). Within the botanical cell, filtration is achieved by passing the water through a mixture of gravel and plant roots. Because of the nature of plants, oxygen is added to the water as it filters, while nitrogen is removed. Water taken up through the plants and transpired at their tops helps to humidify the air. In the cell, bacteria will naturally grow and help to cleanse the water.

Water from the low end of the botanical cell is then directed through a peat-moss filter and collected in a reservoir or well. This reclaimed water is then passed once more through a greywater board (see earthship.net) and used to flush conventional toilets.

Often, any greywater that is made at earthships is not polluted enough to justify treatment (its “pollution” being usually just soap, which is often not environmentally damaging). At earthships, the use of plants placed at outlets of fixtures is then practiced to regain the water and the nutrients lost (from the soaps, etc.).. Usually, a single plant is placed directly in front of the pipe, but mini drain-fields are also sometimes used. The pipe is made large enough (5,08cm) so that the formation of underground gas (from the greywater) is avoided. This is done with kitchen and bathroom sinks, and even showers, washing machines, and dishwashing machines. The plants are usually placed indoors with the sinks and outdoors with the washing/dishwashing machines and shower (to avoid indoor “floods”). Also, with the latter, larger drain-fields are used instead of a mere plant being placed before an outlet.

Black water

Black water, water that has been used in a toilet, was usually not created within many of the earliest earthships as the use of conventional toilets was discouraged. Instead, in the early days composting toilets were advocated, which use no water at all. However, with the new greywater treatment system design (used in Nautilus, Helios, …) created by Michael Reynolds, flush toilets have now found a place in the earthship and the general water system has been redesigned according to the new “6-step process”. Now, when the newly included flush-toilets are used, blackwater is not reused within the Earthship. Instead, blackwater is sent to a solar-enhanced septic tank with leach-field and planter cells (the whole being often referred to as the “incubator”). The solar-enhanced septic tank is a regular septic tank which is heated by the sun and glazed with an equator-facing window. The incubator stores the sun’s heat in its concrete mass, and is insulated, to help the anaerobic process. Water from the incubator is channeled out to an exterior leach field and then to landscaping “planter cells”

(spaces surrounded by concrete in which plants have been put). The cells are similar to the botanical cell used in greywater treatment and are usually placed just before and under the windows of the earthship.

In cases where it is not possible to use flush-toilets operating on water, dry solar toilets are now advocated, instead of regular composting toilets. If this is the case, obviously no black water is formed and the use of an incubator is thus (usually) not necessary. Instead, regular “planters” (plants used for sucking up water/nutrients) are then used. When using regular planters as well, no chemical soaps or detergents can be used.

The space where the WOM (water organization module), graywater pump panel, pressure tank, (first set of) batteries, and POM (power organising module) and stored is in a small room referred to as the “systems package”.

The Earthship is designed in such a way that the sun provides heating, ventilation, and lighting. To take advantage of the sun, an Earthship is positioned so that its principal wall, which is nonstructural and made mostly of glass sheets, faces directly towards the equator. This positioning allows for optimum solar exposure.

To allow the sun to heat the mass of the Earthship, the solar-orientated wall is angled so that it is perpendicular to light from the winter sun. This allows for maximum exposure in the winter, when heat is wanted, and lesser exposure in the summer, when heat is to be avoided. Some Earthships, especially those built in colder climates, use insulated shading on the solar-orientated wall to reduce heat loss during the night (Reynolds 2000).

Potential advantages

• Having an earth-bermed home with windows facing the sun is a good idea in any climate where heating is required.
• Collecting rainwater that falls on the roof reduces the runoff impact of the building and may reduce water and even sewer service fees.
• Having a combination of photovoltaic cells and wind generation is a prudent way to provide electricity in many situations.
• Using curved modules as horizontal arches to resist earth loads is a sound structural design.
• On-site processing of runoff water, grey water, and black water using plant beds reduces the environmental impact of the building.
• Rubber tires make a wind- and puncture- resistant wall. They may be safe from outgassing when plastered semi-airtight.
• Rubber tires are usually free and it may be possible to be paid to take them. It also is beneficial to keep them out of landfills or prevent them from being illegally burnt.
• Potential to eliminate utility bills.
• The structure is highly moldable to your own aesthetic tastes.

Potential disadvantages

• The sloped glazing may be hard to keep watertight and in warm climates allows excessive solar gain in summer. In colder climates, the glazing itself, which has far poorer insulating properties than any other component, will obviously be the major conduit of heat loss in winter. New designs call for vertical windows with an overhang.
• Uninsulated ground-coupled thermal mass presents a large potential for heat loss, especially in climates with a heating season. This varies to a degree with soil type and moisture content.
• Rubber-tire walls tend to lack structural stiffness and may require perpendicular stiffening ribs.
• Most solar photovoltaic systems suffer from poor efficiency and some wind systems only generate in periods of high wind velocity.
• The novel design may diminish resale value or make buyers more difficult to find.
• The intimate ground contact inherent in this approach may increase hazards due to soil gases including Radon, and those due to water intrusion.
• Packing or ramming dirt into the inside of tires is a very labor-intensive process.
• Many Earthship builders are drawn to this system by its apparently low environmental impact. However, this is only valid if the design is highly thermally efficient. Earthship designs may require substantial thermal analysis and redesign to be adapted to non-Southwest USA climate.
• Earthships built with concrete, sand bags, or adobe and with better solar and heat control perform better.
• Earthships are usually built in areas of extremely low population density, so unless they are entirely self-sufficient, a significant amount of fossil fuels could have to be expended in their construction because of the transportation of materials and workers. They can be built anywhere, however, and this can mitigate certain issues dealing with fossil fuels and transportation.