Essence
May 23, 2009

es*sence
Pronunciation [es-uhns]


–noun
1. the basic, real, and invariable nature of a thing or its significant individual feature or features: Freedom is the very essence of our democracy.
2. a substance obtained from a plant, drug, or the like, by distillation, infusion, etc., and containing its characteristic properties in concentrated form.
3. an alcoholic solution of an essential oil; spirit.
4. a perfume; scent.
5. Philosophy. the inward nature, true substance, or constitution of anything, as opposed to what is accidental, phenomenal, illusory, etc.
6. something that exists, esp. a spiritual or immaterial entity.


—Idioms
7. in essence, essentially; at bottom, often despite appearances: For all his bluster, he is in essence a shy person.
8. of the essence, absolutely essential; critical; crucial: In chess, cool nerves are of the essence.


Origin:
1350–1400; ME essencia < ML, for L essentia.


Synonyms:
1. substance, spirit, lifeblood, heart, principle, soul, core.

As it indicates in its definition, essence, for me, is a very spiritual word with a powerful meaning. Cut away everything unnecessary or trivial and you are left with the essential, unveiled and naturally bare. It can be a very beautiful nudity but it can also be a hideous truth. However, even the hideous truth is laid bare, unable to disguise itself and lay in wait for the pounce of negativity. This is a luxury we are rarely afforded in our lives, the ability to see, not only the beautiful essence of good things, but also to easily identify the hideous things buried beneath layers of decorative disguise.

I have heard it said that everything has an aura, and the aura is part of that object's and/or being's essence. I have even read guides and books that claim to tell you how such things can be read. I have actually seen what could be described as auras. In a classroom at Danville Area Community College, they were hard to miss against the white dry-erase board behind the teachers. One teacher in particular stood blanketed in a bright yellow glow with a twinge of grass-green closest to her skin and hair. Of course, I could only see the parts highlight by the starkly white dry-erase board.

Apparently I have felt an aura before as well. It is an interesting exercise, regardless of what it truly is. I'm inclined to think, if not something as spiritual as an aura, it is at least a sort of minor electrically charged field built from friction. The exercise is to rub your hands together quickly, but lightly for at least 20 seconds. After this, you hold your hands in front of you, palms parallel to and facing each other. Next, you slowly move your hands away, and then back toward each other without letting them touch. Half a foot to half an inch should be the maximum and minimum space as you move your hands toward and away from each other. Repeat this several times and you might notice a feeling as though you are squishing something between your hands when you move them closer and feel a release of pressure when you move them apart again.

Maybe that is part of our essence, but rather than an aura, perhaps, what is really our essence is energy and what you are feeling is a difficult to notice field of energy on the friction-charged skin of your palms. A small part of your essence.

My essence makes me think of a purplish-blue color, like is found in wisteria. I couldn't begin to tell you what color any aura I may have is.

Signed, Secrets in NY
May 23, 2009

I think there are quite a few people I know that are completely unaware of my secret want to be an advice writer (or advice radio/podcast host). I have had this interest since some time in grade school when I first saw a character in a kids show doing it.

I've been considering it this past year somewhat more in depth, particularly after I got a taste of co-hosting a podcast with the WOWCodex Podcast before we stopped recording them (we promised we'd only do it for fun, and it was starting to become work for the only one of us who really knew how to edit the whole thing together). In fact, it was this same old interest that decided my pursuit of a bachelor's in psychology and back in school. I knew if I wanted to do anything satisfying, besides freelance writing, I was going to need to go back for a higher degree. I also thought, if ever I do begin advice writing or podcasting, regardless of whether or not I receive money for it, I would like to have a continuing education in psychology; any readers I would get deserved it. Then, there was also the fact that, even if I never get around to advice writing/podcasting I can always pursue another career interest I've had, that of a counseling therapist.

Off and on, as I pursue my degree, I have worked on this idea on paper, thought of how I would like to get started, what I need to do, and seeking advice on technical matters here and there.

I know it will definitely start out as a free service, perhaps indefinitely. Providing this service stands to give me some decent, relevant experience that I can accumulate while getting my degree. It may give me an edge on my resumé. Maybe I'll get lucky and be hired on as an advice columnist somewhere! There is also the thought that, depending on how popular it became, I may try to make money with it. However, I see it as being a free service so long as it continues.

I want to start a step at a time, get a real email address, get a domain specifically for it, maybe hire someone (if I can afford it) to set me up so all I have to do is make small personalizations and alterations to the design code and enter updates and whatnot. Perhaps I will create a forum set to go along with this.

I will have to begin putting the link out there to get it noticed. In the meantime, I can write general advice articles in random areas so readers at least have something to look at and draw them in.

Once the website is fully underway and I either have someone to edit audio recordings, or learn how to do a decent job at it myself, I may start a podcast in which I (and maybe a cohost or two) discuss topics people often seek advice on. This may start with the availability to take callers, but include fillers in until listeners actually start calling in.

Lots to think about.

However, I think I want to start off very small, like maybe with a simple website page, perhaps even another section of these webpages. Heck, maybe I'll begin building this on Intimacy or convert the poorly updated Chorus page into a page designed to inspire wellness and peace of mind to others, discussing topics that could help improve the Chorus of our souls and minds or something along those lines. I may not even need to completely change Chorus, but simply begin including posts about various areas of mental health, which I believe will only improve the spirit.

Of course, once I begin conducting anything like an interactive business, however free it may be, it will be through proper channels on a different website, but you can be sure I would link to it here should that day occur.