The idea of the elements has been part of our psyche, our hopes and dreams over the centuries. Through experience with both the natural world and the imaginal world that pierces the veil of our three-dimensional reality, we’ve created myths, archetypes, philosophies, religions and lore replete with fairies, gods and demons, of earth, water, fire, air and space who whisper to us and whom we call upon for strength and inspiration. When things go wrong, even in these more “sophisticated” days, we still often ponder whether the affliction or obstacle has arisen because we’ve ignored, offended or abused these elemental deities and forces. We can’t dismiss this kind of thinking as mere mental illness or throwback to a more primitive, superstitious way of viewing the universe. Rather, it’s our connection to the unseen, that realm of subtle energies where form meets emptiness, where human hearts connect with a rich, magical world of possibility that’s always available—so long as we learn how to listen, understand and interact to bring this magic and mystery into our lives.
In the description of fairies, pixies, gods and goddesses of the elemental realms, one of the most pronounced features mentioned is their hair; the windswept hair of air fairies, the silky smooth strands of water goddesses, the white or blazing manes of fire deities, the bountiful, flowing hair of earth spirits. And, in both East and West, when tales recount creativity and the enchanting unknown, they frequently reveal three types of ladies, each having special connection to the elements; hags, witches, and princesses.
In the case of hags and witches, we in the West tend to take a more negative view. For example in the fairy tale “The Tinder Box,” a hag who tells a soldier where he can find three chests of money and her special little box, is beaten to death by him. He keeps both the money and the little box, which ends up being a coffer of elemental magic, allowing the soldier to create anything he so desires. In the East, hags are often diviners of unseen knowledge. They appear to the person who needs their message and then vanish back into the ethers. Thus, they are innately related to the element Ether. Even their hair is out of control, long, frizzy and shooting out in “ethereal” disarray.
As for witches, they are the master alchemists, mixing and blending botanicals and all manner of things, for good or evil—depending on their inclinations. In the West, they are decried and maligned, not so much because what they do is good or bad, but for their ability to do it in the first place! In the East however, it all comes down to intention. So witches, as well as shamans, are called upon for their wisdom and mastery of the elements. Being a hair shaman myself, I am passionately honored to be in their company! And the hair of witches? Sometimes it’s like that of a hag, but other times it is thick, bushy, exotic or sometimes long and flowing. In the East are many colorful and semi-wrathful female deities, with strikingly exotic heads of hair, who are called upon for any number of activities, for wisdom, for protection or for inspiration.
Finally, we have the princesses. In both West and East they are always dressed beautifully and with an exquisite coiffure. But what I observe in the West is more subdued. The princess is reigned in, her elements controlled. She is rendered powerless and reduced to eye candy— ultimately fulfilled only by marriage and subservience to her lord and master, not to mention society and occasionally mean in-laws! The myth persists in Hollywood, where well-financed princesses are locked in toxic prisons of pharmaceuticals compulsively ingested, bodies surgically altered and hair abused in the name of fashion. In the East, a princess is one who is embellished, with more added to magnify and demonstrate the balance of elements she embodies. She is a genuine monarch, truly divine. In my days at Kenneth’s, I saw both kinds of princesses and can tell you it was a lot more interesting to be around the latter kind! I have been equally graced by hags and witches, as dear friends or acquaintances.
Although we consider stories of hags, witches, and princesses just relics of the past, they are in truth strong archetypes that endure. And there are to this day entire systems of healing that fully recognize magical power with elemental energies. Such as the ones I was exposed to that inspired me to formulate Morrocco Method: Chinese medicine and Ayurveda.
Going beyond lore and archetypes, the term “element” makes most of us think of something akin to a building block. Those with a science background will have a frame of reference involving the periodic table, whose components are considered the building blocks of Nature.
But like fairies, gods and demons, when the Five Elements are described in Chinese
Medicine and Ayurveda, they are considered much more dynamic. A great macrobiotic master, Michio Kushi, explains that this term “element” really signifies something moving, dynamic—an essence always in transformation—a flow from one state into another that can be identified, but never isolated. It is like asking the question, is light a wave or a particle? The answer is, it depends on how you look at it. In the systems of Chinese medicine and Ayurveda, elements are described as identifiable states of being.
The Five Elements are Ether, Fire, Earth, Air and Water. There is an orderliness in every aspect of Nature that can be explained in terms of these Five Elements; the way they flow into one another, support each other, even how they may inhibit or destroy one another. According to Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda, all things seen and unseen, whether animate or inanimate, are a combination of all Five Elements. The number five meaningfully recurs throughout the natural world. There are five principal tastes: sour, bitter, sweet, salty and umami; five sensory organs: eyes, skin, mouth, nose, and ears; five main body fluids: tears, blood, lymph, mucus and urine; five hair types: head, pubic, facial, body and eyelashes/eyebrows; then five fingers to a hand, five toes to a foot, etc.
I have coordinated all Morrocco Method hair care products with Nature’s Five Elements, and infused the finest elemental ingredients into them. All contents are listed on every bottle or jar, and the website has information explaining what you need to understand about using the Five Elements for your hair to “be all it can be.”
The five phases of hair care in Morrocco Method’s Hair Awakening are: lengthening, strengthening, thickening, root work and beautifying. How do these five relate to the Five Elements?
For growth and Lengthening of hair, use products and techniques associated with the element Water.
For Strengthening hair, do the same with products and techniques associated with the element Air.
For Thickening hair, the element Earth is key.
To support Root Work, utilize the element Fire.
Finally, to Beautify hair, seek out products and techniques connected with the element Ether.
The products and lunar haircutting chart put strong, lustrous, beautiful hair within everyone’s reach. I also encourage you to explore Ayurveda to further enhance your hair and health. It’s helpful to know the Ayurvedic dosha classification for your hair:
Vata hair is generally dark in color, average in quantity and sometimes a bit coarse or tightly curled. Generally, there’s a tendency toward dryness and brittleness, so a greater likelihood for split ends and/or flakiness. In age, vata hair will be gray or salt-andpepper.
Pitta hair is generally blond or red with a straight, fine texture. A moderate amount of oiliness characterizes pitta hair, with a tendency toward thinning and baldness. Premature graying or becoming totally white with age are both possibilities.
Kapha hair can range from dark to light in shading; it’s usually wavy, thick and oily with a tendency toward becoming greasy. It slowly changes to gray or white with age.
“For many years, because of a very hectic work schedule, I wore my hair very short, never having the time to take care of a regular length hair style. After learning the Morrocco Method, I realized that I could have healthy, beautiful, long, feminine hair without time consuming, unnecessary fuss . Following this method of proper brushing, scalp invigoration and using the natural holistic hair products, I now enjoy a carefree, thick, luxurious head of hair that takes only minutes a day and best of all, my husband loves it. Thank you, Anthony Morrocco, may your method bring as much happiness to other women as it has to me.” – Norma, Director of Publicity and Promotion, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra
“I finally found the lost key to my whole health environment and it was my hair. The Morrocco Method has helped me revitalize my scalp and now I am enjoying a magnificent fullbodied head of hair.” – Sybil, Fountain Valley, California
“The Morrocco Method Hair products have Transformed my hair in just three weeks! It’s now Alive with good texture, sheen and bright color. It feels and looks so much better, coming from dull, drab, dead looking to Alive and Vibrant again. You are truly doing a great service to us all with your new shampoos and method. God bless!” – Dee, New Hampshire
Your hair’s appearance makes an immediate and lasting impression. Hair is everyone’s most notable feature, our Crowning Glory. For icons of the silver screen, it’s been taken to such absurd levels that even after battle scenes or near disasters in wind and rain, stars often emerge with crumpled clothes, but hair immaculate and perfect!
Each culture has standards for what good hair looks like, varying from smooth and flowing to heavily oiled and secured to bejeweled dreadlocks. In the Western world, our preference seems to be the silky and smooth. We spend untold amounts of time and money on products designed to give our hair that look. The two basic products we buy and use most frequently are shampoos and conditioners.
When it comes to shampooing, we think of getting hair clean as job one. But there’s more to it than just that. Shampooing hair and scalp cleanses and nourishes your crown chakra as well. Keeping hair clean is important for more than just appearance—it’s also the means to keeping our most valuable chi receptors clear and in good working order.
While there are no hard and fast rules, the thing to remember is that proper scalp hygiene is as critical to luxurious hair as oral hygiene is to gleaming teeth. Your scalp is like soil in a garden. Kept clean and uncontaminated, well-nourished and irrigated through proper blood circulation, a “crop” of healthy hair will flourish in it and thrive. For this you need products that guarantee a healthy alkaline pH in your body. Nothing less is acceptable. And that is exactly what Morrocco Method Int’l guarantees. Each wild-crafted, raw, vegan ingredient is chosen for its specific purpose—all of which work together to keep your hair clean, healthy, and luxurious.
Morrocco Method Int’l Shampoos are a synergistic blend of natural and wild-crafted botanicals, marine proteins, herbs and minerals. Carefully selected multiregional herbs and oils express their natural powers, because they’ve been compounded by using the 13-moon lunar astrology cycle. We harvest and formulate them according to this cycle to absolutely maximize their potency. Our botanicals are purchased in accord with fair trade agreements to respect the men and women who grow and harvest them for our benefit.
Morrocco Method botanicals benefit your hair and scalp by being reconstructive, conditioning, stimulating, rejuvenating and revitalizing!
Our Morrocco Method Shampoos are excellent for dry hair, split ends, grey or thinning hair, dandruff and for regenerating hair lost to chemotherapy treatment. Because they are totally color-safe, non-allergenic and non-toxic, they are used in hospitals and wellness centers worldwide and by people with extreme chemical sensitivities.
Our multipurpose shampoos are also great as body washes, exfoliating scrubs and facial cleansers.
“Before using 100% natural hair care products, I had to wash my hair every day because it would look flat and greasy. I have always had very fine hair that was stringy and unmanageable. Since I have been using the Morrocco Method products my hair has improved light years from where it was.” – JoAnn Caine, Los Angeles, California
“Never before has my hair & scalp been so healthy since I started using Morrocco Method products. And I can’t live without them.” – Cynthia Young, Southern California
People from countries with cultures rooted in the natural cycles of the moon and seasons are astonished at our habit of having haircuts without regard to the lunar phase. To them, we might as well be planting seeds in the winter and expecting a bountiful harvest. Our ancestors learned over centuries that planting on moon cycles optimizes growth of both plants and human hair dramatically.
Our body is a microcosm of the earth. Like this planet’s varietal vegetation — algae, seaweed, plants, flowers and trees — our body has similar diversified vegetation in our pubic hair; facial, eyebrow and eyelash hair; torso and appendage hair and, of course, our Crowning Glory.
Just as there is an “ideal” time to plant, weed, reap, spread compost, there are best times to cut or “harvest” hair. Aligning haircuts to the ebb and flow of Lunar Cycle astrology has a very powerful effect on the growth and maintenance of our hair.
According to the ancient wisdom of Shamans who consider hair a sacred part of the body, there are five elements each month to consider. Specific times enhance hair strength, thickness, length, strengthening of its roots and esthetic beautification — provided we cut on the appropriate days. Otherwise, the remaining, inauspicious days of that month will actually retard the growth of hair.
Knowing retardation periods of hair growth can be a useful tool for our hair care as well. “Harvesting” unwanted hair at this time is ideal, the perfect time to pluck eyebrows or shave legs. The hair will grow back more slowly, if at all.
Having your hair cut using the 13 Moon Lunar Cycle provide you with excellent natural, holistic hair care. Using wisdom of the Shamans enhanced by modern scientific knowledge and over 40 years of personal research and experience, Anthony Morrocco created Morrocco Method International, incorporating an outstanding system of Lunar Hair-Care Astrology to help you achieve Strengthening, Thickening, Lengthening, Root Work and Beautifying of your hair!
If you are experiencing hair thinning and loss, his lunar chart shows you specific days each month when cutting your hair will strengthen and thicken it, stimulating roots and regenerating your hair.
Anthony reveals exact days that hold maximum astrological powers for your hair on his Lunar Hair Chart, that he shares freely on morroccomethod.com.
He guides your work on a particular facet of your hair every month. Focusing on hair loss or thinning, for example, you follow his lunar chart dates for your haircut to Strengthen hair. During the following month, trim at the indicated time that stimulates Thickening of your hair. During the third month, arrange your cut to stimulate follicles and hair roots using Root Work dates.
For the goal of longer hair, use the lunar chart to alternate Lengthening and Root Work dates, one each month. To thicken hair, simply alternate a Thickening cut one month with Root Work the next. Those interested in enhancing hair waves and manageability should alternate with Beautifying and Root Work trim dates. Numerous combinations are possible depending on individual needs.
The 13 Moon Lunar Cycle occurs fully each month, creating all five options so that you can cut your hair to lengthen, thicken, strengthen, do root work or beautify in any calendar month you choose. It is the position of the sun and moon, along with certain closely guarded Shamanic secrets passed down through the ages, that determines the optimum days to have your haircuts.
Some people believe a full moon is invariably the most powerful time to cut hair. This is not always true. There are times, in fact, when doing that is counterproductive. The same goes for keying trims to a waning moon. With Anthony’s proven lunar haircutting chart, all confusion ends. As long as you base your cuts on the Chart, you will stay aligned to the best and greatest astrological power, enhancing your hair every time.
“I finally found the lost key to my whole health environment and it was my hair. The Morrocco Method has helped me revitalize my scalp and now I am enjoying a magnificent fullbodied head of hair.” – Sybil, Fountain Valley, California
“When I first discovered the Morrocco Method, my hair was like baby hair due to health problems. It was thinning and looked extremely unhealthy. This system is amazing. My hair is now thicker than it was then, and is continuing to get thicker, and actually looks alive. My whole perception of myself is so much more positive it’s astounding. And the best part is it’s so easy to do.” – Lesley Schiedow, Huntington Beach, California
Anthony has enjoyed welcoming you to his world of Morrocco Method’s healthy, nature based, non-toxic products that nourish and revitalize not just your hair and scalp, but the entire physical life. We’ve all grown accustomed to hearing Anthony’s personal motto, “Our health is our wealth,” again and again. He’s right: when your system is detoxified, clean, nourished and fortified with the use of hair care products so pure and natural you could actually eat them, who knows what you could accomplish?
And this book, along with Anthony’s products, online educational materials and interactive social media platforms, is here to help you in every step on the path to healthier hair and a better life.
Yes, the book ends here. But our commitment to you has only just begun! We always welcome inquiries, testimonials, suggestions and feedback from Morrocco Method clients as well as those of you new to Anthony’s pure and revitalizing hair care. Customer service is available through our website morroccomethod.com, ongoing educational blog, and social media platforms: Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+ and Instagram. In other words, we’re with you all the way!
So be well, your health is your wealth!
Anthony Morrocco (born May 4, 1943) is the founder and current President and CEO of Morrocco Method International, a hair care company specializing in all natural products.
Anthony Morrocco has, for over 40 years, carefully studied and practiced holistic hair care. His quest to find a naturally based treatment for hair and scalp problems began with his apprenticeship at world famous Kenneth’s, a posh New York salon, where his clients included Jackie Kennedy Onassis, Mrs. Vincent Astor, Mia Farrow, Lauren Bacall, Joan Rivers, Faye Dunaway, Liza Minnelli, and numerous other celebrities.
For years, Anthony watched as the rich and famous walked into Kenneth’s with hair care problems and left with the same problems, only covered up with styles, perms, blow drying, gels, mousses, bleaches and chemicals. Anthony discovered that, regardless of the money spent on traditional hair care, the problems just didn’t go away. This realization inspired Anthony to create a new system of hair and scalp treatment that would have successful, long term results.
Now, after more than four decades of travel, research and experimentation, including his study of Chinese herbalism and acupressure under Bruce Lee’s master, Mr. Fung Yi of Peking and Dr. Cecilia Lu of Shanghai, Anthony has perfected a holistic program for women and men determined to make positive changes for healthier, more vibrant hair.
I’m Antonio and I want to share my story with you about becoming a Hair Shaman and my adventures of Hair Mastery for the past 75 years of Mystery & Magic. Together we will share our journey on the Road Less Traveled experiencing Freedom from the Known to the Challenge of Change. In my 1st story we start with my memory of around 3 or 4 years old, having my 1st FLOW Experience and calling in the Law of Attraction along with the Power of Intention. The Law of Attraction clearly shows us at a very young age what we are Truly Desiring; it’s a TIMELESS element that allows us to flow and Follow Our Bliss. Clearly at 3 years of age one does not truly understand what the words CHI, PRANA or LIFE FORCE are and it was not until my early 20’s that I came in contact with the SECRET of the Law of Attraction, which started spelling out those meanings in an adult dimension.
The Challenge of Change:
I can recall the first time my soul awakened. I was maybe three or four years old. Certainly, long before going to kindergarten. On that day, I somehow walked out of my 3rd floor apartment and I went down the street and across the road—I don’t know how I got there all by myself—to a field very far from my house (well, at least far from a three- or four-year-old perspective). In the middle of this field was a raised mound, covered with grass, violets, lilies-of the-valley, grasshoppers, and praying mantises crawling or hopping all around. I walked up the mound and sat down right in the middle of it. Then the Universe revealed itself to me through the microcosm of this little mound of Earth and through the megacosm in a timeless FLOW STATE thus experiencing the Universal Energies in a timeless state of BEING ONE with the Universe. As time stood still, CHI Energies instilled in me that All Life is ONE and Everything that Lives is HOLY. Plants, Animals, and Humanity all must Live in Harmony Consciously.
It would be years before I found the language to describe exactly what I’d experienced. Even then, I was discovering that “chi,” the vital life force of our universe according to Chinese tradition, the energy that comes down to us from the mysteries of the universe, does not initially touch the body, it touches the hair. Although I didn’t know then that there are five types of hair on the body, the idea occurred to me that grass and bushes were the hair of nature. I could see their chi in colored auras of the grass, in shades of green pulsating vibrant and alive, bushes with their brilliant greens shooting five to ten feet beyond their branches and flowers vibrating with colors I’d never seen nor imagined before. Violets particularly captivated me with their intense shades of undulating purple and emerald green.
I witnessed the life force exuding out of each praying mantis and grasshopper. It was like an otherworldly experience. Whatever was happening with all this energy, I was beginning to formulate my earliest understanding that the CHI Energies were first touching the plants’ leaves, insects, and flowers transforming into radiant colors, entering the branches and trunks, flowing down into roots and the earth and finally getting grounded.
When I went home that day, and for some time afterwards, when I was with my parents, I would say things like: “Look at the color! Look at the energy coming out of you.” And they would answer: “Stop that Antonio! You’re just dreaming. You must stop. It’s very naughty to say those things because people don’t want to hear them. It’s not real, your only dream telling you these things.”
So, then I shut down and went inward and created a world where I could live with these Chi Energies thus creating an inner world that would grow and blossom. I later came in contact with these forces again but by then I would be getting confirmation from Masters and Teachers on how to formulate these Chi Energies into healthy, healing living energies to heal oneself and everything around oneself echoing the great phrase “Physician, Heal Thyself. Physician, Heal Thyself”. That would become my Mantra again and again as each shocking experience revealed itself as I met REMARKABLE men and women who would grow my awareness, both inner and outter, thus creating The Third World.
Now I wish to share this with you as we journey together into the Mystery and Magic of the Hair Shaman through fairy tales and biblical stories, dialoguing together to ponder and unravel these mysteries for healing oneself naturally through nature and natural energies, free for all to partake in them.
When my first Spiritual Master, George I Gurdjieff, was asked the question: “Mr. Gurdjieff, you are so enlightened that you can see the past and the future, tell me why I am here and what am I supposed to be doing in order to earn a living or to make a difference. What is my purpose?”
Mr. Gurdjieff would reply with mind boggling answers like: “We all have an Inner Talent and our purpose is to find out what that is and to use it to our advantage. Our Inner talent is not something that we like or dislike it is simply what we do best, whether we like it or not. Simply do what you do best and you will always be successful and be of service to humanity.”
We all have an inner talent, a gift that we bring with us upon being born here in this lifetime, a memory from our past stored in our DNA. A very individual and a very valuable vehicle which allows us to be of service to others. This is something that comes to us like a second nature, something that is easily done, with great enthusiasm like art, music, a trade, or a craft. Some do business well, while others succeed with art, and others are great at fixing things and working with their hands. By using our inner talent, one is free to grow into their true Nature, growing into what makes us all want to live life and experience our lives to the fullest.
Me at 4 years old with his brother Virgil at 5 years old
For me, hair was my first awakening when I was just three years old. I discovered the timeless Universe showing me this world and all its mystery and magic. At that time, I had my first experience with time standing still, seeing and experiencing different energies, like seeing higher states of awareness. It was the leaves, the grasses, and the branches that intrigued me, I then realized they were ethereal energies and not physical. This led me to look at hair as the 5th element, Ether, where chi enters the body through our hair, which acts as our antenna to the Universal Energies.
A few years later, my brother, Raymond, who was eleven years older than me, went on to become a barber. When I was about eight, I started going down to his barber shop. I would sweep the floor, clean up and just listen to the guys—his customers—talking. And I’d say, “You know, I could grow your hair back for you.” and I meant it. And these guys, who were cool and driving around in their Chevys, would pat me on the head and say, “Okay, little boy, you have some imagination. My bald head just needs a rug.” My brother told me not to say that again, that it wasn’t true and he didn’t want me telling stories. So, once again, I was silenced and felt even more repressed.
At that time, did I understand that my inner talent was hair? Not at all. I just had these experiences that kept me growing into my newfound inner world of energies which no one around me seemed to notice nor wanted any part of. That was until my venetian maternal grandmother, Lena, introduced me to her world of mystery and magic.
Like a Venetian – Life in my Toddler and Younger Days:
Life as a Venetian, now enter: Lena, my maternal grandmother & Spiritual Goddess
My first memories without Catholic Shame and Blame:
We were raised in my paternal grandparent’s home with Angelina, my Grandmother, and Virgilio, my Grandfather, who were from Naples, Italy. They lived together on the second floor. My aunt and uncle also lived there but on the first floor. My Mom, Anita, my Dad, Carmino, my Brother, Virgil, and me, Antonio, lived in the third-floor, which was an attic.
My whole family on my father’s side was Roman Catholic with all the shame and blame that came with the 1940s, during and after WWII. But my maternal family lived 42 miles away in Torrington, Connecticut on 2 separate ½ acre lots, one lot had a four-story house and the other lot was the Green Thumb gardens of Lena, my Grandmother, and her Father, Angelo Zucco, my Great-Grandfather who had immigrated from Venice, Italy.
Grandma Lena was not a practicing Catholic, she was a free soul and part of the Theosophical movement, which was started by Madame Blavatsky in the early 1900s. This Theosophical movement was very progressive for women at the time, allowing them to take on a bigger role in spiritual leadership, treating them as equals to men.
Lena had all the good examples for me to see, smell, taste, hear, and feel, but most importantly, she taught me the 6th sense, universal intelligence, freedom from the known. Lena would have seances, candles, and incense burning everywhere. She would reach out to the other dimensions through meditation and always questioning the unknown. In her other world was Polly the parrot, Chi Chi the monkey, and the most beautiful rose gardens in all of town, whereas in Lena’s inner world was mystery, magic, and she always was searching for the universal Intelligence with her 6th sense.
My Great-Grandfather, Angelo Zucco, was born in 1863 in Venice, Italy and was part of an Alpini Battalion in WWI. The Alpini were elite Italian soldiers who fought on skis in the mountains to protect Italy’s northern borders with France and Austria. He was a decorated soldier in WWI and was honored by having the main street of Fonzaso, Italy, our small village outside of Venice, named after him, VIA A. ZUCCO.
Angelo was a master gardener and carpenter. He moved to USA in 1929 with his daughter, Lena, and landed in Torrington, Connecticut where there was rich soil and plenty of land to grow food. There was also an abundance of work available. That’s why the Europeans came over in droves in search of work, food, and the chance to feed and house their families as they were coming from the destruction of the European War. At that time, there was no welfare, nor free handouts, everyone came to the Promised Land wanting to work and to be of service to their community.
Angelo would say things like, “See these hands,” while holding out his hands for us to see and say “if they were metal, one would have to replace them 100 times, like a tool; but Goddess Earth rebuilds our hands daily along with all the mystery and magic of mother nature.”
Both my Great-Grandfather, Angelo, and my Grandmother, Lena, had two green thumbs and whatever they touched flourished and grew in abundance. Angelo could take one tree and graft branches onto it from another tree. He grew one with apples, pears, apricots, and plums and these fruits would grow on this one tree. Even in those days, folks would come marvel from miles away at seeing such farming techniques.
I have very fond memories of their secret garden. It had a frog pond with water lilies, a garden with roses and different flowers, and a vegetable garden, too. The romaine lettuce that they grew would be a standard for our meals with hand-made vinegar, oil, and Celtic sea salt. This is still my favorite salad today, always reminding me of the taste of my childhood and my Venetian ancestors.
Lena was very sophisticated. She always was well coifed and well-dressed, wearing jewelry and make up even when working in the garden, painting the house, or tending to the chickens and rabbits. She always wore rouge on her cheeks, had beautiful blue eyes, blonde hair, and cameo white skin. Lena was a true Venetian beauty who married Johnny. They had a son named Aldo and a daughter named Anita, my Mom. Her husband, Johnny, worked in a factory and after 3 years of marriage decided not to return home from work one day, leaving my Grandmother to fend for herself and raise her two children alone.
After her Father, Angelo, died, Lena took the lead raising her children along with her rabbits, chickens, and gardens feeding anyone and everyone who was in need. She turned her four-story home into apartments, living on the first floor with her family and renting out the second and third floors, and the fourth which had been turned into four apartments. Lena, like many other self-reliant Europeans, worked hard and smart, living a life of self-respect for all to follow. She worked long hours, 7 days a week with great relish for simply being alive in the free country of America.
My Venetian family showed me examples of how to be in many ways. They gave me lessons at a very early age on how to grow and become an individual. A lesson that we will hear more on in the adventures of becoming The Hair Shaman.
Even as a kid, I was a willful little firecracker just waiting to explode out of my boring small town and see the world. The Mediterranean Sea and Italy were calling my name, loud and clear.
There was rebellion in the air… and all of a sudden a frustrated young voice could be heard: “Nothing will stop me, Antonio, from escaping Connecticut to become a true Venetian!”
“It’s so BORING around here!” My words and actions declared to everyone that I was about to run away. I was ready to do anything to escape and my destination would be Italy, where I’d enjoy a free-spirited and bohemian lifestyle as a Venetian; where I’d search for adventures alongside the Mediterranean. Who was this little vivacious scrappy fire-cracker, anyway?
It was me, Antonio, willing to smash Connecticut’s stifling grip and see the world at just eleven years old. I got the first real chance when I ran away from home, I was in 6th grade and went as far as Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. It was over 500 miles from my home in Connecticut and I had been hitchhiking for 3 weeks when the Police caught me and sent me back to my Father’s angry fists.
My father, Carmino, aka Daddy-O punished me by throwing my entire pile of fun clothes in the open fireplace outside our home. I remember him saying that the next time this happened, he would throw me in the fire instead of my fun clothes. Now, Antonio was scorched and half baked.
When I turned 13, still scorched and half baked, I was in the 8th grade and it was time to make my second attempt. Again the escape artist fled the scene but this time the destination was New York City, the big apple!
Again, it turned into yet another full-blown failure. While I was escaping on the NYC bound train from Connecticut to Manhattan, bad timing foiled the plan. The police surged on me for the second time and again sent me back to my father’s now inflamed furious Fists of Fire. So, I cooled my jets for a while, never giving up on the dream of breaking free.
“Shave his head!” my father ordered. This was a horrifying punishment at the time as this was during the age of ‘Rock and Roll’, after all it was 1957 for God’s sakes, when young men imitated their idols: Elvis Presley, Sal Mineo, Frankie Avalon. The list was endless! All these men had a head full of hair, making it the ultimate punishment to have your head shaved, this showed who the real boss was: it was Daddy-O, still ruling the roost.
Three Strikes and You’re Out!
Well, the third attempt to escape was one that James, my best friend and partner in crime, came up with: a lightning Streak of Genius.
“Ahoy There! Anchors aweigh! Avast and Avant, my hearties! GI Joe, eat your heart out, Sheesh, why didn’t we think of this before!”
Join the Navy and See the World:
Hence, two 17-year old boys barreled into the local U.S. Navy recruiting office. Though our bags were already mentally packed there was just one issue: we were still not 18 and could not travel without a written permission from both our Mom & our Dad! No sweat. My raging alcoholic father couldn’t scratch his name on the paper fast enough. Mom assented when her “baby” threatened not to talk to her if she made me wait until I turned 18. The pressure worked! Mom signed.
However, the problem now was James; or rather, his clingy girlfriend. She snarled that if he joined the Navy, they were done, finished, kaput. Ole Jimmy knuckled under the pressure and I was now sailing solo. I walked away from senior year of high school, never looking back.
I took the oath, “JOIN the NAVY and see the WORLD”. After signing the papers, I was sworn in with about 100 other 17-year olds, all of whom were escaping something from back home. I could feel the thrill of the rumbling engines beneath my butt being on board a prop plane for the first time. I was thrilled as I flew to the Great Lakes Boot Camp in Chicago. When I arrived, my feelings were like a pop song of the time:
… Rock N Roll is here to stay it will never fade away Rock NAVY Rock…
BAM! Right away, the wind was knocked out of my sails: “Hey sailor boy, you’re U.S. government property now, so do what you’re told or get slammed into the brig.” Whoa! This was a deal that I’d signed. No option! No way out! And the “brig” (military jail) sounded terrible! So, I put on my game face and struggled through the dregs of hell, graduating boot camp and then was sent to Norfolk, VA as a Seaman Apprentice. I earned $5.50 a day (but, don’t forget this was the 1960’s!) but had no expenses and at last I got my ticket to “Join The Navy and See the World”.
BAM again! We received an announcement that we were heading into WAR, the Bay of Pigs missile crisis in Cuba, and JFK wasn’t fiddling with Fidel or Kowtowing to Khrushchev. For thirteen renowned days, the entire world held its breath to see if we’d all sink Cuba into the sea or turn it into ashes. Life in the barracks was a stressful one, waiting for the dreaded words: “WAR IS DECLARED.”
It was 3am when the sirens screamed and the loud speakers boomed over the Norfolk Virginia Military Base, “Pack up and stand by to leave immediately! War has been declared! Get into ranks and load on busses for the U.S. NAVY Air Terminal; destination Unknown”.
“Woah! Good-bye, America”. Ten thousand of us just had a few hours to spend on the U.S. soil prior to boarding B-22 prop planes for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Then ten thousand, newly recruited, U.S. NAVY boys who were freshly passed out of boot camp lined the tarmac. Every sailor’s name was called, and each would salute the Officer, receive his papers, salute again and board one of the many planes roaring off into oblivion. Then the next, then the next and the next… They were threatened, “Lose your papers, or disobey any orders, and you’ll go to the brig!” Next – next – next…
BAM once more! My name wasn’t called. What the hell? After all the others had boarded, I was left there standing alone on the Tarmac. The last of my whole division was now airborne on the last plane left out.
I stood watching in disbelief. The Lieutenant Officer was the only one who remained, lighting up a cigar and cursing under his breath. I approached him and saluted with a shaky hand. “Sir, my name wasn’t called. Where do I go? What do I do?” With no effort to obscure his irritation, he yelled back: “What’s your name, sailor?” I wanted to seem more confident than my inexperienced 17 years while saluting again. “Sir, A. Morrocco,” screaming out my serial number and rank, “U.S. Navy, Sir.” This only augmented his wrath, “No stupid. Stop! I didn’t ask WHERE you’re going. I asked what’s your NAME.” Totally worried, all I could do was say again “Sir, A. Morrocco—–” interrupted by gusts of his laughter and chaotic gasping on his cigar. As he caught his breath, he flipped the stogie and ironically added, “Oh, so you’re the one Morrocco!” before walking off to frighten his next prey.
Finally, I got my duffle bag containing all my worldly belongings and walked to the bus depot to ride up to my now deserted barracks. I was so exhausted that once I got there, I went to my bunk and dropped my gear and my personnel papers. That’s right! The very ones that if I lost would land me in jail, the Brig! At this point, I was so tired of what was going on and happening, so throwing them into the bunk next to me didn’t worry me at all. All I knew was that I was completely exhausted, physically and emotionally, so, as soon as I lay down I passed out.
After some hours, I woke up still trying to assimilate everything that had happened! All this craziness had made me HUNGRY, so I decided to go to the chow hall and get some dinner. So, off I went and made it back in a short time. It wasn’t too long after I got back that I fell back into deep slumber.
Casablanca, Morrocco in 1962 in the US Navy
My routine was ready to begin the next day. I was ready to start the day. I would usually wake up, get ready to eat some breakfast at the chow hall, then ready to go swimming in the pool or go to the gym. Or, maybe a movie? Sure! I just couldn’t stand still! I was always walking around in amazement thinking “This is HUGE! The U.S. Military Base in Norfolk, Virginia! It’s like a city in and of itself!” I didn’t have to leave the Military base to do anything! There was just enough there to keep me entertained and amused, while at the same time, available and ready for action whenever someone showed up to tell me what to do. I remember myself saying: “I am an adult now! I’m 18 years old, for God’s sakes, graduated from boot camp, my first assigned duty to Norfolk Navy Base. I can handle ANYTHING!” I was simply awaiting orders, ready for action. Little did I know what was waiting for me.
Days were going by quickly; 10 days seem to go by like a flash! Soon enough it was already 3 months after starting boot camp, 3 more months of living in my new home base Norfolk, Virginia. I was simply blissed out! I had no chores, no one to yell at me for no reason… Just eat, swim, hang out, sleep. I was living the dream, enjoying my new-found freedom. But this wasn’t for long…
One night I heard a voice that woke me up: “Freeze, you are under Arrest!” Suddenly, something yanked me out of my bunk and threw me on the floor. The military police were yelling with rifles pointing at my head. They forcefully asked: “Who are you and what are you doing off limits?” This was madness! I was confused in all this mess, but I somehow got to blurt out “Sir, A. Morrocco (SA) US Navy, Sir!” However, this didn’t stop the mass chaos. I was grabbed and thrown into a US Navy Police Jeep and driven to the “Brig” –The place we were threatened with if we didn’t do as we were told was now finally appearing.
Once I got there, the interrogation session started. There were all sorts of questions getting thrown at me: “Who was I?”, “Why was I in off-limited barracks?”, “Who…?”, “What…?”, “Where…?”, “Why…?”, When?”. At that point, in their view, I was a would-be spy/deserter and was under arrest for so many unknown reasons. It was at this point that I realized I was in serious trouble. So, I remembered what I had done with my papers and repeated again and again “My papers! My papers! My Navy folder is on the bunk next to where you found me, Sir!” But no one listened. I was then tossed into solitary confinement. I had been locked up for possibly being a terrorist. This somehow made sense because after all we were at war, and, I was the unknown person found off limits.
After a few hours and more questions, the military police finally listened to what I was saying and went to look for my Military papers. After they found them, they went through them and saw all my military information, including the notice that I was being shipped to Port Lyautey, Kenitra, MOROCCO. This kept everyone laughing at my expense, because, what a coincidence, right?
Ah! The mystery unravels… And when the lieutenant noticed my real name, and saw my papers said “Morocco” and not “Cuba”, he broke up laughing when he suddenly realized the obvious name/destination coincidence. So, this is what they discovered after going through all my papers: A. Morrocco (SA) US Navy was not AWOL, but simply a victim of a very practical joke: “MORROCCO was being shipped to MOROCCO!” Well, here’s the story behind that joke: It turned out that, since my last name was Morrocco, someone processing our papers in Washington, D.C. at the Bureau of Personnel, must have just seen my last name and, in a bored moment, decided to lighten up his day by stamping “Port Lyautey, Kenitra, Morrocco” all over my personnel papers and folder!
Lo and behold, all the confusion and interrogation had happened because what I had to do was go to a different air terminal and catch my next flight to Port Lyautey, North Africa. The only problem was that no one had explained any of this to me while I was watching my entire division fly off to Gitmo Bay, Cuba!
Alright, next Stop: Port Lyautey Kenitra, Morocco, North Africa. Comnavacts Mediterranean Station for Defending the Mediterranean from the Russians!
After not being shipped to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, I was sent instead to Morocco to secure the entire Mediterranean from Russian invaders. After an 18-hour flight in a crowded, jam packed military prop plane, I made my official arrival to Port Lyautey Kenitra, Morocco in North Africa at the US Navy Station in August, 1961. The hatch opened and we got off the plane. The first thing that happened? Woah! The air temperature hit me at 120 degrees plus! I felt like this was hell on earth! North Africa was home to the Sahara Desert, this meant that winds and heat were waiting for me! These would be nothing more than my daily routine and more adventures.
My new assigned home were the barracks. They had no air conditioning and no fans (but really, who’d want to blow around hot air, anyway?). I soon discovered that the showers were and would be my hang-out most of my time. It was just so nice to stand under cool water for hours and hours! After all, it was 120 degrees in the shade and, as a New England native, this was to me something from another planet: planet hell.
After one week, I was assigned to my new position: washing pots and pans. Well, after all, I had just graduated boot camp and spent 3 months in a US military base, so I actually had not learned much else, and as I was US GOV property, I just did what I was told, discovering quickly that I had given up all my rights as a taxpaying citizen. All I had to do was listen, obey, act, for God’s sakes, don’t think.
About one week of settling into hot Morrocco Navy Base, one afternoon there was an announcement from The Brass at the Admiral’s office: “Can anyone type?”. Interestingly enough, in 1961 it wasn’t uncommon to find men who couldn’t type. But, thanks to the fact that I had taken a business course and thanks to Mrs. Johnson, who taught my class how to type (I honestly feel like this was the only thing I had learned how to do in my 3.5 years of high school!), I was then a so-called “speed typist” at around 30 WPM (word per minute). Typewriters in 1961 were very different to what we have today. No comparison. Back then, they all had a ribbon and a pound key board. NO electrical anything. It was the newfangled gadget of the time.
After announcing to my immediate supervisor of pots and pans that I, indeed, knew how to type, I was immediately assigned to a new barracks, a new division and an air-conditioned office that was the main headquarters to Admiral Peoples North Africa COMNAVACTS. I was working for Lieutenant Commander Gearheart and my new assignment was to type, type and type all kinds of papers that were all high SECURITY, which required that I received a top Security Clearance. By doing this I would also be allowed to become a senior sailor with all the privileges that only officers had on base! Once I was cleared, I was moved up to Top Brass Office as a “Personal Aide and Typist” to work directly under Admiral Peoples’ direction, with my new top security clearance status, all base privileges and I even got to have my very own Jeep. WOW! I was now living the dream!
Washing pots and pans was over. It was time to welcome the privileged few at the admiral’s private offices: Life in Morrocco from 1961 to 1963!
This new stage started off with a 30-day introduction to a new culture: No one was allowed off base by themselves, there had to be 3 or more sailors together at all times, or you’d go straight to jail, the “Brig Danger Zone”! It made sense because, after all, we were at war with Cuba and Russia, so wandering off solo was dangerous.
Being in Morrocco for those years, made me feel like my whole world had been turned upside-down and backwards finding myself living in an Arabic speaking country under monarch rule, whereas my upbringing was quite different: I was white, I was an American, Roman-Catholic, country bumpkin, New England: Small town, and democracy under President Kennedy. Now, what did I have here? The complete opposite: Brown, African, Muslim, a monarchy, for God’s sakes! under tyrannical rule of King Mulla Hass Sang V. You always had to follow the new rules or regulations, or risk being killed in a foreign land. Now, don’t get me wrong, there are wonderful things about Morocco too. It is mystical, magical, romantic, Atlas Mountains, exotic cities, desert oasis, camels and couscous!
We privileged few from the TOP BRASS office could and were encouraged to travel throughout the country with our “top-security pass” and had more time to travel than the regular base personnel. So, we took full advantage of these perks and got to see Tangiers, Rabat, Casablanca, Marrakesh and the Atlas Mountains. It was time to discover another culture living in a strange land with new found friends: Hello, Morocco! It’s me, Morrocco!
Around this time, I had graduated to fill my new position as Journalist Petty Officer 3rd Class. This was truly a big deal going from mere enlisted Sailor to a Now New Petty Officer I was pretty much entering the elite status of US Gov property. Join the Navy – See the World!
After discovering we could simply fly to Spain, Portugal, Italy, Germany and even the UK we soon learned that during our days off, as top security personnel with privileges, we could just simply go to the air terminal, find out where the next flight to Europe was, get aboard a cargo plane and fly off to the UK, or Germany, Italy, France… We could even go to Spain or Portugal. At our arrival, we could just hop on a free military bus to be taken to the US Military Base, where there would be FREE US military barracks and free chow halls. Free Chow! Wow, that was the main ticket after all being a growing teenager one was hungry all the time.
And that wasn’t all folks we were discovering Exciting European cities – Almost practically for free Compliments of the US Navy. We could go for two, three or even up to four days having $1 or as much as $5 American dollars to spend. We could get a beer, a bottle of vino, a great gourmet meal and then tour the city. It was truly a whirlwind adventure an all-expense paid 18-month tour of North Africa and now included Europe. Being an 18, then 19 and then 20-year-old country bumpkin from New England who was now growing up fast among exotic cultures in Europe and North Africa all compliments of the US Navy. And, being paid $5.50 a day, what a deal! I was having the time of my life at last.
Join the Navy – See the World!