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Creations

2012-02-27T21:51:00.002-06:00

By White Feather

Every single time we think a thought, that thought flows over the neurons in our noggin and it is electrically zapped and in this process it is given life. Every single thought we think is like a child we create, birth, and give life to. Just like the physical human children we create, every thought has free will. As soon as we give life to a thought by thinking it, it no longer belongs to us. It is an independent creation with free will that we no longer have any control over. Having been given life, that thought then goes out into the infinite field of infinite possibilities in hopes of magnetizing the possibilities that will allow that thought/creation to manifest and express itself fully.

Think about that. We can say that we, each of us, are thoughts that our Creator once thought. Our Creator's thought went into the infinite field of infinite possibilities inside this womb universe. Those thoughts magnetized just the right possibilities for us to be born into these human bodies. We have free will and are an independent creation of the Creator who "thought us." We have manifested in order to fully express the thought that we were created from. That thought was a thought of unconditional love and it was zapped with the energy and consciousness of that uncondional love as it was being created.

We are creations resulting from the thoughts of our Creator and likewise every single one of our thoughts are our creations. The big question is whether or not we put as much unconditional love into our thoughts as our Creator did. The simple act of thinking a thought gives it life and therefore that thought must eventually manifest. But a thought that is thought without any intensity and without unconditional love will be very weak and have a hard time magnetizing to it the possibilities it needs to manifest. A thought thought with unconditional love and backed up with unpolluted unconditional love of the strongest magnitude will be birthed with so much energy that it will be able to magnetize any and all possibilities quickly in order to manifest and express that unconditional love it was birthed/created with.

This is how we were created and it is how we are learning to create. Humans are generally and blissfully unaware of their creative powers. Our Creators created us to become Creators who can manifest and create and express the unconditional love that we were birthed from. It is through our very long journey through the infinite field of infinite possibilities that we have very slowly been gaining awareness of our divine creative abilities (as we slowly magnetize to us the events and knowledge that shows us that). To become the Creators that our Creator thought/created us to be, it is essential that we become aware of our creative abilites and to also become aware of true pure unconditional love. These are the two ingredients we are magnetizing to our selves in order to fully realize and fully become that thought that our Creator had. When that thought fully manifests through us then we become the fully aware Creator of that thought who can then create in the same way our Creator created us.

How cool is that? Right now we are divine Creators who are creating with our every thought but we are not even aware of that. We are also unaware of the unconditional love from which we came. Our evolution is the process of expanding our awareness of what we are and embracing the unconditional love we were created from. Our journey is a process of realizing how infinitely powerful we are. We are Creators who are constantly creating. The only thing that will change is our awareness of that and the amount of unconditional love we put into our creations.

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The Mirror In Front Of Our Faces

2011-11-02T11:44:00.002-05:00

By White Feather

Although crickets will tell stories in their own peculiar way, the moon does not create stories. The moon is passive. It is female. It's just a big round ball of rock and cheese. It doesn't write stories but rather it merely reflects stories. In fact, it reflects all the stories created on Earth. It's a big fat circular mirror that reflects all the stories played out on our lovely planet. Every story ever played out on our planet was recorded, imprinted, by the moon and it is perpetually reflected back to us. Planet Earth is the grand stage upon which the universe puts on all its dramas. The moon is the mirror that allows us to see and feel each and every story. You can have an incredible selection of DVDs and you can have an Amazon Kindle e-reader with 100,000 books on it and you can have the Library of Congress in your garage but none of that comes close to the repository that is the moon. A big difference between the moon and the Akashic Records is that you can actually see the moon with your eyeballs. That means the stories can enter your awareness in a physically tangible way. We have developed blocks to the spiritual dimensions that keep out the wisdom and knowledge of the infinite stories we're involved in. The moon, however, is capable of reflecting those stories to us and getting them past our blocks through the portals of our eyeballs.

The only problem is that we seldom notice the moon.

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What Is So Great About Flow?

2011-10-26T10:41:00.001-05:00

Wednesday, 26 October 2011

Ask White Feather #7

Anonymous asks: "Deepak Chopra says, 'If you want to flow, let go.' So just what the heck is this flow anyway? Why do we want to get into it? What's so great about it?"

Well, we all have a Source. Philip called it our entity. Jane Roberts called it our higher self. It can be called our God or Creator. Stephen Davis called it our "Infinite I." Call it what you will. It's what we came from, what created us, what we are part of. Whatever. Imagine yourself as this Creator/God/Source/Infinite I/Whatever. You helped create this incredible holographic reality and you want to play in it but being an infinite being you cannot put all of yourself into it because then you would not be infinite anymore. Because this incredible holographic reality is not real. It is an illusion you created. By entering it fully yourself you lose your divine infinite self. Since you really want to experience this reality that you created you decide to send a portion of your consciousness into it for that experience and you keep another portion of yourself just outside of the incredible holographic reality so that you can continue to orchestrate things and feed the reality and the portion of your consciousness that you put into it with the energy and consciousness needed to maintain the reality.

It can be related to playing a video game so let us use that metaphor. There is you playing the game but inside the game you have to create a personality to go through the game. That personality is called a human. It can also be called an avatar.

Of course you created the game that you are playing. It is a game created by projecting consciousness through the infinite field of possibilites, which can be seen as a holographic template. After going through "The Field" the consciousness manifests as a reality in which the game is played out. The human, which is the player you created to play the game, exists because of the consciousness that you stream through "The Field" into this reality. This flow of consciousness is what keeps the player/human going/moving/living in this reality. As soon as you stop this flow, the human disintegrates and dies. So in ordeer to keep playing the game and experiencing your creation you have got to keep this flow going uninterrupted.

No problem. That is easy. After all, you are a God.

So this is the flow that we are all being fed. It is a constant uninterrupted flow of energy and consciousness that animates us and gives us life. Without it, we do not exist.

We are, in essence, the consciousness of our creator flowing from our creator through the unlimited field of possibilities and the holographic template and "manifesting" as a human being in the holographic reality we call our world. Without that flow we simply blink out and no longer "exist."

So that flow is pretty important to our existence. But we are really not even aware of it. We are only aware of what we sense. Our reality is based on our senses and our reactions and perceptions based on what we receive through our senses. We are totally into the hologram we find ourselves in, the video game our Creator/Source/etc is playing and we are not aware of the one playing the game and feeding us the energy and consciousness that makes us seem real and alive. We are only aware of what we perceive to be our selves.

But that perception is based on our senses and our noggin's resultant perceptions. Our awareness does not generally include that part of us outside of the game. We are unaware of the flow that creates us.

So if we are to believe Mr. Chopra then we want to let go and get into that flow that feeds us. I roughly explained the flow but what is it that we are supposed to let go of? What is it that prevents our awareness of that flow that we are supposed to get into?

Well, what we want to let go of is our resistance to that flow. That is what is preventing or obscuring our awareness of that flow and thereby keeping us out of it. We cannot get into the flow if we are not even aware of it.

So what is it that creates resistance to that flow? Well, it is a false sense of self. It is called ego. Our true self is the consciousness that flows from our source/etc. But we do not have awareness of this true self because we have developed another sense of self that resists that true sense of self. The player in the video game needed a brain in order to take all the information it got from all the senses and use it to maneuver the game. And that brain needed something to run it. That is why egos were developed. The ego orchestrated the logistical aspects of the brain as it was taking information from the senses and employed them to be able to play the game. There was a body, the senses, and the brain to gather all that information and then the ego was developed to create a way for the player to react to the game it was playing. (Remember, this is just a metaphor.)

Well, as an ego plays a game it develops a sense of self because it is the one making the decisions and playing the game--or so it seems to the ego. That sense of self becomes an I. The player then identifies with that "I" that is created out of the egos (plural) instead of the "I" that is the consciousness of the flow from its source/etc. The more the game is played, the more the player identifies with that "I" created by the egos.

Now once this "I" has been playing the game for a long time it becomes stronger and stronger and it becomes very defensive to anything that might challenge its supremacy. It remains totally oblivious to the flow of energy and consciousness that gives it life and starts believing that it is what gives the player energy and consciousness and life. That flow of energy and consciousness coming from the Source/Creator suddenly becomes a threat to the ego's manufactured sense of self. So the ego will resist that flow with all its might because it is a threat to its perceived existence. The ego will do anything and everything to defend itself and the perception of self it created.

The ego is connected to brain and body and therefore it rules thought and emotion. And it is limited to what can be experienced and perceived to what can be experienced and perceived by thought and emotion. But that flow that we have been talking about which comes from our Source/Creator is neither thought nor emotion. Thought and emotion are strictly the result of having a holographic body playing in the video game. Without a body and brain there is no thought and emotion. What the flow contains is not thought and emotion but rather consciousness and feeling. Consciousness and thought are two very different things just as feelings and emotions are two very different things. While the false sense of self, or ego, runs off of thought and emotion, the true self runs off of consciousness and feeling. The true self simply flows and the false sense of self sees the flow of true self as a threat. That is because the true self speaks a different language and we generally take anything we do not understand as a threat. But the ego cannot understand and process consciousness and feeling. Its language is thought and emotion. So it does everything to ascert and defend itself. And this is the resistance to flow that we must let go of in order to reconnect with our true self and play the holographic video game from that true self rather than from the false self that was created in the process and with which we identify. That is the resistence and that is the cause of the persistence of all suffering. That is what we must let go of long enough to connect with the flow of our true self. From the position of our true self we can play the holographic video game (remember it is just a metaphor) without letting the false egoic self take over thus creating enormous resistance. Without the resistance and with a connection to our true self, the game is so much fun that enormous amounts of joy are created and that is why we are playing the game in the first place. The flow and the joy that results is what awakens our divinity and changes the game radically.

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The Unenjoyment Crisis, Part One

2011-10-13T17:43:00.002-05:00

Thursday, 13 October 2011

By White Feather

Watch the news on TV or read it on the internet or open a newspaper or magazine and you are sure to see something about the pernicious unemployment crisis that has America and much of the world in a vice-like grip. Monthly the unemployment numbers are announced. They may go up or down a fraction of a point but they do not seem to change much. It has been estimated by some that close to one in five Americans are either unemployed or underemployed. For a nation of people who have been conditioned since birth to believe that work is one of the greatest virtues, this unemployment crisis is profoundly shattering to the nation’s psyche.

Ever since we got out of diapers we have been told over and over and over again that we must not be lazy; that we cannot truly enjoy life unless we work very hard. We have been conditioned to believe that no reward comes without hard work. Humankind has been imbedded with one of the grandest guilt trips of all time. We are bad people if we are not working.

This guilt trip helps maintain our economic system and our economic system helps maintain the guilt trip. We are subjected to life-long conditioning that convinces us that all rewards are materialistic. And those rewards do not come without money and money does not come without plenty of hard work. We have become slaves to the notion that the purpose of life is to work and work and work and then be rewarded with a fleeting materialistic comfort for a few years before we die—if we make it that long.

We have been conditioned to see value in anything only in monetary terms. Not only have we been conditioned to feel guilty for not working but we have been taught to fear the lack of money which work brings. Without money we have no value. Not only are we bad but we are worthless. And fear breeds a need for security. Without hard work we get no money and without money we have no value, we are worthless, and we are threateningly insecure. How can we feel secure without a roof over our heads and our TVs and computers and microwave ovens and furniture? How can we feel secure without an automobile? How can we feel secure without electricity to power our appliances? How can we feel secure without mass-produced processed food to zap in our microwave ovens?

We have been inculcated into a value system that is based, not on something that is real, but rather on something that is merely symbolic. We live in a society based on work and money. We work and work and work for something that is not real. We work for a symbol of value that is empty. And our lives are empty as a result.

We are so fixated on this symbolic and ephemeral value system that we fail to see the greater values that can be had in life. We miss the greater purposes. And we certainly miss the greater rewards.

We are so fixated by this work/money system that when we see a substantial decline in either work or money it becomes our greatest crisis. We fail to see an even bigger crisis permeating our lives. Ask anyone on the street, ask any political candidate, ask any political pundit, ask any economic guru, or ask anyone that watches the news and almost every one of them will tell you that the greatest problem we currently face is unemployment.

But I wholeheartedly disagree. I believe there is a crisis much greater than our unemployment problem. And that is our unenjoyment problem!

Yes, I know. ‘Unenjoyment’ is not technically a word. My spell check keeps reminding me of that every time I type it out. But I think it should be a word, in fact I hereby ordain it to be a word. Notice how close the words ‘unemployment’ and ‘unenjoyment’ are? The similarity in those two words points to their importance. The difference in meaning points to the chasm that exists between our symbolic and enslaving value system and a value system based on the human spirit. By focusing only on unemployment we are maintaining our focus and energy on a system that produces only fleeting and illusory values. By changing a few letters around to create the word, ‘unenjoyment,’ we can see the bigger crisis and begin to realize that we need to change our value system instead of just trying to fix a broken one.

Say the words ‘unemployment’ and ‘unenjoyment’ back to back, over and over again very quickly. They sound very similar, do they not? It is in the understanding of the difference in meaning between the two words that solutions and new directions become apparent and a window opens up to a more advanced stage in human evolution.

To be continued.....

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Can Personal Transformation Lead To Planetary Transformation?

2011-10-03T14:04:00.001-05:00

Monday, 3 October 2011

Ask White Feather #6

Anonymous asks: "Can personal transformation lead to planetary transformation? And does the world really need to transform?"

I think it may be the only thing that can. If we can see the incredible wondrous beauty in the world then we are filled with joy rather than with a need to change the world. If we focus on the crap then that need to change things rises within us. I agree that the planet does not need to transform but I also feel that it will simply because that is its nature. Change is a constant. If we are focused on directing that change then we are obviously not focused on the beauty and perfection that is so prevalent in the NOW moment.

The same thing can be said on a personal level. If we are totally focused on changing ourselves then we are not focused on the incredible beauty and perfection of ourselves just as we are. We are not truly loving ourselves. When we can see and focus on our own beauty and perfection, that beauty and perfection becomes empowered and grows and engulfs our lives. Change is a byproduct of this. It happens as a result of that self-love growing and impacting ever more parts of our lives. If we focus exclusively on the byproduct then we are missing out on what causes that byproduct and we are spinning our wheels trying to make change happen instead of letting it happen as a result of loving ourselves.

We can move from a personal level to a level that includes friends and families and coworkers. If we feel we need to change or transform any of them and if we are focusing on that we are essentially holding them in a state of imperfection and not much is really going to change. If we see and focus on the beauty and perfection in them, then we are empowering them and the love within them, helping that love to grow which results in change and transformation. The same goes for global levels. We cannot transform the world except through seeing the outrageously incredible beauty and perfection of it and getting into and staying in a state of wonderment and joy and love. We can focus on other people's faults and the faults of the world and this gives energy to those faults and empowers those faults. Only love transforms and it is just as powerful on all levels of existence.

I've said it before but I will say it again, We cannot love all others unless we love ourselves and we cannot love ourselves unless we love all others. When we are in a state of wonderment there is no need to change anything. And that is exactly when everything changes. But do things really change or is it just our perceptions that change? Many teachers have said that we create our reality through perception. Since the outrageously incredible beauty and perfection are already there, we are not changing anything by seeing it but as we hold that state of wonderment over it our subsequent actions and reactions naturally change as a result. This is the byproduct. This is the change that happens.

Love transforms. Everything else is a hamster wheel. Love, joy, and beauty are what can hold us in a state of wonderment and in that state we can step out of the hamster wheel and love ourselves into existence.

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Joy and Abundance

2011-09-20T21:33:00.003-05:00

Tuesday, 20 September 2011

By White Feather

In your life, are you doing what brings you joy or are you doing what you expect to bring you money? Is money the reason you do things or is it the byproduct that comes to you as a result of doing what brings you joy? What role does money play in your life? What role does joy play in your life?

We are conditioned to perceive the value of anything in terms of dollars and cents. We have been taught that money is the goal and joy is the byproduct when in actuality it is the other way around. We have been conditioned to live life backwards and by accepting this conditioning we have set ourselves up for lives of lack and struggle. We strive to attain enough money where we can feel comfortable enough to allow ourselves some joy. But we cannot fully experience that joy when our values are based on money. How much joy we experience will always be measured by how much money we have attained. And even when we have struck it rich the joy we seem to experience as a result is not the true pure unconditional joy that we can feel by living and expressing creatively for its own sake.

We have been conditioned to live and think in a linear sequential way. We are taught the value of doing anything comes as a reward when the job is done. We are conditioned to believe that we create in order to experience joy as a result. And we are taught that the level of joy is commensurate with a dollar value. But the proper place for joy is not after the creating but rather during it. Our values have been split into a linear sequence and this separates us from our true values. It puts them into the future rather than the NOW which is the only place they can be experienced. Joy is not the result of creativity but rather the expression of it. That is where the true joy is and that is why it remains out of our grasp; because we have been conditioned to look for it as a reward that comes later. When we have finished creating something we can feel joyous about our accomplishment and we may even receive a monetary reward but this is a pseudo-joy that can never equal the value fulfillment of the joy experienced during the creative process. This is the joy we must open up to in order to experience true abundance. This is the joy that attracts all the possibilities that can enable more of the same joy. This is the joy that feeds life. This is the joy that heals all separation and brings us into the NOW and connects us with our divine presence.

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Do We Create Our Own Reality?

2011-09-17T10:11:00.001-05:00

Saturday, 17 September 2011

Ask White Feather #5

W.S. asks: "Does one create one's own reality from the moment of birth? Is there an age of accountability when one begins creating one's own reality?"

The way I see it is that one begins creating one's reality from BEFORE birth. One of the biggest arguments against YCYOR (and hence for victimology) is babies. Babies are poor innocent helpless creatures. How can they be creating their own reality? Well, they are. They are not doing it from a conscious intellectual point because their intellect is not yet developed but each of us choose our parents and families and the spectrum of possibilities presented within that dynamic. We choose that before we enter into a body. From the infinite field of possibilities we choose a spectrum of possibilities that has the most likelihood of offering the specific environment for what we want to experience during our childhood. Why would we choose a childhood that occurs in the middle of war or famine or abuse? If that is what we choose, we choose it because that presents the opportunity to explore and deal with specific issues we want to deal with in our evolutionary trajectory. If the dynamics of abuse is something we need or want to understand then we are not going to gain understanding of it if we are born into a situation where there is no abuse. If war is something we want to understand and move beyond we would not get that opportunity if we are born into a peaceful situation. Most people who want to make a major advancement in their spiritual evolution will choose childhoods that are extremely challenging. Every child who chooses a challenging childhood chooses it for a specific spiritual reason.

In that way they are creating their reality and as they grow up and become consciously aware that they are creating their reality then they can own their power and they will no longer have to experience victimhood in order to learn that they do not have to. The way I see it is that everyone is creating their reality all the time. The only difference is whether or not they are aware of it. If you are a victim you are still creating your reality, you are just not aware of it. Once you become aware of it, then a choice can be made to no longer create the victimology

Concerning babies, remember what I said about life cycles. We all have life cycles and the only time we can die is during the very short window between life cycles. The one exception to this is during our first life cycle as a baby and small child. During that first life cycle a baby can choose to exit at any time. If the life situation that the baby chose turns out to be too intense or turns out to veer out of the spectrum of preferred possibilities the baby has the failsafe mechanism of opting out and it will create a situation that allows it to die to the body. Of course, the baby does not do this consciously from its own thought processes but rather from a soul level. A person's greater self is always looking out for the baby and the baby's growing identity and it plays the major role in reality creation during those formative years. As the baby grows up and develops an ego and some degree of self-awareness, that child loses touch with the greater self. Ego, thought, and emotions take over and create the person's reality until such time during the person's life when they gain a level of self-awareness that they are not their ego, thoughts, and emotions. This level of self-awareness reconnects them with their greater self and when this happens creating their own reality becomes something they are aware of and can then direct rather than something that they react to through default conditioning and victimology.

W.S. also asks: "Are we co-creators in creating reality? Or are each one of us creating our own reality?"

The term "co-creators" is so over-used and mis-used that I really don't like to use it. So often it is used to shirk our responsibility of creating our own reality. It is a way of putting some of the blame on others. But there is some truth to it depending on how you look at it. The way I see it, each and every one of us is solely responsible for creating our reality. We happen to be using the same holographic reality to create our realities in. Furthermoe, through one-ness we are all connected. Through these connections we can establish circuitries that enable us to play together and evolve together. Sadly, those circuitries can become so ingrained and static that they keep us in ego, thought, and emotions and help prevent us from attaining the greater self-awareness needed to own our Creator abilities. (A Creator is one who creates their own reality.) Victimhood can only happen through circuitry. It takes two people to agree to the victim/perpetrator circuitry dynamics. Victims are always co-creating through circuitry rather than self creating from a level of awareness of their greater Creator self. From that greater level of self-awareness a Creator can create their own reality while still engaging those connections to all other humans without letting victim circuitries develop. Remember, it takes two to establish a circuitry of victimology. A Creator chooses not to be one of them. Through unconditional love, a Creator keeps all connections open and pure and therefore while creating their own reality that which they create will reflect the unconditional love rather than the drama and trauma of victim circuitry.

"Fate" and "destiny" are strictly things that we choose. They are never decided by anyone or anything outside of ourselves. Ever. And the only place they can be realized is in the NOW. That is where they exist. They are words used by victims who do not understand the real word that needs to be used......choice.

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What Makes a Good True Relationship?

2011-09-10T09:15:00.001-05:00

Saturday, 10 September 2011

Ask White Feather #4

Anonymous asks: "What makes a 'good, true' relationship?"

I would say that a "good true relationship" is one grounded in and based on unconditional love. We might react to each other from mental and emotional levels outside of unconditional love but, being based and grounded in unconditional love, we can be aware of that and not let those mental and emotional reactions overcome our basis in unconditional love. We do not lose sight of that unconditional love. When one in the relationship stays grounded in unconditional love and sees the other slip into emotional and mental reactions they do not let themselves slip into it either and are thus able to keep the relationship anchored in unconditional love. The tables may turn and the next time it is the other who stays anchored in unconditional love. A "good and true relationship" is therefore one that does not lose its moorings from unconditional love despite forays into mental and emotional games. It is one in which unconditional love endures through all relapses into mental and emotional games.

When issues come up, they will be seen and realized as opportunities to clear things in a "good true relationship." They will be appreciated as they are worked through because they lead to and strengthen the one-ness the relationship is based on. In a relationship not based in unconditional love and one-ness, issues fester and grow and take over the relationship. They are fed and grow into battles in which the only ending is one person winning. And, of course, both people lose. When based in unconditional love, with an awareness of that, a "good true relationship" sees every issue as an opportunity for transformation and learning and self-realization. Every issue is a gift that shines light on and transforms our resistance to unconditional love. A "good true relationship" has no expectations because expectations are conditions. A "good true relationship" has nothing to prove because unconditional love needs no proof. A "good true relationship" is not based in emotions because all emotions are conditional and reactionary. A "good true relationship" is not based on thought. It is based solely in feeling. It is a matter of God recognizing God and feeling good about it. That involves seeing through all the dust and smudges on the mirror. It means feeling the love and not just seeing and reacting to the images. A "good and true relationship" is a mirror of the heart. Most relationships mirror thoughts and emotions. In a heart mirror, thoughts and emotions can never destroy and dislodge that which anchors unconditional love.

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Disengaging From Connections With Other People

2011-09-08T09:24:00.001-05:00

Thursday, 8 September 2011

Ask White Feather #3

Anonymous asks: "How does one genuinely disengage from and release connections with other people?"

I am slowly coming to the realization that nothing can accomplish this. It cannot be done. After all, we are all one, right? We are all connected whether we like it or not. We cannot cut and separate one-ness--though we have been trying to for umpteen million years. It just cannot be done. What we can disengage from and release, however, is our reactions to these connections. The connections to all other humans is there and we cannot change that but we can change how we engage those connections. In this regard we have plenty of choice.

While we all have a connection to humankind at large, we also have a connection to every single other human. Most of those connections we have never engaged. After all, with 6+ billion people on the planet we simply do not have time to engage the connections with each and every one of them. The connections are still there, though. We just have not engaged them with our energy. Our connections with friends and family and lovers and enemies, however, we have fed with a great deal of energy usually through numerous lifetimes. Those connections are energized circuitries with a well established patterns of energy exchange. All the energy we put into these connections feeds storylines being played out over time. We can put in a certain emotional energy, for instance, into one of the energetic circuitries and that energy will travel throughout the matrix of the storylines, feed the storyline and keep it going, and then eventually came back at us.

When you are reading a storybook and you do not like the story, you can just close the book and stop reading. But we cannot do that with our established circuitries. We cannot even end them by dying because we will just be magnetized back into another life and further situations with those we have circuitries with. I think this is where the phrase, Karma is a bitch, comes from. But it is not as hopeless as it sounds. While we cannot get rid of the connection we have with every single other human and while we cannot turn off established circuitries, what we can do is transform those circuitries. We do that by changing the energy that we put into the circuitries. Normally we are feeding our various circuitries with emotional and mental energy. This kind of energy feeds the circuitries and keeps them going, looping and looping through storyline after storyline. While we cannot cut off the circuitries, we can stop feeding them emotional and mental energy and instead feed them with a very different kind of energy. You see, there is another kind of energy that, when fed into the circuitries, utterly transforms them and heals them and brings loving closure to the looping. The connection remains but the circuitry is cleaned out and purified.

That other kind of energy is called pure unconditional love (which, of course, is very different from emotional and mental love). So while we cannot disengage and release our selves from the connection, we can heal and transform any established circuitry that utilizes the connection. It may take some time for unconditional love to clean out and transform the entire circuitry, especially if the circuitry is long and convoluted, but eventually it will do its job. The thing to remember is to not fall back into a pattern of feeding the connection emotional and mental energy, thus re-energizing the established circuitry. A long, steady uninterrupted flow of unconditional energy will eventually heal and transform any circuitry it is projected into. It is the only thing that I have found that works.

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The Law of One, Vibrations, and Ascension

2011-09-04T16:44:00.004-05:00

Sunday, 4 September 2011

Ask White Feather #2

Anonymous asks: "Please explain what the Law of One is, and how the Law of One applies to vibratory frequency and ascension"

The Law of One can be explained thusly:

One cannot unconditionally love one self unless one unconditionally loves ALL other humans beings. One cannot unconditionally love ALL other human beings unless one loves unconditionally one's self.

How does it apply to vibratory frequency?

The vibratory frequency of unconditional love is what pulls us out of the dense morass of the vibratory frequency mass human consciousness is currently vibrating in. Unconditional love is the vibratory frequency that brings us to self-realization. It is the vibratory frequency that answers every question we may ever have. It is the vibratory frequency that ends all war. It is the vibratory frequency that pulls us out of all the emotional ruts we are in. It is the vibratory frequency that turns struggle into joy, pain into pleasure, poverty into abundance, competition into cooperation, and ennui into action. Unconditional love dissolves tumors, transmutes radiation, purifies water, absolves guilt, transforms hate, vanquishes insecurities, reveals lies and intentions, saves endangered species, topples corruption, reveals religion for the mind control that it is, makes children healthier and smarter, dissolves meaningless and loveless marriages, makes the workplace more enjoyable, topples corrupt politicians, reunites friends, makes enemies hug, makes our pets healthier, makes our food healthier, reduces spam, gives us better gas mileage, and increases wrinkles from excessive smiling.

Unconditional love is the secret. And you do not have to pay for it. It is the real bona fide secret. It is how we raise our vibration. It is how we ascend. It is how we save our sorry asses. It is how we evolve. It is how we transmute our reality. It is the answer to every freaking question in the universe. It IS the universe. It is what each and every one of us is made out of. It is what everything--our computers, our clothes, the building we are in, the cars we drive, the clouds we see in the sky, the flies that buzz our head, the pizza we had for dinner, the internet we communicate on, the jets that fly through the sky--everything in our reality is built from unconditional love. Our entire reality is built off of unconditional love. If something, anything, is not going right, if there is any struggle or problem or conflict, it is because we are resisting the unconditional love that is behind everything single solitary thing in our reality. We are all faced with a choice and that choice is between unconditional love and a resistance to unconditional love. It all boils down to that. The story of humankind right now is a story of resistance. That resistance is coming to a head. We will eventually reach a point of surrender. Surrender is the ceasing of all resistance. Once we have released all resistance then we will find our selves in unconditional love. That is when we know that we have "ascended." That is when we know that we have evolved. That is when we know that we have reached self-realization. That is when we know that we have embraced our divinity. That is when we know that we have finally reached the promised land. That is when we enter "heaven on earth."

Unconditional love is a pretty cool thing. But to realize it we have to release a humongous amount of conditioning. We have to strip our selves bare of everything we think we know, and release all our programmed responses to things, and forget about the silly notions about love that we have. We have to surrender so completely that we become an empty vessel for unconditional love to fill. We have to open up so completely to Source that we become it.

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Septembermania

2011-09-03T19:14:00.003-05:00

Saturday, 3 September 2011

By White Feather

Septembermania. Isn't that a funny word? I think I just made it up, although it sounds familiar. Maybe I heard it before sometime in the past; perhaps on some television commercial. "Septembermania! 30% off all electronics! 40% off all kitchen appliances! Shop now and get the best prices of the year!" Or something like that.

My ratty old stained and dog-eared Webster's Dictionary defines 'mania' thusly:

Mania - 1. wild or violent mental disorder, 2. an excessive enthusiasm, obsession, craze

I definitely prefer the second definition. I like enthusiasm. Craze, with an 'e' is more socially acceptable than crazy, with a 'y.' It is interesting how one letter can change the connotation of a word. If one person goes on a 'craze' then they are crazy but if society at large goes crazy over something then it is somehow more okay; it is just a 'craze'. Isn't that interesting?

As for the first definition I think the key word is disorder. This is about the disruption of order, or the status quo. It naturally leads to confusion. When the natural order, or status quo, is disrupted our mental processes can become wild or violent. Or we could say that when our mental processes become wild or violent the status quo is disrupted. Either, or. I have been reading some prognostications of a wild and intense and manic September for this year. Waves of consciousness are supposedly going to sweep over the planet and disrupt the status quo. Perhaps Septembermania is an appropriate made-up term after all for this particular September.

But you know what? September is naturally a month when the status quo changes. The status quo of summer is disrupted and we enter the dynamic of autumn. It is a month that naturally breeds enthusiasm. Think of the birds. Don't you know they are filled with the enthusiasm of the trip they are about to begin towards their southerly winter destinations (Northern Hemisphere birds anyway)? A craze is sweeping the bird world. Their immediate status quo is changing yet in the overall scheme of things it is not changing at all. After all, they do this every year. There are patterns within patterns that we all live by. We can experience enthusiasm going through those patterns. The question is, Can we experience enthusiasm when the overall patterns are disrupted?

Another important question is, How hard is it to experience enthusiasm when we are intensely stuck in our patterns, our status quo? What role does enthusiasm play in evolution? Do we hold back on enthusiasm in order to keep from entering mania? Do we fear and guard against enthusiasm in an attempt to keep it from becoming a full-blown mania? Are we afraid of our mental processes becoming wild and disorderly? Is there a point where our mental processes and enthusiasm clash? Do the two things come from different places? We know the mental processes occur within the noggin and ego. Enthusiasm seems to come from someplace lower, however. Enthusiasm originates from the lower chakras and when it meets up with the energies of the ego and noggin disruption occurs. Either the mental processes are jolted and disrupted or the enthusiasm coming up from the lower chakras is subdued and killed. It is like a battle resulting in one winner and one loser.

So how do we keep the two from fighting? How do we get them to work together?

September is the perfect time to think about this. It is a great time to connect with nature because nature is in the process of change. And nature seems to be imbued with enthusiasm. Or maybe that is just what we feel when we connect with nature. We can feel the enthusiasm for constant ongoing change and we can allow that to penetrate our rigidness. Nature can help us open up to change with enthusiasm instead of fear. It can show us the order in disorder and the disorder in order. Nature can help us connect with the flow of divine energy and consciousness flowing through our reality. September beckons us to open up the floodgates of enthusiasm. It dares us to get crazy with joy.

Septembermania. Don't be afraid of it. Feel it. Let it fill every fiber of your being.

I love September. It is one of my twelve most favorite months of the year. It is still early in the month. I am sure I will be back to blabber some more about it......

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Does God Have a Plan?

2011-09-03T11:49:00.003-05:00

Saturday, 3 September 2011

Ask White Feather #1

P.N. asks: "Does God have a plan?"

I would call it more of an experiment than a plan. But it is a controlled experiment so there is definitely some planning involved. While the outcome is undetermined, there was a fairly clear objective to this controlled experiment.

To explain that objective I need to go back to the beginning. By 'beginning,' I mean before the experiment got under way. Back then, there existed two kinds of beings or entities. There were Creators and there were Sources.

A Source does absolutely nothing but source raw material. We can call this raw material consciousness or we can call it unconditional love. It is both. A Source is a thing that just spews out this raw material unendingly. Although a Source spews out consciousness, it has no awareness. It does not even realize that it is a Source. It has no self-awareness and if, for so much as a split second, it were to become aware of itself, it would instantly collapse and cease to exist. A Source is not a being that thinks or has self-awareness. All it does is spew raw material.

A Creator, on the other hand, is a self-aware entity. It does not have the ability to source raw material but it does have the ability to take the raw material being spewed out by Sources and create things with it--hence their name, Creators. They can take this raw material and build universes with it. They can build stars and planets and asteroids and living systems. And since everything they build is built from this raw material, everything is made of consciousness and unconditional love. Everything. It is the raw material Creators use to build realities out of.

Although there are numerous Creators and numerous Sources, I am going to switch into the singular mode for the sake of explanation and clarity. The notion of multiple "Gods" is not very acceptable and I think I can explain the process without delving into that. So let us say there was one Source and one Creator. That Creator spent gazillions of years creating stuff with all the raw material being spewed out from the Source. That is what Creators do. Well, eventually that Creator got just a tad bit bored and wanted to create something totally new. But it did not want to just create another thing. It wanted to create a new type of being, one that was both a Creator and a Source. It did not even know if this was possible but it decided to undertake an experiment to see.

If you are a scientist performing an experiment, you have to control it. You have to contain it and make sure no outside elements come in and screw it up. So this Creator built a womb universe for its experiment to grow in. It had a barrier around it so that nothing from the outside could come in and mess up the experiment. The Creator itself could not even come into the enclosed womb universe because that would also ruin the experiment. The Creator had to stay on the outside looking in and could only impact things inside the womb by injecting small doses of elements needed for the experiment to grow. Like the scientist, the Creator set up the experiment in a controlled environment and then had to step back and observe what happened.

The womb universe became a free will zone, meaning that what developed and grew in the experiment could not be tampered with and had the free will to evolve as it chose to. This was the big "if factor" in the experiment. It could not be controlled, only fed and nurtured. And the outcome could not be fully determined.

Of course the Creator had a goal in mind and that was to create a new kind of entity that was both Creator and Source. The Creator built a lovely womb universe to grow things in and everything in that womb universe was built from raw material from the Source. So the whole womb universe was built from consciousness and unconditional love. But the other element that was needed to create a new kind of being was the Creator element. That new kind of being could not be created if there was no self-awareness in the womb universe. For that you need a Creator but the Creator knew that it could not enter the experimental womb universe without destroying it. So the Creator chopped off a big part of itself and injected it into the womb universe. It could not fully enter the experiment but it could put part of itself into it.

When the Creator injected that chunk of itself into the womb universe, that chunk fractured into millions and millions and millions of little pieces. Each of those millions of pieces had the opportunity to grow and develop and eventually become an entity that was both a Creator and a Source. That was the plan anyway. As each of those millions of pieces moved through the womb universe they carried the consciousness of the Creator and slowly developed awareness. Eventually, things started to grow and be created from this consciousness. The goal was to develop a vehicle that each of these million pieces could inhabit and evolve into the perfect vehicle that would hold a being that is both a Creator and a Source.

In its seemingly infinite wisdom, the Creator knew that to create such an entity that was both Creator and Source, that entity needed a vehicle, or body, to operate out of. Why is a body necessary? Well, I am really not entirely sure but I think it has something to do with the anchoring of self-awareness. That is why the Creator cannot just become a Source because that would wipe out its self-awareness. It was thought that a body could anchor the self-awareness so that when the entity started sourcing the self-awareness would not get wiped out.

Of course, long before those millions of pieces could begin sourcing they first had to become self-aware and realize they were Creators. They were just pieces of the Creator and had to develop the self-awareness necessary to become their own fully-fledged Creator beings. This is the first part of the experiment and it has been going on for gazillions of years. So far the plan has been working but it has not been easy because there have been so many variables and the road to self-awareness has not been exactly easy for those millions and millions of pieces. Bodies were built but it took forever to get used to them and to get them to work right. Creators do not normally have bodies so there was a lot of trial and error involved in creating the perfect ones. And then, thanks to the dualistic nature of the womb universe, it was determined that the bodies needed to split up into genders and that turned out to be a huge mess and created all sorts of additional problems. But that was necessary to impart an element of diversity into the experiment. After all, the Creator did not want millions upon millions of little clones. It wanted each of the new entities to be unique.

The plan was for each of those millions upon millions upon millions of little pieces of the Creator to go into the womb universe, travel to the center of it, then turn around and travel back to the edge. In the process, each piece would become self-aware and each piece would eventually have a body capable of anchoring that self-awareness, and then it would learn to source, at which point it could come back out of the womb universe as a fully realized entity that was both a Creator and a Source.

Although the experiment is still going on, things are going by the plan and it looks likely that the outcome will be successful. Many of those millions upon millions of pieces are close to realizing their self-awareness and their divine Creator status and are just about ready to enter the next phase of the experiment where they learn how to source. While the first part of the experiment took gazillions of years, the second part of the plan should not take nearly as long.

Maybe it is not so much a plan as a recipe. Take a pinch of Creator, a pinch of Source, a pinch of free will, a pinch of self-awareness, and several cups of unconditional love and consciousness, mix them up, and put them in the oven for umpteen gazillion years. I hope the finished product turns out close to what the Creator planned. I guess we won't know until the buzzer goes off and we open the oven and pull it out.

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The Storm Before the Calm

2011-09-03T06:00:00.002-05:00

Wednesday, 27 September 2011

The Storm Before the Calm: Book 1 in the Conversations with Humanity Series, by Neale Donald Walsch. Something happened in early 2011 that hasn’t happened in decades, perhaps centuries—and we didn’t even notice it. That is, we didn’t see it for what it was. Massive unrest from Tunisia to Egypt to Libya rocked the Arab world and threw the globe into political crisis. Within days, an earthquake-tsunami-nuclear calamity of terrifying proportions shocked Japan and sent the world reeling once again, even as the globe’s financial markets shuddered to sustain themselves while states and nations tottered on the brink of bankruptcy—where many still linger.

All of this, of course, we did notice. What we may have missed was that ancient predictions for this period of time called for exactly this: simultaneous environmental, political, and financial disasters. Were we seeing the beginning of “the end of history”—and not picking up the signal?

In his prescient new book The Storm Before The Calm, seven-time New York Times best-selling author Neale Donald Walsch offers a startling answer: yes. But Walsch also says there is nothing to fear, advancing an extraordinary explanation for what is happening even now all over the planet. Then—and more important—he provides a stunning prescription for healing our lives and our world through the answering of seven simple questions, inviting people everywhere to join in an earth-saving exchange at TheGlobalConversation.com. Compelling and perfectly timed, The Storm Before The Calm answers every question that is worth asking about December, 2012 and beyond.

With an early interest in religion and a deeply felt connection to spirituality, Neale Donald Walsch spent the majority of his life thriving professionally, yet searching for spiritual meaning before beginning his now-famous Conversation with God series. These books have been translated into 37 languages, touching millions and inspiring important changes in people’s day-to-day lives. Seven of his 27 books have reached the New York Times bestsellers list.

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Manifesto for the Noosphere: The Next Stage in the Evolution of Human Consciousness

2011-09-02T15:09:00.001-05:00

Manifesto for the Noosphere: The Next Stage in the Evolution of Human Consciousness, by Jose Arguelles. The noosphere, identified in the early twentieth century as intrinsic to the next stage of human and terrestrial evolution, is defined as the Earth’s “mental sphere” or stratum of human thought. Manifesto for the Noosphere, the final work by renowned author José Argüelles, predicts that the noosphere will be fully accessed on December 21, 2012—but warns that we will only successfully make this evolutionary jump through an act of collective consciousness among humans on Earth. The ascension to the noosphere or Supermind (using the terminology of Sri Aurobindo), Argüelles says, will be an unprecedented “mind shift” that mirrors the emergence of life itself on the planet.

Manifesto for the Noosphere is intended to inform and prepare humanity for the nature and magnitude of this shift. Argüelles brings in the Mayan long-count calendar, radical theories on the nature of time, advanced states of consciousness, and the possible intervention of galactic intelligence. He carefully details the role of the noosphere in relation to other planetary strata (hydrosphere, biosphere, atmosphere) as well as the history and nature of the biosphere-noosphere transition and the intermediary phases of the technosphere and cybersphere.

"Manifesto for the Noosphere is not only a work of genius but a vital guide to making the shift from the biosphere to the noosphere, the next stage in the evolution of Earth consciousness. He integrates the work of Teilhard de Chardin, Sri Aurobindo, and the Mayans with Russia scientists' "cosmism," looking at issues of planetary and universal evolution as a function of the emergence of "living intellectual matter," synchronized by cosmic mind. This is a work of immense importance and encouragement for us all." - Barbara Marx Hubbard

José Argüelles (1939–2011) gained international acclaim in 1987 with his book The Mayan Factor, which introduced the concept of a transformative 2012 to the mass consciousness. In 2009 Argüelles convened the First Noosphere World Forum, a series of synchronized bioregional congresses, and won the Nicholas Roerich Peace Medallion in 2010 for lifetime effort in promoting peace through culture.

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How To Heal the Pain Caused By Others

2011-08-29T11:11:00.000-05:00

By Mark Ivar Myhre

What happens when you've been wronged by another and you want to move on?How do you let it go--get on with your life--and make sure it doesn't happen again?

The short answer is that you forgive yourself for attracting them into your life - so you don't have to continue to carry the burden around and so that you don't repeat the same experience with another person.

You forgive yourself for ALLOWING it to happen - not for CAUSING it to happen.

Right now you may be in some sort of a mental prison. There may be a lot of resentment and other similar feelings. And what you're feeling now - the bitterness, the resentment, the anger, the hurt; WILL influence your future relationships.

Bitterness only leads to more bitterness. Hurt leads to more hurt.

Forgiveness is a way to clear out those old feelings from the past so you will be better able to believe in yourself and trust yourself. Not to mention you will be wiser and more perceptive.

But are you responsible for what they did?

No, absolutely not. You don't forgive yourself to make them 'not guilty'. You created your reality and they created theirs. And the realities overlapped.

A cheater is basically that way before you meet them. A betrayer is a betrayer before they come into your life. The question is - why did I attract someone like this into my life?

Of course you didn't KNOW they would cheat or betray you when you first met them. But then, maybe there were little hints and clues you ignored. I don't know. The point is, you CHOSE to allow them into your life. You allowed it to happen. That 'allowing' is your responsibility; something you CAN forgive yourself for.

It is empowering to accept responsibility for YOUR contribution. Yes, I understand you were wronged. They engaged in hurtful behavior that was unjustified.

By forgiving yourself, you don't say their behavior was acceptable. On some level, they must still 'pay' for what they did. But that's not your business. (I understand many try to make it their business!) But you would be much more productive by dealing with YOUR contribution to these events. And not worrying about their contribution. "They'll get theirs."

But look at the damage it does to YOU by not forgiving yourself. Maybe you don't believe in yourself anymore. Maybe you don't trust yourself to make good decisions. Maybe your self-confidence is lacking. Maybe you're carrying around a ton of pain. And I would guess many other problems as well have come up because you've been wronged.

Forgiving yourself can heal the damage they caused.

Also, you don't let someone 'off the hook' by forgiving yourself for what they did. YOU LET *YOU* OFF THE HOOK BY FORGIVING YOURSELF. Sorry to shout, but I want to make that point clear. By forgiving yourself, you empower yourself. You free yourself from your own private prison of pain.

Forgiveness is a strength; it empowers you.

By not forgiving yourself, you are not honoring or respecting yourself. You're saying you don't matter.

Forgiveness creates freedom. Forgiveness is liberating. Forgiveness is a positive, pro-active decision. It's a deliberate choice from a position of power and responsibility.

It's an act of character and integrity. It takes courage. I admit it's not easy to be kicked by someone and then forgive YOURSELF for being kicked. Because, "It's not me - I didn't do this! It's THEM!! They're the bad ones!"

But finding your own contribution to being kicked is like finding a foothold to greater power and greater strength. You will become 'more' if you forgive yourself for being wronged.

It takes enormous courage to let go of the blame. So often we seek our strength in blame. We anchor to it. And the thing is, we really are justified to blame! We really WERE wronged. Nobody would deny that. It's obvious. But what I'm saying is to go beyond the obvious. If blame really did solve problems, what a wonderful world this would be!

We wouldn't be fighting in the Middle East. New Orleans would be a thriving regenerated city. Congress and the president would get along, and start doing something good for a change. But blame doesn't solve problems. In fact, it locks those problems in place.

The trap is, you really are justified in blaming. But if you do, it keeps those painful feelings in place. You can't grow and stretch and reach for more in life when you're blaming. It's like putting your feelings in the freezer. And then you have to tote that freezer around with you every where you go.

Blame is like being seduced by a beautiful woman with a hidden agenda. You think she really does like you when all she wants is your money. If you know her game, you can easily resist. If you turn a blind eye, you'll get taken.

You think blame is your friend, but really all it wants is your power. You must give up your power to blame. I know it doesn't seem that way, because we always get a cheap hit of power when we blame. But it never lasts. It's like spending on credit. There's no problem until the payment comes due!

But to me, the biggest benefit of forgiving myself for being wronged by another is that it helps to ensure that it doesn't happen again. "I've suffered enough. I don't want to go through the same situation again."

But if I don't forgive, then most likely I WILL repeat the same mistakes again. Or else, I'll try not to love anyone else for the rest of my life. Which is almost impossible. More likely, since I haven't explored the reasons WHY I created a hurtful person into my life, I'll create another hurtful person into my life. Then I'll have to go through the same crap again.

Just thinking about that is depressing! You want to live a better life, not repeat the pain of the past. Forgiveness helps to make things better. So next time, you have a better chance of finding someone who'll treat you with respect. Because you respected yourself enough to forgive YOURSELF for what THEY did.

You forgave yourself for YOUR contribution; because you played a part in what happened. You are not a spectator in your life. You're not a helpless victim. You created what happened. Not by causing, but by allowing. You allowed another to hurt you. Now, you will turn it into something good by changing yourself.

And the way to change is by recognizing what happened, feeling the impact of what happened, and forgiving yourself for why you let it happen in your life. And later, if you choose to forgive them as well, that's great. But always forgive yourself first - as an acknowledgment to yourself that YOU are in charge of your life - not them.

Why didn't they go ruin someone else's life instead of trying to ruin yours? You may never know. But the fact is, you let them in, they betrayed you, and now you're left to pick up the pieces. Okay, you will.

You'll be a winner. You'll take their sucker punch to the gut, and you'll become a better person. Not a bitter, beaten loser. You'll take the pain they tried to dump on you and use it to become strong and powerful. You'll find the good in their act of wrongness. While they will in all likelihood continue to be a punishing person.

Maybe someday you'll forgive them for their misdeeds, but for now you're ready to grow and heal and move on.

Remember the old saying - "Living Well Is The Best Revenge!" Forgiveness can be that first step to living well.

all the best,
Mark Ivar Myhre
The Emotional Healing Wizard

PS - Forgiveness can be the greatest gift you ever give yourself.

Learn more at Mark's website: ForgiveMe.com

Advanced Visualization Training
Ancient Shamanic Secrets To Unlimited Inner Power
Orange Underpants - Your Key To Emotional Success
How to Help Someone Cope With Grief

The Novice: A Story of True Love

2011-08-28T11:11:00.002-05:00

The Novice: A Story of True Love, by Thich Nhat Hanh. Bestselling author and Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh transforms an ancient folktale into a timeless parable of a young woman who dares to risk her life for her faith. Born to an aristocratic family in rural Vietnam, Kinh Tam’s uncommon beauty and intelligence were obvious to all she encountered. From an early age she was drawn to the teachings of Buddha and the rewards of a monastic life, but to please her family she agreed to walk the traditional path of marriage.

Throughout her marriage, Kinh Tam’s mind was devoted to her husband but her heart never waivered from her true calling. She wanted to be a monk. And yet Buddhism was still new to Vietnam and temples accepted only men for ordination. Making a decision that would forever change her life, Kinh Tam left town, disguised herself as a man, and joined a monastery as a novice.

Despite the many challenges of living as a man, Kinh Tam thrived and became a beloved member of the community. Years of profound joy and peace passed until a local woman accuses the novice of fathering her unborn child. Kinh Tam is torn between two impossible choices: keep her secret and endure brutal punishment or reveal the truth that would prove her innocence but put an end to her spiritual path. Facing the unbearable with the boundless heart of Buddha, her choice forever changes her life, her country, and her faith.

In spare, elegant prose, Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us that we, too, face our own injustices and suffering, and by connecting with love, we can, like Kinh Tam, discover a mind and heart that are peaceful, happy, and free.

"One of our most treasured spiritual teachers tells a story that will touch your heart. So beautiful.” - Marianne Williamson

Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Buddhist Zen Master, poet, scholar, and peace and human rights activist. He is the author of many books. He lives in Plum Village, France.

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Success For Writers

The Koch Brothers' War On Public Education

2011-08-27T11:33:00.002-05:00

The Return of the Rebel Angels

2011-08-27T11:22:00.001-05:00

The Return of the Rebel Angels: The Urantia Mysteries and the Coming of the Light, by Timothy Wyllie. This book furthers the revelations of The Urantia Book, providing a beautiful vision of our coming return to the Multiverse. It offers angelic reassurance that “Armageddon has been canceled” and that the coming transition will be gentle and the future positive. It explains Lucifer’s angelic rebellion, its impact on the past 200,000 years, and the transformation of consciousness on the horizon as the fallen angels return. And it shares the author’s spiritual wisdom gained through extensive travels and encounters with angels, ETs, and other enlightened beings

As recorded in The Urantia Book, two hundred millennia ago 37 planets, including our own, were quarantined from the rest of the Multiverse to quell the spread of the Lucifer rebellion within the angelic hierarchy. Now, after eons of isolation, the fallen angels have been forgiven and Earth’s connection with the Multiverse is being restored, initiating a massive transformation of consciousness as we reconnect with angelic guides, extraterrestrial beings, and our spiritual heritage as sacred vessels for God’s presence.

Providing an update to The Urantia Book through angelic transmissions he has received and remarkable spirits he has met, Timothy Wyllie investigates the underlying motives of the angelic rebellion and the impact it has had on our planet for the past 200,000 years. Offering a profoundly optimistic vision of the future and reassurance that the coming spiritual transition will be gentle, Timothy Wyllie describes his encounters with angels, ETs, and other enlightened beings around the world, including how he made contact with his own guardian angels, met the man who may have been Grand Master of the Prieure de Zion, fell in love with a beautiful Cathar reincarnate in Provence, and officiated at the 1981 Conference in Spirit inside the Great Pyramid of Giza. He explores different planetary cosmologies, authentic extraterrestrial intelligence, entheogenic revelations, and the spiritual implications of the Holographic Paradigm, weaving together a coherent and provocative understanding of the current state of our planet within the larger context of a benevolent and caring Multiverse.

"Timothy’s glorious book is for those who are searching for a greater overview of current events and the near future; who are willing to acknowledge that we are accompanied on our earthly journey by loving intelligences greater than ours; and who are eager to participate fully in the era of transformation which we have already entered." - Roberta Quist

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Interview With Michael Ruppert

2011-08-27T11:11:00.001-05:00

Peak Moment TV: “Petroleum Man is dead. Infinite Growth Man is dead. Post Petroleum Human is alive,” announced Michael C. Ruppert on May 22, 2011. Members of this emerging “species” know they must live in balance with the Earth, while remembering the lessons of industrial civilization. Watch the interview here:

Confronting Collapse: The Crisis of Energy and Money in a Post Peak Oil World, by Michael Ruppert. The book that inspired the movie COLLAPSE. The world is running short of energy-especially cheap, easy-to-find oil. Shortages, along with resulting price increases, threaten industrialized civilization, the global economy, and our entire way of life.

In Confronting Collapse, author Michael C. Ruppert, a former LAPD narcotics officer turned investigative journalist, details the intricate connections between money and energy, including the ways in which oil shortages and price spikes triggered the economic crash that began in September 2008. Given the 96 percent correlation between economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions and the unlikelihood of economic growth without a spike in energy use, Ruppert argues that we are not, in fact, on the verge of economic recovery, but on the verge of complete collapse.

Ruppert's truth is not merely inconvenient. It is utterly devastating. But there is still hope. Ruppert outlines a 25-point plan of action, including the creation of a second strategic petroleum reserve for the use of state and local governments, the immediate implementation of a national Feed-in Tariff mandating that electric utilities pay 3 percent above market rates for all surplus electricity generated from renewable sources, a thorough assessment of soil conditions nationwide, and an emergency action plan for soil restoration and sustainable agriculture....More

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1 Million Pounds of Organic Food on 3 Acres

2011-08-24T11:22:00.002-05:00

Sustainable Freshwater Aquacultures: The Complete Guide from Backyard to Investor, by Nick Romanowski. The most complete, accessible and affordable guide to freshwater aquaculture, emphasizing sustainable use of all resources: whether it be on a small scale in a backyard pond, or in commercial production on broad acres. The book includes detailed information from design and construction of ponds to water quality, enhancing production through aeration, filtration and water treatment wetlands, foods and feeding, breeding and propagating aquatic animals and plants, sources of stock and polyculture (mixing fish, crustaceans, other animals, and plants for greater yields).... More

How to Build an Organic Aquaponics System

The Sword of Imagination

2011-08-24T11:11:00.002-05:00

By White Feather

Imagination and dopplegangers go hand-in-hand. They are our true selves reaching into the heart of the infinite field of possibilities. Imagination is the ultimate creative tool. It is the employment of our divine creative abilities. Dopplegangers represent the field of infinite possibilites through which we steer our imagination. Everything that we imagine is immediately played out into the field of infinte possibilities. Our dopplegangers show us the various infinite possibilites. They are the gateways to the infinite possibilites that we can choose between to embrace. How can we embrace a possibility if we do not open the doorway to it? Our dopplegangers are the doormen to our doorways. They are the ones representing and embracing the feeling tone vibrations of each and every possibility. They are the choices we choose from.

Usually when we make choices we employ that left side of our brain known as reason and logic. But we cannot access a doppleganger through logic and reason. We can only access them through FEELING. Only through accessing the vibrational patterning, the rhythm, of that doppleganger can we FEEL the answers to possible choices. That is when we can bring that vibrational patterning into the matrix of our everyday life. We can bring ideas and notions and attitudes into our matrix but that won't change things; it will only reinforce our connection to mass consciousness which is full of such notions and attitudes and ideas. We must bring in the FEELING of the answers into the matrix in order for the matrix to be changed vibrationally. To do this we must connect and merge with our dopplegangers strictly on a vibrational level. We must release the reasoning and logic of the left brain and connect on a feeling-tone level. We must merge and become our doppleganger in order to bring that vibrational patterning into our matrix and have it supercede mass consciousness programming.

Imagination is a tool we can use to connect with our dopplegangers and the field of infinite possibilites. It is one of the most valuable tools we have. It is one of God's greatest gifts. It is one of the greatest gifts we have ever given our selves. But this gift has nothing whatsoever to do with the left side of the brain and it cannot be opened by the left half of the brain. Imagination is the tool we have given our selves to pierce through the limitations of consciousness and awareness that we find our selves trapped within. It is the sword the god that we are gave our selves to cut through the limitations of ego and duality. It is the sword King Arthur pulled out of the seemingly solid rock of mass human consiousness. It is the sword that cuts through the veils of human perception and reconnects us with the field of infinite possibilites through which we create our reality. Imagination is what connects our solar plexi and our noggins. But we cannot connect if our noggins are operating only from the left side.

If we operate out of the left side of our brain exclusively then we can know that the sword is ensconsed in stone. When we open up the right side of our brain as well as our solar plexus then the sword comes easily out of the rock and we can use that sword to cut the tendrils that keep us attached to the limitations of mass consciousness. That sword is imagination. We can use that sword to cut our attachments to ego, to mass consciousness, to a lifetime of conditioning, to everything that lies in our path to the realization of our divinity. The mistake is to see that sword as a weapon. Once the sword is free there are no longer any enemies. The sword, instead, becomes an instrument of creation. It turns into a pen or a paintbrush or camera or potter's wheel or video camera or words softly spoken to loved ones. Instead of cutting and dividing things it unites things. The sword is the one-ness that illuminates duality at the same time it brings it back together into one-ness. Instead of a weapon, it becomes that which unites all things.

That sword is imagination. Imagination is not a tool of the left side of our brain and our ego. It is the tool of our true self, our witness, our divine being, our divinity. It is the tool we use to evolve spiritually and intellectually and physically. It is the mechanism through which we connect, or reconnect, with God. Our Source constantly feeds the universe with consciousness and unconditional love. Imagination is what Gods use to take that Source energy and create with. It is the grandest ability we humans have.

Copyright © 2011, by White Feather. All Rights Reserved. No part of this writing may be copied without the express written permission of the author.

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The Energies of Cities

2011-08-20T10:17:00.003-05:00

By Karen de Grenier

Cities contain energy from the earth, buildings, past events that have transpired within them and the people who live there. The energy of where we live affects us. We may find ourselves living in an area that brings us joy every day, or we may feel continuously unhappy or disconnected from the world around us. We don't very often look to the energy of where we live as having an influence on our energy levels and feelings.

I travel for my work and have the opportunity to experience the energy of many cities. Some cities have profound impacts on how I feel. San Francisco, for instance, makes me feel uncomfortable and I just can't wait to leave. Paris on the other hand makes me feel tranquil and happy. I know people, with high awareness, who can stay in Sedona, Arizona no more than a couple of hours because the energy is so strong. I suggest you spend some time thinking about the cities or towns you have visited or lived in, and see if you can define how the energy made you feel.

The energy of where you vacation also tells you something about your energy. Perhaps you are the kind of person who likes to vacation by sitting on the beach, relaxing with a good book and taking it easy. You need to feel soothing energy. Other people recharge by taking in new and exciting activities, maybe deep sea fishing, or parachuting out of an airplane. These people need stimulating energy to help recharge their energy. There are some people who find that they get bored if they stay in the same place for a whole vacation. Usually these people's energy has a high vibration level and they need the vibrant energy often found in big cities or the excitement of seeing and learning about new things. Constant moving and big cities may sound counter intuitive when thinking about vacations, but it's all about your energy.

Also, for many of us as we grow and change, we feel the urge to pull up stakes and live in another area. This urge comes about because you no longer match the energy of where you are living. You have outgrown it, and you are being urged to another place where the energy you need will be available to aid your continuing growth. These feelings are very similar to how we can outgrow our friends because they no longer help provide the experiences we need for our growth.

Thinking about the energy of the city you live in or the places you visit helps you to better understand your own energy and what you need to support your spiritual growth and awareness. The more we are aware the more easily we can see ourselves in our environment and understand our needs. Most people think that inanimate objects like buildings, stone, wood, etc. are not composed of energy. This is an incorrect assumption. Everything from people, animals, rock or buildings are composed of energy, and all energy has intelligence. This concept is difficult to understand until you have reached a well-developed level of awareness. Exploring and gaining information about energy has a direct bearing on expanding your knowledge and awareness. There are many user friendly books about quantum physics. Learning about this branch of physics can be helpful when exploring energy.

Try an experiment, visit a location in your city, suspend your beliefs about objects not having energy and open yourself up to the energy that surrounds you. Take writing materials and jot down a description of the location in as much detail as you can. Next examine how you feel in this place. Just write, don't really think about it. Repeat this check of your feelings several times and add the time of each checkpoint. Try repeating the exercise in different locations and explore why you felt the same or differently. Try this while on vacation or when you visit other areas. You will be surprised by what you uncover.

I have been a healthcare professional and consultant for several decades. I work with people undergoing life changes and have had the opportunity to learn a great deal from attending professional workshops with Dr. Bennie Segal and Dr. Irving Oyle. Both doctors have had great success helping people undergoing major life change, and in particular Dr Segal's work with cancer patients. For the last 25 years, I have been dedicated to spiritual growth and learning to live with my spirit fully realized. I am assisted by a spiritual guide, in the angelic realms, called Madea. Through automatic writing, Madea and I work closely together to create material designed to offer inspiration and guidance as you walk your spiritual path. I invite you to learn more about your own spiritual path by reading my newest book, Spiritual Novice, Begin the Journey

Please feel Free to contact me: Karen de Grenier, 602-616-1839, info@spiritualnovice.com, SpiritualNovice.com

Article Source: EzineArticles

From Fear to Love: A Spiritual Journey
Ancient Shamanic Secrets To Unlimited Inner Power
How To Create Your Own Reality
How to Forgive Yourself

Raindrops and Words

2011-08-17T09:06:00.002-05:00

By White Feather

I was sitting at my computer and lightning began flashing across the windows of the room. Soon thunder began rumbling through my reality. It was not long before raindrops began pelting the windows ("pelting" may be the wrong word in light of the hailstorm we had last week). The mild thunderstorm waving across my local reality is in my awareness but my attention is on the words that I type out on the computer screen before me to be posted on this forum.

"Awareness" and "attention" are different yet they are also similar. We could say that one is active and the other is passive but that would not be totally accurate because they could be interchangeable. Awareness and attention could be seen as two sides of the same coin. We can call that coin, perception. How do we perceive? Through awareness or attention?

The thing that awareness and attention have in common is choice. We can choose what we are aware of and we can choose what we pay attention to.

So that brings us to the notion of "watcher" or "witness." Is the "watcher" or "witness" that which chooses what we pay attention to or are aware of or that which watches what we choose to pay attention to or be aware of? This, I feel, is a major differentiation in our awareness. Our ego sees differentiations and chooses between them but our "watcher" or "witness" observes the ego choosing. Does the ego get the final say or does the witness?

An ego sees a fly as a nuisance. A "watcher" watches how the ego interacts with the fly.

To step back from the ego and its interactions with life is to become the observer, the I Am, the true self. The ego is what runs the mind and the emotions. The true self is "what is," what observes the machinations of the ego/mind/emotions/body. The true self has unlimited awareness. The awareness and attention of the egoic mind is limited. So if we're talking about awareness and attention we must differentiate between the egoic mind and the true self. With the true self there is no differentiation. Awareness and attention are the same thing. It is because of our egos that a differentiation was even created.

If I were truly speaking from my true self, my I Am presence, there would be no differentiation between the raindrops splattering my window and the words I type into this post.

If only I were that evolved.......

Books by White Feather

Frequency: The Power of Personal Vibration

2011-08-13T10:55:00.002-05:00

Frequency: The Power of Personal Vibration, by Penney Peirce. Because we see the world from a physical perspective, we often don't notice what's right in front of us — that our spirit, thoughts, emotions, and body are all made of energy. Inside us and everywhere around us, life is vibrating. In fact, each of us has a personal vibration that accurately communicates who we are to the world and helps shape our reality. Frequency shows readers how to feel their personal vibration, improve it, and use it to shift their life from ordinary to extraordinary. A simple shift in frequency can change depression to peace, anger to stillness, and fear to enthusiasm.

Weaving together basic ideas from quantum physics with proven intuition development techniques, Frequency takes readers into deeper concepts only hinted at in recent popular books and DVD's featuring the Law of Attraction. By learning to refine the "conscious sensitivity" of their body, readers can improve relationships, find upscale solutions to problems, and materialize a life that contains everything they want and need to live their destiny.

Frequency gives readers a reassuring, step-by-step roadmap into a positive state of awareness that Peirce calls The Intuition Age. By learning to use "frequency principles" — methods based on the way energy actually functions — readers can keep their energy level high and productive, receive subtle information directly from the environment via "empathic resonance," and quickly free themselves from negative or low "vibrations."

"In this potent and evocative exploration of the new art and science of frequency dynamics, Peirce brings profound knowledge and speculation that inspires as it excites. If applied across many disciplines, it provides a basis for new ways of being and doing, health and creativity." - Jean Houston

Click here for more information or to order.

Penney Peirce is an internationally respected clairvoyant empath and intuition development trainer, who is known for her common-sense approach to developing expanded human capacities, heightened perception, and spirituality. For over three decades, she’s trained and counseled business and government leaders, scientists, psychologists, and those on a spiritual path. Penney is the author of numerous books, including Frequency and The Present Moment. Visit penneypeirce.com for information on upcoming events, intuition development, and working with personal vibration and the new art of frequency dynamics.

The Science of Abundant Life
From Fear to Love: A Spiritual Journey
Attracting Wealth, Health, Happiness, and Love
Ancient Shamanic Secrets To Unlimited Inner Power

The Abundance Crisis

2011-08-11T10:55:00.002-05:00

By Carolyn Porter

Our country and our world is experiencing major financial chaos due to overspending and poor management. People are vocal and a relatively high percentage of them are sharing their desire to reduce spending and refrain from raising taxes, at least until we can get more balance in our economy. People want jobs and better income; it does take money to survive! The news headlines the debt and crisis mentality so it is always on our minds. It seems the government and officials in financial institutions, whose salaries for the most part are not affected by the economic chaos, do not see very clearly as to the plight of mainstream America. Perhaps it's difficult for them to understand given they are not in the middle of the experience as we are.

I heard a media commentator use this parallel concerning the apparent thinking of many in leadership positions: You could open an additional credit card so you can use that to pay the minimum payment on the other eight at-limit credit cards you already have. Would you ever do that? How could procuring more credit ever resolve that situation nor solve a debt crisis as we are presently experiencing?

Things have changed in recent months and years. We're all aware of the turmoil and chaos in the real estate market with the devastating amount of foreclosures, loss of both business and residential properties, job loss, income slashing, depletion of retirement funds, and so on. I spoke with a chiropractor friend recently who shared that he makes much less money now than he did five years ago, yet he has more patients and works longer hours than he did then. He continued by saying he had to lower his prices or very few could come see him, even with insurance. His goal is to help those in need, so he felt he had to do this. Many of us understand this and have done the same thing.

So our focus on everything around us, and the scare tactics utilized by the media, can easily slip us into lack consciousness. All of the things I mentioned previously in this article are indeed signs of lack, perceived failure and fear. If these occupy our mind on a continual basis, or even as a part-time focus, we can easily get pulled into this thought mode, a mindset based in fear. Fear is a lower vibration. Since every thought is energy (a vibration) that goes out into the universe and collects more of the same, it seems we must stop this focus if we ever hope to create abundance in our life again.

We're human after all, so it is easy to buy into whatever is being propagated in the media, internet and our environment. I've been guilty of doing this as I believe you have too, at least some of the time. Yet we inherently know that by buying into the fear-based lack-consciousness mindset of society, we will be creating more of the same, even though it's not what we truly want in our life. So have you entered this negative state recently, or are you living in it right now?

While much of the reporting of present-day statistics is dismal, some areas are doing fine with their economy. In our country, Texas thrives in spite of what other states are experiencing. Other countries such as Germany and China are flourishing. How so when many others around them are in extreme duress?

They are apparently using different strategies in their economic processes. We know that in Texas they have cut spending in multiple ways and made favorable changes so that businesses keep hiring instead of laying off workers. So you might wonder why the rest of our country doesn't follow their example and use the proven-to-work strategies in place there to help their states? The economic boost would then filter into our lives and all those around us.

Regardless of what strategies are being used in our country or in foreign countries, one thing must change for abundance to prevail; there must be a shift to a prosperity consciousness. But how is this possible given the present financial crisis and the turmoil it has brought? And do you know what a prosperity consciousness is?

We have only two basic emotions: love or fear. Every feeling we experience arises from one of those emotions. Anything positive - compassion, understanding, abundance, happiness, peace, joy, acceptance, determination, creativity, commitment - are all expressions of love. Everything negative - anger, rage, guilt, shame, jealousy, lack, anxiety, retaliation, victim, manipulation, scatteredness - all have a base from fear. So in order to step into a prosperity consciousness, you must first begin to operate your life, beginning with your thoughts, from a place of love being expressed.

It is impossible to experience expressions of love while being in a place of fear, for they are opposite vibrations and cannot exist simultaneously. You cannot be experiencing anger and frustration while feeling abundant and prosperous; they just cannot work together. This requires a big shift so that the current that runs through you daily vibrates at the higher level of love and its expressions, and in that space you can then step into the mindset of prosperity and abundance.

Secondly, you have to accept and utilize the attitude of gratitude. Gratitude is a powerful tool for creating anything in your life, for if you begin right where you are, being thankful for all you have and are at this very moment, that feeling can expand into more of the same. Think about it for a minute. Everything you focus on shows up in your life experiences. So if you are focusing on the blessings and abundance you already have, and since energetic vibrations can only bring to you more of the same vibration you have sent out, it should be a no-brainer that beginning with gratitude is a win/win for helping you create more abundance and prosperity.

All too often humans tend to focus on what they don't have, and their same life scenario continues to show up because that energy is what they are placing out in the universe - where they are focusing their thoughts. This is lack consciousness. Thoughts create, guaranteed! Negative thoughts produce negative experiences while positive thoughts breed positive experiences. This is a no-brainer if you want to develop a prosperity consciousness. You will have to shift your entire thinking patterns and beliefs because most likely, you were taught as most of us were to believe in lack and not enough - limits.

Now you're ready to create the vision of what you do want, with the capability of accepting it when it arrives and the determination to see it through to achieve it. Be specific with your vision: the amount of money you'd like to make; the vocation you'd like to do that involves helping others; specific dreams you have like a super vacation or a bigger house; how you can make a difference in our world; becoming debt-free, and so on. If you own your own business you'll want it to flourish and grow, so see it happening. Create the vision and dream big, and keep it alive by daily seeing and feeling it as if it has already shown up. It is the feeling that makes dreams come alive and manifest into reality. So place your intention of what you want to show up in your life, and then patiently wait for it to come. Be observant and ready for the unexpected, for you never know in what form it may appear - the mysteries of the universe are magnificent and exciting to observe. Use your creativity and determination. Open to receive new ideas, for they will come if you keep your vision alive!

Remember that true prosperity incorporates so much more than money. Prosperity includes your talents and internal gifts, and all that you are made of that can contribute to the needs of the world. Prosperity happens whenever something of value expands into more, so it is not limited to material possessions or the dollars in your bank account. And it always involves serving others in some way - contributing to make a difference.

Although it has been said that our country and many other countries are experiencing a financial crisis, if you step back and look at the bigger picture, you will see that all this unrest is necessary so that individuals can shift their perception and make changes to a different consciousness. You and I are the ones that must initiate this change because we know the answer and are lightworkers who have the capability of showing others the way through their darkness. Remember, prosperity consciousness has nothing to do with what's going on around you or what is happening in your life experience, so even if you are temporarily in a place of what appears to be financial chaos, keep your thoughts on what you have and be grateful for it. You may need to learn a lesson before you can experience more prosperity, or something else must occur before the additional prosperity can manifest. Keep the faith that it is coming and be grateful for the blessings now and in the future.

So instead of buying into the media rampage of debt and subsequent catastrophes, realize we do indeed have major debt issues, but we also have the capability of overcoming that debt with wiser choices and determination. Ask for clarity in your thoughts and focus on the blessings and abundance already present in your life and our country. This is how the shift to a prosperity consciousness can occur. Once the focus is on your blessings and abundance, with gratitude for those blessings, various opportunities for changing the way things are done so that the debt can eventually be eliminated will show up. God and the universe always listen to your vibrations and respond according to them, so it is imperative that you shift to a prosperity consciousness if you ever hope to become debt-free, or at least reduce it significantly.

The process of change begins with one individual who joins with others on the same path expressed through love. Momentum builds as the vibrations of those individuals connect and move to gather more of the same. That power magnifies through the numbers and the "snowball" of collective energy from the higher vibration of love has the potential to reach around the world and change it. Love is more powerful than fear, and love is what can heal your life, the abundance crisis, our country and world! There is no abundance deficit, so there is no abundance crisis, unless you believe there is.
Change your thoughts and you can change your life!

Rev. Dr. Carolyn Porter, is an internationally known speaker, author of multiple books and audios that include "The Realness of a Woman," "Healing with Color," and "Angel Love", spiritual wholeness coach, trainer and angel channel whose passion is helping individuals move beyond their limitations and help them see they can do and be what they can envision. She is the owner of Where Miracles Happen Quantum Healing & Empowerment Center in Cumming, GA. Their services include life and health coaching, angel sessions, self-publishing coaching, energy healing, classes, certified trainings, and much more. She invites you to visit WhereMiraclesHappen.com for more information about how these services can benefit your life.

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Manifest a Miracle
Attracting Wealth, Health, Happiness, and Love
Utilizing the Power Pause Concept
How To Create Your Own Reality

Affirmations Vs Declarations, Is There a Difference in The Law of Attraction?

2011-08-07T10:08:00.006-05:00

By Laura Gevanter

You've heard it over and over again. Say your affirmations each day and you will be/do/have whatever it is you want. So we start saying things like "My bank account is getting bigger every day", "I am going to meet my life partner", or "My business is a huge success". We say these words and a little voice creeps in and whispers in our ear. "When?" or "No, it's not". What we aren't realizing is that by saying affirmations we are keeping what we want in the future by continually repeating, "I am going to..." etc. So then, we say, okay, what if I say my affirmations in the present tense. "My business is growing everyday". Better, but there is still something missing. Ownership. And that is where declarations come into play.

I looked in the dictionary to find the distinction between affirmations and declarations since I already had my own way of discerning between the two.

To affirm means to "state positively, confirm".

To declare is to "make known officially, formally, to make evident"

Now on first glance, they may seem to be interchangeable. I mean, if I am saying "My business is a huge success", I am stating this positively and aren't I also making it official? Well, not really. The difference here, and the reason why many people get frustrated when they don't see results with affirmations is a very subtle, yet powerful one. When you affirm, you are stating something in the positive, many times in the future, (which will always remain in the future, but we'll talk about that later) but when you declare, you are owning it NOW. You are coming from a place of being as opposed to trying to get somewhere. Let's take a closer look at the difference and how they apply to the Law of Attraction and deliberate creation.

Affirmations are statements which are trying to get you from you from one place to another. In the "real" world that is actually what you are trying to achieve, isn't it? However, in the vibrational world, which is the underlying current of all that we are creating, you are experiencing resistance to the present. This acts as an obstacle in the road of getting/experiencing what you want. If you state your affirmations as a process, "I am getting richer everyday" this softens it a bit as it is much easier for many people to view it as a process than to just state that they "are". This is still, however the process of getting from one place to another and you haven't yet embodied that thing that you desire. We can look at this more closely by seeing the energetic difference in declarations.

When you declare something you are stating to the Universe (and also yourself - which is extremely empowering) that you already are this thing/person what you want. I Am That. When you come from a place of being you embody all the qualities and characteristics of it now from a vibrational standpoint and thus become aligned with it. This all happens before it is actually in your physical reality. It then must come to you. You state your declarations in the present tense in the form of I AM statements. I am wealth. I am love. I am beauty. I am success. Can you feel the difference from "I am getting wealthy?" Seems so subtle in the wording and yet possesses a huge energetic distinction.

When you declare something you are making a statement from a place of being - you are already there. You can imagine and feel what it would be like to be this person you would like to me. How would I act and feel if I were a person who now was wealthy or was a successful business owner or a great partner? When you can become this person (we've all heard of acting as if...) now, you will start to see evidence of it in your life in a short period of time, with consistent practice.

There is a wonderful formula that I heard recently that will help exemplify this:

Be-think-speak-act-receive

First you become the person already having what it is you want. When you can feel what that is like, it will start affecting your thoughts throughout the day. As deliberate creators know, your thoughts carry energy that attract to you that which you think about most. Then, as you think the thoughts of a person already having this, your speech will in turn align with your thoughts. This takes a little practice and a lot of self- awareness at first, but soon it becomes second nature. You will start paying more attention to your self-talk as well as the casual conversations you have with friends, colleagues, and even strangers. When someone asks "how are you"...you will now think twice before answering as you now understand the true power behind the words, I AM....

As your thoughts and speech begin to shift, so will your actions. You will be inspired to take those actions that will move you to seeing the results you want. Actions are really just the vehicle in which you can receive. For example, you desire to be really rich, but your past shows you all evidence to the contrary. So, you start to "be" a person who is rich. You imagine what you would do with the money, how it would feel to have all your debts paid off, you would start planning where you'd like to take vacations, etc. Then you start thinking thoughts throughout the day noticing how rich you already are. You have a car, a lovely place to live, food always when you are hungry, etc. You then start saying things to people such as "I choose not to purchase this now" as opposed to "I can't afford it". A few weeks later you decide to attend a family gathering that you were invited to. Family gatherings were never your thing, but this time you feel an urge to go. You find out that you are about to inherit $50,000 from a relative who has recently passed. Since you have already been in alignment with being "rich" you are allowing a this into your experience. See how it all comes together?

So, how to start making declarations work for you?

1) Start making a list of I AM statements of all the things you desire for yourself. It can be a way of being, the type of person you'd like to be, experiences or physical things you'd like to manifest.

2) Repeat your I AM statements each day (consistency is very important) and throughout the day as you remember. I have found it to be extremely helpful to just say to myself "I am peace" when I find myself in a somewhat potentially stressful situation. You can instantly feel the energetic shift as you remind yourself you get to decide how you will react/experience your life.

3) Spend some time each day imagining or visualizing you already being that person. The more rich details you can add to this, the more powerful the vibration you are sending out to the Universe that you already embody it and therefore own it.

Laura Gevanter, Professional Life Coach PresentTenseCoaching.com

Article Source: EzineArticles

Mind Force Attraction
From Fear to Love: A Spiritual Journey
Orange Underpants - Your Key To Emotional Success
Universal Life Secrets

Need For Change

2011-07-28T10:08:00.002-05:00

By White Feather

If we can see the incredible wondrous beauty in the world then we are filled with joy rather than with a need to change the world. If we focus on the crap then that need to change things rises within us. I agree with those who say that the planet does not need to transform but I also feel that it will simply because that is its nature. Change is a constant. If we are focused on directing that change then we are obviously not focused on the beauty and perfection that is so prevalent in the NOW moment.

The same thing can be said on a personal level. If we are totally focused on changing ourselves then we're not focused on the incredible beauty and perfection of ourselves just as we are. We are not truly loving ourselves. When we can see and focus on our own beauty and perfection, that beauty and perfection becomes empowered and grows and engulfs our lives. Change is a byproduct of this. It happens as a result of that self-love growing and impacting ever more parts of our lives. If we focus exclusively on the byproduct then we're missing out on what causes that byproduct and we are spinning our wheels trying to make change happen instead of letting it happen as a result of loving ourselves.

We can move from a personal level to a level that includes friends and families and coworkers. If we feel we need to change or transform any of them and if we are focusing on that then we are essentially holding them in a state of imperfection and not much is really going to change. If we see and focus on the beauty and perfection in them, then we are empowering them and the love within them, helping that love to grow which results in change and transformation. The same goes for global levels. We cannot transform the world except through seeing the outrageously incredible beauty and perfection of it and getting into and staying in a state of wonderment and joy and love. We can focus on other people's faults and the faults of the world and this gives energy to those faults and empowers those faults. Only love transforms and it is just as powerful on all levels of existence.

I have said it before but I will say it again: We cannot love all others unless we love ourselves and we cannot love ourselves unless we love all others. When we are in a state of wonderment there is no need to change anything. And that is exactly when everything changes. But do things really change or is it just our perceptions that change? Many spooky spooks have said that we create our reality through perception. Since the outrageously incredible beauty and perfection are already there, we are not changing anything by seeing it but as we hold that state of wonderment over it our subsequent actions and reactions naturally change as a result. This is the byproduct. This is the change that happens.

Love transforms. Everything else is a hamster wheel. Love, joy, and beauty are what can hold us in a state of wonderment and in that state we can step out of the hamster wheel and love ourselves into existence.

Books by White Feather

The Ascension Process and the Internet

2011-07-22T07:08:00.000-05:00

By Christine Hoeflich

I came across a helpful description of the Ascension process that humanity is going through that compares Ascension with the adoption of the Internet. The information came from a source channeled by Mark Kimmel.

In a nutshell, one can compare the "activation" and the adoption of the Ascension process with the creation and adoption of the Internet: After personal computers were available but before the Internet existed, a few (nerdy) people realized the advantage of hooking their computers together in order to exchange information. Gradually others became aware of the benefits of being hooked up, and they too hooked up their computers into networks until a fledgling Internet was created. Once the Internet became widely available, the information and applications available to those linked up to it skyrocketed. Although the early pioneers may have found it difficult to get the mainstream excited about or even interested in their Internet ideas at first, it is hard to imagine life without the Internet now.

The following is an excerpt of Mark Kimmel's channeling. It describes the larger Ascension process currently underway as a gradual multi-step process similar to how people embraced the Internet.

"First there is the realization of a larger picture. A few of the initial embracers saw this and began to publicize it. Second are those who after receiving hints of the larger picture begin to investigate for themselves. By this time the earliest embracers had moved forward to make a free will choice to change the way in which they lived--to live according to their hearts. They have since become way-showers--acting either publicly or privately--within the context of an emerging paradigm."--Mark Kimmel

Although the description of how the Ascension process works in society seems to be correct, a stickler like myself would not find it very accurate. In reality, you don't see the larger picture clearly until you're well into the process. Rather, the way it works is that there is the realization that there must be, has to be a larger picture--that explains better than the conventional paradigm why the world is in the state it's in and what can be done about it. There may be glimpses of a larger picture of a transformed humanity, there may be a yearning for and glimpses of some sort of a Golden Age, but the reality is that you don't have the larger picture--yet. As a pioneer, you just place a bet with the Universe that there is a bigger picture that can help explain the onslaught of strange, bizarre, and painful events that have occurred in your life and in the world, often seemingly for no good reason, and that you will find it. When you do find the answers for yourself, you can then help others by sharing your experiences. Desperation is the best catalyst for seeking, and ultimately discovering, the solutions to problems.

So...without having a clear realization of the larger picture, you must make a free will choice to live according to your heart (your inner being, your higher self) rather than what you have been taught since childhood, even though you're not very confident about trusting your inner guidance yet, or at times, even recognizing it. It is only after you have lived like this for quite some time such that you've accumulated tons of firsthand experiences and new insights that override conventional thought that a bigger picture begins to emerge within you. Then it still takes something more to be able to communicate it effectively.

I can guarantee that a clear picture doesn't form in your mind until you've actually experienced certain pivotal events firsthand. For example, you won't know who you are and what you're truly capable of until you've experienced yourself struggling through your personal issues and then, rising above them and fulfilling your contribution to the Golden Age.

Furthermore, I have been spreading the idea that individuals actually have to make real life choices (choices that often involve changing your life direction) rather than buying into the belief that you will find yourself on some "wave" that can be ridden or will automatically be swept up in the Ascension process without having to do much work, but I am under the impression that this message has not been readily embraced. The Ascension process is not some wave you can "ride." It's not a magic carpet ride.

Even for hooking up to the Internet (for which there wasn't a lot of resistance) you have to do certain things, you have to buy the equipment needed and then learn how to use it.

Mark Kimmel's channeled message communicates these ideas well: "People have to do something. People can buy the necessary equipment to connect to the Internet or not. It is their choice. If they do not buy the equipment, they are not connected. Similarly, if people do not make a conscious effort to raise their vibration they will not be swept along with those who have done so. There is no free ride."--Mark Kimmel

In summary, Mark Kimmel's description of the Internet as a metaphor for Ascension is helpful--as long as one is aware of the subtle caveats.

Are you ready to reconnect with your higher self and catalyze your ascension? Subscribe at www.WhatEveryoneBelieved.com and receive a free 7-page report on how to reconnect to and integrate with your higher self. Christine Hoeflich is the author of the hardcover What Everyone Believed: A Memoir of Intuition and Awakening (a memoir of her ascension experience) and the eBook Activating 2012: A Practical Guide to Navigating 2012 with Confidence and Clarity (a how-to guide to ascension).

Article Source: Ezine Articles

What Everyone Believed: A Memoir of Intuition and Awakening, by Christine Hoeflich. What is the "GREAT SHIFT" in consciousness really about? Many speculate, but nobody knows--until one experiences this amazing process. In What Everyone Believed: A Memoir of Intuition and Awakening, an Ivy-League scientist is thrown into crisis by unsettling events in her life. Searching within for her own wisdom, she discovers that when we follow our intuition consistently despite societal expectations, we access the power of Interconnectedness, along with a divine purpose. This is the true "Holy Grail." The "Great Shift" then is the shift from crisis or confusion to trusting inner guidance; it's when we trust our inner core more than anyone or anything outside ourselves, because we've begun to experience its power. A practical, no-nonsense guide in personal memoir form, the author takes readers through this amazing process, detailing the critical steps for developing trust in our intuition and our soul's bigger plan. This same process activates personal growth and helps us fulfill our individual contribution towards humanity's larger shift. "Ask and it is given" refers to this unique purpose: once we begin it, we receive the gifts of Interconnectedness that make life so much easier--profound insights, serendipitous events, synchronicities, and universal cooperation. Being inner (soul) directed is humanity's final evolutionary frontier, and exactly what's needed for the Great Shift to occur. Unless this deeper relationship with the self is the basis for the new paradigm, the opportunity for the Shift and this planet's transformation is lost. It is time for revealing the entire picture and the beautiful, divine reasons for our sojourn into "duality," as well as the way beyond it, so that we can begin experiencing new possibilities consistent with the "Golden Age"--our extraordinary destiny........Click here for more information or to order.

The End of Country

2011-07-18T08:07:00.000-05:00

The End of Country, by Seamus McGraw. The End of Country is the compelling story about the epic battle for control of one of the richest natural gas deposits the world has ever known: the Marcellus Shale, worth more than one trillion dollars. In a remote northeastern corner of Pennsylvania, an intense conflict begins, pitting the forces of corporate America against a community of stoic, low-income homesteaders, determined to acquire their fair share of the windfall—but not at the cost of their values or their way of life. Though the natural gas is extracted through a controversial process known as hydrofracking, many couldn’t resist the offer to lease their land in exchange for the promise of untold riches.

For years, this part of the world was invisible to all but the farmers, urban transplants, and small landholders who called it home. But journalist Seamus McGraw, a native of the region whose own mother was one of the first to receive a leasing offer, opens a window on a stiff-necked group of Pennsylvanians as they try, with little guidance or protection from the state or anyone else, to balance the promise and the peril of this discovery. Along the way, McGraw introduces us to a host of colorful characters, from a gas company land agent with a Green Beret to a wizened quarryman with an old coonhound, a .22 rifle, and an unerring sense of right and wrong who leads a personal crusade to police the gas company’s operations.

The cutthroat dash by petrodollar billionaires to secure drilling leases will make some poor residents rich, and put the entire community at risk of having its land tainted by toxic chemicals and its water supply contaminated by gas. Above all, it will test the character of everyone in the community as they fight against “the end of country.”

Rich with a sense of place and populated by unforgettable personalities, The End of Country is a tale of greed, hubris, and envy, but also of hope and family—and the land that binds them all together.

Click here for more information or to order.

Seamus McGraw is a full-time writer who has seen his work published in Playboy, Reader’s Digest, Penthouse, Radar, Spin, and The Forward. He has received the Freedom of Information Award from the Associated Press Managing Editors, as well as honors from the Casey Foundation and the Society of Professional Journalists. McGraw is currently working on a documentary trailer about his family’s experiences with the Marcellus shale. He grew up pitching hay and spreading manure on the same fields the gas companies are now prospecting. He still lives in the woods of northeastern Pennsylvania with his wife and four children.

A Cabot drill pad in Springville Township, Susquehanna County

Sacred Symbols of the Dogon

2011-07-15T09:06:00.001-05:00

Sacred Symbols of the Dogon: The Key to Advanced Science in the Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs, by Laird Scranton and In The Science of the Dogon, Laird Scranton demonstrated that the cosmological structure described in the myths and drawings of the Dogon runs parallel to modern science--atomic theory, quantum theory, and string theory--their drawings often taking the same form as accurate scientific diagrams that relate to the formation of matter. Scranton also pointed to the close resemblance between the keywords and component elements of Dogon cosmology and those of ancient Egypt, and the implication that ancient cosmology may also be about actual science.

Sacred Symbols of the Dogon uses these parallels as the starting point for a new interpretation of the Egyptian hieroglyphic language. By substituting Dogon cosmological drawings for equivalent glyph-shapes in Egyptian words, a new way of reading and interpreting the Egyptian hieroglyphs emerges. Scranton shows how each hieroglyph constitutes an entire concept, and that their meanings are scientific in nature. Using the Dogon symbols as a “Rosetta stone,” he reveals references within the ancient Egyptian language that define the full range of scientific components of matter: from massless waves to the completed atom, even suggesting direct correlations to a fully realized unified field theory.

Click here for more information or to order.

Laird Scranton is an independent software designer who became interested in Dogon mythology and symbolism in the early 1990s. He has studied ancient myth, language, and cosmology since 1997 and has been a lecturer at Colgate University. He is the author of The Science of the Dogon and also appears in John Anthony West’s Magical Egypt DVD series. He lives in Albany, New York.

The Power Of The Spoken Word - A Life Lesson For My Daughter

2011-07-13T10:05:00.001-05:00

By Eno A. Nsima-Obot, MD

Last Monday, was a perfect summer evening in Chicago. Not a cloud in the sky with warm temperatures and a light breeze blowing off the lake kept it tolerable and far from humid.

I had slept late that morning and was feeling well rested from a two-week travel assignment. I was scheduled to be away again in a few days and was intent on spending some downtime with my husband and daughter.

There's a lot of activity in Chicago in the summer. It's the summers that make up for the at times harsh and relentless winters and one of the reasons that I still call Chicago home.

What better place to experience the city this evening than the 'Taste of Chicago'.

We arrived at the downtown venue at about 6.45 PM just ahead of the evening rush. We could hear the musicals from the 'Broadway in Chicago' performance on the main stage.

My husband and I had done a 4-mile run that morning and so I was primed and hungry. After we purchased our food tickets, I made a beeline for the Nigerian Kiosk serving coconut rice, stewed goat meat and fried plantains. There is nothing like good cooked 'soul food'.

Wiping off my hands after finishing off we wove in and out of the crowds 'window shopping' for dessert. There were low flying sea gulls all around us.

'I wish these birds would stop flying over me. I don't want them to poop on me!' exclaimed my daughter in disgust.

'Mind what you say, they could just poop on you', I replied absentmindedly as I peered into the closely packed stalls looking for a unique twist on dessert.

My husband decided to grab a can of beer. We had run out of tickets. I was still in search of the 'once in a lifetime' dessert. So we sauntered over to a ticket booth to purchase some more.

We were just about to stand on line when my daughter let out a blood-curdling scream. Alarmed we both whipped around to see what had happened to her.

There on the left side of her neck was a neat white dribble of bird poop!

I could not control my laughter! There she was irate - now trying to swat at the errant birds with her purse. I had one piece of tissue left over from my dinner. I deftly cleaned her neck amidst my snickers of laughter.

'I told you to be careful of what you say,' I admonished her playfully as I explained to my husband the earlier exchange I had with her over just the same topic.

You see what my daughter had just experienced first hand was an example of the power of the spoken word.

To me it was exciting that she could see first hand that she had the power to manifest what she put her mind to intentionally or unintentionally.

This was a great teaching moment for us as a family.

'Think of the power that you have to create anything you want in your life!' I exclaimed excitedly. Being the teenager that she is she simply rolled her eyes.

Yes we all have the power to create the anything that we want to create in our lives.

That power lies in a part of our mind called the subconscious mind. And just as my daughter found out in our 'life's laboratory' experiment, the subconscious mind does not have a great sense of humor!

Whatever you suggest to the subconscious mind it sets out to make your reality.

And it can get bogged down by constant negative mental chatter and clutter.

Do you pay attention to what you feed your mind?

Just as I shared in an earlier article on mental poisoning what you focus on you bring more into your awareness.

It's always intriguing to me when I hear patients say things like 'I just knew I was going to get sick after that person sneezed on me!'

And guess what? The subconscious mind is just like the 'genie in the bottle' When you consciously or unconsciously declare you are going to get sick-well your wish is it's command you get sick!

Some people find it intriguing that despite my work as a locum tenens physician with travel to different hospitals, and staying in hotels for weeks, I don't get sick. At times I work up to an 80-hour week.

I'm not saying this to impress you, but to impress upon you that I prime my subconscious mind with thoughts of health, vibrancy and vitality.

We all have the power to do the same things with our subconscious mind. We just need to make a conscious choice to. It is not my intention to make this sound so simple, as I know some readers may think I'm just saying 'just say it and it's going to happen the way you say it will'.

The power of the spoken word on the subconscious mind is a sum of how you have trained your mind to interpret past experiences.

Using my daughter as an example. This is how our beliefs get primed in us at a young age:

If as her parent, my belief were that bad things are always bound to happen, then the bird pooping on her was just another self-fulfilling prophecy. And I probably would have reacted differently to reflect my belief. I would have validated what has been my experience, fed into her disgust. That would have left her with the innate message that bad things will always happen as we should expect.

Instead of that I chose to see the possibility and potential!

Possibility because she has declared that she wants to do great things in the world as a singer and a songwriter. If she says that she is going to be one who is anyone even me to say that can't happen?

Needless to say neither the bird nor my daughter were harmed in anyway. I trust that she will look back on this lesson and realize that she has the innate power to create a bright and wonderful future just because she said so.

Here are some things to consider and also practice this week:

If you knew you could not fail, what would you do?

Practice declaration with small things all week. For instance that you'll find a parking space when you need one, a friend will be available to talk when you need them. Just practice!

Next week become bolder and practice declaring bigger things- like you'll have a certain amount of money to meet a financial obligation, or you'll get a job promotion.

Do not become attached to the results of these exercises.

Just as you build muscle while working out with weights, these exercises are just a way to start working out your mind and to explore what's possible if you change your mindset to expect positive outcomes.

I look forward to your comments. Until next time,

To your health and wellbeing,

Dr Eno

Born in the United Kingdom, Dr Nsima-Obot was one of the top ten graduating students from University of Calabar, Nigeria in 1987. She completed her residency training in 1996 from the Long Island College Hospital, Brooklyn New York and since then has maintained ongoing requirements for board certification in Internal Medicine. She relocated to the Greater Chicago area in 1998. Her practice philosophy is to empower her patients by providing them with information so that they can partner better in their healthcare. She holds regular speaking events in areas of Wellness and Prevention and has also started offering ongoing Workshops. For more information about Dr Eno log onto www.ask-dr-eno.com/.

Article Source: EzineArticles

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Personal Power For Women
From Fear to Love: A Spiritual Journey
Magical Mantras

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Challenges

2011-07-13T09:06:00.001-05:00

By White Feather

Imagine a life without any worries. Imagine a life without any problems. Imagine no dilemmas, no conundrums, no detours, no sudden complications, no flat tires, no electrical outages, no earthquakes or hurricanes, no unexpected twists, no challenges, no hurdles. Would you consider that a wonderful life?

We carry on our backs the challenges of this dimension and those challenges are what enable us to grow. Think of every challenge as a supreme gift. Meet those challenges with excitement and enthusiasm. For many, these challenges are what weigh us down and age us. This will happen if we see those challenges as obstacles instead of gifts. With a shift in perspectives we can begin to utilize those gifts to set ourselves free and dispense with aging. It's all perspective.

If there is no wind a tree grows weakly. Wind makes the tree strong. Don't hide from the wind. Go out into it and let it make you strong.

Books by White Feather

Coca-Cola Exposed: Killer Coke

2011-07-11T07:53:00.001-05:00

Watch this before having your next coke.

Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit

2011-07-04T08:01:00.000-05:00

Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit , by Barry Estabrook. Supermarket produce sections bulging with a year-round supply of perfectly round, bright red-orange tomatoes have become all but a national birthright. But in Tomatoland, which is based on his James Beard Award-winning article, "The Price of Tomatoes," investigative food journalist Barry Estabrook reveals the huge human and environmental cost of the $5 billion fresh tomato industry. Fields are sprayed with more than one hundred different herbicides and pesticides. Tomatoes are picked hard and green and artificially gassed until their skins acquire a marketable hue. Modern plant breeding has tripled yields, but has also produced fruits with dramatically reduced amounts of calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin C, and tomatoes that have fourteen times more sodium than the tomatoes our parents enjoyed. The relentless drive for low costs has fostered a thriving modern-day slave trade in the United States. How have we come to this point?

Estabrook traces the supermarket tomato from its birthplace in the deserts of Peru to the impoverished town of Immokalee, Florida, a.k.a. the tomato capital of the United States. He visits the laboratories of seedsmen trying to develop varieties that can withstand the rigors of agribusiness and still taste like a garden tomato, and then moves on to commercial growers who operate on tens of thousands of acres, and eventually to a hillside field in Pennsylvania, where he meets an obsessed farmer who produces delectable tomatoes for the nation's top restaurants.

Throughout Tomatoland, Estabrook presents a who's who cast of characters in the tomato industry: the avuncular octogenarian whose conglomerate grows one out of every eight tomatoes eaten in the United States; the ex-Marine who heads the group that dictates the size, color, and shape of every tomato shipped out of Florida; the U.S. attorney who has doggedly prosecuted human traffickers for the past decade; and the Guatemalan peasant who came north to earn money for his parents' medical bills and found himself enslaved for two years.

Tomatoland reads like a suspenseful whodunit as well as an expose of today's agribusiness systems and the price we pay as a society when we take taste and thought out of our food purchases. Click here for more information or to order.

James Beard Award-winning journalist Barry Estabrook was a contributing editor at Gourmet magazine for eight years, writing investigative articles about where food comes from. He was the founding editor of Eating Well magazine and has written for the New York Times Magazine, Reader's Digest, Men's Health, Audubon, and the Washington Post, and contributes regularly to The Atlantic Monthly's website. His work has been anthologized in the Best American Food Writing series, and he has been interviewed on numerous television and radio shows. He lives and grows tomatoes in his garden in Vermont.

Organic Tomato Seeds

Monsanto Under Federal Investigation

2011-07-01T09:06:00.000-05:00

By Lucia Graves

Global agribusiness giant Monsanto is under federal investigation for using cash incentives to persuade distributors to use Roundup, the world’s top-selling weedkiller. Monsanto is also currently being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice for a possible violation of anti-trust laws regarding its dominance of the genetically-engineered seed industry.

Monsanto announced Wednesday the company would cooperate with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s probe of its “customer incentives” programs and a subpoena for documents pertaining to the sale of Monsanto’s glyphosate products in fiscal years 2009 and 2010.

The US-based company has allegedly been offering distributors up to $20 per acre to use Roundup, as well as Roundup Ready seeds, which have been genetically modified to resist the glyphosate-based herbicide.

The announcement came as the agricultural biotechnology giant reported a 77 percent jump in net income, an increase attributed mostly to the strength of its core seeds and genetic traits businesses...... Continue reading

Related articles:
Risky: A Hard Look at Glyphosate
Herbicide Tolerance and GM Crops
Millions Against Monsanto
Monsanto Trying To Take Over World Seed Supply, Nation by Nation
NPR and Monsanto

The World According to Monsanto: Pollution, Corruption, and the Control of the World's Food Supply, by Marie Monique Robin. The result of a remarkable three-year-long investigation that took award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker Marie-Monique Robin across four continents (North and South America, Europe, and Asia), The World According to Monsanto tells the little-known yet shocking story of this agribusiness giant--the world's leading producer of GMOs (genetically modified organisms)--and how its new "green" face is no less malign than its PCB- and Agent Orange-soaked past.

Robin reports that, following its long history of manufacturing hazardous chemicals and lethal herbicides, Monsanto is now marketing itself as a "life sciences" company, seemingly convinced about the virtues of sustainable development. However, Monsanto now controls the majority of the yield of the world's genetically modified corn and soy--ingredients found in more than 95 percent of American households--and its alarming legal and political tactics to maintain this monopoly are the subject of worldwide concern.

Released to great acclaim and controversy in France, throughout Europe, and in Latin America alongside the documentary film of the same name, The World According to Monsanto is sure to change the way we think about food safety and the corporate control of our food supply... More

The Paths We Are On

2011-06-30T10:23:00.002-05:00

By White Feather

To me, the most important part of any path is the ground directly below one's feet. That is the only part of one's path that can be experienced and enjoyed in the present NOW. Time spent scrutinizing and judging the part of the path behind us that we've already traveled is time wasted and time spent not in the NOW. Likewise, excessive scrutiny and judgment of the path that lies ahead also is time spent not in the NOW, not present on the spot of the path we currently are on. Our awareness and appreciation and actions in the present NOW determine how the path unfolds in front of us. If we are loving ourselves in the present NOW then a path of possibilities opens up for that love to continue and grow.

My own personal pathway has taken me to countless different places with many different experiences but in many ways it has not changed much over the years. No matter where my path takes me I bring with me so many of the same burdens and challenges. Though the pathway seems to take me to ever new places, there has not been a corresponding amount of change. I learn the same lessons and meet the same challenges over and over. It can seem like the path is a big circle. It is as I drop baggage and conditioning and issues that the path veers off into new directions and real change happens. My path becomes brighter when I become a litterbug, dumping my garbage off to the side of the path and lightening my load. As I shed the burdens I've chosen to carry I realize that it is easier to travel and that there really is no place up ahead to take those burdens to. They can be dumped anywhere. By lightening my load in the NOW I am enabling myself to better enjoy the path ahead. Without the burdens I find that I am not so concerned about the path ahead because I am so happy right where I am. When you're carrying a lot of luggage you tend to walk quickly and you take the shortest path so that you can hurry up and get where you're going so that you can put the baggage down. It's better to just put the baggage down and proceed without it. Our paths then suddenly become way more fun.

We worry about where we are going and whether our path will take us there. The less we enjoy where we are now, the more we concern our selves with where we are going to. We think a pathway will lead us to change but change can only happen in the present NOW. It's the only place change actually happens. So if we are on a path to change that change will remain in the future. Our paths do not lead to change. Change is what determines our path. The ultimate destination is the here and now and the pathway that takes us there is loving our selves. It is the path we are all on.

Books by White Feather
View all articles by White Feather

Leaky Gut Syndrome and Gluten-Free Living

2011-06-30T10:05:00.000-05:00

By Brian Trimmer

The gluten-free product trend is growing within the food manufacturing industry. More and more consumable goods are labeled, "wheat or gluten free." Also, an increasing number of restaurants are offering gluten-free options on the menu.

The facts are undeniable, each year a growing segment of the population determines to live gluten-free. But the question arises, why are so many people sensitive to gluten products? Unlike a food allergy, which is an immune system disorder within the body, gluten intolerance is a reaction caused by biological issues within the small intestines. This disorder is labeled, Leaky gut syndrome. As is well known, our digestive tract break down and rearranges food into its most basic elements: proteins, amino acids, fatty acids, and carbohydrates. At this point, the food nutrients are absorbed into the body. The inner lining of the small intestine is lined with tiny finger-like projections, called villi, which essentially capture nutritional elements and pass them along to microscopic blood vessels within these projections. Microscopic openings in the villi act as filters allowing only properly digested and processed nutritional material, or chains, through to the bloodstream.

Larger than normal opening within the villi allows unprocessed or incompletely disassembled food molecules to enter the bloodstream. Villi openings of this sort allow possibly risky material to "leak" through, thus the term, leaky gut syndrome.

Nutrients and proteins (peptides) not properly broken down, that enter the bloodstream, are often identified as unfamiliar and therefore are attacked by the body's immune system. Such a reaction is similar to a food allergy reaction and can cause any number of physical or behavioral issues.

Another popular theory is that eating gluten leads to high levels of protein byproducts. These byproducts are said to adversely affect behavior in much the same way as drugs. Some doctor's even hypothesis that inadequately processed peptide is decoded by the body in the same manner as morphine. Gluten can therefore act as a sort of opiate, drastically affecting behavior. These same doctors surmise that if gluten is taken out of the diet, it will reduce the body's mishandling of the gluten-morphine misread, thus improving behavior.

Leaky gut syndrome can lead to behavioral and social difficulties. Depression or irritability is often the most apparent non-physical symptoms. Children especially may exhibit strong, negative emotional outbursts.
Physical symptoms associated with gluten or wheat sensitivity include: gas, bloating and stomach pains, cramps or diarrhea, or even vomiting. These may indicate that you may suffer from gluten-intolerance associated with leaky gut syndrome.

Sensitivity to wheat/gluten can also lead to headache or a generally feeling run-down.

In a very real sense, we are what we eat. If numerous studies confirm that a gluten-free diet improves the quality of life for gluten intolerant people, isn't a change of diet worth the effort? Any remedy, however slight, is beneficial!

At the very least, a gluten-free diet will not only make you feel a lot healthier but increase energy and concentration levels as well.

Brian Trimmer is an established entrepreneur and CEO of FoodConsciousKids. His passion is educating families with children who suffer from gluten intolerance. His online network supports and educates gluten-free families so they can thrive. Brian has numerous e-Books and articles to his credit, many dealing with gluten issues and gluten-free living. To learn more about gluten intolerance and becoming a gluten-free family or to join his online gluten-free community, go to FoodConsciousKids.com

Article Source: EzineArticles

Gluten Free Every Day Cookbook: More than 100 Easy and Delicious Recipes from the Gluten-Free Chef, by Robert Landolphi. For those not having a lot of practice cooking gluten-free, the most valuable section in the book will likely became Landolphi's chapter on "Gluten-Free Basics", which contains comprehensive information on the numerous flours, starches, nut meals and seeds that are used in gluten-free cooking. This section includes information on the taste, appearance, nutritional value and even storage guidelines of these ingredients and is very valuable to the less-experienced gluten-free cook... More

Gluten-Free Diet: A Comprehensive Resource Guide, by Shelley Case. This book provides all this: Detailed food and ingredient information - Latest breaking news on oats, including position statements from various organizations around the world, guidelines for use and references - New food and GF labeling regulations in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia/NZ, as well as the international Codex Alimentarius - Over 3100 gluten-free specialty products listed by company name, product name and package size - Directory of more than 270 American, Canadian and international companies divided into 3 categories: manufacturers of GF products, GF bakeries and GF stores & distributors - Nutrition information and practical strategies for healthy gluten-free living - Creative ideas for meals and snacks - Gluten-free cooking and recipes with nutritional analysis - Prevention of cross-contamination - Tips for eating out - Resources- books, cookbooks, magazines, celiac groups around the world and more! More

Thousands of Gluten-Free Products

Abraham on Opinions and Vibrations

2011-06-30T09:15:00.007-05:00

Quotation of the Week

"Because others cannot vibrate in your experience, they cannot affect the outcome of your experience. They can hold their opinions, but unless their opinion affects your opinion, their opinion matters not at all. A million people could be pushing against you and it would not negatively affect you unless you push back. That million people pushing against you are affecting their millions of vibrations. They are affecting what happens in their experience. They are affecting their point of attraction, but it does not affect you unless you push against them." - Abraham (as channeled through Esther Hicks)

Strays: A Woman, a Dog and the Timeless Wisdom of Nature

2011-06-28T07:35:00.001-05:00

Strays: A Woman, a Dog and the Timeless Wisdom of Nature, by Jeanne Webster. Laid off from her first job as a staff writer for an Atlanta newspaper and stuck in a dysfunctional relationship, Jane retreats to a cabin in the Smokey Mountains to demand guidance from a so-far silent God. When she accidently falls and hits her head, she acquires a seventh sense that allows her to understand the language of animals and plants. Her divine guidance comes in the form of an abandoned stray dog and a cast of unusual characters who describe their purpose here on earth through enchanting and profound stories. With the animals and plants insights leading her, Jane finds enlightenment, authenticity, personal empowerment, and travels out of confusion and complexity into a world of simplicity and personal choice. As she recaptures her own true nature, she discovers that even the most lost can eventually find their way home.

"Through charming cultural and indigenous stories from the world of nature, Strays reminds us that we are never alone, and that separation is truly an illusion." —James Twyman, bestselling author and Peace Troubadour

Click here for more information or to order.

Jeanne Webster is a certified professional life coach who specializes in teen and young-adult issues, life transitions, and spiritual integration. She is an award-winning author, speaker, and columnist and the author of Conversation with God for Teens and If You Could Be Anything, What Would You Be? She lives in Otto, North Carolina.

Books on Animal Spirituality

From Fear to Love: A Spiritual Journey
Conquer Depression, Anxiety, and Bipolar Without Drugs
The Science of Abundant Life
Joe Vitale's Beyond Manifestation

Navigating the Collapse of Time: A Peaceful Path Through the End of Illusions

2011-06-25T07:34:00.001-05:00

Navigating the Collapse of Time: A Peaceful Path Through the End of Illusions, by David Ian Cowan, with a foreward by Barbara Hand Clow. The signs are everywhere: Economic crisis, dramatic hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and increased rates of species extinction. According to New Age metaphysician David Cowan, we are in the midst of a 25-year transitional period of planetary shift as our solar system approaches the Galactic Photon Band, a shift that is also affecting our perception of time.

The Mayans had a term for this transitional period: the "Time of No Time," indicating that, post-2012, time as we know it or experience it may not exist at all or will have changed dramatically.

In Navigating the Collapse of Time, Cowan synthesizes a broad range of perspectives about this time of transition, from the writings of the ancient Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas, to speculative theory, quantum physics, philosophy, and the nature of illusion and reality posed by a range of theorists and academics including Ken Carey, Barbara Hand Clow, William Gammill, Zecharia Sitchin, Carl Calleman, Gary Renard, Ken Wapnick, Brent Haskel, and many others. He also lets us know what to expect as events continue to unfold to their prescribed conclusion and how to navigate this time of change.

"With David Cowan's book, Navigating the Collapse of Time, we get a fascinating picture of the transition period that is approaching for the human race. What kind of a transition it will be, and what nature and direction the illusory dream of time and space will take, is up to us, depending on how we choose our thoughts. I highly recommend this enjoyable page turner." -Gary Renard, the best-selling author of The Disappearance of the Universe

Click here for more information or to order.

David Cowan is a biofeedback trainer and teacher in spiritual communication and the art of dowsing. A former musician, counselor, and alternative health practitioner and trainer, he lives in Boulder, Colorado, where he runs a licensing program in Spiritual Healing to a variety of health practitioners.

Mind Force Attraction
From Fear to Love: A Spiritual Journey
Essentials For Starting a Women's Group
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Having Body Odor Is A Good Reason NOT To Use Deodorants

2011-06-24T07:53:00.002-05:00

By Andreas Moritz

Most people are not aware of why they perspire. Antiperspirants and perfumes have become so much a part of our lives that we rarely think about why we need them or whether we really need them. It may even be more important to find out if they can be harmful to us.

Deodorants and antiperspirants were invented because more and more people began to perspire excessively and develop body odor. It now appears to be the normal thing to do to give the underarms a spray in the morning and forget about this 'smelly nuisance' for the rest of the day. But sweating is not a nuisance; it is the body's natural way of ridding itself of certain waste products and keeping itself cool. Like the bowels, liver, urinary system and lungs, our sweat glands are also meant to help keep the body clean. Why else would we have them?

To make your body sweat once a day even for a few minutes is a good way to stay healthy. Conversely, clogging up the skin's pores with chemicals (makeup, beauty creams, sun-blocks, antiperspirants, etc.) harms the skin. Trying to prevent the sweat glands from releasing bodily waste is rather like trying to run a car while blocking its exhaust pipe.

Many people today feel that they need chemical products to control their body odor. This is because other eliminative organs, such as the colon, liver, lungs and kidneys, are badly congested, which coerces the body to dump some of the excess toxic waste into the skin. The chemical products block its excretion of toxins through the skin, which may please the nose, but causes a steady buildup of toxins in the skin and underlying connective tissues; it also increases bacterial development and the risk for skin diseases, even skin cancer.

Body odor is not caused by sweat. Sweat is an odorless fluid consisting of 99 percent water. Normal sweat evaporates from the skin very quickly and leaves no unpleasant odor behind. A slightly unpleasant smell under the armpits or on the skin occurs only when your body needs to employ bacteria to eliminate excessive sweat that could not be removed by fresh air, usually because of wearing synthetic clothes that do not permit proper aeration. There can be as many as half a million bacteria occupying a square inch of skin. In addition, when there are excessive amounts of toxins that need to be digested by bacteria, a strong, putrid smell occurs. Destructive microbes naturally produce bad-smelling gases while digesting waste. The odor on the skin may be a sign of constipation accompanied by poor breath. It also indicates poor performance of liver and kidneys. The body is crying out for help as toxins are 'bursting at the seams'. But instead of reading the body's symptoms as a sign of imbalance and taking care of it, most people merely search for ways to shut down the symptoms. If body odor occurs only occasionally, it may be due to indigestion or chemicals in foods.

To combat the bacteria most people use deodorants, and to tackle the excessive underarm wetness, they apply antiperspirants. Deodorants contain germicides that kill the microbes and, as is the case with most of the brands, a synthetic perfume to mask the smell of the germicide. The two most common active ingredients in commercial deodorants/antiperspirants are chlorohydrate or aluminum zirconium chlorohydrate. These chemicals react with the protein contained in the sweat and form a gel that partially blocks the sweat glands' ability to excrete liquid. These chemicals are easily absorbed by the skin. There is increasing evidence that people who suffer from Alzheimer's disease have large amounts of aluminum in their bodies, which may result from the use of deodorants.

Fruits and vegetables naturally synthesize aluminum. This organic, ionic mineral is not only harmless, but also essential for the human body. By contrast, synthetically derived aluminum is highly toxic. The argument by the industry that aluminum can be found almost everywhere in nature is highly misleading because these two types of aluminum have completely opposite effects on the body. The same applies, of course, to almost all minerals and trace elements, including gold, silver, lead, and even arsenic. In their ionic, angstrom-size state (processed by plants), these substances are essential for our bodies, but when taken in their inorganic, metallic forms they can lead to serious poisoning and numerous disorders. Antiperspirants and deodorants are packed with heavy metals and poisonous chemicals. By applying them to your skin they enter the blood and end up accumulating in the liver, kidneys, breast and brain tissue.

These products may not be as damaging to the brain and other parts of the body if all other causes of metal accumulation were excluded. Typically, a person absorbs between 10 and 100 mg of aluminum each day through use of aluminum cookware, antacids, baking soda, and several other sources. And although the reasons for Alzheimer's disease are ambiguous, research points to aluminum toxicity that may be one of the primary perpetrators.

A natural deodorant stone costs only about $10 and lasts at least two to five years. It works wonderfully and has no nasty side effects. When you check the ingredient list of a deodorant stone, don't get alarmed when you see the word 'alum' written there. Alum isn't the same thing as aluminum chlorhydrate. Alum is a natural mineral salt, and is unrelated to aluminum chlorohydrate or aluminum zirconium chlorohydrate. The mineral salts in the deodorant stone don't block perspiration, they mainly just cover odor.

How to effectively deal with body odor:

· Pitta and Pitta-Vata types are the most prone to develop body odor. Follow the Ayurvedic regimen and cleansing procedures. Remove all gallstones from your liver and cleanse your kidneys. Avoid too many acid-forming foods such animal proteins, fats and starches. The more refined and processed the foods are, the more likely the skin will have to eliminate toxic waste. The digestion of toxins by skin bacteria causes an unpleasant smell of skin. Meat eaters especially have a tendency to develop bad body odor. Stick to fruits, vegetables, and salads as your main source of alkaline-forming foods. They also work as natural cleansers.

· Stop using deodorants and antiperspirants; they only reinforce the problem by blocking off part of your lymphatic system and dispersing the toxins together with the chemicals contained in these products into other parts of your body, including the breasts. This can cause lumps and cancer of the breast!

· Wash the afflicted areas in the morning with a natural soap that contains no harmful chemicals and finish off with a splash of cold water on your underarms.

· Make sure to wear loose-fitting cotton clothes. Synthetics will prevent your skin from breathing and eliminating toxins.

· You may want to make a solution of your most favorite essential oil (one to two drops in an ounce of water; shake well to disperse the oil!) and dab it on your underarms.

· I recommend deodorant stones that are made from non-toxic and natural materials such as potassium sulphate and other colloidal minerals. They are pure and harmless and stop bacteria from spreading if applied right after washing. They are available from most health food stores.

A note on colognes or perfumes:

They can lead to serious allergies, birth defects, and even cancer. A major loophole in U.S. Federal law allows fragrance makers to include potentially hazardous chemicals in their products, including the highly toxic phthalates and artificial musk. Most fragrances contain phthalates. They are added to plastic to soften it. When absorbed by the skin, they act as the most powerful estrogens ever known. And abnormal estrogen levels cause cancer. Synthetically produced musk is linked to skin irritation, hormone disruption, and cancer as well. Natural fragrances emitted from aroma oils are beneficial for the body. Synthetic aromas, on the other hand, disrupt hormonal communication, and they accumulate in your body, building up toxicity.

This is an excerpt from the book Timeless Secrets of Health & Rejuvenation by Andreas Moritz. Andreas Moritz is a writer and practitioner in the field of Integrative Medicine. He is the author of 13 books ( Books by Andreas Moritz ) on various subjects pertaining to holistic health, including The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush, Cancer Is Not a Disease, It's a Survival Mechanism, Feel Great, Lose Weight, and Lifting The Veil of Duality

His most recent book is titled Vaccine-Nation: Poisoning the Population, One Shot at a Time. Moritz is also the creator of Ener-Chi Art and Sacred Santémony.

Much of his life's work has been dedicated to understanding and treating the root causes of illness, and helping the body, mind, spirit and heart to heal naturally. Connect with Andreas at: Facebook

Copyright © 2011 by Andreas Moritz

Article Source: EzineArticles

Books by Andreas Moritz

Vaccine-nation: Poisoning the Population, One Shot at a Time, by Andreas Moritz. For many decades we have all been led to believe that vaccines have eradicated the most dreaded infectious diseases, including polio, although to this day there is no scientific evidence to support this theory. On the other hand, indisputable scientific data reveal that childhood vaccines, flu shots and other kinds of inoculations are responsible for the dramatic decline of natural immunity among millions of children, adults, and members of the older population. With each new shot received, the immune system becomes weaker and permanently damaged, thereby laying the ground for potentially debilitating illnesses to develop in the future. Reaching deep into the vaccine cartel, Moritz uncovers hard facts to prove that profit - not public health - is the sole motive behind the vaccine-pushers' chicanery. In this book, he also digs up the real reasons behind the 2009 swine flu outbreak or the "pandemic that didn't pan out". In Vaccine-nation, Moritz minces no words while unraveling these and other skeletons in Big Pharma's closet and cautions you not to buy into the hollow claims of vaccine makers. In his characteristic style, Moritz offers a gentle and practical approach to a disease-free life, which rests on the fulcrum of the mind-body connection, cleansing of the body, and naturally healthy living... More

Heal Yourself with Sunlight, by Andreas Moritz. This book provides scientific evidence that sunlight is essential for good health, and that a lack of sun exposure can be held responsible for many of today’s ailments. Sunlight is a nutrient, a medicine, a remedy, all at once. It is not some bottled compound you can find at a drug store alone. It is naturally available to everyone. The dosage is under your control and your body easily tells you when you have had just about the right amount of it. Unfortunately, even though sunlight is readily available all through the day, many people fail to profit from it. Read this book to learn how you can harness sunlight, nature’s most potent and curative powers, for maintaining good health. It is a misconception that the sun is the main culprit for causing skin cancer, certain cataracts leading to blindness, and aging. Research has actually shown that most skin cancers occur among those who rarely ever spend time in the sun or who use sunscreens filled with carcinogenic chemicals. It has been known for several decades that those living mostly in the outdoors, at high altitudes, or near the equator, have the lowest incidence of skin cancers and are among the healthiest people on the planet... More

Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation, by Andreas Moritz. Flying in the face of mainstream medicine and society's many health myths-here is a book that finally proves that good health is not only easily achievable-no matter where you are right now-it's your natural state. In this new, expanded edition of Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation, best-selling author Andreas Moritz reveals the most common but rarely recognized reasons behind illness and aging. He offers powerful and time-tested self-help approaches to remove the root causes of illness and achieve continuous vibrant health, regardless of age. While most physicians attempt to combat or subdue illness-which has been known to cause more illness and death than cancer or heart disease-they know too little about employing the mind and body to actually help heal a person. Compiled over the course of 35 years of work and research in the health industry-and based on eye-opening experiences with thousands of people across the globe, this book reveals everything you need to know in order to unleash the natural healing power that lies dormant within you... More

Cancer Is Not A Disease - It's A Survival Mechanism, by Andreas Moritz. Cancer is the physical symptom reflecting our body's final attempt to eliminate specific life-destructive causes. Removing such causes sets the precondition for complete healing of our body, mind and emotions. This book confronts you with a radically new understanding of cancer - one that outdates the current cancer model. On average, the conventional approaches of killing, cutting or burning cancerous cells offer most patients a remission rate of merely 7%, and the majority of the few survivors are "cured" for just five years or less. The prominent cancer researcher and professor at the University of California (Berkeley), Dr. Hardin Jones, stated: "Patients are as well, or better off, untreated." Any published success figures in cancer survival statistics are offset by equal or better scores among those not receiving any treatments. More people are killed by the treatments than saved. Cancer is Not a Disease shows you why regular cancer treatments can be fatal, what actually causes cancer, and how you can remove the obstacles that prevent the body from healing itself. Cancer is not an attempt on your life; to the contrary, cancer is trying to save it. Unless we change our perception of what cancer really is, it will continue to threaten the life of nearly one out of every two people. This book opens a door for those who wish to turn feelings of victimhood into empowerment and self-mastery, and disease into health... More

The Amazing Liver & Gallbladder Flush, by Andreas Moritz. This book addresses the most common but rarely recognized cause of illness - gallstones congesting the liver. Twenty million Americans suffer from attacks of gallstones every year. In many cases, treatment merely consists of removing the gallbladder, at the cost of $5 billion a year. But this purely symptom-oriented approach does not eliminate the cause of the illness, and in many cases, sets the stage for even more serious conditions. Most adults living in the industrialized world, and especially those suffering a chronic illness such as heart disease, arthritis, MS, cancer, or diabetes, have hundreds if not thousands of gallstones (mainly clumps of hardened bile) blocking the bile ducts of their liver. This book provides a thorough understanding of what causes gallstones in the liver and gallbladder and why these stones can be held responsible for the most common diseases so prevalent in the world today. It provides the reader with the knowledge needed to recognize the stones and gives the necessary, do-it-yourself instructions to painlessly remove them in the comfort of one's home. It also gives practical guidelines on how to prevent new gallstones from being formed. The widespread success of The Amazing Liver & Gallbladder Flush is a testimony to the power and effectiveness of the cleanse itself. The liver cleanse has led to extraordinary improvements in health and wellness among thousands of people who have already given themselves the precious gift of a strong, clean, revitalized liver. Andreas Moritz is a Medical Intuitive and practitioner of Ayurveda, Iridology, Shiatsu and Vibrational Medicine... More

More Books by Andreas Moritz

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African Penguins and British Honeybees

2011-06-23T07:53:00.000-05:00

African Penguins Face Extinction

At the turn of the last century, about 3 to 4 million African Penguins flourished along the coasts of South Africa and Namibia. By 2000, that number had dropped to 200,000 -- and by 2010 the population had fallen to just 55,000. African penguins are expected to be extinct in 15 years...... Read more

Experts Puzzled By Big Decline in Honeybees Over Winter

Honeybee populations declined by 13.6% over the winter, according to a survey of beekeepers across England. Losses were most severe in the north-east, where the survey recorded a loss rate of 17.1%.

Experts worry that the declines will affect plant productivity. There are also concerns that the declines, along with drought conditions in some areas, will mean less English honey this year.

Martin Smith, president of the British Beekeepers Association, which carried out the survey, said: "If this was measured against similar losses in livestock it would be seen as disastrous and there would be great concern on the knock-on impact of food prices......" Read more

The Beekeeper's Lament: How One Man and Half a Billion Honey Bees Help Feed America, by Hannah Nordhaus. The honey bee is a willing conscript, a working wonder, an unseen and crucial link in America's agricultural industry. But never before has its survival been so unclear—and the future of our food supply so acutely challenged. Enter beekeeper John Miller, who trucks his hives around the country, bringing millions of bees to farmers otherwise bereft of natural pollinators. Even as the mysterious and deadly epidemic known as Colony Collapse Disorder devastates bee populations across the globe, Miller forges ahead with the determination and wry humor of a true homespun hero. The Beekeeper's Lament tells his story and that of his bees, making for a complex, moving, and unforgettable portrait of man in the new natural world... More

Plenty of (Farmed) Fish in the Sea

2011-06-21T08:43:00.000-05:00

By Laetitia Mailhes of the Green Plate Blog

News from the sea abound on this National Oceans Month!

First off, you may be pleased to know that the U.S. House of Representatives voted last week to prohibit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from approving genetically modified (GM) salmon for human consumption. The measure was introduced by Rep. Don Young, R-Alaska, as an amendment to an agriculture-spending bill after FDA scientists determined last September that the GM salmon developed by Waltham, Mass., biotechnology firm AquaBounty Technologies, called AquAdvantage Salmon, is safe for human consumption. (An FDA advisory committee has since determined that more research is needed.)

“Frankenfish is uncertain and unnecessary,” said Young in a press release. “Any approval of genetically modified salmon could seriously threaten wild salmon populations as they grow twice as fast and require much more food. Frankenfish is bad policy all around. I eat Alaskan wild salmon and I support Alaskan wild salmon and I will not allow these fake fish to affect our healthy stocks.” The Senate still has to weigh in.

The latest turn of events in the GM-salmon saga came about less than a week after U.S. aquaculture received an official boost from the Obama Administration. Its new guidelines are designed to stimulate open ocean aquaculture (OOA) or the development of fish farms in federal water–the strip of open ocean that stretches between 3 and 200 miles off the coast of the United States, outside of states’ jurisdictions.

“Encouraging and developing the US ($1-billion) aquaculture industry will result in economic growth and create jobs at home, support exports to global markets, and spur new innovations in technology to support the industry,” said Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.

The zone that is targeted in priority by the new policy? The Gulf of Mexico...... Continue reading

Laetitia' article is an excellent in-depth article on the state of aquaculture. When you have read it come back and watch this excellent video presentation by Dan Barber on the Veta La Palma fish farm in Southern Spain. This may be the answer to all our questions and you will finish the video feeling very good and even optimistic. Enjoy!

Swimming in Circles: Aquaculture and the End of Wild Oceans, by Paul Molyneaux. Expanding on the author's year-long study of the shrimp and salmon aquaculture industries as an Alicia Patterson Foundation Fellow, the book lays out the rationale behind aquaculture development: increasing the world food supply and creating jobs in areas hard hit by declining landings in wild fisheries. However, reality is something else entirely: ravaged ecosystems and bankrupted local economies. The author expands on his existing case studies, near his homes in eastern Maine, and Sonora, Mexico, and links them to events in other parts of the world. The author's 30 years experience in fisheries and aquaculture qualifies him to weigh the rhetoric and sift out the truth of this story. In six years as a freelance journalist, writing for the New York Times, Yankee, National Fisherman, and other publications, he has managed to describe complex material in an interesting and palatable style... More

View all Food Movement Articles

Just Ask Your Baker

2011-06-21T08:16:00.000-05:00

By Joseph Parish

During one of my biology classes in college we were asked to analyze the ingredients which were found in a simple, common, everyday food. Much to my surprise was one of the ingredients which I found contained in a loaf of bread.

Take any bread and read the ingredient list. For our sample we will use a generic 100 percent whole wheat bread. At first it sounds like it would be very beneficial for our health however upon reading the raw products list we quickly discover other wise. Ingredients on the bread wrapper state that it is made from the usual whole wheat flour, sugar, water, yeast, wheat gluten, soybean or canola oil, salt, citric acid, sodium and a host of other minor products, some being familiar while other may not so well-recognized.

One of the ingredients that caught my attention was something called azodicarbonamide. Azodicarbonamide is a product which is generally used in the manufacturing of PVC piping and it is an active agent in the foamed plastics and rubber industry. Typical products which contain this chemical include sealing gaskets, automotive padded floor mats, exercise mats and rubber shoe soles.

My first reaction to this chemical which I discovered in my loaf of bread was why is it used at all. I have found that generally anything put in food which is unpronounceable by the common person is not healthy for you. Unfortunately, I was proved correct in my assumption with this product. The World Health Organization has stated that azodicarbonamide is a respiratory sensitizer which is capable of causing drastic respiratory illnesses to workers who have been exposed to it.

Azodicarbonamide is in reality a synthetic chemical used as a human food additive. When used in this manner it is referred to as E927. We find this chemical used as not only a food additive, but as a flour bleaching agent as well. In effect it acts as an oxidizing agent and reacts accordingly with the moist flour of the dough.

As I noticed it being added to my bread my initial question was whether it is safe or not? The manufacturer of the bread places azodicarbonamide in the dough to maintain a spongy feeling in the final product. Further research has revealed that the chemical has been banned from many foreign countries as an unsafe addition to food. In Singapore if you are caught using this chemical in food you are liable for a fine of $450,000 dollars and a prison term of up to 15 years. Australia as well has placed a ban on this chemical as have most European nations. America so far has not placed any restrictions on this product and it is allowed to be added to human food at a rate of 45 parts per million.

In support of the idea that this chemical is unsafe in foods it is wrongly been proclaimed that azodicarbonamide completely decomposed into harmless chemicals during the baking process. This is simply not true and the final bread product is harmful to humans. It is believed that the primary reason that it is disapproved in European nations is because it is an oxidizer and as such if consumed it creates free radicals within the body which contribute to cancer formation. As health conscious people we should be up in arms with our government for allowing this hazardous chemical to be fed to our families in our food.

You may be asking yourself what you can do since bread is a mainstream staple around the world. First off, always read the package to see what chemicals are in the food you are about to buy. Stop purchasing and consuming any baked produce which contains azodicarbonamide. Avoid fast food establishments such as Subway, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, McDonald's, KFC and the string of other fast food enterprise. Since you must have bread you are presented with several options. You can purchase the higher priced organic breads or you can simply bake your own.

By Joseph Parish. Copyright @2011 Joseph Parish. For more information relating to survival visit us at SurvialTrainingInfo

Article Source: EzineArticles

Read It Before You Eat It: How to Decode Food Labels and Make the Healthiest Choice Every Time, by Bonnie Taub-Dix. The whole foods movement explained how to shop healthfully at the farmers market, but how can families shop smart at Wal-Mart? There is a wealth of information on labels, but most people have no idea that products labeled "trans-fat free" can contain trans-fats or that "all natural" is a meaningless phrase. Readers can bring this handy guide to the supermarket to help them interpret labels like a pro. How much sodium is too much? Are all carbs the kiss of death? And what does "organic" really mean? Renowned nutritionist Bonnie Taub-Dix clears up the confusion by showing readers how to make sense of the labels and sidestep tricky marketing ploys. She walks them through a typical grocery store and points out the best food choices to make in every aisle... More

A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives, 7th Edition: Descriptions in Plain English of More Than 12,000 Ingredients Both Harmful and Desirable Found in Foods, by Ruth Winter. With our culture’s growing interest in organic foods and healthy eating, it is important to understand what food labels mean and to learn how to read between the lines. This completely revised and updated edition of A Consumer’s Dictionary of Food Additives gives you the facts about the safety and side effects of more than 12,000 ingredients–such as preservatives, food-tainting pesticides, and animal drugs–that end up in food as a result of processing and curing. It tells you what’s safe and what you should leave on the grocery-store shelves. In addition to updated entries that cover the latest medical and scientific research on substances such as food enhancers and preservatives, this must-have guide includes more than 650 new chemicals now commonly used in food. You’ll also find information on modern food-production technologies such as bovine growth hormone and genetically engineered vegetables. Alphabetically organized, cross-referenced, and written in everyday language, this is a precise tool for understanding food labels and knowing which products are best to bring home to your family... More

Do You QuantumThink?: New Thinking That Will Rock Your World

2011-06-21T07:53:00.001-05:00

Do You QuantumThink?: New Thinking That Will Rock Your World, by Dianne Collins. The world is changing at a dizzying pace. We're all looking for new ways of thinking that can bring about real solutions to modern problems, from the pursuit of inner serenity to solving world conflicts. In Do You QuantumThink? author Dianne Collins shares her ingenious discovery that reveals a critical missing link to make sense of our changing times. Her discovery provides us with the understanding and methodology to rise above problems of today by laying the foundation for an entirely new way to think.

Part science, part philosophy, part spirituality, Do You QuantumThink? draws on a wide spectrum of sources, from cutting edge innovations in the sciences to the insights of the world's greatest spiritual leaders. This book will make you laugh, free you from limiting ideas, and introduce you to the most advanced principles and practical methods for living. Do You QuantumThink? will rock your world in the best of ways as you experience one revelation after another. "When you master your mind, you master your life."

Click here for moe information or to order.

Dianne Collins is an important thought-leader for our time. She is a master of translating spiritual wisdom into what she calls 'quantum' terms providing a practical and transformative platform for the way we conduct our lives. Dianne consults executives in major corporations as well as enterprising entrepreneurs, celebrities, and students in the system of new thinking she has created, QuantumThink.

Mind Force Attraction
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Nuclear Crisis Brewing in Nebraska

2011-06-19T08:07:00.001-05:00

US Orders News Blackout Over Crippled Nebraska Nuclear Plant

A shocking report prepared by Russia’s Federal Atomic Energy Agency (FAAE) on information provided to them by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) states that the Obama regime has ordered a “total and complete” news blackout relating to any information regarding the near catastrophic meltdown of the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant [photo top left] located in Nebraska.

According to this report, the Fort Calhoun Nuclear Plant suffered a “catastrophic loss of cooling” to one of its idle spent fuel rod pools on 7 June after this plant was deluged with water caused by the historic flooding of the Missouri River which resulted in a fire causing the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) to issue a “no-fly ban” over the area...... Read more

More articles:

Airspace Over Flooded Nebraska Nuclear Power Plant Still Closed
Second Nebraska Nuclear Plant Threatened By Flooding
Electrical Fire Knocks Out Spent Fuel Cooling at Nebraska Nuke Plant
Dam Danger, Flooding and Ft. Calhoun Nuclear Power Plant
Nebraska Nuclear Plant: Emergency Level 4 & Getting Worse (video)

Nuclear Energy: What Everyone Needs to Know, by Charles D. Ferguson. Originally perceived as a cheap and plentiful source of power, the commercial use of nuclear energy has been controversial for decades. Worries about the dangers that nuclear plants and their radioactive waste posed to nearby communities grew over time, and plant construction in the United States virtually died after the early 1980s. The 1986 disaster at Chernobyl only reinforced nuclear power's negative image. Yet in the decade prior to the Japanese nuclear crisis of 2011, sentiment about nuclear power underwent a marked change. The alarming acceleration of global warming due to the burning of fossil fuels and concern about dependence on foreign fuel has led policymakers, climate scientists, and energy experts to look once again at nuclear power as a source of energy.

In this accessible overview, Charles D. Ferguson provides an authoritative account of the key facts about nuclear energy. What is the origin of nuclear energy? What countries use commercial nuclear power, and how much electricity do they obtain from it? How can future nuclear power plants be made safer? What can countries do to protect their nuclear facilities from military attacks? How hazardous is radioactive waste? Is nuclear energy a renewable energy source? Featuring a discussion of the recent nuclear crisis in Japan and its ramifications, Ferguson addresses these questions and more in a book that is essential for anyone looking to learn more about this important issue... More

Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India

2011-06-19T07:53:00.000-05:00

Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India, by William Dalrymple. From the author of The Last Mughal, an enlightening book that explores with remarkable compassion and expansive insight nine varieties of religious devotion in India today.

In portraits of people we might otherwise never know William Dalrymple distills his twenty-five years of travel in India to explore the challenges faced by practitioners of traditional forms of faith in contemporary India. For two months a year, a man in Kerala divides his time between jobs as a prison warden and a well-builder and his calling as an incarnate deity. A temple prostitute watches her two daughters die from AIDS after entering a trade she regards as a sacred calling. A Jain nun recalls the pain of watching her closest friend ritually starve herself to death.

Together, these tales reveal the resilience of individuals in the face of the relentless onslaught of modernity, the enduring legacy of tradition, and the hope and honor that can be found even in the most unlikely places. Click here for more information or to order.

“Exquisite. . . . William Dalrymple dazzles us with stories of how a deeper reality strokes the fire of life in the recesses of our souls. . . . By peering into the secret passages of their psyches, we learn more about our own self, our fantasies, our shadows, our longings, our hidden potential.” —Deepak Chopra

William Dalrymple is the author of six previous acclaimed works of history and travel, including City of Djinns, which won the Young British Writer of the Year Prize and the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award; the best-selling From the Holy Mountain; White Mughals, which won Britain’s most prestigious history prize, the Wolfson; and The Last Mughal, which won the Duff Cooper Prize for History and Biography. He divides his time between New Delhi and London, and is a contributor to The New York Review of Books, The New Yorker, and The Guardian.

Mind Force Attraction
From Fear to Love: A Spiritual Journey
Essentials For Starting a Women's Group
Loving the Game of Life

Fringe-ology: How I Tried to Explain Away the Unexplainable-And Couldn't

2011-06-18T08:52:00.001-05:00

Fringe-ology: How I Tried to Explain Away the Unexplainable-And Couldn't, by Steve Volk. More than seventy percent of Americans believe in paranormal activity. But even with a family-ghost story lurking in his own background, seasoned journalist Steve Volk has been like most of those millions of Americans— reticent to talk about his experience in polite company. If so many of us have similar stories to tell, why are we so reluctant to take them seriously?

Paranormal claims don’t traditionally sit well with reporters, but Volk decided to focus his gimlet-eyed tenacity on a new beat: the world of psychics, UFOs, and things that go bump in the night. It’s a rollicking ride as Volk introduces us to all sorts of fringe-dwellers, many of them reluctant to admit to their paranormal experiences: a NASA astronaut-turned-mystic, a world-famous psychologist who taught us about dying and then decided death may not exist at all, and brave scientists attempting to verify what mystics have been reporting for millennia. Volk investigates what happens in the brains of people undergoing religious experiences, learns how to control his own dreams, and goes hunting for specters in his family’s old haunted house.

From his journey into the bizarre, Volk returns with a compelling argument that we need to allow for a middle space, a place where paranormal phenomena can be weird and compelling; raise crucial questions; and, quite possibly, remain unexplainable. He rejects the polarized options the twenty-first century seems to offer us: to passionately embrace or hotly reject, to revere only science or only spirituality. And he underscores, again and again, that by raising our most existential questions—why are we here, are we alone in the universe, and what happens when we die?—paranormal stories are in fact a crucial point of connection. It turns out that these “fringe” experiences strike at the core of what it means to be human. Click here for more information or to order.

How to Forgive Yourself
Loving the Game of Life
Universal Life Secrets
From Fear to Love: A Spiritual Journey

Yet Another Gotcha: Canned Food

2011-06-17T08:16:00.007-05:00

By Kit Cassingham

My Bigger Half and I are so clever! Yes, it's true, we are. We learned about the problems with using plastic for drinking water from, storing food in, and using in our toys and shopping bags, and quite, or at least greatly reduced, our use of plastic. I sat on my smug laurels, and my backside, gloating over how good we were, missing one area we'd missed. You have probably missed the same thing because it's not visible to you either.

Canned foods. (Oh no! My emergency food supplies are mostly canned.) Well, if they are canned how are we missing the plastic link? Because most cans used in food storage have a plastic lining. And not just any plastic lining, but with BPA and phthalates!

BPA and phthalate are the worst of the plastics -- well, probably not the worst, but awfully darned bad -- to have in contact with your food. If you were eating fresh, whole foods this wouldn't be of the least concern to you. But some of the foods we cherish are canned. And, if you are stocking food in your larder for emergency situations, you will rely on canned foods too, unless you are more dedicated than even I am and make all of your own preserved food items, thus controlling what they are stored in.

Surely, you must be thinking, that little bit of plastic -- if it's even there -- can't be all that bad. Or can it? I even ask myself that question, and challenge My Bigger Half to consider the issue. Then I began my research in earnest.

A Bit About Plastic

BPA and phthalates are found in canned foods and sodas And it's also found in food microwaved in plastic. You'll find it in lots of types of plastics, but I'm focusing on canned foods in this article so will leave only the warning of all of the plastics in your life. DEHP, a phthalate, is added to plastic to make it more flexible.

BPA and phthalates are endocrine-disrupting chemicals and impact the hormone system. BPA mimics estrogen, and can effect the developing brain, reproductive system, and mammary and prostate glands. Some phthalates have been found to interfere with reproductive development, especially in men. Using products that are free of those two families of chemicals goes a long way toward cleaning up your body, but going further will help more. Cut as much plastic out of your life as possible because all plastics contain estrogenic activity (EA) and harmful chemicals that leach into your food and body.

One study found that by eating only whole, natural foods -- no processed foods -- BPA and DEHP levels dropped by 50 and 60 percent within two days. The levels didn't drop lower because of the amount of plastics in our lives that we come into contact with regularly. The implication is that people can reduce their exposures by eating foods not purchased or stored in plastic or cans, and by choosing restaurants that serve only whole natural foods.

Another study found almost all commercially available plastic products leached chemicals having detectable EA. It didn't matter what product, type of resin, or retail source was tested, even those claiming to be BPA-free, they all released chemicals mimicking estrogen. This is important to know because the "non-BPA" claims probably don't mean you are avoiding EA chemicals, only BPA.

Many of the estrogen-mimicking plastics have been banned around the world from children's toys, bottles, and sippy cups. But laws haven't been passed protecting adults from the same chemicals. Bureaucratic and political delays keep proposed legislation on hold, even with the EPA campaigning about the hazards of the problems. If our laws aren't protecting us from the obvious plastic hazards you know we aren't being protected from the hidden hazards, like those found lining cans.

Don't wait for the laws to pass, start ridding your life of plastic now. The hardest one to get rid of though, if your pantry is like mine and filled with a wide variety of canned foods, is the plastic lining cans. Man, this isn't going to be easy. Where are we going to find sliced olives for My Bigger Half's fabulous stacked enchiladas?

Back To Canned Foods

Tomatoes, being highly acidic, are one of the canned products that have relied on BPA-containing linings to keep the integrity of the can. Any canned food containing tomato (pasta, canned ravioli, tomato sauce and paste, and stewed tomatoes, for starters) should be high on your avoid list. Sadly, even organic tomatoes have BPA-plastic lining.

There are some canned goods coming out with BPA-free linings, but the question becomes what are cans lined with? Could it be one of the plastics mentioned above that are just as bad at leaching estrogen-mimicking chemicals? My cynical side says, "Probably".

And just to add insult to injury, The Environmental Working Group reports evidence that "low doses of BPA spur the formation and growth of fat cells, the two factors" are driving obesity. Especially abdominal fat. Who needs help with that?!

It's up to each of us to clean up our own lives, and of the lives of the people we care for. Start by avoiding plastic packaging, which is really hard. It's become increasingly difficult to find prepared foods in glass containers, though even then the plastic lining many glass jar lids have contain these EA chemicals. And canned alternatives of course don't help.

Where does that leave you? I guess it depends on how seriously you want to take this health threat. Avoiding plastic is an easy, flip answer, but not a realistic alternative, unless you are going to do all of your own canning or eat only fresh foods. And rid your home of all plastics. You can avoid drinking hot liquids from plastic cups, given the heat speeds the leaching of EA chemicals from the plastic. You can reduce plastic wrapped foods. You can eliminate most canned foods, maybe. Or, you can contact your Legislators and urge them to get on the stick about passing the bills requiring the most harmful chemicals be banned from our lives.

An off-topic concern, but one to get your mind reeling, is the question about other products in your life. What about your toiletries (toothpaste, shampoo, lotions, makeup, deodorant, lip balm, for starters), sandwich bags, dairy containers, and other items you may buy regularly? And your non-organic foods and even your water supply may be suspect. There's only so much you can do without talking to your Legislators and Representatives.

Don't stop your research into the topic or your solutions with this article. It's my goal to raise the issues I face, share my research, and voice my decisions and intended actions. I hope you'll share your thoughts and actions so we can have a valuable dialogue and learn from each other.

Kit Cassingham has been a greenie most of her life, even having a degree in Environmental Conservation. Her articles share lessons learned, both failures and successes. Food, cleaning, travel, energy and water conservation, waste reduction, home improvement projects, etc -- it's all part of green living, which you can follow at www.wegetgreener.com

Article Source: EzineArticles

Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving: 400 Delicious and Creative Recipes for Today, by Judi Kingry and Lauren Devine. Ball Home Canning Products are the gold standard in home preserving supplies, the trademark jars on display in stores every summer from coast to coast. Now the experts at Ball have written a book destined to become the "bible" of home preserving. As nutrition and food quality has become more important, home canning and preserving has increased in popularity for the benefits it offers. These 400 innovative and enticing recipes include everything from salsas and savory sauces to pickling, chutneys, relishes and of course, jams, jellies, fruit spreads, and more. The book includes comprehensive directions on safe canning and preserving methods plus lists of required equipment and utensils. Specific instructions for first-timers and handy tips for the experienced make the Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving a valuable addition to any kitchen library... More

Canning Supplies At Discount Prices!

View all Food Movement Articles

Love Your Bills

2011-06-17T07:08:00.001-05:00

Quotation of the Week

"It is essential that we stop worrying about money and stop resenting our bills. Many people treat bills as punishments to be avoided if possible. A bill is an acknowledgment of our ability to pay. The creditor assumes you are affluent enough and gives you the service or the product first. I bless with love each and every bill that comes into my home. I bless with love and stamp a small kiss on each and every check I write. If you pay with resentment, money has a hard time coming back to you. If you pay with love and joy, you open the free-flowing channel of abundance. Treat your money as a friend, not as something you wad up and crush into your pocket." - Louise L. Hay, from You Can Heal Your Life

Are You Conscious Of Your Subconscious?

2011-06-15T07:53:00.000-05:00

By Beth Cuje

Perception Filters - The Meanings We Attach

Cells within our body respond to our thoughts, specifically interpretive thoughts, i.e. the kind that explain to our subconscious mind how we see the world at a given point in time.

Let's say you encounter a lion... when this happens you automatically go into survival mode...unless you are a lion tamer. In this case, unlike most people, you will have completely different beliefs about how to relate to a lion.

Based on your past experiences and the meanings you attach to the lion, you will be able to interact with the animal without activating your survival mode. Your beliefs will let your body and mind remain calm--in the brain's "learning mode."

Interpretive thoughts are beliefs. These thoughts or beliefs act as perception filters in your subconscious mind. They influence activation of certain processes within you as well as management of all your body's systems. Your perceptions offer all the information your subconscious needs to operate and do the following:

- Guarantee your basic survival.

- Remind you of the emotional drives that connect you in a meaningful way to life.

The Judge And The Robot

Now, here are two key points. First, your conscious mind is like a judge and your subconscious mind is like a robot. The judge can rule over your subconscious min...that is as long as you stay aware and mindful.

Your subconscious, a genius at multi-tasking, is designed to process huge amounts of information every second, while your conscious mind processes a much smaller amount at any given time. Therefore unless you know how to stay conscious of your subconscious, whenever you are distracted or overwhelmed, your subconscious will override your conscious mind and run your life.

Jack can stay out of bars as long as he makes a conscious effort to do so. But let him get too tired or angry, he automatically heads for the bar where he feels comfortable and happy.

Second, believe it or not, your subconscious cannot tell the difference between what is real and what is not real. So what you believe to be true becomes the truth for you. And you will express it in your body, emotions, mind, and behavior.

Annie is a beautiful girl, but she grew up thinking she was a "plain Jane," She automatically dismisses complements and slouches around feeling ugly and unwanted.

Here's How It Works:

- You have an experience.

- You automatically attach meanings-perception filters-to the people, things, or problems related to that experience.

- These filters produce mind images that trigger emotions and physical sensations in your body.

Experience >> Meaning Attached >> Emotion(s)

It's a tidy little package in which what you focus on causes your subconscious mind to bring up meanings that you attach to a person, thing, or problem. These meanings then set off emotions and physical sensations within your body that release hormones into your blood, affecting the chemical firing of neurons in your brain that lead to the same thoughts, emotions, and behavior and reinforce the whole cycle.

It Makes Sense To Stay Conscious Of Your Subconscous

Since your brain is always set to either a negative way of perceiving-a negative perception filter-or to a positive way of perceiving, it's a good idea to become conscious of your subconscious. Awareness gives you some choice.

Dr. Beth Cujé, therapist and author of the book, Become the Person You Were Meant to Be: Step by Step to Choice and Change, gives you the chance to explore some of these ideas. Look inside the book at Amazon.com or download its first chapter for FREE. Just click here and get an idea of what the Choice-Cube Method can do for you.

Article source: EzineArticles

Mind Force Attraction
From Fear to Love: A Spiritual Journey
Essentials For Starting a Women's Group
Loving the Game of Life

Google Invests Big In Renewable Energy

2011-06-14T08:07:00.002-05:00

The search engine behemoth Google has invested a lot of money into renewable energy projects. In April of this year Google invested 168 million dollars in a solar thermal plant in the Mojave Desert. They also have several investments in wind farms, including a 55 million dollar investment in a wind farm in Kern County, California. This month at its campus, Google installed the first 70 of over 300 planned electric vehicle charging stations for its employees. This will be the largest vehicle charging setup for any workplace in the country.

But Google has not stopped there. The company just announced its largest investment to date. They have teamed up with SolarCity, a solar panel installation company based in San Mateo, California and created a 280 million dollar investment fund to finance the installation of solar panels on residential homes.

SolarCity will use the Google fund to pay for installation (the biggest roadblock to going solar) and maintenance costs. Customers will pay only for the electricity produced by the panels, and Google will get a cut of those payments. (Google employees will get discounts.) Customers will save thousands of dollars on their electricity bills over the course of their multi-year contracts.

To read more about Google's renewable energy investments, visit these articles:
Google Creates $280-million Solar Power Fund
Google Invests $55M In Wind Farm

More renewable energy news:
Publisher McGraw-Hill Plans Record-setting Solar Site
U.S. Air Force Academy Installs 30 Acres of Solar Panels
Solar Panels To Power Remote School in Nepal

The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy: Achieving Energy Independence Through Solar, Wind, Biomass, and Hydropower, by Dan Chiras. Energy bills have skyrocketed in the United States, and traditional energy sources can be as damaging to the environment as they are to your pocketbook. The Homeowner's Guide to Renewable Energy will show you how to slash your home energy costs while dramatically reducing your carbon footprint. Completely revised and updated, this new edition describes the most practical and affordable methods for making significant improvements in home energy efficiency and tapping into clean, affordable, renewable energy resources. If implemented, these measures will save the average homeowner tens of thousands of dollars over the coming decades...More

Sunforce 50048 60-Watt Solar Charging Kit
Get it at over half off!

What the Flock? Mow Your Lawn With Sheep

2011-06-12T07:53:00.000-05:00

Lawnmowers are noisy and they use gas and pollute. Why not hire a flock of sheep to come mow your lawn? (They will even fertilize it.)

Living with Sheep: Everything You Need to Know to Raise Your Own Flock, by Geoff Hansen and Chuck Wooster. As one of the most popular and beloved farm animals, sheep provide owners with myriad goods from soft wool to fine meat, and, of course, companionship. Living with Sheep contains a wealth of knowledge about raising and caring for a flock of sheep and is written for the would-be farmer, experienced shepherd, and those who simply love the animals and the outdoors. This complete guide covers everything from choosing and acquiring your own flock to feeding and providing shelter, preventing illness and treating it if it occurs, handling the breeding and lambing process, gathering wool, so and much more... More

Did you know?

1. Sheep brains are similar to humans and they are able to can learn complex tasks.
2. Sheep recognize faces. They can recognize when a sheep in their flock is missing, or a person that routinely cares for them is absent.
3. Sheep have long-term memories.

Goals and Intentions

2011-06-11T11:04:00.003-05:00

By White Feather

I have no plans. The universe knows what I need and want and desire. I'm not going to interfere. I'm not going to muck things up with expectations and plans and schemes and wishing and fantasizing. I'm just going to go about my business and allow the universe to do the same. I will remain as open as I can to the infinite field of possibilities and I will embrace and rejoice in every synchronicity and message that comes along. I will listen to the birds and I will listen to the silence and I will listen to my solar plexus. I will listen to the rabbits and the hawk and the wind. I will not take notes, make plans, write out an itinerary, nor will I check my horoscope. I will not seek divination nor validation. I will surrender to the NOW which knows no calendar. I will unplug my alarm clock for there is no need for alarm. I will allow tomorrow to remain in the future and not concern myself with it. I will ignore the past.

The very second one makes plans, one steps out of the NOW. Everything exists in the NOW so why should I step out of it for anything? People see the word, intention, only in regard to a linear progression of time. They use it to put things into the future instead of living it, intending it, in the NOW. I will not plan my intentions but rather try to live them. I will focus my intentions in the NOW which is the only place they can be realized. Instead of intending to do something, I will endeavor to do things with intention. Bringing intent into the NOW is how we can utilize it and realize it.

I have no goals. There is nothing to obtain or reach for that is not already within me. There is nothing to win or lose. There is nothing to fight or to resist. There is nothing to engage but life itself and that involves surrendering to the love and joy that flows non-stop through us. From a place of presence we don't even engage life but rather we become it. We realize we ARE it. We stop trying to create life and instead we source life. Instead of planning and scheduling life, instead of wishing it and intending it and organizing it and fighting it and resisting it, we become it. Or to perhaps put it more accurately, we become aware that we are it. We don't have to become it because we already are it, we just don't realize it because we're too busy planning and scheduling and thinking and organizing. Life exists only in the NOW. By putting it anywhere else outside of the NOW we are denying our very nature. We are separating our selves from life.

Books by White Feather
View all articles by White Feather

Rare Northern White Rhino Dies - Only 7 Left

2011-06-09T07:08:00.000-05:00

By John Platt

I first wrote about the northern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) in 1989 for a college economics paper about the illegal ivory trade, an assignment that kick-started my lifelong interest in endangered species. At the time, there were maybe only a few dozen of these animals left, the rest having been slaughtered over the course of the 20th century for their valuable horns that many Asian people still—quite erroneously—believe can cure a variety of diseases as well as improve male virility.

Less than a decade later, by 1997, northern whites' population had dropped to 25 animals, all in Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They had been wiped out in their ancestral habitats in Chad, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Zaire and Uganda. Even with that level of rarity, the slaughter continued. By 2007, the last four wild northern white rhinos had disappeared from their final refuge, undoubtedly the victims of poachers.

That left eight northern white rhinos remaining in the world, all in zoos...... Read more

Photo: A 2008 shot of a northern white rhinoceros at Dvur Kralove Zoo by Mistav via Wikipedia. Used under Creative Commons license

Tiger Bone & Rhino Horn: The Destruction of Wildlife for Traditional Chinese Medicine, by Richard Ellis. In parts of Korea and China, moon bears, black but for the crescent-shaped patch of white on their chests, are captured in the wild and brought to "bear farms" where they are imprisoned in squeeze cages, and a steel catheter is inserted into their gall bladders. The dripping bile is collected as a cure for ailments ranging from an upset stomach to skin burns. The bear may live as long as fifteen years in this state. Rhinos are being illegally poached for their horns, as are tigers for their bones, thought to improve virility. Booming economies and growing wealth in parts of Asia are increasing demand for these precious medicinals. Already endangered species are being sacrificed for temporary treatments for nausea and erectile dysfunction.

Richard Ellis, one of the world's foremost experts in wildlife extinction, brings his alarm to the pages of Tiger Bone & Rhino Horn, in the hope that through an exposure of this drug trade, something can be done to save the animals most direly threatened. Trade in animal parts for traditional Chinese medicine is a leading cause of species endangerment in Asia, and poaching is increasing at an alarming rate. Most of traditional Chinese medicine relies on herbs and other plants, and is not a cause for concern. Ellis illuminates those aspects of traditional medicine, but as wildlife habitats are shrinking for the hunted large species, the situation is becoming ever more critical.

Tigers, bears, and rhinos are not the only animals pursued for the sake of alleviating human ills--the list includes musk deer, sharks, saiga antelope, seahorses, porcupines, monkeys, beavers, and sea lions--but the dwindling numbers of those rare species call us to attention. Ellis tells us what has been done successfully, and contemplates what can and must be done to save these animals or, sadly, our children will witness the extinction of tigers, rhinos, and moon bears in their lifetime... More

"Each species on our planet plays a role in the healthy functioning
of natural ecosystems, on which humans depend." - William H. Schlesinger

The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide

2011-06-07T08:07:00.001-05:00

The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred Journeys, by James Fadiman. Called “America’s wisest and most respected authority on psychedelics and their use,” James Fadiman has been involved with psychedelic research since the 1960s. In this guide to the immediate and long-term effects of psychedelic use for spiritual (high dose), therapeutic (moderate dose), and problem-solving (low dose) purposes, Fadiman outlines best practices for safe, sacred entheogenic voyages learned through his more than 40 years of experience--from the benefits of having a sensitive guide during a session (and how to be one) to the importance of the setting and pre-session intention.

Fadiman reviews the newest as well as the neglected research into the psychotherapeutic value of visionary drug use for increased personal awareness and a host of serious medical conditions, including his recent study of the reasons for and results of psychedelic use among hundreds of students and professionals. He reveals new uses for LSD and other psychedelics, including extremely low doses for improved cognitive functioning and emotional balance. Cautioning that psychedelics are not for everyone, he dispels the myths and misperceptions about psychedelics circulating in textbooks and clinics as well as on the internet. Exploring the life-changing experiences of Ram Dass, Timothy Leary, Aldous Huxley, and Huston Smith as well as Francis Crick and Steve Jobs, Fadiman shows how psychedelics, used wisely, can lead not only to healing but also to scientific breakthroughs and spiritual epiphanies. Click here for more information or to order.

“James Fadiman’s manual offers helpful and well-informed guidance for those who seek ‘the divine within’ through sacred plants and psychedelic substances.” - Daniel Pinchbeck

“Approaching his subject from intimately historical, psychological-cultural, and accessibly authoritative perspectives, Fadiman’s psychedelic magnum opus establishes the benchmark reference for anyone interested in understanding, experiencing, or supervising the effects of this unique family of psychoactive substances.” - Rick Strassman

James Fadiman, Ph.D., did his undergraduate work at Harvard and his graduate work at Stanford, doing research with the Harvard Group, the West Coast Research Group in Menlo Park, and Ken Kesey. A former president of the Institute of Noetic Sciences and a professor of psychology, he teaches at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, which he helped found in 1975. An international conference presenter, workshop leader, management consultant, and author of several books and textbooks, he lives in Menlo Park, California, with his filmmaker wife, Dorothy.

The Fight To Save An Ancient Tribe in Peru

2011-06-07T07:08:00.001-05:00

They are some of the most isolated people on earth, a small civilisation which has spent its entire history cut off from the rest of the world by thousands of miles of wilderness, learning to eke an existence from the plants and creatures of the Amazon rainforest.

Now they face a grave threat. Fears are growing about the future of one of the world's last un-contacted tribes, amid claims by a British human rights organisation that the government of Peru is planning to re-write strict laws supposed to protect their remote jungle territory.

The community was discovered in 2008, when it was spotted by a conservationist flying over rainforest near the country's north-eastern border with Brazil. Footage showed them brandishing weapons and staring at the unfamiliar machine in the sky.

Three years later, the still-unnamed community is the subject of a diplomatic row amid allegations officials plan to quietly abolish the Murunahua Reserve, which was set up to prevent indigenous groups from coming into contact with outsiders.

Survival International says Peru's government plans to allow loggers to begin exploiting valuable mahogany and oil resources within the 1.2 million-acre reserve, hundreds of miles from the nearest towns and cities.

That would spell disaster for the tribe, since "first contact" usually results in the death of between 50 and 80 per cent of a population...... Read more

Indigenous Peoples and Globalization: Resistance and Revitalization, by Thomas D. Hall, James B. Fenelon, and Duane Champagne. The issues native peoples face intensify with globalization. Through case studies from around the world, Hall and Fenelon demonstrate how indigenous peoples? movements can only be understood by linking highly localized processes with larger global and historical forces. The authors show that indigenous peoples have been resisting and adapting to encounters with states for millennia. Unlike other antiglobalization activists, indigenous peoples primarily seek autonomy and the right to determine their own processes of adaptation and change, especially in relationship to their origin lands and community. The authors link their analyses to current understandings of the evolution of globalization...More

More Books On Indigenous Peoples
Indigenous Peoples DVDs

Interview With Inelia Benz

2011-06-06T07:26:00.001-05:00

"This is an incredible interview that mustn't be missed." - White Feather

Carpet Cleaner

2011-06-05T11:04:00.002-05:00

By White Feather

What does it feel like to be a loser? Stop what you're doing and really get into the feeling of being a loser. What is it like? Do you label and judge this feeling to be bad? Is it a horrible feeling? What, exactly, does it feel like? What emotions are at the core of this "feeling of losing?"

Losing means that you are at one end of the polarity spectrum. The opposite end is winning. What does it feel like to win? Is it a glorious feeling? What prize does winning bring to you? Does it make everything right? And what does "right" feel like to you? How does it feel to be right and to win? What kind of energy are you fed by this energy dynamic?

How much are the two polarities dependent on one another? Can we truly know and appreciate winning without also experiencing losing? Can we truly know and appreciate losing without having experienced winning? Can either winning or losing ever be complete without the other? After all, we can't win unless "someone else" loses, just like we can't lose unless "someone else" wins.

This is one way we play with each other in this dimension. We pair up to dance the various polarities. It takes two to tango and it takes two to engage a polarity and play out all the parts. That has been our modus operandi for thousands of years and, thankfully, it has allowed us to proceed with our evolution. It has allowed us to navigate this dimension and garner from it what we will need to know in order to move on into the next dimensional frequency

What keeps us from moving on from our polarity dance into the dance of one-ness that will shift our frequency? It's the sticky stuff: judgment, guilt, fear, and habit. Our sticky stuff adheres us to the polarities we have been playing out. It is easy to get stuck and hard to get out of. It is because of that sticky gooey stuff.

If I were a carpet salesman and I told you I had an incredible breakthrough product to get sticky gooey stuff out of your carpet, would you be interested in trying it? Would you listen to my sales pitch or would you blow me off and continue to walk on your soiled carpets like you had been doing? Would you at least be curious as to what that miracle product is?

What if I spritz a little of the miracle product on a certain stain in your carpet? Lo and behold, within seconds the stain completely vanishes before your eyes. You do not have to wipe or anything; just spritz the stuff. Would you want to know what this product is and what it is made of? Would you want to buy a whole case of the stuff?

What if I told you that the miracle product was absolutely free; that you do not have to buy anything? Would that get you further excited or would it make you suspicious? Remember, you do not have to scrub or wipe or get any gunk on your hands. You do not have to do anything but spritz. And the stuff is perfectly safe and is not detrimental to the environment. Indeed, the opposite is true. It actually enhances the environment! Indeed, it connects you to the environment in a very intense way.

Are you at all interested? If you are, I can tell you that this miracle product works on all manner of surfaces, not just carpet. You can spritz your furniture, your car, your kitchen surfaces, your bathroom, your bedding, your pets, and even your children. You can even spritz your plants with it, your food, and your self. It enhances everything it touches.

How much would you pay for two 16 ounce bottles of this wonderful stuff? If you guessed $179.99 you are wrong. As I said before, this stuff is absolutely, completely, and totally free. No credit card information is necessary. There are no forms to fill out. No money is necessary and you never have to wait in line. All you have to do is surrender to it. All you have to do is see it right there before your eyes. All you have to do is feel it.

What is this miracle product? It is beauty.

In beauty there are no winners, nor are there any losers. In beauty there is no right nor wrong; there is no good or bad, left or right, higher or lower, black or white, rich or poor, victim or pertpetrator, new or old, best or worst, and no cause or effect. There is no "us and them." In beauty there is no separation, no polarization. Beauty is a one-ness principle that has the power to take us right out of polarization. It can suck us right into one-ness, dissipating all those stains of judgment, guilt, fear, habit, or whatever we have spilled in our experience of polarizing duality. When we allow ourselves to fully surrender to beauty our vibratory frequency shifts to one of unconditional joy. Beauty is a tool that can cut right through all our layers and go directly to our hearts. It can turn on full blast that switch called Life.

And it's completely free and it is everywhere you look. Use it, embrace it, and surrender to it and all goo will dissolve before your eyes. It really is a miracle just like we are.

Books by White Feather
View all articles by White Feather

Seven Archaeology Stories

2011-06-05T06:54:00.002-05:00

Archaeological mysteries continue to get solved and research continues to unearth new riddles. The world of archaeology and ancient mysteries has been a busy one of late. Here is a roundup of recent news. Click on the headline for the full article.

West Texas Prehistoric Paintings Get Laser Study

COMSTOCK, Texas (AP) — A complex colorful mural painted on canyon walls some 4,000 years ago in West Texas is getting modern laser treatment as researchers try to unlock its mysteries and protect it from the unintended consequences of a nearby reservoir......

Beneath Jerusalem an Underground City Takes Shape

JERUSALEM - Underneath the crowded alleys and holy sites of old Jerusalem, hundreds of people are snaking at any given moment through tunnels, vaulted medieval chambers and Roman sewers in a rapidly expanding subterranean city invisible from the streets above......

Archaeologists Find Statue of Ancient Egyptian King Amenhotep III

CAIRO - A team of Egyptian and European archaeologists has unearthed a statue of the ancient Egyptian king Amenhotep III at his funerary temple in Luxor. The 2.5-meter alabaster head of the 18th dynastic king remains intact, Zahi Hawass, antiquities minister, said in a statement Tuesday. Amenhotep III ruled from 1390-1352 B.C......

Environmental Crusaders

In 1280, victorious Teutonic Crusaders began building the world’s largest castle on a hill overlooking the River Nogat in what is now northern Poland. Malbork Castle became the hub of a powerful Teutonic state that crushed its pagan enemies and helped remake Medieval Europe. Now, ancient pollen samples show that in addition to converting heathens to Christians, the Crusaders also converted vast swathes of Medieval forests to farmlands......

Archaeologists Return to 'King Solomon's Mines' of Biblical Edom

A team of archaeologists and others will return to a site southeast of the Dead Sea in late September, 2011 to continue investigations of what is now considered to be one of the largest copper mines of the ancient Middle East. Among other things, scientists hope to be able to identify the ethnicity or nationality of the people who actually controlled the mining and smelting operation during the 10th century B.C.E., the time period when, based on the Biblical accounts, scholars have traditionally dated the kingdom of Edom, as well as that of David and Solomon of ancient Israel......

Marlborough Mound Mystery Solved – After 4,400 Years

For generations, it has been scrambled up with pride by students at Marlborough College. But the mysterious, pudding-shaped mound in the grounds of the Wiltshire public school now looks set to gain far wider acclaim as scientists have revealed it is a prehistoric monument of international importance. After thorough excavations, the Marlborough mound is now thought to be around 4,400 years old, making it roughly contemporary with the nearby, and far more renowned, Silbury Hill......

Archaeologists Find 120m Tunnel Leading To 'Funeral Chambers' Deep Below Ancient Mexican City

It has taken technology almost two millennia to break one of the greatest secrets of the ancient Americas. Archaeologists have discovered 'a recreation of the underworld' at the ancient city of Teotihuacan in Mexico thanks to a radar device. Researchers have only advanced 7 metres along the tunnel but the radar has revealed it to be 120 metres long and covered in symbols. It is thought that the passage leads to three chambers and may help explain the beliefs of the civilization......

Archaeology Magazine This beautiful magazine combines worldwide archaeological findings with photography, specially rendered maps, drawings, and charts. Articles cover current excavations, recent discoveries, and special studies of ancient cultures. Regular features include timelines, news briefs, film and book reviews, current museum exhibits, The Forum. Two annual Travel Guides give trip planning information... Subscribe here

Archaeology for Kids: Uncovering the Mysteries of Our Past, by Richard Panchyk. This activity book features 25 projects such as making a surface survey of a site, building a screen for sifting dirt and debris at a dig, tracking soil age by color, and counting tree rings to date a find, teaches kids the techniques that unearthed Neanderthal caves, Tutankhamun’s tomb, the city of Pompeii, and Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec empire. Kids will delight in fashioning a stone-age tool, playing a seriation game with old photographs of cars, “reading” objects excavated in their own backyards, and using patent numbers to date modern artifacts as they gain an overview of human history and the science that brings it back to life...More

Ancient Mysteries: Lost Cities, by The History Channel. Take a journey across the globe and through time with HISTORY Classics DVD set, Ancient Mysteries: Lost Cities. Marvel at the power and glory of ancient Rome discover the enchanting secrets behind the mystical Forbidden City take to the high seas to learn the grim and gritty history of legendary pirates behold the wonder of Machu Picchu embark upon the odyssey of Troy visit the remarkable city of Pompeii search for the hidden utopia that is Shangri La explore the crown jewel of the Roman Empire. This collection offers you an unprecedented look at these archaeological, historical and cultural wonders of the world with expert interviews, extensive location footage and stunning reenactments. Includes 4 DVDs... More

The Metaphorical Imperative

2011-06-03T08:07:00.001-05:00

By Jann Burner

Metaphors are names and symbols which mark something and allow it to stand for something else. Metaphors have symbolic meaning often above and beyond the named object or emotional state. As humans we come into a chaotic world. Those who have come before have given "things" names, and for us these "things" become the names and these names have powerful symbolic value.

For an example The Internet, one might say, is a metaphor for an Overmind, a vast cybernetic net of metaphor thrown over civilization at large, an active matrix of ideas and images commonly shared by the composite human mind and available to the individual throughout the world, regardless of caste, color, religion, gender of financial status. This is the true democratization of the metaphor. No longer is it limited by mere language, intellectual caste or economic privilege.

The brain merely serves as the control room where the screen of recognition is housed. We all know lots of things. We know more than any human in history. We know more than we will ever have reason or need to know. In our culture we stand beneath a constant shower of information, but we are seldom moved to "own" our knowledge. Our wisdom, knowledge and beliefs are like a closet of clothes with the price tags still attached. They are lacking in true ritual or value. Because information is so easily assimilated we tend to dismiss its intrinsic value. To follow the "clothes" metaphor, we try them on and then hang them back in our closet with the intention of wearing them at some point in the future, should they become "in fashion". But the understanding is that these metaphorical clothes can always be returned if un-worn. We don't have to "own" them. Sort of like our jobs, relationships, cars or cats, they can be exchanged, co-mingled or abandoned.

Reality, after all, is merely a group consensus. We give something a "name", and as a culture we agree on that symbolic name and so it is...it IS valued.

It is not the content nor the political slant that is important, nor even the creative ability exhibited within the juxtaposition of the words upon the page. It is instead, a process as old as Man: the naming and claiming of reality, metaphor by metaphor. This is the Metaphorical Imperative, as strong as the drive for food or water. This quest, which has driven the human race from the very beginning, is, in the final analysis, the quest for the seed of Truth.

(From the E-book Metaphor Bridge, by Jann Burner)

Article source: EzineArticles

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Eckhart Tolle On Listening

2011-06-03T07:53:00.002-05:00

Quotation of the Week

"When listening to another person, don't just listen with your mind, listen with your whole body. Feel the energy field of your inner body as you listen. That takes attention away from thinking and creates a still space that enables you to truly listen without the mind interfering. You are giving the other person space--space to be. It is the most precious gift you can give. Most people don't know how to listen because the major part of their attention is taken up by thinking. They pay more attention to that than to what the other person is saying, and none at all to what really matters: the Being of the other person underneath the words and the mind. Of course, you cannot feel someone else's Being except through your own. this is the beginning of the realization of oneness, which is love. At the deepest level of Being, you are one with all that is." - Eckhart Tolle, from The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Books and Downloads by Eckhart Tolle

Escape to a Parallel Universe

2011-06-02T07:26:00.002-05:00

"The Human Species Will One Day Migrate to a Parallel Universe" - Michio Kaku

Like many physicists, Michio Kaku thinks our universe will end in a "big freeze." However, unlike many physicists, he thinks we might be able to avoid this fate by slipping into a parallel universe. "i

One of the most fascinating discoveries of our new century may be imminent if the Large Hadron Collider outside Geneva produces nano-blackholes when it goes live again. According to the best current physics, such nano blackholes could not be produced with the energy levels the LHC can generate, but could only come into being if a parallel universe were providing extra gravitational input. Versions of multiverse theory suggest that there is at least one other universe very close to our own, perhaps only a millimeter away. This makes it possible that some of the effects, especially gravity, "leak through," which could be responsible for the production of dark energy and dark matter that make up 96% of the universe...... Read more

Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos, by Michio Kaku. In this thrilling journey into the mysteries of our cosmos, bestselling author Michio Kaku takes us on a dizzying ride to explore black holes and time machines, multidimensional space and, most tantalizing of all, the possibility that parallel universes may lay alongside our own. Kaku skillfully guides us through the latest innovations in string theory and its latest iteration, M-theory, which posits that our universe may be just one in an endless multiverse, a singular bubble floating in a sea of infinite bubble universes. If M-theory is proven correct, we may perhaps finally find answer to the question, “What happened before the big bang?” This is an exciting and unforgettable introduction into the new cutting-edge theories of physics and cosmology from one of the pre-eminent voices in the field...More

View all books and downloads by Michio Kaku

Why Is Emotional Healing So Hard?

2011-06-01T08:07:00.004-05:00

By Mark Ivar Myhre

When I was 5 years old our family moved to Starkville, Mississippi. My dad had secured a position as a research scientist at Mississippi State University that was too good to pass up. Starkville was a small town like hundreds of other small towns across America. Life was slow and safe and predictable. All in all, it was not such a bad place to live.

For the next 12 years I was a Starkvillian. Like so many other young boys I spent most of my free time exploring the world from the comfort of a bicycle seat. Life was full of adventures. Looking back now, it resembled a series of Norman Rockwell paintings.

But it wasn't always so idealistic. In fact, for over 20 years after leaving that small town I hated everything to do with Starkville. I called it a nightmare existence in a God-forsaken town.

Not that it really was God-forsaken. After all, Starkville lay in the heart of the Bible Belt. Well, maybe it wasn't the heart - but certainly it was the liver or the spleen or at least the gall bladder of the Bible Belt. Enough to draw some sort of favor from above.

You get the picture.

So why do you suppose I hated it? Here are a few reasons:

1. I Focused On The Negative

Like children everywhere, my wonder years consisted of good events, bad events, and many mediocre and neutral events. Good times that made me feel good. Bad times that made me feel bad. And many events stirred little emotional reaction at all. However, my problem was that I discounted the good events, while elevating the bad ones.

I focused mostly on the bad events. They became like anchors - the pillars of the past. The defining moments of my life. Certain events would happen, and rather than simply feeling the pain and moving on, I would suppress and repress those unwanted emotions.

Paradoxically, while I DENIED the feelings, I ELEVATED the events. I would take a painful situation and make it much worse than it really was.

2. I Embellished My Past

How do you embellish a painful past? Intentionally exaggerate its stature and importance. Like a playwright constructing a play, I would add drama for the effect it created. I would set the stage. Get the lighting just right. Play suspenseful music in the background. Create a prologue...."The story you are about to see is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent..."

Like one of those old Dragnet TV shows! I built it up any way I could. I made it "sacred."

And no matter what, I could NOT feel the feelings of those past events and let them go! I needed those unresolved emotions to breathe life into an otherwise dead past. I spent way too much of my time giving CPR to a corpse of the past.

Ever given CPR? It'll wear you out! It's hard to do it for very long; it's just too much work. Imagine doing it for decades. To a corpse. I defined my life by those highly selective events of the past that were being kept alive ONLY by my emotional energy.

3. I Was Giving My Power To The Past

Thoughts and feelings are the very source of your power. Your power - your ability and willingness to act - comes about because of the constant stream of your thoughts and feelings. Thoughts and feelings are constantly and consistently springing forth into your consciousness.

A stream of thoughts. A stream of feelings. Together they are the source of your power.

If you're using those thoughts and feelings to hold onto the past, then you'll have less power available to you now. Power that could be used to heal your emotions instead becomes diverted into holding the past in place.

4. I Built My Past Into A Frankenstein's Monster

Out of that handful of painful events I created a backbone. From the backbone I grew a skeleton. Surrounding the skeleton I grew muscles and skin and internal organs. I gave it a heart. I gave it a voice. All that growth required conscious effort on my part. I had to keep reminding myself of those painful events.

"I really was wronged. I really was shamed. I really was abused."

Building them up and fleshing them out took a lot of my power. But it was worth it. I got to feel like a victim. I got to hide in my self pity. I was entitled. Hey, I EARNED the right to engage in any errant behavior I chose. I earned the right to blame, to struggle, to manipulate and punish anybody I wanted. I earned my righteous arrogance because of my embellished pain of the past.

I was powerless as a result, but that's okay. I earned the right to be weak by all the effort I was expending by trying to keep the past alive.

I took the best of me and gave it to a past that didn't even exist!

One main reason emotions seem so difficult to work with is because of this double-whammy: we tend to focus on the events of the past while ignoring the thoughts and feelings that keep those events alive in our hearts and minds. We consciously choose to elevate certain (perhaps many) painful events of the past until they practically sit at The Right Hand Of God.

We exaggerate their importance while at the same time we refuse to feel, express and release the emotional impact they created. It takes constant effort to keep the past alive. You can't just set it and forget it - like a thermostat on the wall. You have to keep remembering it. You have to keep using today's power to reinforce the imprisonment of yesterday's power.

We Invest In The Past

The past is over, yet our power remains trapped in the emotional investment we've made in certain painful events of that dead past.

The Past Is Over!

As you read these words, most likely your parents are not standing there twisting your arms behind your back. Most likely, your ex is not beating you up between paragraphs.

The Past Is Over!

But the very power we need to break free of those memories is instead being diverted into a much more sinister goal. We invest a lot of time and energy creating a Frankenstein's monster of the past, and it's become too big to handle. The power you need to heal the past is instead being used to try to keep it alive. It's become a tangled mess.

You can't heal the past until you get more power. You can't get more power until you heal the past.

This is one reason emotional healing can seem so difficult.

So what's the answer? First you heal a little bit, and you retrieve a little power. Then, in your empowered state you heal a little more and get back a little more power. It happens layer by layer.

With greater power comes greater healing. With greater healing comes greater power.

To help you heal and retrieve your power from the past, you need to forgive yourself. It took a long time for me to figure this one out. I used to be so stubborn; holding onto so much emotional garbage. What a waste.

Forgiving yourself is like walking out of a prison.

Plus, it's an elegant way to make a change in your life. When you forgive yourself - truly forgive yourself - change is almost automatic.

Now I follow a 'forgiveness ritual'. Sometimes it makes me cry. Sometimes it makes me laugh. Other times it makes me jump up and down; I may even have to go for a run to calm down! Sometimes all I can do is marvel at the possibilities that have suddenly opened up for me. And sometimes I just want to sit quietly and let things settle inside. Because my mind has been blown apart...

I never know what's going to happen; but I know it will make me a better person. What about you?

I've recorded an audio file of the exact same ritual I use whenever I want to forgive myself. I've also recorded an audio file that explains what emotion you MUST feel - if you want to experience the magic of forgiveness. Both recordings are extra bonuses that come with my e-book on forgiving yourself. Read all the details right now at The Magic of Forgiveness

All the best,
Mark Ivar Myhre
The Emotional Healing Wizard

PS - remember, when you forgive, you empower yourself.
Go to The Magic of Forgiveness to find out how.

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Wal-Mart's Green Hat

2011-05-31T07:44:00.001-05:00

By Edward Humes

If you care about green, it's hard not to view these as the worst of times, marked by looming climate, water and energy crises, vanishing fisheries, mile-a-minute deforestation — the list is numbingly endless. In response, we have a largely apathetic public, an environmental lobby rendered toothless by said apathy, a political left and center paralyzed by fear that protecting the planet might hurt the economy, and a political right that's never been more virulently opposed to all things green as job-killing, business-bashing burdens and boondoggles.

But then there's ... Wal-Mart.

Of all companies, the "bully of Bentonville" has ridden into the fray wearing the white — or rather, green — hat, asserting by example that all this paralysis and animosity over protecting the planet is sheer crazy talk.

Believe it or not, this reddest of red-state retailers — joined by a growing number of like-minded companies large and small — insists there is a business case for sustainability, a profit motive for investing in green. And it has the data to prove it: The company is pocketing hundreds of millions of dollars with more planet-friendly practices that lower carbon emissions, conserve energy, save forests and radically reduce landfill waste. Soon this sustainability payback will be in the billions. Greening the business, it turns out, is a comfort, not a curse, in a tough economy.

I'm no apologist for Wal-Mart. The giant retailer is still ripe for criticism on a number of fronts, from hiring and labor issues to its impact on local businesses and communities. But in this area of sustainability, Wal-Mart got it right. It's not the first company to realize that going green can be good for business, but it is the largest and most powerful.

Wal-Mart, in short, is providing the perfect foil to the anti-green meme that has Washington in thrall. Yet no one is making the case...... Continue reading

Force of Nature: The Unlikely Story of Wal-Mart's Green Revolution, by Edward Humes. What happens when a renowned river guide teams up with the CEO of one of the largest--and least Earth-friendly--corporations in the world? Nothing less than a green business revolution reveals Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author Edward Humes in his arresting new book, FORCE OF NATURE: The Unlikely Story of Wal-Mart's Green Revolution. Humes, author of ECO BARONS, tells the inside story of the little-known and unlikely partnership between former Wal-Mart CEO H. Lee Scott and white water expert-turned Blu Skye sustainability consultant Jib Ellison, and their struggle to redefine what it means to be green in the world of big business. Their efforts transformed a small project initially intended to insulate Wal-Mart from environmental criticism into a massive sustainability makeover, which now has snowballed beyond the retailer to influence whole industries, from apparel to dairy to banking. Now their fresh take on sustainability is empowering a virtual second industrial revolution based on a simple truth: that the clean, green, efficient, less-wasteful, less polluting way of doing business can also be the most profitable way of doing business...... More

Edward Humes is the author of eleven critically acclaimed non-fiction books, including the bestseller Mississippi Mud, the PEN Award-winning No Matter How Loud I Shout: A Year in the Life of Juvenile Court, and Eco Barons. He has received a Pulitzer Prize, a Casey Medal and numerous investigative reporting and writing awards, and is a regular contributor to Los Angeles and Sierra magazines. He lives in California.

Sustainability statement on Wal-Mart's website

Endangered Species Act Threatened

2011-05-30T08:07:00.001-05:00

By Jake Richardson

The Endangered Species Act was created to protect wild creatures from human activity and destruction of their habitat. Now it is the ESA itself that is in danger. Many bills introduced in Congress seek to weaken or go around it. For example, the Polar Bear Delisting Bill would take polar bears off the endangered species list. It was presented to Congress by Don Young, Republican from Alaska. He has strong ties to the oil industry, and has actually been investigated for criminal behavior for allegedly accepting bribes from a very large oil engineering firm. Some of the bribes might have been used to renovate parts of his home.

Frank Guinta, a Republican from New Hampshire, introduced a bill to prevent bluefin tuna from being protected by the ESA. Mr. Guinta’s election campaign was aided by David Koch, of the Koch brothers who are known for financially backing the Tea Party, with the billions of dollars made in part by their oil business.

Bluefin tuna may well be on the verge of extinction due to rampant overfishing. This year a single bluefin tuna sold for nearly $400,000 in a Tokyo fish market. It is very highly prized by sushi restaurants and consumers in Japan. Outside of Japan a growing number of restaurants and consumers have pledged to boycott the poor tuna, to help them survive.

Another Republican, Mr. Bishop of Utah, introduced a bill that would exempt activities related to border security from the Endangered Species Act protections, meaning that land and species living near borders would no longer have any legal shield...... Continue reading

Listed: Dispatches from America's Endangered Species Act, by Joe Roman. The first listed species to make headlines after the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973 was the snail darter, a three-inch fish that stood in the way of a massive dam on the Little Tennessee River. When the Supreme Court sided with the darter, Congress changed the rules. The dam was built, the river stopped flowing, and the snail darter went extinct on the Little Tennessee, though it survived in other waterways. A young Al Gore voted for the dam; freshman congressman Newt Gingrich voted for the fish. Employing methods from the new field of ecological economics, Roman challenges the widely held belief that protecting biodiversity is too costly. And with engaging directness, he explains how preserving biodiversity can help economies and communities thrive. Above all, he shows why the extinction of species matters to us personally—to our health and safety, our prosperity, and our joy in nature. More

Atlas of Endangered Species, by Richard Mackay. With twenty percent of the earth's species facing extinction by 2030, this striking atlas brings up to date the data on those that have been lost already, those that are threatened, and those that are surviving today. Vividly illustrated with full-color maps and detailed graphics, The Atlas of Endangered Species catalogs the inhabitants of a wide variety of ecosystems, including forests, mangroves, and coral reefs. It examines the major threats to biodiversity, from loss of habitat to hunting, and describes the steps being taken toward conservation. Richard Mackay is a specialist in environmental-impact assessment and an environmental policy maker. More

"What's the use of a fine house if you haven't got
a tolerable planet to put it on?" - Henry David Thoreau

Victimology and Human Energy Dynamics

2011-05-27T09:06:00.004-05:00

By White Feather

Seeing our enemies as our greatest teachers is by no means easy. It's a humongous challenge. I'm still working on it myself. I've learned that a good place to start is to observe your own reactions to a perceived enemy. How do you respond to their actions?

This is where choice comes in. You always have a choice in how to respond to anything. When we defensively respond to an energy attack it is usually a conditioned response--an automatic response that we've used many times in response to similar energy. The same thoughts and emotions come up that lead to the same responses we seem to automatically use. When we don't see that we have a choice to change our responses, we feel like a victim. A certain type of energy assault always makes us feel and react a certain way so we become a victim and blame the one assaulting us with the energy instead of realizing that we can choose to change how we respond to the energy. We are only victims if we fail to utilize our power of choice. The "enemy" who is assaulting us with energy is showing us our conditioned responses, thereby providing us with the opportunity to employ choice to change those conditioned responses.

You can say that someone makes you cry or you can say that you respond to their actions by crying. Can you see the difference between those two statements? The first statement is a statement of victimhood. Someone can't make you cry if you refuse to cry in response to their actions. You are the one in control, not them. You become a victim when you hand over the control to them.

If you respond by crying you can be pretty darn sure that some deep seated issue within you has been touched. Our deepest issues involve love, in fact we can say that at the bottom of all issues there is love at the core of it. Our love issues begin in early childhood and they develop and strengthen through childhood. By adulthood they are very solidified and our reactions to those issues have become conditioned and automatic.

Love is energy. It is the energy behind everything. We need this love energy to grow. As small children we can't define the love dynamics but we can feel the energy. We can feel the energy coming from our parents. The energy patterns of our parents are usually quite different. One may give more energy/love than the other. And it will be different, not just in quantity, but quality. As small children we don't understand but we can feel the energy and we have a strong sense of it. We need and want that energy and we learn how to get it. When that energy is withheld we strongly feel its absence and that is horrible so we learn how to get it back. The challenge of our entire life is to learn to love our selves but when we're small children we need love from the outside to grow. Most of us spend the rest of our lives trying to get energy/love from outside of us.

The very best thing any parent can do is to teach and show their children how to love themselves. This doesn't happen very often because most parents have not learned how to love themselves. So we grow up looking for love in all the wrong places (outside of ourselves) and we develop an arsenal of behavioral tactics to get the love we need from others. As a small child our love is unconditional but we learn that most of the love we encounter is conditional and we then start applying our own conditions in the process of developing strategies to acquire love from others outside of ourselves. What starts out as unconditional love becomes layered and layered with conditions and judgments and fears and manipulations and eventually it is hardly even recognizeable as love. But it is still energy and that is why we continue to search for it and engage with others in order to develop a circuitry that feeds us energy.

Through time we learn that when we give love we expect love to be returned. The best way to get love is to give it. It's a pretty basic energy dynamic but what makes it complicated and difficult are all the layers and layers of conditions. If two people met up and they exchanged unconditional love it would be a glorious thing and there would be no problems created. There would be no judgments, no expectations, no guilt, no fear, no clashes of perspective, no betrayal, no doubt, and certainly no victims. It would simply be a beautiful exchange of unconditional love. Both people would be enormously uplifted.

When two people meet and exchange conditional love then it can get unbelievably complicated. With layers and layers of conditions, some conditions will be complementary and mesh while others will clash. The level of energy exchanged will be determined by the compatibility of conditions. It may be somewhat uplifting, in fact it may be more uplifting for one than the other. Or it could be neutral. Or it could be a fight waiting to happen. A fight may actually provide the largest exchange of energy. After all, we're looking for energy however we can get it and have forgotten all about the love that is the basis for all energy.

The ultimate challenge is to respond to all people with unconditional love. Jesus and Lao-Tzu and Buddha and a few others have learned how to do that but very few have mastered it. When you respond to all people with unconditional love, the conditions of the people you meet will have no conditions within you to create circuitry with. Their conditions won't find any conditions within you to hook up with. So it is impossible for them to play any conditional love games with you. All of their conditions become disempowered. This opens them up to the unconditional love within them that they may not even be aware of. Their conditions don't get any response from you but their buried unconditional love will be awakened and brought forth because it finally has other unconditional love to connect with. When unconditional love gets together with unconditional love it is ALWAYS uplifting and empowering.

So the challenge for each of us is to become aware of our conditions so that we can release them in order to embrace the unconditional love within each of us in order to "love ourselves into existence." We can't always see those conditions--after all we have layers and layers and layers of them--so we create encounters with others so that we have mirrors to look in to see all that conditioning. Every encounter with another human is like looking into a mirror. We show each other our conditions. That is a gift we all give each other. We can see the conditions and interact between conditions or we can release the conditions and interact from the unconditional love underneath. Either way, those we encounter are showing us our conditioned behavioral responses, a true gift that allows us to choose whether we want to continue to embrace the conditions or to release them. If we choose not to be a victim of conditioning then we cannot be victimized. Instead of being a mirror and reflecting someone's conditions back at them, we can flood them with nothing but pure unconditional love and they will be powerless to victimize us. And we will spark the unconditional love within them empowering them to see through their own conditions and come closer to realizing the unconditional love within themselves.

The choice always lies with us. We can't change others, we can only love them. We can only change our selves and how we respond. We can choose not to be hurt by conditioned energy. We can choose to see through the conditioned energy directed at us to the unconditional love that is buried beneath it. Victimhood is a choice we can say no to. We can cry from hurt or we can cry from joy. The former results from conditions not being met and the latter results from a lack of conditions.

Every encounter between two humans is an act of love because love is at the root of all energy. What makes that act of love seem hideous or hurtful or mean are the layers of conditions we act and react from. We don't even see the unconditional love at the root of it all. So we need to start seeing our conditions and conditioning and every person we meet is a mirror that affords us a chance to see them. Every person we meet is a chance to love our selves. If we feel victimized we are looking for love outside of ourselves and not getting it the way we want it. If we feel victimized we are not loving our selves unconditionally. We can't love others unconditionally unless we love our selves unconditionally. We can't love our selves unconditionally unless we can love all others unconditionally. That is how unconditional unconditional love is. The only things standing in the way of unconditional love are conditions. Conditions enable us to be victims. To love our selves we must first see our conditions and then release them with love.

Look for love within. When you find it, it will be reflected back to you.

Books by White Feather
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The Taoism and Confucianism Philosophy Underneath Zhang Yimou's "The Road Home"

2011-05-26T11:04:00.001-05:00

By Mark Anthony G. Moyano

Taoism and Confucianism have been imprinted in Chinese literature and have reached far beyond the world of the written word. We see a number of Chinese arts, such as architecture, sculpture, painting and music, which also display the teaching of Taoism and Confucianism. It is, however, more obvious with Chinese literature for in it we see the application of these philosophies in the Chinese people's everyday living.

Literature is life; such a cliché may not need further explanation. In studying one literary work representing a nation, one can easily understand that nation's way of living, the people's beliefs, and the people's philosophy.

In the movie, The Road Home, one sees the film as an honest representation of a Chinese's way of life. Indeed, watching the film with an eye for the Taoists and Confucians thought, one could understand the film much better and more deeply. This paper aims to look at the film's characters in their portrayal of the Taoist and Confucian beliefs.

The Taoist Philosophy underneath "The Road Home"

The title of the film itself has an obvious foundation for the Taoist Philosophy. Tao means "way" or "road," and so The Road Home is an obvious and direct application of the Taoist philosophy. Though the original story came from the novel of Bao Shin, Remembrance, it does not have the same focus or even theme that it reflects.

Even in the beginning of the movie, the road has been the first and foremost image to be introduced. It does not only show how long the journey from the city to the village but it also symbolizes the long and winding road to the hearts of the characters' parents. The narrator seems to be "far away" from his parents. He seems so unfamiliar with them. The road has done well in symbolizing this gap. With the road and the narrator, an implication of the Taoist thought may be derived. The Taoist believes that human beings are an integral part of the universe; they only become dark when they have forced themselves to do something and become competitive. The narrator is a good example of this self-assertion. He is from the city, and therefore has imbibed in himself the competitive nature of the city life. Unlike his father before him who has settled in a remote village to be a teacher for the poor, he has obviously embraced the city life. At least in the end, as a consolation, he has taught the pupils of the village for a day before going back to the city. He wants somehow to feel what his father has felt in standing in front of the students. The school building then would be replaced by a new one. Most probably, his being there in the end teaching the pupils is a foreshadowing of his life-long commitment in continuing the legacy of his father.

The Confucianism underneath "The Road Home"

There seems to be more Confucian thought obvious in the film than the Taoists.

One of the basic teachings of Confucianism is reform in the government. In the movie, the teacher has been called from the village to the city to answer some political inquiry. Some critics have interpreted these calls as part of the troubles of the government during the era of the Anti-Rightist Campaign. Whatever that is, the fact that reforms in the government are being done is obviously from Confucianism.

Another obvious Confucian teachings in the movie are the lessons of the teacher, the father of the narrator. These are respect for the elders and the authority, studying well, and call for close family bonds. The respect for elders has been obviously seen in the movie, and also in any other Asian film. Not only that the elders in the film were respected, this teaching has been repeated again and again in the movie. The westerners are the only people who have probably less respect for the elders, but that is beyond the point.

Authority should also be respected; that is why Luo, the teacher, has gone to the city and also accepted the punishment for leaving the city when Zhao Di got sick. He could have run away from the orders of the government and live with his beloved but he waited for the right time, and followed the orders of his superiors.

Education has been probably the main focus of the Confucian thought. The film's protagonist is an uneducated young woman, yet, the other is a highly respected and educated young man. Even in the film, the young woman's illiteracy has been addressed as something ugly. However, since the love of the woman surpasses any known philosophy or theory, love becomes the victor. Although, education still is the most important thing in the film. Obviously, from the story of the narrator's parents we see the symbols for these: the school, the teachings of the young man, the teacher himself, the rehabilitation of the school and the teaching session of the narrator in the school. Though the female protagonist is uneducated, the fact that her object of love is a teacher should not be overlooked. This can be interpreted as her desire to have someone educated to be her partner to fill her shortcomings; although, that interpretation may like somehow forcing the issue.

Some other obvious Confucian teachings present in the film are faithfulness, loyalty, and courage. Zhao Di's courage to fight for her love no matter what is very admirable. She was also very faithful and loyal. She waited for her beloved until she got sick. In the end, she got her reward, her beloved came to her. She is luckier compared to other people who have been longing for their love ones to reciprocate the love they are giving but failed. Well, it may be just the same with reciprocity, another Confucian teaching. Love begets love, as the cliché goes, but it is true for the Confucians.

Somehow though, one cannot help to think that she is luckier still compared to other Chinese. She has been lucky not to be condemned by society by getting married by someone she loves, or probably just by showing her affection to Lou. Bear in mind that Chinese ladies cannot choose their husbands. Their parents usually arranged their marriage with someone whom they have never seen before. So, in the movie, falling in love is something new. That's the reason why their love story became famous. Still the same, she is lucky not to have been condemned by society.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the movie has successfully shown the way of life of the Chinese. In one way or another, the Taoist and Confucian thought has been imbibed in the film. The symbol of the road has also been present all throughout the film; it is a great symbol for Confucianism and Taoism. Though it may be difficult for others to see the symbolism of the road without any background knowledge of the two Chinese philosophies, the movie itself may give away the meaning of the road. Wholly, the film is a great work of art worthy to have won numerous awards.

By Mark Anthony G. Moyano Instructor, Central Luzon State University, Science City of Munoz, Nueva Ecija, Philippines. Ph. D. in Literature (in progress) Philippine Normal University.

Article source: EzineArticles

Order the movie here

Taoism: An Essential Guide, by Eva Wong. For the first time, the great depth and diversity of Taoist spirituality is introduced in a single, accessible manual. Taoism, known widely today through the teachings of the classic Tao Te Ching and the practices of t'ai chi and feng-shui, is less known for its unique traditions of meditation, physical training, magical practice, and internal alchemy. Covering all of the most important texts, figures, and events, this essential guide illuminates Taoism's extraordinarily rich history and remarkable variety of practice. More

Confucianism, by Paul R. Goldin. The best introduction to classical Confucian philosophy currently available. This book presents a concise, balanced overview of China's oldest and most revered philosophy. In clear, straightforward language, Paul R. Goldin explores how Confucianism was conceived and molded by its earliest masters, discusses its main tenets, and considers its history and relevance for the modern world. Goldin guides readers through the philosophies of the three major classical Confucians--Confucius, Mencius, and Xunzi--as well as two short anonymous treatises, the "Great Learning" and the "Classic of Filial Piety." He also discusses some of the main Neo-Confucian philosophers and outlines transformations Confucianism has undergone in the past century. More

Asian Movie DVDs

52
The beginning of the universe
Is the mother of all things.
Knowing the mother, one also knows the sons.
Knowing the sons, yet remaining in touch with the mother,
Brings freedom from the fear of death.

Keep your mouth shut,
Guard the senses,
And life is ever full.
Open your mouth,
Always be busy,
And life is beyond hope.

Seeing the small is insight;
Yielding to force is strength.
Using the outer light, return to insight,
And in this way be saved from harm.
This is learning constancy.

-Lao Tzu, from the Tao te Ching

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Why Eat a Raw Food Diet?

2011-05-25T09:51:00.000-05:00

By Yuri Elkaim

If you're reading this article, you may be wondering about the benefits of a raw food diet, right? Well, the benefits of eating more raw foods are numerous and once you understand them you'll probably wonder why you haven't eaten more raw in the past. You'll also think twice about eating dead cooked foods ever again.

Raw Foods Give You More Energy

I don't think I know of a single person who eats at least 80% raw foods who doesn't enjoy far more energy than the average person. I know that when I transitioned away from eating a diet made up of breads, dairy, and cooked foods, and adopted more of a raw foods diet, my energy went through the roof. And I'm not talking about the quick surge you would get from an espresso but rather long-lasting energy that enables you to do more with less.

For instance, eating raw will allow you to sleep less and have far more energy than you ever thought possible. When I'm eating at least 80% raw, I can easily function on just 4-5 hours of sleep. I literally bounce out of bed and don't require any naps throughout the day. Oh yeah, did I mention that I workout every single day as well? Sometimes, even twice!

Energizing Enzymes

There are several reasons why a raw food diet will give you more energy. First, raw foods are rich in food enzymes. Enzymes are required for every single reaction in the body. Unfortunately, our bodies only have a finite number of these enzymes, so when we run out, we run out of life! To add to this, when you heat foods above 118 degrees fahrenheit, you destroy the food enzymes that are naturally present in all raw foods. Therefore, if you eat a predominantly cooked foods diet, you're not getting enough food enzymes, which means that your body will have to produce and use more of its own to digest and metabolize your foods.

The more energy your body needs to divert towards digestion, the less energy you will have for other activities. You will feel more lethargic and tired as your body is trying to breakdown "dead" foods and figure out what to do with them.

So, the food enzymes inherent in raw foods are a big reason for boosting your body's energy. They are the spark plugs and are intricately related to the next property that make raw foods so energy-boosting.

Life Force

When raw foods are left intact, they are also known as living foods. They are called "living" because they carry an incredible amount of life force.

Now, since every living being has an aura or energy field illuminating from their body, which foods do you think would enhance yours? High energy raw foods or cooked foods that dead? I think we both know the answer.

As I like to say, "eat alive and you will thrive".

Weight Loss and Beautiful Skin

The other highly sought-after quality of a raw foods diet is its ability to help you lose weight and beautify your skin. Almost all raw foodists have reported losing weight they could never lose. At the same time, they notice an instant improvement in their skin. They look younger and have a natural glow that comes about because of the "living" nature of raw foods, their abundance of enzymes, and of course the plethora of nutrients that are ingested when eating more fruits and vegetables.

You will find it easier to lose weight on a raw food diet because your getting more nutrients and, therefore, your body won't crave "dead" foods. Second, the enzymes help to breakdown the foods you are eating and excess energy and fat stores in your body. Third, raw foods are water-rich, which helps you feel more satiated, as well as hydrated.

Many of these reasons also help us explain why living foods make you look younger and beautify your skin. Enzymes, life force, water, and high quality nutrients all play a role in natural skin care.

We could talk about the benefits of a raw food diet for hours but the only to truly understand them is to experience them for yourself. So why not take action today and enjoy the health, the body, and the vitality that you deserve!

About the Author: Yuri Elkaim is one of the world’s leading holistic nutrition and health experts. If you want to lose weight and live your healthiest and most energetic life ever, then you can learn more about his raw food diet book, Eating for Energy and get started with a FREE 6-part Energy Secrets e-course by visiting EatingForEnergy.ca today.

Health and Wellness Article Archive

Conception

2011-05-25T09:24:00.002-05:00

By White Feather

Okay, let's imagine that you are in the non-physical world and you are preparing to be born back into physicality. You've already made an agreement with your future parents that you will come in through them. You've also established certain time windows through which to enter; time windows that provide the optimum conditions for the shared stories you want to live.

So one of these windows has arrived and you visit those two people who agreed to be your parents. Since you're non-physical they can't see you but you can get a veiled look at them. (If they are in touch with their inner senses, they might be able to feel your presence.) You can get an idea of what they are doing and, most importantly, you can get a reading on their vibratory frequency. You can tell if they are vibrating in love and joy or if they're vibrating in the emotional part of the spectrum.

And you hope that when you see those future parents that they are happy and having sex. Sex is critically important.

So when you visit your future parents having sex would you want them to be having wild, passionate, mind-blowing sex with orgasms of extremely high frequency? Or would you prefer them to be having boring perfunctory low-frequency sex? “The scratching of a bunny itch.” At what frequency would you want to be conceived?

If you're like me, you would want to be conceived at the highest possible frequency. And to be in-vitro under the same high frequencies would also be very cool. The higher the frequencies in which you enter the physical the greater your awareness of a greater field of possibilities in which to create. Being conceived and born in high frequencies imprints that high frequency on us, leaving us always wanting to match or exceed them.

Always pushing the envelope.

Now imagine that you are an idea. You're an idea just floating around in space. Eventually, you get bored with just floating around in space so you decide you want to not just be an idea but be an idea that is given birth and life. You want to actualize; to be a physical expression of the idea that you are.

So to accomplish this you've got to do the same thing as when you were a non-physical person looking for parents. You've got to find a human who is vibrating at the right frequency to conceive you. Unlike human birth, you don't need two people having sex. You just need one person vibrating in love and joy. That's the very vibration ideas are looking for to conceive in.

Just like babies, ideas gestate after conception and before being born. Once born, the parent human either loves that idea into life until it is ready to be on its own, or they turn their attention away from the idea and it dies on the vine.

So if you are looking for ideas, stop looking. Just get into and stay in a vibratory frequency of orgasmic love and joy and the ideas will find you. After all, on a soul level we all agree on certain ideas that we will be open to and experience during particular lives. It's a matter of magnetizing them to us by creating the right orgasmic vibratory frequency for conception.

If you are trying to have a baby you don't forget to have sex. Likewise, if you want ideas you don't forget to feel love, joy, and beauty. This is a different kind of orgasmic state that does not involve sex and other humans. It is a state in which we all will eventually be living in on a constant basis. It's a vibratory state that will trigger our bodies to produce a new kind of adrenalin that will help us maintain those orgasmic vibrations.

Humans spend untold millions of dollars on Viagra and similar products in order to prolong sexual orgasms but they're not paying attention to achieving and prolonging the other kind of orgasmic state. (If they did, they wouldn't need Viagra.)

Orgasms and orgasmic states are where conception takes place. So start imagining what kind of ideas you want to conceive and then when you are ready get into an orgasmic state to allow for conception. And when you're pregnant get into that orgasmic state as much as possible. Give as much love as you can to the fetus and don't be afraid to talk to it and play music for it. Eat your veggies and watch your belly grow. It won't be long before the idea comes popping out--and what a glorious thing that is.

So let's take off our cerebral condoms and get into an orgasmic state. Conception is a wonderful thing. Heck, if we all do it that may lead to an idea explosion. I think the planet could handle that.

"Does the idea need/require a high frequency to conceive, or does the idea itself raise/change the frequency by the mere act of conception?"

I don't think it's a matter of needing or requiring a high frequency for conception but rather preferring that high frequency. If we put ourselves, once again, in the place of that person wanting to be born into physicality we would prefer a high frequency conception but, lacking that, we will still enter when the window presents itself. When there is an agreement between three souls to create a conception and birth and the two souls in physicality are not providing the high frequency but are still providing the opportunity for conception to take place, the soul outside of physicality can choose to still enter. All the other factors may be in place, such as time of birth, astrological factors, geographic factors, sibling factors, and sex, so the soul outside physicality may choose to enter despite the frequency factor being less than optimal. Actually, I think this is usually the case.

It's simply a matter of preference. A soul entering physicality would prefer to enter under the optimum frequency conditions but these conditions are rare so a soul will usually enter if the greatest number of conditions are met and usually those are conditions that are more easily met like sex, time of birth, etc.

And, of course, all those conditions contribute to the frequency level of conception.

Now, translating that to the conception and birth of ideas, we've got a similar scenario. Say you're an idea that wants to be conceived and birthed. The person or group of people you want to be conceived by is/are infertile. This means that they are unable to receive new ideas. This is usually because they are so entrenched in a certain belief structure that does not allow for new ideas. In this case, the idea has to wait until some of those belief structures are shattered and it usually takes traumatic events (like war) to shatter or alter those rigid belief structures enough to allow receptivity to new ideas. Necessity is indeed the mother of invention so ideas look for those situations of necessity in which to enter. For many ideas this is the only hope for conception because our rigid belief systems render us infertile for new ideas.

So that is why so many of the new ideas humankind has conceived and birthed are done so out of drama and trauma and conflict. Because of our rigid belief systems, that is often the only way those ideas can enter.

But there is another way. Each of us can go beyond our belief systems and create fertile, high frequency, ground for conception. While necessity can mother new ideas, love and joy can also mother new ideas. We're just not used to doing it that way. We've been conditioned to reject new ideas so new ideas are often left to seek other opportunities to enter. Once we can live in a vibratory frequency of love and joy then drama and trauma and conflict and wars will no longer be necessary. Right now, they are necessary because that is about the only way new ideas can get through our thick noggins. If we can dissolve the hardened casings of our rigid belief systems we can conceive and birth a whole new reality.

Books by White Feather
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Ted Danson's Oceana

2011-05-25T09:06:00.002-05:00

Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do to Save Them, by Ted Danson and Michael D'Orso. Most people know Ted Danson as the affable bartender Sam Malone in the long-running television series Cheers. But fewer realize that over the course of the past two and a half decades, Danson has tirelessly devoted himself to the cause of heading off a looming global catastrophe—the massive destruction of our planet’s oceanic biosystems and the complete collapse of the world’s major commercial fisheries.

In Oceana, Danson details his journey from joining a modest local protest in the mid- 1980s to oppose offshore oil drilling near his Southern California neighborhood to his current status as one of the world’s most influential oceanic environmental activists, testifying before congressional committees in Washington, D.C., addressing the World Trade Organization in Zurich, Switzerland, and helping found Oceana, the largest organization in the world focused solely on ocean conservation.

In his incisive, conversational voice, Danson describes what has happened to our oceans in just the past half-century, ranging from the ravages of overfishing and habitat destruction to the devastating effects of ocean acidification and the wasteful horrors of fish farms. Danson also shares the stage of Oceana with some of the world’s most respected authorities in the fields of marine science, commercial fishing, and environmental law, as well as with other influential activists.

Combining vivid, personal prose with an array of stunning graphics, charts, and photographs, Oceana powerfully illustrates the impending crises and offers solutions that may allow us to avert them, showing you the specific courses of action you can take to become active, responsible stewards of our planet’s most precious resource—its oceans. Click here for more information or to order.

Five Shocking Fishing Facts From the Book

1. Since 1988, commercial fishing’s catch has declined by 500,000 tons PER YEAR.

2. For every pound of shrimp caught, 10 pounds of other marine life are killed and thrown away.

3. In 2000, the world’s fisheries had burned 13 billion gallons of fuel to catch 80 million tons of fish. And it’s only gotten worse in the years since.

4. The world’s factory-farmed pigs and chickens consume twice the amount of seafood in one year that the Japanese people consume as a nation, and SIX times the amount we Americans eat (and those animals weren’t even meant to eat fish).

5. A lot of fish is “faked.” You can’t be sure that the snapper is really snapper, or the more expensive wild-caught really is wild-caught.

Oceana.org

Releasing Emotions - The Way of The Horse

2011-05-23T09:09:00.002-05:00

By Cathryn Clerc

Horses Have A Few Tricks to Teach Us

There is something remarkably magical about horses. For centuries, we have tried to tame and teach them how we would like them to behave. We have worked diligently to train them to perform moves, carry us around on their backs, and submit to our demands. Today, there is information that shifts the way we think about horses.

Imagine this: As highly sentient, intelligent beings horses have a few ideas of their own and, if we allow them to, they can teach us a few things, such as to be more like them when it comes to emotions. Horses are highly intuitive beings who as prey animals have depended on their ability to determine the intentions of other animals in order to stay alive. The same skills that have enabled them to survive in the wild are evident in their relationships with us humans today. Horses are able to detect our hidden feelings and emotions, and they mirror our unspoken messages to us. In doing so, horses teach us to be more conscious of our feelings and emotions, and they offer invaluable feedback about how others perceive us.

At a recent workshop when my Paint mare interacted with one of the participants, she came out of the round pen a changed person. Fifteen minutes with Harley shifted years of self doubt and self loathing towards self acceptance and releasing long held negative self judgments. Although I had been around horses most of my life, I had not been aware of the uncanny ability of a horse to transform a person's sense of herself until discovered the field of equine experiential learning (EEL). Touched by experiences with horses, I melded my professional experience in psychotherapeutic counseling and my passions for people, horses, psychology, and nature into a practice where horses facilitate humans personal growth.

It is now widely recognized that horses are master teachers when it comes to helping humans understand their emotions and feelings.

When we are more aware of what we are feeling, our entire quality of life is enhanced. Our emotions communicate information to us about the rest of the world. If we shut down this connection, we lose touch with an important source of information. Unlike most of us, horses rely on their intuition for guidance and so their responses to the world are not clouded with judgments. They know when what we are feeling and what we are expressing are not aligned, and they mirror this dissonance to us. We have all heard the adage that horses can smell fear. It is not that the horse can smell fear, but that he senses something much more profound. The horse detects a lapse between the person's external expression and his internal experience. Just like when a lion waiting to attack is still and calm, a horse knows the difference between the lion's quiet physical state and internal intention of that lion. Horses can tell when that lion is looking for a meal or when he is just resting in the grass. Their very survival has depended on this instinct.

When a person is frightened, his bodily functions differ from when he is truly relaxed and calm. While we may successfully hide our true emotional state from others and even from ourselves, we cannot fool a horse. When that person acknowledges his sense of fear, the horse will respond differently. The psychological term, for a person's aligned internal and external states of being, is congruent. Horses are masters at keeping us honest with ourselves. When we feel one thing and we express something else, we are incongruent; a state horses are uncomfortable with. A horse will often pin back its ears, nip at us, or ignore us when we are incongruent, and once we acknowledge the emotion we are suppressing and thereby become congruent, that horse will begin to lick and chew. Horses teach us to be attuned to our emotions. They teach us that when we suppress our feelings, we are not trustworthy. This important lesson carries over into all of our relationships, equine and human, because repressed emotions seep out in unhealthy expressions.

For example, the parent who loses her temper when her toddler spills milk is an example of repressed anger. Perhaps the mother's boss unloaded her wrath on her earlier in the day and, unable to respond, the mother repressed her anger until she found a scenario that allowed her feelings to present. The problem with this type of expression is that the anger she is feeling towards her boss has been displaced onto her child. Unable to understand her true feelings in the moment with her boss, she has unknowingly hurt her innocent child. The mother is still clueless to the messages behind her emotions. Had she been able to sense her response to her boss, she would know that she was angry because her boss behaved unacceptably in transferring her own anger onto her.

For most of us, we begin shutting down our expression of so called negative emotions such as anger, frustration, fear, vulnerability, sadness and grief when we notice that the people around us respond unfavorably to our emotions. It's true that most of us would rather be around happy, pleasant people and we would rather feel happy and pleasant ourselves. What we don't realize is that emotions, even negative ones, are just sources of information, and when we ignore them we are setting ourselves up for long term negative feelings that can lead to rage or depression. Horses teach us that no emotion is bad. When another herd member steps into his space, a horse feels the sensation, responds, makes adjustments, and returns to grazing.

Unlike humans, horses live in the moment so they don't second guess their responses. They just express their emotion before it escalates and therefore they don't overreact as we do when we repress our feelings. Like horses, when we allow ourselves to feel our emotions and when we get the message behind our emotions, we can make necessary steps to move through the feeling and then return to grazing, so to speak. In this way horses model the benefit of listening to our bodies and honoring our feelings so that we may live and love more fully and experience the joy we are all searching for.

So, the next time you go out to the barn, honor the horses for the sentient beings they are. Be open to what they can teach you and revel in being in the moment with whatever comes up. You may be surprised to learn that your horse has a few tricks to teach you. Engaging with horses from this perspective allows for a deep heartfelt connection based on a sense of mutuality: a true partnership based on equality of significance.

To learn more about this transformational work, contact Cathryn Clerc, M.A., Founder, Director, Hippocrene Spring, "The Art of Listening Within". 415 810 2740 HippocreneSpring.com. Cathryn Clerc, M.A., Integral Psychology, Founder, Director, HippocreneSpring

Article source: EzineArticles

The Horse Boy: A Memoir of Healing, by Rupert Isaacson. When his son Rowan was diagnosed with autism, Rupert Isaacson was devastated, afraid he might never be able to communicate with his child. But when Isaacson, a lifelong horseman, rode their neighbor's horse with Rowan, Rowan improved immeasurably. He was struck with a crazy idea: why not take Rowan to Mongolia, the one place in the world where horses and shamanic healing intersected? This is the dramatic and heartwarming story of that impossible adventure. More

On the Back of a Horse: Harnessing the Healing Power of the Human-Equine Bond by Claire Dorotik. Claire Dorotik grew up riding, training, and loving horses, and in many ways understood horses before she understood people. While at the time her equine companions provided her tremendous solace, it was not until she entered her graduate program for psychology, and suffered her own intense personal trauma that the amazing way in which horses heal people was actually realized. Enter the spiritual world of horses. More

Natural Horse Therapies
Horse Riding For Beginners
Natural Horsemanship Training Videos
Pilates For Horse Riders
Reiki For Horses

"A man on a horse is spiritually as well as physically bigger than a man on foot."
- John Steinbeck

View all Personal Growth Articles

Rumi On Blame

2011-05-23T07:44:00.001-05:00

Quotation of the Week

"People of the world don't look at themselves, and so they blame one another." - Rumi

Good News For Renewable Energy

2011-05-22T08:52:00.001-05:00

New Omni-directional Wind Turbine Can Capture Wind Energy on Building Rooftops

Katru Eco-Energy, headed by founder and inventor, Varan Sureshan, has developed a new kind of wind turbine meant to capture the winds that fly in all directions atop big buildings, and unlike conventional devices, the IMPLUX, as itfs called, can capture wind from any direction as it stands; meaning without having to be repositioned or pointed. The IMPLUX achieves this feat by means of horizontal turbine blades that sit atop a vertical axis and are turned by wind that is pushed up through what Sureshan calls a "fluid dynamic gate......

New Solar Product Captures Up to 95 Percent of Light Energy

Efficiency is a problem with today's solar panels; they only collect about 20 percent of available light. Now, a University of Missouri engineer has developed a flexible solar sheet that captures more than 90 percent of available light, and he plans to make prototypes available to consumers within the next five years......

Energy Harvesters Transform Waste Into Electricity

Billions of dollars lost each year as waste heat from industrial processes can be converted into electricity with a technology being developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The high-efficiency thermal waste heat energy converter actively cools electronic devices, photovoltaic cells, computers and large waste heat-producing systems while generating electricity, according to Scott Hunter, who leads the development team. The potential for energy savings is enormous......

Splitting Water to Create Renewable Energy Simpler Than First Thought?

An international team, of scientists, led by a team at Monash University has found the key to the hydrogen economy could come from a very simple mineral, commonly seen as a black stain on rocks. Professor Leone Spiccia from the School of Chemistry at Monash University said the ultimate goal of researchers in this area is to create a cheap, efficient way to split water, powered by sunlight, which would open up production of hydrogen as a clean fuel, and leading to long-term solutions for our renewable energy crisis......

Solar Electricity Handbook - 2011 Edition, by Michael Boxwell. A simple, practical guide to using electric solar panels and designing and installing photovoltaic PV systems. Significantly updated for 2011, the latest edition assumes no previous knowledge of solar electric systems. The book explains how solar panels work and how they can be used. It explains the advantages of solar energy and the drawbacks that you need to take into account when designing a solar power system. As well as explaining the underlying principles, it provides a step-by-step guide so that you can successfully design and install a photovoltaic solar system from scratch. More