Apr 30, 2010

Retired Chaplains Reveal Hypocrisy Over DADT

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.



At the risk of becoming repetitive, I must point out that the obsession of some Christians with homosexuality is absurd and hypocritical. Case in point:

More than 40 retired military chaplains warned President Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates that allowing gays to serve openly in the military will force current chaplains to choose between obeying God or men.

"This forced choice must be faced, since orthodox Christianity -- which represents a significant percentage of religious belief in the armed forces -- does not affirm homosexual behavior," the chaplains wrote in their Wednesday (April 28) letter.

The retired chaplains -- affiliated with denominations including the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the Presbyterian Church in America and the Southern Baptist Convention -- said the change could force chaplains to water down their teachings, or force them to preach or counsel views that conflict with official military policies.

Apr 29, 2010

Religulous and Other Intellectual Dishonesty

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.



I finally got around to watching Bill Maher's "Religulous" a couple of weeks ago. It's on Showtime so what the hey. It was pretty much what I was expecting. Quite amusing in some parts. The unintentionally funny cartoons are the best part. Adam stroking the rib bone in an unmistakeably pornographic manner caused my husband to hit the pause button so we could just stare at each other in utter disbelief for several minutes.

That said, the movie in sum is a cheap shot. Maher does that thing that so many in the New Atheist movement can be counted on to do. He focuses almost exclusively on the outer reaches of religiosity and inductively reasons the lunacy of all religious people everywhere. He interviews a lot of fundamentalists and dogmatists and then draws broad conclusions about religion and it's implications for our future, reaching absurdly hyperbolic conclusions.

"Religulous" is what came to mind when I read this piece on The Huffington Post. John Thatamanil takes on the intellectual dishonesty of using the worst examples of religious thought (or lack there of) instead of taking on theologians and other religious thinkers of substantial mental wattage.

Apr 28, 2010

Super Psychic Scorpio Full Moon



Do you have questions? Have you been waiting to ask them, wondering if there is a right time? Well, I have some good news for you – this Wednesday and Thursday, April 28th and 29th, the full Moon energy will be in the sign of Scorpio, making it a “Super Psychic” full Moon. This is one of the absolute best times for making psychic connections and intuitive readings. You can catch me live at www.livepsyche.com where I am available for readings.

Just as the light of a full Moon illuminates our night well enough to allow us to walk outdoors in the dark and see what is usually hidden from our eyes, the energy of the full Moon allows us to see more clearly into hidden emotional, spiritual, and psychic realms.

The three water signs, Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces, and their respective houses in the astrological chart, the 4th, the 8th, and the 12th, are all intuitive and psychic, each in their own way.

Apr 27, 2010

Pope Benedict: Reformer?

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.



We've been hearing for weeks now that criticism of Pope Benedict is unfair because he's done more than anyone to address the problem of clerical abuse. As more details of his work both before and after becoming pope have surfaced, it's becoming clear that he has, indeed, been far more proactive on this issue than other church officials. The problem for the Vatican is that that's not saying much.

Throughout the most recent round of media coverage, there's been a serious mismatch between Pope Benedict's actual record on sex abuse -- as the senior Vatican official who took the crisis most seriously since 2001, and who led the charge for reform -- and outsider images of the pope as part of the problem.

While there are many reasons for that, a core factor is that the Vatican had the last ten years to tell the story of "Ratzinger the Reformer" to the world, and they essentially dropped the ball. That failure left a PR vacuum in which a handful of cases from the pope's past, where his own role was actually marginal, have come to define his profile.

One has to ask, why didn't the Vatican tell Ratzinger's story?

At least part of the answer, I suspect, is because to make Ratzinger look good, they'd have to make others look bad -- including, of course, Castrillón, as well as other top Vatican officials. Lurking behind that concern is a deeper one, which is that to salvage the reputation of Benedict XVI it might be necessary to tarnish that of Pope John Paul II.

Cafe



Around the Web, Around the World


"Why Shamanism Now?" with Christina Pratt

Shamanism and Plant Medicines

Author, professor, and peacemaker, Stephan Beyer, joins us this week to discuss his new book, Singing to the Plants: A Guide to Mestizo Shamanism in the Upper Amazon. Stephan explains, "Singing to the Plants seeks to understand one form of shamanism, its relationship to other shamanisms, and its survival in the new global economy, through anthropology, ethnobotany, cognitive psychology, legal history, and my own experiences with two master healers of the Amazon." Join us as we discuss the use of plant medicines (plant hallucinogens or entheogens) in shamanism in the Upper Amazon and its relevance-should we or shouldn't we-in shamanic practices outside of these traditions. We will reach into the depths of Stephan's personal experience to discuss the healing potential of shamanism as well as the potential to do harm through attack sorcery. Ultimately we will explore the idea that shamanism is " irreducibly social" such that all shamanic healing as well as harming takes place within a cultural context where shared values like trust, reciprocity, or generosity are at the root of personal illness and suffering.

This week's guest:
Stephan Beyer

Professor and author, Stephan Beyer, brings us a beautiful guide to mestizo shamanism in the Upper Amazon and the use of the sacred, plant medicine ayahuasca in his new book Singing to the Plants. Stephan holds doctorates in both religious studies and psychology, was a lawyer and a litigator as well as a wilderness guide, peacemaker, community builder. He has worked with ayahuasca and other sacred plants in the Amazon, peyote in ceremonies of the Native American Church, and huachuma in Peruvian mesa rituals; undertaken numerous four-day and four-night solo vision fasts in Death Valley, the Pecos Wilderness, and the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico; and lived in a Tibetan monastery. From these experiences have come books on Buddhism, Tibetan language and religion, and now, mestizo shamanism.

Stephan has long had an interest in wilderness survival in a variety of terrains, especially jungle survival. He explains that "as I learned more and more about the ways in which indigenous people survive - indeed, flourish - in the wilderness, it became increasingly clear to me that wilderness survival included a significant spiritual component - the maintenance of right relationships both with human persons and with the other-than-human persons who fill the indigenous world. Thus I began to explore wilderness spirituality, to learn ways to live in harmony with the natural world, striving, like indigenous people, to be in right relationship with the plant and animal spirits of the wilderness." In addition to studying how indigenous peoples of North and South America survive and thrive, Stephen studies sacred plant medicine with traditional herbalists in North America and curanderos in the Upper Amazon, where Stephan has received coronación by banco ayahuasquero don Roberto Acho Jurama.

New Time & New Location
Why Shamanism Now? A Practical Path to Authenticity will have a new home and a new air time. Beginning April 13, 2010 the show will air live on Tuesdays at 11:00 AM Pacific time and be available for download the next day from the Co-Creator Network website. Recorded shows will continue to be available on iTunes. The new url will be http://www.co-creatornetwork.com/hosts/shamanism/host_bio.htm

Tuesday, April 27, 2010 at 11:00 AM Pacific

Apr 26, 2010

Sympathy for Catholic Bishops?

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.



USA Today asks if the recent revelations about Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos give us reason to feel some sympathy for bishops who protected abusive priests. It's an interesting question because it's not just the common folk who have piled blame on bishops. As discussed here, so did Pope Benedict in his recent letter to the Irish church. He laid the blame on everyone and everything but the Vatican. But what the Cardinal Castrillon Hoyos scandal demonstrates is that the problem is directly traceable to the Vatican. Indeed, it is directly traceable to the late Pope John Paul II. The lack of discussion of that salient fact I can only attribute to a kind of cognitive dissonance. It seems no one is ready to even look at it.

It takes a lot to make people feel any sympathy for any Catholic bishops who knew about pedophile priests but failed to remove them. However, an investigation at National Catholic Reporter, looking at yet another case involving Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, might give people pause.

From the National Catholic Reporter we learn that not only did the now retired Cardinal make a proud example of Bishop Pican for shielding a pedophile priest, he directly pressured another bishop to protect a prolific, serial abuser.

Apr 25, 2010

On Hating Women's Bodies -- Updated

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.



As a personal trainer on "The Biggest Loser," Jillian Michaels prides herself on being able to get anyone into shape. Anyone, that is, except herself should she ever have a baby. Michaels has created a bit of stir by dissing pregnancy in an interview with Women's Health.

"I'm going to adopt. I can't handle doing that to my body," she told the magazine. "Also, when you rescue something, it's like rescuing a part of yourself."

Michaels, who is now 5'2" and 120 pounds of muscle, was overweight as a teen. She said she once weighed 175 pounds but lost the extra weight with martial arts, which she has practiced for 20 years. She is currently embroiled in a lawsuit over the efficacy of her diet pills.

Sure. Let some other gal wreck her figure so that Michaels can experience the joys of motherhood.

Astrological Trends for April 23-29, 2010

Here is your energy lookout for the week ahead. Like checking the weather to know how to dress, it makes good sense to check the planetary energy patterns to know how to plan your days. This forecast looks at the current transits of the planets in relation to society as a whole. Your own natal, or birth, chart is also impacted by the current transits, and your own experiences this week will also be affected by your own unique chart pattern.

Friday, April 23rd, appears to be a challenging day for relationships. A T-square energy will be activated involving the Moon, Venus, Neptune, and Chiron. Additionally, an arrogant Mars in Leo is square to a retrograde, obstinate Mercury in Taurus creating the perfect conditions for two scenarios – dissatisfaction with a partner or aspects of the relationship and the urge to tell them everything THEY do wrong and how they aren’t making YOU happy. Stop, in the name of love, and ask yourself if you are prepared to fight a battle just to lose the war. This energy will not last long and when it passes, you may regret sharp words. Two things can help ease the day. The first is to step outside yourself and pretend you are the other person – really feel them. The second is to remember the commitment you have and think beyond this day. A Saturn/Venus trine will remind you of the benefits of commitment.

With the T-square subsiding and a cooler, more intellectual Virgo Moon in effect on Saturday, life seems more settled. There may still be some discontent, but less emotional challenge as a Venus/Neptune square and the Mars/Mercury square are still active. It may be best to make it a chore day and run errands or organize your closets or desk. By taking control of your material world, your mindful state will allow your emotions and nerves time to reboot.

Apr 24, 2010

Bookends of Intolerance

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.


"I think religion should be treated with ridicule, hatred and contempt, and I claim that right... If I said to a Protestant or Quaker or Muslim, 'Hey, at least I respect your belief,' I would be telling a lie." 
~ Christopher Hitchens



A priest who ran my youth group told me something that has always stuck with me. There was a growing evangelical movement within the Episcopal Church at the time. It made him very uncomfortable. I asked him what his problem was with these fundamentalist Christians. He said, "I've just never met a group of people who were so sure that they were right and everybody else was wrong." I have to wonder what he thinks of the growing atheist movement. As I wrote here, there is an equal dogmatism and aggression to be found in modern atheism. Evangelists and atheists: I've come to think of them as bookends of intolerance.

Apr 23, 2010

California Quake Warnings, Earth Changes, Etc.

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.



The Time Monks have done several media appearances over the past month and I've been trying to figure out how to encapsulate this and other information into something cogent. I can't. So I'm just going to throw several of the better interviews up here for your consideration and babble in a stream of consciousness fashion. As ever, I endorse you, gentle reader, to try not to go into fear around some of the scarier predictions... like the economic stuff. It may even be irresponsible of me to say this but I just don't get that it's going to be as bad as they predict and that I see something really beautiful opening up behind the misery. We do, however, live in "interesting times" and some of this is can get very uncomfortable. It already has but it's going to get worse.

Earthquakes and California

That said, there is a lot of data here that I'm seeing cross-corroboration of; particularly on natural disasters. I have very real concerns about earthquakes. In late March I know I said to several people, privately, that I was feeling a build-up to another major natural disaster. A short time later this spate of quakes started. We're already way off the charts in terms of number and frequency which Clif High notes. I have very real concerns about California right now. A few days before the Mexico quake that was felt up through much of Southern California, I saw a fault line releasing a lot of light in a portion of California. (This came up in a private reading so I'm really not at liberty to say more than that.) Now here's what concerns me. Since that occurred I've been hearing information from numerous, diverse sources pointing to some very serious quake activity pending throughout much of California.

I'd like to think the Mexico quake -- which did mercifully little damage -- was the one that was predicted for the San Diego area. It's not looking like that. It looks more like it was a precursor to a much worse quake pending for that region. There are a number of psychics picking that up but it's also being validated by more empirical sources. Whitley Strieber did a brief segment with a geologist on Dreamland. (It's about the first 10 minutes of the 4/10 Starchild DNA interview which will go behind the pay wall shortly.) Here's the concerning part: This geologist says that while the Mexico quake released pressure on some fault lines, it actually increased pressure on a number of others around San Diego. And that what is pending is a 6-7 point quake for that area.

Apr 20, 2010

Pope John Paul II Approved Cover-Up

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.



Cardinal Dario Castillo Hoyas, who honored a Bishop for protecting a pedophile priest from the authorities, has claimed he was authorized by the late Pope John Paul II.

“After consulting the pope … I wrote a letter to the bishop congratulating him as a model of a father who does not hand over his sons,” the daily La Verdad quoted Cardinal Hoyos as saying.

“The Holy Father authorised me to send this letter to all bishops in the world and publish it on the internet,” he said.

. . .

Cardinal Hoyos’ letter  praised Bishop Pierre Pican for not denouncing a French priest who was later sentenced to 18 years in jail for the repeated rape of a boy and sexual assaults on 10 others.

If true, the culture of secrecy and protection of abusive priests, rather than children, went to the very top of the Catholic Church. This is a stunning revelation and I'm amazed it's gotten so little press.

Cafe -- Updated



Around the Web, Around the World


New WINGS Update from Karen Bishop

The Dismantling of the Old

Earthquakes, earthquakes everywhere, strange and unpredictable weather patterns, unusual moods and behaviors for many individuals, and a strange emptiness are but a few of the climates that these massive energy movements are creating.

The cosmic tsunami of new and higher vibrating energy is arriving more steadily now, while at the same time, the earth is moving and adjusting as well, as she prepares herself to more fully accommodate these new energies of our very new space.

The earth moved into a new space in the cosmos within the past few months, is adjusting and aligning, and we are doing very much the same. Beginning with a substantial earthquake here and there, and progressing into many earthquakes all over the globe at the same time, we are really beginning to feel these movements now. Volcanic eruptions, climate changes, and a continual shaking beneath our feet have become the norm for now, or so it seems. It is no wonder so many of us feel a strange shakiness, unease, and overall sense of change.

The Power of Penance

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.



The Huffington Post has a very good piece by Rev. James Martin SJ on the importance of penance for the Catholic Church for its failure to protect children from abusive priests.
Every Catholic knows that forgiveness in the confessional demands penance. Reconciliation in the church requires the same thing.

This is why Pope Benedict XVI's remarks last week might be an important starting point. "[W]e Christians, even in recent times," he said, "have often avoided the word 'penance,' which seemed too harsh to us. Now [...] we see that being able to do penance is a grace and we see how it is necessary to do penance, that is, to recognize what is mistaken in our life, to open oneself to forgiveness, to prepare oneself for forgiveness, to allow oneself to be transformed. The pain of penance, that is to say of purification and of transformation, this pain is grace, because it is renewal, and it is the work of Divine Mercy."

If the church hopes to heal, the turn to penance is, as the pope says, "necessary." And I mean real penance.

Apr 19, 2010

Graham Hancock on Lost Things

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.



This is a really compelling discussion of Graham Hancock's fascination with historical riddles and how it has evolved. He discusses how his research into the possibility of the Lost Ark of the Covenant being in Ethiopia opened the door to his discovery of other historical anomalies and anachronisms. I read The Sign and the Seal some years ago, less out of any interest in the Lost Ark than because I just really enjoy Hancock's writing. It's a great read. Here he discusses some of the most interesting elements of the book; the practices of the Falasha Jews of Ethiopia, the plausible historical record that points to the Ark moving to Ethiopia, and the evidence that the Ark itself was an advanced technological device  and probably radioactive. It is this last that segues Hancock into the study of these bizarre technological anomalies that point to an ancient, lost civilization; the vestiges of which we keep tripping over.

Hancock really lays out his thinking here on some of the larger possibilities of an earlier, advanced civilization that is referenced in myths from around the world. He also articulates something I think quite profound about how the "amnesia" to which he so often refers is part of a deep, psychic wound we have around this past cataclysm. I find this a very intriguing idea. There is much more in this fairly brief interview. Enjoy.

Apr 17, 2010

Cardinal Praised Bishop for Shielding Pedophile

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.

Cardinal Cstrillon Hoyos


A letter from 2001 has surfaced in the French media pertaining to a notorious case of clerical abuse and obstruction of justice. The letter, written by a Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, praised Bishop Pierre Pican for not turning a pedophile priest over to the authorities; a crime for which he received a suspended sentence.

At the time, Castrillon Hoyos was Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy. The commission is responsible for overseeing matters regarding priests and deacons not belonging to religious orders.

He was also a close collaborator of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who is today Pope Benedict XVI. Castrillon Hoyos retired in July 2009.

. . .

Pican ultimately was handed a suspended sentence of three months in prison for protecting the priest, Rene Bissey, from arrest. Bissey was eventually sentenced to 18 years in prison for repeatedly raping one boy and sexually assaulting 10 others.

Apr 15, 2010

Pope Benedict Recognizes Need for Penance

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.



This is a step in the right direction.

Pope Benedict said on Thursday the sexual abuse scandal shaking Roman Catholicism showed the Church needed to do penance for its sins, in a rare public reference by the pope to pedophilia in the priesthood.

"Now, under attack from the world which talks to us of our sins, we can see that being able to do penance is a grace and we see how necessary it is to do penance and thus recognize what is wrong in our lives," the said pope at a mass in the Vatican.

This involved "opening oneself up to forgiveness, preparing oneself for forgiveness, allowing oneself to be transformed," said the pope, whose last public utterance on the scandal was his letter to the Irish people, made public on March 20.

A Question for You

Green Apple with a Question Mark Painted on It
Buy at AllPosters.com


I have just begun a writing “project” for a site that is about to launch.

Below is the first astrological “forecast” I have sent in as a tentative regular weekly feature. My questions, which I would love to get your feedback on, are:

Do you like this kind of a forecast better than the standard sun sign horoscope you may be familiar with as seen in a newspaper or magazine, that has a “forecast” for each sun sign for the week, or do you prefer this kind of content?

And a second question:

If you read astrological forecasts and predictions, do you do so for entertainment, diversion, information, or some other reason?

Thanks, I really appreciate your feedback and comments, and feel free to share this with any friends who might have an interest.

Here it is:

Astrological Trends for April 16-22, 2010

Here is your energy lookout for the week ahead. Like checking the weather to know how to dress, it makes good sense to check the planetary energy patterns to know how to plan your days. This forecast looks at the current transits of the planets in relation to society as a whole. Your own natal, or birth, chart is also impacted by the current transits and your own experiences this week will also be affected by your own unique chart pattern.

Graham Hancock on Reclaiming Our Consciousness

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.



In the first chapter of Supernatural, Graham Hancock recounts his early experimentation with psychadelic plants, under the guidance of indigenous shamans. Of his use of the healing plant Iboga he writes:

Was it really a supernatural realm that the ibogaine took me into, or just a crazy hallucination? As I've emphasized, this was not something I was yet in a position to judge; nor was it easy to disentangle cause from effect. But what was miraculous nonetheless was the dramatic turnaround in my mood that I benefited from after my ibogaine session. For months beforehand I had been intensely depressed and irritable, filled with morbid thoughts and gloomy anxiety. My guilt at what I perceived as my dismal failure of my father, and my grief at his loss, had been compounded by feelings of worthlessness and anguish so deep that I frequently saw no point in taking any further initiatives in life. It was better by far, I had persuaded myself, to withdraw from the world, abandon research, and avoid all new intellectual challenges -- which, anyway, I would certainly fail.

I hadn't expected ibogaine to make a difference, but it did. From the moment I woke up with my strength recovered, I knew that it had flipped some sort of switch in me, because I was no longer able to see anything in the world in the same negative and nihilistic way as I had done before. From time to time a morbid thought would still stray across my mind and try to drag my mood down; previously I would have dwelt on it obsessively until it made me miserable; now I found it easy to dismiss it and move on. I didn't feel so bad about my father either. I'd not been at his bedside, and I couldn't change that. But somehow, now, I no longer ached so much.

Whether this healing was achieved through contact with the spirit world, or whether it was just a beneficial side-effect of shaking up my brain chemistry, I felt grateful to ibogaine. Regardless of the explanation, or the mechanism, it had put me through something I would never forget -- something very much like a religious experience. It had swept away the cobwebs of ingrained bad habits and moods. And it had most persuasively demonstrated the worth of a hitherto neglected line of research into the spiritual life of the ancients.

Apr 14, 2010

Mr. Deity Cliffhanger

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.



Mr. Deity wraps this season with a cliffhanger. Jesse (aka Jesus) has been parsing the logical fallacies of "the script" and he's pissed. He's also hot. Have I mentioned that Jesus is hot? I did. I know I've mentioned this 1 or 10 times.

Apr 13, 2010

As I Was Saying...

Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz
Buy at AllPosters.com


This morning, I opened an e-mail from a friend of mine that had a link to an article on ‘50s Cosmic Compatibility by S. K. Smith.

The article is about one of America’s best-known couples, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz of “I Love Lucy” fame. The author writes about the elements in both their charts, and here, I must quote: “It was only by adding her husband – Desi Arnaz whose chart was filled with water – that Lucy became an early force in television.”

Lucy has a particularly blessed chart with two grand trines, a strong Leo sun, and the determination of her earthy planets, yet the elements of water and air are both weak.

Catholic Leaders Target Gays and Jews

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.

pope


Just when you thought the blundering stupidity from the Vatican couldn't get any worse, it does.

The Vatican's second-highest authority says the sex scandals haunting the Roman Catholic Church are linked to homosexuality and not celibacy among priests.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican's secretary of state, made the comments during a news conference Monday in Chile, where one of the church's highest-profile pedophile cases involves a priest having sex with young girls.

"Many psychologists and psychiatrists have demonstrated that there is no relation between celibacy and pedophilia. But many others have demonstrated, I have been told recently, that there is a relation between homosexuality and pedophilia. That is true," said Bertone. "That is the problem."

Apr 12, 2010

The Vatican: Always a Day Late and a Dollar Short

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.



The Vatican announced today that it has made its peace with the Beatles and forgiven them for their "dissolute" lives and "Satanic" messages.

Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano paid tribute to the Fab Four in its weekend editions, with two articles and a front-page cartoon reproducing the crosswalk immortalized on the cover of the band's album "Abbey Road."

The tribute marked the 40th anniversary of the band's breakup.

"It's true, they took drugs; swept up by their success, they lived dissolute and uninhibited lives," said the paper. "They even said they were more famous than Jesus," it said, recalling John Lennon's 1966 comment that outraged many Catholics and others.

"But, listening to their songs, all of this seems distant and meaningless," L'Osservatore said. "Their beautiful melodies, which changed forever pop music and still give us emotions, live on like precious jewels."

It's Elemental



Welcome to the second installment of my Astrology of Relationship series. Although this section may be brief, it is to the point and, when it comes to looking at how people get along with each other, deeply profound.

Repeat after me: The cornerstone of all relating is elemental. One of the most valuable things a student of astrology can do when desiring to understand and utilize astrology is to keep an element notebook and record images that correspond to the elements of fire, earth, air, and water. Consider how each element presents and behaves. Next, merge the elements in your mind. What happens to fire with air? What happens when air is removed from fire? What about fire and water? Fire and earth? Water and air? Water and earth? I won’t waste words on examples of each combination. Basic grade school science and life experience are all that is necessary to work these various combinations out in your mind to their conclusion.

Cafe



Around the Web, Around the World


"Why Shamanism Now?" with Christina Pratt

Two Paths of True Transformation

True Transformation delivers us to a new state of being from which there is no going back. "Today most people are aware of transformation through Death and Rebirth," says host and shaman, Christina Pratt. "They may not like it, but they understand intuitively that a death is required for the rebirth that allows true transformation to run its course." The American weakness here is our cultural fear of death, which leads to our refusal to let go of anything, even those things we dearly long to be rid of, and our inability to surrender control. Shamanism offers us not only a remedy for our fear of death, but a second path to true transformation-Transformation of the Enemy to Ally, or Transformation through Love. While love sounds like a respite from death and fear, it is the more challenging path. Transformation through love requires that we truly see the enemy within ourselves and love it. For most the prospects of loving the enemy within makes embracing death, fear, and surrender look like fun on a great date night out.

New Time & New Location
Why Shamanism Now? A Practical Path to Authenticity will have a new home and a new air time. Beginning April 13, 2010 the show will air live on Tuesdays at 11:00 AM Pacific time and be available for download the next day from the Co-Creator Network website. Recorded shows will continue to be available on iTunes. The new url will be http://www.co-creatornetwork.com/hosts/shamanism/host_bio.htm

Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at 11:00 AM Pacific

Apr 11, 2010

William Henry on Egypt, Stargates, and 2012

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.



This brand new Coast to Coast interview with William Henry is an absolute mind-blower. It actually reduced me to tears at a couple of points because it evoked such a powerful sense of memory.  I don't know where the image used by the video maker came from but there's that concentric circle shape again. For added fun, it also contains the "funny looking mountain range" I referenced here.

In a delicious Jungian synchronicity, I learned something new this morning. I have a feed gadget on my iGoogle page for this very helpful nutrition site. The food of the week this week is onions.

The word onion comes from the Latin word unio for "single," or "one," because the onion plant produces a single bulb, unlike its cousin, the garlic, that produces many small bulbs. The name also describes the union (also from unio) of the many separate, concentrically arranged layers of the onion.

Apr 10, 2010

The Pied Piper of the Oakland Diocese

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.



One of the darkest fairy tales of childhood memory, the Pied Piper tells of a flamboyantly dressed stranger who lured the children of Hamelin to their deaths. That the now defrocked Rev. Stephen Kiesle self-defined as a mythical mass murderer of children is telling.

"He admitted molesting many children and bragged that he was the Pied Piper and said he tried to molest every child that sat on his lap," said Lewis VanBlois, an attorney for six Kiesle victims who interviewed the former priest in prison. "When asked how many children he had molested over the years, he said 'tons.'"

The picture of Kiesle that emerges from numerous news reports is of an unrepentant sociopath who thought of children as an exploitable commodity. The handling of his case by the Vatican is the latest embarrassment for Pope Benedict. Like so many of these cases, it languished for years, and involved perfunctory communication, directives to think of the church's reputation, and a misplaced file. That then Cardinal Ratzinger's signature appears on some of that perfunctory communication opens new questions about his involvement in foot dragging by the Vatican that left countless children at risk.

Banshee



In previous posts I have mentioned the odd synchronistic thing that happens to me with words. I’m still no closer to understanding what it means exactly when an unusual word repeats itself, but I feel prompted to share the current synchronistic word. The word is banshee.

Two books I just finished reading back-to-back both had the word banshee in them frequently. The first is Heather Graham’s Deadly Gift, which is about a banshee. I like Heather Graham’s writing style in general. Her characters are always likable, there is just enough passion and romance for those who like that sort of thing, and I love the supernatural twist she uses in her novels. Following that book, I read Impact by Douglas Preston. He referred to wind screaming like a banshee several times in the story. What a story it was! Probably highly unlikely anything like that (and no, I won’t tell you what THAT is) would happen, but I have a good imagination and am fairly gullible when I would like to believe something, so I was able to feel appropriately excited while reading. I have to give an extra star to Impact for being unique and not quite any one genre. I do enjoy reading things that have an unusual story.

Apr 9, 2010

Cafe



Around the Web, Around the World


New WINGS Update from Karen Bishop

The Next Wave of the Cosmic Tsunami Arrives

So then, what are some of the symptoms that we may feel during these times of massive energy movement?
  • Difficulty breathing or lung soreness due to the “fairy dust” arrival.
  • Heart pain, palpitations, chest pain, and upper back pain from the heart opening energies.
  • Having the sensation of a lump in the throat, from the opening of the heart.
  • Leg pain and foot pain from the earth movements and new grounding.
  • Over-all body pain, headaches, bladder or kidney pain, and muscle aches from detoxing in order to align with the new energies.
  • Feeling as if you are hyper-ventilating as the higher vibrating energies hit our systems.
  • Acute fear and anxiety.
  • Depression and low energy for some, heightened energy for others.
  • Feeling very “off,” as of nothing fits or is familiar, and feeling jittery and frazzled, almost as if a trauma has occurred.
  • Becoming very emotional and crying about everything….when love and caring is experienced, and when it is not when it should have been (the heart energy again.)
  • Sleeplessness and stress, even if there is really none present in our lives at the moment.

Apr 6, 2010

More Vatican Deflection as the Abuse Cases Pile Up

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.



Well this just gets more and more sickening. After a Holy Week of insulting Jews and sex abuse survivors and blaming the media for doing its job, the Vatican is upping the ante on its relentless self-pity.

The Vatican heatedly defended Pope Benedict XVI on Tuesday, claiming accusations that he helped cover up the actions of pedophile priests are part of an anti-Catholic "hate" campaign targeting the pope for his opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage.

Vatican Radio broadcast comments by two senior cardinals explaining "the motive for these attacks" on the pope and the Vatican newspaper chipped in with spirited comments from another top cardinal.

"The pope defends life and the family, based on marriage between a man and a woman, in a world in which powerful lobbies would like to impose a completely different" agenda, Spanish Cardinal Julian Herranz, head of the disciplinary commission for Holy See officials, said on the radio.

Inner Relationship Review

On the heels of my recent post pertaining to the astrology of relationship, which I felt had to be brought forth during this month of April, comes Our Inner Relationship Review by Shala Mata. Her Ascending Cosmic Pulse rang true for me as I read it and I am passing it on to you.

Look for the next installment of my relationship series this weekend.

Originally posted to Dunnea.net

Cafe



Around the Web, Around the World


"Why Shamanism Now?" with Christina Pratt

Why We Work with the Elements

The Elements-Earth, Air, Fire and Water-are true nourishment for our spirit. This is equally true for three-element and five-element systems also found in shamanic cultures around the globe. When we open up to relationship with the elements that nourishes spirit, spirit grows strong within us. The "voice" of a strong spirit can actually be heard over all of the noise in the cacophonous conversation of life. Join us this week as host and shaman, Christina Pratt, explores the value of working with the elements in our daily life and creative ways to do that effectively. Right relationship with the elements allows their energy to flow into our lives, creating balance by smoothing out our own excesses and scarcities. As essence energies the elements offer gifts we can access through relationship with them. We gain courage and flow, the ability to change as needed without losing your true self, and presence and breath, the reminder that it is always possible to release and begin anew.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010 at 2PM Pacific

Log on to Listen
Why Shamanism Now? on Voice America, 7th Wave Network

All episodes are now available in the iTunes Podcast Library.

Coming Soon...New Time & New Location
Why Shamanism Now? A Practical Path to Authenticity will have a new home and a new air time. Beginning April 13, 2010 the show will air live on Tuesdays at 11:00 AM Pacific time and be available for download the next day from the Co-Creator Network website. The new url will be http://www.co-creatornetwork.com Recorded shows will continue to be available on iTunes. We will keep you posted with the direct link as Christina's new webpage is created and other developments with our new partner, Co-Creator Network.

Astrology of Relationship, Part 1

Astrology is a valuable tool for understanding human nature and revealing the attributes, talent, and potential of an individual. Every natal chart consultation I do is fascinating to me because it is entirely true that no two people are exactly the same. With every reading I do, I learn something new. When person-centered astrology is understood to be an ever-changing interplay between planetary transits and an individual’s natal chart, it becomes easy to see that while a person’s natal chart shows who they are, the transits and progressions reflect the events, transformation, and growth that occur as the soul travels through life and the chronological passing of time.

Equally as alive and fluid as the astrology of an individual is the astrology of a relationship, yet even more challenging for the astrologer to interpret. When looking at an individual, there is just the “I.” In a relationship reading, the astrologer is presented with “you,” “I,” and “we.” When two people meet and exchange energy, a new “being” is born – the “we.” By relationship, I am not referring to romantic, physically intimate relationships exclusively. One individual has many relationships, such as employer/employee, parent/child, brother/sister, teacher/student, and friendships. Even our friendships may be classified into further categories. Are we the same person in each of these relationships? In essence, at our core, yes. We are who we are. Yet we often behave and express differently with different people. Why do you think that is? “Well, because she/he is my BOSS, MOTHER, DAUGHTER, SISTER, FRIEND, [fill in the blank].” – but does that actually give a valid reason for the different patterns of behavior and communication we have with different individuals? No. What role someone plays in our life has only a certain influence on how we relate to them.

Apr 3, 2010

A Tale of Two Churches

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.



I have to wonder if the Times isn't editorializing with the placement of images in this article. Archbishop Robert Zollitsch has made headlines for apologizing profusely for the failings of the church in the handling of abuse cases. He seems to genuinely believe that sunlight is the best disinfectant. Juxtapose that with signals from the Vatican, including the most recent embarrassing display of self-pity from the Pope's preacher, and you get what is graphically depicted above; the emotional contrition of an archbishop and a pope with his back to the world.

Archbishop Zollitsch said that the Church had committed serious mistakes and done too little to help the victims of priestly abuse. “The caring responsibility towards the victims was insufficient in the past because of our own disappointment at the painful failure of the perpetrators, and out of a falsely understood concern for the standing of the church," he said.

It was as close as the Church in Germany has come to admitting that it covered up crimes committed by priests

That, he said, was the "painful reality that we have to face up to". The Archbishop's words were notably blunter than those used by the Pope the previous day. 

Apr 1, 2010

Bill Donohue on the "Homesexual Crisis" in the Catholic Church

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.



Bill Donohue of the Catholic League has refined missing the point to an art form. Why anyone ever hands him a microphone is a mystery to me, but Larry King gave this bloviating gasbag plenty of opportunity to thoroughly offend Tuesday evening. And being Larry King, challenged him on none of it. His justification? The problem isn't pedophilia, it's homosexuality. Not a new argument for the Catholic Church, but Donohue can always be counted on to take obnoxious wrong-headedness to soaring new heights.

His most unintentionally funny line?

"You've got to get your facts straight. I'm sorry. If I'm the only one that's going to deal with facts tonight then that'll be it."

An amusing statement from one so wrong on fact... and grammar, but I'll let that go.

Opinions and ideas expressed in the comments on this page
belong the people who stated them. Management takes no
editorial responsibility for the content of public comments.