Video of Drunvalo's recent webcast is has been posted on YouTube. Enjoy!
Jun 16, 2010
Birth of a New Humanity
Crossposted from Reflections Journal.
Video of Drunvalo's recent webcast is has been posted on YouTube. Enjoy!
Video of Drunvalo's recent webcast is has been posted on YouTube. Enjoy!
Jun 15, 2010
Cafe
Around the Web, Around the World
"Why Shamanism Now?" with Christina Pratt
The Initiation Series: Desiree DeMars
Healer, Desiree DeMars is our first guest in our Initiation Series: Curing our Cultural Sickness. She will join us to discuss her own initiation experiences and how they transformed her. It is our hope that in hearing the stories of a diverse range of contemporary initiation experiences-that have functioned to truly transform individuals into shamans-that we will come to remember what initiation truly means. Desiree is a co-founder of The Center for Shamanic Healing in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Center is dedicated to bridging the ancient and ancestral wisdom of shamanic and spiritual healing with direct engagement with spirit in a contemporary life. Desiree's initiations have occurred over time and place. She travels extensively, often stopping to live for months or years in places that call to her. She began living a holistic life 30 years ago building a green, self-sufficient homestead in Northern Wisconsin. Her holistic lifestyle has evolved into 20 years studying herbal remedies, live food nutrition, several bodywork and energywork modalities, and shamanic healing arts. Her travels have brought her in contact with indigenous healers in Peru, Ecuador, Bali, Hawaii, Mexico and Nepal. If we are really lucky we will get to tell us her story of initiation by scorpion...
This week's guest:
Desiree DeMars
Desiree is a co-founder of The Center for Shamanic Healing in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Center is dedicated to bridging the ancient and ancestral wisdom of shamanic and spiritual healing with direct engagement with spirit in a contemporary life. Desiree has over 30 years of experience in holistic health and sustainable lifestyle training beginning with building a self sufficient, homestead and creating a green lifestyle on 10 acres in Northern Wisconsin in the early 70's. Her holistic lifestyle has evolved into 20 years studying herbal remedies, live food nutrition, several bodywork and energywork modalities, and shamanic healing arts. Her shamanic training began in 1994 with teachers from the Foundation for Shamanic Studies and travel around the world with anthropologists. In her travels she has worked with indigenous healers in Peru, Ecuador, Bali, Hawaii, Mexico and Nepal.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 11:00 AM Pacific
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When Self Help Isn't Helpful
Crossposted from Reflections Journal.
The backlash against "positive thinking" continues. Psychologist Jeffrey Hull weighs in on the lack of utility in the shiny, happy help.
The backlash against "positive thinking" continues. Psychologist Jeffrey Hull weighs in on the lack of utility in the shiny, happy help.
A client walks into my office, flings down her hefty shoulder bag with a scowl, and flops on to the sofa. Reaching into the overstuffed bag, she pulls out a small stack of brightly colored self-help books, all of which have the trendy word "Happy" in the title, and tosses them on my coffee table. "Ok, Dr. J, I've read all these new books on happiness. I've tried out their five steps, completed their six practices and read about their endless studies of happy people--all to no avail. Why am I still miserable? What's wrong with me?!"
Tough question. But a good one, and by no means the first time I've heard it. With the emergence of the field known as "positive psychology" (a.k.a. the study of happiness), the self-help industry has decidedly tilted away from personal and spiritual growth and begun churning out a surfeit of "don't worry, be happy" kinds of books. Most of these surely intend to make us feel better; however, they are simply book-length motivational speeches. They do well in today's quick-fix, pop-a-pill approach to dealing with life's upheavals but there is one problem: I don't think they work. In truth, it's worse than that. We read them at our peril. In the guise of "self-help," I find that, in many cases, they actually hurt--reinforcing the exact opposite of what they intend: unhappiness. Why?
Jun 12, 2010
Astrological Trends for June 11-17, 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. I am available for general readings by phone or text chat at LivePsyche or you can make arrangements for in-depth chart readings here.
Sun, Moon, and Mercury are all in the mutable sign of Gemini on Friday, June 11th, making this a day full of chat, text, and errands for you. Mercury is in a stressful configuration with both Chiron and Mars while also being intensified by Pluto. You may simply feel like your mind is in overdrive today, or you may experience a communication or transportation fail of some kind that feels like it couldn’t happen at a worse time. A shield of protection created by Venus, Saturn, and Neptune is in force, though, and tells me that a positive attitude, belief in a timely solution, and the help of others, if you ask for it, will turn any challenge into an accomplishment.
Sun, Moon, and Mercury are all in the mutable sign of Gemini on Friday, June 11th, making this a day full of chat, text, and errands for you. Mercury is in a stressful configuration with both Chiron and Mars while also being intensified by Pluto. You may simply feel like your mind is in overdrive today, or you may experience a communication or transportation fail of some kind that feels like it couldn’t happen at a worse time. A shield of protection created by Venus, Saturn, and Neptune is in force, though, and tells me that a positive attitude, belief in a timely solution, and the help of others, if you ask for it, will turn any challenge into an accomplishment.
Jun 10, 2010
DMT - The Spirit Molecule
Crossposted from Reflections Journal.
Several interviews from DMT - The Spirit Molecule have been released on YouTube. This new film from Rick Strassman et al. explores the research and potential of DMT, an entheogen that has long been used by indigenous shamans. As I recently posted here, the naturally occurring DMT in our brains may be a key to ascension.
Particularly insightful, Daniel Pinchbeck describes the sixties experimentation with hallucinogens as a "failed attempt at a mass, cultural voyage of initiation" because there were no "wisdom traditions" to form a context for the experience. Now that there is more information available from shamanic systems, he speculates that it may be possible to complete that initiation.
My husband and I just watched the documentary Hofmann's Potion
on the discovery of and early experimentation with LSD. One of the things that becomes clear from those interviews is how little many of the early researchers knew about just what they were dealing with. Foisted on the public, largely by the egocentric Timothy Leary, with no safety parameters and no cultural enforcement of respect for this gateway into another dimension, it was misused and abused. The consequences were fairly disastrous. Many years ago I had a conversation with shamanic healer Christina Pratt about such use of hallucinogens. She described it as "free-wheeling through non-ordinary reality." The danger, she told me, was that because that world is so closely linked to this one, the damage an unguided person, with no clear intention, can do there can also adversely affect this reality.
Speaking of Christina, and of cultural initiations, her most recent broadcast, mentioned here, is probably her most fascinating and poignant show ever... and that is saying something. I listened to the podcast last night. Everyone should listen to it. She describes our core problem, individually and collectively, as having no formal initiation into adulthood. Most of us are children in adult bodies reacting to adult situations like children. Hear. Hear. Speaking as an "Adult Child" (of an Alcoholic) I can absolutely attest to this being the central drama of my entire life.
Several interviews from DMT - The Spirit Molecule have been released on YouTube. This new film from Rick Strassman et al. explores the research and potential of DMT, an entheogen that has long been used by indigenous shamans. As I recently posted here, the naturally occurring DMT in our brains may be a key to ascension.
Particularly insightful, Daniel Pinchbeck describes the sixties experimentation with hallucinogens as a "failed attempt at a mass, cultural voyage of initiation" because there were no "wisdom traditions" to form a context for the experience. Now that there is more information available from shamanic systems, he speculates that it may be possible to complete that initiation.
My husband and I just watched the documentary Hofmann's Potion
on the discovery of and early experimentation with LSD. One of the things that becomes clear from those interviews is how little many of the early researchers knew about just what they were dealing with. Foisted on the public, largely by the egocentric Timothy Leary, with no safety parameters and no cultural enforcement of respect for this gateway into another dimension, it was misused and abused. The consequences were fairly disastrous. Many years ago I had a conversation with shamanic healer Christina Pratt about such use of hallucinogens. She described it as "free-wheeling through non-ordinary reality." The danger, she told me, was that because that world is so closely linked to this one, the damage an unguided person, with no clear intention, can do there can also adversely affect this reality. Speaking of Christina, and of cultural initiations, her most recent broadcast, mentioned here, is probably her most fascinating and poignant show ever... and that is saying something. I listened to the podcast last night. Everyone should listen to it. She describes our core problem, individually and collectively, as having no formal initiation into adulthood. Most of us are children in adult bodies reacting to adult situations like children. Hear. Hear. Speaking as an "Adult Child" (of an Alcoholic) I can absolutely attest to this being the central drama of my entire life.
Jun 8, 2010
Cafe
Around the Web, Around the World
"Why Shamanism Now?" with Christina Pratt
The Initiation Series: Curing our Cultural Sickness
This week begins a series exploring initiation and spiritual maturity. "It is my hypothesis," says host and shaman Christina Pratt, "that the lack of meaningful or functional initiation is at the root of our cultural sicknesses from greed and irresponsible leadership to ecological waste to psychoemotional illness and pharmaceutical abuse to teen suicide and violence." To begin we will explore what a functional initiation involves and how shamans see it at the core of the healthy psychoemotional and psychospiritual development of the individual. Given that we will look at two things: first, how the lack of initiation and the resulting spiritual immaturity leads to our cultural sicknesses and second we will look at what you can do to begin to open yourself up to the initiation into adulthood that is wanting to happen. Over the next several weeks a diverse array of guests will share their initiatory experiences along the path they walked to become practicing contemporary shamans. This series will end by looking at the parallels and lessons we can learn from those who have walked the path of initiation and now live in a way that models for us spiritual maturity and the possibility of curing our chronic cultural sicknesses.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010 at 11:00 AM Pacific
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
All episodes are now available in the iTunes Podcast Library.
Jun 7, 2010
Geoff Stray on 2012
Crossposted from Reflections Journal.
Fascinating, fascinating, interview with Geoff Stray, author of Beyond 2012. Stray has spent years collating myths relating to 2012 and some of the more empirical evidence of planetary alignments and shifts. He also finds remarkable correlation in the individual experiences of those have used sacred plants or had near death experiences who have received information about 2012.
His discoveries seem to support Drunvalo Melchizedek's belief in a leap in consciousness associated with the pole reversal around that 2012 reference point. Stray explains research pointing to shifts in the magnetosphere triggering an increase in DMT production. In other words the magnetic shift would allow us to collectively "pierce the veil." Along those lines he points to a Maori myth which was, he believes improperly translated as saying "the curtain will fall." He points to a more accurate translation of "the veil will dissolve." This, in particular, jumps out at me because that is also the original meaning of the world apocalypse. From the Greek Apokálypsis meaning "revealing what is hidden," "lifting the veil," or simply, "revelation."
A good, brief summary of Sray's work can also be found here.
Fascinating, fascinating, interview with Geoff Stray, author of Beyond 2012. Stray has spent years collating myths relating to 2012 and some of the more empirical evidence of planetary alignments and shifts. He also finds remarkable correlation in the individual experiences of those have used sacred plants or had near death experiences who have received information about 2012.
His discoveries seem to support Drunvalo Melchizedek's belief in a leap in consciousness associated with the pole reversal around that 2012 reference point. Stray explains research pointing to shifts in the magnetosphere triggering an increase in DMT production. In other words the magnetic shift would allow us to collectively "pierce the veil." Along those lines he points to a Maori myth which was, he believes improperly translated as saying "the curtain will fall." He points to a more accurate translation of "the veil will dissolve." This, in particular, jumps out at me because that is also the original meaning of the world apocalypse. From the Greek Apokálypsis meaning "revealing what is hidden," "lifting the veil," or simply, "revelation."
A good, brief summary of Sray's work can also be found here.
Jun 5, 2010
The Oil Spill and Apocalyptic Prophecy
Crossposted from Reflections Journal.
A public official in Louisiana compared the oil spill now reaching the shores to Biblical prophecy.
A public official in Louisiana compared the oil spill now reaching the shores to Biblical prophecy.
With its arrival on the Panhandle, oil from the BP disaster has now reached the shores of four Gulf states - Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama in addition to Florida - turning their marshlands into death zones for wildlife and staining beaches rust and crimson.
One official said the affliction brings to mind the plagues and punishments of the Bible.
"In Revelations it says the water will turn to blood," said P.J. Hahn, director of coastal zone management for Louisiana's Plaquemines Parish. "That's what it looks like out here - like the Gulf is bleeding. This is going to choke the life out of everything."
Jun 3, 2010
Astrological Trends for June 4-10, 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. I am available for general readings by phone or text chat at LivePsyche or you can make arrangements for in-depth chart readings here.
Friday, June 4th, is influenced by some discordant energy between the Moon in Pisces and the Sun in Gemini. Today, you may feel as though your thoughts are at odds with your feelings. There is no harm in taking some time to examine your thoughts and feelings before making any decisions. A contra-parallel between the Moon and Saturn increases your tendency to be critical of both yourself and others. Knowing this short-lived energy in advance should enable you to put it to constructive, rather than obstructive or destructive, use. Some sexual tension that Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus have been creating can be super charged right now and today the Sun/Moon energy may have you asking yourself, “Should I, or shouldn’t I?” when it comes to the question of a fling. Love is like Russian Roulette right now – it could be the real thing, or not, you won’t know unless you play.
Friday, June 4th, is influenced by some discordant energy between the Moon in Pisces and the Sun in Gemini. Today, you may feel as though your thoughts are at odds with your feelings. There is no harm in taking some time to examine your thoughts and feelings before making any decisions. A contra-parallel between the Moon and Saturn increases your tendency to be critical of both yourself and others. Knowing this short-lived energy in advance should enable you to put it to constructive, rather than obstructive or destructive, use. Some sexual tension that Mars, Jupiter, and Uranus have been creating can be super charged right now and today the Sun/Moon energy may have you asking yourself, “Should I, or shouldn’t I?” when it comes to the question of a fling. Love is like Russian Roulette right now – it could be the real thing, or not, you won’t know unless you play.
The Dark Side of Positive Thinking
Crossposted from Reflections Journal.
This article on the perils of positive thinking really jumped out at me. I've noted before the growing backlash against the self-help movement and its relentless feel good message. There is much to relate to in the author's failed attempts at self-improvement. Like so many of us, he learned that there are no panaceas.
Most interesting are comments from the author of a soon to be released book on the pitfalls and limitations of the self-help industry.
Neo meets the Oracle ~ The Matrix
This article on the perils of positive thinking really jumped out at me. I've noted before the growing backlash against the self-help movement and its relentless feel good message. There is much to relate to in the author's failed attempts at self-improvement. Like so many of us, he learned that there are no panaceas.
Most interesting are comments from the author of a soon to be released book on the pitfalls and limitations of the self-help industry.
Worse still, as British author and academic Dr. Neel Burton argues in The Art of Failure: An Anti Self-Help Guide, these well-meaning efforts at self-improvement might actually amount to the psychological equivalent of self-inflicted wounds. “These books prevent us from knowing ourselves, and what we get in the end is basically a nervous breakdown,” Burton says. “We know that in the Untied States, for example, ten per cent of the population is on anti-depressants and a significantly higher proportion of the population is on other psychotropic medication. Why is that?”
The answer, Burton believes, lies in the fact that the average self-improvement treatise encourages the belief that personal happiness is the product of sculpted abs, nicer clothes, or more personal wealth. Those are dangerous distractions, he argues, from the true source of human happiness, our relationships with others. “We don’t pay enough attention to our human relationships, and we don’t treat our human relationships with the respect and consideration that they deserve. We’d be much happier if we focused more on them, on our relationships with our friends, our family, and our partners.”
Ultimately, Burton says, the true path to happiness doesn’t lie in thinking positively or mimicking the seven habits of highly effective people but instead in cultivating a greater self-awareness. He believes that our estrangement from that awareness, and our increasingly manic obsession with all things us, represent a departure from our natural instincts as human beings. “In traditional cultures, people lived in very close knit communities. They knew each other, and they didn’t really focus on themselves so much. The focus on life was on the survival community and not on their own individuality. Modern society is very different from that. There’s a huge emphasis on me; my goals, my life, my death. That puts a lot of pressure on people, and it’s not the kind of pressure that we’re evolved to cope with. That’s the source of many of our problems."
Jun 1, 2010
Cafe
Around the Web, Around the World
"Why Shamanism Now?" with Christina Pratt
Soul's Purpose: The Core of Well-Being
One of the highest values held in shamanic cultures is the fact that each individual brings to this world a unique soul's purpose. The gift of that soul's purpose has never been seen before and will never be seen again if you do not live it. This isn't karma and there are no second chances. This is the one moment to live that unique genius. This value was held in various ways by pre-contact shamanic peoples around the world. To live one's purpose was believed to be at the core of one's well-being. "I see this, or more precisely the lack of it, to be true today," says host and shaman, Christina Pratt. "When we are living far from our right work, spending 8-10 hours a day in a job that is not meaningful to us, ignoring the body's cries for balance, and making sure that our sleep is so short or shallow that we never touch into the call of the soul then it's no wonder we are unwell." Join us this week as we explore how to catch the scent of your soul's purpose and bring your life back on track with your passion. By changing this one thing- your relationship with your unique purpose-you can restore well-being in all aspects of your life.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010 at 11:00 AM Pacific
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
All episodes are now available in the iTunes Podcast Library.
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