Easter Egg Jesus

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.

Some years ago I posted a blurb on the controversy surrounding a life-sized chocolate Jesus exhibit. The sculpture, among other things, blurred the lines between Easter baskets filled with chocolate bunnies and jelly beans and the crucifixion and resurrection we are ostensibly honoring every spring. But then, it was the early church that originally confused things by grafting the Christ myth onto ancient, Pagan fertility rituals. It's a particularly odd pairing. Even the name, Easter, owes far more to pre-Christian mythos than anything to do with Jesus. It comes from the same word root as estrus and the goddess Eostara. It's all about estrogen and ovulation.

Chocolate Jesus also pushed the limits because he was depicted in the nude, naughty bits and all. I think I've said about enough on the sexy Jesus issue, but, let's face it, struggle continues with the sensuality of even some of the most ancient images of Christ.

That controversial, crucified confection was the first thing that came to mind when my husband gave me this Jesus themed Easter egg. (I'm a sucker for the kitsch.) And Easter Egg Jesus is stuffed to the brim with tasty, little candy crosses. Mmmm... Sacrilicious!

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Why We Fear the Creative Self

If you want to live a creative life, look at the quality of your relationship with Creativity as a spirit, not a process. For most, it's a pretty abusive relationship. No wonder your creativity doesn't show up when you need it with open arms. Our constant inner dialogue of worry is a misuse of creativity, our fear of failing is repeated abandonment, the stories we tell ourselves coerce our creativity to ally with the false self, and we utterly run creativity ragged "being a creative" while never full committing to creating what truly makes our hearts sing. Join host and shaman, Christina Pratt, in the fourth of a five part series on creativity and ways to use your shamanic practice to access your innate creativity, connect with the rising energy of springtime, and manifest the life you dream of living.

Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 11:00 AM Pacific

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Medical Cannabis DeleTED

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.

Here's another TED Talk you're never going to see because they're scared. The official reason: "Boca Raton is not ready for a talk on Cannabis." But we all know the real reason. TEDx Boca Raton is afraid of having their charter pulled by TED and being left in the lurch like TEDx West Hollywood. They've been reined in by the parent organization.

You'd have to be living under a rock not to know that new discoveries are being made about the healing properties of cannabis. And what is most troubling here is that this talk wasn't even about the kinds of medical marijuana that make people high. It's about non-psychoactive compounds that are currently being developed into effective medical therapies. Graham Hancock has posted the text of Michael Zapolin's proposed talk, so you can at least read it. Here's just a smidgen.

Cannabis Sativa comes in two varieties, one is the traditional marijuana plant that is smoked, vaporized, and eaten for its psychoactive effect. The other is called industrial hemp, which is used worldwide as a food ingredient and to make products like rope and clothing.

What is virtually unknown is that there are over 70 different elements in the plant including a group referred to as Cannabinoids. What makes this really interesting is that each one of us has an endocannabanoid system in our bodies that allows us to interact with these different elements. The question is … why would we have this system inside our bodies unless we were supposed to be interacting with this plant?

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Painting the Landscape of Your Soul with Damini Celebre

Pablo Picassosaid"The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls." The practice of art allows our soul's to talk to us, to be clear, and to illuminate the path of our soul's true purpose. Our guest this week, Damini Celebre, is a fine artist, art educator, acupuncturist, a shamanic practitioner, and now, an author. In her new book Painting the Landscape of Your Soul: A journey of self discovery-a power object in and of itself-Celebre combines her two passions, creative arts and healing arts, to synthesize a unique approach to awakening your creative self. Join host, Christina Pratt, and Damini Celebre as they explore the expression and manifestation art brings to shamanic practice and the direct unfolding of the heart's path that shamanism brings to intuitive art.

This week's guest:
Damini Celebre

Damini began her career, over thirty years ago, as a professional artist and educator. Ten years later, she began her practice as an acupuncturist and a shamanic practitioner. In addition to this work she offers creative empowerment classes, facilitates expressive art work, and teaches shamanic practices, having completed Sandra Ingerman's teacher training.

In her new book Painting the Landscape of Your Soul: A journey of self discovery, she combines her two passions, creative arts and healing arts, to synthesize a unique approach to awakening your creative self. You can purchase her book at www.daminicelebre.com/soul-landscape

Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at 11:00 AM Pacific

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Oprah Interviews FLDS Turncoat

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.

Possibly of interest, Willie Jessop, former Warren Jeffs bodyguard, current apostate, was interviewed by Oprah in a show to air tonight.

Winfrey catches up with Jessop in an episode of "Where Are They Now," to air Sunday on the OWN network

Jessop parted with Jeffs just before Jeffs' trial in 2011. He since has started cooperating with federal and Utah authorities, so much so that the United Effort Plan, the polygamous trust operated by the state of Utah, agreed to sell him land at a reduced price.

He also took possession of Jeffs' compound in Hildale and turned it into a bed and breakfast.

Jessop remains a controversial character, with many continuing to doubt his motives. But he did give us a lovely tour of Warren Jeffs's former compound before turning it into a bed and breakfast. Maybe tonight he'll explain how one repurposes a rape room and makes such a place a charming place to stay on vacation.

Triple Whammy

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.

Today is the Vernal Equinox. It is also a supermoon. And a total solar eclipse. It's a triple whammy of celestial events, capping off a week of turbulent space weather and challenging transits. If you're feeling overwhelmed and enervated you're not alone. I'm hearing widespread reports of disrupted sleep cycles, intense dream activity, and erratic energy levels. I am not exempt from any of the above.

According to some skywatchers, this eclipse signals the apocalypse.

The connection between Friday’s eclipse and the end of the world comes partly from the “Blood Moon Prophecy”. That refers to the theory that a tetrad — four consecutive lunar eclipses, with six full moons between them — is a sign that the world is coming to an end.

Those that believe in the prophecy see it partly borne out by the Book of Joel, which says that “the sun will turn into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes”. That has been connected to the phenomenon of the blood moon — the phenomenon where the moon turns copper red as it passes under the Earth’s shadow.

March’s solar eclipse have been connected by some to the series of lunar ones that are seen as harbingers of the end times. This solar eclipse sits in the middle of the tetrad, and is seen as another signal that signs are appearing in the sky.

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Sovereignty and Your Calling

Sovereignty is the supreme power to self govern and it is the core of a life lived well. What does sovereignty mean in a time when we "follow" others, blame outside authority for what's not working in our world, and give our power away daily to fears, anxiety, and habits generated by what we think others are thinking? If we are to be the New People to shape a truly New World, we must reclaim and cultivate the old shamanic understanding of sovereignty as the center that is alive and connects all aspects of life. It is the place that we stand and what we stand for. If you cultivate sovereignty you can step into right relationship with your destiny which in turn gives you the freedom to choose to live the life of your true calling. Join host and shaman, Christina Pratt, this week as she explores how you can use your shamanic skills to become the center of your own life and co-create your destiny.

Tuesday, March 17, 2015 at 11:00 AM Pacific

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Awakening Your Creativity

Truly new and creative ideas arise from the wellspring of our indomitable spirit. That spirit is either cultivated or crushed in our day to day choices and actions. Using shamanic skills we can engage the rising energies that define spring time to nourish our spirit and prime the pump to release the flow of our creative ability to dream and manifest. When we take steps to engage the spring season in health and balance we can bring a spark into our life, creativity to our self-expansion, and clarity to our identity. Join host and shaman, Christina Pratt this week as she explores the use of shamanic skills to find the movement, flow, cultivation, and expression in our creative spirit. With our creative spirit as an ally we can renew our lust for life and passion for our purpose.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015 at 11:00 AM Pacific

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James Ray Under the Radar

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.

Since leaving his prison cell, James Arthur Ray has quite predictably been working on a comeback. My biggest concern about a post-incarceration Ray has never been that he would once again ascend to the dizzying heights he attained as part of The Secret. It's that he would consolidate a small, devoted following, without ever becoming big enough to invite much media scrutiny. If I had to guess, I'd say that this is precisely his strategy.

Ray is not courting media as he once did. He's avoiding all but the most sycophantic and controllable outlets. If they won't lob him softballs like the thoroughly compromised media whore Piers Morgan, he's not interested. So, when Bloomberg reporter Matt Stroud came calling, Ray declined to be interviewed on the record. 

The result is a fairly even-handed article about Ray's appearances in small rooms anywhere he can scrape together an audience. Unlike Morgan, Stroud also interviewed Ginny Brown, who lost her daughter Kirby to Ray's sweat lodge inferno. The writing is dispassionate. The facts are damning.

Ray no longer commands huge auditoriums at thousands of dollars a head. Stroud caught up with him at the Tatum Ranch Community Center teaching "around 30 name-tagged men and women who last week shelled out $495 for his daylong presentation." The event is ironically titled "Resources for Epic Living."

Tesseract: A Journey Through Art and Time

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.

A Wrinkle in Time was considered essential reading in my home. My mother simply loved this book and, once she'd persuaded me to read it, so did I. It has all the elements: a strong female character that any adolescent girl could admire, a fantastical storyline, and travel to other planets. I've always loved stories about interstellar travel. The book revolves around something called the tesseract which allows the central characters to move through space at light-speed by folding, or wrinkling, time. I'd always assumed "tesseract" was one of those funny, made-up words. Obviously, I was incorrect and I only learned this years later when I began to work with sacred geometry and learned about the hypercube, aka, the tesseract.

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Spring: Dreaming and Manifesting

Each season has its own spirit and they all have profound influence on us, regardless of our ignorance to their presence. Modern people who live in the climate controlled illusion that they have mastered nature, wilderness, and the Unknown miss this opportunity to work with the energies of the changing seasons. "The seasons draw the unique richness from each stage of the cycle of a year on earth," explains host and shaman, Christina Pratt, "To engage with the seasonal spirits openly and honestly is to engage in simple elegance, rich blessings, and the refinement of presence at our core." Join us this week as we explore how to work with the energies of spring to awaken our Dreamer and engage the Manifestor without whom we cannot make the dream happen.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015 at 11:00 AM Pacific

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