Bill Donohue Crows Over Defeat of Church's Victims

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.

The Catholic Church and its lobbyists appear to have defeated the Child Victims Act in New York State, and Bill Donohue's victory lap is offending pretty much everyone.

The gloating head of the Catholic League on Monday ripped into the “victims’ lobby” he says is out to “rape” the Catholic Church over the issue of child sex abuse.

. . .

“The bill was sold as justice for the victims of sexual abuse, when, in fact, it was a sham,” Donohue wrote.

He blasted the legislation as ”a vindictive bill pushed by lawyers and activists out to rape the Catholic Church.”

Yes, that's right. He accused people who were raped by Catholic clergy of trying to rape the Church.

Donohue has a long history of saying shockingly offensive things about the sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church, minimizing these crimes, and even accusing victims of being "gold diggers."

Cafe

Around the Web, Around the World

"Why Shamanism Now?" with Christina Pratt

Mythical Beasts and Weirdness: Working with Helping Spirits

A mythical beast is a beast that we believe never existed in physical form, like dragons, the basilisk, and the phoenix in the Harry Potter novels. But never is a long time. If they never existed, then why do similar mythical beasts appear in different stories the mythology of peoples who never spoke or met? Whether you believe they were real or are imaginary, mythical beasts are very special helping spirits to work with in shamanic altered states. "You need to pay attention," explains host and shaman, Christina Pratt, "There is a quality of being not of this world when we engage the mythical beasts. But we work with them because they remind us that our souls are not limited to this world either. Mostly we engage the mythical beasts to grow up and stop acting like our silly, violent, consumerist culture has anything to do with the real reality and why we are here.

Tuesday, June 21, 2016 at 11:00 AM Pacific

Log on to Listen
Why Shamanism Now? on Co-Creator Network
Questions? Comments? Call: 1-512-772-1938

All episodes are now available in the iTunes Podcast Library.

A Conversation with Jordan from Spirit Science

Appearing at The Truth About Cameron and Celestial Reflections.

Update: Jordan to Add Teal's Paintings to Spirit Science Store (See Below)


I was recently contacted, out of the blue, by Jordan Pearce, proprietor of Spirit Science. I have never personally met Jordan. I'm familiar with his work in the spiritual community, but the only personal information I've heard about him has been relayed to me by mutual acquaintances, like Teal Swan. I will refrain from repeating this third party gossip. Let's just say that I wasn't left with a very favorable impression of him. Jordan and I had no prior communication, so I was a little confused by his familiar tone in his initial contact. It seemed rather presumptuous, but I was intrigued enough to respond and see where this communication might lead.

His second message was more condescending than the first. I saw what I thought was a rather obvious agenda. In retrospect, his motives for contacting me are, at best, unclear. I assumed, based partly on things I'd heard, that he was getting back into a business collaboration with Teal, and thereby had a vested interest in clearing the decks. After seeing this blog post, in which he describes being "denied access" to her, I wonder if it wasn't more to curry favor with her. Either way, I felt it would be best to break contact with him. To my surprise, he became relentless. He sent me a number of messages and even tried to initiate a voice chat. I decided to re-engage, but only if he would consent to having his words published. He did.

I wrote him a somewhat detailed reply to what I thought were his major points. I had hoped for a fruitful exchange and realized after I'd sent that message off, that there were a number of things I needed more clarity about. I had begun to prepare a follow-up message, when Jordan abruptly terminated contact and blocked me on Facebook Messenger. Bear in mind that he pursued communication with me for days in messages dripping with affection and heart emoticons. I was blunt and dismissive and still he pursued me. But, when I finally wrote him back with an open and detailed message and invited him to continue with a meaningful exchange, he blocked me.

What follows is our entire exchange, copied verbatim from Facebook Messenger:

Mary Magdalene: Penitent, Prostitute, or Illuminator?

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.

Pope Francis has taken a big step, by elevating the commemoration of Mary Magdalene to a liturgical Feast. He should take the greater step of clearing her of criminal charges.

In a letter announcing the change, the Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Arthur Roche, writes the decision means one “should reflect more deeply on the dignity of women, the New Evangelization, and the greatness of the mystery of Divine Mercy.”

. . .

“The Holy Father Francis took this decision precisely in the context of the Jubilee of Mercy to signify the importance of this woman who showed a great love for Christ and was much loved by Christ,” writes Archbishop Roche.

He also notes Saint Magdalene was referred to as the "Apostle of the Apostles" (Apostolorum Apostola) by Thomas Aquinas, since she announced to them the Resurrection, and they, in turn, announced it to the whole world.

“Therefore it is right that the liturgical celebration of this woman has the same grade of feast given to the celebration of the apostles in the General Roman Calendar, and shines a light on the special mission of this woman, who is an example and model for every woman in the Church.”

What Pope Francis has not said: that Mary Magdalene was never a prostitute and that her depiction as one has enshrined attitudes about female sexuality that have been more damaging to women than her lack of recognition as an apostle ever could.

Cafe

Around the Web, Around the World

"Why Shamanism Now?" with Christina Pratt

Plants and Elementals: Working with Helping Spirits with Daniel Abney

Elemental Spirits are often ignored as we reach for helping spirits in the vast range of land spirits, from the smallest garden sprite to the great mountain spirits and all the many manifestations between. And yet the spirits of the elements are constant teachers of balance and flow, the two fundamental energetic principles for physical health and mental well-being. Join us this week as geomancer, Daniel Abney, joins host and shaman, Christina Pratt, to explore our health and its relationship with the plant and elemental spirits. In our addictive rush to the altered states offered by the plants like ayahuasca, San Pedro, and peyote, we miss the powerful medicinal force of plants as helping spirits and the exceptionally direct and wise restorative force of the elemental spirits.

This week's guest:
Daniel Abney, LMP

Daniel discovered a strong relationship with plant spirits and elemental spirits through his exploration of shamanism and decades of dedicated spiritual practice. Today he offers himself as a geomancer and healer to the energies of the earth, the elementals, and the plant spirits who are often set awry by unconscious human action. He is a founding member of Last Mask Community and is regularly called upon to work with the earth elements at the retreat sites and ritual locations that house the Last Mask Community's work and teachings.

Daniel's massage training commenced at the Brenneke School of Massage in 1992. He has been active in advanced training and certifications since, accumulating over 3000 hours of formal massage education. Daniel's curiosity and fascination with the human body and its amazing and beautiful inter-supporting systems is the inspiration for his drive to keep studying and learning.


Tuesday, June 14, 2016 at 11:00 AM Pacific

Log on to Listen
Why Shamanism Now? on Co-Creator Network
Questions? Comments? Call: 1-512-772-1938

All episodes are now available in the iTunes Podcast Library.

Cafe

Around the Web, Around the World

"Why Shamanism Now?" with Christina Pratt

Working with the Spirits of the Land with Ana Larramendi

"Nature communicates through energy, not words. It communicates with us through signs, symbols, omens, and feelings," explains our guest Ana Larramendi of thehollowbone.com. Ana joins host, Christina Pratt, this week to share her wisdom and experience in communicating with the vast range of spirits of the land, from the smallest garden sprite to the great apu spirits of the volcanic mountains of the ring of fire. Ana cautions that our human tendency to approach all experience from an anthropocentric perspective is our greatest hurdle in communicating with our most abundant and ever present helping spirits. We need to slow down, be silent, visit regularly, and always engage with gratitude and respect. When we help the spirits of the environment around us they are able to help us live more vital, vibrant, and interconnected lives.

This week's guest:
Ana Larramendi

Ana H. Larramendi has spent her life weaving together her spirituality with nature skills to create a skill-set of tools for land healing and teaching students to detect and heal earth trauma. Of Spanish and Basque ancestry and born in Spain, Ana is a full-time shamanic teacher and healer, at The Hollow Bone, a private practice in Madison, Wisconsin. She offers a full range of shamanic healing forms, space clearing, and various land healing practices and offers a range of shamanic course work and her Earth Tenders Apprenticeship for more advanced practitioners.

Ana has been studying shamanic traditions since 1989 and is an international teacher of shamanic healing practices. She is a minister, public speaker, Vision Quest leader, wilderness enthusiast, ceremonialist, chef, translator and an initiated mesa carrier in the Inka tradition. Ana has studied extensively with teachers from many traditions including: Alberto Villoldo, the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, Sandra Ingerman, Angeles Arrien, Betsy Bergstrom, Tom Cowan, Dr. Larry Peters, Marko Pogaĉnik, indigenous Alto Misayoqs of the Andes, and Weather Shamanism with Nan Moss and the late David Corbin. She also studied for 6 years with Tom Brown Jr. of the Tracker School, learning tracking, survival and wilderness awareness skills.

Ana has been a lecturer for the University of Wisconsin Medical School, as well as teacher and Peruvian guide for Madison Area Technical College. She is a founding member of the Society for Shamanic Practice and was a keynote presenter for their first annual conference in 2005. Ana's work has been published in The Journal of Shamanic Practice.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016 at 11:00 AM Pacific

Log on to Listen
Why Shamanism Now? on Co-Creator Network
Questions? Comments? Call: 1-512-772-1938

All episodes are now available in the iTunes Podcast Library.

Cafe

Around the Web, Around the World

"Why Shamanism Now?" with Christina Pratt

Deities and Archetypes: Working as Helping Spirits with Langston Kahn

Deities have a long history of engaging as helping spirits with people in shamanic altered states. What does it mean when a deity enters your journey scape? How do we navigate cultivating right relationship with a being who has a living tradition and long history with humans, expects certain protocol we may not know or understand, and has their own agency? And how do we know the difference between big, intense energies like deities and archetypes and why should we bother with them? Join host and shaman, Christina Pratt, and her guest Langston Kahn of Occupy-Your-Heart.com, as they discuss how to navigate right relationship with deities and archetypes, the distinction, the cautions, and ultimately, the gifts that they offer to those who are willing to step out of the safe constructs of the mind and enter the deep waters and intense currents of a nonordinary life.

This week's guest:
Langston Kahn

Langston Kahn is a shamanic practitioner specializing in emotional clearing and radical transformation. He stands firmly at the crossroads, his practice informed by the western modality of Inner Relationship Focusing, initiations into traditions of the African Diaspora, the contemporary shamanic tradition of The Last Mask Center and the guidance of his helping spirits and ancestors weaving it all together.

Langston has studied and facilitated Inner Relationship Focusing, developed by Ann Weiser Cornell for the last 8 years. He has completed 5 years of training with Christina Pratt in the Cycle of Transformation and also serves on the leadership council for the Last Mask Community, a community of contemporary people striving to live in alignment with ancient shamanic beliefs and principles in a way that answers the unique challenges of our time. Additionally, he holds initiations in several traditions of the African Diaspora.

Langston, who is centered in New York City offers sessions in emotional clearing and shamanic healing and classes both in person and online.

Tuesday, May 31, 2016 at 11:00 AM Pacific

Log on to Listen
Why Shamanism Now? on Co-Creator Network
Questions? Comments? Call: 1-512-772-1938

All episodes are now available in the iTunes Podcast Library.

Cafe

Around the Web, Around the World

"Why Shamanism Now?" with Christina Pratt

Ancestors and Descendants: Working with Helping Spirits

Why would I want a working relationship with my ancestors when I can't stand my own relations? Fair question when so much addiction, depression, social pressure, and sexual dysfunction gets handed down generation to generation. What we fail to understand is that our break with our Ancestral Helping Spirits is in large part why we experience such illness and abuse of power in our family lines. Join us this week as host and shaman, Christina Pratt, explores how we cultivate a strong working relationship with true ancestral helping spirits, avoid ghosts, use our relationship with our ancestors to mend our feelings of alienation, isolation, and loneliness. As we learn from those who have gone before us we can properly reach to the descendants to learn to ask for more from life and more from our selves.

Tuesday, May 24, 2016 at 11:00 AM Pacific

Log on to Listen
Why Shamanism Now? on Co-Creator Network
Questions? Comments? Call: 1-512-772-1938

All episodes are now available in the iTunes Podcast Library.

Cafe

Around the Web, Around the World

"Why Shamanism Now?" with Christina Pratt

Working with Helping Spirits in the Age of Entitlement

Direct communication with our helping spirits is one of the greatest gifts in the reintroduction of shamanism into contemporary life. Yet in this age of social media and everyday twitter fights, people have all but lost the art of honorable, sincere, and heart-felt communication. Your helping spirits can't hear your whining, don't care how many people are following you, and see dishonor in the entitlement you take for granted. How do we cultivate a strong working relationship with our helping spirits when we don't even know how to communicate with each other without our Smart phones. Join host and shaman, Christina Pratt, as she explores the simplicity of working with our helping spirits, ways to cultivate a strong working relationship with spirit in everyday, "normal" life, and how learning to discern with your helping spirits can restore your trust in the path of your heart.

Tuesday, May 17, 2016 at 11:00 AM Pacific

Log on to Listen
Why Shamanism Now? on Co-Creator Network
Questions? Comments? Call: 1-512-772-1938

All episodes are now available in the iTunes Podcast Library.

Cafe

Around the Web, Around the World

"Why Shamanism Now?" with Christina Pratt

What Does Shamanic Practice Look Like?

Contemporary shamanic practice looks different depending on the tradition, cosmology, or beliefs that guide your practice. The variations in authentic shamanic practice are a rich and complex field of good work being done today. At the same time there is a line for most practitioners when their early experimentation and uncertain dabbling became a way of living that they could not back out of. Join host and shaman, Christina Pratt, as she responds to multiple questions from listeners about what contemporary shamanic practice can look like. How do we hold space at work or in our unwieldy extended families? How do we practice without community? How do we practice in a community that doesn't? How do we maintain balance sufficient to practice when contemporary life seems determined to distract, deny, and disillusion? How do we deepen our practice with all the demands on our time to become the practitioners needed by our time?

Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at 11:00 AM Pacific

Log on to Listen
Why Shamanism Now? on Co-Creator Network
Questions? Comments? Call: 1-512-772-1938

All episodes are now available in the iTunes Podcast Library.

Cafe

Around the Web, Around the World

"Why Shamanism Now?" with Christina Pratt

Planting the Seed for Initiation

We need initiation into adulthood desperately, as individuals and as a culture. At this time the lack of initiation is at the root of much of what ails people on this planet, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Initiation is a bit of a mystery for children raised on tales of knights who slay the Dragon and are given the princess as a prize, a tale that further perpetuates the patterns of abuse of power in the Old Story that so deeply characterize any male-dominated, mentally-fixated culture. Yet, shamanic cultures, still alive today, share a different story of our path to power that is deeply rooted in the initiatory process. Join us this week as host and shaman, Christina Pratt, explores a deeper understanding of the function of initiation into adulthood and how returning to this practice creates a new foundation for the health and well-being of the young, the old and the elders.

This week: Tuesday, May 3, 2016 at 11:00 AM Pacific

Log on to Listen
Why Shamanism Now? on Co-Creator Network
Questions? Comments? Call: 1-512-772-1938

All episodes are now available in the iTunes Podcast Library.