earth sta r · a spiritual biography of george harrison dec / jan 2012 conscious living in the 21st...

A SPIRITUAL BIOGRAPHY OF GEORGE HARRISON

DEC / JAN 2012 CONSCIOUS LIVING IN THE 21ST CENTURYEARTH STAR

BABY BOOMERS: FOREVER YOUNG

THE NETWORK OF THE GODSERICH VON DANIKEN

WORKING CLASS MYSTIC

EARTH STAR

THE NETWORK OF THE GODSERICH VON DANIKEN

MMUUSSIICC OOFF LIFFEE

WORKING CLASS MYSTIC

BABY BOOMERS: FOREVER YOUNGDONNA GATESDONNA GATES

DON CAMPBELL

THE ANCIENT ALIEN QUESTIONTHE ANCIENT ALIEN QUESTIONPHILIP COPPENS

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www.earthstarmag.com DECEMBER / JANUARY 2012 EARTH STAR 3

Earth Star Up FrontAmericans Americans Are ‘PreparingAre ‘Preparing’ At Unprecedented Levels

D o you have enough food inyour larder to feed your familyand some friends if grocery

stores ran out of food? How about sev-eral assault rifles and a few thousandrounds of ammo? Solar panels, a waterfilter, medical kits, bug-out bags, firestarters, tents, sleeping bags, some junksilver and reserve gasoline? Don’tworry, you’re not alone.

It’s becoming apparent to manyAmericans that depending on our local,state and federal governments in theevent of an emergency, catastrophicsocietal collapse or widespread disasterwill not be sufficient to meet the needsof your family. Residents in Colorado(and likely the other 49 states) are stock-piling in droves and preparing to live offthe grid if it comes to that:

Four families in Yoder are building asand bunker and stockpiling ammuni-tion and weapons.

A Black Forest resident has erected ageodesic dome on her five-acre spreadto grow vegetables, keeps horses foremergency transportation, in case shecan’t get gasoline for her car, and plansto acquire chickens and goats as foodsources.

A husband and wife who have a cabinon a hundred acres of secluded land inPark County have weaned their propertyfrom the electric grid, acquired a three-year food supply and taken other meas-

ures to become self-sufficient.

While there’s lit-tle threat of the earth-quake and tsumanithat rocked Japan inMarch in landlockedColorado, other epiccrises on the homefront are possible: Aflood or fire. A terror-ist attack. A nuclearweapons launch.World War III. Or anapocalyptic-type sce-nario.

An increasingnumber of people saythey are gettingready.

There are anynumber of scenarios,both natural and man-made, that couldlead to what preppers refer to as TEOT-WAWKI (The End of the World as WeKnow It), be it an electro magnetic pulseattack, a US dollar hyperinflation, eco-nomic collapse, an earthquake along theNew Madrid Fault Line, Yellow Stone’ssuper volcano, or the purported Mayanend of days.

While some may be more likely tooccur than others, and some are improb-able outliers, the fact that the possibili-ties exist, and that there are a whole hostof reasons why life aswe have come to knowit could be halted fromone day to the next,makes preparednessthat much more reason-able.

We’ve seen howgovernments respondto disasters. Recent his-tory in the modern agesuggests that there issimply no way to meetthe needs of millions ofpeople if a far-from-equilibrium situationwere to arise.

Americans spendthousands of dollars peryear on insurance for

our homes, our cars, our health, ourlives, and even our mortgages.

Is it really so crazy to insure our-selves from unforeseen black swans bystockpiling some food, water, suppliesand a means to protect them?

The US government is spendingbillions of dollars to prepare for unlike-ly events like war, catastrophic collapseof society, and even asteroids—maybeyou should consider a little end-of-the-world insurance as well.— Colorado Springs Gazette

4 EARTH STAR DECEMBER / JANUARY 2012 www.earthstarmag.com

ON THE COVER26 Baby Boomers: Forever Young

by Donna Gates

28 Music of Life - Rhythms of the Mindby Don Campbell & Alex Doman

35 Working Class MysticA Spiritual Biography of George Harrisonby Gary Tillery

46 The Ancient Alien QuestionWere We Alone?by Philip Coppens

52 The Network of the Godsby Erich von Dainiken

FEATURES11 In Memoriam - Budd Hopkins and Alfred Bielek

12 Down To Earth Astrologyby Tim Gunns

16 Love, Joy and WisdomRaising our vibration for 2012by Madeleine Walker

22 Reversing Dental Decayby Dr. Joseph Mercola

38 Crystal Oversoul Attunementby Michael Eastwood

40 Are You Wanting Correctly?The Truth About Abundanceby Lisa McCourt

42 New View, New YouWant to Reinvent Your Life? by Xorin Balbes

49 A Christmas Message Let Us Rejoiceby Paramahansa Yogananda

57 Slash Your Risk for Premature Death with Omega-3sby Delia Wilder

62 Meditation and the “I”The Journey Beyond The “I”by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee.

DEPARTMENTS3 Up Front

18 Book Reviews50 Green Living

EARTH STARCONTENTS DECEMBER / JANUARY 2012

Page 52

Page 30

Page 26

Cover Art Sentinelle Immobile -

Frozen in Timeby Jean-Paul Avisse

For further information,contact

Prestige Art Galleries, 3909 W. Howard, Skokie,IL 60076. (874) 679-2555,www.prestigeartskokie.com

.

For a free color brochure,please send a S.A.S.E.

Jean-Paul Avissewith his daughter, Marine

DECEMBER / JANUARY 2012 EARTH STAR 5www.earthstarmag.com

Earth Star Up FrontSS CIENCECIENCE PP ROVESROVES DD NN AA CC AA NN BB EE RR EE PP RR OO GG RR AA MM MM EE DD BYBY WW ORDSORDS ANDAND FF REQUENCIESREQUENCIES

T he human dna is a biologicalinternet and superior in manyaspects to the artificial one.

Russian scientific research directly orindirectly explains phenomena such asclairvoyance, intuition, spontaneous andremote acts of healing, self healing,affirmation techniques, unusuallight/auras around people (namely spiri-tual masters), mind's influence onweather patterns and much more. Inaddition, there is evidence for a wholenew type of medicine in which DNAcan be influenced and reprogrammed bywords and frequencies WITHOUT cut-ting out and replacing single genes.

Only ten percent of our DNA isbeing used for building proteins. It isthis subset of DNA that is of interest towestern researchers and is being exam-ined and categorized. The other ninetypercent are considered “junk DNA.” TheRussian researchers, however, con-vinced that nature was not dumb, joinedlinguists and geneticists in a venture toexplore those ninety percent of “junkDNA.” Their results, findings and con-clusions are simply revolutionary!According to them, our DNA is not onlyresponsible for the construction of ourbody but also serves as data storage andin communication. The Russian lin-

guists found that the geneticcode, especially in the apparent-ly useless ninety percent, fol-lows the same rules as all ourhuman languages. To this endthey compared the rules of syn-tax (the way in which words areput together to form phrases andsentences), semantics (the studyof meaning in language forms)and the basic rules of grammar.They found that the alkalines ofour DNA follow a regular gram-mar and do have set rules justlike our languages. So humanlanguages did not appear coin-cidentally but are a reflection ofour inherent DNA.

The Russian biophysicistand molecular biologist PjotrGarjajev and his colleagues alsoexplored the vibrational behav-ior of the DNA. The bottom linewas: “Living chromosomesfunction just like solitonic/holographic computers usingthe endogenous DNA laser radiation.”This means that they managed for exam-ple to modulate certain frequency pat-terns onto a laser ray and with it influ-enced the DNA frequency and thus thegenetic information itself. Since the

basic structure of DNA-alkaline pairsand of language (as explained earlier)are of the same structure, no DNAdecoding is necessary. —2012 Indy Info

BeetsBeets’’ Natural Natural NNii tt rraatteess Boost The Boost The BBrraaiinn’’ss BBlloooodd FFllooww

A n article published online inthe Nitric Oxide Society jour-nal Nitric Oxide: Biology and

Chemistry reveals that foods that con-tain nitrates, such as beets and leafygreen vegetables, improve blood flowto the brain, which could help maintaincognitive function. Nitrates convert tonitrite in the body, which helps dilate

blood vessels, thereby increasing theflow of blood and the delivery of oxy-gen and nutrients.

Researchers at Wake ForestUniversity in Winston-Salem, NorthCarolina enrolled 14 adults whose ageaveraged 74.7 years. The participantswere given a breakfast with or without16 ounces of beet juice for two days.On the second day of the study, brainblood flow was assessed via magneticresonance imagery (MRI) and bloodnitrite levels measured. The diets wereswitched on the third and fourth days,and MRI exams and blood testing wererepeated.

Blood flow to the white matter ofthe brain’s frontal lobes, the area thatdegenerates in dementia, wasimproved following the high-nitratebreakfast. The study is the first to

reveal an increase in brain blood flowfollowing beet juice ingestion. “Therehave been several very high-profilestudies showing that drinking beetjuice can lower blood pressure, but wewanted to show that drinking beet juicealso increases perfusion, or blood flow,to the brain,” coauthor Daniel Kim-Shapiro commented. “There are areasin the brain that become poorly per-fused as you age, and that's believed tobe associated with dementia and poorcognition.”

“I think these results are consistentand encouraging, that good diet consist-ing of a lot of fruits and vegetables cancontribute to overall good health,” addedsenior investigator and Wake ForestDepartment of Health and ExerciseScience associate professor Gary Miller.—The classical Medicine Journal

www.earthstarmag.com6 EARTH STAR DECEMBER / JANUARY 2012

EARTH STARThe Leading Magazine for Holistic Living

in New England

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CONTRIBUTING WRITERSXorin Balbes • Don Campbell

Philip Coppens • Erich von Daniken Alex Doman • Donna Gates • Tim Gunns

Lee Lipsenthal • Lisa McCourt • Joseph MercolaGary Tillery • Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee

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SUBMISSIONSManuscripts, artwork, and photographs

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All Rights Reserved. No articles may be used without written permission of the publisher

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Earth Star Up Front

CCHHIINNAACCHHIINNAA TTO INSTO INSTALLALL MORE THAN 2,000 MORE THAN 2,000 GGOOLLDDGGOOLLDD AATMSTMS

T he return to real money ismaking swift gains as publicdistrust and uncertainty about

the viability of fiat currencies contin-ues to grow. And according to a recentreport in Digital Journal, some coun-tries, including China, are actuallyinstalling automated teller machines(ATMs) that dispense gold bullionrather than paper currency.

Since 2000, the price of gold interms of US fiat currency (FederalReserve Notes) has jumped nearly 800percent as a result of inflation and thecontinued decline of the dollar. Inresponse to this and the perpetualdecline and instability of fiat curren-cies in general, the Chinese metropolisof Beijing has installed its first goldATM in a shopping mall. And morethan 2,000 gold ATMs are set to beinstalled elsewhere throughout thecountry, which will allow residents toeasily exchange their cash for the pre-cious metal.

“The people in Asia have a uniquetaste for gold, especially in China andIndia, and the channels of investmentin China are way too narrow rightnow,” said Zheng Ruixiang, presidentof Gongmei, to China Daily concern-ing the plan. “To put residents cashdeposits into gold deposits can reducecash flow and reduce pressure on com-modity prices.”

For the past several years, theChinese government has been encour-aging its citizens to exchange theiryuan for gold and silver in order toprotect their wealth against inflation

and an unraveling world economy.After all, the failing US dollar is stillthe world’s international reserve cur-rency (IRC), and China currently holdsthe largest share of US debt of all thecountries in the world.

Gold ATMs are popping up inmany other countries besides China aswell, including in both Germany andthe US. The machines maintain a con-stant feed of gold's market value interms of a nation's currency, and adjustprices for customers accordingly.

The US dollar can not, and willnot, last forever. And neither will anyother fiat currency that is backed bynothing. This is why many liberty-minded folks around the world havebeen encouraging others to preservetheir wealth by investing in gold andsilver. — NaturalNews

MMaaggnneettiicc IInnvviissiibbiilliittyy CCllooaakk Proposed By ScientistsProposed By Scientists

T he power of invisibility maysoon be more than just a sci-fifantasy. Researchers in Spain

have developed an ‘antimagnet’ cloakthat could hide objects from magneticfields, reports ScienceNOW.

The new device would make it pos-sible “to ‘switch off’ the magnetic inter-action of a magnetic material with exist-ing magnetic fields without modifyingthem,” the researchers wrote in a paperpublished in the New Journal ofPhysics.

The cloak is only conceptual, but ifdeveloped, it could open up a host ofnew medical possibilities. For one,patients with pacemakers or other mag-netic implants would be able to undergoMRIs without harm.

The concept could also be appliedby the military: Ships using the technol-ogy could avoid mines designed to det-onate when a magnetic field is detected,

according to physorg.com.But magnetic invisibility isn't all a

bed of roses. It could potentially assistcriminals trying to breach security inairports, embassies and other high threatbuildings by making it possible forbombs and other weapons to passthrough metal detectors undetected,reports Discovery News.

While John Pendry, a theorist out ofImperial College London toldScienceNOW it would take invisiblecloaking technology to the next level,other scientists have questioned thecapability of cooling superconductors.

“It’s quite likely this thing works ina computer, but it’s a question ofwhether it works in real life,” MIT pro-fessor of materials science CarolineRoss told Discovery News

The beauty of superconductors, atechnology this latest cloaking conceptrelies on? They offer zero electrical

resistance and impermeability tomagnetic fields.

This isn’t the first invisibility cloakin the making though. According to LiveScience, for the past five years, scien-tists have been creating different formsof invisibility cloaks.

One of the most recent develop-ments emerged last year whenresearchers devised an invisibility cloakout of silk. — The Huffington Post

8 EARTH STAR DECEMBER / JANUARY 2012 www.earthstarmag.com

Earth Star Up FrontHow THow To Dispose of Mercury-Containing CFLso Dispose of Mercury-Containing CFLs

W ith the phasing out of “Old-fashioned” tungsten lightbulbs in Australia, the UK,

and the US over the next five years, thespotlight has now fallen on their ‘low-energy’ replacements—CFLs.

These new compact fluorescent lightbulbs contain mercury, which has trig-gered a rash of concerned media stories.But is there any fact behind the fear?

Why do low-energy light bulbs con-tain mercury? Because it’s essential tothe way they work.

Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs(CFLs) are tubes containing mercuryand noble gases (typically argon).

When the bulb is switched on, elec-trons stream from a tungsten-coatedcoil. They collide with mercury atoms,exciting their electrons and creatingflashes of ultraviolet light.

A phosphor coating (typically com-posed of metal oxides or phosphates) onthe inside of the tube absorbs this lightand re-emits it at visible wavelengths.

This is also how flu-orescent strip lights work.

How much mercurydo CFLs contain? Up to 5milligrams—a tinyamount when comparedto the 3 grams in a mer-cury thermometer, saysAdrian Westwood, fromthe UK EnvironmentAgency.

Fluorescent striplights contain similarlytiny amounts, reduced

from the 100 milligrams pres-ent in first-generation CFLbulbs.

Couldn’t we do withoutmercury in household lighting?

Not in a fluorescent light.Light-emitting diodes

(LEDs) don’t contain mercury,but they’re still costly, andresearchers have only justbegun working out how todiffuse their focused light tosuit household lamps.

Old-fashioned incandes-cent tungsten filament bulbsdon’t contain mercury either.

But, … More mercury isemitted into the air by fossil-fuel fired power plants, whenPRODUCING the equivalent electricityfor ‘powering-up’ those incandescentlights, than for the energy-saving CFLs.

The amount of mercury releasedwhile powering and disposing of CFLbulbs is much smaller than is emitted for

old-fashioned filamentbulbs.

What danger is thereif a CFL breaks?

‘No amount of mercu-ry is good for you, but thevery small amount con-tained in a single modernCFL is unlikely to causeany harm, even if the lampshould be broken,’ saysthe UK Department forenvironment, food andrural affairs.

Their advice for cleaning up abroken fluorescent (energy-saving) bulbis as follows:

• Vacate the room, and ventilate it,for at least 15 minutes.

• Do not use a vacuum cleaner, butclean up using rubber gloves and,

• Aim to avoid creating and inhalingairborne dust.

• Sweep up all particles and glassfragments and place in a plastic bag.

•Wipe the area with a damp cloth,then add that to the bag and seal it.

Mercury is hazardous waste and thebag should not be disposed of in the bin.

All local councils have an obliga-tion to make arrangements for the dis-posal of hazardous household waste.—Rumor Mill News

Contractors Pitch Spy Tech to Cops

I t’s known as IBISS, the acronymfor the Integrated Building InteriorSurveillance System. Like its name

suggests, it can see through the walls ofbuildings and sketch out images ofwhat’s inside.

Until this year, IBISS was a classi-fied system, a piece of high-tech wizardrythe military used to fight the war on ter-rorism. The contractor that made the sys-tem, Science Applications InternationalCorporation (SAIC), couldn’t talk about itin public, but that’s changing. IBISS isone of the new products SAIC is hoping

to sell to local police stations and firedepartments as the defense contractorexplores what is known in the industry as“adjacent markets.”

Adjacent markets can mean any-thing from foreign militaries to theDepartment of Homeland Security forthe industry that makes the computer sys-tems, software, remote sensors, radar andground stations that compriseIntelligence, Surveillance andReconnaissance (ISR) for the military.

For the first decade of the war on ter-rorism, the ISR industry thrived, and

companies like SAIC, Raytheon andLockheed Martin made big profits. Thosedays are coming to an end though.

At the annual industry trade confer-ence in October, James Clapper, the direc-tor of national intelligence, broke the newsto the assembled contractors: “We are allgoing to have to share in the pain.” Clappersaid, as his office submitted billions of dol-lars in cuts to the Office of Managementand Budget over the next 10 years. Theoverall annual intelligence budget is about$80 billion annually; most of the detailsof those budgets however are secret.

DECEMBER / JANUARY 2012 EARTH STAR 9www.earthstarmag.com

Earth Star Up Front

A re you one of the millions ofAmericans that suffers frompoor eyesight, blurred vision,

or difficulty seeing objects close orfrom a distance?

Consider this: An estimated 7.9million people have a hard time seeing

words and letters in ordinary newspa-per print, even when they are wearingglasses or contact lenses.

One in six Americans, 45 yearsand older, (that's 16.5 million folks!)report some form of vision impairmenteven when they wear glasses or contact

lenses.It's not just adults

who suffer, 448,000 kidshave trouble seeing too.

We only have onepair of eyes and we need tokeep them healthy for ourentire life. Here are fivequick and easy tips that pro-mote healthy eyes:1. Eat organic, green, leafy

veggies (They have been known tohelp avoid macular degeneration).2. Make sure you have plenty ofOmega 3s in your diet! (They improveeyesight and boost brain power)!3. Eat chocolate! (The flavenoids inchocolate help protect blood vessels inyour eyes. Like we need anotherexcuse right?)!4. Don't stare at a computer screen toolong! (Make sure you take breaksevery 20 minutes so your eyes canrefocus and relax).5. Keep your eyes hydrated. —David Wolfe

TTHEHE SSPICEPICE TTHAHATT FFIGHTSIGHTS FFOODOOD PPOISONINGOISONING

H ere’s good news for those ofus who lean toward the naturalway of doing things: A new in

vitro study has found that the oil fromordinary coriander seeds is effective atkilling bacteria that can cause food poi-soning and other illnesses. With listeriastill in the headlines, this is big news.

If “cilantro” comes to mind whenyou hear “coriander,” it’s because thepungent cilantro used in Mexican andMediterranean cooking is the leaf of thesame coriander plant. Coriander hasbeen associated with good digestion forthousands of years, with evidence of itsuse dating as far back as 5,000 BC. It ismentioned in Sanskrit texts, ancientEgyptian papyri, the Old Testament andthe writings of Greek physicianHippocrates. The Roman armies

brought coriander toEurope, where it wasused to preserve meats,and the Chinesebelieved that coriandercounteracted food poi-soning—in addition toserving as an aphrodisi-ac and bestowingimmortality! That’squite a set of endorse-ments, isn’t it?

Coriander oil,which is what was usedfor this new research, is“steam-distilled” (aprocess that uses low heat, so the oil’scomponents won’t degrade) from theseeds of the coriander plant(Coriandrum sativum L.). The resulting

liquid is what’s called“coriander essential oil,”meaning its distinct propertiesreflect the essence of theplant.

A research group at theUniversity of Beira Interior inPortugal tested the antimicro-bial properties of coriander oilagainst 12 bacteria strains,including some of the badguys whose names you’ll rec-ognize—E. coli, Salmonellaand B. cereus (all bacteria that

can cause foodborne illnesses), MRSA(methicillin-resistant Staphylococcusaureus—which can cause virulent infec-tions throughout the body) and E. fae-calis (which can cause urinary tractinfections, meningitis and other healthproblems).

Though they had reason to believecoriander oil would be effective, theresearchers were surprised at just howwell it worked—10 of the 12 strains ofbacteria were killed with a relativelymild concentration of coriander oil(1.6%). In the two strains that were noteffectively killed—B. cereus and E. fae-calis—the coriander oil still reducedtheir growth significantly.

—Daily Health News

IIMPROVEMPROVE YYOUROUR EEYESIGHTYESIGHT

1 0 EARTH STAR DECEMBER / JANUARY 2012 www.earthstarmag.com

Earth Star Up FrontSS PPAA CC EEXX Reveals Plans for World’s First Fully Reusable RocketFully Reusable Rocket

T he private spaceflight firmSpaceX will try to build theworld’s first completely

reusable rocket and spaceship, a spacetravel method that could open the gatesof Mars for humanity, the company’smilionaire CEO Elon Musk announcedThursday (Sept. 29).

A fully reusable rocket would dra-matically decrease the cost of loftingcargo and humans to space, making theexploration and colonization of otherworlds such as Mars more feasible,Musk said in a speech at the NationalPress Club in Washington, D.C.

Musk did not guarantee success,acknowledging the daunting task hisSpaceX team has taken on. SpaceXreleased a video animation of its pro-posed reusable rocket and space capsulesystem to illustrate how it would work.

“We will see if this works,” Musksaid. “And if it does work, it’ll be prettyhuge.”The hunt for an economic and reusablemethod for space travel has been a goalof many companies and governmentagencies from the Space Age’s incep-tion.

The only reusable manned space-ships built to date have been NASA’swinged space shuttles, which wereretired this year. The shuttles usedreusable orbiters and solid rocket boost-ers for 30 years, but the system was notcompletely reusable.

Each of NASA’s 135 shuttle mis-sions also used a disposable 15-storyexternal fuel tank. The tank was jetti-soned once a shuttle reached orbit and

ultimately burnedup during re-entry.

Going to Mars?Musk has saidrepeatedly over theyears that he found-ed SpaceX in 2002with the primarygoal of helpinghumanity establisha lasting presencebeyond Earth. Suchexpansion is neces-sary to ensure ourspecies’ survival,according to Musk,since a catastrophicasteroid strike or other calamity couldone day wipe out life on our home plan-et.

Mars is a prime candidate forhuman settlement, and Musk has said hehopes SpaceX can send astronauts to theRed Planet within 10 or 20 years.

Colonizing Mars—or any otherworld—would require ferrying thou-sands of people and millions of tons ofcargo through space. That’s just not fea-sible with today’s launch costs, Muskhas said.

But a fully reusable rocket couldchange the equation dramatically. Muskillustrated the point by citing SpaceX’sFalcon 9, which costs between $50 mil-lion to $60 million per launch in its cur-rent configuration.

“But the cost of the fuel and oxygenand so forth is only about $200,000,”Musk said.’ So obviously, if we can

reuse the rocket, say, athousand times, thenthat would make thecapital cost of therocket for launch onlyabout $50,000.”

How it would workIn its video new anima-tion, SpaceX officialsdetail how their newlaunch vehicle, whichis based on the Falcon 9rocket, would work.After separating in

orbit, the two stages of the rocket wouldcome back to Earth and land at thelaunch pad. The stages would not glideback using wings like the space shuttle;rather, they’d descend vertically, eventu-ally settling down on four legs.

They could then be refueled, reinte-grated and relaunched.

In the video, the Falcon 9 launchesSpaceX’s Dragon capsule to theInternational Space Station. NASA hascontracted the company to make cargoflights to the orbiting lab.

Falcon 9 lofted Dragon to Earthorbit for the first time last December,and SpaceX had been planning tolaunch a demonstration mission dockingDragon to the station in January 2012.SpaceX officials announced late today(Sept. 30) that the firm could be ready tolaunch the next Dragon test flight byDec. 19, but that target is still awaitingreview by the U.S. Air Force and NASA.

Whenever that demo launches, if allgoes well, Dragon’s next flight would bean operational cargo mission to thespace station, SpaceX officials havesaid.

These three stills from a SpaceX video depict the three components ofa planned fully reusable rocket launching system, including a first stage

(left), second stage (center) and crew capsule

DECEMBER / JANUARY 2012 EARTH STAR 1 1www.earthstarmag.com

In MemoriamBudd Hopkins - (June 15, 1931 – August 21, 2011)

World-renowned artist, author, and pioneer UFOabduction researcher Budd Hopkins died onAugust 21, 2011. Budd had been under hospice

care for about three weeks, at his home in New York. Thecombination of liver cancer and pneumonia led to hisdeath. His daughter Grace Hopkins-Lisle and UFOresearcher Leslie Kean were with him almost continuouslyduring his last weeks. He was not in any pain and diedpeacefully, with Grace, Grace’s husband Andrew, andLeslie Kean by his side.

Budd Hopkins was a world-renowned artist, author,and pioneer UFO abduction researcher. Having investigat-ed well over 700 cases, he now heads the IntrudersFoundation, a nonprofit, scientific research and supportorganization. Budd first became interested in the UFO phe-nomenon when he and two others had a daylight UFOsighting near Truro, Massachusetts, in 1964. In 1975 hecarried out his first major investigation which involved aUFO landing and occupant incident in North Hudson Park,NJ. Shortly thereafter, he began to concentrate on the inves-tigation of the UFO abduction phenomenon, which led tothe eventual publication of his findings. Taken together, histhree books, Missing Time, 1981, Intruders, 1987, andWitnessed, 1996, are widely regarded by researchers andskeptics alike as comprising the most influential series ofbooks yet published on the abduction phenomenon. These

works, Hopkins’ lectures, and his other presentations havebeen responsible for bringing a number of other notedresearchers, such as David Jacobs, John Carpenter, YvonneSmith, and John Mack, among others, into this extraordi-nary area of specialization. His documented discoverieshave become the basis of most later abduction investiga-tions and research.

Alfred Bielek - (March 31, 1927 – October 10, 2011)

A l Bielek, whose extraordinary memories sur-rounding the 1943 Philadelphia Experiment andthe secret projects undertaken at Montauk, Long

Island had kept millions of late night radio listenersenthralled for nearly two decades, has died on Monday,

October 10, 2011 at6:30am in Guadalajara,Mexico. Al was 84 yearsold and was buried at alocal cemetery inGuadalajara.

Al had becomeincreasingly incapacitateddue to a series of strokes.

Al Bielek's birth cer-tificate is dated March 31,1927, but whether he was“born” on that date or notdepends on how much of

Al’s story you’re willing to believe. Al always maintainedthat his real identity is that of Edward Cameron, son of acareer Naval officer; that he had participated in thePhiladelphia Experiment of August 12, 1943; and that hehad been regressed back in time to that of a nine-month oldbaby in California in December 1927, where he was raisedas “Al Bielek” by Arthur E. and Albertina Bielek.

Al Bielek demonstrated an early aptitude for electron-ics while still in high school and later developed into quitean expert.

www.earthstarmag.com1 2 EARTH STAR DECEMBER / JANUARY 2012

Be alert to compulsive behavior asDecember begins, as Venus andPluto align in conjunction in 07°Capricorn on the 1st. Powerfulenergies now exist for healing,

while for some, a new love interest or fascina-tion may develop. This planetary pairing is alsofavorable for corporate business interests andjoint financial concerns.

Under normal circumstances, the conjunctionof the sun and Mercury on the 4th (in 12°Sagittarius) would be a clarion call to act onyour bright ideas. But because the messenger ofthe gods is currently in retrograde, some verycareful fact checking might be called for beforecommunicating your thoughts and views.Nevertheless, this is a good time to attend tobacklogged correspondence and messages. Bealert to educational opportunities, or highlyvalued information. Important announcementsor decisions could also be forthcoming.

When Venus trines Mars, early on the 5th, itcould be thrills galore, and a day tailor-madefor romance. This planetary pairing also favorsmost forms of creative self-expression.

After five months in retrograde, Uranus, planetof innovation, stations direct late on the 9th(early 10th, EST), in 01° Aries. Ambition ispowerfully kindled at this time, and goal set-ting is favored, while the spirit of revolutionabounds. There is also heightened potential forseismic activity and unstable weather for sev-eral days around this potent planetary station.

A total lunar eclipse occurs as the full moonculminates on the 10th, in 19° Gemini. One’severyday physical circumstances may in someway come into focus in the days around thislunation. Some may be contemplating a changeof surroundings, while it could even be forcedupon others. Release whatever or whomever nolonger serves you now, particularly in regard to

associations that may no longer have relevance.Observe how you communicate around thisjuncture for ways in which you may improveinterpersonal relations.

After three tongue twisting, logically chal-lenged weeks, Mercury stations direct on the13th. Communications are now more reliable,while mental processes quicken. Move aheadwith plans now, but with caution. Avoid mak-ing snap decisions, as there’ll be a tendencytowards impatience for a few days.

On the 19th the sun sextiles Saturn, when con-structive progress can be made towards careergoals. Being both practical and creativeachieves best results now. Seek career oreducational advice from an elder or authorityfigure, as it could prove most helpful.

The sun sextiles Neptune and then forms a jar-ring square to Uranus either side of the wintersolstice, propagating two widely divergent cos-mic influences. With the former, imagination isinspired and instincts sharpen. But the sun’ssquare to unpredictable Uranus is potentially areal shaker! By all means flow with anychanges in circumstances beyond your control,but this is not the time to initiate change basedsolely upon a desire for greater personal free-dom. Nonetheless, creative inspiration abounds,making this a great time to brainstorm.

The winter solstice arrives late on the 21st(early 22nd, EST) as the sun leaves outgoingSagittarius and enters the cool, calculatingdomain of Capricorn, where the creative ener-gies of the sun are constrained, disciplined andfocused on achievement in this Saturn-ruledsign. Try to get a handle on where you’re going,career-wise, over the next four weeks.

Pursue business, educational, or creativegoals with renewed fervor now as the solsticesun also trines expansive Jupiter, promisingmuch growth potential during the winter

season. Seek favors from those in authority, asthey may be more conciliatory now.

December’s new moon arrives on ChristmasEve, the 24th, in 03° Capricorn. Review orupgrade professional objectives, and expandyour occupational horizons. Acknowledge andrelease any deep-rooted fears of failure that mayhave been holding you back from realizing yourfull potential and move forward with renewedconfidence. With the lunation conjunct Plutoand in trine to Jupiter, connect with influentialpeople or groups with whom you share com-mon professional goals, philosophies or objec-tives during the next four weeks.

After four months in retrograde, giant Jupiterstations direct on Christmas Day, the 25th, in01° Taurus. Jupiter’s resumption of forwardmotion through the zodiac could bring suddengrowth opportunities that can quickly propelone way beyond one’s preconceived limitations.

When the sun conjuncts distant Pluto on the 28thin 08°Capricorn, willpower and assertiveness aregreatly intensified. Watch out for ego clashes, orattempts at coercion now. A glimpse of the darkerside of life, or of oneself, could be revealed as aresult of this potent planetary union.

A nerve-jangling square between Mercury andMars perfects late on New Year’s Eve, whenexcitable, impulsive tendencies will be rampant.Be careful not to betray confidences, or in someway “let the cat out of the bag”. Remain alertand aware while traveling. If you’re heading outto a party or for dinner, allow plenty of time sothere’s no need to rush. The same applies after-wards when you’re heading home—it will helpto ensure a happy beginning to 2012.

Mercury sextiles Neptune on the 7th thensquares Uranus on the 8th, a two-day periodwhen mechanical or systems failures are pos-sible. Therefore, be sure to back-up computer

DECEMBER -- JJANUARY 22012

www.earthstarmag.com DECEMBER / JANUARY 2012 EARTH STAR 1 3

files or get your vehicle checked out before-hand. Postpone important decisions or sign-ings for a few days, as mental processes maytend to be somewhat erratic. This is a greattime to brainstorm, though. Under theMercury-Neptune alignment, a moment ofawareness could provide the solution to aproblem, while spiritual or metaphysical studycan bring both inspiration and enlightenment..

Also on the 7th, Mercury leaves the expansiverealm of Sagittarius and enters Capricorn,when thoughts turn toward business, careerand practical considerations. Ambition isfueled, while patience and discipline are easierto come by during the next three weeks.

Catch up on correspondence, messages andemail when Mercury trines Jupiter on the 8th.This is a great time to reorganize your office,and to improve filing and data managementsystems. Travel can be enjoyable and reward-ing now. This is also a favorable time to begina study course, or to sign up for a workshop.

January’s full moon culminates late on the 8th(early 9th, EST) in 19° Cancer, when domesticresponsibilities may be pressing, and yet theneed to take care of work or business interestscould also be strong. If possible, strike a healthy,practical balance between home and your pro-fessional or career needs around this juncture.

An abundance of physical energy may takesome sublimating when the sun trines Mars onthe 12th, so be sure to get plenty of exercise!Creative self-expression now can bring bothenjoyment and satisfaction. Have faith in yourability to achieve.

Artistic Venus conjuncts dreamy Neptune inthe last degree of Aquarius on the 13th, beforeentering Pisces later the same day. Judgmentin business or partnership matters may bebelow par just now. However, aesthetic sensi-tivity is heightened and intuition is enhanced.Creative inspiration abounds, while love cantake on a more spiritual, idealistic quality.

On the 14th, when Venus sextiles Jupiter,make time to consider the future, and toreview your hopes and wishes. Financialenterprise, foreign investments, and travel isfavored now.

When the sun squares off with Saturn on the19th, the natural vitality and flow of creativityderived from the sun is constrained bySaturn’s limiting influence, portending delaysand minor frustrations, while duties and

responsibilities may seem especially onerous.Do persevere, however, as progress can bemade through disciplined work and focusedeffort. Meditate on something cheerful thatbrings you joy, it will lift your spirits.

The sun enters forward-looking Aquarius onJanuary 20th, a time to assess whether you’re“up to speed” with the techniques or technolo-gies that can keep you at or get you to the headof the pack in your chosen field. If not, now’sthe time to do it. Consider your goals andambitions over the next four weeks. Are youon target? Align with organizations, groups orfriends who share your objectives.

On the 21st the sun moves into a precise squareto Jupiter, a cosmic augury to avoid impulsive-ness or squandering valuable resources. Actonly after careful deliberation, as you may beinspired to tackle projects that you normallywouldn’t consider. This planetary aspect sel-dom bodes well for real estate interests, or forthe stock market; wait till after the new moon tomake your move.

The first new moon of 2012 arrives late on the22nd (early 23rd, EST) in 03° Aquarius. Whileall new moons are imbued with the energy andattributes of Aries—initiation, new begin-nings—this Aquarius new moon may inspirebold new objectives in some, while otherscould feel the need for more personal freedom.

The Chinese New Year of the Dragonbecomes official at sunrise on January 23rd,following last evening’s Aquarius new moon.In a Dragon year, we are galvanized to thinkand act big, and throw caution to the wind inpursuit of ambitious goals. However, it wouldbe prudent to temper one’s enthusiasm andplan carefully before leaping into theunknown, as successes and failures can bothbe magnified in this potentially volatile year ofextremes. An increase in natural disasters,violent acts of nature, and wild and erraticweather are also hallmarks of a Dragon year.In traditional Chinese astrology, this is an aus-picious year in which to “tie the knot”, begin anew business enterprise, or to start a family. Ifyou can maintain a sense of proportion in thehighly charged atmosphere a Dragon yearportends, you stand an excellent chance ofsuccess in whatever you strive for.

Celestial warrior, Mars, officially beats theretreat by stationing retrograde in 24° Virgo onJanuary 23rd, commencing a rare backwardtrek through the zodiac till April 13th, 2012,temporarily diminishing the traditional

Martian assertiveness factor. In this reversemode, Mars is more reluctant to act, instead,holding back energies that might actually bebetter off expressed. Thus, hostilities can eruptas pent up energies accumulate, evolve intoacute frustrations, attain a critical mass and goballistic. This is, in fact, a most appropriatetime to seek a compromise with an antagonist,as people may be more conciliatory, or espe-cially patient. Nevertheless, impulsive tenden-cies exist, and motivations need to be ques-tioned—your own, as well as those of others.This is not the ideal launch window for a newventure, or for making a major purchase, asthe motive force required to get a project offthe ground may be insufficient to overcomethe inertia. Instead, check your moral com-pass, your game plan and, most importantly,your motivations, and focus on tasks requiringpatience in the meantime.

Mercury squares Saturn early on the 27th,which can be particularly helpful if you needto deal with tasks requiring great concentra-tion. Banish fleeting worries or petty frustra-tions; just keep your mind focused on the jobin hand and you may actually accomplishquite a lot. It may be prudent, though, to avoidsigning binding contracts or making dealstoday.

Mercury quickly moves on from Capricorn’srealm of rules and tradition and enters revolu-tionary Aquarius later on the 27th (till Feb 13),a transit that is especially favorable for cre-ative writing, conceiving progressive ideas,and for the study of metaphysics, science, andastrology.

Mercury’s mentally stimulating influence con-tinues through the remaining days of Januaryby making contacts with Uranus, then Jupiter,on the 28th, when intuition or simply inspiredimagination could provide an innovative solu-tion to an old problem. However, withMercury, the trickster, so active, we must alsoexpect the unexpected and sudden develop-ments could necessitate a change in plans,while communication frustrations are alsopossible. Remain skeptical of proposals oroffers that come your way now—make sureyou have all the facts. Even though you maybe feeling quite hopeful and optimistic, try notto promise more than you can deliver!

Following is a general overview of how theplanetary trends for December/January, 2012apply to each sun sign. If you know your ris-ing sign (Ascendant), read that, too, for addi-tional insights.

DDoowwnn TToo EEaarrtthh AAssttrroollooggyy


DDoowwnn TToo EEaarrtthh AAssttrroollooggyyAries (March 20—April 19)

December promises to be particularly busy, asyou find yourself in the midst of one of the most

stimulating and expansive periods you’ve experienced forquite some time. You may have more work on your plate thanyou care to handle, not that you’re complaining though, asyou may be glad of some extra money with the Holidaysapproaching. Indeed, your finances are poised to improveconsiderably before this forecast period is over, as luckyJupiter turns direct on Christmas Day (25th) in your solarsecond house of personal income, where it will remain tillmid June. New career possibilities could materialize duringJanuary that may completely transform your prospects for thefuture, prompting you to set lofty new goals for yourself. Justmake sure that your ambitions are practical, and that you donot dissipate any financial gains you may have already madeunnecessarily in pursuit of your latest quest.

Taurus (April 19—May 20)

You’re ready to get your life back on track andmoving forward, after a protracted period ofchange and instability. While the process of per-

sonal transformation will continue for quite some time, dur-ing which your outlook on life and your philosophies are con-siderably broadened, you feel more in control of your destinythan at any time you can recall, and keen to make bold newplans for the future. You’re keen to make the Holidays a happyand joyful time for your family, and yet there may be a senseof tension in the background that may leave something moreto be desired, despite the festivities. However, this feeling willquickly pass, with lucky Jupiter turning direct on ChristmasDay (25th), conjunct your solar ascendant. As 2012 arrives andgathers momentum, you’re filled with hope and optimism, andready to take on whatever challenges may lie before you.

Gemini (May 20—June 21)

Your home base is a hive of activity these days, anda likely focal point for many of your current

ventures. Those you regularly interact with seem to be manyand varied these days. The diversity of input you receive maybe both stimulating and, at times, overwhelming. And yet it isyour colleagues, associates, and the significant others in yourlife from whom you receive the most inspiration and thoughtfulfeedback these days. Your emotional world is also highly activenow, with Mars holding court in your solar fourth housethrough early July, stirring up feelings about your family, yourpast, and your own deepest needs with what appears likealarming frequency. The rhyme and reason behind this processis that it is time to release whatever burdensome baggage youstill carry that now serves only to hinder your progress in life.It’s time to lighten your load!

Cancer (June 21—July22)

The challenges you’ve been experiencing inregard to home and family matters have brought

opportunities to closely examine and to heal some old wounds

from the past that continue to haunt you even now. You areforming new philosophies about what your freedom and selfdetermination mean to you, particularly in regard to yourcareer direction, and how to balance and reconcile this withyour obligations and responsibilities to your family. Fear not,for a breakthrough is coming, one that will have youenthusiastically setting bold new goals for the future in 2012.It might also be possible to take a significant relationship to awhole new level, bringing you much joy, happiness andsatisfaction.

Leo (July 22—August 23)

There’s an abundance of creative impetus to tapinto as the Holidays approach, when the more

ambitious members of your sign will be keen to add to theirincome. However, the impulse to have fun with friends willalso be strong, and with some astute planning you should beable to accomplish everything on your “to do” list, includingyour holiday shopping. Where work is concerned, you mayfind that your services are much in demand, with thepossibility of an important and lucrative new assignment.Indeed, advances in your career may be in store early in 2012,so be alert to the opportunity should it come knocking. Besure to appear professional and on top of your game, andbanish any hesitation or fears about your competency. Withlucky Jupiter in your solar tenth house of worldly successthrough early July, your prospects for the future look bright.

Virgo (August 23—September 23)

A new and expansive cycle of growth anddevelopment is underway that willpositively impact your domestic situation in

the coming weeks. You are more in touch with yourdeepest needs and what it takes for you to feelemotionally fulfilled these days, which will influencesome key decisions that it may now be time to make.Ambitious Virgo natives will be keen to move forwardwith some personal projects or aspirations now, andmay form creative alliances with individuals that canhelp you in your quest. The holiday season could beespecially enjoyable, filling you with hope andoptimism for 2012. You are inspired and prepared tomake a sustained effort to expand your horizons,sensing unlimited possibilities before you.

Libra (September 23—October 23)

Information or news you receive in earlyDecember could lift your spirits and put yourmind at ease. Perhaps a confirmation that

something you had feared may not now come to pass, or apersonal challenge is overcome. Your subconscious mind hasbeen working overtime for several weeks, but now you feelmore inspired to apply your inner resources in more creative,practical ways. Indeed, it may also be possible to eliminate afew skeletons from your emotional closet in the weeks andmonths ahead, as you discover hidden depths to your psychethat you had not previously plumbed. Your dreams might be


DDoowwnn TToo EEaarrtthh AAssttrroollooggyymore frequent and colorful these days, and may inspireconstructive action towards a cherished goal or objective in2012. Make time to play and have some fun with friends, asit’s possible that you may learn of a new work opportunitythrough networking or by participating in a social function.

Scorpio (October 23—November 22)

You are in hot pursuit of a goal or keyobject ive in December that , you feel ,

could unlock the door to a bright new future. Andit’s likely that the acquisition of adequate financialresources is fueling the fire of desire in your belly.You’re certainly not short of creative ideas andnovel notions to inspire you in your quest, so besure to make note of your thoughtful musings sothat you can later mine them for valuable gems. Youhave lofty ambitions and professional aspirationsthat you know you are capable of attaining, andthere may well be influential individuals or socialconnections that could be most helpful to you if youwere to approach them. Don’t allow fears or doubtsabout your capabilities to undermine your self-con-fidence. Indeed, you can make great strides forwardin your life in 2012 by reinforcing your faith, andself-belief.

Sagittarius (November 21—December 21)

You are pumped up and energized topursue a cove ted persona l o r ca reerobject ive and determined to have things

your way. You may fee l l ike you’ve a l readywai t ed long enough to see a h igh ly va luedambit ion become a real i ty, and now i t ’s t ime foraffi rmat ive act ion. Even the Holidays can take aback seat i f i t means spending more t ime infur ther ing your ques t , pa r t i cu la r ly where theacquis i t ion of necessary resources or addi t ionalmoney is concerned. Indeed, i t may be possiblenow, and in ear ly 2012, to substant ia l ly increaseyour cash f low. And you won’t be shy aboutasking for what you want , as you wel l know yourwor th . Jus t be su re tha t you can honor anypromises you make.

Capricorn (December 21—January 19)

I t may be possible now to final ly beginto check off some i tems that may have

long been on your pr ior i ty wish l is t and make atleast one of your dreams come true. Now, youfee l , you can move fo rward wi th a cove tedpersonal ambit ion, and that your pat ience andpersis tence is soon to be rewarded. I t may not beeasy for you to ask for help, references, or to cal lin favors , but i f i t means that you can expedi teyour progress by doing so you wil l do i t now.However, that may not be a necessary recourse, as

you have the abi l i ty to a lmost magical ly a t t ractexact ly what you need with l i t t le effor t on yourpa r t , by s imply be ing your se l f—composed ,confident , and self-assured.

Aquarius (January 19—February 18)

In early December, many progressiveAquarius natives will be making ambitious

new plans and readying projects for implementation in2012, and chief among them will likely beimprovements within your domestic environment. Forsome it will be making home improvements orremodeling to give you more space in which tofunction, while others may decide that it’s time tomove to a location that has more to offer. In eithercase, it’s the impulse to effect a radical though positivechange in your environment that motivates you now.Some form of personal makeover may also be on youragenda, in order to present a new you to the world in2012.

Pisces (February 18—March 20)

Could it possibly be that one of yourfondest dreams is shortly to become a

reality? It certainly may seem so as the Holidaysapproach, and you’re keen to enlist the help of willingfriends or partners to make it so. You’re also feelingambitious now and inspired to get ahead in the world,perhaps by embracing a new career path, or by sharingyour knowledge or experience in some creative andinnovative way. Begin formulating your master planfor the future, combining foresight, logic andpracticality as key elements of your strategy. Yourinstincts and intuition will become noticeably sharperonce Neptune crosses your solar ascendant and entersyour sign on Feb 3rd. Seek ways in which you canincorporate these abilities into both your personal andprofessional activities.

Tim Gunns is an astrological consultant,conference coordinator and producer,and formerly program director of theL.A. Conscious Life Expo, and thenational Whole Life Expos.Tim prepares personalized no-nonsense inter-

pretations of Natal Horoscopes ($40), Future Forecast TransitReports ($75 for 1 full year), and Relationship CompatibilityReports ($45). Shipping is free. Send: Name (as you'd like it toappear on the chart), Date of Birth, Time (as close as possible),Place of Birth (city/country, etc.) for each person, and your returnaddress, phone# and check to: Tim Gunns, c/o110 Hilltop Drive,Waynesville NC 28786. 828-452-7885. Consultations byphone may also be scheduled. Payment can be made via Paypalto [email protected]

1 6 EARTH STAR DECEMBER / JANUARY 2012

Remember the bigger picture! This seemsto be the most important message Ireceive from domestic pets that I con-nect with as an animal communicator.Thanks to them I have been taught so

much about healing and empowerment for their humancarers. However I have been also lucky enough to havedeeply profound encounters with wild cetaceans andmarine mammals in their natural environment. I havebeen awestruck at their wisdom imparted to me aboutcompassion and re-empowerment for mankind, so thatwe can co-create a more joyful, fearless new paradigmfor our beautiful Mother Earth.

The messages of love given to me to share with oth-ers, from the different species of whales that I haveswum with, have convinced me of their connection tothe ‘collective consciousness’, as every one of them hastaught me about the importance of loving and honouringourselves so that we may start to honour the planet.

This is the message from the Southern RightWhales, who I met in South Africa; they reiterate whatthe humpbacks ‘told’ me two years before.

“Our journey is long and dangerous especially forour little ones. We sing our song of love for mother Gaia.We sing our song to bring balance to ourselves and theearth. Mankind has brought discordance and death to somany of us over time, but we still choose to bring heal-ing and the recognition of the need to love all creation.All is divine and contains divinity within. The echoes ofour song’s vibrations resonate that message througheach water molecule of the sea that splashes and spraysthis message onto the rocks and shores, infusing the landwith our song’s energy and clarion call to all.”

I was also blessed to have an incredible encounter in

the Red Sea, swimming with a huge pod of wild SpinnerDolphins who also seemed keen to impart messages ofthe importance of ‘Joy’ in my life and to share this mes-sage with others, who were living in fear and limitation,reminding them that they need to reclaim their ‘joy’.This is what they said to me!

“Welcome to our world—you are here to learn theart of play! You humans come here with your fixed agen-das and expectations—more pressure to accumulate.Once you let go and open your hearts to joy—look whathappens! We show you the art of joy and play. As oursounds resonate through your body, we infect you withour joy! Every cell now contains the dolphin joy that yousadly lacked. We understand so much from eye to eyecontact- when do you play? When do you truly feel joy?Remember the feelings of being in our midst as wedashed and frolicked around you. Hold the awe andmagnitude of joy that was shared.

We show you the art of being in the joy of themoment. Call this in whenever you are too serious andwe will remind you! Life is to be enjoyed and FULL-filled, it is a precious commodity, as is the planet. Youare here as caretakers, but we feel it is YOU who need tobe cared for and re-educated in the art of life and liv-ing!”

They also ‘told’ me that many of us still carry a para-sitic energy of guilt within our DNA, that prohibits usfrom truly forgiving ourselves and that we need to revisitour time in Atlantis to heal and release this. They gave mea beautiful meditation to resolve this, which can facilitatedeep healing. The coral and marine life there was heart-breakingly beautiful, showing me evidence, as if I neededany, of the divine at work! The ocean divas gave me avery poignant piece of prose entitled “The White Sea”,

LLoovvee,, JJooyy aanndd WWiissddoomm

RRaaii ss iinngg OOuurr VViibbrraa tt iioonn ffoorr 22001122FFrroomm OOuurr OOcceeaanniicc FFrriieennddss

By Madeleine WBy Madeleine Walkeralker

which describes the thoughtless pollution by plastic dumped inthe life blood of our beautiful planet

The White Sea“The decayed and fossilised coral lies discarded on the shore.The roar of the distant waves, crash onto the reef. The oceanlaps the shore, regurgitating its bilious contents, desecrated byman. Amidst the beauty of the shell and coral fans, the ubiqui-tous plastic bottle resides, smugly snuggled in its beautifulabode.

What careless hand cast this vessel without thought? Didthey not realise the consequence of their disregard? One moreadding to the many already littering the shore. Did they notconsider the miracle of Mother Nature’s creation? How canthey not know the eyesore that grows like an ocean of whitepervading the shores of this glorious place? What folly andignorance abounds, to create such an abomination!

If they could just peak beneath the surface, what beautythey would find. No child with the most vivid imaginings couldcreate the patterning and combinations of colour that aboundand feed on the underwater landscape of this many hued secretworld. What more evidence of divinity does one need whenwitnessing this Technicolor diversity?

Through every rainbow stripe and fluorescent flash, theybear witness to the splendour of creation. How sad it is thatman chooses to see through blinded eyes, to hear through deaf-ened ears, to speak of greed and power. Awake from your slum-ber! Shake off your apathy, love yourselves and this planet.There is yet time to make amends!

When next you sip from the container in question- thinkhard where you will dispose of this unwelcome ‘gift’. Whatpoor effort of man, who made such a thing—that cannot hopeto rival the creative genius of Mother Earth!”

I was deeply moved by their words as I endeavoured to col-lect as much plastic from the shores as I could!

I have just returned from Mexico, swimming with the gentlegiants of the fish world- the Whale Sharks! One shark in par-ticular, left me speechless, and in a complete state of bliss. Iswam with him, eye to eye for about ten minutes. I felt such anincredible heart to heart connection and this is what he wantedme to share with you.

They talk about the ‘Dream Time’ and that they are thekeepers of these dimensions, holding the space for us to createour dream of our ‘heaven on earth’.

“Dream time is the NOW! The ‘now’ is all there is- we holdthe space between time. There is only the ‘now’, but it reachesthrough many dimensions. Have no fear of the past or thefuture- your dreams come to you in the ‘now’. We hold thespace between your dreams. Call them in now! The whale col-lective know the truth of this. Our friends the Mantas have beenmuch affected by planetary change, but they hold the space.The animals hold the planet as their sacred space. You humansmust remember, the earth is sacred and needs your LOVE.

I was saddened this time not to see any Giant Mantas, whoI’d swum with before with the whale sharks. They’d ‘told’ meof their work monitoring the oceanic grid lines and that man’sfear and negativity was the greatest, most damaging, destruc-tive, condition to mankind and the planet. I’d swum with animmense ray for two hours, who was generous enough to edu-cate me in this concept. I also reflected on the amount of watercontained within our human bodies and how positive and neg-ative thought can alter and affect water molecules. It remindedme how mindful we must be when creating our ‘self-talk’, andhow much our thoughts create our realities. If we can justchange our thoughts and our minds, accessing our true authen-tic power, we are limitless. We were however, blessed by thegift of the spectacle of leaping Eagle Rays, as the vast numbersof sharks fed on the abundant plankton. My hope is that we can‘jump’ for joy as we create our beautiful ‘New Earth’.

It is hard to describe the enormity of the effect, being withthese incredible beings, has on you. To be ‘infected’ with dol-phin joy. To have your heart melted with love from a 45 footfish, who allows you to swim next to it. To be infused with wis-dom from the whale record keepers, who show such compas-sion and love, despite what we have done to them for eons oftime. These beings know how we can heal ourselves. They areso much more in tune with the knowledge of the rhythms of theplanet, that through westernisation and materialism we havelost. They remind us that every cell has a voice. Every livingthing is sacred to the earth. We have so much to learn and re-member. Our time is now! The planet needs us to hear the call.A tiny grass hopper ‘told’ me that great change is coming. Letus create this change that honours us all, as we are all one. Themore I learn from the animal kingdom, the more I realise that‘the bigger picture’ keeps getting bigger and bigger!

“We beseech you to remember our messages of love thatwe spread through the oceans. Please help us by singing oursong of love. Fear and negativity, destroys the heart of the plan-et quicker than any pollutant-in fact it is an emotional pollutantthat we struggle to overcome. So join us with the vibration oflove and peace that you can sing out in harmony with us. Thisis our greatest, most powerful strategy, but we need your help.As you raise the vibration of positive energy, you work with usto raise the vibration of the whole. We connect with the wholewhale collective, where every cetacean species holds that mes-sage of love for the planet.” Blessings and peace from theWhale Consciousness.

Madeleine Walker works as an animal communicator, horse and ridertrauma consultant and human empowerment coach. She travels tomany different continents, connecting with wild species, intuitingtheir healing messages. She is the author of “An Exchange of Love”and “The Whale Whisperer”. She facilitates retreats and coursesinternationally, but is based in the beautiful county of Somerset in theUK. Her website is http://www.anexchangeoflove.com

DECEMBER / JANUARY 2012 EARTH STAR 1 7


Heart YogaThe Sacred Marriage of Yoga

and MysticismBy Andrew Harvey & Karuna Erickson

Foreword by Rodney Yee

In Heart Yoga, renowned spiritualwriter and Sacred Activist AndrewHarvey and longtime yoga teacherKaruna Erickson present a vision ofhatha yoga practice that links ancientspiritual traditions to contemporary life.Including excerpts of poetic sacred writing from mystical sagesthrough the ages, the book reminds readers that the purpose of yogais not to improve one’s physical health or even to achieve peace ofmind but to reach a state of unity with the divine, the goal of mysticsfrom all traditions. With detailed descriptions and photographs of fiftyyoga poses and their alchemical effects on the body and conscious-ness, Heart Yoga presents yoga as a simple meditative practice thatenables the practitioner to dwell in the heart and experience the blissof union with the sacred power underlying all of life.

North Atlantic Books. Paperback, $17.95.

Red Shambhala:Magic, Prophecy, and Geopolitics in

the Heart of AsiaBy Andrei Znamenski

With all the action and suspense of a best-selling mystery novel, Red Shambhala takesyou on a thrilling journey into the under-ground occult agenda of the 1920’s SovietSecret Police. Using historical archives andprimary documents, former Library ofCongress historian and Professor AndreiZnamenski reveals the strange accounts ofthe Bolsheviks’ clandestine quest for ultimate power—the potentpower of Tibetan-Buddhist prophecies.

Quest Books. paperback, $17.95.

The Secret Language ofColor Cards By Inna Segal

With The Secret Language of Color Cards,Inna Segal offers the key to unlocking theextraordinary healing power of color. Withan easy-to-use guidebook and 45vibrantcards, each infused with a unique healingvibration, it's easier than ever to bring joy,harmony, balance, and wellness to allaspects of life. Combining tips and informa-tion on colors with powerful healingprocesses and affirmations, this vibrant card

set can help readers restore their bodies to their natural states of healthand harmony.

Beyond Words. Guidebook and Card Deck, $19.99.

The Basic Code of the UniverseThe Science of the Invisible inPhysics, Medicine, and SpiritualityBy Massimo Citro, M.D.Foreword by Ervin Laszlo

In this fascinating book, Massimo Citro revealsthat behind the complex world of Nature lies abasic code—a universal information field, alsoknown as the Akashic field—which records allthat was, is, and will be. This field directs notonly physical development and behavior but

also energetic communication and interactions among all living and non-liv-ing things. Citro shows how this universal information field connects everyperson, plant, animal, and mineral—a concept long known by shamans andexpounded by perennial wisdom. Putting this science of the invisible topractical use, he explains his revolutionary system of vibrational medicine,known as TFF, which uses the information field to obtain the benefits of nat-ural substances and medications in their “pure” informational form, offeringside-effect-free remedies for health and well-being.

Park Street Press. Hardcover, $24.95.

Odyssey of the GodsThe History of ExtraterrestrialContact in Ancient GreeceBy Erich von Daniken

Erich von Däniken’s monumental Chariots of

the Gods changed the way generationshave looked at mythology, ancient history,and the possibility of advanced beings fromother worlds visiting Earth. Now he tacklesthe history of Greece and again challengesour beliefs about how our civilization arose.Using painstaking archaeological researchand evidence from the writings of Plato andAristotle, he suggests that the Greek

“myths” were, in fact, very much a reality, that the Greek “gods” wereactually extraterrestrial beings who arrived on Earth many thousands ofyears ago.

New Page Books. Paperback, $17.99.

Covert Encounters inWashington, D.C.

By Robert M. Stanley

Few people know that Washington, D.C., hasmore documented UFO sightings and alienencounters per square mile than any otherlocation on Earth. But thanks to the efforts ofinvestigative journalist Robert M. Stanley peo-ple are starting to ask questions such as: Whyare UFOs routinely coming to Washington,D.C., and why is there such a vast cover up ofthis important subject? This book contains the most thoroughly-docu-mented history of DC UFO encounters ever written. This is Robert’s sec-ond book on this sensitive subject. It required six years of research andanalysis to complete, and it contains over 400 pages of mind-bogglinginformation with more than 900 reports that clearly show an unprece-dented increased in DC UFO activity from the years 2000 to 2010.Explore the astonishing facts for yourself as Robert takes you on a his-toric journey beyond your wildest imagination to a shocking conclusion!

CreateSpace. Paperback, $28.00.

Winter Reading Winter Reading


The Baby Boomer DietBody Ecology's Guide to GrowingYounger: Anti-Aging Wisdom for Every Generationby Donna Gates

A fascinating blend of cutting-edge medicalinformation, practical health advice, and spiritu-al wisdom, The Baby Boomer Diet is relevantfor people of any age. Written by Donna Gates-the originator of Body Ecology, a world-

renowned system of healing-this long-awaited book suggests that wedon't simply have to age gracefully, we can age with panache. Thisbook provides a blueprint for restoring a vital friendship with our bod-ies and, in turn, renewing our bond with the earth. It shows us how wecan live fuller, healthier, more meaningful lives.

Hay House. Hardcover, $27.95.

The Universe SpeaksThe Love and Pain of 2012 to 2025By Roar Sheppard

The Universe Speaks is a guidebook forthe changes to come after 2011 in termsof future culture, politics, society, spirituali-ty, chakras, climate changes, eco villages,breathing, photon belts and Mother Gaia.This book is compiled from the messagesthat Suseonjae meditation practitionershave had with cosmic beings. Through thedeep silence of his training RoarSheppard, the representative author,began to hear the pains of plants,

expressed through their wavelengths. Over time he communicated withvarious beings in nature then suddenly came to converse with Marlin, acosmic being of the Pleiades, and began receiving cosmic messageswarning that Great Changes and challenges were imminent before weget to a society based on love.

Kima Global Publishers. Paperback, $23.00.

Planetary HealingSpirit Medicine for Global Transformation

By Nicki Scully and Mark Hallert

In Planetary Healing, shamanic healer Nicki Scullyand visionary Mark Hallert reveal how to movebeyond feeling helpless and overwhelmed byglobal crises so we can make a difference in theworld through active participation in healing our-selves, our families, our communities, and theplanet. A natural follow-up to Scully’s Alchemical

Healing, this book serves as a guide to navigatethe coming global transformation and help co-cre-ate a new Golden Age. Includes a 78-minute CDof a guided visualization ceremony.

Bear & Company. Paperback & CD, $18.00.

SoulspaceTransform Your Home, Transform Your Life

By Xorin Balbes

Xorin Balbes created his eight-stageSoulSpace process to help his clients createhomes that reflect and celebrate what isessential about their inhabitants. The processworks for any budget, anytime, anywhere andresults in inspiration, self-discovery, and prac-tical solutions. Through the stages—assess,release, cleanse, dream, discover, create, ele-vate, and celebrate—readers will explore notonly the design of your abode but also your own interior: how youthink, feel, and sense the world. Empowered with this self-knowledge,you will discover fresh ways to de-clutter, refresh, and enhance your liv-ing space. Xorin’s wonderfully unique technique will nurture and transformboth your soul and your home.

New World Library. Paperback, $14.95

Spiritual PartnershipThe Journey to Authentic PowerBy Gary Zukav

In his first major book since the legendarybestseller The Seat of the Soul, Gary Zukavreveals a revolutionary new path for spiritualgrowth. This book is about our new relation-ships. A new and surprising world is emerg-ing that requires each of us to explore thesources of our love and cultivate them andthe inner sources of all that prevents us fromloving (our fears) and heal them. Our evolu-tion has taken a new path, and our relation-ships are changing in unexpected and dra-

matic ways. Filled with poignant examples and practical guidance, includ-ing specific guidelines, Spiritual Partnership empowers and enables us toexplore our emotions, our intentions, our choices, and our intuition and touse them to create profound spiritual growth.

HarperOne. Paperback, $14.99.

Healing at the Speed of Sound

How What We Hear TransformsOur Brains and Our Lives

By Don Campbell and Alex Doman

Don Campbell, the best-selling author ofThe Mozart Effect, taps cutting-edgescience to show how we can use soundto improve our lives and achieve ourgoals. Based on over a decade of newresearch, Campbell and Alex Doman, anexpert in the practical application ofsound and listening, show how we canuse music-and silence-to become moreefficient, productive, relaxed, and healthy. Each chapter focuses on asingle aspect of everyday life, providing advice, exercises, wide-rang-ing playlists, and links so readers can use the music they love to cre-ate the perfect soundtrack for any goal or task. Also included are“Sound Profiles”—brief stories showing how real people creatively tapthe power of sound to improve their own and others’ lives. Inspiring,practical, and truly enjoyable, Healing at the Speed of Sound opensthe door to a fuller, richer, and much more harmonious life.

Hudson Street Press. Hardcover, $25.95.

Winter Reading Winter Reading


Enjoy Every SandwichLiving Each Day as If It Were Your LastBy Lee Lipsenthal

As medical director of the famed PreventiveMedicine Research Institute, Lee Lipsenthalhelped thousands of patients struggling withdisease to overcome their fears of pain anddeath and to embrace a more joyful way of liv-ing. In his own life, happily married and theproud father of two remarkable children, Leewas similarly committed to living his life fully

and gratefully each day. The power of those beliefs was tested in July 2009,when Lee was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. As Lee and his wife,Kathy, navigated his diagnosis, illness, and treatment, he discovered that hedid not fear death, and that even as he was facing his own mortality, he feltmore fully alive than ever before. In the bestselling tradition of Tuesdayswith Morrie, told with humor and heart, and deeply inspiring, Enjoy Every

Sandwich distills everything Lee learned about how we find meaning,purpose, and peace in our lives.

Crown Archetype. Hardcover, $22.00.

Healing TouchEssential Energy Medicine forYourself and OthersBy Dorothea Hover-Kramer

This practical guidebook is the first to giveinstruction in some of the foundational andeasily learned methods in an introductoryformat. Presented by founding elder Dr.Dorothea Hover-Kramer, Healing Touch

takes readers through 18 fundamentalexercises for applying this scientifically vali-dated energy medicine for yourself andothers. Learn the preliminary yet critical

steps of Centering and Grounding, Magnetic Passes to restore balanceto the human vibrational matrix, Laser and Ultrasound for acute painrelief, special interventions for trauma release, and much more.

Sounds True. Paperback, 16.95.

The Ancient Alien QuestionA New Inquiry Into the Existence,

Evidence, and Influence of Ancient VisitorsBy Philip Coppens

Have we been visited by extraterrestrialbeings? Did these “ancient aliens” contributeto the birth of human civilization? And do ourancient monuments contain evidence of theirpresence? Forty years after Erich von Dänikenposed these questions in Chariots of the Gods,Philip Coppens provides clear and concise answers to the great historicalenigmas in a most accessible and readable format. Your view of humanhistory will never be the same again! Analyzing the historical and archae-ological evidence, Coppens demonstrates that there is substantial proofthat our ancestors were far more technologically advanced than currentlyaccepted, and that certain cultures interacted with non-humanintelligences. Our ancestors were clearly not alone.

New Page Books. Paperback, $19.99.

New Consciousness for A New World

How to Thrive in Transitional Times and Participate in the Coming

Spiritual RenaissanceBy Kingsley L. Dennis

Foreword by Ervin Laszlo

For centuries, indigenous wisdom traditionshave talked of an epochal shift on the horizon,of a spiritual renaissance for the earth and herliving family. Now the timelines are convergingand the potential for an energetic “upgrade” for humanity is here, butfirst we must survive and evolve through the current period of transi-tion. Explaining that evolution is not a gradual process but more like a“shock to the system” author Kingsley Dennis reveals that we are cur-rently undergoing an evolutionary leap and shows not only how to sur-vive but also thrive in this period of global upheaval and change.

Inner Traditions. Paperback, $16.95.

Working Class MysticA Spiritual Biography of George HarrisonBy Gary Tillery

John Lennon called himself a working classhero. George Harrison was a working classmystic. This book gives an honest, in-depthview of Harrison’s personal journey—from hisblue-collar childhood to his role as a world-famous spiritual icon. Author Gary Tillery franklydiscusses the role drugs played in leadingHarrison to mystical insight but emphasizesthat he soon renounced psychedelics as ameans to the spiritual path. It was with con-

scious commitment that Harrison journeyed to India, studied sitar withRavi Shankar, practiced yoga, learned meditation from the MaharishiMahesh Yogi, and became a devotee of Hinduism. Tillery’s engaging nar-rative depicts Harrison as a sincere seeker who acted out of genuine carefor humanity and used his celebrity to be of service in the world.

Quest Books. Paperback, $15.95.

The Eight Crystal AlliancesThe Influence of Stones

on the PersonalityBy The Group of 5

The Eight Crystal Alliances is based onthe study and application of eight mag-netic groups of “geometric alliances,”eight types of human personality classi-fied along energetic principles linkinghuman nature with “mineral nature.”Uncovering the hidden relationshipbetween the human and mineral king-doms, the book addresses the deepvibrational energies contained within stones that can influence ouretheric bodies and, consequently, the other bodies we are made of—mental, emotional, and physical. With detailed lists of stone qualitiesand case histories, the book shows readers how to use the power ofthese everyday objects in their personal lives and careers as part oftheir journey of spirit.



Leveraging the Universe7 Steps to Engaging Life's Magic By Mike Dooley

In his latest book, bestselling author MikeDooley builds on the principles from InfinitePossibilities and Manifesting Change to offer astep-by-step strategy for leveraging theUniverse in the course of self-fulfillment andsuccess. In just a seven steps, Dooley teachesyou how to channel the Universe’s incredibleenergy to achieve your greatest dreams. Filled

with practical strategies and simple exercises that anyone can do,Leveraging the Universe lays out the path to engaging the magic that isavailable to everyone. Dooley weaves his inspiring personal historythroughout the book to demonstrate firsthand how properly applying theUniverse's power has brought success and fulfillment to his own life

Atria Books. Hardcover, $21.99.

A Dictionary of Western AlchemyBy Jordan Stratford

Alchemy is the ancient science of elements andinteractions in both the natural and spiritualrealms. This concise dictionary of alchemy pro-vides clear access to one of the major roots ofWestern esoteric thought. Alchemists have threemain pursuits: the transmutation of base metalsinto gold by means of the Lapis Philosophorum,the Philosopher's Stone; the concoction of theElixir of Life, a universal medicine; and the rec-

onciliation between spirit and matter and direct knowledge of the Divine.A Dictionary of Western Alchemy contains the definition and etymology ofhundreds of words and symbols, all relating to these three noble pursuits.Stratford brings to bear his extensive knowledge of the depth psychologyof C. G. Jung, who based his key concept of individuation on the premisethat what the ancient alchemists truly sought was inner transformation.

Quest Books. paperback, $17.95.

The Hidden Power of YourPast Lives

Revealing Your EncodedConsciousness

By Sandra Anne Taylor

In this enlightening and truly liberatingbook, New York Times best-selling authorSandra Anne Taylor explores the energyof karma and reincarnation, revealinghow your eternal consciousness canbecome encoded, influencing your des-tiny today. Current issues can be traced back to previous lives; evenpsychological and physical ailments such as chronic pain, allergies,weight problems, and self-doubts could originate in unknown pastevents. Yet these past-life sources don't have to remain a mystery-orhave any power over you anymore! When you learn how to release andrescript your karma, you can pave the way to joy and personal power.Included is a CD containing meditations and affirmations to releaseyour karma and program greater success.

Hay House. Hardcover & CD, $17.95.

Psychedelic Shamanism,Updated Edition

The Cultivation, Preparation, andShamanic Use of Psychotropic Plants

By Jim DeKorne

In Psychedelic Shamanism, author JimDeKorne presents the spiritual and shamanicproperties of psychotropic plants and discuss-es how they can be used to understand thestructure of human consciousness. He offersauthoritative information about the cultivation,processing, and correct dosages for variouspsychotropic plant substances including the belladonna alkaloids, d-lysergic acid amide, botanical analogues of LSD, mescaline, ayahuas-ca, DMT, and psilocybin. Accurate drawings of plants, including pey-ote, Salvia divinorum, and San Pedro, enhance the book’s usefulness.


Four ElementsReflections on Nature

By John O'Donohue

In Four Elements, poet and philosopherJohn O'Donohue draws upon his Celticheritage and the love of his native land-scape, the west of Ireland, to weavetogether a tapestry of beautifully evokedimages of nature. As John explores arange of themes relating to the way we liveour lives today, he reveals how the energyand rhythm of the natural world—its inno-cence and creativity, its power and splen-dour—hold profound lessons for us all.With a foreword written by his beloved brother Pat, this illuminatingtreasury is a unique collection of reflections inspired by the ancientwisdom of this earth.

Harmony Books. Hardcover. Hardcover, $24.00.

Bioharmonic Self-MassageHow to Harmonize Your Mental,Emotional, and Physical EnergiesBy Yves Bligny

Using the power of intention—directedthought aided by expanded awareness ofthe body—as well as tubes, wands, tennisballs, and other common objects to reachhard-to-massage problem areas, Bligny

shows how to take inventory of your body, mind, and memories anduse the conscious touch of self-massage to remove energy block-ages, release trapped emotions, and relieve anxieties, stress, andmuscle tensions as well as gain stability and strength. Effective forchronic back, neck, and shoulder problems, the movements andstretching exercises of bioharmonic self-massage can also be used toincrease fluidity of motion, ward off illness, and attain a state of bio-harmonic—physical, emotional, mental, and energetic—well-being.

Healing Arts Press. Paperback, $19.95.


Most people regard a cavity, or even aroot canal, as a minor inconven-ience. But if your tooth has begun todecay to the point that a cavity isevident, this is a major sign that dis-

ease-causing bacteria has begun to overpower yourimmune system and your body.

In fact, your teeth are constantly under attack fromthe foods you eat, the beverages you drink and bacteria,so much so that your body constantly works at repairingsmall amounts of damage to the enamel of your teeth. Ifyou’re healthy, this should be enough to prevent cavitiesfrom forming, but if the bacteria overwhelm your sys-tem, dental decay can result.

Specifically, cavities form on your teeth when theacid-producing bacteria in plaque dissolve the mineral inyour teeth. While microscopic at first, the cavities canincrease in size and number until the decay must bedrilled out and repaired with a filling or crown, a rootcanal performed, or the tooth removed. But nowresearchers have developed a paste that may actuallystop and even reverse this dental decay process, helpingyour body to rebuild your teeth from the inside out.

Is This the End of the Dentist’s Drill?

Researchers at the University of Leeds have developed apeptide-based fluid known as P 11-4. When applied to adecayed tooth, P 11-4 forms a gel-like scaffold thatattracts calcium to help rebuild your tooth. As theUniversity of Leeds reported in a press release:

“In practice, this means that when applied to thetooth, the fluid seeps into the micro-pores caused by acidattack and then spontaneously forms a gel. This gel thenprovides a ‘scaffold’ or framework that attracts calciumand regenerates the tooth’s mineral from within, provid-ing a natural and pain-free repair.”

When the fluid was tested on a small group of adultswith early tooth decay, results showed P 11-4 success-fully reversed the damage and regenerated tooth tissue.This is the latest data from what appears to be a promis-ing new dental strategy. Similarly, in 2008 scientistswere also able to rebuild dentin and remineralize someparts of the teeth with the help of a calcium-containingsolution of ions.

Regenerating your tooth from within is a far superi-or option to the “drill-and-fill” model currently used

RR ee vv ee rr ss ii nn gg DENTDENTALAL DECADECAYYBy Dr. Joseph Mercola


today, and it appears to be a technique that may soon bewidely available in dentists’ offices. Aside from theobvious benefit of tooth regeneration while sparing peo-ple the pain and fear of having a tooth drilled, this newprocedure could virtually obliterate the use of toxic mer-cury fillings (if our efforts don’t get them banned first!)

If You Have a Cavity, Resist This Archaic Dental Procedure

The very process of “filling and drilling” a cavity is arather outdated practice, but so far there has been noother practical solution to remove the damaged areas ofa tooth and “repair” it. But, adding insult to injury, about50 percent of U.S. dentists are still using mercury to fillcavity-ridden teeth — even though exposure to mercury,the most toxic and more vaporous of the heavy metals,can harm your kidneys, permanently damage yourchild’s developing neurological system, and even killyour unborn child in the womb!

To implant amalgam, a dentist drills out healthytooth matter in order to carve the crater necessary foramalgam placement — a primitive process that irre-versibly weakens tooth structure. With a damaged toothstructure and with a metal-based filling that expands andcontracts with temperature changes, teeth with amalgamare much more likely to crack years later, necessitatingadditional dental work.

Amalgams are quick and easy. Dentists make moremoney per chair per day implanting mercury. For facto-ry-style dentistry, where teeth represent dollar signsinstead of part of a human being, dentists drill, fill, andbill. The term “drill, fill, and bill” is a joke aspiring den-tists learn in dental school. But when it comes to mercu-ry - it’s no joke. Please realize that mercury vapor fromamalgams passes readily through your cell membranes,across the blood-brain barrier, and into your centralnervous system, where it can cause psychological, neu-rological, and immunological problems.

Yet, even though it may be a few years before P 11-4 and other tooth-regenerating fluids are widely avail-able, there are solid alternatives to mercury fillingsavailable right now. One of the most popular is resincomposite, which is made of a type of plastic reinforcedwith powdered glass. Unlike amalgam, resin compositedoes not require the removal of significant amounts ofhealthy tooth matter. Over the long term, composite pre-serves healthy tooth structure and actually strengthensteeth, leading to better oral health and less extensivedental work over the long-term.

A lesser-known alternative is atraumatic restorativetreatment (also called alternative restorative treatment orART), which relies on adhesive materials for the filling(instead of mercury) and uses only hand instruments toplace the filling, making it particularly well-suited forrural areas of developing countries.

Preventing Cavities 101:The Secret to Healthy Teeth

Tooth regeneration is certainly a step up from usingtoxic substances like mercury to fill your teeth. But doyou know what’s even better than tooth regeneration?Protecting your teeth and preventing cavities in the firstplace.

When it comes to oral hygiene and preventing cavi-ties, there’s a virtual war going on. If you listen to con-ventional health agencies’ and your dentist’s advice, youmay still believe that fluoride is the answer.

Think again!The only way you can believe this misguided advice

is if you completely ignore the science. Good oral healthand strong, healthy teeth are NOT the result of drinkingfluoridated water and brushing your teeth with fluoridat-ed toothpaste. Rather it’s all about your diet.

Dr. Weston A. Price, who was one of the majornutritional pioneers of all time, completed some of themost incredible research on this topic back in the 1900s,and it is still very much relevant today. What he found,and documented in his classic book Nutrition andPhysical Degeneration, is that native tribes who wereeating their traditional diet had nearly perfect teeth, and


were almost 100 percent free of tooth decay—and theydid not have toothbrushes, floss, toothpaste, or rootcanals and fillings.

But when these tribal populations were introduced tosugar and white flour, guess what happened … theirhealth, and their perfect teeth, rapidly deteriorated. Byavoiding sugars and processed foods, you prevent the pro-liferation of the bacteria that cause decay in the first place.

Most people whose diet includes very little sugarand few processed foods have very low rates of toothdecay. So the simple act of limiting, or eliminatingsugar, and avoiding processed foods — along with reg-ular cleanings with your natural mercury-free dentist —will ensure that your teeth and gums stay healthy andcavity-free naturally.

Mullein - AN HHERBALERBAL WWONDERONDER

T he popular herb Mullein hasbeen used for centuries becauseof its outstanding medicinal

qualities. Its healing properties are foundin its roots, leaves, and flowers and it hasbeen effective in treating a variety ofhealth conditions, especially respiratorydisorders. Though mullein is normallyfound in dry, barren areas, it will alsothrive in moist soil and it is easy to growin gardens.

Native Americans smoked theleaves of the mullein plant to ease respi-ratory discomfort. Mullein tea is also aneffective way of treating respiratory andother types of conditions such as asthma,bronchitis, and allergies. It is also effec-tive in treating sore throats and coughs.

Mullein’s anti-bacterial propertiesmake it effective in treating infections. Ithas even been used to treat tuberculosisas it inhibits mycobacterium, the bacteriawhich causes the disease

Last year, in an article listed inPubMed titled “What’s in a Name? CanMullein Weed Beat TB Where ModernDrugs Are Failing?” authors EibhlínMcCarthy and Jim M. O’Mahony of theCork Institute of Technology in Irelandreported:

“Extracts of the mullein leaf havealso been shown in laboratory studies topossess antitumour, antiviral, antifungal,

and—most interestingly for the purposeof this paper—antibacterial properties.”

The authors also observed thatmullein had been shown in trials to sig-nificantly improve ear pain and to rivalErythromycin in controlling Klebsiellapneumoniae and reported that many ofmullein’s historical uses had proven to betrue.

Mullein also has anti-inflammatoryand anti-spasmodic properties. A mulleinpoultice soothes skin irritations, such asrashes, boils, and even chilblains. Apoultice can also be used for bruises andto relieve arthritic and rheumatic condi-tions. The herb’s anti-inflammatory andanti-bacterial properties make Mulleincompresses an ideal treatment for hem-orrhoids and cold sores.

Mullein relieves digestive disorders,such as diarrhea and stomach pains. Itsanti-spasmodic properties relieve stom-ach cramps. Mullein oil derived from theplant’s flowers can be used to treatswollen glands and earaches.

In addition, mullein: *has a calmingeffect and can be used as a sleep aid;*relieves migraine pain; *supports prop-er functioning of the thyroid gland.

Mullein has no serious recordedside effects. However, taking it in excesscan result in stomach upset, and it is alsoprudent to lightly scrub the thin hairs off

the plant leaves as they can result in irri-tation in some people.

Mullein tea is simple to make. Juststeep the leaves in hot water. For a sweet-er taste, the flowers can be added. Youcan drink the tea, hot or cold. Any excesstea can be stored in the refrigerator forfuture use.

Making the oil is also easy:*Harvest the flowers while they arefresh. *Completely fill a jar with theflowers. *Mash the flowers with a fork,but not to the point that they will passthrough a strainer. *Add olive oil to thejar, completely submerging the flowers.Stir, making sure that there are no bub-bles. *Cover the jar and leave on a sunnywindowsill for five days. *After the fifthday, remove the oil by straining the mix-ture. *Pour the oil into another glass jar,cover, and put in a cool place until need-ed. Mullein oil has a long shelf life of upto two years.

Having mullein at your fingertipscan be the answer to alleviating chronicrespiratory and other conditions—andyou may find that constant visits to thedoctor’s office are a thing of the past.

Note: Because of their toxicity, theseeds of the mullein plant should neverbe used in preparing tea or oil.—The Best Years in Life

Dr. Mercola is the founder of theworld’s most visited naturalhealth web site,www.Mercola.com. You canlearn the hazardous side effectsof OTC Remedies by getting aFREE copy of his latest specialreport The Dangers of Over theCounter Remedies by going to hisReport Page.


It’s been nearly 40 years since the BabyBoomers arrived at Max Yasgur’s 600-acrealfalfa field to attend Woodstock, an outdoorfestival that was as much a counterculture“happening” as it was a celebration of music.

Area residents didn’t know what to make of these “hip-pies” in bohemian dress who abandoned their cars andwalked for miles to stand before the concert stage.Woodstock’s political provocation, defiance of conven-tion, and back-to-nature innocence would make it one ofthe defining moments of an entire generation. Now, 78million strong and approaching retirement, we BabyBoomers are showing few signs of slowing down.

The Baby Boomer generation is usually defined asthose individuals born between 1946 and 1964, andtoday we comprise more than one-quarter of the entireU.S. population. The “first wave,” or Boomers who were

born in the decade between 1946 and 1957, arrived soonafter millions of servicemen returned home from war.Between 1945 and 1946, the number of U.S. marriagesdoubled to more than 2.2 million; and 92 percent of thewomen who could have children, did. A flourishingeconomy encouraged couples to have large families, andin 1946, 3.4 million babies were born in the U.S., twentypercent more than the previous year. For the nextdecade, the annual total would hover above the four mil-lion mark, and the surge in births would continue until1964. In that final Boomer year, the first wave hit col-lege, the Beatles arrived in New York for their first U.S.tour, and Congress passed the Gulf of TonkinResolution, authorizing an escalation of the war inVietnam. The youth movement had begun, and we BabyBoomers were coming of age.

By Donna Gates

Baby BBoomers:FFoorreevveerr YYoouunngg

The following excerpt is taken from the book The Baby Boomer Diet: Body Ecology’s Guide to GrowingYounger by Donna Gates with Lyndi Schrecengost. It is published by Hay House (October 2011) and isavailable at all bookstores or online at: www.hayhouse.com.

Born in prosperity, harbingers of change, Baby Boomers have made a significant impact on the world. But what will be our final legacy?


Why This Book? Why Now?

Although Boomers rode into the world on a wave ofoptimism and promise, we also inherited some of theworst ills and environmental crimes of the century. In hisbook The Hundred-Year Lie: How Food and MedicineAre Destroying Your Health, journalist RandallFitzgerald notes how many of his fellow Baby Boomersare afflicted with diseases that used to be reserved for“old age,” from multiple sclerosis to cancer toParkinson’s and Crohn’s disease. He describes the extentto which Baby Boomers have been duped by the myth of“better living through chemistry.”

A famous commercial that aired during the 1970spromoted a relatively new product called “margarine,”which looked and tasted very much like real butter.Mother Nature, played by a memorably indignant DenaDietrich, is not pleased that she, too, has been fooled bythis deceptive substitute. Amid a fury of thunder andlightning, the commercial concludes:“It’s not nice to fool Mother Nature.”Today, in so many ways, the irony of thisvisionary statement is coming to terriblefruition.

The petrochemical era that was bornalong with the Baby Boomers initiatedan onslaught of toxins that are exacting aheavy price on this and subsequent gen-erations. The incidence of neural disor-ders has tripled in Western countries;and researchers have begun to link it toexposure to crop pesticides, syntheticchemicals, processed foods, and indus-trial chemicals. As Fitzgerald notes,between 1952 and 1987, the productionand use of synthetic pesticides in the

U.S. increased thirteen times faster than beforethe war. From genetically modified foods to sexhormones, from industrial contaminants that pol-lute our air and water, to overuse of antibioticsand inoculations, seemingly inescapable toxinshave besieged the bodies of Baby Boomers fordecades.

The Mission

Baby Boomers were born during a period ofunprecedented prosperity not witnessed since theGilded Age. A growing number of our parentswere truly living the American dream; they pur-chased nice homes, sent many of us to college,financed trips to Europe, and provided us with an

ever-increasing array of luxury items largely beyond thereach of earlier generations. Critics of Baby Boomerspoint out that this emphasis on materialism and immedi-ate gratification created a generation of overindulged“Peter Pans” who are slow to accept the realities of theadult world. Baby Boomers, they complain, feel a senseof entitlement rather than a sense of responsibility. Butothers defend Baby Boomers as idealistic free spiritswho broke boundaries, catalyzed social change, andhelped make the world more tolerant and open.

Although I was never a flower child and chose tobypass the drug scene of the ’60s, I have always identi-fied with many of the generational values we BabyBoomers share. I understood how important it was tobreak free from what our parents had taught us and tofind the courage to follow our own unique path, even ifthat journey was a lonely one at times. What I identifywith most about Baby Boomers is our openness tochange and our empowering pursuit of self-fulfillment.


We are very much a generation that believes: If you don’tlike something, change it. And we have. This is why Ibelieve we have the creativity and the obligation totransform the way we take care of ourselves and theplanet.

Who Are We Kidding?

Sixty-one percent of Boomers surveyed by AARP in2004 said they felt younger than their age. Yet two in tenof these cited physical health as the one area of theirlives they would most like to change, while three in tensaid that their physical health was worse than theyexpected it to be at this point in their lives. Only a littlemore than half thought they were likely to achieve theirgoal of improved physical health.3 The Washington Postreported that a number of recent large surveys are show-ing some surprising feedback from Boomers who appearto be less healthy than their forebears were at the sameage. In spite of their gym memberships, Boomers areless physically active than their parents and grandpar-ents, due in part to long commuting times and jobs thatkeep them in front of a computer screen all day.Although there are fewer smokers in our generation,more of us are likely to report chronic pain, drinking andpsychiatric problems, high blood pressure and choles-terol, and debilitating levels of stress.

One wonders if we Baby Boomers feel young inspirit, in spite of what our bodies may be telling us. Ordo we just have higher expectations for ourselves? Thereality is, despite our optimism, our greater prospects,and the millions of dollars we will spend on our health,we Boomers will confront new and often prematurehealth threats simply because of the world we’ve beenliving in and the choices we’ve made.

Our bodies were not designed to absorb syntheticchemicals, even in small doses, throughout an entire life-time. Environmental toxins alter our DNA. They damageour immune systems. They increase our predispositionto illness and disease. And they are passed on, throughthe umbilical cord and blood of the mother, to our chil-dren and grandchildren. In fact, from the moment spermand egg cells come together, toxins are already present.Children born today are coming into the world withserious infections, weakened immune systems, andincreased susceptibilities to certain diseases.

Baby Boomers grapple with new psychologicalstresses as well. Since the 1970s, globalization and othereconomic developments have seriously eroded the kindof job security that was the norm in the decades follow-ing World War II. Today, Baby Boomers are particularlyvulnerable to these economic shifts, and are often

among the first to be laid off and the last to be rehired byemployers who perceive them as more expensive andless flexible than younger workers. Once again, our gen-eration is faced with redefining itself; and, for some, thiswill literally mean starting over. Rising life expectancy,aging parents, and faulty pension plans mean that manyof us will need to work much longer than our parentsdid, whether we want to or not. This makes our contin-ued good health not wishful thinking but a practicalnecessity.

As we Boomers struggle to stay young, many of ushave turned to quick-fix solutions—cosmetic proce-dures, anti-aging hormones, and extreme diets to staveoff the aging process. But these methods are akin torepainting a dilapidated car. At first glance, these cos-metic changes may improve the appearance, but theydon’t account for more important and deep-seatedissues. These can only be addressed through an under-standing of our inner ecosystem; and how diet, foodpurity and selection, and lifestyle choices can lessen theeffects of aging, giving us not just longer lives, butbetter ones.

We Baby Boomers are celebrated for our independ-ence, for ignoring and even defying convention, and forour unswerving idealism. We are a generation of trend-setters. Staying healthy and vital is not just a pipe dreamfor us; it is our calling. We have long been the forerun-ners of social, political, and environmental change. Nowit is vital that we also bring about a revolution in healthand develop truly revolutionary roles for maturity. It istime that we harnessed our resources—our sheernumbers, our money, our wisdom, and our will—to healour bodies and our planet.

Our greatest mission lies ahead.


Now that you have begun to replace thenoise in your environment with morenourishing sounds, let’s pause to take acloser look at the ways in which yourphysical, emotional, and intellectual

development have been profoundly affected by sound’sphysical properties— rhythm, pitch, and frequency orvibration—from your earliest days of life. Your mannerof speaking, of walking, of interacting with otherssocially and emotionally—your ability to really hearwhat others are saying to you, to focus on tasks, and tostick to your goals until you have achieved them—all ofthese aspects of your personality and demeanor havebeen shaped to some degree by your interactions withsound. In a very real sense, throughout childhood, ado-lescence, and adulthood, sound has made you what youare today.

In recent years, a wave of new research, powered by newtechnology and diagnostic techniques, has provided uswith fascinating glimpses of the specific ways in whichthis process works. Studies conducted around the worldhave demonstrated how sound’s energy shapes thebrain’s development before birth; how its rhythms regu-late our physical movements; how pitch, tone, and musi-cal structure can fine- tune the mind and sharpen listen-ing skills; how music making improves students’ testscores and communication skills; and how professionalmusicians’ brains actually differ in structure from thebrains of non musicians. The conclusion reached byBritish and American scientists at the “Musical Brain”conference at London’s Royal Institution in 2001— agathering marking the culmination of the 1990s’“Decade of the Brain”—was that, far more than just acultural phenomenon, music is “a biological fact of

Taken from Healing at the Speed of Sound: How What We Hear Transforms Our Brains and Our Lives,From Music to Silence and Everything in Between (October 2011, Hudson Street Press). Availableeverywhere.

MMuussiicc ooff LLii ffee

HH oo ww OO uu rr EE aa rr ll ii ee ss tt DD ee vv ee ll oo pp mm ee nn tt oo ff HH ee aa rr ii nn ggaa nn dd SS pp ee ee cc hh LL ee aa dd ss tt oo aa LL ii ff ee tt ii mm ee oo ff SS oo uu nn dd

Before we make music, music makes us.—Joachim- Ernst Berendt, The Third Ear

By Don Campbell & Alex Doman


human life” intimately involved in our physiologicalfunctions. In this chapter, we will examine that researchand consider how these findings can improve your lifeand the growth and development of those around you.

Overture

The music of your life began with a heartbeat. From themoment you acquired the ability to process sound inyour mother’s womb— sometime during the secondtrimester of your development— the steady thump ofher beating heart permeated your developing body andbrain, imprinting its rhythm over and over, millions oftimes before your birth. Other sounds washed aroundyou too— the loud, constant rush of blood fl owingthrough the placenta, the gurgling sounds of digestion,the comforting vibration of your mother’s voice resonat-ing through her body and yours.

From outside, the novel sound patterns of humanlaughter, conversation, traffic, machinery, and musicpermeated the wall of the womb and were transmitted toyour ears through the amniotic fluid, though their fre-quencies were filtered and you, immersed in liquid,heard only muffled sounds.

Penn State neuroscientist Rick Gilmore suggeststhat, as a result, the voices of your family membersprobably sounded like “the squawk of the muted brassinstrument that depicts grown-ups talking in the animatedPeanuts cartoons.” Nevertheless, “there is a lot of infor-mation in that filtered and muted sound stream.”

As parents have long known, the fetus responds eas-ily and frequently to sound in the environment, particu-larly during the final trimester. Pregnant musicians havereported feeling their unborn children kick in time to themusic they play—sometimes even stopping and startingas the music stops and resumes. Writer and radio host AlLetson tells of the nights in bed when he and his unborndaughter exchanged kicks and gentle pokes through thewall of her sleeping mother’s stomach—a rhythmiccommunication that laid the groundwork for an intenseconnection between them once his daughter was born.For decades, scientists have routinely documented suchfetal responses to loud sounds, in the form of startledresponses and increased heart rate. The fact that babiescan hear outside sounds is indisputable. The more inter-esting question is whether the fetus understands thesesounds in any sense. When you heard music or yourmother’s voice, did you actively listen, and did thosesounds carry meaning for you? Did they affect the devel-opment of your brain and body? And following birthwere you able to remember them?

In fact, the depth and range of the fetus’s sensationis far greater than most of us realize. The developingbrain perceives through contrast. A sudden change insensory stimulation— the sound of laughter, say, mixingwith the background sounds of your mother’s body—told your fetal brain that something new had happened.When this stimulation entered your auditory cortex,your brain responded with a sharp “What’s that?—andwent to work trying to connect the sound with past expe-riences and fit it into a developing pattern of under-standing. Your brain was not simply registering sound, inother words, but was actively trying to make sense of it.And as it fit together the pieces of the sound puzzle ofthe world outside, these patterns were mirrored in itsown development. With each new sound pattern, newneurological pathways were carved, like grooves in avinyl record.

Researchers have traced this process in a number ofways. Their studies show that the fetus not only sensessound from outside the mother’s body, but it differenti-ates between novel and familiar sounds, respondingphysically to new sounds while growing indifferent orhabituated to those that are repeated consistently. Thisrecognition of the familiar, in which the fetal brain stopsresponding to an often- repeated sound with “What’sthat?” represents the first form of learning.

The fetus is capable of remembering what it haslearned as well. In one well- known study, researchersdirected a quiet vibratory sound toward the mother’sabdomen, followed by a loud sound. The first time thiswas done, the fetus did not respond to the gentle stimu-lus, but did respond to the succeeding jarring sound.When the sequence was repeated, however, the fetusresponded to the quiet sound, as though rememberingthe sound pattern and anticipating the loud stimulus tofollow.


Your brain’s search for patterns and its sensitivity tosound contrasts allowed you to learn and remember thecadence and inflections of your mother’s voice beforeyou ever left the womb. While still in utero, you coulddistinguish between her language and a foreign tongue,probably due to the differences in rhythm. The downbeatin spoken language is “like an edge finder, or the bound-ary of rhythm” for the fetus, explains Ann Senghas, apsychologist at Barnard College, in New York. At thesame time, as studies have shown, your neurons learnedto prioritize some sounds. When a sound became impor-tant— when your mother’s singing to you during preg-nancy, for instance, increased the levels of positive hor-mones in her blood, which in turn nourished you—yourcells’ response to that tone increased. Your brain learnedto respond strongly to her singing as a source of pleas-ure—the beginning of the lovely mother- infant bonding

process that continued after birth, and one reason whyyour mother’s lullabies could so effectively soothe youand help you drift toward sleep.

Developing human brains seem particularly attunedto music—even more than to language—no doubt due toits structural complexity and interesting patterns. A songdoes not have to be beautiful, or even directed at thefetus, to be remembered after the baby is born. Infantsoften recognize and respond to the theme songs of tele-vision shows their mothers watched most while preg-nant, for example. Just as certain foods are more nour-ishing than others, however, even if all types providecalories, high quality classical, world, and other com-plex instrumental and vocal selections provide broaderand more varied stimulation to the fetus than the typicaltheme song or simple pop tune.

Rhythms of the MindRhythms of the MindSound aand MMusic iin EEducation

Now that you understand the profoundways in which sound has shaped yourown life from your earliest days, it isclear how important music is in tuningup the bodies and minds of children. As

more and more music programs are cut from ournation’s schools, we must consciously consider how tointegrate music and a healthy sound environment intochildren’s lives, to shape their growth and health in pos-itive ways. Even if you have no children or grandchil-dren at this stage of your life,you may be able to use your newawareness of music’s role inmental and physical develop-ment to improve the lives ofyour young relatives, neighbors,and children in your community.

Ideally, by the preschoolyears, children have alreadybenefited from pre- birth expo-

sure to music’s soothing sounds and reassuring rhythms,which enriched the hormonal balance in their blood-stream and laid the groundwork for healthy neuronal andphysiological development.

They entered the world to the familiar sounds offamily members’ voices and lullabies heard while in thewomb. If they were born ill or premature, music mayhave helped decrease stress, encourage nursing, and dis-tract from the pain of medical procedures, thus allowingfor faster weight gain and a shorter stay in the hospital.

Full- term babies could rely onfamiliar lullabies to settle into aregular sleep routine, and couldthen go on to feast on the stimu-lation provided by their familymembers’ voices as adults andolder children sang and spoke tothem, danced with them, andbounced them rhythmically intheir arms and on their knees.

I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy: but most importantlymusic, for in the patterns of music and all the arts are the keys of learning.-

—Plato


During this same period, as we have seen, sound andmusic equipped children with nearly all the basic lan-guage skills that carry through to adulthood. The win-dow of opportunity for picking up language begins atbirth and ends sometime between the ages of eighteenmonths and three years, after which time the assimila-tion process becomes increasingly difficult. This is onereason why it’s so important to stimulate babies and tod-dlers with high- quality music and soothing wordsthroughout their early years. These same years are alsothe critical time for developing a “listening vocabulary”of music- not surprising, considering the fact that humanlanguage and music perception are rooted in the sameregions of the brain. Giving a child a rich diet of musicduring this period will help determine the ease withwhich he later acquires skills in appreciating, perform-ing, and moving to music. As we will see, the more com-fortable the child is with music- related activities, themore effectively those pursuits can lead to academicsuccess, physical grace, emotional balance, and creativethought.

Fortunately, music is not a kind of “medicine” to beadministered to children, but is an activity we can allenjoy together, no matter what our age. To enhance yourown pleasure as well as your child’s, select the highest-quality children’s songs, folk tunes, and classical musicyou can find to play at home. “Children deserve only themost worthwhile music,” points out Lorna Lutz Heyge,cofounder of Musikgarten, an early childhood music

program. “The songs of childhood are remembered forlife. They must be worth remembering- songs of musi-cal, textual, and cultural value.” The pleasure the childfeels in the music will create an optimal “learning” stateof mind, much like the intense communication enjoyedby mother and child during the bonding process. Goodmusic will encourage you to participate fully, bringingyour child’s attention to the different sounds and thechanges in sound as they occur, encouraging him tomove to the beat, to sing along, and to interpret throughdance how the music makes him feel.

One can see joy expressed in every gesture thisthree- year- old makes as he conducts the fourth move-ment of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Just imagine howthe music is stimulating his brain!

As early as possible, suggest ways in which yourchild can begin using music to express herself. Forexample, when you read a bedtime story, have her pro-vide a musical soundtrack by singing or tapping on azither or other instrument. These activities link thevestibular and auditory levels of the listening ear- a vitalskill for all kinds of learning.

Act out a favorite story with her in song and dance,or make up songs about a favorite picture or activity. Orsing your way through one of your child’s least favoriteactivities, such as getting out of bed or getting dressed.It can transform a chore into a fun part of the day. All ofthese ways of connecting action, imagination, and emo-tion will help your young child visualize stories,thoughts, and ideas.


In the classic film It’s a Wonderful Life, GeorgeBailey, played by Jimmy Stewart, is feelingthat his life has meant nothing. On a cold win-ter’s night, after a terrible financial mishap, hegets drunk, gets into a barroom fight, and yells

at his wife. He gets mad at his daughterZuzu, who had

wanted him to fix herflower, which was los-ing its petals. Georgestuffs the petals in hispockets and leaves thehouse. At the end ofthis long, hopelessnight he ends up on abridge, ready to jumpinto the icy watersbelow, feeling worth-less and angry at him-self for yelling ateveryone he loves. He

no longer wants to live.An angel, Clarence, comes to him and shows how

miserable his family and his town would have become ifnot for the small loving things he had done throughouthis life. His wife would have been a frightened spinster,his town an economic mess, his brother dead, his friends

miserable, his childrenunborn.

Bailey comes to real-ize how much he hasmeant to others andhow rich his life hasreally been. This is con-firmed when he reach-es into his pocket andfinds the petals ofZuzu’s flower. In thatmoment, he knows hehas a second chance atlife.

Like George Bailey,

ZZuuzzuu’’ss PetalsPetalsBy Lee Lipsenthal, M.D.

EEnnjjooyy EEvveerryy SSaannddwwiicchh


we all have the opportunity to remake our lives if we justremember what meaning and purpose we already have.We can simply reach into our pocket and find the piecesof our life that remind us that this is in fact a wonderfullife.

No man is poor who has friends.—Clarence the Angel in It’s a Wonderful Life

For me Zuzu’s petals have been the relationships Ihave developed, the children I have raised, and the work

I have done. The petals have been the support of myfamily and friends. They are also the e-mails, cards, andletters from friends around the world after my diagnosisabout how much they appreciate me and my work; notesabout how I changed lives, saved marriages, andinspired careers. My life has had meaning. I am gratefulthat I have had the chance to be this person, on this plan-et, at this time. I am grateful that I could receive this loveand support. I know that if I die today, this has been awonderful life. Relationships are always the main ingre-dients of most people’s sandwiches, and you could say

gratitude is the bread that holds it all together.Most of us experience gratitude in our lives around

gifts, friends, kind acts, or sometimes just a good meal,but how much time do we spend each day consciouslybeing grateful for these things or these moments? Rarelydo we make gratitude a practice.

The daily practice of gratitude shifts your focus ontothe parts of life that you appreciate. You still see andmanage the difficult areas of your life, but your emo-tional focus shifts to gratefulness. When we practicegratitude each day, life becomes sweet regardless of ourlife circumstances.

During my cancer treatment a friend of mine, Mark,in North Carolina and I had a late- night text messageconversation that led to us toasting each other three

thousand miles apart. It was one of my last tastes ofgreat scotch shared with a dear friend. It was a delight tobe with him through technology in my moments offatigue.

Nothing fancy, nothing dramatic, just simple friend-ship. Simple moment, simple gratitude.

An event that changed my view of so- called bucketlists occurred in the middle of my treatment. Anotherfriend named Mark; his wife, Anna; and their familycame to visit us from Pittsburgh on one of my chemobreaks. Knowing that my life might be shorter thanexpected and knowing my love of rock ’n’ roll, he askedme one day what band I would most like to see before Idied.

Laughingly, I said the Beatles (I knew I might haveto wait until after I died for that one!)….

Mark said, “Would you like to meet PaulMcCartney?”

I said, “Sure,” knowing that this was an impossibletask for a guy who is not in the music industry and a dif-ficult one even for those who are connected. He calledme a month later to tell me that he was working on it andhad a plan. He had gotten in touch with Paul’s pilot,whom he knew from Pittsburgh, and was trying to makeit happen.

I was laughing my head off with delight. Althoughmeeting Sir Paul would have been on my bucket list, Ihad something better: a friend who would go well out ofhis way to do something to make me happy. Just know-ing this was a huge petal in my pocket.


I no longer have a bucket list. I have love in my life.This is far greater than seeing the Pyramids, climb-

ing mountains, eating Thai food in Thailand, or anyother physical activity that might be fun to experience. Iam loved and I have loved. My bucket list is complete.

I believe we are all born with the capacity for grati-tude, but many times we get in our own way. A commonexample of this is pessimism and perfectionism.Pessimists and perfectionists may have things to begrateful for in life but will rapidly find a reason why it isnot right or perfect or how it could have been better.Their Neuroimaginal minds search for mistakes orflaws. In doing so, they immediately jump to the nega-tive without enjoying even a brief moment of gratitude.“Yes, but . . .” is their language. They can’t enjoy a sand-wich because it has too much mayonnaise or too littlelettuce or the bread is too or too soft.

On the other end of the spectrum are those whoignore difficulty until their lives fall apart. I often seethis in people with significant spiritual lives and prac-tices.

They blind themselves to life’s realities by divingdeeper into their practices: “If I just meditate and do myyoga, this will all go away.” I have seen many peoplewho are not aware of themselves or the harm they do toothers and use spiritual practice to avoid their real lives.

My friend Nita and I refer to this as spiritual bypass.People use spiritual practices and beliefs to excuse

the harmful things they do to others and avoid or“bypass” who they truly are. Gurus and priests do thisunconsciously to avoid the dark aspects of their person-alities.

This is how child abuse and sexual affairs can occuramong religious leaders. They haven’t dared to look attheir shadows. They can enjoy their sandwiches, butwhile they eat, the ceiling falls down on them. Ignorance

is not always bliss.Gratitude practice means facing reality, gaining

awareness of the many aspects of yourself: your innerself, your oneself, your subpersonalities and those ofthe people around you. It means understanding andembracing your shadow. It means letting go of a need tocontrol yourself and others, it means growing compas-sion for those who have hurt you, it means being awareof the difficult parts of your life and still being able toreach into your pocket on a dark, snowy night, justbefore you leap from a bridge, to find a small, innocentpetal. Gratitude is the ultimate expression of hope.

A healthy practice of gratitude is simple. You don’tneed to whitewash the bad, just remind yourself of thegood now and then. Remember, what you look for iswhat you find.

Excerpted from Enjoy Every Sandwich: Living Each Day AsIf It Were Your Last. © 2011 by Lee Lipsenthal, M.D.Reprinted by Permission of Crown Archetype, an imprint ofthe Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House,Inc., New York.

“In July 2009 I was diagnosed with a cancer that left mewith a 90% chance of dying within five years, yet I hadno fear. Frankly, this was shocking and delightful to me.My life had been so full that one more day of dancing,playing, teaching, learning, or hugging would be won-derful but not necessary....It had been an amazing jour-ney, and all I felt was privileged to have been on theride.” —Lee Lipsenthal, M.D.

Lee Lipsenthal passed away on September 20, 2011.


During his visits to India, he had becomefascinated by Krishna. Known as “thedark one,” the god was easily distin-guished by being shown with blue skin.He was often depicted in the company of

a retinue of Gopis—lovely maidens who tended to hisneeds—charming them by playing his flute. Adding tothe weight of Pattie’s despair, George said openly that hefelt a desire to become such a figure himself—a spiritu-al being surrounded by women.

Despite his spiritual hunger, the temptations of arock star were still too much to resist. He had affairswith other women, and he became less guarded aboutthem with Pattie. He invited a French girl who had justbroken up with Eric Clapton to stay at their house. Pattie

soon sensed that the relationship was more than justfriendly. When she confronted George about it, he dis-missed it as her imagination. Angry, she went to Londonto stay with friends. Six days passed before Georgecalled to tell her that the French girl had left.

Meanwhile, the Beatles began work on their nextalbum, titled The Beatles, but which came to be knownas The White Album. Rishikesh had inspired them all.John, Paul, and George had come up with dozens ofsong ideas—even Ringo had one in mind. In the thirdweek of May 1968, they went to work. They met first atHarrison’s house to tape 23 demo recordings, thenmoved into the studio on May 30 and worked on thealbum intermittently through October 17. They had suchan abundance of new material that, against the advice of

Excerpt from:

WWorking Class Mysticorking Class MysticA Spiritual Biography of GGEORGEEORGE HHARRISONARRISON

By Gary Tillery

TT hh ee MM aa kk ii nn gg oo ff aa MM yy ss tt ii cc

KrishnaKrishna


George Martin, they decided to release a double album. Besides taking far more time to record than any

other Beatles album, The Beatles was notable for otherreasons. George, accustomed to having two or at mostthree songs on any LP, contributed four. John, who hadleft Cynthia and become attached to Yoko Ono, broke anunwritten code by bringing her into the studio while theyworked. Also, for the first time, the Beatles had a gueststar on one of their records—Eric Clapton, whomGeorge invited to play lead guitar for the classic “WhileMy Guitar Gently Weeps.”

In the song’s lyrics, Harrison’s new perspective onthe world comes through clearly. “I look at you all” hebegins, addressing the countless millions who will hearhis voice, and laments the tragedy of “the love therethat’s sleeping”—the latent love unexpressed by peoplewho are distracted. He sees in the cluttered floor, which“needs sweeping,” a symbol of their cluttered vision.The misdirected people he sees are “controlled,”“bought and sold,” unable to unfold the love inside.However, the world keeps turning. Surely we will learnfrom our mistakes—won’t we? The ponderous cadence,the sorrowful voice, and the anguish of the guitar sug-

gest that the answer is no. George, now feeling enlight-ened to the way things really are, sees all through theeyes of a melancholy prophet.

The isolation he felt was about to be partly alleviat-ed by his encounter with like-minded souls. On a coldDecember day in 1968, a crowd waited outside theApple building, hoping as always for a glimpse of one ormore of the most famous entertainers in the world. Intheir midst stood a strange American in a high-necked,Eastern-style robe with a head shaved except for a top-knot known as a shikha. Yoko Ono arrived in a Rolls-Royce. As a doorman hurried to open her door shenoticed the singular figure. “You must be one ofGeorge’s,” she said. “Come on in.” The man followedher and was directed to a lounge where some fifty peo-ple waited for various reasons. The Beatles wereinvolved in a meeting. When it broke up the other threeleft the building, but George came and opened thelounge door. As soon as he spotted the man with theshaved head, he crossed the room and came straight upto him as though he knew him. “Hare Krishna,” he saidin greeting. “Where have you been? I’ve been waiting tomeet you.”

The surprised devotee of Krishna introduced him-self as Syamasundara Das, a disciple of SwamiPrabhupada. George recognized the latter as the manwhose recording of Hindu chants had so captivated him


two years before. He mentioned how heand John Lennon had started to chantafter hearing the album, and had spenthour after hour doing so while sailingamong the Greek islands. Ever sinceGeorge had toured India with RaviShankar in late 1966, and encounteredKrishna devotees chanting in public andhappily joined in with them, he had beenkeen on meeting some of their Westerncounterparts.

Harrison said that what he was mostinterested in knowing was, out of all thedeities in the Hindu pantheon, whyKrishna? Why single him out for worshiprather than Shiva, Brahma, Ganesh, oranother god? Syamasundara replied that,according to the beliefs of his group,

Krishna was God’soriginal personalform, the sourcefrom which all theothers came. He wasthe one who meritedthe most veneration.Intrigued, Harrisoninvited the devoteeto come out to hishome in Esher thatweekend.

In the richscent of sandalwoodincense, the twenty-

three-year-old Syamasundara told George and Pattie hisstory. He had been a Fulbright scholar turned profes-sional skier, yet he felt spiritually hollow. Like the pro-tagonist of Kerouac’s Dharma Bums and DesolationAngels, he found himself keeping an eye on the forestsof the Northwest from a watchtower, passing the time byreading about Eastern mysticism. Then, on a visit toHaight-Ashbury, he went to a branch of the InternationalSociety for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) andheard Swami Prabhupada lecturing about the BhagavadGita and the value of chanting. His life changed.

George, dealing with the anxiety-inducing relationsbetween the Beatles and the crumbling of the Apple ven-ture, was fascinated. He knew very well how meditationand chanting had sustained him during distressing times.He was also impressed by the devotee’s buoyant spirit.He asked how the ISKCON members viewed death.Syamasundara explained that devotion to Krishna would

be repaid by release from further births and a return toKrishna in his cosmic form. The essential requirementwas to keep Lord Krishna in mind at all times, and recit-ing the Hare Krishna mantra made that a simple task.

Excerpted from:Working Class Mystic: A Spiritual Biographyof George Harrison, © November 2011, by Gary Tillery,Quest Books, ISBN 978-0-8356-0900-5 • $15.95 pb • 6 x 9 •200 pages.


CCRRYSTYSTALAL OOVERSOULVERSOULAATTUNEMENTTTUNEMENTss

By Michael Eastwood

When I started to prepare this book Ireceived a series of communicationsfrom the Oversouls concerning leylines and sacred sites. I saw the Earthas if from space, illuminated by a vast

network of paths. The sacred sites in the world were linkedand communicating via light. During these visions I sawthe Sun and Moon directing energy along paths of lighttowards sacred sites such as Stonehenge or Machu Picchu.

What impressed upon my mind most is that the Earth’sley line system is still alive with intelligence unknown tohuman science.

Just like the chakra system of a human being, theEarth’s ley lines carry vital energy in order to energize andstabilize essential forces.

Part of these visions involved seeing people workingconsciously with this knowledge by creating crystal gridsand Oversoul cards within these sacred sites.

These grids could take many permutations and wouldbe guided by the spirit of the place and human intuition.By undertaking this process, energy from the grids andOversoul consciousness can be welcomed into the sacredsites to help restore balance.

Through these actions we can help restore the Earth’stelluric energy.

In previous incarnations in Lemuria we were involvedin such rituals.

As an example, duringone of my inner travels tothe Lemurian SeedCrystal Oversoul I had avision where I saw a land-scape that I knew to beLemuria, from other jour-neys I had taken. Withinthe landscape I saw a

large group of beings gathering together.I sensed that my presence was known to them and

accepted. I felt like a time-traveling observer.I saw some of the beings preparing a circle. They

placed large crystal points very consciously on the ground.These crystal points had been carefully chosen for this pur-pose, in a particular number. Once the space had been cre-ated the ritual began. I was not sure what I was witnessingand as this thought rose the answer came: the gatheringhad been called to create a sacred vortex on Earth.

On this space a temple of energy would be built so thatthe spirit of the place could be nurtured. The vortices werebeing created as a way of drawing vital cosmic forces intothe body of the Earth that would serve to imbue the lifeforce into the land. As merging points between telluricearth energy and cosmic vital forces, these places wouldthen spread the vital energetic fusion throughout its imme-diate environment and also along inter-connecting lines oflight—the ley lines.

What struck me about this was that when we workwith the Oversouls either individually or collectively, weare doing a similar thing. If we acknowledge that our bod-ies are living temples that can serve as conduits for cosmicand telluric forces, we too become places of power that cananchor light.

This incoming light can also spread throughout ourown personal ley-line system, our meridians. The eighthand ninth chakra and its counterpart, the earth star, connectus to the bigger picture.

I hope that you feel comfortable enough to experimentwith my suggestions. Enjoy your explorations and innerjourneys.

In Crystal Oversoul Attunements (Findhorn Press $19.95),Michael Eastwood has created a new tool for meditationand contemplation. This set of 44 exquisite cards and their

Attunements for the Earth Attunements for the Earth and Ley Linesand Ley Lines


accompanying book allow the reader to explore in greatdepth the spiritual and metaphysical qualities of the crys-tals. Each card is a photographic mandala featuring a dif-ferent crystal that conveys messages directly into the con-sciousness of the viewer. The corresponding volume con-

tains information about crystal healing and meditationpractice. Together the cards and the book build a map, rep-resenting the shared spiritual and healing potential thatthese meditations can bring.

Whilst the cards can be used on their own, the book

introduces the 44 journeys and mandalas that aredesigned to guide the reader into experiences similar tothe author’s own. Meditations and attunements areincluded to assist the reader to make contact with theoversoul of each crystal.

Crystal Oversoul Attunement: 44 Healing Cards & Bookpublished by Findhorn Press, December 2011 (ISBN978-1-84409-571-1) $19.95 distributed by IPG.

"The mandalas in

this book repre-

sent...my impres-

sion of each of the

crystal oversoul’s

consciousness and

spirit...To my under-

standing an over-

soul is the collective

soul or master that

all individual crys-

tals in its field will

identify and com-

municate with.

When we work

thus, for example

with an Ajoite, we

can communicate

with its essential

soul, its blueprint,

its oversoul."

—Michael Eastwood,author

Crystal OversoulAttunements

4 0 EARTH STAR DECEMBER / JANUARY 2012

In my Juicy Joy trainings, we love the word“want.” We wiggle our hips when we say it. Wesay it with a smug twinkle in our eyes. We lux-uriate in the full-on certainty that “wanting” isnothing more than the first juicy-delicious step

to “having.” If this doesn’t sound like your version ofwanting, you need to learn this version. Otherwise youmay as well give up the habit of wanting altogether,because it’s never going to get you anywhere.

You’ve probably heard that focusing your thoughtson your desires will bring them to you. But for manypeople, it’s nearly impossible to focus on their desireswithout simultaneously being drawn into painful aware-ness of the glaring absence of those things. And the morethey pay attention to that absence, the more they ensurethe continuation of it.

The truth is that your reality is not determined bywhat you want; it’s determined by what you expect. Youcould want mountains of things, but unless you believe,at a very deep level, that you deserve to have them andmost certainly will have them, the wanting is doing youmore harm than good.

Take the Wanting Test

• Draw a vertical line down the center of a piece of paper.

• On the left side, write down five things you want.• On the right side, without thinking too much about

it, jot down the top few honest feelings you have abouteach of these desires.

Look at the feeling words on the right side of yourpaper. Are any of them negative? If they are, it meansyou’re focused on the lack of what you want. You can’tget it that way. You can’t pull these desires into your lifeuntil you start authentically having nothing but positivefeelings about them (which will indicate you believethey can be yours.)

Wanting should always feel delicious. If it doesn’t,that’s your cue to get to work on your beliefs. Paying lipservice to a new belief doesn’t cut it. You can’t just smileand say, “I deserve to earn a monthly six-figure salary.”You have to authentically believe it. That’s the bad news.The good news is that once you get the believing down,the having becomes inevitable.

Your beliefs are nothing but habits. Breaking oldhabits and replacing them with new habits requiresdetermination and desire. The more passion you feel forthe things you want to create, the more dedicated you’llbe to mastering the habit of believing in yourself andyour dream. To help cement that habit, you need to startliving as if the fabulous life you imagine for yourselfwere already your day-to-day reality.

For example, if your goals are financial, you need tobe very appreciative and celebratory about whatevermoney you do currently posses or are in the process ofearning. Is there anything you’re spending money onright now that feels a little like a luxury? Do you berateyourself for this spending? If so, you’re energeticallykeeping your prosperity goals out of your reach. It’simperative that you decide exactly what you plan to

Are You WaantiinggWaantiingg Correctly?

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DECEMBER / JANUARY 2012 EARTH STAR 4 1

spend, and then, since you’re spending it anyway, enjoyspending it! Love every second of it and be grateful forthe opportunity to make each purchase.

Make a list of nice things you own, or vacationsyou’ve taken, or anything you’ve used money for in thepast. Saturate yourself in your appreciation for thosethings. Remember how you wanted them, and thenbought them, and how much you enjoyed that moment.If you didn’t enjoy that moment, rewrite it in your mem-ory so that you did. Appreciation for whatever moneyyou currently have and whatever money you’ve had inthe past is the surest ticket to accruing more money inyour future. If this is hard for you—if you have troublefeeling deep appreciation for the things you’ve bought inthe past—what makes you think that the things you wantto buy in the future are going to make you any happier?

Create a daydream to reflect your goals, and fill itwith colorful, vivid imagery that makes use of all yoursenses. For prosperity goals, write out a list of every-thing you’d buy if money were no object. What wouldyou buy first? Imagine yourself writing that check orunfolding copious bills from your wallet, confident andjoyful in your purchase. Imagine bringing that itemhome. What does it feel like to own it? Who would youshow first? What specific kind of happiness would itbring you?

Focus on your senses. What would you buy next?Spend some time going down the list, feeling each itemfully. What it would it feel like to have so much wealth?Where would you most like to be charitable? Whatwould it feel like to write that check to your favoritecharity?

Visit this imaginary world as frequently as you can.It should be so much fun you can’t wait to get there!Once you’ve worked with your daydream and yourappreciation habits for a while, test for a shift in yourbeliefs with the following exercise.

Test Your Belief Shifts

• Go to the imaginary world of your daydream.Whatever you most want, see yourself having it inspades. Beyond your wildest dreams. Get to the feelingplace of that. From your perspective while you’re there,write down your answers to the following questions:

• What beliefs do I have about myself from this per-spective of having what I most desire?

• What beliefs do I have about the world?• What beliefs do I have about scarcity and abun-

dance?• What beliefs do I have about money?• What beliefs do I have about men/women?

• What beliefs do I have about my own potential?• What beliefs do I have about the power of the

Universe to love me and assist me with my dreams?• Do the beliefs you listed while immersed in your

imaginary world match your day-to-day, present-timebeliefs? If not, it means you are not yet a vibrationalmatch to your goals, and you are unwittingly impedingtheir fruition. You must get yourself to authenticallyadopt the juicy beliefs now.

• Make a list of facts that lend support to the beliefsyou want to have. Gather as much evidence as you pos-sibly can that the beliefs you have while immersed inyour daydream are credible and worth adopting full-time. Go over that list until you can feel the new beliefenergy edging out the old.

Living your life as though your goals were already yourreality will reinforce the habit of believing in yourdreams. Speedy, phenomenal results depend not uponwhat you’re doing so much as they depend upon whoyou’re being and what you’re believing.

Want with gusto. Want with unwavering convictionand infinite faith. Or don’t bother wanting at all.

Unconditional love expert Lisa McCourt is a dynamic speak-er, seminar leader and author whose 34 books have sold more5.5 million copies worldwide. Her new book, Juicy Joy – 7Simple Steps to Your Glorious, Gutsy Self, teaches people toembrace “radical authenticity” to fully experience unbridledjoy in life. Lisa lives in South Florida with her two children.For more information, visit http://www.LisaMcCourt.com.


Change happens. Sometimes it happensto us, visited upon our lives by an exter-nal source, and sometimes it happenswithin us, as a new dream or an impulsethat expands our outlook. Sometimes the

change is something we wanted, like a new job.Sometimes it is something we thought that we didn’twant, like a divorce.

Sometimes we even get so stuck in a pattern and anunconscious habit that we forget that change is alwayson its way.

Change is inevitable. We must be open to it, even asit seeks us. And as the interior design of our souls shift,the interior design of our homes must shift along with itto support, nurture and sustain us as we become morealigned with our soul’s calling, message and expression.

Where you live and what you live with is an exten-sion of who you are: your living quarters are a projectedphysical manifestation of your emotional wants andneeds, a mirror of your thoughts, dreams, hopes, wishes,and issues. And it isn’t just about the four walls that sur-round you. It’s about the energy with which you fillyour space and the emotions, thoughts and feelings thatare attached to the objects in your home.

As a designer and a spiritual seeker, I noted long agothat whenever my awareness grew or evolved, it wasincredibly important for me to support those new foundparts of myself by altering my space so that I could sup-port myself and be reminded of the shifts and thechanges that had taken place…so that these shifts couldbe anchored deeper within. I wanted the world aroundme to reflect the person I was becoming. Likewise,whenever I manifested a change in my surroundings,whether it was by adding an element or subtracting apossession that no longer fit, I would feel a correspon-ding shift within myself.

Of course, this is not a simple a=b equation. A newcouch won’t give you a new life. A life-change doesn’tmean that you need to go out and buy a new couch.What I’m talking about is much subtler. Consider for amoment that things are manifestations of our dreams,metaphors of our desires, and connections to other timesin our lives. They are also placeholders of unfinishedbusiness, issues, belief systems, dreams and limitingthoughts we have about ourselves and the world aroundus. What you think is just an old exercise bike or a set ofdishes is really so much more.

That old bicycle in the garage: is it a reminder that

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By Xorin Balbes

Want to ReinventReinvent Your Life? Start at Home by Exploring Yourself

Through the Interior DesignInterior Designof Your Space


you need to reconnect to your body and support itthrough exercise? Or does it belong to an ex-wife or anex-husband, like a dusty reminder of regret? How aboutthose lovely dishes, the ones that were your grandmoth-ers? Are they really just dishes? Or are they a psychicconnection to your family heritage and to a woman youremember fondly every time you see those plates?

The next time you walk around your house, take thetime to really look. What do you own? Why do youown it? What does it say to you about who you were?What does it say to you about where you are going?What does it say about what you think you deserve?

In the end, if the messages encoded in your homedon’t tell you that you are a creative, passionate, evolv-

ing person; if your belongings don’t make you feel likeyou’ve accomplished great things and will accomplishmore great things moving forward, if your home is notseeded with images of your dreams: then your house isholding you back. If your home is not filled with thebeauty that lives inside you….then choose again.

When we wish to create change, we can use ourenvironment and belongings as tools to anchor andground our dreams, hopes and wishes so we can be sup-ported while we manifest growth. Then the exercisebike can fulfill its intention and help you raise your heartrate and lower your blood pressure—or it can be givento someone who will use it, who will not feel sadnessevery time they see it. Then you can take those dishesout of hiding and use them on a daily basis, sharing themand the memories they hold with the other people thatyou love.

Once you understand the connection between whatyou see around you and the way you feel inside, and theconnection between the way your moods and ambitionsare expressed in your home, then you can work to createa conscious space in your home to support the life youwant to lead.

This is the power of combining insight with inten-tion, blending aesthetics with action, and imbuing yourSpace with your Soul.

By releasing that which is old and has no energy,you can release yourself from your past and harnessmore creativity and a fuller expression of yourself. Bychoosing consciously, you can create a space that is fullof your personal spirit, where friends and family feelwelcomed and cherished, where your creativity canshine, and where your true self can take root and blos-som. Then, you will sail in the direction of your dreams.

A Talk With Xorin Balbes, author of SoulSpace

I t seems simplistic to suggest that buying a newcouch could change someone’s life. How doesSoulSpace really work?

SoulSpace begins with exploring and understanding thechoices, thoughts and intention behind all the things wehave in our lives. The items that make up the interiordesign of our space are more than objects. They areplaceholders for our emotional connections.

Things are never just things. The objects that wesurround ourselves with are more than desks, chairs,accessories, pictures, plants, photos and electronicequipment. They are tools for doing things. They arecues for living. They are imbued with emotional layers

and embedded metaphors that, if viewed from the rightangle, can show you truths that show you where youhave come from, where you are now, and where you aregoing.

Some of our belongings inspire a sense of peace,while others drag us down and hold us back on anunconscious level, which can make something like buy-ing a new couch into much more than a high-end acqui-sition. What if the old couch is a reminder of a relation-ship you’d rather not remember? By replacing it orreupholstering it, you can shift your conscious andunconscious emotional life via an acceptance that a sea-son of your life is passed; by reinventing your physical


and psychic space, you shiftyourself forward, into your pres-ent life.

How is SoulSpace better/dif-ferent than just hiring an inte-rior decorator?SoulSpace is about getting intouch with the beliefs, thoughtsand feelings behind all the thingsthat you surround yourself within your home. The aestheticcomes from your soul’s expres-sion and supports you in becom-ing more authentically you. Thedesign is truly about your interi-or as it emerges from yourunderstanding that the externalworld impacts your inner selfand vice versa.

Most of us crave a feeling of“home.” By surrounding our-selves with our soul’s expression, we create more than ahome that is beautiful… we create a home that is beau-tiful because it is personal and can truly support us likea best friend.

If you work with an interior designer, they mustunderstand the deeper purpose. This is not about pro-jecting an image to world. It is about truly supporting anexploration and expression of self.

There is a lot in this book about getting rid ofthings… what if someone wants to remain connectedto their history?The SoulSpace process encourages you to connect to thebest parts of our histories while shedding the baggagethat no longer serves us. Where we come from is a bigpart of who we are. Getting rid of excess and clutterhelps us clear the space so that we can truly see whatmatters in our lives.

We don’t want to “get rid.” We want to “get con-nected.” The truth is often obscured by too many layers.By releasing those things that we don’t really need, wecan cherish those things that we love. Heirlooms anddiplomas shouldn’t gather dust in attics and closets…they should be ceremoniously displayed and enjoyed.

What made you think of this idea? Where did theinspiration come from?I redesign homes with one purpose: to assist the peoplewho live within to create the kind of space where theycan flourish instead of just exist. My mission is to weave

my wish for peace, beauty, jus-tice, passion, and rejuvenationinto all my projects with theintention of inspiring others tolive a more soulful, compassion-ate, and beautiful life. Over the course of my career as

a home designer, I have discov-ered that the process of explor-ing the interior design of yourhome can lead to a new andenriched understanding of yourreal “interior design”: the wayyou think, dream, live, love, andperceive the world. SoulSpace is the process that I

use to transform my home andmy life, and the homes and livesof my clients. I came up with theword SoulSpace before I hadconsciously created the eightstages of the SoulSpace process.

I had just moved into a new house, which I created veryconsciously, as an expression of the beauty that livesinside of my soul, instead of just a beautiful show house.

I wanted a beautiful home, but more than that, Iwanted a sanctuary, a place that would continuallyremind me and inspire me to be the most amazing exam-ple of myself that I could be. When I was finished withthe redesign, I didn’t have just a space that I could livein. I had a SoulSpace that I could grow, learn, live, love,and achieve in, a place where I could truly feel at homeand at peace. A place that I could create from and trulyexpress the beauty that I felt inside.

Is there anything you have regretted giving away?When I sold my LA home, I went through it very care-fully, assessing what was mine to take with me, andwhat aspects of my life, via my belongings, I wouldleave behind. I kept the items that were the most impor-tant to me and sold everything else with the house.

What I did not take into account during my assess-ment was that some of the things in my home carriedemotional weight for my partner and I overlooked them.One item that was sold with the house was the piano,which had already travelled from Los Angeles toMichigan, where my niece took piano lessons on it, andthen back to LA, where Jason, my partner, made beauti-ful music on it.

The piano did not represent my soul directly, so I letit go. But it did represent Jason’s soul—and I regret giv-ing it away so much for that reason. Because his soul is


a part of mine and I should have been more aware.Create your SoulSpace at your soul’s pace. I always

tell people that when they are making decisions torelease things, they must take the time to do it at theirsoul’s pace as to not have any regrets by moving too fast.

What was your favorite renovation project? Is ithard to walk away after you have designed a space?My favorite renovation project is happening right now,in Maui, and in the process, I am simultaneously sellingand releasing my Los Angeles home, Sowden House.Leaving this home is different than leaving any otherhome I have ever lived in, because it is truly a placewhere I honored the beauty of the architecture and hon-ored the beauty of my soul and merged those two thingswithin the space.

My most fond and memorable experiences in LosAngeles happened in my home. But I know that whenyou create from that depth of soul, you manifest anexpression of yourself and in some ways that expressionlives outside of you and can live on without you.

Now, we have found an amazing property that wasbuilt in 1909 as a convalescent center for old men; mycompany is restoring it and creating a convalescent cen-ter for the soul. Creating a place for others to come andexperience themselves at a profound level has been adream of mine for years. When this property becameavailable I knew that life was going to change in a verybig way.

It isn’t easy to let go of Sowden House. At the sametime, I am excited to repeat the process in Maui, in amuch bigger way, with an intention to be of service tooffer others a place in which they can rest, restore andremember who they truly are and connect to the deepestpart of themselves.

What do you think are the biggest design mistakespeople are making today? The biggest mistake that people make is copying other’sdesigns. Mimicking other designers and a look for thepurpose of being with it or trendy. Admiring beautifuldesign concepts is wonderful for inspiration; it worksless when you just mimic without imbuing your ownspirit into your home.

The second biggest mistake is designing for egoinstead of for self. Then the home is a projection ofwhat we wish people would see in us instead of a reflec-tion of our truest, deepest natures. Our homes are firstand foremost for us…places where we can be restoredand rejuvenated so that we can return to the world anddo all that we must.

What do you think everyone should have in theirhome?Everyone should have at least one object that holds theirdeepest dream and vision for themselves and who theywant to be. This physical form can hold our innermosthopes and feelings. It should be placed in a conspicuousplace so that it is a constant and subtle reminder ofeverything we wish for. Everything we surround our-selves with speaks to us…

For me, my sacred object is a large Quan Yin with ababy Buddha. It is a 400 year old temple piece. Itreminds me everyday consciously and not, that one ofthe things I would love to perfect in my lifetime is beinga compassionate communicator. When I decided torelocate to Maui, this statue was one of the first thingsthat I sent to Hawai’i.

Based on the book SoulSpace: Transform Your Home,Transform Your Life—Creating a Home That Is Free ofClutter, Full of Beauty and Inspired by You. Copyright 2011by Xorin Balbes. Reprinted with permission of New WorldLibrary, Novato, CA. http://www.newworldlibrary.com or800/972-6657 ext. 52.

XORIN BALBES is an award-winning architectural conser-vator, designer, philan-thropist, and co-owner of the interiorand architectural design firm SoulSpace Home. His mostrecent project is the transformation of the Fred BaldwinMemorial Home on Maui into SoulSpace Sanctuary, a rejuve-nation destination with twenty-eight ocean-view bedroomsand a farm-to-table restaurant. Xorin divides his time betweenLos Angeles and Maui. His website ishttp://www.SoulSpaceHome.com.


Have we been visited by extra-terrestrialbeings in the past? Did these “ancientaliens” contribute to the birth of humancivilization? Do our ancient monumentscontain evidence of their presence?

In 1968, Swiss hotelier Erich von Däniken posedthese questions and sold more than 63 million copies ofhis book, Chariots of the Gods, proving that millions ofpeople in the Western world were open to the notion thatwe might have been visited by extraterrestrial beings inthe past. Thirty-five years on, there is still tremendouspopular interest in the “Ancient Alien Question”, butonly in the rarest of occasions, has science provided ananswer, because it prefers instead to claim that theancient myths and legends are ancient examples ofscience fiction.

Science feels it should not have to answer theancient alien question, as in their eyes, they are posed byan idiot, though on occasion they will try to find a nicerword for it. When Erich von Däniken spoke atNorthwestern University in Evanton (Illinois), onDecember 2, 1973, he invited the audience to look at theevidence with “today’s Space-age eyes—not the eyes ofyesterday.” During the questions afterwards, he wasasked if he had received any academic degrees, to whichhe replied “if a degree were offered in my subject, Iwould be the professor.” On February 12, 1975, theUniversity of Bolivia actually bestowed him with the

degree of Honorary Doctor, for his valuable services forthe enrichment of the academic and scientific heritage ofthe University, as well as for bringing to the attention ofthe world the importance of the archaeological treasureswhich exist in the altiplano of the Andes.

What von Däniken did in 1968 is the underlyingprinciple of the ancient alien theory: that we need to re-examine all our archaeological records with the eyes ofthe late 20th and early 21st century, as we might havefailed to recognize that they were built with highly tech-nological means and/or were built by, or with the helpof, non-human intelligences.

Though science as a whole has refused to take upthis invitation, individual scientists have. Dr. HermanOberth, the father of modern rocketry, was once askedabout the ancient alien theory, and replied that he wasconvinced there were other intelligences in the universeand they had probably visited Earth in ancient times. Headded: “Most conservative scientists are against every-thing that is new, just as they were against my plans tobuild rockets that could take man to the Moon. Scientistswho considered themselves to be very modern-thinkingpeople announced that man might reach the moon, butnot before many, many thousands of years.”

Elements of the Giza Plateau continue to pose seri-ous problems to established archaeologists.Egyptologists declare that the blocks of the GreatPyramid were hewn from a nearby quarry. But French

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By Philip Coppens


scholar Joseph Davidovits strongly disagrees.Davidovits is internationally known and respected as thefather of the new science of geopolymers.Geopolymerisation is a chemical process through whichartificial stone can be created that is hard to be distin-guished from natural rock. The science is considered tobe a revolution in the modern building industry.Davidovits has identified that the blocks of the GreatPyramid are geopolymers, not natural rock, a conclusionhe has reached both through chemical and observationalanalyses. However, leading Egyptologists, like ZahiHawass, misinterpret his conclusion by thinking thatDavidovits is saying the blocks are “cement” and vocif-erously proclaim that the Great Pyramid is clearly notmade of cement and therefore Davidovits is wrong!Hawass’ approach to new and radical conclusions is typ-ical of science as a whole when confronted with thesenew discoveries: rather than trying to answer a most sci-entific theory, supported by substantial evidence,Egyptologists prefer to ridicule and push aside this mostesteemed scholar. Of course, assuming that Davidovitsis right—and he more than likely is—the next questionto be asked is how the builders of the Great Pyramidwere familiar with a chemical science that was only(re)discovered in the late 20th century? That is specifi-cally the question Egyptologists do not want to hearasked, for it automatically results in the Ancient AlienQuestion to be posed next.

Today, there are hundreds of sites across the worldthat display signs that the history of these monuments isfar more intricate than mainstream archaeology portraysthem to be. One of the more intriguing locations is PumaPunku, a small archaeological site that is part ofTiahuanaco on the Bolivian altiplano near Lake Titicaca.The site has stones that are not only carefully assembledso that a razor blade cannot be inserted between them,but some of the stones also weigh more than 100 metrictons. Most critically, some stones are in the most odd-shaped formats. One block has a six-sided opening that

on another side of the same stone becomes—some-how—a five-sided opening. Why anyone wanted orneeded a stone with an opening that goes from a hexa-gram to a pentagram is a question archaeology has notposed, maybe because even in the 21st century, modernscience has no need for such intricate designs. There isalso one stone which has a 6mm wide groove, contain-ing equidistant drilled holes, which is an incredibly intri-cate feature to accomplish today, but which had clearlysome purpose to the site’s builders 1500 years ago.Archaeology remains largely silent about Puma Punku,so that the question how this civilization was able toaccomplish this should not be posed.

All of this and far more evidence makes it clear thatthe Ancient Alien Question is a worldwide problem.When we look at Cuzco (Peru), we see intricate walls,some having twelve angles to each stone, on top ofwhich very basic stones have been piled. It is clear thatthe lower levels are of a technologically sophisticatedsociety, predating the Inca civilization, which used it asa foundation for their own buildings. But which civiliza-tion that was, is once again a question not posed by sci-ence.

There is the gigantic standing stone in Carnac(France), where the Grand Menhir, weighing 340 tons,was cut from a single piece of granite-like rock andtransported “by a means we do not understand for cer-tain,” according to the site leaflet. There are three 800tones stones incorporated into the base of the Temple ofBaalbek in the Lebanon, while one weighing more than1200 tons lies abandoned in a nearby quarry. At the endof the 20th century, we had equipment to lift up to 2000tons, but were still unable to transport these blocks. Itmeans that the engineers of Baalbek possessed a tech-nology that surpassed modern capabilities. Archaeologyhas never been able to explain how our ancestors wereable to accomplish this.

Standing Stones at Carnac, France

The lines at Nazca, Peru


The Ancient Alien Question needs to be asked again—even more so than ever before. And by posing thisquestion, it will become clear whether civilization (agri-culture, organized religion, etc.), that great adventurethat our ancestors began several thousands of years ago,was a purely human enterprise or was aided by other-worldly intelligences. The jury is still out, but the forecastis that the truth about our past is far more interesting thanwhat we all too quickly and previously have believed.

Indeed, what astronomy is discovering is that thebuilding blocks of life itself did not originate on Earth,but came here from outer space. In the early 1970s,Francis Crick, the co-discoverer of the structure ofDNA, argued that DNA was too complex and intricate tohave been accidentally created in primordial ooze onPlanet Earth. Half a century on, he is being proven cor-rect. Scientific juggernauts like the Lawrence LivermoreNational Laboratory are now proposing that cometsbrought amino acids to our planet. All life on Earth istherefore likely to be of extra-terrestrial origins, with thebuilding blocks of DNA, according to the latest scientif-ic research, even spontaneously being created in inter-stellar space. It suggests that DNA-based life is intrinsicto the very fabric of the universe; it means that some-where out there, the odds are on that we can find life asit exists on our planet. The Ancient Alien Questionshould therefore today be formulated as whether some-one found us, before we found them, and whether todaywe are a species that is in denial about certain keyaspects of our history.

That the evidence for the Ancient Alien Questionhas to be found in the most gigantic monuments—whichwere simply too big and solid to be destroyed—andancient legends is precisely because there has been aconsistent trend throughout Mankind’s most recent his-tory, on all continents, to eradicate large, if not themajority, of our history, of “what came before”.

Is there any object or written document that proves

that ancient aliens visited planet Earth? No. But ancientbuildings do reveal that they were built with massivestones which could not have been moved without someform of advanced technology, or knowledge. These arenot necessarily more gigantic cranes than are currentlyin use in modern building projects, but more likely aform of knowledge and understanding of the laws of theuniverse that allowed our ancestors to move theseblocks. As a body of literature, the ancient myths andlegends clearly state that Gods were once present onEarth and gave the gift of civilization and various otherknowledge to Mankind. This is evidence.

Legends like that of Oannes, recorded by theBabylonean priest Berossus, clearly speak of a non-human, physical intelligence that came out of the seaand educated Mankind in the ways of civilization. Butthere are other legends which make it clear that the Godswere not necessarily physical here, and may not even bephysical as such; they could best be described as a non-human, otherworldly intelligence that we can contactthrough a number of means, many of which that todaywould be classified under the label of paranormal orparapsychological, or—a term I prefer—metaphysical.Alas, the metaphysical realm has also been fenced offand deemed to be currently off-limits for scientificexploration. When we look at reality the way it is, ratherthan the reduced framework in which science prefers tooperate, it becomes clear that there is only one answer.

Were We Alone? No.

Reprinted, with permission of the publisher, from THEANCIENT ALIEN QUESTION © 2012 Philip Coppens.Published by New Page Books a division of Career Press,Pompton Plains, NJ. 800-227-3371. All rights reserved.

The Temple of Baalbek, Lebanon


Let us make this Christmas a real celebrationof the birth of the holy child by striving torealize the consciousness which he attained.

Let us make this celebration an uplifting and spiritualexperience.

Let us not for a moment forget the one whose birthdayis being commemorated while in our zeal we go aboutthe joyful and exciting preparation for the happy festiv-ities.

Let us use this occasion as a new impetus to inspirit uson the Christ-path of truth and love.

Let us use it as an opportunity to express the UniversalChrist-love for all people and all creatures—exaltedand lowly, near and far, large and small, known andunknown.

While we are remembering the physical birth of thebaby Christ Jesus, let us realize his eternal loving pres-ence in omnipresent Christ Consciousness, which isalways with us no matter where we are or what we aredoing.

Let us resolve anew to discipline ourselves—to controlour bodies, our minds, and our emotions—and to striveever toward Christ understanding.

Let us establish the Prince of Peace consciousness asour inner ruler, that we may meet our crosses and testsof life with power, victory, and tranquility.

Let us meditate until we perceive the Infinite Christreigning in our own hearts.

Let us learn to love those who love us not; and to for-give those who do ill against us.

Let us break all our mental boundaries of color, creed,and nationality, and receive all—even our inanimateand animal brothers—in the endless, all-embracingarms of our Christ Consciousness. This will be a trueand fitting celebration of the coming of Jesus Christ tothis earth.

Let us rejoice and give thanks for this wonderful gift oflight and love from the Great Giver.

Peace. Joy. Peace.

The following excerpt is from The Second Coming of Christ by Paramahansa Yogananda. Copyright ©2004, Self-Realization Fellowship, Los Angeles. Reprinted with permission.

A CChristmas MMessageLett UUss RRejoicce

By Paramahansa Yogananda

Photo courtesy of Self-Realization Fellowship,Los Angeles, Calif.


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Egyptology tells us that the Egyptians werethe first people to build pyramids. Theoldest of all types of pyramid is said to bethe step pyramid of Sakkara, built for thePharaoh Djoser (2609-2590 BC). But is

that right?Pausanius was a Greek travel writer who lived about

1,800 years ago. He travelled about his homeland andwrote vivid, often flowery descriptions of the Greece ofhis time. One day he was on his way to Epidaurus fromArgos, a town not far from the Bay of Nauplia, when hesaw a small pyramid to the right of the road (the old roadfrom Argos to Tegea). A little further, no more than halfa mile west of the present village of Ligurio, right at thefoot of the Arachneus mountain, stood a second pyra-mid. Pausanius examined the exterior of these pyramids.They were built of hefty blocks of stone, roughly 5 feet(1.5m) long. A few larger chunks lay about on the

ground, and Pausanius thought that these must havebeen grave pyramids.

Not until 1936 and 1937 did archaeologists followPausanius’ trail and find the pyramids, which today arecalled the “pyramids of Argolis.” Not far from them amegalithic structure was also discovered, which isreferred to rather dismissively as a “block house.” Thisis a square structure, built of dressed stone beams. Partsof its construction are reminiscent of the gigantic wallsone can find in faraway Peru. At both places, thestonework is not composed of monoliths cut at a rightangle, but of blocks interjoined in a complicated fashion,with many corners—secure against earthquakes.

The exterior measurements of the pyramids atLigurio are as follows: north side 46 feet (14m); westside 41 feet (12.5m); south side 39.5 feet (12m); and eastside 42 feet (12.75m). The height is about 33 feet (10m),but the apex is missing. Neither graves nor signs of them

By Erich von DanikenBy Erich von Daniken

TheThe NNeettwwoorrkkof tthe of tthe GGooddss

There is no such thing as indisputable truth—and if there was it would be boring.—Theodor Fontane, 1819–1898


were found within, but rather a labyrinth of walls withsmaller rooms and what were clearly water tanks.Whether these basins served as baths, and whether therehad ever been water in them, could not be proved. Thearchaeologists of the 1940s dated both pyramids toabout 400 BC, and came to the conclusion that they can-not have been either graves or signal towers. Perhapsthey were a kind of guardhouse, from where a few sol-diers could watch the street. But why did they need tohave a pyramid shape? There would have been littlepoint in that since soldiers would no doubt have pre-ferred a platform from which to oversee the region.

In 1997, a Greek-British team once more tackled thepyramids of Argolis. This time they were dated bymeans of thermoluminescence. (Quartz, calcite, orfeldspar radiates light when heated, which allowsradioactive impurities in the crystal to be recorded anddated.) The result astonished the experts. The pyramidswere at least 4,700 years old—and could have been evenolder. Even the lowest limit of 2700 BC would makethese pyramids older than that of Sakkara.

In the meantime Greek archaeologists have foundanother, much larger pyramid, not far from Mycenae.This is thought to be millennia older than the Sakkarapyramid. Unfortunately the Ministry of Culture inAthens will not allow this pyramid to be examined morecarefully, let alone be excavated. So all that one has isconfidential information—from a highly reliablesource—which one is not allowed to reveal.

Pausanius was on his way to Epidaurus, which hadonce been a magnificent shrine to Asclepius. AlthoughEpidaurus is only a few miles from the Aegean Sea, onecan see nothing from the shore because it is in the midstof wooded hills. The area of Epidaurus was honored asholy ground 4,000 years ago.Archaeologists have found the remains oftemples dedicated to the god Maleatas, whois said to have healed people of their ill-nesses. The remains of ancient megalithicstructures were also found there. Since thedifferent Greek shrines and places ofancient worship which I want to discusshere all have something to do with eachother, and because my detective work startswith the structure of the building stones, Iwould ask my readers to remember the fol-lowing: the region where Epidaurus devel-oped, in honor of Asclepius, was already aholy place in Stone Age times.

In about the 7th century BC, after moreand more people had begun making pil-grimages to Epidaurus, it was dedicated to

Asclepius. He was a son of Apollo, that offspring of thegods whose flying vessel had overtaken the Argo on itsway to the land of the Hyperboreans. Asclepius himselfwas said to have been killed in the name of Zeus, by abolt of lightning. What terrible thing had he done?Nevertheless, he was still a son of Apollo, who was inturn a son of Zeus, making Zeus his grandfather. Thelegend tells that after Asclepius had healed many thou-sands of people, he became overconfident and beganbringing people back to life. This angered Zeus so muchthat he ordered Asclepius to be killed. There are otherversions of Asclepius’ death, but the Greek authors allagree about one thing: that Asclepius was brought up bythe centaur Chiron. This was the same “horse-man” withwhom Jason of the Argonauts spent his youth.

The symbol of Asclepius was a snake winding itselfaround a staff, which still today is the sign of doctorsand chemists (and is more commonly known as theMercury staff).

Present-day Epidaurus is also worth a visit. It is truethat most of the ruins date back to the 4th century BC,but the traveller can also find remains of megalithicbuildings. The great slabs lie unobtrusively in the sur-rounding area, or have blended into the terrain. In thecenter of the site stand the remains of a round building,whose original purpose is unknown. In ancient times thecircular hole and polished slabs of stone surrounding itwas called the “grave of Asclepius.” Later on, it is said,the “holy snakes” of Asclepius were pampered here; andnowadays slightly desperate tour guides speak of alabyrinth, one thing it is certainly not. At the momentEpidaurus is being restored and renovated, and whensuch work has been completed it is always hard to detectwhat was there originally.

So what is supposed to have taken place inEpidaurus millennia ago? A procession of sick people,or victims of accident or war, made their pilgrimageweek after week to this ancient place of healing. Whenthey got there they found an inn with 1,150 rooms, aswell as several temples, public baths, a sports field, andlater a theatre too, with 20,000 seats. Today this theatrehas been restored, and the acoustics are still so perfectthat tourists sitting in the uppermost row can hear everyword which their tour guide speaks (in a normal voice),as he stands below on the “stage.” The central site,where healings took place, was called Abaton (“theplace that cannot be entered”). After the patients hadhanded their offerings to the priests and participated in aceremony, they were commanded to go into the “healingsleep.” This took place in the Abaton, a hall 262 feet(80m) in length, where miraculous healings regularlyoccurred. And how do we know this 2,500 years later?The people who had been healed commissioned scribesto immortalize the event and their thanks to the gods in

stone and marble tablets. Today many of these still hangin their original positions, while others can be seen inthe little museum at Epidaurus. Several of them werefound on the floor of the Abaton during excavations in1882 and 1928. What kind of healing or miracle is sup-posed to have taken place here? Here are some excerptsfrom the inscriptions:

Ambrosia of Athens, one-eyed. Came to plead forhelp from the god. As she walked about the shrine shelaughed and thought it impossible that lame and blindpeople could be cured. After sleeping in the room ofhealing she came forth with two good eyes.

Euhippos carried a spear point around in his kneefor six years...when day came he was healed.

Hermodicos of Lampsacos, lame of body. Asclepiushealed him as he slept in the room of healing. He com-manded him, when he came out, to bring the largeststone he could find to the shrine. He brought the onewhich now lies before the shrine.

Alcetas of Halieis. He was blind and slept in theshrine. When day came he wascured.

Arates of Laconia,dropsy. On her behalf hermother slept while she herselfwas still in Lacedemon, andsaw a dream.... When shereturned to Lacedemon, herdaughter was cured. She toohad seen the same dream.

Euphanes, a child fromEpidaurus, suffered from astone. While he slept, the godasked in a dream: “What willyou give me if I heal you?”The child replied: “Ten mar-bles.” The god laughed andpromised to heal him. Next



day Euphanes was cured. Aishinesclimbed a tree to look through the win-dow into the Abaton. He fell down upona sharp stump and destroyed both hiseyes. Blind, he ran into the Abaton andbegged the god to help. He was healed.

Aristocritos from Halieis. His boyhad swum out to sea, and could not getback. His father, who could not find theboy, slept in the healing room ofAsclepius. When he came out, he foundthe boy unharmed.

Roughly 70 supernatural healingsare recorded on these tablets atEpidaurus. One might say there’s noth-ing special about that, for such healingalso happens today—for instance at places of Catholicpilgrimage like Lourdes in France or Fatima in Portugal.The people healed by such miracles do not behave anydifferently nowadays than they did millennia ago. Theirgratitude takes the same form and has the same quality,as is proved by the thousands of votive tablets to befound in all places of pilgrimage in the world.

But there is a difference between the miracle heal-ings before Christ, and those of today. Anyone who ismiraculously healed nowadays is convinced that Jesus,Mary, or at least a Christian saint has had something todo with it. In Epidaurus there were no Christian figuresto whom one could turn for help. So who or whatbrought about the healing? It is clear that Christianbelief is not necessary for a spontaneous and miraculoushealing to occur. In Epidaurus, people believed inApollo and Asclepius, and they were still cured.

So what remains is the belief, the deep inner con-viction, which facilitates healing. In all the places ofhealing, in whatever age, auto-suggestion is paramount,but also mass-hypnosis. Nowadays people pray together,take part in a procession, participate in a religious serv-ice together. Formerly they carried out sacrificial ritestogether, inhaled scents (nowadays it is incense), playedflutes (nowadays church organs), or took part in sharedworship of some kind. What is important is for thoughtsto become focused on a single point, so that conscious-ness no longer perceives its surroundings or its daily caresand worries. This is called autogenous training or medita-tion today, but such regulating of thoughts is very ancientand widespread, and is practiced in many religions.

In every place where such activity takes place today,the crowds of worshippers focus upon one singlepoint—the altar or statue of the Madonna. The overalllevel of consciousness is lowered and people enter akind of “hypnotic absence.” This group experience can

be felt by everyone. The longing for a miracle makespeople who are otherwise completely different relate toeach other, even those wary of crying and howling outloud; all inhibitions disappear. I have often observedthis: participants in the daily procession to Lourdes openthemselves up to a deep feeling of trust. Here, at the endof their journey, the place they have been longing toreach, they wish to be rid of their suffering. In all reli-gions these almost ecstatic emotions provide theseedbed upon which the unthinkable can take root andbecome possible.

In Epidaurus it became possible—this is proved bythe votive tablets. The priest-doctors were familiar withthe suggestive power of the subconscious. Yet it was notpriests who first made the pilgrimage to Epidaurus, buthuman beings. Their increasing numbers madeEpidaurus into a place of pilgrimage, and the priestsonly arrived after this influx had grown to large propor-tions. This is how I see it: something unbelievable hap-pened at some point in the region of Epidaurus. A “god”descended from the heavens. Only a few peopleobserved this event, and were afraid. But the “god” sawthem nevertheless and, without frightening them further,laid small gifts at the edge of the clearing. After initial-ly hesitating, the people fetched these gifts and returnedthe compliment with presents for the “god.” Later suchgifts came to be known as “offerings.”

Some of the people were ill, and the “god” noticedthis. Meanwhile the people had gained trust, and the“god” began to heal their sick. This quickly made therounds, was spread by word of mouth, so that even longafter the “god” had left again, sick people still keptstreaming to this extraordinary place. Temples werebuilt, and auto-suggestion played its part. It is notimpossible that the “god” left behind some technicalapparatus, or sank it into the ground, so as to be able to


observe things from a distance and perhaps even influ-ence what went on. It also seems as if this “god” knewhow the human brain functions, and what consciousnessis capable of.

Epidaurus is still a curious place today. Mobilephones don’t work there, or only with difficulty, and thestate television company had to set up a good number ofamplifiers in the area in order to guarantee a clear recep-tion. Beyond the archaeological zone new hotels havebeen built for those wishing to be healed, and even thelate French president Francois Mitterrand made a secretpilgrimage to Epidaurus to plead for his health. We donot know to which god he directed his prayers.

Reprinted, with permission of the publisher, from ODYSSEYOF THE GODS: THE HISTORY OF EXTRATERRESTRIALCONTACT IN ANCIENT GREECE © 2012 Eric von Daniken.Published by New Page Books a division of Career Press,Pompton Plains, NJ. 800-227-3371. All rights reserved.

Over 1,000 Over 1,000 MM aa yy aa nn CC oo dd ii cc ee ss Discovered in Museum Basement Discovered in Museum Basement

O ver 1,000 Mayan codiceswere discovered in the base-ment of a Los Angeles muse-

um, presumably owned by RandolphHunt and donated to the museum.

The Itza Mayan Council has con-

firmed the addition of two Mayancodices that the world has never seen.The council has been exploring thesecodices for the past ten years. Toprove their authenticity, the codiceshave been carbon dated back to the

1300’s and authenticated by two dif-ferent universities. One of the codicesis called the Windcall Codex, which isthirteen pages long, and unfolds likean accordion to show thirteen pageson the back as well.

On the first page of the codex, itshows five Mayans conducting a cere-mony while holding five crystal skulls.The skulls are implemented allthroughout the codex until the lastpage, where a transformation appearsto be taking place in Chichen Itza.

One of the codices, in particular,is of great interest to the Maya, whostated that the codex represented “theessential pieces of information that weneeded. This is how we go 4th dimen-sional.” —in5d.com

The Dresden Codex


For years, consumers have been learning ofthe benefits of reducing cardiovascular dis-ease by ingesting omega-3 fatty acids.This message has made its way into themainstream as cardiologists now prescribe

omega-3 supplements to their patients.Far beyond the benefits of heart disease reduction,

scientists have discovered startling new data that omega-3fatty acids slash the overall risk of an early death.

That reduction is seen not only in people withknown chronic diseases but even in those who are appar-ently healthy. Published studies show that you canreduce your risk of dying prematurely by as much as85% by maintaining optimal levels of omega-3 fats inyour body.

A wealth of published studies has demonstrated asignificant reduction in mortality with the use of fishoils. In one such report, scientists studying people whohad lived through a heart attack were shocked to findthat patients with the highest levels of omega-3s in theirblood were prevented from dying of any cause, not justheart-related conditions. In a similar study, peoplewho’d had heart attacks were found to have a much

lower likelihood of a dangerous cardiac arrhythmiacalled atrial fibrillation if they had high omega-3 lev-els—and had an incredible 85% lower risk of dyingfrom all causes in addition.

Intrigued, scientists began looking at healthy peoplewith no evident heart disease. Would the protectionapply to those people as well? The answer is yes. Whena large group of Norwegian men 64-76 years of agewere supplemented with 2.4 g/day of omega-3s, theyhad a 47% reduction in risk of dying from all causescompared with aplacebo group.Women canachieve similar lev-els of protection: amassive Australiandietary intake studyfound that womenwith the highestomega-3 consump-tion had a 44%reduction in risk ofmortality from

By Delia Wilder

Slash Slash YYour Risk forour Risk forPremature Death Premature Death

with OOmmeeggaa--33ss


inflammatory diseases. The effect was dose-related: foreach standard-deviation increase in omega-3 intake,women achieved a 17% reduction in their risk of dying.

What explains this remarkable and consistent reduc-tion in “all-cause mortality?” There are many factors atwork, but one of the most important is related to theways in which your dietary fat intake affects your body’sinflammatory status. A high intake of omega-3s (fromcold-water fish, from flax seed oil, and from fish oil sup-plements) can push your body from a dangerous pro-inflammatory condition to a healthier, lower-inflamma-tion state. And that has direct impact on your chances ofliving longer.

Omega-3 Fats and Inflammation: Steps Toward a Longer Life

The typicalWestern dietnow contains avast excess ofomega-6 fats( l a r g e l yderived frompoultry prod-ucts and cer-tain vegetable

oils). Other animal products are rich in saturated fats,not omega-6 fats and not nearly enough omega-3s(which we get from ocean fish and plant foods such asnuts and flax seeds).

The optimum ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats inthe diet is roughly 4 to 1, though some proponents claimthe ratio should be two omega-6s for each one omega-3.Shockingly, those who follow unhealthy modernWestern diets often consume these fats in ratios as highas 25 (omega-6) to only 1 (omega-3). The resulting increase in inflammatory cytokines frominsufficient omega-3 intake creates chronic, low-gradeinflammation thatdirectly exacer-bates aging andmay contribute toearly death frommyriad chronicconditions. Inother words,inflammation isaging at a veryfundamental level.

That’s whyhigh consumption

of omega-3s, particularly EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) found in fish oil hassuch a dramatic impact on your risk of dying. By nudg-ing your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio back toward the opti-mum, you can significantly reduce your body’s inflam-matory load. You should do that by reducing your intakeof saturated fat (from meat and dairy), reducing omega-6s(from poultry and certain vegetable oils), and increasingyour intake of omega-3s (from fish, fish oil, and flaxseed oil). By supplementing with omega-3s, you canincrease your chances of living longer and better, by cut-ting your risk of a host of age-related, longevity-stealingchronic conditions that originate with inflammation.The evidence is detailed and compelling.

Omega-3s Combat Stress and Cortisol Damage

Chronic stress and the resulting elevation in stress hor-mones (cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine) accelerateaging. They are major contributors to prematuredeath from a variety of causes, mostly related toincreased risk of chronic cardiovascular, infectious, andmetabolic disorders. There’s also evidence that chronicstress itself lowers your blood levels of omega-3s.

Supplemental omega-3s can inhibit the excessiveadrenal gland stimulation that triggers stress effects.Studies of healthy adults subjected to biological andemotional stress demonstrate that omega-3 supplemen-tation from fish oil prevents cortisol, epinephrine, andnorepinephrine elevations. Plant-derived omega-3 sup-plements in animal studies not only blocked cortisol ele-vations, but countered stress-induced learning deficits.

Omega-3s Battle Depression, Anxiety

Victims of chronic mental illness, particularly depressionand anxiety, have a shockingly high rate of prematuredeath from “natural causes.” These illnesses can cost


men nearly 15 years of life expectancy and women nearly18 years. Depression, the most common mental illness,affects more than 5% of the US population during anygiven two-week period, and is strongly correlated withdying early.

Scientific discoveries in the past decade demonstrateroles for omega-3s in the management of mental illness,especially depression and anxiety. Omega-3s are essen-tial components of brain cell membranes and may helpincrease nerve cell transmission of signals with sero-tonin, levels of which can be abnormal in depression.Their anti-inflammatory effects also show promise inpreventing depression-related loss of brain cells.

People with major depressive disorder and bipolardisorder have low brain levels of omega-3s. Those lowlevels are closely associated with worsening depressionand even predict an increased risk of suicide.Conversely, higher dietary intake of omega-3s is associ-ated with as much as a 34% reduction in risk of symp-tomatic depression, compared with people having thelowest rate of consumption.

Omega-3 supplementation has by now becomemuch more accepted because of its dramatic effective-ness in managing depression. Studies show that dailydoses of 1 gram or more of EPA and DHA significantlyreduce scores on standard depression rating scales, espe-cially in older adults.

Anxiety can be a crippling short-term problemthat also contributes directly to premature death; onestudy found a 77% increase in mortality risk among anx-ious women at midlife. Omega-3 supplementation maybe important in managing symptoms of anxiety as wellas depression. An omega-3-rich mixture of essentialfatty acids lowered test anxiety in one early humanstudy. Later studies demonstrated reduction of anxiousfeelings in populations of substance abusers treated with3 grams/day of EPA plus DHA.

Omega-3s: Powerful Weapons againstMetabolic Syndrome

The metabolic syndrome is a clustering of risk factorsincluding abdominal obesity, elevated fasting glucose(also called insulin resistance or “pre-diabetes”), hyper-tension, elevated triglycerides, and lowered high-densitylipoprotein (HDL). This syndrome contributes to diseaserisk that may increase the chances of an early death frommultiples causes. Epidemiological evidence suggeststhat people with low levels of omega-3s in their bloodhave as much as a 2.4-fold higher risk of having meta-bolic syndrome. On the other hand, people with thehighest intakes of omega-3s have as much as a 46%

lower risk of metabolic syndrome. Supplementation with omega-3s at doses ranging

from 1-3.7 grams per day has now been shown toimprove all 5 parameters of the metabolic syndrome:

• Treatment with omega-3s has an anti-obesityeffect. It reduces total fat mass, abdominal fat mass, thesize of individual fat cells, and raises levels of the bene-ficial cytokine adiponectin.

• Higher plasma omega-3 levels correlate withimproved insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance.Supplementation both prevents and reverses insulinresistance, especially in the face of a high-fat diet.

• Average doses of 3.7 grams/day of fish oilreduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.Additional studies with doses as low as 1 gram/day alsoshowed decreases in systolic blood pressure.

• Omega-3 supplementation dramatically lowerstriglycerides and other risk factors for athero-sclerosis.One gram per day of fish oil was shown to normalizetriglyceride levels in elderly people and protect themfrom rising levels.

• Higher omega-3 plasma levels are correlatedwith higher HDL levels. Supplementation with omega-3s resulted in a reduction in the ratio of triglycerides toHDL level, a beneficial change.

Omega-3s Fight Cancer at Its Earliest Stages

Cancers of allkinds are commoncauses of untimelydeath. Diet haslong been known tobe an importantfactor in the devel-opment of manykinds of cancer.The Mediterraneandietary pattern,abundant in vegeta-bles, fruits, andomega-3-rich fish, is associated with low cancer rates.One study comparing the Mediterranean diet with anAmerican Heart Association-recommended diet found a56% reduction in risk of developing cancer and a 61%reduction in risk of dying from cancer. TheMediterranean diet group’s intake of omega-3 fats wasalso significantly higher than in the control group.

Cancers of the digestive tract are common and alsothe most susceptible to prevention with omega-3 fats.These cancers have a strong inflammatory component,

which may explainat least part of thebenefits of omega-3fatty acids.Laboratory andhuman clinicalstudies demonstratethat omega-3 treat-ment causesdecreased prolifer-ation and increasedcell death (apopto-sis) of cancer-prone colon cells, while healthy tissue isunaffected. Effective doses range from 2.5 to 7.7grams/day of fish oil. Two grams/day of EPA alone canreduce the number of precancerous rectal polyps inpatients at high risk for colorectal cancer.

Inflammation also plays a major role in skin cancerdevelopment following exposure to ultraviolet (UV)rays from the sun. Not surprisingly, studies show thatomega-3s have a role in protecting skin cells from thecancer-causing effects of the sun. Four grams per day ofpurified omega-3s protected a group of healthy subjectsfrom sunburn, UV-induced precancerous changes inskin, and DNA damage in circulating blood cells.

Cancers of the breast and prostate are also respon-sive to omega-3 prevention. Men with the highest bloodlevels of EPA and DHA have a 38-41% reduced risk ofprostate cancer, compared with those having the lowestlevels. Treatment with omega-3s reduced the rate atwhich prostate cancers progress to the dangerous stateof independence from hormonal control; that progres-sion is typically the harbinger of an untreatable cancerand early death.

In a group of premenopausal women at high risk ofbreast cancer, those consuming the highest ratio ofomega-3:omega-6 fats had a 50% reduction in theirrisk of developing cancer. Women who had been diag-nosed and treated for early breast cancer, and whose dietcontained the largest amount of omega-3s, had a 25%reduction in the risk of cancer recurrence. High-riskwomen who supplemented with 2.5-7.6 grams/day ofDHA/EPA achieved excellent levels of these omega-3sin their breast tissue and had no side effects.

Omega-3s: Vital Protection for Kidney and Liver Function

Kidney disease kills more than 46,000 Americans annu-ally and is the ninth leading cause of death in the US;roughly 4.5 million of us suffer from kidney disease ofone form or another. Although there are many different

types of kidney disease, most of them share a significantoxidative and inflammatory component that can behelped by high levels of omega-3s. In one large study,people consuming the highest amounts of omega-3s hada 31% reduction in their risk of developing chronic kidneydisease. And kidney transplant recipients with higherlevels of omega-3s in their blood had significantly lowerrisk of transplant rejection than did those with lower levels.

Kidney disease (and its treatment) imposes massivemetabolic and oxidative stress on the victim’s body,accounting in part for a high mortality rate. Dialysispatients taking EPA/DHA 1.8 grams/day experiencedsignificantly lower levels of harmful adrenal stimulationcompared with controls, and 3.4 grams/day droppedtheir triglyceride levels significantly, thereby loweringtheir heart attack risk.

Two grams/day of EPA/DHA significantly reducedmarkers of inflammation in patients with end-stage renaldisease, while 2.1 grams/day of fish oil reduced markersof oxidative stress. A dose of 4 grams/day of fish oil sub-stantially improved renal function in diabetic patients, agroup at major risk of early death from kidney disease.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) affectsup to 35% of the world’s population. Its dangerous con-sequence called non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)may lead to cirrhosis of the liver, a cause of prematuredeath in the United States. The massive liver accumulationof triglycerides in NAFLD is also strongly associated withdiabetes and cardiovascular disease, further reducinglongevity. Mainstream medicine has proved impotent todate at slowing the progression of NAFLD to NASH, orat reducing its potentially deadly consequences.

As with all of the other causes of early death, a high



intake of omega-3s is strongly pre-ventive of NAFLD: men with thegreatest consumption of EPA/DHAhad a 52-56% reduction in their riskof having the condition.Supplementation with omega-3s pro-vides impressive protection andtreatment for people with NAFLD.Studies show that doses of 1gram/day and more result in markedimprovements in serum markers ofliver cell damage, reductions of cir-culating triglycerides, and visible improvement in livertexture and blood flow on Doppler ultrasound tests.

Summary

Americans die too young, despite the highest expendi-tures on prescription drugs in the world. We succumb to ahost of chronic conditions typically labeled “age-related,”though aging is not the only inducing factor. Instead, we

are falling victim to persistent inflam-matory changes brought on in largepart by poor dietary choices.

Compelling studies demon-strate that people with high omega-3intakes live longer. We now have aclear understanding of why: theyhave lower rates of virtually everyone of the “age-related” conditionsthat hasten death.

You should consume at leasttwo grams (2,000 milligrams) of

EPA/DHA daily to emulate studies showing reduction inrisk of early death.

If you have any questions on the scientific content ofthis article, please call a Life Extension® Health Advisorat 1-866-864-3027.

Reprinted with permission from Life Extension Magazine,http://www.lef.org

Scientists Fear New Super-Volcano Forming In Bolivia

S hould anyone ever decide tomake a show called “CSI:Geology,” a group of scientists

studying a mysterious and rapidlyinflating South American volcano havegot the perfect storyline. Uturuncu is anearly 20,000-foot-high (6,000 meters)volcano in southwest Bolivia.Scientists recently discovered the vol-cano is inflating with astonishingspeed. “I call this ‘volcano forensics,’because we’re using so many differenttechniques to understand this phenom-enon,” said Oregon State Universityprofessor Shan de Silva, a volcanolo-gist on the research team. Researchersrealized about five years ago that thearea below and around Uturuncu issteadily rising—blowing up like a giantballoon under a wide disc of land some43 miles (70 kilometers) across.Satellite data revealed the region wasinflating by 1 to 2 centimeters (lessthan an inch) per year and had beendoing so for at least 20 years, whensatellite observations began. “It’s oneof the fastest uplifting volcanic areason Earth,” de Silva toldOurAmazingPlanet. “What we’re try-ing to do is understand why there is thisrapid inflation, and from there we’ll try

to understand what it’s going to leadto.” The peak is perched like a party hatat the center of the inflating area. “It’svery circular. It’s like a big bull’s-eye,”said Jonathan Perkins, a graduate stu-dent at the University of California,Santa Cruz, who recently presentedwork on the mountain at this year’sGeological Society of America meetingin Minneapolis. Scientists figured outfrom the inflation rate that the pocketof magma beneath the volcano wasgrowing by about 27 cubic feet (1 cubicmeter) per second. “That’s about 10times faster than the standard rate ofmagma chamber growth you see forlarge volcanic systems,” Perkins toldOurAmazingPlanet. “It’s not a volcanothat we think is going to erupt at anymoment, but it certainly is interesting,because the area was thought to beessentially dead,” de Silva said.Uturuncu is surrounded by one of themost dense concentrations of super-volcanoes on the planet, all of whichfell silent some one million years ago.

Super-volcanoes get their namebecause they erupt with such powerthat they typically spew out 1,000 timesmore material, in sheer volume, than avolcano like Mount St. Helens. Modern

human civilization has never witnessedsuch an event. The planet’s most recentsuper-volcanic eruption happenedabout 74,000 years ago in Indonesia.“These eruptions are thought to havenot only a local and regional impact,but potentially a global impact,” deSilva said. Uturuncu itself is in thesame class as Mount St. Helens inWashington State, but its aggressiverise could indicate that a new super-volcano is on the way, or not? De Silvasaid it appears that local volcanoeshoard magma for about 300,000 yearsbefore they blow—and Uturuncu lasterupted about 300,000 years ago. “Sothat’s why it’s important to know howlong this has been going on,” he said. Ifthis is a super-volcano, it could be oneof the largest on the planet. —Our Amazing Planet


Ifirst sat in meditation when I was sixteen. Iclosed my eyes and found myself in a realitybeyond the mind and its images. I was presentin a formless inner world completely differentfrom the closed world of my schoolboy adoles-

cent consciousness. Here there was endless inner spaceand freedom, a sense of deep inner expansion. Therewere no thoughts, nothing to look for or escape from.This was my first taste of a reality beyond the “I” and itremained when I came back from meditation. My senseof schoolboy self returned, but something else was alsopresent. A light and quality of space were visible. It wasespecially tangible when I was alone in nature, wheninstead of feeling caught in the confines of my boardingschool, something else was alive. The flowers, the birds,the trees sparkled, and when I sat by the river andwatched the water flowing by I was present in a momentthat before I had never known existed. At the time I wasjust immersed in this state. I did not think about it. Onlymuch later, after its magic had faded, did I come to real-ize what I had been given. When there is no “I” there isno thought, but just the present moment alive in itsintensity.

Gradually the space and the freedom that came fromthis initial experience faded, as happens for most of usafter such a glimpse. And in its place there was a seeker,

struggling to recapture what had been given. Meditationhad taken me beyond the “I” and yet the “I” returned,and brought with it a desire to continue with meditation,to practice yoga, to study spiritual texts, to fast and pray.Instead of the simplicity of this original state, the lightdancing on the water, there was a person pushing him-self with all the drive of a young man. Yes, there weremoments when I glimpsed as if behind the curtain,stopped and saw a spider’s web glistening with earlymorning dew, but the “I” seemed always to want more,was unsatisfied. Even meditation became an effort, adaily discipline.

And so I drove myself, hungry, exhausted, full ofimages of spiritual life and how to live it, until one dayan old woman’s piercing blue eyes looked at me, and Ibecame just a piece of dust on the floor. Once againthere was no “I,” not even a frightened young man, justa piece of dust. Nothing was given or taken away. It justwas. The path was present in its purity and essence, “apiece of dust at the feet of the teacher.”

And so again I sat and meditated. Meditated in myteacher’s small room and at home. This was a differentmeditation practice, a different path. Rather than medi-tating on emptiness it was a meditation on love, in whichone drowns the mind in the energy of love within theheart. I meditated for hours. But once again there was

By Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee

MMeeddii ttaatt iioonn aanndd tthhee ““II””

The Journey Beyond The “I”


struggle and effort, trying to still the chatter of the mind,trying to be present in love. Even the body rebelled, didnot like me to sit still. There was no bliss, not evenpeace. Looking back I could laugh at it all, if I did notstill re-member the pain and struggle, the longing andtears. Meditation, which could take me beyond the “I,”instead seemed to have created a supercharged sense ofself, charged with all the desire for spiritual truth. Istruggled to seek what before had been given. Now Iknow that the ego, even a spiritual ego, cannot realizewhat is beyond the ego. Then I only knew the impa-tience and effort of my own intention. I was stuck witha young man’s spiritual self.

And so began the drama of the path. The self thatwants is also the self that obstructs. And meditation wasa doorway into a world beyond the self. Imperceptibly,week after week, it sowed the seeds of my own destruc-tion. Taking me into my heart, it gave me the sense ofwhat it was like to be lost in love, to be drowned in thatsweetness that was before honey or bee. Of course it wasnot always like this. There were dayswhen there was only the cycle of myown thoughts which I struggled toleave behind, thoughts that caught myattention, seemed at that moment soimportant. But the meditation and thelove were working their magic, slow-ly dissolving me. And then the statesof dhyana began and I was lost to theworld and lost to myself.

On this Sufi path the meditationof the heart drowns the mind in theenergy of love within the heart, untilfinally the mind stops, absorbed in thelove. This is the state of dhyana, where there is no mind,no con-sciousness, no individual self. It can seem likesleep but it is not sleep, because even in sleep the mindis present, creating dreams. In the state of dhyana thereare no dreams. There is nothing. It is said that the indi-vidual consciousness is absorbed into the universal con-sciousness. But I knew nothing, except that after half anhour, or longer, I returned. I knew only that I had beenabsent. There were moments before being drawn intodhyana when my mind was afraid, frightened of anemptiness where it did not exist. But finally the mindwould dip, become lost, absorbed, and nothingremained. It is said that this is the first real taste of theTruth that is beyond the mind. But all I knew was that Iwas not present.

Each day I was allowed a certain time for medita-tion. I could close the door of my room and my children,who were young at the time, knew not to disturb me. For

those sweet, empty minutes I could be lost, be nowhere,nothing. No consciousness, except that sometimes Ireturned from these states with a sense that I had beentaken. Looking back, I see it was a time of pure wonderin unknowing, unbeing. I would start meditation, go intothe heart, feel the currents of love begin to move, andthen I would return some time later. Once again I wouldsee the world around me, once again experience beingmyself. It was not a dramatic experience, because howcan what is not be dramatic? But there was a sense ofbeing where I belonged, even though there was no “I”and no experience.

And so the years passed. Through these states ofdhyana a certain intensity of the path faded, until oneday I had a dream in which I saw a coffin on which waswritten “Spiritual Aspirant.” I then knew that one stageof the journey in which I was a seeker was over. Therewas no longer any spiritual aspiration. The seeker haddied. In the depths of myself I just became more lost,more drawn into the darkness that is beyond the mind.

Who can say anything about what isnot, except that there were momentswhen I began to sense, to bring intoconsciousness, this emptiness that isReal.

There were also other experi-ences in meditation, a love that wasgiven that permeated every cell of mybody. And out of meditation therewere states of peace, a peace that hadno outer cause, but was just present,sometimes for days. A depth of peacethat also permeated my mind andbody. These were passing states, and

yet they change you, they give a foundation for an exis-tence that does not belong to the ego, the “I.” It was notthat “I” was loved, but rather that love was present. “I”was not at peace; the peace was present, all around meand within me. And so slowly, gradually, from out of thedepths of dhyana a consciousness arose that one couldcall the consciousness of the Self. For me, as for somany others, it was not dramatic, not a burst of light, nofireworks of spiritual awakening. But there was a dawn-ing awareness of a sense of being that was me but not“I,” not my normal ego-self. A consciousness withawareness but no thoughts. And it was this conscious-ness that began to grow within me.

The wonder of the path is how it happens of its ownaccord. Like the classical image of the lily opening itspetals on the surface of the water, something opens with-in the heart. The Sufis call it the “eye of the heart.” It hasa stillness and silence to it, and it seems completely


natural. And yet the ego was still present. At this time Iwas a schoolteacher, teaching English literature to ado-lescent girls. And then I became a student, working onmy Ph.D., so I needed my mind. I needed my own opin-ions. My children were growing up and they needed meto be present, to play with them, read them stories, helpthem with their homework. And yet all this time thisOther became more present, not always on the surface,but like a friend, a companion who has come to stay.

I still had problems, psychological difficulties,dreams, challenges. There were still tears to be cried,times of tension and stress. Life was all around in itsdarkness and light. And I did not really think about thisinner shift. I just lived the states as they came and went,and sensed this growing Other. Sometimes it was allveiled from me, sometimes my ego just did not want toknow. It did not really matter. The path takes you on itsown journey. More and more you wonder what it has todo with “you.” You are not just an onlooker, a bystander,because it involves the whole of you, every cell of yourbody, every breath you take. And yet it is not about you.Often much of the ego-self remains unchanged. I stillhad my English upbringing, many of my patterns ofbehavior. I even still had a desire for what I called

“Truth.” And yet at the same time I knew that it did notbelong to me. And always there was this emptinessaround my consciousness, this vaster dimension of non-existence that I felt at the borders of myself.

Excerpted with permission from Fragments of a Love Story:Reflections on the Life of a Mystic, by Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, The Golden Sufi Center Publishing, $19.95.http://www.goldensufi.org

W arren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC,offers one of the best quotes about the debt ceil-ing: “I could end the deficit in 5 minutes,” he

told CNBC. “You just pass a law that says that anytime thereis a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members ofCongress are ineligible for re-election.”

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why?Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971...beforecomputers, e-mail, cell phones, etc.

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took 1year or less to become the law of the land...all because ofpublic pressure. Warren Buffet is asking each addressee toforward this message to a minimum of twenty people ontheir address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.

In three days, most people in The United States of Americacan have this message if you pass it on to your 20 people.

Congressional Reform Act of 2011

1. No Tenure / No Pension. A Congressman collects a salarywhile in office and receives no pay when they are out ofoffice.

2. Congress (past, present &future) participates in Social

Security. All funds in the Congressional retirement fundmove to the Social Security system immediately. All futurefunds flow into the Social Security system, and Congressparticipates with the American people. It may not be used forany other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just asall Americans do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise.Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and partici-pates in the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose onthe American people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen are voideffective 1/1/12. The American people did not make thiscontract with Congressmen. Congressmen made all thesecontracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor,not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legis-lators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home andback to work.

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!!!!!

WWarren Buffett’arren Buffett’s Suggestion for Curing the Economys Suggestion for Curing the Economy

www.earthstarmag.com OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2011 EARTH STAR 6 5

earth sta r · a spiritual biography of george harrison dec / jan 2012 conscious living in the 21st...

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