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Velocity Magazine | Earth Changes, 2012 and Preparation | September • October 2009 �ReadVelocity.com

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� www.ReadVelocity.com • Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life Velocity Magazine | Earth Changes, 2012 and Preparation | September • October 2009 �






2 0 1 2

�� A Universal Initiation BY DAWN GATES, MASTER HERBALIST

�� A Step Into a Positive Future BY REBECCA HENKINS, RN, BSN

�� Celebrating the Earth ChangesBY EMILY RUFF, CONTRIBUTING GREEN EDITOR

�0 Welcome to the Great Awakening BY CHRISTOPHER TIMS

�� It’s Not the End of the World: An ExcerptBY JOAN BORYSENKO, PhD

�� 2012: Silence. Noise. Silence. BY ANA RABATIN

�0 From Nightmare to Awakened DreamBY ALBERT J. NUÑEZ, DVM, CVA, CONTRIBUTING SPIRITUAL LIFE EDITOR

�� An Eddy in the Current BY DAVID WOLF, PhD

�� Expand the Mind BY ANN EMERSON

�8 Moving On Up! BY SUSAN MAIR

�0 Prophecy and the Now BY REV. MARY BLOCHER

�� Destiny and the Intelligence of the UniverseBY DAVID BOTSFORD

�� 2012: What’s Really Going On? BY VIL-AM BEN-AHIM, DC

�� The Preparation Factor: Are You Ready? BY KALI TELANA

�� The 2012 Story: An Excerpt BY JOHN MAJOR JENKINS

A S T RO LO G Y BY RAVEN MOONDANCE ��-��

C A L E N DA R O F E V E N TS �8-�0

A N I M A L S

�� How Stress Can Affect Our PetsBY COLLEEN GORDON

Volume 21September · October 2009

New This Issue: Eight Additional Pages

On the Cover“Sleep Peacefully”Cover Artwork by Nabu

8 www.ReadVelocity.com • Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life Velocity Magazine | Earth Changes, 2012 and Preparation | September • October 2009 �

A RTS

�� The Word on Books: Suggested Reading

�� More Than Music BY PURUSHA K. RADHA

CO N S C I O U S CO M M U N I T Y

�� Discover Your Inner FlexitarianBY JULIE NORRIS, CONTRIBUTING COMMUNITY EDITOR

�� Choices for Our Future BY DIANE J. ACKERMAN

FA M I LY

�� A Spiral of Mothers BY MELISSA HOLMES

�� Conscious Behavior In Stressful TimesBY JEANINE D’ONOFRIO, Ph.D., ABD, LMHC, NCC

F O O D

�� Chocolate Blackout Vegan Cake BY ZAK ZAIDMAN

G R E E N

�� Weighing Tons Is Green, Too! BY DENISE GAINER

H E A LT H A N D H E A L I N G

�� The Easy Way to Exercise BY LAUREL MOLL, HHC, AADP

�� Correcting Scoliosis BY CHARNG WANG, AP, MA, PT, CMT

also at ReadVelocity.commore articles, videos, past issues, community information

�� Evils of Energy Drinks BY ALAN KECK, PsyD

�� Parabens, Phthalates, Fragrance BY CLAUDIA VIRGA

�� We Aren’t What We Eat ... BY MARTY WARD

�8 Healing and Integration BY SHATA BEN-AVARI

I N S P I R AT I O N

�0 Surrender to the New Way BY CHRISTINE SOKOLOWSKI

�� We Are All the Same BY DEBORAH ORR, RN, PhD

�� What’s Your Emotional Intelligence Quotient? BY ANITA TORRES, CONTRIBUTING SUCCESS EDITOR

R E L AT I O N S H I P

�� Big Love BY ARIELLE FORD AND BRIAN HILLIARD

�� Extraordinary Interaction: The Power of Authentic Sharing BY SHATA BEN-AVARI

S P I R I T UA L I T Y

�� Homage to Michael JacksonBY PURUSHA K. RADHA, PUBLISHER--EDITOR

�� When You Master the Breath ...BY RAHANSIA P. BEN-MEJURI

�0 Choose to Be Calm and Experience Forgiveness Now BY REV. DR. CAY THOMPSON

8 www.ReadVelocity.com • Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life Velocity Magazine | Earth Changes, 2012 and Preparation | September • October 2009 �

contributingeditors

1 Contributing Community EditorJulie Norris is manager and co-proprietor of Dandelion Communitea Café, founding board director of the Progressive Local Alliance for Community Enrichment (PLACE) and serves on the boards of Slow Food and Mills Fifty Mainstreet. She’s an avid supporter of the local art, music and food culture, and showcases the diverse people and happenings in ‘Ourlando’ on her weekly radio program, Front Porch Radio. Her passion for community, delicious fair food, the environment and culture are the driving forces

behind all her endeavors. More on her ventures: www.dandelioncommunitea.com, www.frontporchradio.wordpress.com and www.ourlando.com.

2 Contributing Green EditorEmily Ruff, herbalist, is director of the Florida School of Holistic Studies in Thornton Park, a 501c3 non-profit educational institution committed to creating sustainable communities by empowering individu-als to reclaim their radiant well-being through reconnecting with the natural world. Emily has studied

herbalism on three continents over the past decade and consults individuals on holistic nutrition,herbalism, aromatherapy and flower essences. Contact Emily at FSHL: 407-595-3731.

Visit www.HolisticLivingSchool.org.

3 Contributing Health EditorRamah Wagner, D.C. is a third generation chiropractor with degrees from the University of Iowa and of South Dakota. She received her graduate degree from Palmer College of Chiropractic (the founding college of chiropractic). Watch for Dr. Ramah Wagner’s new book, “The Health of Business - How to Bal-ance Your Life for Greater Return.” Dr. Ramah is available for speaking events and intensives. Visit www.

DoctorRamah.com or call: 352-589-5443. www.HealthOfBusiness.com.

4 Contributing Success Editor Anita Torres, owner of Alternative Learning Designs, is a Certified Professional in Learning and Perfor-mance and a Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach specializing in leadership development for indi-

viduals, organizations, and families. Contact her by email at [email protected].

5 Contributing Spiritual Life EditorAlbert J. Nuñez, DVM, CVA is a lifelong mystic and student of spirituality. He has studied and applied many of the profound practices and tenets of Catholicism, Shamanism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Zen, Kabbalah, Paganism, Mysticism, Hinduism, Tantra, energy and sound healing, “Shadow Work,” Kundalini Yoga, many forms of meditation, and Qi Gong. A spiritual and cultural musician and record-ing artist, his first CD is entitled “Earth School Now.” He is an environmental advocate and educator, nature lover, happy hippy tree-hugger, and rescuer of many baby squirrels. He has been practicing fully integrated and wholistic veterinary medicine for almost 20 years, with two Animal Hospitals in the greater Orlando area. Dr. Al is committed to awakening human beings to their highest self.

Contact him at 407-897-8555 or visit:myspace.com/animalhospitaloflakemary

5

1 2 3

Purusha K. RadhaPUBLISHER-EDITOR

Nancy Butler-RossASSOCIATE EDITOR

Emily RuffCONTRIBUTING GREEN EDITOR

Ramah Wagner, D.C.CONTRIBUTING HEALTH EDITOR

Julie Norris CONTRIBUTING COMMUNITY EDITOR

Albert J. Nuñez, DVM, CVACONTRIBUTING SPIRITUAL LIFE EDITOR

Velocity Magazine is an independent Central Florida regional publication

distributed in more than 500locations in Orange, Seminole, Volusia,

Lake, Sumter, Marion and Alachua Counties.

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The Velocity VisionTo serve as a catalyst in raising the velocity

of mass consciousness as we strive to create a new world that embraces lasting peace,

sharing and cooperation.

All material contained in this issue ©2009PKR Communications- Velocity Magazine.

All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without express

permission from the publisher.

The views expressed in Velocity represent the opinions and beliefs of the writers and do not necessarily reflect those of Velocity or its staff.

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�0 www.ReadVelocity.com • Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life Velocity Magazine | Earth Changes, 2012 and Preparation | September • October 2009 ��

T he fall of 2008 came with all of its yin and yang clamor and for a little while I wished I had done more to prepare for the economic breakdown that was upon us. Although I know

that even the financially richest people in the world can lose everything, as they say, overnight, I still thought it would be better to be in the position of someone like Donald Trump. But wait a minute, it came to me one night ... I really am that rich. It just looks different for me. In fact, I’m richer and more prepared for these times than I thought. Though others may have millions tucked away in investments and secret accounts, I have a secret account that not only far surpasses the material, it is far more powerful. I have riches so bounti-ful they cannot even be measured. As Luke 6:38 says, they are “pressed down, shaken together and running over.” In turbu-lent times, I am blessed with the kind of riches that will get me through anything: economic tests and trials, earthquakes, floods, food shortages, hurricanes, meteor strikes, solar flares, political and social unrest — all of it. I am as rich as Donald Trump or Steve Jobs, but this wealth is supreme. My spiritual foundation which permeates every aspect of my being and my life is the Lord God Goddess of all wealth.

It is all ours to embrace.

I’ve come to realize that the greatest ‘investment’ we can ever make is the one we make in ourselves. The money or time we spend on developing our heart centered psycho-mystical (not head centered psycho-logical) selves is money and time so well spent. As we continue to improve our lives, we improve the lives of those around us, almost by default. As we continue to unveil our sacred selves, we assist the entire planet through the gifts we give and the raising of planetary velocity which is a natural result. We come to be self-sufficient as contributors to earth and her inhabitants rather than detractors. Investing money can only get us so far and I suspect many of us have recently begun to embrace the shift away from the material which is happening now. There’s a freedom in that and that freedom brings true happiness.

As we approach 2012 and all that this momentous year will usher in, let’s prepare ourselves on the highest spiritual level. Let us take time to go into the quiet, into the quiet recesses of our souls. There we will discover ourselves and unlock the treasure trove of Divine wisdom and guidance. Let us align ourselves with the highest velocity people and communities who are loving and wise. Loving doesn’t mean you take in other people’s garbage just because they happen to show up. That’s where wisdom comes in. Wisdom and intuitive knowing are going to be increasingly important in the years to come. Some souls will be lost no matter what we do. In the end, we are each responsible for our own souls. We must make sure the people we connect with empower us and don’t feed off us like vampires. If we feel red flags go up in any of these relationships, we

must leave them swiftly. Our survival and ascension to the higher worlds depend on it.

I suspect many ‘rainy days’ are on the way, but rain as water by its very nature is life-giving and this metaphor holds the promise of a glorious new world. Instead of pulling out our umbrellas, we will splash joyfully in the rain.


HOMAGE TO MICHAELWhat I Learned from Michaelby Purusha K. Radha

Fifty years ago a golden angel came to heal the worldThe greatest entertainer the world has ever known . . .But even more, he was a WayshowerOne who didn’t preach, didn’t teach, he led by example.

I learned great lessons by watching MichaelI learned that we can suffer inside and still be a ChristThat people can perceive us as ‘broken’ and all the time we’re really wholeI learned that Mastery is the most beautiful thing on earthAnd it touches people in ways they can’t evenidentifyAnd that it’s okay to fully express ourselves,no matter how outrageous it looks -- it’s a gift we give to the planet.I learned that it isn’t only what we do that touchesothers,It is who we are and how we love that touches them.I learned that it’s good and beautiful to strive forexcellenceTo give the most and the best of what we’ve come in withFor it gets peoples’ attention so our message can be heard.

I learned that should I be scorned or tortured orpersecuted in some way,If I just keep moving forward, I will triumph.I learned that age is meaningless andit don’t matter if you’re black or white.I learned that no matter how much we change ourappearanceWe’re still and always the same beautiful soul insideI learned that pacificism is holy and leaves an imprint on even the most hardenedThat it isn’t about how we live all of the time,It’s about how we live most of the time that counts.

So Michael the Wayshower left us at the precipice of changeHaving shown us that transformation is oh so simple One voice, one heart, together we can do it.I can feel it!

May the messages of Michael’s celestial music reverber-ate through all hearts and souls everywhere and always.

I just can’t stop loving you, Michael.In Memoriam: June 25, 2009

Still today, when I’m listening to Mi-chael’s unbelievable music, I’m in tears. I cry with deep emotion in apprecia-

tion of the magnificent melodies but also for the incredibly moving lyrics and messages he was relentless in sharing. They say an enter-tainer only comes along like this once in a generation or a lifetime. I say a being like this comes along only ONCE.

I could never understand why his music lost appreciation as the years went on. I guess everybody’s always looking for the next great thing. This teaches us to cherish every mo-ment, to be present and more fully conscious because we never know when a moment may end. Many of Michael’s creations were sheer heaven on earth. His trademark sounds, moves and celestial background choruses made his every masterpiece a gift of supreme excellence and emotion.

Though I did not have the spectacular for-tune to know you, Michael, I feel as if I do. I turn these, your own lyrics, around to you to express “the way you make me feel.”

“Your love is magical, that’s how I feelBut I have not the words here to explain

Gone is the grace for expressions of passionBut there are worlds and worlds of

ways to explainTo tell you how I feel...”

...When I’m with you I am in the light where I cannot be found

It’s as though I am standing in the place called hallowed groundSpeechless, speechless,

that’s how you make me feelThough I’m with you I am far away and

nothing is for realI’ll go anywhere and do anything just to

touch your faceThere’s no mountain high I cannot climb

I’m humbled in your grace....”

-- from the song “Speechless”©2001 “Invincible” album

MJJ Productions Inc.

�� www.ReadVelocity.com • Secrets For Living A Magnificent Life Velocity Magazine | Earth Changes, 2012 and Preparation | September • October 2009 ��

Do you feel that ex-ercise is a big chore? When you’re busy, finding time for a full-body workout can be hard. But, what if ex-ercise didn’t have to be a huge production?

I have good news. Exercise does not have to be formal or time-consuming. It’s all about adding more movement to your daily routine. Here are some quick and easy ideas for the times when you can’t make it to an exercise class or the gym. Try a few and notice how you feel.

Go on a short walk after meals. After you’ve finished eating lunch or dinner, take a quick walk around the block or even inside the nice air conditioning of your office building. The movement will help your body digest and keep your blood moving. Invite an of-fice buddy or family member to join you. It’s a chance to exercise and connect with someone else.

Take stretch breaks. Our bodies can feel tense and stressed when we sit in one position for too long. If you’re in an office environ-ment, set up reminders on your computer to stretch every hour. Take five minutes to stand up and stretch your neck, shoulders,

back, and legs. Jump up and down a few times, or jog in place to warm up your body. You can even find some sample office yoga exercises online. Search “office yoga” at www.eHow.com for some examples.

Dance anytime, anywhere. Danc-ing is downright therapeutic, even when it’s just a side to side sway

of your hips. If you’re up for trying out a dance class, go for it! But you can also dance when you’re just hanging out at home. Try introducing “dance time” to your loved ones. Make a plan to turn off the TV for anywhere from ten minutes to an hour every weeknight. Put your favorite music on and dance with others or by yourself. It’s an instant happiness booster.

Get creative. Go for a swim. Do squats while you wait for some-thing to cook in the oven. Take the stairs. Park farther away. Next time you’re watching TV, hold the edge of your couch or coffee table and raise and lower your body for a triceps workout.

Use your imagination and just add a little at a time. Your body will thank you.

Laurel Moll received training in health counseling and nutrition at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) in New York City. She is board certified as a holis-tic health counselor by The American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP). Contact her at (407)413-9086. Please see ad this page.


There has been a subtle shift in the earth’s energies over the last few years. Some people think it has to do with the coming of a different age and others think it has to do with the Mayan calen-dar ending in 2012. This calendar ends on the winter solstice on December 21, 2012 at 11:11 p.m. UT (Universal Time) or 6:11 p.m. EST. The Mayan civilization’s lives and rituals were rooted in math, astrology, their associations with their Gods, and the cycle of life and death. To the Mayans this cycle was 26,000 years long.

To me, the end of this cycle symbolizes a universal initiation where seekers must first go through an ordeal to be “re-born” as an initiate, and to become one with the universe. The ordeal has been happening since the year 2000 — which is when astrologers believe this shift began — with Y2K and George W. Bush’s elec-tion; in 2001 we had 9-11 with all of its terror and fear. Chaos and mayhem were evident in the world at large. Since then the world has seemed like it was in a pressure cooker that might explode. When President Obama was elected the whole world breathed a sigh of relief, as if a giant weight had been lifted off the universe’s chest. We are still in a state of chaos and will be in one for a while, but I believe the world will become less chaotic as we approach 2012.

During these changes the most important thing to do is to tune in to the natural energies of the universe and learn from them. Take time to sit and connect to the energies around you. One of the easiest ways to do this is to meditate outside, even if only for five minutes. Meditation is not hard — just find a quiet place, sit down, close your eyes and either focus on one thing such as a word (OM is often used) or try to think of nothing (if a stray thought comes in acknowledge it and let it go). I encourage peo-ple to meditate under a full moon, when the energies are at their strongest, and then daily for at least one month.

It is also important to connect with the natural world by garden-ing, working with herbs or the nature spirits. I have a biodynamic organic garden where all of the plants live in harmony. I also keep chickens for fresh eggs. They eat organic feed and live in a large coop (the Blue Moon Chicken Café), and each chicken is held

daily and told she is loved.

In the time leading up to the Winter Solstice of 2012, it is impor-tant to remember that an acorn must first break through the soil, survive difficult weather and strive toward the sun to grow into a great tree. The chaos we are feeling now will soon pass as we reach toward the sun and grow into a better world.

Dawn Gates, Master Herbalist, aromatherapist, flower essence and gemstone elixir practitioner, has studied natural healing for 18 years. She has herb and aromatherapy consulting offices in Paisley, Deland and Orlando, Florida. Her school, “The Live Oak School of Natural Healing” offers Herbalist Certifica-tion courses both in classroom and online. Visit: www.dawnsenchantedgar-den.com or call for a consult. In Lake County, (352)669-1963 and in the Orlando region, (407)967-6042. See ad top of this column.


Y o u r m i n d may be m o r e

power-ful than

you realize. As we struggle with the daily stresses in our lives, we sel-dom understand how stress affects those around us, par-ticularly our pets. Certainly, these days, many of us have much to worry about; stock market losses, homes in foreclosure, lack of job security are just a few. And when we return home to our family, we try to act as if we are relaxed, but our pets know better. Our pets do not rely on what we say as much as our tone, our body language and the mental energy that we project. They know our true feelings and emotions, and as all good pets will do, they help carry the weight of the world for us.

It is perfectly normal to see pets mirror their owners’ mental or physical problems. Chronic stressful situations can cause the best of pets, just as humans, to react unusually. Some well behaved and trained pets may become aggressive, destruc-tive, or withdrawn. Other pets may interpret an owner’s stress internally with a sup-pressed immune system and develop digestive problems or other illnesses. And since the pet owner is under tremendous daily stress, he may not under-stand that his pet’s behavior is directly related to his own.

Animals that are particularly emotionally connected to owners tend to take on the same illnesses. A pet owner with chronic stress could also expect that her pets are experi-encing the same. In the book, “The Natural Dog,” by Mary L. Brennan, DVM, one case is noted in which a horse own-er could not figure out why her horses always fell ill due to neck injuries. When the owner complained of a similar neck and shoulder pain, the at-tending vet suggested that she

seek medical attention for herself. Once the owner was cured of her own pain and in-jury, her horses also stopped experiencing the same neck problems as well.

Reducing stress in pets can be as simple as reducing stress in our own lives and including our pets in the process. Start by making your home the sanctuary it should be for both people and pets. Keep-

ing the loud and sudden noises to a minimum, speaking in calm tones and taking time to relax and breathe deeply can help all members of the household. Aromatherapy is also a good choice for people and pets. Choose calming essential oils such as lavender or hops for the best results. Exercise is an excellent solution to reduce stress for you and your pet. Additional play-time with your cat or walking your dog for a longer amount of time could be a benefit for both participants’ stress levels.

As a proactive measure, pay close attention to your pet’s behav-ior to see how your stress level, attitude and energy influence

your pet. If your cat begins to act out, or your dog develops sudden unexplained illnesses, it may be the issues in your own life that are contributing to the problem. By reducing the stress level in your home and giving your pet extra lov-ing care, you will enrich your pet’s life, as well as your own, and create a blissful retreat from the pressure of daily life for your entire family.

©2008 Healing For Pets and the Spe-cial People Who Love Them. All rights reserved. Content may be reproduced in whole by special permission of au-thor.

We recommend that all health issues be discussed with your veterinarian, and that your pet has a thorough examina-tion by a qualified veterinarian.

Colleen M. Gordon is a pet communi-cator, pet reiki/massage therapist, and herbalist. She is president and found-er of Healing For Pets, and is commit-ted to improving the health and the lives of pets and their owners. Colleen has been helping pets and owners with behavior and health issues for over ten years. Visit www.HealingForPets.com or call (407)446-4315. See ad, left.


Brenda S. was a fun-loving 60 year old female who had been suffer-ing from severe pain in her lower

back caused from a curvature in her spine since her late teens. Brenda was in extreme pain, her leg would become numb and she frequently limped while walking. It was uncomfortable just to move about and this prevented her from being able to do simple activities like shopping and housework. Sitting for any extended period of time was pain-ful. Three cortisone shots did not allevi-ate the pain and several experiences with traditional physical therapy only gave her temporary relief. She resigned her-self to living with discomfort and pain until her rheumatologist suggested acu-puncture.

Brenda had scoliosis, curvature of the spine, which has many far reaching effects. It can interfere with the normal balance of the body. It can alter the normal weight distribution between the lower extremities. In other words, instead of the normal 50-50% even weight distribution supported by two legs, the dis-

tribution can be something like 70-30%. Medication usually provides little help if scoliosis is the original trigger for pain. A more pronounced good result occurs with struc-tural correction to reduce the curvature, realignment of the spine and relieving the muscle imbalance. If the skeleton is mature, 100% correction may not be possible, how-ever many conditions are suc-cessfully treated by reducing the severity of the curvature. Since the formation of scolio-sis is usually gradual, a careful

and detailed examination is usually necessary. In persons with one sided pain over the neck, back, hip, knee or foot, scoliatic curvature may be playing a big role.

Along with acupuncture and physical therapy, Brenda also re-ceived massage therapy and acupuncture with stimulation. When she first began therapy, Brenda’s pain level was a 9 out of 10, with 10 being the most acute level. Her pain level is now down to a 2. She believes her results are so dramatic because the focus of her treatment was on correcting the actual source of the pain. Brenda S. received this treatment at ARC: Physical Therapy and Pain Control Centers in Central Florida.

Charng-Shen Wang, A.P., M.A., P.T., C.M.T. serves as the CEO and Director of four ARC: Physical Therapy and Pain Centers in Central Florida with his newest office open in Mount Dora. Dr. Wang is both a licensed acupuncturist and physical therapist. In 1993, Dr. Wang attained certification as a manual therapist and graduated from the John Shen Institute with his certificate in acupuncture. He has served as a clinician and physical therapy director for numerous companies in the Central Florida area. He is a member of the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncturists. Please see ad below.


M any people have heard various views on the changes ex-pected to occur with the coming of year 2012. No one can

give us a total answer of what is to happen, or why, but many feel it has caused a drastic change to our daily lives. Change is already underfoot if we look around at our society’s current government, education, standards and expectations.

Going organic is one thing that can make a huge impact. Or-ganic is synonymous with “natural,” and that is the goal — to learn to work with nature. It can be as simple and gentle as you make it. Lets start with the garden!

Why the garden? It is amazing how many children think that food comes from cans or the store! They have no concept of food growing in the earth. We have lost our connection to food. How many of us can trace where our food comes from? How many are aware of what is used to grow that food? There are many chemicals used just to get the food from commer-cial fields to the store and keep it “alive.” All this impacts the foods’ and plants’ nutritional values. Do you want all these chemicals used in your foods? Organic means no chemicals made by man, no bug control or weed controls that aren’t a part of nature as it normally exists. In organic gardening we learn to work with nature rather than forcing it to do our bidding. We realize we are a part of the whole system, not the controllers of it, as has so long been the thought and teaching of modern society.

Now is the time to take control. Become aware of where and how all the plants and products you consume come from. Our diet wasn’t always chips, dips and fast “foods.” Most things found in grocery stores today are just chemicals, high heat and high pressure-treated mucks extruded to be those fancy puffs and chips, but hardly real food. If you want to grow something, you don’t need chemicals and controlled situations. Organic methods are gentle and earth affirming. Organic is learning about being a part of the system, working with it and becoming aware of it.

In a time when we have lost our connection with nature and many are more aware of wanting it now, we should take the time to control what we can in our own lives. Food is but one aspect of this system.

Our lives are complex now. Isn’t it important for us to take the time to make our personal impact? Organic methods give us some control over possible outcomes of 2012. A new age is dawning, and not necessar-ily the end. The use of more organic methods is a step into a positive future.

Rebecca Henkins is a Nursing In-structor/Master Herbalist with 20 years experience. She offers classes through a local shop (Elemental Crossings, see ad left) in Organic/Sustainable Gar-dening, Herbal-ism, Herbalist Training and more. She can be contacted for info, classes or ques-tions at [email protected] or though www.northwindtraining.com.


by Denise Gainer

I want to thank all my “new newspaper recy-clers!” I am absolutely gleeful with the response

I have received from Velocity readers. Thanks to your will-ingness to gather newspaper, magazines, catalogs, white office paper and shredded pa-per, the volume of paper now going to the Dublin, Geor-gia SP Recycling mill has in-creased by at least eight tons a month, with the addition of four new recycling locations. And, there are four more new inquiries.

In June, my 2009-Recyclers pulled more than 45 tons of newspaper and other paper out of the waste stream. That is 45 TONS of paper NOT being land-filled. That is 45 tons of renewable resources being renewed — much to the benefit of our environment. Yeah!

Pardon my excitement, but I am thrilled at knowing that ev-ery time an SP Recycling container is placed, less energy is be-ing used, our carbon footprint is smaller, trees are not being cut down, and people are more aware of their own actions and im-pacts on their waste stream.

Last month has been quite unique for me: I somehow broke my “accelerator foot” and had to have surgery. So instead of driving through Central Florida, I have been working from home on my phone and computer. As a result, I have a renewed awareness of just how important an effective, effi-cient conversation about my line of work really is! I mean, really, how many people want to stay on the line with you when you tell them you want to talk about their paper waste and recycling?

Since I have spent so much time on the computer with e-mails and visiting network-ing sites, I have become re-acquainted with people I’ve

known since high school, col-lege and the first 20 years of my professional “communica-tions” life. I found myself an-swering the questions, “How on earth did you get into the waste industry? Why didn’t you stay in public relations?”

Recycling is public relations! It is public education about a serious topic that presents an immediate impact on our community, country and world. Yet, since it is not as glamorous as eating, buying, or building green, recycling and waste management are not topics of wide coverage.

I “talk trash” for a living be-cause I am committed to raising consciousness about the waste we generate, and reassuring every individual that they do and can make a difference. I invite you to help me with that endeav-or. Tell your neighbors about the SP Newspaper Recycling Pro-gram. Tell everyone in your e-mail address book, your friends on MySpace, Facebook and your other Internet social and business networks. Let’s start a Central Florida Public Recycling Educa-tion Movement. YOU can do it!

Even if you can’t host a recycling container site, you can par-ticipate in our program by visiting www.sprecyclingflorida.com, click on “container locator,” and type in your zip code to find a

container near you. You can recycle and contribute to a fundraising program in your community. Help me help you. Let’s get the word out!

Learn more about paper recycling at the SPRC webpage: www.sprecycling-florida.com. Recycling Spe-cialist, Denise Gainer has been “talking trash” since 2000 with anyone who will listen! Her goal is threefold: to educate people about their wastestream; recycle as much newspaper as possible; and by so doing, contribute to community fundraising throughout Central Florida. See ad left.


A Spiral of MothersEstablishing Community in Uncharted Watersby Melissa Holmes

Most of us can remember our first day of high school. We can see ourselves stepping foot off the school bus and onto that uncertain territory. We feel

the anxiety as we scan the crowds of students, looking for a familiar face or two. We can almost hear the breath rush out of our lungs as we breathe a sigh of

relief when our best friend waves to us from the other side of the courtyard. We can remember how all the nervousness faded away as we realized that we were not

alone anymore.

When a woman becomes pregnant, it is natural for

her to wish to seek out other pregnant women. In traditional soci-ety, a woman lives in close proximity to her mother, sisters, aunts, grandmothers, and cousins. Many of these female rela-tives have already had children of their own, so they are eager to share their e x p e r i e n c e s and knowl-edge with the newly pregnant woman. The first-time mothers bask in the care and attention of their friends and relatives, soaking up every bit of pregnancy and birth-related information that comes their way. They are loved and supported through this new and exciting time. And through this love and devotion, the pregnant women learn the practicalities of becoming mothers, and their self-confidence grows.

Unfortunately, in this age of the nuclear family, many of us do not live near our own mothers, grand-mothers, or other female relatives. We are spread out across the globe, and sometimes the only way we are able to talk with each other is through the phone or the internet. This technology can provide some of the support new mothers are seeking, but for the most part, the hands-on learning and experience is simply not possible. This can be very discouraging to

pregnant women and new mothers, especially those who


have no prior experience taking care of an infant, or have no close friends who have already had their own children.

So what can a new mother do to establish community during this new and exciting, yet uncertain time in her life? I recommend that mothers begin their search for community in the beginning of their pregnancy, rather than waiting until they’ve already had their babies. This allows time to build a circle of friends and

resources that new mothers can turn to when the going gets rough (and it is normal and natural for it to get rough for all new mothers at least once!).

Early pregnancy is a great time for women to seek out local groups of like-minded moth-ers. Pregnant women can use the internet to search for their local La Leche League (a won-derful breastfeeding support group) and Holistic Moms Network. They can ask their

doula or midwife for the inside scoop on birth and baby fairs in their area, or for advice about which local independent childbirth preparation classes are available nearby. They can attend prenatal yoga and dance classes to connect with other pregnant women who may be going through similar experiences. Pregnancy is also a great time to research the benefits of hiring a postpartum doula, who will support the new mother immediately after the baby is born and offer practical assistance such as infant care, mother care and healing, breastfeeding help, and more. Pregnant mothers can also use the internet to connect with other pregnant women across the globe by joining online message boards cre-ated specifically for mothers; simply searching online for “natural parenting message board” will bring up dozens of great online communities to explore.

When a woman first discovers she is pregnant, her mind may be flooded with a variety of emotions ranging from joy to fear to excitement to anxiety to intense happiness and more. Knowing she has options and choices in pregnancy and birth, and realizing that she is not alone in her local community, can alleviate some of the fear and anxiety, and help a new mother feel more confident, supported, and empowered.

Melissa Holmes is the founder and owner of Feminine Earth, L.L.C., a local business dedicated to mothers, fa-thers, and all those who love and honor the sanctity of childbirth. Melissa offers holistic childbirth preparation classes, as well as birth and postpartum doula services, in the Lake and Sumter County areas of Central Florida. Her other passions include herbalism, gardening, danc-ing, singing, yoga and taking care of animals. She can be reached at 352-455-2419. Please see Melissa’s ad, right.


We are no longer able to deny the transitions in our planet, our bodies and our spirits. Change is all around us, sweeping our lives in different directions. Our plans have been shredded and swept away.

Sudden surrender is the gift of this time; we are learning to let go in the middle of our plan. There is a spiritual maturity that is necessary to know when self-initiated

plans have begun to lead our lives. This is when we just need to let go, drop it, and move into inspiration. (The longer we “stay the course,” the farther off kilter we travel.)

I have been struggling with surrendering my plans with our new daughter, a two-year old girl who is joining our family through adoption, and I have prepared myself well for this. I understand attachment issues, grief, and her developmental stage. I do not, however, understand her or her unique needs and strengths. Integrating her smoothly is going fantasti-cally well. However, often I am following the “rules” I have made far too strictly and it becomes stressful for all of us. Instead of discipline feeling like a coming together, it starts to feel bad, and bedtime becomes a game of control. I stop listening to what she needs in the moment.

It is not difficult to begin listening to Source; most of us move into align-ment when we are beginning a new project, but we soon go off course with our

own ideas. Surrendering to inspiration means trusting what it is we are told to do, even if it breaks the pattern. There is no specific way anything must get done.

Following a pattern can be powerful, as the intention for success was part of its creation, but the path of inspiration is individual. Allow God to honor your individuality and make a way

just for you. There is much magnificence in the journey of life. We miss it when we try to take a pattern. Imagine if the ocean were trying to get every wave perfect, just like the last. It would miss the unique-ness of each wave; miss the sensations of the fish within it. It is time to break our patterns, to allow the ocean to guide us; time to stop trying to be a perfect wave and to enjoy our unique-ness and be of service to others. A single ocean wave tosses life

ashore and brings it back to the water. It erases footprints and

reflects light.

As I surrender to what our daughter needs in the moment, I can enjoy her light, her wave. And she can enjoy mine.

We each have our own unique experi-

ence to explore. This can only be done in the vibra-

tion of the time we are in. Surrender to the new way.

Christine Sokolowski, Reiki Master, and author of “Reiki, From Beginning to Master,” a comprehensive and in-depth guide that is helpful to the beginner as well as experienced Reiki practitioner, has been teaching Reiki in Florida for several years. Her spiritual teachings and writings include decrees, children’s stories, and es-says on The Course in Miracles, Wealth Creation, Abraham Hicks, Breath-of-Life and the “I AM that I AM.” One-on-one and group sessions are available. Please call to attend a free Reiki class. Christine can be contacted at [email protected] or 407-913-9280. See ad, right.


Evils of Energy Drinksby Alan D. Keck, Psy.D.

A few days ago I was examining one of the smaller bottles of “ener-gy drinks” at the convenience store checkout counter, and the clerk said, “That’s for when you don’t have time to drink the regular-sized one.” I mentioned my concern about their drug-like quality, and she responded that she sometimes sees parents allow their kids to consume them regularly. Unbelievable!

I hate sounding like some sort of old fogey — I’m as much a fan of “better living through chemistry” as the next guy — but I have to ask, what has our world come to when so many people use these mind-altering concoctions, that they have become so accepted as to consider them okay for use by children? Yes, parents have been letting kids drink colas for decades, but let’s not forget that caffeine is no less a drug than the cocaine in the original colas.

My number one concern is simply this: Caffeine, the main ingredi-ent in most energy drinks contributes to stress in general, and can have a number of unintended negative effects, especially when used in large amounts or on a frequent basis. Caffeine alone has long been known to be associated with addiction, withdrawal (terrible headaches and more), irritability, anxiety, panic attacks, and sleep disturbance. Now, new findings are linking high caffeine use to psychosis, and energy drinks to heart problems.

Sometimes clients come to see me because of severe anxiety symp-toms, and I find that they are using large quantities of caffeinated beverages, and taking a medication like Xanax, an addictive tran-quilizer in the same family with Valium. These two psychoactive substances actually “fight each other,” so I suggest that they be-gin slowly reducing their caffeine use, and return if they still need help.

It would be interesting to know how many emergency room pa-tients who show up with psychological or medical symptoms are actually there because of energy drink use, especially among in-dividuals who use them a lot, acting out our obsession with the notion that more is better. More work to make more money. More partying to de-stress from the work. More stimulants to work and party more.

What to do? If you use a lot of caffeine — whether coffee, tea, soda, or energy drinks — it would be in your best interest to begin slowly weaning yourself to the equivalent of no more than two [measur-ing] cups of regular coffee (or one of the double-strength stuff sold at some popular boutiques), which comes to about 200 milligrams per day. This is considered the limit for moderate use.

And for those parents who think that it’s a good idea to let their children have energy drinks, or for that matter, ANYthing with caf-feine, I leave you with a quote from a gift shop window I recently saw in Sarasota: “Unattended children will be given two free pup-pies and an espresso.” Think about it.

Dr. Keck is a Psychologist who has worked professionally in psychol-ogy since 1974. He specializes in helping people cope with normal life stressors and heal from Traumatic Stress. Additionally, he has special interests in Positive Psychology, Clinical Hypnosis, Mind-Body interactions, and Spirituality in Psychological Health. He is an Approved Consultant of the American Society of Clinical Hyp-nosis, a Traumatologist, and is recognized by the National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology. See ad above.


Soaps, lotion, perfumes, deodorants and cosmetics all contain chemicals and synthetic preservatives. Did you ever wonder how our beauty regimens impact the environment?

Beauty rituals have been around for centuries, but they didn’t have chemicals and synthetic preservatives in them. Make-up and perfumes were used by ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans for ceremonial and religious events. They would use natural products such as oils, nuts, wood, and flowers. In the thirteenth century, alcohol based perfumes were developed in the Middle East and brought to Europe. France devel-oped the art of blending ingredients to create new fra-grances in the seventeenth century. To create a small amount of oil, large amounts of natural products and labor were needed. For instance, it takes 60,000 rose petals to produce one ounce of rose oil. For this and other reasons, the chemical process was developed in the nine-teenth century. The chemical process not only cut labor costs, but it also made scents like lavender available all year long and inexpensively. “Fragrance” is a blanket term used to cover over 4,000 synthetic chemicals and it has been linked to skin irrita-tions, cancer and organ damage. Synthetic fragrances are used in a multitude of products from beauty care to household items.

The beauty industry could make products available quickly and cheaply using the chemical process but the shelf life lowered profitability since products would become expired before they sold. That is when preservatives made their debut into the cos-

metic industry. Parabens are a synthetic preservative which are widely used in the cosmetic industry. Even toothpaste can contain parabens. They have been used to help keep our products fresh until we use them. Parabens are poten-tially toxic and are currently under study for hormonal dis-ruption which could lead to cancer.

Chemicals and preservatives make a huge impact on our world and its changes. Our quality of air and our drinking water

are all affected. From the factories that create the prod-uct, to the planes, trains and automobiles who deliver the product, to the consumers who use the products, we all play a part, even when using chemically en-hanced products in the actions we take for granted every day — when taking a shower, washing dishes, or even doing laundry. The chemicals all re-enter our water system. Even the packaging is cluttering our landfills and polluting our oceans. Plastic con-tainers that hold products could contain phthalates which are used to add texture to products. Phthal-ates are commonly used in toys, paints, and food containers. Since the FDA does not regulate the use of them in cosmetics, manufacturers are not required to disclose them as ingredients. Phthal-

ates have been linked with liver and kidney failure as well as heart, lung and blood pressure problems.

So the next time you are showering with a body wash or lathering yourself with moisturizer, ask yourself this: how will my beauty rituals affect the world?

To find out how your products rank for your body and the environment visit www.skindeep.com.

Claudia Virga is a licensed Cosmetologist in Florida and New York and a Certified Aromatherapist. Her practice is located inside Robert and Robert Salon in Mount Dora. As a dedicated professional she is a member of Associated Skin Care Profes-sional and Association of Holistic Skin Care Practitioners. She is devoted to providing skin care, naturally, and to continually educating herself and others. Visit www.claudiavirga.skincaretherapy.net or email her at [email protected]. See ad below.


The Digital Pulse Wave Analyzer is just one of the technologies and resources available for your health assessment at The Nature’s Garden in Maitland. This analyzer is an excellent non-invasive way to measure arterial health. It measures the overall elasticity of large, small and peripheral arteries, the ‘functional age’ of your blood vessels, your blood hydration level1, your heart rate, the left ventricular ejection fraction2 and more.

Statistics show3 that someone has a heart attack in America every 20 seconds, totaling over one million heart attacks every year. 300,000 heart disease related deaths yearly have no prior warn-ing. 100,000 athletes who appear to be in perfect shape die of heart disease. Risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, cigarette smoking, genetics, obesity, age and ethnicity. Cardiovascular screening helps to prevent the serious effects of poor heart and circulatory health by providing vital information an individual may be completely unaware of.

1 Plasma, the fluid component of blood, is 90% water; the volume of the blood contained within the body is approximately five quarts. When the water level in the body is reduced, the blood plasma levels are correspondingly less, which renders the blood less efficient as it is slower and thicker within the blood vessels.

2 The fraction of blood pumped out of a ventricle, in this case, the left ven-tricle, with each heartbeat.

3 “Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – 2009 Update.” American Heart As-sociation.

The Nature’s Garden also offers another key analysis called live blood cell microscopy which enables us to view our health and ter-rain inside our bodies. This live blood cell analysis demonstrates characteristics of a person’s diet, digestion and toxic overload. It can show if our body’s terrain is acidic, if our fat intake is appropri-ate, and how we may be stressing our liver or immune system. Just one drop of blood presents over five million living cells for us to examine. From this one drop we can see if what we eat, drink or breathe has affected our internal terrain positively or negatively.

A third non-invasive technology is the Bioscan. A galvanic skin response unit measures the resistance of the skin to the passage of a very small electric current. The magnitude of this electrical resistance is affected, not only by the subject’s general mood, but also by immediate emotional reactions. The Bioscan can help us learn about what causes us to feel stressed so we can, in turn, learn to manage that stress in our lives.

The Nature’s Garden is dedicated to educating and empowering clients so that they can make the best possible holistic decisions to promote their health and longevity. From twenty first century superfoods to ear candling and Ayurvedic medicine (and more), The Nature’s Garden in Maitland provides a cornucopia of cutting edge, preventive health care technologies that can promote a com-plete turnaround in health. Please refer to ad this page.


Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet. -- Albert Einstein

In changing times, sensible flexibility is the key to taking responsibility for any personal habits that may have contributed to the current environmental and social crisis of dis-ease and unhap-piness in our consumer culture. Nothing has had a more collective impact on our wellness than the food on our forks. Unbeknownst to many, we’ve been part of a large-scale experiment at the hands of efficiency-minded food manufacturers who are eyeing a bottom line, with disregard for the side effects to human, animal and planetary well-being.

The mass production and processing of “foodstuff” has yielded highly subsidized, nutrient defi-cient and allergy prone foods loaded with chemicals, additives, preservatives and colorings that our bodies simply do not know what to do with. Diabetes, heart disease, obesity and hormone difficulties abound on this low nutrient, low cost, fake food diet. In the process, animal husband-ry practices have long strayed from the idyllic farm to overcrowded prisons wrought with disease and an abysmal quality of life.

Once I discovered the truth about food manufacturing practices, I began a life-changing journey that has slowly broken down my deeply ingrained unhealthy food habits, with the happy side ef-fect of making me healthier, happier and more in love with REAL food than I thought possible. But I had to educate myself first. Breaking personal habits, particularly FOOD habits, is one of the most challenging things to do, and I recommend a “flexitarian” approach. A flexitarian is loosely defined as a person who makes conscious consumption decisions, which usually entail a reduction in processed food, meat and/or dairy consumption, with increased consumption of whole foods, organics and local/seasonal ingredients.

I understand that we collectively need to dramatically curb our consumption of animal products, but that does not mean everyone needs to become a vegan overnight, or at all. Previously, you were either a vegetarian or not, with no in-between. Today, thanks to documentaries like “Food Inc.,” we can make empowered decisions about how we vote with our fork, three times a day. This means reducing our dependency on commodity crops, subsidized meat production and over-processed convenience foods. The shift to locally grown, small-farm varieties of fruits, vegetables, grains and animal products will create a more secure community, a healthier connection to nature and each other, and a more delicious plate of food.

Interested in joining the flexitarian movement but confused about where to start? I’ve outlined


the first ten steps of my flexitarian journey below and listed re-sources to help motivate you to choose:

Step 1: Organic Animal ByproductsMy taste tests on eggs, milk and cheese convinced me to make an immediate switch. I also discovered how the antibiotics and hormones used in non-organic production were harmful to my health. Visit: http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/dairy/

Step 2: Clean versus DirtyI used the “Dirty Dozen” list of the most toxic produce crops and the “Clean 15” to guide my shopping habits to reduce my pesticide intake. Visit: http://www.foodnews.org/ Step 3: Organic Poultry and Pork, Eliminate Red MeatThe Mad Cow scare and the connection between red meat and heart disease made it pretty easy to replace it with ground turkey or omit it altogether. I also researched the company’s husbandry practices; this step dramatically reduced my animal consump-tion, as I could not afford the high price of small-scale organic animal products very often. I learned how to prepare vegetar-ian meals and realized I didn’t miss meat all that much and felt better, while my digestive system noticeably improved. Visit: http://www.sustainabletable.org/issues/factoryfarming/as well as http://www.eatwellguide.org/. Step 4: Eliminating Fast FoodsThis happened gradually, with McDonald’s French Fries being the only thing I allowed myself to buy for an entire year, before I read “The Botany of Desire” by Michael Pollan, which nipped that habit in the bud. Resource: “Fast Food Nation” (Book & DVD) by Eric Schlosser.

Step 5: Saying NO to CokeLearning about Coca-Cola’s exploitation of its workers in South America was the tipping point for me, as I could sacrifice my body but not those of the factory workers. Visit: http://www.killercoke.org/

Step 6: Reading Ingredient LabelsStart to say no to artificial colors, preservatives, genetically modi-fied, or ingredients you cannot pronounce, and high fructose corn syrup. Once I started reading labels, I switched from the regular grocery store to Whole Foods, where the purchasing stan-dards are much higher. Read “What to Eat” by Marion Nestle, or visit http://www.whattoeatbook.com/ Step 7: Homemade, Whole FoodsSelect fresh veggies, fruits and whole foods. I joined an organic delivery service to help me explore more exotic (to me) foods. Every week was a new adventure when I opened my basket, searched online for recipes, and became more confident in the kitchen (using the microwave was pretty much eliminated). Vis-it: http://LocalHarvest.org

Step 8: HomegrownI planted a garden and grew cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, peas, herbs and more. Homegrown organic was by far the best flavor I had experienced. More Info: Simple Living Institute has monthly Organic Growers Meetings, http://simplelivinginstitute.org/

Step 9: Open Dandelion Communitea CaféTo be fair, this is an extreme step, and I recommend coming to eat at the cafe instead of opening your own, as it is more work than you can imagine! I knew that if people had access to real food that was healthy for them they would fall in love with food all over again. So, I opened a cafe that mirrored my food philoso-phy using organic, vegetarian, additive-free food that was home-made and affordable.Visit: http://dandelioncommunitea.com

Step 10: Becoming VegetarianYou would think I was a vegetarian before opening a vegetarian cafe, but attachments to comfort foods are strong. Bacon and hot dogs (yes, I said hot dogs), were the most difficult for me to give up. Having easy access to delicious vegetarian food and research-ing the benefits of animal-free food, I finally took the leap. More info: “Earthlings, The Movie,” http://www.earthlings.com/ and http://goveg.com/theissues.asp

Julie Norris is co-proprietor of Dandelion Commu-nitea Café, co-founder of the Progressive Local Alli-ance for Community Enrichment (PLACE) and serves on the board of Slow Food Orlando. She’s the host of Front Porch Radio and blogs about natural parenting. More on her ventures at www.dandelioncommunitea.com, www.ourlando.org, www.frontporchradio.com and www.gaiamama.net. See ad page 24.


by Emily Ruff, Contributing Green Editor

“If you listen, they will teach you.” -- Native American Proverb

Change is inevitable. They say that nothing is as constant as change. Usually, most of us are resistant to change. It can make us feel uncomfortable to shift into a new way of living, being, breathing, or believing. However, when we allow ourselves the freedom to change, and allow ourselves to trust that with change comes something even better than before, the shifts become easy and effortless.

Our planet is moving into a higher vibration, coming into align-ment with the cycles of the Milky Way Galaxy. This vibration demands from each of us more clarity and center. These de-mands require we care for ourselves in the most gentle, nurtur-ing way in order to stay grounded, focused, and centered for the changes ahead. Fortunately for us, everything we need to know about healing is in our body. Each night, when we rest our heads to sleep, the entire day of stress and input is neutralized; our bodies work even as our minds rest to heal the wounds of the day before. We carry in our DNA the memory of healing for generation after generation. This innate wisdom, when we listen to it, guides us to choose the way of right living, leads us down our path. What a great blessing to know that our intuition can be our greatest guide, and how unfortunate that we so often choose to ignore it. When we do feel that our innate memory has forgotten, we are doubly blessed to be surrounded by a na-ture that seeks to teach us again and again.

So many of my students and clients come to me with a fear-based understanding of the Earth Changes. It is this resistant perspective that creates so much challenge for us. If we can find a way to be comfortable with the changes to come, we will realize these changes are not a curse, but a blessing for our spe-cies and our planet. For me, I find that comfort in my time communing with the plants. The plants are speaking — nay, singing — loudly about the changes ahead. Though the changes will not come without their challenges, the world is waking up to living in right relationship with Mother Earth. I welcome these changes with open arms. Let us step into the people we are called to be!

As a student of the Maya, I am saddened at the depth and breadth of the misperceptions about the Mayan calendar and 2012. The Mayan calendar can never be understood in the linear way in which our society operates. It is rather a series of spheres, turn-ing on many axes, within each other and throughout parallel

dimensions. The Mayan calendar does not stop in 2012. It sim-ply is a time of alignment of many of the spheres of the calendar, signaling the dawn of a new age. The Maya, and many North American indigenous, call this the Fifth World, or the Golden Age. This age is a time of healing, light, and oneness.

It is imperative that we each step outside into the natural world as much as we can. Communing with nature changes your per-spective, and aligns you with the energetic field of the planet. Plants are an extension of nature, who share with us the language of the planet. Communing with them guides our thoughts, re-laxes our mind, and reassures our spirit. We must develop right relationship with nature now, to empower us and strengthen us for the changes to come.

Emily Ruff, herbalist, is director of the Florida School of Holistic Studies in Thornton Park, a 501c3 nonprofit educational institution committed to creating sustainable communities by empowering individuals to reclaim their radiant well-being through reconnecting with the natural world. Emily has studied herbalism on three continents over the past decade and consults individuals on holistic nutrition, herbalism, aromatherapy and flower essences. Contact Emily at FSHL: 407-595-3731. Visit www.HolisticLivingSchool.org.

Florida School of Holistic Living presents “An Evening with Dr. Andrew Weil: Why Our Health Matters,” on Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. at Wyndam Orlando Resort. See ad page 4.

Celebrating the Earth Changes


Chocolate Blackout Vegan CakeCourtesy of Zak Zaidman, CEO of Kopali OrganicsKopaliOrganics.com

Kopali Organics is a mission-driven company, founded to bring consumers purely delicious, naturally nourishing and healthful food, produced in the most fair, compassionate and sustainable ways possible.

Kopali Organics connects small organic farmers with the grow-ing market of shoppers who care where their food comes from and how it is grown. Kopali Organics is the 2007 winner of Socially Responsible Business Award for natural, organic and sustainable products.

Ingredients:

Cake:3 cups flour2 cups sugar3/4 cup cocoa powder1 teaspoon salt2 tablespoons baking soda2 tablespoons vanilla2 tablespoons cider vinegar2/3 cup canola oil2 cups luke warm water

Frosting:1 cup Kopali Chocolate Covered Goji Berries1/4 cup canola oil3 tablespoons honey2 teaspoons vanilla3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil pan.2) Combine all dry ingredients. Whisk and sit aside.3) Combine all wet ingredients and whisk. 4) Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together using a large spatula. 5) Pour into prepared pan and bake aproximately 40 minutes.6) Test with toothpick. Poke center and it should be dry.

To Make Frosting1) Place all ingredients on top of a double boiler and mix well. 2) Mix gently till Kopali Goji Berries are melted. 3) Pour over cake when cake is warm and still in pan.4) Cool before covering and sprinkle lots of Kopali Chocolate Cov-ered Goji Berries on top. 5) Enjoy your Kopali Vegan Goji Berry Chocolate Cake!

Celebrating the Earth Changes


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Weight Management Info. Class; All day beginning at 10:00 a.m.; The Nature’s Garden, Maitland; 407-599-0406; Fee; see ad p. 23Ear Candling Workshop; All day beginning at 10:00 a.m..; Presented by YAHWEH Academy of Light at Gematria, Mount Dora; 352-357-5918; Fee; see ad p. 2SEPTEMbER 15Septemberfest: Art Show, Music, Refreshments; 7:00 p.m.; All About Art, Belleview; 352-307-9774; Free; see ad p. 68SEPTEMbER 17Drum Circle; 6:30 p.m.; Alternate Pathways Out-reach, Tavares; 352-343-3380; Free; see ad p. 35Herbal Basics for Healthful Living; 7:00 p.m.; All About Art, Belleview; 352-307-9774; Fee; see ad p. 68Guided Imagery; 7:00 p.m.; Alternative Health Blue-print, Winter Park; 407-678-0047; Fee; see ad p. 58Food As Medicine; 7:00 p.m.; Florida School of Ho-listic Living, Orlando; 407-595-3731; Fee; see p. 26SEPTEMbER 18Master Mind-Prosperity Workshop; 10:00 a.m.; Sanctuary of Sophia, Mount Dora; 352-383-6444; Love Offering; see ad p. 56Restorative Yoga and Breathing; 5:00 p.m.; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-874-3272; Fee; see ad p. 53New Moon Circle; 8:00 p.m.; Florida School of Holis-tic Living, Orlando; 407-595-3731; Fee; see p. 26SEPTEMbER 19Organic Gardening 101; 4:00 p.m.; Avalon and Beyond, Orlando; 407-967-6042; Free; see ad p. 13Peace Power Practice; 10:00 a.m.; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-874-3272; Love Offering; see ad p. 53Ear Candling (includes two free candles); All Day; The Nature’s Garden, Maitland; 407-599-0406; Fee; see ad p. 23HEART (Helping Everyone Awaken Real Truths); 6:00 p.m.; Artful Living, Belleview; 407-704-2320; Love Offering; see ad p. 68SEPTEMbER 21Foundations Class; 6:30 p.m.; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; Fee; see ad p. 70The Essential Ernest Holmes; 6:30 p.m.; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; Fee; see ad p. 70

108: Practice for Peace; 5:00 p.m.; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-874-3272; Love Offering; see ad p. 53SEPTEMbER 22Fall Equinox; 5:15 p.m.; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Lees-burg; 352-874-3272; Love Offering; see ad p. 53Cardio Screening and Health Consultation; All Day; The Nature’s Garden, Maitland; 407-599-0406; Fee; see ad p. 23SEPTEMbER 23Nutritional Blood Analysis; All day beginning at 10:00 a.m.; The Nature’s Garden, Maitland; 407-599-0406; Fee; see ad p. 23SEPTEMbER 24Light Worker Support Group; 7:00 p.m.; Alterna-tive Health Blueprint, Winter Park; 407-678-0047; Love Offering; see ad p. 58SEPTEMbER 25Ashtanga Vinyasa Master Class with Sara Devi; 6:30 p.m.; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-874-3272; Fee; see ad p. 53Homebrewing 101; 6:00 p.m.; Florida School of Holistic Living, Orlando; 407-595-3731; Fee; see p. 26Ear Candling; 2:00 p.m.; Artful Living, Belleview; 407-704-2320; Fee; see ad p. 68SEPTEMbER 26An Evening with Andrew Weil; 7:00 p.m.; present-ed by Florida School of Holistic Living at Wyndham Resort, Orlando; 407-595-3731; Fee; see ad p. 4Birth, Babies and Beyond Family Event; Noon; presented by Central Florida Birth Network at First Presbyterian Church Gymnasium, Maitland; 407-766-2857; FreeShowing of the yoga film “Enlighten Up!”; 7:00 p.m.; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-874-3272; Fee; see ad p. 53Introduction to Reiki; 10:00 a.m.; Alternative Health Blueprint, Winter Park; 407-678-0047; Fee; see ad p. 58Inspired Vinyasa; 7:00 p.m.; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-874-3272; Fee; see ad p. 53Starseed Saturdays for Children: Ages 4-12; 10:00 a.m..; sponsored by Yoga Central and held at Gematria, Mount Dora; 352-383-7979; Fee; see ad p. 43SEPTEMbER 27Restorative Vinyasa Blend; 10:00 a.m.; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-874-3272; Fee; ad p. 53

SEPTEMBER 2009

SEPTEMBEREVENTS

SEPTEMbER 1Portrait Class; 4:30 p.m.; All About Art, Belleview; 352-307-9774; Fee; see ad p. 68Central Florida Cultural Society; 6:30 p.m.; All About Art, Belleview; 352-307-9774; Fee; see ad p. 68SEPTEMbER 2Drawing with Michelle; 10:00 a.m.; All About Art, Belleview; 352-307-9774; Fee; see ad p. 68SEPTEMbER 3Art Classes-Multimedia; 10:00 a.m.; All About Art, Belleview; 352-307-9774; Fee; see ad p. 68Drawing Class; 3:00 p.m.; All About Art, Belleview; 352-307-9774; Fee; see ad p. 68Food As Medicine; 7:00 p.m.; Florida School of Ho-listic Living, Orlando; 407-595-3731; Fee; see p. 26SEPTEMbER 5Beekeeping 101; 1:00 p.m.; Florida School of Holis-tic Living, Orlando; 407-595-3731; Fee; see ad p. 4Community Drum Circle; 8:00 p.m.; Orlando Brew-ing and Florida School of Holistic Living, Orlando; 407-595-3731; Love Offering; see p. 26SEPTEMbER 6Admon Kadmon Lightbody Activation; 10:00 a.m.; presented by the Modern Mystery School at the Center for Self Awareness, Fern Park; 407-252-2682; Fee; see ad p. 51SEPTEMbER 8Menu for the Future; 7:00 p.m.; Florida School of Holistic Living, Orlando; 407-595-3731; Fee; see article p. 26SEPTEMbER 10Cardio Screening and Health Consultation; All Day; The Nature’s Garden, Maitland; 407-599-0406; Fee; see ad p. 23Mandala Yoga; 6:45 p.m.; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-874-3272; Fee; see ad p. 53SEPTEMbER 12108: Practice for Peace; 9:00 p.m.; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-874-3272; Love Offering; see ad p. 53Introduction to Reiki; 10:00 a.m.; Alternative Health Blueprint, Winter Park; 407-678-0047; Fee; see ad p. 58Relationships That Work; 6:30 p.m.; Satvatove, Insti-tute, Gainesville; 386-418-8840; Fee; see ad p. 53Beekeeping 101; 1:00 p.m.; Florida School of Holis-tic Living, Orlando; 407-595-3731; Fee; see p. 26

“Visions are given so that we canchange the probable reality.”

— Gordon Michael Scallion


SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT27 28 29 30 1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 10

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

18 19 20 21 22 23 24

25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Psychic House Party; 2:00 p.m.; Davenport/Four Corners; 863-420-3634; Fee; see ad p. 61OCTObER 1-4Jikiden Reiki-Shoden Level; 10:00 a.m.; present-ed by the Modern Mystery School at the Center for Self Awareness, Fern Park; 407-252-2682; Fee; see ad p. 51OCTObER 2Relationships That Work; 6:30 p.m.; Satvatove, Institute, Gainesville; 386-418-8840; Fee; see ad p. 53OCTObER 3Pranayama and Meditation for Beginners; 8:00 a.m.; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-874-3272; Fee; see ad p. 53Abundance and Prosperity Life Workshop; 7:00 p.m.; presented by the Modern Mystery School at the Center for Self Awareness, Fern Park; 407-252-2682; Fee; see ad p. 51Survival Skills 101; 1:00 p.m.; Florida School of Holistic Living, Orlando; 407-595-3731; Fee; see ad p. 4 Community Drum Circle; 8:00 p.m.; Orlando Brewing and Florida School of Holistic Living, Orlando; 407-595-3731; Love Offering; see ad p. 4OCTObER 4Full Moon Circle; 8:00 p.m.; Florida School of Holistic Living, Orlando; 407-595-3731; Fee; see ad p. 4OCTObER 7Intro. to Holistic Nutrition; 6:00 p.m.; Florida School of Holistic Living, Orlando; 407-595-3731; Fee; see ad p. 4Roots of Herbalism; 6:30 p.m.; Florida School of Holistic Living, Orlando; 407-595-3731; Fee; see ad p. 4OCTObER 8Cardio Screening and Health Consultation; All Day; The Nature’s Garden, Maitland; 407-599-0406; Fee; see ad p. 23OCTObER 10Create an Herbal Medicine Chest; 4:00 p.m.; Avalon and Beyond, Orlando; 407-967-6042; Fee; see ad p. 13Reiki I; 10:00 a.m.; Alternative Health Blueprint, Winter Park; 407-678-0047; Fee; see ad p. 58Birithday Bash and Eco Fashion Show; time TBA.; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-874-3272; Fee; see ad p. 53

EVENTSOCTOBEROCTOBER 2009

“The crisis, as well as the opportunity, of our time is to surrender our ego and conditioned fear mechanisms to the primary torsion

energy of unconditional love that is seeking to evolve us and is calling us as a species home.” — Sol Luckman

Ear Candling (includes two free candles); All Day; The Nature’s Garden, Maitland; 407-599-0406; Fee; see ad p. 23OCTObER 11Reiki I; 10:00 a.m.; Alternative Health Blueprint, Winter Park; 407-678-0047; Fee; see ad p. 58OCTObER 17Intro. to Canning: Jams and Jellies; 3:00 p.m.; Florida School of Holistic Living, Orlando; 407-595-3731; Fee; see p. 26Nutritional Blood Analysis; All day beginning at 10:00 a.m.; The Nature’s Garden, Maitland; 407-599-0406; Fee; see ad p. 23HEART (Helping Everyone Awaken Real Truths); 6:00 p.m.; Artful Living, Belleview; 407-704-2320; Love Offering; see ad p. 68Couples’ Thai Yoga; 1:00 p.m.; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-874-3272; Fee; see ad p. 53OCTObER 18New Moon Circle; 8:00 p.m.; Florida School of Holistic Living, Orlando; 407-595-3731; Love Of-fering; see p. 26OCTObER 20Cardio Screening and Health Consultation; All Day; The Nature’s Garden, Maitland; 407-599-0406; Fee; see ad p. 23OCTObER 22Self Discovery through Journaling; 6:00 p.m.; Florida School of Holistic Living, Orlando; 407-595-3731; Fee; see p. 26OCTObER 23-25Transformative Communication and Self-Empowerment Seminar; 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.; Satvatove, Institute, Gainesville; 386-418-8840; Fee; see ad p. 53OCTObER 24Master Mind-Prosperity Workshop; 10:00 a.m.; Sanctuary of Sophia, Mount Dora; 352-383-6444; Love Offering; see ad p. 56Healthy Cooking Class; 2:00 p.m.; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-874-3272; Fee; see ad p. 53Starseed Saturdays for Children: Ages 4-12; 10:00 a.m..; sponsored by Yoga Central and held at Gematria, Mount Dora; 352-383-7979; Fee; see ad p. 43

OCTObER 25Ashtanga Vinyasa Flow with Sara Devi; All day beginning at 10:00 a.m.; Jeweled Lotus Yoga, Leesburg; 352-874-3272; Fee; see ad p. 53OCTObER 29Light Worker Support Group; 7:00 p.m.; Alterna-tive Health Blueprint, Winter Park; 407-678-0047; Love Offering; see ad p. 58OCTObER 31Parapsychology Expo; 9:00 a.m.; Lake Miona Rec. Ctr., The Villages; 352-205-6055; Free; see ad p. 67

SUNDAYSCelebration of Life; 10:30 a.m.; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; Love Offering; see ad p. 70

MONDAYSIntro. to African Drumming; 7:00 p.m.; Florida School of Holistic Living, Orlando; 407-595-3731; Fee; see p. 26TUESDAYS bEGINNING SEPTEMbER 29The Heart’s Journey: Guided Imagery Program; 7:00 p.m.; Presented by YAHWEH Academy of Light at Gematria, Mount Dora; 352-357-5918; Fee; see ad p. 2

WEDNESDAYSBig Thinkers Book Study; 6:30 p.m.; Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living, Eustis; 352-589-2620; Love Offering; see ad p. 70

2nd and 4th WEDNESDAYSThe Max Meditation SystemTM; 7:00 p.m.; presented by the Modern Mystery School at the Center for Self Awareness, Fern Park; 407-252-2682; Fee; see ad p. 51

WEDNESDAYS IN SEPTEMbER ONLYAdvanced Meditation and Film; 4:00 p.m.; Sanctuary of Sophia, Mount Dora; 352-383-6444; Love Offering; see ad p. 56

THURSDAYS IN OCTObER except for Oct. 8Advanced Meditation and Film; 6:00 p.m.; Sanctuary of Sophia, Mount Dora; 352-383-6444; Love Offering; see ad p. 56



ADVERTISEMENT


30 years ago, I was a nurse in a refugee camp on the Thailand-Cambodian border. Cambodia

had been invaded by the People’s Army of Vietnam in 1979 and the People’s Republic of Kampuchea was installed under Pol Pot and years of horrific genocide in “The Killing Fields” followed. I volunteered in the triage area for wounded and ill refugees.

The triage area had bare wooden cots, a dirt floor, and walls of bamboo stalks. Naked light bulbs hung from wires, and tanks of potable water stood outside on platforms. Plastic tubs of cool bathing water were in frequent use to reduce in-fants’ high fevers. Tools were simple and medications sparse. Each volunteer worked with a Khmer refugee as a translator. One particular afternoon, after a night of heavy gunfire three miles away, wounded fighters began to sneak in, pretending to be refugees. To my untrained eyes, they were all Southeast Asians. However, to the refugees, it was apparent that one was a Vietnamese deserter from the army that had invaded their country. Another was a fighter with Pol Pot’s army, yet another was a wounded warrior from the resisting forces within Cambodia. A fourth man, very ill, was a guard with the Thai army, the group that controlled the refugee camp, and none too gently. The men laid on cots, each in vary-ing degrees of consciousness. Volunteers like myself attended to their needs. The refugees around us became guarded and withdrawn, unlike their usual good spirits. My translator explained the complex history of invasions by the armies of countries whose soldiers lay on the cots, and the suffering the Cambodian people experienced. I donated blood to one.

As we worked, we could all see that the men’s blood was the same color, that each man was weakened in the same way by blood loss, that pain brought each man to his knees, and that

infection and dehydration caused the same fever in each. Our very molecules were the same. At an energy level, the electrons on my skin were mixing with the electrons on the mens’ skin and in their wounds. Where I began and they ended was just an intellectual construct. The fundamental ways in which we are all the same was dramatically impressed upon me and, to a lesser degree, my translator (who had lost his entire family to the Khmer Rouge Army). This experience became life chang-ing in its power to help me see past our few differences to our much greater shared humanity.

It was devastating to see that once each man had sufficient en-ergy to move, he used that minimal strength to drag himself out of the triage area, under the surrounding barbed wire, and to leave the neutral camp area and return to killing in the name of an idea.

You don’t need to be splashed by another’s blood to understand that we are all the same. It certainly does, however, bring tre-mendous power to that awareness.

Deborah A. Orr, RN, PhD, is a grateful psychologist with many life changing experiences to-date. She has begun a new venture where leadership thrives. For more informa-tion, visit Phoenix and Dragon, Inc. at www.GrowingIn-Spirit.net. See ad next page.




The times they are a changin.’ Or are they? If we look back in time we might see that time is standing still, as we continu-ally repeat the pat-terns from our past. For eons society has

been riding emotional, financial and cul-tural roller coasters. And what have we learned? From what I see, not much!

We continue to wage wars that challenge political principles, defend promised lands, idolize deities, or simply serve our personal egotistical values. We label races, religions and cultures as we pass judgment on different opinions. Every hundred years or so, we gear into fear mode while some great prophet or oracle declares a pending Armageddon with a promise of everlasting peace at its end.

Throughout history we have lived through the wrath of men like Attila the Hun, Hitler, Saddam Hussein, or the misguided prophecies of men like Jim Jones, who saw the Promised Land in a cup of Kool-Aid. Governments and empires have degraded, murdered and pillaged for generations in their efforts to make a better world.

Some claim to know what the future holds, but no one real-ly knows. As it stands today, we can pretty much count on more of the same. Un-less we swallow our pride set aside our egos and ideologies once and for all, we will nev-er experience lasting peace. Instead of repeating history by ravaging our minds with thoughts of our demise, we might consider reviewing the

words of men like Martin Luther King, Gandhi, or Nelson Mandela. There is nothing wrong with standing for a prin-ciple or a religious belief as long as we remember we are all entitled to our own opinions. Although we may not neces-sarily agree with others, our free will is our God-given right. There are times we may have to agree to disagree and ac-cept another’s point of view. This does not condone disrespect, or aggressive re-taliation or forced control on another. It does require setting boundaries and re-specting the space of another while be-ing accountable and taking responsibil-ity for our positions and contributions to the state of our world today.

With global warming, swine flu, dam-aged ozone layers, polluted waterways, droughts, floods, earthquakes, hurricanes and mosquito bites, one would think we could focus on issues other than who has the biggest bomb. After all, if we blow

each other up, who is left?

I once did an exercise called chocolate/vanilla choose. At the time I didn’t under-stand its meaning. We were asked which flavor we wanted: chocolate or vanilla, choose! The point was that we had a choice, not just a preference. On a larger scale we obviously have a prefer-ence for peace. But what are we choosing?

Diane is author of “The Gather-ing,” a book of poems addressing life’s addic-tions, co-de-p e n d e n c i e s and obses-sions. Her workbook on anger manage-ment, “Shut the Duck Up,” has been used with great success at The Anthony House, a homeless shelter in Zell-wood, Florida. Please see Diane’s ad, left.


Now is the time for remembering and assisting ourselves to create bodies that provide us with nourishment from the upper worlds. This nourishment is in the air we breathe. It is called “prana” or life force and it comes from the Divine. We have the ability to utilize the air we breathe to sustain our life force and ultimately not have to eat food of any kind. The prana becomes our food.

People exist who can live on just the air they breathe. They are called breatharians. Some have been born this way because their mothers were breatharians. If we look at the gurus and masters of India we notice how peaceful they look, some so blissful oth-ers might think they took drugs to achieve that state. It is prana which sustains them. These breatharians have learned how to master breathing. I personally met a breatharian who lived in the Himalayas part of the time. Her energy was amazing. In the early years of my spiritual path I decided to become a fruitarian (eating only fruit). I was advised not to eat sweet fruit, however. (Anything with a seed is a fruit.) I did this for awhile and couldn’t believe the energy that came from my hands when I offered my healing sessions. At that time though, I had just given up so much of my earthly lifestyle, the only thing I had left as far as a social life was going out to dinner with my friends, so I soon gave it up missing that camaraderie. I have been doing breathing exercises now for almost 20 years. I love prana yoga (pranayama) the best. I frequently tell my students you can get higher with pranayama more so than with any drug.

When beginning to take in the nourishment from the upper worlds it is important to strengthen the diaphragm. Ninety percent of us do not breathe correctly. Most of us breathe very shal-lowly, using only the upper part of the chest. Just breathing more deeply can change our lives, lowering stress levels in our bodies, heal many illnesses and remove toxins from the blood. It can even change our posture.

Here are simple steps to begin:It will be important to sit straight up in a chair or Indian style on the floor, the spine straight. The chin should go down and back just slightly so the airways are open. Next, place your hand on the belly and take a deep breath in pushing out the belly so it looks like a Buddha belly or a pregnant woman’s belly, with no air go-ing into the upper chest. Then let the breath out very slowly and in a controlled manner until all the air is empty from the body. As you breathe out push your stomach all the way back to the spine exhaling from the mouth. This might be difficult for some in the beginning but the more one practices, it will get easier. Start by taking ten of these breaths twice a day. This can retrain the body to breathe more deeply, naturally. In this way, when we are in a stressful moment, we will automatically breathe deeply and the tension will not stay stuck in the body. Most people that are breathing from the chest are causing all their stress to stay in the neck and shoulders, causing many discomforts.

After we have practiced for awhile, we can then begin to hold the breath for a short time after taking a deep breath. Only hold for as long as is comfortable. Then letting all the breath out of the body, and when all the air is completely out, hold the breath for

a short time before exhaling. Holding the breath will increase stamina and strengthen the diaphragm. As we continue

to do this practice we will be able to hold the breath for longer periods of time. Just before coming out of a deep sleep one morning I heard Spirit say to me: “When you master the breath, you will master your life.”

Rahansia P. Ben-Mejuri is a licensed massage therapist (MA12828). She is a practitioner of energy healing

and clearing, color light ther-apy and aura balancing.

She offers healing classes and may be reached at

(352)735-6842.See Rahansia’s ad bottom of

column one, next page.




We aren’t what we eat. We are what we absorb.by Marty Ward

In 2005 I discovered I had mercury poisoning. In an effort to be healthy as a vegetarian, I was eating a good deal of tuna and salmon for protein and these were the source of the mercury in my body. My nutritionist prescribed a specialized series of pills to chelate (remove) the mercury. After a few months, thankfully, my memory and hearing returned! She also had me on a number of carefully determined vitamins to resolve my narcolepsy (which caused me to fall asleep at the wheel each day for years – yikes!). Additionally, these supplements were selected to improve my di-gestion, help me sleep through the night, ease my depression, have stronger nails and stop my hair from falling out due to stress. My tackle box full of vitamins cost $125-150 per month. Three years later in June 2008 my symptoms were a bit better but still in force. With my pocketbook thinning, I was looking at my very healthy cabinet, wondering which vitamins I could cut out when a friend called. She said, “I found a company that custom-izes supplements specifically to your body that, in fact, allow the body to heal itself.” “How much?” I shuddered, thinking they had to be a lot of money. To my surprise and delight she said, “$55.95.” I demanded, “Get over here right now!” We are all different — in size, shape, color, and environmental influence. Why would a 250 pound, 30 year old man take the same supplements that a 45 year old 110 pound woman takes? I took Ideal Health’s (now Trump Network) PrivaTest, an in-home scientifically proven metabolic test. And soon after, I no longer had the problem of making my best guess as I scanned the sup-plements aisles. I was now able to know exactly what my body needed. I discovered that these supplements had an approximate 90% absorption rate with the only filler being fruits and vegetables. A doctor discussing generic prenatal vitamins once said at a lec-ture, “We make them big in the hopes that some of it will be absorbed.” Imagine that.

Within weeks of taking my very own synergistically formulated supplements with 50 medical grade phytonutrients and chelated trace minerals I was no longer narcoleptic, for the first time in 30 years. For the first time in my life I was no longer depressed. I had energy all day long and had no need to take naps in the afternoon. I slept through the night getting up only once versus six times. My hair stopped falling out and my digestion got back

on track. My pocketbook was happy, too, as I saved over $100 per month. More important than the savings, my quality of life vastly improved. I feel energetic, less anxious, and I just overall feel great. Priceless. Trump Network offers seven in-home tests including the Stress Test, AllerTest (for hidden allergies), DigestTest, OsteoTest, Estro-genaTest, and FitTest. The StressCaps have balanced out my ad-renal glands. The bonus to good adrenal function is being able to lose weight! Enter Silhouette Solution’s carefully calibrated 15 grams protein and low carb meals eaten five times a day. Ta da! I was a size 12 and 153 pounds when I started taking Custom Essentials and I am now a size 6 and 120 pounds. I lost inches in all the right places. My belly is flat, hips smaller, arms toned and I’m feeling energized and foxy. How cool is that? Customized synergistic supplements and carefully calibrated diet solutions are my key to optimum health.

For more information on how you can feel energized and foxy, call Marty Ward, Independent Marketer and Founding Member of Trump Network at 321-848-4997 or email [email protected]. Visit: www.cantsayhisname.com/martyward, www.trumpnetwork.com/martyward.


Welcome to the In the time of the first beginning, Gaia, the mother of all, slept deeply in a great celestial silence. In this silence, the womb of all existence, the mother dreamt of the beauty and joy within her and began to sing softly. She sang her dream to life. The infinite faces of love, the passages of time, great journeys and adventures. She dreamt that the dinosaurs roamed, swam in her waters and flew through her air. In a flash they were gone and a new dream continued with the dawn of man, the great beasts of the air and sea. The Mother’s body, our earth covered with green and colors of all shapes and sizes. As the ages came and went, the wonder of life rediscovered it-self and became so convincing that for a time Gaia forgot she was dream-ing as she dreamt a dream within a dream, within a dream.

In this dream, man moved away from nature and tried to control the natural world, poisoned his own home and waged war on his brother. Gaia began to sing a new song and her dream changed yet again, as it must every time she changes the vibrations of her song. Mother began to sing her new song and change swept over the earth. All but man and his unnatural ways adapted to the new song. Our con-structs of religion, government, and money

offered temporary resistance, but Gaia’s song led hu-

manity out of the old ways.

Within the new dream Gaia re-membered she was dreaming

and awoke, birthing herself and us into the awakened world where every aspect

of creation is aware of its inseparable, eternal existence

as a part of the body of Gaia, for she birthed herself into wak-

ing existence through her own dreaming.

Within each of us Gaia lives. We are her eyes, ears, hands and heart. As she

wakes, so each of us is waking up. The old ways of thought, feeling and ex-

pression are fading away like rem-nants of a recurring dream, for

they no longer serve us. What replaces them is being shaped right now, moment by mo-

ment through the conscious-ness that we choose to hold and

the perceptions of the dream that we proclaim as “real.”

In this time of great uncertainty it is comforting to realize that there is only one

fear. It wears many masks, but its only true identity is the unknown. The way to conquer

this fear, so it doesn’t distort our perceptions, is to listen to our Mother’s new song as she sings

softly of love (the only thing that IS real) within our own hearts. We are all tuned to the vibration that is her song. The living song that we are all made of. As we awaken with Mother and walk with her, we are holding space for the waking reality of Love.

Christopher Tims has lectured and taught about Sound and Light throughout the United States, Canada and Australia for over 20 years. Among other places, he is currently holding Mys-tery School classes, Gates Workshops and varied evening talks at Elemental Crossings in Sanford, Florida. See ad for Elemental Crossings on page 16. Visit: www.elementalcrossings.com; www.soundheal-ing.org; www.christophertims.com.

Great Awakening

by Christopher Tims


An excerpt reprinted with permission from the new book “It’s Not the End of the World: Developing Resilience in Times of Change”

by Joan Borysenko, Ph. D.Hay House, September 2009

Join Joan Borysenko and other bestselling authors at the Hay House I Can Do It! Confer-ence in Tampa, Florida, November 19-22. Visit www.icandoit.net for more information.

A new world is emerging at warp speed, and some of us will do better than others adapting to it. One laid-off programmer goes home and writes code that turns his iPhone into a xylophone. In ten months he’s a millionaire, catapulted into programmer heaven by megasales

on Apple’s innovative App Store. A second laid-off programmer stresses out and spends his days worried, bored, and depressed.

I’ve always been fascinated by the differences between these two kinds of people. Their outer circumstances are identical, but they respond to change in radically different ways. One gives up and the other takes off. One clings to the past, while the other becomes the future.

Understanding that the future isn’t something that happens to you, but some-thing that you create is the key to surviving and thriving in changing times.

We can all recite the fearful story line of the 21st century: The global climate is changing for the worse. A mass die-off of species is under way. Terror-ists breed panic and uncertainty. Financial worry creates chronic stress and threatens the survival of business as usual here and abroad. The world popula-tion resembles a bacterial culture that has outgrown its petri dish. Pandemics crouch in the wings, ready to pounce. And that’s just the beginning of the familiar litany.

But what if there’s a more hopeful way to understand this postmodern sto-ry—this parenthesis between what used to be and the innovative, sustainable future that can be? Those who will thrive and create that new future are the ones with enough vision and resilience to see the hope through the hype. The late physicist Ilya Prigogine, who completed his distinguished career at the University of Texas at Austin, which now houses his Center for Complex Quantum Systems, won a Nobel Prize in 1977 for his theory of dissipa-tive structures. Simply put, all complex systems from subatomic particles to human civilizations reach a point where their current level of organization becomes unstable. Then they melt down. When the old system crashes, it can then reconfigure in a better way, free from the determinism of the past. Prigogine called this daunting event an “escape to a higher order.” That’s

where we are at this moment in history, and although the changes we face are disconcerting in the short run, they’re a prelude to great possibility.

The Chinese character for change is made up of two characters: danger and opportunity. The danger lies in giving in to the fear that accompanies the loss of the familiar. Fear is poisonous to creativity because when we’re in survival mode, the tendency is to regress and hole up in some “safe haven,” often turning to alcohol, drugs, television, or rigid ideologies.

The opportunity of change, on the other hand, lies in being ejected from our comfort zone. Like a cave dweller suddenly thrust into the light, it takes a while to adjust. But when we open our eyes and look around with an open mind and a curious heart, a whole new world of possibilities reveals itself.

Hay House, Inc. is proud to present the annual I Can Do It!® conference November 19–22 at the Tampa Convention Center in Florida. (Please see ad page 5.) Experience this life-changing event for an evening, a day or the weekend and attend lectures from over 35 of your favorite inspirational speakers—many of them New York Times best-selling authors—including Louise Hay, Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, Sylvia Browne, Loretta LaRoche, Gregg Braden, Sonia Choquette, Bruce Lipton, Ph.D., Caroline Myss, Marianne Williamson, Brian Weiss, M.D., Dr. Bernie Seigel, Thomas Moore, Cheryl Richardson, and Joan Borysenko just to name a few. From health, nutrition, and wellness to psychics,

spirituality, and dream interpretation, I Can Do It!® will energize your mind, body, and spirit!

Attend movie screenings of You Can Heal Your Life, and Dr. Wayne Dyer’s new movie, The Shift. Enjoy dozens of exhibits and an on-site bookstore; have your books autographed by the speakers after their workshops and keynotes; and take the audio sessions home with you

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Isn’t this what we are desperately seeking? Silence. Stillness. The absolute moment of doing the non-doing. We meditate, pray, we close our eyes, we breathe deep breaths. We put on

melodic flute music, turn it off. Stop. Stop my thoughts. Stop my worries, my concerns, my tight muscles, my aches. Stop the constant buzz in my bones, in my nerves. Stop the world from turning, I want to get off.

When I was a young and over-motivated massage therapist, my Shiatsu mentor, Daniel Gilboa, asked me to massage him. Need-less to say, I did not sleep the night before. What an honor! What a challenge! Daniel, still on a pedestal for me to this day, was an acclaimed practitioner, experienced, amazingly knowledgeable, and a man of few words. I started my session with a deep breath, my hands on his body. Wonderful terrible ghastly silence. I am honored, I am scared. Be brave and good, Ana.

Feeling the sweat rolling down my spine, not breathing for the first hour, I overdid it. I did hear the chaotic terrible ghastly noise in my hands, drums and trumpets and crushes — like an orches-tra tuning. What chaos. Every instrument blows harder. Show him all my skills and tricks! I was lost in my fears, choking, tears in my throat, hearing my own explosion rolling.

At that moment, Daniel quietly asked me to stop, keep my hands on him, but stop. A second of insulted ego in me, and then, there was a terrible ghastly silence. Nothing existed, nothing heard, nothing moved. The best relief ever, the gift of stillness. The gift

of the gift of touch. Nothing involved, no challenges, no egos to please, not a mentor on a pedestal, not a fearful student. Just the good comforting silence and stillness of existence. One energy, unique.

Every person, every therapist and professional, must experience and respect the stillness. Yes, I do address muscles and ligaments and great facial products and special oils when I work. My touch may stimulate and invigorate, but my main goal in any bodywork performed is to reach the quiet balance, the flow, the floating feel-ing of nothing matters, nothing exists, I and myself are one, I and the space are one, all one blessed, non-separable unit of energy.

We do not know what 2012 will bring. There are prophecies, predictions, and there are fears from the unknown. Some people have plans. Many have doubts. Just like me in my mentor’s ses-sion, people will lose sleep over it. What about us? What will hap-pen to us? What can I do, prepare, provide? Nothing. Be quiet.

I welcome with open arms and joyful heart the earth changes. To be quite honest, I wish for them, long for them. There will be a terrible ghastly silence.

Ana Rabatin is a licensed massage therapist and esthetician (MA41207; MM22402). Ana has been in the body-mind field for 29 years, teaching massage, Shiatsu and reflexology in Israel and Europe. Ana developed the Alpha Touch approach, which combines eastern modalities with western techniques, reaching the unique state of relaxation for optimal health and faster healing. Please see ad this page.

2012 — Silence. Noise. Silence.by ana rabatin

There was a terrible ghastly silence.There was a terrible ghastly noise.

There was a terrible ghastly silence.-- “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams



ARIES (March 20-April 19) You are in a better place now to more objectively look back over the past few months. Try to view your life and experi-ences from a broader perspective. Looking at the larger picture may help you more clearly under-stand how everything really does happen for a reason. Let the positive outcomes that have oc-curred fuel your faith and trust that all is exactly as it should be. AFFIRMATION: My life unfolds one day at a time, totally supporting my journey towards wholeness.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Observe what creates stress or concern for you. What does not seem to be working quite right for you? What long held beliefs or ideas about yourself are being chal-lenged? It is time to shed the skin of the old you. Let go of or revise what does not fit your life now. No need to hold on! As you let go, you make room for new ideas and experiences to unfold that more truly support who you are today! AF-FIRMATION: With each breath, I intentionally let go of what no longer serves me. With each step I move towards a more joyful expression of who I truly am!

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) You are exactly where you are meant to be! ALLOW life to unfold. You do not have to make it happen. Sit back, relax, take time for yourself and watch your life un-folds. Trust that you are in good hands. Your spirit guides and angels are supporting you in your growth process. Life may not be quite like it was before, but that’s okay! Trust that you are evolving deep within and have faith in your soul’s guidance. AFFIRMATION: I allow my mind and thoughts to rest as I tune in and listen to my inner knowingness. I trust that I am being guided in line with my highest good.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Feel good about the inner work you have done and the progress you have made over the past few months. Focus on strengthening the foundation of healthy self-care you have initiated. Congratulate yourself on the positive outcomes you are now seeing as a result of your efforts. You are doing a great job! Quickly shift any thoughts of doubt to the most positive you can imagine for yourself. Keep up the good work! AFFIRMATION: I create each day with life-affirming thoughts and feelings. I love and appre-ciate myself — all that I do and all that I AM.

LEO (July 23-Aug.22) Let a sense of joy and grati-tude permeate all areas of your life regardless of how good or bad you perceive them to be. When we radiate with positivity, it comes back to us magnified. Step into each day on the most posi-tive note possible and see what unfolds for you! BE the joyous God/Goddess that you truly are! Let your radiance shine wherever you go and in all that you do! AFFIRMATION: I AM Joy! I AM filled with Joy! Joy is all THAT I AM!

VIRGO (Aug.23-Sept.22) As you complete and begin a new year with your birthday, open your heart to a deeper sense of love and appreciation for yourself. Honor yourself for the challenges you have negotiated, for your progress, for your growth! Forget the mistakes, regrets or “should haves.” Focus on experiencing life one day at a time as an empowered God/Goddess. Create what you want with a positive outlook and a heart filled with self-love. AFFIRMATION: I love, respect and appreciate myself in all that I do and in all THAT I AM.

LIBRA (Sept.23-Oct.22) Take a little time to review the past year as you approach your birthday. What is no longer needed? Clean out the closets, garage,

We are indeed in a time of incredible change and tran-sition. Life is just not that smooth and easy, nor has it been for a long time. A number of years ago, I thought I was going crazy because I just couldn’t get a grip on “reality.” How wonderful it was to find out that I was not alone in how I felt and in fact, that many power-ful cosmic shifts and planetary alignments were stir-ring the pot, creating what many are calling the Earth Changes.

“She changes everything She touches andeverything She touches changes.”

The words to this beautiful chant honor the Goddess aspect of the Divine and acknowledge the ever-shift-ing cycles of nature. Even more than ever before, the concept that “the only thing we can count on is change” is so very apparent everywhere we look. “We’re living the end of time. Not the end of the world, but the end of a world age, because the end of anything also marks the beginning of what comes next, we’re also living the start of what follows the end of time: the next world age, which ancient traditions called the great cycle.” (from Fractal Time: The Secret of 2012 and a New World Age by Gregg Braden in an article in Wisdom Magazine, March 2009, p.27).

“The Mayans prophesied that from 1999 we have 13 years to actualize shifts in our awareness and behav-ior, to stray from the path of self and global destruc-tion, and to move onto a path that opens our con-sciousness to integrate us with all that exists.” (from Countdown to 2012: Approaching the year 2012 As An Opportunity by Cohen and Landau, www.oursa-credjourneys.com).

From the early nineties, we have been enticed, asked, pushed and forced to make changes in order to deepen our self-awareness and connect to our true self. “2012 is code for this quantum shift point, the transition period between the old world and the new. Its personal, planetary and cosmic meaning is stored in the cellular memory of every living being on the planet, as well as the Earth herself .... We are guided by the stars through this magical time, the pre-dawn hours of the next world age.” (from www.StarPriestess.com, 11/14/06)

The planet Uranus, the great awakener and the planet of revolution, has been moving through the sign of Pisces (2003-2011) breaking down old structures in order to change the status quo. Pisces governs our emotions, intuition and spirituality. This combination has been assisting in creating a spiritual revolution and a major shifting in how we deal with our emo-tions and connect to our intuition.

Neptune in Aquarius (1998-2012) is assisting us in learning how to tame the ego and surrender to the flow of the Universe. Acceptance of all events as per-fect and in Divine order; using our thoughts and vi-sualizations to manifest what we desire; and tapping into our power to create our reality are some of the gifts of this powerful planetary transit.

Pluto in Sagittarius (1995-2008) was a time of digging deep into every facet of life to expose the truth and to overthrow established order. The last time this transit occurred, it preceded the French and American Revo-lutions. This transit taught us to speak our truth and to realize that what we think upon is what we attract. Now, Pluto in Capricorn (2009-2023) is the catalyst for breaking down old, outmoded structures and will as-sist us in rebuilding and implementing changes that support a sense of global oneness, love, harmony and respect for all life on our planet.


drawers or office to move some energy in prepa-ration for the new year that begins with your birthday. If it doesn’t fit emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually, then you don’t need it any more. Get rid of it and step forward without the baggage, ready to begin anew. You have a clean slate before you. What do you wish to create for yourself? AFFIRMATION: My positive thoughts, words and actions create the foundation for the joyful, abundant, fulfilling life I see unfolding be-fore me. Thank you for my wonderful life!

SCORPIO (Oct.23-Nov.21) You recently received some very clear indications as to what may not be supporting you in the way you would like. Take a closer look and consider what steps need to be taken to clean up your act. Take care of busi-ness, one day at a time and keep breathing. No need to be so serious. Schedule time for enjoying yourself. A little fun might lighten things up a bit. AFFIRMATION: It is okay to make changes in my life. As I let go of the old, there is space for new ideas, new experiences and fun!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov.22-Dec.21) One day at a time, nurture and strengthen your connection to Spirit. Trust that all things happen when the time is right. Make plans but be flexible. If things change, remember, it is always for a reason. Trust that Universal Law is at work. If a situation does not seem right ask the higher forces to work it through in accordance with Universal Law — in line with the highest good for all. Trust that all is unfolding exactly as and when it should. AFFIR-MATION: I ask that right timing and right action flow through all my affairs and desires aligning them with Divine Will.

CAPRICORN (Dec.22-Jan.19) Feel the support and guidance you are receiving from the Universe. Even though you may have encountered some challenges over the past few months, be grateful for the insights and deeper understanding that

are being revealed to you. Be in gratitude for all your blessings and for the growth offered to you by the Universe. You are indeed blessed! AFFIR-MATION: I AM filled with peace, gratitude, love and joy. May it radiate out to touch the hearts of all those I encounter each day. I AM blessed!

AQUARIUS (Jan.20-Feb.18) Okay, so you have been through the mill lately, but remember, it’s all good. With each passing day you may have a better understanding of what has recently occurred for you and as a result feel a deeper sense of inner peace. You are being asked to step more fully into alignment with your true self. Acknowledge and feel the power of who you are, dear God/Goddess. As we move through the sign of Libra, you will be ready to more confidently own your power. Go for it! AF-FIRMATION: I AM a wondrous God/Goddess aligned with Spirit and walking my path each day in joy and gratitude.

PISCES (Feb.19-March19) What are you focusing on and thinking about? Is it what you want in your life? If not, get busy and change your fo-cus. Remember that you are not a victim, but a creator of your circumstances. Quickly shift any thoughts that are not the most positive. This is a time to be very mindful of what you think and talk about. Step up to the plate to create something really good. AFFIRMATION: I have the power to create what I really want in my life. AND, I only want the very best I can imagine for myself and my world.

Raven Moondance (aka Shenna Benarte), ad top of next column, writes the newsletter, MOON ASTROLOGY UPDATE and monthly column on MOMA BEAR, a magazine for Gainesville, Florida moms. For a complete Moon Astrology reading or to attend a monthly Moon Astrology Class, call Raven at (352)372-8594 or email: [email protected]. See ad top of next column.


BIG L©VESecrets from SoulmatesArielle Ford and Brian Hilliard

Arielle Ford, author of “The Soulmate Secret: Manifest The Love of Your Life With The Law of Attraction,” and her husband Brian Hilliard, a business consultant, answer your questions about life, love and relationships. They believe that whether you are eighteen or eighty years old finding Big Love is always possible. Email your questions to: [email protected]

Dear Arielle and Brian,When you meet your soulmate, do you know it pretty much right away and if things go wrong, is he then not your soulmate? How do you know, if things seem great and then fall apart? I have a situation that is pretty unique, and I’m not sure what to make of it. I am getting mixed signals and even though I am in my 40s, I don’t know how to navigate this. Does the path of true love always run smooth if the person is your soulmate? I don’t know whether to give up or wait it out. Thanks, Lynn

Dear Lynn,Thank you so much for your very important question — you certainly are not alone with these thoughts and feelings regarding your loved one. I would lov-ingly suggest you navigate this from an open heart and trust the answers will be provided for you. Your concern and doubt might originate from your ego which naturally tries to protect you — so please enlist your amazing intuition to help you gain some clarity on these “mixed signals.” Your intuition is truly the best “tool” in your “toolbox” to expand your awareness, receive deeper in-sights and discern (from the heart) so as to hopefully grow the relationship, heal the relationship or at the least, understand from a place of love and not resentment, despair or anger that the relationship isn’t serving the two of you. Lynn, let’s give it a try — close your eyes and focus on your heart for a few minutes and actually “feel” love being showered upon you from your beloved, a pet, source, God — whatever and whoever will give immediate “goose bumps” and then answer these questions. Are you inspired when you’re with your beloved? Do you feel healed? Do you feel safe and secure? Do you feel renewed? Are your fears dissolving? If you’re “feeling” good about what comes up for you, then you’re truly on the right path to a healthy authentic sacred relationship. If things are clouded and you haven’t raised the expectation bar too high for your man, then be honest with yourself and your beloved and take the steps to go your separate ways.

Lynn, all relationships (soulmates included) are never smooth all the time but if you live from the heart, I promise that you will feel filled up more often and the turbulence will be minimized. I think with the help of your intuition, you’ll never have to ask yourself whether you have to “give up” on the relationship or “wait it out.” The answer will be clear and come from within—you’ll just want to “dive in” for more BIG LOVE!!!

Wishing you love, laughter and magical kisses, Arielle and Brian

Arielle Ford has spent the past 25 years living and promoting conscious-ness through all forms of media. She is one of the founding partners of the Spiritual Cinema Circle, a DVD club dedicated to providing movies about love and compassion. She is the author of seven books including the “HOT CHOCOLATE FOR THE MYSTICAL SOUL” series and her newest book, “THE SOULMATE SECRET: Manifest The Love of Your Life With The Law of Attraction.” Her husband and soulmate Brian Hilliard is a busi-ness consultant with a life-long interest in spirituality and the practice of compassion. They live in La Jolla, California. Visit: www.soulmatesecret.com.

Disclaimer: Arielle Ford, Brian Hilliard, the Big Love column and its publishers assume no responsibil-ity for any consequence relating directly or indirectly to any action or inaction you take based on the information, services or other material related to this column.


Conscious Behavior In Stressful Timesby Jeanine D’OnofrioPh. D. (ABD), LMHC, NCC

With all of the changes occurring on earth as a result of global warming, the mind and soul are most likely to be negatively af-

fected. A good example of this is Hurricane Katrina’s attack on Louisi-ana and neighboring states, and the devastation it had on thousands of people. The aftermath created human hardship and suffering, leaving individuals in a compromised state with minimal options. It is this type of earth change that can lead individuals to make poor choices because of the impact on the human mind, body, and soul. Often, human suf-fering can breed anger and hostility. According to Buss (1994), women are often the victims and men are often the perpetrators of psychological abuse. Males also have a greater tendency to use physical violence than do women (Archer, 2000).

If there are children in the home, witnessing violence has an impact on their behavior and can impair intimate relationships (Straus, Gelles, and Steinmetz, 1980). One has to remember that the principle means of human learning is through observation, and children witnessing their parents abusing each other are three times more likely to abuse their future partners (Dutton, 2007). Imitation is involved in the acquisition of aggression, whether it is physical, verbal, or emotional. Results of a study focusing on the percentage of abused children who later became abusers themselves were 40% (Widom, 1989).

There will continue to be changes in our earth. Times are going to continue to get tougher. To help our successors, we must consider what effects the earth’s changes will have on us and what steps can be put in place to help us abstain from any kind of abuse toward self and others. Maybe then earth’s changes can be just “earth’s changes.”

Originally from Queens, New York, Jeanine D’Onofrio, PhD ABD, LMHC, NCC works with children, adolescents and adults doing indi-vidual, couples, family and group counseling. She has been in private practice at Advanced Behavioral Health Center in Tavares, Florida since 2005. Please see her ad this page.

References:Archer, J. (2000). “Sex differences in aggression between heterosexual partners: A meta-analytic review.” Psychological Bulletin, 126(5): 651-680. Buss, D. (1995). “The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating,” Basic Books, New York, N.Y. Dutton, D.G. (2007). “The Abusive Personality: Violence and Control in Intimate Relationships” (2nd ed.). Guilford Press, New York, N.Y. Straus, M.A., Gelles, R.J., Steinmetz, S. (1981). “Behind Closed Doors: Violence in the American Family,” Anchor Books/Doubleday Press, Garden City, N.J.

Widom, C.S. (1989). Does violence beget violence? A critical examination of the literature. Psychological Bulletin, 106: 13-28. Abstract: “Posttraumatic Stress Dis-order in Abused and Neglected Children Grown Up.” American Journal of Psychia-try 156: 1223-1229, August 1999.


According to Samkhya yoga, it is said that at any given time in the cycles of our life, we are in one of two main states of being, or bhavanas. We are either in Pradipakshabhavana, which is a state of healing, or Shaktib-

havana which is a state of integration, which often comes from having experi-enced a time of healing, or processing. When we are in Pradipakshabhavana, we might be more inclined to draw more deeply inside or be gentle with ourselves. In our experience of Shaktibhavana, there is a feeling tone of coming through to the other side of an experience where we may have been challenged in some way; mentally, physically or emotionally. Shaktibhavana is like riding the wave of a breakthrough and then maintaining that energy by supporting or enhancing that natural state.

Have you ever been in a seemingly hope-less situation, only to find that just on the other side of that, something greater than your most outrageous imagination, was awaiting you? For instance, if one is extremely conflicted about a big deci-sion in their life, like getting married, or

choosing the right college, that conflict can feel paralyzing to the point where anything that individual endeavors to ac-complish or move into is compromised. The uncertainty accompanied by fear, is sure to affect many aspects of their life. However, once the space is created for the highest choice to become clear, then a real feeling of victory occurs. This is the transition from the state of being in a breakdown or healing cycle to that of an energetically empowered cycle.

So we can ask ourselves, am I in a heal-ing cycle or am I in an integration cycle where I have recently moved through something and now feel a stability? In either of these bhavanas, we can experi-ence a full spectrum of more subtle feel-

ing tones and emotions. It is part of the cycle of life, the ebb and flow, the ex-pansion and contraction, like the very breath that we breathe. What happens when we are fully immersed in one bha-vana, is that we somehow assume that we will never experience the other side of the spectrum. If we could see this as a continuous spiral upward in which we learn, grow and evolve, then we are less likely to become so fixated on our cir-cumstances.

It is important to be able to allow our-selves to step back from the canvas so to speak, in order to witness and presence ourselves more fully to whatever move-ment we are in. Having a real sense of compassion and love for ourselves is often precisely what brings forth the in-sight and recognition of how to proceed with grace and wisdom in the Divine flow of our lives.

Shata Ben-Avari, is Director of Yoga Central in Mount Dora, Thai Yoga Therapist and Dance Instructor. She currently facilitates yoga for children and adults and dance classes at Yoga Central located at 2724 W. Old U.S. Hwy. 441 in Mount Dora. Please visit www.yoga-central888.com for more information about the Yoga Programs. Please see ad next page.



T he earth has been and will always be in a state of change. Nothing is permanent except for imperma-nence and change itself. The keys to thriving in our ever-changing chaotic modern life are acknowledg-

ing and accepting the things change has brought us, and to be-gin to move into what we really want through the river of change in the present moment. The key to keeping your sanity through all of the change and chaos is to learn to ground out excessive and heavy energy, and to practice full present moment awareness while navigating through life. This can be accomplished through a variety of techniques, but ultimately none are needed. If you look at the chaos and change closely, you’ll see that certain ar-

chetypal patterns repeat themselves within the chaos. By learn-ing to recognize these patterns as symbols within a dream and moving these patterns around in consciousness, impermanent pockets of order arise into ideas, cells, mountains, symphonies, universes and an enlightened humanity.

Today, people talk about all of the changes going on the earth as if it’s the first time humanity has ever gone through this experi-ence. Although the situations are new, the patterns behind the situations are as ancient as thought itself. Greed, excess, rage,

helplessness are as real today as they were 8,000 years ago. The capacity for cooperation, love, and peace are as real today as they were yesterday. So how we choose to react to the changes thrown at us may provide the key for sanity during difficult ex-periences.

Victor Frankl was a Jewish psychiatrist in one of Hitler’s con-centration camps. He decided to study human beings under the most extreme circumstances. He asked himself the question, “What makes men become saints or swine under pressure?” He noticed that some people would give up their last piece of bread so that another could live. And that there would be those who

would sell their souls in order to survive, no matter what the circum-stances. He recognized that most people reacted to stimuli and events in a pretty predictable pattern. People were given a stimulus and went right into an unconscious response. What he discovered was that as a higher de-gree of consciousness was developed, people would pause and put a box of choices between a stimulus and the response they ultimately gave. This box of choices between the stimulus and the response given constituted the ultimate freedom, man’s ability to choose a response no matter what the stimulus.

We may argue that there have never been times like this before. And that may be true in the details, but the same patterns behind the stimuli are ancient and so are the patterns of how we respond. The key to conscious choices is a high degree of conscious presence, which is increased by learn-ing to silence the mind in intense, present moment awareness. We may look around and see a mess in the world. This mess is the cumulative effect of millennia of unconscious choices. The gift of all of these un-

conscious responses to stimuli is that if we look at our past, we have a road map of how not to behave. We are learning that if we poison the environment, it ultimately affects us. If we op-press people, they revolt. If we keep people ignorant, they make ignorant choices.

In order to change the world into a more conscious place to live, we must become more conscious ourselves. We must recognize that we are not here alone, but as part of a collective. From a place of intense present moment awareness, we will increase the


number of conscious choices available to us in the present mo-ment by including in our choices the consideration of humanity and the environment. We will begin to move collectively into a new dream for the earth. As we move forward in the experience of the ever-changing world, recognize that although the change is constant, so is our ability to choose wisely and consciously. The key is intense present moment awareness guided by a com-passionate heart. This way, we may collectively move the earth into the awakened dream we are becoming, rather than the nightmare we’ve been fearing. I see an enlightened humanity

becoming a future reality! I know that this change begins with me. How about you?

Albert J. Nuñez, DVM, CVA has owned Animal Hospital of Baldwin Park and of Lake Mary since 1995 where he has practiced integrative veterinary medicine combining cutting edge surgery, internal medicine, endoscopy and laser ultrasound with acupuncture, herbal and energy medicine and nutrition for dogs, cats and exotics. He is a graduate of St. Thomas and Ross Universities and the Chi Institute of Veterinary Medicine. Please refer to ad below.


to genuine processes of consciousness-raising, auspicious personal transformation and social upliftment. This, too, is consistent with predictions from sources of ancient wisdom.

So, we might wonder what’s happening here, with these apparently contradictory forecasts. The Vedic literatures from ancient India de-scribe the current time as an “age of quarrel and hypocrisy,” called the Kali-yuga, the most degraded period in the universal cycle of four ages. Also the Vedas, as communicated through personalities such as Sri Caitanya, a 16th century sage from West Bengal, describe that within the eons that comprise the Age of Kali, there will be a Golden Age of Enlightenment.

We stand at the dawn of this age of auspiciousness, while simultane-ously Kali-yuga is in full force. The raging river of Kali-yuga wreaks havoc, while the golden age is an eddy in the current. We might imagine that Kali-yuga is an ever-increasingly ferocious storm, and the movement towards spiritual awareness is an ever-expanding um-brella.

These epochal influences are present. Our choice is the extent to which we take shelter in the umbrella, and contribute to its

expansion. Prophesized disasters or visions of heaven on earth represent possibilities, not fixed fate. By cultiva-

tion of conscious living we can augment the eddy, and dissipate the destructive forces of Kali-yuga.

We get to nurture golden age consciousness at each moment, through our responses to external events. How quickly, for example, do we realize opportu-nities for growth, awareness-raising and deepening connections, when encountering apparently cata-

clysmic crises? To what extent do we react automati-cally from past conditioning, and to what extent do

we respond consciously, from a platform of true and transcendent spiritual consciousness?

To focus on our inner state of being does not supplant endeavors for change at the macro level. Still, whatever political, economic or cultural systems are in place, their value and effectiveness will be deter-mined by the consciousness of the members who energize the systems. Thus, while recognizing historical movements that influence the age, let us live in the present and create the future through finding our shel-ter in the eddy in the current.

David B. Wolf, Ph.D., is a life skills coach and communications specialist, a highly sought-after teacher and speaker, and the author of Relationships That Work: The Power of Conscious Living (Mandala Publishing, 2008). As part of his doctoral studies he developed the Vedic Personality Inventory (VPI), a personality assessment tool based on Vedic psychology. He has more than twenty-five years of professional experience in a variety of social and mental health fields, including counselor training, medical social work, and children and family counseling. Dr. Wolf founded Satvatove Institute (www.Satvatove.com), a non-profit organization based in north Florida dedicated to spiritually based personal and group transformation through empowered communication, courageous introspection, and purposeful action. He has conducted personal transformation seminars in more than a dozen countries, including India, Canada, New Zealand, France and Switzeland. Please see ad column one, next page.

A client r e -cently shared

with me about hor-rendous mistreatment she suffered when she was a small child, at the hands of her own family members. This sort of story is, unfortunately, not unusual for me to hear, as I regularly counsel, coach and facilitate groups of adults who were neglected and abused as chil-dren. Individually and societally we increasingly experi-ence and hear about catastrophes and traumas resulting from human iniquity, economic collapse and natural di-sasters. Clearly we are spiraling downward towards dark-ness and calamity. And for some, this is no surprise as the prophecies of ancient traditions confirm just what we are witnessing.

Yesterday, a client shared about a momentous spiritual breakthrough, internally, in his relationships with people dear to him, and with the Divine. This type of realiza-tion I also find to be an increasingly common occurrence as more and more people sincerely apply themselves



EQTake heed my friends! Don’t leave home without them —

your emotions that is! Yes, I know. It’s contrary to what many of us grew up hearing: “Don’t bring your problems

to work.” “Don’t disclose your dirty laundry to anyone.” “Don’t let them see you sweating it!” Whew! That’s exhausting!

We are whole and powerful human beings complete with amaz-ing minds, feeling hearts, strong bodies, and healing souls. How is it possible to bring only half of who we are to work and to life for that matter? Obviously, it is possible. We’ve been living this way for centuries. Is it effective? Efficient? Productive? Reward-ing? Satisfying? I dare say, not quite. What’s uncomfortable is that we are not trained on how to use or manage our emotions effectively. “Emotion can lead to our worst decisions or our best ones: the difference is emotional intelligence.” -- Freedman and Everett

Emotion can lead to our worst decisions or our best ones:

the difference isemotional intelligence.

Emotions play a huge part in our everyday thinking and deci-sion-making processes. Our brains are wired to help us feel things first, then we rationalize; hence the flight or fight syn-drome when we face danger or experience fear. Rightfully so. Our focus as a society is on gaining knowledge and technical skills. We have a myriad of intelligence assessments to measure knowledge and brain capacity with plenty of schools and pro-grams to complement them. However, the demand for emo-tional intelligence is huge. Now more than ever. Emotional in-telligence (EQ) is about being smart with feelings and learning how to use emotional data to direct behavior and performance. Fortune 500 companies — ATT, the United States Air Force, MetLife and L’Oréal, to name a few — are realizing bottom line results from employees trained in EQ.1

As Dr. Stephen Covey, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Ef-fective People” states, “Research shows convincingly that EQ is more important than IQ (intelligence quotient) in almost every role and many times more important in leadership roles. This finding is accentuated as we move from the control philosophy of the industrial age to an empowering release philosophy of the knowledge worker age.”

Emotional intelligence is a set of life and business skills worth learning if you desire personal effectiveness, health, powerful re-lationships, and overall quality of life. These skills are learnable, measurable, and are valuable at work and in life. The journey to EQ begins with a commitment to learn through a variety of methods: self-study, interactive training workshops, psychomet-ric assessments, and to do so with a personal coach. Pre-requisites include a willingness to look within, courage to face discomfort, and openness to feel, listen, and take action.

We’ve all heard the adage, “It’s not what you know, but who you know” to move up in life. While that may be true for some, giv-en the state of our world and even personal affairs, let’s rephrase it to say, “It’s not what you know, but who you know and how you interact that makes the difference.” Begin your EQ journey today and learn, lead, and live the extraordinary way!

Anita Torres, owner of Alternative Learning Designs, is a Certi-fied Professional in Learning and Performance and a Certified Emotional Intelligence Coach specializing in leadership devel-opment for individuals, organizations, and families. To learn more about EQ, contact her by email at [email protected]. See also ad this page.

1 The Business Case for Emotional Intelligence, by Joshua Freedman and Todd Everett; Second Publication Date: October 15, 2009: Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Network



have humans always longed to connect with some-thing larger than ourselves?

The emerging science of neurotheology, dedicated to under-standing the complex relationship between spirituality and the brain, is finding answers to that very question. Dr. Andrew Newberg is a pioneer in the field of neurotheology. His work explores both the miracle and the biology involved in the yearn-ing for an enduring relationship with the Divine that all human beings experience.

In every race and religion, there are accounts of people connect-ing with a Higher Power. Descriptions include, “there is a sense of timelessness and infinity,” and “it feels like I am part of every-one and every thing in existence.” Perhaps you have experienced this connection yourself.

In “How God Changes Your Brain,” authors Dr. Newberg and Mark Waldman use their extensive brain research to map these experiences and provide proof that mystical experiences are bio-logical, observable, and scientifically real. Their work shows that the root of spirituality is intimately interwoven with human bi-ology, and that biology compels the spiritual urge to connect with something larger than ourselves.

The biological basis for the experience exists in the pineal gland, referred to by mystics as the spiritual gland or God gland. This tiny gland is protected in the very center of the brain. Its func-tion is still not fully understood by older sciences, though it is believed to regulate diurnal and nocturnal cycles, and is linked to light sensitivity, circadian rhythms, and deeper natural bio-rhythms. The Vedic Scriptures view the pineal gland as an ultra-refined portal for the movement of energy, or spirit, from the invisible to the visible. The pineal gland has a unique place in the design of life; it is a conduit for the streaming of conscious-ness into the physical dimension.

Meditation, prayer and chanting all open the circuits in our brains that expand consciousness, bring clarity of mind, expand reality information, error detection, empathy, compassion, emo-tional balance, and the suppression of anger and fear. They acti-vate the pineal gland.

To enhance the experience, there are specific steps to follow: 1) desire to improve a part of your life; 2) have a strong, desired in-tention; 3) stay focused on your intention (consciousness, spiri-tual knowing, health related, or something else); 4) consciously regulate breathing, posture and some body movement; 5) be consistent in practice.

Movement is important to opening the brain’s circuits. Mov-ing more parts of the body stimulates more parts of the brain. “Cells that fire together – wire together;” the mantra of Hebbian learning, states that new pathways in the brain are formed as brain/mind expansion occurs.

Brain/mind expansion requires three important steps: 1) a con-scious commitment to making small improvements every day; 2) a good dose of social support to help you honor your commit-ment; and 3) a hefty serving of optimism and faith.

A spry, witty and energetic 75 year-old mother of five, and grandmoth-er of ten, Ann has pursued a lifelong study combining community, family and spiritual paths. Her family spans four religious traditions: Protestant, Eastern philosophies, Jewish and Roman Catholic. She has taught thousands of people over her 38 year career. See ad for Sanctu-ary of Sophia below.



I’m a relative newcomer to the world of light beings, vibra-tional frequency and ascension. At least I’m new in

this lifetime. During the last two years I’ve made a huge trans-formation — all to the good. Many of us have been aware of changes in the cosmos (or somewhere) but did not have a frame-work to understand or give them form. Often, we had no one to talk to about our intuitive feelings.

Face it. You just don’t wheel over to the person in the next cu-bicle and tell them you think you’re a light being, but that you didn’t know it until recently because it wasn’t your time. And now you’re vibrating at a higher frequency and it may be your time to ascend to a higher dimension. R-i-i-ght.

You are not alone. I was clueless and definitely didn’t have the vocabulary to explain it. Following is an excerpt from a piece titled “Going Home Spiritually” by John Hall. It is comfort-ing and answers many questions. I urge you to read the whole article at www.jase1.com:

An organization called Grid Fire recently held a worldwide hour of meditation to move a pocket of energy back to the true Source. It was an invitation to co-create the world, to envision it the best way you could imagine. I came out of the meditation with colors swirling and what seemed the best we could hope for — universal and unconditional abundance, joy, love and peace. Does that sound trite? These words are used so much, and our written history and present realities at times make them seem meaningless. But as I’m writing this, I’ve started to relive the meditation, and I feel at ease, breathing deeply, radiating love and grinning like a kid at the circus.

Do you want to get in on the good stuff? The magazine in your hands is a wonderful gateway to this new-old world. Also, my partner and I in Alternative Health Blueprint are planning to start a small group that will meet in Winter Park.

Life isn’t easy right now on third-dimensional earth, but if enough of us start living consciously, we can literally raise the bar for all.

Susan Mair is a certified hypnotist and master practitioner of Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP). She is skilled in en-ergy medicine, both as a Reiki Master and certified LuxMani practitioner. She is a member of the International Association of Counselors and Therapists and an officer of the Hypnosis Education Association. She is a partner in Alternative Health Blueprint in Winter Park and can be reached at 407-678-0047. See ad below.

“Many people on Earth long for a better world. Some seem to be hearing a wake-up call. There seems to be a memory deep inside of a perfect world they once came from. It may not be totally per-fect, but compared to third dimensional Earth, it seems heavenly. Many people on Earth at the present time are moving toward these dimensions in their consciousness and their vibratory rate. These are worlds without greed, war, lack or loneliness. Those who stay in the third dimension will continue to experience that level, but those who allow their consciousness to vibrate at the levels of love, expectancy and togetherness, a new higher dimensional world will become their experience… We are now at the door of our new home. Home is not off this planet, home is the spiritual realm…”



by Rev.Mary Blocher

As a minister I am blessed to have people ask me spiritual questions about the challenges that tran-spire in their lives. More than ever before, people are coming forth asking questions pertaining to 2012. Recently, a person came to me, eyes wide in fear, concerned about the possibility of the world ending soon. They grabbed my hand for comfort and, grasping for breath, asked me what I thought would happen on December 21, 2012.

According to many believers in the Mayan calendar, the history of time as we know it comes to an abrupt halt on that date. To add to our fears, anyone paying attention to world news these days may conclude that we are certainly racing toward our ulti-mate demise on planet earth. We have repeatedly heard about the effects of global warming and the melting of the polar ice caps. Sea levels are rising at an alarming rate. The weather is becoming more and more extreme with severe storms and hur-ricanes plaguing our land. We all wonder if we can save our planet and ourselves from the coming destruction. With all the predictions, it is enough to make even the strong hearted become fearful. If you happen to browse through the bookstores these days you can find any num-ber of publications on Mayan prophecy. Along with numer-ous books, there are various websites devoted to the subject of the impending changes that will take place on earth dur-ing the great purification. To add to the intrigue, the Mayan prophecy in many instances correlates with the prophecies of Edgar Cayce, the Hopi, and the Bible, which have much

Prophecy and the NOWin common with the Mayan prophecy that warns of the end of this world due to greed and corruption. However, the prophecies also promise a period of peace after the great purifica-tion, when humankind returns to balance.

Herein is the key to overcoming the fear of 2012! After the great purification there will be a great awakening. Ac-

cording to the 2012 prophecies, we are in the midst of the death of the old and the birth of something new. This purification means change, and change can be filled with stress and fear un-less we take measures to overcome it. The best way to handle the fear is to stay grounded in the eternal NOW. We must remain grounded and realize that something better is coming to pass if the predictions are true. 2012 is in reality about a shift in human consciousness. That shift is hap-pening NOW. We don’t have to wait until 2012 to declare a new age and a higher consciousness. We can begin NOW to quicken within us the understanding of our interconnection

with each other and with the Universe. The transformation of consciousness is a matter of humans learning to stop de-fining everything in terms of being human, and to realize our divinity within. When we come to this realization, we then will have purification and great awakening. We will then be in a New Age.

Rev. Mary Blocher was ordained as a Unity Minister in 2005 and cur-rently leads the members of Unity of Leesburg. Rev. Mary hold a Master’s Degree in Education from Indiana University. Prior to entering ministry she was a special education teacher for 24 years. Nine of those 24 years she lived and taught on the Navajo Reser-vation where she learned first hand the traditions, customs, and spirituality of Native Americans. See ad this page.


While visiting Los Angeles intending to visit the Bodhi Tree bookstore (I knew it was on Melrose Avenue, but did not know the exact number) I vis-ited the post office en route. As I handed my item to the clerk for weighing, I glanced toward the customer on my left, who was handing a package to a different clerk. My eyes moved to the package and the address. It was ad-dressed to the very store I wanted to visit, and displayed the street number: 8585 Melrose Avenue. It was one of those moments, impossible to prove to a skeptic, which demonstrates the intelligence of the universe.

Modern scientists increasingly work with the concept of holons1 or intel-ligent systems, instead of mindless interacting atoms and molecules. Within this model, every system — a rock, an engine, a cell, a person, a community, the weather, the solar system — has an intelligence, which itself can be combined with other intelligences to form supra-intelligent systems. The culmination of this process must be the combination of the intelligences of all these systems to form the intelligence of the universe. Our individual consciousness is thus integral to this universal intelligence, and we can com-municate with it to attain answers. Modern science also shows that time is a unity, that past, present and future are all one, and that our experience of now is a limited mental construct, just as we cannot hear certain sounds audible to dogs, or see anything infrared or ultraviolet with the naked eye.

Sacred geometry is the system of universal shapes and proportions displayed by systems which range from DNA to crystals to plants to snail shells to the human body to galaxies. Plato, Fibonacci, DaVinci, Newton and other geniuses recognized the relationship of sacred geometry to universal intelligence. Because every event has multiple causes, nothing is random — everything is linked to universal intelligence.

The expansion of consciousness is the key to gaining answers about the past, present and future which, it must be recognized, is al-ready there in the space-time continuum. Systems of divination, such as numerology, astrology, palmistry, tarot and runes, are means of expanding consciousness. Each system is not only internally cohesive, but links to other divination systems, which in turn link to

universal intelligence. The individual seeking to know the future visits an intuitive reader with a particular intent. This intent is the fuel which enables consciousness to expand via the symbols within each divination system and to gain answers from universal intelligence. Neither a person’s date, place and time of birth, nor the lines on the palm, nor the fall of tarot cards or rune stones are random — each provides access to infinite knowledge.

The universe is ordered. The Law of Recurrence states that every-thing reappears. The fact that the Mayan calendar ends in 2012 merely displays one of its features, an endless cycle of decay and rebirth. We can look on 2012 as a new beginning, on both the microcosmic and macrocosmic level.

David Botsford is a hypnotist and intuitive/psychic reader and author of “Hypnosis for Smoking Cessation.” His websites are www.4cornershypnosis.com and www.selfhypnosiscd.com and he can be reached at (863)420-3634.

1 A holon (Greek: holos, “whole”) is something that is simultaneously a whole and a part. The word was coined by Arthur Koestler in his book The Ghost in the Machine (1967, p. 48).


2012: What’s Really Going On?by Vil-Am Ben-Ahim, D.C.

Much has been written concerning the developing chaos of this time in earth’s history. Many have pointed to the many natural disasters, armed conflicts or even the enhanced polarities in our own society that are perhaps leading to the biblical Armageddon. Others, aware of the Mayan calendar that ends on December 21, 2012, believe the ancients knew the world was to end on that date. The Hopi and other indigenous peoples from different parts of the globe point to the end of this age, or what they call the fourth world. Even in the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Vedas, the time period we are in is called the Kali Yuga, or age of dark-ness. By some more modern calculations this era is scheduled to end very close to the other predictions.

What really is going on here? How could all of these unconnect-ed civilizations, conceived as primitive by our standards, come to conclusions concerning the far distant future, and all feel that the end of something is happening around the same time? Re-cent research has given us evidence that something is happening now (and leading up to 2012) on a galactic level that may have monumental consequences for our planet and inhabitants. Our galaxy is a spiral galaxy and our solar system sits about two thirds of the way out one of the arms or spirals. Our solar system rotates with the galaxy around a black hole and a huge sun in the center of the galaxy. Our solar system doesn’t move in a simple line as it travels, but spirals closer to the galaxy’s center, then farther away. Each complete spiral takes 25,625 years, exactly the amount of time the ancient traditions saw us orbit through the twelve constellations of the zodiac. They further divided this into five world ages, each having 5,125 years. If we look at our galaxy on end (like looking at our hand from the side rather than straight on) and draw a line through the middle of the line of stars, we would create an equator in the galaxy. Our solar system will be passing through that equator in December 2012.

On a galactic level, our solar system is completing three major cycles all at the same time: the ending of a 5,125 Mayan cycle, the ending of a 25,625 cycle of being the farthest from the center of the galaxy to begin moving to-wards the center, and passing through the galactic equa-tor. All are calculated to happen in December 2012. The effects of these alignments, with the combined energies and shifts in gravitational pulls of all these stars, can have a massive effect on our earth.

Although science is verifying these galactic changes and

our experiences of increased chaos and earth changes are real, the ancients did not see it as the end of time but as an end of an era and a beginning of the next cycle. The Hopi saw this time of confusion as a period of purification and cleansing, leading to a new earth based in the higher qualities of love, compassion and the knowledge of our connection to all things.

Throughout much of my life I have felt I didn’t belong, and didn’t understand why much of what happened was allowed to happen. The violence, the inequality and the lack of compassion for fellow humans astounded me. However, I always felt there was a reason for being here, that there was something big, something special going to occur in my lifetime. For me, the desire to change the world through outward action has lessened, yet the knowing that something big was happening still simmers inside. We have learned all that is outside of us exists inside. As we choose to change the limited and negative concepts within us, we will have a greater effect on our world and help it through this transforma-tion. Perhaps this is why we are here, to assist in a collective emergence into our greatest potential as entities ready to live at a higher velocity, to heal our planet and choose to create the new world age.

Dr. Vil-Am Ben-Ahim has been a Chiropractor for 29 years using cra-niosacral and deeper energy techniques to help people get to and release the seed concepts and fears that have led to their physical and emotional pain. He conducts seminars and workshops based on these empowering ideas and is co-director with his wife Yashoda Yehudit of the YAHWEH Academy of Light, a healing arts school in Central Florida. Please see ad page 2.


If you received a phone call today that told you it’s time to move to safety, would you be ready? If all of a sudden there were no electricity, no phones, no more food being flown or trucked in, would you be ready for such a happening? Many of us think on a positive level believing that if we think about these things we play a part in creating them. What we are sug-gesting to everyone is yes, always think in the high-est, most positive level, however do not bury yout head in the sand with your bottom sticking out. A situation may occur that will smack you really hard and catch you totally un-prepared.

Gas prices are starting to soar again, the economy still struggles, banks and credit card companies are doing funny things, swine flu warnings are broadcast, and martial law is going into effect in many states. The word quarantine is being used with more frequency, there’s talk of mandatory vaccinations and chip im-plants, and the list goes on and on. With the prophecy of 2012 coming to light from so many sources, perhaps it time to ask ourselves, “Am I prepared?” There are many levels to this prep-aration, physical being only one way. Emotional and spiritual preparation are other ways. We are suggesting, don’t be so dis-tracted with your everyday life that you forget to go inside and consider your level of preparation. ARE YOU READY?

We all make excuses feeling we’re too busy just trying to survive or we have to work on preparing for our future retirement. Per-haps we feel we don’t want to think about these things. Que sera sera! If it happens, it happens. And these are certainly choices we can make. However if we have loved ones, children and friends, why not ponder these things together with them? Be a

small community together. If we all did this we wouldn’t have to feel so alone or out of touch should some of these emergencies occur. People helping people is what we would become. Now this is what we are really all about although we may not realize it. Are you ‘people helping people?’

How do we prepare? Here are few suggestions:

1. Create a phone tree with your family and friends. Should an emergency arise, have a way to contact each other to either make sure everyone is fine or to put your emergency plan into action.

2. Establish a meeting place should all phones go out. Make sure it is a central location so all can get there easily.

3. Start stocking a few items weekly. Canned goods, water (which can be changed out every six months), propane, first aid

kits, blankets, batteries, flashlights, etc. With your family and friends spread out who collects what. This will make it easy on everyone, as well as allow for easy packing of your vehicles should you have to go quickly.

4. Stash some cash, put your important papers together in a safe box, pack a suitcase with special items. Make it so that should some-thing happen, it would

only take you minutes and not hours to get on the road. Again, these are just a few suggestions. Together with the group you establish you will come up with so many other creative ideas.

If you are the type that keeps to yourself, reach out to others so that during these times we have each other for support. Don’t be the type that spends these days alone. We are here for each other. On a spiritual level, take some time to look at yourself, how are you feeling with yourself. Are you at peace? Have you let go of anger, judgment and ego? Are you holding on to old inner baggage? Have you told those close to you that you love them everyday? Have you let go of the past, or are you holding resentments. You see, these, too, are a major part of being PRE-PARED. Don’t take the wrong kind of baggage with you….it’s time for all of us to get READY!

Kali Telana is owner of The Om Bookstore in Mount Dora. Please see ad page 3. Contact Kali at 352-978-1181.

Preparation

Factor by Kali Telana

Are You Ready?

the


The following text is excerpted from “THE 2012 STORY: The Myths, Fallacies, and Truth Behind the Most Intriguing Date in History,” by John Major Jenkins (to be published October 15, 2009); reprinted with the permission of Tarcher Books, an imprint of Penguin Group USA.

In January of 2000, I learned of a prophecy for 2012 offered by Don Alejandro, a Quiché Maya leader and day-keeper from the high-

lands of Guatemala. It was reported in a piece by jour-nalists Patrisia Gonzales and Roberto Rodriguez called “The Mayan Worldview of the Universe:”

“Based on thousands of years of astronomical observa-tion, a cataclysm is indeed predicted by indigenous el-ders, as opposed to ‘prophesized.’ No one is predicting that at the strike of midnight, December 20, 2012, the world will end. Instead, Mayan elders predict that the cataclysm can occur within a year or 100 years — and the cause would be something astronomical as opposed to metaphysical.”

I’ve always agreed with the idea that, if any causal effects are to be credited to the astronomical basis of the Maya calendar, we should think of the 2012 end-date as being a “zone” stretching over a period of decades. I don’t, how-ever, agree with the above view that the end date is simply about an astronomical event. The interview continues:

“We don’t know what will happen in the next few days or in the next 12 years. What we do know is that it wouldn’t hurt to listen to the words of Don Alejandro who said that on December 20, 2012, Mother Earth will pass inside the center of a magnetic axis and that it may be darkened with a great cloud for 60 or 70 hours and that because of environmental degradation, she may not be strong enough to survive the effects. ‘It will enter another age, but when it does, there will be great and serious events. Earthquakes, marimotos (tsunamis), floods, volcanic eruptions, and great illness on the planet Earth. Few survivors will be left.’”

Thus, beginning on December 20, as stated, the events stretch over almost three full days (“60 or 70 hours”) through to De-cember 22. The earth’s passage “inside the center of a magnetic axis” is a striking description that sounds much like the way I described the alignment in the last chapter of Maya Cosmogenesis 2012:

“On the Galactic level, the Milky Way’s equator, like the earth’s equator, is a field-effect dividing line. As with a spinning mag-netic top, the field effects on one side are different from those on the other, and Maya insights offer us the notion that a field effect reversal occurs when the solstice meridian crosses over this line.”

“Darkened with a great cloud” sounds very similar to how one might imagine the sun passing through the dark-rift in the Milky Way. Notice, however, the difference between prophetic con-ception of the earth being cast into darkness and my alignment description — where I describe it as the sun passing through the dark-rift, as viewed from earth. I suppose Don Alejandro’s wording works fine; it’s just an interpretation that emphasizes where the “effect” is believed to be felt (on Earth, ultimately).

The author, John Major Jenkins, is a pioneer of the modern 2012 move-ment. The author of nine previous books on the subject, he has worked to clarify misconceptions and is credited with showing how a rare “ga-lactic alignment” underlies the 2012 cycle-ending date, and is a concept deeply embedded within Maya traditions. As a visiting scholar, Jenkins has taught classes at the Institute of Maya Studies in Miami, the Esalen Institute, Naropa University, and many other venues both nationally and abroad. He is the director of The Center for 2012 Studies and moderates theUpdate2012.com social networking information portal.


SUGGESTEDREADING

‘New Thought classic, The Game of Life and How to Play It by Florence Scovel Shinn pres-ents the key to attaining great fortune and sat-isfaction. Both lie in our ability to trust in a higher power and alter our state of mind. One of the most compelling works on the power of the mind, this landmark of inspirational litera-ture now includes the author’s three other life-enhancing books, “Your Word Is Your Wand,” “The Secret Door to Success,” and “The Power of the Spoken Word,” creating the perfect, af-fordable volume for both newcomers to Shinn and her longtime readers. Using practical, yet profound wisdom and anecdotes from Shinn’s teaching experience, The Game of Life and How to Play It challenges readers to seek success by employing the divine power within ourselves.

“In a way the recession is a spiritual gift,” says Alexander Green, author of the new book, The Secret of Shelter Island: Money and What Mat-ters. “It’s a wake-up call to end our obsession with money and a golden opportunity to make some sweeping changes — to work toward becoming happier, to make a bigger, more important mark on the world and in the lives of those we love.”

In Green’s new book, which is primarily a com-pilation of essays from his newsletter, Spiritual

Wealth, Green considers these big questions and draws thought-provoking connections between money, values, and the pursuit of the good life. For assistance with taking stock of your life and the way you’re living it, The Secret of Shelter Island: Money and What Matters will teach you how to lead a truly rich life in the down economy.

Science seems to tell us that we are all meaningless products of blind biological and chemical forces, leading meaningless lives that will eventually end in death. The truth is that unseen forces such as te-lepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, psychokinesis, psychic healing, and other phenomena inextrica-bly link us to the spiritual world, and while many skeptics and scientists deny the existence of these spiritual phenomena, the experiences of millions of people indicate that they do take place.

In The End of Materialism: How Evidence of the Paranormal Is Bringing Science and Spirit Together, transpersonal psycholo-gist Charles Tart presents over fifty years of research conducted at the nation’s leading universities that proves human do have natural spiritual impulses and abilities. The End of Materialism marks the beginning of an evidence-based spiritual awakening that will profoundly influence your understanding of the deeper forces at work in our lives.

In 2002, journalist Lisa Jones traveled to a dusty corral on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming to meet Stanford Addison for a maga-zine assignment. A Northern Arapaho with a special gift for gentling horses rather than break-ing them by force, Stanford also had the ability — driven by his deep spirituality — to cure peo-ple of everything from cancer to bipolar disorder. Even more remarkable, he did all of this from an electric wheelchair; he was quadriplegic. Lisa expected to stay with him for just four days but instead came home four years later with a brand new life. Broken: A Love Story by Lisa Jones is Lisa’s beautiful and utterly moving written memoir about her time spent with Stanford and the soul-shifting spiritual journey she took while on the reservation.

With myriad crises facing our planet from our monetary systems collapsing, to environmental depletion, nuclear proliferation, rise in funda-mentalism and the hurried, disconnected pace of life, the future can seem discouraging. The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism, a new book by acclaimed author Andrew Harvey, offers sage advice and practical tools for overcoming these seeming insurmountable global catastrophes and shares an urgent yet passionately inspiring message for those seeking personal and plan-etary transformation.

The Hope is a long awaited, compelling guide that helps people respond to current global challenges yet also serves as a much needed wake-up call to inspire action through Sacred Activism — what Harvey defines as the transforming force of love and com-passion-in-action to affect meaningful and radical change in the world. The Hope calls on us to become humble and divine agents of change and lays out a conscious and comprehensive road map for us to do so.

Tarcher PenguinNew York

$10.00; 363 pagesISBN 9781585427451

WileyHoboken, New Jersey

$26.95; 265 pagesISBN 9780470482285

New HarbingerOakland, CA

$29.95; 397 pagesISBN 9781572246454

ScribnerNew York

$25.00; 275 pagesISBN 9781416579069

Hay HouseCarlsbad, CA

$16.95; 216 pagesISBN 9781401920036


design and develop the sound he was really after which is a three-necked guitar he calls the Tri-Kanta Veena. Tri-Kanta means three voices and veena is the instrument that it sounds similar to, an Indian stringed in-strument, with four main and three auxilia-ry strings. The Tri-Kanta Veena was crafted by luthier2 Bill Asher.

Krsna Prema Das’ stellar voice, his captivating musical arrange-ments and his deep reverential devotion to Krishna all coalesce to create songs and chants that will take you to the stars.

OmAnother source of comfort and peace is continuous chanting of what is probably the most sacred mantra: Om, the primordial sound of God (Sanskrit symbol of Om in background of this page). Whether you sing Om yourself or listen to it in the background of your day, you and your surroundings’ vibration will be lifted. Om is said to symbolize the multiplicity of the universe embod-ied in one Divine Being.

One outstanding recording of continuously chanted Om is “The Eternal Om” by Valley of the Sun Publishing. It was originally created in 1991 and it runs for very close to one hour. Visit Amazon.com and DickSutphen.com to purchase a cd.

Another beautiful recording of continuously chanted Om is en-titled, “Om” and is offered by Robert Gass and On Wings of Song. Published by Spring Hill Music in 1996, this 17 minute recording is a little less rich in voices than “The Eternal Om” above but is no less satisfying. This Om recording can be found on the album, “Om Namaha Shivaya.”

Let Om take you back to the Source whenever you feel weary, anxious or fearful.

2 A maker of stringed instruments such as violins or guitars.

Maha MantraLast issue, one of Velocity’s regular contributors, David Wolf, Ph. D., founder of Satvatove Institute (see pages 52 and 53 this issue), wrote about the power of the Maha Mantra.1 He wrote, “My personal favorite mantra for meditation is one of India’s most beloved, the Maha Mantra. Studies have shown that this sixteen word mantra reduces stress and depression and increases qualities such as balance, fulfillment, and sense of life purpose.”

I draw my spiritual truth from many traditions and my spiri-tual practice is a melding of them all. I do love to “chant Hare Krishna” as some say and I have found this mantra to be most powerful especially when I need to calm down! It is comforting to me and immediately stabilizing and whether you believe in Krishna or not in this moment, within you resides Krishna or Christ consciousness and so I am sure you will find this chant a source of comfort. Many find that chanting Hare Krishna awakens our love of God and increases self-knowledge and our ability to detach. It is known to create freedom from anxiety and misery. It works for me.

One exceptional Maha Mantra recording you can sing along with is by Krsna Prema Das, a Hindu monk with a crystal clear and engaging tenor voice. Born Paolo Tofani in Florence, Italy in 1944, his music career in Europe is an illustrious one. It in-cluded forays into electronic, intellectual and avant-garde music. The weight of materialism due to his success in Europe in such groups as “I Samurai,” “I Califfi” and “Area” continued to drag on his artistic craft. Again and again, he felt the desire to return to the purity of his reason for making music in the first place.

He was frequently attracted to the Indian stringed instruments such as the Sitar and fashioned his own version of the instru-ment, the Sitar Guitar. It took him quite some time, though, to

1 Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.

Krsna Prema Das





Two Wolves Story:An elderly Cherokee Native American was teaching his grandchil-dren about life. He said to them, “A fight is go-ing on inside me, it is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One wolf is evil — he is fear, anger, envy, sor-row, regret, greed, ar-rogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, compe-tition, superiority, and ego. The other is good — he is joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, be-nevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity,

truth, compassion and faith. This same fight is going on inside you, and inside every other person, too.”

They thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grand-father, “Which wolf will win?”

The Elder simply replied, “The one you feed.”

A few years ago we had some hurri-canes containing high winds visit us and I am happy to think they have already been here and would rather they do not return. Let’s consider the energy of a hurricane — the strong winds (when they reach a certain velocity) and torrential rains along with the calm at the center of the storm that make up what we call a hurricane (how about calling it a himicane sometimes?). I have experienced the calm eye of at least two hurricanes and it is awesome to witness and feel complete still-ness — total stillness — everything quiet — no more wind and pelting rain on the storm shutters — at least, for a short while — maybe 30-45 minutes depending on how large the eye of the storm is. During the calm of these storms, neighbors came out of their homes, spoke with one another, asked what they could do to help one another. We were no longer hunkered down in our homes feeling separate from our neighbors. We were one in the calm eye of the storm. When the winds and rains began again, I had experienced the calm eye and somehow the rest of the storm seemed less frightening.

So it is with you. The Divine energy or cosmic soup sometimes is swirling and whirling around you. Your mind may be filled with many thoughts that seem to be out of control — gone wild as

they bombard you from all directions. People may be saying things which appear hurtful. Can you remember when those words come at you and or disturbing ideas pass through your mind, that there is a calm you may choose to return to — a place where you may be still and remember you are of the Divine? Can you remember that if you choose to be in the “Divine Calm,” you can be?

Here are some other practices you may choose. You and I can choose to practice being instruments through which God’s Love flows to others or we can remember every hurt, angry word, hurt-ful action that another has thrown our way. I can choose to re-member every coconut that shot like missiles through our win-dows that were not boarded up — breaking and spreading glass in all parts of the bedroom. Or, you and I can return to the Divine Spirit that is forever forgiving of Itself through us in calm and wise ways. This is practicing Divine forgiveness! Did I get angry at the storm? No. I knew the nature of hurricanes and decided to be better prepared next time!

To allow the inner peace and Divine forgiveness to bubble up and pour forth through you, you just may choose to experience a true state of happiness right now. In a book entitled, “Ideas of Power” (The Holmes Papers, Volume 3, George P. Bendall, Editor), we read, “I don’t think there is anything worthwhile without hap-piness. If a person isn’t happy, what is worthwhile? But how are we going to be well, happy, prosperous, unless we believe in some fundamental things that we can prove, and prove them right here and now — not in the by-and-by, not when we have shucked off this mortal coil. Right now. Whatever is true, is true now. This is the time; we are the people; this is the day; you and I are the ones; here is the place. Right now!”

Rev. Cay Thompson, D.D. has been a Science of Mind (SOM) Practitioner for 47 years, a student of SOM for 51 years, a Religious Science Minister for 19 years, and a United Church of Religious Science (UCRS) Ecclesiastical Representative (Eastern/Mid-West-ern US) from 1999-2002. She was recently awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Divin-ity. Please see ad for Golden Triangle Center for Spiritual Living this page.


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