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The New Ager eMag Issue 7
 
The New Ager is an online new age alternative healing emag featuring articles on alternative health, feng shui, relationship and more...
 
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FEATURED ARTICLES
* Death is Watching By Bob Makransky
* Ask Allie
* Nature's Bug Repellents by Karen Stokes, RN
* Sending Smoke Signals To The Heavens by Linda Newman
* Living In The Light Of Death by Dr. Rita Louise
* HERB OF THE MONTH
* 40 Years after The Fact (POEM) by Hedgewizard Erb
* The Five Chinese Elements BY Donna Stellhorn
* Book Reviews
* Horoscopes
* Love and Relationship by Susie & Otto Collins
 
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Death is Watching
By Bob Makransky
 
When we listen to sounds, we can distinguish between two phenomena: “sounds” and “listener listening to sounds”:
 
“Sounds” is when we are hearing all sounds indiscriminately, like a tape recorder does; when all sounds are impacting on our awareness with equal vividness.
 
“Listener listening to sounds” is when we are focusing on one specific sound, and the other sounds are in the background of our awareness. That “listener listening to sounds”– that focus, or sense of there being a detached perceiver there who is perceiving – is what magicians call lower self. At least, that is what dies when the person’s body dies. When there is no longer a sense of a separated perceiver perceiving, when everything is impacting upon our awareness with equal vividness, what is left is a feeling of oneness, a background of peacefulness, which is what magicians call higher self, or death. Death is in the background all the time. Death is the canvas upon which our lives are painted.
 
When we feel that we are watching ourselves – that there is some part of us that is watching our every move – that part is our death. It is constantly looking over our shoulder; it’s the sense we have that something out there is watching us (the Spirit is watching us too, not to mention lots of other beings, both angelic and demonic; but our root self-consciousness, the sense that we feel within ourselves that something is watching us, is our death).
 
Observe that this is not the false watcher thought form, which we use to watch ourselves with glory, and exalt in how marvelous we are. That watcher is a phony copy of the true watcher – death – which is utterly cold and dispassionate. The false watcher – our self-consciousness, or need to keep referring everything back to ourselves – is a thought form which takes anything that is going on and glamorizes it, and imagines other people applauding us for it. We learn the false watcher thought form from our society: the false watcher thought form is in fact society’s way of papering over death. We do have a true watcher watching us, and that watcher is our death. The false watcher is society’s way of eradicating death from people’s awareness, to make people act as if they weren’t going to die, to make people forget about death as much as possible. Only by making people forget about death can they be led into believing that there could be anything more important than the fact that they could die in the next instant. And part of banishing awareness of death is substituting a glory thought form of watching (“watching oneself in glory; watching oneself with approval / approbation”) for the true watcher thought form, which is death.
 
Another way of saying this is: the sense we have that we are perceiving; that there is some detached perceiver there perceiving; that there is some “us” there to which things are happening; is our death. Without that sense of a detached perceiver there, we wouldn’t be able to focus on anything. Everything that we see, hear, touch, etc. at every moment – not to mention bleed-throughs from other lifetimes and probable realities – would bombard our senses with equal impact. We would be overwhelmed with information; indeed, we would have no sense that “we” exist at all (just as an infant doesn’t) – we would be pure perception. This is a common experience when one is tripping on psychedelic drugs; for example, when we take a shower while tripping, we can feel (are aware of) every individual drop of water as it hits our skin as a discrete event. On the other hand we can’t balance a checkbook while tripping because we can’t focus that much attention – there’s too much going on to be able to focus. To use mind – to be able to focus on one thing at a time by separating it out from its background – is to create a perceiver which is perceiving; and that’s what we call death.
 
When we say that death is watching, what we’re saying is that the act of watching is what we mean by death. Anything that watches will die. This is because watching – separatedness – is a lie which eventually must run out. Separatedness is a lie which all sentient beings tell themselves. That lie is what embeds them in linear time. If a vortex in a river were to suddenly start saying to itself something like “I’m a vortex! I’m a vortex! I’m a unique, individual, separated vortex!” then that vortex would be lying to itself – it’s not a unique, individual, separated anything. But by telling itself that lie, it embeds itself in a linear temporality in which it watches this, and then it watches that, and then it watches the other thing; until the vortex runs out of energy and dissolves back into the river and stops lying to itself about having been separated in the first place – i.e., it dies. But it was “dead” all along. Watching = separatedeness = death; they are just different ways of talking about the same phenomenon.
 
Our sense of personal continuity in the dream state is not based upon a linear, sequential, unfolding of events, as it is in the waking state, but rather is based upon an awareness of self as experiencer (i.e., one’s death). That vibrant, alive quality that dreams have is actually awareness of death. In dreams we are aware of death every second, willy-nilly, because there’s nothing solid in dreams to cling to: there’s no way of toning down the intensity of what we are experiencing by focusing our attention elsewhere (on our thoughts). We’re face-to-face with death every second in dreams. That’s why we feel more alive in dreams than we do in wakefulness – because we are seeing with the eyes of death; we are one with death when we are dreaming, which is why we can’t die in dreams – we’re already dead. In wakefulness we make a separation between ourselves and our deaths – an absurd pretense, but a useful one for certain purposes (such as being able to focus attention enough to e.g. balance a checkbook) – and that’s why wakefulness is duller, less vivid, less joyous than dreaming.
 
Here’s the answer to the mystery: what we consider to be “ourselves” is just a given thought form at a given moment. Our lifetimes are like a collection of scenes or tableaux strung together by mind into a lattice of threaded beads. All of the beads (or life events) which directly connect to a given bead are probable realities. From that bead, mind can take any number of directions to another bead. The black threads connecting the beads are death – we literally die from moment-to-moment. We always have to pass through death to move to the next bead (the next scene; the next moment); and if we take a turn which leads to a long run of black thread till the next bead, that’s “real” death and the next bead is birth in another lifetime.
 
Another way of saying this is, we have ourselves separated into a bunch of little pieces, each of which feels isolated and disconnected from (more important than) the rest. However, within each little piece we have tremendous focus and stick-to-itiveness (“fear of death”) – a willingness to keep up the struggle to stay awake and separated no matter how much of a bummer it is.
 
The “you” who is reading this sentence is actually a very different being than the “you” who read the previous sentence, and this is not meant in a trivial sense (that a few cells have split in the interim) – it is meant in the deepest sense possible. The belief that you are the same person from moment to moment is an illusion, a lie. To maintain this illusion you must snatch yourself back from death every instant, be on the qui vive every second. It is precisely this clenching up against death which creates and sustains waking consciousness (gives us the focus and control we lack in dreaming, e.g. the ability to balance a checkbook). This is why we are so uptight when awake compared to how open and vulnerable we are in dreaming. To maintain waking consciousness requires incredible fortitude and self-discipline (not to mention completely lying to ourselves every second that we are awake).
 
In actual fact, we are nothing more than our death. Our death is the complete written record of our life. It is all contained in our death. Our death can be likened to a microdot which contains our entire life in one little point. We are like the little point which moves on an Etch-a-Sketch board or computer drawing program, blazing out a path through life (making a squiggle on a previously blank screen) and leaving a trail behind it. The entirety of our being is like that blank screen, and the squiggly path is this particular lifetime. It has a beginning and an end, and is delimited. That delimitation is death.
 
In other words, just as our sense of space is our sense of having feelings (familiarity); and our sense of time is our sense of having thoughts (importance – our ability to focus our attention); so too is our death our sense that there is some contained entity which is having those feelings and thoughts. Death is our sense of containment, of boundedness, of singularity, of discreteness. It is a species of glue which binds random feelings and thought forms together into an integrated, cohesive whole.
 
Death projects a body thought form to symbolize this sense of discreteness, solidity, stability, boundedness – just as we project a body thought form when we are dreaming, to symbolize “us”. What we consider our unity – our individuality, our continuity, our “us-ness” – is actually our death. When we cling to our sanity, our sense of being centered in a stable environment where things are more or less predictable, what we are clinging to is our death. Wakefulness could not exist without it.
 
Observe that in reality there is no such distinction as importance – but if we were to say that one is more important than the other, certainly our death is more important than (primary to) our life. Our life is just a symbolic reflection of our death; it’s not the main issue at all. To think that our life is more important than our death is not only gross stupidity, but plays right into death’s hands.
 
Death is neither malevolent or benevolent – it just is, like the force of gravity. Gravity can both hurt us and help us, depending upon how we use it (or let ourselves be used by it). So too with death. Death actually calls all the shots and we have to dance to its tune, really; but we can do that either elegantly or spasmodically. Master magicians waltz with their death; caress it fondly; and then seduce it.
 
Importance – that is to say, focus: our ability to focus attention – is the means by which we consolidate death, or grab onto it (though what we believe we’re doing is pushing it away). Importance is the illusion that we are controlling our death, when actually the reverse is the case. It’s like hanging on for dear life to a runaway stallion and all the while trying to pretend that everything’s just fine and dandy. The runaway stallion we cling to is death, and the pretense that we are in any way, shape, or form in charge of the situation is importance. It’s what keeps us from enjoying the scenery as we gallop along.
 
Without our fear of death thought form we would be more aware of our past and probable lives (at least the feeling of them, if not the actual thought forms) as well as of the feelings of other people. We’d be able to feel them as our own feelings, as infants do. And thus we’d lose much of our sense of separatedness. That’s how lunatics and magicians live: they still have individual lives, things happen to them, but there’s less of a difference between something happening to them or to someone else. Something which happens to them is no more important than something which happens to someone else. Their feelings are no more important to them than someone else’s feelings.
 
Death is the blank screen upon which all of our lifetimes are painted. Those lives don’t exist; they’re just momentary plays of light and shadow. However, to us they seem utterly fascinating and absorbing. To get to who we really are we would have to pull all of that obsession (energy pinned down by importance) out of all of those lives. As we do this, we find less and less of what we now consider to be “ourselves”. We find the barriers which separate us from other people and the world around us becoming less and less distinct. It becomes harder for us to feel where we end and the next guy begins.
 
Death is just a way we keep score, keep count, keep track of things: it’s how we separate this moment from that one, and this lifetime from that lifetime, and me from you. Without death the whole thing would just be one big stew. Death is what props “us” up – if it were not for death we would not have any sense of there being an “us” there at all. After all, what are “we” anyway? The sum total of all our experiences (memories) and expectations (desires). Right? What else is there? Nothing, right?
 
We, of ourselves, are absolutely nothing. Zero. All we are is something that is going to die. That’s the only reason we have life at all, is to die. We are something that death conjured up, as an afterthought, to give itself a raison d’etre. And then, once it created us, we took off like a lumbering Frankenstein monster, and death tagged along to watch what we did.
 
All death is doing is watching us. It doesn’t approve or disapprove of what it sees; it isn’t conscience or shame; it just watches dispassionately. And what we are is death watching itself. It has nothing to do with us whatsoever. We are just a reflection in death’s mirror – a symbol for death. We have no primary awareness: just as the moon only reflects light, we only reflect (are a symbol of) death’s awareness of itself. We only exist as death is watching itself through the metaphor of our lives.
 
And that’s why we say that death is mind: because that sense that we have that we are being watched is our death watching us. Without our death there watching us, we are nothing – nothing but a little point on a random walk through an infinite jungle in which nothing makes any sense whatsoever – there is no rhyme nor reason to anything (no mind). Mind (order) can only exist when there is something there watching the path that this random blip on the screen is taking. And that’s what we call death.
 
(excerpted from Magical Almanac ezine, Http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MagicalAlmanac Copyright © 2007 by Bob Makransky. All rights reserved).
 
More of Bob Makransky’s articles are posted at: www.dearbrutus.com
To subscribe to Bob Makransky’s free monthly Astro-Magical e-zine, send an e-mail to: MagicalAlmanac-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
 
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Ask Allie
it's more than advice... it's guidance ©
 
04/15/07
QUESTION
 
Dear Allie: The "change" has hit me with a vengeance. .How soon before it leaves me and I am feeling "GOOD" and "LIKE MYSELF" again? Will my current symptoms leave me with the help of the meds I am taking or is an adjustment needed or possibly a change in meds? It is going on 4 months with the meds and still no relief. What should I do?
 
ANSWER
 
Hey D: Yikes! How did you know today was my 40th birthday? I'm so not looking forward to that change in my life – only because it hits the women in my family pretty rough. What I am looking forward to is that I will never have to worry about becoming pregnant again or having to deal with that monthly visit from "Aunt Flo"!
 
Okay, so your body is out of whack and it is throwing your emotional state into a tailspin. Medication does not work and you wish to feel like "you" once more. What is a woman to do? Well, for one – you might want to look into the herb Kava Kava for it is supposed to help with the symptoms of the "change". Just keep in mind that I'm no doctor or herbalist, consult an authority before trying anything new or discontinuing a medication.
 
Stones that you can carry with you to help with your symptoms include: Liebigite, Cherry Opal, Proustite and Tennantite. Carry them with you in your pocket, purse or even sleep with them in your pillowcase. You should be able to find these on eBay. If you are unable to locate them – let me know and I will put you in contact with someone who I know can find the stones.
 
You can also make yourself an oil to calm your nerves.
 
PEACE OIL – add the essential oils to 1/8 cup of base oil (I like jojoba).
Swirl – not stir together:
3 drops Ylang-Ylang
3 drops Lavender
2 drops Camomile
1 drop Rose absolute
 
Add each oil into a bottle and swirl it around, then add another, etc... Apply to your body when needed. Store away from heat, light and moisture in an airtight, dark-colored glass bottle. A good place to store would be in your nightstand or dresser drawer.
 
You will start to feel like a real person once again by October, possibly September. I know – seems like forever – but the worst part is really behind you. Lucky for everyone around you that you only need to go through this part of life once. If you haven't already, talk to your doctor and explain what is going on – or rather – what isn't going on. He or she may have a solution and should be kept abreast on your progress. Personally, I feel that four months is a long enough adjustment period for your meds and something should have happened by now.
 
Enjoy the next phase of your life!
 
Crystal Sunshine!
 
Allie :)
 
Internationally renowned Personal Intuitive Advisor, author,
 
columnist and podcaster, Allie Theiss is a descendant of the Rom gypsies Of Transylvania. By utilizing readings, workshops, classes and coaching, she propels people to empower themselves in order to successfully transform their lives.
 
For over twenty years, Allie has earned a reputation for her no
nonsense approach to advice and makes a believer of even the most skeptical clients. She dispenses her $.02 with a deep understanding of human nature, a dash of humor, and a passion for, and gifts of clairvoyance (seeing psychic visions), claircognizance (knowing facts
without knowing how the information is received ), clairaudience
(hearing the voice of the Divine), energy/light healing, prophecy and
the knack with communicating with her Spirit Guides and Guardian
Angels.
 
Please Note: The advice contained in this column is for entertainment
purposes only. Allie does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the
use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical or medical
problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. In the event you use any of the information in this column for yourself, neither Allie, nor the publisher accepts responsibility for your actions.
 
Copyright © 2000- 2007 by Allie. All Rights Reserved
 
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Nature's Bug Repellents
by Karen Stokes, RN
 
The month of May is merry indeed. Feel the warmth of the sun, smell the lovely aroma of the flowers and experience the joy that this is spring. The trees have come to life again and the butterfly and dragonfly have come back to entertain us. I love to take my shoes off and let my bare-naked tootsies feel the soft green warmth of my untreated lawn. It consists of many different plants, including edible dandelion and aromatic pennyroyal and chamomile. In the shade, a carpet of mosses feels like lovely plush velvet beneath my feet. What a great, simple way to experience our connection to the earth and the healing power of green. Use all of your senses to experience this wonderful time of year.
 
To enjoy nature is truly a healing experience. To take a walk outdoors is balancing to our energy fields, as the Edgar Cayce readings imply. Our auras become brighter and better when we spend some time to explore the natural world. The outdoors brings peace and inspiration to us. Unfortunately, as summer approaches, so do the dreadful biting insects that plague us when we go outside. There is nothing more aggravating then having a lovely stroll in the park or romantic riverside picnic ruined by flies or mosquitoes. So maddening are these pests, that we often retreat back into the house to escape them. For an answer to this dreadful issue, we can once again turn to nature and some wonderful aromatic plants. Many plants manufacture natural insect repelling oils. This is the plant’s way to protect itself from invading insects. Herbs like basil and rosemary from the culinary garden are examples of bug repellent making plants. There are many others as well. Natural aromatic oils can be used to keep mosquitoes and biting flies from making a meal out of us.
 
If you grow herbs in your garden like catnip, basil, rosemary, lavender or pennyroyal you already have natural bug repellents in your back yard. Wormwood, mints and mugwort can also be effective. These herbs can be harvested, bruised slightly and then rubbed onto the skin to send biting insects off and away. I have found catnip to be especially effective against mosquitoes when used as a fresh poultice in this way. And after this catnip application my cats really love me! An insect repellent tea can be made for external use. Strong herbal teas can be sprayed onto the body prior to outdoor activities. Any of the herbs mentioned above can be used. I like to use dried herbs for this concentrated infusion. Simply combine the desired dry herbs, about two tablespoons of five select herbs. Add this herb mixture to one cup of freshly boiled water and cool. Strain the liquid from the herb matter, squeezing all of it out. Transfer the liquid to a glass spray bottle for easy application to the skin. Note: Tansy, southernwood, wormwood, rosemary and pennyroyal should not to be used during pregnancy or on babies.
 
Distilled essential oils can also be made into homemade fly and mosquito repellent products for the skin. You can combine several aromatic oils in a carrier lotion or oil to create your own effective bug-be-gone blends. Some useful repellent oils that are available include lemongrass, vetiver, cedar wood, rosemary, bay laurel and spike lavender. Geranium, basil and citronella are also effective against these nuisances. Citronella is that familiar essential oil used in outdoor bug candles. For me, the scent of this aromatic oil brings back memories pleasant summer evenings in childhood. This uplifting citrus scent reminds me of vacations and summer gatherings by the lake. It gives me a sense of happiness and joy (the scent-memory connection at work).
 
Spike lavender can be applied neat (undiluted) to the skin and is very effective against those little gnats that like to bite you in the nape of he neck. Try it on the ankles when hiking in tall grass. You can apply undiluted eucalyptus oil to the tops of shoes and on stockings to keep these predators at bay. For the campsite, soak several cloth strips with eucalyptus (or any of the oils referred to above) to hang around the tent and campsite.
 
A combination that I make for application to the skin is made of one ounce unscented lotion, 25 drops of spike lavender and 20 drops of eucalyptus essential oils. Always be careful not to get the oils near the eyes. They are very potent.
 
If I do get a bite, even after all of the usual lotions and potions have been applied, I use a simple but effective remedy. I carry a small roller-topped bottle of undiluted tea tree and peppermint essential oils in my pocket. Equal parts of tea tree and peppermint essential oils work quite well. The instant I feel a bite, I roll on some cooling relief from the roller bottle. The tea tree kills bacteria and viruses and prevents infection. The peppermint quiets the itch and cools the inflammation. I have found this easy remedy to be very handy for all outdoor activities.
 
May is the time to enjoy nature as it comes to life. Try some of nature’s effective insect repellents and you may find it easier to spend time outdoors. They smell pleasant and some even have calming effects on the mind and emotions. If you prefer to purchase ready-made products for outdoor skin care, your local health food store carries reliable, natural options.
 
Karen Stokes, RN Herbalist is a member of the American Botanical
Council and the Michigan Holistic Nurses Association. She can be
reached at (248) 515-9863 or karen.stokes@yahoo.com.
 
Crystal Treasures
92 West Walton
Pontiac, MI 48340 (248) 335-1405
 
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Sending Smoke Signals To The Heavens
by Linda Newman
 
I bumped into a nice lady the other day who gave me that, “Where have you been?” look. She noticed my golden tan and said, “So it is true.” To which I replied, “What is true?” Well, it appears that rumor has it that I have moved to Key West where I can drum and tan in new places. Gosh, that rumor is way more fun than the reality of me scraping icy stuff off of the car windows and sliding under the Jeep. I asked her to keep that one going since I like the vision of it.
 
The truth is that I am in South Dakota. My bits may be here but my heart rides the wind on the hill at Wounded Knee. I officially have clan on the Res at Pine Ridge, at KILI Radio 90.1 FM Porcupine, South Dakota. (you can hear them on the Internet.) South Dakota found me years ago, on my way to Spirit Mountain in Montana, when I drove there to release the Fire Bear’s ashes to the land she so loved. I recall thinking that there were so many things to see and places to experience that it would take a lifetime to do it all. And now I have dedicated all my spare time to doing just that. Over every rise and around every bend there is so much grandeur and beauty that you know you are being touched by the hand of God.
 
Once you get to the badlands, you are certain that you are no longer on planet Earth. Imagine walking into your most beautiful dream. The land is alien but comforting. You feel like you are the first visitor on a new planet, filled with secrets and promise. Earthy colors of every hue touch your soul and every day ends with a peach and purple sky. The mountains seem to go on forever and their silhouette inspires you to look to the heavens. It’s reminiscent of that old phrase, “We need to walk beneath that stars and realize how small we are.”
 
Every journey there has changed me. As with a true Medicine journey, something in me dies. Something that needed to. I always come back with new understanding, a new perspective, a shift in awareness. Always a blessing. Always. Since Mother Peace does benefits for our friends at KILI radio, the heartsong of Pine Ridge Res, we decided it would be cool to handle mostly South Dakota products – kinda like the money coming full circle. That’s how I met Ansel Wooden Knife.
 
He is a true Medicine Man. He makes pipes and drums. He is a third generation marine, a visionary, artist and storyteller. He is also the guy who answered my email when I was looking for authentic South Dakota products. Our conversations last for hours and feel like minutes. The last time we spoke, he told me stories of the sacred fire and how we humans seek that fire for personal transformation.
 
Ansel owns the Wooden Knife Café in the very heart of the badlands. Just past the Café is sacred healing sight that has drawn in people since before watch time, before calendar time. Late one summer day, a young couple from New York stopped by the Café, looking for coffee. Enter Ansel. They figured they were chatting with a nice unassuming guy, pouring coffee in their version of Nowhere, USA. He readily discovered that they were both corporate heavy hitters, who had been drawn to the badlands for the usual, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Sturgis, Deadwood Taking the Badlands loop and they ended right at Ansel’s door.
 
When they arrived at the healing site, the woman walked right to the spot where people have been transformed for centuries. She fell to her knees and burst into tears. As her husband stepped forward to support her, Ansel touched him gently and said, “Let her free her spirit with tears.” Evidently the woman was a corporate attorney, making six figures a year and miserable with her life. She now works with Amnesty International and has found her purpose. Medicine journeys will do that, snap ya right back to what truly matters.
 
Ansel told me stories and gave me a message from my spirit teachers and hours flew by. We talked business for about two minutes and I dove back into my crammed day. Of course, when you are busiest, company stops by. Once again, I was burning daylight and nothing was done. In a frenzy I cleaned up coffee cups and cookie crumbs and attempted to make up for lost time. I was packing for a show and that meant a major schlep of products from the basement. I was thinking about the sacred fire as I came running back up the stairs. And for a moment I thought I could even smell it. Felt sense memory I told myself.
 
That’s when I saw my kitchen sponge dancing in the sink. I touched the edge of the sink and it was mighty hot, so hot that my rubber gloves had melted to it. I opened the cabinet door and flames came at my face. I thought, “Oh geez, not again!” I reckon those ashtrays I had dumped when company left, were not quite cooled down yet. The garbage can that used to be three feet tall was now a flaming oozey mess. I felt the crunchy stuff where my widow’s peak used to be and I got the giggles. Any time the elements take over I find it amusing, kinda like the wheel inventing us. As a true Virgo type, I wanted to put out the fire but not make a mess. After the adventure where our church caught on fire, I knew well that the wet gooey stuff can make as bad a mess as the fire itself. I grabbed a potholder and did my best to beat down the flames. It worked pretty well until the potholder caught fire. I laughed even harder. The dishmaster didn’t reach, so I grabbed the teapot and wetted the fire enough to make it manageable. Flames went down, smoke whooshed up and I was doubled over with laughter. Since this is Michigan and not Key West, I knew I would be okay as soon as I got the flaming mess into a snowdrift.
 
Luckily, there was a small snow shovel next to the back door. I managed to scrape the smokey, flaming, gooey, drippy, smells-kinda-like-Bourbon-Street mess on the shovel and ran outside. That’s when it got tricky. There’s a reason this place is called the squirrel farm, but the main reason is that the squirrels took over before we moved in. Their cookie jar is by the door and no one is fool enough to open that door – sans a hail of frosting-filled cookies. The minute the door latch klicks, many little furry linebackers advance in hordes. There I was trying to open the door with my elbow and underfoot was a writhing deck covered with every hue of squirrel. I live to entertain my neighbors. It took a good five minutes of running in circles trying not to step on little toes before the garbage flambeau went out. That’s when I realized I was still in my slippers.
 
Oye. The squirrels were laughing at me as they warmed their butts by the steaming garbage.
 
I looked down at all those boxes in the basement and decided to make another pot of coffee. I took a quick inventory of the damages, not all that bad actually. The cabinet was charred a bit, but no parts fell off. My widow’s peak and eyebrows were gone but, nowhere near as badly as when I blew up the fuel oil furnace. There was a large Celtic knot mooshed into the snow where the squirrels had been chasing me. The garbage of the day was gently steaming, sending up smoke signals to the heavens, And I was no longer in such a big fat hurry. Granted I was late, but only on my own time table. In the Medicine Wheel, there is always enough time. God doesn’t make mistakes.
 
I dumped out the whole cookie jar for the kids, they needed a munch after all that running. I grabbed a cup of coffee and headed out to share in the party. We watched the sun go down together as I sipped my hot coffee and they loudly crunched on cookies. I gave thanks, that as my kitchen cabinet was going up in flames, I was here in Michigan and not the Keys. In Key West I would have had to run a city block to get to the ocean, that’s a long time to juggle garbage flambeau. Although, if you hear that rumor keep it going. I have had a purple bedroom and a sun porch with a hammock in Key West for over three years now. I just can’t get there. Every time I head for the horizon, I end up in South Dakota. Once you have been touched by those mountains they just keep callin’ you home.
 
Rev. Linda Newman is a third generation astrologer, mystic student, and holistic wellness practitioner. She has a private practice in Birmingham, Michigan and tours with the MotherPeace Drum Group. (248) 546-9740.
 
 
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Living In The Light Of Death
by Dr. Rita Louise
 
"Love and death are the two greatest gifts we can pass on and usually they are passed on unopened"
Unknown
 
We may not all pay taxes or even get married, but we will all die at some time. Regrettably, we can not choose the how's and why's of our passing, but for individuals with terminal illnesses, many choices can be made regarding how they spend their last days and take their final breath.
 
What is a good death? The passing from life, as we currently know, is seen in many cultures as the beginning of a voyage into a great unknown - the first step into an existence separate from our physical bodies. According to a Gallup pole, 74% of Americans believe in a life after death, yet most of us try to run away from it. While we may not want to think about it, death and dying is something we must all face. It is the most natural thing we all do and is often found to be the most meaningful part of our lives. Unfortunately, the miracle of death has been shut out of our lives by modern medicine for the past 30 - 40 years.
 
On the advent of death, some people choose to spend their time giving their illness or their treatment all of their attention. Others choose to use this time to learn about themselves or for forgiving those that have wronged them in the past. Others may choose to spend this special time in their lives searching for a place of inner peace, a release from their struggle,or hoping to achieve a level of acceptance for the path they are on.
 
When asked, the majority of people fear the pain, suffering or potential humiliation they may experience due to their illness the most. This fear, many times, has more to do with dealing with an unknown (i.e. health care options, pain management, family and friends) than it does with their actual physical issues. It is important for these individuals to take the time to talk about their thoughts, feelings, values and choices surrounding death, bringing their ideas and ideals into the light of day. This will not only help to ensure that their needs and desire are met but will also help to eliminate some of the hard choices their loved ones or even the "system" might be forced to make.
 
A quick side note to friends, family members and loved ones of those on the twilight of death: it was once said that grieving is the tax we all pay for our attachment to the ones we love. While this may not lessen your emotional suffering, it can be used as a gauge to validate your love and caring.
 
So what do you want as you sit perched so close to death? You are the director of your life. As with everything in life, you have choices. You can choose to live as much life as you can into the time you have left or you can try to avoid the unavoidable. Regardless of if you have only one day left or are blessed with a few years, you can choose to make each and every day a miracle. Embrace the miracle of life and let it guide you on to death.
 
 
© Copyright Body, Mind & SoulHealer – www.soulhealer.com 2007.
All rights reserved. Dr. Rita Louise, Ph D is a Naturopathic Physician and the founder of the Institute Of Applied Energetics. Author of the books "Avoiding the Cosmic 2x4" and "The Power Within", it is her unique gift as a medical intuitive and professional clairvoyant that enlivens her work. Let Dr. Rita assist you bringing health, healing and wholeness back into your life. Visit http://www.soulhealer.com for more information.
 
*********************
Introducing Our New eGroup Pagan Chat
 
As Spirit One is for our Webzines only, and we have had several
 
requests to have an open Chat Board, we have created the following egroup. Merry Meet This is a place for wiccans and pagans to have a good place to chat, and to learn from each other. All traditions welcome. Newbies welcome. Discussions range in topic from the practice of Pagan religions to Pagan civil liberties issues.
 
First Post is moderated to cut down on spammers
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pagan-chat
 
Please feel free to join and post
 
********************
Pagan/New Age Small Biz Package
These are extremely beneficial to anyone starting an online
 
business or one whose been in business for years. These books are packed with information that will show you how to be successful in your business endeavors.
http://www.paganshopping.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=OOTHM&Category_Code=E2
 
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HERB OF THE MONTH
Blessed Thistle
(Carbenia benedicta)
 
Blessed Thistle is so named because of the ancient belief that it possessed supernatural qualities. It grows up to two feet tall and is found in meadows and along roadsides. From May to June the plant bears pale yellow flowers. Among natural-health enthusiasts the plant is commonly used to support the female reproductive system
 
Blessed thistle leaves, stems, and flowers have traditionally been used in "bitter" tonic drinks and in other preparations taken by mouth to enhance appetite and digestion. Blessed thistle may also be included in the unproven anti-cancer herbal remedy Essiac. This herb has been tested in laboratory studies for its properties against infections, cancer, and inflammation with promising results. However, high-quality trials showing benefits in humans are lacking.
 
Synonyms Bitter thistle, cardin, Carbenia benedicta , Chardon Benit, Cardo Santo, Carduus benedictus, Cnici benedicti herba, cnicus, holy thistle, Kardo-benedictenkraut, St. Benedict thistle, salonitenolide, spotted thistle.
 
 
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40 Years after The Fact
by Hedgewizard Erb
 
 
The rain fell like notes from a tinkling piano
Shady places dotted the table where drinks stood lifeless
And bottles were dry from parched feelings
It was the summer, a fable of sorts, reeling
In the August heat and humid plinking sounds
We were young and stupid and believers in anything
 
On and on went the years, marching without mercy
Across tears and memories and never ending nows
We fought out of sheer boredom and inept beliefs
We thought history then would never be repeated
You can be so wrong when you are young, depleted
Of choices we found ourselves in the twenty first century
With nothing really changed, strange how
One war can look like another and sound like
 
The hissing of television’s dead air with sound effects
I pull people to my mind and touch them with songs
And wonder why things do not change much
The names, the games, the lame veteran’s returning
Burning with the truth of another war, like the last
The heroes speak no more from their dusty past
And their graves go unmarked for stupid causes
Reason being something the human race keeps missing
And the rain falls like notes from a tinkling piano
As the years turn to times strangely the same
 
Hedgewizard Erb March 29,2006
 
*************
The Five Chinese Elements
BY Donna Stellhorn
 
Your home naturally contains representations of the five elements. But when one or more of these elements is out of balance problems can arise. Correcting a small problem can make a difference in your life.
 
Water is the element that represents wisdom, willpower and ability to flow in personal and financial affairs. It is represented in your home by all the plumbing in the bathrooms and in the kitchen. If there are leaks or clogs or even excessive clutter around plumbing it can hinder greatly the flow of money in your life, and bring out fears concerning money. Make sure the plumbing in your home is in good repair. Having a water fountain also activates this element.
 
Wood is the element that represents the ability to plan and grow. It is represented in your home by things made of wood, such as the furniture, and the frame of the house. If there is excessive clutter on wood furniture or the actual frame of the house is weak it can inhibit your ability to make plans and decisions and bring on extreme anger. You can enhance this element by adding live plants to the house.
 
Fire is the element that represents courage, action and joy. It is important for creativity and excitement of life. The fire element is represented in your heating system, your fireplace, and the stove in the kitchen. These should be in good working order and kept clean to maintain good balance of the fire element. Problems with the fire part of the house can bring hyperactivity without accomplishment. Burning candles in the home helps activate the fire element.
 
Earth is the element that represents stability, steadiness and peace. It is represented by the masonry and tile floors and by brick structures. If your home has little of these or there is lots of clutter in these areas it can lead to worry and disruptive change. Terracotta pots and other stoneware can help balance this element.
 
Metal is the element that represents practicality, order and power. It is represented by the electrical wiring and metal locks on your doors. If these are not in good working order it can lead to grief and loss. You can add brass items such as bowls or pots to activate this element.
 
Keeping the elements in balance helps balance the qi bringing you both opportunity and peace.
 
Donna’s new book is now available! Feng Shui Form is a book about how to solve problems using Feng Shui principles and cures. It’s layout
and index to make it easy for you to find the cures and then make the
changes yourself to bring more energy and more opportunities for everything you want. To order please go to https://fengshuiform.websitesource.net/books.htm or give me a call at
978-531-8076 or 800-918-2689. As with all my products your satisfaction is guaranteed. If you don’t find my book helpful you may
return it for a full refund of your purchase price within 30 days of receipt.
 
 
*************
BOOK REVIEW
Crystal Power, Crystal Healing: The Complete Handbook (Paperback)
by Michael Gienger (Author)
 
http://www.paganshopping.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=CPCHBGM&Category_Code=AH
 
Book Description
It's crystal clear--these shining minerals, reflecting a rainbow of colors, have the power to heal body and mind, and develop our potential. How did they became endowed with so many magic properties, and how can you reap their restorative qualities and spiritual values most effectively? Knowing the answers to these questions may change your life and attitude forever. Look closely at the details of each crystal in dazzling color photographs, focusing on its shape and its facets. Diagrams illustrate a variety of cubic, hexagonal, trigonal, orthorombic, and triclinic systems, and you can determine which will work best for your lifestyle. An easy-to-understand, precise guide shows you how to find the most helpful healing stones for your needs (including size, form, quality, roughness, and color) and how to apply them. Think about whether they should be polished, in a pendant or pierced form and worn as jewelry. Place a crystal directly on the area of the body you want to affect; arrange a "stone circle" and lie within it for subtle spiritual, mental, and emotional changes; meditate with stones resting against your skin; and take gem essences internally. By positioning them properly in a room, crystals can affect the entire environment! Try amethyst for encouraging spiritual wakefulness and sobriety, relieving grief, and releasing pain and tension--particularly headaches. Citrine fosters individuality and self-confidence, overcomes depression, stimulates digestion, and alleviates diabetes and stomach ailments. Other crystals will spur you to enhance your dreamwork. After you experience what crystals can do, you'll never be without them again! 416 pages (200 in color), 6 x 8.
 
After working with crystals and stones for nearly a decade and either owning or reading newly every crystal book around, I nearly fell out of my seat when I read this brilliant work. Finally, someone has come up with original information that is both pragmatic and accurate. It is not yet another warmed over text with the same information on the same topics, over and over and over again. This book explains the energies of the various scientific elements - something I have *never* seem before, as well as detailing the energies of the different crystalline structures and their chemical classifications. Aside from that, he provides wonderful information on the way each stone forms which can give us even deeper insights into the stones. I consider myself extremely knowledgable on the subject, but this work is a brilliant addition to the body of knowledge we have on stones. I give the greatest thanks to this author for such a powerful and useful contribution! May you always find the light within you so you may see the light around you.
 
Product Details
 
Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Sterling; Reissue edition (December 31, 1998)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0713726776
ISBN-13: 978-0713726770
Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
Price 24.95
***************
HOROCOPES
 
ARIES (March 21- April 19) Avoid hasty speech and things said in anger in the heat of the moment. There may be sudden changes in travel plans. Be extra cautious while traveling.
 
TAURUS (April 20 - May 20) Vitality may be low today, so keep stress to a minimum. Get in touch with your true feelings. Emotional impulses may interfere with objective and good judgment.
 
GEMINI (May 21 - June 21) Travel, both mental and physical should be rewarding today. Self-discipline is needed in order to avoid trouble now or later. Don't procrastinate.
 
CANCER (June 22 - July 22) You will need to put your listening ears on today for if you don't, what you miss could be vital to your well-being and happiness. Follow-up suspicions.
 
LEO (July 23 - August 22) You can present important ideas without fear of being misunderstood. All mental pursuits are favored, especially ones that allow you to be self-expressive.
 
VIRGO (August 23 - September 22) Impractical ideas, nervousness, irritability and unexpected disruptions are what you may have to deal with today. Financial activities are favored today.
 
LIBRA (September 23 - October 23) You exude a certain magnetism that draws people closer to you. There is a sense of electricity running through you and you feel as if anything could happen.
 
SCORPIO (October 24 - November 21) Your involvement with the opposite sex today may not be as harmonious as you would like. Communicate. It might clear up any misunderstanding.
 
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 - December 21) Today's energy increases your enjoyment of the opposite sex. It is a good time to bond emotionally with others and to nurture and be nurtured.
 
CAPRICORN (December 22 - January 19) People above you are likely to notice your efficient efforts and reward for your hard work will be imminent. Patience is the keyword today.
 
AQUARIUS (January 20 - February 18) Today should be a fortunate day for you. This is a good day to put plans into action and to participate in group activities. Expand your horizons.
 
PISCES (February 19 - March 20) Relationships with female friends and relatives go well. Do some cooking, decorating or home entertaining. Dealings in real estate should be harmonious.
 
 
By: http://www.gypsyadvice.com Copyright © 2006 by Allie All Rights Reserved
 
**********************
Plugging Up The Holes in Your Relationships..."
by Susie and Otto Collins
 
Are there any "holes" in your relationships?
 
If you're like us--the answer is yes.
 
In fact, in many relationships there are usually quite a few "holes."
 
"Holes" are those things in your relationship and life that you may know are there but it's always a surprise when you fall into one.
 
Your relationship can be just fine one minute and then before you know it, you've fallen into one of those "hidden" holes again.
 
You can be thrown into a relationship hole by a certain word or look from the other person. These "holes" always create distance, disconnection and even anger, sadness or a range of many other emotions.
 
The house we live in is over 130 years old and just like a lot of relationships, there are many "holes" in the nooks and crannies in the exterior of the house.
 
At its core, our home is solid and stable. But the fact is that until the past few months when we decided to sell our house and move to another city, we really haven't paid a lot of attention to maintaining it. Of course the
neglect was really beginning to show.
 
Since we've been focusing our attention on revitalizing it, the home is in much better shape.
 
The truth is that whether you're talking about a house or a relationship, if there are any "holes" in them, they didn't just show up overnight. They are there because you didn't notice them and then fix them right away before they grew bigger. You didn't focus attention on the house or the relationship.
 
We could move to another house but it wouldn't be long before problems would start showing up in our new house if we didn't do a better job of maintaining it. So it is with relationships.
 
What does it mean to plug up the "holes" in a relationship?
 
It means doing the things every day and even moment-to-moment that lead to a great relationship.
 
One of those things is giving the relationship your attention. Many people get into a relationship and then put it on auto-pilot. Then months or years later, they wonder what happened.
 
If you haven't planned a date together in a while, take some time right now and plan some type of get-away even if it's just for an hour at your favorite restaurant or a walk in a park alone together. Make some time for the two of you to be together and to enjoy each other.
 
No matter what kind of relationship--paying some attention to it can help plug up the holes.
 
Another thing that we find helpful is to be honest about what you are feeling--with yourself and with others.
 
This means whenever something comes up between you and another person, don't let it linger and become an even bigger issue. In other words, if you tackle these issues when they're small, you can certainly avoid falling into huge "pot holes" later on.
 
Fixing a relationship with holes may not be an overnight process but it can be done if both partners in the relationship are committed to making it better and stronger
 
http://www.SusieandOtto.com
http://www.RelationshipGold.com
*************************
Paula and Gordon Ireland
Earth Spirit Emporium Inc
PO Box 181088
Utica MI 48318 USA
586-601-8444
earthspirit@ameritech.net
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