I know you've heard of genetically modified organisms. Please educate yourself as to what is being done to our food supply. Here is an eye-opening video. About half way through it becomes extremely interesting, scary, but inspirational.
The importance of biodiversity
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Have you ever heard of a Klein Bottle?
Have you heard of panentheism? Not pantheism, but panENtheism.
Read the articles at these links, and your mind will be blown.
What is a Klein Bottle?
Panentheism article (mentions the Klein bottle)
Have you heard of panentheism? Not pantheism, but panENtheism.
Read the articles at these links, and your mind will be blown.
What is a Klein Bottle?
Panentheism article (mentions the Klein bottle)
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Dan Aykroyd on UFOs!
I didn't know this side of Dan Aykroyd. If you watch it all the way to the end, you will understand why I think it's so important to be open-minded about the UFO phenomenon.
http://www.forbiddenknowledgetv.com/videos/ufosinterdimensionalultraterrestrials/dan-aykroyd-unplugged-on-ufos.html
http://www.forbiddenknowledgetv.com/videos/ufosinterdimensionalultraterrestrials/dan-aykroyd-unplugged-on-ufos.html
Saturday, April 7, 2012
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Today I cried for the loss of a man I never met.
There is a man I've known for a few years who has been a casual acquaintance up until we decided a couple of weeks ago that we would like to get to know each other better by dating. Well, he left me a message this morning, apologizing for having missed our date this weekend. He called from St. Louis where his Dad passed away yesterday.
I cried. I never met his father, but having lost my Mom to cancer 10 years ago, I know how hard that is.
I've never seen this side of my friend. He is always joking, having fun with life. Now I see that even in the midst of the difficulties he's going through now, he is also considerate enough to think to call me to apologize for missing our date. We hadn't even firmed up which day or what we were going to do yet. I cried for his pain and smiled for his thoughtfulness.
There is a man I've known for a few years who has been a casual acquaintance up until we decided a couple of weeks ago that we would like to get to know each other better by dating. Well, he left me a message this morning, apologizing for having missed our date this weekend. He called from St. Louis where his Dad passed away yesterday.
I cried. I never met his father, but having lost my Mom to cancer 10 years ago, I know how hard that is.
I've never seen this side of my friend. He is always joking, having fun with life. Now I see that even in the midst of the difficulties he's going through now, he is also considerate enough to think to call me to apologize for missing our date. We hadn't even firmed up which day or what we were going to do yet. I cried for his pain and smiled for his thoughtfulness.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Solstice and Equinox Traditions
From http://www.spiritualhumanism.org/
Solstice and Equinox Traditions
Observing holidays is a tradition intertwined with spirituality. The depth of humanity's need for holy days and the biological connection to the earth's yearly cycles are subjects that have not been satisfactorily researched.
Here are some astronomical events that have been used to mark holy days in many different religions for thousands of years. Celebrating these events recognizes both the continuity of humanity over thousands of years and how much we have progressed from the simple agrarians who depended upon astronomical sitings for their survival. For further reading on these topics see here http://www.spiritualhumanism.org/GoldenBough.htm.
Spring Equinox
Spring or Vernal Equinox, also known as Ostara, Easter, and St. Patrick's Day, occurs in the middle of March in the Northern Hemisphere. It marks the beginning of Spring and the time when days and nights are of equal length.
Megalithic people on Europes Atlantic fringe calculated the date of the Spring Equinox using circular monuments constructed of huge stones. Germanic tribes associated it with the fertility goddess Ostara. The Mayans of Central America still gather at the pyramid at Chichen Itza which was designed to produce a "serpent" shadow on the Spring Equinox. The Ancient Saxons held a feast day for their version of the fertility goddess, Eostre, on the full moon following the Vernal Equinox. Eostre is associated with the symbols of decorated eggs and hares.
Ancient influences from the worship of the goddess Ostara or Eostre have persisted in the form of fertility symbols of Easter eggs and the hare or rabbit. By the use of these symbols of spring, rebirth, and fertility we reinforce our connection to humanity's past.
Summer Solstice
Summer Solstice, sometimes known as Midsummer, Litha, or St. John's Day, occurs around June 21st in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a celebration of the longest day of the year and the beginning of Summer.
The first (or only) full moon in June is called the Honey Moon. Tradition holds that this is the best time to harvest honey from the hives and was a popular time to get married because of the events association with fertility gods and godesses. Harvests of St. Johns Wort were used in potions and woven into garlands to decorate and protect houses and domestic animals. Slav and Celt tribes celebrated with huge bonfires and people would jump over the embers for luck. In Scandinavia women and girls ceremonially bathed in rivers.
In Portugal, people say that St. John's Eve water possesses great healing power. Before dawn both cattle and young children bathed in rivers or dew, to ensure health and strength. In Russia, the summer solstice celebration is called Kupalo. Kupalo comes from the verb kupati, to bathe, and mass baths were taken on Midsummer morning.
Celebrating the Summer Solstice with bonfires and ceremonial bathing recognizes and strengthens our connections to nature and humanity.
Fall Equinox
In the Northern Hemisphere the Autumnal Equinox, occurs around September 23rd or 24th. It is also known as Michaelmas, Mabon, and Harvest Home.
Traditionally, the Japanese marked the spring and fall Equinox with higan, a seven day period in which they remember their ancestors by visiting the family grave, cleaning the tombstone, offering flowers and food, burning incense sticks, and praying.
The Polish Feast of Greenery involves bringing bouquets and foods for blessing by a priest, then using them for medicine or keeping them until the following years harvest. The Roman celebration of the Fall Equinox was dedicated to Pomona, goddess of fruits and growing things.
A feast was celebrated with a traditional well fattened goose which had fed well on the stubble of the fields after the harvest. Another tradition of of the Autumnal Equinox is the use of ginger. All manner of foods seasoned with ginger are part of the day's menu from gingerbread to ginger beer.
In England, the last sheaf of corn harvested represented the `spirit of the field' and was made into a doll. Corn dolls were drenched with water representing rain or burned to represent the death of the grain spirit. Large wickerwork figures were also constructed to represent a vegetation spirit and burnt in mock sacrifice. Farmers and merchants gathered at fairs. Often a large glove was suspended above the fair, symbolizing the handshake of promises and openhandedness and generosity.
The tradition of celebrating the end of summer with a 'burning man' has been enthusiastically revived in the US as a festival of performance art and creativity. Participating in your own burning man celebration is a powerful way to connect with humanity, past and present.
Winter Solstice
The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, with the sun at its lowest and weakest. In the Northern Hemisphere it usually occurs around December 21st.
In pagan Scandinavia the winter festival was the Yule, celebrated by burning the hearth fires of the magically significant Yule log. In the Celtic Druid culture, the Winter Solstice was celebrated by hanging sacred mistletoe over a doorway or in a room to offer goodwill to visitors. Germanic tribes decorated a pine or fir tree with candles and tokens. The Inca held midwinter ceremonies at temples that served as astronomical observatories like Machu Pichu.
Romans celebrated this event with Saturnalia, a festival of merrymaking, and decorating their homes and temples with holly and evergreens. Also popular was the exchange of small gifts thought to bring luck on the recipient.
In the fourth century AD, Christian authorities in Rome attempted to eliminate the pagan festivities by adopting December 25th as Christ's birthday. The effort was never completely successful, and eventually many Winter Solstice customs were incorporated into Christmas observances.
Since so many of these traditions have persisted for thousands of years despite extensive efforts to eliminate them, we think it best to celebrate the Winter Solstice with these ancient customs, recognizing our links to the rest of humanity, past and present.
Solstice and Equinox Traditions
Observing holidays is a tradition intertwined with spirituality. The depth of humanity's need for holy days and the biological connection to the earth's yearly cycles are subjects that have not been satisfactorily researched.
Here are some astronomical events that have been used to mark holy days in many different religions for thousands of years. Celebrating these events recognizes both the continuity of humanity over thousands of years and how much we have progressed from the simple agrarians who depended upon astronomical sitings for their survival. For further reading on these topics see here http://www.spiritualhumanism.org/GoldenBough.htm.
Spring Equinox
Spring or Vernal Equinox, also known as Ostara, Easter, and St. Patrick's Day, occurs in the middle of March in the Northern Hemisphere. It marks the beginning of Spring and the time when days and nights are of equal length.
Megalithic people on Europes Atlantic fringe calculated the date of the Spring Equinox using circular monuments constructed of huge stones. Germanic tribes associated it with the fertility goddess Ostara. The Mayans of Central America still gather at the pyramid at Chichen Itza which was designed to produce a "serpent" shadow on the Spring Equinox. The Ancient Saxons held a feast day for their version of the fertility goddess, Eostre, on the full moon following the Vernal Equinox. Eostre is associated with the symbols of decorated eggs and hares.
Ancient influences from the worship of the goddess Ostara or Eostre have persisted in the form of fertility symbols of Easter eggs and the hare or rabbit. By the use of these symbols of spring, rebirth, and fertility we reinforce our connection to humanity's past.
Summer Solstice
Summer Solstice, sometimes known as Midsummer, Litha, or St. John's Day, occurs around June 21st in the Northern Hemisphere. It is a celebration of the longest day of the year and the beginning of Summer.
The first (or only) full moon in June is called the Honey Moon. Tradition holds that this is the best time to harvest honey from the hives and was a popular time to get married because of the events association with fertility gods and godesses. Harvests of St. Johns Wort were used in potions and woven into garlands to decorate and protect houses and domestic animals. Slav and Celt tribes celebrated with huge bonfires and people would jump over the embers for luck. In Scandinavia women and girls ceremonially bathed in rivers.
In Portugal, people say that St. John's Eve water possesses great healing power. Before dawn both cattle and young children bathed in rivers or dew, to ensure health and strength. In Russia, the summer solstice celebration is called Kupalo. Kupalo comes from the verb kupati, to bathe, and mass baths were taken on Midsummer morning.
Celebrating the Summer Solstice with bonfires and ceremonial bathing recognizes and strengthens our connections to nature and humanity.
Fall Equinox
In the Northern Hemisphere the Autumnal Equinox, occurs around September 23rd or 24th. It is also known as Michaelmas, Mabon, and Harvest Home.
Traditionally, the Japanese marked the spring and fall Equinox with higan, a seven day period in which they remember their ancestors by visiting the family grave, cleaning the tombstone, offering flowers and food, burning incense sticks, and praying.
The Polish Feast of Greenery involves bringing bouquets and foods for blessing by a priest, then using them for medicine or keeping them until the following years harvest. The Roman celebration of the Fall Equinox was dedicated to Pomona, goddess of fruits and growing things.
A feast was celebrated with a traditional well fattened goose which had fed well on the stubble of the fields after the harvest. Another tradition of of the Autumnal Equinox is the use of ginger. All manner of foods seasoned with ginger are part of the day's menu from gingerbread to ginger beer.
In England, the last sheaf of corn harvested represented the `spirit of the field' and was made into a doll. Corn dolls were drenched with water representing rain or burned to represent the death of the grain spirit. Large wickerwork figures were also constructed to represent a vegetation spirit and burnt in mock sacrifice. Farmers and merchants gathered at fairs. Often a large glove was suspended above the fair, symbolizing the handshake of promises and openhandedness and generosity.
The tradition of celebrating the end of summer with a 'burning man' has been enthusiastically revived in the US as a festival of performance art and creativity. Participating in your own burning man celebration is a powerful way to connect with humanity, past and present.
Winter Solstice
The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year, with the sun at its lowest and weakest. In the Northern Hemisphere it usually occurs around December 21st.
In pagan Scandinavia the winter festival was the Yule, celebrated by burning the hearth fires of the magically significant Yule log. In the Celtic Druid culture, the Winter Solstice was celebrated by hanging sacred mistletoe over a doorway or in a room to offer goodwill to visitors. Germanic tribes decorated a pine or fir tree with candles and tokens. The Inca held midwinter ceremonies at temples that served as astronomical observatories like Machu Pichu.
Romans celebrated this event with Saturnalia, a festival of merrymaking, and decorating their homes and temples with holly and evergreens. Also popular was the exchange of small gifts thought to bring luck on the recipient.
In the fourth century AD, Christian authorities in Rome attempted to eliminate the pagan festivities by adopting December 25th as Christ's birthday. The effort was never completely successful, and eventually many Winter Solstice customs were incorporated into Christmas observances.
Since so many of these traditions have persisted for thousands of years despite extensive efforts to eliminate them, we think it best to celebrate the Winter Solstice with these ancient customs, recognizing our links to the rest of humanity, past and present.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Daily Life as a Prayer
I wrote this around the time I wrote The School of Life.
Daily Life as a Prayer
I offer this idea to you - live your life as a prayer. Feel the power of the Universe that blesses you. Rejoice in it and use it wisely. This morning you woke up with a roof over your head, clothes to wear and food to eat. Live with a grateful attitude.
What a glorious world we live in! We are physical and spiritual beings.
To stimulate your physical aspects so that they function as well as possible for your benefit and to benefit your fellow humans, I suggest daily activities similar to the following:
You have a mind – exercise and feed it! Read, watch television, listen to the radio, communicate with others, surf the web. Decide what makes sense to you from the input you receive. Only you can decide what you believe. What is your truth? What beliefs work for you? Use your mind. If you feel strongly that something is true for you, don’t let anyone persuade you otherwise. But remember, as our life’s circumstances change, so, too, may our beliefs. You will grow spiritually and be nurtured physically if you let go of beliefs that no longer serve you and allow new ones to flower.
You have a body – enjoy and employ it! To make best use of your body, purposely stimulate each one of your 5 senses daily.
Be aware of a strong smell and rejoice that your olfactory organs relay that information to your brain. How does it make you feel? What memories does it trigger? Isn’t your nose a wonderful tool? It gives you pleasure and can warn you of danger (as in smelling smoke from a fire). Send feelings of gratitude to your body for your sense of smell.
Look at an object and let your optic nerves send the awe of its shape, texture and color to your brain. Explore the way the object appears until you can see it in your mind’s eye with your physical eyes closed. Visualization skills are a powerful tool for manifestation! Your eyes are wonderful gifts also. Be grateful to your body for them.
When you eat or drink, hold it in your mouth a little longer than usual before swallowing. Is it sweet, sour, salty, or bland? Allow your taste buds to send the pleasurable impulses to your brain and be aware of them. Not only has the Universe provided you with fuel for your body, you experience the pleasure of enjoyable flavors as an added bonus! Fuel your body well according to what you believe from information you accept as true for you. Have a grateful attitude toward your body for your sense of taste.
Use your fingertips to explore the texture of something in your immediate environment. Feel the velvety petals of a flower, the grain of the wood on your kitchen table, or the warmth of the sun streaming through a window. Be aware of the pleasure and sensibility of your sense of touch. Without the nerve endings near the surface of your skin, you wouldn’t know when you were getting burned or cut, for instance. Be grateful for your skin and nerve endings.
Stop and just let your ear drums send you signals you might tend to ignore a large portion of the time. Hear the hum of the furnace, a dog barking, or the trickle of a fountain. Delight in the music of everyday life. Our ability to hear gives us pleasure and warning of danger in our immediate environment. Love your ears!
Another great way to get in touch with your physical body and to keep it in good working order, is to exercise it. Cardio-vascular exercise keeps our heart and other muscles in shape so that our daily tasks are easier for us. But if you have a job that involves a lot of movement, an additional daily workout may not be necessary. I do highly recommend some other form of body workout, such as Tai Chi, Qi Gong or yoga to promote flexibility and align your mind, body, and spirit.
You are made of Spirit - go inside yourself daily with deep contemplation or meditation. Feel the light of your True Self shining through your physical body, giving you the gifts of true wisdom and intuition. Nurture these awesome gifts!
Even if you see life from a mostly scientific viewpoint, take a few moments each day to contemplate what you think allows the Universe to function, change, and grow. Open yourself to the wonders of the Universe. Feel the energy coursing through your body, and recognize its power. As the sun rises each day, the moon illuminates the nighttime, and the seasons flow, experience and be aware of, the awe and mystery of nature.
Another way to live your life as a prayer is to look outside yourself, as well as in. Performing a selfless act each day shows your love and reverence for all of creation. Do something of your own free will for a friend, family member, or a complete stranger. Give a compliment to your competitive sibling, offer to go grocery shopping for an elderly neighbor, babysit for a harried friend who has a new baby. But whatever kindness you perform will have much more value if you do so without expectations, or strings attached. Do some good, hard work and contribute to society! Pray like you mean it!
Daily Life as a Prayer
I offer this idea to you - live your life as a prayer. Feel the power of the Universe that blesses you. Rejoice in it and use it wisely. This morning you woke up with a roof over your head, clothes to wear and food to eat. Live with a grateful attitude.
What a glorious world we live in! We are physical and spiritual beings.
To stimulate your physical aspects so that they function as well as possible for your benefit and to benefit your fellow humans, I suggest daily activities similar to the following:
You have a mind – exercise and feed it! Read, watch television, listen to the radio, communicate with others, surf the web. Decide what makes sense to you from the input you receive. Only you can decide what you believe. What is your truth? What beliefs work for you? Use your mind. If you feel strongly that something is true for you, don’t let anyone persuade you otherwise. But remember, as our life’s circumstances change, so, too, may our beliefs. You will grow spiritually and be nurtured physically if you let go of beliefs that no longer serve you and allow new ones to flower.
You have a body – enjoy and employ it! To make best use of your body, purposely stimulate each one of your 5 senses daily.
Be aware of a strong smell and rejoice that your olfactory organs relay that information to your brain. How does it make you feel? What memories does it trigger? Isn’t your nose a wonderful tool? It gives you pleasure and can warn you of danger (as in smelling smoke from a fire). Send feelings of gratitude to your body for your sense of smell.
Look at an object and let your optic nerves send the awe of its shape, texture and color to your brain. Explore the way the object appears until you can see it in your mind’s eye with your physical eyes closed. Visualization skills are a powerful tool for manifestation! Your eyes are wonderful gifts also. Be grateful to your body for them.
When you eat or drink, hold it in your mouth a little longer than usual before swallowing. Is it sweet, sour, salty, or bland? Allow your taste buds to send the pleasurable impulses to your brain and be aware of them. Not only has the Universe provided you with fuel for your body, you experience the pleasure of enjoyable flavors as an added bonus! Fuel your body well according to what you believe from information you accept as true for you. Have a grateful attitude toward your body for your sense of taste.
Use your fingertips to explore the texture of something in your immediate environment. Feel the velvety petals of a flower, the grain of the wood on your kitchen table, or the warmth of the sun streaming through a window. Be aware of the pleasure and sensibility of your sense of touch. Without the nerve endings near the surface of your skin, you wouldn’t know when you were getting burned or cut, for instance. Be grateful for your skin and nerve endings.
Stop and just let your ear drums send you signals you might tend to ignore a large portion of the time. Hear the hum of the furnace, a dog barking, or the trickle of a fountain. Delight in the music of everyday life. Our ability to hear gives us pleasure and warning of danger in our immediate environment. Love your ears!
Another great way to get in touch with your physical body and to keep it in good working order, is to exercise it. Cardio-vascular exercise keeps our heart and other muscles in shape so that our daily tasks are easier for us. But if you have a job that involves a lot of movement, an additional daily workout may not be necessary. I do highly recommend some other form of body workout, such as Tai Chi, Qi Gong or yoga to promote flexibility and align your mind, body, and spirit.
You are made of Spirit - go inside yourself daily with deep contemplation or meditation. Feel the light of your True Self shining through your physical body, giving you the gifts of true wisdom and intuition. Nurture these awesome gifts!
Even if you see life from a mostly scientific viewpoint, take a few moments each day to contemplate what you think allows the Universe to function, change, and grow. Open yourself to the wonders of the Universe. Feel the energy coursing through your body, and recognize its power. As the sun rises each day, the moon illuminates the nighttime, and the seasons flow, experience and be aware of, the awe and mystery of nature.
Another way to live your life as a prayer is to look outside yourself, as well as in. Performing a selfless act each day shows your love and reverence for all of creation. Do something of your own free will for a friend, family member, or a complete stranger. Give a compliment to your competitive sibling, offer to go grocery shopping for an elderly neighbor, babysit for a harried friend who has a new baby. But whatever kindness you perform will have much more value if you do so without expectations, or strings attached. Do some good, hard work and contribute to society! Pray like you mean it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)