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BOOK REVIEWS
Spring 07 Book Reviews
The True Sources of the Nile by Sarah Stone The title of this book is symbolic of
searching the depth of one’s being for the truth of oneself. Anne, an American social
worker in Burundi, Africa, is drowning in the rapids of a love for/addiction to Jean-Pierre,
a Paris-educated Burundian cabinet minister. The Tutsis and Hutus are in an ever-
escalating bloody conflict, and Anne (Ahna, Jean-Pierre calls her) is almost¾but not
quite¾relieved when the decision is made for her to return to California when she gets
the news that her mother is dying of cancer. Her heart is in Burundi, and Annie, as her
family calls her, feels ever more estranged from her real self as she deals with the
somehow smaller issues of an individual life and death. The passion between her and
Jean-Pierre continues to flame as the two are torn apart by heritage. Can she go back to a
crisis in Burundi? Could Jean-Pierre ever adjust to living in America?
The True Sources of the Nile is an engrossing, enlightening read, with life, love, and
death intertwining like a writhing boa.
Sarah Stone lives and writes in the San Francisco Bay area. She reported on human
rights and volunteered at the Jane Goodall Institute in Bujumbura, Burundi, from 1991-
1993. Primarily a non-fiction writer, this is her first novel. ISBN 0-385-50301-6
Guest Reviewer: Holly Morgan
The Dark Mirror by Juliet Marillier. Book One of the Bridei Chronicles. Set in 554 A.D. in
the Pict culture, this fantasy novel brings an historical time frame alive as a young boy is
being raised and curried by an old druid. The old man’s plan is that one day the boy will
vie for the kingship of the tribes. His best friend is a young female foundling of the good
Folk, the faerie folk, and not accepted by the humans. An excellent read of maturation,
questing and history. ISBN 0-765-30998-x.
Carla Neggars, author of great romantic mysteries like The Harbor, The Waterfall, The
Widow.
On the Threshold: Home, Hardwood and Holiness by Elizabeth J. Andrew. Self-reflective
essays on home, hearth and the sacred aspects of life both inner and outer. The author
uses house and home as metaphors for inhabiting her body and how her spiritual path
unfolds. A deliciously quiet book that feeds you on the inside. ISBN 0-8133-4296-1.
The Sound of Paper: Starting from Scratch by Julia Cameron. The author steps into the
struggle of the writer, the artist, writer’s block, etc. relating all these inner situations to the
daily life of living first in Manhattan and then in Taos, N.M. as she works on her book.
Writing exercises at the end of each chapter. Each chapter is a few pages. Loved this.
ISBN1-58542-354-8.
The Spirit of Writing: Classic and Contemporary Essays Celebrating the Writing Life Ed.
by Mark Robert Waldman. The list of contributing authors is stunning. I was entranced by
the broad spectrum addressed here. Loved these essays on frustration, emotions, joys.
ISBN 1-58542-127-8.
What if I should discover that the poorest of the beggars and the most impudent of
offenders are all within me, and that I stand in need of the alms of my own kindness; that I
myself am the enemy who must be loved. What then? Carl Jung
“They are the play things scattered on the nursery carpet to train us to play with the big
boys.” Quote about Crop Circles from DVD Star Dreams, produced, written and directed
by Robert L. Nichol. Genesis Communications Corp., Box 888, Gibsons, BC, Canada, V0N
1V0. More than 10,000 crop circles have been documented over the past 25 years. Many
of the formations are highly complex and mathematically perfect designs. Interview with
crop circle researchers, farmers and psychics. ISBN 1-55300-484-1.
Passing
Like she herself
my mother’s generation is almost gone,
taking with them their secrets and sorrows,
their loves, laughter and liveliness,
their music and memories,
heroes, history and times.
Their replies to our unasked questions
will now forever go unanswered;
their examples will diminish in time.
We’ll keep their handwriting for awhile
and hear their voices in our dreams.
We’ll wear their gems and dust their trinkets,
bake their pies and baste their turkeys,
but we know the baton has been passed.
We’ve now become the, the matriarchs,
and the onus is now on us.
By M. Kate Hilsenbeck
Book Reviews
Kabul, by M.E. Hirsh © 1986, reissued in 2002 In the mid-20th century Kabul Afghanistan
was an international capital boasting a co-ed university with faculty from around the
world. Then it all crumbled. This novel is an inside look at the religious, political and
social worlds of Afghanistan in the 1970’s, when the conflict between traditional values
and the twentieth century became heated, as told through the lives of the members of a
Western-educated highly-placed (fictional) family. The plot weaves politics and
relationships into a tragic whole, depicting the torn loyalties of so many Middle-
Easterners today. The book gives a face to the ongoing conflict as well as revealing the
history of it, including the West’s role in the collapse of stability in Afghanistan, leading to
the Soviet invasion and the rise of the Taliban. Some characters who play a minor role in
the book are historical people, and the novel is built upon actual events. A compelling
read. The author has written for The Washington Post, the L.A. Times, and the Boston
Globe on sensitive sociological topics from Afghanistan to Native American affairs.
ISBN 0-312-30173-1 Reviewed by Holly Morgan
Resurrection by Tucker Malarkey. The pace of this novel/mystery draws you in slowly,
relentlessly so that you’re interested even if you’re thinking the pace should be faster. If it
was, the richness of the story and the sense of place would be lost. The author teases
with language that is descriptively rich. Some of her sentences are beautifully crafted.
To Cairo a young woman travels from London, immediately post WWII. She has come to
find out what led her father, an archeologist, to his death as he searched for the lost
gospels of Thomas and Mary Magdalene. The Church was opposed to these long-hidden
Nag Hammadi texts. Intrigue, love and wise verses reveal themselves to our heroine in
the city and then in the vast desert. A great read! ISBN#1-59448-919-x.
The Expected One by Kathleen McGowan. A young woman begins a search for the
Magdalene scrolls, hidden in the French Pyrenees two centuries ago, as part of her
research for a new book. She comes across the legends of Mary and her lineage down
through the ages; the Cathars and their sacred trust; travels from Jerusalem to the
cathedrals in Paris. She must unravel the clues that are being put before her and see, if
indeed, she is the expected one! Wonderful Story…. ISBN#0-7432-9942-6.
Dressing Myself In Garments
Like the bride preparing for her bridegroom,
scenting her body
combing her hair
dressing in her finest of raiment
I ready myself for my next step
along the path.
I begin with my resistances
and like old rouge and lipstick
I slowly wipe away
the traces of the past
and what has kept me smitten with myself
in limitation.
I continue with old wounds
that justified my standing still
and not embracing
the unexpected wonders
that come with risk.
I dress myself in the garments
of the expectation of new possibilities
and leave room for new adventures
like lovers swirling the dance floor
in ever-widening circles.
Like the bride
preparing for her bridegroom,
I ready myself for my next step
along the path I have chosen
and trust my soul
to lead me well.
Jyoti Wind
DVD: Chautauqua Then and Now is a film which presents a vision for the future of
humanity. The understanding of universal laws, the constitution of man and archetypal
psychology will enable us to create a more enlightened society.
Filmed in Boulder, this film reflects the inspirational qualities of this mountainous region.
The concepts developed here flow from the personal experiences of Arthur Nazzaro and
members of our community.
Jyoti Wind, as an astrologer and therapist, provides deep insights and a compassionate
perspective on how we become our selves. With Arthur, she later leads us though the
astrological significance of upcoming outer planet transits that may influence
developments in our collective psyche.
Available through this newsletter. $19.
Writing Prompts
List five things you’ve learned that you thought you couldn’t
Write freely for ½ hour on your ideal day, where everything is exactly how you imagined it
to be, including feelings, and senses.
Autumn Book Reviews
How to Prevent and Treat Cancer with Natural Medicine by Drs. Murray, Birdsall, Pizzorno, and Reilly.
ISBN1-57322-343-3. Four Naturopaths give their research and knowledge on how to integrate preventive
medicine and current therapies with allopathic treatment when needed. Covers vitamins, mineral, herbs; daily
regimen for coping with the side effects of treatment; specific recommendations for different types of cancers,
and immune system boosters. Radiation and chemo are covered and how to offset the drugs' side effects, and
how to take control of the choices that are in front of you. Easy to read and use.
The Subject Tonight Is Love by Hafiz. Translated by Daniel Ladensky. Hafiz, known as a wild, holy friend to the
world, sometimes a seeker and other times a realized master and guide, presents us with his passionate poetry in
this volume. This 14th century poet from Persia easily transmutes us beyond our minds into sacred ecstasy.
“Change rooms in your mind for a day.”
“There is only one reason we have followed God into this world. To encourage laughter, freedom, dance and
love.”
“Because the Woman I love lived inside of you
I lean as close to your body with my words as I can.
And I think of you all the time, dear pilgrim,
because the One I love goes with you.
Wherever you go, Hafiz will always be near.” ISBN# 0-9657637-0-6. (Guest reviewer Patricia Jordan.)
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse. Weaving a tale between 1209 Medieval France and the modern day world of French
culture, the author takes us on a grail quest. Soaked with legend, myth and historical data of the Cathars and the
Church of France, a young woman emerges to guard the grail secrets as her modern day counterpart follows in
her footsteps. A great tale!
ISBN# 0-399-15344-6.
Writing To Change the World by Mary Pipher. As the expression goes: If you can talk, you can sing. I think if
you can think, you can write. The author’s words spoke to me in such a way that her meanings went right into
me. Her chapters on Poetry and Coda (the last chapter) seared in with a depth of understanding and met me
where I stood. This book can inspire, awaken, and coax your words out, so that you can stand shoulder to
shoulder with those whose voices are needed now.
By Grace’s Edge: Poetry, Prose and Prayers by Jyoti Wind. ISBN 0-9788883-0-8
A small volume of poetry and memoir. Thoughts from readers:
I read your book of poetry...It was really considerate of you to share it with me. Two in particular that I enjoyed
was The Changing of the Guard "The Piscean age had crosses and martyrs and compassion of tears and blood.
It gave us intermediaries who tugged the ear of God . . .intrigued me....and Making Bread, I can see the tears
flowing as the butter melted. I like the idea that making bread can save a person's life. Thank you, Kelly Morgan,
L.A., CA
I think you've put together a manual for seeing with the soul's eyes, for breathing in life's lush availabilities in all of
the senses and possibilities and in the energy of dreams, stages, memories, completions and beginnings, how all
of this and so much more creates the richness of the circle and the spiral -- you've done a grand thing of lasting
import -- your gift is deeply appreciated. Would that my touch with words was as sensitive, experienced,
attuned, deeply felt and compliant to the flow of creation as yours, you would have a sense of how much you
have accomplished through your writings in this book. And the cover is beautiful, the title is just perfect. PR,
CA
I have been reading your book in snatches. I see your imagery, particularly in your poetry, as sudden and
outwardly detached yet observant of the inner quiet and acceptance of our own deaths. You are painting a
picture of individual truth which is what a true artist usually creates great work from. I like what I have read and
appreciate your truthing. MK, CO
In The Omnivores Dilemma, Michael Pollan asks the question, what should we have for dinner? To find out, he
follows each of the food chains that sustain us – industrial (fast food and processed food), organic and
alternative, and food we forage ourselves. He traces a meal at McDonalds back to its basic ingredient – corn. I
never thought a chapter on corn could startle me so. He doesn’t point fingers so much as explain how it all came
to be and what can be done about it. He explains why it’s so hard to get away from things like High Fructose
Corn Syrup (HFCS), which is in everything. Any why organic isn’t always what it says it is. This is a very
fascinating, well written book to put on your “to read” list. ISBN 1-59420-082-3
Summer 06 Book Reviews
Aquarius Now by Marilyn Ferguson (author of the Aquarian Conspiracy). “We have to
stop thinking of ourselves as conquerors and start thinking of ourselves as fellow
travelers with every living being on this planet. The task is not to climb a mountain, but to
navigate a river.”
ISBN 1-57863-369-9.
The Soul’s Book of Answers by Carol Bolt. A small but thick book that you hold with a
question. Then you thumb through, stopping when you feel like it. And there is your
answer. A surprising divination tool. ISBN1-58479-301-5.
Creating Miracles: A Practical Guide to Divine Intervention by Carolyn Godschild Miller,
Ph.D. An interesting look at miracles, larger-than-life events and the human participation
in them. Many stories, many thoughts. A very heartfelt piece of work. ISBN1-932073-16-7.
2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl by Daniel Pinchbeck. From crop circles to shamanic
revitalism, the author explores the Mayan prophecies for global shift in 2012. He is a
writer for the NY Times Magazine among other literary forms, and found himself pulled
into the shamanic and metaphysical worlds as he wrote about them. A very interesting
read. ISBN1-58542-483-8.
The Dark Queen, The Courtesan, The Silver Rose. A series of books by Susan Carroll. Set
in 1580’s France, daughters of the Earth vie with Catherine de Medici and witchhunters
across that country. Romance, adventure, intrigue in the courts of Europe all contribute
to good story lines.
The Priest’s Madonna by Amy Hassinger. We begin in 1884 in Rennes-le-Chateau in
southern France, following the life of young Marie and her relationship to a young priest.
He’s trying to find a patron to build his church. She has just moved there as a young
woman, and both are drawn into the Cathar legends, the stories of the wife of Christ and
her arrival there centuries before. The attraction between the two of them also sets the
mood. A spiritual journey of mystery, romance and intrigue. ISBN 0-399-15317-9.
Tree of Dreams: A Spirit Woman’s Vision of Transition and Change by Lynn Andrews.
Published several years ago, the author takes the reader once more into her world of
shamanic understanding and seeing the next piece in a life lived with awareness. I hadn’t
read Lynn’s books in a while, and yet she spoke to my own place in the scheme of things
in this offering. She talks about facing eldership, death, change in all its forms. An
excellent read, and so timely for me. ISBN1-58542-129-4.
Guest Book Review by John Cardin
Bush On The Couch: Inside the Mind of the President by Justin Frank, M.D.
Wouldn’t you just love to be a fly-on-the-wall while George Bush was getting a psychiatric
evaluation? Well, now you can be—at least in a hypothetical sense. Justin Frank, M.D.,
has undertaken an ‘armchair’ psychoanalysis of George Bush from a distance, based
upon his speeches, press conferences, and the public record of what he says and what
he does. Dr. Frank reports his conclusions in Bush On The Couch, a non-technical book
suitable for the lay reader. What we get is a revelatory portrait of a disturbed man with
many unresolved issues, acting-out his conflicted childhood, his drinking, his
lawlessness, his power-lust, and even that creepy smirk! This book is a must read for
anyone interested in what drives the man with his hand on the button. ISBN 0-06-073671-
2.
Thanks, John!
“Discipline is misunderstood in your world….Discipline is a process. It’s not an end….I’m
saying that discipline isn’t an act of control. Discipline is an awareness. It’s something
you come to. It’s like purpose—purpose you discover in your life. Purpose is not
something that you make happen. You cannot invent passion, but you can uncover it.”
“You must initiate the exact event you desire…you must saturate your being with
whatever it is you are looking for. Follow your ideas about death, life and immortality.
Understand that you are pulling down the clouds. You are calling for rain in your heart so
that your spirit can grow.” (Excerpted from Tree of Dreams: A Spirit Woman’s Vision of
Transition and Change by Lynn Andrews.).
Book Reviews Spring 2006
Astrology For The Soul by Jan Spiller. I’d heard of this book for several years and
recently picked it up to read her interpretation of where my North Node was placed.
The North Node in a natal chart represents the learning curve of the life; the place where
we are in uncharted waters and the soul is learning by leaps and bounds. Her
interpretation of the North Node in each of the twelve signs, a chapter devoted to each, is
stunning. An accomplished piece of work here. She weaves into the present lessons the
work of what needs to be let go of from the past. Included in the beginning of the book is
a table for ascertaining where a person’s North Node position can be found. An excellent
and importantly informative book for everyone. ISBN:0-553-37038-4.
The Way of the Traveler: Making Every Trip a Journey of Self-Discovery by Joseph
Dispenza. The author, a monk for eight years and a teacher of media ethics, is presently
the co-founder and director of the Parcells Center for Personal Transformation in Santa
Fe. He shows us how the idea of journey/travel/pilgrimage occurs and evolves until one
is actually traveling, both inwardly as well as outwardly. A small book with a beautiful
voice. Segments include The Dream of the Journey, Preparation, The Journey, the
Homecoming, and Recounting the Tale. (See excerpt in newsletter) ISBN:156261448-4.
For those mystery lovers: I have so enjoyed Catherine Coulter’s FBI Thriller series
including The Cove, The Maze, The Target, etc. Loved them.
The Long Emergency: Surviving the Converging Catastrophes of the 21st Century by
James Howard Kunstler. The author feels ‘we are in for a rough ride through uncharted
territory’. He looks at the trends from where we are and our dependency on fossil fuels to
where he thinks we will likely go. James, a thirty-year writer for The Rolling Stone, sees
us heading to more local and smaller economies. As the downscaling of America takes
place, the collapse of national and state governments, and personal production of food
takes us into new ways of living, I’m reminded of the Y2K survival reminders as I read his
words. He looks at life in the urbanized southern deserts and what it takes to live there in
a ‘cheap-oil’ economy and what it may look like when that is over. Very interesting and
incredibly researched. ISBN 0-87113-888-3.
The Gift of Change: Spiritual Guidance for Living Your Best Life by Marianne Williamson.
Marianne discuses how the speed of change that is in the world and in our own personal
lives is a spiritual necessity. Can we embrace change as it comes instead of dreading it.
“For those of us who are cynical, for those of us who are too tired now, for those of us
who are weary of the way things always go, for those of us who used to care but are too
busy now just trying to get by, there is change afoot. It begins in the heart. As it rises to
the surface, it will change all things.” ISBN0-06-081611-2.
Acupressure for Emotional Healing: A Self-Care Guide for Trauma, Stress and Common
Emotional Imbalances by Michael Reed Gach, Ph.D. and Beth Ann Henning, Dipl., A.B.T.
The authors give clear instructions and use diagrams and photos to present the use of
acupressure to release muscular tension and restore energy flow. Focusing on
Abandonment and Co-dependency, Addiction, Panic Attacks, Depression and PTSD
among other conditions, the manner of delivery is understandable and immediately
usable and easy. An excellent healing tool. ISBN 0-553-38243-8.
Walking in This World: The Practical Art of Creativity by Julia Cameron. A six disc of
seven hours. A wonderful narrative leading one through the exercises and deeper
thinking that one can listen to in those quiet moments. It asks us to see and use our
creativity. Read from Cameron’s book of the same title, this CD set is the ‘intermediate
level’ of the Artist’s Way program. A very supportive tool for one’s creative process. ISBN
1-56511700X.
An interesting writing exercise for those who want to try it. (Not from the above body of
work). See yourself between 50 and 200 years in the future, writing about this time frame
(2006). You are looking back at what is going on now, and implies being in a different
place than what is taking place right now. It takes you out of the present, and makes the
present, the past…If you have any desire to share it, send it to me for the next issue.
Book Reviews
Writers: Birthing Creative Writing and Capturing Random Memories. Anthology, Vol. 1, by
Kathleen Spring. Colorado Press Award 2003. An excellent combination of short short
stories and writing tips and suggestions. The latter is to inspire and the short writing that
follows gives a concrete example of how it can look. Read either for the personal account
written in short form by a variety of authors, or for the inspiration for you own writing
experience. Spring is a writing workshop facilitator who lives in Colorado. Very
enjoyable. ISBN-0-9655344-1-3.
The Higher Dimensions, Our Next Home: A Spiritual View of the 21st Century and Beyond
by Nancy Van Domelen. As the author transmits the information she receives from those
in spirit, this new material concerning multidimensional consciousness is readily
readable. She guides us in personal activities and meditations as stewards of the planet.
She reminds us of the initiation of the great being we call Gaia and how we can help her
during her great travail in her own evolution. Toward the end, she looks into the future of
the Earth and humanity’s growth and potential. And excellent read, one that reaches the
intuitive, letting you feel the Truth of what is being presented here. (See excerpt in
newsletter.)
Thief of Words by John Jaffe. A woman’s past threatens to catch up with her as she
begins dating an editor who courts her with emails. His premise is that he is helping her
rewrite her own history. I loved the story, the use of emails to tell it, and the quote in the
beginning: “A flimsy curtain separates memory from imagination” by Elizabeth Loftus.
ISBN 0-446-69055-4.
Sacred Architecture by Caroline Humphrey and Piers Vitebsky. The authors take us on a
pilgrimage of sacred sites from a Pawnee Earth Lodge to Balinese Temples, from
Labyrinths to outer protective courtyards and walls, all reflecting the human/divine
connection. I found the photos and text to be beautiful and easily understandable. I love
this book! ISBN 1-904292-10-0.
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven
Pressfield. The author uses an in-your-face approach to inspire and galvanize every
person who dreams of creating something. He pulls no punches. His writing style is up-
front and completely supportive of the creative process inside each of us, longing to
emerge. In all 163 pages he demonstrates his life-affirming code. Great Book. ISBN 0-446-
69143-7.
Receiving Love: Transform Your Relationship By Letting Yourself Be Loved by Harville
Hendrix, Ph.D. and Helen LaKelly Hunt, PH.D. This is an incredible source of knowledge
applicable to life (wisdom). Harville talks about the head knowledge that you are loved vs.
the ability to really take it in and have it change you. I waited for this book to be in print.
ISBN 0-7434-8369-3.
“You cannot even heal your disconnection by loving other people or by loving God. You
may compensate for your self-hatred by loving others, but you do not heal the breach
within yourself. The true corrective lies along a different path. You must start loving in
your partner those traits, habits, attitudes, and behaviors that give you the most trouble,
in fact the very things he or she does that drive you crazy….
What do your partner’s faults have to do with your self-rejection? The answer lies in the
mechanism of projection. What you don’t like or have rejected in yourself, you tend to
project onto others, with the most on-target projections aimed at your partner. In order to
relate to the parts of yourself that are missing, you project them onto your partner and
relate to them in that form. You can experience the disapproval and dislike you have for
yourself by disapproving and disliking those same things in your mate. This sounds far-
fetched only because most projections are created in the unconscious. You don’t know
you’re doing it…
There is almost always something in your partner that attracts your projections,
providing there is something for your projections to stick to. After all, you chose your
partner based on your imago, or internalized image of a parent or primary caregiver in the
first place. And that means that during the power struggle, your partner really does
demonstrate characteristics similar to the ones that injured you when you were young.
Those traits really exist to some extent in your partner, and when you encounter them,
they are supercharged.”
(Excerpted from Receiving Love by Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt).
Humankind is being led along a evolving course,
Through this migration of intelligences,
And though we seem to be sleeping,
There is an inner wakefulness
That directs the dream,
And that eventually startle us back
To the truth of who we are. Rumi
Higher Dimensions Our Next Home
Your soul knows that you are never alone. So we ask that you incorporate that knowing
into your human consciousness. Move forward with courage and grace into these
challenging times, which have been anticipated and prepared for by the ancient ones on
your planet for many eons. Inhabitants of Earth are entering the period of the Great
Awakening. The seemingly destructive events in your world are simply removing the
darkness and dross of many centuries of existence.
From the years 2001 through 2100, the archetypal overlay for the millennium will be put in
place. Therefore it is essential that all those living in this seminal time see the importance
of the task they agreed to do when they incarnated on the Earth plane. They were to
honor the creative significance of this period and consciously involve themselves in the
great planetary event, which is unfolding. Each and every person living on the Earth now
has come to contribute in some particular manner to the creation of a new age. There is a
deep soul knowing as to how this personal offering will manifest.
This is why so many individuals possess both a sense of urgency and a feeling of
personal mission. Many times, the purpose has not been identified, but there is
awareness of something important the individual must do that will contribute to the
greater good. It is also intuitively known that the life mission should be identified and
embarked on as soon as possible. (Excerpted from Higher Dimensions: Our Next Home
by Nancy Domelen)
“Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to
the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve
got.”
(Excerpt from The War of Art by Steven Pressfield)
Amazon
The Amazon rain forests are at their driest levels and it is said that it is a direct result from
the severe hurricane season in North America. With the air rising in creating the storms, it
is descending over South America, not able to form clouds. Many communities only
available by boat, are being isolated. (Excerpted from Earth Watch by Steve Newman)
Book Reviews Fall 2005
The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis. The times of Rome and the Borgia dynasty come
alive as Lucrezia Borgia poisons her rivals and one woman uses courage and cunning to
outwit this family at their own game. Suspense, conspiracy and sexual intrigue tell the
tale. An excellent read of historical fiction. ISBN0-312-34138-5.
Goldie: A Lotus Grows in the Mud by Goldie Hawn with Wendy Holden. An
unconventional memoir from and unconventional person—Goldie Hawn—and her
spiritual journey in the midst of celebrity. From her stint on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In
to her very private family life and partnership, she shares her seeking of her own self, her
own core values.
“I don’t have the answers to the big questions in life. I’m still on my own road to
discovery. And yes, I have been incredibly lucky. But everything is relative; everything
has its story; everyone has obstacles to overcome. They are our greatest teachers.
Each of us goes through transitions and transformations. The important thing is that we
acknowledge them and learn from them. That is the idea behind this book. Not to tell my
life story, but to speak openly and from the heart…” (from the preface).
ISBN0-399-15285-7
Sanctuaries: The Northeast: A Guide to Lodgings in Monasteries, Abbeys, and Retreats
of the United States by Jack and Marcia Kelly. A regional guide of over 300 places to find
refuge, peace and introspection. A wonderful collection with descriptions of each place
and its offerings. ISBN0-517-57727-5.
Sanctuaries: The West Coast and Southwest: A Guide to Lodgings in Monasteries,
Abbeys, and Retreats of the United States by Jack and Marcia Kelly. Just like the above
book.
The Book of Eleanor: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Pamela Kaufman. In twelfth
century south France, Eleanor lives a life of political and cultural intrigue and spotlight.
This historical novel details her marriages, children, seventeen year imprisonment by her
husband Henry, and the memoir she penned in those years. Excellent.
ISBN0-609-80809-5.
Writing Past Dark: Envy, Fear, Distraction and Other Dilemmas in the Writer’s Life by
Bonnie Friedman. The author looks at the aspect of a writer’s life that plague us,
exploring muteness when one wants to write; the urge to write about family in its stark
truth, yet not hurt anyone, while we explore in our writing what we went through and
what our experiences brought us to. A thoughtful read. ISBN0-06-016607-X.
The force of the forbidden draws us. We want its power. We want to use it for our work.
We also long to understand the unarticulated, our own most potent reality not yet
structured by words. For in fact the secrets we most want to understand are not secrets
at all; they are nothing hidden so much as not yet discovered. They are what has been
there all along, not furtively denied so much as never consciously noticed. (Excerpt from
Writing Past Dark by Bonnie Friedman)
Summer Book Reviews
La Magdalena by William M. Valtos. Hampton Roads Publ. I feel this book is the feminine
counterpart to the DaVinci Code. An excellent mystery that follows an investigator, fresh
from a Near Death Experience and a chance encounter with a young nun in Spain. The
author quotes reference throughout to the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, the Pistis Sophia,
and other more esoteric sources as he weaves his adventure. Definitely a search for the
Holy Grail in novel form. Loved it! ISBN1-57174-278-6.
The Earth Chronicles Expeditions: Journeys to the Mythical Past by Zachariah Sitchin.
Bear & Co. The author reveals the foundation research of his adventurous expeditions
that resulted in his conclusions explained in his previous works. He takes us to the
Yucatan and Crete, Egypt, Turkey, Jerusalem. A guidebook of ancient knowledge and
speculation. ISBN1-5914-3036-4.
The Virgin Mary Conspiracy: The True Father of Christ and the Tomb of the Virgin by
Graham Phillips. Was Mary assumed into heaven after the Crucifixion, was her body laid
to rest in Jerusalem’s Valley of Jehosaphat, or was she buried at Ephesus in Asia Minor.
Looking at the 1400 year old conspiracy of silence, the author probes into the
discontinued research of G. Benedetti (in 1950) and the resulting Roman Catholic Church
declaration declaring the Assumption dogma. Another controversial theory of Jesus’
father is uncovered in the author’s research. ISBN1-5914-3043-7.
Katherine by Anya Seton. In the 14th Century, Katherine Swynford leaves the convent for
the courts of England and all the intrigue that follows. Her marriages, love affairs and
children become her world as she matures as a woman. From her bloodline descends
Henry VII and the Tudor line and the royal Stuart line of Scotland through one of her
sons. She becomes the great grandmother of Edward IV and Richard III through one of
her daughters. A fascinating glimpse into the daily life of women through these historical
figures.
ISBN1-556522532-X.
The Breaking Point: How Female Midlife Crisis is Transforming Today’s Women by Sue
Shellenbarger.
Affairs and Divorce: The rate of extra-marital affairs among women is approaching that of
men, and divorce rates among middle-aged women are increasing.
Appearance and Fitness: Middle-aged women are joining gyms and taking up running
and weight training at a far higher rate than men.
Education: Part-time enrollment in college by middle-aged women grew at double the
overall rate in past decade.
Leadership: Middle aged women are starting their own businesses at an unprecedented
rate.
“…women in Midlife crisis are searching for a missing part of themselves… a powerful
repressed capability or character trait they are yearning to unearth, express and integrate
into a richer life.”
All women are not looking for the same missing piece. Some are seeking love, leadership,
or a spiritual mission or meaning, while others want nothing more that artistic self-
expression or adventure. Many want a combination of these experiences. Excellent!
ISBN0-8050-7711-1.
The Mysteries of the Great Cross of Hendaye: Alchemy and the End of Time by Jay
Weidner and Vincent Bridges. Looking at the analogy of turning lead into gold, the
authors see the alchemy of the Iron Age becoming the Golden Age. A mix of alchemy with
astrophysics, a cross in SW France, as the imminent date of the apocalypse, and
connections of Atlantis to Peru, we are led on an adventure of coded messages and
humanity’s future destiny. A very interesting read. ISBN0-89281-084-X.
Hot Springs and Hot Pools of the South West by Marjorie Gersh-Young. Descriptions,
directions, photographs and accessibility. A definitive guide to remote hot springs,
mineral water, resorts and spas, etc. Includes states from TX to Baja and North NV to CO.
Excellent guide. ISBN!-890880-05-1.
A Round-Heeled Woman: My Late Life Adventures in Sex and Romance by Jane Juska.
Placing an ad in the N.Y. Review of Books, the author decides to take a year off to meet
some of the men who responded to her personal ad. At 67, she decided that sex and
romance were alive in her and so she set out to embrace her own life in the way she saw
fit, with passion, lust and intimacy. ISBN0-8129-6787-9.
Take Big Bites: Adventures Around the World and Across the Table by Linda Ellerbee. A
memoir of food, travel and personal adventure…honest, warm and witty. From Italy to
Mexico to Massachusetts, revelation and humor vie for heart and good storytelling.
ISBN0-399-15268-7.
I have been discovering a few authors of historical fiction: Phillipa Gregory, Anya Seton,
Sharon Kay Penman, Pamela Kaufmann. A new genre for me. Enjoy!
Guest Book Reviews
TheBookseller of Kabul
By Asne Seierstad
This is a factual account by a Norwegian woman of her experience living with an Afghani
family right after the "liberation" in 2001. The book reads like a novel. It is well written and
gives us a personal, even intimate experience of the lives of probably some of the more
fortunate people in Afghanistan. It is not a comfortable book to read, but I found it
educational and very worthwhile.
I was particularly struck by the description of one woman's illness, the cause of which
was traced to a lack of Vitamin D. As we know the main source of vitamin D is the sun. So,
these woman's bodies and faces rarely if ever are touched by the sun. Can you imagine!?
We also see that it is not just the women who live very oppressed lives. It is clear that life
is better after the Taliban, but still has a long way to go. If you would like to be more
informed about some of what is going on in other parts of the world, reading this book is
a relatively easy way to go about that. ISBN0-316-15941-7.
The Secrets of Jin-Shei
By Alma Alexander
For a total change of pace from the /Bookseller of Kabul, I highly recommend journeying
into this mythical land with an oriental flavor. Here you will enter a society where the
mothers teach their daughters a secret language and women choose to make special life-
long sisterhood bonds with each other. You will also find the most endearing and
engaging characters, many young girls, like Tia, who learn embroidery from her mother
and together they make robes for the court women. There's Nhia, the crippled girl who
becomes a sage and battles with a dark sage. We also meet the young woman who is the
apprentice to the old healer, and becomes a healer to royalty. We become involved with
their relationships with each other. We journey through exotic landscapes to the imperial
court, the summer palace and the temple. It is beautifully written - one of those books you
don't want to put down and want to last forever. In fact, it's a world I would like to live in! It
inspires me to create sisterhood in my own life. ISBN0-06-075058-8.
Dakini Lynn Marlow, M.A. is a body-centered psychotherapist, writer, artist, and spiritual
guide. She offers individual and group retreats exploring our deep feminine souls
through writing, art, music, dance, deep process, and sharing. For more information
about her bodywork, retreats, and art visit: www.dakiniscave
Spring 05 Book Reviews
Teaching with Fire: Poetry That Sustains the Courage to Teach by S.M. Intrator and
Megan Scribner, eds. A collection of poems and essays to keep one’s heart alive while
educating the young. ISBN 0 787969702
The Earth Path: Grounding Your Spirit in the Rhythms of Nature by Starhawk. Using the
magic of nature and the elements, Starhawk moves the reader through the rhythms of the
earth. Looking at stewardship, interconnecting patterns and spiritual renewal, you can be
restored to a sense of your place with the earth. Using ritual and meditations, the author
enables you to gain greater respect for ecology and the natural world. ISBN 0-08000092-9
At Hell’s Gate: A Soldier’s Journey from War to Peace by Claude Anshin Thomas. A
memoir of dramatic service in Vietnam, alcoholism, homelessness, and a Zen meditation
retreat that turned his life around. The author’s time with Zen monk Thich Nhat Hahn
enabled him to stop and embrace his past, present and future. A wonderful book.
ISBN1-59030-134-X
The Holy Order of Water: Healing Earth’s Waters and Ourselves by Wm. E. Marks. Water
lore and science brings us through history to our present pollution and ecological crises.
Everything from vortex energy, cosmic rain, deforestation and healing with water is
covered. Excellent!
ISBN 0-88010-483-X
Shamanic Journeying: A Beginner’s Guide by Sandra Ingerman. Historical overview of
journeying and suggestions from her own experiences as a counselor and journeyor.
Discusses use of journeys for healing, personal history, creating your own healing
ceremonies.
Turned Upside Down: A Workbook on Earth Changes and Personal Transformation by
Marko Pogacnik. The earth is going through her own evolution and as humans living on
this globe, we are being asked to evolve with her, to let go of what we have been attached
to as life. The author describes what we can expect in these changes ahead and how to
prepare ourselves. He shows how to help the Earth herself bring forth her own true Self.
ISBN 1-58420-025-1
Humankind is being led along
An evolving course, through
Magdalena’s Well by Saga-Rhose. A ‘received’ story of Mary Magdalene and Jeshua and
their life together. Both authors (Saga and Rhose) worked this tale, both in different ways.
A deep love story of two kindred souls and the child, Sarah, that Mary carried. www.
infinitypublishing.com ISBN0-7414-1980-7.
Monday Morning Memoirs: Women in the Second Half of Life. Edited by Maureen
Murdock. Author of The Heroine’s Journey and Father’s Daughters, Maureen Murdock
presents a collection of personal stories by ten women from her writing class. These
women continued to write together for 5 years after the initial class. Their stories stir the
heart and bring smiles and recognition. Excellent.
ISBN1-4010-5366-1
I am fierce in the face of love.
I draw courage as breath
and step into fires that melt rocks
in order for love to leave its imprint
upon my face. Jyoti Wind
Humankind is being led along an
evolving course,
through this migration of intelligences,
and though we seem to be sleeping,
there is an inner wakefulness
that directs the dream,
and that eventually startle us back
to the truth of who we are. Rumi
Romance Writers:
Nora Roberts, especially her Irish Series
Kathleen Givens, 1700 Scottish history
Lynn Bailey, Irish stories
The body itself is a screen
to shield and partially reveal
the light that’s blazing
inside your presence. Rumi
Goodbye Geraldine by Robert J. Morgan. Warm, sometimes humorous and poignant, and
definitely heart-rendering, these chapters in the author’s life bring home the reality of life’
s challenges. Recollections of a hard childhood, losing his mom at three years, and his
dad’s disappearance after the funeral, move seamlessly with his own inner battles.
Ultimate forgiveness and self-affirmation become his greatest achievements. A life well
lived and told. Excellent. ISBN 0-910941-28-9.
Dreaming a New World: A Spiritual Journey of Hope and Transformation by Nance Van
Domelen. After an unfortunate family tragedy, Nancy began meditating and writing
regularly, posing questions of ultimate concern, and receiving answers. This first book
addresses issues of the U.S. as a seed carrier for future races, a new look at the human
experience, the period of transition we are now in, and the World that is coming out of the
present Chaos. The author has allowed herself to be the scribe for some interesting
information and perspectives. Excellent! ISBN 0-971610-60-6.
The Lost Sisterhood: The Return of Mary Magdalene, the Mother Mary and Other Holy
Women by Julia Ingram. Dreamspeaker Creations. Using the stories of 15 of her clients
and the reports of past-life relationships with Jesus and his family and friends, the author
weaves together a story told by the women of those times. Fleshing out the place of
women and their role in that Christian drama unfolds in a book that informs women’s
spirituality today.
A Year by the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman by Joan Anderson. At that time
when children are grown and the family no longer needs her as a focus of fulfillment, the
author realizes it’s now time to begin to nurture herself. Her own dreams that were side-
barred, her goals almost forgotten, her marriage on hiatus, she takes herself to the Cape
Cod shore for a year of inner looking. Her resources come to her aid. Her journals speak
of new possibilities, despite the difficult transformative year she experiences. A great
read! ISBN 0-7679-0593-8.
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It
turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a
feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past,
brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. Melody Beattie.
I hear you coming in the night.
You knock.
The door of my heart opens…
I’ve given you the key.
Jyoti Wind
Book Reviews Fall 2004
The Spiral Memory and Belonging: A Celtic Path of Soul and Kinship by Frank
MacEowen. Author of The Mist-Filled Path, this next book explores the teachings and
beliefs of ancient Ireland. Frank presents the Irish dreamtime in cohesive language for
today, with exercises, meditations and practices. Excellent. ISBN1-57731-423-9.
Horses and the Mystical Path: The Celtic Way of Expanding the Human Soul by A.von
Rust McCormick, Ph.D., M. McCormick, Ph.D., T. McCormick, M.D. From Scotland to
Spain, Mexico and Morocco, the authors followed the mystical path of the horse-people
of those regions. Their work flows with important insights into the equestrian-partnered
spirituality of the Celts. ISBN1-57731-450-6.
In Praise of Slowness: How a Worldwide Movement is Challenging the Cult of Speed by
Carl Honore`. The growth of the slow movement which began in Italy with slow food and
has progressed to other peoples and other countries around the world makes a strong
statement about our pace of life in this country. Many have adopted the author’s view and
practice and gather together to share local food in a slower social setting of enjoyment
and camaraderie.
Angel Seeker by Sharon Shinn. In her continuing saga of Samaria and the world of
angels and humans, Shinn pens a wonderful story of prejudice, values and the search for
love. Drawing from present day geography and religious constraints, she immerses us in
angel world and those who vie to have their children. I’ve loved the 4 previous books in
this series and found this as interesting and consuming as the rest. ISBN)-441-01134-9.
New video – available in October
COMFORT TOUCH: Massage for the Elderly and the Ill
Written and produced by Mary Kathleen Rose
Directed and edited by Victress Hitchcock
This beautifully produced and directed video program introduces the viewer to the
principles and techniques of Comfort Touch, a nurturing form of acupressure massage
designed to be safe and appropriate for the elderly and the ill. Drawing on her many years
of experience practicing and teaching this work in homecare and medical settings, Mary
Kathleen Rose shares the essential elements of Comfort Touch with demonstrations of
its applications in the seated, supine and side-lying positions. Includes a 40-page Video
Guide, complete with Principles and Techniques of Comfort Touch, Benefits of Comfort
Touch, Precautions in the Use of Touch and Self-Care Exercises for the Caregiver.
34 min. $29.00 plus $4.00 S&H, available in VHS or DVD from:
Wild Rose PO Box 17313 Boulder, CO 80308-0313
For more information call 303-449-3945 or
e-mail: rosevine@comforttouch.com
Of Interest
Bioneers 15th Annual Conference. Visionary and Practical Solutions for Restoring the
Earth and People. Oct 15-17 ’04, San Rafael, CA. www.bioneers.org. 877.246-6337. The
restorations of the Earth’s imperiled ecosystems and the healing of human communities
are this group’s central focus. Amory Lovins, Amy Goodman, Sandra Ingerman, Paul
Hawken are some of the presenters. Areas hosting live satellite coverage: Anch,AK; Eug,
OR; Bozem,MT; Logan,UT; Frfld,IA; Crbndle,IL; Blmgton,IN; DC; Durham,NH; Vancouver,
BC.
Healing Heart Herbs, PO Box 2004, Ridgeway, CO 81432. 970.626-5663. Oils, body butters,
spritzers, seaweed scrubs, salts and bath soaks. Call Anne.
North American Institute of Medical Herbalism. Introductory course, advanced cert. and
seminars, internships in medical herbalism and clinical nutrition, offering classroom,
clinical, field training and distance learning formats. http://naimh.com 720.406-8609. PO
Box 20512, Boulder, CO 80308.
One of the most important developments at the present time is the outstanding work that
is being done by some in the area of personal thoughts and emotions. More and more
people are interested in clearing their emotional bodies of the residue of negativity that
exists within them. They are taking responsibility for the impact their thoughts and
actions have on others. Also, they are recognizing when others are directing negativity
and ill will toward them, even though it is couched in the apparently acceptable behavior
of joking or teasing.
This ability to read accurately the intent behind others’ actions, no matter what the
presentation, will become the norm for interpersonal relationships in the future. When
people can feel and see the true energy of every situation, human beings’ behavior
toward each other will change for the better. Every human contact will be seen for what it
really is, by those involved and by those who are only spectators. It will be impossible to
hide what is really being thought and felt at any given point in time.
In this period when these capabilities are just starting to emerge, the most important
quality that a person can have is that of personal integrity. One must take responsibility
for one’s own negativity, declare it unacceptable, and eradicate it from the personality
matrix. One must also refuse to be the object of another’s negativity and also must not
return in kind what one has received.
A most effective way to deal with this situation is to rise above the human interaction and
relate directly with the other’s higher self. Express love and regret at what is happening
and request a change in attitude and behavior. If the individual displaying the negativity is
so shut off from his or her higher wisdom, than at least love has been expressed and no
other responsibility for involvement is necessary. When family is involved, a mode of
personal protection can be devised with an accompanying detachment and
empowerment in effect at all times.
Interpersonal relationships must reach a higher level of interaction. It is one of the most
important advancements that must occur in order for the human race to move to a better
level of functioning. The great harm done by individuals, groups, and nations to each
other must come to an end. Those who can rise above the old ways and act in a more
loving manner to all will truly be the progenitors of the newly emerging species that will
inhabit the Earth in the era to come. (Dreaming a New World: A Spiritual Journey of Hope
and Transformation by Nancy Van Domelen. ISBN0-9716106-0-6.)
Time to go into the dark
where the night has eyes
to recognize its own.
David Whyte
Answered Prayers
A chief of Sri Lanka’s meteorological department contradicted claims by the Buddhist
faithful who believed that monks sprinkling holy water over the region from a military
helicopter had ended the island’s devastating drought. He said the subsequent torrential
rain and gale-force winds immediately following the ceremony were attributed to the ‘inter-
monsoonal activity in keeping with normal weather patterns. But the top monk said that
the sprinkling of holy water had brought an ‘instant rain’ that forced the returning aircraft
to make a detour to avoid turbulence. (Excerpted from Earth Week by Steve Newman.)
Love yourself
Trust your choices
And everything is possible.
Cherie Carter Scott
Summer ’04 Book Reviews
Spiritual Bathing: Healing Rituals and Traditions from Around the World by Rosita Arvigo
and Nadine Epstein. Using traditions from the Jews, Sumerians, Christians, ancient
Romans and Greeks, Muslims, Celts, Native Americans and the southern Continent, the
authors share with us how water as a divine ritual and life giver has nourished peoples
from the beginning of time. Rituals and ceremonies are included. As we come into a time
of water scarcity, drought and the volume of human use and need, this reminder of water
as sacred substance is so timely. Wonderful color photos.
ISBN1-58761-170-8.
The Ape Who Guards the Balance by Elizabeth Peters. Set in 1907 England and Egypt,
one follows the never-dull Amelia Peabody and her family to an archeological dig in the
Valley of the Kings. A papyrus is purchased amidst shady dealings, people show up
dead in the canals and deeper mysteries are plumbed. For me this was the first Peters
book I had read and I loved the Egyptian influence. The author has received the Agatha
Award, and was Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America in ’98. Very well done.
ISBN0-380-97657-9
The Sweet Breathing of Plants. Ed. By Linda Hogan and Brenda Peterson. Women
Writing on the Green World. From curanderas to wild crafters, visionaries to those who
dream of trees, these women bring their relationships to nature and the plants to paper. A
wonderful anthology. ISBN0-86347-625-x.
Sacred Ceremony: How to Create Ceremonies for Healing, Transitions and Celebrations
by Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D. Design your own ceremonies for all of life’s passages. Simple
guidelines by the author inspire you. A wealth of ideas. ISBN1-56170-981-6.
Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Ancestors of Avalon by Diana L. Paxson. A novel of Atlantis and
the Ancient British Isles. Co-authored before her death, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana
L. Paxson present the history of the Avalon series (The Mists of Avalon, etc.). As Atlantis
falls, a new land is discovered and the path of the priestesses and/or power ensues.
Great to be near Avalon again! ISBN0-470-03314-4.
Wild Grace: Nature As a Spiritual Path by Eric Alan. A beautiful book of natural
photography and text, philosophical and spiritual viewpoints of life. Beautiful!
ISBN1-883991-53-6.
The Rainbow Bridge: Prophetic Encounters with the Mother’s Path of Unity by
Alakananda Devi. Book Two in the Patchwork Mandala Trilogy. Coming to the U.S. after
traveling in India for many years, the author and her husband settle in Boulder, CO. Her
spiritual search continues for the Divine Mother, both outwardly through women saints
and teachers, and inwardly in merging with that energy within herself.
Eventually creating the Alandi Ashram, community found them and outreach programs
began. Classes on Ayurvedic medicine, Indian music and yoga, and establishing a health
clinic ensued. Community meals were offered as was chanting and a multi-spiritual focus.
Her writing is clearly defined, yet poetic; personal yet universal themes and experiences
permeate throughout. An excellent read. ISBN0-9657559-0-8.
“I am giving thanks for help that is already on the way.” Native American Grandmother.
Dreams are the poet’s companion. Georgia Heard.
“The age of the wounded healer gives place to that of the Mother of Compassion. No
longer finding God in cathedral, temple or mosque, we must find Her now in the human
heart. …invites us to journey into the new time, cherishing the mystical traditions of the
past, yet allowing the new to manifest. Each of us who senses this shift is invited to
dance on the rainbow bridge.” Alakananda Devi, The Rainbow Bridge.
“Softly I began chanting in Latin the prayer that for me summed up both the faith and the
flaw of the age of Pisces. For two thousand years, Christendom had honoured Mary, but
dishonoured Eve, the primordial Earth Mother who unites us to each other and to Nature.
Seeing earth as a place of exile and heaven as our goal, we have forgotten that our
purpose is to realize heaven on earth.” Alakananda Devi, The Rainbow Bridge.
A Call for Change
I believe we deserve what we get. If we don’t stand up to a man who claims the
presidency when we all knew it wasn’t his for the taking, then we deal with the crap he
rains down on our heads in the four years he has control of the country. All the soldiers,
for whatever reason they went to fight the Bush-business war in Iraq (whether for a
college education or to fight terrorists) their blood is on our hands, as is the Iraqi people’
s. Do I feel okay with this image for myself. Hell no! Do I want other people’s blood on my
hands? NO! I did not sanction this war…I spoke against it. I spoke against his office. He is
not my president.
I just came from seeing Fahrenheit 9/11. For me this movie is like preaching to the choir. I
know what Michael Moore is talking about. I’ve researched a lot of what he portrays. And I
totally agree with his beliefs and premises. It is good for me and others to see this point of
view on screen. It takes it out of the mind and small group process, as in hanging out with
those of like mind who, of course, will agree with you, and puts it on center stage in the
larger world so that more and more people will be able to acknowledge the truth they feel
in themselves. This film is an affirmation of what we’ve been seeing and thinking about
for the past 3 ½ years or even more. There were a few new pieces for me that I didn’t
know. Some connections between the Saudi’s and Bush’s former buddy in the Reserves
who was AWOL with him, though it’s all denied.
In this film, there were interviews with families of soldiers serving in Iraq. One I remember
is a soldier stating to the camera…’every time you kill someone, you kill a part of
yourself.’ You follow a woman of military family background…a former welfare mom now
part of the system and doing well. She encouraged her children to join the service to
travel and have an education that she couldn’t give them. Her firstborn son went to Iraq. It
shows her metamorphosis as the letters came, her son wondering what he was doing
there…the eventual realization as she stood in front of the White House, later, and wept.
There are a million stories like this I’m sure. Families who sent their children to die in a
war that’s only about oil and money; big business it’s called. Are the Bush girls enlisting
any time soon? Out of 500 Congress/Senate people, only one has a son in Iraq. This is
Viet Nam all over again.
I don’t want to come from a radical/conspiracy theory point of view…however, when you
look at all the hidden agendas that are not seeing the general light of day, what you find
out is what’s hidden, hence you see the real conspiracies that are right under our noses
that they are arrogantly not even hiding very well.
There’s a scene in the film where Bush is speaking to a room of tuxedo clad men and
evening gowned women. He addresses the room as the ‘Haves and the Have-Mores’. And
I think of the average American individual and family and how they have suffered from
this recession or whatever you want to call it. (One fact was that in Flint, Michigan the
unemployment was gauged at 50%!!!!). I see people choosing between food and rent, or
food and gas for the car. When you keep people down, poor and in fear of attack coming
from who knows where at any moment in time, you don’t have to declare Martial Law. You
already have them in your hand. You have absolute control.
Will these thoughts win me a visit from the local or national FBI? I don’t know. One
scenario that was so interesting to me was a guy in CA, 70 years old, working out at the
gym and making a remark in a conversation with some other guys about why we really
went into Iraq…and the FBI knocked on his door the next day because one of those guys
in the conversation turned him in….shades of George Orwell’s 1984. Oh we are there,
make no mistake about it.
I don’t mean to offend anyone who doesn’t think this way. If you don’t, that’s up to you.
This is my opinion. I know many others who think this way, so I have numbers at my
back, even invisibly, when I speak.
Do I support this government’s policy abroad, no…and neither do many countries
around the world. He has taken our good-will with many nations and, like the companies
he failed at before his present job, is running us into the ground also.
If there isn’t a groundswell movement in this country, all that bloodshed is for nothing.
Most of this country will sit back and stay asleep, and live off the profits of this war and
these deaths, and never even think about it. If you can open your mind to the possibilities
of standing up to help create a nation to be proud of, one that is moving toward a
possible future of government FOR the people instead of for those in control of the
country, then ask yourself inside what you can do today to help this come about. Get up
and do something meaningful or you will suffer the next 4 years or more with the
entrenchment of this type of Reich/Regime. The losses at the end of an 8 year+ reign will
be beyond what you can consider right now. Environmental warnings are being ignored
while the greed abounds. Power and money don’t mean much when there’s no good
water to drink and the oceans are encroaching on the shorelines and drought grips
portions of the world and masses of people die from famine. It’s happening already and
most people are so overwhelmed with their own lives, their own debts, their own
stresses, that they can’t look at it. They can’t see the writing that’s on the wall.
Am I trying to engender more fear in a world where there’s so much already? No. Actually
I’m hoping somehow that those who march for peace, those who oppose the current
practices in this country, will once again take on the business of the many…that on their
tired backs will be heaped another load of responsibility that each one should be
shouldering for themselves…and maybe one or two more who suddenly wake up. I don’t
write this for those who already know. Like Moore’s movie…it’s not for them. It’s for the
few who will go into the theatre curious and not yet decided. It’s for the few who are
willing to wake up and do something for their own country and their own future.
Jyoti Wind
6/26/04
Spring 07 Book Reviews
The True Sources of the Nile by Sarah Stone The title of this book is symbolic of
searching the depth of one’s being for the truth of oneself. Anne, an American social
worker in Burundi, Africa, is drowning in the rapids of a love for/addiction to Jean-Pierre,
a Paris-educated Burundian cabinet minister. The Tutsis and Hutus are in an ever-
escalating bloody conflict, and Anne (Ahna, Jean-Pierre calls her) is almost¾but not
quite¾relieved when the decision is made for her to return to California when she gets
the news that her mother is dying of cancer. Her heart is in Burundi, and Annie, as her
family calls her, feels ever more estranged from her real self as she deals with the
somehow smaller issues of an individual life and death. The passion between her and
Jean-Pierre continues to flame as the two are torn apart by heritage. Can she go back to a
crisis in Burundi? Could Jean-Pierre ever adjust to living in America?
The True Sources of the Nile is an engrossing, enlightening read, with life, love, and
death intertwining like a writhing boa.
Sarah Stone lives and writes in the San Francisco Bay area. She reported on human
rights and volunteered at the Jane Goodall Institute in Bujumbura, Burundi, from 1991-
1993. Primarily a non-fiction writer, this is her first novel. ISBN 0-385-50301-6
Guest Reviewer: Holly Morgan
The Dark Mirror by Juliet Marillier. Book One of the Bridei Chronicles. Set in 554 A.D. in
the Pict culture, this fantasy novel brings an historical time frame alive as a young boy is
being raised and curried by an old druid. The old man’s plan is that one day the boy will
vie for the kingship of the tribes. His best friend is a young female foundling of the good
Folk, the faerie folk, and not accepted by the humans. An excellent read of maturation,
questing and history. ISBN 0-765-30998-x.
Carla Neggars, author of great romantic mysteries like The Harbor, The Waterfall, The
Widow.
On the Threshold: Home, Hardwood and Holiness by Elizabeth J. Andrew. Self-reflective
essays on home, hearth and the sacred aspects of life both inner and outer. The author
uses house and home as metaphors for inhabiting her body and how her spiritual path
unfolds. A deliciously quiet book that feeds you on the inside. ISBN 0-8133-4296-1.
The Sound of Paper: Starting from Scratch by Julia Cameron. The author steps into the
struggle of the writer, the artist, writer’s block, etc. relating all these inner situations to the
daily life of living first in Manhattan and then in Taos, N.M. as she works on her book.
Writing exercises at the end of each chapter. Each chapter is a few pages. Loved this.
ISBN1-58542-354-8.
The Spirit of Writing: Classic and Contemporary Essays Celebrating the Writing Life Ed.
by Mark Robert Waldman. The list of contributing authors is stunning. I was entranced by
the broad spectrum addressed here. Loved these essays on frustration, emotions, joys.
ISBN 1-58542-127-8.
What if I should discover that the poorest of the beggars and the most impudent of
offenders are all within me, and that I stand in need of the alms of my own kindness; that I
myself am the enemy who must be loved. What then? Carl Jung
“They are the play things scattered on the nursery carpet to train us to play with the big
boys.” Quote about Crop Circles from DVD Star Dreams, produced, written and directed
by Robert L. Nichol. Genesis Communications Corp., Box 888, Gibsons, BC, Canada, V0N
1V0. More than 10,000 crop circles have been documented over the past 25 years. Many
of the formations are highly complex and mathematically perfect designs. Interview with
crop circle researchers, farmers and psychics. ISBN 1-55300-484-1.
Passing
Like she herself
my mother’s generation is almost gone,
taking with them their secrets and sorrows,
their loves, laughter and liveliness,
their music and memories,
heroes, history and times.
Their replies to our unasked questions
will now forever go unanswered;
their examples will diminish in time.
We’ll keep their handwriting for awhile
and hear their voices in our dreams.
We’ll wear their gems and dust their trinkets,
bake their pies and baste their turkeys,
but we know the baton has been passed.
We’ve now become the, the matriarchs,
and the onus is now on us.
By M. Kate Hilsenbeck
Book Reviews
Kabul, by M.E. Hirsh © 1986, reissued in 2002 In the mid-20th century Kabul Afghanistan
was an international capital boasting a co-ed university with faculty from around the
world. Then it all crumbled. This novel is an inside look at the religious, political and
social worlds of Afghanistan in the 1970’s, when the conflict between traditional values
and the twentieth century became heated, as told through the lives of the members of a
Western-educated highly-placed (fictional) family. The plot weaves politics and
relationships into a tragic whole, depicting the torn loyalties of so many Middle-
Easterners today. The book gives a face to the ongoing conflict as well as revealing the
history of it, including the West’s role in the collapse of stability in Afghanistan, leading to
the Soviet invasion and the rise of the Taliban. Some characters who play a minor role in
the book are historical people, and the novel is built upon actual events. A compelling
read. The author has written for The Washington Post, the L.A. Times, and the Boston
Globe on sensitive sociological topics from Afghanistan to Native American affairs.
ISBN 0-312-30173-1 Reviewed by Holly Morgan
Resurrection by Tucker Malarkey. The pace of this novel/mystery draws you in slowly,
relentlessly so that you’re interested even if you’re thinking the pace should be faster. If it
was, the richness of the story and the sense of place would be lost. The author teases
with language that is descriptively rich. Some of her sentences are beautifully crafted.
To Cairo a young woman travels from London, immediately post WWII. She has come to
find out what led her father, an archeologist, to his death as he searched for the lost
gospels of Thomas and Mary Magdalene. The Church was opposed to these long-hidden
Nag Hammadi texts. Intrigue, love and wise verses reveal themselves to our heroine in
the city and then in the vast desert. A great read! ISBN#1-59448-919-x.
The Expected One by Kathleen McGowan. A young woman begins a search for the
Magdalene scrolls, hidden in the French Pyrenees two centuries ago, as part of her
research for a new book. She comes across the legends of Mary and her lineage down
through the ages; the Cathars and their sacred trust; travels from Jerusalem to the
cathedrals in Paris. She must unravel the clues that are being put before her and see, if
indeed, she is the expected one! Wonderful Story…. ISBN#0-7432-9942-6.
Dressing Myself In Garments
Like the bride preparing for her bridegroom,
scenting her body
combing her hair
dressing in her finest of raiment
I ready myself for my next step
along the path.
I begin with my resistances
and like old rouge and lipstick
I slowly wipe away
the traces of the past
and what has kept me smitten with myself
in limitation.
I continue with old wounds
that justified my standing still
and not embracing
the unexpected wonders
that come with risk.
I dress myself in the garments
of the expectation of new possibilities
and leave room for new adventures
like lovers swirling the dance floor
in ever-widening circles.
Like the bride
preparing for her bridegroom,
I ready myself for my next step
along the path I have chosen
and trust my soul
to lead me well.
Jyoti Wind
DVD: Chautauqua Then and Now is a film which presents a vision for the future of
humanity. The understanding of universal laws, the constitution of man and archetypal
psychology will enable us to create a more enlightened society.
Filmed in Boulder, this film reflects the inspirational qualities of this mountainous region.
The concepts developed here flow from the personal experiences of Arthur Nazzaro and
members of our community.
Jyoti Wind, as an astrologer and therapist, provides deep insights and a compassionate
perspective on how we become our selves. With Arthur, she later leads us though the
astrological significance of upcoming outer planet transits that may influence
developments in our collective psyche.
Available through this newsletter. $19.
Writing Prompts
List five things you’ve learned that you thought you couldn’t
Write freely for ½ hour on your ideal day, where everything is exactly how you imagined it
to be, including feelings, and senses.
Autumn Book Reviews
How to Prevent and Treat Cancer with Natural Medicine by Drs. Murray, Birdsall, Pizzorno, and Reilly.
ISBN1-57322-343-3. Four Naturopaths give their research and knowledge on how to integrate preventive
medicine and current therapies with allopathic treatment when needed. Covers vitamins, mineral, herbs; daily
regimen for coping with the side effects of treatment; specific recommendations for different types of cancers,
and immune system boosters. Radiation and chemo are covered and how to offset the drugs' side effects, and
how to take control of the choices that are in front of you. Easy to read and use.
The Subject Tonight Is Love by Hafiz. Translated by Daniel Ladensky. Hafiz, known as a wild, holy friend to the
world, sometimes a seeker and other times a realized master and guide, presents us with his passionate poetry in
this volume. This 14th century poet from Persia easily transmutes us beyond our minds into sacred ecstasy.
“Change rooms in your mind for a day.”
“There is only one reason we have followed God into this world. To encourage laughter, freedom, dance and
love.”
“Because the Woman I love lived inside of you
I lean as close to your body with my words as I can.
And I think of you all the time, dear pilgrim,
because the One I love goes with you.
Wherever you go, Hafiz will always be near.” ISBN# 0-9657637-0-6. (Guest reviewer Patricia Jordan.)
Labyrinth by Kate Mosse. Weaving a tale between 1209 Medieval France and the modern day world of French
culture, the author takes us on a grail quest. Soaked with legend, myth and historical data of the Cathars and the
Church of France, a young woman emerges to guard the grail secrets as her modern day counterpart follows in
her footsteps. A great tale!
ISBN# 0-399-15344-6.
Writing To Change the World by Mary Pipher. As the expression goes: If you can talk, you can sing. I think if
you can think, you can write. The author’s words spoke to me in such a way that her meanings went right into
me. Her chapters on Poetry and Coda (the last chapter) seared in with a depth of understanding and met me
where I stood. This book can inspire, awaken, and coax your words out, so that you can stand shoulder to
shoulder with those whose voices are needed now.
By Grace’s Edge: Poetry, Prose and Prayers by Jyoti Wind. ISBN 0-9788883-0-8
A small volume of poetry and memoir. Thoughts from readers:
I read your book of poetry...It was really considerate of you to share it with me. Two in particular that I enjoyed
was The Changing of the Guard "The Piscean age had crosses and martyrs and compassion of tears and blood.
It gave us intermediaries who tugged the ear of God . . .intrigued me....and Making Bread, I can see the tears
flowing as the butter melted. I like the idea that making bread can save a person's life. Thank you, Kelly Morgan,
L.A., CA
I think you've put together a manual for seeing with the soul's eyes, for breathing in life's lush availabilities in all of
the senses and possibilities and in the energy of dreams, stages, memories, completions and beginnings, how all
of this and so much more creates the richness of the circle and the spiral -- you've done a grand thing of lasting
import -- your gift is deeply appreciated. Would that my touch with words was as sensitive, experienced,
attuned, deeply felt and compliant to the flow of creation as yours, you would have a sense of how much you
have accomplished through your writings in this book. And the cover is beautiful, the title is just perfect. PR,
CA
I have been reading your book in snatches. I see your imagery, particularly in your poetry, as sudden and
outwardly detached yet observant of the inner quiet and acceptance of our own deaths. You are painting a
picture of individual truth which is what a true artist usually creates great work from. I like what I have read and
appreciate your truthing. MK, CO
In The Omnivores Dilemma, Michael Pollan asks the question, what should we have for dinner? To find out, he
follows each of the food chains that sustain us – industrial (fast food and processed food), organic and
alternative, and food we forage ourselves. He traces a meal at McDonalds back to its basic ingredient – corn. I
never thought a chapter on corn could startle me so. He doesn’t point fingers so much as explain how it all came
to be and what can be done about it. He explains why it’s so hard to get away from things like High Fructose
Corn Syrup (HFCS), which is in everything. Any why organic isn’t always what it says it is. This is a very
fascinating, well written book to put on your “to read” list. ISBN 1-59420-082-3
Summer 06 Book Reviews
Aquarius Now by Marilyn Ferguson (author of the Aquarian Conspiracy). “We have to
stop thinking of ourselves as conquerors and start thinking of ourselves as fellow
travelers with every living being on this planet. The task is not to climb a mountain, but to
navigate a river.”
ISBN 1-57863-369-9.
The Soul’s Book of Answers by Carol Bolt. A small but thick book that you hold with a
question. Then you thumb through, stopping when you feel like it. And there is your
answer. A surprising divination tool. ISBN1-58479-301-5.
Creating Miracles: A Practical Guide to Divine Intervention by Carolyn Godschild Miller,
Ph.D. An interesting look at miracles, larger-than-life events and the human participation
in them. Many stories, many thoughts. A very heartfelt piece of work. ISBN1-932073-16-7.
2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl by Daniel Pinchbeck. From crop circles to shamanic
revitalism, the author explores the Mayan prophecies for global shift in 2012. He is a
writer for the NY Times Magazine among other literary forms, and found himself pulled
into the shamanic and metaphysical worlds as he wrote about them. A very interesting
read. ISBN1-58542-483-8.
The Dark Queen, The Courtesan, The Silver Rose. A series of books by Susan Carroll. Set
in 1580’s France, daughters of the Earth vie with Catherine de Medici and witchhunters
across that country. Romance, adventure, intrigue in the courts of Europe all contribute
to good story lines.
The Priest’s Madonna by Amy Hassinger. We begin in 1884 in Rennes-le-Chateau in
southern France, following the life of young Marie and her relationship to a young priest.
He’s trying to find a patron to build his church. She has just moved there as a young
woman, and both are drawn into the Cathar legends, the stories of the wife of Christ and
her arrival there centuries before. The attraction between the two of them also sets the
mood. A spiritual journey of mystery, romance and intrigue. ISBN 0-399-15317-9.
Tree of Dreams: A Spirit Woman’s Vision of Transition and Change by Lynn Andrews.
Published several years ago, the author takes the reader once more into her world of
shamanic understanding and seeing the next piece in a life lived with awareness. I hadn’t
read Lynn’s books in a while, and yet she spoke to my own place in the scheme of things
in this offering. She talks about facing eldership, death, change in all its forms. An
excellent read, and so timely for me. ISBN1-58542-129-4.
Guest Book Review by John Cardin
Bush On The Couch: Inside the Mind of the President by Justin Frank, M.D.
Wouldn’t you just love to be a fly-on-the-wall while George Bush was getting a psychiatric
evaluation? Well, now you can be—at least in a hypothetical sense. Justin Frank, M.D.,
has undertaken an ‘armchair’ psychoanalysis of George Bush from a distance, based
upon his speeches, press conferences, and the public record of what he says and what
he does. Dr. Frank reports his conclusions in Bush On The Couch, a non-technical book
suitable for the lay reader. What we get is a revelatory portrait of a disturbed man with
many unresolved issues, acting-out his conflicted childhood, his drinking, his
lawlessness, his power-lust, and even that creepy smirk! This book is a must read for
anyone interested in what drives the man with his hand on the button. ISBN 0-06-073671-
2.
Thanks, John!
“Discipline is misunderstood in your world….Discipline is a process. It’s not an end….I’m
saying that discipline isn’t an act of control. Discipline is an awareness. It’s something
you come to. It’s like purpose—purpose you discover in your life. Purpose is not
something that you make happen. You cannot invent passion, but you can uncover it.”
“You must initiate the exact event you desire…you must saturate your being with
whatever it is you are looking for. Follow your ideas about death, life and immortality.
Understand that you are pulling down the clouds. You are calling for rain in your heart so
that your spirit can grow.” (Excerpted from Tree of Dreams: A Spirit Woman’s Vision of
Transition and Change by Lynn Andrews.).
Book Reviews Spring 2006
Astrology For The Soul by Jan Spiller. I’d heard of this book for several years and
recently picked it up to read her interpretation of where my North Node was placed.
The North Node in a natal chart represents the learning curve of the life; the place where
we are in uncharted waters and the soul is learning by leaps and bounds. Her
interpretation of the North Node in each of the twelve signs, a chapter devoted to each, is
stunning. An accomplished piece of work here. She weaves into the present lessons the
work of what needs to be let go of from the past. Included in the beginning of the book is
a table for ascertaining where a person’s North Node position can be found. An excellent
and importantly informative book for everyone. ISBN:0-553-37038-4.
The Way of the Traveler: Making Every Trip a Journey of Self-Discovery by Joseph
Dispenza. The author, a monk for eight years and a teacher of media ethics, is presently
the co-founder and director of the Parcells Center for Personal Transformation in Santa
Fe. He shows us how the idea of journey/travel/pilgrimage occurs and evolves until one
is actually traveling, both inwardly as well as outwardly. A small book with a beautiful
voice. Segments include The Dream of the Journey, Preparation, The Journey, the
Homecoming, and Recounting the Tale. (See excerpt in newsletter) ISBN:156261448-4.
For those mystery lovers: I have so enjoyed Catherine Coulter’s FBI Thriller series
including The Cove, The Maze, The Target, etc. Loved them.
The Long Emergency: Surviving the Converging Catastrophes of the 21st Century by
James Howard Kunstler. The author feels ‘we are in for a rough ride through uncharted
territory’. He looks at the trends from where we are and our dependency on fossil fuels to
where he thinks we will likely go. James, a thirty-year writer for The Rolling Stone, sees
us heading to more local and smaller economies. As the downscaling of America takes
place, the collapse of national and state governments, and personal production of food
takes us into new ways of living, I’m reminded of the Y2K survival reminders as I read his
words. He looks at life in the urbanized southern deserts and what it takes to live there in
a ‘cheap-oil’ economy and what it may look like when that is over. Very interesting and
incredibly researched. ISBN 0-87113-888-3.
The Gift of Change: Spiritual Guidance for Living Your Best Life by Marianne Williamson.
Marianne discuses how the speed of change that is in the world and in our own personal
lives is a spiritual necessity. Can we embrace change as it comes instead of dreading it.
“For those of us who are cynical, for those of us who are too tired now, for those of us
who are weary of the way things always go, for those of us who used to care but are too
busy now just trying to get by, there is change afoot. It begins in the heart. As it rises to
the surface, it will change all things.” ISBN0-06-081611-2.
Acupressure for Emotional Healing: A Self-Care Guide for Trauma, Stress and Common
Emotional Imbalances by Michael Reed Gach, Ph.D. and Beth Ann Henning, Dipl., A.B.T.
The authors give clear instructions and use diagrams and photos to present the use of
acupressure to release muscular tension and restore energy flow. Focusing on
Abandonment and Co-dependency, Addiction, Panic Attacks, Depression and PTSD
among other conditions, the manner of delivery is understandable and immediately
usable and easy. An excellent healing tool. ISBN 0-553-38243-8.
Walking in This World: The Practical Art of Creativity by Julia Cameron. A six disc of
seven hours. A wonderful narrative leading one through the exercises and deeper
thinking that one can listen to in those quiet moments. It asks us to see and use our
creativity. Read from Cameron’s book of the same title, this CD set is the ‘intermediate
level’ of the Artist’s Way program. A very supportive tool for one’s creative process. ISBN
1-56511700X.
An interesting writing exercise for those who want to try it. (Not from the above body of
work). See yourself between 50 and 200 years in the future, writing about this time frame
(2006). You are looking back at what is going on now, and implies being in a different
place than what is taking place right now. It takes you out of the present, and makes the
present, the past…If you have any desire to share it, send it to me for the next issue.
Book Reviews
Writers: Birthing Creative Writing and Capturing Random Memories. Anthology, Vol. 1, by
Kathleen Spring. Colorado Press Award 2003. An excellent combination of short short
stories and writing tips and suggestions. The latter is to inspire and the short writing that
follows gives a concrete example of how it can look. Read either for the personal account
written in short form by a variety of authors, or for the inspiration for you own writing
experience. Spring is a writing workshop facilitator who lives in Colorado. Very
enjoyable. ISBN-0-9655344-1-3.
The Higher Dimensions, Our Next Home: A Spiritual View of the 21st Century and Beyond
by Nancy Van Domelen. As the author transmits the information she receives from those
in spirit, this new material concerning multidimensional consciousness is readily
readable. She guides us in personal activities and meditations as stewards of the planet.
She reminds us of the initiation of the great being we call Gaia and how we can help her
during her great travail in her own evolution. Toward the end, she looks into the future of
the Earth and humanity’s growth and potential. And excellent read, one that reaches the
intuitive, letting you feel the Truth of what is being presented here. (See excerpt in
newsletter.)
Thief of Words by John Jaffe. A woman’s past threatens to catch up with her as she
begins dating an editor who courts her with emails. His premise is that he is helping her
rewrite her own history. I loved the story, the use of emails to tell it, and the quote in the
beginning: “A flimsy curtain separates memory from imagination” by Elizabeth Loftus.
ISBN 0-446-69055-4.
Sacred Architecture by Caroline Humphrey and Piers Vitebsky. The authors take us on a
pilgrimage of sacred sites from a Pawnee Earth Lodge to Balinese Temples, from
Labyrinths to outer protective courtyards and walls, all reflecting the human/divine
connection. I found the photos and text to be beautiful and easily understandable. I love
this book! ISBN 1-904292-10-0.
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles by Steven
Pressfield. The author uses an in-your-face approach to inspire and galvanize every
person who dreams of creating something. He pulls no punches. His writing style is up-
front and completely supportive of the creative process inside each of us, longing to
emerge. In all 163 pages he demonstrates his life-affirming code. Great Book. ISBN 0-446-
69143-7.
Receiving Love: Transform Your Relationship By Letting Yourself Be Loved by Harville
Hendrix, Ph.D. and Helen LaKelly Hunt, PH.D. This is an incredible source of knowledge
applicable to life (wisdom). Harville talks about the head knowledge that you are loved vs.
the ability to really take it in and have it change you. I waited for this book to be in print.
ISBN 0-7434-8369-3.
“You cannot even heal your disconnection by loving other people or by loving God. You
may compensate for your self-hatred by loving others, but you do not heal the breach
within yourself. The true corrective lies along a different path. You must start loving in
your partner those traits, habits, attitudes, and behaviors that give you the most trouble,
in fact the very things he or she does that drive you crazy….
What do your partner’s faults have to do with your self-rejection? The answer lies in the
mechanism of projection. What you don’t like or have rejected in yourself, you tend to
project onto others, with the most on-target projections aimed at your partner. In order to
relate to the parts of yourself that are missing, you project them onto your partner and
relate to them in that form. You can experience the disapproval and dislike you have for
yourself by disapproving and disliking those same things in your mate. This sounds far-
fetched only because most projections are created in the unconscious. You don’t know
you’re doing it…
There is almost always something in your partner that attracts your projections,
providing there is something for your projections to stick to. After all, you chose your
partner based on your imago, or internalized image of a parent or primary caregiver in the
first place. And that means that during the power struggle, your partner really does
demonstrate characteristics similar to the ones that injured you when you were young.
Those traits really exist to some extent in your partner, and when you encounter them,
they are supercharged.”
(Excerpted from Receiving Love by Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt).
Humankind is being led along a evolving course,
Through this migration of intelligences,
And though we seem to be sleeping,
There is an inner wakefulness
That directs the dream,
And that eventually startle us back
To the truth of who we are. Rumi
Higher Dimensions Our Next Home
Your soul knows that you are never alone. So we ask that you incorporate that knowing
into your human consciousness. Move forward with courage and grace into these
challenging times, which have been anticipated and prepared for by the ancient ones on
your planet for many eons. Inhabitants of Earth are entering the period of the Great
Awakening. The seemingly destructive events in your world are simply removing the
darkness and dross of many centuries of existence.
From the years 2001 through 2100, the archetypal overlay for the millennium will be put in
place. Therefore it is essential that all those living in this seminal time see the importance
of the task they agreed to do when they incarnated on the Earth plane. They were to
honor the creative significance of this period and consciously involve themselves in the
great planetary event, which is unfolding. Each and every person living on the Earth now
has come to contribute in some particular manner to the creation of a new age. There is a
deep soul knowing as to how this personal offering will manifest.
This is why so many individuals possess both a sense of urgency and a feeling of
personal mission. Many times, the purpose has not been identified, but there is
awareness of something important the individual must do that will contribute to the
greater good. It is also intuitively known that the life mission should be identified and
embarked on as soon as possible. (Excerpted from Higher Dimensions: Our Next Home
by Nancy Domelen)
“Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to
the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve
got.”
(Excerpt from The War of Art by Steven Pressfield)
Amazon
The Amazon rain forests are at their driest levels and it is said that it is a direct result from
the severe hurricane season in North America. With the air rising in creating the storms, it
is descending over South America, not able to form clouds. Many communities only
available by boat, are being isolated. (Excerpted from Earth Watch by Steve Newman)
Book Reviews Fall 2005
The Borgia Bride by Jeanne Kalogridis. The times of Rome and the Borgia dynasty come
alive as Lucrezia Borgia poisons her rivals and one woman uses courage and cunning to
outwit this family at their own game. Suspense, conspiracy and sexual intrigue tell the
tale. An excellent read of historical fiction. ISBN0-312-34138-5.
Goldie: A Lotus Grows in the Mud by Goldie Hawn with Wendy Holden. An
unconventional memoir from and unconventional person—Goldie Hawn—and her
spiritual journey in the midst of celebrity. From her stint on Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In
to her very private family life and partnership, she shares her seeking of her own self, her
own core values.
“I don’t have the answers to the big questions in life. I’m still on my own road to
discovery. And yes, I have been incredibly lucky. But everything is relative; everything
has its story; everyone has obstacles to overcome. They are our greatest teachers.
Each of us goes through transitions and transformations. The important thing is that we
acknowledge them and learn from them. That is the idea behind this book. Not to tell my
life story, but to speak openly and from the heart…” (from the preface).
ISBN0-399-15285-7
Sanctuaries: The Northeast: A Guide to Lodgings in Monasteries, Abbeys, and Retreats
of the United States by Jack and Marcia Kelly. A regional guide of over 300 places to find
refuge, peace and introspection. A wonderful collection with descriptions of each place
and its offerings. ISBN0-517-57727-5.
Sanctuaries: The West Coast and Southwest: A Guide to Lodgings in Monasteries,
Abbeys, and Retreats of the United States by Jack and Marcia Kelly. Just like the above
book.
The Book of Eleanor: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine by Pamela Kaufman. In twelfth
century south France, Eleanor lives a life of political and cultural intrigue and spotlight.
This historical novel details her marriages, children, seventeen year imprisonment by her
husband Henry, and the memoir she penned in those years. Excellent.
ISBN0-609-80809-5.
Writing Past Dark: Envy, Fear, Distraction and Other Dilemmas in the Writer’s Life by
Bonnie Friedman. The author looks at the aspect of a writer’s life that plague us,
exploring muteness when one wants to write; the urge to write about family in its stark
truth, yet not hurt anyone, while we explore in our writing what we went through and
what our experiences brought us to. A thoughtful read. ISBN0-06-016607-X.
The force of the forbidden draws us. We want its power. We want to use it for our work.
We also long to understand the unarticulated, our own most potent reality not yet
structured by words. For in fact the secrets we most want to understand are not secrets
at all; they are nothing hidden so much as not yet discovered. They are what has been
there all along, not furtively denied so much as never consciously noticed. (Excerpt from
Writing Past Dark by Bonnie Friedman)
Summer Book Reviews
La Magdalena by William M. Valtos. Hampton Roads Publ. I feel this book is the feminine
counterpart to the DaVinci Code. An excellent mystery that follows an investigator, fresh
from a Near Death Experience and a chance encounter with a young nun in Spain. The
author quotes reference throughout to the Gospel of Mary Magdalene, the Pistis Sophia,
and other more esoteric sources as he weaves his adventure. Definitely a search for the
Holy Grail in novel form. Loved it! ISBN1-57174-278-6.
The Earth Chronicles Expeditions: Journeys to the Mythical Past by Zachariah Sitchin.
Bear & Co. The author reveals the foundation research of his adventurous expeditions
that resulted in his conclusions explained in his previous works. He takes us to the
Yucatan and Crete, Egypt, Turkey, Jerusalem. A guidebook of ancient knowledge and
speculation. ISBN1-5914-3036-4.
The Virgin Mary Conspiracy: The True Father of Christ and the Tomb of the Virgin by
Graham Phillips. Was Mary assumed into heaven after the Crucifixion, was her body laid
to rest in Jerusalem’s Valley of Jehosaphat, or was she buried at Ephesus in Asia Minor.
Looking at the 1400 year old conspiracy of silence, the author probes into the
discontinued research of G. Benedetti (in 1950) and the resulting Roman Catholic Church
declaration declaring the Assumption dogma. Another controversial theory of Jesus’
father is uncovered in the author’s research. ISBN1-5914-3043-7.
Katherine by Anya Seton. In the 14th Century, Katherine Swynford leaves the convent for
the courts of England and all the intrigue that follows. Her marriages, love affairs and
children become her world as she matures as a woman. From her bloodline descends
Henry VII and the Tudor line and the royal Stuart line of Scotland through one of her
sons. She becomes the great grandmother of Edward IV and Richard III through one of
her daughters. A fascinating glimpse into the daily life of women through these historical
figures.
ISBN1-556522532-X.
The Breaking Point: How Female Midlife Crisis is Transforming Today’s Women by Sue
Shellenbarger.
Affairs and Divorce: The rate of extra-marital affairs among women is approaching that of
men, and divorce rates among middle-aged women are increasing.
Appearance and Fitness: Middle-aged women are joining gyms and taking up running
and weight training at a far higher rate than men.
Education: Part-time enrollment in college by middle-aged women grew at double the
overall rate in past decade.
Leadership: Middle aged women are starting their own businesses at an unprecedented
rate.
“…women in Midlife crisis are searching for a missing part of themselves… a powerful
repressed capability or character trait they are yearning to unearth, express and integrate
into a richer life.”
All women are not looking for the same missing piece. Some are seeking love, leadership,
or a spiritual mission or meaning, while others want nothing more that artistic self-
expression or adventure. Many want a combination of these experiences. Excellent!
ISBN0-8050-7711-1.
The Mysteries of the Great Cross of Hendaye: Alchemy and the End of Time by Jay
Weidner and Vincent Bridges. Looking at the analogy of turning lead into gold, the
authors see the alchemy of the Iron Age becoming the Golden Age. A mix of alchemy with
astrophysics, a cross in SW France, as the imminent date of the apocalypse, and
connections of Atlantis to Peru, we are led on an adventure of coded messages and
humanity’s future destiny. A very interesting read. ISBN0-89281-084-X.
Hot Springs and Hot Pools of the South West by Marjorie Gersh-Young. Descriptions,
directions, photographs and accessibility. A definitive guide to remote hot springs,
mineral water, resorts and spas, etc. Includes states from TX to Baja and North NV to CO.
Excellent guide. ISBN!-890880-05-1.
A Round-Heeled Woman: My Late Life Adventures in Sex and Romance by Jane Juska.
Placing an ad in the N.Y. Review of Books, the author decides to take a year off to meet
some of the men who responded to her personal ad. At 67, she decided that sex and
romance were alive in her and so she set out to embrace her own life in the way she saw
fit, with passion, lust and intimacy. ISBN0-8129-6787-9.
Take Big Bites: Adventures Around the World and Across the Table by Linda Ellerbee. A
memoir of food, travel and personal adventure…honest, warm and witty. From Italy to
Mexico to Massachusetts, revelation and humor vie for heart and good storytelling.
ISBN0-399-15268-7.
I have been discovering a few authors of historical fiction: Phillipa Gregory, Anya Seton,
Sharon Kay Penman, Pamela Kaufmann. A new genre for me. Enjoy!
Guest Book Reviews
TheBookseller of Kabul
By Asne Seierstad
This is a factual account by a Norwegian woman of her experience living with an Afghani
family right after the "liberation" in 2001. The book reads like a novel. It is well written and
gives us a personal, even intimate experience of the lives of probably some of the more
fortunate people in Afghanistan. It is not a comfortable book to read, but I found it
educational and very worthwhile.
I was particularly struck by the description of one woman's illness, the cause of which
was traced to a lack of Vitamin D. As we know the main source of vitamin D is the sun. So,
these woman's bodies and faces rarely if ever are touched by the sun. Can you imagine!?
We also see that it is not just the women who live very oppressed lives. It is clear that life
is better after the Taliban, but still has a long way to go. If you would like to be more
informed about some of what is going on in other parts of the world, reading this book is
a relatively easy way to go about that. ISBN0-316-15941-7.
The Secrets of Jin-Shei
By Alma Alexander
For a total change of pace from the /Bookseller of Kabul, I highly recommend journeying
into this mythical land with an oriental flavor. Here you will enter a society where the
mothers teach their daughters a secret language and women choose to make special life-
long sisterhood bonds with each other. You will also find the most endearing and
engaging characters, many young girls, like Tia, who learn embroidery from her mother
and together they make robes for the court women. There's Nhia, the crippled girl who
becomes a sage and battles with a dark sage. We also meet the young woman who is the
apprentice to the old healer, and becomes a healer to royalty. We become involved with
their relationships with each other. We journey through exotic landscapes to the imperial
court, the summer palace and the temple. It is beautifully written - one of those books you
don't want to put down and want to last forever. In fact, it's a world I would like to live in! It
inspires me to create sisterhood in my own life. ISBN0-06-075058-8.
Dakini Lynn Marlow, M.A. is a body-centered psychotherapist, writer, artist, and spiritual
guide. She offers individual and group retreats exploring our deep feminine souls
through writing, art, music, dance, deep process, and sharing. For more information
about her bodywork, retreats, and art visit: www.dakiniscave
Spring 05 Book Reviews
Teaching with Fire: Poetry That Sustains the Courage to Teach by S.M. Intrator and
Megan Scribner, eds. A collection of poems and essays to keep one’s heart alive while
educating the young. ISBN 0 787969702
The Earth Path: Grounding Your Spirit in the Rhythms of Nature by Starhawk. Using the
magic of nature and the elements, Starhawk moves the reader through the rhythms of the
earth. Looking at stewardship, interconnecting patterns and spiritual renewal, you can be
restored to a sense of your place with the earth. Using ritual and meditations, the author
enables you to gain greater respect for ecology and the natural world. ISBN 0-08000092-9
At Hell’s Gate: A Soldier’s Journey from War to Peace by Claude Anshin Thomas. A
memoir of dramatic service in Vietnam, alcoholism, homelessness, and a Zen meditation
retreat that turned his life around. The author’s time with Zen monk Thich Nhat Hahn
enabled him to stop and embrace his past, present and future. A wonderful book.
ISBN1-59030-134-X
The Holy Order of Water: Healing Earth’s Waters and Ourselves by Wm. E. Marks. Water
lore and science brings us through history to our present pollution and ecological crises.
Everything from vortex energy, cosmic rain, deforestation and healing with water is
covered. Excellent!
ISBN 0-88010-483-X
Shamanic Journeying: A Beginner’s Guide by Sandra Ingerman. Historical overview of
journeying and suggestions from her own experiences as a counselor and journeyor.
Discusses use of journeys for healing, personal history, creating your own healing
ceremonies.
Turned Upside Down: A Workbook on Earth Changes and Personal Transformation by
Marko Pogacnik. The earth is going through her own evolution and as humans living on
this globe, we are being asked to evolve with her, to let go of what we have been attached
to as life. The author describes what we can expect in these changes ahead and how to
prepare ourselves. He shows how to help the Earth herself bring forth her own true Self.
ISBN 1-58420-025-1
Humankind is being led along
An evolving course, through
Magdalena’s Well by Saga-Rhose. A ‘received’ story of Mary Magdalene and Jeshua and
their life together. Both authors (Saga and Rhose) worked this tale, both in different ways.
A deep love story of two kindred souls and the child, Sarah, that Mary carried. www.
infinitypublishing.com ISBN0-7414-1980-7.
Monday Morning Memoirs: Women in the Second Half of Life. Edited by Maureen
Murdock. Author of The Heroine’s Journey and Father’s Daughters, Maureen Murdock
presents a collection of personal stories by ten women from her writing class. These
women continued to write together for 5 years after the initial class. Their stories stir the
heart and bring smiles and recognition. Excellent.
ISBN1-4010-5366-1
I am fierce in the face of love.
I draw courage as breath
and step into fires that melt rocks
in order for love to leave its imprint
upon my face. Jyoti Wind
Humankind is being led along an
evolving course,
through this migration of intelligences,
and though we seem to be sleeping,
there is an inner wakefulness
that directs the dream,
and that eventually startle us back
to the truth of who we are. Rumi
Romance Writers:
Nora Roberts, especially her Irish Series
Kathleen Givens, 1700 Scottish history
Lynn Bailey, Irish stories
The body itself is a screen
to shield and partially reveal
the light that’s blazing
inside your presence. Rumi
Goodbye Geraldine by Robert J. Morgan. Warm, sometimes humorous and poignant, and
definitely heart-rendering, these chapters in the author’s life bring home the reality of life’
s challenges. Recollections of a hard childhood, losing his mom at three years, and his
dad’s disappearance after the funeral, move seamlessly with his own inner battles.
Ultimate forgiveness and self-affirmation become his greatest achievements. A life well
lived and told. Excellent. ISBN 0-910941-28-9.
Dreaming a New World: A Spiritual Journey of Hope and Transformation by Nance Van
Domelen. After an unfortunate family tragedy, Nancy began meditating and writing
regularly, posing questions of ultimate concern, and receiving answers. This first book
addresses issues of the U.S. as a seed carrier for future races, a new look at the human
experience, the period of transition we are now in, and the World that is coming out of the
present Chaos. The author has allowed herself to be the scribe for some interesting
information and perspectives. Excellent! ISBN 0-971610-60-6.
The Lost Sisterhood: The Return of Mary Magdalene, the Mother Mary and Other Holy
Women by Julia Ingram. Dreamspeaker Creations. Using the stories of 15 of her clients
and the reports of past-life relationships with Jesus and his family and friends, the author
weaves together a story told by the women of those times. Fleshing out the place of
women and their role in that Christian drama unfolds in a book that informs women’s
spirituality today.
A Year by the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman by Joan Anderson. At that time
when children are grown and the family no longer needs her as a focus of fulfillment, the
author realizes it’s now time to begin to nurture herself. Her own dreams that were side-
barred, her goals almost forgotten, her marriage on hiatus, she takes herself to the Cape
Cod shore for a year of inner looking. Her resources come to her aid. Her journals speak
of new possibilities, despite the difficult transformative year she experiences. A great
read! ISBN 0-7679-0593-8.
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It
turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a
feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past,
brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. Melody Beattie.
I hear you coming in the night.
You knock.
The door of my heart opens…
I’ve given you the key.
Jyoti Wind
Book Reviews Fall 2004
The Spiral Memory and Belonging: A Celtic Path of Soul and Kinship by Frank
MacEowen. Author of The Mist-Filled Path, this next book explores the teachings and
beliefs of ancient Ireland. Frank presents the Irish dreamtime in cohesive language for
today, with exercises, meditations and practices. Excellent. ISBN1-57731-423-9.
Horses and the Mystical Path: The Celtic Way of Expanding the Human Soul by A.von
Rust McCormick, Ph.D., M. McCormick, Ph.D., T. McCormick, M.D. From Scotland to
Spain, Mexico and Morocco, the authors followed the mystical path of the horse-people
of those regions. Their work flows with important insights into the equestrian-partnered
spirituality of the Celts. ISBN1-57731-450-6.
In Praise of Slowness: How a Worldwide Movement is Challenging the Cult of Speed by
Carl Honore`. The growth of the slow movement which began in Italy with slow food and
has progressed to other peoples and other countries around the world makes a strong
statement about our pace of life in this country. Many have adopted the author’s view and
practice and gather together to share local food in a slower social setting of enjoyment
and camaraderie.
Angel Seeker by Sharon Shinn. In her continuing saga of Samaria and the world of
angels and humans, Shinn pens a wonderful story of prejudice, values and the search for
love. Drawing from present day geography and religious constraints, she immerses us in
angel world and those who vie to have their children. I’ve loved the 4 previous books in
this series and found this as interesting and consuming as the rest. ISBN)-441-01134-9.
New video – available in October
COMFORT TOUCH: Massage for the Elderly and the Ill
Written and produced by Mary Kathleen Rose
Directed and edited by Victress Hitchcock
This beautifully produced and directed video program introduces the viewer to the
principles and techniques of Comfort Touch, a nurturing form of acupressure massage
designed to be safe and appropriate for the elderly and the ill. Drawing on her many years
of experience practicing and teaching this work in homecare and medical settings, Mary
Kathleen Rose shares the essential elements of Comfort Touch with demonstrations of
its applications in the seated, supine and side-lying positions. Includes a 40-page Video
Guide, complete with Principles and Techniques of Comfort Touch, Benefits of Comfort
Touch, Precautions in the Use of Touch and Self-Care Exercises for the Caregiver.
34 min. $29.00 plus $4.00 S&H, available in VHS or DVD from:
Wild Rose PO Box 17313 Boulder, CO 80308-0313
For more information call 303-449-3945 or
e-mail: rosevine@comforttouch.com
Of Interest
Bioneers 15th Annual Conference. Visionary and Practical Solutions for Restoring the
Earth and People. Oct 15-17 ’04, San Rafael, CA. www.bioneers.org. 877.246-6337. The
restorations of the Earth’s imperiled ecosystems and the healing of human communities
are this group’s central focus. Amory Lovins, Amy Goodman, Sandra Ingerman, Paul
Hawken are some of the presenters. Areas hosting live satellite coverage: Anch,AK; Eug,
OR; Bozem,MT; Logan,UT; Frfld,IA; Crbndle,IL; Blmgton,IN; DC; Durham,NH; Vancouver,
BC.
Healing Heart Herbs, PO Box 2004, Ridgeway, CO 81432. 970.626-5663. Oils, body butters,
spritzers, seaweed scrubs, salts and bath soaks. Call Anne.
North American Institute of Medical Herbalism. Introductory course, advanced cert. and
seminars, internships in medical herbalism and clinical nutrition, offering classroom,
clinical, field training and distance learning formats. http://naimh.com 720.406-8609. PO
Box 20512, Boulder, CO 80308.
One of the most important developments at the present time is the outstanding work that
is being done by some in the area of personal thoughts and emotions. More and more
people are interested in clearing their emotional bodies of the residue of negativity that
exists within them. They are taking responsibility for the impact their thoughts and
actions have on others. Also, they are recognizing when others are directing negativity
and ill will toward them, even though it is couched in the apparently acceptable behavior
of joking or teasing.
This ability to read accurately the intent behind others’ actions, no matter what the
presentation, will become the norm for interpersonal relationships in the future. When
people can feel and see the true energy of every situation, human beings’ behavior
toward each other will change for the better. Every human contact will be seen for what it
really is, by those involved and by those who are only spectators. It will be impossible to
hide what is really being thought and felt at any given point in time.
In this period when these capabilities are just starting to emerge, the most important
quality that a person can have is that of personal integrity. One must take responsibility
for one’s own negativity, declare it unacceptable, and eradicate it from the personality
matrix. One must also refuse to be the object of another’s negativity and also must not
return in kind what one has received.
A most effective way to deal with this situation is to rise above the human interaction and
relate directly with the other’s higher self. Express love and regret at what is happening
and request a change in attitude and behavior. If the individual displaying the negativity is
so shut off from his or her higher wisdom, than at least love has been expressed and no
other responsibility for involvement is necessary. When family is involved, a mode of
personal protection can be devised with an accompanying detachment and
empowerment in effect at all times.
Interpersonal relationships must reach a higher level of interaction. It is one of the most
important advancements that must occur in order for the human race to move to a better
level of functioning. The great harm done by individuals, groups, and nations to each
other must come to an end. Those who can rise above the old ways and act in a more
loving manner to all will truly be the progenitors of the newly emerging species that will
inhabit the Earth in the era to come. (Dreaming a New World: A Spiritual Journey of Hope
and Transformation by Nancy Van Domelen. ISBN0-9716106-0-6.)
Time to go into the dark
where the night has eyes
to recognize its own.
David Whyte
Answered Prayers
A chief of Sri Lanka’s meteorological department contradicted claims by the Buddhist
faithful who believed that monks sprinkling holy water over the region from a military
helicopter had ended the island’s devastating drought. He said the subsequent torrential
rain and gale-force winds immediately following the ceremony were attributed to the ‘inter-
monsoonal activity in keeping with normal weather patterns. But the top monk said that
the sprinkling of holy water had brought an ‘instant rain’ that forced the returning aircraft
to make a detour to avoid turbulence. (Excerpted from Earth Week by Steve Newman.)
Love yourself
Trust your choices
And everything is possible.
Cherie Carter Scott
Summer ’04 Book Reviews
Spiritual Bathing: Healing Rituals and Traditions from Around the World by Rosita Arvigo
and Nadine Epstein. Using traditions from the Jews, Sumerians, Christians, ancient
Romans and Greeks, Muslims, Celts, Native Americans and the southern Continent, the
authors share with us how water as a divine ritual and life giver has nourished peoples
from the beginning of time. Rituals and ceremonies are included. As we come into a time
of water scarcity, drought and the volume of human use and need, this reminder of water
as sacred substance is so timely. Wonderful color photos.
ISBN1-58761-170-8.
The Ape Who Guards the Balance by Elizabeth Peters. Set in 1907 England and Egypt,
one follows the never-dull Amelia Peabody and her family to an archeological dig in the
Valley of the Kings. A papyrus is purchased amidst shady dealings, people show up
dead in the canals and deeper mysteries are plumbed. For me this was the first Peters
book I had read and I loved the Egyptian influence. The author has received the Agatha
Award, and was Grand Master of the Mystery Writers of America in ’98. Very well done.
ISBN0-380-97657-9
The Sweet Breathing of Plants. Ed. By Linda Hogan and Brenda Peterson. Women
Writing on the Green World. From curanderas to wild crafters, visionaries to those who
dream of trees, these women bring their relationships to nature and the plants to paper. A
wonderful anthology. ISBN0-86347-625-x.
Sacred Ceremony: How to Create Ceremonies for Healing, Transitions and Celebrations
by Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D. Design your own ceremonies for all of life’s passages. Simple
guidelines by the author inspire you. A wealth of ideas. ISBN1-56170-981-6.
Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Ancestors of Avalon by Diana L. Paxson. A novel of Atlantis and
the Ancient British Isles. Co-authored before her death, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Diana
L. Paxson present the history of the Avalon series (The Mists of Avalon, etc.). As Atlantis
falls, a new land is discovered and the path of the priestesses and/or power ensues.
Great to be near Avalon again! ISBN0-470-03314-4.
Wild Grace: Nature As a Spiritual Path by Eric Alan. A beautiful book of natural
photography and text, philosophical and spiritual viewpoints of life. Beautiful!
ISBN1-883991-53-6.
The Rainbow Bridge: Prophetic Encounters with the Mother’s Path of Unity by
Alakananda Devi. Book Two in the Patchwork Mandala Trilogy. Coming to the U.S. after
traveling in India for many years, the author and her husband settle in Boulder, CO. Her
spiritual search continues for the Divine Mother, both outwardly through women saints
and teachers, and inwardly in merging with that energy within herself.
Eventually creating the Alandi Ashram, community found them and outreach programs
began. Classes on Ayurvedic medicine, Indian music and yoga, and establishing a health
clinic ensued. Community meals were offered as was chanting and a multi-spiritual focus.
Her writing is clearly defined, yet poetic; personal yet universal themes and experiences
permeate throughout. An excellent read. ISBN0-9657559-0-8.
“I am giving thanks for help that is already on the way.” Native American Grandmother.
Dreams are the poet’s companion. Georgia Heard.
“The age of the wounded healer gives place to that of the Mother of Compassion. No
longer finding God in cathedral, temple or mosque, we must find Her now in the human
heart. …invites us to journey into the new time, cherishing the mystical traditions of the
past, yet allowing the new to manifest. Each of us who senses this shift is invited to
dance on the rainbow bridge.” Alakananda Devi, The Rainbow Bridge.
“Softly I began chanting in Latin the prayer that for me summed up both the faith and the
flaw of the age of Pisces. For two thousand years, Christendom had honoured Mary, but
dishonoured Eve, the primordial Earth Mother who unites us to each other and to Nature.
Seeing earth as a place of exile and heaven as our goal, we have forgotten that our
purpose is to realize heaven on earth.” Alakananda Devi, The Rainbow Bridge.
A Call for Change
I believe we deserve what we get. If we don’t stand up to a man who claims the
presidency when we all knew it wasn’t his for the taking, then we deal with the crap he
rains down on our heads in the four years he has control of the country. All the soldiers,
for whatever reason they went to fight the Bush-business war in Iraq (whether for a
college education or to fight terrorists) their blood is on our hands, as is the Iraqi people’
s. Do I feel okay with this image for myself. Hell no! Do I want other people’s blood on my
hands? NO! I did not sanction this war…I spoke against it. I spoke against his office. He is
not my president.
I just came from seeing Fahrenheit 9/11. For me this movie is like preaching to the choir. I
know what Michael Moore is talking about. I’ve researched a lot of what he portrays. And I
totally agree with his beliefs and premises. It is good for me and others to see this point of
view on screen. It takes it out of the mind and small group process, as in hanging out with
those of like mind who, of course, will agree with you, and puts it on center stage in the
larger world so that more and more people will be able to acknowledge the truth they feel
in themselves. This film is an affirmation of what we’ve been seeing and thinking about
for the past 3 ½ years or even more. There were a few new pieces for me that I didn’t
know. Some connections between the Saudi’s and Bush’s former buddy in the Reserves
who was AWOL with him, though it’s all denied.
In this film, there were interviews with families of soldiers serving in Iraq. One I remember
is a soldier stating to the camera…’every time you kill someone, you kill a part of
yourself.’ You follow a woman of military family background…a former welfare mom now
part of the system and doing well. She encouraged her children to join the service to
travel and have an education that she couldn’t give them. Her firstborn son went to Iraq. It
shows her metamorphosis as the letters came, her son wondering what he was doing
there…the eventual realization as she stood in front of the White House, later, and wept.
There are a million stories like this I’m sure. Families who sent their children to die in a
war that’s only about oil and money; big business it’s called. Are the Bush girls enlisting
any time soon? Out of 500 Congress/Senate people, only one has a son in Iraq. This is
Viet Nam all over again.
I don’t want to come from a radical/conspiracy theory point of view…however, when you
look at all the hidden agendas that are not seeing the general light of day, what you find
out is what’s hidden, hence you see the real conspiracies that are right under our noses
that they are arrogantly not even hiding very well.
There’s a scene in the film where Bush is speaking to a room of tuxedo clad men and
evening gowned women. He addresses the room as the ‘Haves and the Have-Mores’. And
I think of the average American individual and family and how they have suffered from
this recession or whatever you want to call it. (One fact was that in Flint, Michigan the
unemployment was gauged at 50%!!!!). I see people choosing between food and rent, or
food and gas for the car. When you keep people down, poor and in fear of attack coming
from who knows where at any moment in time, you don’t have to declare Martial Law. You
already have them in your hand. You have absolute control.
Will these thoughts win me a visit from the local or national FBI? I don’t know. One
scenario that was so interesting to me was a guy in CA, 70 years old, working out at the
gym and making a remark in a conversation with some other guys about why we really
went into Iraq…and the FBI knocked on his door the next day because one of those guys
in the conversation turned him in….shades of George Orwell’s 1984. Oh we are there,
make no mistake about it.
I don’t mean to offend anyone who doesn’t think this way. If you don’t, that’s up to you.
This is my opinion. I know many others who think this way, so I have numbers at my
back, even invisibly, when I speak.
Do I support this government’s policy abroad, no…and neither do many countries
around the world. He has taken our good-will with many nations and, like the companies
he failed at before his present job, is running us into the ground also.
If there isn’t a groundswell movement in this country, all that bloodshed is for nothing.
Most of this country will sit back and stay asleep, and live off the profits of this war and
these deaths, and never even think about it. If you can open your mind to the possibilities
of standing up to help create a nation to be proud of, one that is moving toward a
possible future of government FOR the people instead of for those in control of the
country, then ask yourself inside what you can do today to help this come about. Get up
and do something meaningful or you will suffer the next 4 years or more with the
entrenchment of this type of Reich/Regime. The losses at the end of an 8 year+ reign will
be beyond what you can consider right now. Environmental warnings are being ignored
while the greed abounds. Power and money don’t mean much when there’s no good
water to drink and the oceans are encroaching on the shorelines and drought grips
portions of the world and masses of people die from famine. It’s happening already and
most people are so overwhelmed with their own lives, their own debts, their own
stresses, that they can’t look at it. They can’t see the writing that’s on the wall.
Am I trying to engender more fear in a world where there’s so much already? No. Actually
I’m hoping somehow that those who march for peace, those who oppose the current
practices in this country, will once again take on the business of the many…that on their
tired backs will be heaped another load of responsibility that each one should be
shouldering for themselves…and maybe one or two more who suddenly wake up. I don’t
write this for those who already know. Like Moore’s movie…it’s not for them. It’s for the
few who will go into the theatre curious and not yet decided. It’s for the few who are
willing to wake up and do something for their own country and their own future.
Jyoti Wind
6/26/04
