As the Winter Solstice of 2012 fast approaches, marking a time of great transition for humanity and our planet, each turn of the cosmic wheel becomes more significant. The summer and winter solstices, along with the spring and fall equinoxes, have been occasions for celebrations and rituals for thousands of years. The ancients looked to the heavens with awe and gratitude for the gifts of each season and built cosmic calendars on the Earth to mark the movements of the heavenly bodies. They were aware of early or late signs of spring to know when to plant their crops and noticed the changing angles of light as summer lengthened their shadows. They lived in harmony with the rhythms of the universe.
In the last century, as populations have become more urban than rural, many of us have lost our conscious connection to the natural world. We may note the change of seasons--warmer or cooler weather, longer days or nights--but have largely forgotten the significance of the Earth’s annual journey around the sun as it tilts on its axis.
This yearly orbit is linked with much larger cosmic movements, as Earth moves counterclockwise through the twelve signs of the Zodiac, each about 2160 years, and completes what is called the Precession of the Equinoxes about every 25, 950 years. All of these cycles, as well as the shorter lunar and solar cycles, were known to the ancients. The Mayan calendar gives evidence of this, and many monuments around the Earth similarly indicate that the movements of the heavens were well observed.
According to interpreters of the Mayan calendar’s long count, December 21, 2012 is the date when all of these cycles--short and long--complete, as Earth and Sun align with the dark rift at the center of the Milky Way galaxy. Some plausibly argue for other dates, but the Winter Solstice of 2012 (Summer in the Southern Hemisphere) is now part of the collective consciousness of our time, as media focus on this date builds.
What precisely will happen then no one knows, but speculation ranges from Doomsday scenarios to the ushering in of the Aquarian Age of enlightenment and peace, with all species including the human living sustainably on the Earth. I am firmly in the latter camp, as those who have read my book, Spiritual Wisdom for a Planet in Peril: Preparing for 2012 and Beyond,” are aware. Our task is to bring about the most positive outcomes for ourselves and our planet.
The Summer Solstice on June 21 offered an opportunity to reconnect with the natural rhythms of Earth and to celebrate the time when the sun at its zenith appears to stand still in the heavens. Now light wins out once more over darkness, as the longest day of the year marks the beginning of summer. From this day forward to the December solstice, daylight diminishes again until darkness settles in and winter pulls us inward.
Summer is an expansive time, when all things seem possible. Now through the autumn equinox on September 21 is a time of great abundance, as Earth nourishes her species through growing plants, plentiful waters, and new generations of animals, birds, and insects. Our home garden produces a rich bounty of lettuces, tomatoes, squash, beans, and herbs, offering us fresh, nutritious meals through September. Last year one of our pumpkins, harvested in July, lived on our front porch through January, before the frost turned it rotten. Mocking birds nest in our yard, large bumblebees buzz around our purple ice plants, and the butterfly bushes in our side yard attract many beautiful species. Wild blackberries turn ripe and disappear quickly as the local deer population gobbles them up. Visual and edible symbols of Earth’s abundance are one of the great joys of summer.
Since ancient times, people have celebrated the Summer Solstice as the victory of light over darkness. Monuments like England’s Stonehenge are gigantic calendars marking the Earth’s turning toward the light and have become sites of annual festivals to give thanks to the Divine for the life-giving sun.
On a number of occasions, I have traveled to power points and sacred sites on the planet to participate in solstice or equinox celebrations: Stonehenge, Chitchen Itza in Mayan Mexico, Egypt’s Giza Plateau, Ireland’s Newgrange, and Chaco Canyon in New Mexico among them. In these and other locations, ancient astronomers and priests left solid evidence in stone of the path of the sun’s seasonal alignments so that their communities could anticipate and benefit from this knowledge. Ancient gods were worshipped as bringers and sustainers of life.
Now science confirms what spiritual people have always known intuitively: the interconnected web of life throughout the universe that flourishes, dies, and is reborn in new forms and patterns, as the process of creation continues to unfold throughout time. The evolution of human consciousness that 2012 is about is one significant culmination of a more than 16 billion year old cosmic process, and those alive today may experience this shift.
On last year’s summer solstice, I joined an annual ceremony in northern Michigan led by several generations of Ojibway women at the site of petroglyphs sacred to their people. The women hauled water in purifying copper buckets from a nearby stream to cleanse the large rock on which the ancient messages were written for our own time. Barefoot, grandmothers and their daughters and granddaughters scrubbed the rock with brooms, then offered a traditional feast representing Earth’s bounty to guests. It was a wonderful way to honor Mother Earth and ancestral wisdom.
This year I had intended to join a group of spiritual energy healers at another ancient sacred site, the Serpent Mounds of Ohio, to ground and amplify healing energy through the site, connecting with the Earth’s grids to bring a higher dimension of healing and harmony to the planet. Instead, I stayed home to be with visiting family. However, through the power of the internet, you don’t have to travel around the globe to join in a summer solstice celebration. At 8 p.m. EDT on June 21, I tuned into the Concert for the Living Water at www.liveh2o.org and joined millions around the world in sending love and healing through thought, intention, and chanting to the Earth’s oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams. I concentrated especially on the Great Lakes because of their importance and my own spiritual connection to these great bodies of water.
Feeling very aligned with the intention of this experimental gathering held around the planet and virtually through the internet, I was grateful to be able to contribute through this medium to cleansing and healing the waters. We know from the work of Japanese scientist Dr. Emoto, who was involved in this project, as well as from the science of energy healing, that water holds memory and vibration. As humans and invasive species have polluted the life-giving waters on which all life depends, their healthy vibrations have shifted and diminished. Through our collective intention, we can change that, and this concert held, appropriately, on the summer solstice was a way to focus and amplify our energy through the sound frequency of love. As the www.h2o.org website states, “love is the universal healer and water the universal solvent.” Bringing these together with amplified power can cleanse and heal us all.
The Concert for the Living Water is a great example of what is possible when each of us joins with others as one voice to raise the vibration of the planet and contribute to the transformation of consciousness that will bring about an era of peace and harmony on Earth. It was especially appropriate that it should happen on the most enlightened day of the year.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Swine Flu: Pandemic or Lesson on Releasing Fear?
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
In recent weeks I've had the opportunity to speak to hundreds of people in person and through radio interviews and teleconferences about 2012: what may be coming in the way of earth shifts and human-caused changes and how to prepare for the most probable outcomes, while envisioning a new way of being in a transformed world and beginning to live out that vision now.
The question that keeps coming up is this: what do we need to know and do now to make it through the coming shift and transition to a higher consciousness?
The first part of the answer is, emphatically, not to go into fear. Fear is a lower-vibration energy that can spread as quickly as a pandemic and cause as much damage energetically. Since 2001, we've gotten so used to fear-based interpretations of the world through media, politics, and conspiracy theories that we either panic at the first sign of trouble, giving energy to the worst case outcomes, or sink into denial, ignoring the signs of the times that tell us the world is transforming in many ways at once.
Giving in to fear clouds our judgment and vision, snatching away our sense of security and control of our own lives. It also saps our ability to choose to participate in bringing about the best possible outcome for the highest good of all life on this planet.
Witness the so-called swine flu pandemic. Conspiracy theorists tell us the swine flu virus was concocted in secret labs and released on the public by dark forces hoping to kill off millions of excess humans on this planet or just to create massive panic. The Egyptian government ordered that country's 300,000 pig population slaughtered out of sheer ignorance and fear, which it multiplied exponentially with this worst possible response to a perceived threat. Even the National Institutes of Health, by recommending that school systems with possible cases close down for days or weeks until the virus is contained, amped up the fear by giving it probable cause and threw a wrench into the end of school year plans of hundreds of thousands of students, teachers, and parents left without child care options. Individuals who can afford to get Tamiflu prescriptions from their doctors are doing so to protect themselves. Spiritual healers are recommending natural products like essential oils to ward off the virus and restore the physical and energy bodies to full health.
It seems that each institution or individual is demonstrating its own level of consciousness in its reaction to this virus.
What is the truth about swine flu? Is the threat overblown, considering the number of cases worldwide? It appears so. And yet, as I point out in "Spiritual Wisdom for a Planet in Peril: Preparing for 2012 and Beyond," pandemics are one kind of natural- or human-caused disaster we may experience in this time of great change for which we can prepare on both physical and energetic levels.
While science works on understanding the virus and and governments on containing it, we, from a higher consciousness perspective, can deal with swine flu and other potential disasters by recognizing that through directing positive intention and energy to the threat we can influence the outcome. By consciously choosing not to participate in fear but rather to surround the virus, the people and animals touched by it, and the medicines and personnel prepared to counteract it with the energy of love, we can help convert a potential disaster into a soft landing. The more of us who practice sending the high vibration of universal love into the world in place of the lower vibration of fear, the less likely a potential disaster is to become a real one.
This is a huge lesson to be learned as we move forward through this cosmic shift marked by 2012. Knowing how to heal the body, mind, and spirit is essential. Choosing not to participate in fear and to offer love in its place will make all the difference.
In recent weeks I've had the opportunity to speak to hundreds of people in person and through radio interviews and teleconferences about 2012: what may be coming in the way of earth shifts and human-caused changes and how to prepare for the most probable outcomes, while envisioning a new way of being in a transformed world and beginning to live out that vision now.
The question that keeps coming up is this: what do we need to know and do now to make it through the coming shift and transition to a higher consciousness?
The first part of the answer is, emphatically, not to go into fear. Fear is a lower-vibration energy that can spread as quickly as a pandemic and cause as much damage energetically. Since 2001, we've gotten so used to fear-based interpretations of the world through media, politics, and conspiracy theories that we either panic at the first sign of trouble, giving energy to the worst case outcomes, or sink into denial, ignoring the signs of the times that tell us the world is transforming in many ways at once.
Giving in to fear clouds our judgment and vision, snatching away our sense of security and control of our own lives. It also saps our ability to choose to participate in bringing about the best possible outcome for the highest good of all life on this planet.
Witness the so-called swine flu pandemic. Conspiracy theorists tell us the swine flu virus was concocted in secret labs and released on the public by dark forces hoping to kill off millions of excess humans on this planet or just to create massive panic. The Egyptian government ordered that country's 300,000 pig population slaughtered out of sheer ignorance and fear, which it multiplied exponentially with this worst possible response to a perceived threat. Even the National Institutes of Health, by recommending that school systems with possible cases close down for days or weeks until the virus is contained, amped up the fear by giving it probable cause and threw a wrench into the end of school year plans of hundreds of thousands of students, teachers, and parents left without child care options. Individuals who can afford to get Tamiflu prescriptions from their doctors are doing so to protect themselves. Spiritual healers are recommending natural products like essential oils to ward off the virus and restore the physical and energy bodies to full health.
It seems that each institution or individual is demonstrating its own level of consciousness in its reaction to this virus.
What is the truth about swine flu? Is the threat overblown, considering the number of cases worldwide? It appears so. And yet, as I point out in "Spiritual Wisdom for a Planet in Peril: Preparing for 2012 and Beyond," pandemics are one kind of natural- or human-caused disaster we may experience in this time of great change for which we can prepare on both physical and energetic levels.
While science works on understanding the virus and and governments on containing it, we, from a higher consciousness perspective, can deal with swine flu and other potential disasters by recognizing that through directing positive intention and energy to the threat we can influence the outcome. By consciously choosing not to participate in fear but rather to surround the virus, the people and animals touched by it, and the medicines and personnel prepared to counteract it with the energy of love, we can help convert a potential disaster into a soft landing. The more of us who practice sending the high vibration of universal love into the world in place of the lower vibration of fear, the less likely a potential disaster is to become a real one.
This is a huge lesson to be learned as we move forward through this cosmic shift marked by 2012. Knowing how to heal the body, mind, and spirit is essential. Choosing not to participate in fear and to offer love in its place will make all the difference.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Home Gardening Evidence of Consciousness Shift
As the vernal equinox on March 20 approaches, a time when darkness and light are in balance, the natural order gives visible signs of rebirth. Birds build nests, flowering trees begin to bud, and streams swell with snow-melt. If we look closely, we will also find signs that the Great Shift in consciousness I wrote about in Spiritual Wisdom for a Planet in Peril: Preparing for 2012 and Beyond is well underway, balancing light against the darkness of war, conflict, and financial collapse.
One positive sign is the increase in home gardening. Just this morning a news article confirmed that more of us are planting gardens to grow our own produce. Burpee Seeds, one of the largest seed companies, is experiencing an unprecedented surge in demand. People have figured out that growing their own vegetables and fruit can not only save substantial money but also provide them with nutritious food and valuable lessons about connecting with the Earth and her cycles.
My husband recently found his sixth-grade report on Victory Gardens, illustrating the importance of home gardening during World War II that provided up to 40% of the nation's fresh produce. We can do so again and enjoy gardening as a family and community activity.
In my hometown, Detroit, urban blight is being transformed into community gardens. Young people work in the dirt on vacant lots and see the results, renewing their bonds with Mother Nature. Neighbors work together and share the produce. Everyone benefits. This is the new consciousness in action.
Last week my husband and son roto-tilled our garden area, adding home-grown compost to enrich the soil. We've already had our annual garden planning meeting with our neighbors and will go together to the local garden supply store this weekend to pick out plants and seeds and begin by planting those that can take hold in an early North Carolina spring. Remembering the lucious tomatoes, zucchini, pesto made from fresh basil, and Arugula last year's garden yielded makes us eager to get started. Although the local deer ate most of our young blueberry plants, we'll try again. We don't mind sharing with the deer. They are part of our ecosystem, and our home took part of their habitat. We enjoy seeing them thrive on the local plant life also.
If you can create a garden where you live, by all means do so. Get your neighbors together to help. Apartment dwellers can start seeds or seedlings inside, then transfer to patios or balconies. Ask your landlords and condo associations for a community garden plot. This kind of contact with the Earth's cycles and bounty truly is life-giving and enlightening, and returning us to a healthy relationship with the natural environment is part of the Great Shift.
One positive sign is the increase in home gardening. Just this morning a news article confirmed that more of us are planting gardens to grow our own produce. Burpee Seeds, one of the largest seed companies, is experiencing an unprecedented surge in demand. People have figured out that growing their own vegetables and fruit can not only save substantial money but also provide them with nutritious food and valuable lessons about connecting with the Earth and her cycles.
My husband recently found his sixth-grade report on Victory Gardens, illustrating the importance of home gardening during World War II that provided up to 40% of the nation's fresh produce. We can do so again and enjoy gardening as a family and community activity.
In my hometown, Detroit, urban blight is being transformed into community gardens. Young people work in the dirt on vacant lots and see the results, renewing their bonds with Mother Nature. Neighbors work together and share the produce. Everyone benefits. This is the new consciousness in action.
Last week my husband and son roto-tilled our garden area, adding home-grown compost to enrich the soil. We've already had our annual garden planning meeting with our neighbors and will go together to the local garden supply store this weekend to pick out plants and seeds and begin by planting those that can take hold in an early North Carolina spring. Remembering the lucious tomatoes, zucchini, pesto made from fresh basil, and Arugula last year's garden yielded makes us eager to get started. Although the local deer ate most of our young blueberry plants, we'll try again. We don't mind sharing with the deer. They are part of our ecosystem, and our home took part of their habitat. We enjoy seeing them thrive on the local plant life also.
If you can create a garden where you live, by all means do so. Get your neighbors together to help. Apartment dwellers can start seeds or seedlings inside, then transfer to patios or balconies. Ask your landlords and condo associations for a community garden plot. This kind of contact with the Earth's cycles and bounty truly is life-giving and enlightening, and returning us to a healthy relationship with the natural environment is part of the Great Shift.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Thrive in a New Economy That Works for All
Worried about surviving the financial collapse? Concerned about making a living in turbulent times? Here are four ways to bypass a dysfunctional economy: revive the barter system, trade locally, create micro-businesses, and develop self-sustaining communities.
As the economic turndown worsens daily, business as usual is not a viable option. Rather than attempting to fix a broken system based on greed and excess, it's time to create a new, sustainable system that works for everyone and is earth-friendly.
A cashless economy in which buyers and sellers together determine the value of the products and services exchanged will make a comeback. The new system will be based on relationships and shared values so that the planet and its interdependent inhabitants may survive. Brokers of barter services will do well in the new economy, as they connect and expand markets for their customers.
Local currencies, already in use, could replace a collapsed U.S. and global currency. A step beyond the barter system, local bucks create a recognized medium of exchange.
As big businesses depart from communities that can't sustain their bottom lines, people will support their local merchants through the downturn so that essential goods and services will continue. Shedding the unnecessary is a part of the new, sustainable lifestyle.
Creativity will be valued in the new economy, with thousands of micro-businesses forming as inspiration and an entrepreneurial spirit join to offer value for a minimal investment of capital. Local lenders will step forward to support such cost-effective endeavors, just as they have in third-world countries like Bangladesh.
Having lost confidence in big banking, community associations are forming to offer loans to their neighbors with reasonable terms that benefit everyone. Other communal efforts to ensure mutual survival and access to the means to own a home and make a living are likely to emerge in the next few years. Grassroots economies will flourish, and businesses will do well by treating their customers as friends.
Community enterprises will be the hallmark of the new economy. Co-housing and community gardens are making a comeback, as generations move in together and neighbors create common areas. The concept of each household owning its own lawnmower will seem archaic, as tools are shared to save valuable resources.
Public transportation will improve in response to demand, and neighbors will carpool for shopping, work, and school. Group home schooling will thrive, as public systems collapse under the weight of crumbling facilities and budgets. In general, people will stay closer to home and adopt simpler lifestyles offering less stressful, more enjoyable lives.
As the world is transformed by crisis, a consciousness shift will cause people to recognize their interdependence and pull together to create new ways not only to survive but thrive in a new economy and a new era of sustainable living.
As the economic turndown worsens daily, business as usual is not a viable option. Rather than attempting to fix a broken system based on greed and excess, it's time to create a new, sustainable system that works for everyone and is earth-friendly.
A cashless economy in which buyers and sellers together determine the value of the products and services exchanged will make a comeback. The new system will be based on relationships and shared values so that the planet and its interdependent inhabitants may survive. Brokers of barter services will do well in the new economy, as they connect and expand markets for their customers.
Local currencies, already in use, could replace a collapsed U.S. and global currency. A step beyond the barter system, local bucks create a recognized medium of exchange.
As big businesses depart from communities that can't sustain their bottom lines, people will support their local merchants through the downturn so that essential goods and services will continue. Shedding the unnecessary is a part of the new, sustainable lifestyle.
Creativity will be valued in the new economy, with thousands of micro-businesses forming as inspiration and an entrepreneurial spirit join to offer value for a minimal investment of capital. Local lenders will step forward to support such cost-effective endeavors, just as they have in third-world countries like Bangladesh.
Having lost confidence in big banking, community associations are forming to offer loans to their neighbors with reasonable terms that benefit everyone. Other communal efforts to ensure mutual survival and access to the means to own a home and make a living are likely to emerge in the next few years. Grassroots economies will flourish, and businesses will do well by treating their customers as friends.
Community enterprises will be the hallmark of the new economy. Co-housing and community gardens are making a comeback, as generations move in together and neighbors create common areas. The concept of each household owning its own lawnmower will seem archaic, as tools are shared to save valuable resources.
Public transportation will improve in response to demand, and neighbors will carpool for shopping, work, and school. Group home schooling will thrive, as public systems collapse under the weight of crumbling facilities and budgets. In general, people will stay closer to home and adopt simpler lifestyles offering less stressful, more enjoyable lives.
As the world is transformed by crisis, a consciousness shift will cause people to recognize their interdependence and pull together to create new ways not only to survive but thrive in a new economy and a new era of sustainable living.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
2009 Signs of the Times
Winter Solstice, 2012, the date that marks the end of long, cosmic cycles of time and symbolizes the beginning of a new era for life on Planet Earth, is fast approaching. That's both good news and bad news.
The good news is we are only a few years away from the anticipated transformation of human consciousness toward harmony, creativity, and peace rather than conflict and fear.
The bad news is there isn't much time to make significant shifts in our perspectives and behaviors to turn the tide toward positive, life-giving outcomes for ourselves and our planet.
The start of a new year is an opportune time to have a look at how we're doing.
On the positive side, the election of Barack Obama as U.S. president gives evidence that the consciousness shift is underway. The Obama style and agenda are, for the most part, inspiring, intelligent, and inclusive. If the state of the American psyche is reflected in its leader, then we are gaining ground.
Other signs of the times are less hopeful on the surface, and some are downright scary. The escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict, unemployment spiking toward 10% in the U.S., extreme winter weather in many regions, and the devasting coal ash spill in Tennessee are all pieces of evidence that we are in the midst of unprecedented global financial and environmental crises. Yet these and other potentially disastrous events and situations are trigger points for transformational change.
As the old paradigms and systems crumble, we will be called upon to create alternative, life-giving, flexible, sustainable systems to replace them. In the new paradigm brought about by the anticipated consciousness shift, creativity and communal enterprise will be valued more than ever and are likely to emerge in surprising ways. When faced with shortages of goods or cash, people will learn to make do with less and share what they have. We're already seeing that happen in our consumer culture. Necessity helps us become more sustainable in our lifestyles and choices, and that in turn increases harmony and peace on our planet.
In my book, I explored how to thrive in a new economy. As the monetary and banking systems collapse, for example, I envision that bartering of goods and services will return, micro-businesses will sprout up, local and regional cooperatives will provide basic food and materials, and many varieties of sustainable communities will flourish. If technological advances are directed toward renewable energy rather than weapons and entertainment, the planet conceivably could pull back from the brink of ecological disaster.
When reading the signs of the times, it helps to look at the potentially positive outcomes that transformational change may bring.
The good news is we are only a few years away from the anticipated transformation of human consciousness toward harmony, creativity, and peace rather than conflict and fear.
The bad news is there isn't much time to make significant shifts in our perspectives and behaviors to turn the tide toward positive, life-giving outcomes for ourselves and our planet.
The start of a new year is an opportune time to have a look at how we're doing.
On the positive side, the election of Barack Obama as U.S. president gives evidence that the consciousness shift is underway. The Obama style and agenda are, for the most part, inspiring, intelligent, and inclusive. If the state of the American psyche is reflected in its leader, then we are gaining ground.
Other signs of the times are less hopeful on the surface, and some are downright scary. The escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict, unemployment spiking toward 10% in the U.S., extreme winter weather in many regions, and the devasting coal ash spill in Tennessee are all pieces of evidence that we are in the midst of unprecedented global financial and environmental crises. Yet these and other potentially disastrous events and situations are trigger points for transformational change.
As the old paradigms and systems crumble, we will be called upon to create alternative, life-giving, flexible, sustainable systems to replace them. In the new paradigm brought about by the anticipated consciousness shift, creativity and communal enterprise will be valued more than ever and are likely to emerge in surprising ways. When faced with shortages of goods or cash, people will learn to make do with less and share what they have. We're already seeing that happen in our consumer culture. Necessity helps us become more sustainable in our lifestyles and choices, and that in turn increases harmony and peace on our planet.
In my book, I explored how to thrive in a new economy. As the monetary and banking systems collapse, for example, I envision that bartering of goods and services will return, micro-businesses will sprout up, local and regional cooperatives will provide basic food and materials, and many varieties of sustainable communities will flourish. If technological advances are directed toward renewable energy rather than weapons and entertainment, the planet conceivably could pull back from the brink of ecological disaster.
When reading the signs of the times, it helps to look at the potentially positive outcomes that transformational change may bring.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Make This a Season of Hope in Your Corner of the World
Each year at this time I approach Christmas and the holidays with mixed feelings. While I love this season and its theme of waiting in darkness with hope and high expectation for the return of light to the world, I also am acutely aware of those who wait without hope.
While the Obama election and its promise of a new vision and agenda for America and the world bring renewed hope, it is overshadowed by the pain of those affected by the financial crisis. Too many have lost homes, jobs, and a precious sense of security as a result of the economic downturn. Children go to bed hungry. Family pets are turned in to overcrowded shelters.
There is a new urgency to the situations faced by millions here and around the world who don't have enough to meet their most basic needs. The Great Shift in consciousness I wrote about in "Spiritual Wisdom for a Planet in Peril: Preparing for 2012 and Beyond" is underway but not here yet. When will we live in a world where all have enough? When will peace and harmony be restored to our planet?
It's time for each of us with more than enough to share our abundance in greater measure than ever before. Our common future depends on it. I urge you this year to open your hearts and do all you can to make this sacred season brighter for those in need and to build the relationships in your community that will sustain everyone through these difficult times.
This year our family is supporting the basic needs of people and animals through contributions to the following charities:
Source of Universal Love (S.O.U.L). Based in metro Detroit, MI, this inspiring organization not only helps many in this beleaguered city with food, clothing, and shelter. It lovingly assists them in transforming their lives and becoming self-sustaining. You may contribute at http://www.sourceofuniversallove.com/.
Our local animal shelter and the Humane Society of the U.S. Contributing food and financial support to your local shelter may keep beloved pets from losing their families and offers homeless animals a new lease on life. The Humane Society has earned my respect and support, as I have participated in their disaster response programs and have seen their dedication and professionalism first-hand. Go to http://www.hsus.org/ to find your local shelter and make your contributions.
May the spirit of this season lift and bless you and those you love with its grace and peace!
While the Obama election and its promise of a new vision and agenda for America and the world bring renewed hope, it is overshadowed by the pain of those affected by the financial crisis. Too many have lost homes, jobs, and a precious sense of security as a result of the economic downturn. Children go to bed hungry. Family pets are turned in to overcrowded shelters.
There is a new urgency to the situations faced by millions here and around the world who don't have enough to meet their most basic needs. The Great Shift in consciousness I wrote about in "Spiritual Wisdom for a Planet in Peril: Preparing for 2012 and Beyond" is underway but not here yet. When will we live in a world where all have enough? When will peace and harmony be restored to our planet?
It's time for each of us with more than enough to share our abundance in greater measure than ever before. Our common future depends on it. I urge you this year to open your hearts and do all you can to make this sacred season brighter for those in need and to build the relationships in your community that will sustain everyone through these difficult times.
This year our family is supporting the basic needs of people and animals through contributions to the following charities:
Source of Universal Love (S.O.U.L). Based in metro Detroit, MI, this inspiring organization not only helps many in this beleaguered city with food, clothing, and shelter. It lovingly assists them in transforming their lives and becoming self-sustaining. You may contribute at http://www.sourceofuniversallove.com/.
Our local animal shelter and the Humane Society of the U.S. Contributing food and financial support to your local shelter may keep beloved pets from losing their families and offers homeless animals a new lease on life. The Humane Society has earned my respect and support, as I have participated in their disaster response programs and have seen their dedication and professionalism first-hand. Go to http://www.hsus.org/ to find your local shelter and make your contributions.
May the spirit of this season lift and bless you and those you love with its grace and peace!
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Obama Speaks of "a Planet in Peril"
On election night, President-elect Barack Obama spoke of "the greatest challenges of our lifetime: two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century...."
Earlier this year when I chose the title of my new book, "Spiritual Wisdom for a Planet in Peril: Preparing for 2012 and Beyond," the words "a planet in peril" resonated deeply, just as they did when I heard Obama's speech. For me, they evoke images of Earth changes--extreme weather patterns, climate change, earthquakes, species extinction, and the like--as well as human-caused disasters such as the wars and global economic collapse we currently are experiencing.
Significant changes lie ahead on the path to 2012 and beyond, as I point out in Chapter One of the book, "Signs of the Times." Yet Barack Obama's election in itself is a strong sign of hope for our common future. He shares the vision and consciousness of unity I wrote about that will guide us through these transitional times. He understands that we must overcome our fear of the unknown and of the "other" that divide us. The only way through the turbulent times ahead is together. I continue to believe and hope that we will weather the storms and not only survive but thrive in the years ahead.
Still, we have our work cut out for us. Our new President expects to hit the ground running on January 20 to deal with crucial matters of government. To prepare for a world in transition to a higher consciousness, connecting with our spiritual centers and drawing upon our inner strength is essential. From the core of our being we radiate positive, loving thoughts and intentions and take action to support the highest good of all.
President-elect Obama reminded us that our planet is in peril. But he also called for a spirit of hope and unity to carry us through. The spiritual plane is similarly guiding us to a new way of being. These are exciting times!
Earlier this year when I chose the title of my new book, "Spiritual Wisdom for a Planet in Peril: Preparing for 2012 and Beyond," the words "a planet in peril" resonated deeply, just as they did when I heard Obama's speech. For me, they evoke images of Earth changes--extreme weather patterns, climate change, earthquakes, species extinction, and the like--as well as human-caused disasters such as the wars and global economic collapse we currently are experiencing.
Significant changes lie ahead on the path to 2012 and beyond, as I point out in Chapter One of the book, "Signs of the Times." Yet Barack Obama's election in itself is a strong sign of hope for our common future. He shares the vision and consciousness of unity I wrote about that will guide us through these transitional times. He understands that we must overcome our fear of the unknown and of the "other" that divide us. The only way through the turbulent times ahead is together. I continue to believe and hope that we will weather the storms and not only survive but thrive in the years ahead.
Still, we have our work cut out for us. Our new President expects to hit the ground running on January 20 to deal with crucial matters of government. To prepare for a world in transition to a higher consciousness, connecting with our spiritual centers and drawing upon our inner strength is essential. From the core of our being we radiate positive, loving thoughts and intentions and take action to support the highest good of all.
President-elect Obama reminded us that our planet is in peril. But he also called for a spirit of hope and unity to carry us through. The spiritual plane is similarly guiding us to a new way of being. These are exciting times!
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