EARTH STAR

OCT / NOV 2014 CONSCIOUS LIVING IN THE 21ST CENTURY

ADVENTURES
OF THE SOUL

THE TRIPLE FOCUS

EMPATHY AND ACEDEMIC SUCCESS
THE AKASHIC RECORDS
PLATO’S ATLANTIS
FACT OR FICTION?
TRUE NORTH
HEALING THE SCARS
FROM CHILD ABUSE
 Contact Christopher for a remote Divine Healing session
by phone or Skype.
http://www.christophermacklinministries.com

2 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 www.earthstarmag.com


Tr opical Ber r y Camu Camu Heals Chr onic Diseases
id you know…that the camu
D camu berry fruit has more vita-
min C than any other known
fruit in the world—and delivers miracu-
lous therapeutic benefits?
Deep within the Peruvian
Rainforest originates a berry so potent it
can heal chronic diseases, restore clarity,
memory and focus to your thinking, and
soothe frayed nerves.
How can one tiny fruit possess such
far-reaching therapeutic powers? camu
camu berry The answer lies in the
unique combination and density of its
nutrients.
Essential amino acids serine, valine
and leucine protect and revitalize nerv-
ous system health while super-antioxi-
440hz Music – Good Vibrations From Natural 432hz
ost music worldwide has
M been tuned to 440 hertz
since the International
Standards Organization (ISO) endorsed
it in 1953. The recent rediscoveries of
the vibratory / oscillatory nature of the
universe indicate that this contempo-
rary international concert pitch stan-
dard may generate an unhealthy effect
or anti-social behavior in the con-
sciousness of human beings.
A=432 Hz, known as Verdi’s ‘A’ is
an alternative tuning that is mathemati-
cally consistent with the universe.
Music based on 432 Hz transmits bene-
ficial healing energy, because it is a
pure tone of math fundamental to
nature. There is a theory that the
change from 432 Hz to 440 Hz was dic-
tated by Nazi propaganda minister,
Joseph Goebbels. He used it to make
people think and feel a certain manner,
www.earthstarmag.com
dants ease disease-pro-
moting inflammation
and defend against a
broad range of viruses.
The healthy good-
ness doesn’t stop there:
this nutrient-packed
superfruit is also forti-
fied by essential miner-
als calcium, niacin,
beta-carotene, iron,
riboflavin and phos-
phorous. Camu camu
berry is yet another
Amazonian treasure
that promises to
improve your overall health and well-
being safely and naturally.
and to make them a prisoner of a cer-
tain consciousness. Then around 1940
the United States introduced 440 Hz
worldwide, and finally in 1953 it
became the ISO 16-standard.
440 Hz is the unnatural standard
tuning frequency, removed from the
symmetry of sacred vibrations and
overtones that has declared war on the
subconscious mind of Western Man.
In a paper entitled ‘Musical Cult
Control’, Dr. Leonard Horowitz writes:
“The music industry features this
imposed frequency that is ‘herding’ pop-
ulations into greater aggression, psycho
social agitation, and emotional distress
predisposing people to physical illness.”
You just have to go out in the street
and take a look around. What do you
see? School kids, young adults on their
way to work, a woman pushing her
baby in a pram, a man walking his
dog—and what do they all
have in common? iPods or
MP3 Players! Ingenious, isn’t
it?
“If you want to find the
secrets of the universe, think in
terms of energy, frequency and
vibration.” —Nikola Tesla
The powers that be are suc-
cessfully lowering the vibra-
tions of not only the young
generation but the rest of us as
Earth Star Up Front
—JBBardot.com
well. These destructive frequencies
entrain the thoughts towards disruption,
disharmony and disunity. Additionally,
they also stimulate the controlling
organ of the body—the brain—into
disharmonious resonance, which ulti-
mately creates disease and war.
“This unnatural standard tuning
frequency (440 Hz), removed from the
symmetry of sacred vibrations and
overtones, has declared war on the
subconscious mind of Western Man.”
—L. C. Vincent
Frequency and vibration hold a
critically important yet hidden power to
affect our lives, our health, our society
and our world. The science of Cymatics
(meaning the study of visible sound
and vibration) proves that frequency
and vibration are the master keys and
organizational foundation for the cre-
ation of all matter and life on this planet.
When sound waves move through
a physical medium (sand, air, water,
etc.) the frequency of the waves has a
direct effect upon the structures which
are created by the sound waves as they
pass through that particular medium.
“If one should desire to know
whether a kingdom is well governed, if
its morals are good or bad, the quality
of its music will furnish the answer.”
—Confucius
—WhyDontYouTryThis.com
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 3
EARTH STAR CONTENTS
ON THE COVER
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

16 The Triple Focus

Empathy and Acedemic Success
by Daniel Goleman and Peter Senge
22 Adventures of the Soul
Consciousness, Energy and the Power of Thought
by James Van Praagh
31 What Can the Akashic Records Do for You?
by Ernesto Ortiz
41 Plato’s Atlantis: Fact or Fiction?
by Frank Joseph
48 True North
Meditation: Healing the Scars from Child Abuse,
Page 22 Domestic Violence, PTSD and More
by Tom North

FEATURES Cover Art

Marine-Laura’s World
12 Down To Earth Astrology by Jean-Paul Avisse
by Tim Gunns
25 Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Bone Loss For further information,
by Dr. Joseph Mercola contact
\
Prestige Art Galleries,
29 Dreaming with Polar Bears 3909 W. Howard, Skokie,
by Dawn Baumann Brunke IL 60076. (874) 679-2555,
36 Quercetin’s Unique Protective Mechanisms www.prestigeartskokie.com
by Michael Enders
51 Unidentified: The UFO Phenomenon
A Strange Loss of Nukes
by Robert Salas
Page 41
56 Gentle Way of the Heart
by Anders Nilsson
59 DIY Oven and Fridge that Require No Power
by J.B. Bardot
61 The Inner Camino: Embracing Change
by Sara Hollwey and Jill Brierley
Jean-Paul Avisse
62 World Peace Caravan
.
64 The Impact of Empathy
A New Approach to Working with ADHD Children For a free color brochure,
by Daniela Muggia please send a S.A.S.E.

DEPARTMENTS
5 Up Front
18 Book Reviews
Page 48

4 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 www.earthstarmag.com


Apple Shows Off Smartwatch, Larger-Screen iPhones
n an ambitious blitz of new prod-
I ucts in September, Apple Inc.
unveiled a pair of larger-screen
iPhones, an Internet-connected watch
and a new payment system that allows
users to make in-store purchases with a
smart device.
The watch, called Apple Watch, rep-
resents the company's first new product in
more than four years. Apple said the
watch will start at $349 and be available
in early 2015. It works through a connec-
tion to Apple's new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus,
as well as the older iPhone 5, 5c and 5s.
The wearable device comes in two
sizes and three versions: Watch, Sport
and Edition. Apple is offering several
different straps and faces, allowing mul-
tiple designs.Apple Chief Executive
Tim Cook called the watch the most-
personal device Apple has created. The
device allows new ways for users to
communicate from their wrists, the
Wireless Charger Powers Up Devices At Distance
he wireless charging technolo-
T gy race is in full swing – a new
device developed by MIT is
said to charge phones distantly, while
you’re sitting at your desk with the
phone in your pocket. And no, there are
no pads.
Magnetic MIMO was developed by
a team of scientists of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US.
It locates a phone from a distance of
about 40 cm and fires a targeted mag-
netic field to charge it—anytime you
come back to your place.
In just under five hours, at a distance
of 30 cm a prototype of the device can
charge an iPhone 4s battery from zero to
full, which is about twice as long as it
takes to charge it in a way we’re all used
to. What is more, it is of no importance
www.earthstarmag.com
company said, and includes sensors that
can detect a pulse, count steps and sug-
gest fitness goals.
The new iPhones, meanwhile, will
have 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays,
larger than its current four-inch screen.
Apple’s new phones—to be called
iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus—went on
sale on Sept. 19.
“We are launching the biggest
advancement in the history of iPhone,”
Mr. Cook said.Apple said it plans to sell
the larger 5.5-inch model starting at
$299 with a two-year carrier contract,
higher than the $199 price for its current
high-end iPhone 5S. The company said
the 4.7-inch iPhone will start at $199
with a contract. The company said the
new phones come with many hardware
improvements, including a sharper dis-
play, better battery life and improved
camera performance.
The company also unveiled a new
whether the mobile phone is in the pock-
et or on the table or even whether its
position is stationary or not.
“In our vision we wanted to have
people's phone charge the minute they
are sitting next to their desk: they go to
a meeting, they come back, the phone
starts charging again,” the MIT team
leader Dina Katabi told New Scientist.
MagMIMO uses the same technol-
ogy as cutting-edge Wi-Fi routers—
they can detect a gadget connecting to
them and boost the signal in its direc-
tion. But instead of radio waves it uses
magnetic fields, whose advantage is
that they do not have a heating effect on
human tissue.
When a phone disrupts the field
generated by an array of wire coils, the
charger senses it. The focus on the
phone is achieved by creating a
slightly different field with each
coil, and as magnetic fields tend
to reinforce each other, the sum-
marized field that reaches the
phone is maximized.
“MagMIMO consumes as
much power as existing solutions,
yet it can charge a phone remotely
without being removed from the
Earth Star Up Front
digital-payments service that will allow
consumers to make purchases using just
their phones or watches, marking the
company’s first big push into brick-and-
mortar payments.
—The Wall Street Journal
user’s pocket,” the team wrote in a
paper presented this September at the
International Conference on Mobile
Computing and Networking in Maui,
Hawaii.
Although it is not a first wireless
charger to hit the market, MagMIMO
stands out because there is no require-
ment of proximity to the device. It
looks like a slim plate you have to put
your phone onto. “With charging pads
you have to remember to take your
phone out of your pocket and place it
on the pad, positioned in exactly the
right way,” said Katabi.
But it’s only the beginning.
Wireless power transfer can be used in
electric car charges or medical
implants. It is also a huge breakthrough
for the industry of smaller gadgets,
such as smart watches and headsets.
Technology analyst Ross Rubin at
Reticle Research in New York City
commented on the new device: “The
dream is that we'd never have to worry
about charging our gadgets again.
Wireless power would be like Wi-Fi, in
just about every home and many public
places too.” —RT.com
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 5
 Looking for Customers?
EARTH STAR
The Leading Magazine for Holistic Living
in New England

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Volume XXXVI No. 220 — October / November 2014

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6 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 www.earthstarmag.com


A m a z o n Makes Play For Online Gr ocer y Mar ket
he bright green
T trucks
become familiar
sights in Seattle, San
have
Francisco and Los Angeles,
they have just appeared in
San Diego, and may even-
tually trundle around the
world, transforming gro-
cery shopping.
At first sight the
expansion of Amazon’s
grocery service,
AmazonFresh, through
California signals an auda-
cious gamble to seize a
share of the US’s $1tn
(£600bn) food market and
turn the online retailer into
an even bigger behemoth.
Amazon revenues are
set to breach the $100bn
barrier for the first time this
year but that hardly satis-
fies the Seattle-based com-
pany’s founder, Jeff Bezos.
D EVICE D ETECTS T EXT, P HONE A ND D ATA S IGNALS F ROM P HONES
exting while driving can be
T
outlawed.
incredibly dangerous and in
most countries it is completely
That doesn’t stop some thoughtless
motorists from trying to compose a
message while flying along a motor-
way, though, increasing the chance of a
fatal accident.
But now one company claims to
have developed a ‘texting gun’ that can
recognise the frequency of a text mes-
sage, allowing police to fine people for
www.earthstarmag.com
doing it.
In the UK it is illegal to use your
phone at all when driving, while the law
varies in the US from state to state—
most allow phone calls but no texting.
Drivers caught using a phone in the
UK can be charged up to £1,000
($1,640) and also lose their license -
although hands-free kits and sat navs
are allowed.
These inconsistencies can make it
difficult for police to work out if a person
is being distracted by their phone or not.
This led to Virginia-based
ComSonics to design a gun that can
detect frequencies.
The device, called the Sniffer
Sleuth II, is currently in production
although no release date or price has
been announced yet.
According to the Virginian-Pilot, it
can discern the different frequencies
from a text message, phone call and
data transfer.
It apparently uses similar technology
used by cable repairmen to find where
Earth Star Up Front
He reportedly hopes the
move into groceries will
help him catch up with
Walmart, which has sales
of $475bn. For Bezos, food
is another sector to be con-
quered in a quest for retail
domination that has hit
several bumps recently,
including a fight with the
Hachette Book Group over
e-book pricing which is
turning into a PR fiasco.
But Bezos is undeterred.
“We’l continue our
methodical approach—
measuring and refining
AmazonFresh—with the
goal of bringing this
incredible service to more
cities over time,” he told
shareholders earlier this
year. —The Guardian, UK
a cable is damaged, who look for trans-
mission ‘leaks’.
For states like Virginia where talk-
ing on the phone while driving is legal
but texting is not, this could be espe-
cially useful.
In addition, the device can appar-
ently even work out which person in the
car is texting, so it will not alert police
to issue a fine if it spots frequencies
from a passenger.
The device has yet to be given leg-
islative approval amid some privacy
concerns, but Malcolm MacIntyre of
ComSonics told the Virginian-Pilot it
was ‘close to production.’
When reached for further comment
on these privacy concerns and also how
accurate the device is in discerning sig-
nals, ComSonics was yet to respond.
—Daily Mail, UK
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 7
Earth Star Up Front
World’s First 3D Printed Car
he world’s first drivable 3D

T printed car was finished and

driven off of the showroom
floor at the International Manufacturing
Technology Show in Chicago this past
September. The vehicle, produced by
Local Motors, is called the Strati.
A team of engineers assembled the
parts to make the car roadworthy from
pieces printed out. The entire process
took 44 hours, start to finish, and was
done in front of a live crowd.
The body, seats, and major compo-
nents were 3D printed in a process
called direct digital manufacturing
(DDM) but not every part of the car was
made this way. Propulsion is still from a
traditional motor, in this case an electric
motor from a Renault Twizy. Other
mechanical bits including wires, sus-
pension, and the battery were also not
3D printed. That said, the Strati uses far
less parts than a conventional car--about
40 compared to the tens of thousands on
a production vehicle.
The idea behind the creation of this
unique 3D vehicle is to show the viability
of this kind of technology and to prove
that it has a place in the automotive
industry. Although this first vehicle isn’t
for sale, they plan to be 3D printing cars
for the public sometime in the next few
months.
This particular design was the work
of Michele Anoé of Italy who won a
design contest over 206 other entrants.
He not only got to have his design pro-
duced, but won $5,000. Let’s hope they
let him drive his creation, too.
—Yahoo! Autos

NASA Nears Choice on Private Space Taxis for Astronauts

he world could Commercial Crew Transportation

T know by the
end of the
week which private
Capability contract, or CCtCap, the last
in a series of awards and agreements
NASA began putting in place in 2010
spaceship is going to to encourage the development of pri-
fly NASA astronauts vate space taxis for American astro-
to and from the nauts.
International Space While one winner is widely
Station. expected, it’s possible that NASA will
The space agency is tap multiple companies, agency offi-
about to give out its cials said —Space.com

8 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 www.earthstarmag.com


Coconuts Provide One Of The Highest Sources of Electrolytes Known
he first documented use of
T coconut water dates back just a
few centuries, however it's safe
to assume humans have been enjoying
this supreme hydrator as long as we've
been around coconut palms. Here’s why
young coconut water has one of the
highest sources of electrolytes known to
humans.
The coconut may be one of the
greatest nutritional gifts of this planet.
Super low in calories, naturally fat-free
and having more potassium than four
bananas, coconut water is one of the
best electrolyte hydrators in the world.
It's Mother Nature’s sports drink and it
is just as effective (or more effective)
than any carbo-electrolyte drink on the
market.
Coconut water has fewer calories,
less sodium, and more potassium than
any sports drink. Ounce per ounce, most
unflavored coconut water contains 5.45
calories, 1.3 grams sugar, 61 milligrams
(mg) of potassium, and 5.45 mg of sodi-
um compared to Gatorade, which has
6.25 calories.
The coconut is a natural water filter
that takes almost nine months to filter
each liter of water. The water travels
through many fibers being purified
where it is stored away STERILE in the
nut itself. Coconut water is identical to
human blood plasma which makes it the
universal donor. Plasma makes up 55%
of human blood. By drinking coconuts
we give ourselves a instant blood trans-
fusion. Many peoples lives have been
saved in third world countries by the
coconut IV.
It’s a natural isotonic beverage,
with the same level of electrolytic bal-
CALIFORNIA TO BAN PLASTIC BAGS
he California Senate recently
T voted 22-15 to pass a statewide
ban on single-use plastic bags.
www.earthstarmag.com
ance as we have in our
blood. It's the fluid of life,
so to speak. In fact, dur-
ing the Pacific War of
1941-45, both sides in the
conflict regularly used
coconut water—siphoned
directly from the nut—to
give emergency plasma
trasfusions to wounded
soldiers. There is some
unfounded opposition by
Doctors who claim that a
coconut IV would cause
elevated calcium and
potassium, however the
claims are unsubstantiated.
Most coconut water is still consumed
fresh in tropical coastal areas—once
exposed to air, the liquid rapidly loses
most of its organoleptic and nutritional
characteristics, and begins to ferment.
Research studies suggest that
cytokinins (e.g., kinetin and trans-
zeatin) in coconut water showed signifi-
cant anti-ageing, anti-carcinogenic, and
anti-thrombotic effects.
Cytokinins are phytohormones, or
plant hormones. These hormones regu-
late the growth, development, and aging
of a plant. Coconut water has been an
important horticultural resource, used in
the propagation of several plants,
including orchids and traditional
Chinese medicinal herbs. The
cytokinins found in coconut water sup-
port cell division, and thus promote
rapid growth.
Cytokinins have actually been
found to exert an anti-aging effect on
human cells and tissues. When human
cells are exposed to cytokinins, aging
The bill, SB 270, will phase out
single-use plastic bags in grocery stores
and pharmacies beginning July 2015,
and in convenience stores one year
later, and create a mandatory minimum
ten-cent fee for recycled paper,
reusable plastic and compostable bags.
The bill, which passed both houses
of the California State Legislature now
heads to the Governor’s desk. If signed,
California will become the first state in
Earth Star Up Front
slows down considerably. Cells treated
with cytokinins don’t undergo the nor-
mal degenerative changes, so they don’t
“act their age.” Researchers have sug-
gested that if you consume a diet rich in
cytokinins, you may experience anti-
aging effects and have less risk for
degenerative and age-related diseases.
And coconut water is the richest natural
dietary source of cytokinins.
Coconut water is composed of
many naturally occurring bioactive
enzymes such as acid phosphatase, cata-
lase, dehydrogenase, diastase, peroxi-
dase, RNA-polymerases etc. In effect,
these enzymes help in the digestion and
metabolism.
Pure coconut water was just as
effective as coconut water from concen-
trate and a carbohydrate-electrolyte
sport drink at rehydrating exercise-
trained men after a 60-minute bout of
dehydrating exercise, according to find-
ings published in the Journal of the
International Society of Sports
Nutrition. —PreventDisease.com
the U.S. to ban what advocates call “the
most ubiquitous consumer item on the
planet.”
Senators Alex Padilla, Kevin de
León and Ricardo Lara authored the
measure that will implement a ban
while promoting recycling and
California manufacturing, and provides
financial incentives to maintain and
retrain California employees in affected
industries.
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 9
Earth Star Up Front
BT Claims 1Gb Fibre Broadband Speed Boost
ritish Telecom is claiming to continue to test

B have made a "big breakthrough"

with fibre broadband, which
could see homes and businesses see
its potential.
BT
commercial
said

speeds rise to 1Gbps (gigabit per second). equipment could

A trial of so-called G-Fast technol-
ogy has managed download speeds of
800Mbps (megabits) and upload speeds
of 200Mbps.
The trial is significant because it
utilises existing technology.
BT has been criticised for its con-
tinued use of copper lines.
So-called Fibre to the Cabinet
(FTTC), which uses a combination of
fibre and copper lines, is BT's preferred
technology for broadband rollout.
It is significantly slower than Fibre
to the Premises technology (FTTP) but
is much cheaper to deploy.
FTTC also gets slower over dis-
tance because it relies on copper for the
last part of the connection.
It means homes that are further
away from BT’s green street cabinets
will have slower speeds.
BT claims that the new technology
can achieve good speeds over longer
lines of 66m (216ft), which it said
encompasses 80% of connections.
G-Fast technology has been tested
at BT’s research laboratory at Adastral
Park in Ipswich. It is due to open a new
ultrafast broadband lab where it will
be available from
manufacturers by
December 2015,
but the company
has made no
decisions about
rolling the tech-
nology out yet.
The new technology could also be
useful to businesses which currently rely
on dedicated lines that run on ethernet.
“We see G-Fast as a very promising
technology with significant potential,”
said Dr Tim Whitley, managing director
of research at BT.
“BT has a long history of pushing
the boundaries in telecommunications,
from the earliest days of the electric
telegraph to today’s global fibre net-
works, and it's crucial that we stay ahead
of the curve for the benefit of our cus-
tomers and shareholders.”
Rival Virgin Media is also experi-
menting with new ways to boost speed -
including a trial in a Cambridgeshire
village, using narrow-trenching.
The method means engineers can
lay the cable faster and the trial to 100
houses in the area achieved 1Gb speeds.
Ovum analyst Matthew Howett
thinks the technology could be benefi-
cial to both consumers and businesses.
“Given the huge costs involved in a
full fibre solution, and the challenging
economic environment, it’s important to
make the most of, and extend the life of
technologies already deployed—in the
most cost effective way,” he said.
The debate about how much speed
consumers and businesses need has
grown louder in recent months.
The Federation of Small Businesses
(FSB) recently said that the govern-
ment’s target to have superfast speeds of
at least 24Mbps in 90% of homes by
2017 lacked ambition and needed a
rethink.
It called for a minimum of
100Mbps by 2030.
—BBC Technology News

Mysterious Lake Appears In The Middle Of Tunisian Desert

ocals were astounded when a The groundwater would have then

L lake appeared recently in a

drought-stricken area. They've
since named the miraculous sight
“Gafsa Beach” for its location within a
region of the same name in southern
Tunisia.
The mysterious body of water,
which observers estimate covers an
area of about 2.6 acres and measures
more than 50 feet at its deepest points,
seems to have emerged right from the
Earth. While officials investigating how
the lake formed still do not know the
source of the water, the running theory
is that a tremor fractured a layer of rock
holding an underground reservoir,
according to French-language reports.
flowed through a crack in the rock and
filled the canyon over a period of time.
After the lake was discovered ear-
lier this month, Gafsa’s public safety
office warned visitors to avoid swim-
ming in the waters, since officials had
yet to confirm the safety of the
mysterious body of water. Some
speculated that the water could
be harmful to humans or, possi-
bly, carcinogenic since there is
phosphate mining in the region.
However, that has not
stopped locals from enjoying
their newfound beach.
—The Huffington Post

10 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 www.earthstarmag.com


Latest GMO Corn Strain Can Withstand a Chemical Weapon
gent Orange is back. Sort of. A
A byword for the horrors of the
Vietnam War, the chemical that
did untold damage to people on both
sides of the conflict is an herbicide—a
particularly voracious one. Sprayed over
jungle and farmland alike, the chemical
stripped away cover and killed off food
supplies.
More than forty years later, Dow
AgroScience received approval for the
commercial use of a new strain of genet-
ically engineered corn that’s designed to
withstand one of the key components in
Agent Orange, the chemical 2,4-D. The
strain was developed in response to the
rise of superweeds—plants such as
palmer amaranth that have naturally
developed resistance to the herbicide
glyphosate, which previous generations
of GMO corn were bred to withstand,
the idea being that the weeds die and the
crops survive.
Genetically engineered corn has
dominated the American market for
decades, and despite the fears of many
consumers, no reputable study has
linked the consumption of GMOs with
Ancient Boat And Stone Age Settlement Found
rchaeologists are currently
A
Denmark.
raising and examining what is
being called the cever found in
The ancient six to seven metre
long vessel is estimated to be 6,500
years old—in comparison, the oldest
Pyramid in Egypt is a mere 4,500 years
www.earthstarmag.com
Earth Star Up Front
any health risk to
humans.
same can’t be
said for 2,4-D.
The
The herbicide
has been linked
to development
problems in chil-
dren, reproduc-
tive issues, birth
defects, and vari-
ous forms of can-
cer. While it can’t
be held solely
responsible for
the ill wrought by
Agent Orange in Vietnam, the symbol- of more pounds of toxic herbicides
ism of spraying American fields with dumped onto our land; it’s an unaccept-
one component of a horrendous weapon able outcome,” said Andrew Kimbrell,
is difficult to move past. executive director of the Center for
According to USDA estimates, the Food Safety, in a statement.
new corn strain will result in a 200 to According to The New York Times,
600 percent rise in the use of the herbi- more than 240,000 people signed peti-
cide by 2050. Now, 46 million pounds tions submitted to the EPA calling on
are used in the United States annually, the agency to block approval for the new
according to the Environmental strain. —Take Part
Protection Agency.
“With this approval comes millions
old—and although it is damaged, sealing mass before – such as bits of
archaeologists are finding it very inter-
esting.
“It split 6,500 years ago and they
resin that children have chewed on and
made flexible.”
The historic find was made when
tried to fix the crack by putting a bark the energy company SEAS-NVE was
strip over it and drilling holes both replacing sea cables by Askø Island in
sides of it,”Jørgen Dencker, the head of the Smålandsfarvandet Sea north of
marine archaeology at the Viking Ship Lolland in the southern part of
Museum in Zealand.
Roskilde, In connection with the boat find,
told DR archaeologists also found an entire
Nyheder. submerged Stone Age settlement that
“That two- they are checking for more archaeolog-
millimetre ical gems.
wide strip The archaeologists hope to find
has been pre- more organic material—such as wood,
served.” bone or antlers—which could have
“The most been preserved under water.
exciting Meanwhile, the underwater settle-
thing is that ment can help map coastlines from
there is seal- thousands of years ago.
ing mass in — CPHpost.dk
the holes. We
have found
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 11
 OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 2014
he sun squares mighty Pluto
T on October 4th, a cosmic
augury to identify and change
behavior patterns or business
practices that no longer work
for you. Excessive pressures, from within or
without, may even force you to make some
radical changes. As passions mount, the wise
will avoid attempts at emotional manipulation.
Mercury stations Retrograde later on the 4th, at
02°09' Scorpio (till Oct 25), therefore plans or
arrangements of any importance should be
implemented prior to this period. However,
while Mercury is retrograde, you may safely
make revisions or otherwise go over previously
covered territory for errors. You might even
find something that you’d misplaced.
Also on the 4th, the enigmatic red planet,
Mars, trines Uranus, a highly energetic junc-
ture at which progressive career opportuni-
ties could appear out of the blue, so be on the
lookout for new doors to open. A good phys-
ical workout now will help to reduce stress.
Restlessness could inspire further radical
changes when the sun opposes Uranus on the
7th. Anticipate the unexpected around this
juncture. Back-up important computer files.
October’s full moon, which is also a total lunar
eclipse, culminates on the 8th, in 16° Aries,
and may herald the ending, or transformation,
of a professional partnership, while the poten-
tial for new, more productive associations is
seeded. Relationship issues could vie for time
you might rather devote to personal pursuits.
Give others plenty of space!
An easy-going trine aspect involving Mars
and expansive Jupiter sends positive and
uplifting vibrations through the ethers later
12 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014
on the 8th that may be harnessed for practical
and constructive purposes.
Mercury, now retrograde, reenters Libra on
October 10th (till Nov 8), when the study of
human behavior patterns—especially your
own—can provide useful relationship insights.
Consider both sides of a situation before mak-
ing decisions. Sales, PR, and communications
in general are supported by this transit.
Also on the 10th, the sun and Jupiter align in a
free flowing sextile, an aspect that favors
expanding one's outlook on life, and the pur-
suit of educational goals. Plan a long-distance
business trip, or vacation in search of spiritual
knowledge—a pilgrimage or quest, perhaps.
Spend time with friends, or participate in
uplifting group activities. Reflect on life.
Be considerate of partners, close associates
and friends when a potentially troublesome
opposition between Venus and Uranus occurs
on the 11th. Emotions are excitable and
volatile now. Forbidden fruit may seem
appealing. Be sure to tighten purse strings!
Social activities could be particularly stimu-
lating when Venus sextiles Jupiter on the
14th. Financial and educational activities are
strongly supported now, while philanthropic
or charitable activities can bring satisfaction.
When the sun and Mercury align in conjunc-
tion in 24° Libra on the 16th, you’'ll be more
inclined to want to express your thoughts and
views. Indeed, this is often a planetary transit
that coincides with important announce-
ments. Be on the lookout for business or edu-
cational opportunities, particularly if it’s
something that you might have missed out on
the first time around. Attend to backlogged
communications now.
Retrograding Mercury conjuncts Venus on
the 17th, in 23° Libra, an appropriate junc-
ture at which to renegotiate partnership
agreements or transactions. Redecorate your
work place to freshen things up. Get some
intellectual or cultural stimulation.
Harmony prevails between the sexes on the
19th, when Venus sextiles Mars. Love may
bloom for some. This transit is favorable for
most forms of creative self-expression.
However, spend wisely; resist an urge to
splurge.
Passions deepen when the sun enters Scorpio
on the 23rd (till Nov 22), while feelings and
emotions are experienced more intensely.
Use this period to regenerate and recharge.
Eliminate that which no longer serves a use-
ful purpose in your life, as a new phase of
growth and expansion begins shortly.
Venus joins the sun in sultry Scorpio on the
23rd (till Nov 16), when values and promises
will be tested, particularly regarding mutual
assets or agreements. Passions will rise,
while loyalty may be rewarded in some way.
Shrewd investments now could eventually
return handsome dividends.
October’s new moon later on the 23rd is also
a partial solar eclipse, in 01° Scorpio, inspir-
ing us to act and speak with power in the
weeks and months ahead, and to transform
that which is no longer working for us or is
not serving our highest good. As Scorpio is
the sign of regeneration, where this eclipse
falls in one’s horoscope can indicate the life
area that is ripe for release and rebirth.
Utilize the transformative potential inherent
in this potent lunation to help you replace
diminishing revenue sources, or overhaul
outworn financial practices and strategies.
/www.earthstarmag.com

When the sun conjuncts Venus, in 02° Scorpio,
on the 25th, the need for peace and harmony
becomes paramount. Social activities, the fine
arts, and public relations are favored. Show
appreciation for those you love.
After Mercury stations Direct later on
October 25th, at 16°46' Libra, formerly slug-
gish mental processes over the past three
weeks will gradually begin to accelerate and
become more dependable.
Mars enters Capricorn on the 26th for a six-
week sojourn. The red planet functions most
efficiently in Capricorn, conferring greater
self-control and discipline in physical activi-
ties. Constructive progress can be made
toward professional objectives during this
highly motivating transit. Plan career strategy.
When the sun trines Neptune on October
28th, focused visualization on a desired out-
come could bring rapid results, while cre-
ative artistry of all kinds can flourish, so give
your imagination free rein!
Move forward with PR or advertising plans
when Mercury sextiles Jupiter on November
1st. Be open to new ideas and philosophies
now. Plan or take a trip. Seek greater harmony
in close personal relationships, as Venus also
sextiles Pluto today. An intense but meaning-
ful relationship could begin for some. Also
today, Mars sextiles Neptune, when work with
creative visualization practices could be espe-
cially successful. Meditate on your life and
goals, and act on your intuition.
Remember to set your clocks back one hour
on Sunday, November 2nd, at 2:00am, when
Daylight Savings Time ends.
The sun sextiles Pluto on the 3rd, when
efforts geared toward self-improvement are
favored. An opportunity may arise to express
your unique creative abilities through busi-
ness or career activities, so be enterprising.
An earthy full moon in 15° Taurus occurs on
November 6th, which may bring finances
and personal values into sharp focus.
Discard expensive habits or deep-rooted,
self-sabotaging fears or phobias, particularly
where love and money are concerned.
Mercury slips into Scorpio on the 8th (till Nov
27), a celestial augury to keep all communica-
tions on the level, and avoid deception.
www.earthstarmag.com
A potentially explosive conjunction between
Mars and Pluto occurs on the 10th, in 12°
Capricorn. Do work requiring sustained
effort now. Avoid confrontations, attempts to
control others, or placing yourself in precar-
ious situations. Think before you act!
Venus conjuncts Saturn on the 12th, in 26°
Scorpio, conferring a sobering, restraining
influence to help counterbalance other high-
energy transits. Responsibilities may cut into
your social life now. It's possible that a new
business partnership could begin around this
time, or that a relationship that has served or
outlived its purpose may now end.
A highly volatile square between Mars and
Uranus becomes precise later on the 12th,
when irritability or excessive agitation could
lead to accidents, or heated arguments.
Exercise caution while driving, and avoid
acting on impulse... take the time to consid-
er the consequences of your actions.
An element of impetuosity pervades the ethers
when the sun squares giant Jupiter on the 13th.
Curb impulsive behavior, or squandering pre-
cious resources; act only after careful deliber-
ation, as you may be inspired to tackle projects
that you normally wouldn't consider, or prom-
ise more than you can actually deliver.
After five months in retrograde, Neptune,
planet of mystery and imagination turns
Direct on November 15th, in 5° Pisces.
Neptune’s directional shifts often coincide
with strange or unexpected events, peculiar
behavior, and anomalous weather or geo-
physical activities for several days either
side of its station. Don’t believe all that you
see or hear around this period.
There are forceful, dynamic energies at work
as Mercury sextiles Pluto on the 16th, which
can give one’s willpower a huge boost.
Therefore, this would be an appropriate
juncture at which to begin a new physical
exercise regimen or diet. Improve efficiency
wherever possible, eliminate waste.
Venus moves into Sagittarius later on the
16th (till Dec 10), ushering in a four-week
period in which to be more sociable and out-
going. Outdoor activities can be most enjoy-
able now, while a yen for travel could prove
rewarding. Just take care not to overextend
your resources.
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014
Down To Earth Astrology
A sobering conjunction between the sun and
Saturn perfects on November 18th, in 26°
Scorpio, when a career or educational oppor-
tunity could appear. Seek vocational guid-
ance, if necessary.
When the sun enters Sagittarius on the 23rd
(till Nov 22nd), review your values and ideals...
are they “up to speed” with today’s rapidly
changing world? Give some serious thought to
your dreams and visions for the future.
November’s new moon arrives later on the
22nd, in 01° Sagittarius, heralding a time to
review or upgrade educational objectives,
and expand your occupational horizons.
Acknowledge and release any deep-rooted
fears of failure that may have been holding
you back from realizing your full potential
and move forward with renewed confidence.
Also on the 22nd there may be too much
information coming your way, when
Mercury squares Jupiter. Do your best to
keep on top of details. Remain skeptical of
proposals or offers now, make sure you have
all the facts.
Speak with confidence when Mercury con-
juncts serious Saturn on the 25th. Important
career decisions can be made, or profession-
al advice sought. Update valuable databases
now.
Keep a firm grip on reality when the sun
squares Neptune on the 26th, as escapist ten-
dencies can, quite literally, lead the unwary
astray. Stay on track, know where you're
going. Spend some quiet time alone.
Steady progress can be made in business,
commerce, and legal affairs, following
Mercury’s arrival in Sagittarius on the 27th
(till Dec 16). Get plenty of mental and phys-
ical exercise during this intellectually stimu-
lating transit.
Mercury squares Neptune late on the 30th,
so it might be wise not to commit to anything
just now without checking all the facts and
details, as confusion is likely. Guided
imagery techniques can help you to focus.
Following is a general overview of how the
planetary trends for October/ November
2014 apply to each sun sign. If you know
your rising sign (Ascendant), read that, too,
for additional insights.
EARTH STAR 13
Down To Earth Astrology
Aries (March 20—April 19)
You’re keen to broaden your horizons in bold
and innovative ways, and in order to be
successful in your quest you realize that you need the help
and support of others who may be in a position to open doors
for you. Indeed, significant others in your life may have
important roles to play in facilitating your progress towards
a key objective, so pay attention to their advice or feedback,
and be sure to show your appreciation. This would be an
appropriate time to release any emotional baggage or residue
from the past that might impede your growth and progress.
Ensure that you and a partner or ally are on the same page in
regard to financial matters, to avoid any misunderstandings
down the road. With your professional affairs poised for
advancement this fall, there could also be a substantial
increase in your income or resources available to you.
Taurus (April 19—May 20)
A new job or work assignment could bring a
welcome financial boost, or at least some
valuable recognition for your recent efforts or
services. Review your health and dietary regimen now, to
ensure that you’re deriving adequate nutrition from your
meals, in order to sustain your energy levels throughout
the day. You could also benefit from more physical exer-
cise, particularly as you may be much busier in the com-
ing weeks, and possibly traveling more, so will want to be
in good physical condition. New horizons may beckon in
November, when a personal goal or professional objective
might now seem more attainable, and you're keen to put
forth the effort necessary to make it a reality.
Gemini (May 20—June 21)
Your creativity and novel notions could open
new doors for you now, and life may seem
altogether more enjoyable. A personal
objective could finally be within reach and you’re keen
to see it become a reality. Make the most of
opportunities that come your way now, as lady luck, and
indeed, destiny, may conspire to grant your fondest
wish. While your ruling planet, Mercury, is retrograde
(Oct 4 - 25) stay on top of details and data to keep your
projects humming along smoothly, and take nothing for
granted during this period. Likewise, if you have
colleagues or collaborators, do your best to make sure
that they don’t drop the ball now in any way either, lest
any repercussions come back at you. You may shortly
have access to greater resources that would expedite
progress toward an objective.
Cancer (June 21—July22)
Positive developments in a domestic
situation could make you feel more hopeful
14 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014
and optimistic about the future. Some long overdue
good fortune could come your way, which allows you
to make your home more comfortable. A little nest
feathering, remodeling, or even a move to a larger
home may be possible during this forecast period.
Your work or career prospects also show signs of
improvement, and it may be possible to make progress
towards a worldly objective. Your creativity could be
truly inspired now, and you're keen to apply it to a
project dear to your heart. Pay more attention to your
health and dietary habits, and make improvements
wherever possible.
Leo (July 22—August 23)
You’re highly energized, raring to go, and
full of bright ideas for a number of creative
projects upon which you might expend this energy. If
you’re not already fully embroiled in an innovative
enterprise, pick one of your novel notions, perhaps
the one closest to your heart, and, after careful
planning, prepare to get it underway. However, wait
until Mercury finishes its retrograde phase (Oct 4 -
25) and resumes direct motion before you launch, so
that you don’t go off half cocked or overlook some
minor but important detail. Domestic needs may also
make demands on your time and energy during this
forecast period, when a little nest feathering might
be in order, perhaps in preparation for the upcoming
Holiday season.
Virgo (August 23—September 23)
Pay close attention to information that
comes your way now as there may be an
opportunity to generate more income.
Someone in your inner circle could also be
instrumental in alerting you to such a possibility.
Reconnect with former colleagues or close associates
while your ruling planet, Mercury, is in retrograde
(Oct 4 - 25) as they, too, may have some valuable
news to impart. Consider your plans for the future,
seek creative ways in which you might move a
flagging project or situation forward. Stay on top of
important data and files. Find ways to become more
organized, so that important information is readily
accessible. A partner or close associate could be
helpful to you in this regard.
Libra (September 23—October 23)
Your mind is in overdrive these days, with
ideas and novel notions flowing fast and
freely, and there may be more than one creative
project in the works. You’re also feeling more
comfortable with the way your life is going at present,
www.earthstarmag.com

as you see greater, more expansive possibilities for the
future. While Mercury is in retrograde (Oct 4 - 25)
recheck your plans and work for any errors or
inconsistencies. It’s easy to overlook important details
when you're enthusiastically moving forward apace.
It’s possible that you may be able to take at least one
of your ideas to the bank before this forecast period is
over. Consider starting a savings account to help fund
future projects.
Scorpio (October 23—November 22)
Much of what you’re involved in at the
moment may be behind the scenes, so little
credit for your efforts may be forthcoming. However,
that situation will shortly change, as evidence of the
progress you’ve made becomes apparent, as kudos, and
perhaps some good fortune, comes your way. While
generating income is certainly important to you now, it’s
more a principle, or perhaps a quest that inspires your
actions. From these activities can spring a new sense of
purpose, and as if by magic, an entirely new career path
could open up before you, which in turn fuels the fires
of ambition deep within you. When money does begin
to flow, as it surely will, use it wisely, keeping your
future plans in mind.
Sagittarius (November 21—December 21)
You have some bold new plans in mind that
may have a direct bearing on your future
goals, and are keen to act on them once you are sure that
sufficient funds are in place. However, while Mercury is
in retrograde (Oct 4 - 25) review those plans for any
errors or inconsistencies you may have overlooked in
your haste to strike while the proverbial iron is hot.
Measure your progress carefully, to ensure that you stay
within your budget. You are innately blessed with great
foresight and vision, so use it now and keep the big
picture clearly in focus. Do whatever due diligence may
be necessary to keep you on track, and to avoid any
mishaps along the way.
Capricorn (December 21—January 19)
In many ways you feel on top of the world
right now, though you may wish that swifter
progress could be made with some important plans
you have for the future. You may have dreams of
traveling to a far off locale, and indeed some may
have done so in recent weeks. Take some time while
Mercury is in retrograde (Oct 4 - 25) to review your
worldly ambitions, and your strategy for attaining
them. Come November, there will be no holding you
back from pursuing a personal objective with all the
verve and vigor you can muster. Even so, refrain from
www.earthstarmag.com
Down To Earth Astrology
throwing caution to the wind, as measured progress,
rather than haste, will win the day.
Aquarius (January 19—February 18)
Your full of bright ideas for finding
solutions to old problems which, in turn,
can help to make your life flow more smoothly. There
are plans for the future that you’re keen to pursue, but
it has been necessary to focus on matters that would
only be distractions were you not to deal with them as
they arise. Besides, you may also score points with a
partner or family member for in some way saving the
day. Never one to let the moss grow under your feet
you may be contemplating another change in your
career path, one in which your previous experience or
connections could serve you well. Don’t by shy about
blowing your own trumpet, as you never know who
might enjoy the tune.
Pisces (February 18—March 20)
A time of transformation and purification
is at hand, in which you can eliminate
elements from your past that have been impeding
your worldly progress. A little soul searching
wouldn’t go amiss. While you’re keen to make
progress on a bold new career path, it would be
prudent to remove any potential obstacles before you
proceed. You may be inspired to add another string to
your bow, and return to school or enroll in a study
program. It would certainly be to your advantage to
learn a new skill, or to obtain certification in a new
area of interest. Travel, too, could prove rewarding,
so be open to opportunities that may come your way.
Tim Gunns is an astrological consultant,
conference coordinator and producer,
and formerly program director of the
Los Angeles Conscious Life Expo, and
the national Whole Life Expos.
Tim prepares personalized no-nonsense inter-
pretations of Natal Horoscopes ($40), Future Forecast Transit
Reports ($75 for 1 full year), and Relationship Compatibility
Reports ($45). Shipping is free. Send: Name (as you'd like it to
appear on the chart), Date of Birth, Time (as close as possible),
Place of Birth (city/country, etc.) for each person, and your return
address, phone# and check to: Tim Gunns, c/o 110 Hilltop Drive,
Waynesville NC 28786. 828-452-7885. Consultations by
phone may also be scheduled. Payment can be made via Paypal
to tgearthstar@aol.com http://www.earthstarmag.com
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 15
The following is an excerpt from Daniel Goleman’s new book with Peter Senge,
The Triple Focus: A New Approach to Education.

Empa th y
and Academic Success

By Daniel Goleman and Peter Senge

The key to compassion is being predisposed to help — and that can be learned.

here is an active school movement in Those two are very important of course; they’re key

T character education and teaching ethics.

But I don’t think it’s enough to have chil-
dren just learn about ethical virtuosity,
because we need to embody our ethical
beliefs by acting on them. This begins with empathy.
There are three main kinds of empathy, each involv-
ing distinct sets of brain circuits. The first is cognitive
empathy: understanding how other people see the world
and how they think about it, and understanding their per-
spectives and mental models. This lets us put what we
have to say in ways the other person will best under-
stand.
The second is emotional empathy, a brain-to-brain
linkage that gives us an instant inner sense of how the
other person feels—sensing their emotions from
moment to moment. This allows “chemistry” in our con-
nections with people.
to getting along with other people, but they’re not nec-
essarily sufficient for caring. The third is called, techni-
cally, empathic concern—which naturally leads to
empathic action.Unlike the other two kinds of empathy,
this variety is based in the ancient mammalian circuitry for
caring and for parenting, and it nurtures those qualities.
That last type of empathy offers the foundation for
what’s been called a “caring classroom,” where the
teacher embodies and models kindness and concern for
her students, and encourages the same attitude among
the students. Such a classroom culture provides the best
atmosphere for learning, both cognitively and emotionally.
Learning in general happens best in a warm, sup-
portive atmosphere, in which there exists a feeling of
safety, of being supported and cared about, of closeness
and connection. In such a space children’s brains more
readily reach the state of optimal cognitive efficiency—

16 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014

and of caring about others.
Such an atmosphere has particular importance for
those children at most risk of going off track in their
lives because of early experiences of deprivation, abuse,
or neglect. Studies of such high-risk kids who have
ended up thriving in their lives—who are resilient—find
that usually the one person who turned their life around
was a caring adult.
If you ask them what made the difference, very often
they’ll tell you it was that teacher who really saw them,
who really understood them, who really cared about
them and saw their potential. Such caring and genuine
concern is important not just in the classroom but also
throughout the school.
Administrators need to care about teachers so that
the teachers feel they have a secure base. When you have
a secure base, your mind operates at its best. You can
function optimally. You can take smart risks. You can
innovate and be creative, feel enthused, motivated, and
tune in to other people. Compassion comes more easily.
in such a program might lead students through is all the
ways other kids are “just like me.” The children would
be instructed to consider their common hurts and hopes,
their fears and anger, their kindness, and their need to be
loved. Such a widened view of how others feel and see
the world acts as an antidote to a one-dimensional view
of other children that can lead to negative stereotyping
or bullying.
One appeal: these are empirically tested methods,
and so this program in cultivating compassion should be
state of the art. Helping children cultivate their capacity
for caring and concern—for empathic action—will likely
be the next major step for SEL.

The more upset we are, the more self-focused we Excerpted from The Triple Focus: A New Approach to
become. We tune out the people around us, tune out the Education. Copyright 2014 Daniel Goleman and Peter Senge.
systems around us, and we just think about ourselves. Reprinted with permission from More Than Sound.
Being able to manage your inner life lets you tune in to
others with genuine care, and function at your best. It’s
true for teachers, for parents, for administrators, and for
kids.
Several research centers have been piloting pro-
grams that cultivate an attitude of kindness and concern,
Stanford and Emory Universities among them. The
Mind and Life Institute has created a network of educa-
tors and researchers (from these and other institutions)
to distill the active ingredients from this research and
adapt it into a curriculum for younger students. They
plan to start with the first or second grade, and then roll
out developmentally appropriate versions for each suc-
cessive grade level.
For instance, one of the guided reflections a teacher

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 17

Fall Reading
Adventures of the Soul
Journeys Through The Physical and
Spiritual Dimensions
By James Van Praagh
Adventures of the Soul is a manual for anyone
who has ever questioned where they come
from, why they are here, and where they go
after they die. Sharing his intuitive experiences
of communicating with the Spirit World for the
past 30 years, internationally renowned medium
James Van Praagh takes you on a spiritual
sojourn to discover the unique design of your
very own soul and explore its various adven-
tures as it travels between worlds. You’ll learn to open up your mind to
your soul’s unbounded wisdom and gain a bigger perspective of life and
a better grasp of your significant part in it. This book will further assist you
in understanding and recognizing various soul lessons you came back to
Earth to learn, such as sorrow, forgiveness, grief, love, and joy. By utilizing
this knowledge, you will come to identify your soul’s intricacies and start
to live a life that truly fulfills your sou’s destiny: following the path to love.
Hay House. Hardcover, $19.95.
The Angels and Gemstone
Guardians Cards
By Margaret Ann Lembo
Gemstones are powerful tools, which guide you
toward personal understanding. The colors and
shapes of the stones bring you messages to moti-
vate and heal you in many ways. This deck of 44
oracle cards by Margaret Ann Lembo familiarizes
you with 44 gemstones. Using this card deck will
enable the gemstones and angels to bring you
messages to increase your awareness. The gem-
stone and its associated message on the front of
the card give you a reading. The angel associated with the gemstone on
the other side of the card provides you with a positive affirmation to help
you transform your reality.
Findhorn Press. Boxed Set, $16.95.
The Dance of Reality
A Psychomagical Autobiography
By Alejandro Jodorowsky
Retracing the spiritual and mystical path he has
followed since childhood, Alejandro Jodorowsky
re-creates the incredible adventure of his life as
an artist, filmmaker, writer, and therapist. It reveals
the development of Jodorowsky’s realization that
all problems are rooted in the family tree and
explains, through vivid examples from his own life
how the individual’s road to true fulfillment means
casting off the phantoms projected by parents on
their children. Offering a glimpse into the mind
and life of one of the most creative and enigmatic visionaries of our time,
The Dance of Reality is the book upon which Jodorowsky’s critically
acclaimed 2013 Cannes Film Festival film of the same name was based.
Park Street Press. Paperback, $24.95.
18 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014
Bulletproof Spirit
The First Responder’s Essential Resource
for Protecting and Healing
Mind and Heart
By Captain Dan Willis
Suicide, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD), substance abuse, and many more
emotional and stress-related problems plague the
first-responder community. Hundreds of thousands
of these brave public servants have unwittingly
become victims of the professions they once loved.
However, the suffering that results from a professional life of sacrifice and
service can be prevented and mitigated. As a law-enforcement veteran,
police captain Dan Willis has witnessed the damage of emotional trauma
and has made it his personal mission to safeguard and enhance the well-
ness and wholeness of police officers, firefighters, EMTs, emergency-
room personnel, and soldiers. Bulletproof Spirit offers field-tested expert-
ise designed to be used by all first responders—and their families—to heal
themselves and continue serving with compassion and strength.
New World Library. Paperback, $16.95.
At Ganapati’s Feet
Daily Life with the Elephant-Headed Deity
By David Dillard-Wright
David Dillard-Wright delivers a direct path to
spiritual illumination through a series of apho-
risms gained through meditation on beloved
Ganesha, the elephant-headed Remover of
Obstacles. Readers will learn how to cultivate
Self-Realization, create positive work spaces, and
avoid the pitfalls of the religious life. Practical
guides to daily sadhana are included, along with
vignettes from the author's life.
Mantra Books. Paperback, $14.95.
The Akashic Records
Sacred Exploration of Your Sou’s
Journey Within the Wisdom of the
Collective Consciousness
By Ernesto Ortiz
The Akashic Records is the culmination of
nearly two decades of immersion by
Ernesto, personally and professionally, into
the Akashic Records for individual healing,
growth, and self-realization. This book pro-
vides a thorough map of the energetic terri-
tory you will be exploring and the many ways
you can use the Akashic Records and the
guidance of the masters and teachers. This
definitive work provides all of the conceptual and practical informa-
tion you need to truly understand what the Akashic Records are and,
more importantly, to incorporate accessing your own Records into
your lifestyle—for a lifetime!
New Page Books. Paperback, $16.99.
www.earthstarmag.com

The Inner Camino
By Jill Brierley & Sara Hollwey
Are you looking to make real and lasting change
in your life? The Inner Camino offers a reliable
method to support such change effortlessly, even
when we feel imprisoned in situations that appear
intransigent or hopeless. With easy to follow
maps and a compass to re-orientate the reader in
the direction of their true purpose in life The Inner
Camino guides the reader on an inner pilgrimage.
This guidebook is practical, unsentimental and
packed with immediately applicable insights towards clearly identified
and easily accessible goals. The Inner Camino takes the reader on a
heroic journey of awakening within. It initiates an extraordinary expe-
dition, both deep into our own psychology, and to the heights of our
numinous potential, our mystical capacities. Between these two differ-
ing terrains, The Inner Camino follows the way-marks through our
most creative source of wisdom, our Intuitive Consciousness.
Findhorn Press. Paperback, $19.95.
I Am Here
Opening the Windows to Life and Beauty
By Georgi Y. Johnson
Stepping within the mysteries of perception, we
find three interwoven but separate powers of per-
ception: consciousness, awareness and empti-
ness. Through developing and refining these pow-
ers we have the opportunity to enter new ways of
living. Empowering, refining and exciting, this book
is perfect to all seekers who until now believed that
there was little to be found in the one that is seek-
ing. Through these fascinating methods, we find
we are able to be not just a human doing, not just
a human being, but truly a human living.
O-Books. Paperback, $19.95.
The Pleiadian House
of Initiation
A Journey through the Rooms
of the Wisdomkeepers
By Mary T. Beben
Foreword by Barbara Hand Clow
Inviting each of us to discover our spiritual
home in the higher realms, Mary Beben pro-
vides a visionary tour of the celestial mansion
of her family in the Pleiades, a home she inhab-
ited prior to this incarnation on Earth. She
explains how transitioning into materiality
causes each of us to forget our starry origins,
yet it is still possible to remember our Pleiadian
heritage and divine reasons for choosing to manifest on Earth. Beben
explains how her journey offers a prophetic glimpse into the future of
life on Earth as well as the key to opening the heart to the higher
realms of existence. She shows how ascension will not mean depart-
ing Earth but will place our Earthen reality in perspective and help
solve problems that seem insurmountable from this dimension.
Bear & Company. Paperback, $14.00.
www.earthstarmag.com
Fall Reading
Gemstone Healing
By Michael Gienger
Worn as jewelry, in cosmetics, as gemstone
water, placed under your pillow to work as
you sleep, used as part of your meditation or
in a massage, the gemstones promote
strength and wellbeing. Crystal healing
expert Michael Gienger explains how healing
stones can exert their beneficial and healthy
effects on the body, mind and soul. For
example: rock crystal acts as antipyretic,
malachite promotes detoxification, aquama-
rine helps to combat allergies, amber improves sleep and amethyst
promotes clear thinking.
Earthdancer Books. Paperback, $15.95.
\
Revolutionaries of the Soul:
Reflections on Magicians, Philosophers,
and Occultists
By Gary Lachman
Explorers of occult mysteries and the edges of
consciousness change the way we view not only
the nature of reality, but also our deepest sense
of self. Insightful author Gary Lachman presents
punchy, enlightening, and intriguing biographies
of some of the most influential esoteric luminaries
in recent history. His 16 subjects include Swedish
mystical scientist Emanuel Swedenborg; H. P.
Blavatsky, Russian cofounder of the Theosophical
Society; Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, who inspired the Waldorf
School of education; Swiss visionary C. G. Jung, founder of depth psy-
chology; notorious English ceremonial magician Aleister Crowley;
Russian esotericist P. D. Ouspensky, explicator of Gurdjieff’s early
works; and British psychic artist Dion Fortune, who was influential in
the modern revival of magical arts.
Quest Books. Paperback, $19.95.
Full Spectrum Intelligence
A Practical Course on
Behaving Wisely and Well
By Chris Thompson
A practical course in how to become
more intelligent, in the widest sense,
where intelligence is defined as “behav-
ing wisely and well”. It covers six main
forms of intelligence, from physical to
spiritual, as well as your “other senses”.
Full Spectrum Intelligence emphasizes the
relationship between the state of the
world today and the need for us to
become much more intelligent.
Changemakers Books. Paperbacl, $14.95.
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 19
 Unidentified: The UFO Phenomenon
How World Governments Have Conspired
to Conceal Humanity’s Biggest Secret
By Robert Salas
In 1969 the U.S. Air Force issued a statement that
read‚”No UFO reported, investigated and evaluated
by the Air Force was ever an indication of threat to
our national security.” This statement is patently false.
It has been proven untrue by the testimony of many
military officers and airmen and documentation of
incidents involving UFOs and nuclear weapons, tes-
timonies of which the U.S. Air Force was fully aware.
Unidentified details many of these testimonies, some
for the first time. As partial justification for its position, the Air Force cites a
University of Colorado study that was contracted and paid for by federal
funds. Unidentified reveals how this study was actually just another part of
the plan to cover up the reality of the UFO phenomenon.
New Page Books. Paperback, $15.99.
True North_
The Shocking Truth About "Yours, Mine
And Ours"
By Tom North
Tom North is one of the eight North children, who
together with the ten Beardsley children, became
the family which was featured in the 1968 film,
Yours, Mine and Ours starring Lucille Ball and Henry
Fonda, and again in the 2005 version starring Rene
Russo and Dennis Quaid. The book begins in the
1950s on Whidbey Island, Washington, where
Tom’s mother, Helen North, became a widow when
she was just 30 years old and pregnant with her
eighth child. Not long after, Helen North met and married Frank Beardsley,
a man with 10 children, and she moved her family to his house in Carmel,
California. The North children were adopted and their names were
changed to Beardsley. But, it wasn’t one big happy family as the movies
depicted. The North children went from a life filled with love and happi-
ness, to living a nightmare. All hope seemed lost as Tom realized that he
was caught in a prison and there was no way out. When he finally left
home, he traveled on a journey of self-discovery, survival and healing.
Years later, Tom miraculously led his family to counseling sessions where
shocking truths were revealed. He then came full circle as he reclaimed
his father’s name and was finally, True North.
True North Productions, LLC
Still, In One Peace
By Ronald William Cadimuus
Life is about more than surviving just in one
piece. Regardless of our circumstances, we can
be strong, hopeful and secure, discovering we
can live each moment, confront every struggle
and handle any adversity and find ourselves liv-
ing Still, in One Peace.
Circle books. Paperback, $16.95.
20 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014
The Rainbow Bridge
Bridge to Inner Peace and to World Peace
By Brent N. Hunter
The Rainbow Bridge: Bridge to Inner Peace and
to World Peace, recipient of the 2013 Bronze
Medal for World Peace, winner in the 2014 Los
Angeles Book Festival, and winner of a 2014
National Indie Excellence Award, illuminates the
common ground in the world’s major wisdom
traditions, also known as universal principles.
The sixty easy-to-use universal principles con-
tained in this book can be used to help guide us
to experiencing deep inner peace. They can
also be used in concrete ways to help create a
bridge to a peaceful harmonious world that works for all via a compre-
hensive Road Map to World Peace.
Spirit Rising Productions. Paperback, $12.95.
The Deathbed Sutra of the Buddha
or Siddhartha's Regrets
By George C. Adams, Jr.
What if, on the final night of his earthly existence,
the Buddha experienced a second Enlightenment,
leading him to radically revise his teachings about
the self, the world, and spiritual fulfillment? And
what if that final teaching, lost for over 2000 years,
was rediscovered? The Deathbed Sutra of the
Buddha purports to offer that final conversation,
part teaching and part confession, between the
Buddha and his trusted attendant, Ananda.
Sometimes touching, sometimes shocking, and
sure to spark controversy everywhere, The
Deathbed Sutra forces Buddhists and scholars of Buddhism to
seriously re-evaluate fundamental aspects of the tradition. This short
work will be a must read for anyone with a serious interest in the teachings
of the Buddha.
O-Books. Paperback, $14.95.
The Five Agreements Game
By Oliver Clerc, Mark Kucharz
and Brandt Morgan
The Five Agreements can transform your life by
replacing the thousands of self-limiting beliefs
that ruin your relationships with yourself, others
and life itself. In the book that comes with this
game, Olivier Clerc introduces the Toltec way
as an authentic “chivalry” of relationships,
allowing us to establish impeccable relation-
ships with both others and ourselves. Simply
playing this game will lead you to use the five
simple yet efficient agreements to fully accept yourself and others.
Thus you will acquire self-mastery in three major steps. The game
box contains an 80-page paperback, an 8-page game rules booklet,
a notepad for each player to write notes, 25 Relationship cards, 5
Agreement cards to be used as reminders, 25 Prize cards, and 25
bonus gift Agreement cards.
Findhorn Press. Boxed Set, $29.95.
www.earthstarmag.com
 Squaring Circles
By Carolyn Mathews
Free spirit Pandora is shaken by the sudden
death of her mother and her discovery of a
secret half-brother from across the Atlantic.
When her mother's grave is disturbed, she turns
detective and finds herself drawn into a world of
intrigue, centring round a devious couple's plot
to exploit a healing circle for their own ends. Her
partner Jay's collaboration with an attractive
singer and her own encounter with an old flame
add to the confusion. Will she succeed in her
quest to bring equilibrium to her life, and the
lives of those she loves, or will the decisions she and Jay make set
them up for more heartache?
Roundfire Books. Paperback, $16.95.
I Dreamed I Was Human
By Carolyn Gervais
From the time she was a little girl, author Carolyn
Gervais has been haunted with questions about
why she was here on Earth and why God created
humans. Now after more than thirty-five years of
study and research in metaphysical spirituality,
Carolyn has discovered her own view of spirituality
and its connection to the dream of life. In I
Dreamed I Was Human, she tackles thought-pro-
voking concepts that take us on an inner journey,
stretching our minds beyond the limitations of
belief and perception. The cumulative effect of
her lifelong search for truth led her to unraveling complex metaphysi-
cal concepts and enabled her to describe them in a way that can ben-
efit serious seekers. You can start your own spiritual journey to truth
today with I Dreamed I Was Human.
iUniverse. Paperback, $18.95.
The Getaway God
A Sandman Slim Novel
By Richard Kadrey
Sandman Slim must save himself—and the entire
world—from the wrath of some enraged and
vengeful ancient gods in this sixth high-octane
adventure in the New York Times bestselling
series. Being a half-human, half-angel nephilim
with a bad rep and a worse attitude, Stark aka
Sandman Slim has made a few enemies. None,
though, are as fearsome as the vindictive Angra
Om Ya—the old gods. But their imminent inva-
sion is only one of Stark’s problems right now.
LA is descending into chaos, and a new evil—the Wildfire Ripper—is
stalking the city. No ordinary killer, The Ripper takes Stark deep into
a conspiracy that stretches from Earth to Heaven and Hell. He’s also
the only person alive who may know how to keep the world from
going extinct. The trouble is, he’s also Stark’s worst enemy . . . the only
man in existence Stark would enjoy killing twice.
Harper voyager. Hardcover, $24.99.
www.earthstarmag.com
It Was a Dark and Creepy Night
Real-Life Encounters With the Strange,
Mysterious, and Downright Terrifying
By Joshua P. Warren
It Was a Dark and Creepy Night presents a wide
variety of weird and spooky tales about ghosts,
UFOs, cryptids, angels, demons, ESP, interdi-
mensional contact and more. Because each tale
is short, this eerie little tome is perfect for a sub-
way ride, a plane flight, or a night entertaining
guests An internationally respected investigator
of the unknown, Joshua adds his insight to these
strange experiences. Some tales are too odd to
easily categorize, but each one simple or complex transformed an
ordinary person’s life, revealing a facet of those uncanny phenomena
that still leave us wondering…what if?
New Page Books. Paperback, $15.99.
Greatest Kan and Li
Gathering the Cosmic Light
By Mantak Chia and Andrew Jan
After mastering the Inner Alchemy practices of
Lesser Kan and Li and Greater Kan and Li, the
advanced student is now ready for the refine-
ment of the soul and spirit made possible
through the practice of the Greatest Kan and Li.
With full-color illustrated instructions, Master
Mantak Chia and Andrew Jan explain how to
establish the cauldron at the Heart Center to col-
lect cosmic light, activate the Cranial and Sacral
Pumps, and align the Three Triangle Forces. They
detail how merging energy at the Heart Center then leads to the birth
of the immortal spirit body, uniting you with the Tao and allowing you
to draw limitless energy and power from the Cosmos.
Destiny Books. $18.95.
Hardwired to Heaven
Download Your Divinity Through Your
Heart and Create Your
Deepest Desires
by Joan Cerio
What kind of life do you desire? What do you
want to be, to achieve, to become? Your
thoughts create your reality. But what creates
the thoughts that create that reality? Not your
mind; not your brain; not your will. Your heart
is the key to all you wish to create, to all you
would be... And Hardwired to Heaven is the
key that unlocks not only the mysteries of the
heart, but its magic as well. Let this engaging,
informative and surprising journey into the
quantum physics, biology, and metaphysics of consciousness, creative
energy, and the heart, introduce you to the sacred coordinate within
your heart and show you how you can access its energy to truly live
your heart’s desire.
Findhorn Press. Paperback, $14.95.
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 21
The following is an excerpt from Adventures of the Soul by James Van Praagh. It is published by Hay House
(September 2014) and is available at bookstores and online at http://www.hayhouse.com
Adventures of the Soul
Consciousness, Energy and the
Power of Thought
By James Van Praagh
ust as Helen Keller surely struggled to define
J the things she couldn’t physically touch, so
do we humans struggle with the concept of
consciousness. A debate rages to this day
over whether consciousness is a product of
the brain or if the brain is merely a receiver for con-
sciousness that already exists. When a brain dies, does
that consciousness cease to exist? Or does its energy
continue on even after the brain is no longer function-
ing? One side of the debate wants proof and tests, while
the other side just accepts that energy doesn’t die.
Well, it’s no surprise what I (as a medium) believe,
since the consciousness is what I tap into long after the
brain is no longer alive. There’s no debate for me since
I can’t deny what I actually experience.
An easy analogy is a ham radio. It’s a complex
machine of wires, but it’s simply a box with no purpose
unless there are radio waves. After the ham radio ceases
to work (or “dies”), the radio waves are still there.
Everything that the ham radio has ever received or sent
out is still out there as energy.
22 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014
The Mystery of Consciousness
Let’s back up and try out a working definition:
Consciousness is the awareness of “being.” It’s the sense
of being a part of all there is. This sense of being
changes from moment to moment. Therefore, there are
many levels of consciousness. As you’re reading this
book, you’re conscious of the feel of the pages, of scan-
ning and absorbing the words, of the sounds and smells
in your environment, and perhaps of one or two random
thoughts passing through your mind. This is your con-
sciousness or awareness at this moment. It flows easily
from one moment to the next, and the awareness is obvi-
ously external or internal.
Throughout recorded history, humans have sought
to define consciousness, and of course, there are many
theories and beliefs as to what it actually is. I don’t hap-
pen to think that the reality of consciousness is a know-
able thing while we’re down here on Earth using our
physical brains. We certainly can get glimmers or pieces
of the puzzle, and it’s enthralling to share ideas and
www.earthstarmag.com
hypotheses, but after all is said and done, the concept is
not definable. It’s much too big for us humans to com-
prehend.
Raising Our Consciousness
That certainly doesn’t mean that tools to help us elevate
our consciousness don’t exist. One trick I use is drawing
a picture of a skyscraper and taping it on my bathroom
mirror. I then label the different floors with emotions
that I resonate with. For instance, my bottom floor is
marked Fear, and as the building rises, I have Guilt, Pity,
Acceptance, Service, Joy, Peace, and Love.
Every morning as I brush my teeth or shave, I assess
what my day might hold, and I find what floor I’m on.
And then I make a concerted effort to advance to the
next-highest floor. I try to live that day at that level. Let’s
say that I’ve just read a rude comment on my Facebook
page or YouTube channel. I might be feeling pity that
I’m misunderstood. I consciously decide to accept that I
am on this planet to serve, because that brings me joy. I
have already made myself feel better in the time it takes
me to brush my teeth.
I also use the image of my skyscraper when I medi-
tate. Much as people can sit in silence and lower their
blood pressure (as studies in meditation have shown), I
visualize my skyscraper and try to elevate my con-
sciousness.
As a start, see what levels your thoughts and behav-
iors seem to fall into. It is a rare person indeed who can
consistently remain in the upper levels, and you should
www.earthstarmag.com
never judge yourself against others. The goal is to raise
your own consciousness, not make it a competition.
Everyone’s levels will fluctuate according to what’s
going on in their lives. I also use this visualization to
help me better understand what drives people and why
they make specific choices.
Most important, what can we do to raise our con-
sciousness to a higher level? Remember that everything
around us can affect our level of consciousness: the
books we read, the music we listen to, the television
shows we watch, the company we keep, and what we do
in our spare time.
Try drawing a skyscraper of your own, and make the
emotions personal to you. Imagine what the world
would be like if every person, every morning, made a
conscious effort to push the “up” button of the elevator
of their skyscraper.
Energy Never Dies
When I first started doing spiritual work about 30 years
ago, I always discussed the concept of energy with my
clients. I would tell them that everything is energy, and
it’s always in constant motion: the molecules in dense
things move slowly; in lighter things they move faster.
When I used to broach the subject of energy decades
ago, people would look at me like I was speaking a for-
eign language. Nowadays, the subject of energy has
gone mainstream:
“I like you! You’ve got good energy!”
“The Realtor showed me a house with bad feng
shui.”
“Send me some positive energy during my inter-
view.”
“Your boyfriend has a creepy vibe.”
“The good energy you give out, you’ll get back.”
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 23

“You thought so, too? We must be on the same
wavelength!”
The theories about energy change as quickly as
technology. The professionals can’t keep up, much less
the average Joe. I’m certainly no scientist, so all I can
tell you is what I believe: energy never dies, but it can
change form. I also believe that quantum mechanics and
spirituality will eventually meet and that what we’ve all
been saying about “God is everywhere” will be validat-
ed. We’re just putting it in lay terms.
Modern science doesn’t yet have a way to reliably
detect this energy, but brilliant minds, like Amit
Goswami, Ph.D., are on the leading edge of the sci-
ence/consciousness confluence. Dr. Goswami has been
called the father of modern quantum theory and is a
leading figure in the scientific community who believes
in the existence of a spiritual dimension. If you haven’t
seen the documentary The Quantum Activist, I highly
recommend it. It is the story of Dr. Goswami’s journey
into the spiritual to explain the seemingly inexplicable
findings of quantum experiments.
I personally find that the trouble that science and
spirituality have in reaching common ground is one of
semantics. When one person says the word God, anoth-
er person may automatically tune out, thinking that it is
the Old Testament God. It would be great if we could
agree on a word that means the “energy of everything,”
a benevolent force that doesn’t have the connotations of
an overseer or a deity.
Dr. Goswami defines God as “consciousness in its
creative aspect.” That’s a lovely definition, but I’m still
waiting for the terms that science and the layperson can
bring to the table and make each other understood.
There are extremists on both sides rattling their swords,
and the rest of us in the middle continue to wonder what
all the fuss is about.

Quantum Energy: Science

Meets Spirituality Excerpted with permission from Adventures of the Soul, by
James Van Praagh. It is published by Hay House,
Quantum mechanics has fascinating things to say about http://www.hayhouse.com
energy: for example, that subatomic particles can be in
multiple places at the same time and don’t follow just
one path. And since everything we perceive as “real” is
made of atoms, the same laws would apply to what we
call the material world. The Divine Force, or God, actu-
ally exists, and it certainly isn’t a judgmental, old beard-
ed man sitting on a throne in the clouds. It’s a benign
energy that permeates everything and everyone.
Energy is a concept that’s been around since record-
ed time. Ancient civilizations such as the Egyptians used
it for healing; pick up any book about the pharaohs and
you’ll notice that they’re gripping cylinder-like objects.
These cylinders (one made of copper and the other of
zinc) were harmonizers of the two basic flows of human
energy, which they called Ba and Ka, which correspond
to the Yin and Yang of Eastern tradition. The Chinese
mapped specific energy meridians in the body to
strengthen and heal. We commonly know this as
acupuncture. Many native traditions and shamans recog-
nize the relationship between energy and the body in the
context of healing.

24 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 www.earthstarmag.com

 Vitamin B12 D EFICIENCY
AND B ONE H EALTH
By Dr. Joseph Mercola
tudies from the US Framingham trial show
S nearly two-fifths of the US population may
have suboptimal blood levels of vitamin
B12. And the criteria they use to make this
assessment is 6-700 pg/ml, so it may be the
majority of people who are vitamin B12 deficient.
This is important to be aware of, and correct if it
applies to you, as vitamin B12 is important for the for-
mation of red blood cells, the maintenance of your cen-
tral nervous system, and plays a role in the production of
DNA and RNA.
Vitamin B12 is also fittingly known as the energy
vitamin, and your body requires it for a number of vital
functions, including energy production. Much less is
known about its role in bone health, although it’s emerg-
ing as an important player.
Even though vitamin B12 is water-soluble, it doesn’t
exit your body quickly in your urine like other water-
soluble vitamins. Instead, B12 is stored in your liver,
kidneys, and other body tissues.
www.earthstarmag.com
As a result, a deficiency may not show itself until up to
seven years later, and by this time damage to your bones
may have already set in.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency May
Harm Your Bones
Research published in the New England Journal of
Medicine (NEJM) revealed that mice deficient in vitamin
B12 have growth retardation and fewer osteoblasts (cells
responsible for bone formation).
The researchers suggested that lack of vitamin B12
may interfere with growth signaling in the liver and its
“downstream effect” on the osteoblasts.
Recent research also suggests low vitamin B12 sta-
tus may increase the risk for bone fractures in older men.
This risk remained even after taking into account other
important factors such as smoking, vitamin D status, and
calcium intake. As reported by MedicineNet:
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 25

“Men in the group with the lowest B-12 levels were
about 70 percent more likely to have suffered a frac-
ture than others in the study. This increased risk was
primarily due to fractures in the lumbar spine, where
there was an up to 120 percent greater chance of frac-
tures.”
Older women with low levels of vitamin B12 (below
208 pg/ml) also experienced significantly more rapid
hip bone loss—a sign of osteoporosis—than women
with higher levels of B12 in a separate study.
Elevated homocysteine levels (an amino acid) and
low vitamin B12 have also been associated with deteri-
orated bone health, and this may be one avenue by
which B12 influences bone health (B vitamins are
known to suppress homocysteine). As explained by the
Linus Pauling Institute:
“High homocysteine levels may affect bone remod-
eling by increasing bone resorption (breakdown),
decreasing bone formation, and reducing bone blood
flow.
Another proposed mechanism involves the binding
of homocysteine to the collagenous matrix of bone,
which may modify collagen properties and reduce bone
strength.
Since vitamin B12 is a determinant of homocysteine
metabolism, it was suggested that the risk of osteoporot-
ic fractures in older subjects might be enhanced by vita-
min B12 deficiency.”
Indeed, a meta-analysis found that raising vitamin
B12 levels in older individuals lead to a reduction in
fracture risk.
Move Over Vitamin D and Calcium,
Are You Getting Enough Vitamin B12?
Vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, and vitamin K2 are
crucial for bone health, but also are among the most
common supplements taken by older adults for this very
26 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014
reason. Vitamin B12, on the other hand, is often over-
looked.
If you’re a vegan who does not eat animal products,
you are at high risk of deficiency, as B12 is readily
bioavailable in its natural form only in animal food
sources. This doesn’t necessarily have to be meat—
eggs and dairy are options also. Top foods to include are:
• Wild-caught Alaskan salmon
• Raw milk
• Pastured free-range eggs
If you do consume animal products, then consider
adding these foods that are even higher in vitamin B12:
• Grass-fed beef and beef liver
• Pastured organic free-range chicken
However, keep in mind that even if you do eat ani-
mal foods, a supplement can be beneficial if your body’s
ability to absorb the vitamin from food is compromised,
which is especially prevalent as you age.
When you get older, the lining of your stomach
gradually loses its ability to produce hydrochloric acid
(the stomach acid suppressed by proton pump
inhibitors), which releases vitamin B12 from your food.
If you’re over fifty, it’s safe to assume you are not
absorbing vitamin B12 at an optimal level.
However, just because you are over fifty, it doesn’t
mean you are deficient, it only means your risk increases.
If you are eating a healthy diet, you can easily maintain
healthy levels. The only way to know for sure is to get
your blood tested.
Normal ranges of B12 are 200-1,100 pg/ml. Even
though the lower level of normal is 200, if you are below
600, you might be suffering from B12 deficiency. There
is one problem with supplementation however, and it’s
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related to the poor absorbability of oral vitamin B12
supplements.
Vitamin B12 is the largest vitamin molecule known.
Because of its large size, it is not easily absorbed pas-
sively like most supplements. This is why many, if not
most, oral B12 supplements are grossly ineffective. The
only effective form of B12 supplementation is IM injec-
tions or sublingual administration.
That said, B12 supplements are exceptionally safe,
with virtually no known side effects. Just avoid oral B12
supplements, as they will not be readily absorbed.
Injections or a sublingual (under your tongue) spray
work far better, as they allow the large B12 molecule to
be absorbed directly into your bloodstream.

What Else Do You Risk by Not Getting

Enough Vitamin B12?
Your risk of fracture might increase, but that’s not all.
Some of the initial signs of B12 deficiency will often
include mood changes, such as lack of motivation or
feelings of apathy. Low levels can also lead to mental
fogginess, memory troubles, muscle weakness, and—
one of the hallmark signs—fatigue. Vitamin B12 also
plays a role in:
Vitamin B12’s role in brain health and mental health
is particularly significant. According to a small Finnish
study published in the journal Neurology, people who
consume foods rich in B12 may reduce their risk of
Alzheimer’s in their later years. For each unit increase in
the marker of vitamin B12 (holotranscobalamin), the
risk of developing Alzheimer’s was reduced by two per-
cent.

www.earthstarmag.com OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 27

 Meanwhile, B group vitamins may slow brain
shrinkage by as much as seven-fold in brain regions
specifically known to be most impacted by Alzheimer’s
disease. Among participants taking high doses of folic
acid and vitamins B6 and B12, blood levels of homo-
cysteine were lowered, as was the associated brain
shrinkage—by up to ninety percent.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can even cause a range of neu-
rological disturbances that mimic serious mental illness.
The Best ‘Recipe’ for Bone Health
One of the important strategies for healthy bones is to
eat the right kind of foods. A diet full of processed foods
will produce biochemical and metabolic conditions in
your body that will decrease your bone density, so
avoiding processed foods is definitely the first step in
the right direction. This goes far beyond calcium, which
is the first nutrient many people think of concerning
their bones. Your bones are actually composed of sever-
al different minerals, and if you focus on calcium alone,
you will likely weaken your bones and increase your
risk of osteoporosis, as Dr. Robert Thompson explains
in his book, The Calcium Lie.
Calcium, vitamins D and K2, and magnesium work
synergistically together to promote strong, healthy
bones, and your sodium to potassium ratio also plays an
important role in maintaining your bone mass (larger
amounts of potassium in relation to sodium is optimal
for your bone health and your overall health). Ideally,
you’d get all or most of these nutrients, including vita-
min B12, from your diet (with the exception of vitamin
D). This includes:
• Plant-derived calcium: Raw milk from pasture-raised
cows (who eat the plants), leafy green vegetables, the
pith of citrus fruits, carob, and sesame seeds
• Magnesium: Raw organic cacao and supplemental
magnesium threonate if need be
• Vitamin K2: Grass-fed organic animal products (i.e.
eggs, butter, and dairy), certain fermented foods such as
natto, or vegetables fermented using a starter culture of
vitamin K2-producing bacteria, and certain cheeses such
as Brie and Gouda
• Trace minerals: Himalayan Crystal Salt, which con-
tains all 84 elements found in your body, or other natu-
ral, unprocessed salt (NOT regular table salt!)
• Vitamin D: Ideally from appropriate sun exposure (or
28 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014
a safe tanning bed), as it’s virtually impossible to get
sufficient amounts from food. As a last resort, you could
use a supplement, but if you do, you may also need to
supplement with vitamin K2 to maintain ideal ratios
Remember to Exercise Regularly
and Use Strength Training
Although the focus of this article is on nutrition, the
other component you can’t ignore if you want strong,
healthy bones is weight-bearing exercises like strength
training. Bone building is a dynamic process, so you
want to make sure you exert enough force on your bones
to stimulate the osteoblasts to build new bone. Further,
bone is living tissue that requires regular physical activ-
ity in order to renew and rebuild itself, it is important to
make exercise a lifelong commitment. Peak bone mass
is achieved in adulthood and then begins a slow decline,
but exercise can help you to maintain healthy bone mass
as you get older, and should be viewed as a bone-build-
ing partner to your healthy diet.
Weight-bearing exercise is actually one of the most
effective remedies against osteoporosis, because as you
put more tension on your muscles it puts more pressure
on your bones, which then respond by continuously cre-
ating fresh, new bone. In addition, as you build more
muscle, and make the muscle that you already have
stronger, you also put more constant pressure on your
bones. A good weight-bearing exercise to incorporate
into your routine (depending on your current level of fit-
ness, of course) is a walking lunge, as it helps build bone
density in your hips, even without any additional
weights.
In addition, Acceleration Training, a.k.a. Whole
Body Vibrational Training (WBVT) using a Power
Plate, has also been shown to be a safe, natural way to
ward off osteoporosis, and it’s gentle enough even for
the disabled and elderly. Research shows vibrational
training may help to produce a significant increase in
bone density in postmenopausal women, making it
another valuable tool for bone health.
Dr. Mercola is the founder of the
world’s most visited natural
health web site,
http://www.Mercola.com. You
can learn the hazardous side
effects of OTC Remedies by get-
ting a FREE copy of his latest
special report The Dangers of
Over the Counter Remedies by
going to his Report Page.
www.earthstarmag.com
 D r e a m i n g with P o l a r B e a r s
Face to Face
By Dawn Baumann Brunke
fter the childhood dreams of flying with
A the white bear were forgotten, stored
away in the closet of my psyche, I no
longer dreamed of bears. Then, on the
eve of my fortieth birthday, I asked for a
dream that would show me the direction of this new
decade in my life. That night, an answer from the dream-
world:
I leave my house and turn left to walk down the street. It
is late at night and everyone is asleep, all the houses
dark and quiet. I feel a little thrill at being out alone. The
moon shines bright, and I can easily see where I am
going. Passing the last house on the corner, I stand at the
end of the street, at the far edge of the neighborhood.
Sensing a presence, I turn left. A black bear stands
upright at the edge of the forest, watching me. We remain
still, frozen in the moment, looking at each other. I am
alarmed, yet fascinated too. If he approaches, will I run?
If I stand my ground, will he leave? What does he want?
www.earthstarmag.com
I felt disappointment on waking. None of my ques-
tions were answered. Not knowing what would happen
with the bear was like leaving a good mystery just as the
secret is about to be revealed. Beyond the disappoint-
ment, however, I felt something unsettling.
I had asked for a dream but wasn’t truly happy with
what came. Let’s be honest. I wanted a big, fancy, red-
ribboned, ego-aggrandizing present of a dream for my
birthday. Instead, I got a black bear who stared at me. It
is a good reminder: if you’re going to ask questions of
your dreams, be sure you are willing to accept the
answers.
So, what do we do with a dream that makes us
uncomfortable? If we expect to develop a relationship
with our dreaming world, the answer is clear: we engage
it, pursue it, keep digging.
Although I knew this intellectually, I felt uneasy. On
the surface, the dream seemed small and uneventful. I
could summarize it in one sentence: I walk down the
street in the middle of the night, see a bear at the edge
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 29

of the forest, and we stare at each other. My impatience
with the dream—and ongoing desire to diminish it—
suggested it probably held much more than I wanted to
know.
What Does it Mean?
If you’re unsure what a dream may be telling you, con-
sider drawing it. This is an easy way to gain a different
perspective. Following this advice, I sketched our drive-
way and street and the path I followed to the end of the
block. At that time there was a forest at the end of the
neighborhood. I marked the bear’s presence at the edge
of the forest with an X and put another X where my
dream-self stood, at the edge of the houses. Then I
laughed. It was all so clear: our meeting occurred at the
border of our respective neighborhoods. The bear came
out of the forest, the dreamer came out of her house, and
there they met in the liminal no-bear-nor-woman’s land
in between. The dream revealed a meeting of two
worlds!
The only direction mentioned in the dream is left. A
turn to the left makes me think about the right and left
sides of the body, which are controlled by the opposite
sides of the brain. To be left-brained is to be rational,
logical, analytical; for most people this corresponds to
the right side of the body. To be right-brained is to use
intuition, instinct, and holistic views; this corresponds to
the left side of the body. A left turn of the body may indi-
cate a turn to one’s instincts, to intuition, to the uncon-
scious, or perhaps to the creative associations of the
dream world. When the dreamer turns to her left, she
faces the bear. And there he stands: Animal teacher?
Guardian of the forest? Dark-furred representative of the
wild nature of the psyche?
As a symbolic animal guide, Bear’s teaching is vast.
It can include introspection, discernment, healing, trans-
formation, solitude, wisdom, visionary dreams, the abil-
ity to mediate between living and dead, and awakening
the unconscious. How do we know which aspect of Bear
is appearing to us? How do we find the particular brand
30 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014
of medicine our dream animal is offering?
In this dream, the bear is alert and observant, watch-
ing the dreamer as she approaches. (A subtle reminder,
perhaps, that the Unconscious is already many steps
ahead of us.) The connection between bear and human is
old and deep. In some cultures bears were so revered
they were considered gods. Bears stand upright to gain a
better view of the surrounding terrain and what lies
ahead. In the dream, the bear’s posture may indicate a
look to the future, especially as it reflects the dreamer’s
invoked question: “What lies ahead for me?”
Although these are very basic overviews, even this
initial dip into the pool of symbolism can shift the gist
of a one-sentence dream from: I walk down the street,
see a bear at the edge of the forest, and we stare at each
other, to: At the entrance to my Unconscious, Bear the
Guardian stands and watches me. Or: Standing at the
edge of what is known, I face the unknown forest of the
psyche and glimpse the ancient power of Bear.
Sometimes just a peek below the surface of a dream
can change everything. It’s good to meet a black bear at
the entrance to your future, I decided. And yet some-
thing about the dream still niggled at me. When I closed
my eyes, I could see the bear standing upright, looking
my way. I was waiting to see what Bear would do, but
deeper contemplation offered another idea: perhaps
Bear was watching to see what I would do. And this
caused me to consider: What does Bear want with me?
Excerpted from Dreaming with Polar Bears: Spirit Journeys
with Animal Guides by Dawn Baumann Brunke © 2014 Bear
& Company. Printed with permission from the publisher,
Inner Traditions International.
http://www.InnerTraditions.com
Dawn Baumann Brunke is a writer and editor who specializes
in the areas of healing, dreaming, animal teachings, and
deepening our connection with all life. The author of
Shapeshifting with Our Animal Companions and Animal
Voices, Animal Guides, she lives with her husband, daughter,
and animal friends in Alaska.
www.earthstarmag.com
 What Can the
Akashic Recor ds
D o f o r Yo u ?
By Ernesto Ortiz
he Akashic Records can provide unlimit-
T ed guidance and are always available for
inspiration in your life. Indeed, they are
the guiding light that you have been look-
ing for. It is as if someone handed you a
magical crystal ball! If you simply look at it and trust it,
it will provide an unlimited view of what your future can
be like. It can guide you in making the right choices
from the many that are available to you at any given
moment. They function as a road map or GPS that can
guide you on a long journey, giving you all of the details
you need regarding where to turn, where to stop for food
or rest, where to get gas so you don’t run out of fuel—
basically everything else you need to arrive at your des-
tination safely.
Would this be of value to you? I am sure that your
answer is yes! Know, however, that it will not be easy all
the time. There will be issues that will surface from the
past, because we have all been programmed not to trust,
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and I assure you that these issues will come up as obsta-
cles to your progress. So just be prepared before you
start your journey.
As we move through this material, you will learn
invaluable information, the most important of which is
the Sacred Prayer that has been handed down to us from
the Mayan tradition. This Sacred Prayer is what opens
the portal of the Akashic Records. It creates the means
for accessing your own Book of Life and establishing
communication and a relationship with the Masters and
Teachers, the Lords of Akasha. Later, I will discuss how
I received the prayer, as well as other names given to the
Akashic Records.
After learning the Sacred Prayer, you will learn
Grace Points. These are points—actual markings—that
manifest in either hand, depending on the nature of the
issue that is being explored. If the issue has a feminine
component, the Grace Points will show up on the left
hand. If the issue has a masculine component, the Grace
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 31

Points will manifest on the right hand. These Grace
Points come from the Akashic Records. They are calls of
action that help anchor the information we are receiving
and help us let go of material accumulated in our emo-
tional body which turns into ideas, thoughts, and beliefs
that no longer serve us. We will explore Grace Points in
greater detail later in the book. You will also learn one of
the most powerful means of protection. The Sacred
Prayer has a built-in segment that calls for the shield of
love and truth to be placed around you; this is God’s love
and truth. The more inner light you generate, the greater
protection you will need, and the Akashic Records will
do just that for you.
Finally, you will learn how to use the energy of the
Akashic Records with any other healing modality you
may be using. If you are a Reiki practitioner, energy-
worker, massage therapist, psychotherapist, or medical
doctor, you will be able to use this sacred energy with
your personal practice to bring you to the next level of
your personal potential. This does not apply exclusively
to health practitioners, though. The Akashic Records can
give you the inspiration to be a better communicator in
any aspect of your life. You can mix the Akashic
Records with just about anything you do. For example,
if you practice meditation and want to bring your medi-
tation to a much deeper space, you can open your
Akashic Records when you sit to meditate. This will
take you far deeper than before, and you will receive
beautiful insights as a result.
The Akashic Records can be the most beautiful tool
for bringing peace and resolution to troubled relation-
ships, especially those with people who have already
made their transition. Often we have a troublesome rela-
tionship with our father, mother, or another relative, but
32 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014
he or she passes on before we can make our peace with
them. Depending on the severity of the issues, this per-
son may or may not be able to make a full transition and
allow his or her soul to rest in peace. Such people can
become trapped on the astral plane in a holding pattern
until they find peace and resolution.
When the time is right, when you are in the right
heart space, the Masters and Teachers will bring that rel-
ative or friend into your presence so you can dialogue
and make peace. When that soul is finally able to talk to
you from a space of unconditional love, rather than a
human space of fear and insecurity, it brings liberation
to him or her. The result is the spiritual freedom to move
to the schools of light and be prepared for his or her next
incarnation. You will learn an easy way to connect, one
that will take away the uncertainty of trial and error and
allow you to go into your heart, open your Akashic
Records, and be connected to Higher Source each and
every time.
I often ask my students, “Have you ever tapped into
the Akashic Records? Have you been there? How did
you get there? What did you see? How do you know it
was the real Akasha?” Many say it happened during
meditation, during a dream, or when they were doing
inner work that created an altered state of consciousness.
They often see a beautiful, etheric temple in pastel col-
ors with large pillars and a high ceiling; accompanied by
the vision is an overall feeling of love and peace. Some
see scrolls or large books bound in leather, which always
appear to be very old. Others see a huge library where
beings robed in pastel colors float around carrying these
scrolls or books. They sometimes see angels placing the
scrolls on shelves and transporting the information from
the earth plane to Akasha. After hearing this, my follow-
up question is usually, “Can you return to this place you
are so eloquently describing again and again, even two
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or three times a day? Can you access this realm at will?”
The answer is always a variation on this: “No. It happens
spontaneously and it is something I can’t do with ease.”
The good news is that, with the Sacred Prayer, we can!
You will be able to go to this place three or four times a
day—or more—if you’d like. With this prayer you will
have easy access to Akasha, where all the beauty, magic,
peace and love from the Masters will be waiting for you.
I call the Akashic Records the Library of Congress
of the soul. Imagine, if you will, the actual Library of
Congress in Washington, D.C., a huge place where you
can find out just about anything. This library has many
floors, and each floor has numerous discrete depart-
ments where you can go to obtain information; you can
even go there to simply rest on comfortable couches, lis-
ten to beautiful music, and recharge your energy.
Imagine the Akashic Records as a library just like this
one, except it is far more beautiful, far more restful.
Imagine a place where the moment you enter, you are
greeted by Masters who simply radiate unconditional
love. The moment you arrive, they are there to welcome
you and guide you on an adventure of self-discovery
through this “library.” The information that you receive
from the Akashic Records is meant to satisfy an innate
need for knowledge about yourself and world around
you.
This library of the soul, like many real libraries, is so
vast that we must learn how to navigate it in order to best
utilize it. One of the reasons we use it is to acquire infor-
mation and knowledge. But this is not just static knowl-
edge for knowledge’s sake; the energy that is contained
in the Akashic Records is, quite literally, transforma-
tional. It has the power to change, heal, restructure, and
transform. If we are sensitive enough, if we can trust and
believe that this subtle energy will heal, then we simply
sit in the energy and allow the process to take place. The
energy of the Akashic Records contains all of the ingre-
dients needed for healing.
We are actually programmed from infancy to dis-
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cover ever more information about ourselves and the
world around us. Just look at what we build in almost
every city: large structures dedicated to disseminating
knowledge. We build colleges and universities, and peo-
ple go to them because of their desire to acquire knowl-
edge. The world presents us with myriad opportunities
to learn and discover all the time. However, we learn
best from personal experience. What we learn from
books must be translated into practical life by adding an
emotional component. Once that emotional component
is present, the information is “coded” into our cellular
memory and becomes permanent.
From infancy onward, we are perpetually creating
new brain cells that will help us to identify the specific
knowledge we are seeking. If we are learning music, for
example, our brain must create the brain cells necessary
to accommodate music so that we can identify the notes
and symbols we read on the page. Likewise, if we are
learning math, engineering, or a new healing modality,
we must develop new brain cells that will help us iden-
tify that which we are learning. As we give our learning
life, we attach an emotional component that will make it
permanent.
I often give the following example in my classes.
Imagine you are a toddler, just two or three years old.
You see a candle flickering on the coffee table. The lit-
tle flame catches your eyes as it moves; it looks as
though it is dancing for you. Naturally, you go toward it
and want to touch it, but if your mom is there and she
will (hopefully) tell you, “No, don’t touch. It will burn
you!” You don’t know what that means, really, so when
mom isn’t looking you stick your finger in the flame.
Now you know what she meant. You burned your finger
so of course you start crying. You have had a direct expe-
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 33
 Another example: If you are a healer and want to
increase your knowledge or create an entirely new sys-
tem that will make your healing practice shine, you can
ask for specific Masters that have the specific knowl-
edge of the healing technique you practice. If you are a
musician and you want to be inspired, you can ask the
Masters who know about your type of music to come
and tutor you. If you have an interest in anything—
alchemy, gardening, art, writing, mechanics—ask the
specific Masters to tutor you. If you want to create the
most aromatic and heady blends of essential oils and
want to know exactly which oils and how many drops of
each to use, you only need ask for the Masters with that
expertise to come to you and show you how.
With the Akashic Records, your imagination is the
rience—new knowledge—that carries with it an emo- limit. The real question is, how much can you imagine?
tional component. You can now identify a flame as How much do you want to grow? How much do you
something that hurts if you touch it. You have satisfied want to shine? Imagine that the Akashic Records are as
your need to know in a very immediate and, in this case, vast and endless as the sky itself. Imagine that you are
painful way. on top of the highest mountain in the world and you can
The information contained in the Akashic Records see a full 360 degrees around you. You know there is
can be a very valuable source of not just knowledge, but more, much more, beyond even what you see, and you
direction and inspiration, in your daily life. Let’s say feel a hunger. You feel like an adventurer, an explorer.
you have an important meeting or presentation and you You are willing to take risks because you know that if
really want to shine. You know the material cold, but you do, you will be increasing your personal potential.
you also want to be at your very best. You want to be You know that you’re worth it! Again and again I see the
inspired, so inspired that you completely impress the inspiration of my students skyrocket, once they under-
people who hear your presentation and inspire them in stand they can move from the general to the specific.
turn. You want your auric field to be so full of love that
they can feel it! If you expand your auric field to fill the
room where you are making your presentation, every-
thing and everyone there in the room will be touched by
your field. If you fill it with fear, doubt, insecurity, and
unworthiness, that is exactly what people are going to be
feeling from you. In this case, your aura won’t fill the
room, but instead will probably reach just a few inches
past the boundary of your physical body. If you open
your Akashic Records and ask the Masters for inspira-
tion, you can purposefully expand your auric field, just
as if you were inflating a gigantic balloon, and “grow” it
to the size of the room. You will be able to shine! (Hint:
If you really want to shine brightly, fill your aura with
the color fuchsia. If you want to project love, use pink;
if you want to convey healing, use green. We will learn
more about the use of these and other colors later.) Now
you can walk into the meeting room feeling strong and
confident, knowing that the Masters will be whispering
in your ear. Now, the material will flow not just from
your mind but from your heart. Fear will disappear, and
you will be able to radiate an inner light backed by the
most beautiful love of all, the love that radiates from the
Akashic Records.

34 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 www.earthstarmag.com

 What do I mean by this? Let’s look at one of my stu- a pattern of addiction in your life? Is there a reoccurring
dents, whom I will call Christina, as an example. pattern in your personal relationships that you have been
Christina came and took all three levels of the Akashic trying to change? Do you have an addiction to food,
Records classes from me, and eventually she was able to alcohol, tobacco, or any other substance that you have
hear what I was saying about the specific. You see, many been trying to heal, and it is just not happening? You
times we have selective hearing and are unable to really may have tried counseling, psychotherapy, or hypno-
take in certain concepts until enough detritus has been sis—maybe even all three of these and more—but the
cleared from our conscious and subconscious minds, pattern is still there. The fact is that if we don’t examine
until we can open our inner as well as our outer ears. In an issue all the way down to its root cause and bring the
any case, finally it dawned on Christina that she could emotional component from that issue to the surface, it is
ask the Masters who specialize in the mixed media art like cutting a weed to the ground. We may feel good for
forms she uses in to tutor her. She asked them to teach a while because we don’t see it, but when the right con-
her and show her how to bring her artwork to the next ditions appear in life again, like water and fertilizer
level, and that is exactly what happened. Christina’s art added to the weed, it will come back to the surface and
was skillful and compelling before, but after she started raise its ugly head again. We get triggered; we get emo-
using the Akashic Records, it took on an entirely new tional; and the issue or pattern is right back where it was,
dimension. It was outstanding. After this breakthrough, staring us in the face. The Akashic Records can take you
she started exhibiting her work in galleries and making to the root cause, and getting to the root cause provides
money. the ingredients for healing. It is akin to pulling a weed
Imagine that with every stroke of Christina’s paint- up from its roots. With the roots removed, the potential
brush, every piece of paper she crumbled, every mask for the weed—the issue—to grow back again is elimi-
that she made, she was infused with the love of the nated.
Masters, and it is this energy that fairly radiates from her
pieces. When people see her art, they not only see what
she is capable of producing with her talent, but also the Excerpted from The Akashic Records, © Ernesto Ortiz,
love she receives when she is working. That energy will, printed with permission of the publisher New Page
in turn, radiate into the homes of the people who buy her Books, http://www.newpagebooks.com.
art, so the Masters are working indirectly through her to
bring this energy of love and peace into homes every-
where. Maybe, just maybe, because of this energy, the
owners will run into someone who introduces them to
the Akashic Records or meditation or spirituality. Maybe
that someone will be you!
Another student, John, was a musician and compos-
er who wanted to make money through his work, but for
a long time he just couldn’t make it in the business. After
all, it’s a competitive field, and there are a lot of great
musicians out there. John started to open his Akashic
Records to write his music, and, slowly, his inspiration
started to change the style of his music. With this inspi-
ration, the world opened up for him. He has since won
several prizes for his music compositions, and he is now
making money with his craft. There is nothing better
than earning money doing something you love!
Moreover, as his music reaches the ears of others, they
will feel the essence of the Akashic Records emanating
from each note.
As I’ve already mentioned, another important reason
to use the Akashic Records is for personal healing. This
is an invaluable tool for exploring, as deeply as you
wish, any area of your life. Do you have a personal issue
that you have been dealing with for a long time? Is there

www.earthstarmag.com OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 35

 Quercetin’s Unique
Protective Mechanisms
By Michael Enders
n our quest to identify cutting-edge therapies to
I protect against age-related disorders, we some-
times overlook the basics. Found in certain
fruits and vegetables, quercetin has been stud-
ied for decades and evidence supporting its
biological properties is substantial.
Recent lab and human studies are confirming that
quercetin can prevent many of the underlying factors
that are destructive to our health. These deleterious bio-
logical events are often unnoticed by medical doctors
until they manifest as major diseases.
Quercetin fits nicely into a broad-based anti-aging strat-
egy and has long been included in nutrient formulas
used by health-conscious individuals.
Protecting Hardworking Heart Muscle
People with high intakes of dietary flavonols and
flavones such as quercetin have a demonstrably lower
risk for cardiovascular diseases. Exciting new research
suggests that a big part of the reason for this protection
36 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014
is quercetin’s effects on mitochondria.
Proof of the impact of quercetin’s mitochondrial
“boost” can be seen in a pair of animal and human exer-
cise studies. Untrained mice supplemented with
quercetin for seven days increased both their maximal
endurance capacity on a treadmill and their voluntary
use of the treadmill, while biopsies showed formation of
new mitochondria in their muscles and brains.
In the companion human trial, untrained volunteers
took 500 mg/day of quercetin, or placebo, for seven
days, with their exercise performance measured before
and after the trial period. Subjects taking quercetin mod-
estly increased their oxygen consumption by 3.9%, but
increased their riding time to fatigue by 13.2%, entirely
without additional training!
In a similar trial, untrained young men who took
1,000 mg/day of quercetin for two weeks also increased
the distance they could run on a treadmill by 2.9%,
while placebo subjects lost 1.2%; muscle mitochondrial
numbers grew by 4.1% in supplemented subjects, while
falling 6% in placebo recipients.
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 Plaque Regression
Quercetin has been analyzed for its ability to counteract
atherosclerosis—the gradual blockage of blood flow
through arteries. Atherosclerotic plaques are a major
cause of heart attack and stroke, two of the top killers
of Americans.
In a study of rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet,
quercetin prevented the oxidative and inflammatory
effects of the diet on arterial walls, as expected. But it
also promoted regression of atherosclerotic plaque, a
direct effect of its inhibition of inflammatory enzymes
such as COX and 5-LOX (these enzymes produce pro-
inflammatory molecules called prostaglandins and
leukotrienes).
This plaque regression is likely driven by a recent-
ly discovered property of quercetin. Scientists found
that quercetin triggers reverse cholesterol transport,
which is the removal of cholesterol from the arterial wall
by HDL for transport to the liver for safe disposal.
Quercetin has additional benefits for the endothelial
cells lining the blood vessels that normally control blood
flow and pressure. Quercetin restores normal production
of the relaxation-signaling molecule nitric oxide, and
has been shown to produce relaxation of major arteries
to promote improved blood flow. This played out in an
impressive fashion in a human study showing that a
quercetin-containing food improved after-meal endothe-
lial function by 31.4%.
New data on quercetin’s many cardiovascular bene-
fits are being published regularly. Here are just a few
highlights from the recent literature:
• Quercetin counteracts the development of tolerance to
nitroglycerin and related drugs used in treatment of
angina.
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• Quercetin reduces abnormal heart rhythms in patients
with ischemic heart disease who were already on stan-
dard medical therapy.
• Quercetin reduces the incidence of abdominal aortic
aneurysms in animal models; these deadly defects in the
wall of the aorta can lead to sudden death.
• Quercetin helps to slow platelet aggregation, which
can lead to blood clots that produce heart attacks and
strokes.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Quercetin Can Restore
and Refurbish Mitochondria
• Studies show that quercetin triggers reverse cholesterol
transport, which results in the removal of cholesterol
from the arterial wall by HDL for transport to the liver
for safe disposal.
• Excitingly, quercetin has been found to activate the
brain’s powerful natural antioxidant defense system
(called Nrf2) that upgrades cellular defenses such as
glutathione and prevents brain cell death.
• As a neuroprotective agent, quercetin protects brain
cells against excitotoxicity, the damage done by repeat-
ed excitatory electrical impulses observed in
Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
• Quercetin, found in onions and apples, has now been
shown to preserve mitochondria in the heart, brain, liver,
and skeletal muscles.
• Quercetin boosts cardiovascular function, muscular
endurance and performance, protects against loss of
brain cells, corrects blood glucose and lipid abnormali-
ties in metabolic syndrome, and shows evidence of anti-
cancer and bone health-promoting properties.
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 37

Potent Neuroprotection
Like the heart, the human brain is a major consumer of
energy. That means it depends heavily upon its mito-
chondria to deliver the power needed for normal
thought, memory, and cognition. Aging reduces mito-
chondrial function in the brain, mainly as a result of the
strong oxidant impact of electrical and chemical activi-
ty.
Quercetin is showing real promise as a neuroprotec-
tive nutrient. Studies show that quercetin protects brain
cells against excitotoxicity, the damage done by repeat-
ed excitatory electrical impulses observed in
Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Acting through its antioxidant mechanisms, quercetin
may reduce toxicity of the dangerous and abnormal
amyloid-beta proteins that accumulate in the brain,
eventually producing symptoms of memory loss and
dementia. In fact, quercetin has now been found to pre-
vent brain cell death in animal models of Parkinson’s
disease.
Excitingly, quercetin has been found to activate the
brain’s powerful natural antioxidant defense system
(called Nrf2) that upgrades cellular defenses such as glu-
tathione and prevents brain cell death. Quercetin also
increases brain mitochondrial expression of the protec-
tive paraoxonase 2 (PON2), which scavenges the free
radicals that break down mitochondrial membranes and
cause them to lose their electrical potential.
Chronic oxidation leads to chronic inflammation in
the brain as it does in the rest of the body, eventually
producing changes that can lead to both Alzheimer’s and
Parkinson’s diseases. Quercetin is among the nutrient
molecules capable of preserving vital brain cell function
in the face of those changes, limiting the cell death that
produces neurodegenerative diseases.
38 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014
Obesity And Metabolic Syndrome
Obesity is best thought of in relation to other metabolic
disturbances, such as blood lipid abnormalities, elevated
blood sugar, insulin resistance, and hypertension.
Together, these problems define metabolic syndrome,
which is strongly associated with poor health outcomes
and sudden death. A prospective study assessing the
mortality status of 6,678 healthy middle-aged men con-
cluded that metabolic syndrome increased the risk of
sudden death from heart attack by 68%.
It is widely recognized that plant flavonoids, espe-
cially quercetin, can play important roles in fighting
individual components of metabolic syndrome, and may
work to reduce the impact of the syndrome as a whole.
In a laboratory animal model, quercetin completely
abolished glucose-induced life span reduction by
enhancing natural cellular “clean-up” mechanisms that
prevented loss of function.
Lab studies show that quercetin is effective at
suppressing fat accumulation in the liver, leading to a
reduction in fat-induced inflammation triggered by high
levels of leptin, the hormone produced in excess in fat
tissue deposits. An eight-week study demonstrated that
quercetin-rich onion skin extracts led to reduced internal
fat accumulation while increasing levels of the hormone
adiponectin, thus improving insulin sensitivity and
promoting weight loss.
Increased amounts of fat tissue lead directly to
insulin resistance, which produces high blood sugar
while at the same time starving cells of the glucose they
need for normal function. In fact, even mild elevations
of blood sugar, over a lifetime, can accelerate aging. In
rats fed a high-fat, high-sugar diet, quercetin reduced
blood sugar and insulin release, improving insulin resist-
ance. Other studies show that quercetin-supplemented
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rats fed a high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet had less
abdominal fat, lower blood pressure, and reduced heart
and liver fat accumulations, likely due to antioxidant and
anti-inflammatory mechanisms. Similar findings were
made in diabetic and insulin-resistant rats.
But these exciting results are not limited to lab and
animal studies. In a group of overweight and obese
adults with early metabolic syndrome, just 150 mg of
quercetin daily reduced blood pressure and levels of oxi-
dized LDL cholesterol, two major components of meta-
bolic syndrome. Another human study found that the
same dose of quercetin (150 mg/day) for eight weeks
decreased waist circumference and after-meal systolic
blood pressure, while also lowering after-meal triglyc-
eride levels in a group of otherwise healthy men.
Another study showed women with type II diabetes
reduced systolic blood pressure nearly nine points after
taking quercetin.
In other words, quercetin supplementation in animal
and now in human studies proved capable of reversing
the major components of metabolic syndrome.
Cancer Protection From Quercetin
Quercetin has been shown to possess numerous anti-
cancer properties, including the ability to interrupt the
rapid cell proliferation cycle in growing cancers, and to
induce apoptosis, the programmed cell death that cancer
cells have lost. Quercetin’s actions appear to be cancer
type- and site-specific, with its most aggressive action
on the most aggressive and rapidly growing cancers of
the blood (leukemia), brain, lung, uterus, and skin
(melanoma).
Additional data suggest that quercetin is highly
effective in preventing the division of colon cancer cells
as well. Indeed, one small human study has already
shown that the combination of quercetin with curcumin,
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another potent anti-inflammatory nutrient, can slow the
growth of precancerous colonic polyps in patients with
familial polyposis, a condition always associated with
colorectal cancers.
Estrogen receptors present on the surface of cells
can serve as growth stimulators in many cancer types,
including lung cancer. A unique property of quercetin is
its ability to modulate the activity of estrogen receptors,
and in a lab study, this attribute was shown to reduce the
proliferation of lung cancer cells. It was also demon-
strated that quercetin binds to estrogen receptors just as
tightly as tamoxifen, the drug most commonly used in
breast cancer therapy. As a result, quercetin effectively
inhibited proliferation of dangerous drug-resistant breast
cancer cells, while also preventing their accumulation
into lump-like clusters capable of growth and invasion.
Quercetin Fights Mitochondrial Threats
To Bone And Joint Health
Quercetin has powerful bone health-promoting effects,
some of which were superior to the prescription anti-
osteoporosis drug alendronate in preclinical research.
Unlike such drugs, quercetin promotes new bone forma-
tion, rather than simply slowing bone degradation. This
is important because alendronate and similar drugs act
by essentially inhibiting the bone-resorbing cells in the
hope that the bone-forming cells that remain intact will
predominate and keep bones strong. Quercetin, by con-
trast, works by stimulating new bone production by
bone-forming cells, allowing bones to retain their nor-
mal responses to physical stress.
“Secondary” osteoporosis and osteopenia (a condi-
tion where bone mineral density is lower than normal)
can occur with certain diseases and drug treatments,
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 39
 while laboratory markers of new collagen formation
(important in preserving joint function) were increased.

Summary

Studies show that quercetin preserves and improves car-

diovascular health, slows neurodegeneration, and fights
metabolic syndrome. Moreover, quercetin may offer
protection against cancer, osteoporosis, and osteoarthri-
tis through its multiple beneficial mechanisms.
The beneficial effects of whole fruits and vegetables
in the human diet may be partially explained by the
quercetin they contain. Those who don’t consume
enough healthy fruits and vegetables can obtain this
multi-faceted polyphenol (quercetin) in low-cost supple-
ments.

Reprinted with permission from Life Extension Magazine,

http://www.lef.org
most commonly chronic steroid use. Lab studies show
that both quercetin and alendronate could completely
reverse steroid-induced osteoporosis, but quercetin also
stimulated new bone formation in rat femurs by up to
36%, while alendronate did not. Very similar results
were shown in animals with steroid-induced osteoporo-
sis and osteopenia secondary to diabetes, both of which
commonly cause bone loss.
In the management of arthritis, quercetin has
demonstrated superior anti-inflammatory properties.
When a group of flavonoids was studied, quercetin
showed the strongest specific inhibitory effects on the
pro-inflammatory enzymes COX-1 and 15-LOX, both of
which produce powerful pro-inflammatory signaling
molecules in arthritis. Recent studies suggest that
quercetin may also reduce accumulation of stiff, fibrous
tissue in inflamed joints, potentially improving their
function.
Quercetin may also be effective in ameliorating the
intensely painful arthritis caused by gout, in which crys-
tals of uric acid accumulate in the joint and induce vig-
orous inflammation. Animals with gouty arthritis
showed reduced joint swelling, reduced white blood cell
infiltration, lower oxidant levels, and lower levels of
inflammatory cytokines following supplementation with
quercetin.
Human studies of quercetin in osteoarthritis are
encouraging, especially given the lack of any known
drug that can effectively modify or slow the disease’s
progress. Added to a standard joint supplement contain-
ing glucosamine and chondroitin, 45 mg/day of
quercetin for 12 or 16 weeks significantly improved
joint pain and function scores compared with placebo,

40 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 www.earthstarmag.com

 Plato’s Atlantis:
Fact or Fiction?
By Frank Joseph
o a majority of Americans and virtually
T every mainstream scientist, Atlantis was
only a myth. Even scholars more open to
factual possibilities for the lost city are
far from agreement concerning its ori-
gins, age, location, size, manner of destruction, or sig-
nificance. They see Atlantis in the Canary Islands, the
Azores, the Bahamas, Cuba, Spain, Malta, Scotland,
Sweden, Germany, North America, Mexico, Crete,
Cyprus, Bolivia, and even the Pacific Ocean. According
to such scholars, Atlantis was, variously, as huge as a
continent—Antarctica or the whole of South America—
or no larger than just part Santorini, a tiny island in the
eastern Mediterranean Sea. It was the first civilization,
technologically modern and beyond, an Ice Age tribal
society, a Bronze Age empire, a Minoan outpost, or a
Greek Classical period town destroyed by a volcano,
tsunami, earthquake, pole shift, comet, asteroid, flying
saucer attack, or social suicide anywhere from more
than 100,000 years ago to as recently as 430 BC.
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These wildly contrary theories and conclusions have
muddled the debate for too long, but they may be largely
reconciled by close scrutiny of the most complete source
material still extant after more than two millennia.
Strangely, for all the thousands of books, magazine arti-
cles, television documentaries, and feature films about
Atlantis, its oldest surviving account, although general-
ly acknowledged by opponents on either side, is rarely,
if ever consulted in detail. They routinely and proudly
cite its renowned author to lend their own versions spe-
cial credence, but mostly ignore the guidance spelled out
so precisely in his dialogues, the Timaeus and Kritias.
Indeed, a more credible advocate of Atlantis-as-fact
is more impossible to imagine than Plato, “founder of
the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher
learning in the Western world,” who “helped to lay the
foundations of Western philosophy and science.” The
English mathematician, Alfred North Whitehead, him-
self described as the “greatest speculative mind of [the
20th] century,” stated that “the safest general characteri-
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 41
zation of the European philosophical tradition is that it incomplete submersion, which nevertheless may have
consists of a series of footnotes to Plato.” Yet, skeptics inspired him to write about the much older, reminiscent,
claim that Plato merely invented Atlantis to dramatize if far more catastrophic event. More famously,
the ideal state. They fail to realize, however, that he had Herodotus discussed the Atlanteans in his History some
already delineated his envisioned society in The 20 years before Plato was born.
Republic, the opposite of Atlantean imperialism. It is clear then that Plato’s fellow Greeks were at
On the contrary, he depicted Atlantis as a corrupt least fundamentally aware of the sunken city he show-
culture meriting destruction. In this he did not once only cased to make his point about the rise and fall of civi-
and uncharacteristically turn away from philosophy to lization. So, too, his account was verified after he died in
history, but used Atlantis as an historical parallel to illus- 347 BC. Eight centuries later, the last major Greek
trate his philosophical point; namely, the degenerate philosopher cited the veracity of Plato’s Atlantis account
causes leading to an originally virtuous society’s down- in Platonis theologiam (“Platonic theology”). Proclus
fall. To empower his argu- pointed out that Egyptian
ment, the illustration he columns inscribed with
chose must, of necessity, the story, as described in
have been a real place, the Kritias, were visited
suffering an actual fate and identically translated
with which his listeners more than half a century
were already familiar. For after Plato’s death. They
example, in 430 BC, when were personally exam-
Plato was about two years ined by yet another influ-
old, “a major earthquake ential thinker, Krantor of
caused widespread Soluntum, an amicus
destruction and tsunami Plato, sed magis amicus
inundation around the veritas: “Plato’s friend
Gulf of Evvia,” in Euboea, and a powerful friend of
southeastern Greece. An truth,” according to
off-shore island partially Proclus. Krantor had
collapsed into the sea and traveled to the Egyptian
was subsequently city of Sais, as part of his
renamed Atalanti, togeth- research for Plato’s first
er with its equally devas- biography, near the end
tated vicinity, after of the 4th century BC,
Atlantis, whose fate it about 35 years after Plato
mirrored. died. Proclus reported
Earlier still, women that Krantor found the
participants at the annual Atlantis report preserved
Panathenea festival in there exactly as described
Athens wore a peplum, a in the Timaeus and
broad skirt embroidered Kritias.
with scenes depicting Athena’s victory over the forces of In 1956, Albert Rivand, professor of classical histo-
Atlantis—not a particularly remarkable fact in itself, ry at the Sorbonne, declared that both dialogues embod-
except that the Panathenea was celebrated 125 years ied ancient, historic traditions and contained results of
prior to Plato’s birth. About the same time, the historian the latest contemporary research carried out in Plato’s
Hellanicus of Lesbos authored a manuscript entitled day. As translator Ivan Lissner observed, “That a distin-
Atlantis, only fragments of which survive in the guished French scholar who had spent decades studying
Oxyrhynchus Papyri, so named after the ancient a city of the Platonic texts should reach this conclusion is most
Oxyrhynchus, today’s el-Bahnasa, where it was discov- significant, because it invests the geographical and onto-
ered during 1882, in Upper Egypt, approximately 100 logical allusions in the two books with greater weight.”
miles south-southwest of Cairo. What little of the text R. Catesby Taliaferro writes in the foreword to the
remains indicates Hellanicus was not concerned with authoritative Thomas Taylor translation of the Timaeus
Atalanti’s contemporaneous earthquake, tsunami, and and Kritias:

42 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 www.earthstarmag.com

 It appears to me to be at least as well attested as any
other narration in any ancient historian. Indeed, he
[Plato] who proclaims that “truth is the source of every
good both to gods and men,” and the whole of whose
works consists in detecting error and exploring certain-
ty, can never be supposed to have willfully deceived
mankind by publishing an extravagant romance as mat-
ter of fact, with all the precision of historical narrative.
Plato, moreover, repeatedly insists throughout his
Atlantis account on its veracity: “it is not fiction, but true
history,” “the wisest of the seven wise men once
vouched its truth,” “we may safely retain all that has
been truthfully said,” and so on. Given their convincing
verisimilitude and profusion of information they pro-
vide, the dialogues answer every fundamental question
about the lost civilization, if only we closely examine all
their details. Plato tells us that the story had been
inscribed in Egyptian hieroglyphs on pillars inside a
large temple. The
structure, nothing of
which remains today,
was situated “at the
head of the Delta,
where the Nile
divides, a district
called the Saitic,”
outside the ancient
city of Sau, present-
day Sa-el-Hager,
known to the Greeks
as Sais, dedicated to
the goddess Neith.
As the divine
patroness of wisdom,
she provided a prop-
er setting for ancient record-keeping. It was her temple
that Solon, the great legislator and founder of Athenian
democracy, visited around 590 BC. A high priest trans-
lated the account, which Solon took back with him to
Greece. It passed down about 230 years later to Plato,
who included its highlights in a pair of dialogues. The
earlier was named after Timaeus of Locri, a Greek
Pythagorean philosopher from Italy, author of a lost
work On the Soul of the Universe. The other derived
from Kritias, author of similarly lost tragedies and first
cousin of Plato’s mother. Because the territory of
Atlantis is said to have been “larger than Libya and Asia
combined,” some investigators have jumped to the con-
clusion that it was a continent.
Aside from the scientific facts that the sea floor of
the North Atlantic Ocean is too weak to have ever sup-
ported a continental land-mass, and that nothing of the
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kind has been found there by geologists, the Libya and
Asia of Solon’s or Plato’s day in no way matched those
regions as they are presently known. During the
Classical Era, “Libya” was a thin strip of habitation sites
running westward along the Mediterranean coast, per-
haps 200 miles across North Africa from the Egyptian
frontier. “Asia” signified only the western coast of
Turkey, which included various kingdoms from the
Dardanelles, entrance to the Black Sea in the north,
southward to Mediterranean shores. Together, these
regions could not comprise a “continent.” Indeed, Plato
used the term nesos, or “island,” in referring to the
Atlantean homeland.
He was no less specific in describing its location,
which was “opposite the strait you call the Pillars of
Heracles,” or Strait of Gibraltar, with “the furthest part
of the island towards the Pillars of Heracles, and facing
the district now called Gadeiros,” today’s Cadiz, in the
south of Spain. In
other words, he tells
us that a large island
lay amid the waters
between Morocco in
the south and
Portugal-Spain in the
north, its eastern
extremity pointing at
Gibraltar on a paral-
lel as far as Cadiz.
The Kritias
explains how the
island of Atlantis
was blessed with “a
plentiful variety of
woodland to supply
abundant timber for every kind of manufacture,” recall-
ing relatively nearby Madeira, which derived its name,
“wood,” from the island’s dense forests. Atlantis was
also a typical Atlantic Ocean isle favored with uncom-
monly rich soil, just as the Canaries and Azores are
notable for their volcanic fertility. The incongruous
appearance of elephants in Plato’s account was used by
skeptics to fault it until 1967, when literally hundreds of
pachyderm bones from some 40 different locations were
unexpectedly dredged up by oceanographers excavating
the ocean floor about 200 miles off the Portuguese coast.
“The region as a whole was said to be high above
the level of the sea, from which it arose precipitously,”
and featured mountains “more numerous, higher and
more beautiful than any which exist today. And in them
were numerous villages and a wealthy population, as
well as rivers and lakes and meadows, which provided
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 43

ample pasture for all kinds of domesticated and wild ani-
mals.” The mountains surrounded “a uniformly flat plain
... rectangular in shape, measuring 341 miles in length
and, at its mid-point, 228 miles in breadth from the
coast. This whole area of the island faced south, and was
sheltered from the north winds.” Here, Plato informs us
that the Atlantean island’s roughly oblong or “rectangu-
lar” dimensions averaged—taking into consideration
areas on the opposite flanks of the mountains, “which
came right down to the sea”—350 miles long from east
to west, and 233 miles north to south.
Reaching into the Atlantic Ocean from its eastern-
most limits in the Gulf of Cadiz, the island’s western-
most extent would have coincided with the Horseshoe
Seamounts, a collection of underwater mountains which
formerly stood above sea level as islands. Notable
among them is the Ampere Seamount, known to have
been dry land as recently as 8,000 years ago, if not much
later, and the focus of Soviet oceanog-
raphers from the early 1970s to the
mid-1980s, when they claimed to have
observed grand staircases, building
foundations, and stone walls on the
slopes of sunken Mount Ampere.
Returning to the great Atlantean
plain, it “was naturally a long, regular
rectangle,” encompassed by an irriga-
tion canal 100 feet deep, 600 feet wide,
and 1,137 miles long, since it was dug
out right around the lain.
The rivers that flowed down from
the mountains emptied into it, and it
made a complete circuit of the plain,
running round from the city [of
Atlantis, that stood at the center of the
plain] from both directions, and there
44 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014
discharging into the sea. Channels
about 100 feet broad were cut from the
ditch’s landward limb straight across
the plain and a distance of 11 miles
from each other, until they ran into it
on its seaward side. [The Atlantean
irrigation engineers] cut cross-chan-
nels between them and also to the city,
and used the whole complex to float
timber down from the mountains and
transport seasonal abundance by boat.
They had two harvests a year, a winter
one for which they relied on rainfall,
and a summer one for which the chan-
nels, fed by the rivers, provided irriga-
tion.
The first glimpse of Atlantis visitors had arriving by
ship on the island’s south coast would have been “a wall
beginning at the sea, and running right round in a circle
at the uniform distance of more than five-and-a-half
miles from the largest [of three harbors] and returning
on itself at the mouth of a canal to the sea.” This canal
was 300 feet wide, 100 feet deep, and nearly six miles
long from the sea to the outermost ring [of the city of
Atlantis], thus making it accessible from the sea, like a
harbor. And [the Atlantean construction engineers] made
the entrance to it large enough to admit the largest
ships.... The wall was densely built up all around with
houses. The canal and large harbor were crowded with
vast numbers of merchant ships from all quarters, from
which arose a constant din of shouting and noise, day
and night.
Behind the great wall lay the city of Atlantis. Its
name means, literally, “the daughter of Atlas,” the titan
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depicted in Classical myth as a naked, beard-
ed man hefting the sphere of the heavens or
zodiac on his shoulders, because he was the
founder of astronomy and astrology. Atlas
was often envisioned as a mountain with its
summit shrouded in clouds, as though sup-
porting the sky. The pre-Greek root of his
name is atla, Sanskrit for “the upholder.”
“Atlantis” implies that the city was the cre-
ation of its first king, Atlas. From a bird’s-eye
view, it would have resembled an immense
target of concentric circles, comprising two
rings of land and three of sea, like cartwheels,
with an island at their center, and equidistant
from each other. In each of these ring-islands
they built many temples for different gods,
and many gardens and areas for exercise,
some for men, and some for horses.... At the
bridges [which spanned the trio of great
moats to connect with the central island] they
made channels through the rings of land which separat-
ed those of water, large enough to admit the passage of
a single trireme [a large battleship with three banks of
oars], and roofed over to make an underground tunnel,
for the rims of the rings were of some height above sea-
level ... the rings and the bridges, which were 100 feet
broad, were enclosed by a stone wall all around, with
towers and gates guarding the bridges on either side
where they cross the water. The stone for them, which
was red, white and black [respectively, tufa, pumice and
lava, characteristic of a volcanic environment, like that
of neighboring Madeira, the Canary and Azore islands],
they cut out from the central island and the outer and
inner rings of land, and, in the process, excavated pairs
of hollow docks with roofs of rock. Some of their build-
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ings were of a single color; in others, they mixed differ-
ent colored stone.
The largest of the rings, to which there was access
from the sea, was 1,800 feet in breadth, and the ring of
land within it the same.... And they covered the whole
circuit of the outermost wall with a veneer of bronze....
On the middle of the larger island there was a special
course for horse-racing. Its width was 600 feet and its
length that of a complete circuit of the island, which was
reserved for it. Round it on both sides were barracks for
the main body of the king’s bodyguard. A more select
body of the more trustworthy were stationed on the
smaller island ring....”
The moat surrounding it was 1,200 feet wide, “and
the ring of land again equal to it....” The wall going
around this second-largest ring-
island was sheeted with tin.
A 600-foot-wide moat encir-
cled the innermost island, 3,000 feet
in diameter. At its very center was a
wall of gold surrounding the loca-
tion where, very long ago,
Poseidon, god of the sea, lay with a
mortal native, Kleito, to engender
the ruling lineage of Atlantis.
Although entry to this sacred site
was forbidden, continuous offerings
from far and wide were permitted
outside the enclosure. It was located
on the royal grounds, where the
palace stood. “Each successive king
added to its beauties,” Plato wrote,
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 45

“doing his best to surpass his predecessors, until they
had made a residence whose size and beauty were
astounding to see.”
It was eclipsed, however, by a supreme example of
Atlantean architecture. The Temple of Poseidon
sprawled 600 feet long, was 300 feet wide, and rose 150
feet tall, its exterior covered with sheets of silver. Gold
statues of various gods were depicted within the pedi-
ment over the entrance. “Inside, the roof was ivory
picked out with gold, silver and high-grade copper, and
all the walls, pillars and floor were covered with copper
sheeting.” Around the interior, against the walls, “were
statues of the original ten kings and their wives, and
many others dedicated by kings and private persons
belonging to the city and its dominions.”
Near the far end of the temple reared a gold colos-
sus of Poseidon, “so tall that his head almost touched the
roof.” He was portrayed standing in a chariot pulled by
six winged horses, around the base of which were repre-
sentations of 100 sea-nymphs riding on the backs of dol-
phins. Ringing these Nereids were “many other statues
dedicated by private persons.” Before them
“there was an altar of a size and workmanship
to match that of the building,” at the precise
center of which stood a copper pillar engraved
with the laws of the sea-god together with “an
oath invoking awful curses on those who dis-
obeyed” them. Beyond it was a ritual fire-pit.
Outside the temple, two springs, cold and
hot, provided an unlimited supply of water for
appropriate purposes, remarkable for their
agreeable quality and excellence, and this
they made available by surrounding the
springs with suitable buildings and planta-
tions, leading some of the fresh water into
basins, or into covered hot baths. Separate
46 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014
accommodations were provided for royal-
ty and for commoners or women, for hors-
es and other beasts of burden. The outflow
was directed into the grove of Poseidon,
which, because of the goodness of its soil,
was full of trees of marvelous beauty and
height, and also channeled the fresh water
to the outer ring-islands by aqueducts at
the bridges. Roaming free in the
sacred grove were several bulls, one of
which was chosen for sacrifice every fifth
and sixth year during meetings of the
emperor with his nine governors. At the
zenith of its fortunes, Atlantis was the
world’s super-power. It fielded 10,000
two-horse chariots, each one carrying an
infantryman and charioteer. An additional 120,000 hors-
es served in the army, with 120,000 hoplites carrying
spear and shield, joined by 120,000 archers; 120,000
slingers; 180,000 lightly armed stone throwers; and
180,000 javelin men, all under the command of 60,000
officers. The navy possessed 1,200 warships staffed by
240,000 sailors. Altogether, the Atlantean military com-
prised 960,000 men at arms. As Plato explained, “there
was an unlimited supply of men in the mountains and
other parts of the country.”
We may roughly deduce from the number of its
armed forces personnel—accounting for an average
family of two grandparents, two parents, and three chil-
dren—that the total human population of the island was
about 6,720,000. Their enormous military was needed to
occupy and control a vast empire, which locally includ-
ed Madeira, the Canaries, and Azores, westward across
the sea to areas of “the opposite continent,” as Plato
referred to America, and eastward to Iberia and western
Italy, across North Africa to the Egyptian border. He
stated how this immense power eventually marched into
www.earthstarmag.com
 account with visiting Athenians described it in
lunar time. Accordingly, when they told Solon
that the Atlanto-Athenian War occurred 9,000
years earlier, they were telling him that it actually
took place around 1200 BC.
If a 10th millennium BC Atlantis is problemati-
cal in the extreme, a late 13th-century BC version
is a perfect fit, because it parallels the Late Bronze
Age, when all the physical features presented by
the Kritias attained their florescence. This period
was likewise characterized by major military
clashes between the Greeks and an otherwise
unidentified power referred to as the Meshwesh, or
“Sea Peoples,” who invaded Egypt, where they
were defeated. Archaeo-astronomers, geologists,
paleo-botanists and other specialists in related
fields also determined that the Bronze Age was
abruptly terminated by widespread earthquakes,
fires, and floods around 1200 BC.
These contemporaneous natural, archaeological,
and cultural features lend persuasive credence to
Plato’s report and therefore to the historical reali-
ty of his Atlantis as both the civilized epitome of
the Bronze Age and a victim of the global catas-
trophe that closed it out.
the Eastern Mediterranean World, threatening to con-
quer the Egyptians and Greeks, who defeated the
invaders and turned them back. Thereafter, earthquakes Excerpted from: Lost Secrets of the Gods edited by Michael
and floods annihilated the victors. “And in a single day Pye and Kirsten Dalley. © Frank Joseph. printed with permis-
and night, the island of Atlantis was similarly swallowed sion of the publisher New Page Books.
up by the sea and vanished.” http://www.newpagebooks.com
These terminal events, according to the temple priest
at Sais, took place around 9600 BC. Such remote antiq-
uity is deplored by skeptics of Plato’s account as entire-
ly unrealistic. They correctly point out that neither
Egyptian kingdoms nor Athens existed at that time, and
would not even begin to emerge for another 66 centuries.
Nothing remotely resembling the metallurgy, cities,
monumental architecture, armies, ships, agriculture, or
irrigation projects described by the dialogues was known
11 and a half millennia ago.
Readers favoring a literal interpretation of the
Timaeus and Kritias argue that the island’s destruction
coincided with the violent close of the last glacial epoch.
As such, they conclude that Atlantis was originally an
ice age civilization. Accepting Plato’s date at face value,
however, would be equivalent to placing America’s Iraq
War in the Stone Age. Instead, he explains in the
Timaeus how Greeks of Solon’s generation reckoned
“up the generations to calculate how long ago the events
in question had taken place,” not in our solar years. More
to the point, the Egyptians who shared their Atlantis

www.earthstarmag.com OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 47

 True North
Meditation :
Healing the Scars from Child
Abuse, Domestic Violence, PTSD
and More

By Tom North

Meditation saved my life.

y father, Richard North, died in a was not as extreme as mine. But trauma is trauma—

M Navy jet test flight crash when I was

six years old. Fifteen months after
his death, my mother, Helen North
who had eight children, re-married a
man named Frank Beardsley who had ten, making us
one of the largest families in the country. We became
famous, and our story was featured in the movie, Yours,
Mine and Ours. But it wasn’t one big happy family. We
had to hide the fact that we were living a lie.
My stepfather was abusive on every level; physically,
emotionally and sexually. His constant rage, disapproval
and controlling personality left deep emotional scars.
And, to make matters worse, our family hid this from the
outside world, so we each suffered in silence. The toll I
paid was enormous. Lacking any sense of self-worth, it
drove me to depression and drugs. I imagine many peo-
ple will identify with the feelings, even if their home life
whether suffered in a living room or the theatre of war.
As a young adult I discovered meditation. It was my
passage out of a deep depression and emotional despair,
and I’m here to recommend it as a powerful and effec-
tive solution if you cannot get out of the mental patterns
that keep you stuck, feeling a victim of past trauma.
Meditation was and still is a vital therapy for my
continued survival and healing from a life of child abuse
and domestic violence. I still practice it every day, hav-
ing begun more than 38 years ago.
Meditation is indeed a powerful tool for health and
healing on all levels. Research shows that group medita-
tion can produce a radiating influence of peace in society.
Recently, Dr. Deepak Chopra sponsored and conducted
an online Global Group Meditation for Peace with over
100,000 people participating from around the world. I
was happy to be a part of this important event.

48 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 www.earthstarmag.com

 This was a tremendous service Dr. Chopra
was delivering to the audience, for as he
explained, meditation is the key to our connec-
tion with ourselves: Our Divine Selves. It is
also our connection to the collective conscious-
ness. Studies show that everything in the uni-
verse is connected and it is possible to unite
people in heart-focused care and intention to
facilitate the shift in global consciousness from
instability and discord to balance, cooperation
and enduring peace.
The Health Benefits of Daily Meditation
are Many
The scientific evidence documenting the benefits of
Transcendental Meditation, especially for PTSD, which
includes child abuse, is conclusive. While there may
always be skeptics, it is irrefutable that meditation deliv-
ers improvements on every level of life, from stress man-
agement to emotional, physical and spiritual balance.
Dr. Norman Rosenthal, senior research scientist at
the National Institute of Health (NIH), has published his
studies of over 300 experiments that prove the impor-
tance and benefits of meditation. This is in addition to
the many thousands of published reports that have
become available over the last 40 years that have come
out of Maharishi University of Management, Harvard
University and many others.
In my own experience, and in the experience of
many meditators who have been culturing a daily medi-
tation practice over time, the ongoing result has been a
steadily growing expansion of awareness and apprecia-
tion for all of life. This takes the form of improved rela-
www.earthstarmag.com
tionships with those around me, connection with the
entire human race and seeing the divine intelligence in
the simplest life forms.
I would be remiss if I didn’t include experiencing an
overwhelming sense of love for everyone and everything
I encounter. As one friend and former college classmate
of mine said, “I was stopped in commuter traffic on the
405 freeway in L.A. I looked around me at the thou-
sands of cars and people and was feeling an unbounded
love for all of them!”
If this is the outcome of consistent meditation, then
it certainly is worth trying for anyone whose long-ago
trauma-related or trauma-triggered emotions frequently
get the better of them. For those who simply cannot see
their way out of their own personal darkness, meditation
is even more important. I encourage you to make the
commitment.
8 Steps to Help You Develop Your Daily
Meditation Practice for Trauma Healing
1. Give yourself permission to get better, under-
standing that meditation can provide healing and relief.
2. Seek out a meditation teacher. Meditation is like
walking in an unfamiliar forest. It is best to have a guide.
3. Commit to regularity. Research shows that 20
minutes twice a day is optimal.
4. Create a space that is just for you to meditate
each day. Unplug the phone(s) and put your silenced cell
phone where you cannot see it. No cheating!
5. Get your mediation checked regularly by your
teacher. This is very important.
6. If you absolutely have to miss a session, do not
be hard on yourself - it is OK to renegotiate with your-
self, recommit and pick up where you left off.
7. Wait two months, and then check in on your
memories of pain and trauma...do you feel better able to
just let them go, to allow them to NOT MATTER any-
more?
8. Congratulate yourself for staying with it! You’re
on your way to true healing.
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 49

*Disclaimer: Please remember that meditation is not a
substitute for professional care or psychiatric help if
that is what is needed. Many physicians and psycholo-
gists recommend meditation in conjunction with stan-
dard therapies.
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Tom North is the author of True North: The Shocking Truth
About “Yours, Mine and Ours”. They appeared to be the bliss-
ful Beardsleys, the happily blended family-eight of Helen
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 UNIDENTIFIED

T HE U F O P H E N O M E N O N

A S TRANGE LOSS OF NUKES

By Robert Salas
“...the liberation of atomic energy on a large scale for industrial purposes, the
development of atomic bombs, and a world war which would be fought by an
alliance of England, France and America against Germany and Austria would
destroy major cities of the world by atomic bombs.”
—H.G. Wells, The World Set Free (1914)

n 1967 my Air Force job was to sit in an under- peak of our insane national security policy, appropriately

I ground concrete capsule where my commander

and I had control of 10 Minuteman I missiles.
Each missile had a single nuclear warhead that
had a capacity for destruction the equivalent of
nearly one million tons of TNT—enough to engulf the
center of any major city in a single ball of fire. In that
year, U.S. military forces had a stockpile of about
called Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). How did
humanity manage to bring itself to that point?

The Start of the Nuclear Age

By the beginning of the 20th century, the term “radioac-

37,000 nuclear bombs. The USSR had stockpiled about
45,000 nuclear bombs. Of course neither country need-
ed such large stockpiles of nuclear bombs, because the
10,000 or so bombs that each was capable of launching
against the other would be more than adequate for the
total destruction of human civilization and most other
life forms on planet Earth. Nineteen sixty-seven was the
tivity,” referring to the energetic emanations detected as
radio waves coming from certain elements, was being
used by science. Scientists like Marie and Pierre Curie
and Ernest Rutherford had already discovered that cer-
tain radioactive elements such as thorium, actinium, and
radium could disintegrate and produce other elements,
or undergo a transmutation. Rutherford was later to
accomplish an artificial disintegration of atoms of nitro-

www.earthstarmag.com OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 51


gen resulting from the collision with alpha particles. In
1904 he published evidence that the heat produced by
radioactivity was much greater than any chemical reac-
tion. These and other scientific breakthroughs marked
the beginning of the search for and application of
nuclear energy.
In 1914, H.G. Wells wrote the fictional book The
World Set Free. As with many of his works, Wells dis-
played some amazing insights in this book. He predict-
ed the atom bomb would be developed in 1933 (“... he
set up atomic disintegration in a minute particle of bis-
muth, it exploded with great violence into a heavy gas of
extreme radioactivity...”). Nuclear fission was, in fact,
first demonstrated in 1938. He predicted the first nuclear
power plant (“It was in 1953 that the first (atomic)
engine brought induced radioactivity in the sphere of
industrial production and its first general use was to
replace the steam engine and electrical generating sta-
tions.”). In reality, it was 1954 when the USSR built the
first nuclear power plant to generate electricity for a
power grid. In what would later be an amazing sequence
of events, these predictions and this book would eventu-
ally play a role in the U.S. effort to build the first atom-
ic bomb.
By early 1937, physicists Lise Meitner, Otto Hahn,
and Fritz Strassmann of Germany had devised experi-
ments to bombard a sample of uranium isotope with
neutrons. In December 1938, although Meitner was in
exile after the German Anschluss with Austria, that
experiment succeeded. It succeeded in splitting the ura-
nium atom, transmuting it to barium and the release of
energy. The energy release per atom was small but rela-
tive to the size of the atom, it was enormous.
The news of the discovery of uranium fission was
52 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014
received by another émigré from Nazi Germany, Leo
Szilard. In early 1939 Szilard was also a nuclear physi-
cist who had known Lise Meitner and Otto Hahn. He
later wrote: “When I heard this I immediately saw that
these fragments, being heavier than corresponds to their
charge, must emit neutrons, and if enough neutrons are
emitted, then it should be, of course possible to sustain
a chain reaction. All the things which H.G. Wells pre-
dicted appeared suddenly real to me.” (Rhodes) Szilard
was a great fan of H.G. Wells and he had never forgot-
ten Wells’s book The World Set Free.
Well before December 1942, when Enrico Fermi
produced a chain reaction of nuclear fission from neu-
tron bombardment, it was clear to many that this discov-
ery could be used to develop a bomb that would release
enormous amounts of energy. The military application
suggested by these results became evident, but for rea-
sons lost in history, the German military did not pursue
the development of the bomb with any dedication or
urgency. The United States, too, would not have pursued
this weapon of unimaginable power had it not been for
the efforts of Szilard and Albert Einstein. In a letter to
Franklin Roosevelt, the two highly respected scientists
had proposed the critical necessity of developing this
weapon before the Nazis and Adolf Hitler could acquire
it. The program to study the possibility of an atomic
bomb was initiated by FDR after the United States
entered the war in 1941. It was known as the Uranium
Committee. It was not until February 1942 that it was
given the highest priority because it was obvious then
that both the Germans and Japanese, intent on world
domination, had also began to study the feasibility of
constructing an atomic bomb. The bomb was forced to
become a reality out of the darkest fears of a world that
had already seen a great deal of horrific devastation.
(Rhodes)
www.earthstarmag.com
 When President Roosevelt died on April
16, 1945, Harry Truman had no knowledge of
the highly secret project to develop the atomic
bomb. He had met with FDR privately on only
two occasions prior to his death. At no time was
the atom bomb project or anything else of sig-
nificance discussed at those meetings, accord-
ing to Truman’s memoirs. Secretary of War
Stimson had briefly mentioned that he needed
to discuss something very important with him
on the day Truman was sworn into office.
However, it was not until the end of May that
Truman was first fully briefed on the
Manhattan Project.
On the morning of July 16, 1945, Truman
was in Berlin for the Potsdam Conference with
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Russian
dictator Joseph Stalin. He spent most of the day touring
the city and witnessed the total devastation that it had
experienced from Allied bombs. As Truman would later
write in his diary, it was a very depressing experience
that brought him to the vivid and stark reality of the war.
It wasn’t until the evening of July 16 that he was
informed that the first atomic bomb, called “the gadget,”
had been detonated in a New Mexico desert in the early
morning hours. This news was another dose of reality.
On that date, we humans knew for certain we could use
the energy of the nucleus of an atom to create weapons
whose power for destruction was much greater than ever
Harry Truman
www.earthstarmag.com
known or imagined.
The next day, Truman, Churchill, and Stalin sat
together at a table and discussed the most important
questions that would impact billions of people and nearly
every country in the world. Although Truman had agreed
in principle to use the bomb against Japan to save lives
that would have been lost on both sides, no final decision
had been made. At Potsdam, Stalin had agreed to engage
his armies in the war against Japan. Truman had first
been relieved by this decision because it meant the
United States would have other armies to share the bur-
den of invading the Japanese homeland. He had previ-
ously ordered the assemblage of more than one million
troops in preparation of the invasion of Japan. Because
intelligence reports indicated that the Japanese were
determined to fight on their homeland as long as possi-
ble, most military estimates were that 250,000 American
soldiers would lose their lives in that invasion. By July
1945, Truman knew very well the effects of mass bomb-
ing on population centers. He remembered the outrage
of FDR over the Japanese bombing of Shanghai in 1937.
He was also aware that we had sent hundreds of B-29s
to firebomb Tokyo and other cities in Japan, resulting in
the loss of at least 100,000 lives. Truman had also seen
the horrors of war firsthand as an artillery officer during
World War I.
The final decision to use the bomb against Japan
was made by Truman on July 31. It was a simple state-
ment in response to General Groves’s message on July
30. In that message Truman simply stated, “Suggestion
approved. Release when ready but not sooner than
August 2.” (Rhodes) It had long been a foregone con-
clusion that it would be used. Even at that point in time,
the implications of the bomb were seen clearly. The
most important and immediate implication for everyone
was the prospect of an immediate end to the war and
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 53
 that. We are going to accept that Golden Rule and we are
going forward to meet our destiny which I think
Almighty God intended us to have.”
—President Harry S. Truman, 1945 (McCullough)

If anyone in the U.S. government thought that the

secrets of the atom bomb could be safeguarded so that
no other country could use this nuclear power, that idea
was quickly discarded when it was soon discovered that
the Russians had spied on and acquired valuable infor-
mation during our secret bomb development project. In
the fall of 1949 the USSR successfully tested its first
nuclear weapon. As many had predicted, the “atomic
bomb” was no longer the exclusive property of the U.S.
These weapons now were the responsibility of humanity
as a whole. Once the Soviets had the bomb, it was obvi-
ous to Truman what his policy had to be. A declassified
saving hundreds of thousands of lives. In his report on National Security Council memorandum (NSC-68) out-
the Trinity test, General Groves stated, “Everyone knew lining U.S. policy regarding nuclear weapons in 1950
the awful potentialities of the thing that they thought states:
was about to happen...the explosion produced a searing For the moment our atomic retaliatory capability is
light and a roar which warned of doomsday.” (Rhodes) probably adequate to deter the Kremlin from a deliber-
On August 6, 1945 at 8:15 a.m., the first atomic ate direct military attack against ourselves or other free
bomb used in war exploded in an immense fireball peoples. However, when it calculates that it has a suffi-
above the city of Hiroshima, Japan: cient atomic capability to make a surprise attack on us,
In a city of 250,000, nearly 100,000 people had been nullifying our atomic superiority and creating a military
killed or doomed at one blow; 100,000 more were hurt. situation decisively in its favor, the Kremlin might be
At least 10,000 of the wounded made their way to the
best hospital in town, which was altogether unequal to
such a trampling.... The eyebrows of some were burned
off and skin hung from their faces and hands. Others,
because of pain, held their arms up as if carrying some-
thing in both hands. Some were vomiting as they
walked. Many were naked or in shreds of clothing...the
burns had made patterns—of undershirt straps and sus-
penders and, on the skin of some women (since white
repelled the heat from the bomb and dark clothes
absorbed it and conducted it to the skin), the shapes of
flowers they had had on their kimonos. (Hersey)
Ultimately, more than 200,000 Japanese lost their
lives as a result of the nuclear bombing of the cities of
Hiroshima and Nagasaki. These bombings clearly
demonstrated the massive and immediate destruction of
human lives. As a result of using these terrible weapons,
a war was ended but the threat of a war of unimaginable
destruction was just beginning.

The Concept of Nuclear Deterrence

“We can’t stand another global war. We can’t ever have

another war, unless it is total war, and that means the end
of our civilization, as we know it. We are not going to do

54 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 www.earthstarmag.com

 ther by indicating that, if the USSR had nuclear weapons
superiority, it would likely take advantage of the situa-
tion by attacking us with nuclear weapons! This clear
implication set the “hair-trigger” of a potential nuclear
war and the urgent necessity of avoiding such a situa-
tion. Therefore, the only posture that seemed logical in
this calculus was to maintain nuclear weapons superior-
ity or equivalence with the USSR in order to “assure the
effectiveness of any U.S. retaliatory blow.” (National
Security Council Report) This posture would initiate the
nuclear arms race. The result, as history has shown,
would be the production and stockpile of nuclear
weapons and the means of delivering them.
A further result of the arms race was that the possi-
bility of an accidental launch or either side giving seri-
ous consideration to their use was significantly
increased. Whereas the first assumption seems a logical
and conservative one to make, the second was not. By
this time, most analysts, including Truman, understood
that a nuclear war was not winnable and a massive
nuclear war was not survivable. It would be unlike any
war ever fought. The logic that began the nuclear arms
tempted to strike swiftly and with stealth. The existence race was critically flawed. These two assumptions
of two large atomic capabilities in such a relationship would create a world living on the razor’s edge of
might well act, therefore, not as a deterrent, but as an doomsday.
incitement to war. A further increase in the number and
power of our atomic weapons is necessary in order to
assure the effectiveness of any U.S. retaliatory blow, but Excerpted from Unidentified: The UFO Phenomenon, ©
would not of itself seem to change the basic logic of the Robert Salas. Printed with permission of the publisher New
above points. Greatly increased general air, ground and Page Books. http://www.newpagebooks.com
sea strength, and increased air defense and civilian
defense programs, would also be necessary to provide
reasonable assurance that the free world could survive
an initial surprise atomic attack of the weight which it is
estimated the USSR will be capable of delivering by
1954 and still permit the free world to go on to the even-
tual attainment of its objectives. Furthermore, such a
build-up of strength could safeguard and increase our
retaliatory power, and thus might put off for some time
the date when the Soviet Union could calculate that a
surprise blow would be advantageous. This would pro-
vide additional time for the effects of our policies to pro-
duce a modification of the Soviet system. (National
Security Council Report)
In retrospect, we can now see some fallacies in this
reasoning.
The analysis identifies the USSR as a nuclear super-
power that is a clear and present danger to the security
of the United States and its allies in the form of nuclear
war. This certainly was a reasonable assumption because
the Soviets had just taken control of an eastern bloc of
nations and had nuclear weapons. However, it goes fur-

www.earthstarmag.com OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 55

 GENTLE WAY OF THE HEART
By Anders Nilsson
elcoming more happiness into our
W lives is a universal wish that we
dream about when we envision the
future. Unfortunately, our reality is
often quite different. We bounce
between different experiences that seem to be both bad
and good and we are disappointed when happiness is
elusive.
When I was younger I often believed that I was hap-
pier in the past than in the present. When a girlfriend
broke up with me and I was in pain, I dreamt about the
good times and I thought that if we only could get back
together again, I would be happy. When I had a serious
illness or was in physical pain, I thought about how
happy I was when I was healthy. Yet in fact, when I was
with my girlfriend or when my body was in good shape,
there was always something else making me unhappy.
We believe that to become happy we also have to
become perfect and live a perfect life. I have noticed that
many look up to spiritual teachers or gurus. We may be
seeking enlightenment somewhere in the future, telling
56 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014
ourselves that if we could be like them, we would be
happy!
A friend of mine, Anna, has gone through many
challenges in her life including a difficult upbringing
with an abusive father. We have over the years become
close friends and frequently share experiences from our
spiritual journeys. She describes with enthusiasm the
next workshop that will make her feel better and help
her take one more step towards happiness. Directly after
each workshop she feels relaxed and harmonious, but
her normal life catches up with her after a few days and
she tells me with disappointment that nothing has really
changed—she is still the same person. Then, her hopes
arise again with the next workshop.
Rather than striving for happiness in the future or
believing that one day we will become enlightened, we
have the opportunity to change at this particular moment
if we can open our heart towards ourselves and accept
who we truly are.
We ultimately make the choice.
www.earthstarmag.com
 High and Lows
We have all experienced moments when we felt pure joy
and love. It seems as if time doesn’t exist when we see
the beauty of the Grand Canyon or the Mona Lisa paint-
ing. We have a rush of energy when we dance or when
we ski down a mountain, and we get goose bumps along
our spines when we hear beautiful music. Our chests fill
with warmth when we look deep into the eyes of our lov-
ing partners. Our hearts are thrilled when we see our
child taking his first stumbling steps.
On the other hand, we have opposite experiences
when love seems to slip away. We may find that life is
passing us by at high speed while we have no real sense
of what is happening or who we are. We become
stressed because we feel the need to fulfill the expecta-
tions of others. We are impatient and rush through our
days in order not to miss out in the future, while at the
same time, we feel like victims of circumstances when
something occurs that is outside of our control.
Sometimes when we are torn in our relationships with
our families, friends and co-workers, we are irritated,
angry and have low self-esteem.
We don’t understand why we react, speak, feel or
think in these ways. When someone upsets us, there are
sometimes internal dialogs playing in our minds that
express retaliations or scenarios that we wish we could
play out in order to respond, as if a radio host is narrat-
ing our inner feelings and we cannot find the switch to
turn him or her off.
I have a close friend, Charlie, whom I have known
for over thirty years. He is a delightful person with a
warm heart but he sometimes loses himself in emotion-
al intensity and gets distraught when he feels that some-
one has treated him unfairly. I remember one evening as
we had coffee together, he told me in anger that his
employer gave raises to co-workers that he, rightly or
wrongly, regarded as equal but none to him. When he
told me how he could get back at his employer by sud-
denly quitting his job or giving out sensitive information
to the company’s competitor, his “radio host narrator”
was in control and took over his mind completely.
Eventually, I calmed him down and he realized that he
was simply going overboard.
We know that special loving moments do occur and
we wish for more of them in our lives. We try to main-
tain thoughts and fantasies that give us hope that every-
thing will be fine in the future—when we have more
money to buy a new car or beautiful clothes, or when we
find the lover that fulfills our needs or the perfect job
where our abilities are appreciated.
I got to know my friend Samantha when I moved to
www.earthstarmag.com
California over a decade ago. She is driven in her life
and ambitions by nature but she is also a dedicated
mother where she cares for and loves her baby daughter,
Alisa, deeply. Sometimes she loses herself in her fre-
netic life, coping with being both a successful business-
woman and raising a child as a single parent. When she
is off balance, sometimes she can get obsessed with buy-
ing clothes that make her feel better. Her life is focused
on the next sale where she might find a new handbag,
although she already has an abundance of them.
Unfortunately, her happiness “high” doesn’t last very
long after she gets her latest handbag.
When we expect that material things or other exter-
nal events will make us happier, it often turns out differ-
ently and we are left feeling unfulfilled or empty. The
underlying issues that cause our unhappiness are not
resolved and we are back with the original problem. We
also regret what we might have said and done when we
were angry and upset and we wish we could turn back
the clock and change the past.
At some point in our lives there is a breaking point,
when we ask ourselves:
“Why am I in this mess? This cannot be the mean-
ing of my life. How can I find peace from all these
thoughts in my mind and emotions running around in
my body?
Help! I want to get home.”
“Home” is in Our Heart
Home is where we will feel safe and can be who we are.
It is where we are filled with the special moments of joy,
excitement and beauty. In these moments, we perceive
some glimpses of truth, a feeling of love, and a sensation
of oneness within and with all of existence, with no real
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 57
experience of time. At home, our critical and judging
mind is quiet and we are at peace within, simply enjoy-
ing that we exist. Your mind fools you into thinking that
happiness comes from the outside in terms of positive
events, appreciation of material possessions and other
people’s love. You believe that happiness is something to
strive for in the future, yet in reality, it is here in this
moment if you choose to open up to who you are.
In my spiritual workshops I guide the participants to
imagine themselves in an empty and dark room during a
meditation. I ask them to recall moments from their lives
when they had feelings of happiness. Many could re-
experience these moments when they felt good even
without having the original event that brought happiness
to be repeated. In this exercise, we learned that perhaps
the solution is not on the outside, but within.
Could it be that our homes are really within us?
Home is not a specific place but instead a different level
of awareness that brings a knowing of who we are on a
deep level, not necessarily as an intellectual concept but
more as a sensation or feeling.
The love in our heart is pure and nothing can hurt or
destroy it. However, your mind thinks that you are
imperfect and in need of protection from the outside and
from judgments within. Therefore, you build shields of
armor around your heart, protecting what is pure love
and therefore in no need of protection. As a result, the
pain and misery you feel comes from the armor, not
from any pain in the heart—the pain is an illusion.
The Gentle Way
To go on a spiritual path to release what is false within
you and move closer to what is true requires constant
work with concentration on your awareness, studies of
spiritual concepts and meditation to elicit the inner expe-
riences. The teaching of “The Gentle Way of the Heart”
is an approach where you can do the challenging work
by connecting with your own sense of the truth, com-
passion and oneness that has always been there and in
each step on the way strive to be open, kind and gentle
to yourself and others. You meet the challenges in your
daily life with one hand in the light of your heart while
the other hand is doing the hard work. This brings gen-
tleness into your dedicated spiritual practice when it is
most difficult.
We have all encountered difficult times in our lives
due to events that affect us deeply, and may even be heart
wrenching. You could be in the middle of a devastating
divorce, have experienced the profound loss of a dear
one or been fired from your job. At these times you
might think that it is not possible to look for the light
58 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014
within when you only want to express anger in the face
of betrayal or to grieve your loss. Here it is important to
practice gentleness and kindness towards yourself and
let everything have its own time. There is no need to
push on one’s spiritual practice when you are in
upheaval but at some point you will know that you are
ready to proceed with devotion on your spiritual path.
The Gentle Way of the Heart means that we strive to
accept and forgive ourselves every moment in our life.
Acceptance of the present moment, of others and our-
selves becomes the same as love. Forgiveness is accept-
ance of the past where we release in the present moment
what was held back from our light within. When we love
there are no barriers towards anything or anyone in our
existence, including all of our own aspects. We become
one. Love has no need to be loved by others and no
expectation that love comes from a divine source outside
of ourselves. We will not find more love by rearranging
the circumstances of our life but by realizing that we are
all the source of love within ourselves and it is available
to us at all times.
With an open heart filled with the divine light, we
can experience the world as a more loving place. All of
this is built on our own perception of the truth, feeling
love and experiencing oneness with all beings in the
world.
Through our hearts, we discover that we all are
expressions of love.
Printed with permission of Nordic Light Press. ©2014 Anders
Nilsson, author of Gentle Way of the Heart.
http://www.gentleway.me
www.earthstarmag.com
 DIY Oven and Fridge
That Use Natural Resources
and Require No Power
By JB Bardot
ne of the worst things about losing
O power is the inability to cook or keep
perishable food items cool enough so
that they won’t spoil. Barbecuing is a
great way to cook off the grid, but your
options are limited as you have only the grill.
Barbecuing is also a messy business that creates a lot of
smoke, dust and soot. Building a solar oven or a rocket
stove is an ideal way to ensure you have a fast, easy way
to cook if the power goes down.
If you live a country that does not get enough sun-
light to power a solar oven, you can still build an effec-
tive stove to cook off-grid. Rocket stoves are becoming
increasingly common in the developing world, and they
can even be used to heat your home as long as you
ensure there is adequate ventilation.
A clay pot-in-pot fridge, or Zeer, is ideal for keeping
food cool in the event of a black-
out. It can be made from simple
equipment that most people will
already have lying around the
house. Both the oven and the
fridge are great projects for those
that wish to take the first steps
towards living off grid. They can
also be used on camping trips or
by households that wish to reduce
their carbon footprint.
www.earthstarmag.com
Solar Oven
A solar oven is a great way to cook dishes such as stews,
baked potatoes or even pizza. Before you begin you will
need a large cardboard box and a medium size box that
can fit inside with a space of about 10cm or 5 inches all
the way around. You will also require a roll of aluminum
foil, old newspaper, box cutter, black spray paint and
duct tape. To make the reflector flap, you will need
another piece of cardboard that is the same width as the
large box. Lastly, you need a pane of glass big enough to
cover the large box.
Cut the flaps from the small box. Spray the bottom
of the small box with the black spray paint, and glue alu-
minum foil all around the inner sides. Line the bottom of
the large box with some crumpled newspaper. Place the
small box inside the larger one, and push wadded up
newspaper all around the sides as
insulation. Cover the reflector
flap with aluminum paper and
tape it to one of the flaps on the
large cardboard box. The reflector
flap should be perfectly in line
with the side of the large box, so
prop it into place using some
pieces of wood as a splint.
Place your pot or casserole dish
inside the smaller box, and then
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 59
place the sheet of glass through the lid and push the lid all the way down until it
on top. For best results place your solar oven in an rests on top of the insulating material. Fold down the
open space away from trees or telephone poles that can tabs that you cut into the rim of the large can to hold the
cast shadows. lid in place.
You now need to make a wood shelf. Take your
Rocket Stove fourth soup can, and cut out a T-shape using the tin
snips. The bottom of the T should be the same width as
the diameter of the first can so you can slot it inside to
hold the wood. The top bar of the T will stick out of the
first can to hold it in place. The shelf should be able to
hold the wood in the air and not let it touch the bottom
of your rocket stove. Place some wood onto the shelf
and another long piece down the chimney. Get the fire
going with some crumpled up pieces of paper. Place a
pot of food on top of the chimney and enjoy!

Zeer

Building a Zeer is a straight forward task that will keep

food and drinks cool in hot weather. You will need a
large clay or terracotta pot and a smaller one that fits
To build your own rocket stove, you will need a number easily inside. Plug any holes that the pots have in the
10 (96oz) can with lid and 4 regular soup cans (8oz). base using putty, duct tape or clay. Sprinkle a layer of
You will also need some form of insulating material sand into the bottom of the larger pot around 3cm deep.
such as sand, ash, foam or even dirt. Start by placing one Place the smaller pot inside the larger pot. Ensure that
of the smaller cans against the side of the larger can the rim of the smaller pot does not reach higher than that
close to the base and draw a circle around the base of the of the larger pot. Carefully pour sand into the larger pot,
small can. Using tin snips, cut out the circle carefully filling the gap between the inside of the large pot and the
and slot the small can inside the circle so that it is stick- outside of the small pot. Take a jug of cold water and
ing out of the side of the big can. Take the second soup pour it onto the sand until it is completely drenched.
can, and place it inside the big number 10 can. Line it up Place a wet tea towel on top of the zeer and leave it to
against the other soup can that is sticking through the cool. You can test the temperature of the smaller pot
side, and draw a circle around the outside of the second using your hands. Once it is cool enough, place your
soup can. Remove the second soup can from inside the food and drink inside. The zeer works through evapora-
large can to cut out the hole you have just drawn on the tion, so placing it in a dry, well ventilated spot will yield
side. Place it back inside the large can, and slot the first the best results. Regularly check the sand and top up
soup can into the second can. with water when required.
You should now have an elbow shape inside the
large can made from the two smaller ones. Take your
third 8oz soup can and remove the base. Using the tin
snips cut vertically all the way down the side of the can.
Carefully slot the third can into the second can so it
extends the vertical height of your elbow. Take your
insulating material and pour it into the number 10 can
ensuring that it completely surrounds your elbow and
covers any small holes or gaps that might be present.
Keep pouring the insulating material inside the large
can, leaving a space of around 5cm from the rim. Using
the tin snips, cut tabs all the way around the rim of the
larger can. Take the lid for the large can and place it on
top of the third can. Draw a circle around the third can
onto the lid. Cut out the circle, and slot the third can

60 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 www.earthstarmag.com

 The Inner Camino
Embracing Change
By Sara Hollwey and Jill Brierley
his process of inner psychological and
T
learn and grow.
existential change is a complex one.
Everything we encounter, including every
miserable meanness and unhappiness, is
the very compost out of which we can
Since time began, the world has been unpredictable
and constantly in the process of change, whether
through ongoing evolution, war, natural disasters, eco-
nomic collapse… We may seek to create outer stability
and maintain the status quo in a universe where the only
predictable element is that change is constant.
Indeed, most of us have a common desire for safety,
a need to achieve and a striving for happiness that may
seem at odds with the universal law of impermanence.
The Inner Camino will help us cross a threshold from
self-limiting belief systems that may be trying to hold
back the inevitable tides of change. It aims to develop an
inner steadfastness and a sophisticated level of imagina-
tion. This makes us flexible enough to challenge deep-
rooted habits and beliefs, and to embrace change fear-
lessly.
When we work out of Intuitive Consciousness, we
develop a strong sense of self-belief and self-love, which
is the foundation stone for intuitive wisdom. From there,
we can embrace the unknown and welcome change. The
Inner Camino encourages us to tap in to a stream of
awakened consciousness that can access an inner wis-
dom so simple and practical, it is absurd we are not pick-
ing it up more intentionally as a daily practice.
www.earthstarmag.com
It is often the case that we awaken to more existen-
tial questions in moments of crisis. For some of us it is
through financial disaster, for others it is loneliness or
losing those we love through serious illness. The rest of
the time there is a desire to cling to some certainty, some
safety and sense of life as being predictable. Even if we
dislike the version of life that we have dealt ourselves,
better that than face the unknown. However, why wait
until some crisis hits us before awakening to a higher
level of consciousness?
We are so focused on the outer world as a way of
controlling our inner states that we miss the essential
point. Happiness and contentment are internal and expe-
riential states. In order to attain these, we need to target
this experiential realm, and discover a level of con-
sciousness within us that can rise above whatever is hap-
pening in the outer realm of form. What we need is a
Genie that not only rises from the lamp and says ‘Your
wishes are my command’, but teaches us how to become
the Genie itself. It is time to wake up to the mystical
world and inner wisdom that seems to remain tantaliz-
ingly elusive, beyond our grasp. Let us step for a
moment out of the hurly-burly chaos that has become
‘normal’ life, rise and survey the battleground of the
ordinary world from the luminous field of stars above.
Excerpted with permission from The Inner Camino: A Path of
Awakening by Sara Hollwey and Jill Brierley, Findhorn Press,
http://www.findhornpress.com
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 61
 World Peace Caravan
n the history of mankind we have not managed
I to create sustainable world peace yet. Perhaps
we need fresher, less jaded, more forward-
thinking and guileless minds to help find the
solution. Perhaps we should ask our youth for
their ideas. After all, they are our next generation of
leaders. Why not engage their optimism, ingenuity and
dynamism now?
The World Peace Caravan is doing just that. A glob-
al peace movement that will culminate in a 12 day camel
caravan from Petra, Jordan to Jerusalem in December,
2015, the World Peace Caravan is selecting a delegation
of 12 Youth Ambassadors, ages 16-24, from a worldwide
pool of candidates to spearhead the caravan.
Furthermore, they are fostering an online Youth
Community to provide young people everywhere a plat-
form through which to share their ideas, voice their
opinions, educate and be educated. The Youth
62 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014
Ambassadors and members of the Youth Community
will participate in a unique, solutions-driven, project-
based, global educational program based upon some of
the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Young people the world over will be collaborating on
tackling such lofty goals as eradicating poverty and
hunger, ensuring environmental sustainability, and
attaining healthy lives for all.
Three separate times, Gary Young, CEO of Young
Living Essential Oils, dreamt of leading a long caravan
of camels through the desert on a journey for peace. The
camels, ridden by people of all faiths, came from every
direction and merged into one united stream. After the
third dream, so vivid it was almost jarring, Gary decid-
ed to tell his wife and two of his closest friends about it.
Uncannily, they each responded with the exact same
words, “This you must do.”
www.earthstarmag.com

And so began the plans for the inaugural World
Peace Caravan, 2015. Gary had recognized the trail that
the caravan had traveled in his dreams as the Ancient
Frankincense Trail in Arabia, since he had explored the
storied trail many times on his travels there to research
frankincense for his essential oils company. 3,000 years
ago, the Queen of Sheba journeyed 1,400 miles with 750
camels on the ancient trade route to bring her peace
offerings to King Solomon in Jerusalem. It was decided
that a modern day journey for peace be created that
would invite people of all cultures, faiths, and back-
grounds to come together on a caravan for peace that
will retrace the steps of this earliest peace movement
along parts of the Frankincense Trail.
The World Peace Caravan 2015 will begin in Petra,
Jordan on December 15, 2015 and end in Jerusalem on
December 26. The caravan will be spearheaded by the
12 member World Peace Caravan Youth Delegation and
anchored by two landmark events, a two day World
Peace Caravan Peace and Health Conference on the
Dead Sea in Jordan and a World Peace Caravan Concert
for Peace in Jerusalem. After a pre-launch celebration in
Petra on the 15th, participants will caravan through
Jordan by camel, horse or foot for four days and nights,
camping along the way while exchanging multi-cultural
activities including music, dance and educational semi-
nars and exploring historical and religious sites.
The caravan will break on December 20 for a high-
level, interactive WPC Peace and Health Conference at
the King Hussein Bin Talal Convention Centre on the
shore of the Dead Sea in Jordan on December 21 and 22.
The conference of invited international peace advocates
will focus on health, education, and the role of women
and youth in peacemaking.
On December 23, the caravan will cross the border
into the Palestine Authority for a visit to Jericho and a
two day trek through the Judean desert, arriving in
Bethlehem on December 25. On Saturday, December
26, the caravan will culminate with a Peace Walk into
Jerusalem and the blockbuster World Peace Caravan
Concert for Peace. Internationally renowned musical
artists will mix with musicians from around the globe
for a night of once-in-a-lifetime performances at the new
state-of-the art Jerusalem Arena. The evening’s festivi-
ties will be broadcast and streamed around the world.
The WORLD PEACE CARAVAN is founded by the interna-
tional D. Gary Young Foundation, a 501 © (3) non-profit
organization. For more information, visit
http://www.WorldPeaceCaravan.org

Bittorrent Unveils NSA-Proof Online Calling And Messaging Software

itTorrent announced the avail- also defies mass surveil-

B ability Wednesday of a prelim-

inary, test version of BitTorrent
Bleep software, which will enable peo-
lance. Granted, it doesn't
pay to underestimate the
National Security
ple to make calls (voice only) and send Agency’s ability to mon-
messages over the Internet without itor even well-hidden
using a central server to direct traffic. communications. But
Instead, users will find one another Bleep certainly makes
through groups of other users, with no the job harder than the
records of the calls or texts stored any- most popular online
where along the way. calling and messaging
Once a connection is made for a apps do.
call or text, the communication travels — phys.org/news
directly between the two computers
involved. That peer-to-peer approach

www.earthstarmag.com OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 63

 The Impact of Empathy
A New Approach to Working
with ADHD Children
By Daniela Muggia
restless or obsessive child often suffers
A from a discomfort that he or she cannot
verbalize, so what can be done to help
ease them in times of distress? Our expe-
rience shows that learning to listen com-
passionately through training of oneself in meditation
techniques, can bring great strength and peace to an agi-
tated moment. Empathic listening enables the caregiver
to perceive the child’s real needs that underlie the dis-
tressing behavior, enabling them to respond to the situa-
tion appropriately. Empathy, that is cultivated in the
caregiver, is naturally and strongly present in every one
of us. And since we all have access to this way of being,
this empathetic state can be directly absorbed by, and
eventually replicated by the child.
As The Impact of Empathy illustrates, through case
studies and extensive research, empathy is an excellent
and non-invasive treatment for ADHD. Below we
describe this perceptual change in more detail.
64 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014
• It must first be said that an empathetic state is not pas-
sive. It is an extraordinarily rich and lucid state, charac-
terized by a great openness.
• The children “learn” the peace cultivated by those car-
ing for them by “absorption.” From this state of deeply
empathic peace, that is oriented toward the well-being of
others, the caregiver receives additional detail about the
situation that would otherwise be missed. In this com-
munion, where separation is reduced, communication is
more direct and less tainted by interpretation, condition-
ing and projections of various kinds. Instead of assum-
ing what is good for the other, the empathic state cap-
tures what the other, from deep wisdom, knows to be
“good” for him.
• This reduces stereotyped forms of behavior induced by
convictions and pre-formulated or predetermined beliefs
based on theories or past experience. Every moment of
www.earthstarmag.com
the relationship is new, fresh and not cluttered with pre-
conceptions, theoretical assumptions and prejudices.
• For example, we are faced with a person – a child–
who is acting aggressively towards us. Normally we
would have a reaction of intolerance, but if we have
enough experience in meditative states, we can enter an
empathic state of perception and see the situation is
completely different. And from there we can sense the
person’s suffering and understand that we are not the
real target of this bad behavior. We just see the suffering
that would very much like to be seen and soothed.
• In this situation the caregiver does not suffer by taking
it personally and secondly, almost simultaneously, they
feel compassion for his suffering. Compassion is the real
sharing of pathos, of suffering, it is a profoundly shared
and not a separative experience: we feel the suffering of
the other to some extent, without it overwhelming us,
just so we can get a sense of what is behind his aggres
Daniela Muggia is a Thanatologist co-author of The Impact of
Empathy—A New Approach to Working with ADHD Children
and the winner of the prestigious Terzani Award for the
Medical Humanities. For almost 30 years she studied the
Tibetan tradition of death and dying with Sogyal Rinpoche,
author of the ground-breaking Tibetan Book of Living and
Dying. She also trained with Cesare Boni, a professor and
teacher of Master classes in Thanatology, the study of death
and dying, at Naples University. After more than 20 years of
working with the terminally ill, she has developed the ECEL
method, Empathic Care at the End of Life, one of the most
popular courses taught in hospitals, hospices and for Masters
degree programs at universities in Italy and other countries.
Impact of Empathy will be published in October of 2014. To
order of for additional information, please see
http://www.BlossomingBooks.com.

• The third result closely follows the first two, and that
is that instead of reacting we act. There is a difference
between action and reaction. Action is an act of freedom,
because it is not conditioned, while reaction obeys exter-
nal impulses to which we delegate all our power. The
action in this case is a dynamic of thought, a word or
gesture inspired by the compassion we have just experi-
enced, and not the result of projection. And because of
this, our response will likely be very appropriate to the
circumstance.

We are “empathic animals” by nature, and we now

know that the child and the caregiver who cultivates his
own empathy with special techniques share a privileged
form of communication. The extraordinary uniqueness
of any form of empathic care of suffering can be summed
up in this way.

www.earthstarmag.com OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2014 EARTH STAR 65