I've been maintaining a weblog for several years, so for me it's easier to simply refer you there. Thanks. http://www.soundingcircle.com

International Permaculture Trainer Positions - Indonesia GREENHAND FIELD SCHOOL Lamsujin Village, Aceh Besar, Indonesia Seeking Expressions of Interest for Trainers in Permaculture & sustainable small enterprises Greenhand Field School is a newly-established training centre in Aceh which provides training in sustainable agriculture and sustainable small enterprises to local communities. The school was established in the post- 2004 tsunami period as a recovery program to support tsunami victims. Its teachings and philosophy are based on permaculture principles coupled with locally-appropriate techniques. A unique opportunity exists for local, national and international experts in related fields to contribute to the development of the Greenhand program. IDEP, the program s NGO sponsor organisation, is seeking committed individuals to participate as trainers in permaculture, sustainable small enterprise and associated skills. Those with the following attributes will be considered: at least 5 years in permaculture training and practice OR other associated specialised skills in sustainable small enterprise and associated skills a commitment to the environment, sustainable development and community resilience cultural sensitivity Bahasa Indonesia is a plus For our 2006 schedule we are seeking people to participate as trainers in our three part program including: Village development Course (VDC) A two week introduction to permaculture course GreenHand ToT A ten week Training of Trainer Permaculture course for local trainees Sustainable Livelihoods Training Specialist relevant sustainable small enterprise and associated skills within a permaculture framework of development including: · Carpentry · Bamboo Treatment and Earthquake Resistant Construction · Neem Cultivation & By-product Production · Animal Husbandry · Bee Keeping · Cold Oil Pressing · Essential Oil Distillation · Soap Making · Bio-diesel production · Small Enterprise Development · Communications and Marketing Please send a letter of introduction addressing the above criteria, a proposed course outline as well as a recent copy of your resume to: Attn: GFS Program recruitment hr@idepfoundation.org For more info please visit: http://www.idepfoundation.org/GFSupdates.html

Winter Relief Project for Pine Ridge Reservation UPDATE Hello Friends, Thank you to all who have supported the Winter Relief project for Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota. The response has been phenomenal! Here's a quick update..... The project has taken on a life of it's own. The storage locker that was donated, 15'x5'x10', is near capacity. Through your generosity it is bulging with approx. 100 bags and boxes of winter clothing and blankets, 4 sewing machines, 30 bolts of fabric and we hope to receive boxes of citrus and avocados to send as well. We have also received $500 in cash donations that will go towards shipping if needed (though not my first choice), and/or, to assist families in purchasing propane and firewood. More financial contribution is welcomed. You can send checks, call me at 805.715.0050 or use PayPal at this website link. Pine Ridge Relief My plan is to ship everything next week. The temperature on the reservation, due to the recent snow storms, is down to -3F at night. Those without heating, electricity, blankets etc. are at risk, thus I feel it's imperative to get these things out to them ASAP. Finding a trucking or freight company willing to assist with humanitarian aid has been a bit difficult. Roadway Express is willing to charge $575 (normally $1500) to get it to Rapid City. This is a very reasonable rate. However, there it will need to be unloaded to another carrier and taken another two hours to Wanblee. This still needs to be arranged. My preference would be to have a single transport take the goods direct for a reasonable a price or donated. In this way any contributed money can be used for further aid. I would appreciate any input regarding the shipping phase of the project. If you have contacts or ideas please email or call me. If you would like to load the outgoing truck leaving from Ojai I could use the help. There is a lot. It has been a very successful effort. Thank you. In Peace, Raymond Powers If you're inclined, please copy/paste and forward this information. ------------------------------------- This is an article the Ojai Valley News published about a project I started to assist people on The Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. If anyone has direct contact with a shipping/trucking company, I am looking for someone to donate services or funds to ship all of the items from California to South Dakota. Pine Ridge Relief Website. You can contribute here as well if you like. The picture is of myself and the VP of our local Washington Mutual Bank. ----------------------------------------------------- Ojai resident Raymond Powers doesn't know where he would be today if he hadn't met up with Lakota Elders in his youth. Growing up surrounded by concrete under the smoggy skies of the San Fernando Valley, Powers was haunted by the sense that his life was missing something. "I was a troubled teenager growing up in an urban environment," said Powers. It was during summer camp in the woods near Big Bear Mountain that he first breathed clean air and slept under the stars, feeling connected to the beauty of nature. When summer was over and Powers returned to the city, he became curious about what the country had looked like before all the highways and skyscrapers were built. He wanted to know what kinds of plants had flourished in the ground that had been covered by cement, and he wanted to know more about the people who had lived there before him. In his late teenage years, Powers came in contact with members of the Lakota Nation who were residing in Los Angeles. Originally these Native Americans lived near the Sacred Black Hills of South Dakota. The Lakota elders were descendants of original inhabitants of North America and had an extensive knowledge of local wildlife. They invited Powers to their sweat lodge ceremonies and taught him about their deep connection and respect for the earth. During ceremonies Powers learned to purify his mind and body, to stop and take the time to really think about what was important to him and to offer thanks for the gifts he had been given. The Lakota elders brought meaning to Powers's at a vulnerable time in his life. Over the years he has consistently made efforts to give something in return to the first nation of this land. Powers moved to Ojai in 1999. About a month and a half ago he was presented with a perfect opportunity to once again assist these people who have influenced his life so greatly. The wife of a Lakota elder came to Ojai and introduced him to some of her Lakota friends from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Through his new friends, Ron and Rosalie Little Thunder, Powers found a way to give something back to the Lakota Nation. The Pine Ridge Reservation of approximately 40,000 residents is one of the poorest places in the country with a median annual income of $2,600. During the winters many Lakota children and elderly die of hypothermia. The infant mortality rate on the reservation is much higher than in the rest of the country, and the overall life expectancy of all ages is much lower. Since White settlers took over Lakota land to mine gold in the Black Hills in the late 1800's, few Lakotas have owned businesses on their reservation, and the unemployment rate among them has increased to between 85 and 95 percent, according to the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization home page. Powers is currently organizing a donation drive of winter clothes to send to the Pine Ridge Reservation through Ron and Rosalie Little Thunder.He is asking for winter clothes of all kinds and blankets that are in new or clean and usable condition. Donation boxes are currently at The Farmer and the Cook on El Roblar, Washington Mutual Bank on Maricopa Highway, and Rainbow Bridge on Matilija Street in Ojai. Oak Grove school is also participating in collecting items from students and their families. Powers is also asking for donation of solid color quilt fabric so Lakota quilt-makers can sew their traditional Star Quilts. Ben Franklin has already donated some fabric and Help of Ojai has abundantly donated winter clothes from their thrift store, Second Helpings. He is also hoping for a gift of a sewing machine for the Lakota quilt makers. Ojai Business Center donated the boxes and printing for the project. "Big kudos to the community for all their help," said Powers. "Everyone has been really generous." Donations are still being accepted and will be sent out mid-February. Cash donations are also accepted to help offset shipping costs and purchase propane for heat.

The Ojai Valley News was kind enough to print this press release for me. Total Tally: 188 bags, 18 boxes, 4 sewing machines, 25+ bolts of fabric I'm excited that ALL of the relief items were delivered TODAY to Wanblee, Pine Ridge. OJAIANS HEED CALL TO ASSIST SOUTH DAKOTA INDIAN TRIBE Organizer searching for individual or trucking company to transport collected goods to needy Ojai, February 19…. Pine Ridge, South Dakota is considered the most impoverished community in the United States with a median income of $2600 annually, infant mortality rates 300% and diabetes and tuberculosis 800% higher than the national average, and elderly community members dying each winter from hypothermia. When Raymond Powers, an Ojai musician and composer with a deep love of Native American music, got the idea to create a local program that would help the indigenous people living on the Pine Ridge Reservation survive another frigid winter, he never dreamed that the Ojai community would respond so enthusiastically. After placing large boxes and flyers at the Farmer and the Cook, Rainbow Bridge, and Washington Mutual Bank, donations began pouring in and have continued for the past six weeks requiring Powers to find a storage locker to help keep them safe. The donated 15'x5'x10' locker is nearing capacity bulging with about one-hundred bags and boxes of winter clothing and blankets, four sewing machines, and thirty bolts of fabric with room for several boxes of Ojai citrus and avocados he hopes may arrive before the contents are shipped to South Dakota later this week. Five-hundred dollars that has been donated may have to be used to pay shipping costs, but Powers hopes to find an angel who will donate a truck and gas so that the cash on hand can be used to assist Pine Ridge families in purchasing desperately needed propane and firewood. "My plan is to ship everything this week. The temperature on the reservation is down to -3F at night and those without heating, electricity and blankets are seriously at risk. It's imperative to get these things out to them as soon as possible," Powers said. If you have or know of a trucking company or individual that might be available to drive the donations and make the 1500 mile journey from Ojai to Pine Ridge, please call Raymond at 715-0050. If would like to make a contribution, checks can be sent to Raymond Powers P.O. Box 1062, Ojai, CA 93024 or you can donate using PayPal at his web link http://www.simplebrilliance.com/pineridge.htm --------------------------------------- This is the first article the Ojai Valley News published Ojai resident Raymond Powers doesn't know where he would be today if he hadn't met up with Lakota Elders in his youth. Growing up surrounded by concrete under the smoggy skies of the San Fernando Valley, Powers was haunted by the sense that his life was missing something. "I was a troubled teenager growing up in an urban environment," said Powers. It was during summer camp in the woods near Big Bear Mountain that he first breathed clean air and slept under the stars, feeling connected to the beauty of nature. When summer was over and Powers returned to the city, he became curious about what the country had looked like before all the highways and skyscrapers were built. He wanted to know what kinds of plants had flourished in the ground that had been covered by cement, and he wanted to know more about the people who had lived there before him. In his late teenage years, Powers came in contact with members of the Lakota Nation who were residing in Los Angeles. Originally these Native Americans lived near the Sacred Black Hills of South Dakota. The Lakota elders were descendants of original inhabitants of North America and had an extensive knowledge of local wildlife. They invited Powers to their sweat lodge ceremonies and taught him about their deep connection and respect for the earth. During ceremonies Powers learned to purify his mind and body, to stop and take the time to really think about what was important to him and to offer thanks for the gifts he had been given. The Lakota elders brought meaning to Powers's at a vulnerable time in his life. Over the years he has consistently made efforts to give something in return to the first nation of this land. Powers moved to Ojai in 1999. About a month and a half ago he was presented with a perfect opportunity to once again assist these people who have influenced his life so greatly. The wife of a Lakota elder came to Ojai and introduced him to some of her Lakota friends from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Through his new friends, Ron and Rosalie Little Thunder, Powers found a way to give something back to the Lakota Nation. The Pine Ridge Reservation of approximately 40,000 residents is one of the poorest places in the country with a median annual income of $2,600. During the winters many Lakota children and elderly die of hypothermia. The infant mortality rate on the reservation is much higher than in the rest of the country, and the overall life expectancy of all ages is much lower. Since White settlers took over Lakota land to mine gold in the Black Hills in the late 1800's, few Lakotas have owned businesses on their reservation, and the unemployment rate among them has increased to between 85 and 95 percent, according to the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization home page. Powers is currently organizing a donation drive of winter clothes to send to the Pine Ridge Reservation through Ron and Rosalie Little Thunder.He is asking for winter clothes of all kinds and blankets that are in new or clean and usable condition. Donation boxes are currently at The Farmer and the Cook on El Roblar, Washington Mutual Bank on Maricopa Highway, and Rainbow Bridge on Matilija Street in Ojai. Oak Grove school is also participating in collecting items from students and their families. Powers is also asking for donation of solid color quilt fabric so Lakota quilt-makers can sew their traditional Star Quilts. Ben Franklin has already donated some fabric and Help of Ojai has abundantly donated winter clothes from their thrift store, Second Helpings. He is also hoping for a gift of a sewing machine for the Lakota quilt makers. Ojai Business Center donated the boxes and printing for the project. "Big kudos to the community for all their help," said Powers. "Everyone has been really generous."

Maybe this would work with rabbits, gophers and squirrels that eat more from your garden that you do. -------------------- Tiger Droppings To Help Control Ferals Warren McLaren, Sydney Finally a story about tiger bits being highly coveted for unusual activities, that doesn't harm the poor harried creatures. Seems feral goats, which are a national pest in Australia, are spooked by aromas in tiger scat. Obviously a response deepily embedded in the goats genes ‘coz Tigers are bit few and far between down here. Anyhow, a PhD student, at the University of Queensland, has been extracting the essence from tiger poo, and creating pellets that can be sprinkled around to form a fenceless boundary that goats apparently won’t cross. A boon for farmers, this novel form of biological control could also mean a heap less wire and timber consumed to make fencing. Investigations will begin to see if it has the same effect on feral pigs and rabbits. Strangely they are going to try it on kangaroos too. Wonder when a kangaroo was last threatened by a tiger?

I have been writing poetry since I was 12 years old. Originally this occurred in somewhat of a trance-like state, strange suspensions in temporality in which I would not remember pen to paper until it was over. Later, as I began writing songs and discovering my singing voice, I was able to access the same creative zone, through more of a conscious process. TODAY... Today I excite the senses, To bestow upon me their everlasting grace, Like notes adorn the symphony of conscious Being. A hive with nectar and queens who guide an army of delight and devotion, Wings of an Angel fluttering in my ear, Whispering, urging, Gyrations of their lilac scent and rose adorned countess lips. Today I step with newly chiseled high steps, Mirroring the future through the looking of explorers eyes. I course the labyrinth where the sun breaks seeds through soil, Where men caress the edge of time, Where no prediction gifts me with its’ sight. I jump sparkling like an opal dove, Into Uncertainty.

Simple Brilliance A Conscious Approach To Re-membering and Re-DiscoveringYour True Nature This is the preface to my forthcoming book: Simple Brilliance On my website www.simplebrilliance.com there is also the first chapter that can be downloaded as a pdf. ------------------------------- Simple - requires little effort, second nature, minimal cognition needed, easily learned, innate, childlike, low calorie, energy efficient, meditative, shortest route, path of least resistance, a straight line, a circle, a spiral, elemental, primary, natural, innocent, primal, obvious, honest, authentic, few moving parts, interrelated, intuitive Brilliance - intuitive, conscious, luminescent, holistic, integral, reflective, creative genius, imaginative, iridescent, opalescent, responsive, response able, expressive, intentional, wise, patient, radiance, inspired, exceptional, many faceted, holographic,charismatic, shimmering, solutions benefiting and acknowledging the whole There's a state of remembering that brings us back to the full self-expression and conscious passion we were as a child; those very activities and resources that magnetized our attention. With little effort, hours were spent as minutes, and days as hours, as we remained enraptured with this/these creations of Life. Maybe it was something present in our environment already, something in nature, or a technology or a person; or maybe it was a creative endeavor we enjoyed that sprang naturally from our internal well, such as art, music or writing. Creation IS, and it has always been coursing through the universe and our veins wanting and seeking expression. Simple Brilliance is a conscious re-membering of who we are as integrated, inter-related, passionate vital Beings. Through the freedom born from discipline, we can re-discover and embody the very essence of ourselves, revealing without ill confidence, our own unique genetic stamp. For some, this will be easy, for others, extremely difficult, even painful. We all have our own hindrances to joy and exuberance. Some may need to focus on emotional release, "stuck" energies in their bodies, others will need to learn how to still their mind and others may need to create some type of spiritual cosmology that expands their viewpoint of themselves in relation to nature and the universe. All of this attending to a path that is inclusive, rather than exclusive, of those we cherish and have yet come to know. There is no one way to freedom and there are many ways that we prevent ourselves from fully living our purposeful vision. We must first learn to cultivate trust in Life itself and then in ourselves and finally with others. Cultivating Simple Brilliance catalyzes a life of unexpected joy and opportunity beyond what we ever thought possible; a Life that fully realizes and expresses our capabilities. For me this adventure to discovering my brilliance and living in simplicity has been both exhilarating and, at time, excruciating. My commitment to living an authentic Life has required me to examine my agendas, motivations, patterns of behavior and relationships. I have needed to develop my "witness" and remain vigilant in my desire to understand, know and act from an awareness of the "bigger picture", of how my actions and reactions affect the whole. This is a very human process. It is full of mis-takes, awkwardness and "oopsies." It is also rich with love, joy and adventure. It takes courage, passion and flexibility to admit there are mysteries we may never truly come to know and then to live inside that Mystery, relating to the unknown and listening to the distant guidance that grows ever closer.

I love music, no, I love sound, no, I love the silence between the sounds. Some say that I sang before I spoke. I don't remember. I have learned that when I sing and what I sing about: Happens. "First there was the word.", or some ripple of a causative intelligent force. This intrigues me. I play with it, I heal with it, I create with it, I dance with it. I share my sounds with others and watch life transform itself. I feel blessed to be lovers with the muse. ---------------------------- From my website: www.raymondpowers.com For two decades, as one of the pioneers of "ambient" and East/West fusion, Raymond Powers has been exploring his unique blend of multi-cultural music, using both traditional instruments and modern technology to accompany his passionate, exotic vocal stylings and instrumental music. He has studied with Western, African, Native American and East Indian music masters. Uniting audiences, his performances inspire the message of peace through music. Immersed in the cutting edge of music as a transformational tool, he has also collaborated in the creation of sound environments for theater, ceremony, ritual and rites of passage for all ages. He has also is a researcher and practitioner of alternative therapies that utilize music, sound and light as healing modalities. As a transformational coach, spiritual mentor and consultant, Raymond Powers has been studying, practicing and teaching for the past 20 years. With a focus on mentoring the art of "presence" he can assist you to move beyond your past-based beliefs, perspectives, and traumas, creating a container to vision and realize your living truth. This leads to more confidence, joy and peace of mind. The result being the unleashing of dormant creative forces that can be powerfully directed into your own unique life purpose. Teaching workshops, such as Singing Your Dream Awake and The Way of the Open Heart, since 1978, he has taught hundreds of people how to discover their well Being and become beacons of peace and serenity. He has also brought his work into corporations to assist in team building and communication.His background includes experience and training in East Indian studies, Shamanic ceremony, meditation, sound healing, massage, spiritual counsel, permaculture, system theory, and business development. He has gained national recognition for his expertise in these fields, consulting and contributing to both print, such as GQ and Maxim magazines, and Internet publications. Most recently he has developed an advanced approach to living as love and compassion and is writing a book, entitled Simple Brilliance, that offers practical exercises for personal development and shares with you anecdotes from his extraordinary life. A free sample chapter is available from his website http://www.simplebrilliance.com as a pdf download . His expertise has been sought after by individuals and businesses who want to empower themselves or their organizations with cutting edge technologies. As an advocate of socially responsible business and fair trade practices, he assists in strategies that will develop sustainable models and maintain a thriving environment. He maintains a strong vision and lifestyle for an economy that supports the needs of the earth, it's inhabitants and all future generations.

Many clients have asked me to provide a program that they can use at home that would be similar to some of the methods I use during private sessions. Stillpoint: A Guided Stress Relief Program is the accomplishment of that . Part One takes you into total relaxation and creates an awareness of your body that both energizes and rejuvenates. Part Two helps you to explore the nature of your breath, how to intentionally move energy to create a vital presence in your life. The music I composed will guide you as much as the narration to slow down, come to Stillpoint, and experience Being in your true nature. Hype from the website: www.raymondpowers.com/stillpoint.htm For over two decades, Raymond Powers has been facilitating programs for stress reduction, relaxation and personal development Using proven and established methods, this narrative guide will have long-lasting benefits for your health and peace of mind Includes music with cedar flute, voice, guitar, sruti and nature sounds PART I - 1.Introduction 2. Interlude 3. Releasing Stress 4. Finding Still Point PART II - 5. Preparation 6. Revitalizing Breath 7. Conclusion 8. Postlude

Heart of the Mother - This retrospective collection spans the years from 1988 to present. A few of the pieces have appeared on previous projects , however most are unreleased tracks that have been waiting tofall upon willing ears. Some solo, some collaborations, some entirely electronic, and yet others acoustic. The many facets of my muse. Upon listening, though, I think you'll find a consistency and style that is uniquely my own and reflects my lifestyle and cosmology. I have been composing with electro-acoustic instruments since the age of 17 and have enjoyed the many challenges and possibilities that have presented themselves along the way. This album combines my love for ethnomusicology, nature, technology and transformational development. When I was approached to do this compilation the timing and intent was perfect. It is the first of a series of recordings that benefit The Ojai Birth Resource and Family Center in Ojai, California, my home for the last three years. I will be donating 30% of each sale to this organization to help further their education and outreach programs. The track titles and stories behind the music are on my website: www.raymondpowers.com I give thanks to the forerunners and virtual mentors that have inspired my art: Brian Eno, Peter Gabriel, Christopher Franke,Paul Winter, PFM, David Bowie, Steve Reich, Chick Corea, John McGlaughlin and countless others. Van Alpert deserves a special thanks for his many years of encouragement, friendship and enthusiasm. He assisted as mix engineer on most of the older tracks and currently is part of the live band.

Another aspect of my life is gourd crafting. I am a member of the American Gourd Society who published a feature story about my art in their national newsletter. You can read that article on my website www.goddessrattles.com I also had the honor of being filmed for a segment on HGTV's Carol Duvall show. There are many styles and explorations in my approach to art, writing, music and sound, yet the core is always my experience of what I call Spirit or Source in my life. Nature has always been an inspiration to me and a great teacher.Thus, all of my artistic endeavors express this relationship I have with Her, Gaia, that which provides sustenance to my body. I was first attracted to canteen gourds because of the simplicity of their form which lent themselves perfectly to the mandala type pottery patterns that I am working with. As I have begun to sprout and grow my own gourd patch, I am gaining a deeper appreciation of the Spirit of the plant as well. (Update is the plants didn't make it and I wasn't a very successful gourd farmer so I buy them from an organic gourd farm) These rattles I am making can not only be perceived as three dimensional art, but personal ceremonial or ritual tools as well. The patterns themselves are teachers and through delving deeper into their lineage, those of us with European geneology, can come to know a more complete picture of our Old Euorpean his/herstory. The symbols date from 1500-5000 BC I give special thanks to Letecia Layson for sharing her knowledge of gourd crafting and wisdom of the Goddess culture. Her support is and has been invaluable. I also owe a great debt to Marija Gimbutas for her breakthrough research and generosity in sharing her discoveries and conclusions. MORE BIO INFORMATION Raymond Powers love of music and lyric writing began in his early teens. At age fifteen he had begun his recording endeavors leading to the culmination of several releases on his own independent label, Paradise Boutique Records. He completed his studies in voice and composition at California State University at Northridge. His love of world culture and music inspired him to create two global compilations for K-Tel Records and to include a myriad of ethnic instruments in his own compositions. He has developed a unique musical style with Native American Flute, voice, world percussion and technology. Raymond has produced many artists and composed for film, video, and television. Throughout the years his endeavors have included a staff journalist position for Better World and Meditation magazine, business/life coach and consultant for entertainment companies such as A&M and Sonic Images, self-improvement workshop facilitator, and multimedia producer. He is also a gifted healer, studying and practicing modalities from the East, indigenous American culture, sound healing, bio-energetics, and spiritual counseling. His breakthrough approach in this field has led to interviews with GQ and Maxim magazines, as well as television, radio and internet based media.

Long, Long Ago.... on a planet like a floating pearl, there was a time when women and men lived without war and greed, where decision making was shared, and people lived in union with the cycles of the seasons. Children were reared by the community, patriarchy had yet to take its' fearful grasp. Earth Mother had not yet been usurped by Sky Father. The sacred marriage of the moon and sun was honored. Slowly, over eons, fear began to replace love, an inner need for ownership and possession took hold, and the intellect became the ruler of the heart. As with all energies in our holographic universe, we are now on a spiral of conscious evolution, I see and sense it all around me, there is a wake up call, the alarms are loud, sometimes deafening, nature is demanding we come into balance, we are part of nature, within and without. There is a beauty to this chaos as it organizes itself and gifts us with potentials and possibilities beyond what we can ever imagine. We only need to stop, be still and listen to the song of creation echoing in our Souls. The refrain is familiar and simply asking us to express Itself. ------------------------------------------------ Some books I've read that have inspired and educated me about my past. In All Her Names - Joseph Campbell / Riane Eisler / Marija Gimbutas / Charles Muses Lady of the Beasts: Ancient Images of the Goddess and Her Sacred Animals - Buffie Johnson The Moon Under Her Feet - Clysta Kinstler The Alphabet Versus the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image - Leonard Shlain The Body of the Goddess: Sacred Wisdom in Myth, Landscape and Culture - Rachel Pollack The Chalice & the Blade - Riane Eisler The Civilization of the Goddess: The World Of Old Europe - Marija Gimbutas The Goddesses and Gods of Old Europe: Myths and Cult Images - Marija Gimbutas The Great Cosmic Mother: Rediscovering the Religion of the Earth - Monica Sjoo / Barbara Mor The Language of the Goddess - Marija Gimbutas The Myth of the Goddess - Anne Baring / Jules Cashford The New Book of Goddesses and Heroines - Patricia Monaghan The Once and Future Goddess - Elinor W. Gadon The Partnership Way - Riane Eisler / David Loye The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light - William Erwin Thompson The Woman's Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects - Barbara Walker

I began writing poetry when I was 12 years old, the same year I was taught to meditate. I would go into a sort of trance, a oneness, and the experience of automatic writing would happen. as I grew in age and evolution I became more conscious as I dipped into dimensions and simultaneously wrote down the gifts I received. My life has been a process of integrating, embodying the mystic veil that was opened to me as a young man. The world, our culture has been a challenge for me at times and I am grateful for the wisdom of earth peoples who have an understanding of our multi-dimensional nature. Here are some of my more recent writings. Though not in relationship, some like "I Remember" were inspired by profound connections during Soul (or eye gazing) with another. Love IS a tidal wave that, if we are willing to surrender, shakes us to the very core. Sanctity Dwells What is pure must become unpure. Daily, light changes into dark, Is purity a fact or an opinion? Does truth reveal itself to thieves as well as kings? There was a martyr once who’s blood flowed onto the belly of Gaia, it rained, and wedding bells were heard. I’ve seen men dance with flames twirling from their wrists, Do their hearts burn with that longing? I remember, so vividly sometimes, running down the middle of the street, fearless, somehow, there came a time, when I believed it was safer to walk on the side, always checking behind my back. I found that the middle is where sanctity dwells. I Remember How can I not be overjoyed? Blue stars from the ethers that only I can see, They look so much like your eyes, The face of Love, The moon behind the clouds, A shadow puppet, Two lovers embrace, They dance in the firmament, I dance in the cool canyon breeze, The fire in my heart is fed by thoughts of you, I am drunk, but not drunk, I am wide awake, Lucid as the fig whose roots drink from the stream, Or the double winged dragonfly that lights on my hand, There is more that I do not know than what I know, The more pomegranate seeds I eat the more are revealed, The juice stains my lips, Runs down my chin, The sweetest nectar reminding me of you. There is no either or... Unbind me, Take these shackles from my wrists, let my swollen ankles free, This body, at once a prison and the holiest of holies, Eden and Babylon both in my belly, My breath keeps missing my heart, I want this ember to flame, To burn and glow from behind my eyes, Illuminating the path before me, A lighthouse on the shores of the ocean of Love and Mercy. This illusion of separateness, It keeps me tethered in a dream, Where a camel tries to walk on water, And fish run thirsty on the desert floor. Hidden, there inside my inner smile, A host of angels, Oneness with wings, I must not forget to look behind me, A tidal wave of Love, Drown or surf? There is no either or... The Wren How can I quench this thirst? I could drown myself and only steam would rise, You could see me glowing in the river, The sun and I would have a contest, Who could make the seeds grow faster And sleep with the moon, The wren springs to life in my hand And sings in my ear, This I understand, But these longings, they are a mystery to me,

ONE WORD If I could have just one word, One word to swallow and take into myself, One word that could nourish my sorrow and Soul, I would satiate myself with: PEACE. What would your word be?

I pulled this from my other blog at www.soundingcircle.com

Oil Industry Suppressed Plans for 200-mpg Car Though this is common knowledge to some, I am happy to see that the possibility has come to the fore again. When I was a teenager a friend of mine had some plans from the same era which he built and I saw work. Though it ran very hot, he was able to get close to 100 mpg on the Cadillac he installed it in.

---------------------------------------------------------- This comes from Times Online The original blueprints for a device that could have revolutionised the motor car have been discovered in the secret compartment of a tool box. A carburettor that would allow a car to travel 200 miles on a gallon of fuel caused oil stocks to crash when it was announced by its Canadian inventor Charles Nelson Pogue in the 1930s. But the carburettor was never produced and, mysteriously, Pogue went overnight from impoverished inventor to the manager of a successful factory making oil filters for the motor industry. Ever since, suspicion has lingered that oil companies and car manufacturers colluded to bury Pogue’s invention. Now a retired Cornish mechanic has enlisted the help of the University of Plymouth to rebuild Pogue’s revolutionary carburettor, known as the Winnipeg, from blueprints he found hidden beneath a sheet of plywood in the box. The controversial plans once caused panic among oil companies and rocked the Toronto Stock Exchange when tests carried out on the carburettor in the 1930s proved that it worked. Patrick Davies, 72, from St Austell, had owned the tool box for 40 years but only recently decided to clean it out. As well as drawings of the carburettor, the envelope contained two pages of plans, three test reports and six pages of notes written by Pogue. They included a report of a test that Pogue had done on his lawnmower, which showed that he had managed to make the engine run for seven days on a quart (just under a litre) of petrol. The documents also described how the machine worked by turning petrol into a vapour before it entered the cylinder chamber, reducing the amount of fuel needed for combustion. Mr Davies has had the patent number on the plans authenticated, proving that they are genuine documents. He said: “I couldn’t believe what I saw. I used to be a motor mechanic and I knew this was something else altogether. I was given the tool box by a friend after I helped to paint her house in 1964. Her husband had spent a lot of time in Canada. The announcement of Pogue’s invention caused enormous excitement in the American motor industry in 1933, when he drove 200 miles on one gallon of fuel in a Ford V8. However, the Winnipeg was never manufactured commercially and after 1936 it disappeared altogether amid allegations of a political cover-up. Dr Murray Bell, of the University of Plymouth’s department of mechanical and marine engineering, said he would consider trying to build a model of the Pogue carburettor. Engineers who have tried in the past to build a carburettor using Pogue’s theories have found the results less than satisfactory. Charles Friend, of Canada’s National Research Council, told Marketplace, a consumer affairs programme: “You can get fantastic mileage if you’re prepared to de-rate the vehicle to a point where, for example, it might take you ten minutes to accelerate from 0 to 30 miles an hour.

I just saw Pride and Predjudice. I hadn't read the book so I was going into the theater completely unaware. Well, I'll never need to see another romace movie again. What beautiful cinematograpgy, the acting was exquisite, the story full of those wonderful mythical archetypes that fill the human psyche and a great attention paid to the historical detail. I was left with bitter sweet tears, a softened heart, a longing for the (read MY) beloved, and a craving for chocolate which I promptly went home and indulged in. At present a warm body and sacred intimate is not in my life so a fire in my bedroom and chocolate suffice.

Cordless handsets 100 times worse than mobiles, say experts. Having a cordless phone in your house can be 100 times more of a health risk than using a mobile. The popular phones constantly blast out high levels of radiation - even when they are not in use. Landlines are widely thought a safer option than mobiles. But researchers in Sweden now warn cordless phones are far more likely to cause brain tumours than today's mobiles. Emissions from a cordless phone's charger can be as high as six volts per metre - twice as strong as those found with a 100 metres of mobile masts. Two metres away from the charger the radiation is still as high as 2.5 volts per metre - that's 50 times what scientists regard as a safe level. Powerful At a metre away the danger is multiplied 120 times - and it only drops to a safe 0.05 volts per metre when you are 100 metres away from the phone. Because of the way cordless phones work, the charger constantly emits radiation at full strength even when the phone is not in use - and so does the handset when it is off the charger. The most common cancers caused by such radiation are leukaemias. But breast cancer, brain tumours, insomnia, headaches and erratic behaviour in kids have also been linked. Those with chargers close to their beds are subjected to radiation while they sleep. Phone watchdog Powerwatch, using a testing device called the Sensory Perspective Electrosmog Detector, even found electromagnetic fields as strong as three volts per metre in a bedroom above a room holding a cordless phone. The group's director, Alasdair Philips said: "As ill-health effects have been found at levels of only 0.06 volts per metre, this is very concerning. It's likely everyone in a house with a cordless phone will be constantly exposed to levels higher than this." The shock Swedish report - by scientists Lennart Hardell, Michael Carlbery and Kjell Hansson Mild - is backed up by many medical experts who believe cordless phones are a health risk. Harley Street practitioner Dr David Dowson said: "Having a cordless phone is like having a mobile mast in your house. I'd recommend anyone who has one to switch to a plug-in phone." But BT's health advisor, John Collins, disagreed. He said: "There's no conclusive scientific evidence linking the radiation to any of the symptoms experienced. The evidence is that it doesn't do us any harm. We're a responsible company and abide by all the guidelines set down by recognised experts."

This is from Patricia Aburdene the auther of Megatrends.

Quotes from "Megatrends 2010": .

The seven new Megatrends: .

1. The Power of Spirituality 2. The Dawn of Conscious Capitalism 3. Leading From the Middle 4. Spirituality in Business 5. The Values-Driven Consumer 6. The Wave of Conscious Solutions 7. The Socially Responsible Investment Boom "Megatrends 2010 explores the quest for morals and meaning in business within the legal confines of modern capitalism, a world where public firms are bound by law to maximize shareholder return. What is both remarkable and largely unheralded, however, is that corporate morality often correlates with superior performance. In other words, plenty of `good guys' are trouncing the Standard & Poors (S&P) 500!" (p. xxiii) "Business does not possess the power to prevent people from transforming. Yet there's little wonder why we think it does! The business world often portrayed on CNBC and in `The Wall Street Journal' boasts, not just a single-minded passion for turning a buck, but unmatched devotion to assassinating any high-minded ideal that might get in the way. "Well, guess what? Mainstream business is under siege, from activists and regulators, as expected, but even from investors. And all the barricades in the world cannot prevent it. Because the most dangerous adversary of all a transformed individual lies within and we are IT. Whether spiritual CEO, activist middle manager or visionary entrepreneur, we've opened our minds and expanded our hearts and there is no shutting either of them down." (p. 3) "What business leaders need more than anything else is exactly what Spirit offers: The power of self-mastery. Self-knowledge and personal mastery, the fruits of spiritual practice, are also key to the worldly pursuits of leadership, high performance, power. Yet, self-mastery is sorely missing in business (not to mention politics). The failure of self-mastery is often the downfall of leadership. And the most reliable route to self-mastery is personal spiritual discipline reflection, journaling, meditation the sort of activity designed to force busy, stressed-out, Type A people to sit still and simple be. True, spiritual practice will lift your consciousness and bring you closer to the Divine but there's a mundane benefit as well: the clear thinking it nurtures will prevent you from making costly mistakes!" (p. 131) Patricia Aburdene is a world-renown speaker, best-selling author and passionate advocate of corporate transformation. Coauthor of four previous Megatrends books, Patricia has addressed business audiences throughout the world. Her 25-year career in business journalism began at Forbes magazine. In recognition for Megatrends for Women, she was appointed public policy fellow at Radcliff College, where she explored emerging models of leadership. Patricia later embarked on new studies integrating business research and spirituality. She now inspires audiences with a concrete blueprint of how values, consciousness and leadership will heal modern capitalism. Patricia holds three honorary doctorates and received the Medal of Italy in 1990 for her interpretation of global trends. She resides in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Telluride, Colorado.

If you've had an inspiring wild animal story please post it here. Our communion with nature is something to be grateful for. So goes my story....... I had an incredible experience yesterday. I felt like St. Francis of Assisi. A Canyon Wren had found its' way into my cabin. I tried to escort it out but it kept buzzing around the top ceiling beams and such. Finally it knocked it self out, slamming into a window up on a indoor ledge by the roof. I climbed on a chair and picked it up with a t-shirt. I thought it might be dead because it wasn't moving, the inner eyelids were closed and it's beak was frozen open. It was very still. I brought it outside and started stroking it's back and blowing on it's body and down it's beak. I also wrapped my hand around it and did the sort of energy mojo I do. After about five minutes, (it seemed longer than that), it's eyelids pulled back, but it's legs, feet, body and beak were all still frozen. I didn't know if it had a broken wing or had internal damage. It never fluttered but it closed it's beak after I blew more resusitation (spl?) air into it and hopped up on its' legs, even though it's feet were still paralyzed and curled under. I walked into the yard, more onto a grassy area and bathed it in sunlight and energy work and then it perked up and started walking up my arm and back down and very cool, check this out, perched itself on my finger and started singing and chirping. I thought it would fly off once it realized, oh no I'm on a human, but, again a beautiful gift, it stayed perched on my hand for like 10-15 minutes as I walked around the yard with it and listened to it's song. I felt so blessed to have a free, wild bird be in such fearlessness of me and I in connection with it. I was in this altered zone paying rapt (not raptor {-:) attention to it and then felt a Oneness with the land and everything around me that was sublime. I walked back to my cabin with it still on my finger and when I reached it, it fluttered up to the roof and hung out awhile looking at me, singing and then flew up into the pine tree that hovers over my home.

This is from one of my favorite environmental websites www.treehugger.com Tony Brown and the Ecosa Institute March 16, 2006 10:50 AM - Collin Dunn, Durham, North Carolina Tony Brown is the founder and director of the Ecosa Institute, the only design program in the US devoted entirely to sustainability. The Ecosa Institute was founded in the belief that design based on nature is critical to the search for a new design philosophy; the mission of the Institute is to restore health to the natural environment, and thus the human environment, through education in design. Mr. Brown's dedication to issues of sustainability and ecological design developed after joining Paolo Soleri’s Cosanti Foundation where he worked for thirteen years on conceptual designs for a new vision of urban settlements. In 1996 Brown formally founded Ecosa ; in 2000, the Institute offered its first semester in sustainable design. TreeHugger: How does Ecosa address what you see as lacking in today's conventional design education? Tony Brown: There are many ways in which the conventional model of the college and university are failing to meet the future. The traditional institutions are risk averse; few people are fired for saying no to a new idea. One would imagine that our institutions of higher learning were hot beds of innovation, unfortunately the opposite is true. The dis-economy of scale inherent in many of the now gigantic organizations of our universities and colleges make change a difficult, lengthy, bureaucratic process. As a consequence we are teaching to an outmoded model. A beaux-arts student from the 1890s would not feel out of place in many of today’s architecture schools. Architecture is a powerful skill yet it is not harnessed to grapple with environmental, ecological or ethical issues. While sustainability is a word being used in colleges of architecture it is an adjunct skill and doesn’t permeate the curricula. Multi-disciplinary education is also difficult in a traditional setting. The administrative structure of the university tends to divide rather than integrate. The psychology department rarely, if ever, interacts with the architecture department. Even engineering departments have a difficult time collaborating with, never mind integrating with, architecture or planning or graphic design. All the new ideas and synergy created by cross-cultural activity is rarely possible. Departmental budgets, turf battles and tradition are a few of the hurdles. Our semesters often contain wide-ranging skills. Semesters have had engineers, architects, landscape architects, marine biologists and computer programmers working together. In terms of sustainability, I am amazed at how many of our students have no concept of passive solar design parameters. Many of the sustainable ad-ons to courses are electives and lead to the plug in attitude “I’ll just add photovoltaic panels here

Ronnie Cummins: Gaia Not Guns, A Declaration of Peace & Inter-Dependence GAIA NOT GUNS: A DECLARATION OF PEACE & INTER-DEPENDENCE Posted 3/13/06 By Ronnie Cummins, Organic Consumers Association Gaia: Named after an ancient Greek Goddess of the Earth, Gaia is the belief and scientific hypothesis that our entire planet is a living organism with Humankind as an integral part. Farmers and consumers, both U.S. and worldwide, share the unique privilege and daunting responsibility of making sure that everyone is fed, and that the land, water, and climate are nurtured and protected so that we can feed and nourish the future generations. War and the enormous waste of resources spent in waging war and maintaining a huge military industrial complex, threaten our well-being and the literal survival of our children and the future generations. U.S. taxpayers, for example, are currently supporting a military budget of over $578 billion a year, ($463 billion for ³normal² military spending and $115 billion for the Iraq & Afghan wars)--enough to pay for the cost of eliminating global hunger and stabilizing the global climate. The annual costs of waging the war in Iraq and maintaining military bases in the Middle East alone are sufficient to launch a crash program to reduce greenhouse gases by 75%, feed the world¹s hungry, and convert the U.S. economy to renewable energy and organic and sustainable agricultural practices. As the world¹s climate scientists and energy analysts warn us, unless we rapidly transfer billions of dollars from the military budget and other corporate welfare programs, and implement a far-reaching global program to eliminate poverty, reduce greenhouse gases, and convert the U.S. and global economy to renewable energy and sustainable production, civilization, as we know it today, may not survive more than a few more decades. As organic and socially responsible consumers, we come together to oppose the war in Iraq and to challenge the dangerous and unsustainable cycle of war and militarism that threatens our world. The solution we propose is a negotiated peace, nuclear disarmament, energy independence (for all nations), and a concerted global campaign to reduce and eliminate global poverty, especially rural poverty, through the conversion of agriculture and global commerce to sustainable and organic production. We come from different political, religious, and social backgrounds, but share a common concern that the living Earth or Creation, must be protected, that the upcoming generations have an inalienable right to a stable climate and that the United States, founded by small farmers and craftsmen/women, must return to the spirit and ideals upon which our Republic was founded. We strive for a world that reduces the risk of war by eliminating its causes--poverty, control of government and mass media by powerful special interests (the fossil fuel lobby and the military industrial complex), environmental degradation, injustice, and religious intolerance. We call for all countries to stop misappropriating their resources on war and to focus instead on fighting hunger, promoting public health, stabilizing the climate, and protecting our common environment and farmlands. Organic and Socially Responsible Consumers Say No to War and Climate Chaos Help us build up a national and international network of organic and socially responsible consumers who wish to protect Gaia/Mother Earth, put an end to war and military madness, and green and re-localize the global ecology. Our group plans to become part of United for Peace and Justice, a coalition of 1300 local and national anti-war groups in the U.S. (www.unitedforpeace.org ). Please join us in building up a powerful coalition that brings about cooperation and synergy between the anti-war movement, the climate crisis movement, and the organic community. Thanks to the Farms Not Arms coalition and peaceroots.org for much of the wording and inspiration for this document. And they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. ISAIAH 2:4

I've been having conversations about fair trade products, i.e. coffee,chocolate, bananas, olive oil etc., all coming from and supporting overseas, mostly impoverished countries, and one farmer friend of mine said that the farmers here in the U.S.A. don't have fair trade certification and need to be taken care of better. I discovered this brief article this evening about "fairDeal" certification for North American farmers and farm workers. I was happy to hear about it. -------------------------------------------------------------------- The 'fairDeal' is third party certification that will ensure fair trade practices for family farmers and farm workers in North America. The Bronner family will be the first manufacturer to receive 'fairdeal' certification for hemp seed, a popular ingredient in health foods ranging from bread, cereal and salad dressing. "This is really a domestic fair trade program that will help small to medium size family farmers," says Alpsnack© President David Bronner. "When people think about fair trade it's often associated with farmers in poor countries, but with family farmers in North America under attack by mega agribusinesses and unstable prices, this program will bring price stability and fairness farmers want." Fair Trade rules guarantee: a living wage in the local context, offering employees opportunities for advancement, providing equal opportunities for all people, particularly the most disadvantaged, engaging in environmentally sustainable practices, being open to public accountability, building long-term trade relationships, providing healthy and safe working conditions within the local context, providing financial and technical assistance to producers whenever possible.'Fair Deal' takes many of these "Fair Trade" practices in the developing world and applies them to the developed. "One of the reasons that consumers purchase organic food is because they want to support the family farm," says Rachel Swenson, fairDeal program manager. "Unfortunately because of the greater role of mega agrifood corporations in organics and the dumping of cheap offshore crops with dubious organic certification this is no longer the case. The fairDeal is a third party assurance to the organic consumer that they are in fact supporting the domestic family farm", adds Swenson.

http://www.WalmartWatch.com Who Pays For Health Care? (San Francisco Chronicle op-ed from state Sen. Carole Migden) Wal-Mart must pay its fair share Wal-Mart is unique among its competitors (i.e. Costco and Target) as it achieves its success by underpaying its workers and failing to provide them with adequate health care and insurance. Wal-Mart elects to re-invest its profits in global expansion and domestic store remodeling. Fine, we all respect sound business practices; but lawmakers around the country are waking up to the fact that Wal-Mart's voracious business practices have foisted billions of dollars in unfair costs onto all 50 states in the Union. In 2004, a UC Berkeley Labor Center survey found that Wal-Mart employees were 40 percent more likely to use public assistance and welfare programs than comparable employees of other "big box" stores. There are approximately 52,000 Californians, according to the state Employment Development Department, who are employed full time at the 157 Wal-Mart stores in the state. More than 15,000 of these workers and families have been forced to apply for food stamps, subsidized housing and other public welfare programs, according to the Labor Center study. All told, 37,000 Wal-Mart employees are without basic health-care coverage and insurance. The resultant cost to California taxpayers is a staggering $86 million: $32 million in medical services and health-care insurance, and an additional $54 million in public-subsidy programs.

"Theres no business to be done on a dead planet" - David Brower 1% For The Planet is an alliance of businesses committed to leveraging their resources to create a healthier planet. Members recognize their responsibility to and dependence on a healthy environment and donate at least 1% of their annual net revenues to environmental organizations worldwide. The alliance aims to prove that taking environmental responsibility is good for business. http://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/

Rajesh, a www.TreeHugger.com reader, asks "why people in the US are not taught to turn off the lights when they leave the room. (Note: as evidenced by the picture Americans are not alone in this luminous habit) This is especially evident in all the businesses (offices and stores) across the country that have most of the lights (computers and other electric appliances) turned on, even at night". Good question. For many of us it's the 'cobwebs in the corner' syndrome. Once ignored, the webs become invisible until a visitor points them out, or, in a lucid moment, they intrude through the web pages we have set our gaze upon. Like perennial Teenagers, we aquired the lights-on habit during a time of dirt cheap electric bills, when climate change shown only on the brows of a few eccentric scientists -- and we continue walking away Zombie-like from the consequences.

What's wrong with this bike lane photo from England? Need to stop an make a phonecall?

March 19, 2006 05:56 PM - Erin Oliver - Madison, WI Those who hold fast to the notion that environmentalism is as glamorous as a gilded toadstool ought to consider the passionate concern about global warming demonstrated by His Serene Highness Prince Albert of Monaco, son of Rainier III and Grace Kelly. The sometimes-controversial head of the House of Grimaldi will soon depart for a journey by dogsled to the North Pole organized to raise awareness about the shrinking polar ice cap. And lest you write his arctic adventure off as an eco-themed publicity stunt, keep in mind that one of the first actions the Prince took after succeeding to the throne last summer was to sign the Kyoto Protocol, taking Monaco outside of the small group of countries that had failed to ratify the treaty.

Researchers in Boston have developed a system that has taken drug delivery to a whole new level: wireless. The system works with a small, stamp-sized chip implanted into the body. This chip contains 100 reservoirs of medicine that are released at different intervals depending on need. The chip can be monitored and controlled wirelessly. Forgetting to take your daily pills would never be an issue. The system has been used successfully in dogs for the past six months and MicroCHIPS Inc. is saying that it should begin human testing within five years.

How many times have you seen a broken or flickering neon light? Durability is not one neon's strengths. But now a new product, LED-Flex, has been introduced as a substitute for neon. The producer, www.MuleLighting.com , has managed to make the flexible LEDs have the appearance and brightness of neon. The biggest advantage of this product is the efficiency level — it reduces energy costs by about 70%. It also has all the advantages of LEDs — durability, a cool operating temperatures and longevity.

We recently reported on a McDonalds franchise owner running his cars on the leftover vegetable oil from his restaurants; now another burger chain has upped the ante. Burgerville, a Vancouver, WA-based "fast casual" restaurant chain, has begun converting its used cooking oil into biodiesel. Through an agreement with Portland company MRP Services, the used oil is picked up and transported to a processing plant where it is converted to biodiesel. Before the current arrangement, the oil was shipped to Asia and typically used in the creation of cosmetics and soap. For Burgerville, whose menu includes regional ingredients like Oregon Country beef and Tillamook cheese, this isn't their first foray into sustainable business practices. Last August, the company announced it would pay for its electricity by purchasing wind power, a move that avoided adding 17.4 million pounds of carbon dioxide to the region annually