MEMORIES OF HEAVEN - WAYNE W. DYER MEMORIES OF
Transcription
MEMORIES OF HEAVEN - WAYNE W. DYER MEMORIES OF
EARTH STAR OCT / NOV 2015 CONSCIOUS LIVING IN THE 21ST CENTURY MEMORIES OF HEAVEN - WAYNE W. DYER THE BRAIN FOG FIX FINDING YOUR ANIMAL ALLY DENISE LINN MEDICAL MEDIUM ANTHONY WILLIAM 7 CUPS OF CONSCIOUSNESS Contact Christopher for a remote Divine Healing session via Skype. http://www.christophermacklinministries.com 2 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 www.earthstarmag.com www.earthstarmag.com OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 3 EARTH STAR CONTENTS OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 ON THE COVER 16 Memories of Heaven Children’s Astounding Recollections of the Time Before They Came to Earth by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer 27 7 Cups of Consciousness by Aleya Dao 40 The Brain Fog Fix Digital Distraction by Dr. Mike Dow. 52 Go Wild To Thrive The Key To Keeping Up With A World That Never Stops by Anthony William - Medical Medium 59 Finding Your Animal Ally Page 16 by Denise Linn FEATURES 12 Down To Earth Astrology by Tim Gunns 22 Grow New Brain Cells \ by Forrest Ritiker 35 Theoretical Evidence for Human-to-Human Transmission of Alzheimer's by Dr. Joseph Mercola 43 We are Never Alone with Angels by Marie-Ange Faugerolas Cover Art Private Meditation by Jean-Paul Avisse For further information, contact Prestige Art Galleries, 3909 W. Howard, Skokie, IL 60076. (874) 679-2555, www.prestigeartskokie.com 45 Live Love Soul by Machel Shull Page 59 47 Reaching for Insights Stories of Love, Faith, and the Kitchen Sink by Mitch Rosenzweig 57 Reflexology Made easy Self-help Techniques for Everyday Ailments by Ewald Kliegel 61 Search for Happiness by Dennis Waite 63 7 Herbs To Help Boost Your Brain Power by Jared Tropple, M.H. 65 In Memoriam - Wayne W. Dyer, Ph.D. DEPARTMENTS Jean-Paul Avisse . For a free color brochure, please send a S.A.S.E. 5 Up Front 18 Book Reviews Page 52 4 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 www.earthstarmag.com Earth Star Up Front F Research From 100+ Countries Proves Sunlight Prevents Cancer or the same reason that the conventional energy industry has not harnessed the full potential of solar energy (its free!), sunlight and its indispensable byproduct in our skin: vitamin D, represents a serious threat to the medical establishment, whose questionable and aggressive promotion of vaccination and drug-based strategies in place of inexpensive, safe and effective vitamin D supplementation (or better, carefully meted out recreation and sunlight exposure) for immunity, has many questioning their motives. Vitamin D, after all, has a vital preventive role to play in hundreds of conditions, due to the fact that 1 in every 10 genes in the human body depends on adequate quantities of this gene-regulatory hormone to function optimally. In other words, the very genetic/epigenetic infrastructure of our health would fall apart without adequate levels. Even the risk for developing cancer, one of the most feared health conditions of our time — and the one the medical establishment has had the least success preventing and treating — is intimately connected to your vitamin D status.Sunlight exposure, after all, is essential for health from the moment we are born. Without it, for instance, infants are prone to developing neonatal jaundice. The very variation in human skin color from African, melanin-saturated dark skin, to the relatively melanin depigmented, Caucasian lighter-skin, is a byproduct of the offspring of our last common ancestor from Africa (as determined by mitochondrial DNA) migrating towards sunlight-impoverished higher latitudes, which began approximately 60,000 years ago. In order to compensate for the lower availability of sunlight, the body rapidly adjusted, essentially requiring the removal of the natural “sunscreen” melanin from the skin, which interferes with vitamin D production. While a lifesaving adaptation, the loss of melanin likely has adverse health effects, which include losing the ability to convert sunlight into metabolic energy, increased prevalence of Parkinson’s disease (which involves de-melanization of the substantia nigra), and others effects www.earthstarmag.com which we will discuss in detail in a future article. For now, it is important to point out that within the span of only 60,000 years (a nanosecond in biological time), many of the skin “color” differences among the world’s human inhabitants reflect how heavily genetically-conserved was the ability of the human body to produce vitamin D. It should also be pointed out that vitamin D is to sunlight, what ascorbic acid is to the vitamin C activity in food. In other words, sunlight likely provides a greater spectrum of therapeutic activity (when carefully meted out, preferably during solar noon) than supplemental vitamin D3, which is almost exclusively derived from UVB irradiated sheep’s lanolin. Indeed, a groundbreaking new meta-analysis on the sunlight - vitamin D connection, published in the journal Anticancer Research and based on data from over 100 countries, found that “a strong inverse correlations with solar UVB for 15 types of cancer,” with weaker, though still significant evidence for the protective role of sunlight in 9 other cancers. The relevant cancers were: “Bladder, breast, cervical, colon, endometrial, esophageal, gastric, lung, ovarian, pancreatic, rectal, renal, and vulvar cancer; and Hodgkin’s and nonHodgkin’s lymphoma. Weaker evidence exists for nine other types of cancer: brain, gallbladder, laryngeal, oral/pharyngeal, prostate, and thyroid cancer; leukemia; melanoma; and multiple myeloma.” Sunlight exposure, after all, is essential for health from the moment we are born. Without it, for instance, infants are prone to developing neonatal jaundice. The very variation in human skin color from African, melanin-saturated dark skin, to the relatively melanin depigmented, Caucasian lighter-skin, is a byproduct of the offspring of our last common ancestor from Africa (as determined by mitochondrial DNA) migrating towards sunlight-impoverished higher latitudes, which began approximately 60,000 years ago. In order to compensate for the lower availability of sunlight, the body rapidly adjusted, essentially requiring the removal of the natural “sunscreen” melanin from the skin, which interferes with vitamin D production. While a lifesaving adaptation, the loss of melanin likely has adverse health effects, which include losing the ability to convert sunlight into metabolic energy, increased prevalence of Parkinson’s disease (which involves de-melanization of the substantia nigra), and others effects which we will discuss in detail in a future article. For now, it is important to point out that within the span of only 60,000 years (a nanosecond in biological time), many of the skin “color” differences among the world’s human inhabitants reflect how heavily genetically-conserved was the ability of the human body to produce vitamin D. It should also be pointed out that vitamin D is to sunlight, what ascorbic acid is to the vitamin C activity in food. In other words, sunlight likely provides a greater spectrum of therapeutic activity (when carefully meted out, preferably during solar noon) than supplemental vitamin D3, which is almost exclusively derived from UVB irradiated sheep’s lanolin. —The Best Years in Life\ OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 5 Looking for Customers? EARTH STAR The Leading Magazine for Holistic Living in New England EDITOR/PUBLISHER Cody Bideaux [email protected] Advertise with Earth staR - [email protected] ASSOCIATE EDITOR Tim Gunns [email protected] ADVERTISING OFFICES 828-452-9864 email: [email protected] EDITORIAL OFFICE 828-452-9864 email: [email protected] ADVERTISING MANAGERS Tim Gunns Janessa Howard DESIGN & PRODUCTION Earthstar Productions Jay Scott Hackleman CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Aleya Dao • Mike Dow • Wayne W. Dyer Marie-Ange Faugerolas • Tim Gunns • Ewald Kliegel • Denise Linn • Joseph Mercola Forrest Ritiker • Mitch Rosenzweig Machel Shull • Jared Tropple Dennis Waite • Anthony William SUBMISSIONS Manuscripts, artwork, and photographs must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Earth Star Magazine cannot be responsible for loss or damage of unsolicited materials. Earth Star Magazine is not responsible for advertising claims. Earth Star Magazine, Copyright © 2015 by Earth Star Magazine Incorporated, All Rights Reserved. No articles may be used without written permission of the publisher Volume XXXVIl No. 226 — October / November 2015 http://www.earthstarmag.com 6 EARTH STAR CCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 www.earthstarmag.com Earth Star Up Front A t the same time that Monsanto’s corruption is infiltrating every corner of U.S. academia, government regulators and corporate-controlled media, Russia has just announced a total ban on the cultivation of GMO crops. “A senior Russian government member told reporters the cabinet decided that any food production in the country will completely exclude any genetically-modified organisms or parts thereof,” reports RT.com. RT reports: According to official statistics the share of GMO in the Russian food industry has declined from 12 percent to just 0.01 percent over the past ten years, and currently there are just 57 registered food products containing GMO in the country. The law ordering obligatory state registration of GMO products that might contact with the environment will come into force in mid-2017. This puts Russia in a powerful position of producing nearly 100% nonGMO foods for both domestic consumption and export. Most consumers around the world, when given a choice, prefer to eat non-GMO foods. In the United States, the criminally-run food industry front group—the Grocery Manufacturers of America—is desperately trying to block all GMO food GMO Crops Totally Banned in Russia labeling in order to keep consumers in the dark about what they’re eating. Nearly the entire mainstream media, likewise, has also been bought off by the biotech industry and refuses to cover the truth about GMOs. (Which is why sites like GMO.news are becoming so popular among independent thinkers. Hungary is also working hard to produce GMO-free food products for its own people. As reported on GMO.news: Hungary’s Ministry of Agriculture believes that keeping Hungarian agriculture GMO-free is a matter of “extremely high strategic importance.” In fact, Hungary’s Constitution states that: Hungary shall promote the effective application of the right referred to in Paragraph (1) by an agriculture free of genetically modified organisms, by ensuring access to healthy food and drinking water, by organising safety at work and healthcare provision, by supporting sports and regular physical exercise, as well as by ensuring the protection of the environment. Monsanto, widely known as the world’s most evil corporation, has turned the United States into a massive GMO experiment by recruiting a literal mafia of academics by offering them monetary bribes disguised as “grants.” The University of Florida’s disgraced agricultural scientist Dr. Kevin Folta was recently exposed for financial collusion with Monsanto—a fact that even the New York Times could not ignore. —Natural News Pesticides Used on GM Crops Survive in Our Digestive Tracts A ccording to new research from Canadian scientists, the pesticides used on genetically modified (GM) crops and, in some cases, www.earthstarmag.com the genes used to create GM crops are able to survive in our digestive tracts, move into our bloodstreams, and, in the case of pregnant women, show up into their developing infants. The study, in press in the journal Reproductive Toxicology, contradicts that biotech companies are either misleading or inaccurate when they repeatedly reassure the government and public health organizations that genes and bacteria inserted into GM crops cannot survive the digestive tract. “Monsanto and the Environmental Protection Agency swore up and down that it was only insects that would be hurt” by GM crops, says Jeffrey Smith, founder of the Institute for Responsible Technology, a nonprofit devoted to educating the public about the risks of genetically modified crops. “They were wrong.” —The Best Years in Life OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 7 Earth Star Up Front US Military Foresees Robot-Run ‘Transportation Hub’ in Space T he future of spaceflight involves building, refueling and repairing spacecraft in a depot far from Earth, all without the aid of human hands, officials with the United States military say. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is developing a highly capable robotic arm that could make such a space “transportation hub” possible in the relatively near future, said former NASA astronaut Pam Melroy, deputy director of DARPA's Tactical Technology Office. “We think that these capabilities— space capabilities—are not just about a single monolithic satellite with a few capabilities, but instead about a vibrant, robust ecosystem that involves transportation, repair, refueling, upgrading, [and] in situ construction,” Melroy said at DARPA's “Wait, What? A Future Technology Forum” in St. Louis. “Look at the great seafaring port cities in the world for inspiration, and imagine a port of call at 36,000 kilometers,” she added. Thirty-six thousand kilometers (22,370 miles) is the distance from Earth at which satellites fly in geosynchronous orbit, or “GEO” for short. Spacecraft at GEO—which include most operational telecommunications satellites—complete one lap in the same amount of time it A from Earth to the moon—are too high for astronauts to tolerate safely over long durations, so this future facility would be run by robots, Melroy added. The key to making all of this happen therefore lies in advanced space robotics—“robotic arms very much like the one that was used to build the International Space Station, but with greater levels of automation and safety,” Melroy said. “DARPA is building just such a robotic arm,” she added. “We think this is a critical capability to building a transportation hub that allows transporation to and from the Earth’s surface, from low-Earth orbit to GEO, and even beyond Earth orbit.” —Space.com Prescription Drugs 62,000 Times More Likely to Kill You Than Supplements ccording to data released by the UK-based Alliance for Natural Health International (ANH-Intl), pharmaceutical drugs are 62,000 times more likely to kill you than supplements. In fact, the data collected by ANH-Intl demonstrates that food supplements are the safest substances regularly consumed by UK cit- 8 takes Earth to rotate once on its axis, and therefore appear to “hover” over one spot on the planet all the time. It makes much more sense to build a transformative transportation hub at GEO than at lowEarth orbit (LEO), which lies at an altitude between 186 miles and 373 miles (300 to 600 km), Melroy said. For one thing, orbital velocity at GEO is lower, reducing the risk of serious collisions with space junk. GEO is also a much more stable orbit, because satellites located there are not nearly as affected by atmospheric drag. Whereas spacecraft at LEO (such as the International Space Station) will fall back to Earth within 25 years or so unless orbit-boosting maneuvers are performed, objects at GEO will stay put on their own for up to 1 million years, Melroy said. “We think this sounds like a really interesting place to put infrastructure, because it's such a stable place,” she said. Radiation levels so far from Earth— GEO lies about ten percent of the way EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 izens even though they are the target of increasingly restrictive European legislation aimed at ‘protecting consumers.’ The data found that pharmaceutical drugs were also 7,750 times more likely to result in death than herbal remedies. Both food supplements and herbal remedies were placed in the ‘supersafe’ category of individual risk—with a less than one in ten million risk of death. By contrast, being admitted to a UK hospital or taking prescription drugs exposes a person to one of the greatest preventable risks in society. Overall, preventable medical injuries in UK hospitals expose patients to the same risk of death as being deployed on military service to Afghanistan— both of which are around 300,000 times greater than the risk of death from taking natural health products. ANH-Intl executive and scientific director, Dr. Robert Verkerk, PhD, hailed the figures as shedding new light on the question of natural healthcare’s safety. “These figures tell us not only what activities an individual is most or least likely to die from, but also what the relative risks of various activities are to society as a whole. It puts some real perspective on the actual risk of death posed by food supplements and herbal remedies at a time when governments are clamping down because they tell us they're dangerous.” —The Best Years in Life www.earthstarmag.com Earth Star Up Front Antibacterial Book Made From Nanoparticles Cleans Water In Third World T hey say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. However, in the Third World, where clean drinking water is often hard to come by, the only way to judge a revolutionary new “drinkable book” is by the effectiveness of its cover and pages. A nanoparticle-infused novel of sorts is the latest approach being undertaken by do-gooders throughout Africa who aim to develop a safe, simple way for the less fortunate to purify drinking water without the need for chemicals. It’s a simple process. The pages of this drinkable book are specially coated with nanoparticles of silver and copper, both of which are known antibacterials. Its developers say they can be dipped into non-potable water in order to purify it. Trials in some 25 locations throughout Africa where water supplies are contaminated show incredible promise, with the metal-fortified pages removing some 99 percent of harmful bacteria, according to reports. Small amounts of copper and silver leach into the water, of course. But both of these metals can be beneficial and have minimal toxicity, especially at the minute levels released. Therefore, researchers say the method can be an effective way to purify putrid water when other, more expensive alternatives are in short supply. “It’s directed towards communities in developing countries,” stated Dr. Teri Dankovich, a postdoctoral researcher from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and one of the developers of the edible book, at the recent 250th national meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). “All you need to do is tear out a paper, put it in a simple filter holder and pour water into it from rivers, streams, wells, etc. and out comes clean water—and dead bacteria as well,” she told BBC News. Some 663 million people around the world currently have no access to clean water, Dr. Dankovich says. It could be many years before more advanced water purification solutions are developed in many of these areas, hence the need for a simpler approach. With purifying silver and copper paper, she says, this widespread thirst pandemic can be minimized for pennies on the dollar thanks to the amazing cleansing power of these natural metals. “Ions come off the surface of the nanoparticles, and those are absorbed by the microbes,” she explained about how the technology works, noting that a single page of the drinkable paper is capable of purifying up to 100 liters of water. An entire book, she says, could purify a person's water supply for up to four years. “Greater than 90 percent of the samples had basically no viable bacteria in them, after we filtered the water through the paper. It’s really exciting to see that not only can this paper work in lab models, but it also has shown success with real water sources that people are using.” In early laboratory trials, Dr. Dankovich and her team showed that the paper was effective at treating artificially contaminated water. Later, in field trials, she found that the paper worked in nearly every real-world application, reducing bacteria levels by well over 99 percent on average. In most cases, it was 100 percent effective Even in heavily contaminated raw sewage samples, the paper was found to purify water at an exceptionally impressive rate. “There was one site where there was literally raw sewage being dumped into the stream, which had very high levels of bacteria,” she stated. “But we were really impressed with the performance of the paper; it was able to kill the bacteria almost completely in those samples.” “We need to get [this paper] into people's hand to see more of what the effects are going to be. There’s only so much you can do when you're a scientist on your own.” —Natural News HIGHER VITAMIN C LEVELS LINKED TO LOWER RISK OF HEMORRHAGIC STROKE A presentation at the American Academy of Neurology revealed a protective effect for high plasma levels of vitamin C against the risk of hemorrhagic stroke. Hemorrhagic stroke is characterized by bleeding in the brain and, although less common than ischemic stroke, is associated with a greater risk of mortality. “Scurvy is caused by vitamin C deficiency, specifically a plasma vitamin C concentration of less than 11 micromoles per liter, and may have hemorwww.earthstarmag.com rhagic manifestations,” write authors Stèphane Vannier, MD, of Pontchaillou University Hospital in Rennes, France and colleagues. “Vitamin C depletion (less than 38 micromoles per liter) is associated with cardiovascular diseases and could increase intracerebral hemorrhage risk.” “Our results show that vitamin C deficiency should be considered a risk factor for this severe type of stroke, as were high blood pressure, drinking alcohol and being overweight in our study,” Dr Vannier stated. “More research is needed to explore specifically how vitamin C may help to reduce stroke risk. For example, the vitamin may regulate blood pressure.” “There are multiple physiopathological mechanisms given the involvement of vitamin C in blood pressure regulation and collagen synthesis,” the authors note. “Additional work is required to confirm our findings.” —Life Extension Magazine OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 9 Earth Star Up Front Inflatable ‘Space Elevator’ Invented By Scientists A stronauts would ascend 12 miles into the stratosphere before taking off under new plans to build a space lift. It is an idea that every small child has had at some point. Instead of sending up rockets into space, why not simply build a huge lift. Now a Canadian firm has been granted a patent for a ‘space elevator’ which will shoot cargo 12.4 miles into the stratosphere from where it can be launched more easily. According to Thoth Technology, the lift would cut the cost of space flight by around one third because shuttles would not need to carry enormous amounts of fuel to get themselves off the ground. “Astronauts would ascend to 12 miles by electrical elevator,” said Dr Brendan Quine, the inventor. “From the top of the tower, space planes will launch in a single stage to orbit, returning to the top of the tower for refuelling and reflight.” Rockets are incredibly inefficient because they need huge amounts of power to get off the ground, using up most of their fuel fighting against inertia and atmospheric drag. Engineers had always believed that space elevators would be unfeasible because no material exists which could support itself at such a height— although diamond nano-threads have been suggested. However the new design by Thoth gets around the problem by only building the elevator to 12.4 miles so that it sits in the stratosphere rather than going all the way out into geostationary orbit, where satellites fly, which is around 22,000 miles up. Dubbed the ‘ThothX Tower’ it would be inflatable, made with reinforced segments and topped with a runway from which satellite payloads could be launched. It would stay upright using a complex arrangements of fly-wheels to compensate for the tower bending. The patent suggests that either pressurised cars would run in the core of the structure—like in traditional pneumatic tube message systems, or alternatively, 10 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 they could climb up the outside of the shaft like a funicular railway. Each car could carry around 10 tonnes of cargo. According to the designers, the tower could also be used for scientific research, communications, and generate energy from high up wind turbines. And the elevator could open up new possibilities for space tourism, bringing down the cost of flights and making travel more convenient. “Landing at 12 miles above sea level will make space flight more like taking a passenger jet,” said Thoth President and CEO, Caroline Roberts. Even though it does not go all the way to space, the blueprints suggest it would be 20 times taller than the current highest manmade structure, the Burj Khalifa, in Dubai. Space elevators were first suggested by Russian scientist K o n s t a n t i n Tsiolkovsky in 1895. Tsiolkovsky proposed a freestanding tower reaching into geostationary orbit. Arthur C Clarke also wrote about a space lift in his 1979 novel The Fountains of Paradise claiming it would bring down costs by transporting cargo directly up to satellites. Structural engineer Peter Debney, from Arup, last year proposed a space lift based on how cathedrals control their centre of gravity by tapering at the top. And in the US, the Washington based LiftPort Group is also planning is to use a ‘ribbon’ cable to transport material, robots and even humans to and from the surface of the Moon. It will be attached to a space station in a Lagrange Point—where the Moon and Earth’s gravity cancel each other out out—so a spacecraft or station can remain stationary. The cable from the station, dubbed the PicoGravity Laboratory (PGL), will drop down to a location on the Moon via an elevator positioned at an area called Sinus Medii, roughly in the middle of the face that looks towards Earth. —The Telegraph, UK www.earthstarmag.com Earth Star Up Front Huge, Newly Discovered Monument Dwarfs Nearby Stonehenge M ove over Stonehenge. The mysterious ancient monument looks to have an even larger neighbor hidden beneath a nearby bank as revealed by cutting-edge technology. Stonehenge is one of the most iconic examples of a prehistoric monument we have, but it turns out that it may be dwarfed in size by something buried underground less than two miles away. Researchers have been going over the area using ground-penetrating radar and other non-invasive technologies for the past few years and their data seems to show a major new stone monument. “Our high resolution ground penetrating radar data has revealed an amazing row of up to 90 standing stones a number of which have survived after being pushed over and a massive bank placed over the stones,” professor Wolfgang Neubauer, director of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Archaeological Prospection (LBI ArchPro), said in a release. The row of huge (some believed to have originally measured over 12 feet in length) buried stones run along the flank of Durrington Walls, a lesser-known but larger prehistoric site a short walk from Stonehenge. Many of the stones seemed to have been pushed over and then buried beneath a huge bank to form what one of the project leaders describes as a sort of "”fence or boundary” to an area that was likely one of the more important spots in Stone Age northwestern Europe. “This latest work has given us intriguing evidence for previously unknown features buried beneath the banks of the massive henge monument at Durrington Walls,” said Phil McMahon of the preservation organization Historic England. “The possibility that these features are stones raises fascinating questions about the history and development of this monument, and its relationship to the hugely important Neolithic settlement contained within it.” Stonehenge and Durrington Walls are believed to have been the site of neolithic burial and ritual grounds near the river Avon, dating back between 4,000 and 5,000 years. As Crave’s Michelle Starr reported last year, LBI ArchPro’s Hidden Landscapes Project has recently revealed a number of other historic monument sites in this ancient neighborhood, but this is the biggest find yet for the project. “I don’ think we could have anticipated finding not just a new monument underlying a very well known one, but to have these ruins of stone, it's a completely new bit of information... the like of which archaeology has never seen in Britain before,” lead researcher Vince Gaffney of LBI ArchPro told the BBC. —CNET Our Grocers Shelves Contain Food Ingredients Banned in Other Countries A ccording to the new book Rich Food, Poor Food, ingredients commonly found in up to 80 percent of all pre-packaged foods on grocers shelves in the U.S. have been banned in other countries. As alarming as such information is, our food safety outlook becomes even bleaker when we consider other banned and toxic food items. In the book, authors Mira and www.earthstarmag.com Jason Calton provide a list of banned ingredients as well as the countries which have banned them. Among the items is Olestra—commonly used in low/no-fat snack foods and known to cause serious gastrointestinal issues— which has been banned in the United Kingdom and Canada. Worse is brominated vegetable oil, a substance found in Mountain Dew and Fresca which has been banned in more than 100 countries. As the authors state, brominated vegetable oil “has been linked to basically every form of thyroid disease—from cancer to autoimmune diseases—known to man.” Other dangerous items listed include food colorings—such as yellow #5 and yellow #6, dyes used to make mac & cheese dinners visually appeal- ing. Those dyes are made from coal tar, an active ingredient in lice shampoo which has been linked to allergies, ADHD, and cancer in animals. Thanks in part to GM engineering, US produce contains serious levels of pesticides as well as herbicides such as Roundup and other glyphosphates. Researchers in Europe have found that the weed killer Roundup has serious toxic effects due to inert ingredients that amplify the toxicity of Roundup’s active ingredient, glyphosate. As a result, Roundup is banned in nearly every European country. Due to growth stimulators such as ractopine as well as antibiotics which are added to our meats, over 160 countries say “no” to U.S. meats. —The Best Years in Life OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 11 OCTOBR - NOVEMBER 2015 T he sun squares mighty Pluto on October 6th, 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. Sexual tension and mounting passions are also part of the mix, when the wise will avoid attempts at emotional manipulation. When Mercury sextiles Saturn also on the 6th (and again on Oct 13th) consider business decisions, and if planning to buy or sell real estate, or to sign or negotiate contracts, do so after Mercury resumes direct motion on the 9th. Organize your office or place of work for greater efficiency. Seek sage advice from an elder or authority figure. Be alert to self-destructive impulses or giving vent to suppressed anger when Mars opposes Neptune later on the 6th. Avoid artificial stimulants now, as one’s physical tolerance may be below par. Deception or deceit could be rife, and the truth behind actions or events may be deliberately obscured. Escapist tendencies prevail, so know where you’re going and what’s prompting your actions. Venus enters Virgo on the 8th (till Nov 8). Get in touch with your emotions during the next five weeks, identify what it is that ‘pushes your buttons’. Seek alliances with those who share your work or intellectual interests. Spruce up your place of work. After Mercury stations Direct on October 9th, in 01° Libra, formerly sluggish mental processes over the past three weeks will begin to accelerate and become more dependable. It’s celestially safe now to gradually move ahead with plans, and to sign 12 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 important documents, but only after careful consideration, as there'll be a tendency to want to rush matters over the next several days, so avoid making hasty decisions. Spend some quiet time alone when Venus squares Saturn on the 10th, as a more serious than social vibe pervades the ethers now. Consider ways to stabilize your cash flow. Giant Jupiter trines distant Pluto on the 11th for their first such precise (120°) alignment since October 2011. Self-improvement through creative enterprise and spiritual evolvement is encouraged now, and in the coming weeks. Relative to one's natal horoscope, the present house locations of Jupiter and Pluto indicate the life areas in which the transformation of stagnant conditions may have become necessary, in order for further evolutionary progress and personal growth to be made. Restlessness could inspire radical changes when the sun opposes Uranus later on the 11th. Anticipate the unexpected around this juncture. Back-up important computer files. Interpersonal relations are in the spotlight following October’s new moon on the 12th, in 20° Libra. Seek new creative alliances with like-minded individuals and groups during the next four weeks. The spirit of independence is abroad now, so give partners and colleagues plenty of space and latitude. Be willing to take action for what you believe in. Mars trines Pluto on the 15th, when levelheaded actions combine well with will power. Improve efficiency wherever possible. Begin a new physical exercise regimen. A saber rattling, passion-rousing conjunction between two boisterous heavyweights of the celestial pantheon, Mars and Jupiter, occurs on the 17th, in 15° of tropical Virgo. Events that transpire now could precipitate a veritable tidal wave of revolutionary sentiment. Many may rally to support a cause or respond to a call for help. Seek ways to revitalize financial or business practices when Venus trines Pluto on the 23rd, and greater harmony in close personal relationships. An intense but meaningful relationship could begin for some. Passions deepen later on the 23rd when the sun enters Scorpio (till Nov 22), while feelings and emotions are experienced more intensely. Use this four-week transit to regenerate and recharge yourself. Eliminate that which no longer serves a useful purpose in your life, as a new phase of growth and expansion begins shortly. A visually stunning alignment of Venus and Jupiter, the two benefics or gift-bearers of the zodiac, occurs on the 25th, when good vibrations and worldly success potential abound. Artistic interests and affairs of the heart can flourish. However, the ‘urge to splurge’ and go overboard with spending also pervades the ethers, so extra self-restraint may be called for now. An earthy full moon in 04° Taurus occurs on the 27th, 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. When the sun trines Neptune on October 30th, focused visualization on a desired outcome could bring rapid results, while creative artistry of all kinds can flourish, so give your imagination free rein! /www.earthstarmag.com Down To Earth Astrology Mercury slips quietly into Scorpio on November 1st (till Nov 20). Keep all communications on the level now, and avoid deception. Impassioned flights of fancy are not uncommon during this transit, when deep thoughts can emerge. Investigate recycling. Gender planets Venus and Mars align in conjunction on the 2nd, promoting harmony between, and among, the sexes. Indeed, love may bloom, for those available, and passions will be on the rise. This alignment is favorable for most forms of creative self-expression. The sun sextiles Pluto on the 5th, when efforts geared toward self-improvement are strongly favored. An opportunity may arise to express your unique creative abilities through business or career activities, so be enterprising. Carpé diem! A moment of awareness could provide the solution to an old problem when Mercury trines Neptune on the 6th. New ideas or experiences may come your way, while spiritual or metaphysical study now could be particularly enlightening. is not serving our highest good. As Scorpio is the sign of regeneration, where this lunation falls in one’s horoscope can indicate the life area that is ripe for release and rebirth. Resolve sensitive issues around intimacy during the next four weeks. The changes you make now will stimulate new growth and creative enterprise in the months ahead. and visions for the future. Mars enters Libra on the 12th (till Jan 3), a time to avoid unnecessary competitiveness and impatience, as egos are more easily bruised. Productivity now may depend on the cooperation or approval of others. Indeed, we can learn much about ourselves through our interactions with others during this period. Mercury squares Neptune late on the 24th, 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. Venus sextiles Saturn on the 13th, when the reestablishment of a past tie or connection may have karmic implications. Reorganize business affairs now to increase stability and efficiency. Seek financial investors for business ventures. Discuss partnership or business expectations. Be considerate of partners, close associates and friends when a potentially troublesome opposition between Venus and Uranus occurs on the 23rd. Emotions are excitable and volatile now. Forbidden fruit may seem appealing. Be sure to tighten purse strings! November’s full moon culminates on the 25th, in 04° Gemini. One’s everyday physical circumstances may in some way come into focus in the days around this lunation. Some may be contemplating a change of surroundings, while it could even be forced upon others. Release whatever or whomever no longer serves you now, particularly in regard to associations that may no longer have relevance. Observe how you communicate around this juncture for ways in which you may improve interpersonal relations. Venus moves out of Virgo and enters Libra on the 8th, till Dec 4th, signaling a time to cultivate artistic abilities, and to seek greater harmony in all relationships—personal, social, and business. When the sun and Mercury align in conjunction in 25° Scorpio on the 17th, you’ll be more inclined to want to express your thoughts and views. Indeed, this is often a planetary transit that coincides with important announcements. Be on the lookout for business or educational opportunities. There are forceful, dynamic energies at work as Mercury sextiles Pluto on the 10th, 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 and unnecessary effort. Passions and physical desires are dramatically increased now, so be aware of the motivations that prompt your actions. After five months in retrograde, Neptune, planet of mystery, imagination and deception stations Direct on November 18th, in 08° Pisces. Neptune’s directional shifts often coincide with strange or unexpected events, peculiar behavior, and anomalous weather or geophysical activities for several days either side of its station. Don’t believe all that you see or hear around this period. Remain alert, be observant, but avoid jumping to conclusions. Later 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 pursuit 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. Steady progress can be made in business, commerce, and legal affairs, following Mercury’s arrival in Sagittarius on the 20th (till Dec 9). However, be aware of the consequences of your actions. Get plenty of mental and physical exercise during this intellectually stimulating transit. A sobering conjunction between the sun and Saturn perfects later on the 29th, in 08° Sagittarius, when a career or educational opportunity could appear unannounced. Seek vocational guidance, if necessary. Forget petty frustrations by focusing on your work or responsibilities. When the sun enters Sagittarius on November 22nd, review your values and ideals over the next month; are they ‘up to speed’ with today’s rapidly changing world? Give some serious thought to your dreams Following is a general overview of how the planetary trends for October/November, 2015 apply to each sun sign. If you know your rising sign (Ascendant), read that, too, for additional insights. November’s new moon on the 11th occurs in 19°01’ Scorpio, inspiring us to act and speak with power in the weeks ahead, and to transform that which is no longer working for us or www.earthstarmag.com Saturn squares Neptune precisely on the 26th, when patience and clarity of intent will be essential criteria if contemplating major career moves. Fears, anxieties and insecurities are more readily elicited now, as confidence levels temporarily dip. Guard against deception, particularly in business matters. Some time spent alone in quiet contemplation or meditation, perhaps upon realistic career objectives, would be beneficial. Keep a firm grip on reality when the sun squares Neptune on the 29th, as escapist tendencies can, quite literally, lead the unwary astray. Stay on track; know where you’re going. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 13 Down To Earth Astrology Aries (March 20—April 19) You are becoming more aware and more appreciative of the importance of the roles played by certain significant others in your life, as the value of your nearest and dearest becomes more apparent. Work may be plentiful these days, but be sure to lock in your options for the future. This would be a good time to revamp your health and fitness regimen. Look into any chronic ailments, as a resolution may be close at hand. Make an effort to get more physical exercise, as you may have more need for stamina to handle the extra workload as the Holidays approach. Taurus (April 19—May 20) The winds of change are blowing through your employment sector in October, when adjustments to your schedule might be necessary, to accommodate an increasing workload. Some of you may receive a new assignment, involving more travel and meetings, while others amongst you might reorganize their workspace to improve efficiency. Pay attention to your diet and health regimen. Is your body getting the exercise and proper nutrition that it requires to maintain optimal performance levels? As you are likely to be busier than usual, you will benefit from higher energy reserves. Gemini (May 20—June 21) A creative enterprise dear to your heart may be transforming into a project of much broader scope than was originally envisaged, and as a result, could be much more successful. Activities around the home will also keep you busy, with remodeling, decorating or a clean out of junk amongst the possibilities, perhaps in preparation for the Holidays. A new professional alliance or affiliation could make a goal seem more readily attainable, though it may necessitate some adjustments to your game plan. Keep your schedule and options flexible and open. Cancer (June 21—July22) Much-needed changes in your domestic environment could be taking place, with a move possible for some. A shift may also be 14 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 taking place deep within you, as you begin to purge thought patterns and emotional ‘hot button’ issues that no longer serve your highest good and evolution, to be replaced with a more positive mindset and self-image. As a consequence, your professional aspirations now reflect this new ‘feel good’ factor, with a bold new set of objectives. Leo (July 22—August 23) A change of mind or heart could set you on a new path this fall, one that is more in alignment with your hopes and dreams, and perhaps a cherished personal objective. One such goal might be balancing your checkbook, and bringing your personal finances under control. You may even be able to add to your income, as your stock-in-trade on the job could now return huge dividends in the weeks and months ahead. Virgo (August 23—September 23) Libra (September 23—October 23) Seeds for new financial growth can be planted now, as fresh revenue streams become available to you. Bringing stability and reliability to your cash flow will also help to ensure more peace of mind. Stability is important to you now; you need a firm and secure foundation upon which to build your hopes and dreams for the future. This, in turn, boosts your self-confidence, to which others will respond favorably. If you need a special favor, ask for it now. Just be tactful in your approach. You’re in your element during October, when your creative muse is in overdrive. Bright ideas and novel notions can flow freely now, unobstructed by distracting thoughts or fleeting fears. Use this time to make new plans for the future, particularly professional or educational objectives. It may be possible to increase your income in November, when prior efforts begin to bear fruit. Events around this time can have a ‘fated’ quality to them, as though destiny is calling you in one direction or another. Use your powers of discernment to make wise choices. www.earthstarmag.com Down To Earth Astrology Scorpio (October 23—November 22) Your world is turning rather more quickly these days, so it's all the more important to make ample quiet time for yourself in which to regroup and recharge. Nervous energy levels could be especially high. However, there's nothing like a surge of adrenaline to help you get through your work, chores, and indeed your day, with relative ease. You may take on additional financial responsibilities; you could also make substantial gains by doing so. If so, spend wisely, and set aside something for the proverbial ‘rainy day.’ Sagittarius (December 21—January 19) You’re riding high in the cosmic tide during October, when opportunities to ply your trade can abound, so keep your instincts finely tuned, and network as freely as your schedule will allow. Distant climes may beckon and travel could be on your agenda; it might even be work-related, but more likely for pleasure. You're certainly keen to get out there in the world, perhaps in the company of friends, or family. Spend some quiet time alone to reflect upon your hopes and dreams for the future, as well as to recharge your batteries as the Holidays approach. www.earthstarmag.com (January 19—February 18) A need to broaden your horizons, both personal and professional, spurs you on to consider your options for self-improvement. Going back to school to learn a new craft, trade or skill might be one option. Sharing what you know with others in some form of teaching capacity could be another. You may also be striving to bring stability and balance to your financial affairs, and won’t rest until you succeed! Such is your determination. A new professional opportunity could come your way as the Holidays approach, so be on the look out. Pisces (November 21—December 21) You may be feeling the yoke of responsibility more keenly upon your shoulders these days, now that serious Saturn is becoming reacquainted with your sign. This can be a good thing, as it can propel you beyond your ‘comfort zone’ to take on challenges that you normally wouldn't consider. You might also have one or two new objectives in mind, as your ambition, along with your stock-in-trade, each receive a significant boost. Be sure to allow yourself adequate ‘down’ time, in which to recharge, and to assess the progress you've made. Capricorn Aquarius (February 18—March 20) In the wake of the recent Harvest Moon it’s time to purge the unwanted or unnecessary elements from your life, beginning with thought processes that no longer serve your highest good and evolution. You are both cognizant and appreciative of the help and support you receive from your nearest and dearest, and this would be an appropriate juncture at which to let them know how much they mean to you. Your thoughts turn towards the future, and various options that may lie before you. Professional decisions taken now can have a profound and long-lasting effect on your worldly endeavors. 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 interpretations 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 [email protected] http://www.earthstarmag.com OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 15 Memories of Heaven Children’s A stounding Recollections o f t he T ime Before T hey C ame t o E arth By Dr. Wayne W. Dyer I have enjoyed a lifetime love affair with children, particularly newborns, infants, and toddlers. If a baby is in the room, it’s almost as if there is a magnetic connection that draws my attention and I must make contact. Being the father of eight children, I have spent countless hours simply gazing into the eyes of a brand-new arrival into our family. In these private moments, I often send silent inquisitive messages asking them to tell me about God and what the formless spiritual world is like. I have passed many, many hours of my life lying on the floor making direct contact with our new arrivals. I’ve long been fascinated by the fact that children just show up here with personality traits. I love to ask little toddlers who are only beginning to communicate with language to tell me what they remember about their experiences before coming here for this earthly incarnation. In fact, this entire book was created because my coauthor, Dee Garnes, engaged in such a conversation with 16 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 her little boy, Marcus, who was just learning how to communicate in single words. (You can read about this joyful conversation in Dee’s Introduction, which follows mine.) I have asked adults from all walks of life to share the wisdom of their little ones, and I have included many of my own experiences with my children’s recollections in this book. After reading through the responses that Dee and I received from people all over the planet, I am more than convinced that there is much more to our lives than the few short years we are allotted here on Earth. And our young boys and girls are the ones who can offer us a glimpse into the unfathomable, infinite, invisible world that is for all of us to discover. After all, they haven’t had much time to truly forget. I have always loved the poem written by the English poet William Wordsworth, titled “Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood.” One of the lines says: “Our birth is but a sleep and a for- getting.” As I would look into the eyes of one of my own newborns, I would frequently contemplate what the poet is saying here. This entire human experience is like a dream: we sleep, we dream, and then we awaken, forgetting all of those wondrous experiences in our dream state. But sometimes we can recall some tidbits of that dream, particularly if we have very recently emerged from sleep. As I would look at this newly arrived miracle in my lap, I’d feel the truth of Wordsworth’s words. Our birth may indeed be a sleep, but not all of it is forgotten by children, and it was thanks to that idea that this compilation was born. Every remembrance cited here came from children who seem to have these recollections, just as we adults do when attempting to explain what has taken place in that mysterious dream world we enter every night, and live in for at least one-third of our time here. Dee and I have gone through thousands upon thousands of entries that were sent to us when we asked for personal anecdotes about young children’s memories of heaven. So many of the stories that my own children relayed to me when they were just learning to talk, which I thought were unique to me and our family, have actually turned out to be quite universal in nature— countless people gave us almost identical stories about children reporting how they remembered choosing their parents for this journey, how they had invisible friends that only they could see, memories of past lives in the same family, visitations with God, and on and on. Today there is an entire literature filled with rigorous scientific evidence of past lives and the presence of angels among us. I myself have had a very powerful journey to a previous life, and I have had my mind expanded by my close association with many highly respected scholars who have provided convincing testimony for the reality of the infinite spiritual realm. But it is out of the mouths of these babes, who have recently shown up here and still have some remnants of heaven clinging to them—which they talk about unequivocally— that we are all provided with clues to the world beyond. It is to those voices that this book is dedicated. In Wordsworth’s “Recollections of Early Childhood” he gives us this to chew on as well: “The Soul that rises with us, our life’s Star, / Hath had elsewhere its setting, / And cometh from afar . . . From God, who is our home. As you read through these enthralling commentaries about the world beyond what we see and experience with our five senses, know that these little beings are drenched in the heaven that is our home. They have so much to teach us all. Excerpted from Memories of Heaven: Children’s Astounding Recollections of the Time Before They Came to Earth by Dr. Wayne W. Dyer and Dee Garnes, with permission from the publisher, Hay House; http://www.hayhouse.com OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 17 Fall Reading Miraculous Silence A Journey to Illumination and Healing Through Prayer By Mitra Rahbar Like so many immigrants before her, Mitra Rahbar was challenged to find her way in an unfamiliar land. She was sustained by an ever-deepening prayer life that led her to her soul’s core. Turning outward, she pursued a life of service—first as a social worker and then as a spiritual teacher, healer, and guide. Having worked with students from many walks of life for more than thirty years, Rahbar has a deep understanding of what spiritual seekers long to learn and how best to teach them. In Miraculous Silence, Rahbar takes us on a journey into the sacred space of prayer and spiritual healing. She shares practical instruction on how to pray and meditate, as well as some of her own prayers to inspire and encourage us. She also explores the healing power of stones and other natural elements. The Spiritual Awakening Guide Kundalini, Psychic Abilities, and the Conditioned Layers of Reality By Mary Mueller Shutan The first modern, comprehensive resource on spiritual awakenings, this pragmatic, clear guide covers everything from the first step on a spiritual journey to enlightenment, and the different types of spiritual awakenings we may go through. Using the concept of the twelve layers that cover an awakened state, Mary Mueller Shutan addresses every step of the spiritual journey, starting with the Self and showing how family, ancestral, past lives, karmic, archetypal, and other larger layers such as societal, cultural, global, and cosmic energies condition us to sleep and obscure our realization of an awakened state. Instructions for how to navigate through each of these layers and how to recognize where we are in our spiritual journey are included each step of the way along with common physical, emotional, and spiritual symptoms that may be experienced Findhorn Press. Paperback, $19.95. Tarcher/Penguin. Paperback, $15.95. The Witches’ Ointment Essence The Secret History of Psychedelic Magic By Thomas Hatsis The Emotional Path to Spirit By Jacob Watson In the medieval period preparations with hallucinogenic herbs were part of the practice of veneficium, or poison magic. Examining trial records and the pharmacopoeia of witches, alchemists, folk healers, and heretics of the 15th century, Thomas Hatsis details how a range of ideas from folk drugs to ecclesiastical fears over medicine women merged to form the classical “witch” stereotype and what history has called the “witches’ ointment.”: He shares dozens of psychoactive formulas and recipes gleaned from rare manuscripts from university collections from all over the world as well as the practices and magical incantations necessary for their preparation. Essence: The Emotional Path to Spirit is packed with wise, fierce and gentle emotional and spiritual teachings that describe how our natural emotions clear a path to the spiritual life. Using a holistic model of health—body, heart, mind and soul—and illustrated by stories of tragedy, death, and illumination that guided the author through his personal healing, Essence is like having an intense spiritual workshop in your own hands. Includes meditations and spiritual practices in each chapter. O-Books. Paperback, $20.95. Park Street Press. Paperback, $19.95. The Yoga of Relationships Loving Your Weight Off The Metaphysical & Practical Tools for Living Forever Lean By Londin Angel Winters Loving Your Weight Off is about achieving the body you desire using the power of love. As this book will show you, it doesn’t last. Love works. It worked so well for Londin Angel Winters that she won a figure contest at the age of 38 using the techniques she presents in this book. Most importantly, she found a way to maintain the results with ease and joy. If you’ve always wanted to be lean but cannot stand another day of food obsession and deprivation, the tools in this book will offer you a beautiful path to having what you want and enjoying the journey. Metaphysical Fitness. Paperback, $19.95. 18 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 A Practical Guide for Loving Yourself and Others By Yogi Amrit Desai Life itself is an experience of relationships. Using the Yoga Sutras of Pantajali as guide, world-renowned yoga master Amrit Desai, recognized as one of the pioneers of the authentic teachings of yoga in the West, melds ancient wisdom with modern practicality as he offers piercing insight into the nature of relationships as a road map to fulfillment. Appendix includes outline of the basic observances of Yoga, Guidelines for day-to-day living, and meditations on healing relationships. Monkfish Publishing. Paperback, $16.00. www.earthstarmag.com Fall Reading Bouncing Forward Transforming Bad Breaks into Breakthroughs By Michaela Haas The uplifting science of posttraumatic growth presents groundbreaking research and proven methods to survive and thrive in the face of challenges. Twelve inspiring role models share their profound insights on how they emerged from hardship stronger, wiser, and more compassionate—from civil rights icon Maya Angelou, who healed deep childhood trauma; flight surgeon Rhonda Cornum, who found a new purpose after being captured in Iraq; renowned autistic pioneer Temple Grandin, who overcame crippling panic attacks; and famed jazz guitarist Coco Schumann, who played for his life in Auschwitz. In Bouncing Forward, Michaela Haas draws upon powerful storytelling, psychology, history, and twenty years of Buddhist practice to reshape the way we think of crisis. Enliven Books/Atria. Hardcover, $26.99. In this book of remarkable stories, we learn firsthand about the many different forms of the “aha” moment of shamanic awakening, whether they arise from ceremony, near-death experiences, dream messages, or entheogenic substances. We travel alongside Sandra Ingerman, Hank Wesselman, John Perkins, Alberto Villoldo, Lewis Mehl-Madrona, Tom Cowan, Lynn Andrews, Linda Star Wolf, and other well-known shamanic practitioners as they begin their transformations into the prominent shamans we know them as. We experience the real-life shamanic epiphanies of those with unique shamanic paths--teachers, mothers, social workers, academics, healers, and even rappers who have all experienced a moment in time in which they were awakened and the shamanic path showed itself to them. Destiny Books. Paperback, $18.95. Reflexology Made Easy Crystal Prescriptions Volume 4 Self-Help Techniques For Everyday Ailments By Ewald Kliegel the A-Z guide to chakra balancing crystals and kundalini activation stones By Judy Hall Rapid relief for minor ailments Reflex zone massage can be a direct and effective aid for many small daily complaints, but you have to learn ‘the how’ and ‘the where’. This handy reference book explains just how to find relief from headaches, colds and fear of flying, along with coping with long car journeys or lengthy days at your computer, all with just a few reflex zone massage strokes. You’ll never want to be without your helpful companion! Earthdancer. Paperback, $9.95. The Book of Secret Wisdom The Prophetic Record of Human Destiny and Evolution Translated by Zinovia Dushkova The Book of Secret Wisdom includes a newly released excerpt from the million-year-old manuscript widely known as the Book of Dzyan, originally written in Senzar, a Sanskrit-like language, and translated by Dr. Zinovia Dushkova in 1995. Iin the 19th century, the Great Masters of Wisdom permitted Madame Blavatsky, the world-renowned founder of the Theosophical Society, to study the most ancient manuscripts secretly stored in Tibet. In 1889 Helena Blavatsky stated, “During the last quarter of every hundred years an attempt is made by those ‘Masters’ to help on the spiritual progress of humanity in a marked and definite way.” In 1995, the Masters of Wisdom allowed Dr. Zinovia Dushkova to translate twelve new stanzas from this mysterious book. However, unlike the nineteen stanzas of Dzyan published in Blavatsky’s masterwork, The Secret Doctrine, the new excerpt is translated in simple and understandable language. Dr. Dushkova encourages readers to examine the evidence presented and then listen to their own heart alone. Radiant Books. Paperback, $16.95. www.earthstarmag.com Shamanic Transformations True Stories of the Moment of Awakening Edited by Itzhak Beery This handy directory provides all you need to know about crystals for the chakras, subtle energy bodies and raising kundalini. There are many more chakras than the conventional seven that have traditionally been in use. As the frequency of the human organism is raised, additional chakras are opening up to assimilate higher dimensional energy. This frequency uplift can be facilitated by stimulating the rise of kundalini energy, which in turn can be activated with appropriate crystals. Volume 4 in the A-Z series assists you to identify exactly the right crystal to release any blockages and return the chakras to a state of equilibrium. This will enable the higher chakras to open and controlled kundalini rise to occur. O-Books. Paperback, $17.95. When Life Cried Out One Woman’s Spiritual Quest to Be Fully Alive By Paddy Fievet, Ph.D. When Life Cried Out is a courageous woman’s amazing adventure as she surrendered to the Spiritual to discover what life and self-love are all about. Trapped in a loveless marriage, Paddy Fievet experienced more dark nights than she did Light. Instead of knowing who she was from a spiritual, innate truth, she spent most of her time living as others wished her to live. In utter despair one stormy night, she dropped to her knees in prayer. With complete earnest, she asked God to eliminate everything in her life that was standing in the way of her spirituality. It was quite a brave prayer. Cloverhurst Publications. Paperback, $14.95. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 19 The Anunnaki Chronicles A Zecharia Sitchin Reader By Zecharia Sitchin Edited by Janet Sitchin Providing an insider’s look into the decades of research behind Zecharia Sitchin’s complete works as well as an in-depth overview of his theories, this collection includes carefully selected chapters from the Earth Chronicles series as well as never-beforepublished letters, articles, and lectures. We learn about the genesis of his first book The 12th Planet, and get to read never-before-published lectures, culled from Sitchin’s decades of presentations, as well as the article that spurred the writing of There Were Giants Upon the Earth. Each piece includes an introduction by Sitchin’s niece, offering context and insight into Sitchin’s passionate work. These introductions reveal the man behind the theories, a world traveler known for his scholarship, dry humor, and precisely chosen words. If his theories are true, as Sitchin wholeheartedly believed, then this collection presents some of the most important knowledge we have of our origins and future Bear & Company. Hardcover, $24.00. Get Your Life Back Learn to Cope with Stress Anxiety Depression By Mary Heath Whilst working in a mental health setting for 30 years Mary Heath soon discovered that everyone she encountered shared a similar problem: no one appeared to have any knowledge at all of how to cope with the stress of life and its consequences. The great majority of patients had no coping skills or strategies at all. No one had been taught how to deal with stress, and many didn’t even know what stress was and why they felt so helpless, so alone and so afraid. Mary on the other hand had a very large tool box and a set of skills that helped all of them to change their lives around and become healthier and stronger in every way. Many of the techniques and therapies Mary used can be found in this book Findhorn Press. Paperback, $19.95. The Inner Heart of Reiki Rediscovering Your True Self By Frans Stiene The Inner Heart of Reiki is the first Reiki book to look at the inner heart of the spiritual teachings of the system of Reiki. It will take practitioners and teachers to a whole new level of understanding about their practice and about the way they teach—a must read for all students of Reiki. AYNI Books. Paperback, $16.95. Angels The Definitive Guide to Angels from Around the World By Marie-Ange Faugerolas Angels appear in every major world religion—from Christianity to Judaism, Islam to the Native American Thunderbirds. This book is a celebration of all the world’s divine messengers and a definitive resource containing all of the knowledge collected about these awe-inspiring beings. Rigorously researched, Angels is packed with knowledge about these protectors and guides. This substantial tome of ancient and modern angel wisdom offers a perspective on a world we could only have previously imagined, as well as practical tools to bring more love, light, and energy into our lives. Tarcher/Penguin. Paperback, $19.95. Sh*t Happens, Magic Follows A Life of Challenges, Change and Miracles By Carmen Harris Carmen Harris, 30 years a creative and TV scriptwriter, stumbled into becoming a healer when, totally unexpectedly, the awakened energy in the palms of her hands roused a terminally-ill cancer patient from an unresponsive state. The narrative of extraordinary events in her life can only be described as magical and is captured in the premise of this book: Magic is available to all of us. It is our birthright, calling to us during times of great hardship and difficulty. When we allow it into our lives, amazing transformations can and do take place. O-Books. Paperback, $26.95. Sidewalk Oracles Playing with Signs, Symbols, and Synchronicity in Everyday Life By Robert Moss Renowned author Robert Moss has spent his career investigating the power and purpose of the unconscious and dreams. In this delightfully accessible guide, he puts the magical realm of the multiverse within readers’ easy reach. He teaches readers to become what he calls "kairomancers" by seeing and using the truly marvelous multidimensional universe. No exceptional knowledge is needed to do so; the tools Moss highlights simply allow people to utilize, rather than brush off, the signs they encounter every day—synchronicities, mysterious signs and symbols. Moss offers specific techniques for posing questions and reading the symbols that appear. Instead of walking through life tuned in to an unproductive inner soundtrack, the kairomancer feels the sidewalk she treads, hears the messages awaiting receipt, and sees the extraordinary in the ordinary. New World Library. Paperback, $15.95. 20 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 www.earthstarmag.com The Book of SHE Your Heroine’s Journey into the Heart of Feminine Power By Sara Avant Stover The Book of SHE celebrates all that it means to be a woman, from mythological underpinnings to the cycles of our day-today lives. Drawing on archetypes including Mary Magdalene, the Dark Goddess, and Green Tara, Sara Avant Stover will guide you on a journey home to psychological wholeness, personal empowerment, and, ultimately, full feminine spiritual Awakening. Brimming with mystery and magic, this provocative book makes ancient wisdom and healing practices accessible to every woman who is ready to revel in her full femininity—the dark and the light—through joyfully becoming the heroine of her own life. New World Library. Papernack, $16.95. Life Pulse Massage Taoist Techniques for Enhanced Circulation and Detoxification By Mantak Chia and Aisha Sieburth In this fully illustrated guide to Life Pulse Massage, Master Mantak Chia details abdominal massage practices to open restricted blood vessels, direct blood flow to specific areas for healing, release arterial tension to rebalance high or low blood pressure, and detoxify individual organs and body systems such as the liver, lungs, lymph nodes, and colon. He shows how to clear and activate the master pulses of the navel and aorta and synchronize these master pulses with the 52 pulses of the whole body for optimum circulation and energy balance. He explains the ancient art of reading pulses to diagnose organ health as well as how to recognize internal health states through the unique positions and shapes of the navel. Destiny Books. Paperback, $18.95. The Little Book of Dragons Finding your spirit guide By Christine Arana Fader When you are touched by a dragon, you feel the depth of its love. This incomparable energy allows us to find the place in life that is meant for us, as Christine Arana Fader, the ‘dragon woman’, powerfully shows with these entrancing stories from her daily life. Granting us a glimpse of the mystical world of dragons, she will help us to get to know our own dragon, a close personal companion who will share its invincibility, its wisdom and its magic with us. ...and you will grow as a person and find your own path. Earthdancer Books. Paperback, $14.95. OMG! How Children See God By Monica Parker OMG! is a magical window into how children view God. Its humor is timeless and satisfying and rich with insight. It's a book that speaks to people—no matter who they are or where they live—especially given the state of our troubled world. It will make them think, re-evaluate, and without a doubt, smile. OMG! showcases the differences and yet the similarities that kids of every economic, cultural and religious background share. Funny, poignant and galvanizing with deeply rooted sentiments that will never go out of fashion. Health Communications, Inc. Paperback, $12.95 The Slow Down Diet Eating for Pleasure, Energy, and Weight Loss 10th Anniversary Edition By Marc David In this 10th anniversary edition, Marc David presents a new way to understand our relationship to food, focusing on quality and the pleasure of eating to transform and improve metabolism. Citing cutting-edge research on body biochemistry as well as success stories from his own nutritional counseling practice, he shows that we are creatures of body, mind, and spirit and that when we attend to these levels simultaneously we can shed excess pounds, increase energy, and enhance digestion to feel rejuvenated and inspired. He presents an eight-week program that allows readers to explore their unique connection to food, assisting them in letting go of their fears, guilt, and old habits so they can learn to treat their bodies in a dignified and caring way. Healing Arts Press. Paperback, $14.95. www.earthstarmag.com In Search of the Luminous Heart From the Mountains of Naranjito, Puerto Rico to the Mountains of Crestone, Colorado By Victoria Rivera McKinley Beginning with her family’s origins as tenant farmers in the mountains of Puerto Rico, Victoria Rivera Mckinley leads readers through dramatic and painful events, which in spite of psychological explanations, add up to experiences that are much larger. She shows how a family of ten children survive and learn to look out for one another. This is a success story, but not simply because the author leaves Puerto Rico and becomes a psychotherapist in America. Rivera McKinley offers an extraordinary perspective that finds truth in how each person lives experience in his or her own way. Her own journey ends in the Rocky Mountains, where Buddhist teachings offer her a spiritual and philosophical framework with which to understand her life. O-Books. Paperback, $29.95. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 21 Grow N ew B rain C ells By Forrest Ritiker F or years, scientists believed brain shrinkage was inevitable and irreversible. Cutting-edge research has shown that brain cells can regenerate. An amino acid called taurine plays an important role in creating new brain cells. Researchers found that taurine increased the growth of brain cells by activating “sleeping” stem cells. Taurine also increased the survival of new neurons, resulting in an increase in adult brain cell creation. Recent studies reveal that taurine has unique biochemical properties that promote new brain cell formation. Animal studies show that taurine triggers new brain cells to grow in the hippocampus, the area of the brain most concerned with memory. This can lead to dramatic improvements in cognition and recall. Low levels of taurine have been observed in patients with Parkinson’s disease. In addition to these impressive brain benefits, taurine also boosts cardiac function and reduces arterial stiffness as well as reducing the negative impacts of metabolic syndrome. In fact, taurine supplementation 22 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 added to the drug metformin has been shown to offer tremendous reductions in tissue damage. Taurine levels fall significantly with age, leaving the brain, heart, kidneys, and other tissues deprived of this vital healing compound–—one capable of rescuing dying cells and restoring cellular communication. Experts are beginning to recognize that with age, many can experience a taurine deficiency that is a real and fundamental threat to health. The great news is that taurine is a super low-cost supplement, meaning everyone can benefit from its potential to slow and reverse degenerative processes. Taurine Grows New Brain Cells For years, scientists believed that brain shrinkage (atrophy) was an unstoppable degenerative process. New research reveals this loss of brain matter is partially caused by reversible processes. This knowledge opens the door to a new paradigm—one that aims to restore brain structure and function—as opposed to simply treating the symptoms. www.earthstarmag.com One of the chief requirements for growing fresh brain cells is a little known amino acid: taurine. Taurine has a surprising number of critical actions concerning how cells protect and renew themselves. Because taurine levels decline with age, older adults are unable to maintain the level of new brain cell formation required to preserve their youthful responses to toxic and metabolic insults. This taurine deficiency may lie at the heart of some of our most dreaded brain disorders. Studies now show that restoring taurine content in brain cells can reverse these trends, and rejuvenate brain structure and function. Animal studies show that taurine triggers new brain cells to grow in the hippocampus, a brain region centrally involved in memory. A study published in the journal Stem Cell Research found that taurine supplementation in middle-aged mice increased the growth of new cells in regions of the brain associated with learning and memory. It accomplished this by activating “hibernating” stem cells that were then capable of maturing into several different kinds of cells. In fact, one study showed that when human neural precursor cells (the early-stage neurons and supporting cells in the brain), were cultured with taurine, it produced significantly more brain cells, demonstrating how taurine stimulates stem-like cells to differentiate into functioning brain cells. In animals, taurine deficiency impairs brain growth by delaying normal neuronal development. Lab studies show that taurine can reverse this problem. When taurine-deficient brain cells are grown in culture and then taurine is added, it results in a sharp increase in the development of new cells. This is attributed to multiple mechanisms of action, including improved mitochondrial function; activation of genes required for normal proliferation, survival, and energy functioning; and blocking chemical signals that inhibit neuronal cell regeneration. In addition to promoting the growth of new brain cells, taurine enhances neurites, which are tiny projections that help brain cells to communicate with each other. Neurites maximize connections between those cells, along which electrical impulses flow to sup- www.earthstarmag.com port memory, cognition, feeling, and thinking. Over time, chemical stresses and toxins can damage these neurites, contributing to slower cognition in older people. A lab study revealed that taurine restores normal neurite growth in nerves exposed to toxic chemicals, largely through its protective effects against chemical stresses. The findings that taurine can genuinely rejuvenate damaged brains are truly revolutionary, and are beginning to change the way scientists and neurologists are thinking about age- and trauma-related brain changes. Taurine’s Benefits For Brain Conditions Two specific conditions taurine has been shown to help benefit are Parkinson’s disease and depression. Human studies show that taurine plasma levels are reduced in patients with Parkinson’s disease, suggesting both a potential contribution to the disease—and a possible treatment. This problem is compounded by the fact that standard treatment of Parkinson’s symptoms involves the drug levodopa, which may further deplete taurine. This makes it particularly important for Parkinson’s patients to supplement with this versatile amino acid. Supplementing with taurine is also important for those suffering from depression. Depression is particularly prevalent in diabetics; indeed, there’s a strong school of thought that chronic blood sugar elevations are involved in depression and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Intriguingly, taurine supplementation in diabetic rats has been shown to improve depressive-like behaviors; in addition, supplementation improved the diabetes-damaged neurotransmitter function, which helped lead to improved short-term memory. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW Taurine Promotes Brain Cell Regeneration • Taurine is a free amino acid that is vital in slowing key ageaccelerating processes, particularly in the central nervous and cardiovascular systems. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 23 • Laboratory studies show that taurine can achieve what was once thought to be impossible—stimulate new growth and connections of brain cells, which raises the real possibility for restoration of youthful brain function in older adults. • Taurine levels decrease with age and with metabolic and neurological disease. • Supplementation with taurine, in both animal and human studies, demonstrates the age-decelerating effects of this amino acid. • Laboratory studies reveal dramatic improvements in cognition and memory in taurine-supplemented animals, and suggest that human supplementation might slow or reverse changes seen in Parkinson’s disease. • Taurine supplementation boosts cardiac function and reduces arterial stiffness, both contributors to early death from heart disease and stroke. • Those with metabolic syndrome also stand to gain from taurine supplements, which substantially reduce that syndrome’s negative impacts on cardiovascular risk. cle is a major contributor to high blood pressure and resulting cardiovascular disease. Fortunately, taurine is known to have blood pressure-reducing and heart muscle-protecting effects. In a lab study, human artery segments were immersed in a chemical bath that induced contractions similar to those that occur during an angina episode or heart attack. The addition of taurine to the bath resulted in relaxation of the artery. Animal and lab studies also show that taurine supplementation can mitigate ischemia-reperfusion injury, a major cause of long-term heart failure and further dysfunction. This type of injury occurs when there is a loss of blood flow to the heart muscle (ischemia) followed by the restoration of blood flow (reperfusion). Both processes can lead to an energy crisis and high amounts of reactive chemicals. Ischemia-reperfusion injury is severely exacerbated by high sugar intake and diabetes because of negative effects on nervous system signals. Taurine supplementation can abolish those aberrant signals and improve arterial blood pressure following such an injury. Solving Your Heart’s Energy Crisis HOW TAURINE ENHANCES BRAIN FUNCTION Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in US adults. A recent study in mice has, for the first time, suggested that taurine might prolong life span by improving heart muscle function. The study used mice genetically engineered to be profoundly taurine deficient, a state that causes premature aging and severe heart problems, eventually resulting in early death. Painstaking work in other animal models revealed why taurine deficiency leads to these severe effects. Taurine deficiency disrupts the “electron transport chain,” which reduces the amount of energy-rich adenosine triphosphate (ATP) available for heart cells to support their contractions, leading to decreased pumping ability of the heart. That fundamental finding—that low taurine levels contribute to or exacerbate poor heart muscle function— is now being corroborated by lab and animal studies demonstrating improvements in heart or blood vessel performance. Poor or unregulated control of arterial smooth mus- Taurine has the unique ability to help promote new brain cell formation—but its benefits don’t end there. Taurine has several other important properties that preserve and enhance brain function: • Taurine restores to aging brain cells the ability to prevent and clean up after chemical stresses from reactive molecules, to fight brain inflammation, and to generate brain cell relaxing and stimulating signals at appropriate times. • Taurine increases the electrical activity (signaling ability) in nerve cells through effects on calcium, a key element required for proper electrical function of neurons. • Taurine can favorably mimic the actions of certain neurotransmitters, the chemical signals that brain cells use to communicate. From a chemical structural standpoint, taurine closely resembles the neurotransmitter gamma-amino-butyric acid (GABA). GABA is involved in learning, and studies in lower animals demonstrate improvements on simple learning tasks fol- 24 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 www.earthstarmag.com lowing GABA supplementation. • Taurine supplementation supports learning in higher animals as well. Supplementation in a mouse model of inheritable intellectual disability (fragile X syndrome), which is associated with reduced GABA signaling, stabilized and recovered some cognitive functions to an extent that brought some measures of the animals’ performance close to that of normal mice. Human Studies Of Taurine’s Cardiovascular Effects Human studies are demonstrating the impact of taurine’s cardiovascular effects. Large epidemiological studies show that deficiencies in taurine are associated with an increase in cardiovascular risk factors. For example, when compared to people with the highest taurine levels, those with the lowest levels had a 184% increase in the risk of obesity, a 22% increase in the risk of hypertension, and a 120% increase in the risk of elevated cholesterol. While the risk of taurine deficiency is great, encouraging studies show that supplementation with taurine can reduce risk factors for heart disease. And in fact, intervention studies are now showing that supplementation can rectify heart muscle energy deficiency to the point of improving clinical outcomes. One of the best examples of this is a Russian study on patients undergoing heart valve replacement and coronary bypass surgery—both of which are huge thieves of cardiac muscle energy. This study showed that supplementation with taurine resulted in improved heart pumping action, reduced the size of the enlarged pumping chambers, lowered triglyceride levels, and significantly improved quality of life. These benefits may help to reduce the rates of sudden death after cardiac surgery, which remain unacceptably high. As is typical with many mainstream doctors, if something costs virtually nothing, as taurine does, they overlook its critical lifesaving properties. Congestive Heart Failure Taurine has been shown to have protective effects against congestive heart failure, a common, energyrelated complication in heart attack survivors, cardiac surgery patients, and people with hypertension or severe www.earthstarmag.com lung disease; it results from an inability of the heart to pump sufficient blood to meet the demands of the body. In a study published in the journal Clinical Cardiology, patients with congestive heart failure took either a placebo or 2,000 mg of taurine three times a day. Compared to placebo recipients, supplemented patients experienced significant improvements in the severity of their heart failure, and significant increases in measurements of the heart’s ability to pump blood. In addition, none of the taurine-supplemented patients worsened during treatment, while 29% of placebo subjects did. In a similarly designed study, heart failure patients who took 500 mg of taurine three times a day experienced increases in exercise time and distance, and increased ability to utilize cardiac energy, compared with placebo. This is a graphic example of how taurine can affect heart muscle energy production, making it more efficient and helping to energize tired heart muscle. Another study of heart failure patients showed that taurine supplementation (3 grams per day for six weeks) resulted in significant changes in echocardiogram results, which showed improvements in the pumping action of the left ventricle, the chamber that pumps blood out to the entire body. Clearly, ample blood taurine levels are required for proper heart functioning and this data was published by Life Extension® decades ago based on what cardiologists in Japan had discovered when treating congestive heart failure patients with 3 grams of taurine per day. Let’s now look at some ways that taurine can reduce the risks for developing cardiovascular disease in the first place. Taurine Reduces Metabolic Syndrome Metabolic syndrome is the combination of central obesity, high blood pressure, insulin resistance/borderline high blood sugar, elevated triglyceride levels, and low HDL cholesterol levels. It is strongly associated with shortand long-term risks of cardiovascular and kidney disease, diabetes, cancer, and death. Taurine supplements have been found to be extremely effective in reducing harmful effects of metabolic syndrome—while at the same time inducing changes that reduce the syndrome’s long-term impact on cardiovascular risk. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 25 Studies of diabetic and/or obese mice and rats demonstrate that taurine leads to consistent improvements in multiple components of metabolic syndrome, including insulin secretion and sensitivity and glucose tolerance. One study also showed that taurine-deficient mice develop kidney changes identical to those in human diabetic nephropathy, the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease. This suggests that taurine supplementation in metabolic syndrome patients might lower renal disease risk. And, in a remarkable pair of studies, taurine was shown to amplify the beneficial effects of metformin, a naturally derived antidiabetic drug with multiple healthpromoting effects in metabolic syndrome. In the first study, when rats were treated with both taurine and metformin, they were better protected against chemical and metabolic stresses than when either was used alone.61 For the second study, the combination of taurine supplementation and metformin was found to provide the same pattern of protection as insulin against diabetes-induced metabolic changes, including preservation of renal function. Human Studies Of Taurine And Metabolic Syndrome Human studies demonstrated just how important taurine supplementation is for people with metabolic syndrome, which exacerbates the age-related decline in taurine levels. Compared with healthy people, obese people have as much as a 41% reduction in taurine levels compared with healthy controls, while diabetics have a 30% reduction in taurine levels. The good news is that supplementing with taurine significantly reduces many of the risk factors faced by those with metabolic syndrome. For example, at doses of 3 grams per day for eight weeks, a group of obese adults had significant 29% reductions in plasma markers of inflammation (hs-CRP) and 20% reduction in lipid peroxidation (thiobarbituric acid reducing substances.) And when diabetics supplemented with 1.5 grams per day, not only were their taurine levels restored to normal, but their platelet aggregation was reduced to levels seen in healthy controls. (Platelet aggregation is elevated in diabetics,64 increasing the risk for stroke- or heart attack-inducing blood clots.) This study also involved a laboratory test of platelet aggregation, which showed that while taurine reduced aggregation in blood from diabetic patients, it had no effect at all on blood from healthy controls. (This is a safety concern about virtually all prescription antiplatelet drugs). In addition to the heart disease and stroke risk induced by aggressive platelet aggregation, diabetics 26 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 (and even nondiabetic people with chronically “high normal” blood sugar levels) are at increased cardiovascular risk from physical stiffening of their arteries. Again, taurine supplementation is able to reverse this dangerous state of affairs. In a study published in Diabetes & Vascular Disease Research, young adults with type I diabetes and impaired endothelial function supplemented with 500 mg of taurine three times a day. After just two weeks, their abnormal arterial stiffening and reactivity returned to levels found in controls! Since type I diabetes (formerly known as “juvenileonset,” or “insulin-dependent” diabetes) exposes its victims to much greater elevation and fluctuation in glucose levels even than those seen in type II (“adult-onset”) diabetes, seeing this dramatic effect in the more severe form of the disease is especially encouraging for the much larger population of type II diabetics. Summary Taurine, a little-known amino acid, can do the seemingly impossible: stimulate new brain cells to grow in adult brains. This capability creates an entirely new paradigm for the ways we think about age-related cognitive decline, and even major neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. Taurine levels fall as we age, leaving our brains relatively unprotected. Taurine levels are low in people with age-related brain disorders. Animal studies reveal that supplementation can not only restore youthful taurine levels, but also improves deficits in memory and cognition. Taurine also has a fundamental connection with longevity, particularly related to cardiovascular disorders. Animal studies demonstrate protection against heart disease with taurine supplementation, and human studies show that supplementation produces dramatic improvements in heart and blood vessel function. People with metabolic syndrome have lower taurine levels than their healthy peers; again, taurine supplementation drives down the detrimental effects of metabolic syndrome while inducing changes that reduce the syndrome’s long-term impact on cardiovascular risk. A balanced supplement program should aim at restoring youthful levels of nutrients known to counteract the chemical stresses, inflammatory changes, and toxic exposures we experience through life. The evidence for the amino acid taurine suggests that it be included in such a regimen. Reprinted with permission from Life Extension Magazine, http://www.lef.org www.earthstarmag.com Seven Cups of Consciousness By Aleya Dao I magine a life filled with happiness, connection, and purpose. Just think: You are able to connect with the divine and perfect aspect of yourself. You feel protected and guided by a loving angelic presence. You use every challenge to grow stronger and to access a higher consciousness. You are healthy and filled with self-love. Deep inside, you feel creative, passionate, and joyful — and all of that is reflected into your life. Wouldn’t that be lovely? Well, it is possible, and I am here to show you how. The basic idea is that all your work is done at a level higher than your physical reality. There are aspects of you that exist in higher dimensions, at the spiritual level. I call these parts of you your energy self or your Higher Self. I have created a step-by-step process to help you gain access to your energy self and the energetic resources it controls. As you develop these tools, your consciousness will evolve, your challenges will transform, and a deep inner peace and empowerment will bloom. www.earthstarmag.com You will learn that your real power comes from within and from beyond. When you explore your inner realms, along with the higher dimensions, your life will start to change in amazing ways. For many years I looked for fulfillment externally. My life was a half-empty cold cup of coffee. I felt a deep sense of emptiness, even though everything on the outside looked “perfect.” I was living in a beautiful mountain town. I had a thriving acupuncture practice. I was healthy, had great friends, and was single and dating, yet this full life was not enough. I yearned for an inner change, wanting something, anything, that would fill my emptiness. I chased numerous spiritual teachings, hoping that each one would give me the answer. I longed for an enlightenment moment that would miraculously transform my life into one of bliss and joy. But nothing could have prepared me for what was to come. In the middle of a sound healing session, I was hit by the cosmic two-by-four. I had an awakening. In less than thirty seconds, my consciousness radically altered. A bright light enveloped me. My awareness shifted into OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 27 a higher realm, and I felt an exquisite vibration of love, as I saw the world surrounded by loving, compassionate beings. Waves of light coursed through me, filling me with new ideas, perspectives, memories, and pearls of wisdom. In every fiber of my being, I could feel and see a multidimensional reality. I started to see the world through new eyes. It was like getting X-ray glasses. I could feel a deep interconnectedness and purpose behind everything. The fabric of the world looked like an exquisite pattern of love and light, instead of a dark, shadowy, and challenging place. I understood the reason behind every action, and I had a profound awareness of what needs and lessons were being addressed by other people’s behavior. This greater awareness was simultaneously overwhelming, empowering, and comforting. You would think that having a deep inner knowing of connection and peace would make life a cakewalk. I wish. Often the opposite is true. Life gets real, very quickly. As you awaken, you will become more sensitive. This sensitivity will become your greatest strength and your greatest challenge. You will need tools to protect this new level of awareness. You will also need discernment, empowerment, and courage. As you become more sensitive, you may feel other people’s feelings, hear angelic beings and guides, hear or know the thoughts of others, see beings of light and dark, and maybe even see the future of your life and of others’. These experiences may be both comforting and frightening. You might also experience a conflicting sense of connection and deep loneliness. Old relationships could fall away. You could even find yourself living in a new place, driving a new car, wearing new clothes, and maybe even taking a new name. 28 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 Less than six months after my enlightenment experience, I had experienced all the above, and more. My entire life had changed in the blink of an eye. I had to let go of the old and move into the new. I slowly discovered the tools to help me navigate the unknown waters with ease and eventually with grace. I was my very own guinea pig, and my life was the lab. I learned how to discern the difference between my thoughts and feelings and the thoughts and feelings of others. I learned how to hold appropriate boundaries, meet my needs internally, and take responsibility for my inner and outer reality. I met my beloved partner, found a beautiful home, and created a bountiful livelihood. I am not saying it was easy. I fell down a lot, had my heart broken a few times, spent way more money than I had in my bank account, moved seven times, got sick, got healthy, lost friends, and made new ones. My learning curve was steep and involved many tears, laughs, and thinking I was insane for brief moments of time. Fortunately, I had guidance through the entire process of integrating a higher consciousness. Through trial and error, and with the help of my angelic guides (beings of love and light who exist in a higher dimension), I have developed seven concepts that have proved useful to my clients, my students, and myself. When understood, practiced, and mastered, these concepts can help you create the life you yearn for, one of abundance, balance, connection, and empowerment. When you take the conscious, slow, gentle path, you will save time, money, relationships, and your general sanity. After fourteen years of practice and teaching, I have distilled these concepts into what I call the Cups of Consciousness. The seven cups are simple statements of truth: First Cup: You Live in a Multidimensional Reality. Second Cup: You Are Never Alone. Third Cup: You Can Change Your Inner World. Fourth Cup: Your Challenges Can Help You Grow. Fifth Cup: Your Body Is a Nature Spirit. Sixth Cup: Your Soul Has Wisdom and Inner Gifts. Seventh Cup: You Are Perfect. Combining these concepts can help you form a big picture of reality that can dramatically transform your life. If you sip from just one of these cups, however, it can help you find greater peace and empowerment. If some of the cups do not resonate with you, put them aside. You can always come back to them—or not. Your life will change positively whether you master just one or all seven of the cups. www.earthstarmag.com You Live in a Multidimensional Reality The world you live in is made up of multiple dimensions. The physical dimension is just one floor of a multistory building. Each floor or dimension holds different energies and levels of consciousness. The physical dimension contains solid objects, a linear time line, finite resources, and limited space. You can only accomplish a certain amount in a day, depending on your energy level, the amount of time you have, and the resources available to you. It is a finite experience. The nonphysical dimensions are more etheric realities. Time is not linear, space is infinite, and resources are endless. For example, when you dream, a few seconds may seem like several hours. During a meditation, you may grasp a concept in seconds that might otherwise take years of study to fully comprehend. When you use your imagination or fantasize, you are accessing different dimensions that contain different layers of information and perspectives. Let’s take a quick dimensional trip. Imagine standing in the lobby of a hotel. You step into a glass elevator and press the button for the sixth floor. As you ascend and look down at the lobby, you have a different vantage point. You see things that you could not see before. When you arrive on the sixth floor, you are able to access information that would have been otherwise unavailable. Once you have gathered all the information you need, you travel back down to the lobby. When you use your energetic glass elevator, you may find yourself traveling faster than light and receiving profound wisdom. You will see your challenges from a different angle. You will come up with solutions and receive new insights. The information you access can be viewed as physiological (simply a function of the human brain), as spiritual (a connection to God), or as an energetic multidimensional reality, depending on how you view the nature of the Universe. The key lies in your ability to focus on your inner world, using your imagination and intent as a way to connect to other dimensions. When you close your eyes and focus on your breath, you take your awareness off your outer physical life and move into an inner dimensional one. This shift in awareness opens you up to a multidimensional reality. The Cosmic Two-by-Four During my first enlightenment experience in 2001, I was engulfed in a multidimensional reality, which felt just as www.earthstarmag.com real as the physical world. It was an amazing, overwhelming, clarifying experience that took me years to fully comprehend and integrate. Your first experience of a multidimensional reality may be just as mind-blowing. Any time your perception of reality radically shifts in a positive way, it is a moment of enlightenment. You may have many minimoments of enlightenment in your life, or you may have one big one. To give you a taste of what a “big one” feels like, I will share mine in more detail. My awakening moment came while I was receiving a sound healing session. As Mary McLaughlin’s “Bring the Peace” pulsed through the sound table, and I took a deep breath, my consciousness abruptly altered. My awareness instantly shifted from the physical realm into a higher realm. A white light flashed over me, and I found myself standing on a platform of light looking down at the planet. I felt an exquisite vibration of love. I saw thousands of light-beings full of love and compassion surrounding Earth. Millions of lines of light encircled the planet, creating spheres and grids that held uncountable numbers of vibrations and consciousnesses. I felt peaceful, warm, safe, and connected to this exquisite fabric of love. There was a profound sense of support and strength inside me. I had clarity and a deep understanding about the nature and purpose of life that reached far beyond the simple knowing of my mind. I felt a group of light-beings around me, and a surge of energy pushed me off my platform of light. I instinctively curled into a tight ball as I accelerated down a tunnel. The music became louder, and I felt myself passing through thick blankets of light, the energetic veils that separate the dimensions. I became aware of my body and felt a current of energy rushing down the back of my neck and down the front of my spine. I could feel a river of light flowing through the top of my head, down the front of my spine, through the center of Earth, and looping up behind me OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 29 That night as I lay in bed vibrating, I thought about my new reality. I could feel a river of light inside me. I could feel how the river is connected to Source. I could perceive other realms and beings in other realms. I could hear other people’s thoughts and feel their feelings. If I had not been an alternative medicine practitioner and a doctor of Oriental Medicine, I might have thought I was experiencing a psychotic break. Fortunately, I had read about all the potential symptoms of an enlightenment experience. Of course, it’s one thing to read about these experiences, but to actually have them...? Well, there is no comparison. Your journey is yours, and yours alone. Developing Your Energetic Senses into the heart of Source, where my divine spark resides. I could feel and hear a group of energetic beings around me. I would later refer to this river of light as my divine line, and the angelic ones as my Team. I felt my body tingling and radiating with energy. I could literally feel the light emanating from my fingertips. My awareness of the other realms activated. I felt the exquisite vibration of love encompassing everything. I had a deep inner knowing of my own essence and of my journey that extended far beyond my earthly years. All that I had known quietly faded away and a deep peace, connection, and inner knowing of who I truly am came into being. From that moment on, I was aware. Many mystics have talked about this experience as an awakening or as enlightenment, and I can see why. I literally awakened to a new reality. Everything was different. I could see through the veils, the energetic curtains that separate the dimensions. I perceived swirls of color, light, and sound representing subtle energies. Information flowed to me via channels that had just opened up for me. I could see and understand a new conception of reality. I slowly got off the table and instantly felt dizzy. I sat down for a moment and collected myself before I quietly thanked the practitioner and headed for the door. As I stood outside, taking deep breaths of cold air, I felt my Team surround me. I got in my car, and heard them say: “Now drive.” I thought to myself, “Sure, no problem. I just shifted my entire reality. I have had a massive spiritual awakening, and I am now able to perceive multiple dimensions simultaneously. My body is tingling and shaking with energy. And they want me to drive?” I made it two blocks before I had to pull over and walk the short distance home. 30 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 Being aware of and feeling the energy in the other dimensions is different from feeling and being aware of energy in the physical dimension. It is not something you can tangibly see with your eyes, touch with your hands, smell with your nose, or hear with your ears. The energy in the other realms is subtle. It may feel like little wisps of energetic wind, a flash of light, a tingle on your arm, a quick high-pitched ringing in your ears, a weird swirling sensation in your head. Your body’s five senses give you information about the physical dimension. In addition to your five physical senses, you have five energetic senses. When you develop your energetic senses, you will be able to perceive other dimensions. The easiest way to develop your energetic senses is to identify your strongest physical sense. When you talk, do you describe things by the way they look, sound, feel, smell, or taste? Are you more sensitive to light, sounds, smells, taste, or touch? When you determine your strongest physical sense, you can focus on strengthening and opening this sense at an energetic level. Imagine having energetically sensitive eyes, ears, nose, mouth, or hands. Think of these energetic senses as your sixth sense. They pick up information in dimensions other than the physical. Clairsentience is energetically feeling, also know as empathic sensitivity. Clairvoyance is using your energetic eyes, also known as your third eye. Hearing energetically is called clairaudience. Clairgnosis is clear knowing. The ability to energetically taste is clairgustance. And having an energetically awakened nose is clair-alience. Everyone has the ability to energetically feel, hear, see, smell, and taste. You may have already developed a few of your five energetic senses. When you are just beginning, I recommend using your imagination. Imagining your energetic senses puts www.earthstarmag.com them into your conscious awareness, where you can pay better attention to them. The sensations are so subtle that, with all the noise of life, they can be easy to miss. The more you use your Higher Self, imagination, and intent, the more you will develop multidimensional awareness. The energetic protocols and meditations in this book will also help you develop your energetic senses. I recommend doing this slowly and carefully. It can be intense if you go too quickly. Get In Your Divine Line Before you jump into pumping up your five energetic senses, I recommend first learning how to connect with your divine line. My expanded awareness of other dimensions was overwhelming; I needed to find a place where I could go that would be quiet, safe, peaceful, and calm. That place was in the inner waterfall of light: my divine line. You will need a place of refuge as well. I learned the importance of connecting with my divine line from my angelic Team. One night I was having a hard time sleeping, which was not unusual, since sleep was hard to come by those first few years after my enlightenment experience. As I gazed up through the skylight at the starry sky, I felt the familiar presence of my Team. A soft shimmering vibration radiated around me. I felt a swirling in my head that made me dizzy as I received the energetic information. (I quickly learned that the fastest and easiest way to receive energetic information was to relax, close my eyes, let go of my need to know what the information was, and just feel the energy coming from my Higher Self.) I felt my Team members come closer and heard their gentle, loving words, inviting me to take a deep breath in. As I relaxed, they pointed to the light flowing up and down the front of my spine. My Team said, “This is your divine line. Hold as much of your awareness as possible here. Connecting with your divine line is the safest way to travel to higher dimensions.” With each inhale I pulled myself more and more deeply into my divine line. After a few minutes, I felt a warm flow of energy gently pulsing up and down the front of my spine. I could see a beautiful, pure light flowing in this column, and a sense of peace and calm enveloped me. I felt myself standing in an exquisite shaft of light. As I held my awareness on my divine line, my Team instructed me to firmly attach my divine line, which was bubbling off, to the front of my spine. I used my breath and asked my Higher Self to use my energy fields to firmly attach my divine line to the front of my spine. If your divine line is not fully attached to the front www.earthstarmag.com of your spine it will negatively affect your chakras, your ability to be grounded, and your connection to your body. Imagine driving your car while simultaneously holding yourself off the driver’s seat. If you have resistance about being in a human body, your divine line will not be firmly attached to the front of your spine and may bubble off, as mine did initially. This resistance makes for a bumpy ride. You can use your breath, intention, and imagination to energetically glue, Velcro, clip, or button your divine line to the front of your spine. Use whatever energetic mechanism you wish to attach yourself to the front of the spine, as long as it feels comfortable and empowering. The more awareness you hold in your divine line, the bigger and brighter it will become. In this inner river, you are perfect. Excerpted from the book Seven Cups of Consciousness ©2015 by Aleya Dao. Printed with permission of New World Library. http://www.newworldlibrary.com OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 31 Seven Cups of Consciousness Q and A with Author Aleya Dao Tell us about your awakening experience and how your life has been different since. What is a cosmic two-by-four and how can we tell if we’ve been hit by one? In 2001 I was receiving a sound healing session. During the session a white light enveloped me and an awareness of other realms, and a higher consciousness awakened within me. Since that moment I have maintained and continue to develop this heightened awareness. It took me several years to adjust to this higher level of sensitivity and perception of multiple-dimensions. During that time I came up with the Cups of Consciousness I offer in my book. These concepts have created a grounded foundation, which has enabled me to maintain my awareness, cultivate greater compassion, empowerment, and nonreactivity in myself and with others. A cosmic two-by-four is an enlightenment experience that shifts your perspective in an empowering way. There are varying degrees of enlightenment experiences. There are little two-by-four taps or big two-by-four smacks, the bigger the hit the more radical the shift in consciousness. An enlightenment two-by-four can happen during a healing session, meditation, dream-time, or while going about your day. You may have already had a little or a big enlightenment experience. The trick is assimilating this higher consciousness and then maintaining that awareness in a balanced and empowered way. The symptoms of getting hit by the cosmic two-byfour can vary. You may experience an expansion in your consciousness and a deep knowing of the divine connection that flows within you. You may feel a deep inner profound love for yourself and everyone. Other “enlightenment” symptoms can include insomnia, euphoria, anxiety, premonitions, lucid dreaming, disorientation, body twitching, forgetfulness, heightened empathic sensitivity, headaches, hearing or seeing things that are not in the physical dimension. The list goes on and on. The first few years after my two-by-four smack I had a few brief moments thinking I was going crazy. But, fortunately I could feel my guides right next to me, soothing, comforting, and guiding me through my enlightenment process, thus the book, for those who may not have an angelic Bluetooth. The subtitle of your book is Change your Life by Connecting to the Higher Realms. What do you mean by “higher realms?” Reality consists of multiple realms including the physical realm. The majority of our awareness is held in the physical dimension, but that is not the only realm that exists. The higher realms are those realms other than the physical. I call them “higher” because it is easier to conceptualize them as multiple floors of a building, with the physical realm being the lowest floor. My book teaches the reader how to access and use the power in the higher realms to change one’s physical reality. In the book you say that we all have guides and a Team of angelic beings who surround and support us. Can you talk more about that and explain how we can best utilize these resources? Think of your guides and Team as your support system. Normally we think of support coming from the physical dimension. Your guides and Team can be an enormous resource of support and exist in another dimension. There is a difference between your guides and Team. Your guides come and go depending on your needs and stage in life. Your Team on the other hand encircles you 24/7. As a child you may have had “imaginary friends.” Those friends are your Team. They are here to help you and are also evolving along with you in another dimension. 32 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 www.earthstarmag.com When you ask your guides and Team to help you by shifting their energy amazing things begin to happen. Connecting with your Team also removes any feelings of loneliness. What is the body deva and what does it have to do with our spiritual growth? Your body deva is your physical human body. It is a nature spirit and you are riding in it. You are not your body. Just like you are not the horse you ride or the car you drive. When you recognize that you are a rider in a human body the game changes in a big way. As you recognize your unique consciousness you can hold space for your body to recognize its own consciousness. This awakening is empowering to both you and your body. You can then build a healthier, co-creative relationship between you and your body. This leads to a far more enjoyable and comfortable ride. What does the Seven Cups of Consciousness offer readers who have studied or practiced other spiritual traditions? This book helps the reader access a deep spiritual wisdom resident within all of us. Each chapter explains and illustrates concepts that I refer to as cups. Each cup has protocols and audio meditations at the end of each chapter to help access your inner wisdom. At a minimum, the protocol and meditation will calm the mind and help you feel more centered. Learning how to use just one concept can change your life. When you practice all seven concepts, a deep inner transformation occurs. The essence of the work is empowering; it helps you gain control of your spiritual life. You don’t need a guru or teacher or spiritual guide to do this work. How is this book different from all of the other spiritual self-help books? I do not tell the reader what to do; I show the reader how to do it. There are multiple ways to practice each concept. You, the reader, may pick your method depending on your level of awareness, sensitivity, how much time you have, and what resonates with you. Many readers are often skeptical about energy work? How are the seven cups different? I chased many spiritual teachings before my enlightenment moment. I had a few feel good moments, but the www.earthstarmag.com effects did not last. When the moment passed, I felt betrayed and disillusioned. Nothing had changed. After my enlightenment experience I was determined to create tools and practices that actually worked. I explored the mechanics of my higher consciousness, trying to understand what had happened to me. Through this process, I created steps that helped me integrate and maintain my higher awareness. Once I felt that the steps worked for me, I tested them on clients. Time and again, my clients shifted. I am interested in spiritual efficiency. If a tool or practice does not work for me, I toss it. If it works, I keep it, unpack it, and figure out why and how it works. I share what I have learned in my meditations and teachings, solicit feedback, and continue to streamline and strengthen the protocols. What if I am too busy to spend time doing spiritual work? You may spend as little as 30 seconds a day to start the changes. The more time you invest, the faster the transformation. The book has short and longer practices that you can easily implement into your daily life. The book also has 7-minute audio meditations, as well mini protocols. If you only have thirty seconds a day, take five conscious breaths and pull yourself into your divine line. Positive changes will still happen. If you do not have thirty seconds, you can use the “yellow sticky note method.” On a yellow sticky note write the words, “Pull all of my awareness into my divine line.” Post the note somewhere you will see it at lease once a day, maybe on the refrigerator or your bathroom mirror. Every time you look at the yellow sticky note, your energy fields will activate. After a week or two you will begin to feel a deeper sense of connection, peace, and clarity. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 33 What are the 7 Cups of Consciousness? The seven cups are ancient wisdom retooled for the 21st century sensibility. You live in a Multi-Dimensional Reality, You are Never Alone, Change Your Inner World, Use Your Challenges to Grow, Ride Right In Your Body, Embrace Your Soul’s Gifts, and You Are Perfect. Understanding the concepts is not hard. All you have to do is listen to the meditations and the energetic aspect of you will grasp the consciousness. As your Higher Self understands, your awareness, reactions, and attitudes will shift. The practice is straightforward and easy. The secret is that there is no secret. Let your Higher Self which is the energetic aspect of you do the work and the changes will come. What cup would people sip from if they want to create greater happiness, health, and abundance in their life? The third cup, Change Your Inner World, would be their cup of tea so to speak. This concept speaks to the idea that the energy you feel inside yourself is the energy you will create in your life. If you take a deep breath, what is the energy you feel? If it is peaceful, joyful, and full you will draw peace, joy, and fullness to you. Your outer reality reflects your inner reality. When you ask the energetic aspect of you to shift your energy in a higher realm it happens. Once your energy self does the work you will feel a ripple effect within and around you. Change the energy in the higher realms and it changes in the physical plane. The trick is not using the mind, but using your energetic aspect to do the work. How long will it take me to manifest a million dollars? Can you tell us about your book circle that you will be starting October 22nd 2015? A month after the release of the Seven Cups of Consciousness and every two week afterwards, I will be doing a one hour live and recorded tele-webinar. This will be a free event for anyone who has purchased the book. Each book circle will focus on a specific chapter. I will explain the layers within each concept, share stories, and answer questions. Think of the book circle as a study group to help you practice the concepts. I hope that the book circle will also build a community of support and a common consciousness. Future readers will have access to the recorded eight-videos/audio book circles. The Seven Cups of Consciousness book includes online resources containing the audio meditations, images of my terms, and the book circle videos/audio files. In a perfect world, what do you hope your readers will walk away with after reading your book? May people find greater peace, empowerment, and a deep inner connection to their own essence. When the reader turns the last page, my hope is that they will have a deeper understanding regarding the purpose of life’s challenges and how to transform those challenges into great strengths. The combination of the concepts and the practices may trigger enlightenment moments. If a reader is open to accessing a higher aspect, the cups can facilitate that shift. Aleya Dao is the author of Seven Cups of Consciousness. She opened the first alternative health-care clinic in Telluride, CO, and has built an international healing practice with her online subscribers and students. Visit her online at http://www.aleyadao.com/. The real question is, “How long will it take you to manifest a millions dollars worth of wisdom, joy, fulfillment, safety, connection, and security inside yourself?” Desiring a million dollars is more about finding support, freedom, and protection than about a big investment portfolio. You can use the energetic aspect of you and the higher realms to cultivate your inner resources. Hold the vibrations of empowerment, strength, and determination. That inner shift will in turn positively reflect onto your finances and the ways you are supported in the world. 34 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 www.earthstarmag.com Theoretical Evidence for Human-to-Human Transmission of Alzheimer ’s By Dr. Joseph Mercola A n estimated 5.4 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease, a severe form of dementia, and the most recent data suggests over half a million Americans die from Alzheimer’s each year, making it the third leading cause of death in the US, right behind heart disease and cancer. As prevalence has increased, so have the questions about why, and the search for answers has dished up some pretty curious findings over the past several years. It seems quite clear that Alzheimer’s disease is primarily diet-related, with insulin resistance, processed foods, trans fats, and unhealthy omega 6:3 ratios being the primary culprits. However, recent research has also uncovered evidence suggesting that the disease may be the result of agricultural practices, and even more surprising, Alzheimer’s could potentially be transmitted via certain invasive medical procedures. Five Routes to Alzheimer’s Disease www.earthstarmag.com At present, evidence suggests there are a number of causes promoting Alzheimer’s symptoms, including the following: 1. Type 3 diabetes: Faulty insulin signaling is an underlying cause of insulin resistance, which typically leads to type 2 diabetes. However, while insulin is usually associated with its role in keeping your blood sugar levels in a healthy range, it also plays a role in brain signaling. Researchers have found that when insulin signaling in the brain is disrupted, it results in dementia, hence the suggestion that Alzheimer’s may be a brain-related form of diabetes. Even mild elevation of blood sugar—a level of around 105 or 110—is associated with an elevated risk for dementia. According to neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter, if your fasting blood sugar is over 95 mg/dl, it’s time to address your diet to lower it, to protect your brain health. 2. Gut dysfunction, caused by a combination of excess sugars and processed foods; antibiotic exposure OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 35 Alzheimer’s — A Foodborne Disease? from food and medicine; genetically engineered (GE) grains, which create foreign proteins; and pesticide exposure, just to name a few well-known culprits 3. Trans fat consumption: Trans fat is linked to a higher risk of memory impairment. It may act as a prooxidant, contributing to oxidative stress that causes cellular damage. Vegetable oils oxidize when heated, and when oxidized cholesterol and trans fat enter into your LDL particles, they become destructive, contributing to arterial plaque buildup in your brain. 4. Imbalanced omega-3 to omega-6 ratio: Researchers have also found a link between Alzheimer’s and raised levels of an omega-6 fat called arachidonic acid. They believe it interferes with the brain’s nerve cells, causing over-stimulation, and that lowering levels would allow the cells to function normally. Most experts agree that the omega 6:3 ratio should range from 1:1 to 5:1. The sad reality is that it now ranges from 20 to 50:1 for most Americans. Omega-6 fats are found in high concentrations in factory-farmed animals as they are typically fed grains, as well as vegetable oils such as corn, canola, soybean, and sunflower oils. 5. Slow-acting Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) — the human form of Mad Cow disease, contracted either through: a. Contaminated meat b. Certain medical procedures, such as using human growth hormone extracted from the pituitary glands of infected human cadavers (a procedure now banned due to this contamination risk) The first four have been discussed at length in previous articles. Here, we’ll focus on the last route, which has disturbing implications for the conventional meat industry. 36 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 Researchers have found a compelling link between a particular kind of protein and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Lou Gehrig’s disease. This protein, called TDP-43, behaves like toxic and infectious proteins known as prions, which are responsible for the brain destruction that occurs in Mad Cow and Chronic Wasting Disease; two types of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. According to a study published in 2011, TDP-43 pathology is detected in 25 to 50 percent of Alzheimer’s patients, and research presented at the 2014 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference revealed Alzheimer’s patients with TDP-43 were ten times more likely to have been cognitively impaired at death than those without it. The common denominator between Mad Cow and Chronic Wasting Disease8 (the latter of which affects deer and elk) is forcing natural herbivores to eat animal parts and byproducts, such as blood and bone meal. This is common practice in confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs). The evidence also suggests humans may be infected with TDP-43 via contaminated meats. The most infectious parts of a cow carrying these prions are the brain and spinal cord, which may be found in hot dogs, bologna, and products containing either gelatin or ground meat. The human version of Mad Cow disease is known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), and some researchers have noted that Alzheimer’s behaves like a slow moving version of CJD. The Case for Alzheimer’s as a Slow-Acting Version of Mad Cow Surprising as it may seem, the idea that neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s may be spread via CAFO foods isn’t brand new. A 2005 study published in the journal Medical Hypotheses, titled “Thinking the Unthinkable: Alzheimer’s, Creutzfeldt-Jakob, and Mad Cow Disease: The Age-Related Reemergence of Virulent, Foodborne, Bovine Tuberculosis, or Losing Your Mind for the Sake of a Shake or Burger”, states: “In the opinion of experts, ample justification exists for considering a similar pathogenesis for Alzheimer’s, Creutzfeldt-Jakob and the other spongiform encephalopathies such as Mad Cow disease. In fact, Creutzfeldt-Jakob and Alzheimer’s often coexist and at this point are thought to differ merely by time-dependent www.earthstarmag.com physical changes. A recent study links up to 13 percent of all ‘Alzheimer’s’ victims as really having Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease... Alzheimer’s, Cruetzfeldt-Jackob, and Mad Cow Disease might just be caused by eating the meat or dairy in consumer products or feed.’” [Emphasis mine] The study also notes that bovine tuberculosis serves as a vector for human Mad Cow Disease, and bovine tuberculosis is one of the most prevalent disease threats in American CAFOs. USDA data suggests anywhere from 20 to 40 percent of American dairy herds are infected at any given time. Theoretical Evidence for Person-to-Person Transmission of Alzheimer’s All of this brings us to the most recent development, which has gained widespread media attention. A study published in the journal Nature reveals the first theoretical evidence for human-to-human transmission of prion-like proteins associated with Alzheimer’s, introduced via a medical procedure involving contaminated material. As reported by Scientific American: “Between 1958 and 1985, a number of individuals with short stature received shots of human growth hormone extracted from the pituitary glands of cadavers... Some of these samples were contaminated with prions that caused certain patients to develop CreutzfeldtJakob disease (CJD), a rare and fatal brain disorder. Treatments ceased once these reports came to light, but by that time an estimated 30,000 people had already received the injections. As of 2012, researchers have identified 450 cases of CJD worldwide that are the result of these growth hormone injections and other medical procedures, including neurosurgery and transplants.” To investigate the plausibility of human-to-human transmission, researchers autopsied eight of the patients who died after contracting CJD from the now-banned growth hormone treatments. All had died between the ages of 36 and 51 — too young to have developed Alzheimer’s. Yet six of them had the misfolded proteins found in Alzheimer’s patients’ brains, and four of them had amyloid deposits in their cerebral blood vessels. Previous animal research has also found that when tiny amounts of amyloid-beta proteins—which are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s—are injected into mice or monkeys, they act as self-propagating “seeds,” unleashing a chain reaction of protein misfolding that results in pathology that is very reminiscent of that seen in Alzheimer’s patients. www.earthstarmag.com Another recent study out of Germany found that seeds of amyloid-beta can persist for months in the brain, and become pathogenic under certain circumstances. As noted by Scientific American: “All evidence pointed toward one possibility: Like prions, amyloid-beta seeds were in the growth hormone injections and infected these individuals... [H]ad the patients not died young, they would have developed the disease later in life.” My Alzheimer’s Prevention Strategies Because there are so few treatments for Alzheimer’s, and no available cure, prevention really is your best bet. As explained by neurologist Dr. David Perlmutter, author of the book, Grain Brain, Alzheimer’s is a disease predicated primarily on lifestyle choices. Diet is part and parcel of a successful prevention plan, and my optimized nutrition plan can set you on the right path in this regard. In terms of your diet and other lifestyle factors, the following suggestions may be among the most important for Alzheimer’s prevention: Replace processed foods with real foods The vast majority of processed foods contain genetically engineered (GE) grains, which are heavily contaminated with glyphosate—a herbicide thought to be worse than DDT, and DDT has already been linked to the development of Alzheimer’s. Eating real food will also limit your exposure to trans fats. As a general rule, to avoid trans fats, you need to avoid any and all foods containing or cooked in partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, so be sure to check the list of ingredients. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 37 needed to digest the milk protein casein. That’s why it’s important to consume full-fat, raw dairy products instead of non-fat or skim dairy products. The cream is also responsible for regulating the sugar absorption into your blood. It decreases the likelihood of insulin spikes. Opt for organic, grass-fed, and finished meat The vast majority of all store bought meats, and meats served in restaurants, come from CAFOs unless otherwise labeled as organic or grass-fed. Optimize your gut flora Regularly eat fermented foods or take a high potency and high quality probiotic supplement. Avoid sugar and refined fructose Alzheimer’s appears to be intricately linked to insulin resistance. Ideally, you’ll want to keep your sugar levels to a minimum and your total fructose below 25 grams per day, or as low as 15 grams per day if you have insulin/leptin resistance or any related disorders. Optimize omega 6:3 ratio, ideally should be 1:1 to 5:1 Healthy fats that your brain needs for optimal function include organically-raised grass-fed meats, coconut oil, olives and olive oil, avocado, nuts, organic pastured egg yolks, and butter made from raw grass-fed milk. High intake of the omega-3 fats EPA and DHA are also helpful for preventing cell damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease, thereby slowing down its progression, and lowering your risk of developing the disorder. It is imperative to also reduce industrial omega 6 oils, like soy, corn, sunflower, and safflower oils. Avoid gluten and casein (primarily wheat and pasteurized dairy, but don’t avoid raw dairy, such as whole milk, and organic butter) Research shows that your blood-brain barrier is negatively affected by gluten. Gluten also makes your gut more permeable, which allows proteins to get into your bloodstream, where they don’t belong. That then sensitizes your immune system and promotes inflammation and autoimmunity, both of which play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s. Cream is perhaps the most important part of raw milk because the cream is where all the energy is that’s 38 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 Reduce your overall calorie consumption, and/or intermittently fast Ketones are mobilized when you replace carbs with coconut oil and other sources of healthy fats. Intermittent fasting is a powerful tool to jumpstart your body into remembering how to burn fat and repair the inulin/leptin resistance that is also a primary contributing factor for Alzheimer’s. Improve your magnesium levels Preliminary research strongly suggests a decrease in Alzheimer symptoms with increased levels of magnesium in the brain. Unfortunately most magnesium supplements do not pass the blood brain levels, but a new one, magnesium threonate, appears to and holds some promise for the future for treating this condition and may be superior to other forms. Get plenty of folate Vegetables, without question, are your best form of folate, and we should all eat plenty of fresh raw veggies every day. Avoid supplements like folic acid, which is the inferior synthetic version of folate. Exercise regularly It’s been suggested that exercise can trigger a change in the way the amyloid precursor protein is metabolized, thus, slowing down the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s. Exercise also increases levels of the protein PGC-1alpha. Research has shown that people with Alzheimer’s have less PGC-1alpha in their brains and cells that contain more of the protein produce less of the toxic amyloid protein associated with Alzheimer’s. I would strongly recommend reviewing the Peak Fitness Technique for my specific recommendations. www.earthstarmag.com Optimize your vitamin D levels Sufficient vitamin D is imperative for proper functioning of your immune system to combat inflammation that is also associated with Alzheimer’s. Avoid and eliminate mercury from your body Dental amalgam fillings, which are 50 percent mercury by weight, are one of the major sources of heavy metal toxicity, however you should be healthy prior to having them removed. Once you have adjusted to following the diet described in my optimized nutrition plan, you can follow the mercury detox protocol and then find a biological dentist to have your amalgams removed. Avoid and eliminate aluminum from your body Sources of aluminum include antiperspirants, non-stick cookware, vaccine adjuvants, etc. For tips on how to detox aluminum, please see my article, “First Case Study to Show Direct Link between Alzheimer’s and Aluminum Toxicity”, at http://www.mercola.com Avoid flu vaccinations Most contain both mercury and aluminum, well-known neurotoxic and immunotoxic agents. Avoid anticholinergics and statin drugs Drugs that block acetylcholine, a nervous system neurotransmitter, have been shown to increase your risk of dementia. These drugs include certain nighttime pain relievers, antihistamines, sleep aids, certain antidepressants, medications to control incontinence, and certain narcotic pain relievers. Statin drugs are particularly problematic because they suppress the synthesis of cholesterol, deplete your brain of coenzyme Q10 and neurotransmitter precursors, and prevent adequate delivery of essential fatty acids and fat-soluble antioxidants to your brain by inhibiting the production of the indispensable carrier biomolecule known as low-density lipoprotein. Challenge your mind daily Mental stimulation, especially learning something new, such as learning to play an instrument or a new language, is associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer’s. Researchers suspect that mental challenge helps to build up your brain, making it less susceptible to the lesions associated with Alzheimer’s disease. 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 getting a FREE copy of his latest special report The Dangers of Over the Counter Remedies by going to his Report Page. Turmeric and Honey – The Strongest Antibiotic from Nature Y ou know, having something that is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant and anti-stress in one place is indeed a precious gift of nature. The best thing about this wonderful mix of honey and turmeric is that it works fast and does not make a mess in the intestines because it is antiinflammatory and anti bacterial. This mix has also no negative effect on the body whatsoever. www.earthstarmag.com Turmeric is rich in curcumin, which is famous for its anticancer and also anti -inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It is a strong polyphenol and it’s proven to fight 150 health conditions and diseases. This is how it works its magic! Our body’s immune system lives in our intestines. It is there where all the friendly bacteria digest, fight, help and put an order on how we feel and react to everything. This is where turmeric and honey step in. This dynamic duo helps the good bacteria rejuvenate and grow thus stimulating proper immune response. It’s an only two ingredients recipe and this is how to use it. You will need: 100 g of honey (good quality); 1 table spoon of turmeric powder A clean glass jar and a wooden spoon Instructions: Mix honey and turmeric in a clean jar. Use the mix in the very early signs of cold or when you feel under the weather. You’ll be up and going in three days. Day one – half a spoon every hour Day two – half a spoon every two hours Day three – half a spoon every eight hours You can use this mix with tea or milk. Try not to swallow right away. It works better if taken slowly. —Fell Healthy Life OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 39 The Fix Digital D istraction By Dr. Mike Dow M onica’s problem was evident to me from the first 90 seconds of our session. Armed with a BlackBerry for work e-mails and an iPhone for personal calls and texts, she kept both on when she sat down. She was a mom, a high-powered publicist—and constantly connected. She had to be! She was always waiting for that emergency call, e-mail, or text to come in. In reality, the constant pings weren’t emergencies, but rather reminders about meetings from her assistant, press release approval requests, and messages about a client’s dress being panned at an awards show the night before. Monica’s nonstop barrage of calls, texts, Tweets, and e-mails had left her in a state of constant distraction. She always felt only “half there,” never fully engaged in the present moment. What’s worse, her perpetual distractedness was beginning to erode her relationship with her husband and kids. Her resulting symptoms were a mixed bag: a little anxiety, a little insomnia, a little depression. As Monica described the stresses of trying to juggle 40 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 a marriage, motherhood, and a high-stress job, she teared up when she remembered her nine-year-old daughter sighing and saying, “Mommy, you never look at me when I’m talking to you. You love working more than you love me.” That comment was Monica’s tipping point. She was ready and willing to turn her life around. “Dr. Mike, my daughter helped me realize that I’m never going to get back these moments with my kids. I need your help to reprioritize my life, but frankly, I’m a little scared because I’m not sure if it’s even possible. I feel like I need every day to be thirty hours to get everything done.” “While I can’t make the actual day longer,” I said, “I can certainly help you to become more present, which will actually buy you precious minutes and hours each and every day.” I explained that while most people assume multitasking saves time, the opposite is actually true. Mindfully “single-tasking” won’t just help you feel less frantic and more focused; it will also help you become more efficient so you can finish that press release, www.earthstarmag.com spreadsheet, or memo more quickly. You can even use social media and browse the Internet mindfully instead of just mindlessly procrastinating on the computer all day. When you’re more focused on work tasks, you’ll have more time left over to give to things that are important to you—like quality time with your family. And when you give your time to the people you care about, you’ll be truly present, and presence is one of the most magical and transformative gifts one human being can give to another. It can make or break a marriage or friendship. It can make your child feel seen and heard— as opposed to unimportant and unloved. “It won’t happen overnight, Monica. But I promise you that if you are willing to make some simple changes, your life will improve dramatically.” Distracted All Day And Night Does Monica’s predicament sound familiar to you? Have you ever wasted a morning at work checking and refreshing all your devices—only to find out that you’ve gotten no work done? Here’s an all-too-typical scenario: You start off working on a spreadsheet, but suddenly your phone lights up with a text, then a Facebook notification from yet another person who liked that photo you posted last night, followed shortly by a push notification with a breaking news alert. Oh, and there’s an Evite for a cocktail party two weeks from now, and then your work phone rings, and then your assistant comes into your office to remind you about the half-dozen meetings and conference calls you have on the schedule today. Shoot! You’d totally forgotten almost half of them. Man, I’m so scatterbrained, you think. You clearly need some coffee. You chat with a friend for 15 minutes in the break room, half listening and half mentally listing all the things you should be getting done instead. You return to your office, and in the hour that elapsed since you got to work you could have finished that spreadsheet. Now you’re freaking out because your first of many meetings starts in ten minutes, which means you’ll have to take the spreadsheet home and finish it in the evening. Oh well, you think; I’ll just do it in front of the TV while eating dinner and trying to catch up with my boyfriend about his day. You finally finish the spreadsheet at 1 a.m. A few hours after you stumble exhausted into work the next day, your boss sends you a not-all-that-nice e-mail pointing out several errors you made in the document. By this point you feel totally overwhelmed. You’re even www.earthstarmag.com more behind, since you now have to correct yesterday’s work while also finishing today’s. When you consider how accustomed most of us have gotten to distraction, is it any wonder ADHD rates are skyrocketing? They have tripled in children, and with broader diagnostic requirements for adult ADHD, the already-through-the-roof adult ADHD rates are likely to spike as well. But while Adderall can improve attention for most—and is absolutely necessary for some—it’s not the only solution to our inattentiveness issue. Turning off your ringer or blocking your access to Facebook for an hour can have the same effect. It’s worth making these small but meaningful changes, because digital distraction doesn’t just make us feel scattered; it’s killing people. One study showed that driving while using a phone is comparable to drunk driving. From 2005 to 2010, the number of pedestrians who were struck and killed by distracted drivers rose 50 percent in the U.S. Distracted walking has even become a problem. Yes, that’s right: people cannot even look both ways before they cross the street because they’re too busy staring at their phones. You can almost understand the lure of the phone when you’re stuck in traffic for 90 minutes, but we’re now so addicted to our phones that we’re sucking all the simple joy out of a five-minute walk. One thing to understand about our phones and computers is that all the blinking lights, dings, and dynamic ads scrolling across the screen when we’re trying to read the news give our brains a tiny hit of dopamine. It’s not dissimilar to the way dopamine surges through the brain of a compulsive gambler when he’s sitting in front of the slot machine. Facebook likes, Twitter retweets, Snapchat OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 41 Whenever you’re working, turn off your phone or its ringer. Move the charger from the bedroom to your kitchen or entryway so that you aren’t constantly checking your phone instead of going to sleep. And block push notifications so that every single Tweet or Instagram like or New York Times notification doesn’t interrupt important e-mails or calls. When you get in the car, throw your phone in the trunk or turn off the ringer. There are useful apps that will disable your phone while in motion on both iPhones and Android devices. Try to have one full day of the weekend completely phone free. Be More Mindful: Finding mindfulness, incorporating some of the 12-minute meditation practices that I introduce on pages 219 to 233 into your everyday routine, and decreasing digital distractions can help you lead a more productive and creative life. Without constant technological distractions, even normal acts like daydreaming can become mindful. You can use these moments to toy with new ideas or make future plans—but only if you’re alert enough to catch the great ideas as they drift through your head. The 7-Day Spirit Revolution is designed to tackle the attention deficits that patients like Monica—and far too many of us—experience all too frequently. pics, Instagram followers, and Tinder matches have started to exert an addictive pull on us. A little is never enough: we have become dependent on that little surge of pleasure that pulses through us every time someone likes one of our status updates, so we do it again and again and again. Excerpted with permission from The Brain Fog Fix: Reclaim Your Focus, Memory, and Joy in Just 3 Weeks by Dr. Mike Dow; published by Hay House, http://www.hayhouse.com Action Plan So as you can see, stepping back from your digital world a bit can be very healthy. But it can also be very hard. At least in the beginning, you might have to take some extreme steps to wean yourself. Here are some great places to start. Get an Internet Blocker: Try out an Internet blocker like mindfulbrowsing. com, which allows you to block the sites you use to waste time. For the truly committed (who also happen to be Mac users), there’s also selfcontrolapp.com, which will block the sites you choose for a set amount of time, even if you restart your computer. The Freedom Internet blocker, which you can download onto your computer for $10, will disable your Internet connection for up to eight hours. Try using one of these programs for a few minutes at the beginning of the day so you can focus your mind and get into a good work groove. Put Some Space Between You and Your Phone: 42 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 www.earthstarmag.com We Are Never Alone with A n g e l s Marie-Ange Faugerolas C ontrary to popular belief, we aren’t born alone and we don’t die alone. The birth angels accompany us throughout the entirety of our existence. They are assisted by the guardian angels who lean over our cradles just after our birth. These guardian angels don’t intervene directly in our lives but rather content themselves by watching over our actions and gestures with a protective gaze. When we solicit them, they come running to our rescue. We can also invoke particular angels in situations that call for a specialized angel. God entrusted guardian angels with a mission of accompaniment. They honor it with conscientiousness and promptness. The people who don’t think about angels, who never solicit them, or quite simply don’t believe in them, www.earthstarmag.com are even so accompanied by celestial messengers. Guardian angels don’t interfere in the existence of a protected person. But when we solicit their assistance directly, the angels prove themselves more efficient. They can even accomplish miracles. On numerous occasions, I have called on the angels in dramatic personal situations. The angels quickly intervened and transformed my life. Angelic experiences are truly mind-blowing. Don’t be afraid to call on celestial messengers. They are at your service. They are the divine voice and light, the divine love. Make use of their competence. Use their powers and offer yourself a happy fate. Let them guide you. And, most importantly: ask, solicit, pray. The angels will answer every one of your calls. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 43 How Do We Feel an Angel Is Nearby? The coming of an angel brings about a feeling of lightness, of joy, and of a spirit teeming with projects. Oftentimes, the angels begin to manifest through pleasant physical and emotional sensations. Once someone is accustomed to these sensations, they can appear in dreams, in visions, and then in physical encounters. Whatever their ways of communicating may be, they will bring the happiness and certitude of not being alone. Angels accompany humans throughout their existence. They don’t judge their actions and are compassionate for their past mistakes. They are guides toward the future and infallible protectors. We can invoke them to obtain comfort in times of personal crisis or when confronted with sentimental or professional problems. The coming of an angel is an event that can happen at any moment when we invoke them regularly. Celestial creatures make apparitions, but they are often reserved for people accustomed to receiving the angelic touch. The most common manifestations are signs, surprising circumstances, unexpected encounters, or happy coincidences. It isn’t necessary to experience personal drama in order to call on the angels. We can invoke them when we’re tired or depressed. They bring about a renewal of energy and lightheartedness. We can incite the angels to manifest themselves regularly by installing an altar for the angels in a privileged corner of the house. Rituals and meditations are also an excellent way of getting in touch with angels. Angels are celestial creatures, messengers of God. Their influence on destiny is always positive. We can count on their help and support in all situations, because they are enlightened by divine love. Depending on the person and the circumstances, they warn of approaching dangers, send signs to light the way, or provoke actual miracles and surprises that can truly transform existence. Opening your heart to the angels allows you to be graced with divinity, and never again must you feel alone. How Do We Recognize When Angels Help? otherwise make out of fear and insecurity. Angels remove negative influences and protect polluted or unpleasant environments. Their presence favors emotional and personal fulfillment. We recognize their assistance through miraculous encounters with soul mates, the healing of somebody we love, positive relationship evolutions, a new job offer coming out of the blue, tough or blocked situations that suddenly resolve, or new and enriching events that unexpectedly occur in our lives. How to Be Guided by Angels Before going to bed at night, let your thoughts wander. Loosen your body and enter a state of drowsiness. As soon as you start to doze off, call on the angels and ask them to guide you and answer the questions that you’re asking yourself. You can also ask them to bring you success, prosperity, and personal fulfillment. The following day, or several days later, you will have new ideas, and changes will start to happen in your life. It’s very simple and rewarding to connect with your angels. These loving creatures will always give you supernatural help, whether you need love, healing, or prosperity or even if you need to be saved from any circumstance. The angels belong to another dimension where they move simply with energy. Angels do not have bodies; they don’t need them. Their energy is so powerful that they can appear to us using any shape they desire in order to inspire goodness and bliss in us. The human energy doesn’t have a very high frequency. Every prayer, every ritual helps to enhance our own energy for us to call on the angels. Energy is the path that leads to the angels. We can increase this energy thanks to rituals, ceremonies, prayers, meditation, visualizations, or just our honest desire to grow. Excerpted from Angels by Marie-Ange Faugerolas with the permission of Tarcher, an imprint of Penguin Random House, http://www.penguin.com. Copyright © 2015 by Marie-Ange Faugerolas. The messages of angels frequently come to us in the form of repetitive images or signs. Sometimes, angels manifest themselves in the form of recurring visions of animals or objects. Other times it’s when two different people say the same thing. Whatever the circumstances, the state of openness that we find ourselves in will influence these forms of manifestations and angelic contact. The help of angels always brings about a sensation of psychological comfort, physical well-being, and security. Their reassuring presence discourages us from committing mistakes we may 44 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 www.earthstarmag.com Live Love Soul By Machel Shull D uring my mid-twenties I hit upon a major stumbling block on my journey. When I turned 25, I remember looking around in my Los Angeles setting wondering about the ‘big picture’ in life. Instead of looking for a good time with my friends and booking acting and modeling auditions, I found that there was something fundamentally missing from my inner world. After a confident beginning at the age of 18, I thought I had the world at my feet and knew everything. I thought this was going to be such a simple journey. Oh, how I was wrong. But that morning when I turned 25, I felt an overwhelming feeling of sadness and angst. I lived in an Aframe guesthouse in the middle of Studio City just about five miles away from Universal Studios. I remember that morning like it was yesterday. I woke up feeling like I had isolated myself in this tiny cabin and I wasn’t quite sure how my road had led me there. My steps and the confidence of my youth had led www.earthstarmag.com me to a place that I had never been before: a blank page and an uncertain future that I did not understand. After chasing dreams and following my creativity and achieving decent success, the bottom fell out. The world felt flat and my soul felt empty. I tried to talk to my friends about this new feeling. You know, a new awakening from within that wanted more than just instant gratification from a fun night out on Sunset Boulevard or booking another commercial with the cameras rolling. I needed something with deeper meaning. What was missing? Why wasn’t I happy? From that day forward, I can look back and see my journey of wanting to discover: What makes me happy and why? How can I be happy right now? What is happiness? And how can I be happy when I don’t always get what I want? This quest led me to my best journey so far…my journey within. My new book, Live Love Soul, is essentially my story of ups and downs. My ins and outs and how what I have found out is happiness can OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 45 also be a matter of living better, loving more correctly, and sharing and uncovering my own soul. My journey led me to discover ‘little things’ I can do each day to change my world and make my own happiness. I discovered I loved running. So I became a runner. I discovered that I loved books. So I started reading more. I discovered that I loved rollerblading. So I went out to this golf course in the Valley with a 10-mile path of sidewalk strip, so I could blissfully feel the wind beating down on my face as I whisked side to side in my rollerblades. I got busy finding out what makes me happy. I remember one of my managers at my part-time position at the Sunset Marquis Hotel saying, “You must be in love, you look so happy, Machel. New boyfriend?” “No…I am just happy.” “Really? Wow. Whatever you are doing, it shows!” I walked away with the best smile that day. How great that all my efforts were actually showing on the outside, too! So I kept my nose to the grindstone. I kept unearthing new ways to discover how to achieve a sense of well-being without being specifically attached to an outcome. I worked on meditation. I studied self-help books. I hung out with actors late at night and discussed our fondest desires. I took time to enjoy my coffee in the morning. I watched the birds take flight and land on the branches in front of the little cabin I lived in, nestled in the suburban neighborhood. I found a life coach. I studied Norman Vincent Peale’s many ‘power of positive thinking’ books that empowered my mind, changed my thoughts and lifted my temporary cloud of depression. That yellow brick falling from the sky that had sideswiped me on my 25th birthday had been decimated by active efforts of fighting for that smile I thought was rightfully mine. I took time to get to know myself over the years. Even as my life changed and I moved to a different city, 46 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 I took what I learned with me. I stayed connected to the joys of right now. Life is always a challenge of trying to balance our schedules, do what we must, while finding some much-needed fun along the way, too. Dig in and make this your rosy mad-capped day. Bee-bop your head. Drink tea. Watch the birds. Force a laugh…fight for your happiness. Don’t be a sourpuss. You deserve to feel good from the inside out and discover what makes your soul gleam with love. So my book is about living more, loving more and sharing more of your soul. It’s about uncovering how you can find happiness at your fingertips every day even if you are fighting depression. It’s not a destination. It’s not a goal. It’s not what we can have when we achieve something fantastic. It’s a mood that feels strong, calm and grounded from within the inner recesses of your soul that bubbles to the surface at a pleasant cadence. It is about finding happiness NOW in your current situation and being grateful for your blessings. Excerpted with permission from Live Love Soul, A Soul’s Guide to Happy by Machel Shull. Published by O Books, http://www.o-books.com Machel Shull is the author the International Bestselling book, Middle Age Beauty, an inspirational self-help book for women. As a former International Face model and an actress, Machel shares the nitty-gritty on aging, and exposes the pressures women receive to buy into a billion dollar industry of Botox.Her background and study include seven years of meditation with the great grand daughter, Michiko Jane Rolek of the first Zen Master in America, Sokei-an Sasaki. www.earthstarmag.com Reaching for Insights Stories of Love, Faith, and the Kitchen Sink By Mitch Rosenzweig The Great Secret I am not sure when I first learned the truth. It could have been one of my oh-so-helpful brothers who told me, or I could have learned about it in some dark alley. Of course, I wanted to believe in Santa. I think like many, I wanted to hedge my bets. Better to believe and get presents than doubt and get coal. Of course, I knew that all the presents didn’t come from Santa. We got them from Mom and other family members. When I was raising my children, we were pretty sneaky. We had four types of wrapping paper. Santa had his own for each of the kids, and mom and dad had different paper. When my daughter was old enough, she too wanted to know if Santa was real. I think she asked me the day after Christmas, just to be safe. Inevitably we go through challenges and changes in our beliefs as we grow up. When we were young, we believed in magic, fantasy, and things unknown. I remember my older brother magically making quarters appear for my son after he had stealthily hidden them around the house. My son was amazed. As children, we are very willing to believe in the unknown. It’s not that www.earthstarmag.com we are gullible; it’s just there is so much we have yet to learn about life and the world that the mystery of faith seems natural. Of course there is a God-that’s easy to believe. As rational and ideology-challenging young adults, we lose much of our faith. We get all Missouri-like and say, “Show me. If you can’t prove it, it can’t be true.” It’s a by-product of our education system. The quest for the right answer. Perhaps it was exemplified by the Beatles’ claims about God being dead back in the 60’s. Prove it. Many young adults walked away from their faith in those days. Now that I’m way ‘growed up’, and in spite of the logic programming, on Christmas morning I still believe. I believe in the magic of Christmas. Wide-eyed children will race to open their gifts full of joyful happiness. We will express our faith in our carols and prayers. On bended knee or surrounded by torn wrappings, we will give thanks. Many will have nothing. No presents, or trees, carols, or even prayers: the forward-deployed, the im–poverished, and the lonely....Lost on this day, just OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 47 like every other day. For them, like us, the best gift isn’t under the tree anyway. Rich, poor, faith-filled or not, we are still loved. God is there whether we believe or not. He always brings his presence to those that believe-and those that don’t. What a gift that is. That is the magic of Christmas.I do believe. Oh Fudge I laughed out loud, although I really shouldn’t have. She was a cute as a button. Curly blonde hair and petite, maybe 3 years old at the most. She had on the cutest little dress with a Christmas print, white tights, and bright, shiny Mary Jane shoes to complete the perfect picture. Her Dad, at the other end of her hand, was clearly a work-a-day type. Gnarled and whiskered, there were paint spatters flecking his plaid shirt and blue jeans. As they walked into the black Friday store, Dad remarked, “Look at all the people!” And in a cute, tiny voice with a little-kid accent, the delicate princess exclaimed loudly, “No Shit!” My coffee almost exploded all over me as I guffawed. Red-faced and embarrassed the Dad bent close to his daughter and gave her a loving reminder: “Now Chelsea, we don’t say those bad words in public.” I wondered if it was okay in private. With wide eyes she nodded, obviously confused and overwhelmed by the bustle of the store. In the 70s, George Carlin made famous the seven words you can’t say on TV. But really, if you ask anyone, there are way more than seven that we classify as expletives or bad words. When we are kids, we rejoice in their delicious sounds. From the “doo-doo head” and “poopy” of childhood, to the rude mother-degrading curses of teens, we continue to thrill at the obvious insults. It’s not just an American thing; I have seen comedic dictionaries about how to curse in every language. We classify them as “bad” words. Never to be spoken, especially not in public. Of course no words are really “bad.” They are just sounds on our tongue or letters on a page. It is in the 48 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 meaning and context that the moralistic value occurs. We can exclaim about abundant waste in a toilet but we better not tell someone they are full of it. It’s all about the context. I have to re-train my brain after my various military stints, where bad words are sprinkled throughout casual conversations. I once heard a Platoon Sergeant use more than 14 of them in a single sentence. The worst part is that I understood and agreed with what he said-and how he said it. I shook his confused hand in congratulations. Bad, bad, bad. What I don’t understand is why other, non-curse words aren’t considered bad. They have negative connota–tions in all contexts: such as “hate,” “unemployed,” “addiction,” “kill,” and millions of others that produce a visceral response in any setting. We don’t use them in polite society either. I will avoid further examples but I am sure you can think of your own that are far worse than “doody-head.” As parents and polite adults, we teach our children and train ourselves to avoid using bad words. Even though the best of us occasionally drop an “f-bomb,” most of us don’t cuss like drunken merchant marines. We realize that as reserved and thoughtful adults there are better ways to express our emotions. Only the vulgar cuss-until you stub your toe in the middle of the night. And then that raw instinct forces us to damn something to the nether regions. I’m not holier-than-thou; I am just as likely to slip one in now and then. Especially the milder ones, like sh*t, damn, and hell. Somehow, “doodoo happens,” or “oh fudge “ just doesn’t cut it in all situations. I have a proposal. Can we create a list of the seven words that we must say? Wouldn’t it be just as important to teach our children those words? The positive rather than negative? Wouldn’t it be amazing to see a dad stooping to teach his to child to say, “Holy love!”? My list of seven words we must say would be: love, faith, caring, peace, giving, forgiveness, and thanks. I’m willing to bet we have just as many reasons to say them in public. Maybe they are prohibited too, since I rarely hear them. Today, I am going to offer my seven every chance I get. I will fully express myself and let people know how I truly feel. No holds barred. If I offend, so be it. I don’t need a filter. I will pepper my conversation with them and shock people. Even when I stub my toe, I will offer thanks for having a toe to stub. OK, well, maybe after I cuss and fuss a bit. Express yourself-it’s healthy. Let it out already, Dagnabit! www.earthstarmag.com Get Carded Every place I worked, I would get new ones. If I had kept one of each business card, I could have probably wallpapered my house. Even though they all they were all the same, they were different. Each was unique in color, photos, and design. But in their essence, the function is the same: to proclaim, to the lucky receiver, who you are and what you do, in tiny 6-point font. Yup, in 3.5 x 2 inches, you’re supposed to say everything someone needs to know about you. How often we spend our time trying to figure out people. What makes them tick-why would they act this way or that way, or say something like that? We receive all kinds of messages, most of the time mixed, about who they are trying to be or what they are trying to communicate. How simple life would be if we could just walk up to someone and hand them a card that would say it all. Not what it is we do to make money, but what we are all about. Simple messages that convey our values and character. Just reach into your pocket and pass it out. It certainly would cut down on the guessing and confusion. What would your card say? Would it be covered in 6-point font with all the things you think you are-barely readable, but comprehensive? Would it include your life roles, such as husband, wife, father or mother? Would it show an important value or quality-like optimistic, or “I believe”? Perhaps it would show your wishes or dreams. The possibilities are seemingly endless. But of course, the more you cram on it the more confusing it gets. I know what mine would say. Clean and simple, with no flowery distractions. Simple black and white type, with the largest font that would fit. It would encompass everything I am and that I value. Five words would say it all. With apologies to Descartes, it would simply say: I care, therefore I am. What’s in your pocket? the minimum wage. I talked to a bartender in a mountain resort who astounded me with his earnings. But most of us don’t begrudge gratuities. It’s our way of alleviating the guilt for letting someone serve us. If you think about gratitude, it is kind of a peculiar thing. We are supposed to be grateful for all we have, for all our gifts. But for many people, our prayers consist of what is still on our wish list - usually for things to get better...for the yuck to go away. Most of us do pray more for others than ourselves; at least, I think we do. But do we pray for those we don’t know? Not usually. But there is so much around us to be grateful for, even if it is mundane and average. We should spend more time being grateful in the here and now. Pay for what makes us happy with a smile, a thank you or a wave. If we go beyond social courtesy, what would that look like? More than kindness to strangers, but truly helping those that need it: to help the seekers find, the hurt to heal, and the tearful to find joy. Perhaps we should spend a large percentage of our gratitude doing just that. So today, and each day, I am going to try to be grateful fifteen to twenty percent of the time. In my 16-hour vertical day, that equates to about three and a quarter hours. And if I can’t, I’ll try and remember how difficult it is to make a living without being grateful. What a great tip! A Good Tip Superman and Elvis Did, Too I am forever trying to calculate tips. It doesn’t seem to matter how good or bad the service is, a tip of fifteen to twenty percent is expected - at least in this country. In Europe, it is a bit different. They just round up the bill and add a few dollars (francs, lira, etc.), regardless of the total. Although we like to think that it’s a reward, it really isn’t-at least not to the server. What started as an incentive (“to insure prompt service”) is now critical to their livelihood. I can’t even imagine making a living on the minimum wages that service workers earn. And of course, our generosity helps some servers to far exceed I felt like Elvis, swiveling my hip into the slightly stuck front door; my hands were full in my superhuman feat of carrying 14 plastic grocery bags in from the car. Real men don’t make two trips. As it swung in a bit too fast, I heard a satisfying “boing” and the door swung angrily back at me, knob into ribs. Ouch! Doorstop must have been loaded and waiting for the unsuspecting. Although it saved the wall from the hole-inserting doorknob, my ribs are a little offended from its anger. A softer rebound and a louder expletive and I was inside. Of course, we all know the metaphors about doors www.earthstarmag.com OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 49 and the future. One open, one shut, on the threshold, etcetera, etcetera...I confess that I have cheaply used them a few times. Yawn. But what about the lowly doorstop silently waiting for that flung door? No poems or prose written, it just sits there slightly screwed waiting for its opportunity to serve. I am sure that none even give it a second thought unless they have hound-dog hips and hit the door too hard. But I am grateful for the doorstops in my world. Being a seeker and adventurer, I always fling open doors. Forget the timid peek, let’s rock that door open and see what is on the other side. Screaming fans, adulation, love me tender? I am in! Well that is, until I go too hard or too fast and then it’s nothing but heartbreak and bruised ribs. Your doorstops are as important as your doors. They are there to stop you when you go too far and prevent you from doing too much damage. They serve to ground you when you go too fast and spring back with reality when you think you are Superman or Elvis. Yet, they don’t inhibit your swinging groove and are totally invisible when you are moving at the right speed. I am grateful to my doorstops in life-mom, my family, and my faith for helping to slow me down when I go too fast. A little poke in the ribs reminds me that I am not Superman, just plain ‘ole me. But every once in a while I make the perfect entrance, and I can hear the loudspeaker announcing, “Elvis has entered the building.” Always Right At first I thought it was me. It was the first one I changed at daylight savings time as it is usually the first one I look at. Later that day I noticed it was wrong so I fixed it again. But later it was still off... odd, I thought. One more time I adjusted it. Satisfied I finally had it right, I 50 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 forgot about it. A few days later I noticed it was wrong again, but not by a lot. Must be the battery, so I changed it. Seemed like the right solution. But the next day it was off by ten minutes again. Time for a new clock. I like to quip that broken clocks are usually right twice a day. But in this case, it wasn’t true. It seemed perfectly happy being near exactly ten minutes off. I must have changed it five times, and the battery too, and it still wasn’t the right time. I did some tests, another new battery, and even gave it a good shake, all without much luck. After a few days of it being the wrong time, I began clock shopping. But after three stores, the only one I found that I liked was a Disney princess one, and that would just be wrong in the kitchen. I really did like the old one best. So I just forgot about it and figured what will be will be, and that someday I’ll get a new clock. And then a timely miracle happened. Not a water into wine kind of miracle, but a little one nonetheless. For the past week, the clock has been keeping perfect time again. I keep checking and rechecking and it hasn’t lost a minute. How it could possibly have fixed itself is beyond rational understanding-it must be a miracle! Often our fears and trepidations can be like trying to get somewhere but relying on broken clocks to tell us when it’s time to get going. A voice inside tells us it’s not the right time, to justify not taking any action and staying small. But despite being out of sync, we keep looking, hoping that this time will be the right time. There is no such thing as the perfect time, regardless of what your clock tells you. If you count the minutes that you spend waiting for the right time, you will get good at counting but never get to your goal. And even if you’re convinced it isn’t the right time, it might be. The best solution isn’t a new clock, but overcoming your fear. And the right time for that is always now. The Zone At the gym, some of the equipment has them built right in; you just grab them and they tell you all kinds of information. Ideally, you are supposed to be at a certain heart rate, to maximize your efforts. But to actually get an accurate reading you either have to stop what you’re doing or, like me, hold on to the handles for dear life until it registers. Without them, it seems next to impossible to tell your heart rate or pulse. Just because you’re tired or out of breath doesn’t mean your workout has been effective. Too fast or too slow and you are not in the critical zone. Many of us spend our days trying to chillaxe, relax, detox, and meditate away life’s challenges. Many things www.earthstarmag.com seem to assault us each day that we need to overcome, get over, or run away from. We seek solace in our own unique ways to get rid of whatever the yuck might be. We dream of trouble-free white sand beaches and tropical breezes. It is one of the most common things discussed in counseling: how to let go and let life. Many of us aren’t very good at it. But if we spin too fast we burn more than calories. We wear ourselves out from being on the edge of spent. And a life of meditation offers no opportunity for growth or love. Without things that make our heart race, we just exist fat and unhappy. We are born to seize opportunities, risky or not, to achieve our maximum potential. That moment when you first know love, the exuberance of finding your purpose and “aha” of understanding: these are the sweet spots of the critical zone. Do one thing a day that scares you, something that thrills you, settles you, and expresses your love and you will find your sweet spot and achieve maximum potential. Now You Have Everything At my house, everybody used to help out. And it seems it may be that way around the world. Why, it’s is almost as much of a tradition as the meal itself. After hours of fussing in the kitchen and an equal amount of feasting, laughing, and dessert-eating we all seemed to bond again around getting the remains cleaned up. The table had been so full there was barely room for our plates. A dish for everything - and everything delicious. But with all the anticipation and most of the food gone, the used dishes were piled on every surface and overflowing. From fine china to burnt bean casserole, the debris was everywhere. You would have thought we fed the 7th Marines. We didn’t have a dishwasher; we had five of them and dryers too. Wrap, box, bag and put away the leftovers and scale the mountain of dishes. Scrape, soak, wash, rinse, dry and put away. It seemed endless. Although the work wasn’t enjoyable, we had fun, all laughing and smiling, everyone pitching in, almost dancing in the kitchen. And just when you thought the last dish was done, a few more would magically appear. It was hot and sweaty, but we didn’t mind... we were family. In the joyful moments we forget about all the hard work that it took to get us to the feast and the challenges that still await. For some, that may be the holiday buffet in our homes. For others, it is the promise of eternal salvation. Either way, it takes work to get there. And there will always be dirty dishes left over from our banquet. So as you plan and prepare in your life, wash away www.earthstarmag.com what is done and move toward your potential. Go ahead and use a new dish for each of your accomplishments and challenges - there is plenty of room on the table. It will all fit. When your day is done, take time to clean up and be grateful for those that have helped you enjoy your buffet. Our feast is nothing more than a sandwich without them. Without love we would certainly starve. And there is no such thing as unwanted leftovers of love. When I think back on those long gone days it is not the dishes I remember. It’s the joy of being together. Gathered around the kitchen sink, we washed ourselves clean of any other junk that remained. And we had piles and piles of potential in the clean. Heaven may have an amazing buffet, but I sure hope that it has dirty dishes. Gather around and grab a cloth. Together, we can get it done. We can’t have everything without the kitchen sink. Excerpted with permission from Reaching for Insights: Stories of Love, Faith, and the Kitchen Sink by Mitch Rosenzweig. In this, his new book, veteran clinical psychologist and social worker Mitch Rosenzweig attunes his therapeutic sensibilities to his daily landscape and uncovers life lessons for us all treasures gained by observing the ordinary from an often amusing, and always positive, perspective. This rich collection of 200 brief essays penned from his personal and professional observations delights us and invites us to grow into better, more compassionate human beings. For more information, visit http://www.reachingforinsights.com/media/ OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 51 Go Wild To T hrive The Key To Keeping Up W ith A W orld That Never Stops By Anthony William T he world is moving faster than ever before. Some of it is amazing: the miracle of robotic surgery, the blessing of instant communication with a loved one who’s halfway around the world. And then there are the downsides: pollution, pathogens, distraction, overwhelm. At the same time you’re listening to a news report on rising sea levels, you’re fielding text messages about a computer virus at your child’s school—and then a phone call comes in about a dear friend’s frightening diagnosis. I call our current era the Quickening. With everything speeding up, expectations are at their highest for humankind—and women especially bear the brunt. It can feel impossible to stay on top of it all, to protect yourself and your family. It can feel like a struggle to survive every day. And yet we don’t just want to survive, do we? We want to thrive. In order to adapt and thrive in our changing times, it’s imperative to remember that no matter what else is trying to grab our attention, health is key. Think of 52 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 today’s cars. They’re really advanced, right? Equipped with GPS, Wi-Fi, solar panels, remote starters, and cameras that show you your blind spots, these automobiles are like spaceships! They’re incredible. We hear that soon, they’ll even be driving themselves. Yet every car has a major vulnerability: rubber tires filled with air. No matter how decked out the body of a car is, if it runs over a bed of nails, the tires will deflate, and it will be stuck by the side of the road. While the design of pneumatic tires has improved since their invention in the 19th century, there has yet to be a total turnaround in the conception of how cars get from Point A to Point B. That’s where we are as a society, too. While certain areas of life have seen exponential growth, we’re still vulnerable at our foundation. Potential dangers are everywhere: Toxins fall from the sky and fill the air we breathe. Radiation surrounds us from past nuclear disasters. Superbugs multiply, out of control. Adrenaline surges from the stress of it all. Disease is on the rise. Our personal and global achievements—just like those feawww.earthstarmag.com tures on the latest cars—are only as fruitful as what they’re built on: our health. If we end up sick in bed because life in the 21st century pushes our bodies past their limits, then what good are the advancements? Whether you’re low on energy, struggling with illness, or perfectly well, you must take active measures to safeguard your health. Here’s one secret: eat wild foods. These humble edibles are packed with adaptogens—that is, they’re crucial to helping our bodies adapt to what life throws at us. Wild foods not only retain the vitamin and mineral levels that nature intended, they also carry critical survival information in their cells. When we ingest them, the wisdom that’s allowed them to thrive out in the elements becomes a part of us. You don’t have to spend all of your time foraging in pristine locations to eat wild. And you don’t have to be distracted by the trends advertising the latest exotic, expensive superfood. Wild foods (or foods so close to their wild form that they provide the same benefits) are actually waiting for you at your local market, and they can transform your health. Here are three of the best wild and nearwild foods you can add to your routine to protect yourself: Wild blueberries: These little gems are the top health tonic you can find. Turn to wild blueberries for immune system support, tissue repair, anti-aging, digestive cleansing, ADHD management, extraction of heavy metals from your system...the list goes on. You also want these in your toolkit for prevention of brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Perfect in smoothies, wild blueberries are frequently found in the frozen section of your local grocery store. (Don’t confuse them with their cultivated cousins, which are larger, slightly lighter in color, and still healthy, just not anywhere near as life-changing.) Nettle leaf: Amazing for detoxification, headache relief, and support of the endocrine and central nervous systems, nettle is one of the best herbs for healing and prevention, period. Turn to nettle for alleviation of chronic www.earthstarmag.com fatigue, joint and muscle pain, and emotional distress. Its anti-inflammatory properties are astounding, and its vital micronutrients make it an essential part of your regimen. Nettle leaf is readily available as a tea herb, or as capsules. Dandelion greens: The tenacity that makes dandelions a rampant weed is about to make it your new best friend. Rich in protein, dandelion greens are wonderful for cardiovascular support, cleansing the blood, fighting off bugs, and remineralization. They’re also a fantastic anti-radiation remedy. Add dandelion greens to stir fries and salads. You can harvest them locally if you’re sure they’re from a lawn or garden that hasn’t been sprayed with herbicides or pesticides. Otherwise, find fresh dandelion greens in your grocery store’s produce section, or buy it dried and brew dandelion tea. Other items you can throw into the mix include thyme, oregano, rose hips, Atlantic dulse, and all (edible) varieties of wild berries. You won’t hear lots of buzz out there about the miraculous health benefits of these foods—yet. Rest assured, though: if you make them a regular part of your life, incorporating at least one (preferably more) into your daily rotation, you will be taking the most powerful step you can to defend your health. This era of the Quickening isn’t just about everything accelerating. It’s about a new world emerging. What used to be the setting of futuristic cartoons is becoming the place where we live. And it is possible to hold onto ourselves through that process. We can change along with the world—if we take the right steps to connect to the earth’s potent medicine. So go ahead: go wild. Watch your life transform. Excerpted with permission from Medical Medium: Secrets Behind Chronic and Mystery Illness and How to Finally Heal, by Anthony William, published by Hay House, http://www.hayhouse.com. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 53 An Interview with Anthony William Author of Medical Medium: Secrets Behind Chronic and Mystery Illness and How to Finally Heal How did you become the Medical Medium? I received this gift at age four, when a voice that identified itself as Spirit of the Most High told me to announce at the dinner table that my grandmother had lung cancer. Though I didn’t even know what the term meant, I shared the news with my family—and medical testing soon confirmed the diagnosis. I’ve since dedicated my life to communicating Spirit’s wisdom to anyone who will listen, offering people answers for their health so that they can overcome illness and lead the lives they were meant to live. How does your gift work? Two things happen when I’m performing a read on someone’s health. First, the voice of Spirit speaks to me from just outside my ear, telling me what’s wrong with someone’s health and how she or he can heal. When I was young, Spirit also taught me how to develop the second part of my gift, the ability to visualize a scan of a person’s body—think of an ultra?powerful MRI that can not only detect physical ailments but also spiritual—so I can truly understand what’s behind someone’s suffering. How is your gift different from other mediums’ and intuitives’ gifts? Being able to hear a spirit voice clearly at all times, and freely engage in conversation with it, is extraordinary even among mediums. And more unusual is for that voice to speak outside my ear, so that it’s an independent source separate from my thoughts. Essentially, someone’s following me around everywhere—someone who keeps telling me incredibly accurate information about the health of everyone around me, insights that are often decades ahead of medical research. It’s a gift I can’t turn off, even though I sometimes wish I could take a short break. What types of health issues do you help people overcome? Do you have a couple of hours for me to give you the full 54 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 answer? The truth is that I’ve helped people with anything and everything, from Lyme disease to infertility. Every single time someone comes to me for assistance, I’m amazed at the answers Spirit provides for all aspects of the client’s well?being, including care of the soul, spirit, and emotions, as well as physical health. What are the main messages of your book? You can heal. If you’re dealing with chronic illness, if you’ve gone from doctor to doctor looking for answers and you’re still not better, don’t lose heart. There’s a reason behind your suffering, and there’s a way to get your life back. Medical Medium is all about getting people better. I’ve helped tens of thousands of people fully recover from what ailed them, stave off further illness, and live vibrant lives, and now is finally the time to share Spirit’s wisdom with the wider world. What is mystery illness, and why are we facing this issue? Mystery illness isn’t just the eight kids in the Midwest who are hospitalized for sudden, unexplained symptoms; that’s a tiny fraction of what mystery illness is. Yet this is how the term has been framed, and it’s misleading the public. Truth is, mystery illness is any condition for which someone doesn’t have answers. Chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, migraines, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune disease, and so many more—they have names, so we’re supposed to think they’re under control. Just because we have the tag “Hashimoto’s,” though, doesn’t mean that researchers know what’s causing that thyroid issue, or how to alleviate the underlying problem. That makes it a mystery illness. We’re facing this obstacle in our medical communities, both conventional and alternative, because of medical denial. Medical science is incredibly advanced when it comes to areas such as life?saving surgeries. When it comes to chronic conditions, though, it hasn’t caught up. When enough people start to suffer from a given set of chronic symptoms that the condition gains validity and gets a label, the issue is put to rest. It’s not www.earthstarmag.com considered a mystery anymore—that’s where the denial comes in—and the research funding trickles. Much of the information in this book will be discovered by science eventually—it will just take decades. You shouldn’t have to wait 20 or more years for answers, though. It’s time for the truth about mystery illness to finally reach the public, which is why Spirit led me to write Medical Medium. Which illnesses and symptoms do you see as being the greatest problems for people today? Millions of people suffer from health issues such as Lyme disease—which is still a mystery illness in the medical communities—as well as chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis, lupus, Hashimoto’s and other thyroid diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, depression, anxiety disorders, ADHD, digestive disorders, migraines, neuropathy, fatigue, vertigo, tinnitus, blurry vision, floaters in the eyes, bloating, body temperature fluctuations, brain fog, memory loss, tingles and numbness, muscle weakness, and insomnia. It’s heartbreaking—and even more so that these people have to deal with misdiagnosis, ineffective treatment, or being doubted and ignored. There is a way to heal and move forward, the information just hasn’t been released until now. Who would benefit from this book? Anyone and everyone. Medical Medium is the answer for anyone who’s suffering from a chronic condition or a mystery illness that doctors haven’t been able to resolve. If you’ve tried every conventional and alternative therapy, read every self?help book on the shelf, and you still aren’t better, this is for you. Or if you’ve just started to experience unexplained symptoms and don’t want to lose decades of your life to finding a solution, this book is for you. Every word of Medical Medium is devoted to helping you with the healing process. It’s not just a book for people who are sick, though. It’s a book for every person on the planet. Do you feel strained by the challenges of a hectic life? Are you overwhelmed by the competing prevention information out there and wish there were just one clear guide to experiencing vibrant health? Do you wonder what your purpose www.earthstarmag.com in life is? Medical Medium is where you’ll find the tools to rise up and meet the challenges of the 21st century. How is this book different from other health books? This book is unlike anything you’ve read. You won’t find citation after citation, references to study after study, because this is fresh, ahead?of?its?time information that comes from the heavens. Everything I share in Medical Medium comes from a higher authority, the essence of compassion, that wants everyone to heal and live up to their potential. Unlike other books in the health industry that repackage the same old theories with catchy new names, this book contains healing guidance that Spirit is revealing for the first time. It explains the true underlying causes of dozens of conditions, the unknown?until?now history behind them, then walks you through how to finally heal (or prevent the issues in the first place). Inside Medical Medium are the real answers on everything from why menopause isn’t what you think it is, to how to conduct a proper cleanse, to how to restore your soul after dealing with difficult colleagues. It’s the health book that will finally give you validation and a path forward. How can someone begin to heal from a mystery illness? The first step of truly healing is to understand what’s really causing your condition—to take the mystery out of mystery illness. The second step is to know what to do to free yourself from the pain and suffering. For every illness in Medical Medium, I devote pages of information to each of these steps. Using case histories from my clients’ successes as well as specialized techniques, I also cover the element that you need to keep yourself going through the healing process: faith. You didn’t bring your predicament on yourself, your body can heal, and even though you may not get better overnight, if you follow the healing protocols in the book and keep the faith throughout, the day will come when your illness is a distant memory. What is the number one step you can tell people to take that will help them feel better? Picture yourself post?illness, and plan accordingly. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 55 Think of your illness as a temporary detour, and Medical Medium as the map that will finally get you back on the path of your destiny. What have your ailments held you back from doing? What do you miss from your pre?illness days? Start brainstorming ideas for what you’ll do with your future newfound health. Make a list of what you plan to do, then relax into the healing process with the comfort that your days of fulfilling those dreams are ahead. What roles do emotional health and spirituality play in healing? Emotional health and spirituality are an integral part of physical healing. For true healing to occur, you have to know that you did not cause your illness. You did not create, manifest, or attract it; you are in no way to blame. You deserve the utmost compassion. You deserve to heal. You have every God?given right to heal. Grasping this truth in your heart and soul will activate your body’s healing potential. How can someone rebuild trust and faith that they can heal? You’ll have to read the book to find out! The chapter “Soul?Healing Meditations and Techniques” offers an exercise to rebuild trust—it’s the best technique you’ll find for this anywhere. You have helped tens of thousands of people heal, yet there are likely to still be some people who are skeptical about your gift. What would you say to those people? When a person has spent decades and thousands of dollars trying to heal with no results, I don’t blame her for being skeptical of yet one more person offering health advice. On top of which, I’m a guy who hears a voice! People are bound to be skeptical. My response to these people is that I was a born skeptic. When I first experienced my gift and as it began to develop, I could barely believe it. The first chapter of my book, “Origins of the Medical Medium,” goes into detail on how I tried to escape the voice, and why I ultimately understood that this is my calling. I’m an ordinary man who happens to hear the voice of Spirit with clarity and precision. It’s not a gift I chose; God chose this for me. And it’s not about me. The only reason I’ve been able to help tens of thousands of people heal is that Spirit provides the answers. To this day, when a client tells me an insight I relayed to him was 56 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 spot?on, my reply is, “Really?” I’m amazed every time my gift serves another person. How can people learn more from you? My website, www.MedicalMedium.com, is a great place to start. You’ll find links there to my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest accounts, where I post health information that’s decades ahead of its time. You’ll learn about the healing powers of different fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, and teas, as well as healing recipes and daily inspiration to keep you moving forward on your healing journey. On my website, you’ll also find information on my weekly radio show on Hay House Radio, downloadable reports, plus news about my upcoming appearances. Anthony William, the one and only Medical Medium®, has helped tens of thousands of people heal from ailments that have been misdiagnosed or wrongly treated or have baffled medical communities. He’s accomplished all this by listening to a divine voice—called Spirit of the Most High—that literally speaks into his ear, telling him what is at the root of people’s pain or illness and what they need to do to restore their health. Anthony has been called the Edgar Cayce of our time. He’s also been compared to Padre Pio. What he does is several decades ahead of scientific discovery. His methods achieve spectacular results, even for those who have spent years and many thousands of dollars on all realms of medicine before turning to him. Now, in his revolutionary book, he gives readers access to all that he has learned in over 25 years of bringing people’s lives back: a massive amount of healing information, much of which has never appeared anywhere before. In Medical Medium he reveals the root causes of diseases that medical communities either misunderstand or fail to understand at all, conditions that wreak havoc with the lives of countless people around the world. And it explores all_natural solutions—not merely relief of symptoms, but critical information that can address core causes and completely restore a person’s health—for dozens of the illnesses that plague us, including Lyme disease, diabetes, adrenal fatigue, Candida, chronic fatigue syndrome, lupus, multiple sclerosis, anxiety, depression, ADHD and OCD, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, shingles, and leaky gut syndrome. Beyond the body, Anthony brings his wisdom to bear on soul, heart, and spirit as well, offering readers unique insights on how to find inner peace and live longer, healthier, richer lives. www.earthstarmag.com Reflexology Made Easy Self-help Techniques for Everyday Ailments By Ewald Kliegel T Headaches he head is prone to different problems – from throbbing temples with the sensation of being trapped in a vice, while a jackhammer is busy at work in the background, to having a brain that feels as though it is made of cotton wool. Fortunately, however, most of these nasty sensations go away on their own. The symptoms are as varied as the causes that may underlie them: a stiff neck, problems with the spine, metabolic disturbances, allergies, medicine, unstable blood pressure, too much stress, long periods spent sitting at the computer and much more. Essentially, any organ in the body can have a detrimental effect on the head. Most people suffering from a headache just think of reaching for the usual analgesics but these medicines are often also bad for the head; until the cause has been www.earthstarmag.com identified, you are better off using remedies that cause no side effects instead. These include reflex zone massage, which generally works just as quickly as the usual headache pills. 1. Neck reflex zones A typical place to treat a tension headache is the neck. It seems the natural place to reduce the muscle tension that causes it, even with no knowledge of the reflex zones. Important control centers for many of the functions of the head and sensory organs are also located here, just beneath the point where the muscles of the spine meet the muscles of the neck. For this technique, take the back of your head in your hands, with your fingers to the sides and your OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 57 Complementary techniques For recurrent headaches, it’s also worth considering the impact of any possible mental strain in addition to any medical considerations. The expressions ‘racking my brains’ and the need to ‘get my head round’ something hint at this type of underlying cause and some honest self-appraisal may be required to pinpoint where a conflict of this kind may be proving too stressful and burdensome. thumbs in the middle. From this position, make circular strokes with both thumbs to massage the central area gently but thoroughly. After basic unblocking of the maximum release points, finish with effleurage from a line down the back of the neck out to the sides. 2. Hand reflex zones Headaches are annoying and unpleasant – they can stop us from thinking clearly and be impossible to shake off. Two areas of the hand reflex zones may be of some help: the brain stem zones on the joint of the thumb enable you to influence the nerve supply to the head, while the reflex zones of the brain are in the pads of the fingers. Basic unblocking has proved effective for the brain stem zones and, even when used on its own, can often make a situation more bearable. Rubbing the pads of the fingers together gently for a few minutes may often produce results, making a nagging stress pain disappear, or at least be eased considerably. Essential oils that have a beneficial effect on headaches include lemon balm, cardamom and ginger (give them a try!), while the gemstones amethyst, dumortierite (the ‘take it easy’ stone) and garnet have also demonstrated that they work particularly well. Ancient Indian medicine teaches the use of meditative finger positions (known as mudras) for many problems. One such mudra is also extremely effective against headaches. Using light pressure, just press the fingers of both hands together for one to three minutes and breathe deeply in and out over the joined fingers. Excerpted from Reflexology Made Easy: Self-help Techniques for Everyday Ailments, by Ewald Kliegel, with permission from the publisher, Findhorn Press, http://www.findhornpress.com Ewald Kliegel is a healer, teacher, author, masseur and alternative health practitioner. He gives seminars about reflex zones, and gemstone treatment courses for use in therapy and professional wellness. This is what leads him to write about simple and effective self-help methods for everyday life. Headache Mudra 58 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 www.earthstarmag.com Finding Your Animal Ally By Denise Linn I n many native traditions, finding one’s animal ally often involved a vision quest in nature. However, as we don’t always have the opportunity to go on a quest, there are a number of other ways that you can find your spirit animal: Think about what animal you are drawn to: You may find your power animal by noticing the animals to which you feel irresistibly drawn. It could be your favorite animal since childhood. Perhaps you’ve loved stories about cats and have always felt aligned with them—this might indicate that some kind of cat is your ally. Watch your dreams: A totem may also appear repeatedly in a dream. Before you go to sleep, ask that your spirit animal appear in your dreams. Consider keeping a journal next to your bed so that you can record your dreams as soon as you awake. www.earthstarmag.com Pay attention to the signs: Ask the Creator to give you a sign in regard to your totem. If an animal appears a number of times, especially in unusual ways, this most likely is one of your allies. For example, you receive a card with a horse on it in the mail. Then you begin seeing horses on posters and billboards. There’s a song playing on the radio about a horse, as you’re driving by a field full of horses. If everywhere you turn, you see horses, there’s a good chance that the horse is your totem. Take the inward journey: One of the most powerful ways to find your spirit animal is to go on an inner journey (meditation). Imagine yourself in a mist, and picture yourself reaching into the mist to touch your spirit animal. Imagine the mist thinning and “see” what animal has appeared. You can even communicate with the animal to understand why it has come forward as your totem. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 59 Spend time in nature: The traditional way to discover your totem is to spend time in solitude in nature and then notice the animals that show up. You can also watch the images in the clouds and even in the patterns on the bark on the trees to get clues as to your totem. Discovering the Qualities of Your Animal Ally Different cultures assign varying meanings to totems. Trust your intuition to find the significance of yours. There are many books that list power animals and what they represent. Although these can be very useful, it’s important to remember that this is only one person’s or one culture’s interpretation. Read the definition of your animal ally in the book and see if it feels right to you. 60 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 Your own sense of what a particular spirit animal means is unique and is more valid than anyone else’s opinion. The owl is a good example of these varying definitions. When I was in Western Australia discussing totems with Aboriginal elders, I was told that men feared the owl, for it was a woman’s totem and represented the darkness and the unknown. They said that as men were afraid of the power of women, they also feared the owl. In New Zealand, I discussed animal allies with members of the Maori tribe and asked about the owl. I was told that it was a sacred bird to the Maoris. It was so sacred that its name was never spoken. In my own Native American culture, some tribes revere the owl, saying that it represents deep wisdom, yet other tribes consider it the harbinger of death and darkness. The meaning for each ally can vary dramatically; therefore, it’s crucial that you find the meaning of your ally for yourself. Another way to discover what your totem represents is to read wildlife books, nature magazines, and encyclopedias. Research the habits and habitat of the animals with which you feel a special kinship. For example, if you feel that the wolf is your ally, by researching their habits in the wild, you’ll discover that they have a strong sense of family. Thus, having a wolf for your ally may increase your connection to your family. Excerpted from Kindling the Native Spirit by Denise Linn. It is published by Hay House (November 2015) and is available in bookstores and online at www.hayhouse.com www.earthstarmag.com Search for T By Dennis Waite here is much talk about happiness at present. Even governments have begun talking about it, as though they have suddenly realized that the subject is actually of interest to voters and that their ability to promote happiness in some way might win them the next election. Of course, we are interested! One could say that the search for it motivates our every action, directly or indirectly. Whole books have been written about it. This is not obviously one of them. Certainly I do not intend to say anything about it other than in this short, preliminary section. Yet it will not escape your attention that it is the very first topic that I introduce! The point I would like to make is that neither governments nor most individuals actually know how to make people happy. What we do tend to know is what the specific thing (object, person, status etc.) is at present that we think will make us happy. What we invariably find is that, irrespective of whether or not we obtain that thing, any happiness gained is only temporary and we eventually move on, desiring and seeking for the next thing that might work. www.earthstarmag.com The naïve view is that, ideally, I would always be free to do what I want rather than often seemingly being forced to do things that I don’t want to do. But, on analysis of our experience, we should rather say that I really want to be free of that pervasive idea. What is actually happening here? The problem is that what we are actually looking for is the removal of some perceived limitation. We might want a new house if we think the present one is too small, too distant from our job etc., or if we do not have one at all. We might want a new partner if the current one is unfaithful, drunk all of the time etc., or if we do not have one at all. We might want a new job if the present one is too boring, not paid sufficiently well etc., or if we do not have one… You get the idea! The perceived limitations are either in our body or our mind. If there is no literal limitation, such as a muscular or sensory one, it is usually a thought that: ‘I must have X before I can be happy’. And, if you follow this line of reasoning, you end up with the real problem being that I believe that I am the body or mind. Since our bodies and minds genuinely are limited, it is no surprise that trying to remove these limitations inevitably causes OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 61 largely hostile universe. The deep-sleep state, on the other hand is a blissful one, in which we experience no limitation whatsoever. But then we know nothing about this directly and can only say on waking up that we ‘slept well’. What can we make of these observations? If these states are ‘masks’ that we put on, who is the one without a mask? If the perceived limitations of those states are not present when the masks are removed, then it would seem to follow that ‘who-we-really-are’ must be without limitation and therefore permanently, transcendentally happy. This is indeed the case! This is why the subject of my book is so important. Excerpted with permission from A-U-M: Awakening to Reality by Dennis Waite, published by Mantra Books, http://www.mantra-books.com problems and is ultimately doomed to failure. So what has all of this got to do with my new book? Well, the source text of A-U-M: Awakening to Reality, says that who we think we are is actually somewhat wider than this. It looks at our entire life experience through the three states of consciousness – waking state, dream state and deep-sleep state and their corresponding objective ‘universes’. There is nothing else in our experience apart from these. And what it says is that these states are effectively ‘masks’ that we put on. A metaphor which is sometimes used is that of an actor, playing parts in several plays. The waker, dreamer and deep-sleeper are merely roles that the actor plays at various times. Who he ‘really is’ is the fourth aspect, called turIya in Sanskrit – the actor himself. The waker is not the dreamer, the dreamer is not the deep-sleeper but I am all of these. The waking and dream roles are inherently fraught with limitations. We play the role of a limited being in a 62 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 Dennis Waite has been a student of Advaita for over 25 years and maintains one of the most visited and respected websites on the subject. He lives in Bournemouth, England. www.earthstarmag.com 7 Herbs Boost Your Brain Power To Help By Jared Tropple, M.H. W ho couldn’t use help to make your improve cognitive functions without causing cognitive brain function more effectively? I problems. I advise to always include ginkgo in your know that I could. I have so many brain formula. things going on all at once that at Gotu Kola times I can feel too overwhelmed and taxed mentally to be able to balance and fulfill all Gotu Kola oxygenates the blood and brain so that your of my obligations and desires. Here are a few herbs brain can get the nourishment it needs. It is also a brain that can help your brain to function more fully and tonic and a nervine. more effectively while Gotu Kola decreasing mental exhaustion Rosemary and stress. I can feel rosemary working so Gingko quickly in my brain. I usually take it in tincture form. It seems Ginkgo promotes circulation like smelling it is an important and improves memory. Some factor in getting the desired benstudies indicate that it may help efits. I would suggest also using rejuvenation brain cells. It helps rosemary essential oil because www.earthstarmag.com OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 63 Gingko Rosemary of this outcome. Rosemary is a brain tonic. It stimulates the brain but doesn’t have the anxious effect of caffeine. Because of its stimulating effects on the brain it improves cognitive performance and concentration. Holy Basil the brain function better together. It helps rejuvenate brain cells and improves ones capacity for attention and focus. It also helps reduce stress and increases memory capacity. This herb has so much scientific research backing it that it is very exciting. Sage Much of my opinion on Holy Basil as a head herb comes from personal use. It is promoted as an anxiety and stress herb. Maybe that’s part of it. For me, it helps clear my mind so that I can focus on the task at hand. They don’t call a wise person a sage for nothing. This herb has long been known to help improve cognitive function and enhance memory. Some of the active components of sage are similar to those developed to make drugs for Alzheimer’s. Along with rosemary I would also recommend using this in the essential oil form. Ashwaghanda Ashwaghanda reduces the effects of prolonged stress. It promotes a youthful state of mental health. Recent research has shown that it reduces mental impairment. It seems to help me most when I need to be creative in solving problems or in need of inspiration. It protects the brain from oxidative stress that leads to degeneration. It also improves long term visual memory. Ashwaghanda These herbs will boost your memory, improve brain function and feed your brain so that it can be healthy and happy. I hope that if you are feeling mentally strained you reach for something nourishing like these herbs instead of an energy drink that just taxes your brain and body. Bacopa Ayurvedic medicine has long used Bacopa for intellect, memory and anxiety. It is probably my favorite recently discovered herb. Studies show that it helps both sides of Holy Basil 64 EARTH STAR OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 Jared Tropple is a Master Herbalist Graduate of The School of Natural Healing. Sage Baricopa www.earthstarmag.com Wayne W. Dyer, Ph.D. (May 10th, 1940 - August 30th, 2015) W ayne W. Dyer, Ph.D., was an internationally renowned author and speaker in the field of self- development and spiritual growth. Over the span of his four-decade career, he wrote 42 books, 21 of which became New York Times bestsellers, and this wide readership earned him the affectionate nickname of “the father of motivation” among his fans. Dr. Dyer’s message reached across all markets, generations, and cultures. Even though the self-help industry has seen many new thought leaders emerge in recent years, Dr. Dyer continued to be a pioneer in this ever-expanding field up until his passing. Born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Dyer earned his doctorate in educational counseling from Wayne State University before serving as a professor at St. John’s University in New York. Through his early work as a college educator, and as a clinical psychologist, he discovered the need to make the principles of self-discovery and personal growth available to the general public. In 1976 he began his career as an author by traveling the country selling his first book, Your Erroneous Zones, from the trunk of his car—a book that went on to become one of the best-selling books of all time, with more than 60 million copies sold, printings in 47 languages, and 64 weeks spent on the New York Times bestseller list. Its success landed Dr. Dyer on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson—a dream of Dr. Dyer’s since childhood—a total of 37 times. After publishing a string of best-selling books on the practical psychology of self-improvement, Dr. Dyer felt a shift in his thinking that led him to explore the spiritual aspects of human experience. “My purpose is to help people look at themselves and begin to shift their concepts,” Dr. Dyer said at the time. “Remember, we are not our country, our race, or religion. We are eternal spirits. Seeing ourselves as spiritual beings without label is a way to transform the world and reach a sacred place for all of humanity.” In 1993, Dr. Dyer began publishing books with Hay House and quickly became one of the cornerstones of the company. Dr. Dyer created several audio programs and videos, and appeared on thousands of television and radio shows over the course of his career. His books Manifest Your Destiny, Wisdom of the Ages, There’s a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem, and the New York Times bestsellers 10 Secrets for Success and Inner Peace, The Power of Intention, Inspiration, Change Your Thoughts—Change www.earthstarmag.com Your Life, Excuses Begone!, Wishes Fulfilled, and I Can See Clearly Now have all been featured as PBS specials, raising over $200 million for public television stations nationwide and making Dr. Dyer one of PBS’s most successful fund-raisers. This philanthropic spirit was intrinsic to Dr. Dyer, as illustrated by his charitable contributions to his alma mater, Wayne State University, which totaled more than $1 million. Dr. Dyer’s first feature film, The Shift, was released in 2009, followed in 2012 by the autobiographical film, My Greatest Teacher. The second film dramatized a defining moment in Dyer’s life, when he had visited the grave of his father, who had abandoned him as a young boy. While the intention that day had been to exact some form of vengeance on the man Dyer felt had sent him down a dark path of rage and alcoholism, at the gravesite Dr. Dyer was overcome by inexplicable feelings of love and forgiveness. He credited this experience with changing the trajectory of his life. The date of this experience was August 30, 1974. On the exact same day, 41 years later, Dr. Dyer passed on. Despite a childhood spent in orphanages and foster homes, Dr. Dyer made his dreams come true. He lived to teach others to overcome their perceived limits and engage in their “Highest Self.” “I realize I was this little kid that was just born into the situation that I was born into,” Dr. Dyer said while reflecting on the publication of his 2014 book I Can See Clearly Now. “But as I look back on all of these things and all of these books that have come out of it and the movies that we’ve done and the millions of millions of people who’ve been touched all over the world, I look back and I see that I was in some kind of training since I was a little boy. It’s like these experiences are all gifts, and that’s how you have to look at it.” Just before his passing, Dr. Dyer had returned from Australia and New Zealand, where he lectured in front of thousands of people. As a father to eight children and six grandchildren, he was back home in Maui looking forward to spending time with his family, while gearing up for the launch of his upcoming book, Memories of Heaven: Children’s Astounding Recollections of the Time Before They Came to Earth. Although he was public with his struggle with leukemia, Dr. Dyer was the healthiest he had been in years, keeping a very active schedule. His death has officially been attributed to heart failure. OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 EARTH STAR 65