*********** ARTICLES ***********

As I sit here facilitating the creation of issue 58 it is almost shocking to see that another year has slipped by. In the world as we know it here at the ‘nest’, it feels like only a few months have gone by - not a full year.

Like many of you, I had a ‘list’ of things I was going to accomplish in 2005. I now confess, although the most important ones eventually were checked off, there were many others that transformed into the 2006 version of ‘the list’. There were times in my life when I would have been upset with myself for not doing it ALL, considered myself a failure for the lack of my accomplishments. I might have forgotten all the wonderful ‘bonuses’ that took me off track here and there, causing the ‘thing to do for the day’ (or week) to be shuffled aside to make space for some spontaneous addition. Eventually, I came to see that my list was just a series of guide posts. They were reminders of goals to be accomplished, gentle nudges of reality, not some looming tyrant waiting to make me feel guilty and doubt myself. Eventually I came to live my life with gratitude for the things that were accomplished, not focusing on the ones that were not. I became thankful for the diversions that brought new people and old friends back into my life, happy for the joy of spontaneity/creativity, of allowing myself to go a different route when positive opportunities arose.

My attitude has evolved (like grey hairs) over the years, and yet every year of late, I seem to find the phenomena of ‘getting up on Monday and before noon realizing it’s Friday again’ - a more common occurrence. I believe, along with many others that time HAS speeded up! *The resonance of Earth (Schumann Resonance) has been 7.8Hz for thousands of years. Since 1980 it has risen to over 12Hz. This means that 16 hours now equate to a 24 hour day. Time is speeding up!* - Gregg Braden

If this is true, we need to adopt a new strategy for being productive in the new year. Perhaps starting fresh with an ‘attitude of gratitude’ and ‘love each moment as we live it’ mentality, we could better accept miracles as they unfold before us. Let’s be ready and make time to write down some guidelines for how our year will present itself in these high vibrational times. The power of focused intention has proven to be a tool of manifestation.Let’s give it the positive nudge to unfold perfectly.

By our actions, let’s inspire 2006 to BE a year of Gentle, Positive, Healthy, Peaceful Transformation! Let’s raise the vibration of everything around us by simply breathing in love and breathing out love.

We have orchestrated this issue with lots of wonderful articles, products and love from pens and keyboards around the world. May your year be centered, strong yet flexible, peaceful, and positively prosperous. And may you find joy, gratitude and kindness within. That is our wish for you.

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Benn Kramer (August 19, 1956 – October 21, 2005)...
And still, the Eagles, his beloved friends... also weep!

Benn Kramer, who died in a tragic climbing accident, was known to many in the autism community in British Columbia for his exceptional talents as a fearless nature photographer and marathon swimmer. Benn thought nothing of climbing a 90 ft Douglas Fir to take his intimate photographs of eagles nor of undertaking a dangerous marathon swim around Manhattan Island to fundraise for autism. Benn struggled to overcome the limitations autism brought to his life. He was truly inspirational to those who were fortunate enough to have known him. A very kind and thoughtful man, Benn gave generously of his time and talent to fundraising for others with autism, through his marathons and his photographs. He loved to talk to parents about their children with autism and was generous with his advice.

Benn has left behind his fiancée, Diane, his brother Issac, nieces Zoe, Zephi, Alethea and nephew Avrum. His family is unlikely to be fully aware of the respect they have earned over the years from many family members of individuals with autism throughout British Columbia. Benn’s family provided him with a strong base while allowing him the freedom to develop his talents and his warm personality, despite their concern for his safety. We extend to them our deepest condolences for the loss of a very special person.

By Deborah Pugh, Director of Training & Research, ACT (Autism Community Training) www.actbc.ca For more information on ACT’s work and how you or your company can support it, you are welcome to contact Executive Director, Clair Schuman at 604-205-5467 or at cschuman@autismcommunitytraining.bc.ca. ACT - Suite 240 – 2250 Boundary Road, Burnaby, BC, Canada V5M 3Z3 Toll-free 1-866-939-5188 Help make a difference!

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To put the world in order,
we must first
put the nation in order;
to put the nation in order,
we must put the family in order;

to put the family in order,
we must cultivate
our personal life;

and to cultivate
our personal life,
we must first
set our hearts right.

- Confucius-

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Pono is the seventh principle of Huna, and ancient philosophy of successful living found in Polynesia and Hawaii. This knowledge has been handed down through generations for thousands of years and assisted many to heal and understand the laws of manifesting. Pono says that "Effectiveness is the measure of truth." Which simply states that the means we choose will determine the end result. For example: If we want to create peace, than we must use a peaceful means to do it. So, if we are not getting the results that we want from trying to manifest something a certain way, then we need to relax, take a few deep breaths and allow a new idea to come in and show us how to get what we desire. This principle also says, "There is always another way to do anything! "anything!"

Pono also has to do with harmony and goodness. The concept of balance is often misunderstood. We often think that we can create balance, because of a natural law that says "there is an equal and opposite reaction to every action". Balance is impossible for us to have without absolute stillness, it is actually something that is built into our Earth based system to happen automatically. Nature’s job is a balancing act. The seasons and the weather are an act of natural forces balancing themselves. As human beings we have very little control over balance. In fact it is a point of great stress for most of us. Because we think it’s something we can have and every time we make an action, nature counters it for balance. On the other hand, harmony is something we can intend and create in every moment of our life. Often times when we create harmony, balance will naturally occur. Because to create harmony brings peace and in peace there is always a sense of balance.

Pono is also about being flexible so that Harmony and Unity will prevail. Goodness is composed of these two qualities. Where there is harmony and unity, love is flowing in the fullness of itself. In our workshops we observe the balance and imbalances in the body and the mind and study how this plays havoc with our health. We then restore health through harmonizing all the bodies and the mind through Unity — Lokahi, then balance just is, as the fruit of harmony’s presence. We work very deeply at a cellular level of the bone marrow and the blood to restore harmony to all the bodies, the mind and the soul.

Wayne Kealohi Powell is the Founder of Hawaiian Shamanic Bodywork, an educational vehicle focusing on the freedom of the human soul. Retreats in Hawaii and Bellingham. 1.360.738.7650 www.ShamanicBodywork.com

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When the Dalai Lama spoke in Vancouver in 2004, a member of the audience asked him a question about suffering. "What is the best way to relieve my suffering and pain when I am going through a difficult time?" "Help someone else who is suffering even more than you," was his simple reply. This felt like a bucket of cold water being thrown over our heads. It is such an un-North American idea. We all know the advisory of the airlines: first place the mask over your own nose and mouth, tightening the straps to begin the flow of oxygen. We read and hear the subtle and obvious ways the North America scales are heavily weighted in my favour, of taking care of my own needs first, all of the time. We see many advertisements and books and self-improvement seminars designed primarily for me to be happy, get my share, realize my potential and achieve my peak performance. There is an implication that in some linear fashion or other if I take care of "my needs" first, than I will be better equipped to take care of others.

It makes sense, on the surface, but is it true; true to your own experience that is? What happens when you truly give of yourself to help another? What happens when you make a sacrifice for someone else? (without the expectation that they then should do something for you) In all the spiritual traditions, says Benedictine monk Thomas Keating, "...it is the other way around - you develop a sense of goodness by giving of yourself." A Buddhist Lama says, "spiritual practice is not just about feeling peaceful and happy, but being willing to give up your own comfort to help someone else. Unless there’s some sacrifice for others, it’s just meditation by remote control."

But, we protest, I have so many needs myself: not enough money or time, an unstable relationship, difficult family members and so on... when I get my life together I can help others. But could this other notion be true. That as I help others, my life comes together?

Author, Marc Barasch, describes compassion as "kindness without condition," and in his latest book "Field Notes On the Compassionate Life," he tells the story of his friend who is "both well-off and deeply well-intentioned." He considers her to be a kind of genius in the kindness department and when he asks if she was born that way, she explains that it is thanks to her Mother, a woman with an eighth grade education, who changed her from "a sad, not sweet, and an anxious kid."

"She flat out taught me compassion. She said that life’s greatest joy was to ‘pull the beauty out of people', because that makes your life beautiful, too. She was rocksolid in her devotion to other people. She’d be there for that super-annoying person no one else wanted to be around, take care of the one who’d landed in the biggest mess. She adopted every single screw-up in my family, and a fair number of passing strangers. At 85 she still corresponds weekly with dozens of people in varying degrees of muddle and distress; people who, count on her to help them hold on."

"I’m not like her," my friend claims. "I’m much more critical of people. Mom kept saying the secret was just to take a genuine interest in others-just ask them questions, want to know how they are, really. I’d try that and it would feel good, so I’d do it some more. Step by step, I got to see how wonderful that sensation is of serving others."

And being kind to others has nothing to do with being well set up yourself so that you can afford the luxury of helping others. Like me, I am sure you all know people who are just "getting by," and yet being around some of these folks is to see compassion in action - not through words but through ordinary unobtrusive deeds: a warm welcome, a bowl of chili, a motley assortment of friends and family adding to the conviviality in the small house. These people don’t pretend to not know what to do and they don’t not do because they can’t do it all. They do what they can do, with no fanfare and no keeping score.

In the end, it all comes down to love. Not the ever changing "feeling" of love but the "doing" of love. And there is nothing airy fairy about that. This solid ground of love takes selfdiscipline, attention, discernment and a willingness to put others needs before our own. And that isn’t easy but it is possible and is nothing less than a lifetime practice.

May we all, as Gandhi says, "be the change we want to see in the world," in 2006.

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A loving reminder that each of us is the determiner of how our lives will continue to unfold.

It is a reminder that moment by moment we choose each emotion that we feel. Emotions determine our quality of life, internal comfort, and health. Each time we choose to feel hurt by words or behaviour of another we cause every cell in our body to hurt, and seriously compromise our immune system.

The importance of choosing positive emotions in each situation is paramount for happy fulfillment of Life’s Purpose. We have all chosen unwisely at various times, with hurtful results to our minds, bodies, and other people. But NOW is the perfect moment to begin the healing of ourselves, and in doing so, participate in healing the Earth body as a Whole.

The most effective emotions for happiness and healing are those of Love, Gratitude, and Joy.

These choices are ours to make freely, remembering that mind is our rightful instrument for making choices based on the intelligent prompting of our hearts.

This is my prayer for Each of Us, on this lovely planet Earth.

Paul Le Baron, October, 2005. email plebaron@telus.net

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If You Are Interested In Whirling:

Stand quietly in an open space, such as a living room or yard. Place the right arm slightly out with the hand about hip level, palm down as if touching the earth. Place the left arm up slightly bent, with the hand about shoulder level, palm up as if touching the sky. You need no music, for you will hear your own heart in every sound.

Now with the eyes focused on nothing gently begin to turn in a circle (like a very slow top). Turn always to the left (or to the right if you are in the southern hemisphere). There is no need to spin quickly - just quietly turn in a circle, eyes unfocused. Whirl gently, for as long as you wish.

As you move you may begin to notice that although your conscious mind knows that it is you spinning, what you see is the trees, the grass, the clouds, the sky, the universe spinning around an utterly silent, utterly empty you.

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Constant stress, poor diet, unbalanced blood sugar levels, pain, illness, and lack of proper nutrients can lead to fatigue and depleted adrenal glands. To energize and replenish the body, begin by adding a little more raw food to your diet to increase enzymes needed for digestion & absorption, add a couple of supplements to increase energy levels and some herbal remedies to nourish the adrenal glands.

Digestive enzymes help with proper digestion of foods, build resistance to illness, and help the body absorb the nutrients in your food, all of which help your energy levels. Take a digestive enzyme supplement with each meal and eat some raw food at each meal.

First thing in the morning, add some freshly squeezed lemon or grapefruit to a glass of water; this cleanses the digestive tract and helps to hydrate the body. Drink this, and then wait a ½ hour or so before eating breakfast. Eating small meals and snacks throughout the day is very important for maintaining energy levels. A shake with a greens product or spirulina, yogurt, fruit and hemp hearts is a good energizing breakfast. If you are in a hurry, eat a handful of whole, raw almonds, fruit and some yogurt.

For lunch, eat some raw vegetables in addition to what you normally eat, to provide enzymes necessary for good digestion, good absorption and energy. Carry some slices of carrot, cucumber, red, yellow or green peppers, or whatever raw vegetable is your favorite. Take a digestive enzyme.

With dinner, have some raw vegetables or a salad first. Take a digestive enzyme.

Adding a B-complex vitamin daily will help with energy levels and nervous system health. Check your multi-vitamin, if it contains less than 50 mg of all the B-vitamins, try buying a B-50 complex and take 1 – 3 per day with a meal. One with breakfast, and two with lunch is ideal.

Herbs are a wonderful way to increase energy levels without over stimulating the body. Try a tea made from herbs every day. Nettles and Oatstraw can be used as a tea, to provide vitamins and minerals. Nettles are one of my favorite herbs, they taste really good in tea. I pick my own each spring and dry enough to last until the next year. Nettles and Oatstraw nourish the adrenal glands and kidneys, and are calming and soothing to the nervous system. This tea is high in calcium, magnesium and iron.

An herbal formula providing herbs such as Siberian Ginseng, Licorice root (if you don’t have high blood pressure), Wild Yam, Schizandra, and Astragalus can provide support for tired adrenal glands, and help the body deal with day to day stress. Using a tonic such as this over several months can slowly bring about balance: increasing mental alertness and clarity, improving digestion, helping with deeper sleep, helping the immune system work more efficiently, and increasing the body’s ability to deal with stress. Formulas in tincture form are easy to use; the simplest way that I have found for my clients to remember to take their herbal remedies is to put a full daily dose of their tincture into a liter bottle of water, and sip at this all day. You will be getting your full daily dose of herbs and drinking enough water.

Try using raw vegetables, some B complex vitamins, digestive enzymes, and an herbal tonic for a month and see how energized you feel!

To book a consultation with Lin Suffron call the Mid-Island Healing Centre 250- 753-5656 or http://dragonflyherbals.com

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How would you like to gain more customers and earn higher profits? It is easy to do with the right marketing mindset. This may sound like common sense to you, but the word "right" is the operative word here. And, you would be surprised how many North American business owners miss the mark when it comes to this extremely important marketing matter.

Here are three pitfalls that contribute to poor marketing mindset, or mode of thinking, that every business owner should be aware of:

"I make a good enough living/I don’t need to be (so) competitive." Complacency can be a killer. What if new competition steps in, or the market suddenly takes a turn for the worse? Having the wrong marketing mindset can hurl companies into an unexpected, vulnerable state of chaos. Sometimes companies cannot recover from the trouble that this type of complacency and lack of planning causes. Or think of it this way: what happens when the cat’s away? The mice play! The same is true for marketing.

"I already lead in my market." Guess what? The only thing you can count on in life besides death and taxes is change! So pay attention to your competition and new entrants because they may have plans to acquire your market share — unbeknownst to you of course. Remember, even try conditions, which are beyond your control — like the fact that technology doubles every year — can threaten your stronghold.

"I don’t need to worry about marketing my company (anymore)." Marketing should not be treated as a hobby! It is your bread and butter because, when planned and employed properly, marketing determines if you win more customers and more business. You and your company cannot afford this type of thinking!

To summarize, a poor marketing mindset can cost you your business. Growth and survival cannot happen without marketing, and marketing cannot occur when the wrong mindset takes over. So what is the right marketing mindset? It is strategic thinking that keeps you focused and on top of things. Having the right mindset is a simple and effective way to capture more customers and yield higher returns.

submitted for publication by Ruth McGuire, V.I. Marketing Group

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I recently experienced a computer glitch which caused me considerable challenges. During the process of getting back on-line and loading the address book to my email folder, I was reminded that everything happens for a reason. There are no mistakes.

As I reflected on my dependence on the computer, I was surprised to discover that I had been taking this wonderful tool for granted. I assumed that it would always be there, and always work for me, in just the right way, all the time. This experience has left me wondering what other areas of my life I take for granted. What people and tools do I automatically assume are there to support me - friends, family, my car, my computer, my telephone.

What happens when these support systems are absent for any reason? Do I collapse from the experience? Do I go into denial that it is even happening? For me, when the computer problems began, I kept trusting that everything would work out and that the missing information would magically appear. This time my lesson would require some effort and attention. Could I be thankful for that experience? The answer is yes. As I give thanks for each experience, I have learned that only good comes.

Today, I Affirm...

Out of every experience
only good comes.
I trust the process of life.
I am supported at all times
and in all ways.
I release the fear
and accept the opportunity
to grow.
I accept support
with gratitude and blessings.
All is well,
and so it is...

Liz Robitaille is an internationally recognized Louise L. Hay teacher and founder of Wisdom is Within Coaching. She can be reached at 877-986-5321 or liz@wisdomiswithin.com

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imagine
would you behave
differently
" if "
you came
from a place of
love?

Are you aware that LOVE and FEAR are CHOICES? Which do you choose, love or fear, more often? Do you even know when this choice is being made? The choice of love comes from an open heart. Is your heart open, really open or does it stay closed most of the time? Can you even tell the difference?

Every day we face situations and people who we perceive as challenges, which bring us anxiety. Every day we react to others and events much like we have for many lifetimes. For most, this reaction comes from a place of fear.

We live in a constant state of separation... separation from God/Goddess, separation from our own God Presence, and separation from the group consciousness of our soul families. In this state of separation we face daily challenges from a place of fear, rather than a place of love & divinity.

What many do not realize is that coming from a place of fear, rather than a place of love, is a CHOICE! We chose fear over love, as it is the most prevalent emotion and reaction in our society today. We fear our children will be harmed if they walk home from school, we fear we may be robbed, we fear our partners will leave us, we fear we will lose our jobs, we fear we can not create enough abundance, we fear we will get a disease, we fear we are making the wrong choices and above all, we fear we are just not good enough...

Take a moment now, and reflect back on 3 different interactions you had today... be honest with yourself... did your interactions come from a place of love or fear? If any one of them came from a place of fear, imagine if you will, how you would have behaved differently if you had come from a place of love? What would you have said differently? How would your intonation been? What would have been your intent? Would the outcome look different?

For many people, their heart closes quickly, leaving them in a place of fear. This is not even something they are aware of! For others, their heart has not been open in a long time, and they do not even know it... for their whole life has been about protection and survival.

Once you learn to open your heart, you can choose to view life and people from a different perspective... from a place of love and divinity rather than a place of fear. Sure our challenges still arise, but we get to look at them differently! We can see them as the lessons we have sought or the contracts our soul has agreed to complete.

Learning to open our heart allows us to face life with more grace & ease. It allows us to live in more joy and peace. Opening our heart allows us the opportunity to share that love with others, who in turn, can choose to share it further. Opening our heart allows us the chance to be the best we can be, with each and every choice we make.

WHAT are you going to CHOOSE today?

For more info on learning to open your heart, contact Ana La Rai at laurie.sagle@sympatico.ca or 250-240-3898

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Dr. Miceal Ledwith L.Ph.,B.A.,L.D.,D.D. was Professor of Systematic Theology for sixteen years in Ireland and subsequently served as Maynooth College President for ten years. Chairman of the Committee of Heads of the Irish Universities; and member of the Governing Bureau of the Conference of European University Presidents (CRE), his "Hamburger Universe" analogy and the Diseases of the Mind ‘template’ help us observe and gauge our common thoughts.

Although the above are but a few of his previous accomplishments, Dr. Ledwith is best known in our circles for his appearence in the film What the Bleep Do We Know.

He is a delightful and fascinating speaker, and continues to show us that it is what we have not been told that is so important to our understanding. He speaks of what prophets have told us time and again, information we have not heard because the voices of our conditioning are too loud to allow spiritual truth to be fully heard.

His interests in research had always been in the fundamental areas of theology, summed up by the "four great questions," as he liked to call them:

1 - "who are we;
2 - where did we come from;
3 - what should we do, and
4- where are we going?

Nothing seemed to give him any convincing information about what awaited us after death, what we should do while here that will help our spiritual development, and above all, there was no information whatever about what preceded life here on earth. He noticed that while many found God attractive, the religions who claimed to be God’s instruments seemed to be largely dismissed as irrelevant by an everincreasing number of thinking people. It was apparent that none of the religions seemed to have lived up to the promises of their founders. He set out to discover what had gone wrong and how the damage could be repaired.

He is the athor of the book The Great Questions in the Hamburger Universe which addresses the problems most thinking people have found with the traditional proposals about God, religion, and human destiny.

If you would like to know more about his research and have a first hand experience, Miceal will be in Victoria March 17 & 18, 2006 at the Mary Winspear Centre (Sanscha Hall).

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"Love needs to be based in gratitude, and gratitude needs to be based in love."
(Dr. Masaru Emoto)

With the holiday season over, we look to this time as a beginning of something new – a new year, new habits, new commitments, new goals, and yes, those dreaded resolutions. And with the newness, hopefully a new attitude. For this year, how about trying something different – adopting and exercising an attitude of love and gratitude.

There is a saying that a great attitude creates miracles in one’s life. I fully believe that. Great attitude = Gratitude. Dr. Masaru Emoto, from the movie, What the Bleep Do We Know, defines gratitude as "love plus the combination of thanks and appreciation". A great attitude comes from our inner environment – by consciously choosing positive, loving responses. How we choose to respond to happenings around us makes a profound difference in how we perceive our external environment. It is all too easy to be consumed with all the problems and concerns of our fast-paced and challenging world. We need to make better choices.

Take a look at your life right now. What typically are the things for which you express gratitude and appreciation? When you receive things? When someone does something for you or shows kindness? What about the relationships in your life – family, children, friends, co-workers, etc.? Are you grateful for their existence? What words do you choose to express this gratitude? Do you say, "I love you?" or "Thank you"?

How do you view your life or situations in your life? Do you see the glass as half-full or half-empty? How do you feel when you respond to people or situations around you? Do your words and actions come from love or fear?

The idea here is to see life as full of opportunities and blessings, despite all the challenges, difficulties and chaos that surround us. Your attitude towards these challenges has a definite effect – in body, mind, and in spirit. Studies have shown that people who exhibit positive attitudes in challenging situations are healthier (mentally and physically) and much happier beings. For example, it is now a common practice to use laughter, comedy and positive visualization with cancer patients. The movie, What the Bleep, provided one of the most powerful examples to date of just how evoking words of love and positivity allowed gratitude to be made visible through physical changes in the structure of crystals. "It makes you wonder, doesn’t it? If thoughts can do that to water, imagine what our thoughts can do to us?"

So here is a gratitude exercise for you to do – call it a different type of New Year’s resolution. It’s a 30 day challenge.

Take ten minutes out of your day and sit down with your favourite notebook and pen. List five things that you are grateful for. Yes, five. Every day. No skipping and cheating. Note how you feel as you are writing your list. You may also wish to describe why you feel grateful and appreciative – this adds an even deeper level of importance and connection within yourself. At the end of the 30 days, take stock of how you feel. What changes have you gone through? Did it get easier or harder to come up with your list? How has your outlook on life shifted?

And now apply this to each day in your life. After all, a New Year’s resolution should last more than 30 days.

Olena Gill is a life coach in Errington, BC. Feel free to visit her website at www.indigocrystalcoach.com for more information.

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The Simple Truth Behind The Numbers.
5.5 * 6.4 * 7.1 * 8

We’ve all heard the new buzzword ‘pH’ in the healing community but what is it and what does it mean? pH stands for ‘potential hydrogen’ and measures the hydrogen ions in our body. pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. It is measured on a scale of 0 – 14 – the lower the pH the more acidic the solution, the higher pH the more alkaline. When a solution is neither acid nor alkaline it has a pH of 7, which is neutral.

In order to have optimum health our pH needs to be 80% alkaline and 20% acidic. However, our typical western diet based on meat, eggs, dairy, white flour and sugar attributes to disease. Dr. William Howard Hay (1933) maintained that all disease was caused by autointoxication or self-poisoning due to acid accumulation in the body. In his book "Alkalize or Die" Dr. Theodore A. Baroody, ND, D.C. Ph.D stated "The countless names of illnesses do not really matter. What does matter is that they all come from the same root cause... too much tissue acid waste in the body!"

Dr. Alexis Carrell, (Nobel Prize winner in Medicine) was a physiologist at Rockerfeller Institute for Medical Research. In 1911 he began an experiment that shocked every doctor and every medical scientist. He took small samples of heart tissue from a chicken embryo and immersed them in a solution of nutritious food. The cells soaked up this rich food and excreted their metabolic wastes into the same solution. Each day the old solution was discarded and replaced with more nutritious food. By discarding the metabolic waste each day, the cells grew and thrived; however he found that if the wastes were left for three days, the cells became lethargic and feeble. If left longer than three days, the tissue cells died.

He kept these cells alive for 28 years where they remained healthy. They never aged, got sick or died. The chicken heart tissue only died when the assistant forgot to change the polluted fluid. Dr. Carrell concluded "The cell is immortal. It is merely the fluid in which it floats which degenerates. Renew this fluid at intervals, give the cell something on which to feed and, so far as we know, the pulsation of life may go on forever."

When our body becomes acidic symptoms manifest themselves in a variety of ways. Heart disease, weight issues, diabetes, allergies, arthritis, kidney stones, hormonal imbalances, fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue, leaky gut syndrome, constipation, yeast/fungal overgrowth and cancer all point to acidosis. Natural acid salts build up in the walls of our cells, becoming stiffer and thicker, allowing far fewer nutrients and oxygen to enter into our cells with less metabolic waste being eliminated. Acidosis forces the body to borrow minerals-including calcium, sodium, potassium and magnesium from vital organs and bones to neutralize the acid. If left untreated, the body can suffer severe and prolonged damage that weakens all body systems eventually leading to chronic, degenerative diseases.

By using a quick, self-test method you can determine the pH level of your urine and saliva..

The urine pH test mainly evaluates your physical body. It indicates how well your body is excreting acids and assimilating minerals, especially calcium, magnesium, sodium and potassium. These minerals function as ‘buffers’ helping to maintain and balance the body against the introduction of too much acidity or too much alkalinity. When the body ingests too much acid it must excrete the excess.

The saliva pH test mainly evaluates the emotional and environmental stresses on the body. It also indicates the activity of digestive enzymes in the body. The stomach, liver and pancreas primarily manufacture these enzymes. If saliva pH is too high the body may suffer from excess gas, constipation and produce an overgrowth of yeast, molds and fungus. If you have recurring symptoms that go away only to return in a few weeks it may indicate an emotional issue. According to Dr. Mark Cochrane emotional stresses on the body account for 93% of illnesses.

Our bodies are only able to assimilate minerals and nutrients properly when our pH is balanced. If you have noticed that you are not getting the results you expected from your nutritional therapy, it may be that your pH is out of balance. Detoxifying the body is one of the best ways to begin the healing process. Drinking plenty of water, incorporating more fruits and vegetables into the diet and daily exercise will do wonders for your pH. By feeding and nourishing our bodies with alkaline rich foods and drinks we will quickly regain and achieve optimum health. There are various natural products now available that you can add to your water bottle that improves the taste and does wonders for your health at the same time.

Although checking your pH is easy, it is important to be consistent with the test strips you use. Different companies manufacture their products in various way, so be sure to use high-grade pH testing strips for accurate results. Once you know your pH, with a few changes to your dietary habits, you’ll be well on your way to creating optimum health!

Linda Redman is offering a 5 week detoxification program consisting of pH testing, nutritional therapy, steam detox treatments in a gentle, supportive environment. Please call 250-716-2777 for details.

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It’s been over a year since I started teaching yoga and it’s more fun than ever! Earlier this year I started teaching a ‘Mom & Me’ Class. Some of the prenatal ladies began to enquire for their friends, who had already had their babies but, wanted the option to join the fun and relaxing class that they had been hearing about. They wanted to know if they could bring their babies. Since my plans were to eventually develop classes for babies and toddlers, the ‘Mom & Me’ yoga class was ‘born’.

In our ‘Mom & Me’ yoga class, the youngest baby in attendance so far has been a 2 week old. That is, the youngest "out of the womb" attendee!!

Baby Yoga helps with the strengthening of baby’s growing muscles and co-ordination. There are poses that help to relieve gas and colic by stimulating the digestive system. Baby massage helps to stimulate digestion, promote relaxation and sleep and gives mom and baby contact that helps with important bonding and nurturing. It is so surprising as well to actually see how these babes are settling into their yoga routines! After just a few weeks of practice they come into class happy and alert and then immediately become calm and content as mom puts them through their yoga routine which then works into a baby massage session.

Mom’s exercises are incorporated into the whole scope of the class as well, so everyone benefits. It’s been enlightening, rewarding and oh so joyful to see these moms-to-be as well as the babes in arms, all coming to experience the calming relaxation and gentle, good for you benefits and feelings that yoga practice produces.

For prenatal practice we run through a variety of exercises. The Pranayama or breathing exercises are extremely useful during labour. There are exercises for opening the pelvis to help make labour and delivery easier (and in some cases quicker) and also less stressful on the baby. Yoga asanas or poses are a gentle way to keep mom active while gently helping to stretch and strengthen muscles throughout the body, as well as helping to maintain balance and stamina. Yoga can also help relieve fluid retention as well. The meditation part of the practice helps to restore calm and also teaches focus. And mom being in the calming, relaxing environment is so good for the baby.

Then of course for both classes, there’s the whole social contact benefit!! Mom’s get to share information and see that the experiences they are having are quite normal and common. This also helps to relieve stress and the feeling of being alone. It gives them a chance to get out and enjoy the company of other adults too. There are many parenting tips shared during both the Prenatal and Mom & Me weekly classes. It’s a fun relaxing time where everyone gets to visit and share as well as get to exercise! What more could you ask for...

Hmmmmm... Did I forget to mention the Chocolate... yes there’s chocolate!! But more on that in another article...

As always please consult your medical professional before partaking in any exercise class, for your babies and children as well!

Baby Yoga
helps
with the
strengthening
of baby’s
growing
muscles and
co-ordination.

Nancy Hedberg is a Certified Yoga Teacher, Certified Reiki Master and Hypnotherapist who also teaches Beginners, Gentle and Seniors Yoga, Reiki and offers treatments and sessions. Yoga Classes are held Monday nights and Tuesday mornings at The Body Spirit Center on Fitzwilliam. islandreiki@pacificcoast.net or 250-OMU-3442 (668-3442)

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"In ancient times a SAGE was a messenger, delivering profound truths to an individual or a collective group"... Here is your MesSAGE for the next 3 months...

IF YOU WERE BORN IN:

JANUARY: Know in your heart of hearts transformation comes through your innate wisdom and connection to Source. This is all that is required; it’s that simple.

FEBRUARY: Integration of two worlds is at hand ...let go so this process may happen with ease. Even though it seems unfamiliar, soon it will fit with comfort.

MARCH: Many completions have taken place within your being giving way to embrace the new. This comes with magical beginnings that recall your destiny.

APRIL: Your road ahead is brighter than you ever imagined possible! You have stepped forth in faith with no guarantees; now you may reap the rewards.

MAY: Deep within you know philosophies & theories are simply that; heart-knowing is the only path that exposes truth. Expressing this to others is your gift.

JUNE: A sense of emptiness simply means you have reached the beginning of a new chapter in your life; one that will be more familiar than ever before.

JULY: Bursting through to a stronger sense of self is right in front of you. Expect new ways of seeing, doing and believing to appear out of nowhere.

AUGUST: Realizations have surfaced, exposing how easy it is to let the mind think it has control. This surfaced to clear, strengthening alignment of the heart.

SEPTEMBER: Completions, dissolving & letting go have brought you to a place of new direction & opportunity. Be open to receive with ease; it comes to you in grace.

OCTOBER: Even though you feel you have been waiting forever, what you have been waiting for is closer than you think! Expect most interesting surprises...

NOVEMBER: Truth is exposed in layers, revealed to you in divine timing. Knowing this is so allows you to see that all that takes place in your life is part of the puzzle.

DECEMBER: Now is the time to see your body respond to new sensings, realizations & truths. This awareness reveals the innate connection of your true self to Source.

Channelled by Maureen Freeman of SAGE. You may contact her at 250-598-5221 or sage@johnsmarvels.com for personal readings by phone, mail or email. A Messenger’s MesSAGE is copyright © 2004 EAGLEye/ONE

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A Course in Miracles is one version of the manual for playing the game of ‘let’s remember who we really are.’ It’s an amazing, challenging and life changing game.

The guidelines for playing the game can be found in many spiritual and philosophical writings, most of which are extremely old. Human beings have been toying with this game for millennia. I believe those of us here now have a real chance to play it to a successful conclusion.

Just playing it brings us the greatest gift there is – it brings meaning to our lives. Without meaning, life seems a pretty random selection of highs and lows, joys and disappointments, triumphs and tragedies. No matter how well you play, how many ‘toys’ you accumulate – the end is the same for everyone. There’s no ‘higher’ plan or goal.

What if that was wrong? What if we’ve been given a chance to play a miraculous game whose goal was our greatest happiness? The object of the game is to realize who we really are.

‘You are wholly lovely. A perfect shaft of pure light. Before your loveliness the stars stand transfixed, and bow to the power of your will.’ A Course in Miracles

Is that how you see yourself now? Perhaps on very good days. The rest of the time, most of us have the usual cocktail of self-attack, doubt and fear!

The manual for ‘remembering who we really are’ laid out in A Course in Miracles tells us to choose love in every moment. Love for ourselves and love for others. No matter the situation, our response is always a choice between love and fear. Love brings connection, happiness and remembrance. Fear brings attack, separation and meaninglessness.

Unlike other games, ‘let’s remember’ brings us sweet and amazing rewards for each and every step we take. As we play this game, we begin to experience new levels of trust, hope and optimism, which open our hearts and expand our minds.

Love is our compass, Spirit our guide, and willingness our only requirement for success. We can, and we will, make it; and when we realize who we really are, we will remember where we really are. That’s the big ‘prize’ at the end.

Heaven is here. There is nowhere else.
Heaven is now. There is no other time.

Julia Simpson runs A Course in Miracles seminars, retreats and groups. Visit www.clearmessage.net for more details.

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‘We’ (the 4-leggeds) like to think of ourselves as kind, considerate... loving healers who give without question. We like to think, if you were very quiet - you could hear the healing vibration within our furry purr - or the wag of our tail. We like to believe that love is an exchange and yet when it is not returned, we do our best to continue to love anyway! I am questioning why, in these ‘enlightened times’ many 2-leggeds continue to ‘aquire’ pets only to move away and leave them - abandoned. I believe they do not THINK and so I feel compelled to send once again this gentle reminder... animals are alive and their hearts were designed to share love.

Today I AM feeling like somewhat of a poetic dreamer and I am sittting here in my pyramid - contemplating the vibration of the Gong before me. I AM simply being grateful for all that I have - for all that I am able to share. Oh don’t get me wrong! I have my selfish moments, just like the rest of you. In the summer, I have been known to shoo an intruder out of my space. But today it is winter, it is colder than normal and I listen to the crunching coming from the kitchen. I know the sounds of the ‘stray whiskers’, attentive to potential danger as I sit, contemplating the Gong.

How could I not share today, when I have so much including a warm bed, when the one who has found his way through my cat door is in search of survival food. If I move, the hungry body will bolt - unfed. Thus I AM still. I smile to myself, knowing he knows that I know - I sense his gratitude, for today we have more than enough. Zen-Master (my gentle house-mate) lifts one eyelid from his chair in front of the fire, looks at me, we agree, he does not move a muscle either. We make room for the stray one to fill his tummy, believing for the moment in goodness and friendship without conditions.

I like to think ‘we’ are trail blazers... and what we do will inspire others to do also. Thus we sit - quietly grateful for all of creation as this new year unfolds with such potential for good. MORE than enough I have - and so I share. There is more than enough love to go around...

Once I would have been fearful that giving to another would take away from me - fearful there would not be enough love to go around. Now I sit... ever aware that as I give I also recieve. No Fear! Simply a purrfect plan of harmony together as one. I feel the velvet fur on my body - a direct result of my contentment and high vibration.

I AM choosing to begin my year being grateful for good friends, clean water, birds that fly outside my window to entertain me, food in the freezer and friends who love me. I am grateful for the trees to climb and puddles to dirty my paws, in so that I never forget the joy of being a kitten. I am grateful for clean floors to track my prints on and my family who smiles and does not holler.

I am grateful that I have grown to rediscover LOVE beyond measure, and to BE a bridge from heaven to earth, with the good fortune to have some of my 9 lives left to enjoy it, and on and on it goes... I am grateful for all that I have.

So I wish you a Happy 2006, and may all that I have and more... be yours also...
with love, the Sceptre King

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Am I exactly where I should be on my own life path?

This question comes up for many of the people that I work with. The honest answer for the majority is "I don’t know". The reason for this is that most of us have not made finding who we are and what we have come to earth to do an ongoing priority in our lives. Our focus may be on earning money, finding romance, raising children, getting a higher education, helping others and/or aspiring to greater spiritual fulfillment. All of these areas and many more are aspects of a life path. Life just happens even with a minimum of planning and effort. Single decisions such as: what career to pursue, who to marry or where to live move us along our life paths. Most of us do not have an up-to-date vision of our desires and goals. Discomfort or dissatisfaction slowly nudges us to make changes. We become complacent and live a tolerable yet mediocre life.

Since childhood, many of us have been sacrificing our own visions to fit into a life approved by our families or society. This path feels safe and probably has a predictable outcome yet it may not be 100% your life path. Ask yourself if you feel fully awake, alive and passionate about what you are doing with your life? Are you living your inspired ideas and plans? Are you in your power and able to see possibilities in your life?

If you do not answer "yes" to these questions, it is time to define your purpose and direction.

Following are a few simple exercises to guide you in this process. Listen to the voice within as well as the intellect. It is important to physically write this down. Some believe that holding the pen in your non-dominant hand allows you to access the intuitive part of your brain. It can be an interesting exercise to actually try writing this way. It might be a trifle messy but the results could prove fascinating.

• First, list your professional/ work skills, your innate gifts and talents and what you are passionate about. What makes you uniquely you? What is your life mission? Look back to your childhood and recall what you wanted to do with your life then.
• Second, write out a description of the life you have created up to now. Do you feel satisfied with what you are doing at present? Is there something more that you are here to accomplish? Cover career, relationships, spirituality, finances, health etc.
• Third, describe the life that you desire to have. Write this vision statement in present tense as if it were already happening. Be sure to cover all areas such as: supportive relationships, fulfilling work and comfortable living conditions.
• Fourth, set step by step intentions/actions that you will take to achieve your vision, then Just Do It!

We have entered an energetic time that is calling us to wake up to our potential and purpose and to consciously choose to create a life that expresses nothing less than joy and love. Imagine what your life will be like when you are in your power and living the life that you are meant to live. Then imagine the impact that this will have on other people. Both negative and positive emotions, words, thoughts and beliefs held by one person affect others on a vibrational level. So, next imagine what will happen as more and more people on earth awaken to their unique expressions and walk their life paths thereby inspiring and uplifting all of humanity to do the same.

Terry Winters has more than twenty years experience assisting others to move forward in their lives. Please call her at 754-4069 to book an individual session or regarding upcoming workshops.

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The fascination with the pyramids has been a topic of discussion and research ‘by the few’ for countless centuries. Although the scientific circles have yet to give it official approval as its mode of construction, as time goes on and with more modern methods for proving the effects, it will be interesting to see what unfolds over the next decade.

For the real lovers of the pyramid technology, the truth is, nobody cares if science believes it or not. ‘Grassroots’ research shows "something" happens, energetic sensitives ‘feel" the difference and the attitude becomes similar to watching TV or using a cell phone. Before you can explain or understand HOW that picture got on the big screen, let’s just use it!

Twenty-five to thirty years ago, a pyramid resurgence was rekindled. ‘The Ancients’ harnessed the secret energy of the pyramids to preserve food, amplify thoughtforms, increase sexual vitality, emit psychic energies, therapeutic powers, curative powers, and so on. Today many people are building pyramids out of various materials from straw to cardboard and placing within them plants, pets and even lottery tickets!

Modern experimenters have reported their structures to: Eliminate headaches • Allow deeper states of meditation • Keep food from spoiling (containers remain bug free and mosquitoes will not go in) • Observe fast dehydration • Receive answers or visions (meditation pyramid) • Clean out auras • Relax the body • Increase Psychic energy • Increase memory recall • Sharpen razor blades • Alter tastes of food • Watch plants flourish (Placing seeds in a pyramid before germination produce healthier stronger plants ) • Alter water to a state of charge (never goes bad) - it looses its chlorine aste and has been used to remove tarnish quickly from gold and silver • Become more centered • Mellow Whisky and age beer • Make better antennas for TV and adio • Get more energy and feel more clear • Charge batteries.
... again he list goes on. Pets also demonstrated a love for pyramidal energy.

People proposed lots of ideas like: let’s make schools, hospitals, and birthing chambers in this shape. Why such talk? Findings do show, if the pyramid is working (created with the proper angles) then inside the pyramid, cold symptoms seem to disappear in a short period of time - pain lessened and burns healed quicker.The pyramid will dehydrate and mummify things, but it will not permit decay or mold to grow. It slows or stops the growth of microorganisms. Food kept under the pyramid stays fresh for two to three times longer, and Kirlian photographs reveals that after 15 minutes the aura is considerably brighter. Considering the apparent effect on alertness, it is a great place to learn and become more productive.

The Great Pyramid of Giza, remains virtually unchanged after more than five millennia, and it’s true purpose is still a mystery. The mathematical and scientific data embodied in the Great Pyramid about Earth had to come from a very advanced astronomical observation. Some guess the Atlantians, or some ‘off-planet’ research teams are responsible for building versus the 100,000 bodies lugging blocks for how many years? theory. Make your own assumptions but sitting right there before you are the three Giza Pyramids aligned with the three stars of Orion’s Belt!

Here are some fascinating stats for you to ponder:

The Great Pyramid of Giza stands on the northern edge of the Giza Plateau, located about 10 miles west of Cairo. It is composed of over 2 ½ million blocks of limestone, which weigh from 2 to 70 tons each. The base covers over 13 acres and its volume is around 90,000,000 cubic feet. You could build 30 Empire State buildings with its masonry. It is 454 feet high which is equivalent to a modern 48-story building. There are currently 203 courses or steps to its summit. Each of the four triangular sides slope upward from the base at an angle of 51 degrees 51 minutes and each side has an area of 5 1/2 acres. The joints between adjacent blocks fit together with optical precision and less than a fiftieth of an inch separates the blocks. The cement that was used is extremely fine and strong and defies chemical analysis. Today, with all our modern science and engineering, we would not be able to build a Great Pyramid of Giza. The Great Pyramid is thought to have been erected around 2600 BC during the reign of Khufu (Cheops). Recent geological studies indicate that the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx may be at least 10,000 years older than traditional scholars have thought. The ancient writer, Strabo, said of the Great Pyramid, "It seemed like a building let down from heaven, untouched by human hands." It has been calculated that the original pyramid with its casing stones would act like gigantic mirrors and reflect light so powerful that it would be visible from the moon as a shining star on earth. www.gizapyramid.com

There are many forms of energy. Solar, electrical, radio, nervous, etc. are transmitted as wavelengths. It’s now proven that energy can be changed (light to heat, wind to electricity), and focused in a laser. A properly angled prism separates white light into various wavelengths (colours). A magnifying glass will focus that light and a mirror will deflect it. A pyramid can do all three.

Using the same angles (51.85 degrees (51°51’)) as Giza, it will deflect negative wavelengths away while focusing positive energy within. If the angles are perfect you create a very useful energy. When the angles are off though, the energy is not as effective. General opinion dictates that it is important to align one side of the pyramid to true north although others contend that a celestial (Polaris north star) alignment for one pyramid side, is preferred. All sources seem to agree that the ‘energetic power spot’ is 1/3rd of the height from the base of the Pyramid.

If you were to build one, preferred materials seem to be copper or gold. Experiments have shown copper to be the best metal for an open-frame meditation pyramid, due to its natural electronic and bio-enhancing properties, because of copper’s conductivity and "life" it enhances the free flow of energy. However, pyramid structures can be made of cardboard, wood, bamboo, stone (most anything), if built to the same proportional dimensions as the Great Pyramid. Lead is not a good choice though as it blocks a variety of wavelengths and iron has magnetic qualities which set up interference. Solid, hollow and open frames all appear to work.

Although pyramids seemed to lose interest for awhile, it appears now, with all the shifting and vibrational increase on the planet, the poles of the sun shifting etc, that a renewed interest in the power of the pyramid may very likely have returned. Experimentation is on the rise again, and a new thought has come forward...the concept of LOVE.

What if the Great Giza was in fact a vehicle for expanding the vibration of the heart! A voice for peace and love from planet earth to the very universe itself? Crazy? Perhaps... but until the mystery is truly solved... this is just as likely as any of the others!

SOME books - : Robert Bauval/ Adrian Gilbert, The Orion Mystery, USA by Crown Publishers Inc., 1994;Canada by Doubleday, 1996. Graham Hancock/Robert Bauval, The Message of the Sphinx, published in Canada by Doubleday 1996. R.G. Bauval, "A Master Plan for the Three Pyramids of Giza based on the Configuration of the Three Stars of the Belt of Orion," 1989, ...or search pyramids on the web - you’ll find a lifetime worth of reading.

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The Shamans journey into the spirit world is the ancient art of Healing that has been used for many thousands of years. Learn to connect with your helpers to bring Balance and Harmony into your life.

Learn the basic and safe technique to contact the spirit world through the power of the drum and gain knowledge and wisdom for yourself and others to bring into your everyday lives.

The Wounded Healer ~ Saturday January 28th 11:00-5:00 $55
Come and join us for a special day of drumming and journeying to make the changes that you want in your life and to heal any old wounds that may be holding you back from moving forward.

Healing The Child Within ~ Saturday February the 18th 11:00-5:00 $55
A day of drumming, journeying, and singing to connect with our power animals and spirit teachers for personal empowerment.

Healing Past Lives ~ Saturday March the 11th 11:00-5:00 $55
Join us on this day to help you to reconnect to the past and to bring forward an understanding of who you are through drumming and journeying.

Calling In The Faeries & Angels ~ Saturday April 29nd 11:00-5:00 $55
Join us on this magical day as we journey to bring our deepest Hopes and Desires to fruitation to help make them our reality. Bring your favourite Crystal.

The Warrior In You ~ Saturday May the 27th 11:00-5:00 $55
Together we will drum and journey to help utilize your strength and courage with the guidance of your power animals and spirit teachers to support you on your life's mission.

Rosanna Ienco Barned is a Shamanic Practitioner and counsellor. She has been practising shamanism since 1996. She has trained with The Scandinavian Centre for Shamanic Studies, the Foundation of Shamanic Studies in the US, and she is also a Reiki Practitioner and Spiritual consultant.
Rosanna is the owner of Wolves Den Healing in Nanaimo a centre fot Shamanic and Spiritual Healing.

Visit www.wolvesdenhealing.com, email rosanna@wolvesdenhealing.com, or phone 250 760 0561 or 250 760 0396

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" If you talk to animals they
will talk with you and you will
know each other. If you do
not talk to them you will not
know them, and what you do
not know you will fear.
What one fears one destroys."
Chief Dan George

Power Animals are dear, wonderful teachers. I believe that we all have them guiding us. They enter our lives at various times and for different reasons. For example, a wolf came to guide me at a time when I was being mesmerized by a powerful medicine man. With the help of my power animal,’my wolf’, I was able to see the situation clearer and I could finally break free. Ten years later, she is still with me. I now have many other power animals that come to assist me in different areas of my life.

Have you ever been drawn to a particular animal and wondered why? Did you ever think this might be your guardian angel in the form of an animal? Power animals come in many different forms. In fact, any living creature can be your guardian spirit helper. In Shamanism, we believe that our animal helpers are with us to guide and assist us with our lives, for healing, protection and for personal empowerment. They also come to teach us lessons. We can learn a lot from these wonderful teachers. I often say that when you work with your power animal in shamanic journeying, the teachings are between you and them, which means there is always a personal message for you. Your teacher may have a different meaning to someone else and although each animal has a general definition in different cultures, I would always recommend listening to your teacher in your journey to see what they have to say and ask why they have come to be your power animal at this time in your life.

In my experience with power animals, they have always been my guardians, protectors and friends, someone who is there to guide me and be there for me. There is a close personal relationship between you that will only grow if you choose to keep your power animal with you. We are all truly unique individuals so our experiences will vary from person to person. I may have one power animal work with me when I need courage and a different one when I need to see a situation more clearly. For example, you may have an Eagle bring you the gift of vision, or it may be another reason. In my scenario, my wolf came to give me strength, to warn me of the danger I was in and to help me escape from plight before I was harmed both physically and energetically.

A dear friend of mine, who had struggled with an eating disorder for most of her life, spent years trying different therapies and found that this was the only thing that worked for her. Through her journeying and building a trusting relationship with her power animal she was finally able to overcome this huge obstacle that she had in her life. Even in her final days on this earth I sat by her bedside and shared in her joy and her love. The beautiful connection to her power animal had brought to her a smile and tranquility whilst she lay in the hospital bed in a great deal of pain.

You can meet your power animal through shamanic journeying. You can also have power animal retrieval. This is when someone else takes the journey on your behalf, in search of your power animal and then brings it back to enable you to feel more empowered and protected. There are also some different techniques that you can use to help keep your guardian around you, like drumming, dancing and singing.

I give thanks to all my Power Animals that have been with me from the start of this journey, especially my wolf, for guiding me out of that situation and for the lessons in it. Remember, we are all connected in some way or another and if we just open our minds, without judgment and allow the doorways to open and take the first steps through, we can then allow ourselves endless possibilities. No matter if it is in the shape of a rock, plant, or even a creature, there are always blessings. Why not try it for yourself?

Rosanna Ienco Barned a Shamanic Practitioner / Counsellor Reiki Practitioner and Spiritual Consultant. She is the owner Wolves Den Healing in Nanaimo. www.wolvesdenhealing.com Ph: 250-760-0561 Email: rosanna@wolvesdenhealing.com

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Oh how I dream of the quiet countryside - the sound of a babbling brook, the voices of the songbirds by day and the white owl lulling me to sleep by night. Oh yes, I dream and dream and dream and yet my reality continues to be that I physically reside across the street from a busy mall. Still, I remember to choose to find silence within myself, despite the rushing world just outside my door. Thus I remember once again, a magical trip to Tibet, where I first glimpsed a sand mandala in progress and the melodic resonance of chakpurs singing...

The word mandala in Sanskrit means circle. It represents wholeness, community and cohesiveness. According to Buddhist history, the purpose, meaning and technique of creating the mandala, was taught by Buddha in the 6th century BC in India. For more than 2,500 years this unbroken lineage has been passed from teacher to student. To make a sand mandala, a unique instrument called a chakpur is used to create finely detailed drawings using coloured sand. The twopiece chakpur is a copper funnel that is scraped by another chakpur causing vibration. This vibration allows fine grains of multi-coloured sand to slowly trickle out of its fine-tipped opening. The two chakpurs are said to symbolize the union of wisdom and compassion.

Creating crystal sand mandalas and paintings can be a profoundly transforming experience. The vibratory effect of colour, sound and crystal has subtle yet deep effects on our bodies. The slow trickle of sand and the gentle rhythm of the chakpur easily guides you into a meditative state - effortlessly.

While we are generally unaware of it, colour continuously affects our bodies and emotions. It has been scientifically documented that when we look at the colour red our blood pressure increases and our adrenal glands are stimulated. Yellow, on the other hand, has been proven to stimulate the brain and activate the lymph system, while the colour blue makes us calmer and deep blue stimulates the pituitary gland, regulating our sleep patterns.

The process of hearing begins when sound waves enter our auditory canal. These sound waves enter the middle ear causing the tympanic membrane to vibrate. The rhythmic scraping of the chakpur has been known to lull the user into a deeper meditative state.

Quartz crystal sand affects us on a cellular level. Our bodies are composed of many crystallite substances - the bones, blood and DNA are crystalline in structure, as well as the liquid crystalcolloidal structure of the brain. On a molecular level, our cells contain silica, balancing our electromagnetic energies. Quartz crystal also has the unique ability to retain, transmit and amplify thoughtforms. This ability is fundamental to the memory "mother boards" of all computers.

Before I begin a sand mandala I pause and take a deep breath and focus my thoughts on love and peace. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if everyone who made a mandala began with a vision of peaceful coexistence around the world? Could it really be possible to imagine that each and every grain of sand that we collectively laid down was able to hold that vibration of peace and love and radiate it outward? I believe this is so, since it occurs on a daily basis in the computer world with a small mineral known as quartz crystal.

Linda Redman will be holding a Sand Mandala Retreat at Tamagawa Gardens, in Cedar (Vancouver Island) July 21-23/06. Info will be posted at www.TheSandArtStore.com in late Jan.

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Snap Crackle and POP! the New Year is off to a celebratory start as we toast to the tinsel, the glitter and the glory of 2006. Our shelves are stuffed to overflowing! So we’ll be brief and give you websites when possible so you can see more for yourself. The web has MORE than changed life as we know it, and this is one of the delightful plusses. We’ve got everything from music to menopause.

The Reluctant Spiritualist The Life of Maggie Fox by Nancy Rubin Stuart. Here is the first authoritative biography of Margaret Fox, the world-famous medium and co-founder of the Spiritualism movement that swept America in the mid-1800s. But when she denounced the faith in 1888-appearing before a packed auditorium in her stocking feet to demonstrate a ‘toe-trick’, Spiritualism withered almost as quickly as it had bloomed. Through the memoirs of the Fox sisters, the letters of Maggie’s arctic explorer husband, contemporary newspaper accounts, and other primary sources, Nancy creates a vibrant portrait of a Victorian-era woman. High drama, a dash of gossip, scandal, and more. ISBN0-15-101013-7 www.nancyrubinstuart.com

Staying Clean & Sober by Merlene Miller M.A. and David Miller, Ph.D. subtitled Complementary and Natural Strategies For Healing The Addicted Brain is a must have book according to a few friends of mine. "Where was this book when I was struggling with my addictions"? they asked. Well lucky it’s here now. What many of you already know, but those in the center of the storm don’t know is that addictions are largely a bio chemical imbalance of the brain, and with it comes many other chronic symptoms like depression, cravings, anxiety etc. This book also includes recipes that assist the proper production of neurochemicals that help one maintain ‘the balance’. Plus simple reminders like water is healing, music/vibration helps, exercise helps you change direction. It’s great, give it to someone you love - or read it for them! ISBN: 1-58054-364-2 www.Miller-Associates.org

Within & Beyond by Gayle Redfern. Align and balance universal vibration. This discusses the difference of the MER-KA-BA and the MANUNYMBA - ie the shape of the Star Tetrahedron. Within & Beyond reacquaints you to the Planes of Reference and introduces you to the Cosmic Life Pattern, an integral part of our being and gateway to wisdom. It describes how colour and sound balances the shape. There are numerous diagrams to illustrate the concepts. The info is not new as the author says, but its significance is a ‘timely’ issue and Gayle has come forward to present it in a updated manner. www.withbeyond.com ISBN: 1-59405-066-x

Thank You - your opinion means nothing to me. A Year of Hot Flashes, Flashbacks and Finding My Voice. This is not the first book Nancy Blair has orchestrated and you can be sure this one will have SOME of you rolling off the rocker with understanding. YUP, Nancy has taken on the topic of menopause - her own, in the New Age Era! Too funny or too familiar, it’s busting with wisecracks and dusted throughout, a healthy dash of love.It is a journey of self-acceptance that she decided to share. www.nancyblair.com

Embracing Your Power Woman by Barbara Wilder ‘coming of age in the second half of time’. This is actually a course on finding that powerful one hiding on the other side of menopause. It is a well put- together project with games, exercises prayers,questions to ponder, and here’s a hint of what’s in store week-by-week. 1-Self Love 2- Creativity 3-Self-trust 4- Courage / Ability 5 - Health and Beauty 6- True Wealth 7- Our Own Direction 8- Partnership/Community 9- Authentic Leadership 10- Enlightened Success 11- Freedom 12- Final Ceremony. ISBN 0-9673346-2-4 www.BarbaraWilder.com

Now we have some Vancouver Island specials!

Many of you will be pleased to hear Ann Mortifee has another CD Into the Heart of the Sangoma. Well Ok perhaps she’s not pure VI - but her influence is strong enough to call her that). Ann was born in South Africa and several years ago was led by a series of dreams and events to Vusamazulu Credo Mutwa the head of the Sangoma of the Zulu Nation. This CD is an expression of gratitude to her deepening relationship with the spirits of Africa. Those of you waiting for that "outrageous Mortifee sound" won’t be disappointed. This CD is an adventure, it is a story full of the voices of a culture coming forward to serve you.

Len Walker from Tsunami Haven Projects in Qualcum Beach has created Tsunami Journey - 70 days in Sri Lanka which is quite an undertaking! You’ll find it a very interesting report on the situation with copies of photos and letters and a way to understand what goes on behind the scenes. Just because the ‘dust has settled’ does not mean the effort is over, and they are still looking for volunteers to come on board and lend a hand. Len is heading back late Jan./06 with 2 dentists and a healer to share some more west coast ‘practical love’. Go to www.tsunamihaven.org for updates or to show your financial support. ISBN

Mikeoula has a much awaited CD simply titled 555. That’s a definite reflection of the fact that the tracks were recorded live at the energetic event of 2005. It’s not just about the music with this one, it’s about capturing a piece of the energetic flavour of the moment. You’ll also hear Lora Teuschler on crystal bowls, Ken Biddell on keyboards and if you listen very carefully you can hear the vibration of the chakpurs. She writes, "you can hear the sound of the sand tools in the background in the last 2 tracks,recorded during the concert when folks were working on the Mandala in the centre of the room, adding an additional layer.That mandala she mentions was "Loving Kindness" - A good vibration to be supporting you I say! Call 250-335-2998/250-802-3411 www.mikeoula.com

Heading down south island, we have more from www.therasounds.com. Check out Awakening the Chakra, the Power of Om, as a series of intonations systematically constructed to enhance and positively charge the human body. Thera Sounds has tested extensively for years to assure accuracy with the latest biofeedback equipment. Great, and even greater if you play it on a high quality stereo. And now their newest release ‘Mystical Chants for Psychic Attunement is a series of chants each with its specific note, rhythm and harmony. These chants have been used throughout the ages to stimulate and attune the psychic centres of the human body. Chants are approx 5 min and thus can be used for times when you need a ‘quick fix’...

And with music on the mind let’s unwrap some of those CD’s left behind to make the New Year bright.

Jessie Allen Cooper Pacific Lounge piano and soft sax is simple and these days you know simple is a good thing. Sax and piano - that’s it, no clutter here. It is in fact fringing on romantic. ‘Love is the most precious thing in everyone’s life’ he says, ‘and pieces of my heart you can hear in my music’. Sometimes suggested for unwinding, relaxation , it’s an intention to express eternal love, friendship and romance. 7-6781310542-0

A quick mention of some releases in the Jazz/ Blues arena. Straight-up old fashioned pure Jazz - a piano, a voice and a tribute to the ‘old-days’. Ron Kaplan does it on Saloon. This is martini music - classic style. check www.ronkaplan.com to see if it’s your cup of tea.

Lisa Bell It’s All About Love writes much of her own material, mixes in influences from pop music to Broadway, and crafts compelling modern arrangements - traditional jazz instruments, trumpet /sax, or non-traditional such as dobro and pedal steel, or a real string quartet on one song. 7-4218752442-8

Then we have Julie Lavender, Never Felt The Sun - trained extensively as a classical guitarist before entering the world of jazz and pop singing. She wrote the first seven songs on the album in which she explores awakening to the simple things of life around us. (no number on our review copy)

THEN... ya got ol’ Margie Baker performing for 30 years -no documentation... pity! But let’s lay back and enjoy the first nationally-released recording by this 68-year-old soulful, bluesy, swinging dynamo. The CD, Live At Bach Dancing And Dynamite Society, features some fancy picking by Rodney Jones. One minute she sings the blues and then she turns ‘uptown’ and you know that she is DR. MARGIE BAKER, (Doctorate Degree in Ed.). It’s a toe tapping 2 CD set. It’s Heart n’Soul - I Love Her! (pity no listed www) 6-3018309942-5

Suzanne Ciani’s Silver Ship has just won the 5th Annual Independent Music Awards® BEST NEW AGE ALBUM. Suzanne is a composer, recording artist, and pioneer in the field of electronic music and sound design. Best loved for her eleven albums of original music, renowned for its romantic, healing, and aesthetic qualities. Check her website - she is a fascinating woman of ‘firsts’. 7-9954740102-9 www.suzanneciani.com

Right off the tip of the stars on the silver ships, comes another bright light from Jim Wilson. We’ve been sharing Jim’s music for several years now and each new one is always a delight. Writer, composer, a contemporary pianist, Jim had dedicated this album to his dad who passed away before the release of this album. (www.jimwilson.net) A Place in My Heart is stunningly beautiful - it flows, it flies beyond the mundane -this is music to dream by!

...and we wish that you dream beyond your wildest this year, 2006. with love, beyond measure/G*...

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SHINE with LOVE from the INSIDE Out with The Grand Council of Light

It seems to some of you like an eternity since we first spoke... so much has transpired in planet earth years... still in terms of the Universe it has been NO TIME at all... and the year you call 2006 has arrived.

We use that word NO TIME as an energetic trigger... for the illusion of time on your planet is still a controlling mechanism that you are on the verge of de-mystifying. This is a much awaited time, as the potential it presents to you is huge. Foundations have been set. The gridwork of earth is amazingly complex and still as simple as a child’s toy... therein lies the power.

This time now is very conducive to you relating once again to the gridwork within yourself... you have made huge steps forward in opening your consciousness to be willing to receive again. Let us expand the concept and say, to BE HAPPY to receive... Ha Ha Ha. Happy and guilt-free! Observe that "receive" was the word we showed you. We did not say to ‘give and take’ (for that has a different vibration that is not so compatible to the higher you) but to ‘give and RECEIVE’. That is art of accepting the gift that is being given to you freely with love beyond measure. Some, struggle with the concept of taking others have altered the two words to mean the same thing when they are not. With take, one often assumes there is no gift involved, you grab it quick before someone notices... there is an urgency, an attitude of lack.

Receive however, is leisurely ...it is a gift. The one giving is doing so with intention - it is something designated just for you and the giver will wait until you are ready to accept. The gift is not forced - it is gentle ...if you say ‘not now’ - the giver will wait. It will not be passed on to another - for the gift is yours. Now can you see how important it is to be WILLING to receive - to believe you deserve to have more good in your life?

When you continue to indicate ‘later’ you prolong the arrival of what you desire. There is nothing wrong with receiving, you simply have very little practice doing so, hence your hesitation. There is no need to hold old beliefs of limitation at a cellular level, for NOW you have grown with love beyond measure. NOW you are prepared to be wise, abundant guardians of the template once again. Consider the added power Abundant ones have. With a kind, generous consciousness, they are able to give more. Your concept of "the more you give, the more you receive" - is true. Still in order to fully receive, the channels of communication must be open within. 2006 is a good time for a gigantic change in attitude. Hold this thought... I AM Worthy of ALL the GOOD the Universe has in store for me ...and I AM willing to accept these gifts now.

Now is a time to choose gratitude and positive abundance. Many pray for abundance without making it clear what they are asking for... and create ‘much’ trouble, instead of the anticipated good. It is a time of utilizing the renewed power of the pyramids, that the planet is now prepared to incorporate into the heart of all creation.

We repeat... HA HA HA... a time to be happy and LIGHT with yourselves. HA, a positive vibrational accelerator, is an example of the simplicity of changing the inner gridwork. You will find it to be a sacred word and chanted with reverent intention by many around your planet. USE it to positively shift vibration when you are feeling ‘humanly stuck’ in old energetic situations. HA HA HA - it does not get much easier than that!

This is truly a time, on all levels, to be willing to accept the greater part of who you are. A time to receive all that creation has in store for you. This will be a year of surprises, an opportunity for moving patterns that do not serve you any more. Ah yes, and quiet, gentle, growth beyond your wildest dreams. Did you hear the words... quiet-gentle.

In terms of your numbers, a Peaceful, Loving and Happy 2006 becomes the # 8 - infinity. Speaking also of the infinite power of this energetic system. A time to facilitate a great healing transformation. Note we continue to use the word gentle..there is no need to play the game of chaos and upheaval. You can if you choose, but it will be more pleasant to simply relax and trust life as it unfolds around you.

It is more important than ever to find love within everything and every one... we understand this is not always easy. Trust that you are a good person and there is no need to continue to dangle in someone else’s web of criticism and judgement... no need to feel left out, defeated or ill-thought of. Understand that those who give you the opportunity to react that way, are often simply insecure within themselves and it has nothing to do with you. Better to acknowledge their words with love to assist their transformation and be grateful you can now recognize ‘your OWN reality". BE present in loving kindness and you will notice you do not take offence and can love everyone even if they appear to be unkind and deceitful to you or another. Standing in the loving light of who you are, you will soon see the importance of speaking your truth.

We remind you to share the good you see in others when someone else is speaking unkindly. To say nothing, is the same as agreeing and continues to fuel their misconception. When you add your positive input, the whole vibration shifts and Mother Earth feels the difference. It is good. You do not need to critisize and say they are wrong - rather simply share, that your experience is different. That act has been known to change the course of history and heal old battle scars. Idle words on the other hand, can be destructive and often turn into uncontrollable rumours as they are repeated. It is good to remember before you speak of another, to ask yourself if you KNOW it is true, or if it is worthy of repeating? Question if you will create any good with the vibration and would you be happy if they spoke the same words about you. There is always something loving that could replace the useless words. ESPECIALLY if you feel there is nothing good to say..search within to find a spark worth repeating. As more consider DOing this, the world becomes a much quieter, loving place. You are the visionaries and decision makers of the future which is NOW ...and it will take a very small shift to place yourselves perfectly to positively influence the lives of many.

Choose to create a year of natural balance, beauty, grace - the Mother, the Father, the Dove — walk with integrity — Every Step A Prayer — and in perfection, receive the same!

The vibration of ‘The GCL’ LOVES YOU, ALLways!

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