The Global Water Initiative works to improve water management policies, research, investment and knowledge resources for sustainable agricultural production and improved food security.

We advocate globally and support specific action research in Central America, East Africa and West Africa. We bring together complementary resources and expertise from our partner organizations including CARE, CRS, IIED and IUCN, and work in collaboration with governments and local stakeholders in the regions we work.

Our principles:

• Maintaining or improving water quality while conserving its use as a limited resource.
• Developing and promoting sustainable agriculture systems, while improving knowledge and social learning.
• Empowering small farmers – especially women – while improving human well-being and fostering sustainable livelihoods.

How we implement change:

• GWI believes that evidence, empowerment, and learning are essential elements in delivering efficient, effective and equitable solutions for achieving food and water security.
• A revitalized smallholder rain-fed sector is critical for food security and water resource management. Change at scale requires leadership and investment by both the public and private sectors.
• Stimulating and promoting understanding of how enabling environments and/or incentives for investments by small-scale farmers are critically important.  Jumpstarting responsible investments in agriculture and water management systems will positively impact smallholder farmers as well as contribute to food and water security on a wider scale.

Source: Global Water Initiative

By Martin Gray www.SacredSites.com

http://www.newgrange.com/samhain.htm

An excerpt from Tlachtga: Celtic Fire Festival by John Gilroy.

Tlachtga where the Great Fire Festival at Samhain was celebrated.

As millions of children and adults participate in the fun of Halloween on the night of October 31st, few will be aware of its ancient Celtic roots in the Samhain (Samain) festival. In Celtic Ireland about 2,000 years ago, Samhain was the division of the year between the lighter half (summer) and the darker half (winter). At Samhain the division between this world and the otherworld was at its thinnest, allowing spirits to pass through.

The family's ancestors were honoured and invited home whilst harmful spirits were warded off. People wore costumes and masks to disguise themselves as harmful spirits and thus avoid harm. Bonfires and food played a large part in the festivities. The bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into a communal fire, household fires were extinguished and started again from the bonfire. Food was prepared for the living and the dead, food for the ancestors who were in no position it eat it, was ritually shared with the less well off.

Christianity incorporated the honouring of the dead into the Christian calendar with All Saints (All Hallows) on November 1st, followed by All Souls on November 2nd. The wearing of costumes and masks to ward off harmful spirits survived as Halloween customs. The Irish emigrated to America in great numbers during the 19th century especially around the time of famine in Ireland during the 1840's. The Irish carried their Halloween traditions to America, where today it is one of the major holidays of the year. Through time other traditions have blended into Halloween, for example the American harvest time tradition of carving pumpkins.

Two hills in the Boyne Valley were associated with Samhain in Celtic Ireland, Tlachtga and Tara. Tlachtga was the location of the Great Fire Festival which begun on the eve of Samhain (Halloween). Tara was also associated with Samhain, however it was secondary to Tlachtga in this respect.

The entrance passage to the Mound of the Hostages on the Hill of Tara is aligned with the rising sun around Samhain. The Mound of the Hostages is 4,500 to 5000 years old, suggesting that Samhain was celebrated long before the first Celts arrived in Ireland about 2,500 years ago.

Celtic Earth Works on the Hill of Tara

The Diwali Festival

The Hindu Diwali (Divali, Deepavali) Festival known as the Festival of Lights occurs about the same time as Samhain. Diwali marks the Hindu New Year just as Samhain marks the Celtic New Year, could it be that Diwali and Samhain have a common root in antiquity?

Samhain / Halloween

An excerpt from Tlachtga: Celtic Fire Festival by John Gilroy.

The Festival of Samhain marked the end of the Celtic year and the beginning of the new one and as such can be seen to the equivalent of New Year's Eve. We have seen how the Celts believed that night preceded day and so the festivities took place on the Eve of Samhain. There is no doubt that that this festival was the most important of the four Celtic Festivals. Samhain was a crucial time of year, loaded with symbolic significance for the pre-Christian Irish. The celebrations at Tlachtga may have had their origins in a fertility rite on the hill but it gathered to itself a corpus of other beliefs which crystallised at the great Fire Festival.

The perceptible, and apparent, decline in the strength of the sun at this time of year was a source of anxiety for early man and the lighting of the Winter Fires here symbolised mans attempt to assist the sun on its journey across the skies. Fire is the earthly counterpart of the sun and is a powerful and appropriate symbol to express mans helplessness in the face of the overwhelming sense of the decay of nature as the winter sets in.

Now the sun has descended into the realm of the underworld, the forces of the underworld were in the ascendency. The lord of the underworld, unfettered from the control of the sun, now walked the earth and with him travelled all those other creatures from the abode of the dead. Ghosts, fairies and a host of other non-descript creatures went with him. The Lord of the Dead in Celtic mythology can be identified as Donn.

Mythology tells us that when the invaders of Ireland known as the Miliseans landed at the Boyne, they made their way to Tara. Once there, they were advised by the Druids that they should return to their ships and sail off the shore to the length of nine waves. When they were on the sea a great storm arose which scattered their fleet. The commander of one of the ships was Donn. His ship was broken to pieces in the storm and he himself drowned along with twenty four of his comrades. He was buried on the Skellig Islands off the coast of Kerry.

He is the first of the new wave of invaders to meet his death in Ireland and, as such, he became elevated to the status of god of the dead. The place of his burial became known as Tech Donn - The house of Donn, and soon became identified with with the otherworld. The Celts were fascinated with tracing their ancestry back as far as they could and often they identified their earliest ancestors with the gods of their peoples. Hence, a belief arose that when they died they went to the house of their ancestor, the god of the otherworld.

It is interesting to note that the abode of Donn, on the Skellig Islands, is just a few miles from the traditional home of Mog Ruith at Valentia Island. As well as being geographical neighbours, both are closely associated with Samhain, when it can be said that Mog Ruith as sungod sojourns at the realm of the underworld, the abode of Donn.

Donn is seen as a retiring god who prefers the isolation of the bleak Skelligs and remains aloof from the other gods. His name means "brown" and he is associated with the shadowy realm of the dead. O'hOgain tells us that a ninth century text attributes a highly significant quotation to him "To me, to my house, you shall come after your death"

Many other sources say that the dead assemble at his house and describe deceased people travelling to and from here. Fishermen in the area were wont to hear strange boats passing to the island at night and the names of those who disembarked were called out. Later Christian writers claimed that the souls of the damned lingered at his house before departing for hell. Not surprisingly, aspects of his personage have been adapted by Christian writers in their portrayal of the devil.

Samhain being the feast of the dead can now be clearly seen as incorporating the cult of Donn into its celebrations but how they did so remains uncertain. The Fires were in all likelihood lit in honour of the sungod - here manifesting as Mog Ruith, but certain other of the trappings are clearly associated with the Lord of the Dead. The idea that Samhain is a juncture between the two halves of the year saw it acquiring the unique status of being suspended in time - it did not belong to the old year not the new. It could be said that time stood still on this night and the implications of this were immense. During this night the natural order of life was thrown into chaos and the earthly world of the living became hopelessly entangled with the world of the dead. But the world of the dead was itself a complicated place, peopled not only by the spirits of the departed, but also with a host of gods, fairies and other creatures of uncertain nature.

The unwary traveller, caught away from home on this night, could expect to encounter any one or many of these creatures and it was always advisable to stay indoors. Ghosts were everywhere and may or may not have been harmful to the living. It is interesting to note that the manuscripts tells us that all fires in the country must be extinguished on this night and could only be relit from the great flames from Tlachtga. This, of course, is not to taken literally but symbolised the brief and temporary ascendency of the powers of darkness at this time of year.

During this period all the world was in darkness and the dead were abroad. When the fire at Tlachtga was lit, it gave the signal that all was well and all other fires could now be relit. The fires at Talchtga were the public celebration of the victory of light, while the relighting of the household fire marked the domestic celebration of the feast. Now the spirits of dead ancestors could be welcomed back into the home with safety and posed no threat to the household. This theme is repeated constantly in Irish literature. MacCollugh tells us that the cult of the dead culminated at the family health. Very often the spirits of ancestors sought warmth around the fireside on this night. Fires were left lighting in the grate to warm the spirits and food was left out for them. Even though the ancestral ghosts were benign, it was still a good idea to avoid them by going to bed early.

However, the ghosts may not have been entirely benign. They needed some sort of appeasement in the form of ritual offerings on this night. So long as the offering was forthcoming the ghosts were happy and benevolent, but if the offering was withheld another side of the ghosts features were presented. Bad luck would descend on the household and all would not be well the coming year. Some vestiges of this tradition may survived in the modern Halloween custom of "trick or treat". Children, dressed as ghosts and witches, invite the household to make a donation or face the consequences. The 'treat' may represent the ritual offering while the 'trick', nowadays a harmless prank, may have in antiquity, represented the malevolent consequences of inadequately appeasing the ancestral ghost on this night.

But it was not just time that was dislocated at Samhain. Just as the festival stands on the boundary between Summer and Winter, all other boundaries were in danger at this time. The boundaries between a mans land and his neighbours were a dangerous place to be on this night. Ghosts were to be found along these points and a style between adjacent land was a place of particular dread and best avoided. Bridges and crossroads were also likely places to encounter ghosts. Naturally enough, burial places were avoided on all nights but particularly on this night. Every sort of a ghost was to be seen here and the dead mingled freely with the living.

The practice of divination - telling the future, was an important part of everyday life for the Celts and it is certain that this art formed a central part of the festivities occurred at Tlachtga at Samhain. Vestiges of this can be seen today at Halloween are familiar with the practice of going to the church at midnight on Halloween and standing in the porch. The courageous observer will see the spirits of those who will die in the coming year if he watches closely, but runs the risk of meeting himself. Similarity, girls watching in a mirror on this night will see the image of the man they will marry but also run the risk of seeing the devil.

Those brave enough to go to a grave yard at midnight and walk three times around the graves will be offered a glimpse the future but again run the risk of meeting the devil. This latter example is interesting as it preserves the three time sunwise turn so important to the Celts in the ritual. The possibility of meeting the devil may represent the well known Christian attempt to associate the pagan god of the dead with the devil of Christian belief. This being the case, Donn the Lord of the Dead, left his island home on this night and travelled freely throughout the country. Whether he carried off souls is unclear, but it is likely that he did. The ritual offerings on the Winter Fires may have been an attempt to appease him until, such time in history, he was replaced on the arrival of Christianity by the devil.

The early Irish manuscripts are littered with references to the magical significance of Samhain. It marked the end of the fighting and hunting season for the warrior troop known as the Fianna. At Samhain they retreated into winter camp, quartering themselves on the general population until the return of Summer at Beltainne. Fionn MacCumhail chose Samhain as the time to present himself before the court at Tara for the first time, while it was also at Samhain that the god Lugh made his dramatic entrance to the same court. The Connaught queen, Meave, waited until Samhain before setting out on the great Cattle Raid of Cooley.

Fionn MacCumhail, Lugh and Cuchulainn - Meave's opponent, are the three great figures of Irish mythology and it is interesting to note how Samhain is the time chosen by the writers to introduce their arrival on the scene. The Battle of Mag Tuired (supposedly in County Mayo) was fought at Samhain. It seems that when the early writers wish to impart a magical quality to the events they are depicting, they choose the Festival of Samhain for the occasion. There remains little doubt that Samhain held a central place in the imagination of the Celts, where the festivities associated with several local gods became entangled, over the course of perhaps a thousand years, with the feast of the god of the dead. Remnants of these celebrations have come down to us in our own celebrations of Halloween.

An excerpt from Tlachtga: Celtic Fire Festival by John Gilroy.

Ancient cultures such as the Neolithic (Stone Age) people who build Newgrange in Ireland aligned their monuments to the major solar events, the Winter Solstice, the Spring Equinox, the Summer Solstice and the Autumn Equinox. The solar year was further divided to mark the half way points between the major solar events giving the cross quarter days of Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh and Samhain.

“If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi

As we survey the many perspectives and manifestations of all that is occurring and intensifying globally, we might ask ourselves:

...How did it come to this? 

...How much power have we consensually surrendered for circumstances to have arrived as they have, and for so many rights to be being so flagrantly and profoundly violated, be they environmental, human, social, economic and otherwise?

Naked Corporatocracy

As we progress into the last quarter of 2013, numerous global crises are revealing more than ever a sickening corporatocracy that railroads, lies, subverts and legislates to guarantee profit, power and privilege for the few at the expense of the people and the Earth. It’s a system that employs continual warfare (pre-emptive, false-flag, illegal and otherwise);  the killing of millions of people through these wars, poverty and tyranny of all kinds;  violation of international, national and personal data through global surveillance networks;  rigged markets and currency wars;  corporate-centralized media spewing endless propaganda and spin for manufactured ignorance  and consent;  increasing police crackdowns and brutality;  ‘trade’ agreement coups (manufactured in secret and going undebated nationally in the midst of media blackouts);  silencing and criminalization of journalists, protestors, boycotters, whistleblowers and dissenters;  human rights violations;  denial of climate change, etc. 

The corporatocracy is a system underpinned by an elitist, cabalist-driven, imaginary economy based on debt and that is destroying ecosystems and populations, poisoning our food, water and our bodies, whilst we are legislated, corralled and controlled into staying silent, paying taxes and voting from time to time so we can give governments the consent that legitimizes their rapacious partnerships with the Big Everything (oil, money, media, pharma, business, food, water, etc)

As this unfolds, we see judicial systems, local, national and international laws and treaties, environmental protections, civil liberties, sovereign rights of nations and populations, human rights and planetary resources being betrayed by ‘economic hitmen’ (reference, John Perkins) who employ ‘shock doctrine’ tactics (reference, Naomi Klein) so that corporate predators can further concentrate power in their own hands and continuing gaming and destroying for strategic advantage.  Instead of Constitutions enforcing limitations on the power of government to abuse power, these have been turned inside-out to enforce limitations on the power of people to exercise their rights.  All of our cultural narratives at this point are those that promote the elite, with the masses being criminalized whilst they watch the rollouts of the above in horror and disbelief, and accompanied by fear, denial, rage and powerlessness.

"We live in an era in which there is near-zero tolerance for democratic protest and infinite tolerance for bankers and government embezzlers which effect the lives of millions." ~ Henry A Giroux

Revelations by alternative media, activists and whistleblowers are ensuring that no one awake and paying attention escapes seeing the abuses of power and privilege, and where power has been hidden.  And, although the silencing, incarceration, murder, exiling and spying on these courageous people is frightening, their courage and care in truth-telling have also struck a nerve in many.  One can viscerally feel the wave forming of those whistleblowers to come, soon to break on the shore of concensus reality and denial, and continuing in their ferocity to further shake the system to the core all the more.  These insistent revelations of the oligarchy’s underbelly are a given and are here to stay, no matter how the oligarchy tries to silence them, or how we may personally want to look away.

Tipping-Point Awarenesses

What is becoming clearer for many in this extremely-layered mix, is that the global coup has reached an omnidirectional, multi-faceted tipping-point, as precisely evidenced by the obscene outcomes of abuse for profit and control.  For those willing and able to read the signs (not always easy and not always desired), an unmistakable bifurcation point has crashed into our lives and screams at us to make the personal choice to face head-on this deeply-destructive and violating trajectory.  Further, it is asking us to gather up both personal and creative will, whether we are talking environmentally, politically, economically, socially, spiritually, scientifically or otherwise for we are also being shaken awake simultaneously.  We are each finding our own personal tipping-points....some sooner, and others yet to come.

Critically, the eruption and disclosure of such tipping-points are pivoting many into deeper understanding our interconnectedness and interdependence for livelihood and wellbeing, and what it means for us when we place these into the hands of the trashing runaway train that is the corporatocracy.

Crucially, we are pivoting into recognizing the deeper beliefs that underpin the worldview that allows the trashing, or sees the trashing ‘over there’ as somehow unrelated to ‘me over here’.  Powerful and accelerating disclosure is unmasking what it is we really believe about ourselves and about life, in the crossfire of this harrowing spectacle with its systemic abuses to the biosphere, our value systems, sovereignty and rights.

And for many, it is moving them into the deeper awareness and appreciation of that interconnectedness, interdependence and 'oneness' at the most deepest and intrinsic levels of ourselves, precisely by being 'shocked awake' by the corporatocracy.  YES:  what does ‘unity consciousness’ really mean?  This ultimate, inherent, non-separation on the deepest of levels of systems, people, government, land, species, rights, thought, emotion, action?  And further, there is the ‘shock’ that if we are so deeply interconnected, interdependent and ‘one’, as the mystics and scientists say, then all that is happening involves all of us, too, and it also means we are all personally accountable and responsible for these outcomes at large.

On ‘Behaving Badly’

So as much as we can ‘follow the money’ to the right or the left side of politics or to a single dictator, and/or see various connections between the corporatocracy, oligarchs and plutocrats and their toxic marriages with governments, banks and militaries worldwide, it is critical that we step beyond being stuck at this level, let alone see them as somehow unrelated to ourselves at the deepest of levels. 

These agencies are profoundly enmeshed at all levels of the human experience and they are ‘behaving badly’.  However, it’s not just about ‘following the money’:  it’s about how the criminality got so far in the first place.  It’s about the seismic shift into what exactly the deeper re-evaluation and recognition NOW mean in light of these striking dynamics and present-time, ongoing violation....and our allowing thereof.  The deeper message these dynamics  have to communicate to us amidst the exceedingly convoluted legislation, lies, narratives, ‘wag the dog’ rhetoric, manipulations and obscurations.

The Powerpoint Moment & Conscious Evolution

As important as it is to wake up to even this level, it’s more critical for us right now to illuminate how this mass abdication in favour of the Big Everything came to be, and more, how we might recover the power, sovereignty, freedom and rights handed over to it.

“Conscious evolution refers to humanity’s new ability to choose what the species Homo Sapiens becomes in the future. This new ability is based on recent advancements in science, medicine, technology, psychology, sociology, and spirituality. Conscious evolution places human beings at the crest of the ongoing evolution of the universe, providing a larger perspective of human potentials.Conscious evolution allows that mankind can choose advancement through co-operation and co-creation or self-destruction through separateness and competition.”  ~ Wikipedia

If we are to fully embrace the responsibility that is conscious evolution, for example, it will hinge upon the understanding of our current powerpoint moment.  The one where we recognize the toxic unsustainability of our most cherished belief systems, both personal and collective, and how, in cherishing them, we are consensually creating, in real-time, the perpetuation of the corporatocracy and its stream of abuses.  Right here, right now.  The powerpoint involves determining the internal, personal beliefs that link us to where we have not been fully awake and paying attention to our environment, politics, science, thoughts, emotions, beliefs, relationships, health and more, and to where (and why) we have not been responsibly engaged and understanding the mirror that the external world is of our cherished, internal beliefs, and what we may or may not be doing with our free will when we are thus not engaged. 

Our beliefs may thus show us that we have neither cared about nor valued ourselves or the Earth enough.  We have neither cared about nor valued each other, our environment, our rights, bodies, etc enough to be able to feel, see, understand... and take action.  We may be startled to recognize that certain of our most cherished beliefs keep us separate and disengaged, whilst personal, local, national and global results stare us in the face as never before, demanding attention, engagement, and upgrade into completely different beliefs, skillsets and response-ability.

As the alternative media, activists and whistleblowers continue dealing one blow after another to the manipulations at large, they are, importantly, also dealing blow after blow to the belief systems from whence the allowance of these manipulations and abuses came, and that allow them to continue.  They are spotlighting the enormous, ideologically-sanctioned surrender and abdication of mass personal and collective power to ‘the authorities’ at large, be they spiritual, political economic, religious, scientific or otherwise. And these blows are powerfully calling into question those beliefs to instigate the internal overhauls as much as they are certainly instigating the external ones.

Ailing or destroyed ecosytems and cherished human rights being trashed, for example, are occurring globally because ecosystems, rights et al haven’t been embraced, taken to heart and taken to the next level by enough of us personally.  To move forward now, and in order to meet the next creative, evolutionary level, we have to meet the moment with our more awakened, overhauled selves, and choose to stop being spectators. 

We ourselves are the groundcrew that meets the evolutionary gauntlet as thrown down by the corporatocracy.

Overhauling Toxic Belief Systems

A deep look at the human and environmental cost of our belief systems is required now, and how they may leave us paralyzed, inactive, docile, in denial and ‘asleep at the wheel’ of our current circumstances and of our personal and collective destinies.  It is these outdated belief systems that are the root causes of the trashing of humanity and the planet, and we are needing to come into a more nakedness awareness of how these are affecting global balances, food, water, finances, politics, oceans and more at the most intimate and interconnected levels in all our living systems.

To truly embrace the moment, we need to more masterfully comprehend the intrinsic connection between what we believe, and what has shown up when we allow Big Business, Big Pharma, Big Oil, Big Media, Big Religion to decide things on our behalf and to run our lives through the legislated rape of our sovereignty, freedoms and rights.  These entities are presently running amok….in our names, with our bodies, resources, taxes, food, water, land, oceans, animals, votes, complacency and ignorance because we have been lulled asleep by toxic beliefs in powerlessness, worthlessness, redemption by some outside agency and the fear that keep us looking the other way, legitimizing others’ suffering, abdicating our responsibilities, or indulging in magical or wishful thinking that God, Government, an ET or an exit to a parallel and pristine Earth could conceivably be an answer, or be what the moment is asking of us. 

We may find ourselves faced with the astounding recognition that these very beliefs keep us disconnected from seeing that biospherical breakdown and trashing are completely related to us all, and to our personal and planetary livelihood and wellbeing, as part of the greater, interconnected web of life.  That is, we are in relationship to every single one of these elements and systems.

One can only imagine how a Gandhi or Martin Luther King might view our circumstances, and in what urgent ways they would be motivated to raise consciousness, and to inspire people into the streets.

Personal and Collective Biospherical Respect

"The biosphere is the global sum of all ecosystems. It can also be called the zone of life on Earth, a closed (apart from solar and cosmic radiation and heat from the interior of the Earth), and self-regulating system.  From the broadest biophysiological point of view, the biosphere is the global ecological system integrating all living beings and their relationships, including their interaction with the elements of the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere." ~ Wikipedia

The excesses of empire are obvious.  For many, too, these excesses look desperate because many worldwide have awoken and are organizing, creating, dissenting, praying, filming, writing, speaking, etc.  The places for these ‘old powers’ to hide are getting fewer and fewer, but it’s far from over yet it’s not enough by enough people….not yet.

These excesses will continue until enough individuals break through their beliefs and anchor into the personal and biospherical respect to develop the boundaries that say, ‘No’ to what is being done in their names and with their resources.  Same as what needs to be applied to any bully anywhere, anytime:  NO.   Such a capacity is based on knowing where the boundaries lie which are based on knowing one’s inherent freedom, sovereignty and rights, and thus being able to stand up and say, ‘No, that is enough.’  It is based on self-respect, self-worth, compassion, care and love for oneself, others and the Earth, and recognizing the sacredness of the web of life, deep interconnectedness and our interdependence.  It is married to the action that articulates, protects, defends and upholds those sacred freedoms and rights, for life now and life to come.  And it defines and delineates a clear ‘Yes’ that corresponds with right action, right human relations, new beliefs, dialogue, powersharing, legislation and systems-creation and maintenance that upholds that deep sacredness of human life and the Earth. 

To be continued in Part 2.....

I am available to assist you to better chart and navigate your Journey through my Diamond Consciousness Readings.   Please CLICK HERE for all information regarding my Sessions and to book your Session NOW, which can be conducted via landline or Skype anywhere in the world.

Hasta la victoria siempre,

Fatima

Copyright 2013 Fatima Bacot
All rights reserved.

Please feel free to share or distribute this Post in other forums, and please do so with the following guidelines: include the author’s credit, copyright and include the website url:  http:://www.fatimabacot.com 

By Don Miguel Ruiz Jr 

By J.D. Hayes

There is a food revolution taking hold all over America, whether it is in the form of demanding labeling of GM foods, the right to produce and sell raw milk and other commodities, or - in the case of Sedgwick, Maine - declaring all local food transactions of any kind free and legal.

According to the website FoodRenegade.com, Sedgwick is the first city in the U.S. to free itself from the constraints of federal and state food regulation. Published reports say the town has passed an ordinance that gives its citizens the right "to produce, sell, purchase, and consume local foods of their choosing," regulations be damned. The ordinance includes raw milk, meats that are slaughtered locally, all produce and just about anything else you might imagine.

And what's more, three additional towns in Maine are expected to take up similar ordinances soon, said the FoodRenegade.com.

Gee - good, ol' fashioned buyer-seller agreements?

Observers of the Sedgwick ordinance say it is much more than just "statement" legislation. Writes blogger David Grumpert, at TheCompletePatient.com:

This isn't just a declaration of preference. The proposed warrant added, "It shall be unlawful for any law or regulation adopted by the state or federal government to interfere with the rights recognized by this Ordinance." In other words, no state licensing requirements prohibiting certain farms from selling dairy products or producing their own chickens for sale to other citizens in the town.

What about potential legal liability and state or federal inspections? It's all up to the seller and buyer to negotiate. "Patrons purchasing food for home consumption may enter into private agreements with those producers or processors of local foods to waive any liability for the consumption of that food. Producers or processors of local foods shall be exempt from licensure and inspection requirements for that food as long as those agreements are in effect." Imagine that-buyer and seller can agree to cut out the lawyers. That's almost un-American, isn't it?

According to Deborah Evans, a Sedgwick citizen, the ordinance further states:

1. Producers or processors of local foods in the Town of Sedgwick are exempt from licensure and inspection provided that the transaction is only between the producer or processor and a patron when the food is sold for home consumption.
2. Producers or processors of local foods in the Town of Sedgwick are exempt from licensure and inspection provided that the products are prepared for, consumed or sold at a community social event.

For those questioning the legality of the ordinance - as in, it obviously circumvents state and federal food laws - she notes:

[W]e the radicals who concocted this mutinous act of infamy believe that according to the Home Rule provisions of our State Constitution, the citizens of Sedgwick have the right to enact an ordinance that is "local and municipal in character."

'It's about time'

Many of the local farmers say the ordinance is just what is needed.

"This ordinance creates favorable conditions for beginning farmers and cottage-scale food processors to try out new products, and to make the most of each season's bounty," farmer Bob St. Peter told the website FoodFreedom.com. "My family is already working on some ideas we can do from home to help pay the bills and get our farm going."

"Tears of joy welled in my eyes as my town voted to adopt this ordinance," said Sedgwick resident and local farm patron Mia Strong. "I am so proud of my community. They made a stand for local food and our fundamental rights as citizens to choose that food."

St. Peter, who is a board member of the National Family Farm Council, a food freedom advocacy group, notes that small farmers have a much tougher row to hoe, especially in today's economy, so they need the ability to sell their products more freely.

"It's tough making a go of it in rural America," he said. "Rural working people have always had to do a little of this and a little of that to make ends meet. But up until the last couple generations, we didn't need a special license or new facility each time we wanted to sell something to our neighbors. Small farmers and producers have been getting squeezed out in the name of food safety, yet it's the industrial food that is causing food borne illness, not us."

Sources:
www.foodrenegade.com/maine-town-declares-food-sovereignty/
www.thecompletepatient.com
http://foodfreedom.wordpress.com
www.nffc.net
www.naturalnews.com/039633_Sedgwick_food_freedom_federal_laws.html#ixzz2OelZxHwz

By Dan Cordona MD

Like most holiday seasons these days, the ads on- and offline for Valentine’s Day remind me how much has been lost about the origins of holiday rituals. Like nearly all holidays in the modern era, Valentine’s Day has a pagan origin, then was disguised and converted to a religious holiday, and finally a commercial “holiday.”

The most commonly accepted origin of Valentine’s Day is the Roman pagan holiday of Lupercalia, in which young women would place their names in a box and each man would draw a name for the sensual festivities that followed!

The Valentine’s Day heart symbol is also a clue to its origin, which symbolized the shared energetic connection between a male and female in an erotic embrace. Because the erotic energy generated between a man and woman is the most creative power on Earth, the pagan rituals were centered around converting (transmuting) this energy for purposes of fertility of the land, prosperity for the people, and health and abundance for the couple in the erotic embrace.

The secrets of transmuting this erotic energy have been forgotten among the masses and now practiced among only a few in the modern era. This is unfortunate because erotic energy used only for the pursuit of more and more intense sensual pleasure is well known to destroy kingdoms, careers, marriages and ultimately the health of the physical body.

On the other hand, when the energy created between a man and woman in an erotic embrace is “harvested” the couple can transmute this energy to whatever the couple wishes, from health to financial abundance, and everything in between. 

Source: Sacred Secrets of Sex & Love Blog

By Cynthia Clayton (Karima)

Live your life without reactivity. It’s all okay. It’s just going on. God is secretly in charge. If I see drama – it’s souls helping each other learn lessons. If I feel drama – it’s me learning a lesson. It’s all school, the Divine’s playground of experiencing life and love, and truly, laughter.

If I remember who I am - it makes it easier. If I remember who you are - it makes it easier. If I remember the greatest truth: that you are me, I have made you, you are my mirror, it becomes… endearing. If I can love you no matter what - it makes me feel the best, because I am loving me. When I look at you and you are glowing with happiness or lost in sadness, either way, I see the Christ longing to be recognized and seen. Who watches you? It is the Christ, also wanting to be loved and seen.

The Christ is God’s exuberance, otherness, his lovingness, what he became to experience love. When the Christ in me sees the Christ in you - it is simply God looking in the mirror. I watch you, me, happiness, sadness, turmoil, decisions decisions, ponderous thinking, wanting, longing, sufferings. Without reacting on a deep level. This Peace needs nothing else. Does it enjoy a dance, a kiss, helping a child-nature rise by my actions and love? Of course!

But at the center, nothing is or ever was going on. No reaction. Living a full life means keep the Watcher, until all action is from unconditional love and no thought of self or how self is looking or is self getting credit or seen as its glorious self. Then, the Watcher is not needed. You have truly allowed God to live in your skin.

And there is only JOY… GRACE… RAPTURE

Hoping to sidestep these unpleasant effects, many people turn to natural remedies. Here are seven that may be effective for you. Read more...

• Tai chi. The movements in Tai chi are slow and gentle, which makes the exercise perfect for arthritis patients. Early studies have found that Tai chi helped RA patients improve muscle function and stiffness, as well as reduce pain and stress levels. Numerous studies have agreed that exercise always helps, but Tai chi combines movement with focus, helping to not only improve joint function, but relax the body as a whole, which helps reduce pain.
• Acupuncture. Several studies indicate that acupuncture is a good option for those with arthritis. One from China found that both traditional and electrical acupuncture reduced tenderness in patients with RA, and another from Germany found that acupuncture helped patients with OA to feel less pain and stiffness, and to enjoy improved joint function.
• Magnets. A Harvard University study found that people with knee OA who wore a sleeve containing a high-powered magnet over the affected knee reported greater pain relief after four hours than those wearing a placebo knee sleeve. Other studies have been inconclusive. Magnets are said to work by stimulating the release of the body’s natural painkillers and increasing blood flow to the tissue. Many arthritis sufferers report that magnetic therapy is helpful. You can read more about it in the research reports of William Philpott, M.D., called “Magic of Magnetic Healing—The Real Magic Bullet.”
• Ginger. Some studies have found evidence that ginger helps relieve arthritis pain. Japanese researchers note that red ginger (Zingiber officinale var. Rubra) is regularly used in Indonesian traditional medicine as a painkiller for arthritis. Other studies have found ginger to be comparable to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, as it also inhibits Cox 1 and Cox 2 enzymes related to pain. Ginger extract also helps inhibit inflammation, and has been found in studies to relieve muscle pain. Try fresh ginger on foods, ginger tea, and ginger supplements of 30-500 mg daily.
• Sam-e. A naturally occurring chemical in the body, Sam-e has been found in many studies to treat pain, stiffness, and joint swelling, while improving mobility and rebuilding cartilage. Clinical studies have found the supplement to work as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). A U.S. study found that it took longer to take effect, but when it did, it was as effective as Celebrex in reducing pain and improving joint function. Recommended doses are 400–1,200 mg per day—check with your doctor to avoid potentially dangerous interactions with other medications.
• Omega-3 fatty acids. The Mayo Clinic states that foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce RA pain and stiffness. A 2011 study found that omega-3 in fish oil could substantially and significantly reduce the signs and symptoms of OA, as well as slow the progression of the disease. An earlier study also indicated that omega-3s can improve symptoms of RA, helping patients to rely less on NSAID pain relievers. Recommended dose is about 2,000 mg of omega-3 supplement 3 times a day, or one tablespoon of flaxseed oil a day.
• Capsaicin cream. Capsaicin is an active compound in hot peppers, and when applied topically, has shown to help relieve the pain of arthritis. A 1991 study found that capsaicin cream was a safe and effective treatment for arthritis, reducing pain for most participants. A more recent study found that applying 0.0125% concentration capsaicin-containing gel over the knee three times a day for four weeks gives more pain relief compared to a placebo. Those with sensitive skin, however, should try just a small amount first, as some patients reported burning and stinging at the application site.

Source: Renegade Health

At the sold-out Sacramento Bliss Conscious Communication Playshop recently, a budding Blissologist told our group that beggars really bother her, said she cannot relate to them, and asked, "What can we do about this"?

Few will deny that beggars are abounding. In fact, beggary may be the fastest growing profession in the USA today. How can beggars positively contribute to the emerging ecstatic economy? Read on to discover how.

Having abided in third world countries for nearly a decade, I grew accustomed to the omnipresence of beggars. In India, I observed myriad anomalies, yet generally three kinds of beggars, namely 1. spiritual sadhus, 2. deformed performers, and 3. those who are down and out temporarily or permanently such as single mothers with young children, the mentally ill, and the elderly.

Important Observation: within two generations the majority of this new, rising phenomenon of widespread American beggars have the option to ascend into the first type of mystic beggars who bless, amuse and offer inspiration to passerby's or to descend into the abysmal practice of cutting off limbs of their children or otherwise graphically mutilating their family members, including themselves, for the purpose of evoking monetary pittances from unsuspecting, compassionate passerbyers.

"I am A Beggar Too" song by Happy Oasis (mp3)

I have seen this first hand in many third world nations. Now that you know this great potential for tragedy or sagacity, it is ALL OF OUR response-abiilty to inspire and train the up-and-coming growing class of beggars. This includes YOU by response-ably educating beggars or begging response-ably yourself wherever you go in every conversation in which beggars come up. Instead of apathetically, fearfully, disgustedly or annoyingly passing by a beggar, it is our joyous duty to inspire beggars to inspire others.

For example, I told a young, strong-looking 20-something years young beggar that if he could say something inspiring ~  anything at all ~ I would give him a dollar.He said he could not think of anything positive to say. I told him I would come back with the dollar the next day. Upon seeing him in the morning, he beamed. "Good Morning, Happy! Isn't it a beautiful day?"  A dollar was dropped in his bowl. He beamed.

We all know professional women (and men) who would donate an offering to a beggar to compliment and/or inspire them as they enter their office building in the morning. How many people could benefit from hearing a compliment when walking down the sidewalk? Why stop at compliments? What about jokes? Poems? Prayers? Blessings? Philosophical Inspirations?

Moreover, the most stirring lines of classical and spiritual literature can be joyfully shouted out to someone walking by.

With persistent uplifting encouragement and suggestions from everyone of us,
America's beggars can be esteemed, valuable members of society as some of the greatest poets, mystics, comedians, friends and sages of this century, just as many beggars are in India today, a spiritual tradition that has endured there for millenia.

Think of the influence beggars could make by uttering a profound phrase from Thoreau or Hafiz or Swami Beyondananda before someone enters a courthouse. The simple act of instilling a slice of wisdom or joy into a judge, lawyer, prosecutor or defendant entering the court house could make an impact in legal decisions and consequently, lives.

Revealing it is that the root of the verb "beg" orginated from the Latin "bede" and means "to pray". The word bead also comes from "bede". What is the correlation of begging, praying and beads? They were considere the same activity. Today in India, millennium or two later, beggars are still the ones who pray for everyone in their midst while wearing and rubbing beads while begging. Today is an opportune day for us to re-ignite the tradition of such holy men and women in America.

Beggars are often the ones with the most time on their hands with their ears to the ground. Why not train them to lovingly let the rest of us know what's happening in the world? "Be sure to wear your coat tomorrow, Sir. The forecast is snow."

Have you considered giving a literate book-loving beggar one of your favorite books to read aloud to you or others next time you walk by? Most beggars are in need of friends, family and income-earning ideas. We can let them know that by reciting inspirational or humorous lines that their pay will likely increase. In addition, they will benefit the world, make new friends, inspire old 'customers', elicit smiles, catalyze conversations and giggles, and meanwhile feel happier about themselves as valuable contributors to society.

We need not beg to be able to bless and bliss everyone we meet. Sharing little kindnesses is the basis of the emerging ecstatic economy. How we speak to each other will soon become more important than almost any other aspect of living.

Why are the poor of Africa and Asia considered to be among the happiest people on the planet? Because, despite circumstances, they cannot afford anything but to live in a continuous state of joyful, love, humor and kindness. I have lived among the "poorest" and the happiest. They treat each other as if they are in the presence of royalty, because they are. We are. Every one of us.

Realizing all this, Blissology University, Bliss U is in its founding state. One branch of it will soon offer a free course regarding "How To Be A Beautiful Beggar", including, most importantly, how the rest of us inspire beggars.

What does beggary have to do with the Raw Spirit Community News? This is the Community News after all. At our most recent Bliss Shop, a dynamic conversation broke out about beggars. Some said they never give to beggars. Some said they always give, which is wonderful, if it is possible.

I pointed out that in India before approaching a prominent temple, there can be a line of 1000 beggars. One could spend all day every day just giving to beggars, and then join them (!), due to consequently being completely penniless oneself. The massive numbers of beggars in India teaches us to be intuitive. Who really really needs these rupees the most? Not from egoic judgement, and outside appearances, but coming from an deep place of spiritual insight. This inspires us to spontaneously connect with source.

In this way, the presence of beggars can teach us to be present, to go within, to get in touch with our mystical wisdom so that we can respond originally in each moment rather than reacting or following a prescribed system of "always giving to beggars" or "never giving" or "once a week" or "only organic gmo-free apples or avocados with leaves of kale".  Any habit is a kind of opt out for having to think afresh.

With beggars, being conscious or unconscious can make a huge difference in someone's life. It is also important to refrain from always giving a habitual amount. "I always give a dollar" or "my spare change" or "organic gmo-free kale leaves and an avocado". There could be one beggar among many in extra real need. A quarter does not buy anything these days, and one is hard pressed to eat much with a dollar. It is not an equal world; however, regardless of appearances, we can be open to co-creating moments of mysterious, kindness, compassion, connection, beauty and joy. The subject of beggars, if handled well, can serve to uplift our spirits and inspire smiles upon the faces of America. This way we can all be "smile millionaires", bliss billionaires, and life-style godzillionaires.

Let us bliss forth and inspire our brother and sister beggars with blissful begging tips and healthy organic gmo-free offerings, not only today, but for the rest of our lives.

Source: Raw Spirit Community News

Thank you for being the heart's harvest of this bountiful season! An interview yesterday afternoon with Gangaji in the garden of her simple, elegant, antique home office in Ashland, Oregon reminds us that we are the treasure and the trove. With a subtle shift of perspective, we are free in each moment to give up futile pleasures to enter the inner palace of ceaseless bliss.

Loved by millions, renowned spiritual teacher Gangaji is "one ofAmerica's most pragmatic, homeostatic ecstatics" (according to me) in that she not only loves to effortlesslly meditate moment-to-moment, enjoying almost every aspect of creation; she also loves to run, to laugh, and to nourish her body temple with a raw vegan-friendly diet. Results?

Approaching 70, Gangaji is virtually wrinkle-free and glowing with youth. Gangaji offers a fresh message of sanity and serenity via yesterday's intimate acoustic garden interview. Gangaji just released her new book "Hidden Treasure: Uncovering the Truth in Your Life Story." www. Gangaji.org

• Profound Happy Oasis Intimate Audio Interview with Gangaji (Part 1)
• Giggleful Happy Oasis Intimate Audio Interview with Gangaji (Part 2)

Source: Raw Spirit Community News

1) Why did the melon cross the road? To prove it wasn't a chicken.

2) How do bananas greet each other? With a banana shake.

3) Why did the pineapple go out with a prune? Because he couldn't find a  date.

4) Why did the tomato turn red? Because she saw the salad dressing.

5) What kind of flower looks out of place in a vase? A cauliflower.

6) How did the blond woman break her leg raking leaves?
She fell out of the tree.

7) Another blond woman was driving speedily along a road when a police officer pulled her over. He asked to see her driver's license. She fumbled in her large purse, found her wallet and discovered that her driver's license wasn't in it. The blond woman bobbed her head from side to side while saying, "I don't remember if I left it in my home at the office." The police office rolled his eyes, and said, "Lady, I'm going to have to see some form of photo i.d."  She fumbled in her large purse again, found her compact, looked lovingly into its little mirror, then handed it to the police officer. He looked in the mirror for a spell, then slapped closed the compact and handed it back to the blond woman. He said, "Sorry Lady, If I'd known you were an officer, I would have never pulled you over."  (The officer was a brunette.)

8) What happened to the raw vegan-friendly dog who could not bite into the organic watermelon? She became a melon collie.

9) What did one mildly-romantic melon say to the other? I'm sorry honey dew, I canteloupe.

10) Health Tip: Keep in mind that eating your lawn is more nutritious than mowing it

11) Glad Recipe: Fresh Organic Lawn Juice. This is not a joke. Weeds & grasses create a powerful cleanse.

12) An organic salad walks into a bar. "Sorry" says the bartender. "We don't serve food here."

13) Practice safe eating - always use *condiments.  [*preferably organic local raw vegan-friendly]

14) How to be chubby on a raw vegan diet? Be a light eater. When it gets light, start eating.

15) My wife is on a fruitarian ditto ~ coconuts, papayas and bananas. She hasn't lost weight, but she can now climb a tree.

By Johnny Light

Been developing several blogs for "Being a True Human" and "Practices for Beloveds." I intend to create a book, audio/video course and seminar related to this topic next year. This is part of my work in emerging consciousness personally and in the world.

Let's explore beloved friendship without boundaries inspired by the poetry of Rumi and Hafiz, eternally connected to source. These two books have been a source of continual insight and revelation. Photo: Galaxy NGC

"It doesn't matter if you've broken your vow a thousand times. Still come, and yet again, come." - Rumi The Book of Love, Translated by Coleman Barks

"I am A hole in a flute That the Christ's breath moves through. Listen to this Music." - Hafiz from The Gift, Translated by Daniel Ladinsky

Thanks for being you and living life from the soul.

Loving you no matter what,
--John David Van Hove (aka Johnny Light/Liberty/Love/Wisdom)

Jackie Graff has been teaching raw food preparation and food science for more than a decade. An RN with 40 years’ experience in various areas of patient care and education, Ms. Graff is considered one of the country’s top raw food chefs and nutrition consultants.

Gideon Graff, alongside Jackie, has taught raw food preparation for almost a decade. His roles include raw food chef, health coach, and director of Sprout Raw Food, the Graff’s consulting and raw food catering and distribution business. He has served as an instructor for Hallelujah Acres® Culinary Academy. Gideon has 35 years experience in food and hospitality management.

Accomplished public speakers, they experienced in both conference planning and fund raising. Previously, Gideon and Jackie co-founded and operated the Sprout Café and Shinui Living Food Learning Center, a first-of-its kind center devoted to teaching and promoting the raw food lifestyle in Roswell, Georgia. Together they lost weight, and eliminated many physical problems, resulting in them no longer requiring blood pressure, cholesterol and other medications. They attribute their healthy state to eating raw foods and invite you to their classes in Miami, FL and Roswell, GA. Visit their website for a complete schedule of upcoming classes. www.RawFoodRevival.com

Originally from the USA, after 12 years in Costa Rica, Dr. Walter Urban, a former Raw Spirit presenter, is opening up his many properties to commence  raw vegan-spiritual communities. Dr. Walter is offering various properties for sale or joint ventures to qualified, motivated, serious, committed buyers. A raw foodist for more than 50 years (!) and prior owner of a health spa in CA, Dr. Walter is registered with the Medical Board of California. He has a government license for the ENERGY OF LIFE INSTITUTE in Costa Rica and is interested in selling these special properties or co-creating intentional communities focused on health, spirituality, raw food, and beyond.

1) 85 acres of mountain side with 2 drinkable springs $500,000.

2) 9 acres with renovated mansion, small house, studio, cabin, workshop, organic greenhouse and farm with stream and bridge on paved road, bus to front door, total of 8 bedrooms and 7 baths, 18 ft ceilings in living room, etc. unique property $1,495,000.

3) 30 acre organic farm with 9 available lots on part of property, various fruit trees, etc. property has small farm house, lot sizes start at 2000 M2 and up and start at $ 35,000 and  can be sold separately, entire 30 acres including 9 lots $435,000, excellent soil and climate on hillside, very private.

4) 9 acres divided in 3 lots, with orange, banana, plaintains each lot is 2 1/2 acres or more, prices are $45,000, $50,000 and $55,000, all  3 lots together $125,000.

5) 25 jungle acres with 250 ft waterfall and natural pool at bottom $440,000.

6) $250,000 for 4 bedroom, 3 bath house in town of San Isidro De General, Costa Rica. Access via paved road. Features mango, papaya and lemon trees.

Walter is open to all possibilities to qualified, serious, motivated inquiries only please. I have a Costa Rican government license for the Energy of Life Institute with the intention of creating a Raw Foods & Healing Center. My master builder and organic farmer are included.

These properties are in Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica, and near the city of San Isidro De General, Costa Rica.

Also For Sale: Our small farm in Colombia near Medellin with 17-bed farm house, great for workshops and retreats.

Financial investment required, open to exchanges and your business ideas. Blessings, with peace, love and spirituality,
~ Dr. Walter Urban

Email:  doctorwalter123@gmail.com OR Skype: doctorwalter1
Website: www.lifestylepsychotherapy.com

By Happy Oasis, Raw Spirit Community News

Happy: What an unusual name, Hasher pronounced (Ah-sure) Eyanu?
Ashay : My name is rooted in a Hebrew prayer of giving thanks when one comes upon an unexpected special blessing.
Happy: Beautiful. What inspired you to create your first New Earth Festival coming up Sept 14 - 16th?
Ashay: The intention is to plant a seed in the fabric of reality.
Happy: Which seed?
Ashay: The seed of consciously-cooperative culture. Many of us live a compulsively competitive lifestyle, engrained to compete and be highly individualistic. The New Earth Festival is an example of how we can live every day consciously cooperating and collaborating.
Happy: So refreshing. This reminds me of the inspiration behind the Raw Spirit Festival as it leapt into being. Ashay, you are a promising (young) man of many talents - a raw chocolatier, a gardener of this juicy organic watermelon that I'm about to enjoy with friends among other fruits and organic vegetable people grown on your one-acre farm. I see that you also make reputedly wicked home brews, mostly herbs with minimal hops or alcohol, among many other creative offerings.
Ashay: I am also a cranial sacral practitioner practicing in a private membership health group that inspired me to make the festival owned by private community members. Another project I recently created is this weekly CommunityShare market, where everyone who participates pays $1 to become a member every Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm here at the Stone House, in Nevada City, CA. In these days of ever greater restrictions, this kind of organization allows us more regulatory freedom with buying and selling produce, other goods and services. Happy, I'm looking forward to your "PlayShop For Blissologists" at The New Earth Fest! www.NewEarthFest.info

By Happy Oasis, Raw Spirit Community News

Happy: Dr. Elizabeth, What's the bliss?
Dr. Elizabeth: I'm completing my first book, Skinnydipping In The Fountain of Youth: Seven Keys to Eternal Radiance.
H: What a fantastic title. I'm inspired to read it already. When will it be finished?
Dr. E: It will be finished, as you love to say, in "PDT", Perfect Divine Timing.
H: Dr. Elizabeth, you live up to your exuberant book title. I'm wondering why you are so dang energized and so incredibly beautiful? Have you ever fasted?
Dr. E: Yes, after doing the first juice fast, it was as if I had plugged myself into a light socket. My cells get so excited to receive such food in this way.
H: Which foods are you referring to that give you the greatest strength?
Dr. E: I've been on 100% living foods for years. Fruits and vegetables.
H: Besides strength, joy, health and beauty, what else does dining on fruits and vegetables do for you?
Dr. E: Living foods burst my pineal gland wide open. It helped me to remember my inherent intuition. I'm a second generation medical intuitive. I can now help guide people. My father is very third dimensional, rooted in religion, and a phenomenal diagnostic physician. Due to his keen perceptions, I asked him not so long ago if he uses a power greater than himself. "Do you use your intuition?", I asked. He answered, "I always get  a hunch."
H: What else have you learned from your father?
Dr. E: That if challenges arise with family members, we can remember to ask, "What is the gift in this relationship?"
H: What are your healthiest habits?
Dr. E: Being willing to be open to the possibility of saying "Yes" when I've previously been saying "No"; living from the heart, and dancing. I started dancing at age 40. I started interviewing people who have done extraordinary things. When I turned 50, I was told I would be a circuit speaker within 6 months. And I was! Part of my mission is to demonstrate that a woman can be more beautiful in her 50s than she ever has been in her life. There are a zillion expressions of beauty. The question is, is she in her joy? Any woman who is in her joy is absolutely radiant and also absolutely undeniable. I love boogie boarding and swimming in the ocean.  I love to see how much stronger I can be today than yesterday. I am going to dance rehearsal tonight with women who are half of my age. I love being on stage because I know that the Universe expresses its love and joy through me. It is about shifting our choices from fear to love. I rely on joy and also on service. If i can inspire and remind people to do whatever they love, that is delicious to me. We can all ask, "How much younger, stronger, kinder, deeper, more loving, more radiant, more beautiful can I express today?"
H: Wow. Inspiring.
Dr. E: It's so much fun realizing that we have the capacity to get better every day.
H: What is your observation of what is happening in America these days and do you have any suggestions?
Dr. E: I am going to the place that is health and wellness. I am observing people committing to jobs they don't' love, and lives they don't love by watching tv, eating dead (cooked) foods, and consuming pharmaceuticals. I would love to see everyone opening up to what gift that each would love to give to the world. I suggest that each of us move forward with our heart, just doing what we love. If everyone chooses to live and lead with lovingkindness, compassion and joy, together we can create heaven on Earth.
HO: I can hear the angels applauding.
Dr. E: I was so inspired being part of the Wise Wild Women's Panel at Raw Spirit Fest this last New Year's in Phoenix, Arizona. Happy, let's have a Wise Wild Women's Panel soon on the Dr. Elizabeth show!
Contact: Speaker@DrElizabeth.com • Call: 310.383.8764 • Website: www.DrElizabeth.com

By Happy Oasis, Raw Spirit Community News

Welcome to the Ecstatic Earth Economy. In this amazing Oregon & Northern California summer, we feel something different is going on: the Earth is rejoicing!

Observe:

• Frequent aromatic fragrances are wafting through the air, no longer of fuel, but of flowers and trees! Yes, indeed, we are smelling the bark, needles, flowers, fruits, leaves and cones of trees and shrubberies. The flora, clear skies and very air are rejoicing. Thanks to the price of gas, roads are slowly emptying, sidewalks are filling. People are walking. Stopping. And talking.
• Once-steady, grumbling, dusty logging trucks carrying wooden carcasses are now a rarity. The forests are growing, waving and rejoicing. People are using less paper. The building craziness is over. People are hiking and camping.
• Lumber mills and factories are now historical relics. Forest have grown over them with hardly a trace. Once-polluted and desecrated mining rivers are today pristine-looking, clean, transparent and sparkling as we've never seen before in modern America. The clear waters are rejoicing. People are swimming and bathing in nature, drinking from springs and showering in the falls.
• With California's labeling of GMOs on the ballot, awareness of the importance of non-gmos and organics is encouraging. Farmers Markets are quietly flourishing. People are farming, foraging, growing gardens, sprouts and sharing, it seems, more than ever. The quality of locally-grown produce is a scrumptious testimony at every meal, reaching new heights of artistic expression and appreciation.
• We dine by candlelight with hints of forest moonlight rather than succumb to florescent or incandescent battery & bulb glow. We play music and sing with each other more often than listening to music recorded elsewhere at another time. We walk through wild places in the dark and read, write and recite poetry, create stories, dance with the leaves. We use a mere gallon or two of water and the rest flows abundantly awaiting all at the river. We love going to the bank ~ the river bank ~ to get wet. We tinkle gingerly in the forest. We women are using wash cloths rather than paper. We are lightening our foot print upon the earth. The blackberries are abundant almost everywher. The acorns have profusely fallen right beneath our toeses, as if they are the original soaking almonds redeeming themselves, if we only we remember. The Earth is rejoicing, the ancient Spirits of native peoples are smiling, and we are joining in! ~ With Loving Grins from, Happy Oasis (with Johnny Light & Fabulous Friends)

By Happy Oasis, Raw Spirit Community News

Happy: Good Tidings, luminous Larisa! What lights up your life?

Larisa: Love. Pretty Simple. (She laughs) That's all it is. (Ponderous silence.) How to fill myself up.

H: How do you fill yourself up?

L: Listening. (She listens for the answer.) Moving energy through. 

H: Mmmm. How do you seem to so easily and continuously access the infinite wellspring of love & joy?

L: There are a lot of tools. 

H: For example?

L: For example, I shake my body to realign my nervous system to let loose of any undesirable energetics, including emotions emanating from people passing by. I literally shake them off. 

H: Intriguing. (Shaky, breathy, giggling) I'm trying it now. Anything else?

L: Rudra Breath… and Ponglin as taught by the Dalai Lama… [Larisa rapidly continued with a lengthy, luscious list of seemingly exotic means of experiencing a virtually continuous state of joyful lovingkindness.]

H: What are your subjects of enthusiasm? 

L: Creativity. Writing. Community. [Larisa would pause to ponder between each thought, hence the punctuation.] I live in community constantly. This is huge.  Music. Prayer. Meditation. Sunshine. Nature. I love being in nature. I my back yard [behind her fairy tale-esque home in Long Beach, CA] a butterfly just hung out on my hand for 40 minutes.

H: What is the greatest focus of your enthusiasm?

L: Being a Puppet of Love for Spirit. (We giggle.)
H: I can vouch for that. What is your Joy Of Being?

L: I'm having a love affair with myself right now. Listening to what moves through movement by movement.

H: Such as?

L: New poetry and songs.

H: Would you please share a few of your newest lyrics?

L: I'm just finishing a song about Tara, Goddess of Love and Forgiveness. This is the first time sharing these lyrics. "There's a ring of light in a beggar's gaze; a speaker of truth in the addict's haze; there's a free soul in every rusted cage… Om Tara Om" [lyrics ™ by Larisa Stow].

H: So beautiful. Sounds as if they were inspired by your work in prisons, yes? Would you update us about your soulful, heart-opening rock and healing kirtan concerts 'behind bars'?

L: Wishing to broaden our Shakti Tribe Peace Outreach to more prisons, we are now offering concerts under our friend's Wisdom Spring non-profit. If you know of any prisons or anyone who might have contacts, we'd like to expand. It's quite a process.

H: It can be almost as difficult getting into prisons as getting out. Larisa, You have a full, creative lifestyle, including leading retreats to Bali and Idyllwild, CA as well as being a fulltime loving mother, wife, beloved, life mentor, kundalini yoga teacher, phenomenal musician, and treasured friend to many. What inspires you to do all of this?

L: I get deeply touched by people having "Aha!" moments. (Larisa pauses one last time). It's fun! (She giggles). www.LarisaStow.com

By Happy Oasis, Raw Spirit Community News

Born the Middle East (Indiana), highly-entertaining and well-informed, Katharine Clark is not only a gourmet raw chef with 25 years of innovative recipes, but also also a professor of algae, a cosmopolitan traveler, and fascinating encyclopedia of health and nutrition with whimsical twists for fun, love and adventure.

Katharine recently completed two years as the Health Education Director at the Hipppocrates Health Institute in Florida. In July, Dr. Gabriel Cousens invited Katharine to speak as the sole female presenter at the Elders Conference at the Tree of Life. It's easy to imagine that dynamic Katharine could be an even more famous circuit speaker. Perhaps she is too free-spirited and too humble to take such ambitions seriously?

H: Katharine, What's inspiring you these days?
K: How many new and young raw fooders there are! A growing number of bloggers are not so knowledgeable, jumping on and off a healthy diet, but are very popular - which is amazing.
H: Perhaps because they are ridiculously honest?
K: Yes.
H: Katharine, What lights up your life?
K: Nature. Friends.

Katharine and I shared stories of the heart about our treasured friendships with many raw leaders including Dr. Gabriel Cousens, David Wolfe, and Viktoras Kulvinskas - the original presenters at the first Raw Spirit Festival back in May of 2005. As we spoke about the unfolding of relationships, we call now on all Raw Spirit leaders to lead by example regarding honoring differing perspectives, arousing the compassion that begets forgiveness, dignified respect, and unconditional lovingkindness. After all, We Are One LovIng Being expressing its magnificence in so many marvel-us ways. We are Godus.

We talked about the joys and challenges of creating community event, when Katharine surprised me.

K: The greatest thing about Raw Spirit Festival was that all the leaders were there. Raw Spirit was the first and only event that brought everyone from around the world together.
H: Interesting. Viktoras Kulvinskas and Gabriel Cousens, who have been the Raw Movement for decades, told me the same thing. Dozens of Raw Spirit leaders have asked me how the apparently-miraculous Raw Spirit gatherings happened year after year. Behind the scenes, as you know, Katharine, that I realized the only way I could pull it off was by the spiritual practice of radiating love while eating one's ego. I learned this while living at ashrams and at a particular Buddhist monastery in Thailand on and off for many years. With love filling my heart I consciously took responsibility and expressed my sorrow again and again for wrongs that I did not commit, and acted as a mediator between countless opposing parties. Thereby I willingly became a door mat, and eventually became the Raw Spirit Movement's most popular scapegoat. What an honor! (giggle) in order to bring us all together in relative peace and loving harmony to actualize the miraculous with 'education inspiration and celebration'.

Katharine shared how she founded and managed smaller events. After just a short while, she said she was disrespected by the entire group of about 100 participants who, unaware of the expenses, inaccurately imagined that she was raking in too much money. The next year Katharine wisely handed over the reins to the group to discover the challenges of event management for itself. Without Katharine's guidance and highly-energetic focus, the group failed. Spectacularly.

For decades I've wondered, Why is it that in Asia the ashrams, monasteries and even businesses often succeed for centuries? The followers respect the wisdom of the leaders. Here the youth and uniformed are sometimes less humble, respectful, or ready to help make things better. Instead it's vogue among some to complain and disdain without understanding. This attitude may be harming America more than any other factor. The leaders who are doing their best in all fields often lack support, so many of the best businesses are now on cosmic vacation.

H: After you leave summer Ashland, Oregon, what's next, my friend?
K: I love to live in summer around the year. My life is very open.
H: Your life always seems open. That's one of many reasons why I love you!
K: This autumn I'll be on a speaking tour of the East Coast.
H: Speaking about...?
K: "How Raw & Living Food Can Put You In The Mood!"
H: Any hints for how the readers can increase libido?
K: Durians. Figs contain seeds like little ovaries. Eating nuts increases libido, especially for men.
H: Men have nuts. They need to feed them.
K: Exactly. (giggle) For vitality, greens and sprouts.
H: A large bunch of parsley blended with water is apparently a great Viagra substitute. Katharine, you are so vibrant yourself. What are you eating for breakfast these days?
K: Chia and nutmilk, sometimes fermented like yogurt with local blackberries or other sub-acid fruits. Blackberry smoothies. Herbal teas with super blue green algae.

Since we both prefer summerlike weather we shared a few ideas of where we might meet in the tropics this winter. That Katharine has enjoyed ample sunshine in her life is evident in the warmth of her smile and sunlike sparkle in her eyes. If you'd like to book Katharine to present at your conferences health spa, yoga studio, home event, etc, call 808.280.8414 or healthworkshi@gmail.com

Katharine Clark is such a brilliant thinker and engaging communicator that I could have asked her questions all day, had not the phone rang. It was the amazing love-musician Larisa Stow calling for her interview which will be featured in next week's Raw Spirit Community News.