JUDITH ORLOFF - Earthstar

EARTH STAR APR/MAY 2009

CONSCIOUS LIVING IN THE 21ST CENTURY

JUDITH ORLOFF HOW TO STOP ABSORBING

NEGATIVE EMOTIONS INTERVIEW INTERVIEW WITH WITH

GAY GAY HENDRICKS HENDRICKS

MERCURY DETOX

SOAKING UP THE D’S

www.earthstarmag.com

APRIL / MAY 2009

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CONTENTS

APRIL / MAY 2009

ON THE COVER 16 How To Stop Absorbing Other People’s

Negative Emotions by Judith Orloff, M.D.

18 Interview with Gay Hendricks Founder of the Transformational Book Circle

28 Soaking Up the D’s by Michael F. Holick

45 Mercury Detoxification, Chronic Mercury

Poisoning, And Mercury Amalgam Fillings by Tom McGuire, D.D.S.

FEATURES

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12 Down To Earth Astrology by Tim Gunns

20 Nutritional Strategies for Preventing

Age-Related Vision Loss by Edward Rosick, D.O., MPH, M.S.

37 2009: Our Call To Clear — Universal Healing by Dr. Amy Thakurdas

44 The Movie Mystic by Stephen Simon

64 From Avocados to Yogurt 15 Super Foods for Super Health.

66 Mystical Stones Zincite Page 18

by Robert Simmons & Naisha Ahsian

67 Collective Metamorphosis From Empathic to Consciously Multi-dimensional by Dr. Amy Thakurdas

DEPARTMENTS 5 30 38 47 49 68 Page 28 4

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Up Front Yoga Listings Calendar of Events Green Living Directory of Professional Services Book Reviews Classified Marketplace

Cover Art Young Artist by Jim Warren From the wild & whimsical to the sweet & sensuous, for over 30 years Jim Warren has been painting his way into the hearts and minds of people the world over. Already considered a "living legend of the art world", Jim is ever-growing & ever-changing. His versatility ranges from his unique portraits for celebrities, CEO's and families, to his illustrations for books, movies and album covers. Most notably Jim won a Grammy award for his artwork on Bob Seger's 1981 album "Against the Wind". His fine art oil paintings are featured in some of the top galleries in the world. Jim's latest paintings and classics are now being produced as high quality, limited edition Giclee canvas print. You can visit his website at: www.jimwarren.com

Jim Warren


Earth Star Up Front Alternative Health Capital Against Wi-Fi

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t is regarded as an oasis of calm and tranquility, and the nation’s capital for alternative health therapies and spiritual healing remedies. But now the residents of Glastonbury, England, which has long been a favoured destination for pilgrims, are at the centre of a bitter row in which many blame the town’s new wireless computer network—known as wi-fi— for a spate of health problems. Some healers even hold that electro-magnetic fields (EMFs) generated by the wi-fi system are responsible for upsetting positive energy fields of the body, which are known as chakras, and positive energy fields of the earth, which are known as ley lines. There are now calls for the project, the first of its kind in Britain, to be “unplugged” and for wi-fi masts in the centre of the Somerset market town to be removed just seven months into its experimental run. Meanwhile soothsayers, astrologers and other opponents of the wi-fi system have resorted to an alternative technology—known as “orgone”—to combat the alleged negative effects of the high-tech system. Last May, Glastonbury—which has a population of nine thousand and which lends its name to the country’s largest rock festival, staged on a farm six miles outside the town—became the first place in the country to have a free wi-fi network installed in its town centre. The £34,000 project is financed by county council and regional development agency funding, At a public meeting to discuss alleged health problems in the Somerset town, residents complained of numerous symptoms including headaches, dizziness, rashes and even pneumonia. Protesters claim that radiation associated with the wi-fi network suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone which helps to control sleep patterns, regulates the body’s metabolic rate and boosts the immune system. One of those who claims to have been affected is Natalie Fee, a former yoga teacher, who has now moved home—from inside to outside the wi-fi


zone—so that she can protect her son Elliot, five, from what she sees as the harmful effects of wi-fi. “I would like to see the masts removed,” she said. “Perhaps one day that will happen and hopefully it won’t be too late.” Matt Todd, who campaigns against EMFs, said that residents had complained that chakras and ley lines are being disrupted. “They believe positive energy flows are being disturbed,” he said. Mr Todd has started building small generators which he believes can neutralise the allegedly-harmful radiation using the principles of orgone science. The pyramid-like machines use quartz crystals, selenite (a clear form of the mineral gypsum), semi-precious lapis lazuli stones, gold leaf and copper coil to absorb and recycle the supposedlynegative energy. “I have given a number of generators to shops in the High Street and hidden others in bushes in the immediate vicinity of the antennae. That way you can bring back the balance,” said Mr Todd. Orgone science was developed by the Austro-Hungarian psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich, who claimed all living matter contains a biological energy. Mr Todd added: “The science hasn’t really got into the mainstream because the Government won’t make decisions which will affect big business, even if it concerns everyone’s health. I think wi-fi has tipped things over the edge because a lot of people can feel it. It seems to have introduced this large blast of energy into the environment and that’s what people are picking up on.” Jane Saunders, who runs the Glastonbury natural health clinic, felt so strongly she founded the Why Wi-Fi? protest campaign. “I am not a Luddite and I recognise there are benefits to new technology,” she said.

Initially wi-fi was a development I welcomed with open arms, especially with teenage children who need to be on-line almost all the time. But I had to take it out and go back to a conventional broadband cable network because it was affecting my health. I show symptoms when it's switched on that I don't when the network is off.” A spokesman for Powerwatch, an independent EMF pressure group, said: “Someone using a wi-fi laptop will be exposed to approximately twice the level of radiation as someone living seventy yards from a mobile phone mast. Unlike the food and drink industry whose products have to go through extensive pre-market trials and testing, there is no safety net for wireless devices.” However, Dr Eric de Silva, a physicist at Imperial College, London, disagreed. He said: “All the studies which have so far concluded show there is no evidence of a connection between exposure to wi-fi and ill health.” A Somerset County Council spokesman said: “The project was established to support the local economy and encourage tourist and business visitors to stay longer and use local services. It has the potential to be a real asset. It conforms to all UK and EU telecommunications health and safety standards, but we do take public concerns very seriously and a review of the system is due to be completed this Year.” —Daily Telegraph, UK

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Earth Star Magazine, Copyright © 2009 by Earth Star Magazine Incorporated, All Rights Reserved. No articles may be used without written permission of the publisher Volume XXXlI, No. 187 — April / May 2009


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Earth Star Up Front GARLIC MAY REDUCE RISK OF SKIN CANCER

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arlic has long been known for its heart health benefits, but now new research has found taking a daily garlic supplement may reduce the risk of skin cancer. According to researchers at the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute in India, the ingestion of garlic was found to delay the formation and reduce the size of tumours in the skin. In particular their research identified that garlic contains natural compounds, formed when allicin molecules interact with each other, that can help block lipid peroxide—a known cancer causing substance, and can help the body defend itself against cancerous cells. Skin cancer or malignant melanoma as it is formally known, is thought to be responsible for one thousand seven-hundred deaths in the UK each year and is the second most common cancer in people aged fifteen to thirty-nine. This latest research is further confirmation of the many health benefits of garlic. Previous research has linked

garlic to reducing cholesterol and blood pressure levels, maintaining overall cardiovascular health and preventing the formation of gallstones. Expert herbalist Dr Serene Foster says: “Garlic has been traditionally used to help people to maintain their cardiovascular health and today its efficacy is supported by clinical research. This latest research demonstrates that the health benefits of garlic are not limited to just heart health. Finding a quality supplement, with a high allicin content is vital if you are going to experience the full health benefit. Look for standardized products that deliver consistent, quality extracts in levels that really work.” Over the counter garlic supplements are available in pharmacies and health-food stores and are an effective alternative to eating raw garlic. Standardized garlic powder tablets are the most proven form of supplemen-

Michelle Obama Goes Organic

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ichelle Obama’s decision to make her new White House vegetable garden entirely organic has angered America’s powerful agribusiness lobby who are urging the First Lady to consider the use of appropriate ‘crop protection products’. Mrs Obama started work on the kitchen garden with a gang of schoolchildren in March. Media coverage of the first White House food plot since Eleanor Roosevelt ‘dug for victory’ in the Second World War garnered


m e d i a coverage

across the world. But to the consernation of Big Ag, Mrs Obama has said the project will not use chemical products to tackle pests or give her plants a boost, the Times reports. Shortly after the digging began, Mrs Obama received a letter from the Mid-America CropLife Association (MACA), which represents the companies producing the pesticides and fertilisers underpinning “conventional” American agriculture, the paper said. Addressed to “Mrs Barack Obama”, the letter congratulated the First Lady on “recognising the importance of agriculture in America”. Farming is America’s largest industry, generating twenty percent of GDP and directly or indirectly employing twentytwo million people. The letter avoiding the term “organic”, highlights the role of technological advances in modern agriculture.

tation in clinical research. Always look for a garlic supplement with a high allicin yield to ensure maximum benefit and a standardized extract to ensure consistent dosage. —FemaleFirst.co.uk “Today, an average farmer produces enough food to feed one hundred and forty-four Americans who are living longer lives than many of their ancestors. Technology in agriculture has allowed for the development of much of what we know and use in our lives today,” MACA wrote. “If Americans were still required to farm to support their family’s basic food and fiber needs, would the US have been leaders in the advancement of science, communication, education, medicine, transportation and the arts? We live in a very different world than that of our grandparents. Americans are juggling jobs with the needs of children and ageing parents. The time needed to tend a garden is not there for the majority of our citizens, certainly not a garden of sufficient productivity to supply much of a family’s year-round food needs.” The carefully-worded letter also “respectfully” encourages Mrs Obama to recognise the role played by conventional agriculture in feeding America’s growing population. — Telegraph.co.uk

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Earth Star Up Front New Virus-built Battery Could Power Cars

or the first time, MIT researchers have shown they can genetically engineer viruses to build both the positively and negatively charged ends of a lithium-ion battery. The new virus-produced batteries have the same energy capacity and power performance as state-of-the-art rechargeable batteries being considered to power plug-in hybrid cars, and they could also be used to power a range of personal electronic devices, said Angela Belcher, the MIT materials scientist who led the research team. The new batteries, described in the April 2 online edition of Science, could be manufactured with a cheap and environmentally benign process: The synthesis takes place at and below room temperature and requires no harmful organic solvents, and the materials that

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go into the battery are non-toxic. In a traditional lithium-ion battery, lithium ions flow between a negatively charged anode, usually graphite, and the positively charged cathode, usually cobalt oxide or lithium iron phosphate. Three years ago, an MIT team led by Belcher reported that it had engineered viruses that could build an anode by coating themselves with cobalt oxide and gold and self-assembling to form a nanowire. In the latest work, the team focused on building a highly powerful cathode to pair up with the anode, said Belcher, the Germeshausen Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Biological Engineering. Cathodes are more difficult to build than anodes because they must be highly conducting to be a fast electrode, however, most candidate materials for cathodes are highly insulating (non-conductive). To achieve that, the researchers, including MIT Professor Gerbrand Ceder of materials science and Associate Professor Michael Strano of chemical engineering, genetically engineered viruses that first coat themselves with iron phosphate, then grab hold of carbon nanotubes to create a network of highly conductive material.

Because the viruses recognize and bind specifically to certain materials (carbon nanotubes in this case), each iron phosphate nanowire can be electrically “wired” to conducting carbon nanotube networks. Electrons can travel along the carbon nanotube networks, percolating throughout the electrodes to the iron phosphate and transferring energy in a very short time. The viruses are a common bacteriophage, which infect bacteria but are harmless to humans. The team found that incorporating carbon nanotubes increases the cathode’s conductivity without adding too much weight to the battery. In lab tests, batteries with the new cathode material could be charged and discharged at least one hundred times without losing any capacitance. That is fewer charge cycles than currently available lithium-ion batteries, but “we expect them to be able to go much longer,” Belcher said. The prototype is packaged as a typical coin cell battery, but the technology allows for the assembly of very lightweight, flexible and conformable batteries that can take the shape of their container. —MIT News

TIBETAN MONKS REMOTE VIEW 2012

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emote viewing is nothing new in Tibetan monasteries. For thousands of years remote viewing in the middle of other spiritual activities have dominated Tibetan culture. What some Indian tourists came to learn from a few Tibetan monasteries under the current Chinese rule is extremely alarming and fascinating. According to these tourists remote viewers are seeing world powers in the course of selfdestruction. They also see that the world will not be destroyed. Between now and 2012 the world super powers will continue to engage in regional wars. Terrorism and covert war will be the main problem. In world politics something will happen in and around 2010. At that time the world powers will threaten to destroy each other. Between 2010 and 2012, the whole world will get polarized and prepare for the ultimate dooms day. Heavy political maneuvers and negotiations will take place with little progress. In 2012, the world will start plunging into a total destructive nuclear war.

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And at that time something remarkable will happen, says, Buddhist monk of Tibet. Supernatural divine powers will intervene. The destiny of the world is not to selfdestruct at this time. —India Daily


Earth Star Up Front Are UFOs Real? Famous People Who Believe number of public figures have publicly stated that UFOs are of extraterrestrial origin. The former NASA astronaut Edgar Mitchell has claimed that aliens exist and their visits are being covered up by the United States government. Mitchell is in good company in his beliefs. Here we highlight twelve other public figures who believe that extraterrestrials may have been visiting our planet over the last one hundred years. Jimmy Carter, US President from 1976 to 1980, promised while on the campaign trail that he would make public all documents on UFOs if elected. He said: “I don’t laugh at people any more when they say they've seen UFOs. I've seen one myself.” General Douglas MacArthur, the Korean and Second World War soldier, said in 1955 that “the next war will be an interplanetary war. The nations of the earth must someday make a common front against attack by people from other planets. The politics of the future will be cosmic, or interplanetary”. J Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI from its inception in 1935 to 1972, said of a famous incident when flying saucers were allegedly fired at over Los Angeles in 1942: “We must insist upon full access to disks recovered. For instance, in the LA case the Army grabbed it and would not let us have it for cursory examination.” Monsignor Corrado Balducci, a Vatican theologian, said: “Extraterrestrial contact is a real phenomenon. The Vatican is receiving

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much information about extraterrestrials and their contacts with humans from its embassies in various countries, such as Mexico, Chile and Venezuela.” Professor Stephen Hawking: “Of course it is possible that UFOs really do contain aliens as many people believe, and the Government is hushing it up.” Dr. Herman Oberth, a Nazi rocket engineer who was taken to the US after the war and became one of the fathers of modern spaceflight, said: “It is my thesis that flying saucers are real and that they are spaceships from another solar system.There is no doubt in my mind that these objects are interplanetary craft of some sort. I and my colleagues are confident that they do not originate in our solar system.” Dr J Allen Hynek, director of the US Air Force’s Project Blue Book investigation into UFOs, said: “When the long-awaited solution to the UFO problem comes, I believe that it will prove to be not merely the next small step in the march of science, but a mighty and totally unexpected quantum leap... we had a job to do, whether right or wrong, to keep the UFO Captured on Google Earth


public from getting excited.” Air Chief Marshal Lord Dowding, commander of RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain: “I am convinced that these objects do exist and that they are not manufactured by any nations on earth.” Ronald Reagan, US President from 1980 to 1988, “I looked out the window and saw this white light.It was zigzagging around. I went up to the pilot and said, ‘Have you ever seen anything like that?’ He was shocked and he said, ‘nope.’ And I said to him: ‘Let's follow it!’ We followed it for several minutes. It was a bright white light. We followed it to Bakersfield, and all of a sudden to our utter amazement it went straight up into the heavens. When I got off the plane I told Nancy all about it.” Mikhail Gorbachev, the USSR’s last head of state: “The phenomenon of UFOs does exist, and it must be treated seriously.” Richard Nixon, US President from 1969 to 1974: “I’m not at liberty to discuss the government’s knowledge of extraterrestrial UFOs at this time. I am still personally being briefed on the subject.” Dr. Walther Riedel, research director at the Nazi rocket research establishment at Peenemunde: “I am completely convinced that UFOs have an out-ofworld basis.” —Telegraph.co.uk APRIL / MAY 2009 EARTH STAR

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Earth Star Up Front SOLAR-POWERED Cooker Wins Climate Prize

$6 cardboard box that uses solar power to cook food, sterilise water and could help three billion poor people cut greenhouse gases, has won a $75,000 prize for ideas to fight global warming. The “Kyoto Box”, named after the United Nations’ Kyoto Protocol that

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seeks to cut emissions of greenhouse gases, is aimed at billions of people who use firewood to cook. Costing five euros ($6.60) to make, it can also make it easier to boil polluted water. “We’re saving lives and saving trees,” the Kyoto Box’s developer Jon

Boehmer, a Norwegian based in Kenya, said in a statement. The FT Climate Change Challenge was backed by the Financial Times, technology group Hewlett-Packard, which sponsored the award, and development group Forum for the Future. The other four finalists were a garlic-based feed additive to cut methane emissions from livestock, an indoor cooling system using hollow tiles, a cover for truck wheels to reduce fuel use and a “giant industrial microwave” for creating charcoal. A statement said that Boehmer would carry out trials in ten countries, including South Africa, India and Indonesia. He would then collect data to back an application for carbon credits. The United Nations is discussing giving credits to developing countries that preserve tropical forests, which soak up carbon as they grow. Those credits could then be traded. Many countries are looking for cheap green ways to stimulate economies mired in recession. More than 190 nations have agreed to work out a new U.N. climate pact to succeed Kyoto at a meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009. ($1=.7582 Euro) —Reuters

Power Lines Linked to Alzheimer’s iving near power lines may significantly increase a person’s risk of death from Alzheimer’s disease or senile dementia. Researchers from the University of Bern, Switzerland, have found that people who lived within fifty metres of a long-distance power transmission line were 1.24 times more likely to die of Alzheimer’s disease than those who lived six hundred metres or more away. Those who had lived near the power line for five years or more had 1.51 times the risk of those living farther away. This risk was increased 1.71 times for those who had lived close to a power line for ten years, and two times for those who had lived within fifty meters for fifteen years or more. The study, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, is

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the first to definitively link exposure to low-frequency electromagnetic fields to elevated mortality from dementia. Long-distance power lines transmit power at 220-380 kilovolts. They do not give off radiation at the same frequency as other power lines, which transmit smaller amounts of electricity shorter distances. The researchers noted that the extremely low frequency (ELF) magnetic fields created by long-distance power lines are also created by many household electrical appliances and even the wiring within buildings. The World Health Organisation has classified these fields as possible carcinogens. Due to the fact that household appliances are probably more significant sources of ELF field exposure than power lines, the researchers recom-

mend precautionary measures such as not sleeping too close to active electric appliances, such as clock radios or electric blankets, for long periods of time. —Natural Health Society of Australia www.earthstarmag.com

Earth Star Up Front

First British baby

born free of c a n c e r gene

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mother who is the first woman in Britain to have a baby selected free of a gene which causes breast cancer has given birth succesfully, doctors said. “The mother and her little girl are doing very well,” said University College London (UCL) of the baby, who grew from an embryo screened to ensure it did not contain the faulty BRCA 1 gene. The baby’s twenty-seven-yearold mother, who wants to remain anonymous, decided to take the step because several of her husband's close female relatives suffered from breast cancer. Any daughter born with the BRCA 1 gene has an eighty percent risk of developing breast cancer and a sixty percent chance of developing ovarian cancer—as well as a fifty percent risk of passing on the anomaly to their own children. Doctors said the parents were relieved to have a guarantee that the faulty gene would not be passed to their daughter. “This little girl will not face the spectre of developing this genetic form of breast cancer or ovarian cancer in her adult life,” said Paul Serhal, head of the Assisted Conception Unit at UCL Hospital. The mother said last June: “We felt that, if there was a possibility of eliminating this for our children, then that was a route we had to go down.” The procedure was carried out using a technique known as preimplantation genetic diagnosis which has already been used here to screen embryos resulting from in vitro fertilisation for disorders like cystic fibrosis. It was given the green light in Britain in 2006. The procedure is still relatively rare but has been used to screen embryos for breast cancer in the United States and Belgium. —AFP


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APRIL - maY 2009 efore power planet, Pluto, turns retrograde on April 4th, ensure that you’ve backed up all important electronic data files. It’s not unheard of for a significant power outage or energy shortage to occur around Pluto’s station—its apparent change of zodiacal direction, either forward or backwards. Some years back, the entire West Coast was temporarily plunged into darkness within hours of Pluto’s directional shift. Now is the time to transcend past fears and failures, and to let go of that which, or whomever, no longer serves your needs, or is less than supportive of your personal growth and development.

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al being fully utilized, or appreciated? Whenever possible, get out into nature and reconnect with Mother Earth—ground yourself, it’ll make you feel good!

Later on the 4th, celestial heavyweights Mars and Saturn align in a precise opposition, an augury of the potential for conflict with someone in authority. Extra effort and a willingness to cooperate with others may be required to accomplish tasks or simply to keep the peace. Therefor, have patience, pace yourself and work steadily towards your objective.

Mars enters its fiery home sign of Aries on April 22nd for the next six weeks, engendering forceful self-expression, heightened competitiveness, and a driving urge to accomplish something...anything! Begin new projects now.

As the full moon in 20°Libra culminates on April 9th, the need for self-expression, and space within relationships becomes paramount. Watch out for emotional pyrotechnics for a few days either side of this lunation. When Mars conjuncts Uranus on April 15th, the major asteroid, Chiron, and Neptune are also almost precisely aligned in conjunction in 25°Aquarius, while the moon conjuncts distant Pluto. Expect the unexpected around this juncture, as shocking revelations or events are possible. Seize the initiative in business or career matters, though avoid acting rashly or rushing into new ventures without fully assessing all the ramifications. After a rare six-week review and reappraisal period in retrograde, Venus, planet of love and personal finances, stations direct on the 17th, in 30° Pisces. Progress can now be made in affairs of the heart, partnerships, and money-matters. The sun enters earthy Taurus on April 20th, placing personal values and material resources in the spotlight for the next month. Are the resources already at your dispos12

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Venus and Mars unite in the first of two conjunctions on April 21st, in the last degree of Pisces. They will meet again on June 21st—within eight hours of the summer solstice—this time in 16° Aries. Passions rise, and love may bloom, a fine time for romance. Find a practical outlet for the creative energies that abound now. Spend wisely, resist an urge to splurge, as it will be easy to quickly drain precious resources.

As April 22nd is Earth Day, make some time to commune with Mother Nature. Plant vegetables, flowers, an herb garden, or a tree. Think green. Resolve to look into recycling wherever possible, or investigate alternative energy technologies, and help to prevent the depletion of Earth’s natural resources. When April’s Taurus new moon arrives on the 24th, assess your need for material security—your “comfort zone”. How much or how little money or “stuff” do you actually need to feel comfortable? Buy new plants for your home. Resolve to commune with nature more often. A highly volatile square (90° aspect) between Mars and Pluto retrograde becomes precise on the 26th, at 9:11am (PDT). Interestingly, Pluto stations direct later this year on 9/11. A “hair-trigger” or “short fuse” tendency exists under this potentially explosive aspect, when the possibility for angry outbursts and accidents exists, so remain calm and in control of your actions. Ambition is aroused, power struggles and intimidation may prevail. Sexual desire also increases under the impulsive, highly excitable influence of this planetary aspect. However, with positive use, the intense energies of this transit may, in some creative way, enable you to www.earthstarmag.com

Down To Earth Astrology completely transform your world. On May 7th, at 1:01am, EDT (6th, 10:01pm, PDT), Mercury makes the second of four retrograde stations in 2009, in 02°Gemini. Plans or arrangements of any importance should be implemented prior to this period...unless you like surprise endings! However, while Mercury is retrograde, you may safely make revisions or otherwise go over previously covered territory for inconsistencies or errors. Heightening the cosmic tides, a full moon in Scorpio culminates early on May 8th, bringing our wants and needs to the forefront, so that we may clarify our values. That which we no longer need, whether emotional attachments or the unwanted accumulated clutter of a lifetime, may then be readily identified and purged, along with anything else that doesn’t serve or support one’s growth and development. Referred to as Wesak, or the Buddha Festival in esoteric lore, the full moon in Scorpio is widely held to be the most spiritual of all full moons, when the Buddha energies are said to briefly reemerge on planet Earth. Meditations on love can be very powerful at this time. Saturn, planet of discipline and karma, stations direct on May 16, in 15°Virgo, accompanied by three major solar aspects to Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune. What have you learned about your ability to express your creativity in the workplace during Saturn's 4-1/2 months in review mode? How have you responded to the professional opportunities or challenges that have come your way? As the ringed planet gradually gathers forward momentum, tangible progress towards coveted career goals may become perceptible.

sional, or other key decisions. Open all lines of communication now, and remain alert for educational opportunities. Begin a journal. Mars sends out positive vibes to Piscean overlords, Jupiter and Neptune on the 26th, in the wake of the Gemini new moon, when intuition, allied with ingenuity, could inspire constructive action, while the application of creative imagery techniques could meet with great success. Be aware that actions taken now can have farreaching consequences. Jupiter and Neptune, co-rulers of dreamy Pisces, align in conjunction on May 27th, in 27°Aquarius, their energies merging in a spiritual and religious paradigm-shifting conjunction—Their previous conjunction was on Jan 9th, 1997, in 28°Capricorn. Spiritual and philosophical studies are favored under this highly inspirational influence, and may, indeed, have great appeal now, while Aquarian idealism is stimulated. One’s sensitivity to the needs of others increases, while altruism, kindness and compassion abound. Spiritual awareness, planet-wide, receives a major boost. With Neptune stationary and virtually motionless (in terms of its movement through the zodiac), the impact of this conjunction can be much more profound. Keep a firm grip on reality around this juncture, as deception and delusion are also possible, and we may not see things clearly for what they really are. Neptune, planet of mystery and illusion, stations direct on May 28th, when unresolved issues, neglected feelings, and emotional undercurrents—subconscious rumblings—from the past may surface now, and from time to time during the next five months, perhaps to be reviewed and reevaluated for greater [self-] understanding.

The sun and Mercury are conjunct in 28° Taurus on May 18th, when financial announcements or decisions could be forthcoming. Thoughts turn towards ways and means of generating income, and issues relating to one’s personal values. Let your instincts guide you in financial matters. Be alert to educational opportunities, or highly valued information. And be sure to make a note of all the great new money making ideas that come to mind now.

To the relief of many, Mercury stations direct on May 30th, in 23° Taurus, after 3-1/2 weeks in retrograde. Mental processes gradually begin to accelerate and logic becomes more reliable, so we can move ahead with plans, and sign important documents—but cautiously at first, and only after careful consideration and scrutiny, until the wing-heeled messenger of the gods gathers forward momentum. Thus, avoid hasty decisions.

Our sun enters tropical Gemini on May 20th, amid a flurry of Mercury aspects, for a cerebral segway into summer, when the mind is quick and agile, the intellect keen, and thoughts flow swiftly, continually shifting, like windblown desert sands. Sign up for a class or workshop, or begin a study program now. Become more aware of your environment, and how you interact with it.

As May draws to a close, Mars enters the earthy environment of Taurus on the 31st. Expect to encounter stubborn, bullish behavior during the red planet’s six-week sojourn here. Money-making ventures or fund-raising activities have appeal and could succeed, with perseverance. A satisfying, more practical application of one’s energies might include arts and crafts, or gardening.

A mentally stimulating new moon occurs early on May 24th in 04° Gemini, auguring an opportune time to prepare to initiate talks or negotiations. However, only do so after Mercury stations direct late on May 30th, then you may safely make any necessary personal, profes-

Following is a general overview of how the planetary trends for April/May ‘09 apply to each sun sign. If you know your rising sign (Ascendant), read that, too, for additional insights.


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Down To Earth Astrology

Aries

(March 20—April 19)

Spring is here and you're in your element in early April, when the impetus to begin new personal projects steadily develops. Take stock of your hopes and wishes, dreams and imaginings, and prepare to venture forth, buoyed up with fresh inspiration and desire. With the arrival of April’s Taurus new moon (24th) in your solar second house of personal income, you get the cosmic nod to launch new money-making projects. Seek out fresh sources of revenue now. Assess your priorities and objectives; ensure that they align with any changes in your value system. It’s important that you resonate completely with your motivations, and feel good about any new undertakings. With lucky Venus, together with your sign’s ruler, Mars, in your solar first house throughout May, lifting your spirits and increasing your drive and enthusiasm, your personal charm and magnetism can work to your advantage. Chart your course wisely; take your time over key decisions that would impact your future plans.

Taurus

(April 19—May 20)

You’re keen to explore new professional opportunities, or to seek work more appropriate to your skills, temperament, and need for job satisfaction. However, it would be prudent to postpone any final decisions until your sign’s ruling planet, Venus, stations direct on April 17th. Over the previous six weeks, since Venus began a fairly rare retrograde phase, it’s possible that your values, or the value of certain assets, have in some way changed, or have been subject to a more realistic reappraisal. Nonetheless, when April’s new moon in your sign and solar first house occurs on the 24th, you're ready to move forward with a personal project or venture. Just make sure that you have the necessary information and knowledge you may need to proceed. Don’t commit money or valuable resources to speculative ventures or investments during May, while Mercury is retrograde in your sign. In early June, your financial fortunes show definite signs of improvement.

Gemini

(May 20—June 21)

While the focus of your activities in early April is likely to be on furthering career or professional pursuits, domestic obligations will also vie for your time and energy. Saturn’s protracted presence in your solar fourth house has brought periodic challenges for you to surmount regarding family, roommates, or simply ensuring your security—a trend that will continue throughout the year. But with flexibility and patience you can easily overcome the occasional obstacle to your domestic tranquility. Dreams and meditations can be a rich source of guidance and inspiration throughout this forecast period. Pay attention to recurring themes or images as these may provide valuable insights that could prove helpful as you plan for the future, particularly during Mercury’s retrograde phase, from May 6th-30th. Your energy and confidence levels begin to rise following the sun’s entry into your inquiring sign and solar first house on May 20th, and the Gemini new moon on the 24th. Keep your eyes on the prize now; don’t allow petty distractions to divert you from your charted course. 14

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Cancer

(June 21—July22)

You’re ambitious and keen to get ahead in the world in early April, when the pursuit of professional objectives receives a high priority. A friend may play a key role in the elevation in value of your stock in trade, when a tip or recommendation can pave the way to bigger things. It’s important to ensure that you and a partner or close associate are on the same page regarding any changes in program or direction. Work-related social activities are a constant theme throughout this forecast period, when your charm and sensitivity can open doors for you. Formulate your game plan for the future, being realistic in your expectations. Be sure to let those in a position to help you know of your ambitions and objectives. Don’t be afraid to blow your own trumpet if the opportunity arises.

Leo

(July 22—August 23)

Spring can be a time of new beginnings for Leo natives, as the fiery energy of the season lifts your spirits. Indeed, you may be filled with hope and optimism at the prospects you see before you, and yet you’re also wise enough to know that to succeed takes hard work. Draw upon your past experience to help you make progress now. And be willing to work cooperatively with others, as teamwork can greatly lighten your load. New professional opportunities could come your way periodically throughout this forecast period, when the goodwill and encouragement of a partner or close associate helps keep you focused on your goals. Take your time over key decisions, particularly during May. Plan a strategy for the future that gives you options, flexibility, and time.

Virgo

(August 23—September 23)

For Virgo natives, spring is often a time of regeneration and renewal, when clearing out the closets, both physically and metaphorically, brings a sense of lightening one’s load, either in preparation for new undertakings, or simply to create space in which you can think creatively. Certainly, April’s Taurus new moon in your solar ninth house of expansion on the 24th will encourage you to spread your wings, and to contemplate new horizons. Indeed, opportunities to do so could come your way in the days and weeks ahead. Budget wisely if planning a new venture; a realistic appraisal of the resources at your disposal will be essential to ensure a successful outcome. With your ruling planet, Mercury, in retrograde for most of May, take your time over key decisions, and be realistic in your expectations. Make radical changes only after careful consideration, and for the right reasons. Don’t allow others to force an issue if something just doesn’t feel right.

Libra

(September 23—October 23)

A close friend or significant other may require more of your attention in early April, and you’re happy to help out whenever possible. You may empathize with their plight, perhaps feeling grateful that what's troubling them has not befallen you. Passions rise when fiery Mars joins your ruling planet, Venus, in your solar seventh house on April 22nd, for the


Down To Earth Astrology remainder of this forecast period. Love may bloom for those available, in the days and weeks ahead, or perhaps a new infatuation stirs your emotions to a level approaching fever pitch. Much self-control may be necessary now, in order to keep these powerful forces in check. Balance is a principle much revered by most Librans, yet you’re sorely tempted to tip the scales to the extreme. A purge of unneeded emotional baggage would be helpful at this juncture, to allow the gathering winds of change to breathe new life into the deepest recesses of your being.

Scorpio

(October 23—November 22)

Elevating your health and fitness levels becomes a priority in early spring, as a succession of inner planets transit through your solar sixth house, drawing your attention towards physical conditioning, and the need to increase your stamina. The presence of fiery Mars in this sector of your chart, from April 22nd through the balance of this forecast period, provides a welcome boost of energy, and helps to keep you focused should your resolve begin to waver. For some Scorpion-clan members a new partnership venture is possible in early May, though the details of certain arrangements might take longer than expected to conclude, due to Mercury’s retrograde for much of the month. This retrograde phase could coincide with the reemergence of feelings of self-doubt, and fears born of past experiences that may have little relevance now. Indeed, a time for clearing is at hand, when a purge of outworn mental and emotional programming might be just what the doctor ordered!

Sagittarius

(November 21—December 21)

You’re keen to reach out far and wide to others of like mind in early April, perhaps to share your views, news, and thoughts, while physical activities with friends closer to home can help to quell an inner restlessness you feel, that intellectual interaction alone may not completely satisfy. Indeed, it’s time to get more joy out of life, so reconnect with your inner child whenever possible. An interlude of fun and games could be just what the doctor ordered! Romance, for those available, is also in the stars, although a new infatuation is just as likely. But you’d be wise not to break the bank pursuing either. Perhaps just in time, a new employment opportunity could arise during May, or changes in your current work might bring greater responsibility, and possibly more money. Pay more attention to your overall health and fitness levels in the remaining weeks of spring; get yourself in good shape for the summer.

Capricorn

(December 21—January 19)

You can feel the winds of change growing perceptibly stronger as the weeks of April unfold, and yet patience must be your byword and your impulsive notions kept in check. With powerful Pluto in Capricorn conjunct your solar ascendant, your desire is for complete control of your circumstances, but your sign’s ruler, mighty Saturn, currently in retrograde through May 16th, dictates otherwise. Indeed, activities around the home may take precedence over personal aspirations for much of this forecast period. With Venus and Mars occupying your solar fourth house through May,


renovation, redecoration, and social interactions appear to be the order of the day. There’ll likely be more than enough going on under your roof to keep your mind, and family, occupied. Pay more attention to your health and dietary regimen, to ensure that your energy level is maintained, while more exercise may be helpful in dissipating stress.

Aquarius

(January 19—February 18)

A yen to travel during April might be difficult to resist for some restless Aquarians, perhaps to catch up with distant friends, take a trip down memory lane, or simply to explore pastures new. Sometimes a break from routine is all you need to recharge your battery and lift your spirits. You’re also keen to communicate with others of like mind, and to share your novel notions with those who can provide the feedback you feel you need. Researching career options may be another item on your agenda, or seeking work-from-home alternatives to save time and money on your commute. Balancing your budget would be a good idea right now, as it will provide you with peace of mind, allowing your creativity to flow. Freed from the confines of the mundane, your imagination can then take flight, allowing you to tap into a wellspring of inspiration and innovation, which you may eventually be able to take to the bank.

Pisces

(February 18—March 20)

You’ll waste little time in pursuing financial opportunities during April, while the Aries sun and lucky Venus transit your solar second house of personal income. From the 22nd, Mars joins Venus in your money sector, and you’re keen to up the tempo of your activities. Just be sure to keep your expenses in check and all will be well, as the urge to splurge can strike with the red planet here. With your mind focused on money-making possibilities, you might hit upon a particularly novel notion during May that could help to secure your finances for the foreseeable future, at least. Inspiration is your strong suit now, as your sign’s joint ruling planets prepare to align. Indeed, on May 27th, Jupiter and Neptune align in conjunction for the first time in twelve years, within orb of your solar ascendant, heightening your psychic sensitivity, while raising your spiritual awareness. Now is the time to brainstorm, and to seek within for divine revelation.

Tim Gunns is an astrological consultant, conference coordinator and producer, new age market and speaker consultant to the entertainment industry, and formerly program director of the national Whole Life Expos. Tim prepares personalized no-nonsense interpretations of Natal Horoscopes ($40), Future Forecast Transit Reports ($75 for 1 full year), and Relationship Compatibility Reports ($45). Shipping is free. Send: Name (as you'd like it to appear on the chart), Date of Birth, Time (as close as possible), Place of Birth (city/country, etc.) for each person, and your return address, phone# and check to: Tim Gunns, c/o110 Hilltop Drive, Waynesville NC 28786.

(828) 452-9378. Consultations by phone may also be scheduled. APRIL / MAY 2009 EARTH STAR

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How To Stop Absorbing Other People’s

Negative EMOTIONS 16

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By Judith Orloff, M.D. www.earthstarmag.com

Adapted from Dr. Judith Orloff’s new book Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself From Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life (Harmony Books, 2009)

E

motional freedom means learning how to stay centered in a stressful, highly emotionally charged world. Since emotions such as fear, anger, and frustration are energies, you can potentially “catch” them from people without realizing it. If you tend to be an emotional sponge, it’s vital to know how to avoid taking on an individual’s negative emotions or the free-floating kind in crowds. Another twist is that chronic anxiety, depression, or stress can turn you into an emotional sponge by wearing down your defenses. Suddenly, you become hyper-attuned to others, especially those with similar pain. That’s how empathy works; we zero in on hot-button issues that are unresolved in ourselves. From an energetic standpoint, negative emotions can originate from several sources. What you’re feeling may be your own; it may be someone else’s; or it may be a combination. I’ll explain how to tell the difference and strategically bolster positive emotions so you don’t shoulder negativity that doesn’t belong to you. This wasn’t something I always knew how to do. Growing up, my girlfriends couldn’t wait to hit the shopping malls and go to parties, the bigger the better—but I didn’t share their excitement. I always felt overwhelmed, exhausted around large groups of people, though I was clueless why. “What’s the matter with you?” friends would say, shooting me the weirdest looks. All I knew was that crowded places and I just didn’t mix. I’d go there feeling just fine but leave nervous, depressed, or with some horrible new ache or pain. Unsuspectingly, I was a gigantic sponge, absorbing the emotions of people around me. With my patients, I’ve also seen how absorbing other people’s emotions can trigger panic attacks, depression, food, sex and drug binges, and a plethora of physical symptoms that defy traditional medical diagnosis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that more than two million Americans suffer from chronic fatigue. It’s likely that many of them are emotional sponges. Here are some strategies from Emotional Freedom to practice. They will help you to stop absorbing other people’s emotions. Emotional Action Step: How To Stay Centered In A Stressful World To detach from other people’s negative emotions: First, ask yourself: Is the feeling mine or someone


else’s? It could be both. If the emotion such as fear or anger is yours, gently confront what’s causing it on your own or with professional help. If not, try to pinpoint the obvious generator. For instance, if you’ve just watched a comedy, yet you came home from the movie theater feeling blue, you may have incorporated the depression of the people sitting beside you; in close proximity, energy fields overlap. The same is true with going to a mall or packed concert. When possible, distance yourself from the suspected source. Move at least twenty feet away; see if you feel relief. Don’t err on the side of not wanting to offend strangers. In a public place, don’t hesitate to change seats if you feel a sense of depression imposing on you. For a few minutes, center yourself by concentrating on your breath: This connects you to your essence. Keep exhaling negativity, inhaling calm. This helps to ground yourself and purify fear or other difficult emotions Visualize negativity as gray fog lifting from your body, and hope as golden light entering. This can yield quick results. Negative emotions such as fear frequently lodge in your emotional center at the solar plexus. Place your palm there as you keep sending loving-kindness to that area to flush stress out. For longstanding depression or anxiety, use this method daily to strengthen this center. It’s comforting and builds a sense of safety and optimism. Shield yourself. A handy form of protection many people use, including healers with trying patients, involves visualizing an envelope of white light (or any color you feel imparts power) around your entire body. Think of it as a shield that blocks out negativity or physical discomfort but allows what’s positive to filter in. Look for positive people and situations. Call a friend who sees the good in others. Spend time with a colleague who affirms the bright side of things. Listen to hopeful people. Hear the faith they have in themselves and others. Also relish hopeful words, songs, and art forms. Hope is contagious and it will lift your mood. Keep practicing these strategies. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel each time you’re on emotional overload. With strategies to cope, you can have quicker retorts to stressful situations, feel safer, and your sensitivities can blossom. Judith Orloff MD is author of the new book Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself From Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life (Harmony Books, 2009). Her other bestsellers are Positive Energy, Intuitive Healing, and Second Sight. Dr. Orloff synthesizes the pearls of traditional medicine with cutting edge knowledge of intuition and energy medicine. For more inspiration and Judith’s national book tour schedule visit www.drjudithorloff.com.


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Interview with GAY HENDRICKS Founder of the Transformational Book Circle How did you come up with the idea for the Transformational Book Circle? I was at a gathering at Jack Canfield’s house a couple of years ago, sitting in his living room talking with a number 18

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of prominent transformational leaders. We began talking about books that had changed our lives, and I noticed how each person’s face lit up when he or she talked about these books. What was surprising to me was that I hadn’t read or sometimes even heard of www.earthstarmag.com

books they mentioned. None of them had read the book I talked about, either. I got inspired by this conversation to gather as many of these books as I could, just for my own learning and enjoyment. From that point on, whenever I’d have dinner with a transformational leader such as Neale Donald Walsch or Kenny Loggins, I’d make a point of asking them to tell me about books that had changed their lives. After we successfully launched The Spiritual Cinema Circle, I realized we could do the same thing with this remarkable collection of life-changing books. We created a subscription service so that people could get the books at a modest cost. How did you select the transformational luminaries ? Most were friends of long standing whom I’d originally met out on the lecture circuit, speaking at conferences or at social events. Why are the monthly book selections kept as a surprise for the subscriber? We want to build a community of people around the world who are reading the same book at the same time. Also, many people like the surprise factor of discovering a brand-new learning adventure each month when they open the package. What book changed your life and why? Thirty years ago, working on my Ph.D. at Stanford, I read a remarkable article about a pilot shot down and imprisoned in Vietnam. He kept himself sane and even happy during years in a cell by recalling passages of a little book by Epictetus that he had memorized earlier in his life. It was called The Enchiridion, which means “Handbook” in Greek. When I read it, I was absolutely enthralled by the principles and concepts it contained, especially in light of the fact that it had been written two thousand years ago. As a clinical psychologist, I found the principles to be essential to helping people change their lives. Even if people only read the first page and understand what it says, they will have a skill for creating harmony and wellbeing in their lives that is more powerful than anything I’ve ever seen. The problem was that the book was written in old-fashioned language, making it hard for people to make their way through it. Over many years a colleague and I have re-written it in modern language, creating the special version that’s now available only through the Transformational Book Circle.


What books are you reading now? I read a lot of novels in addition to non-fiction. I just finished a beautiful book called Crescent, a love story about a middle-eastern woman in Los Angeles. My wife, Kathlyn, and I often read a book together so we can talk about it with each other as we go along. We got this idea from John Cleese and his wife, Alice, who’s a psychiatrist. What kind of books do you consider a guilty pleasure? I love mysteries, have almost always got one by my bedside for late-night reading. The best mystery writers I’ve discovered recently are Michael Connelly, T. Jefferson Parker and Robert Ferrigno. How will the web seminars work? Will they be different material than the audio CD and book? Yes, the audio CD usually contains experiential exercises based on the books, while the web seminars will usually feature one of the transformational luminaries talking about the book and how it changed his or her life. Will the website offer networking opportunities or community gatherings like SCC does? Yes, we will point the way to “live” transformational reading circles in cities around the world, for those readers who enjoy in-person discussions. Gay Hendricks is the author of twenty-plus books in the areas of relationship, business and personal transformation, including such bestsellers as Conscious Loving and The Corporate Mystic. With his wife of twenty-five years, Dr. Kathlyn Hendricks, he has co-founded several organizations, including The Hendricks Institute, www.hendricks.com. which offers seminars in relationship transformation and body-mind wellness. Dr. Hendricks, along with film producer Stephen Simon, is one of the founders of The Spiritual Cinema Circle, www.spiritualcinemacircle.com, which offers inspiring features, shorts and documentaries to members around the world each month. Assisted by colleague Jack Canfield, the Transformational Book Circle is Dr. Hendricks’ latest endeavor. www.transformationalbookcircle.com. After receiving his Ph.D. from Stanford in 1974, Dr. Hendricks served as a professor of counseling psychology at University of Colorado for two decades, before leaving to found his own institute. He and Kathlyn have been guests on more than 500 radio and television programs, including The Oprah Winfrey Show, CNN and CBS' 48 Hours. They make their home in Ojai, California.


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Nutritional Strategies for Preventing Age-Related

VISION LOSS

By Edward Rosick, DO, MPH, MS

y the age of sixty-five, a shocking thirty percent of Americans suffer from drastic vision problems that are not correctable with glasses or contact lenses. The two most common causes of vision loss in older adults are cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. While millions of doctors and their patients view these insidious conditions as inevitable consequences of the aging process, Life Extension has long maintained that potent antioxidants can play a critical role in supporting healthy ocular function with aging. Mainstream medicine is finally recognizing the critical link between eye health and nutrition. Recent articles in prestigious scientific publications such as the Journal of the American Medical Association and Ophthalmology verify the importance of antioxidant

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nutrients in preserving vision. Moreover, emerging studies indicate that suppressing levels of potentially dangerous C-reactive protein and homocysteine is likewise essential to maintaining eye health with aging. Health-conscious adults can thus preserve their vision by using targeted nutritional remedies and managing the risk factors that directly threaten eye health. This well-rounded, preventive approach can help ensure healthy vision over the course of a lifetime. The sense of sight is a wondrous gift of nature that begins at the moment of birth and ideally lasts a lifetime. As we age, however, both the lens and retina of the eye may suffer deterioration that can lead to near or even total blindness. Such problems affect nearly one third of elderly adults. Two of the most common eye diseases afflicting the elderly are cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.


Cataracts Are Not Inevitable Most people in their sixties or seventies know someone who has had cataract surgery. Because cataracts are so common, many people assume that they are another inevitable consequence of aging. However, with a few essential precautions and the judicious use of targeted nutritional supplements, this does not have to be the case at all. Cataracts are a clouding of the eye lens, which is mostly made up of protein and water. Although cataracts can begin to form before the age of forty, it is not until much later that they begin to adversely affect millions of older adults. As we grow older, new cells replace most of the cells in our bodies. However, the eye lens experiences no such cell turnover—thus the lens you are born with is the lens that will be with you the rest of your life. Normally, light passes through the eye lens without distortion, as though the lens were made of perfectly clear glass. Over five or six decades, your eye lens can be damaged by ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight, as well as by oxidative stress generated by free radicals. If this damage is significant enough, cataracts (which are actually “clumps” of protein in the lens) eventually form. In their early stages, cataracts may not be much of a problem. Over years and decades, however, cataracts may grow larger, making it more difficult, or even impossible, to see clearly. According to people with cataracts, the visual sensation is like trying to look through a dirty, cloudy window. While most cataracts are related to aging, other circumstances give rise to other types of cataracts. These include: congenital cataracts, which can affect infants and young children; secondary cataracts, which develop as a result of certain illnesses, such as diabetes, or in conjunction with the use of certain medications, such as long-term use of corticosteroids; and traumatic cataracts, which can form in the eyes following a traumatic injury or other event. A century ago, having cataracts meant having to wear thick, unsightly glasses and using magnifying glasses to read even the largest print. Today, thanks to modern surgical techniques, removing cataracts and implanting an artificial lens is an almost routine surgical procedure. Yet for all of its positive aspects, cataract surgery comes with a price. The total cost of cataract surgeries performed in the US is estimated to be $3.5 billion a year. Cataract surgery also entails additional health-related costs. Surgical complications are rare, but certainly not unheard of. Some twenty to thirty percent of those who


undergo cataract surgery develop a subsequent clouding of the lens capsule, the part of the lens that is often left in the eye to hold the new synthetic lens in place. If the capsule becomes cloudy (this is known as an after-cataract), the patient will require additional surgery to restore clear vision. Moreover, in rare cases, cataract surgery can lead to more serious complications, such as swelling of the eye, infections, and even blindness. Vitamins That Help Prevent Cataracts Scientists believe that the formation of cataracts is in part due to oxidative damage. Thus, it makes sense that well-known antioxidants such as lutein and vitamins A, C, and E could help retard the formation of these vision robbers. Indeed, numerous studies show that antioxidant vitamins can help counter the destructive effects of cataracts.

WARNING: STATINS MAY CAUSE CATARACTS Millions of Americans are taking so-called “statin” medications to combat high cholesterol, yet few are aware that these drugs may pose a serious threat to their eye health. In early research, statin medications led to cataract formation in animals. While human studies have failed to identify a causal link between statin drugs and cataracts, some of the most widely used statins—including Zocor® and Mevacor®—carry warnings that they may contribute to the progression of cataracts. A recent study from Japan reveals a possible link between cholesterol and cataracts. The researchers found that rats that are genetically susceptible to developing cataracts demonstrate defects in two genes involved in cholesterol synthesis. Cholesterol is required for proper development of the epithelial cells of the eye lens, helping to maintain its transparency. The decreased availability of cholesterol in these animals may thus contribute to the eye lens becoming opaque. These findings further corroborate Life Extension’s longstanding position that ideal cholesterol levels should range from 160 to 200 mg/dL. While excess cholesterol is known to contribute to arterial disease, cholesterol levels that are too low (below 160 mg/dL) may cause other health problems. APRIL / MAY 2009 EARTH STAR

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In the well-known Beaver Dam Eye Study, scientists examined the relationship between dietary intake of antioxidant nutrients and the incidence of cataract formation in a cohort of 1,354 adults, aged forty-three to eighty-four, over seven years. Those who consumed foods that are high in anti-oxidant vitamins had a diminished risk of developing cataracts. According to the researchers, the data from this prospective study “are consistent with a possible protective influence of lutein and vitamins E and C on the development of . . . cataracts.” Other, larger-scale studies suggest that vitamin A may help protect against cataracts. For example, in the Nurse’s Health Study, researchers followed 50,828 women, aged forty-five to sixty-seven, for eight years. Women who consumed the most vitamin A had a thirtynine percent lower risk of developing cataracts than women who consumed the least vitamin A. Blindness and Other Perils of ARMD

ARMD, there is no cure for either wet or dry macular degeneration. Inflammation, C-Reactive Protein, and ARMD While scientists are still investigating why ARMD affects some aging adults but not others, new research points to inflammation’s role in this devastating disease. As Life Extension readers are aware, multiple lines of research have demonstrated that chronic inflammation may contribute to various age-related diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease. In fact, biological markers of inflammation, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), may be a harbinger of ARMD as well as a warning sign for heart disease risk. C-reactive protein is produced and released by the liver in response to an acute inflammatory stimulus. Multiple studies have shown that CRP levels are elevated in multiple inflammatory, infectious, and neoplastic diseases, ranging from rheumatoid arthritis and tubercu-

Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD), a debilitating eye condition that affects at least ten million men and women in the US, is the leading cause of legal blindness in people fifty-five and older. Unlike cataracts, ARMD does not adversely affect the eye lens; instead, it causes a devastating deterioration of the macula, the specialized area of the eye’s retina that helps maintain the sharp, detailed vision required for tasks such as reading and driving. When the macula deteriorates due to ARMD, affected individuals experience a world of fuzzy, indistinct shapes and washed-out colors. The two forms of ARMD are dry, or atrophic, and wet, or exudative. Dry ARMD is by far the most common, occurring in about ninety percent of those suffering from the disease. The wet form is seen in the remaining ten percent. In the dry form, yellow deposits called drusen accumulate underneath the retina over a period of years, which causes the macula to thin and lose function. By contrast, wet ARMD can occur very rapidly over two or three years, and accounts for most of the major vision loss attributed to macular degeneration. This devastating condition is caused by abnormal blood vessels that grow across and under the macula and lead to scar tissue formation, which eventually damages and destroys the macula. While treatments can slow the abnormal blood vessel growth that accompanies wet

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losis to cancer and heart disease. Data gleaned from newly published studies suggest that ARMD may be yet another inflammatory disease that afflicts middle-aged and elderly adults. Two recent papers examined whether elevated C-reactive protein levels correlate with the risk of developing ARMD. In one article, published in the prestigious journal Ophthalmology, researchers recruited seventy-nine elderly men and women with ARMD, along with seventy-seven unaffected control subjects. Individuals suffering from ARMD exhibited higher CRP levels than did unaffected individuals, and this difference was statistically significant. A case-control study of 930 patients also examined the relationship between Creactive protein and ARMD risk. Published in 2004 in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), this investigation found that CRP levels were significantly higher among subjects with intermediate or advanced ARMD. According to the study authors, “elevated CRP level is an independent risk factor for [ARMD] and may implicate the role of inflammation in the pathogenesis of [ARMD].” Antioxidant Supplements for Eye Health Because high C-reactive protein levels appear to be associated with risk for ARMD and numerous other age-related diseases, health-conscious adults are advised to implement strategies to lower CRP. One way to do this is through beneficial antioxidants. Multiple published studies demonstrate the efficacy of various antioxidant supplements in reducing CRP values. One recent study examined the effect of alpha tocopherol (vitamin E) on C-reactive protein levels in twenty-five healthy volunteers and forty-seven people with type II diabetes. In this five-month study, the use of vitamin E supplements markedly decreased CRP levels in both healthy volunteers and those with diabetes. Another study examined the relationship between Creactive protein levels and concentrations of various vitamins and minerals among 14,519 men and women. Higher CRP levels were significantly related to diminished concentrations of antioxidants, including vitamin


C, beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and selenium. According to the study authors, “these results suggest that the inflammatory process [reflected by high CRP levels], through the production of reactive oxygen species, may deplete stores of antioxidants.” With the knowledge that ARMD is at least partly connected to an inflammatory cascade reflected in high CRP levels, and that antioxidants effectively counter high CRP levels, it makes sense to investigate whether antioxidants help protect against ARMD. A study recently published in JAMA examined this very possibility. In their report entitled “Dietary Intake of


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Antioxidants and the Risk of AgeRelated Macular Degeneration,” researchers in the Netherlands conducted a population-based cohort study of 4,170 men and women, with an average age of sixty-eight. The scientists determined the subjects’ average antioxidant intake and incidence of ARMD using dietary questionnaires and detailed eye exams. Over a mean follow-up period of eight years, 560 participants developed macular degeneration. However, those with a high intake of foods rich in betacarotene, vitamins C and E, and zinc had a thirty-five percent lower risk of developing ARMD. The study authors noted, “recent data suggest that oxidative protein modifications may play a crucial role in the formation of drusen. This implies that antioxidants may have their strongest effect at the initiation of the disease.” They believe that antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and E may work synergistically in warding off ARMD. According to the research team, “We therefore conclude that dietary antioxidants may delay the development of early [ARMD], and possibly, of [ARMD] in general.” Protective Effects of Lutein and Zeaxanthin

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Emerging research confirms that lutein and zeaxanthin can help protect vision by guarding against both cataracts and ARMD. These safe, beneficial compounds are chemically classified as carotenoids, the naturally occurring pigments found in many colorful fruits and vegetables. Interestingly enough, lutein and zeaxanthin are the only carotenoids generally found in the eye. While high levels of other carotenoids are found in the blood and plasma— beta-carotene and lycopene are two


examples—hardly any zeaxanthin is found in plasma. In the eye, lutein and zeaxanthin are found in both the lens and macula. The two help give the macula its striking, deep yellow hue. While researchers continue to study the precise roles played by lutein and zeaxanthin in the eyes, there is general agreement that both carotenoids protect the eye in two important ways. First, lutein and zeaxanthin absorb near-to-UV blue light, which has the highest energy and is therefore the wavelength most potentially damaging to the retina and macula. Second, lutein and zeaxanthin are potent antioxidants that quash the formation of free radicals. By generating damage in both the lens and macula, free radicals may contribute to both cataracts and ARMD. A solid body of scientific evidence points to the great potential of lutein and zeaxanthin in combating cataracts and ARMD. In three studies conducted in the late 1990s, men and women with a high intake of lutein and zeaxanthin had significantly lower risks of developing cataracts compared to those with a low intake of these carotenoids. A more recent randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled study showed that lutein supplements can help improve vision in people with existing cataracts. Seventeen men and women with cataracts, aged fifty-five to seventy-three, were given lutein (15 mg), vitamin E in the form of alpha tocopherol (100 mg), or placebo three times a week for up to two years. Subjects who took the alpha tocopherol supplements experienced a stabilization of their vision, while those taking placebo saw a decline in vision. Subjects who took lutein showed a significant increase in their visual acuity and glare sensitivity. According to the study authors, “a higher intake of lutein, through lutein-rich fruit and vegetables or supplements, may have beneficial effects on the visual performance of people with age-related cataracts.” Another study published in JAMA evaluated the relationship between carotenoids—including lutein, zeaxanthin, and other antioxidants—and the risk of developing ARMD. In this case-control study, 356 ARMD patients, aged fifty-five to eighty, were compared to 520 control subjects. The results unequivocally demonstrated that a higher dietary intake of carotenoids is associated with a significantly lower risk of developing ARMD. Specifically, those who had the highest intake of carotenoids had a forty-three percent reduction in ARMD risk. Not surprisingly, the study authors stated that “among the specific


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carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin . . . were the most strongly associated with a reduced risk for [ARMD].” Ginkgo Biloba May Improve Vision Ancient Chinese medical manuscripts indicate that for at least 5,000 years, the leaves of the ginkgo tree have been used for various health conditions, including supporting circulation, cognition, and respiratory function. Numerous studies indicate that ginkgo biloba may help fight dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Exciting new findings suggest that ginkgo may also hold promise in countering ARMD. German researchers recently conducted a controlled, double-blind study of human subjects suffering from the dry form of ARMD. The subjects were given 60 or 240 mg/day of ginkgo over a six-month period. At the study’s end, the subjects who used either dose of ginkgo showed marked improvement in their vision. However, those taking the higher dose saw the most improvement. The study authors concluded that “the results demonstrate the therapeutic efficacy of [ginkgo extract] in patients with senile, dry macular degeneration, with obvious benefits in everyday life.” Carnosine Counters Oxidation and Glycation Advanced glycation end products, or AGEs, are molecules that may be just as important as free radicals in many of the pathological processes associated with aging, including the development of cataracts. AGEs adversely affect the physical and biochemical properties of proteins and the tissues in which they are present, such as the eye lens. Fortunately, carnosine not only protects against the ravages of oxidative damage, but also inhibits the formation of advanced glycation end products. Carnosine is a natural, safe compound comprising the amino acids beta-alanine and L-histidine. Numerous studies have shown that carnosine inhibits lipid peroxidation and free radical-induced cellular damage. In addition, carnosine has demonstrated anti-aging effects in laboratory animals. Carnosine may elicit these effects due to its ability to inhibit AGE formation and protein cross-linking. Multiple studies suggest that eye drops containing carnosine may help in the prevention and management of cataracts. In one twenty-four-month, placebo-controlled study, an acetylated type of carnosine—N-acetylcarnosine—was used in eye-drop form in 49 patients with cataracts. Cataract patients who received carnosine eye drops twice daily demonstrated significantly im-

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proved vision compared to those receiving placebo eye drops. In addition, topographical studies of the patients’ eyes revealed that people using the carnosine eye drops had fewer areas of lens clouding from cataract formation. The eye drops were well tolerated, and there were no reports of adverse ocular or systemic side effects. The researchers concluded, “topical [carnosine] shows potential for the treatment and prevention of cataracts.” High Homocysteine Tied to ARMD Risk While some mainstream medical doctors may be surprised to learn that there is a link between free radicals, elevated C-reactive protein levels, and ARMD, they may be even more surprised to know that new studies link high homocysteine levels to macular degeneration. Homocysteine is an amino acid produced in the body through the breakdown of methionine, an amino acid that occurs in many foods, including meats, fish, and eggs. Studies have associated high levels of homocysteine with elevated risk for a number of diseases, including atherosclerosis and stroke. A new study published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology has shown that high homocysteine levels may increase risk for ARMD. In this case-controlled, cross-sectional study, researchers examined fasting plasma homocysteine levels in 934 men and women, 547 of whom had intermediate or advanced ARMD and 347 of whom served as healthy control subjects. Median plasma levels of homocysteine were significantly higher in subjects who had advanced ARMD; high homocysteine was also significantly associated with a higher risk of developing ARMD. Regarding a possible mechanism by which homocysteine might contribute to the development of ARMD, the authors stated that “high homocysteine levels may cause oxidative injury to endothelial cells, enhance peroxidation of low-density lipoprotein, and alter blood-clotting mechanisms . . . because homocysteine levels can be modified by dietary means or nutritional supplements, additional studies to clarify the role of homocysteine in the development or progression of [ARMD] are warranted.” Folic Acid, B12 Help Lower Homocysteine Additional studies are needed to more precisely ascertain homocysteine’s role in ARMD. In the meantime, however, it would be wise to take steps to reduce high homocysteine levels and thus possibly avoid the consequences of ARMD. In numerous studies, two safe and


inexpensive nutrients—folic acid and vitamin B12—have been highly effective in lowering potentially lethal homocysteine levels. In a study conducted in 2004, researchers examined the effects of a daily dose of 5000 mcg of folic acid and 250 mcg of vitamin B12 on the homocysteine levels of patients with significant coronary artery disease, defined as having at least seventy percent blockage of a major coronary artery. After only twelve weeks, patients taking folic acid and vitamin B12 supplements reduced their homocysteine levels by thirty-two percent. In a similar study conducted in China the same year, 152 patients with high homocysteine levels were given 5 mg of folic acid daily over an eight-week period. As in the earlier studies, homocysteine levels dropped markedly, in this case by thirty-four percent. Studies that are even more recent confirm the homocysteinelowering effects of folic acid and vitamin B12. In a meta-analysis published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers analyzed twenty-five randomized, controlled trials examining the effects of folic acid and B12 supplements on homocysteine levels in a total of 2,596 patients. The results showed that at dosages of 200 mcg, 400 mcg, 800 mcg, 2000 mcg, and 5000 mcg/day, folic acid decreased homocysteine levels by thgirteen percent, twenty percent, twentythree percent, twenty-three percent, and twenty-five percent, respectively. Vitamin B12 supplements at a dose of 400 mcg/day produced an additional seven percent reduction in homocysteine. Begin Protecting Your Vision Now The wonderful gift of sight is something most of us take for granted until it is somehow altered or diminished. By eating a diet abundant in fruits and vegetables, avoiding smoking, wearing ultraviolet radiation-blocking sun-


glasses when outdoors, maintaining healthy C-reactive protein and homocysteine levels, and using nutritional supplements with proven benefits for eye health— including antioxidants such as vitamins A, C, and E, carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin, and ginkgo biloba, carnosine, folic acid, and vitamin B12—you can help ensure healthy vision that lasts a lifetime. Reprinted with permission from Life Extension Magazine, www.lef.org.


27

Soaking

Up the

D ’s

By Michael F. Holick

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o you know what your vitamin D level is? Millions of adults are at risk of vitamin D deficiency, according to Michael Holick, director of the Vitamin D, Skin and Bone Research Laboratory at Boston University Medical Center.

D

Many people use too much sun block to make enough vitamin D, says Holick. Multivitamins supply only about half of what people need. And only a few foods are good sources. The consequences: Vitamin D deficiency can exacerbate osteoporosis. And it can cause weak or aching muscles and bone pain that’s often misdiagnosed as arthritis or fibromyalgia. To make matters worse, many doctors miss a vitamin D deficiency because they order the wrong blood test. Q: Why do so many people get too little vitamin D? A: Very few foods contain it, and most people get too little sun to make it. Your skin can make vitamin D when it’s exposed to sunlight. When the highest energy ultraviolet light, called UVB, penetrates the skin, it converts a precursor into vitamin D, which becomes 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the liver, and is then activated to 1,25dihydroxyvitamin D in the kidneys. But if you live north of Los Angeles on the West Coast or Atlanta in the East, you don’t get enough UVB from the sun in the winter to make adequate vitamin D. And even in the summer, many people are so concerned about getting too much sun that they always use sun protection, which blocks the UV light that makes vitamin D in your skin. The message used to be “don’t burn” and “get some safe sun,” which I totally agree with. But now the recommendation is to get no direct sun exposure. That has put many more people at high risk of vitamin D deficiency. Q: What harm does vitamin D deficiency do? A: It increases the risk of bone fracture. Vitamin D increases the efficiency of your intestine to absorb calcium and phosphorus from food, so you can mineralize your skeleton. It also increases the activity of bone cells that make and lay down bone matrix.

are deficient in calcium and vitamin D are unable to properly mineralize the rubbery matrix. Gravity pushes on the skeleton and causes the typical bowing of the legs that you see in a child with rickets. By the time you’re an adult, your long bones have stopped growing and you have enough calcium in your bones to prevent skeletal deformities. Instead, if an adult is deficient in vitamin D and not getting enough calcium, calcium is drawn out from the bones, which causes osteoporosis. Q: The bones break down? A: Yes. Bone cells called osteoclasts dissolve the matrix and release the calcium out of the bones and into the bloodstream. So a vitamin D deficiency will precipitate and exacerbate osteoporosis because it’s increasing the number of holes in your bones. In addition, bone cells called osteoblasts continue to produce new matrix, just like they do in children. However, when you are deficient in vitamin D, the matrix cannot be properly mineralized. The result is osteomalacia, the bone disease that’s caused by vitamin D deficiency. Q: How does osteomalacia differ from osteoporosis? A: Osteoporosis isn’t painful unless you have an acute fracture. Holes in your bones don’t hurt. In contrast, osteomalacia can cause muscle weakness as well as bone ache and bone pain. Until you have it, you can’t really appreciate this gnawing sensation. Many patients are diagnosed with some kind of arthritis or collagen-vascular disease or fibromyalgia. In my clinic, I find that patients with aching bones are often suffering from vitamin D deficiency. Q: Why does the body take calcium from the bones? A: We evolved from the ocean, which is a high-calcium bath. Early in evolution, calcium became critically important for most metabolic functions—for example, to keep your heart beating and your muscles contracting. So the body makes sure that your blood calcium is in the normal range, even if it means removing calcium from your bones.

Q: The matrix is like the frame of a building?

Q: Do people who get more vitamin D have stronger bones?

A: Yes. If you have an adequate amount of calcium and phosphorus, it gets incorporated into the bone matrix and you have good, healthy bone. Young children who

A: Yes. For example, postmenopausal women in Boston who were given 700 International Units of vitamin D a day for two years lost less bone than women who got 100 IU a Continued on page 32



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Soaking Up the D’s... Continued from page 29

day in addition to the 100 IU from their usual diets. All the women also received 500 milligrams of calcium a day. Q: Does vitamin D reduce fracture rates? A: Absolutely. For example, in 1992, French researchers showed that by giving nursing home residents 800 IU of vitamin D and 800 mg of calcium a day, they could markedly reduce the risk of fractures. Multiple studies done in the U.S. show the same in men and women. Q: Why give both vitamin D and calcium? A: You need the vitamin D to increase the efficiency of calcium absorption. If you’re deficient in vitamin D, you only absorb about 10 to 15 percent of the calcium you consume. So if you just take calcium it may not do you any good. Every day you lose about 100 to 200 milligrams of calcium in your urine and about 100 to 200 mg from the gastrointestinal tract. So if you had 1,000 mg of calcium in your diet and you absorb 15 percent, that’s 150 mg. But if you’ve lost 100 mg in urine and 100 mg from the gastrointestinal tract, you have a 50-milligram deficit. Where does that come from? It’s not like the federal government, which can just forget about the deficit. Your body takes those 50 milligrams out of your skeleton to make sure your blood calcium remains normal. Q: Are women at greater risk of osteomalacia? A: No. But women start out with lower bone density so they begin to fracture earlier in life due to both osteoporosis and vitamin D deficiency.

rosis, congestive heart failure, and some cancers. We also have preliminary evidence that vitamin D may lower blood pressure. When we exposed vitaminD-deficient people with mild hypertension to just enough UVB light to raise their blood levels of vitamin D to normal, their blood pressures became normal. We were able to maintain them at a normal blood pressure for nine months by continuing that therapy. But the results need to be confirmed.

Beyond Bones Q: How might vitamin D affect blood pressure? Q: Could vitamin D deficiency cause other problems? A: It may raise the risk of Type 1 diabetes, multiple scle-

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A: If your kidneys produce more of a hormone called renin, you have a higher risk of hypertension. And the


active form of vitamin D—1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D— decreases renin production.

resistant. Q: Are there any human studies?

Q: What’s the evidence on vitamin D and diabetes? A: It’s intriguing. The NOD mouse, which is used to study diabetes, gets Type 1 diabetes when it’s about 200 days old. If you treat the mice with activated vitamin D throughout their lives, it reduces their chances of getting diabetes by 80 percent. And a study in Finland where— vitamin D deficiency is common—followed 10,000 children for 30 years. Those who took at least 2,000 IU of vitamin D a day during the first year of life had an 80 percent lower risk of diabetes than those who took no vitamin D. Q: How is vitamin D linked to multiple sclerosis? A: In MS, the body’s antibodies attack the myelin sheath that covers nerves. To study the disease, researchers inject myelin into mice. The mice develop antibodies to it and the antibodies start destroying myelin on the animals’ nerves. That doesn’t happen if the animals get activated vitamin D first.

A: Researchers are investigating a vitamin D analog on liver cancer—hepatoma. The preliminary data look spectacular. Liver cancer isn’t a big problem in the U.S. But it’s a major problem in Asia, because many Asians have hepatitis C, a viral infection that markedly increases their risk of developing hepatoma later in life. Q: What about other cancers? A: The results haven’t been as good. Early studies showed that leukemia patients who were given activated vitamin D went into remission, but then they all died. Researchers think that some of the cells became resistant and more aggressive in their growth. But a recent study found that giving a vitamin D analog with chemotherapy may be effective in treating prostate cancer, so that’s another possibility. Sun Shy Q: So sunscreens can be a problem?

Q: Any evidence in people? A: So far, it’s just circumstantial. For example, we know that the further you live from the equator, the higher your risk of multiple sclerosis. Q: What’s the link between vitamin D and cancer? A: We know that almost every tissue in your body— brain, breast, bone, colon, intestine, heart, kidneys, and prostate—has a receptor for the active form of vitamin D. The question is: why? It turns out that the active form of vitamin D is one of the most potent hormones to inhibit cell proliferation. So if you have a cancer cell that’s proliferating out of control, activated vitamin D could inhibit its growth. That’s what happens when activated vitamin D is added to breast, colon, lung, or prostate cancer cells. Q: In test tubes? A: Yes. And researchers are getting excited about using vitamin D-like compounds called analogs to treat cancer. The analogs are designed to suppress proliferation more—and raise calcium levels less—than activated vitamin D. The problem is that the cells can become


A: Yes. If you use a sunscreen rated SPF 8 properly, it reduces your ability to make vitamin D by more than 90 percent. The same happens it you use an SPF 15 improperly—if you use too little or don’t reapply it every two hours. And that’s a shame, because there are clear benefits to sensible exposure to sunlight, and essentially no evidence that it will increase your risk of skin cancer. Q: What’s sensible? A: If the sun’s UVB rays are reaching you, we’re talking about no more than maybe five to ten minutes of sun exposure on the arms and legs or face and arms two to three times a week. I recommend going out sometime between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., because that’s when your skin makes the most vitamin D. You could make vitamin D at 10 a.m., but then you’d have to be out for a longer period of time. In Boston, you wouldn’t make any vitamin D at 8 a.m., even if it’s a sunny summer day. Q: Because the sun’s UVB rays aren’t reaching you? A: Yes. Just like in the wintertime, the UV rays come in at an angle. That means that the rays—or photons—have to pass through more ozone in the atmosphere, and UVB


33

rays are efficiently absorbed by ozone. Even if the sun is directly above you at noontime at the equator, only one tenth of one percent of the UVB photons, which are responsible for making vitamin D, actually penetrate to the earth’s surface. So if the sun comes in at an angle, essentially none of those photons reach the Earth. Q: You’d need less time in Florida than Boston? A: Yes. Five to ten minutes is for a light-skinned Caucasian in Boston in June between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. In Florida, it may be only two to three minutes. Q: And Floridians can make vitamin D year-round? A: Yes, even as far north as Los Angeles or Atlanta. But you may need to stay out a little longer because the sun isn’t as strong. North of that latitude—above 35 degrees—you can’t make any vitamin D in your skin in

the winter, even at noon. In fact, Canadians can’t make vitamin D in their skin for four to seven months of the year. They’re at high risk of vitamin D deficiency. Q: Why not get vitamin D from foods? A: It’s not easy. Many experts now agree that, on average, you need 1,000 IU a day if you’re not exposed to sunlight. Only a few foods contain vitamin D (see “Getting Your D’s”). And a typical multivitamin-mineral supplement has only 400 IU. Q: Why did the National Academy of Sciences recommend only 400 IU for people over 50 and 600 IU for people over 70? A: I was on the committee that issued the recommendations. Many committee members believed that the levels were inadequate, but we were obligated to base our recommendations on published studies. We had evidence that much higher levels were needed, but it hadn’t yet been published. For example, in the study we just published, we gave healthy young and middle-aged adults 1,000 units of vitamin D a day at the end of the winter and the beginning of the spring. That raised and maintained their blood levels of 25hydroxyvitamin D right where you want them— between 30 and 40 nanograms per milliliter. In the absence of sun, that’s what you need to maintain a healthy vitamin D status all year round. Q: What level is deficient? A: A 25-hydroxyvitamin 13 below 20 nanograms per milliliter. From 20 to 30 is borderline adequate. A healthy level is between 30 and 50. Q: Do older people absorb less vitamin D?

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A: Aging has no impact on how much vitamin D you absorb from food or pills. How much you make from the sun is a different story. If you’re 70, your skin can make only a quarter of the vitamin D that a 20-year-old can make when exposed to the same amount of sun (see “More Years, Less D”). But a 70-year-old can make enough. Studies have shown that if elders are out in the sun light for 15 to 20 minutes a couple times a week, they’ll maintain their vitamin D levels. In Britain, researchers showed that if you put a UVB light source in the ceiling in a nursing home, you can maintain adequate vitamin D levels in residents.

, Ph.D.

Toxic Levels Q: Why is milk fortified with only 100 IU of vitamin D per cup? A: Because of the risk of toxicity.That’s been the limit since the 1930’s, even though it takes huge amounts to cause toxicity. We got a call from a doctor in Florida whose patient bought a powdered vitamin D supplement from a company in Canada. The patient started taking two teaspoons a day, which was supposed to have 2,000 IU. But the company forgot to dilute the powder, so the patient was actually ingesting up to a million units a day. And he ended up with vitamin D toxicity. But most experts agree that even if you take 5,000 to 10,000 IU a day, you won’t get vitamin D toxicity. Q: Why did the National Academy say that people shouldn’t exceed 2,000 IU a day? A: Our committee recommended an upper safe limit of 2,000 IU because we had to rely only on published studies. Other studies


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suggest that at least 5,000 IU and maybe 10,000 IU a day is safe. It’s virtually impossible to get that much from diet and supplements. And there’s never been a reported case of vitamin D toxicity because of too much sun. Nature has cleverly programmed into the system that any excess from the sun is destroyed.

hydroxyvitamin D levels. As you become deficient, the body tries to compensate by increasing the kidneys’ production of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. So those levels are normal or even elevated. In fifty percent of all assays done worldwide, doctors order a 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D assay. I don’t have a clue what they do with that information.

Q: What happens if you consume too much vitamin D from food or pills?

Q: They may misinterpret it?

A: You absorb too much calcium, so you can get high blood calcium, kidney stones, kidney calcification, kidney failure, soft-tissue calcification, and calcification of your blood vessels that can ultimately lead to death. But you’re talking about huge amounts. Remember the Florida patient who was taking a million units a day? Once he stopped taking the vitamin D, his levels fell gradually over three years and now he’s perfectly fine. Q: So you have to take high levels for a long time? A: Exactly. Typically, I’ll give my patients who are deficient in vitamin D 50,000 IU once a week for eight weeks to fill up their vitamin D tank because it’s on empty. That works extremely well. Then I put them on 50,000 units once or twice a month. And I’ve never seen any toxicity.

A: Yes. It comes back normal or high, so they think the patient has more than enough vitamin D, when it’s really a sign that the patient is becoming deficient. Q: Do you recommend taking a supplement? A: Yes. If you get enough sun in the summer and fall, it will carry you through the winter, because you store vitamin D in your body fat. But most people don’t get enough. To give you an example, my mother recently went into a nursing home. While she lived at home, I made sure she wasn’t deficient by prescribing 50,000 IU of vitamin D twice a month. I urged her primary care doctor to make sure she didn’t become deficient. He finally tested her blood level and she was severely deficient. He’s now treating her, as I would, with 50,000 IU of vitamin D once a week for eight weeks followed by 50,000 IU twice a month.

Testing Reprinted from Nutrition Action Healthletter.

Q: Should people get their vitamin D levels checked? A: Yes, just like you get your cholesterol checked at least once a year. The best time is around November, because if you’re deficient then, you’ll be severely deficient at the end of winter. And make sure that your doctor orders a test for 25-hydroxyvitamin D, not 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, which is the active form. That can be misleading. Q: How? A: Your 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D levels are a thousand-fold less than your 25-

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2009 Our Call to Clear —

Universal Healing

By Dr. Amy Thakurdas The crisis in the Middle East once again caught the world’s attention at the New Year and we have witnessed angry demonstrations in cities across the globe. There are a myriad of ways we, individually and collectively, handle crises and I encourage you to do what feels right for you. The methods in this article are streamlined version of shamanic clearing and release techniques that I have taught for decades. If you think any of my spiritual tools work for you, then please adopt them into your daily practices with my blessing. Will 2009 be a year where our collective connection to Divine Love deepens? We have numerous methods to learn how to process, release, clear our life’s lessons, enabling us to re-claim our birthright of Divine love. As we learn to love and accept every person and situation that we encounter, we become aware of the blessings and gifts that are offered every moment of every day.

does not matter which side) we do so because it fits our lifetime’s story and lessons. Whatever the most deeply hidden or twisted reality, resist the temptation to take sides. Instead, use the conflict as an opportunity to clear similar conflicts within. In fact, every struggle provides a new way to open one’s heart to Divine love. Instinctively, when we see people suffering in war-torn lands or who are in abject poverty or survivors of a natural disaster, we feel huge sympathy to them and extend financial and other help. Our sympathy opens the floodgates to a great outpouring of love and compassion. This love and compassion is our natural state. Here lies one of many paradoxes in life. If our natural state is one of Divine Love and compassion then why do we choose to live in a lesser state? Why do we need sympathy to invoke our natural state? Taking the Plank Out of Our Own Eyes

The Paradox of Life When we view both sides of a conflict from the perspective of each party, we gain deep and valuable insights. With these fresh insights, we can more readily understand the paradoxes of life and incredible spiritual lessons. Generally, when we take sides in a dispute (it

This biblical reference still holds true as we blame and shame others without looking at how we are acting in the same manner, except with variations according to our individual circumstances. How can we, individually or collectively look into the mirror? I do not pretend to know all the different issues or answers but some Continued on page 41



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CALENDAR

events workshops festivals classes

Top Photo 6/20: The Gary Burton Quartet Revisited with Pat Metheny in concert, Saturday, June 20, 8:00pm, Berklee Performance Center, Boston. Tickets: 617/508-931-2000.

APRIL 4/1: Emotional Freedom Technique Weight Loss Event with Beth O’Connor at Open Doors, 395 Washington St., Braintree, MA, (781) 843-8224, www.OpenDoors7.com. 7:00pm-9:00pm. Cost $125. Early Registration and Payment Discount by 3/3/31, cost $100. Have you tried every kind of diet, exercise and new fad out there and found that you either failed or eventually put the weight back on? Feel like you sabotage yourself, just as you are making progress? Problems, habits won’t and can’t go away until you access your subconscious mind. You will leave this class with skills and tools that will forever change your life. You will learn a combination of EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) and hypnosis. EFT is a gentle tapping on acupressure points. This class will allow you the ability to access your own subconscious mind. Details at (978) 834-0341.

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4/4: Rings of Oden - Soar To New Heights! (Module 2). Advanced Supplement includes over 50 new configurations, including Sacred Sites and Temples, multi-dimensional holographic configurations, and new On-The-Body configurations. Prerequisite: Module 1. 9:00am4:00pm. Details at (978) 834-0341, or visit www.TheWayToBalance.com. 4/24: Ancient Andean Teachings & Rituals Led by Master Andean Yachack Shamans Don Estaban & Don Jorge Tamayo at Open Doors, 395 Washington St., Braintree, MA, (781) 843-8224, www.OpenDoors7.com. April 24 - May 3; Ten days of Andean Philosophy teachings and ceremonies Sponsored by *Earth Summit, LLC and hosted by Open Doors. Monday night drumming circle. Ecstatic Fire Ceremony Friday, April 24, 6:00pm9:00pm. We will open with this traditional ritual using the element of Fire for cleansing, purifying and transforming to open our hearts more deeply for healing

ourselves and the global community. For complete details visit www.EarthSummittLLC.com.

MAY 5/1-5/5: Opera Boston presents The Bartered Bride by Bedrich Smetana. In addition to the virtuoso instrumental and vocal writing, frequent dances and a troupe of traveling circus performers make The Bartered Bride a buoyant comic masterpiece. Daniel Pelzig, former Resident Choreographer of the Boston Ballet, returns to bring this charming world of song and dance to life. Sung in English translation with projected titles. All performances at the Cutler Majestic Theatre, 219 Tremont Street, Boston. For tickets and information call: (617) 451-3388.


Earth Star Calendar 5/16-5/17: EOL Visionary Acupressure System – Level 1, Module 1. Developed by EOL Founders Sue and Aaron Singleton, this Visionary Acupressure System is a fusion of ancient and modern techniques that makes a quantum leap to address the direct frequencies of trauma and illness. This cutting edge system targets specific energy frequencies of physical and psychophysical tension patterns throughout the body without relying solely on the traditional linear meridian flows. Applying these unique concepts and protocols often results in deeper and more rapid release of cellular memory and trauma, i.e., the Root Cause. This powerful yet easy to learn self-help workshop encourages self-awareness, bodymind connections, spiritual and emotional transformation. It prepares practitioners to take their clients to the next level of healing. NOTE: Pre-reading materials are required before participating in this session; details upon registration. Details at www.TheWayToBalance.com.

UPCOMING 6/5-6/6: Scullers Jazz Club presents Spyro Gyra, Friday-Saturday, June 5-6. The entity known as Spyro Gyra is a marathon runner in the arena of contemporary jazz. For more than three decades, moving across a musical landscape marked by increasingly challenging terrain and accelerated change, they have maintained the well-deserved reputation as a viable and highly versatile creative force. Since their earliest recordings in the mid 1970s, they have maintained a fresh approach to their craft by borrowing from a range of sources and distilling them into an unmistakable signature sound. Show: $40. Add Dinner for: $45. Show times: 8pm & 10pm. Tickets: (617) 562-4111.

5/17: The 4th Annual Anne W. Hiatt Youth & Family Concert in Faneuil Hall, Boston, Sunday, May 17, at 3:00pm, with the Boston Classical Orchestra (Steven Lipsitt, Conductor) and the Boston Children’s Chorus (Anthony Trecek-King, Artistic Director). Featuring: Music by Beethoven, Mozart, Handel, Haydn, and American composers, African-American and Native American songs. This FREE one-hour program will be followed by a ‘petting zoo of instruments’. Do not miss this! Call to Reserve Your Free Tickets: (617) 423-3883. 5/22: Scullers Jazz Club presents Stanley Jordan, Friday May 22. From the moment he made his debut in 1985 with the goldselling Grammy® nominated album Magic Touch, guitar virtuoso Stanley Jordan has proven himself as a forward thinking innovator. With his nimbly executed “touch” or “tap” technique, he ushered a dazzling and spellbinding new sound into the world of progressive instrumental music. Over the course of five major recordings and several smaller independent releases, Stanley has explored earthly and astral musical trailways. Stanley has been looked upon first and foremost as a musical original, orbiting in an artistic universe without predecessor or immediate successor. Show: $25. Add Dinner for: $45. Show times: 8pm & 10pm. Tickets: (617) 562-4111.


5/17: The 4th Annual Anne W. Hiatt Youth & Family Concert in Faneuil Hall, Boston. Call to Reserve Your FREE Tickets: (617) 423-3883. 6/13-6/14: Reiki I Certification with John Harvey Gray and Lourdes Gray, Ph.D., Jaffrey, NH. Awaken your healing skills! The John Harvey Gray Center for Reiki Healing is recognized and acknowledged as a leader in the field of Reiki training for its commitment to excellence in Reiki education. Two days of learning, hands-on practice and no cut corners certifies you immediately to work on yourself, others and pets. 13.0 CEUs. Visa/MC. Call or go online to sign up now. (603) 899-3288 www.learnreiki.org.

6/13: Psychic Development, Past Lives, & Angel Communication Workshop with Ross Miller, psychic medium, regression therapist, healer. In this unique, experiential workshop you’ll learn how to identify your guardian angels and spirit guides by name and receive their guidance and healing; discover your soul’s life purpose; experience two of your past lives; give psychic readings to others in class and more. Saturday, 10:00am-5:00pm, Newton, MA. To register for the workshop or to schedule a psychic or past-life reading or healing in person or over the phone with Ross Miller. (617) 527-3583 or visit www.TheMysticWay.com. 8/22-8/23: Reiki I Certification with John Harvey Gray and Lourdes Gray, Ph.D., Belmont, MA. Awaken your healing skills! The John Harvey Gray Center for Reiki Healing is recognized and acknowledged as a leader in the field of Reiki training for its commitment to excellence in Reiki education. Two days of learning, hands-on practice and no cut corners certifies you immediately to work on yourself, others and pets. 13.0 CEUs. Visa/MC. Call or go online to sign up now. (603) 899-3288 www.learnreiki.org. 8/29-8/30: Reiki I Certification with John Harvey Gray and Lourdes Gray, Ph.D., Jaffrey, NH. Awaken your healing skills! The John Harvey Gray Center for Reiki Healing is recognized and acknowledged as a leader in the field of Reiki training for its commitment to excellence in Reiki education. Two days of learning, hands-on practice and no cut corners certifies you immediately to work on yourself, others and pets. 13.0 CEUs. Visa/MC. Call or go online to sign up now. (603) 899-3288 www.learnreiki.org.

ONGOING Food As Medicine Workshop, Sharon A. Kane, Instructor. Live Superfoods can repair the intestinal damage associated with celiac, gluten intolerance, candida, IBS, leaky gut and food allergies. This 8-session course teaches simple techniques to create low cost live food at home. Kombucha, kefir, gluten free bread, lacto-fermented pickles. For complete info call Sharon A. Kane, (508) 881-5678 or email [email protected]. Reiki Certification, Boston and Wilton, NH. Libby Barnett, MSW. 26 years experience. Reiki Energy Medicine co-author.


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Earth Star Calendar

6/27 & 6/28: Saratoga Performing Arts Center presents its 32nd Annual Freihofer’s Jazz Festival, featuring Victor Wooten the Kendra Shank Quartet, Stanley Clarke, Patti LaBelle, George Benson, Pat Metheny, and Dave Brubeck plus a celebration of Miles Davis’ seminal album, Kind of Blue by jazz great Jimmy Cobb who was part of the original recording. Saturday, June 27 and Sunday, June 28. More than 20 jazz performances over two days on SPAC’s Amphitheatre and Gazebo stages. Tickets start at $41.50/day and can be ordered at (518) 584-9330 or online at www.spac.org. Notebook, pin, certificate awarded. Visa/MC accepted. CEU's. Call 1-888REIKI-4-U or (603) 654-2787. Exquisite Energysm for Women. Center, ground, and open to the flow. A nourishing, feel-good event. Cerridwen guides easy movements from qigong and hands-on healing. Second Thursdays 7:30pm9:30pm, Aquarius Sanctuary, Littleton, MA. (978) 486-0248. $20. Call ahead. Shamanic Drumming Circle, founded 1993. Usually Second and Fourth Fridays of every month, 7:00pm. Quaker meeting-house, Cambridge. Open to all, but please call first for full details and directions. Terrence (978)952-2704 or Emily (781)-641-3980. Exquisite Energysm for Healers. Relax and get a dose of the good stuff for yourself. Easy movements from qigong and hands-on healing with Cerridwen. Third Saturdays 7:00pm10:00pm. Aquarius Sanctuary, Littleton, MA. (978) 486-0248. $20. Call ahead. Buddhist Meditation Group with Peg Travers, Ordained Priest, Buddha Heart USA, Sunday evenings, Haverhill, MA, 5:00pm-6:00pm. Learn and practice the ancient arts of meditation, chanting, QiGong, Buddhist Yoga & Reiki. Call the Center for Spiritual Development, Haverhill MA, (978)-372-5173 or online at www.uuhaverhill.org/happenings.

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Drumming Circle with Kristine Malpica (of Imagine Studios) on third Friday of each month. 7:00pm-8:30pm. Center for Spiritual Development, 15 Kenoza Ave, Haverhill, MA. (978)-372-5173.

Word Discusion Sundays at 10:00am. Sunday Service, 11:00am. Corner of Colchester & Chapel Streets, Brookline, MA 02466. Call (617) 232-4548 for more information or visit: www.unityboston.org.

Ongoing Classes in Shamballa Multidimensional Healing and Healing Art offered at the Natick Community Organic Farm, by Joyce Cerutti. SMH may be thought of as an expansion of the energies we know as Reiki. No prior attunements necessary. Healing Art classes offered for both individuals and families, combining energy healing and art healing for greater benefit. Call for dates, times, and further information. Intuitive healing paintings also available. (508)-380-8273.

Free Energy Healing in Arlington. Johrei healing is available each Wednesday evening from 7:00pm-9:00pm at 81 Cleveland St. in Arlington, MA. Johrei purifies the spirit through the channeling of divine light, restores inner spiritual balance and eases physical, mental, & emotional distress. There is no charge for Johrei. Please call (781) 646-0614 for directions or information on other area locations.

Workshops for Pain Management and Improved Wellness. Offerings for Bodyworkers, athletes, Personal Trainers, Coaches and general pain-sufferers. Check website: web.maynard.ma.us/biz/bmassage, or call Barry Bailey at (978)-897-0110 for information and brochure of current offerings. The Labyrinth Ladies Spiritual Empowerment Workshops, go to www.thelabyrinthladies.com for our latest programs and walks or call (401)-847-6551 for more information. Facilitator Trainings, site consultations, workshops for schools, hospitals and businesses. Christ Church Unity - Experience the healing power of music, prayer and meditation, every Wednesday at 7:00pm. Daily

Stress Management, Imagery, and a range of Reiki programs, with CEUs for nurses, led by holistic nurse educators. Centered in Amesbury, MA with other locations in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Visit www.LymanCenter.com or call: 1-(888)-TLC-8485.

The Deadline for listings in the June/July ‘09 issue is May 25th


A Call To Clear.. Continued from page 37

common spiritual obstacles include these deep-seated beliefs and/or opinions: I am always right I know what is best for everyone I am better or superior to others The end justifies the means Bad things always happen to me We all have the ability to transform these obstacles into stepping-stones for a deeper more compassionate understanding of humanity. The Dark Side of Humanity The tension in the Middle East has simmered for centuries and the billions of us that are not directly involved can relate through collective involvement via the collective consciousness or the ”web of all existence.” Consider the scenario that the countries at war are merely acting out our collective dark side. Whether we are directly or indirectly affected by a disaster or crisis, it is possible to use the crisis as a tool to change our own consciousness. Every individual can choose to take responsibility for these issues within. By doing this we avoid adding further energy to the pain and suffering that exists in the collective consciousness surrounding the crisis. Instead we can manifest a harmonized consciousness based on love and compassion.

crisis, identify the issues remembering not to take sides and thereby add energy to the conflict. Instead we can use the scenario as an opportunity to learn, release and clear the identical issues arising from the crisis from within ourselves. Each person’s individual lessons may come with entirely different story lines but they will carry the same spiritual resonance and lesson as the perceived crisis or conflict. “You must be the change you want to see in the world.” —Mahatma Ghandi Many ancient and modern sages have shared this advice in different teachings. My recommendation is to adopt this profound, simple and effective spiritual practice every day. It is not easy and there will be days when it will be impossible but by re-affirming our intention every day we collectively will create a consciousness where the changes we want are no longer dreams, hopes and possibilities but our grounded reality. What Can We Do? We all know that place of Divine love. It is a memory of being perfectly loved and cherished. When we feel the warmth of Divine Love, we remember a perfect sense of love, peace and harmony. There are thousands of ways

Be A Part of the Solution Not the Problem Our response to the current global economic, political and environmental crises is to be a part of the solution not the problem. This overused catch phrase only works well when we analyze the



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to bask in the beauty of our birthright and we can celebrate this space daily. Here are a few daily practices that I use to create a space of Divine love. Universal Healing — Connecting Our Hearts to Divine Love Extend your energy fields outwards in all directions as you exhale. Reconnect to the space before you were born on earth and become one with Divine love. As you inhale, draw this love into every cell of your body and feel it absorbing into your fields from all directions. Some students prefer to connect via their heart chakra to begin with because it is easier. I encourage everyone to enjoy this sacred space at least once a day. We are all part of this love and compassion and each have a role to play within this “web of all existence.” Clearing Ourselves and Humanity’s Consciousness Once you have identified your issue, ask to clear and release the anger, fear, pain or traumas from within. These issues may be from past lives. Look for and acknowledge the spiritual lesson(s). There is always a lesson, insight or calling to re-align with Divine love. Forgive yourself and whoever else is involved in your situation. Contemplate on how you can walk in grace in the future and resolve not to repeat the behaviour patterns. Remember to be kind to yourself as it takes time to create a continuous flow of healthy, loving thoughts, emotions and actions. For the more experienced an advanced version of this 42

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exercise is not only to clear oneself but also to ask to clear any family members, friends, communities, and nations. In fact, we can ask for a clearing for any person who is ‘open’ to releasing old issues anywhere on earth. One final step that I find very powerful is to ask to clear an issue right the way through one’s ancestral line back to the dawn of time. After releasing and clearing now reconnect with that space of Divine love and allow this to permeate every cell of your body. Ask for the same for every being you have called to be cleared. Absorb and luxuriate in


Divine love and compassion. Feel deep gratitude for this spiritual experience and thank everyone for the lessons or insights and for being able to serve. For those of you who are wondering about the free will of others. The requests or calls to clear are for those who are ‘open.’ My suggestion is always work on yourself first and fill up your own love reserves before working on others. Blessing and Healing the Earth & Water

your love and calmness. Healing one heart at a time My recommendation for healing humanity’s collective dark side or traumas is for each person to heal her/himself. Eventually, we will reach a stage where we can view the conflict, assess the paradox and lessons, review where the issues that are held within ourselves, our family, friends, communities and beyond and simply clear them and return immediately to our natural state of Divine love and compassion. Web of All Existence

All good and bad experiences are learned, experienced and witnessed by every person on earth through the “web of all existence.” Furthermore, our ancestor’s experiences are handed down through DNA and all these memories are stored not only in our collective consciousness but also in the water and earth of our planet. Blessing the beautiful planet we live on and her gifts of food and water is simple yet powerful. Water A more advanced exercise is to bless your drinking water with love and compassion (or any other blessing) and extend this to the water in the springs, rivers, seas and oceans. Include in your blessing all the water from the glaciers and polar ice caps to the clouds and subaquifers. The earth and our bodies are made-up of 70% water. Water has a consciousness and responds immediately to our thoughts and feelings. Dr. Masaru Emoto’s work has highlighted many wonderful examples of how prayer and healing affect water and the results have been scientifically recorded. Earth Earth healings are part of tribal traditions on every continent. We all can connect to nature and our mother earth through a simple pray. We can bless our home, town, city, region and country we live in and may extend this blessing to the whole planet or any part especially where there is war or a disaster. Sending healing and blessings to our mother earth and celebrating the natural wonders as well as all the animals, birds, fishes and insets around us helps restore balance and harmony to our planet. It does not matter that you cannot see the results in areas of disasters immediately but you will notice how your consciousness changes and this affects your family and friends. In fact everyone you meet will be affected by


The web of all existence encompasses all that is and may be. The word web emphasizes the interconnection of all. As scientists continue to verify what the ancient sages have taught us over the millennia more of us are coming to the understanding that we are One. Whatever you do to another person, you do to yourself. The converse is also true. Whatever you do for yourself, you do for everyone. This is not about narcissism or selfishness. . It is about self-love. This involves taking care and nurturing your physical, emotional, mental and spiritual bodies. By loving yourself it allows you to give a more enriched love to others. “Love your neighbour as yourself.” Once genuine selflove is established it is easy to love everyone we meet and love the Divine within them. Wishing you a year filled with blessings and Divine love. Dr. Amy Thakurdas is a naturopath, shaman and lecturer specializing in stress management and transformation of behavior and consciousness through Energy Psychology and Energy Medicine. She studied ancient wisdoms, consciousness and alternative healing methods with doctors, shamans, gurus and kahunas from around the world. Her studies and collaborations with doctors and research scientists resulted in her unique method she calls “Tranquil Success.” Using this method she has settled conflicts internationally from environmental issues to inter-religious disputes. She currently teaches Ho’oponopono, Hawaiian Shamanism and MultiDimensional Consciousness both in the United Kingdom and America. Together with kindred spirit, Amy works towards a vision where people embrace the Interconnection of Life, nurture their Planet Earth and are healthy in body, mind and spirit. Email: [email protected]


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The Movie Mystic

o, it has already begun. The drumbeat of doom and gloom about the socalled end of the Mayan Calendar in December, 2012 can now be heard, seen, and read with increasing frequency in all forms of media. Apocalyptic books about 2012 are on publishing schedules worldwide. Networks are preparing documentaries and series about the “end times”. A recent search of www.imdb.com, the movie business go-to website for past, present, and future films, lists some upcoming titles in just 2009 and 2010: Nostradamus: 2012; 2012:The Earth Was No More; 2012: The War for Souls, and my personal favorite title so far: 2012:The Day the Earth Bent Over. And we still have 2011 and 2012 to go! An entire industry is being fashioned around that December, 2012 date, almost all of which is designed to worry, terrify, and depress as many people as possible. To which I have three responses: Phooey! Your electricity and credit card bills will still have to be paid in January, 2013, so please don’t assume otherwise. There is one new film, 2012: Science or Superstition that puts all of this fear mongering in the proper

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perspective. The millions of us who have made a commitment in this lifetime to evolution and hope, rather than despair and destruction, must now be vocal and steadfast. If we’re right, and I personally know we are, we can help ease the fear for so many others who truly do fear that the world will physically end in 2012. If we’re wrong, and they’re right, they can scold us when we all pass over together in whatever cataclysm descends upon us. But, don’t count on that fire and brimstone moment and, for goodness sakes, please don’t bet on it, financially or otherwise. As I said above, there are a whole of people who are going to be shocked to see that the outer appearance of life is going to look awfully similar in January 2013 as it did the month before. Remember the last “disaster” moment of Y2K? New Year’s Eve of 1999, or was it 2000? People who awakened on January 1, 2000 to find that Hal of 2001: A Space Odyssey had not become the ruler of the world, then told us that the next New Year’s Eve, 2000, would be the moment of mayhem. Well, unless you drank too much on December 31, 2000, or had a terrible date or something, January 1, 2001 looked pretty much the same as the day before. That is one reason why I so passionately recommend 2012: Science or Superstition. This wonderful documentary calmly and accurately explains all the theories that have led some people to believe that the end-times are near. The extraordinary author Graham Hancock is an integral aspect of the film and deservedly so. Hancock’s epic book Fingerprints of the Gods features the best explanations of

By Stephen Simon flood myths, equinox mysteries, extraterrestrial astronomy, etc. In the film, Hancock and many others patiently illuminate all of the underpinnings of the 2012 phenomenon. They show, with clarity and insight, that there is no reason for us to assume that our outer, physical world is coming to an end in 2012. There is at least as much evidence, if not more, that the 2012 phenomenon bespeaks an inner, spiritual demarcation point for humanity. And that is the crucial distinction that those of us who believe in the manifest destiny of human evolution must champion as we approach December 2012. (The film will, by the way, be the feature selection that we send to all the members of the Spiritual Cinema Circle in July of this year.) THE CHOICE IS OURS AND OURS ALONE. We indeed can choose light over darkness, evolution over destruction, and enlightenment over extinction. This is our exquisite moment. We have the power now to assure not only our survival but also the manifestation of our most profound dreams for our species. I choose the light and invite you to stand with me.

Stephen Simon co-founded www. Spiritualcinemacircle.com. He also produced such films as Somewhere In Time and What Dreams May Come, and both directed and produced Indigo and the film version of Conversations With God. www.earthstarmag.com

MERCURY DETOXIFICATION Chronic Mercury Poisoning, and Mercury Amalgam Fillings

Mercury Detoxification: Is It for You? I’ve written this article to introduce you to the concepts of mercury detoxification. Of course there is much more to this subject than space allows here but it should provide you with enough information to at least consider participating in such a program. You won’t be left in the dark, because all the information you will need to understand how chronic mercury poisoning damages the body and how to support your body’s efforts at safely and naturally removing mercury will be found in my book, Mercury Detoxification: The Natural Way to Remove Mercury from Your Body. You can review the Table of Contents and browse excerpts from each chapter. The book has a full Glossary, an extensive and detailed Reference section, and a complete Index. It also contains over 50 educational Tables and Charts.


In this article I will review my philosophy and approach to mercury detoxification. I’ve extensively researched this subject and have accumulated nearly 1100 articles on all aspects of amalgam fillings, chronic mercury poisoning and mercury detoxification to support my research. These articles make up the largest organized and abstracted articles on this subject and have an extensive Table of Contents. While I believe my book is the most informative book of its kind on this subject for the layperson, I realize that there are other programs out there. I feel that whether you decide to participate in my program or someone else’s, having a sound understanding of the principles of mercury detoxification will better help you understand it and if another program is right for you. My book will do that for you. At least you will have something to compare to and it will serve to make for a more informed choice.

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Considering a Mercury Detoxification Program When considering a mercury detoxification program a number of factors should be considered. They are divided into two parts. Subjective Evaluation • Have you been exposed to mercury? • Source of exposure. • The duration and extent of that exposure. • Number and extent of symptoms and diseases related to chronic mercury poisoning. Objective Evaluation • The results of practical mercury testing (optional). While evaluating the factors that are involved in chronic mercury poisoning, the ultimate decision to participate in a mercury detoxification program should be based on the following criteria. Do you want to improve: • Your overall health, energy, and be as healthy as you can be? • Symptoms that are directly and indirectly related to chronic mercury poisoning? • Your immune/detoxification system and increase your resistance to toxins, infections, allergies, and other, more serious diseases?

• Your quality of life and extend your life-expectancy ? Are you mercury toxic? I believe everyone who still has mercury amalgam (silver) fillings, including those who have had them removed, are mercury toxic to some degree and should seriously consider a mercury detoxification program. Because those who still have these fillings are being constantly exposed to mercury vapor, it’s even more important that they begin a mercury detox program as soon as possible. There are two objective tests for mercury that will tell you if you are mercury toxic and provide a general indication of the extent of the toxicity. These are the fecal metals test and the urine mercury challenge (or provoked) test. Both, along with other common tests for mercury, are explained in detail in my book. While I believe testing has a value it isn’t necessary if you fit the subjective criteria for mercury poisoning. But the fecal metals test can also be beneficial in helping to monitor your mercury detox program. I also feel that an evaluation of your current symptoms and related health issues is a good indicator of the need for a mercury detoxification program. For example, if you have or had amalgam fillings and find you have a number of symptoms, or diseases, related to chronic mercury poisoning, you should seriously consider participating in a program. The following section will serve to explain the importance of symptom diagnosis. Symptoms & Diseases Related to Chronic Mercury Poisoning Most people with mercury amalgam fillings aren’t aware of the extraordinary number of symptoms that are directly and indirectly related to chronic mercury poisoning. Mercury just doesn’t do it’s damage directly, by interfering with the normal metabolic process. It can also devastate the immune system, making you more susceptible to toxins, free radicals, and will lower your resistance to other diseases. Because mercury can be stored in virtually every cell of the body the number of symptoms related to it are wide-ranging. In my opinion, mercury can directly or indirectly cause, contribute to, or make worse every health issue we know of. The list of symptoms and diseases related to chronic mercury poisoning is long, especially when the symptoms related to the indirect of mercury are included. Continued on page 60

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GREEN LIVING

natural home and garden

Freeplay Indigo Table Lantern eep this versatile hand-powered lantern in your car, tent or home, and it won’t matter how far off the grid you get. Just one minute of cranking provides three hours of low-level illumination or six minutes of intense 360° white light from the dimmer-controlled cluster of permanent LEDs. Or use the built-in, single-LED side lamp for directional light. Industrial-grade components stand up to rugged use, and there’s even an adapter for AC charging. $45.00. From www.gaiam.com

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ActiveSoy™ Ruched Jacket

he cozy, go-anywhere ActiveSoy Ruched Jacket has two front pockets, a hood and stylish ruching (gathering) along the full front zipper. Ribbed cuffs and hem. ActiveSoy is made from a silky soft blend of cotton and soy fibers for a breathable fabric that keeps you cool and dry. 65% cotton/30% soybean fiber/5% spandex. Low eco-impact dyes. Machine wash. Classic green, heather gray or black. From gaiam.com.

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SOLAR OVEN his Sun Oven is a great, portable solar cooker weighing only 21 lbs. It's ruggedly built with a strong, insulated fiberglass case and tempered glass door. The reflector folds up and secures for easy portability on picnics, etc. It's completely adjustable, and comes with a built-in thermometer. Gaiam.com

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Features: • Large, 4 cup hopper capacity • Sealed bearings for smooth maintenance free operation • Adjustable for coarse to fine grinding of grains • Powder coated exterior • 24 pound total weight • Converts to alternate power or motor operation GrainMaker offers a limited lifetime warranty on all parts, including the burrs. $425.00 + $20.00 Shipping, from, www.GrainMaker.com APRIL / MAY 2009 EARTH STAR

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GREEN LIVING

natural home and garden BATTERY-POWERED MOWER

he Neuton CE 6 Mower gives you the powerful performance of a gas mower with convenience of battery technology. There is no gas or oil to spill and no engine emissions to pollute the air. This is the most powerful mower with a removable, rechargeable battery you can buy. With 360 watt-hours of battery energy, it has plenty of power to mow through even tall, wet grass. The Neuton CE 6 mower is ideal for lawns up to 1/3 acre (about 15,000 sq. ft.) on a single charge. Features: * Recharging costs about 10 cents * Fully recharges in 12 hours * Runs for up to an hour (depending on grass conditions) * Battery lasts for five years (with proper care) * Battery is over 95% recyclable $489.00, from www.neutonpower.com

T

Ergonomic Garden Tools aximize your gardening power with these innovative gardening tools from NaturalHome Magazine.com. Natural Radius Grip™ NRG PRO tools are designed to be long-lasting, durable and easy on your hands and wrists. The unique circular handgrip is large enough for both hands and gives you FOUR TIMES the gripping surface of conventional tools. Length 31 inches. $39.99 each. NOTE: We discovered that you get ALL of These NRG tools for just $279.60 on Amazon.com.

M

Nontoxic Sweater Saver

W

hen it’s time to put fine wool garments away for the season, a few minutes of pre-storage care can prevent moth damage and add years to your clothing’s life. Here’s how to make your own Cedar Sachet: 1) Place shavings in a glass bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of essential oil. Mix thoroughly. 2) Set aside for 2 to 24 hours. Add more oil for a stronger scent. 3) Cut fabric with pinking shears into a dozen 12-by-12inch squares. Cut a dozen 18-inch lengths of ribbon or twine. 4) Place 1/2 cup of shavings in the center of a fabric square. Gather edges and fasten with a rubber band, followed by the ribbon tied in a bow. 5) Tuck a sachet in each drawer or storage container. Refresh the oil in your sachet annually. 48

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Keep Electronics Out of the Landfill oon you may be able to recycle inkjet cartridges, PDAs, digital cameras and other small electronics by mail for free. This spring, the U.S. Postal Service launched the pilot Mail Back program that makes it easier—and free—for consumers to discard used or obsolete devices responsibly. Electronics recycling and remanufacturing company Clover Technologies Group, which has a zero-waste policy, is funding the program’s postage and packaging, which will be available at select post offices. The pilot program has been launched in 1,500 post offices in several metro areas including Baltimore, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and many cities in California. If all goes well, the program will go national this fall. For more information, visit www.USPS.com/green.

S


directory

New England’s Premier Professional Resource Guide

category Astrological Consulting ....................50 Bookstores & Awareness Centers ...50 Centers ...............................................51 Classes ...............................................51 Healing & Bodywork .........................51 Herbs ..................................................51 Medical Health Care Services ..........54 Metaphysics .......................................55 Psychics .............................................55 Psychology & Transformation .........56 Readings ............................................57 Schools & Institutes ..........................57

Profiles of businesses, centers and individuals that offer holistic services that nurture and support the body, mind and soul.


APRIL / MAY 2009

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ASTROLOGICAL CONSULTING Astrology and Esoteric Psychology — Monique Pommier, Astrology illuminates one’s psychological landscape and journey. It times life developments and reveals their designs for the soul. I offer astrological services and ongoing psychospiritual counseling with astrology, Jungian and esoteric psychology as a comprehensive ground of exploration and guidance on current issues and lifelong questionings.

M.A., Ph.DE

By accessing the deeper order of your life, you gain transformative insights into the evolutionary significance of particular challenges and new perspectives to direct your choices, clearing pathways for heightened vitality and fulfillment. I bring to this work 25 years of experience and lifelong education in Esoteric Psychology (MS) and Philosophy (PhD), Western and Eastern spiritual tradi-

Astrologer and Clairvoyant – Serena Wright-Taylor Serena gives readings that touch your soul. She blends the ancient wisdom of Vedic astrology with her remarkable intuition to help you use perfect timing to bring joy and fruition to all areas of your life. She is highly sought after by celebrities, business executives, speakers, and authors. She has made numerous appearances on TV and

tions and Jungian depth psychology. Services include: * Astrological Consultations for Individuals and Couples * Rayology * Psychospiritual Counseling For information or appointment, please call:

(617) 524-7072

“Serena’s work is extraordinary—a stunning blend of mind, heart, and soul,” says Judith Orloff, M.D., author and clairvoyant psychiatrist. Serena gives readings by telephone all over the country.

radio and you may have recently heard her name on Coast to Coast AM. Serena has been gifted since childhood with the ability to see many dimensions of life. She has spent many years in spiritual practice and enjoys working on her own healing and evolvement so that her service to others is of the highest quality.

Serena Wright-Taylor

310.335.5617 Website: www.vimana.org

BOOKSTORES & AWARENESS CENTERS

Enchantments 10 Boothbay House Hill Boothbay Harbor, ME 04538

207-633-4992 Largest New Age Store in New England! We’ve knocked through a wall and doubled our space! New coffee, tea and dessert bar with eye-of-newt scones. enlarged clothing section featuring Geetah & Sacred Threads; Celtic & Renaissance-style clothing, including

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reversible floor-length capes in velvet and satin; Dirks, knives & swords; Crystal balls and bowls; Scrying mirrors & wiccan supplies; Magic wands; Magic spells; Harry Potter; Candles, candles & more candles. Eastern incense & Native American sage, cedar & juniper; Drums & rainsticks; Large variety of pipes & Grateful Dead memorabilia; Extensive New Age/metaphysical book section; 300+ tarot decks; runes; Egyptian canopic jars & statuary; Eastern religious items & statuary–Buddha, Ganesh, Quan

Yin; Fabulous fountains & fantasy statuary of all kinds; angels & fairies, puppets & dolls, dragons, frogs, & gargoyles; Meyda Tiffany lamps; Hundreds of chimes; Cards & calendars; Crystals, jewelry, gems & minerals; Massage & essential oils; Henna; Body jewelry; Tapes & CDs; Psychic readings. Don’t miss our second store “Enchantment Too” right across the street!!!

Open daily . . . call for hours! Visit our website:

www.enchantments.bz


CENTERS Kriya Yoga is a complete holistic health management system

Institute For Personal Development, Inc. A Kriya Yoga Ashram

Classes, Courses, and Personal Training

652 Lafayette Rd. - Hampton, NH 03842-3348 1-603-929-0303 [email protected] IPD Web Site - http://www.ipdtransform.com

Private Residential Retreat & Personalized Programs Weekends and longer plans available as low as $44 a night

Call toll free 1-888-545-8597 ask for: Kenneth Toy (Swami Jayananda)

Call for Prices on your personal program

Uniting Science with Religion

CLASSES “Reiki speaks to our heart and deepens our connection to self and others.” Libby is a gifted, knowledgeable Reiki Master with 26 years experience. She is coauthor of Reiki Energy Medicine, Bringing Healing Touch into Home, Hospital, and Hospice - over 55,000 copies sold in seven languages.

©

Use Reiki to create more joy and ease in your life. Let Libby’s warm, heart-centered approach help you to take your next step toward self-love and inner peace. Reiki brings balance and harmony, supporting you doing the work you were born to do. Reiki facilitates transitions, promotes creativity and wisdom, and accelerates spiritual growth, helping you manifest your magnificance.

Libby Barnett, MSW

Libby has taught medical and nursing students at Harvard, Brown, Tufts, and Yale as well as staff at Massachusetts General, Beth Israel, Mt Auburn, Emerson, Dartmouth-Hitchcock,

Reiki Master “Love is the healer and Reiki is love.”

Southern New Hampshire, New York Foundling, and New York Columbia Presbyterian. Libby was featured in a Reiki segment for the PBS nationally televised series, Body and Soul. For the past seven years, Libby has conducted Reiki classes at the University of Maryland School of Social Work and at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health. One of Libby’s current passions is teaching hospice staff and volunteers. Fueled by Reiki energy, their healing touch is enhanced, affording greater effectiveness in calming agitation, soothing pain and providing comfort. In class, a powerful slide presentation captures the essence of Reiki. You hear the Reiki story, receive attunements and practice giving and receiving Reiki. You leave class with an illustrated notebook, certificate, and pin, fully trained and certified to do Reiki on yourself, family, friends, and pets.

“My commitment to teach the Usui System of Reiki Healing in the authentic, traditional manner inspired me to visit Japan to retrace the roots of Reiki. I am dedicated to teaching this sacred healing art to promote health and conscious living on the planet. I invite you to give yourself the gift of Reiki. It is an easy, effective way to love, heal, and empower yourself. I look forward to meeting you and sharing Reiki.” Boston area New Hampshire classes:

Please call or check our website for current class schedule To register, call the Reiki Healing Connection: 1-888-REIKI-4-U (1-888-734-5448) or (603) 654-2787. Visa/MC accepted. Social Work and Nursing CEU’s available. Reiki Master Training information avaliable on request.

Reiki Healing Connection • phone (603) 654-2787 • fax (603) 654-2771 • email [email protected] • www.reikienergy.com

HEALING & BODYWORK

Rolfing

Rolfing© is a deep bodywork method developed by Ida P. Rolf, Ph.D., in the 1940's, which frees, releases and reshapes the body to bring it towards greater balance and verticality. Through Rolfing©, body structure is restored and improved, stress is reduced, and movement becomes more fluid, efficient, and graceful. Freedom and range of movement are enhanced, and breathing becomes fuller and easier. As out of balance parts of the body are brought into alignment, chronic aches and pains often disappear. Gravity becomes an ally, rather than an enemy; it is no longer an effort to hold oneself up.

In addition to the physical results, Dennis Bailey, Marshfield (South Shore): (617) 472-2699 clients often experience the release of old emotional traumas, an enhanced self Garret Whitney, Brighton, Concord, image, increased spontaneity of expres(978) 371-2188 sion and increased agility to be assertive Eric Jacobson, Arlington: and nurturing in relationships. (781) 643-6874 For information about Rolfing contact Beate Gottschlich, Cambridge: these certified practitioners: (617) 661-9291

Boston Area Rolfer Group:

Out of State:

Aline Newton, Cambridge: Kevin Frank, Holderness, Concord, NH; (617) 661-6409 Norwich, VT: (603) 968-9585 William Redpath, Bedford, Cambridge: (781) 861-0184

Holistic Vision Improvement

Rosemary Gaddum Gordon, DBO, MA


How we see can be affected by our frame of mind, state of health, and environment. In response to Life we may begin to overfocus at one distance and lose clarity at another, or exhaust our eyes so they can't focus comfortably anywhere, or even let one eye drift in and out. These adaptations may become chronic. We use muscles to focus our eyes. You can learn techniques to relax and coordinate them so that you

can see comfortably and clearly again. Your dependence on glasses or contacts can be prevented, eliminated, or reduced. Rosemary draws on her twenty years experience and training in orthoptics, the Bates' Method, Gestalt Psychotherapy, and EducationalKinesthetics to form a comprehensive approach to vision improvement. She offers individual and group sessions for adults and children.

ROSEMARY GADDUM GORDON, D.B.O., M.A.

CAMBRIDGE, MA

(617) 354-8360 and

ELIOT, ME NEAR PORTSMOUTH, NH

(207) 439-9821 www.visioneducators.com APRIL / MAY 2009 EARTH STAR

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HEALING & BODYWORK continued Betty Solbjor has been practicing and teaching Reiki since 1996, and in 2002 became a Karuna Reiki® Master, a Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner, and was ordained as an interfaith minister. She has extensive experience using Reiki on both people and animals to gently treat many Betty L. Solbjor, BFRP illnesses and emotional problems. Reiki brings about a deep sense of relaxation and Usui Reiki Master inner peace. Combined with Magnified Karuna Reiki® Master Healing, crystal singing bowls, and guided Interfaith Minister meditation, a session can help to restore balance and harmony to body, mind and soul.

Services offered:

•

Reiki treatment sessions and training for all levels of Reiki and Karuna Reiki

•

Bach Flower Essence® consultations and creation of custom formulas

•

Weddings and other ceremonies

(781) 258-7712 Waltham, MA email: [email protected] web: www.reikiflowers.com Member, International Association of Reiki Professionals and Better Business Bureau®, Serving Eastern Masschusetts

Call or e-mail to schedule an appointment or inquire about classes.

COLON HYDROTHERAPY Genesis Alternative Health

Genesis Alternative Health Center is committed to restore and maintain the “inner ecology” of your body, conquering food cravings and controlling symptoms Genesis Alternative Health that keep you from experiencing optimal 172 State Street health and the joy of living, through the Newburyport, MA 01950 cleansing method of Colon Hydrotherapy and simple step-by-step guidance to eat your way to better health. Owner Ezhra Tel. (978) 463-8800 Martin, C.B.C., is a certified Body •Headaches •Bloating •Joint & Muscle Pain Ecology Counselor and certified Colon Hydrotherapist of 25 years through I- see: www.bodyecologydiet.com •Depression •Gas •Menstrual irregularities •Skin rashes •Diarrhea •Digestive problems ACT and the National Board for Colon Body Ecology Counseling in MA Hydrotherapy, using only FDA registered •Sensitivity to tobacco, chemicals and odors •Cancer •AIDS and other immune-related disorders equipment Footbath detox and cultured foods available.

If you experience pain, discomfort, food cravings, fatigue, or other symptoms that won’t go away regardless of what you do, chances are you’re one of the tens of millions unknowingly suffering from a systemic fungal infection. The results of an imbalance that begins in your “inner ecosystem”, fungus/yeast infections can be a key factor in:

781-899-7163

Polarity Body Energy Balancing

Waltham, MA deep relaxation physical well-being personal and spiritual growth

www.screamingpeanut.com

A Traveling Colon Hydrotherapist Colon Hydrotherapy (Colonic Irrigation) in the comfortable surroundings of the Lydian Center for Innovative Medicine.

The Key to Living

The Natural Path Alternative, Inc.

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The Center is located inside the Professional Arts Building of Sancta Maria Hospital.

Services Offered: • Colon Hydrotherapy • I-ACT Certified Practitioners • FDA Registered Instruments • Slow and Continuous Fill (simulates gravity flow) systems available • Over 20 years of colon hydrotherapy experience • Iridology is the science and practice of analyzing the Iris, pupil and sclera of the eye to determine inherited and accumulated health patterns.

APRIL / MAY 2009

Joya Z. Baynes • I-ACT Certified • Over 6 years Experience • FDA Approved PPC-101 “The Traveler” Instrument • Closed System

• Herbal/Nutritional Consultation in which an herbalist/pharmacist with over 10 years of experience creates individualized cleansing, fasting, and wellness programs using herbs specified for the client. • 3 and 7 day cleanses • Kidney cleanses • Liver & Gall Bladder cleanses • Weight Loss cleanses • Lymphatic Therapy is a therapy used to help move the lymphatic system, an integral part of our immune system. High-Frequency

LIFETIME H EALTH & CONSULTING 777 CONCORD AVENUE, S UITE 301 CAMBRIDGE, MA 02139 617-710-1337 or 617-876-6777 [email protected] www.colonlove.com

and Manual Therapy available. • 10-Day Cleanse Program • 30-Day Detox/Rejuvenation Program

The Natural Path Alternative, Inc. 214 Market Street Brighton, MA 02135

617-787-5040 [email protected] www.healthycleansing.com


HEALING & BODYWORK continued

America’s Most Experienced Reiki Teachers John Harvey Gray has been a Reiki Master instructor since 1976, actively teaching and practicing Reiki longer than any other living teacher in the West. He took his entire Reiki training with Hawayo Takata, who brought Reiki to the West from Japan. John has conducted over 850 Reiki workshops, teaching more than 15,000 students, and was named the 1994 Interface Presenter of the Year. Lourdes Gray, Ph.D., his wife, is a Reiki Master instructor certified by John. John Harvey Gray She brings years of extensive experience & Lourdes Gray, Ph.D. using Reiki to treat degenerative diseases such as arthritis, cancer, HIV/AIDS, as well as emotional problems.

Questions? Call or write for information about workshops or private Reiki sessions. Third Degree/Master Instructor training available.

Reiki 1st Degree Program (13.5 CEU credits available.) • Juune 13-14 Jaffrey, NH • Aug 22-23 Belmont, MA • Aug 29-30 Jaffrey, NH • Oct 10-11 Jaffrey, NH Reiki 2nd Degree Program • June 20-21 Jaffrey, NH • July 25-26 Jaffrey, NH • Sept 12-13 Belmont, MA • Oct 24-25 Jaffrey, NH

Read our new book! Hand To Hand

Available now at reiki.mv.com, local bookstores and Amazon.com

THE JOHN HARVEY GRAY CENTER FOR REIKI HEALING

Reiki Master Program • Aug 15-Dec 20 Jaffrey, NH

15 Dolly Lane, Rindge, NH 03461

Reiki 1st Degree Program for Kids • July 11-12 Jaffrey, NH

Register online! www.learnreiki.org

603/899-3288 Visa/MC accepted for all courses.

Contact Hours available

Ayurvedic Wellness Evaluations for Mind-Body Balance Are you feeling out of balance? Ayurveda offers time tested ways to restore balance to your mind, body, and emotions. An Ayurvedic Wellness Evaluation with our Maharishi Ayurveda expert (Vaidya) from India helps to identify imbalances at the root of your current or potential

health problems. The Vaidya will examine your health history and assess your current state of mind-body balance using the traditional Ayurvedic pulse reading method. You will receive personalized program including diet, lifestyle recommendations, and herbal supplements.

Call:

877-890-8600

Maharishi Vedic Health Center 679 George Hill Road, Lancaster, MA, 01523 www.lancasterhealth.org

Cleansing for the body, the mind, the spirit Experience colon hydrotherapy in a safe, relaxed environment using state-of-the-art FDA registered equipment.

“Energy flows where attention goes”


Nancy Ames, a graduate of the Bancroft School of Massage Therapy, has been a massage therapist for over 16 years. She is also a member of the American Massage Therapy Association. Nancy offers many different styles of massage modalities including: relaxing Swedish massage, therapeutic deep tissue, trigger point therapy, myofascial release and Reiki.

Stephanie Dumas, I-ACT certified Colon Hydrotherapist, Owner

Lexington Medical Building 16 Clarke Street Lexington, MA

[email protected]

(781) 860-5116

Her treatments include luxurious hot towels placed on tight and sore muscles that help to relieve tension and stress. Nancy tailors her massage sessions to meet her clients’ needs. Visit her on the web at:

www.nancyamesmt.com Or you can email her at

Nancy Ames Massage Therapy

481 Great Rd. Suite 9 Acton Ma.

(978) 263-6886

[email protected]


53

HEALING & BODYWORK continued Stop Smoking in One Session & Lose Weight Naturally

George W. Mephis, Ph.D.

George W. Mephis, Ph.D., worldrenowned Russian healer and spiritual teacher with 25 years of experience in helping people stop smoking, lose weight and achieve freedom from addiction slavery. He has been called The Miraclemaker for his phenomenal ability to cure incurable diseases. He is the founder of the HypnoEnergetic Movement. This powerful

technique stimulates the brain to produce more pleasure hormones, naturally creating a positive state of consciousness and at the same time erasing the negative memories related to addictive behavior. Mr. Mephis helps people quit smoking in one session, lose weight and control their appetite, eliminate pain, stress, anxiety,

Rolfing® produces lasting improvements in posture, breathing, movement, and overall relaxation. The Rolfer uses manual pressure to help you feel into and let go of rigidities in the connective tissue that wraps every muscle and bone. As you let go the tissue changes state, becoming more elastic and conductive of energy. This enhances freedom of movement, sensation, and circulation. Rolfing is done in specific patterns throughout the body to allow a more erect posture, easier breathing, improved balance, and more graceful movement. These changes lead to a more positive self-image and increased confidence. Once elasticity has been restored it will remain unless the Eric Jacobson, Ph.D. is re-injured subjected to emotional Rolfing® * Craniosacral Therapy area trauma or very long-term tension, so the Psychotherapy benefits are relatively permanent.

Mark Levin

George W. Mephis, Ph.D.

Market Street Health 214 Market Street Brighton, MA 02135

617-507-1991 1-888-464-3363 www.hypnoenergetic.com

Other Benefits: Increases ability to sense emotions and other energetic states. Releases negative emotional memories. Accelerates progress in psychotherapy or spiritual practice. Restores flexibility and circulation to scar tissue and joints, both post-injury and post-surgical.

Craniosacral Therapy gently increases the mobility of the bones in the head, spine and pelvis. This is especially effective in relieving cranial compression from head injuries. Patterns of distress and dysfunction going back as far as birth and childhood can be treayed. Benefits include relief from chronic pain and tension in then head, neck, or lower back, and the release of negative emotional memories.

My Background includes training in Rolfing with Ida Rolf, and in Craniosacral Therapy with John Upledger. I am a graduate of the Gestalt Training Center of San Diego and the Cambridge Family Institute and have a private practice in psychotherapy. I am certified as an Advanced Rolfer by the Rolf Institute, and have practiced in the Boston area for the past 35 years. For free literature or an appointment:

781-643-6874 10 Ramsdell Court, Arlington, MA 02476

www.eric-jacobson.com

Mark Levin was able to create very powerful For an office appointment or to place healing processes for hundreds of satisfied a remote healing request please call clients both within physical realm of his office and remotely throughout entire world. 617-779-8765

Energy Healer Certified Hypnotherapist Reiki Master

Devoted to Helping You Feel Better

depression, addictive behavior and various other physical disorders in a unique and miraculous way.

Specializes in: Hypnotherapy, Reiki, Polarity There are many clinically documented cases of Therapy, white light healing, remote healing. spontaneous healing performed by him. By combining traditional healing methods 121 B. Tremont Street, Suite #19 such as Reiki, hypnosis, polarity therapy with Brighton, MA his original white light healing therapy,

In urgent cases, please call 617-233-3986 Major credit cards accepted.

HERBS

MEDICAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES

INTERNAL MEDICINE

Hsing M. Wu, M.D. Internal Medicine

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Hsing M. Wu, M.D. is a visiting professor of medicine from the Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing, China. He is a Research Fellow in pulmonary medicine at the V.A. Medical Center in Boston.

APRIL / MAY 2009

We integrate the Western and the Oriental Medicine with their cultures to help people to get better health rewards and a happy, long life.

Beacon Medical Center 1842 Beacon Street, #207 Brookline, MA 02445 Tel: (617)

731-9130


MEDICAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES continued Holistic Dental Practice grows to Biologic and Physiologic Dentistry

Herbert S. Yolin, D.D.S. “I am committed to helping people keep all their teeth all their lives.” Dentistry for the 21st Century — Today! Gum surgery is history, say goodbye to the drill, the pain, the noise and the needle.

Miracle Bite Tabs™ (MBT) & Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT), are used to treat Dental Distress Syndrome (DDS) as written about by Dr. Hans Selye MD, Dr. Fonder, a dentist, & others.

Your teeth and jaws are an extension of your brain and spinal cord. Any imbalances caused by improper alignment of the jaw (commonly referred to as dental proprioception) can play a major role in all disease and pain. Faulty dental proprioception can cause improper neurological feedback to the brain affecting most, if not all body functions. Temporary relief is easy and inexpensive, and can enhance your present treatment whether it is Chiropractic, Acupuncture, Massage, Physical or Neural Therapy, Pain Management, and TMD/TMJ. There are over 230 positive studies from 81 universities in 37 countries involving 24 different dental procedures with an astounding 94% success rate. This included procedures as sensitive teeth, pain control, speed of healing, periodontal disease, and others. Carisolv™ a 5 yr. old gel from Sweden, approved by the FDA(2001) that softens

decay so it can be scraped out without drilling, causing less pain and discomfort. Add this to Micro-dentistry and Air Abrasion and it becomes true needle free, mercury free filling procedure. Dr. Yolin has offered an alternative to traditional periodontal surgery for more then 15 years and now adds a Soft Tissue Laser for enhancing the sterilizing of the diseased gum pockets. He is a certified member of the Academy of Laser Dentistry (exam based). Phase contrast microscopy, bacterial cultures and anti-microbial natural oils are used in the never ending commitment to avoiding unnecessary gum surgery. Mercury (Hg) in your saliva from chewing? Take the chewing test and have your saliva analyzed for Hg at a very reasonable cost. You may not need them removed. Defective amalgams are removed following IAOMT protocol.

Dr. Yolin has been trained in the specialty of Prosthetic Dentistry but does not limit his practice. He utilizes hypnotherapy for dental phobic, cosmetic dentistry, oral devices for snoring and sleep apnea, 28 years experience in treating head/neck facial pain syndrome, metal free crowns wherever possible, and extensive training in dental implantology. His treatment philosophy is based on the fact that at the end of every tooth is a human being and although he fixes teeth, he treats human beings. And that will never change. Call now for a consultation and share the excitement at:

Northeast Dental Associates Herbert S. Yolin, D.D.S. 1842 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA 02146

(617) 730-8989 DrYolin.com

a mercury free office

Margo Roman D.V.M. is a 1978 graduate of Tuskegee Veterinary School. She interned at Angell Memorial and was on the teaching staff Main Street Animal at Tufts School of Veterinary Medicine. She Services of Hopkinton studied homeopathy with Luc DeShepper of the Renaissance Institute of Classical www.mashvet.com Homeopathy. Dr. Roman is a member of the Homeopathic, Holistic & American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Traditional Veterinary Medicine Association as well as International Veterinary Acupuncture Society and Massachusetts Margo Roman, D.V.M. We are truly a whole health center, Veterinary Medical Association. Dr. Roman has also offering surgery, diagnostics, completed Tufts Veterinary advanced Herbal (508) 435-4077 or (508) 435-MASH and Chiropractic courses. vaccination/titering, and x-Rays. 72W. Main St. - Hopkinton, MA

At M.A.S.H. we feel that complementary Main St. Animal Services of Hopkinton medicine is state of the art health care for your pet. We offer homeopathy, acupuncture, nutrition, chiropractic care, body work, physical therapy, and Reiki as part of your pet’s whole health program. Our caring staff is dedicated to guiding you toward total health for your pet. Now offerinig ozone therapy.

Est. 1983

Please call for a holistic consultation today!

METAPHYSICS Experience The Healing Power of

Christ Church Unity is affiliated with Unity School of Christianity ,

Music, Prayer & Meditation Wednesdays 7:00 p.m. Sunday Service Daily Word Discussion Sundays

11:00 AM 10:00 AM

publisher of the Daily

Word and Silent Unity

Listen to Our Radio Program “Peace Be Still” Sundays 11:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m

WBIX 1060 AM

Christ Church Unity Cnr. Colchester & Chapel Sts.

Brookline, MA 02446 (at the Longwood T on the Green Line D Train)

617-232-4548 www.unityboston.org

PSYCHICS PSYCHIC READINGS AND INTUITIVE LIFE COACHING New Zealand Native, Shannar, has traveled extensively throughout the world sharing her gifts of the Sacred Language of Light. From a very early age Shannar was aware that the other realms were contacting and working with her, this began her own spiritual journey into the other worlds through Clairvoyance/Clairaudience and Mediumship for Grief Therapy. Her psychic ability has touched the hearts of all her clients both in the USA and Overseas and her varied live experiences have greatly assisted those that have sought her Life Coaching methods.


The Sacred Language of Light is a very special tool for resolving our patterns by connecting with the cellular memory and healing the agreements that we made in this and past lives. The Sacred Language of Light comes through in the special pieces of symbolic art form known as the pictographs. Each pictograph is a Star Gate Map into our cellular encodings and contains Sacred Geometry, Symbols, Musical Harmonics, Ancient and Star Languages. Shannar is able to speak the Sacred Language, hears the stories in poetry form and performs the pictograph symbols with her hands.

Readings Life Coaching Grief Counseling Workshops Performances ProductsAvailable

For further information:

1-888-394-9099 www.sacredlifestyles.com

APRIL / MAY 2009

EARTH STAR

55

PSYCHICS continued Astrologer and Clairvoyant – Serena Wright-Taylor Serena gives readings that touch your soul. She blends the ancient wisdom of Vedic astrology with her remarkable intuition to help you use perfect timing to bring joy and fruition to all areas of your life. She is highly sought after by celebrities, business executives, speakers, and authors. She has made numerous appearances on TV and radio and you may have recently

heard her name on Coast to Coast AM. Serena has been gifted since childhood with the ability to see many dimensions of life. She has spent many years in spiritual practice and enjoys working on her own healing and evolvement so that her service to others is of the highest quality.

Serena gives readings by telephone all over the country.

Serena Wright-Taylor

310-335-5617

“Serena’s work is extraordinary—a stunning blend of mind, heart, and soul.” Says Judith Orloff, M.D., author and clairvoyant psychiatrist

Website: www.vimana.org

PSYCHOLOGY & TRANSFORMATION WHAT THE SOUL WOULD SAY IF THE SOUL COULD SPEAK Become the change you want to see in the world. —Gandhi Become who you are —Nietzsche

Let me guide you in life-changing Lacanian analytic sessions. Learn more how to hear your soul speak rather than your ego so that you can place this deepest knowing at the center of your life.

• Relationship issues • Grief • Loneliness • Anxiety • Depression • Divorce • Career Issues • Trauma • Spiritual Crises • Weight Loss

Therapy Should Take Hours Not Years Read What Former Clients Say About Ross Miller Migraines, a Thing of the Past... “I can’t believe you got rid of my migraines. At first I didn’t believe you when you said it was due to a past life when I was a soldier and got shot in the head. No wonder the doctors couldn’t help me.” —Donna M., Hartford, CT

Anger, Grief & Guilt Transformed... “In the course of one (two-hour) session with Ross, I was able to release and heal the deep, dark feelings of anger, grief, guilt and shame that had their origins in several of my past lives." —Brian D., Cranston, RI

Depression and Anxiety Attacks Gone... “Dear Ross, I’m going to name my first child after you. You’ve succeeded where 8 years of therapists and innumerable pain medications have failed. My depression and anxiety attacks are gone, gone, gone. Forever grateful.” —Roz S., Attleboro, MA

Fybromyalgia & Chronic Fatigue Gone... “By the end of the third healing session (0ver the phone), my fybromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and depression were completely gone. Thank you, Ross." —Denise F., Hull, MA

Free of Drugs & Alcohol... “Dear Ross, Thank you for helping my daughter get over the breakup of her boyfriend and Ross Miller off of drugs and alcohol. She’s a completely Regression Therapist changed person.” —Sharon K., Manchester, NH

For a consultation or more information call:

All life transitions can be addressed, for example:

Agoraphobia Cured... “A long overdue thank you. My agoraphobia (fear of being in public places) is completely gone. In addition, I’ve started exercising and eating better, and I’ve lost 30 lbs.! I owe it all to you.” —Elizabeth S., Worcester, MA

Meg Turner, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist Harvard Square

(617) 868-3727

What is Regression Therapy? To go back in time (without the use of hypnosis) to the origin or root cause of a problem and release or heal it. This might entail going back to past lives or earlier parts of your current life. For the past 25 years Ross Miller has been offering the benefits of regression therapy worldwide, helping his clients quickly and easily release their fears, anxiety attacks, depression, anger, physical pain, grief, abuse trauma, addictions, blocked potential, fibromyalgia, stress, chronic fatigue, eating disorders, health problems and phobias. Ross is available for individual or couples regression therapy sessions, psychic and past life readings and/or healing by telephone or in person. (See Directory ad under "Psychics".) For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call:

Ross Miller 1075 Washington St., Newton, MA 02465

(617) 527-3583 Email: [email protected] Website: www.TheMysticWay.com

DEEPEN YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS THROUGH TRANSFORMATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY Sonny is available for ongoing client-centered therapy in a compassionate setting where you can feel safe without fear that you will be judged. Being asked the right questions in a confidential environment can further enhance your self-knowing and assist you in moving into a state of joy. The sessions are available to help you process and integrate the beauty of your wholeness with respect and honor.

Sonny Rose, M.A. Counseling & Psychotherapy

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If you are not living the life you prefer because you feel blocked, are in a transitional time, experiencing on-going stress or sadness, emotional numbness, or are

APRIL / MAY 2009

aware of self-defeating patterns, then your awareness can greatly motivate you to deepen the process of self-discovery. Working in collaboration with Sonny will heighten your experience of healing and transformation.

vative mind/body/spiritual techniques which have profound effects in the process of transformation. Individual and group work available. Support for people living with cancer.

call for more information. Sonny Rose holds a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology and has worked with many diverse groups around the world. She has worked as an adjunct faculty member at Lesley University and has worked in Rehabilitative Medicine at Boston University Medical School. Sonny’s work incorporates many inno-

Sonny Rose, M.A.C.P. 617-492-2224 in Cambridge and

978-369-7733 in Concord


PSYCHOLOGY & TRANSFORMATION continued Barbara is a licensed mental health counselor who is certified in EMDR.

Compassionate Psychotherapy and EMDR We are each endowed with an enormous capacity for self-healing and often simply need a guide to show us the way. Barbara’s style of compassionate psychotherapy combined with the rapid and profound healing effects of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) can lead to new levels of emotional and physical health and well being.

Barbara Gangemi

EMDR is a body focused therapy that allows a person to reprocess disturbing memories that have become “stuck” in the

Get More Out of Life!

More Joy!

Glenn Bigonet, M.A. Mental Health Counselor Compassionate Acceptance

(617) 462-6642

brain through a disruption in normal information processing. Past events seem “frozen in time” and talking about them does not relieve the distress they contain.

Office hours by appointment (617) 553-0714 in Roslindale and

Barbara has been practicing psychotherapy for fifteen years and EMDR for ten. She considers the opportunity to help clients as a sacred trust, embarking on the path to healing with the knowledge that we can face together what may be too frightening to face alone.

More Love!

(508) 435-5580 in Hopkinton. email:

[email protected] Call or email for further information and to schedule a consultation.

More Satisfaction!

Glenn uses an approach that will help you to find your way free from the areas of your life in which you feel stuck or unsatisfied. Isn’t it time you start living the life you really want? He offers great knowledge and compassion to his clients who deal with life transitions, relationships, addictions, grief, anger, self-esteem, trauma/abuse, self-harmful behavior, divorce, and mental health issues.

You Deserve It!

Alternative relationships and lifestyles welcome. Initial consultation free. Sliding Scale Available.

Office in Newton Group Available

www.GlennBigonet.com

READINGS Angelica offers a wide variety of both Metaphysical and New Age gifts. Browse around, enjoy the softness of the Angelic energy. Feel the magic that Angelica of the Angels brings to you. We have a knowledgable staff to answer any and all questions and direct you in anyway they can to help guide you in life. READINGS ARE OUR SPECIALTY Spiritual Counseling Mediumship Trance Channelling Tarot Readings Psychic Readings Telephone Readings

Astrological Charts Classes & Workshops Parties & Weddings

Books • Music (Metaphysical) Incense • Oils • Aromatherapy Crystals • Jewelry • Candles

AURA PHOTOS: face & chakra body A READER ON HAND AT ALL TIMES BY APPOINTMENT: Rev. Barbara E. Szafranski Classes ongoing weekly. Meditation: Mon, Tue, & Wed, 7:00 to 9:00P.M. Focus on psychic development. Shambhalla’s Healing Ctr. offers Angelic Healing, Reiki, and Energy Work.

By appointment only.

With The Love of Angels Rev. Barbara E. Szafranski Gifts of the Spirit 7 Central Street, Salem, MA 01970

978-745-9355 Open Monday thru Sunday

SCHOOLS & INSTITUTES

Create Your Career at Cortiva Institute - Muscular Therapy Institute Honoring the power of body, mind, and spirit, CI-MTI’s professional training program prepares you to enter the massage therapy profession with confidence. Our comprehensive curriculum, rich in science, communications, business, and practical experience, provides a solid foundation in specialized technique to help you address clients’ most common symptoms. Our dedicated faculty teach with the insight and passion that come from a

As above...

GURDJIEFF

well-developed expertise and love for their work. Our Career Services and Placement Office offers you the extensive Cortiva network of opportunities and career support with personalized attention. Our in-depth 900-hour program is available in a variety of formats, including a new one-year option, to accommodate the busy lives of working people. Come to an Introductory Workshop to explore a career in massage for yourself.

SYSTEM OF HARMONIC DEVELOPMENT Reading • Exercise • Prayer • Music ORDINARY KESDJAN MENTAL CAUSAL Sensation Attention Will Being Doing Conscience Hope Reason Faith Trust Love Group reading of All & Everything on Sunday and weekday mornings in Davis Square, Somerville. (consult www.yogaguitar.com/A&E)


Call Admissions at

(617) 668-1000 www.cortiva.com/mti Licensed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation. Financial aid available for those who qualify.

103 Morse St., Watertown, MA 02472

So below...

YOGAGUITAR™

“You are your instrument.” Flexibility • Meridians • Personality • Harmony PHYSICAL VIBRATIONAL INTELLECTUAL EMOTIONAL Private stretching and classes. Free class Sunday noon in Davis Square. Limited space. Call or email. 617-666-4839 [email protected]

APRIL / MAY 2009

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SCHOOLS & INSTITUTES continued

CONNECTICUT CENTER FOR MASSAGE THERAPY Since 1980, CCMT has been providing comprehensive, holistic massage therapy training.

Newington, CT Main Campus: 877-282-2268 Westport, CT Branch Campus: 877-292-2268 FIND OUT MORE: [email protected] www.ccmt.edu

Our programs are 8-24 months with flexible full and part-time schedules.

Groton, CT Branch Campus: 877-295-2268

Classes start in January, May and September.

CCMT is accredited by the Commission on Massage Therapy Accreditation (COMTA). Financial aid is available to those who qualify. Visit our store at www.HandsOnSupply.com. Continuing education year-round.

THE RISHI CENTER — NEWPORT RI Study the ancient Indian science of natural living: Ayurveda, the world’s oldest continuously practiced healing art. • Ayurvedic Consultant - 500 hours • Ayurvedic Yoga Specialist - 200 hours • Ayurvedic Massage - 200 hours • Monthly weekend intensives Ad Size

Applications for the 2006-2007 season will be accepted till 15 January 2007. Applications for the 2007-2008 season will be accepted till 15 August 2007.

For further details and information contact

Swami Shivananda at: 401-846-2436 or email: [email protected]

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SCHOOLS & INSTITUTES continued

Massage Institute of New England

DoveStar Institute School of Holistic Technology www.dovestar.edu

Personally designed flexible programs

The Massage Institute of New England (MINE) has, as our main objective, the education and training of the highest quality professional Massage Therapists. Our program focuses on the Integration of Body, Mind, and Spirit; accomplished by balancing the scientific study of anatomy and physiology with holistic therapeutic massage technique. Each student's process of growth during the course of our program is a mirror of the process of the change and evolution which they, as Massage Therapists, will facilitate in their clients.

Because Dovestar believes integration to be an efficient way to facilitate growth, we offer the Holistic Practitioner title. This allows a personally designed study of many chosen modalities to qualify for a title recognized as a viable profession. Certification requires completion of one certification from each of the following groups representing four forces that regulate our life at the cellular level. Alchemia Inner Cleanse (Centripetal) This program consists of many options to regain access to your personal power through the release of toxic beliefs stored in the energetic systems and affecting our quality of life. Alchemia Teacher (Centrifugal) To be able to share who we are comes from our

School of the Metaphysical, Medicinal and Martial Sciences of Asia and the Americas

• 500 hour Massage Therapist Certification • 750 hour Clinical Massage Therapist Certification • Deep Tissue & Allied Health Certification • Licensed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Education

Does working with your hands in a people-oriented industry sound appealing? Call or write for our free brochure and schedule of introductory events. We offer advanced training for Massage and Clinical professionals. Visit our website at www.MINE-MassageInstitute.com. Or call for our Brochure and Newsletter.

Classes commence 5 times a year

Massage Institute of New England

Day & Evening classes

22 McGrath Highway, Suite 11 Somerville, MA 02143

Full or Part-time schedules

617-666-3700

interactions with others. This program offers Some of our Certifications several ways of finding our personal knowlAlchemia-Reiki, Colon Hydrotherapist, edge and sharing who we are as unique indi- Holistic Clinic Management, Shamballa & Reiki viduals. This can be applied by allowing for the reality that within each of us, there is at all Master Teacher, Alchemia Yoga Teacher, Kriya Massage Practitioner, Kriya Yoga Bodywork times the teacher and the student. and Massage, Synergy Mental Health, Kriya Bodywork (Gravity) Our physical Birthing and Parenting, Doula. body is the vehicle that allows us to express our spirit on the physical plane. Honoring and New Hampshire: 50 Whitehall Rd., caring for the body requires respecting its Hooksett, NH (603) 669-5104 needs on all levels. This program offers manyh Massachusetts: 128 Main St., ways of accomplishing that.

Carver, MA (508) 830-0068

Alchemical Synergy (Electomagnetic) The intent of this program is to reclaim all fragments of consciousness in order to discover the whole person inside and release the creativity that is an expression of our passion.

Licensed by: NH Post-Secondary Education Comm. & Common. of MA Dept. of Education

Holistic Therapies & Fitness Programs SHAMANIC THERAPIES, HEALING CENTER METAPHYSICAL CONSULTATIONS As a Learning Institution and a Healing & 5 ELEMENT READINGS Center, in addition to our "Certificate Programs" we also offer non-certification TAI CHI, Internal Martial Art & Medical Qigong classes to the general public and to BAGUA, 661 Mass. Ave., Private, Semi-Private and Corporate instiHSING YI & MEDICAL QIGONG tutions also, Therapy & Metaphysical Arlington, MA TAOIST YOGA INSTRUCTOR Readings and sessions on and off-site. Workshops are performed nationally. Certification Programs offer Traditional Topics include those mentioned and also: Chinese Medical & Metaphysical Theory DEEP TISSUE CHEROKEE BODYWORK Studies and Anatomy for diagnostics that will NCCAOM / AOBTA Certified Therapists & TUI NA, SOTAI HO help you excel in your personal practice and or Se Habla Espanol as a professional therapist or instructor. Join neuro-muscular skeletal realignment & Municipal Parking in the rear adjustment without painful cracking, us at our Massage CEU workshops.

700-HOUR CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS

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59

Mercury Detox.... Cont. from page 46

You can find the list by Clicking on Symptoms and Diseases Related to Chronic Mercury Poisoning. Of course, most of these symptoms can also have other causes and contributors. But we do know that every one of them can be caused, or made worse, by chronic mercury poisoning! This isn’t speculation as there are thousands of studies to support what can happen when exposure to mercury passes the threshold level that will then manifest a related symptom. Also keep in mind that the level of exposure, and the amount of accumulated mercury, can vary from person to person. For example, if 10 people were in an environment where the threshold level for mercury vapor was reached, not all would necessarily exhibit the earliest symptoms of mercury poisoning. For example, the immune/detoxification system of some could be functioning better, allowing them to remove more mercury than those whose system is more compromised. There are also genetic and other factors involved. Of note is that the amount of mercury in the body of those with these fillings has been shown to be proportional to the number fillings in the mouth. The number and severity of symptoms related to chronic mercury poisoning will be determined by your state of health (especially the status of your immune system), how much mercury you’ve been exposed to over time, and the amount that is stored in your body. Understanding the full effect and depth of chronic mercury poisoning, and how singularly devastating it can be to your health, should also serve to motivate you to consider a mercury detoxification program. You can review an article I wrote on it by Clicking on Chronic Mercury Poisoning and Amalgam Fillings. Symptom Improvement A number of studies have been done that show the improvements in symptoms and diseases related to chronic mercury poisoning when amalgam fillings have been removed and when a detoxification program was included. This is encouraging news and demonstrates how wonderfully the body can respond once the source of the poison has been removed and the body is supported in its efforts at removing mercury. You can review these studies by Clicking on Symptoms & Improvements. You must understand that the key to symptom improvement is directly related to removal of mercury from the body. As long as mercury is still there no related symptom or disease will improve. Removing the most prominent source of mercury, amalgam fillings, is a critical first step and means the body will be better able to

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remove stored mercury because it now longer as to deal with the mercury entering the body from these fillings. The day you have all of your fillings removed your body will be the most depleted in the antioxidants necessary to increase the rate of removal. Thus, supporting your body’s efforts at removing mercury by initiating a mercury detoxification program will accelerate the removal process and hasten symptom improvement. This rate and extent of improvement is a very individual thing based on a number of factors I discuss in my book. The Confusion about Mercury Detoxification While there’s a consensus within the mercury free dental community about the need to safely remove mercury amalgam fillings, there’s considerably less agreement about the most effective and safest way to go about removing mercury from the body. I believe a large percentage of dentists and health professionals do not fully understand the effects of chronic mercury poisoning on overall health. I am certain that this lack of awareness has lead to chronic mercury poisoning being extraordinarily under diagnosed. In addition, many mercury free dentists and health professionals who believe in the need and value of mercury detoxification have differing recommendations regarding treating it. Some recommend extremely low dosages of supplements, and others recommend dosages that may be too high for many people. This can result in confusion for the layperson, especially when the fundamentals of mercury detoxification haven’t been adequately explained and understood. If you don’t have the basic background information you won’t be able to make an informed choice about whether or not to participate in a mercury detox program. Without the ability to make an informed choice you will continue to be a victim of this health destroying poison. Taking the Confusion Out of Mercury Detoxification I will briefly discuss the key elements of the innovative and natural approach I take to mercury detoxification. This philosophy is the key to the safety and success of my program. A Natural Approach My program approaches mercury detoxification in the safest and most natural way possible. This insures that undesirable side-effects will be reduced or eliminated. The goal of my program is to support—and ultimately


improve—your body’s own extraordinary ability to effectively remove mercury. Most people aren’t aware that the body has this ability, but if the exposure is too great it becomes less and less effective at removing it. Thus, unless it receives support from you it will not be able to remove the mercury or heal the damage done by it. Once your body’s ability to remove mercury has been restored and your mercury levels have been significantly reduced, the program can continue to function as a health maintenance program. In other words, it’s designed to not only help you eliminate mercury in the most natural way possible, but to also help you achieve an optimal state of health and then keep you healthy. While the fundamental approach I take to mercury detoxification is the same for everyone, each person’s situation is unique and should be dealt with accordingly. For example, the present state of your overall health, nutritional status, health of your immune system, the extent and length of your mercury exposure, and your body’s ability to eliminate mercury, must all be taken into consideration. These factors will vary from person to person. Ultimately, it’s the sum of these factors that will determine how long you should participate in the program and the benefits you will receive from it. The approach I take to mercury detoxification makes my program safe for virtually anyone who doesn’t have a serious, pre-existing health problem—such as severe liver and kidney problems, or chronic constipa-


tion—which would contraindicate or limit full participation without ongoing support from a health professional. Except for the possible use of a pharmaceutical chelator, everything in my program is either naturally produced by the body, required by the body but must be obtained from outside sources, e.g. vitamin C, or is a health supporting nutrient. All the supplements and nutrients used in my program are sold overthe-counter at health food stores and by most vitamin companies. None requires a prescription. Minimizing Undesirable Side-Effects Another key element of my philosophy regarding mercury detoxification is that I don’t believe you need to get sick while trying to get well. Because some people detoxify rapidly—even too quickly in some cases—I believe that you should always start low and go slow*. Detoxifying too rapidly from mercury can be difficult and uncomfortable for some. In fact, some people have become ill during a detoxification process that was too aggressive because it stirred up more toxins than their bodies could effectively eliminate. Or because their immune system was too depleted to handle an aggressive approach. I believe this accelerated approach should be avoided. The safe and gentle approach that I promote is even more important for those: • Who are very mercury toxic; • Whose immune system has been severely compromised; and • Who may have difficulty with rapid detoxification. In addition, some nutritional supplements work fine for some people, but may produce unwanted dose-related side-effects in others. My program provides a sound

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foundation that can be built on or even reduced, as the case may be. It is also designed to let you become more involved in what, and how much, you should take. After all it’s your body, and your body will quickly tell you how well it can handle what you are putting into it; regardless of what I or anyone else tells you what should or shouldn’t happen. So it’s important that you learn how to listen to your own body. I also encourage you to work with a qualified health professional, especially if you have multiple symptoms, or more serious health issues, that could be related to chronic mercury poisoning.

reactions. Most of what is included in my program is made or needed by the body and therefore shouldn’t cause allergic reactions. But dose-related reactions, even with natural substances the body needs, can occur if the dosage is excessive (the old adage of ‘taking too much of a good thing’ applies here). To ensure this doesn’t occur I include a tolerance testing formula that starts you off with small doses of a supplement and then lets you gradually increase it until the recommended, or tolerated, levels are reached. Intestinal support

*There is an exception to the start low and go slow philosophy and that is if there is an acute exposure to mercury. In that case your health care practitioner will implement more immediate and stronger measures. Tolerance Testing I also emphasize tolerance testing to help prevent or minimize undesirable side-effects. The two most commonly seen side-effects of taking high doses of supplements and other nutrients are allergic and dose-related

The intestine, small and large, plays an important and complex role in overall health and especially in detoxification. When the body releases mercury into the intestine it may then be “technically” out of the body but once there it still has to travel through 26 feet of intestine before it is “officially” removed from it. During those 26 feet a lot of things can happen to the mercury released into it and, unless the intestine is properly supported, all the mercury that passes into it may not ‘get out’! Under certain conditions mercury can be reabsorbed into the body and a serious effort should be made to prevent this from happening. Thus, providing support to the intestine is another important element included in my program. Brain Support We all know mercury is a powerful poison, but it is scientifically classified as a neurotoxin. A neurotoxin is a toxic agent or substance that inhibits, damages or destroys the tissues of the brain and central nervous system. Because many of the symptoms related to chronic mercury poisoning are neurological, I believe that supporting brain health can substantially improve the success of a mercury detoxification program. It’s so important that I’ve devoted a special section to it in the book and it is a must read for anyone with any neurological symptoms related to mercury poisoning. Remember, to be successful a mercury detox program must not only support the body’s efforts to safely remove mercury but to repair the damage done by it. It should be noted that the neurological effects aren’t just physical, or motor, in nature. Chronic mercury poisoning can result in numerous emotional and psychological symptoms, such as depression, anxiety, mood swings, memory loss, and irritability . . . to name just a few. Again, you can access the neurological symptoms related to chronic mercury poisoning by Clicking Here.

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Monitoring Your Mercury Detoxification Program Monitoring your mercury detoxification program, both objectively and subjectively, can be very helpful in assessing the progress of your program, both for you and for your supporting health professional; if you are working with one. The body is a miracle in how it can repair itself if given the support it needs and will let you know how it is doing. I consider monitoring to be an essential component of a mercury detoxification program and discuss it in detail in the book. I also include charts that help your record and monitor your improvements. Supplement Schedule Charts Based on my experience, extensive research of the principles of detoxification, and my evaluation of many mercury detoxification programs, I believe that many are not successful because the participant fails to fully comply with the program. There are a number of reasons for this lack of compliance. The first is not being motivated, but also includes not understanding what and why you need to take, keeping track of which supplements needed, and when to take them. I’ve created special charts and forms that make keeping track of my program a simple process.

• The basics of vitamins and nutritional supplements needed to support your body’s efforts at removing mercury. • The importance of supporting intestinal health during this process. • The value and importance of providing your body with healing ‘brain’ food. • How to tolerance test supplements to minimize potential side-effects. • The role of pharmaceutical chelating agents in the detoxification process. • Testing for mercury and how it can be used to effectively monitor your detoxification program. • How to use my innovative Supplement Schedule Charts to help you keep track of your program and make it exceptionally easy to follow. In a nutshell, Mercury Detoxification will provide you with the essential information you will need to understand and participate in a safe mercury detoxification program, and in a language you can easily understand. I’ve made every effort to simplify and de-mystify this subject and I also provide an extensive reference section if you want to review the science that supports my program. I wish you well. In health, Tom

A Summary My book, Mercury Detoxification: The Natural Way to Remove Mercury from Your Body will show you how to support your body’s efforts at removing mercury in the safest, most effective, and most natural way possible. If this is your first experience with a mercury detoxification program my book will be an invaluable guide to this important health building process. It will also be beneficial if a previous attempt at detoxifying mercury did not achieve the desired results, or you’re now participating in another detoxification program and need more information than you’ve been provided. When it comes to eliminating mercury from the body, the more you know about the detoxification process, the better off you’ll be. Thus, Mercury Detoxification will explain:

Tom McGuire, DDS, is a leading authority on mercury detoxification, mercury amalgam fillings, chronic mercury poisoning and holistic dental wellness. Dr. McGuire is president of the Dental Wellness Institute, founder of the International Association of Mercury Free Dentists (IAMFD) and author of a number of books on holistic dental wellness. Visit his Website at www.dentalwellness4u.com. He is available for consultations regarding mercury detoxification, second opinions, and other oral health issues. For scheduling call toll free at 1-(800)-335-7755.

Why removing mercury from your body is important to your overall health and how the detoxification process works. • The role and importance of the immune system in mercury detoxification.


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From

Avocados toYogurt: 15 Super Foods For Super Health

Environmental Nutrition presents 15 “Super foods” and highlights what gives them their super powers. Eat them often. AVOCADOS. Rich in good-for-you monounsaturated fats, avocados also contain phytonutrients like cholesterol-lowering beta-sitosterol and cancer-protective glutathione, along with vitamin E, folate, vitamin B6 and fiber. Ounce for ounce, these creamy “vegetable fruits” contain more blood-pres sure-lowering potassium than bananas, but also more calories (about 300 each).

BRAZIL NUTS. This hearty tree nut is a super source of selenium, a promising anti-cancer trace mineral that may prompt cancer cells to self-destruct, promote DNA repair and boost immunity. And a little goes a long way. 1\vo medium nuts contain enough selenium (200 micrograms) to perhaps reduce prostate, colon and lung cancers. Limit to no more than two a day.

BLUEBERRIES. These little blue marvels lead in antioxidant power thanks to anthocyanins, the pigment that gives them their midnight-blue color. With nearly four grams of fiber per cup and a good dose of vitamin C, blueberries also contain cancer-protective ellagic acid and tannins that help prevent urinary tract infections, plus they may boost brain health and vision. For “the power of blue,” eat half a cup of cultivated or wild blueberries, fresh or frozen.

BROCCOLI. Bypass broccoli and you’ll miss out on sulforaphane and indole-3- carbinol- potent anticancer substances that modify natural estrogens into less damaging forms and increase activity of enzymes that defuse carcinogens. Aim for three servings a week of broccoli or its cruciferous cousins-bok choy, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage.

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BUTTERNUT SQUASH. This tasty fruit (yes, fruit) is an exceptional source of beta-carotene, the orange-pigmented antioxidant that converts to vitamin A in the body. One cup cooked provides more than four times the Daily Value (DV). Squash gets even more kudos as an overlooked source of bone-building calcium (nearly 10% of the DV) for the same one-cup serving. EDAMAME. These green soybeans are a staple in Asia for good reason. Soy protein lowers low-density lipoproteins (“bad” LDLcholesterol) and may, suggests new research, protect against colon cancer. Soy isoflavones may hinder hormone-dependent cancers (breast, prostate) and bolster bones, but limit servings if you’ve already been diagnosed with breast cancer. Look for edamame in natural foods markets; steam and pop beans out of the shells. FLAXSEED. The tiny nutty-flavored seeds from the flax plant are a notable source of omega-3 fatty acids (see sardines for benefits) and lignans, which may block hormone-related cancers. They pack plenty of protein and fiber, one-third of which is cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber. Sprinkle one to two tablespoons of ground flaxseed into yogurt, cereals, salads, soups and batters. KALE. This leafy green scores highest among vegetables in antioxidant power, with lutein and zeaxanthin delivering much of the punch. These two carotenoidsconcentrated in the macula of the eye-guard against free radicals, which contribute to age-related eye diseases and may filter out eye-damaging blue light. Eat kale, as well as collards, spinach and turnip greens, often. KIWIFRUIT. Named after New Zealand’s flightless kiwi bird, these unassuming fuzzy fruits (technically berries) were deemed by Rutgers University to be the most nutrient dense of twenty-seven commonly eaten fruits. Two medium kiwifruit have more potassium (505 milligrams) than a banana and twice the vitamin C (114 milligrams) and fiber (5 milligrams) of a small orange, plus some folate, magnesium, vitamin E, copper and lutein. LENTILS. Available in a rainbow of colors (brown, green, red and yellow), lentils offer a bonanza of heartprotective nutrients, including folate (179 micrograms per half cup) and fiber (nearly 8 grams, both soluble and insoluble). Their protein (9 grams) and iron (3.3 milligrams) make them a reasonable meat alternative. And unlike their nutritionally comparable bean cousins, they’re a cinch to prepare, as they require no presoaking (though a good rinse is in order) and cook up in about fifteen to twenty minutes.


ONIONS. A symbol of eternity to ancient Egyptians, onions may indeed promote longevity. Pungent sulfur compounds (also found in garlic) thin your blood and lower blood pressure, while quercetin, a key antioxidant flavonoid, helps prevent oxidation of “bad” LDL cholesterol and defends against cancer and cataracts. For the most quercetin, choose red onions over yellow, and yellow over white. QUINOA (KEEN-wah). Technically a seed, not a grain, this rediscovered staple of the Incas serves up highquality protein (11 grams per half-cup) with a better balance of amino acids than many grains. Delicate in flavor but high in fiber (5 grams), these rice-like granules also contain ample magnesium, potassium, zinc, vitamin E, riboflavin, copper and more iron than true grains. SARDINES. This is our top fish pick for their exceptional omega-3 fatty acids, which decrease blood clotting, prevent heart arrhythmias and combat inflammation—all heart bonuses-plus they may boost mood and brain functions. Eaten with the bones, sardines provide commendable calcium (325 milligrams in three ounces). Moreover, they’re low in mercury, making them safe to eat three to four times a week. But watch out for canned sardines packed in salty sauces. TOMATOES. Pizza isn’t exactly a health food, but its lycopene-loaded tomato sauce is its saving grace. Lycopene is an antioxidant carotenoid thought to protect against several cancers (especially prostate), heart disease and possibly bone loss. Processing tomatoes into sauce, paste, soup, juice, even ketchup, releases lycopene from cell walls. Adding a touch offat ( oli ve oil) increases absorption. YOGURT. Though you may not live to 120 as commercials once playfully suggested, yogurt does have confirmed health benefits. An excellent source of protein (as much as 13 grams per 8 ounces) and calcium (450 milligrams), this cultured milk product is famed for its friendly bacteria, collectively called “probiotics,” which promote good digestion and boost immunity. A yogurt a day may also be good for your waistline; recent research links dairy foods to reduced body fat. Reprinted from Environmental Nutrition. www.environmentalnutrition.com APRIL / MAY 2009

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MYSTICAL STONES

Excerpted from The Book of Stones, Stones by Robert Simmons and Naisha Ahsian

YELLOW SAPPHIRE Keyword: Abundance, Strength of Will Element: Fire Chakras: Solar Plexus (3rd) ellow Sapphire has long been known as a stone of prosperity. In India, merchants wear fine Yellow Sapphire gems to enhance their success, and people are often buried or cremated with Yellow Sapphires placed in their mouths, to ensure wealth in the next life. In the West, metaphysical practitioners use Yellow Sapphire to assist in bringing not only financial abundance, but also in manifesting any vision one wishes to realize. Yellow Sapphires provide the ideal vibration of the third chakra, seat of the will. With them, one can focus one’s intention for the achievement of almost any aim. It is not surprising that Yellow Sapphire is used as a stone for the attainment of prosperity, since that is an almost universal desire. Yet these stones will assist one in successfully manifesting just about anything one wishes, by means of the magnification of one's intention through the solar plexus. The power of one's unbending intent is not fully recognized by most people, probably because their wills are unfocused and nothing much manifests through them. Many people have weak third chakras. Part of this comes from

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not being taught how and why to focus inten-tion' and part of it can be ascribed to laziness. Nonetheless, self-help books of all types tell the stories of people who have achieved astonishing things after discovering their inner power of creative manifestation through the will. This world is itself a manifestation of thought, and those who can clearly sustain their visions long enough will discover that their own thoughts can indeed come into being. This sustaining of

one's vision is sometimes called faith, but one might as readily describe it as will. In both cases, the poisons are doubt and fear. A strong third chakra is a shield against doubt and fear and a projective force for manifestation. Yellow Sapphire harmonizes well with Ruby, Herkimer Diamond and all other types of Sapphire. It works synergistically with Libyan Gold Tektite, Moldavite and Tibetan Tektite. It has a

particular affinity for all varieties of Phenacite, perhaps because Phenacites are used to project one’s visions into the etheric domain for the purpose of manifesting them here. Yellow Sapphire is a Fire element ally that carries the frequency of prosperity and wealth. It is a stone of creativity and the manifestation of ideas into form. Yellow Sapphire is an excellent stone for business and for ensuring successful endeavors. It stimulates the mind and the will, allowing one to align one’s actions with one’s thoughts. Yellow Sapphire stimulates the second and third chakras, allowing one to put one’s creative energy to use through action. It assists one in formulating plans and following them to completion. In addition to its creative and manifestation energies, Yellow Sapphire also helps one to develop and align one’s personal will with Divine Will. It can help one see where perseverance is required to overcome obstacles, or where obstacles may be pointing to a misalignment with Divine Will. Not all obstacles indicate that one’s project is counter to Divine Will. Sometimes, they arise due to issues of Divine timing or because one needs to learn a particular lesson by overcoming the obstacle. Additional information on stones and their metaphysical properties can also be found at www.heavenandearthjewelry.com, www.thebookofstones.com, or by calling 1-800-942-9423.


COLLECTIVE

METAMORPHOSIS: From Empathic to Consciously Multi-dimensional By Dr. Amy Thakurdas Old Paradigm of Empathy Have you or your loved ones become more fearful or depressed while being pounded with news about the world economy? Are you so emotional, without a particular reason and cannot function as well as you used to? As children we have unstructured borders to our energy fields. We move in and out of the energy fields of other people and animals in order to see how they are feeling. We do this quite naturally so that our own needs are met. Most of us are “empathic” either consciously or unconsciously and project ourselves into the consciousness of another human being, at the emotional or energetic level so as to have sympathetic or empathic understanding of that person or even to heal them. As we mature some of us learn other methods of defence, verbal understanding or soul communication. Many people remain empathic, never knowing if the pains and emotions in their bodies are their own emotions or belong to others they interact with or whether they belong to the collective unconscious. They remain ignorant that they are reacting to feelings and emotions from others and believe that all this confusion and turmoil is their own. Why Empathy No Longer Serves Us When we are empathic it is difficult to differentiate between our own feelings and emotions and those of others. It causes many people to be overweight, excessively emotional or even addicted to substances, because of their being overly sensitive. Many empathic people feel out of control emotionally and this leads to addictive behaviours (including excessive eating) in order to try to feel in control or to feel grounded. As they have no emotional boundary, they try to create a physical barrier www.earthstarmag.com

between themselves and other people. To become consciously multi-dimensional rather than empathic does require a shift in consciousness. We have to change our way of being energetically. The old ways no longer serve us. From a position of self-love and selfrespect each person individually is now being called to choose to act responsibly energetically. With all the chaos and trauma in the collective unconscious it is time for all of us to trade in the old ways of being empathic in favor of being intentionally multi-dimensional. Metamorphosis to Consciously Multi-dimensional There are ancient and modern methods to reprogramme ourselves as we find that the old empathic ways are no longer working for us as healers, teachers or individuals. Modern day “Mystery schools” have adopted these ancient methods. Also the Hawaiians use a similar method in their spiritual teachings called Huna. This information has been safely guarded over the millennia until humanity evolved to be trusted and responsible because of the power that the knowledge brings with it. The same is true with knowledge of Universal Law, the 49 Rays, the Angelic realm, the Oversoul, and the Spiritual Hierarchy. When we are able to communicate with our Oversouls, we bypass the emotional body and our respective Oversouls communicate with each other directly. Any information either person receives is transferred in the form of intuition or knowingness. A positive side of communicating this way is when our soul disconnects from the other person’s soul, we are not left with any feelings, diseases or emotions that rightfully belong to the other person. This is particularly relevant for healers.

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Spring Reading The Scalpel and the Soul Encounters with Surgery, the Supernatural, and the Healing Power of Hope By Allan J. Hamilton, M.D., FACS Foreword by Andrew Weil In The Scalpel and the Soul, Allan J. Hamilton, M.D., a Harvard-educated neurosurgeon, reveals his experiences—in and out of the operating room—with apparitions, angels, exorcism, and after-death survival, and shares the lessons he learned. Life-threatening illness or surgery frequently brings dormant spirituality to life. In this book, Hamilton explores how premonition, superstition, hope, and faith not only become factors in how patients feel but can change outcomes; it validates the spiritual manifestations physicians see every day; it empowers patients to voice their spiritual needs when they seek medical help; and, finally, it addresses the mysterious, attractive powers the soul exerts during life-threatening events.

The 7 Great Prayers For a Lifetime of Hope and Blessings By Paul McManus and Tracy McManus Paul and Tracey originally created the 7 Great Prayers in response to their own financial and personal challenges. To share their new-found hope, Paul created a simple Web page about the 7 Great Prayers. Soon, over twenty million people from across the globe visited this Web site. They then gathered the prayers into this powerful book. In The 7 Great Prayers, the authors show readers a simple and powerful way to attract blessings into their lives through the power of praying the 7 Great Prayers. These lifechanging prayers provide strength and inspiration to help readers overcome life’s challenges. Vanguard Press. Hardcover, $15.95.

Tarcher. Hardcover, $16.95.

Empowering Your Indigo Child A Handbook for Parents of Children of Spirit Wayne Dosick, Ph.D. Ellen Kaufman Dosick, MSW Empowering Your Indigo Child teaches a specially developed set of games that can help heal Indigo Children both in their own bodies and in their earthly relationships. Here the Dosicks name seventeen particular emotional wounds Indigos hold in their bodies and give specific exercises for healing each one. They celebrate the children’s different ways of perception and calm their agitation. The games involve some hands-on healing techniques, some scripted meditations, and other quick and simple techniques. Each takes no more than two minutes to play. Conari Press. Paper, $15.95.

Tarot for Life Reading the Cards for Everyday Guidance and Growth By Paul Quinn Foreword by Rachal Pollack Drawing on esoteric, spiritual, and psychological principles, Paul Quinn shows how the Tarot can reveal unconscious beliefs and offer soul-directed advice leading to positive changes and greater well-being. Featuring illustrations from the 100-year old Rider-Waite deck, the book offers provocative casebook examples—one for each card—from Quinn’s readings for clients, his Tarot students, and himself. Quest Books. Paper, $17.95.

The Six Healing Sounds Making Room for Mr. Right How to Attract the Love of Your Life By Robin Mastro and Michael Mastro Making Room for Mr. Right is for women who are ready to go beyond wishing and hoping for the man of their dreams. Here is a concrete, time-tested way to draw him into your life. Making Room for Mr. Right introduces actions and principles you can do now to make your most cherished dream come true. Recognized experts in Vastu Shastra, the Mastros offer this inspired plan to women who are ready for the relationship their heart truly desires.

Atria Books. Paper, $16.00.

Taoist Techniques for Balancing Chi By Mantak Chia In The Six Healing Sounds, Master Mantak Chia explains how the pressures of modern life can cause excess heat to become trapped around the organs, causing energy blockages and sickness. He shows readers how the vibrations of the Six Healing Sounds and their accompanying postures redistribute this excess heat to the cooler regions of the body, thereby stimulating and balancing chi energy and restoring the vital organs. Regular practice of the Six Healing Sounds promotes optimal health for the organs, increased sexual pleasure, emotional balance, and the prevention of illness. Destiny Books. Paper, $16.95.

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Spring Reading Acres of Diamonds By Russell H. Conwell In its original 1915 version, Acres of Diamonds reached millions of readers around the world. Russell H. Conwell’s great manifesto imparts one extraordinary lesson: All the wealth you could ever dream of, search for, or yearn after—in whatever form you wish for—exists right beneath your own feet. It is a message of determination, unconventional thinking, and positive living that came to influence a generation of motivational literature. This Success Classics edition also features two rare bonus works: Praying for Money and The Story of Acres of Diamonds by journalist Robert Shackleton.

The Astrology of 2012 and Beyond By Cal Garrison Foreword by Drunvalo Melchizedek In The Astrology of 2012 and Beyond, Cal Garrison explores the changing sky, starting with the movement of Pluto into Capricorn, and the revolutionary times coming for individuals, governments, and the planet. Garrison draws on traditional astrology and her understanding of the Hopi prophecies and their relationship to the Mayan 2012 predictions, as well as the ending of the 13,000 year masculine kundalini cycle, to offer practical advice and information that will help us evolve through the next four years—including what to expect and how to survive during the nearly inevitable pole shift. Weiser Books. Paper, $16.95.

Tarcher. Paper, $10.00.

The Art of Chart Interpretation A Step-by-Step Method for Analyzing, Synthesizing, and Understanding the Birth Chart By Tracy Marks With clarity and insight, Tracy Marks provides a comprehensive method for collecting and evaluating astrological data. Her step-by-step techniques and worksheets aid astrology students in developing their abilities to analyze and synthesize the many facets of the chart and to grasp the essential features of the personality. Ibis Press. Paper, $15.95.

The Great Digitization and the Quest to Know Everything By Lucien X. Polastron Books on Fire author Lucien Polastron points out that the dematerialization of knowledge raises new legal challenges about the quality and authenticity of information. Attempts to create a virtual library are changing the very nature of reading. This revolution is akin to the replacement of the scroll by the codex, which likewise changed the way humans could receive information and structure their thoughts. Yet despite its broad easy access, the profiteers of this new commercial domain may render the very idea of “free” reading obsolete. Polastron poses questions others are ignoring in a headlong rush to embrace what is still a very ambiguous future. Inner Traditions. Paper, $16.95.


Northern Tradition for the Solitary Practitioner A Book of Prayer, Devotional Practice, and the Nine Worlds of the Spirit By Galina Krasskova and Raven Kaldera Northern Tradition for the Solitary Practitioner is a ground-breaking look at the development of devotional work within the body of polytheistic religious traditions ranging from Theodism to Asatru to Norse Paganism, that comprise the greater umbrella of the Northern Tradition. It features an in-depth exploration of altar work, prayer, prayer beads, ritual work, sacred images, lore, and a thorough examination of the common core cosmology that forms the foundation of belief for the vast expanse of Northern Tradition communities. New Page Books. Paper, $15.99

Transformational Speaking If You Want to Change the World, Tell a Better Story By Gail Larsen Blending logic and spirit, Gail Larsen helps holistically-minded business executives, community organizers, activists, life coaches, health care professionals, and other leaders mine the deep well of their life experiences to become powerful speakers to audiences of any size. Transformational Speaking is an effective mix of practical tools and inspirational coaching that will empower speakers to change the world, one speech at a time. Celestial Arts. Paper, $16.95..

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The Naturopathic Way How to Detox, Find Quality Nutrition, and Restore Your Acid-Alkaline Balance By Christopher Vasey, N.D. In this naturopathic guide to health and healing, Christopher Vasey, author of the bestselling The Acid-Alkaline Diet for Optimum Health shows how to remove toxins from the body using diets, fasts, and detoxifying cleanses. He points to the key role played by the acid-alkaline balance in maintaining peak energy and explains what natural supplements to take to restore deficient nutrients in the body. Vasey believes that the greatest part of achieving health is in our own hands. This book provides a comprehensive set of naturopathic tools to help us restore our optimum health. Healing Arts Press. Paper, $14.95.

Seeing in the Dark Claim Your Own Shamanic Power Now and in the Coming Age By Colleen Deatsman and Paul Bowersox The word “shaman” means “one who sees in the dark.” Shamans consciously choose to live in two different worlds at the same time, with one foot here in the everyday world and one foot in the world of the spirits. The fact is, we all live in these two different worlds, but are commonly not aware of the other, less visible one. In times when stress, tension, and the fast pace of life overwhelm us, the path of shamanism shows us how to slow down, reconnect to the sacred, and harness our personal power. Included in this book are over 100 easy-to-follow exercises that teach important shamanic survival skills for the coming changes of 2012 and beyond.

The Soul Truth A Guide to Inner Peace By Sheila Gillette and Marcus Gillette The Soul Truth reveals practical insights and techniques for readers to achieve deep, sustainable levels of inner peace through the channeled entity named THEO, a consortium of twelve archangels. In this book’s pages, THEO provides the tools to transcend the limitations of the physical world and enter into the timeless dimensions of the soul—the place that we yearn for in our desire to live joyous and fulfilling lives. Tarcher/Penguin. Hardcover, $24.95

Numerology for Healing Your Personal Numbers as the Key to a Healthier Life By Michael Brill In Numerology for Healing, Michael Brill combines numerology with psychology, quantum physics, and the concepts of gematria and reincarnation to create a unique approach to healing emotional and physical problems based on life challenges and karmic lessons. Humans suffer from a profound sense of abandonment when the soul is decanted from the Universal Oneness into the confines of a personality. Brill explains how this sense of abandonment manifests itself in two principal types of behavior: people work to be loved and appreciated for who they are, or they try to control and micromanage their lives and relationships so that nothing goes wrong. Both of these behavior patterns are exhausting physically, emotionally, and mentally and are clear catalysts for illness. Brill details 185 physical and mental health conditions and shows how to identify and treat the causes. Destiny Books. Paper, $14.95.

Weiser Books. Paper, $16.95.

The Hero and the Goddess: How to Read the Akashic Records Accessing the Archive of the Soul and Its Journey By Linda Howe The universe is alive—and it has a memory. Known as the Akashic Records, this energetic archive of soul information stands ready to lovingly guide you. Once accessible to rare spiritual masters, now the Records are available to anyone—anytime, anywhere. “Accessing the Akashic Records provides an opportunity to align with your soul and develop your own spiritual authority,” teaches Linda Howe. Now, with How to Read the Akashic Record, readers can learn to connect with this divine source for infinite joy, inner peace, and fulfillment.

The Odyssey as Pathway to Personal Transformation By Jean Houston Foreword by Marianne Williamson In this fresh approach to self-realization, human potentials leader Jean Houston provides empowering experiential exercises at every key stage of Homer’s epic to make The Odyssey our own journey. As we set sail with Odysseus, together we endure loss and suffering, the search for the divine Beloved, and the joy of finally arriving home. Tailored for the individual as well as for group study, The Hero and the Goddess connects the seeker to the ageless wisdom embodied in archetypal figures, those venerable beings dwelling in us all.

Sounds True. Hardcover, $21.95. Quest Books. Paper, $16.95. 70

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Happiness Is an Inside Job Practicing for a Joyful Life By Sylvia Boorstein, Ph.D. How can we stay engaged with life day after day? How can we continue to love–keep our minds in a happy mood–when life is complex and often challenging? These are questions that Sylvia Boorstein addresses in Happiness Is an Inside Job. In more than three decades of practice and teaching she has discovered that the secret to happiness lies in actively cultivating our connections with the world, with friends, family, colleagues—even those we may not know well. She shows us how mindfulness, concentration, and effort—three elements of the Buddhist path to wisdom—can lead us away from anger, anxiety, and confusion, and into calmness, clarity, and the joy of living in the present. Ballantine Books. Paper, $13.00.

Sun of gOd Discover the Self-Organizing Consciousness That Underlies Everything By Gregory Sams Foreword by Graham Hancock In Sun of gOd, cultural pioneer and philosopher Gregory Sams takes a fresh look at our solar benefactor. As Sams sees it, cultures throughout the ancient world were right to recognize the Sun as a living, conscious being. The implications of a conscious provider in the sky are startling, though often obvious—and in harmony with science, logic and common sense. In the light of a conscious Sun, Sams looks at our hard-wired tendency for religion, notions of god and divinity, our place in the firmament, star formation, intelligent light, electromagnetism, feedback, chaos theory, free will, the four elements, and the near-universal self-organization of systems from the bottom up. Weiser Books. Paper, $17.95.

The Sacred Center The Ancient Art of Locating Sanctuaries By John Michell In this book John Michell reveals the precise methods by which the ancients located the appropriate centers and adopted them as sanctuaries. The same principles of ritual geography in the siting of Akhenaten’s capital in Egypt and Megalopolis in classical Greece apply also to the traditional centers of small territories and islands. The rediscovery of these sites sheds new light on the ritualized order of prehistoric societies and the sacred, scientific code on which they were founded. These revelations from the distant past are of great significance in present times, for in them are the secrets of harmony on every scale, from the personal to the universal. Restoring the sacred center to its former place of prominence offers the possibility of a renaissance of human culture, ideally centered upon the image of a perfectly ordered Cosmos. Inner Traditions. Paper, $16.95.

A Message to Garcia And Other Classic Success Writings By Elbert Hubbard A Message to Garcia touched so profound a chord in readers that, after its publication in 1899, it became one of the most widely read works in human history. A Message to Garcia tells the story of an American soldier charged with delivering a critical message to a leader of Cuban rebel forces during the Spanish American War. In Hubbard’s account, he delivered the urgent missive with no questions asked, no complaining, and no hedging. The enduring and almost unbelievably simple message of the essay is this: When asked to perform a task, don’t ask How...? or Why...? or Wouldn’t it be better if, I . . . ? Just do it—and you will become more valued and respected than you ever imagined possible. Tarcher. Paper, $10.00.

The Seeress of Prevorst Her Secret Language and Prophecies from the Spirit World By John DeSalvo, Ph.D. Known as the Seeress of Prevorst, Frederika Hauffe (1801-1829) was a German mystic and clairvoyant who had the ability to write and speak in what she called “the language of the spirits,” a unique coded alphabet that incorporated numbers and primitive ideographs. She received revelations from the spirit world, and drew precise geometrical diagrams, often in complete darkness and with astonishing speed. Using his scientific expertise to decode her secret language and diagrams, John DeSalvo examines the life and revelations of the Seeress of Prevorst and her importance in light of spiritual development over the nearly two centuries since her death. Destiny Books. Paper, $14.95.


The Bond Code By Philip Gardiner The stories of James Bond are not just popular spy thrillers. This is the remarkable tale of how Ian Fleming and his associations with the world of the occult actually led him to create a masterful series of clever clues, ciphers and codes within his novels, revealing a sacred truth discovered whilst searching for his own inner harmony. Every time there is a new Bond film produced, the same old Bond documentaries are played on our TV screens. The Bond Code is a radical reappraisal of everything we thought we knew about James Bond. New Page Books. Paper, $16.99.

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ASTROLOGY

BEAUTY

ASTRO CHARTING

HEALING The Healing Arts Center at Wadsworth Village Beginners Meditation Classes CIRCLE OF LIGHT MEDITATION

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Body & Soul Report - $45 Get your own personalized 2007 12-month Future Forecast - $75.00.

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Do you feel that you are searching for something but you just are not sure what that something is? Do you feel a pull to those who are spiritual and are following their paths? Are you trying to gain control in your life? Come and join others of like mind for meditation, healing energies, messages and fellowship. Feel the love as you “Feel the peace and power within” at The Healing Arts Center at Wadsworth Village.

Send Name, Date and Place of Birth (City/State/ Country), and Time of Birth (or as precise as possible) for each Chart requested. Payment by check made payable to Tim Gunns with return address and phone number to:

Experience mind/body health and well-being through Reiki & Massage with trained & licensed bodyworkers

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Collective Metomorphosis... Continued from page 67

With conscious multi-dimensional communication we bypass the morphonogenic field of thought and collective unconscious that has built up over time between people on earth. These fields operate like a broken record and we only hear the same broken communications. Recently the morphonogenic field has become more polluted with fear, anger, hate and hopelessness. Some people are picking up feelings of overwhelm and sadness from people they never met because they are so empathic and “tuned into” these fields. When a soul communicates with another soul via their respective Oversouls, the words that are used have a different quality and energy. Each person “hears” the other as if for the first time. The souls provide intuitive awareness of analogies and words that speak to their soul and a sacred space is created where a profound healing and understanding can take place. Conscious multi-dimensional communication is in alignment with the spiritual law of free will. Oversoul communication produces a cleaner, clearer line of communication with not only our family and friends but also with the Spiritual hierarchy. The laws of the Hierarchy of the Universe can be learned by anyone and the more aligned we are to these laws the more conscious we become and the more we are able to benefit our Oversouls in service of humanity. Methods that Promote Multi-dimensional Consciousness 1. Alignment with the Cosmic Christ Consciousness Aligning with the highest level of our souls, through the vibration of the Cosmic Christ Consciousness that our physical bodies can integrate each day is a useful tool. In creating a daily communication with our Oversoul, they can become our gatekeeper, our spirit guide and relay messages from other spirits that might want to interact with us. Over time we develop a bond and can trust all the information we receive and our gatekeeper will provide our “endpoint protection and spiritual shield” to coin current computer jargon. We can ask our Gatekeeper to challenge each spirit that approaches us to ensure that they are of the Light. This means our gatekeeper can vet, translate or interface with other spirits the various messages we receive. You may want to allow the Laws of Harmony, Grace, and Balance to operate with this request: “I ask that all energy work that is done in and through my body be in alignment with the Divine Plan of the

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EARTH STAR

APRIL / MAY 2009

Creator for planet Earth and All My Relations”. (This Native American phrase means all species of life on Earth and beyond through all dimensions). You can also bring forth one of the 49 Rays to calm and transmute the situation in the name of the Cosmic Christ Consciousness. 2. Multi-dimensional Consciousness through Hawaiian Shamanism Ho’oponopono is a profound method of healing that promotes the Universal Law of the Interconnection of Life. At its best it provides practical ways of how we can participate in the transformation of consciousness on both the individual and collective levels. In orally literate cultures, wisdom is passed along by breathing sacred breath into healing words. Then Spirit is shared through the words in sacred talking circles (e.g. ho’oponopono in mo’olelo in Hawaii). In these circles or gatherings true understanding and integration occurs. Wisdom is birthed and nurtured down through the generations. One reason why gatherings or mo’olelo are so important is that Spirit gives messages all the time and if the individuals receiving them know they are going to share them, they pay more attention. Many people notice that when they do share their messages, they are amplified and blessed with more gifts of Spirit. The literal meaning of the word “mo’olelo” is ‘to cause Spirit to fly’. Spirit flies through the soul interaction. It is an excellent method to connect to your own source and heal. The Hawaiian elders say that journeying from the Unconscious, to the Conscious, and finally to the Higher Conscious is humanity’s lesson of life. Using these methods I discovered my identification with others and saw that we are all related and we are all inter-connected. Each mind is like a radio broadcasting and receiving station. We are all tuned into each other unconsciously, even if we are not aware of it. In addition, I saw that life was meant to be beautiful and meant to be happy all the time. Aloha Kakou ~ may there be love between us.

Dr. Amy Thakurdas is a naturopath, shaman and lecturer specializing in stress management and transformation of behavior and consciousness through Energy Psychology and Energy Medicine. She currently teaches Ho’oponopono, Hawaiian Shamanism and Multi-Dimensional Consciousness both in the UK and America. Email: [email protected].
