It Is Still The Dawning of The Age Of Aquarius

Since childhood I had heard of the Procession of the Equinoxes. Until recently, no one had adequately explained them to me. If I recall correctly, The Moody Blues had a song that repeated the number 26,000 years. That is the time it takes for the Earth to complete one cycle in it's own planetary dance. See, the Procession of the Equinoxes refers to the fact that sunrise on the Equinox slowly moves through the signs of the zodiac. Each sun sign that we know of from astrology, takes about one moon or month to pass through, each following another, in a set pattern, eternally. Sunrise on the Equinox does the same thing but in reverse order and over a much longer period. These Ages, as they are referred to take just over 2100 years to pass through. The entire cycle taking pretty nearly 26,000 years.

Ancients knew of these cycles and understood immutable relationships between mankind and the heavens. In fact, their world view was predicated on relationships between humankind and the anthropomorphic constellations that inhabited the skies. Only now, under our umbrella of light, do we pass the time as if the spheres of the heavens don't exist. Before the time of the Egyptians, this pattern was well documented. People who lived by the sun and stars could see what we often cannot. There are dozens of myths about saviors down through time. They reflect the eternal truth of a planetary constant. The Southern Cross, the "crux" of the biscuit as it were, is where the sun goes on or about the Winter Solstice. It stands still, or "dies" on the cross for three days, and is then "reborn" on it's path to the Northern Hemisphere, bringing with it light and warmth for growth.

I hope the religious among you realize to what extent the pagan sun, moon and star worshipers have given you your beliefs. It is good to know the origin of your myths. By knowing the truth behind them, one is better able to put the rest of the world into perspective. My own perceptions had been colored by the nearly universal belief that was modeled and foisted upon me that Jesus was an actual person. When you realize that he serves as a device for following the solar year, his true import becomes clear. But I digress...

The advent of the Age of Aquarius is alluded to by "Jesus" himself. The end of the age (his age)will be when we follow the water bearer into his home, on or about 2100 by the Julian Calendar. The reason that the children of Israel were bowing to a gilded bull when Moses implored them to kill one another was that they were at the end of the Age of Taurus. Moses ushered in the Age of the Ram, Aries. That in turn lasted until the "Birth of Jesus", which ushered in the Age of Pisces, the fish which we are beginning to pass out of. Next, is the Aquarian Age and on and on. My whole life, I had been at odds with the myth of the anointed one. Now I see it as plainly exposed as a pagan truth passed down to us through time immemorial. My whole life has been dedicated to preparing humanity for the trans-formative potential of seeing how we fit into the coming age. It only makes sense that the catharsis that will come will create great change, new ways of being and feelings of dislocation. By realizing what is actually going on, we can be better prepared to respond in positive ways that nurture one another, reflecting the inherent value in all life, most especially our own.

One day, perhaps all of the earth's people will be able to treat one another as anointed, but first we must create a myth that sanctifies all water and attribute proper sanctity to oils as well. Acknowledging the primacy of fresh and clean water for the health of every cell in our bodies will go a long way to creating what has recently been called a sustainable world. Since I was a child, I have been drawn to the idea of washing one another's feet. This was one thing mentioned in the Bible repeatedly that I could endorse for these modern times. I think it could bring back a sorely missed cultural phenomenon that some call Karma Yoga. Do for others what you would have them do to you. What a wonderful world it would be if people just did things because they were the right thing to do, rather than expecting something in return all the time! Who wouldn't love to be pampered at the end of a long day? I hope that this installment brings you great joy and a sense of release from the strict conventions perpetrated by The Church over the last centuries. My church will remain in forests and glens, encompass the watersheds and their tributary streams. In the realm of my experience, the watersheds, lakes and springs are the only water bearers I know intimately. I know that great wisdom lies in their depths. I will follow their insight to meet our future. Please join me in the natural step, the logical step, into harmony with the planet.

Lies, Lies, Lies, Lies

I have been amazed at the number of people who have become enamored with a book and movie called The Secret. Although our beliefs do play a large part in our "reality", as the book and movie claim, positive thinking alone cannot determine outcome of our behavior nor can our will alone determine the future. Action is still able to "speak" more loudly than words. More importantly, when our beliefs override good sense or eternal truths, we set ourselves up for the proverbial fall from grace.

Books and videos may foist one belief or another upon us, but it is in our best interest to examine each bit of information that we receive, considering the source, exploring the motivations behind the message and trying to understand the goals that lay behind the "curtain" of secrecy that most of us allow to exist between production and consumption of ideas. As a stagehand, I am literally one of the people behind the curtain and I assure you that profit for the few and wage slavery for the rest of us is at the heart of most of what you see in music, film, television, sport, newspapers, books, the internet and the entertainment industry generally. We are in a difficult position when spirituality enters the realm of entertainment. The recent deaths of seekers who attended a mass sweat lodge, set up by one of the presenters featured in "The Secret" attests to the dangers of mixing spiritual questing with the profit motive.

I am only now beginning to realize that the end of Uncle Sam's war in Vietnam, that I worked so hard for as a child, would turn into an obsession for so many souls. Just yesterday I overheard a conversation that could have been forty years old about the lies upon which the war began, was executed and reported by journalists. The torment was thick in the voice of the veteran who was still educating people about that war and what it meant for him. The spiritual motivation behind our cause, and the love that we felt for those we did not know had little effect on the lives, or for that matter the deaths of people whose blood, sweat and tears stained the soil halfway around the world. Our rulers, and they are not elected, found that involvement in Indochina was no longer convenient and that the curtain was beginning to rise on the true nature of their motivation as well as their influence on our involvement there. Our government would like us to think that they suddenly developed a conscience, but that is truly not the case. The sense of victory that coursed through the peace movement was palpable, but the power dynamics remained unchanged.

War is always good for the power elites who own the means of production. It is good for those who stand to lose nothing. For all of the rest of us, nothing is gained, and for many all is lost. I believe that we have the power to change this dynamic, but there is little we can do about the unelected leaders who determine when and where our nation shall go to war, unless we understand that they are indeed there, and make changes that will allow us to see their influence as plainly as if the curtain were not there at all. The recent victory felt by many when Obama was elected is noteworthy because, like the end of the Vietnam War, it created a feeling of positivism that reverberated around the world. Even though the world economy was teetering on the brink of collapse, we felt as if change had truly come. We will have to look no further than the morning news to see that the more things change, the more they remain the same.

Those who seek to control us and keep us wage slaves have had an extremely long time to hone their skills, develop methods that work and create the structures that benefit them while fleecing others. The real secret, as far as I am concerned is that we are all held captive by our own chains. Those who seek to control us are deft in their use of rhetoric. They are magicians of the first order, getting us to look away at precisely the right moment, and believe what they need us to believe to get the responses that they desire. If the Thompson Twins song "Lies" is not reverberating in your head yet, it should be.

For years I have developed a costume for Halloween that was born of my sub-conscious, grew over time, and continues to blossom in meaning for me. It all started after I participated in the "restore" after my first event theater experience. As a stagehand, I was able to scavenge dozens of short lengths of chain from the dumpster. I remembered a great line from literature, and had to immediately run home and check the Gutenberg Project for a specific series of lines from "A Christmas Carol". After reading Charles Dickens and his description of Jacob Marley's Ghost, I endeavored to become, if just for one night each year, this personage who spoke to me through the ages. His greatest line, "I forged these chains in life." touched my soul so deeply that I wanted to repeat it again and again for others to hear and learn from. Hopefully, it has touched a few people over the years.

Each of us is shackled to a world view that we alone have forged. The power elites know how we do this and why. They also give us the tools we need to make our most basic decisions. Religion, money, education, national pride, etc. become the tools of our own oppression while we are distracted into thinking that they can save us. My pagan beliefs are often turned into a reason to judge, hate or distrust me. Those who feel that their God can be threatened by my beliefs actually have no concept of Gods or their powers. Lies need to be constantly propped up while truth stands alone, forever. Even the fact that their "god" is based on dozens of gods before him, which ultimately was passed down from sun worshipers, cannot assuage their loathing of my pagan way. Similarly, when I renounce affluence and the consumerism which most folks believe in, they have derogatory words that they call me. Telling the truth about the dollar really irks folks who otherwise seem to be mild mannered and astute. Even Christians who practice voluntary simplicity get upset when I share my understanding of our monetary system, and the exploitative and extractive nature of economic power elites. Teachers might just be the worst. They believe so thoroughly in their craft that they are nearly unreachable with logic. I have read textbooks that they have used to teach my children. I know that they are full of lies and omissions that make a huge difference in how children think, and occasionally, their ability to think at all! Regarding Nationalism, has anyone not seen the photos of the earth from space? Are we not able to see the fact that we are all one? Some of my ancestors come from an island culture. Although some of their cultural practices are not things I would encourage, at least they know about the finite nature of the land that supports them. The ruthlessness reflected in the way we seek out resources can only continue under an "us versus them" mind set. When we understand that everyone has equal right to having their needs met, the artificial boundaries that we create on the planet will fade and hopefully we will begin to treat one another with the respect we all deserve.

Speaking truth to power has led to many of the concessions that the power elites have yielded over the centuries. It is up to us to determine when they will fall. As long as we accept their lies, we can never be free of their power to affect the quality of our lives. Love truly does mean letting go of fear and the primacy of fear in the emotional rhetoric of the power elites should be self-evident to anyone who has studied the history of politics, religion, economics, agriculture, energy, transportation or education. Fear based behaviors are the whole kit and caboodle for those who would control us. Love truly has the power to conquer all. Not love of "god", not love of money, not love of country. Just good old fashioned love. The love that I have for mankind may not be as pure as it could be, but it is as pure as I can muster and I continue to refine it. I truly care about your health, your sanity, your sanctity, and your prosperity. I have a deep and abiding love for mankind as a species and that alone means the world to anyone who can fathom the depth of love that is reflected in that statement. I am not motivated by the profits of the next quarter. I have no agenda but to care for the well-being of those I share this planet with. I have seen the results of our current approach, and have understood the need for change since childhood. I invite everyone to refine their world view to include love and peace as the basis for change. It truly is a beautiful world and there is no need to exploit another to express our own wealth.

60,000 Crashes Per Year Caused By Cell Phones

This number is from self-reported cell phone users who were responsible for crashes in the US because they were too distracted by the phone to watch the road. Please, pay attention to the road, not your phone!

Update:
Now, the covid-19 crisis  has killed more than that in less than two months! We need to live our lives as if the lives of others depend on us, because they actually do in very real ways. May we each find the best path toward making the world a better place for everyone!

More Stories for Mother's Day

One of my favorite stories about my mom was when we lived in an old house in Union City, Ohio. As do many old homes that pre-date indoor plumbing, this place had a kitchen that was added on in the back. It was a glorified porch-like affair with uneven floors. One early morning, we had assembled for a breakfast with a half dozen folks. Mom called us all to breakfast and we all sat down in our spots, but as we scooted our chairs in, we all had the same problem.

Looking first to the left and then to the right, we all realized one another's plight at nearly the same moment. We were confused because none of us could get our legs under the table. My friend Rob asked, "Does the table seem low to you?" We all noticed that mom was at the sink, washing up the few dishes that had been made already this fine morning. Mom shuddered lightly, and I for one had a hard time figuring out if it was from crying or laughing. Turns out it was both!

The uneven floor made it hard to keep the table from tipping slightly back and forth on the "long" legs, acting like a teeter totter, depending on where you put the dishes and the occasional rested arm.

The previous Christmas we had given Mom a saber saw, which she always kept close at hand. Rather than trying to shim up the short leg with a matchbook or other similar device, she would mark the long leg, flip over the kitchen table, and cut that sucker off. After countless floor sweepings and moppings, and never getting the table back to precisely the same place, this process had been repeated enough times as to shorten all the legs enough to make it impossible to sit at any more.
It was hard for mom to explain it to us between her sobs and laughter.

Bicycle Built for Two

Yesterday, I took one of our bicycles in for repair. This was the second time that it had been laid up in the dozen or so years I have owned it. It was repaired in about fifteen minutes and the part would have cost about a buck if I had just bought it and installed it myself. I really like the bike repair guy though and wanted to give him some business. The chain had popped off and the beast needed a new master link. One of the seats was a bit past it's prime, so I bought a new one of those as well, but the old one was serviceable. I figured that, since the new seat would be an upgrade, cost less than a tank of gas, and really look sharp that it would be a good investment.
This ride started as pure frivolity. When I bought it, I didn't even have a partner to ride with. My girlfriend would not ride with me and my children were too small to reach the pedals. I was at the home of a friend of a friend, many many moons ago, saw the frame on a scrap metal pile, and offered my pocket change to the guy for it. The old Schwinn Twin tandem has a tiny bit of surface rust and the fenders were in bad shape, so they went to the scrapyard, but the original chain guard, handlebars and pedals are serviceable. There are several cool things about old Schwinns, one of them is that meticulous records were kept of their manufacturing dates and serial numbers. This allowed me to narrow down to the week, when it was created. This ride is nearly fifty years old and after putting a new chain and two new wheels on her, she may last another fifty years with a bit of care and some luck.

I have logged many miles on her as a single rider and many more with each of my children as they have grown. In a few more years, the grandchildren will be able to reach the pedals. It is not a fast bike, but it cruises in style. It never fails to get the attention of folks who see it and especially when people see me riding solo, they almost always want to be riding it with me rather than watching it go by. As a conversation starter, it is nearly unparalleled. She keeps working, making people happy and moving her riders with the least cost imaginable.

When she was plucked from the scrap heap, it took a keen eye to see her potential. She looked as if she had been put in a barn for twenty years after sustaining a wheel bending crash. Her forlorn appearance was made all the more poignant by her location, lying on her side, atop a giant heap of rusty metal. At the time, metal prices were much lower than they are today, so the $1.67 that I paid for her was probably more than the salvage yard would have paid. Even after she was refurbished, she cost less than an entry level bike that you might find at the local department store. Two wheels, a new chain and a pair of white wall tires set me back most of one hundred dollars. I had two saddles for it in my garage, one new, purchased from a garage sale for under five bucks, the other came off a bike that I built up for my son out of parts from several other bikes.

After years of service, she still performs as intended. Two people can talk quietly while riding, enjoy the hum of her tires on pavement and listen to the birds over the sound of the wind rushing past as they go. Each spring, when the trees blossom, in the full flush of summer and in fall with the rustling leaves, riding her puts one into nature rather than apart from it. That alone is worth the cost of fixing her up! Many hundreds of miles have been traversed by her since I got her and in her old life, perhaps many hundreds more. What is the biggest thrill is not how many miles have been put on her, but the quality of the rides. Every time I throw my leg over the frame, I get a sense of embarking on an adventure. Every time I think of her age, I respect the fact that all those years ago, people put their hands to work that would provide me a better quality of life. The memories that she has helped to make are invaluable and the next time we take her out I'm sure that we will be blessed with another sweet ride.

Honor Your Spirit

I humbly submit that even those who might question the idea of a Creator, will cop to the fact that we all have something inside us that "knows itself" without any proof of it's existence. Perhaps the word spirit is too laden with spiritual connotations. One old friend, who is normally really cool, loses his composure and leaves the room saying in a booming voice, "That's Metaphysics", waving his hand dismissively as he goes, whenever talk goes to the very idea of spirituality. I can't say that the idea of spirit will ever please everybody, but I do believe that we are all spiritual creatures. Unlike the creatures of the forest and plains, who just are, we humans seem preoccupied with things that are not food, frolic, fornication, or shelter from the storm. We dialog with one another and ourselves about the most arcane and mundane matters as to be distracted from our immediate surroundings. Our great love for making meaning, even if there is none there to begin with, borders on pathological. Perhaps this idea of spirit too is fictional, but I for one hope not.

In my own heart, I know of my own routes to pure spirit, and have trod the path to it's light as well as it's darker side. The festering and crippled side that revolves around illusion, artificiality and destruction as well as the pure and enlightened portion that resonates with creativity, joyous delight and compassion. My call is for each and every one of us to get in touch with our spirit, explore it and learn the lessons that it has for us. Having done this, we will be better poised to make positive changes in the world around us that will reshape forever the course and direction of humanity as well as the direction of the earth, her creatures and the living systems that find themselves along for the ride beside the human race on this planet.

When you are in contact with your spirit, the greatest honor you can give it and in turn to the creator, by whatever name you call it, is to listen carefully to what it says to you. Listen carefully to what your spirit says is wrong with the current state of affairs. Whatever it may be that you feel is wrong, is but a call to attend to it's solution. For instance, when the senseless suffering of the poor and homeless motivate you, perhaps you would put your efforts into volunteerism at a shelter or food pantry. If family violence seems most tragic, work to educate people about why power and control are the antithesis of love and compassion, what makes this so and why our culture seems hell-bent on destruction. If unnecessary wars make you feel the most uncomfortable, teach peace.

In my own case, the tragic loss of forests and topsoil, as well as the tremendous loss of climactic stability led me to undertake a process that created a not-for-profit that plants trees and educates people on a host of ecological issues. We each inhabit a vessel that can take on challenges of our own choosing. When we make decisions that line up with our heart, and spirit, we are far more likely to create the world that our creator wanted us to inhabit.

Blessed Be and Namaste'

Beyond Petroleum

The recent ad campaign mounted by BP would be inspiring if it were not so sad. The bucolic pictures of hard hatted men swinging solar panels into place, climbing atop giant wind powered electric generating turbines, and holding up beakers presumably full of bio-fuels are heart warming. Sadly, each of these technologies is over 100 years old and their effectiveness proven. In the Netherlands, wind power and dikes have allowed them to push back the sea, creating more country. Solar panels have been on most calculators since I can remember, and provided reliable power in virtually all space flights. Bio-fuel has had a proud history as far back as cavemen who used fire to heat their homes. Many of the first steam powered cars ran on wood. It is time non-fossil fuel use. The mess in the Gulf of Mexico just proves what has been said for the last few generations.

I just wish that BP had spent as much on safety as they had on their promotional ad campaign. Perhaps if they had done that, we would not be faced with yet another oil related catastrophe. I cannot understand the big oil mentality of paying lips service to transforming the energy economy, while simultaneously pocketing the largest profits in history. If you take the profits over the last three months alone for BP and the top four US oil companies they made twenty-five billion. Their profit alone was nearly two hundred and fifty dollars per US household. In just three months!

Using this as a starting point, because most of their increased profits were tied to the rising price of oil, which will continue to go up. Every household in the US could be supplied with either a solar furnace (which would provide direct heat in cool climates) or a Photovoltaic system (which would provide electricity in warm climates) Because of scale, approximately one hundred million total units, the cost would be reduced significantly. At current prices, this investment of, say, just a single year's worth of profits could provide half of either home heating costs (in cool climates)or half of the electricity consumed (in warm climates) Even without the benefits of scale, within at least five years, we could have all of our home energy needs met through solar alone. I don't advocate confiscatory tax systems that would make this a government program, I'm just making a point. This is the kind of money we are talking about. Twenty-five billion dollars every three months. Just think what good it could do!