The story of the New Age

So what is the New Age about? This term means different things to different people, just as the word ‘spirituality’ means different things to different people. Terms need to be defined if we are to be able to understand each other. The New Age is a time of great atomisation, as it applauds individuality and everyone’s right to define the world as they please. It is a huge worldwide movement, made possible by the explosion of free information which is available on the internet. Many spiritual seekers find themselves getting lost in its vast choices and some become cynical about its more trivial aspects.

Letting Go - French style!

In France, they have a tradition of making time live, to create a setting of pleasure and relaxation. Fabrice Midal's book 'C'est La Vie' describes 'how to' and praises this as an art form from France. It describes how you can find your inner joy, of being in the moment, of finding comfort and beauty and a little romance. 

The Value of Work

If you want to prosper, enjoy your work. I love working! Being productive! Being busy! I accomplish so much! Every moment of every day, I get through so much! I feel healthy, powerful, productive, fulfilled, learning, and I earn money too and I help other people and myself! Work - yes please! Whether volunteering, paid or unpaid, work is the answer! 

Jenni Roditi interview

I would like to introduce Mind Body Spirit Magazine readers to Jenni Roditi: 

Please tell us something about yourself Jenni:

I’m a vocalist and composer and I live in North London. I studied composition at the Guildhall and Brunel University, which I adored and which provided me with the technical tools which still underpin my musical work. I’ve written two chamber operas, and a variety of other orchestral and choral works, and continue to compose alongside my teaching and therapeutic practice.

Stephen Wollaston - an interview

Introducing Stephen Wollaston, also known as Santoshan to Mind Body and Soul Ezine readers. Please tell us something about yourself please:

Santoshan: During the 70s I played electric bass guitar in 'Lady June's Elysium’ (the singer, Lady June, was quite known at the time) and I also played in the Wasps, who were one of London’s first punk groups. I stopped playing to concentrate on graphics work to make a living. My creativity surfaced with the ability to write, particularly after becoming close friends with the ex-Benedictine monk and medium Glyn Edwards, who asked me to co-author a book with him. Around that time, I took a degree in religious studies and a post-grad certificate in education, and interest in English language and transpersonal psychology. I began teaching humanities subjects as well as English language. Yet I have continued to enjoy graphics work and have written on various interrelated spiritual topics. I have released eight books to date.  

Kathleen Ball PhD - Templars in Brazil.

 Dr Ball was filming in Alto Paraiso de Goias in the 700 year old Brazilian caves that reveal the presence of the Poor Soldier Knights of Christ and the Temple of Solomon. She has met tribal people from the area who have Templar ancestors. 

The first part of her research won many awards and was acclaimed by prestigious organisations for highlighting aspects of the unknown history of this area. She is also raising awareness of the difficulties facing these people who live close to the land and who suffer many deprivations. For more information, read on: 

Taoism

What is Taoism? 
Taoism was founded by a Chinese sage who worked - it is believed - as a librarian, and whose name was Lao Tsu. He lived 2600 years ago in ancient China, at a similar time to when Confucius lived. The teaching of Taoism is received through a book titled the 'Tao Te Ching', (reputedly) written by Lao Tzu who also wrote a large number of poems through which he imparted his teachings. There are many extraordinary myths about his life: that he was born fathered coupling between his mother a shooting star, and that he was born after an 82 year gestation with white hair and a long beard. The aim of the method is to achieve a high meditative and relaxed state, which provides inner harmony, poise and contentment. 

Quantum Psychology

What is Quantum Psychology? From its New Age roots, a new, holistic psychology is emerging that examines the individual parts of our human nature, and then puts them together into one, comprehensive whole. The result is new insights into our human nature and our ability to transform ourselves, the societies within which we live and the planet.

The "puzzle pieces" that make up Quantum Psychology come from Eastern philosophy and Western science. The East contributes the knowledge and practices associated with yoga, meditation, karma and reincarnation. Western science contributes the insights into the natural world that come from quantum mechanics, complexity theory, systems theory and psychology. Fit all the pieces together and what emerges is a psychological map that explains personal growth and techniques that allow us to be our own counselors, therapists and gurus.

Kabbalah Spring Cleaning

Spring time is great opportunity for us to do internal purification for the soul and spirit. There is no need to probe deeply into the depth of the soul to know that quite a few "spiritual toxins" are accumulated in our thoughts and feelings, casting shadows on our inner light, and dim it.

We are hoarding anger on a daily basis, and if we do not remove it from our system on time (when still young ...), we may develop animosity towards anyone and anything that exist in our environment, act furiously, and our judgment and decision-making abilities may be ruined. Sometimes we may suffer bad mood and mental/emotional restlessness that are originated in our internal imbalance.

Spiritism

During Spiritualism’s heyday, philanthropists, political activists, (including vegetarians and animal welfare activists), and all kinds of intellectuals and Establishment figures believed that spirits in the Afterlife could be contacted to aid learning and help those in the physical world live a better life. Queen Victoria and the royal family are said to be ardent believers. Spiritualism’s ‘Pope’, the flamboyant socialist Hannen Swaffer (who opposed capital punishment and always wore a hat) was an ardent campaigner for Spiritualism. 

Gemba

 

What is Gemba? 

What are Runes?

Runes are letters of an alphabet that developed from extremely ancient illustrations, each of which once had a specific meaning. These gradually developed into an ancient form of writing, which can be traced back from markings that appeared on rocks as early as the neolithic period. Among the signs engraved on these early Runes were parts of the body, weapons, animals and variations on the square, circle and swastika.

Later on, these symbols became simplified into abstract hieroglyphics,  wich were composed of lines that no longer resembled specific objects. In addition to being used to communicate ideas, Runic letter images were considered so powerful and magical that they were inscribed into tools, weapons, rocks, altars and personal items. In addition, from these earliest of days, these magical markings were inscribed into wooden pieces that were thrown down and "read" as an early form of fortune telling. 

Peak Experiences

In studying accounts of peak experiences, Maslow identified a manner of thought he called "Being-cognition" (or "B-cognition"), which is holistic and accepting, as opposed to the evaluative "Deficiency-cognition" (or "D-cognition"), and values he called "Being-values" He listed the B-values as:

• Truth: honesty; reality; simplicity; richness; oughtness; beauty; pure, clean and unadulterated; completeness; essentiality
• Goodness: rightness; desirability; oughtness; justice; benevolence; honesty
• Beauty: rightness; form; aliveness; simplicity; richness; wholeness; perfection; completion; uniqueness; honesty
• Wholeness: unity; integration; tendency to one-ness; interconnectedness; simplicity; organization; structure; dichotomy-transcendence; order
• Aliveness: process; non-deadness; spontaneity; self-regulation; full-functioning
• Uniqueness: idiosyncrasy; individuality; non-comparability; novelty
• Perfection: necessity; just-right-ness; just-so-ness; inevitability; suitability; justice; completeness; "oughtness"
• Completion: ending; finality; justice; "it's finished"; fulfillment; finis and telos; destiny; fate
• Justice: fairness; orderliness; lawfulness; "oughtness"
• Simplicity: honesty; essentiality; abstract, essential, skeletal structure
• Richness: differentiation, complexity; intricacy
• Effortlessness: ease; lack of strain, striving or difficulty; grace; perfect, beautiful functioning
• Playfulness: fun; joy; amusement; gaiety; humor; exuberance; effortlessness
• Self-sufficiency: autonomy; independence; not-needing-other-than-itself-in-order-to-be-itself; self-determining; environment-transcendence; separateness; living by its own laws.

A New World View!

THE GREAT TRANSITION FROM FOSSIL FUELS TO SOLAR AND WIND

The worldwide transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy is under way.

As fossil fuel prices rise, as air pollution worsens, and as concerns about climate instability cast a shadow over the future of coal, a new world energy economy is emerging. The old economy, fueled largely by coal and oil, is being replaced with one powered by solar and wind energy.

The Evolving Energy Transition: In the United States, the energy transition can be seen in the hundreds of utility-scale power plants under development or construction in the Southwest. Iowa and South Dakota are each generating at least 26 percent of their electricity from wind farms. The share in Iowa could reach half by 2018. 

The Tale of Robin

 It is nearly April, and the first light of dawn breaks across the horizon, painting the sky in hues of pink and yellow. I perch on the back of a garden bench, my favourite spot; the air is crisp, filled with the sweet scent of awakening life. Spring has arrived, and with it, an orchestra of sounds fills the garden, a melody that stirs my heart and urges me to sing.

Each morning, I awaken to the gentle rustle of leaves and the soft chirping of my fellow bird friends. The garden is a canvas of colours where daffodils and hyacinths stretch toward the sun, their petals yawning in a joyous greeting. Butterflies flit about, their delicate wings splashing colour here and there. I can feel the excitement in the air; nature and I are stirring.

Sunk Cost Fallacy

 

The Knights Templar

 Since the earliest days of Christianity, there was a desire to see the holy places where the prophets, the disciples and Jesus himself taught and died. St Helena, the mother of King Constantine, went in search of ancient holy sites and relics. When Jerusalem was taken by Islam, Pilgrims who set out for this long, dangerous and arduous journey were often robbed and sometimes killed on route. Seeing this difficult situation, nine French knights, all related, formed in 1118 AD a brotherhood for the protection of these dedicated pilgrims. They were led by Hughes of Payens and Godfrey of Bouillon. The Templar title comes from accommodation on Temple Mount given to them and for their defence of this holy site. They rose to prominence during the time of the first Crusades. These were a series of wars fought under the banner of Christ either for the recovery of the land or in defence of Christian holy sites. They wore a white cloak with a red eight pointed Maltese cross on the left shoulder. In 1130, with the support of Saint Bernard and money coming from the Christian world, their meteoric rise began. They were to become a major political and financial fighting force.

Loneliness Book Extract: Ben Lazare Mijuskovic

Extract from 'Loneliness: In Harm’s Way*'  I attended this symposium and these are the verbatim notes of a talk at Brunel University, London on 30th October 2015:  The speaker wished to convey four things: (a) that all human beings are innately and universally lonely; (b) why this is so; (c) the consequences of loneliness; and (d) what can be done about it - its remedies!

         "The twin principles I propose to defend are that all we feel, think, say, and do occurs between two emotional and cognitive poles in human consciousness, between the solipsistic insularity of loneliness and the intentional desire to transcend it by attaining intimate attachments. The two terminals of consciousness constitute the dynamics of repulsion and attraction, which continually guide us through our passions, thoughts, and actions. After the biological drives for air, water, nourishment, sleep—and before sex---are met, the most insistent psychological need and motivational drive in human beings is to secure an intimate relation to other self-conscious creatures, whether animal, human, or divine. In effect, I wish to replace Freud’s principle of libidinal energy with the anxiety of isolation.

The Great Transition

THE GREAT TRANSITION FROM FOSSIL FUELS TO SOLAR AND WIND

The worldwide transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy is under way.

As fossil fuel prices rise, as air pollution worsens, and as concerns about climate instability cast a shadow over the future of coal, a new world energy economy is emerging. The old economy, fueled largely by coal and oil, is being replaced with one powered by solar and wind energy.

The Evolving Energy Transition

In the United States, the energy transition can be seen in the hundreds of utility-scale power plants under development or construction in the Southwest. Iowa and South Dakota are each generating at least 26 percent of their electricity from wind farms. The share in Iowa could reach half by 2018.

Texas, which now gets 10 percent of its electricity from wind, is building huge wind farms and the long-distance transmission lines that will enable it to sell low-cost wind-generated power in Louisiana and Mississippi. 

Cargoes - A Poem

Cargoes by John Masefield

I am choosing poems I remember from my childhood...

Quinquireme of Nineveh from distant Ophir,
Rowing home to haven in sunny Palestine,
With a cargo of ivory,
And apes and peacocks,
Sandalwood, cedarwood, and sweet white wine.

Stately Spanish galleon coming from the Isthmus,
Dipping through the Tropics by the palm-green shores,
With a cargo of diamonds,
Emeralds, amythysts,
Topazes, and cinnamon, and gold moidores.

Dirty British coaster with a salt-caked smoke stack,
Butting through the Channel in the mad March days,
With a cargo of Tyne coal,
Road-rails, pig-lead,
Firewood, iron-ware, and cheap tin trays.