Got an announcement about an upcoming event you might be interested in from Earth Peoples United.
Waqxaqui B’atz Mayan Spiritual Renewal Ceremonial Retreat
at the Deer Mountain Healing Center in Montague, CA north of Mt. Shasta
Thursday May 21st – Sunday May 24th, 2009
Check out their website for more information.
OmeAkaEhekatl Erick Gonzalez, one of the teachers there, spoke at the Shift by the Bay last October in SF. It would be great to see him again in a natural environment. He's a Day-keeper from Guatemala.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Venus Retrograde - Time to Listen and Breathe
The focus of my current research is learning about the belief systems of the Mayans. We see various events and ceremonies depicted in art, but what were the beliefs that gave rise to them? True they did blood sacrifice, but why? They used plants and other substances to attain altered states, but what did they want to know? where did they go in their trances? who did they communicate with?
Along with many the other subjects, I have been studying religions for years. I have found that they share core beliefs, while the practices vary depending on time and place.
Venus was an important planet to Mesoamerican culture. It was a male god and represented drought, danger and warfare. We are currently in a Venus retrograde period see my astrology blog.
In our culture, Venus is a goddess and represents love, beauty and harmony. One of her attributes is the ability to listen and respond with affection and caring. During this retrograde period, we are asked to re-evaluate those people and things that we value. We are warned about making major purchases, painting or decorating our homes or making major changes to our appearance during this time, because when she goes direct will probably regret our choices.
I highly recommend this 3 CD set by John Major Jenkins. It explains how he came to his conclusions after many years of research. Working with academic and other information, while outside the academy, he was free to come up with his own creative interpretations.
One problem I always had with being part of the academic world is that they insist on viewing everything from a strictly 'scientific' system. They don't seem to realize that Science is a belief system, not unlike any other. They are adherents of a fundamentalist-like religion. Other ways of knowing are not acceptable. One can get marginalized very easily for stepping on toes or stepping outside the box. I knew I could not conform.
Jenkins looks at the data and interprets it. I can't tell you how sick I got, as a graduate student, of reading boring descriptions of structures: measurements, materials, technology, etc. and few would dare say we were looking at a 'house'. Duh.
Jenkins has read all the scholarly material, communicated with the authors, pursued his inspirations and gone down and checked it all out himself. I really respect his work.
He shows the evolution of spiritual tradition and belief that occurred through time in Mesoamerican cultures. He also makes connections to traditions that we are more familiar with. In short, he gives some indication about the belief system that was a the heart of the people who created the calendar and how we can connect to it.
The third CD gives some breath practices that I recommend. I believe that working with the breath is an extremely important way we can accelerate our evolution and spiritual development. The best thing about working with the breath is that it is free! We can do it while we wait in line. We can do it in the car while waiting at red lights. Our breath is our connection to life. When we are born, we take our first breath and establish our own separate self. When we die, we release our connection with the breath and merge with Unity again.
Along with many the other subjects, I have been studying religions for years. I have found that they share core beliefs, while the practices vary depending on time and place.
Venus was an important planet to Mesoamerican culture. It was a male god and represented drought, danger and warfare. We are currently in a Venus retrograde period see my astrology blog.
In our culture, Venus is a goddess and represents love, beauty and harmony. One of her attributes is the ability to listen and respond with affection and caring. During this retrograde period, we are asked to re-evaluate those people and things that we value. We are warned about making major purchases, painting or decorating our homes or making major changes to our appearance during this time, because when she goes direct will probably regret our choices.
I highly recommend this 3 CD set by John Major Jenkins. It explains how he came to his conclusions after many years of research. Working with academic and other information, while outside the academy, he was free to come up with his own creative interpretations.
One problem I always had with being part of the academic world is that they insist on viewing everything from a strictly 'scientific' system. They don't seem to realize that Science is a belief system, not unlike any other. They are adherents of a fundamentalist-like religion. Other ways of knowing are not acceptable. One can get marginalized very easily for stepping on toes or stepping outside the box. I knew I could not conform.
Jenkins looks at the data and interprets it. I can't tell you how sick I got, as a graduate student, of reading boring descriptions of structures: measurements, materials, technology, etc. and few would dare say we were looking at a 'house'. Duh.
Jenkins has read all the scholarly material, communicated with the authors, pursued his inspirations and gone down and checked it all out himself. I really respect his work.
He shows the evolution of spiritual tradition and belief that occurred through time in Mesoamerican cultures. He also makes connections to traditions that we are more familiar with. In short, he gives some indication about the belief system that was a the heart of the people who created the calendar and how we can connect to it.
The third CD gives some breath practices that I recommend. I believe that working with the breath is an extremely important way we can accelerate our evolution and spiritual development. The best thing about working with the breath is that it is free! We can do it while we wait in line. We can do it in the car while waiting at red lights. Our breath is our connection to life. When we are born, we take our first breath and establish our own separate self. When we die, we release our connection with the breath and merge with Unity again.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Chocolate, the Long Count and the Izapans
First of all, let me revise the info about the class I'm giving through Santa Rosa Junior College, Community Education. It will be on 6 Thursday nights 7-9pm from June 18 through July 23. Anyone can take the class. You register at this website, but the new classes for summer are not there yet.
Since these days I am following instructions from my spirit guides, I had a table at the recent Wellness Fair in Sebastopol, CA. I was 'instructed' to make products from chocolate and to use the Mayan hieroglyph for cacao on the label. I decided to write a little history of chocolate in my brochure and while researching in Sophie and Michael Coe's book The True History of Chocolate, I found out that the Izapans domesticated chocolate and that the word 'cacao' came from their word 'kakawa', reconstructed by historical linguists. Since the Izapans also created the Long Count calendar, there actually was a connection! I got an eerie feeling from finding this out. I was truly being guided to educate people on Mayan culture and communicate their beliefs and practices.
I have to admit that I was not sure what I was doing there (at the Wellness Fair), and so when people asked me what my table was about, I sometimes just had to say "I don't know. I'm just following orders." Some people got it (Sebastopol is a capital of New Agers). Some didn't. I had my 'props' - my chocolate lip balm and body butter and the flower essence blend and aromatherapy spray I was instructed to make by my guides. But sometimes I just felt foolish. Still, I knew that in some way I was a cultural envoy and so had to maintain my dignity. By the end of the day and ever since, I have been in such an altered state that it is challenging to function.
I just finished a book by Mark Borax called 2012: Crossing the Bridge to the Future. It is primarily an autobiography and an account of Borax's apprenticeship with a teacher in the Santa Cruz mountains during the late 80's early 90's. There is a minimal connection to 2012, but (in my opinion) not enough to justify a third of the front cover. It was a compelling book - hard to put down and thought provoking.
My research these days is focused on two areas: 1) updating the information for the class I'm teaching, 2) finding information from Mayan culture, past and present, that speaks to the meaning of 2012 as they see it.
I am reading as many contemporary books as I can to see what non-Mayans are saying about it too. If something is going to happen, then there should be some correlation between traditional and modern information. I am searching for shared Truth.
Since these days I am following instructions from my spirit guides, I had a table at the recent Wellness Fair in Sebastopol, CA. I was 'instructed' to make products from chocolate and to use the Mayan hieroglyph for cacao on the label. I decided to write a little history of chocolate in my brochure and while researching in Sophie and Michael Coe's book The True History of Chocolate, I found out that the Izapans domesticated chocolate and that the word 'cacao' came from their word 'kakawa', reconstructed by historical linguists. Since the Izapans also created the Long Count calendar, there actually was a connection! I got an eerie feeling from finding this out. I was truly being guided to educate people on Mayan culture and communicate their beliefs and practices.
I have to admit that I was not sure what I was doing there (at the Wellness Fair), and so when people asked me what my table was about, I sometimes just had to say "I don't know. I'm just following orders." Some people got it (Sebastopol is a capital of New Agers). Some didn't. I had my 'props' - my chocolate lip balm and body butter and the flower essence blend and aromatherapy spray I was instructed to make by my guides. But sometimes I just felt foolish. Still, I knew that in some way I was a cultural envoy and so had to maintain my dignity. By the end of the day and ever since, I have been in such an altered state that it is challenging to function.
I just finished a book by Mark Borax called 2012: Crossing the Bridge to the Future. It is primarily an autobiography and an account of Borax's apprenticeship with a teacher in the Santa Cruz mountains during the late 80's early 90's. There is a minimal connection to 2012, but (in my opinion) not enough to justify a third of the front cover. It was a compelling book - hard to put down and thought provoking.
My research these days is focused on two areas: 1) updating the information for the class I'm teaching, 2) finding information from Mayan culture, past and present, that speaks to the meaning of 2012 as they see it.
I am reading as many contemporary books as I can to see what non-Mayans are saying about it too. If something is going to happen, then there should be some correlation between traditional and modern information. I am searching for shared Truth.
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