LOVE ANGELES PROJECT®

Awaken (Video)

Adora Svitak: Why Childish is a Good Thing?

Source: Ted.com - A voracious reader from age three, Adora Svitak's first serious foray into writing -- at age five -- was limited only by her handwriting and spelling. (Her astonishing verbal abilities already matched that of young adults over twice her age.) As her official bio says, her breakthrough would soon come "in the form of a used Dell laptop her mother bought her." At age seven, she typed out over 250,000 words -- poetry, short stories, observations about the world -- in a single year.

Svitak has since fashioned her beyond-her-years wordsmithing into an inspiring campaign for literacy -- speaking across the country to both adults and kids. She is author of Flying Fingers, a book on learning.

"A tiny literary giant." - Diane Sawyer, Good Morning America

Check out Adora's Talk below:

Earth Hour 2010 Set For Lights Out March 27th

Source: ecorazzi - Are you ready for Earth Hour 2010? It’s hard to believe, but we’re already on the third year of the worldwide campaign to recognize climate change with the symbolic gesture of “lights out” for one hour. The initial list of US landmarks taking part in this global climate event includes Mount Rushmore, Empire State Building, the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas,” Harrah’s Caesar Palace and the MGM Mirage on the Las Vegas Strip and San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge.

New Earth Hour participants in 2010 will include Montezuma Castle National Monument in Arizona and the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Indianapolis. Other local landmarks taking part include Atlanta’s Bank of America building and the Pike Place Market sign in Seattle, with many more expected to sign on in the days ahead.

The World Wildlife Fund, which organizes the campaign each year, is hopeful that participation in the U.S. will include people, buildings, and landmarks from all 50 states.

Last year, celebrities like Edward Norton, Alanis Morissette, and even Yoko Ono campaigned for people to join the campaign. Are you ready for a little candlelight on March 27th? Check out the new promo below:

Martin Luther King

"Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don't have tohave a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subjectand verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soulgenerated by love." ~ Martin Luther King Jr.

An Alternative to Revenge

Source: Spiritual Media Blog - A popular theme in movies these days seems to be revenge. I find this a bit troubling and would like to offer an alternative for dealing with those who have wronged us: An advanced form of forgiveness

This is an advanced type of forgiveness because:

      1.  It is for you, not the person you are forgiving.

      2.  It is unconditional and holds no grudges.

      3.  It simply involves letting go of resentment

As Buddha once said, "Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned."When you let go of resentment, you are freeing yourself to focus your thoughts, energy and intentions on what is truly important to you.  You do not have to tell the other person that you are forgiving them.  Simply forgive that person in your heart and let go of their energy.

This has many powerful seen and unseen benefits because after you forgive the other person then that grudge, anger or resentment that you are holding onto literally disappears and you free yourself from that negativity.  This is why this type of forgiveness truly is for you and not for the other person.

We can practice this type of forgiveness on ourself too.  For example, we all make mistakes and can let go of our anger or guilt by forgiving ourself.  This is not always an easy process, but the more we practice it, the easier it becomes and the more we begin to heal ourself on a conscious and unconscious level.

Matt Welsh is the Creator www.SpiritualMediaBlog.com - The News Source for Spiritual Entertainment

'Just Sit' is a Gobal Mantra Connecting People Locally

Just two months since opening in Culver City, Just Sit's meditation meet-up is becoming a special place for a growing community to go within and connect with one other.

This upcoming Tuesday January 19th at 7pm, award-winning composer Yuval Ron will be performing a musical meditation at the intimate gathering, which is not to be missed!!! Yuval has traveled the world with the Yuval Ron Ensemble, a diverse ten piece group, playing for world peace and cultural coexistence while mesmorizing audiences with their soul-penetrating vibrations. In fact, as covered earlier in the week, the Ensemble will be performing together in Pasadena on Sunday January 31st (see more about that here). I look forward to seeing you and many others at 7pm on Tuesday (try to come early if you can in order not to disrupt the meditation in progress.)

About Just Sit     

Just Sit is a unique meditation meet-up with a mission of recapturing what we consider to be the essence of meditation…

For many of us who are searching for ways to find our center, to meditate, we simply want to just sit and connect. With no specific dogma or singular affiliations, we come together as a group to hold space for our collective consciousness to rise and to support each other in becoming more familiar with our higher self. Come join us every Tuesday at 7 pm at our Los Angeles center located just outside Culver City (address shown below.) Each meditation gathering lasts for about one hour.

What You Can Expect:
In respect of the various years of experience of the people meditating in the groups, we will have three timed meditations. To further support one another, after the first two meditations, we will take a few minutes to see if anyone wants to share their current life challenges or their experiences in meditation. The first 15 minute settling meditation will be either to music or guided by the meditation leader. The second meditation is 20 minutes and is a silent opening meditation. The final 15 minute meditation is a “closing meditation” and will be either to music or guided by the meditation leader. 

What is a Suggested Donation and How Does It Work?
There is a suggested donation of $10 a class. Suggested donation means that if you can put $10 in the box, please do. If you are not in a position to do so, contribute what you can. Nobody will be keeping track of individual donations. The $10 dollar donation is not meant as a bottom or a top limit… if you are in a position to donate more, it will be greatly appreciated.

Location:
Out of Asia
3249 S La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90016

Times:
Tue 7pm - 8pm

For more information, connect with Just Sit on Facebook and/or Contact Jerry Lee Davis or Forrest Kolb at inf0[at]justsit.org for more information.

Just two months since opening in Culver City, Just Sit's meditation meet-up is becoming a special place for a growing community to go within and connect with one other.

This upcoming Tuesday January 19th at 7pm, award-winning composer Yuval Ron will be performing a musical meditation at the intimate gathering, which is not to be missed!!! Yuval has traveled the world with the Yuval Ron Ensemble, a diverse ten piece group, playing for world peace and cultural coexistence while mesmorizing audiences with their soul-penetrating vibrations. In fact, as covered earlier in the week, the Ensemble will be performing together in Pasadena on Sunday January 31st (see more about that here). I look forward to seeing you and many others at 7pm on Tuesday (try to come early if you can in order not to disrupt the meditation in progress.)

About Just Sit     

Just Sit is a unique meditation meet-up with a mission of recapturing what we consider to be the essence of meditation…

For many of us who are searching for ways to find our center, to meditate, we simply want to just sit and connect. With no specific dogma or singular affiliations, we come together as a group to hold space for our collective consciousness to rise and to support each other in becoming more familiar with our higher self. Come join us every Tuesday at 7 pm at our Los Angeles center located just outside Culver City (address shown below.) Each meditation gathering lasts for about one hour.

What You Can Expect:
In respect of the various years of experience of the people meditating in the groups, we will have three timed meditations. To further support one another, after the first two meditations, we will take a few minutes to see if anyone wants to share their current life challenges or their experiences in meditation. The first 15 minute settling meditation will be either to music or guided by the meditation leader. The second meditation is 20 minutes and is a silent opening meditation. The final 15 minute meditation is a “closing meditation” and will be either to music or guided by the meditation leader. 

What is a Suggested Donation and How Does It Work?
There is a suggested donation of $10 a class. Suggested donation means that if you can put $10 in the box, please do. If you are not in a position to do so, contribute what you can. Nobody will be keeping track of individual donations. The $10 dollar donation is not meant as a bottom or a top limit… if you are in a position to donate more, it will be greatly appreciated.

Location:
Out of Asia
3249 S La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90016

Times:
Tue 7pm - 8pm

For more information, connect with Just Sit on Facebook and/or Contact Jerry Lee Davis or Forrest Kolb at inf0[at]justsit.org for more information.

Just two months since opening in Culver City, Just Sit's meditation meet-up is becoming a special place for a growing community to go within and connect with one other.

This upcoming Tuesday January 19th at 7pm, award-winning composer Yuval Ron will be performing a musical meditation at the intimate gathering, which is not to be missed!!! Yuval has traveled the world with the Yuval Ron Ensemble, a diverse ten piece group, playing for world peace and cultural coexistence while mesmorizing audiences with their soul-penetrating vibrations. In fact, as covered earlier in the week, the Ensemble will be performing together in Pasadena on Sunday January 31st (see more about that here). I look forward to seeing you and many others at 7pm on Tuesday (try to come early if you can in order not to disrupt the meditation in progress.)

About Just Sit     

Just Sit is a unique meditation meet-up with a mission of recapturing what we consider to be the essence of meditation…

For many of us who are searching for ways to find our center, to meditate, we simply want to just sit and connect. With no specific dogma or singular affiliations, we come together as a group to hold space for our collective consciousness to rise and to support each other in becoming more familiar with our higher self. Come join us every Tuesday at 7 pm at our Los Angeles center located just outside Culver City (address shown below.) Each meditation gathering lasts for about one hour.

What You Can Expect:
In respect of the various years of experience of the people meditating in the groups, we will have three timed meditations. To further support one another, after the first two meditations, we will take a few minutes to see if anyone wants to share their current life challenges or their experiences in meditation. The first 15 minute settling meditation will be either to music or guided by the meditation leader. The second meditation is 20 minutes and is a silent opening meditation. The final 15 minute meditation is a “closing meditation” and will be either to music or guided by the meditation leader. 

What is a Suggested Donation and How Does It Work?
There is a suggested donation of $10 a class. Suggested donation means that if you can put $10 in the box, please do. If you are not in a position to do so, contribute what you can. Nobody will be keeping track of individual donations. The $10 dollar donation is not meant as a bottom or a top limit… if you are in a position to donate more, it will be greatly appreciated.

Location:
Out of Asia
3249 S La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90016

Times:
Tue 7pm - 8pm

For more information, connect with Just Sit on Facebook and/or Contact Jerry Lee Davis or Forrest Kolb at inf0[at]justsit.org for more information.

Jimi Hendrix Fans Have a New Experience in Store

Source: LA Times - The late musician's half-sister is overseeing the release of a 'new' album of previously unreleased material.

With the exception of James Dean, who made only three films, there might be no pop-culture icon who has done more with less than the late Jimi Hendrix. The ultimate guitar hero released just three studio albums before his death in 1970, but new generations of music fans keep plugging into his amplified legacy.

The volume of Hendrix's music is about to get turned up.

Today, the Hendrix estate and Sony Music Entertainment will announce the March 9 release of a "new" Hendrix album, "Valleys of Neptune," which will feature a dozen unreleased recordings.

The late star's sister, Janie Hendrix, calls the material a "major revelation" about her brother's musical directions at the time of his death, but the project and Sony's intense interest in it also reveal plenty about the modern music marketplace -- namely that proven stars of the past, even the dead ones, are growing more important to an industry facing an uncertain future.

At last week's massive 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Sony chairman and chief executive Howard Stringer opened his company's presentation by talking about Sony's Legacy Recordings and its licensing agreement with Experience Hendrix, the Seattle-based company that acts as steward of the estate.

That partnership was first announced last summer, but today marks the real rollout of Sony's venture into the Hendrix vault. The company also will re-release familiar Hendrix albums bundled with new DVD documentaries, take the star into the online sector aggressively and look for synergy opportunities with the biennial Hendrix all-star tribute tour that begins its national run March 4 in Santa Barbara.

"It's an auspicious start in fulfilling a shared vision for the Jimi Hendrix catalog going forward," Legacy general manager Adam Block said.

Perhaps, but it also offers insight into the mind set at the major record labels. There was a major scramble among Sony's rivals to land the Hendrix deal for the simple reason that icons of the past are viewed as a particularly good investment at a time when CD sales of new music are in continued decline and up-and-coming acts represent limited upside amid the shifting profit realities of the digital-download era.

In other words, the rewind button looks like a safer bet these days.

Nostalgia sells

Warner Music Group has undertaken a major Frank Sinatra revival that is both archival -- with the release of vintage recordings -- and entrepreneurial with new ventures in advertising, film and perhaps a Las Vegas casino. Michael Jackson was the bestselling artist of last year (8.2 million albums sold in the U.S. alone), and the Beatles came in third (3.3 million); country crossover singer Taylor Swift finished between the two with music that was actually recorded in this century.

The Fab Four also hit the video game market with their Rock Band game, the latest of their seemingly seasonal encores as a pop-culture force.

And now, Hendrix is warming up as a 21st century enterprise.

Born in Seattle in 1942, Johnny Allen Hendrix would take on a persona that matched his trippy guitar feedback. His persona -- part gypsy mystic/part cosmic visitor -- made him seem somehow both earthy and otherworldly, a combination that made him a touchstone figure for a tie-dyed generation.

When he set his guitar on fire on stage in 1967 at the Monterey International Pop Festival he truly ignited his career. The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded signature 1960s tracks such as "Purple Haze" and "Foxey Lady," but their frontman's fashion influence and guitar innovations made him greater than the sum of those hits.

Hendrix died in London after a night of barbiturate use in September 1970. He was 27 and had no will. His estate, which is now valued somewhere north of $80 million, was caught up in legal battles for years; initially, control went to his father, Al Hendrix, but over the next decade he ceded it to others with results that left Hendrix devotees grumbling.

Power struggle

Eventually, Al Hendrix wrested control back, leading to the 1995 creation of Experience Hendrix, but his 2002 death led to more court conflicts. Janie, the half-sister of Jimi, emerged as the victor when the dust settled in 2008. She says that now, finally, the obstacles have been cleared and "Valleys of Neptune" is part of a major cache of material that will be tapped.

"There are things that were acquired through the years, both music and film footage and home recordings, or things that were left behind by the old administration not taking care of things," she said. "We have material for a decade's worth [of new releases]."

Janie Hendrix added that "Neptune" has some familiar songs -- die-hard fans might have heard some of these tracks on various bootleg recordings that have turned up over the years -- but these versions are startling.

"It sounds," she said, "like Jimi could have recorded them yesterday."

Any new release will face withering inspection from Hendrix scholars. One of them, Charles R. Cross, author of the acclaimed 2005 Hendrix biography "Room Full of Mirrors" and an occasional critic of the Hendrix estate, said the track listing comes with the promise of pristine presentations of long-muddied material.

"With so many different 'official' albums so far and hundreds of bootlegs, very little Hendrix is truly 'unheard' or 'unreleased' these days," Cross said Sunday. "But to listen to some of Jimi's final Experience recordings in their original versions, with quality remastering, is enough to get any Hendrix fan excited, particularly when the songs are as good as 'Hear My Train,' one of Jimi's best-ever tracks."

South African native Eddie Kramer was the lead producer on the album, and he was also the engineer in the studio with Hendrix during the original sessions. Kramer spent months using vintage analog approaches and the latest digital tools to excavate the material. "I felt like an archaeologist using a brush who finds, underneath the dust, this marvelous gold artifact," he said.

'A new direction'

Kramer said the music of "Neptune" comes primarily from 1969, a time of "both frustration and real excitement" for Hendrix as he pushed his way toward "a new direction." The guitarist had brought in an old friend, bassist Billy Cox, to play on some of the tracks; on Friday, Cox, now living in Nashville, said he is giddy at the prospect of hearing the results of his work with Hendrix.

"I can tell you that Jimi was on his way to a powerful new thing, a new direction completely, he was going back to his roots and he wanted a sound with more soul," said Cox, later in Hendrix's Band of Gypsys. "Who can say where it would have led him if he hadn't died?"

Cox chuckled when asked about the sway Hendrix has on young rock fans and new generations of artists. People who were born after Hendrix was buried seem to view him as a wizard who wasn't quite real.

"Jimi was a complete original and a visionary," Cox said. "Every 10 years a new generation finds him. There are only two kinds of guitarists in the world. The ones who talk about how they were influenced by Jimi Hendrix and those who were influenced by Jimi Hendrix but won't admit it."

The Hero with the Big Gun: Is It All a Myth?

Source: Bullyproof.org - In Hans Christian Anderson’s classic fairy tale, the public all agrees that the Emperor is wearing the finest regal garb – even though he’s buck naked. Why could only one little boy see it?

A scientific study reported on in the New York Times (7/1/05) demonstrates that popular beliefs can actually override people’s personal visual observations. Through MRI and brain scans, researchers determined that about half of us go along with popular myths even if they contradict what we actually see -- and we show no physiological evidence of lying!

Mythological interpreter Joseph Campbell studied cultures from ancient tribal clans to modern industrial nations, and found that the societal behavior of each culture is determined primarily by its underlying mythology. The way we respond to a given situation often has more to do with our myths and stories than reality.

The Myth of the Hero with the Big Gun - We’ve seen the old story over and over: The “fair damsel” is going about her life until the forces of evil, seeking power and control, place her in distress. Along comes the “hero,” who is reluctant to use violence, but finally has no other choice. Despite overwhelming odds, he finally uses superior violence to blow away the bad guys. Victorious, he puts the good guys in back in charge and rides off into the sunset with the girl. Everyone lives happily ever after. It doesn’t matter whether the evil ones are “savages,” space aliens or Saddam Hussein. It doesn’t matter whether the “fair damsels” are hobbits or nerdy boys or the people of Iraq. The “hero” can be male, female, animal, robot – it doesn’t mater. The characters are interchangeable – it is the basic story that stays the same.

This Myth of the Hero with the Big Gun, also known as the Myth of Redemptive Violence is so deeply entrenched in our culture that few even recognize that it is a myth – we just think it’s the way things are. Of course killing the “bad guys” solves problems. It’s the fundamental assumption of our society and it plays out in the pontifications of politicians, the pronouncements of the mass media, and the behavior of America in the world.

Yet, how many people do you know who ever killed the “bad guys” and lived happily ever after? My organization Future WAVE (Working for Alternatives to Violence through Entertainment) worked with teen gang members and youth in detention centers. We’d ask: “Who has ever seen someone get shot or stabbed?” Perhaps half would raise their hands. “Did it ever solve the problem?” There’d be an uncomfortable silence as the realization sank in – they’d been sold a myth by movies, TV shows and videogames.

When their girlfriends were “dissed” or they were abused, they told the “bad guys” to knock it off. When that failed, they did what they’d been taught – they kicked ass, fought fire with fire, blew away the “bad guys”. But instead of riding off into the sunset, they found themselves riding off to jail and their friends being carted off to the graveyard. These young people felt cheated. They’d never been taught any other way of dealing with the bullies and “bad guys”. Once our BULLYPROOF.org program taught them more powerful tools than violence -- through our rap'n roll opera, they were excited. Some said, they never would have ended up in jail if they’d had this program earlier- though out rap' n roll opera, they were excited. Some said, they never would have ended up in jail if they’d had this program earlier.

It’s not just young people who’ve fallen victim to this myth. It seems that presidents and politicians around the world believe that killing “bad guys” solves problems. And yet there is powerful evidence to the contrary. "The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie -- deliberate, contrived and dishonest --but the myth -- persistent, persuasive and unrealistic."

When a mighty superpower, with military spending equal to the entire rest of the world combined, can’t seem to “win” in Iraq, when it failed to defeat peasants in Vietnam despite years of plummeting that country with superior firepower, should we perhaps question whether power comes from the barrel of a gun? Continue reading the entire article here. It's really good!

Coreservation: One Hypothetical Step Towards a Peaceful Ancient-Modern Way

A few days after watching Avatar, I scribbled the following, "I can only describe it as that I caught a strong flash or two into how we (a community of people serious about changing the way we live and work together on the planet) were going to be living, working, surviving and ultimately thriving "together" in the near future. Ironically, just as I thought that I was beginning to see a clear landscape of my personal life mission/purpose, what flashed over me, I've never even imagined before... I saw "tribes" of heart-God-centered people actually living on and off the land in a future-ancient way. I realized that one potential interpretation of the prophetic "war" to take place (much like in the film) and written about in many of the spiritual texts was actually an internal war which is and would continue to rage within each of us who were willing to seriously "live this change." More specifically, how much would we be willing to let go of, relative to what we currently think we "need to have" for EVERYONE to live a balanced and abundant life TOGETHER... It is almost like the movie had so much power and purpose behind it that that it was actually a divine GPS point loaded into a master rescue plan for individuals and humanity as a whole to experience and instantly become a bit more enlightened relative to how we are supposed to live peacefully together here on Earth."

Well, the least I could do is attempt to describe my experience in a bit more detail. Pandora is here, right beneath our feet and directly below the trillions of tons of scrap automobiles crawling all the way home on the 101 this afternoon. Something went wrong didn't it? When did things really take a turn for the worst? Hey, remember the people who lived here before everything started to get really weird... I think we still call them the Natives? Well, I remember someone once telling me that a long time ago, they clearly expressed a strong intuition that the newbies to North America were going to "fall to materialism and destroy the Living Earth." Oh yeah and either kill the Natives or push them off the land they've lived on for thousands of years. So now that we're clear on when the unbalance began, we can at least get an idea of what not to repeat and at best realize where we ought to begin again...

It makes sense that the key to healing our people and planet would be through the people indigenous to the land - in general, the ancient tribes around the world all share the following basics: 1) respect the Great Spirit 2) respect the Land, Animals and Man 3) work hard, share and celebrate life all together. If you wish, you can throw in 4) create beautiful and timeless art, design and entertainment. You can also add 5) eating healthy - that is locally grown, naturally and in proper portions.

I think that we were suckered on a very dark form of what's been termed "healthy competition" with respect to the Capitalism of today. The type of competition that inevitably leads to fear, greed and resistance and separation amongst people, media, government, and educational institutions. And finally, the type of competition that is addictive and contagious - picked up by other peoples and systems in other places on the planet, setting up a world in which a few are sick with greed, while a few more are desperately sick, hungry and praying to the Great Spirit for a tiny bit of relief.

We know that the duality of structure will crumble, it has already begun on many levels. There is nothing to fear, this is simply evolution - the end of one way and the rebirth of another. It's time for some of us to take an exemplary leap of faith toward creating a new way of going about things, from the bottom up, on every front. It has been discussed for decades but the timing is now for many reasons, one of them being that technology needed to advance to a degree in which people everywhere on the planet can be enlightened, by example, in real-time. Call it a hunch, but I feel certain that the needed shifts to truly leap us towards restoring harmony on the planet will neither come from legislation nor a bunch of activists working from behind their home desktop. Throughout history, these leaps have occurred when individuals and/or tribes were willing to die for the cause of retaining or restoring peace. As pioneers into the era of peace, we must be willing to die to the old ways of material ownership and division.    

I am aware that many of the people God has already connected together, like myself, have adopted the necessary steps of pure and universal thinking and ways of living. A short time ago and in response to a mini-dialogue on restoring harmony on the planet, our brother Judah Isvaran posted the following on Facebook:

"A meeting of the Minds gets to be had...to create the committed actions & Visioning to unfold the possibility for "PANDORA" to exist NOW...The Spiritual Warrior's willing to step forth and stand in the drift to create it."

I look forward to coming together with whomever feels compelled to come forward with a thought, insight or master plan for us to give the planet the greatest gift we humans can give. The true cosmic shift which has already begun does not depend on governments, dual-party politics or anything else of that nature, rather a few people who are willing to listen to the voice of the planet and risk everything for what comes natural to us as living spirits. After our initial leap of faithful action, many more will follow, including institutions, support agencies, governments and more. People will magically come together and work together for the common good, not just because they "have to" as we've seen in "response" to say a tragic terrorist attack, but because they consciously and willingly surrender to the healing Spirit of Love. We will have everything we need at each step along the way.     

Coreservation: An Oasis of Peaceful Ancient-Modern Living

A working title that basically means Help the Natives help us help one another help Our Mother Earth. The mission would be 1) to coexist peacefully and indefinitely on one specific Native American reservation, learning the ways of the Natives and the Land with an intent to co-create a healthy, self-sustainable and thriving ancient-modern way of living and 2) to continually broadcast progress and findings to the entire world. If it succeeds, more reservations might become interested in building stronger, self-sustainable communities, and soon enough people in countries all over the planet may soon find their way back to their own Native peoples. What did that Brit say, Imagine all the people? Well, we've got to start somewhere. The idea is first to immerse ourselves in learning the ways of the Natives. Second, to work together with them in building a truly self-sustainable community. And third, bring the ways to other developing coreserations as well as back to the planet's outdated models, systems and institutions. 

What might this look like? A group of pioneers would travel to and live on a reservation, coexisting with a specific tribe in order to learn first hand about their traditional ways, culture, needs, struggles, etc. Sound familiar? We would NOT be there to "free" them from their ways, nor would we be trying to impose our culture, ways, mentalities, etc. However, we could certainly bring yoga, meditation, fitness, novel methods of conscious teaching, etc. After meeting regularly with the elders, together we could develop a plan to create the first Coreservation open to "outside" peace workers. Perhaps we could introduce some of the technologies which can be used consciously to broadcast peaceful awareness, and raise support for the Natives and the new community. At some point, teachers, translators, nurses, doctors, healers, builders, agriculturalists, etc. would be brought in to facilitate the development of an Ancient-Modern system of living. I envision children becoming educated in a powerful ancient-modern way. I see people eating together, meditating together, sharing stories around the fire. I see peace in the eyes of the people. I can experience the magnificence of the heavens and know that I am living amongst people who know we are one.

My hope is that what we would learn, co-create and broadcast to the world would ignite many fires all over the planet within existing media, people, governments, and educational institutions. We will live the change together, harnessing blessed technologies consciously, while living in harmony with each other and the planet.  

After almost a week of sitting with the notion of drawing up one solution for a leap into a new way of living, coexisting with our beloved Natives, I was startled to stumble upon the Hopi prophecies which I compiled below. If you're interested, I highly suggest that you read on, not to get crazy over the highly interpretable Hopi predictions, but more so to become up-to-date on the stories of the Ancients who lived on this same land:

The Hopi are a Native America Nation who primarily live on the 1.5 million acre Hopi Reservation in northeastern Arizona. Hopis call themselves Hopitu - "The Peaceful People."

Evidence suggest that the Hopi consist of the descendants of various groups that entered the country from the north, the east, and the south, and that a series of movements covered a period of probably three centuries, and perhaps considerably longer.

Their ancestors, the Anasazi, appear to have been related to the Aztecs of Mexico, and may have arrived in their current location 5 to 10 thousand years ago. In that time, they have developed an intricate ceremonial calendar that has helped them survive and be strong in a place that would not seem to have enough reliable water to sustain life.

Art is a way for the Southwestern Native Americans to communicate their dreams, visions, and beliefs to each other or to people today.

Hopi Prophecy:

The famous Hopi Prophecy speaks about the return of the Blue Kachina to herald in the Fifth Age of Man. This is not unlike any other culture who await the return of their god or creational force - Example - "The Second Coming of Christ."

In the Hopi Medicine Wheel of the Hopi prophecy of the four peoples of the Earth, the cardinal direction North represents the body, plants and animals, the color white and 'white skinned peoples', and Childhood. (can also represent birth, and/or meeting a stranger and learning to trust as in infancy, explained in Erik Erikson's stages of Psychosocial development).

The East is held to represent the mind, air, the color yellow and 'yellow skinned peoples', learning the groups to which people belong and Adolescence.

The South holds the heart, fire, the color red and 'red skinned peoples', and Adulthood.

Finally West holds the spirit, water, the color blue or black, and 'black-skinned peoples' and Elderhood. West also represents the final life stage in the wheel, being an elder and passing on knowledge to the next generation so that the wheel may start again just like the circle it takes after.

An ancient Hopi Indian prophecy states, "When the Blue Star Kachina makes its appearance in the heavens, the Fifth World will emerge". This will be the Day of Purification. The Hopi name for the star Sirius is Blue Star Kachina. It will come when the Saquasohuh (Blue Star) Kachina dances in the plaza and removes his mask.

[Note: Reality is a metaphor in which we quest to find answers to the greater truth of who we are and why we are here. Something in our souls tells us that change is happening on a global consciousness level. The blue frequency is part of that. Sirius is Isis - Return to the feminine of higher frequency energies - Rebirth of Consciousness. Blue links to higher/future frequencies of consciousness as we spiral up through the patterns of Sacred Geometry. Blue - electricity - our reality as an electromagnetic energy grid program. Blue: Indigo children, the blue alien lady, Isis, the Pleiades, Sirius, blue galaxies, blue chakra, blue ray and ascended master, and much more that will come 'out of the blue'. Use search engine to discover more about 'blue'.]

The end of all Hopi ceremonialism will come when a "Kachina" removes his mask during a dance in the plaza before uninitiated children [the general public]. For a while there will be no more ceremonies, no more faith. Then Oraibi will be rejuvenated with its faith and ceremonies, marking the start of a new cycle of Hopi life.

World War III will be started by those peoples who first revealed the light (the divine wisdom or intelligence) in the other old countries (India, China, Islamic Nations, Africa.)

The United States will be destroyed, land and people, by atomic bombs and radioactivity. Only the Hopis [peaceful people] and their homeland will be preserved as an oasis to which refugees will flee. Bomb shelters are a fallacy. "It is only materialistic people who seek to make shelters. Those who are at peace in their hearts already are in the great shelter of life. There is no shelter for evil. Those who take no part in the making of world division by ideology are ready to resume life in another world, be they Black, White, Red, or Yellow race. They are all one, brothers."

The war will be "a spiritual conflict with material matters. Material matters will be destroyed by spiritual beings who will remain to create one world and one nation under one power, that of the Creator."

That time is not far off. It will come when the Saquasohuh (Blue Star) Kachina dances in the plaza and removes his mask. He represents a blue star, far off and yet invisible, which will make its appearance soon. The time is foretold by a song sung during the Wuwuchim ceremony. It was sung in 1914 just before World War I, and again in 1940 before World War II, describing the disunity, corruption, and hatred contaminating Hopi rituals, which were followed by the same evils spreading over the world. This same song was sung in 1961 during the Wuwuchim ceremony.

The Emergence to the future Fifth World has begun. It is being made by the humble people of little nations, tribes, and racial minorities. "You can read this in the earth itself. Plant forms from previous worlds are beginning to spring up as seeds [as described in SW-II, Effects and Coming Events # 1]. This could start a new study of botany if people were wise enough to read them. The same kinds of seeds are being planted in the sky as stars. The same kinds of seeds are being planted in our hearts. All these are the same, depending how you look at them. That is what makes the Emergence to the next, Fifth World.

The Hopi were told that after a time White Men would come and take their land and try to lead the Hopi into evil ways. But in spite of all the pressures against them, the Hopi were told they must hold to their ancient religion and their land, though always without violence. If they succeeded, they were promised that their people and their land would be a center from which the True Spirit would be reawakened.

It is said that after many years the elder brother might change the color of his skin, but his hair will remain black. He will have the ability to write, and he will be the only person able to read the Tiponi. When he returns to find his younger brother, the Tiponi will be placed side by side to show all the world that they are true brothers. Then great judgment will take place, for the elder will help the younger brother to obtain real justice for all Indian brothers who have been cruelly mistreated by the white man since he came to Turtle Island.

The transformed elder brother, the True White Brother, will wear a red cloak or a red cap, similar to the pattern on the back of a horned toad. He will bring no religion but his own, and will bring with him the Tiponi tablets. He will be all-powerful; none will be able to stand against him. He will come swiftly, and in one day gain control of this entire continent. It is said, "If he comes from the East, the destruction will not be so bad. But if he comes from the West, do not get up on your housetops to see because he will have no mercy."

The True White Brother will bring with him two great, intelligent and powerful helpers, one of whom will have a sign of a swastika (a masculine symbol of purity), and the sign of the sun. The second great helper will have the sign of a celtic cross with red lines (representing female life blood) between the arms of the cross.

When the Great Purification is near, these helpers will shake the earth first for a short time in preparation. After they shake the earth two times more, they will be joined by the True White Brother, who will become one with them and bring the Purification Day to the world. All three will help the "younger brother" (the Hopi and other pure-hearted people) to make a better world. In the prophecies, the two helpers are designated by the Hopi word for "population," as if they were large groups of people.

The Hopi were warned that if these three great beings failed, terrible evil would befall the world and great numbers of people would be killed. However, it was said that they would succeed if enough Hopi remained true to the ancient spirit of their people. The True White Brother and his helpers will show the people of earth a great new life plan that will lead to everlasting life. The earth will become new and beautiful again, with an abundance of life and food. Those who are saved will share everything equally. All races will intermarry and speak one tongue and be a family.

"My people await Pahana, the lost White Brother, [from the stars] as do all our brothers in the land. He will not be like the white men we know now, who are cruel and greedy. we were told of their coming long ago. But still we await Pahana.

"He will bring with him the symbols, and the missing piece of that sacred tablet now kept by the elders, given to him when he left, that shall identify him as our True White Brother.

"The Fourth World shall end soon, and the Fifth World will begin. This the elders everywhere know. The Signs over many years have been fulfilled, and so few are left....

"Many of my people, understanding the prophecies, shall be safe. Those who stay and live in the places of my people also shall be safe. Then there will be much to rebuild. And soon -- very soon afterward -- Pahana will return. He shall bring with him the dawn of the Fifth World. He shall plant the seeds of his wisdom in their hearts. Even now the seeds are being planted. These shall smooth the way to the Emergence into the Fifth World.

Greatest thing we have for healing is the human spirit.

We are children of the Sun.

We have been given a window of opportunity.

Spiritual Love is the answer. True knowledge is beyond words.

If there is an Armegeddon it is within each of us.

We have 12 strands of DNA in our blood.

Scientists don't know what they are for since they are not being used.

But we can activate them ourselves.

One way is through drumming and ceremony.

End time should be seen as the Beginning time.

We are creating at this moment what our Tomorrow will be...

We Are Avatar!

Source: Mikki Willis of Elevate Films - (For those who have yet to experience Avatar nothing is written here that will spoil it)

Rarely do I see a hyped blockbuster on opening day. But in this case, the night before James Cameron's Avatar officially opened in Los Angeles my wife attended a midnight sneak preview. I was awake when Nadia returned home well past 3 A.M. She was floating. I'd seen her floating many times before. But this was a new float. Her feet were firmly on the ground, eyes clear and laser focused. Her voice had that unique resonance that I've come to expect after we've been through a life changing experience together. I was in a matinee the next day!

Though I hold deep respect for Mr. Cameron’s body of work, I can’t say that I’ve ever been a fan. That changed within the first act of Avatar. I must admit, I did not expect the emotional depth and pure sensitivity that pored from every 3D frame of his latest masterpiece. Yes, the technical accomplishments are groundbreaking, but it was the heart and purpose of Avatar that reached me. Because my path has led to environmental and socially conscious filmmaking, the last several years of my life has been blessed in ceremony with indigenous people. While their rituals vary from circle to circle, their prayers and prophecies are astonishingly similar. Divided by continents, without ever having read a book or Bible, seen a television, or used any form of modern communication device, miraculously they’ve received the same download. They are simply connected to the source, call it what you wish. All of nature is in constant communication. As far as I can tell, it is only we humans, particularly us Westerners who have forgotten how to access our natural and unfiltered intelligence. But that, I’m elated to say, is rapidly changing! Thanks to films like the Matrix and now Avatar, American cinema is helping to awaken our senses!

Avatar’s female lead is Neytiri, the most powerful articulation of the Goddess-warrior to ever make it to the big screen. Period. She represents the divine feminine that resides in the heart of every woman, young and old. Even in digital form she is the real deal. Neytiri is innocent, yet infinitely wise and intuitive, fierce, yet sensitive, and dare I say… seriously sexy!

Jake represents the new man. He is both an infant and a warrior. Despite his handicap, he is fearless and unstoppable. Though he is unaware, Jake is not dumb. He is just wise enough, secure enough, and humble enough to learn from the divine Goddess. In doing so Jake evolves from crippled soldier to Hero-warrior.

Disguised as a Hollywood blockbuster, Avatar is art imitating life to the highest and finest degree. The visual imagery, sound and script are literally encoded with ancient teachings. The message is bold and clear: To evolve beyond the level of thinking that created our current global issues, we must reconnect with our ancestral roots and reunite as one tribe. Though told through a fantasy tale, Avatar is based on a true story. Our story. Regardless of where you are, or where you come from, this message is specifically for you. It is a bold invitation, perhaps even an initiation into higher and deeper experience of yourself and your world.

Tears rolled from behind my designer 3D shades as I sat paralyzed in my stadium seat, spellbound by remembrance, aware of sniffling humans around me, wondering if they too were feeling what I was feeling; Gratitude for my fellow filmmaker James Cameron for rising beyond the shadows and shining so bright! Gratitude for being alive during this historical moment of human evolution! Gratitude for the privilege of standing as a warrior and a witness to the awakening of who and what we truly are!

"I see you"

Mikki Willis - PS. If inspired, please support the conscious movement by forwarding this message to the masses. Thank you!

(Mikki Willis is the founder of the world’s largest socially conscious filmmaking challenge Elevate Film Festival.)

www.ElevateFilms.com / Facebook search: Mikki Willis

Carbon 14 Will Award 50K Toward Your Action

Are you doing something good for the environment and wish you had a few more bucks to assist you in doing more good?

Well, the eco-chic watch brand Carbon 14 wants to help and they're putting their money where their mouth is - they've recently announced that they will be giving away a top prize of $50,000 toward your Environmental action or cause! Oh yes, 20 finalists will receive the Carbon 14 watch of their choice.   

If you, or someone you know, is doing something extraordinary, make sure to submit the cause or action (by nominating yourself or others) and how the 50K award will help out.

According to the C14 website, this opportunity is for everyone, and that means everyone - not just the eco-geeks who seem to be inventing the next fuel-efficient jet (although their submissions are also encouraged!) Don't feel shy at all about submitting your action even if you simply want to make your house or yard more environmentally friendly - you can still enter and win!

Most important of all, we need YOUR help in identifying worthwhile environmental causes. We have created an interactive discussion forum for each nomination, so you have the ability to share your ideas and comment on other's nomiations.

They need to get all your nominations by February 28, 2010 - then the voting begins. Who are the judges? Find out for yourself - we've included pics of a few of them above, recognize anybody?

So make sure to tell your friends, neighbors, and everyone you know to vote for your idea. The Top 20 nominees who receive the most votes will be reviewed by a panel qualified judges. Check out the panel of judges below. From those Top 20 nominees, the judges will choose the Top 5 finalists - then through another round of voting YOU will decide who wins the C14 $50000 Environmental Award.

Check out the the contest rules and deadline dates here.

What is Yoga, Really?

A while back I bought the book entitled The Yoga of Jesus by Paramahansa Yogananda and left it behind accidently in San Francisco. Well, on my recent visit up north last weekend, I picked it back up, and man I'm glad I did! Since I was a child, I always loved and resonated with the teachings of the Great Master, Jesus the Christ. At the time, I was limited to the interpretations taught to me through the Christian-Catholic religious and educational circles, which I will always appreciate because it introduced me to the revolutionary ways and principles of living that Jesus taught over two thousand years ago. However, it wasn't until my own "open-hearted" asking, knocking and seeking of the fruits of life, (many of which that Jesus taught) that I learned of the many other interpretations of his ways documented in the spiritual verses, stories and letters that was later called the Bible. I soon found that I truly enjoyed reading and learning about the interpretations of Jesus' words that Yogananda studied and taught so beautifully. If you are interested, a second more comprehensive book of his on the subject is entitled The Second Coming of Christ.

So many of my friends today tell me that they are practicing "yoga" and no matter which form, class or teacher they are studying, it had always occured to me that they were practicing something that would cultivate the fruits of life in their everyday lives. I have to admit, however, that a) I never really knew the literal definition of the term Yoga and b) I always just assumed that the foundation of yoga was based around the system of postures, or asanas as I later found out they were called. As it turned out, my understanding of Yoga was extremely limited. I was amazed at how involved the Way of Yoga truly is for the devoted practitioner.

The following is from the preface of Yogananda's book shown above:

"The word yoga itself means "union": of the individual consciousness or soul with the Universal Consciousness or Spirit. Though many people think of yoga only as physical excercises - the ansanas or postures that have gained widespread popularity in recent decades - these are actually only the most superficial aspect of this profound science of unfolding the infinite potentials of the human mind and soul.

There are various paths of yoga that lead toward this goal, each one a specialized branch of one comprehensive system:

Hatha Yoga - a system of physical postures, or ansanas, whose higher purpose is to purify the body, giving one awareness and control over its internal states and rendering it fit for meditation.

Karma Yoga - selfless service to others as part of one's larger Self, without attachment to the results; and the performance of all actions with the consciousness of God as the Doer.

Mantra Yoga - centering the consciousness within through japa, or the repetition of certain universal root-word sounds representing a particular aspect of Spirit.

Bhakti Yoga - all-surrendering devotion through hich one strives to see and love the divinity in every creature and in everything, thus maintaining an unceasing worship.

Jnana Yoga - the path of wisdom, which emphasizes the application of dscriminative intelligence to achieve spiritual liberation.

Raja Yoga - the royal or highest path of yoga, formally systematized in the second century B.C. by the Indian sage Patanjali, which combines the essence of all the other paths.

At the heart of Raja Yoga system, balancing and unifying these varioous approaches, is the practice of definite, scientific methods of meditation that enable one to perceive, from the very beginning of one's efforts, glimpses of the ultimate goal - conscius union with the inexhaustibly blissful Spirit..."

The Answer is You - Tonight on KCET!!!

The Answer Is You - Watch it tonight in LA on KCET at 8:30pm!!!! click here for more local listings...

"In times of challenge and change, there are key questions that many share: Do we search for meaning, or grasp for survival?  How can we prosper and grow?  What is genuine happiness and how may we experience it?

One of the most respected visionary teachers of our time, Michael Bernard Beckwith addresses these and other profound questions in his first PBS television special, The Answer Is You, premiering nationally Nov. 27 - Dec. 10, 2009.

Recorded before a sold-out audience in downtown Los Angeles, ‘The Answer’ delves deep into methods for manifesting prosperity and health; adopting mind sets and heart sets that empower individuals to live rich, fulfilling, positive lives; understanding universal laws and identifying a larger purpose in life.

Beckwith’s unwavering conviction about creating a world that works for everyone is contagious, convincing and encouraging. Viewers of this 60-minute PBS pledge special will gain greater understanding, self-awareness, courage and self-reliance, while supporting the extraordinary arts, education, documentary and news programs found only on PBS.

The Answer Is You also includes stirring music by Rickie Byars Beckwith, Siedah Garrett (co-writer of Michael Jackson’s “Man In The Mirror”), Niki Haris, Will.I.Am (of Black Eyed Peas) and the acclaimed Agape International Choir. A 12-song CD of music from the Special is available as one of 4 new PBS Pledge premiums, along with the Hardcover Special Edition Book (128 pages), Deluxe Edition DVD (the complete broadcast plus 70 minutes of bonus features) and the Complete Audio Program CD.

About Michael Bernard Beckwith

Michael Bernard Beckwith has appeared on OPRAH, LARRY KING LIVE, CBS NEWS and in numerous other TV programs and films, including The Secret, Spiritual Liberation, The Moses Code and Living Luminaries. He is the author of 5 books, including Spiritual Liberation, winner of the Gold Nautilus Book Award, and 40 Day Mind Fast Soul Feast. “The Rev,” as he is known by many, is founder & spiritual director of Agape International Spiritual Center in Los Angeles - a global community that recognizes and nurtures the dignity and uniqueness of all peoples. Agape is a Greek word meaning “unconditional love."

What People Are Saying…

“The teachings that Michael espouses and the wisdom that
he imparts are for anyone no matter what their
circumstances… He welcomes us into loving ourselves
and loving one another. He’s inspired me to do so many
things.” - Hill Harper, actor (CSI:NY) and author of Letters
To A Young Brother

“What makes Michael Beckwith so wonderful is that he walks
his talk, and he’s been on this path for a very, very long time,
so he really knows what he’s talking about. These teachings
work.” - Lorraine Toussaint, actress (The Soloist, Any Day Now)

“What Michael Beckwith is saying and how he is saying it is so
unique and yet at the same time is so accessible. It defies any
boundaries that exist on this planet – it has nothing to do
with where you were raised, what color you are, what your
religious experience has been, any biases you may have… He’s
not interested in any of that. He’s purely interested in what’s
inside of all of us and in helping everyone to access that -- to
let it shine." - Scott Bakula, actor (Enterprise, Quantum Leap)

“He is one of the most authentic and important teachers of our
time. If you listen to his message, you will be inspired to new
heights and new levels of personal greatness.” - Debbie Ford, author of The Secret Of The Shadow.

Stars Speak

celebsgonegood - "This summer, we were way excited for the premiere of The People Speak on the History Channel. The film looks at American democracy through the letters and documents that are important to the history of our country, read by modern day stars like Morgan Freeman, Rosario Dawson, and this year’s number one do-gooder, Matt Damon. Now, our pals at PopEater has an exclusive interview with some of the stars involved in the project – read it here. The People Speak airs this Sunday night.

We think it’s super important to know about our country’s history, especially when so many people around the world live with less than we do. Read up on the Millennium Development Goals, then take action to help eradicate global poverty.

Pushcart Educator Named CNN Hero of the Year

CNN - Efren Peñaflorida, who started a "pushcart classroom" in the Philippines to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership, has been named the 2009 CNN Hero of the Year.

CNN's Anderson Cooper revealed Peñaflorida's selection at the conclusion of the third-annual "CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute" at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood.

The gala event, taped before an audience of 3,000, premiered on Thanksgiving night on the global networks of CNN.

The broadcast honored the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2009 and featured performances by Grammy Award-winning artist Carrie Underwood, R&B crooner Maxwell and British pop sensation Leona Lewis.

Peñaflorida, who will receive $100,000 to continue his work with the Dynamic Teen Company, was selected after seven weeks of online voting at CNN.com. More than 2.75 million votes were cast.

"Our planet is filled with heroes, young and old, rich and poor, man, woman of different colors, shapes and sizes. We are one great tapestry," Peñaflorida said upon accepting the honor. "Each person has a hidden hero within, you just have to look inside you and search it in your heart, and be the hero to the next one in need.

"So to each and every person inside this theater and for those who are watching at home, the hero in you is waiting to be unleashed. Serve, serve well, serve others above yourself and be happy to serve. As I always tell to my co-volunteers ... you are the change that you dream, as I am the change that I dream, and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be."