I keep very up to date on Spiritual/Conscious Evolution news. I have been sharing upcoming events as I hear about them on the P101 Radio Show. But sometimes they occur before that evening, so those of you who are interested don’t miss out, I’m going to start posting them here too.
Welcome to the Spiritual Hub!
1. On the Summer Solstice check out International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers. I’m terribly excited about this! To quote from their website: ”The Center for Sacred Studies convened the International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers 6 years ago. It represents the fulfillment of many prophecies in different traditions.
Chosen to represent the world’s indigenous peoples, these grandmothers are a source of great wisdom and blessing, reminding us of deep spiritual truths and calling our attention to what is most important. They work together on healing our planet through prayer, ritual, community and engaged activism on pressing social and environmental concerns.
Never before have the Grandmothers offered a virtual event in which the public is welcomed into their Council. It’s a special and unprecedented opportunity to hear their latest insights, witness their prayers, and share in the blessings they offer the world. We know that the power of intentions are amplified by groups so we invite you to participate live and create a powerful wave of healing into the world.
The Shift Network is deeply honored to be hosting this virtual gathering, which is completely free. It is the first in what we expect will be many Shift Councils dedicated to addressing how we can make a powerful Shift in the years ahead.
Please do invite your friends, allies, and colleagues in what is sure to be an enlightening and healing event!” So DCS says make sure you check it out! http://www.theshiftcouncil.com/
2. This Saturday June 19th join Andrew Cohen, the founder of EnlightenNext magazine, for a very special dialogue on: The Life-Transforming Power of Spiritual Experience. Taken directly from their website: “This Saturday, you are invited to join spiritual teacher and Evolutionary Enlightenment pioneer Andrew Cohen as he gives a short talk exploring the evolutionary significance of profound spiritual experience. Cohen will dedicate the second half of the seminar to answering your questions. This seminar is a rare opportunity to engage with one of today’s foremost integral and evolutionary spiritual teachers.
3. Don’t forget about Katherine Woodward Thomas and Claire Zammit’s Women on the Edge of Evolution Telesseires, jam packed with wonderful speakers and need to know information! http://womenontheedgeofevolution.com/
A few very wise astrologers told me that I was going to be riled up for the next six months or so. They weren’t kidding. Aside from the oil spill that makes me so angry my tiny self might destroy a punching bag if I were to start laying into it, now I hear that suddenly the NOPD has decided to begin enforcing a very old city ordinance that is shutting down street musicians who play after 8pm.
Now, if you’re not from New Orleans, have never lived here, or have just come on a quick visit you’re may not get why we’re so upset. So for those of you who haven’t experienced the amazing, beautiful phenomena that are the jazz brass bands I’m going to try and explain it to you.
First, check out this video -
The French Quarter of New Orleans is an amazing, utterly unique place of architecture, antique shops, art galleries, and various locally owned stores that have anything from a to z. When you come to New Orleans, you know you’re in New Orleans. And then you have Bourbon street, a long strip of daiquiri shops, titty bars, and nightclubs. Most people are familiar with Bourbon street and they think that’s all New Orleans is. They couldn’t be more wrong. What makes this city so wonderfully unique is not just the architecture, or Bourbon Street. It’s the street musicians. It’s the Brass Bands. Too many of our local legends have started out playing on street corners, to crowds of adoring fans who suddenly get it. And now, on a corner of Bourbon and Canal, where not many, if any residences live, police have suddenly decided to start shutting down these groups. Not only there, but in another section of town, Frenchman and Charters. Now, Frenchman is the spot to be if you want to hear real New Orleans music. And yes, there are apartments nearby, however, if you’re going to live either in the French Quarter, or near Frenchman you go there understanding the tradition; basically its loud. If you like quiet there are select area’s in the quarter that are, but more importantly there a ton of places in the surrounding area’s to go if you don’t want hear a brass band playing at 9pm (and they’re less expensive).
The recent Disney movie, The Princess and the Frog did a wonderful job of illustrating the sounds of New Orleans. They got it right. There is a great scene in the move where Prince Navine is jamming out with a brass band. That is classic New Orleans. The music is the heart and soul of this city.
In a city plagued with corruption, crime, unemployment, and now the ramifications of this goddaamn oil spill, the street musicians add a wonderful. much needed, positive creative energy. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve walked past these bands on my way home from work and was uplifted by their sounds and their energy. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve smiled happily as I watched all kinds of people, white people, black people, yellow people, no leg people, drunk people, sober people, tourist, local, businessman, service industry professional whoever, shaking their hips, bopping their heads, tapping their feet, and looking happy as hell they’ve come across something you’d be hard pressed to find any where else in the US of A.
Police have said that they’ve received numerous complaints. We’re still waiting to find out where those mysterious complaints are coming from. Several independent reporters have reached out to a few hotels nearby and their owners have gone on the record to state that they don’t have a problem with it. I’m sure the occasional tourist will complain about the noise, but they don’t get it. It’s understandable. The next time they come down, they’ll move further into the quarter away from the noise.
The facebook group, Don’t Stop the Music Let Orleans Street Musicans Play has over 7,000 fans gathered in the last seventy-two hours. I’ve read numerous news articles and the comments are amazing. Locals and people who come here to visit are appalled at this sudden move by city officials. Mayor Landrieu has promised he will review the ordinance with the city council and find a solution and he certainly better. A very popular brass band To Be Continued that has played on the corner of Bourbon and Canal for the last nine years refuses to be shut down, as do the rest of the bands. Just this morning, New Orleans trombone player Glen David Andrews led a protest around Jackson Square. Andrews has played himself in the HBO series Treme. His protest this morning drew a heck of a crowd and several news crews. I damn near cried when I read this statement that he gave: “We’re not going to have another musician getting arrested,” said Andrews. “We’re not going to have another musician getting a ticket, and if we get word, if I get word of any other musicians being harassed, we’re going to get Trombone Shorty, Lenny Kravitz, the Andrews [Brass Band], Rebirth [Brass Band], Dr. John, and we’re going to march on City Hall.”
That’s what’s up. And they have the full support of the New Orleans people. To Be Continued was out last night, they’ll be out tonight, and they’ll be playing until the NOPD shut them down. In the meantime, there is a whole lot of civil disobedience going on, and I couldn’t be prouder. Too often people think of New Orleans as city of people who do nothing but complain, and that’s such bullshit. I’ve never seen a city more ACTIVE in their own survival, and more vocal about things they feel are wrong. If more cities within the nation followed this example, maybe the country wouldn’t be as screwed up as it is.
Quality of Life Officer for 8th District
Ofc. Roger Jones, 8th Dist PD
rjjones@cityofno.com
504-301-7667
Arnie Fielkow/City Council Counsellor at Large
afielkow@cityofno.com
504-658-1060
Jackie Clarkson/City Council Vice President
jbclarkson@cityofno.com
504-658-1070
Kristin Palmer/District C Councilmember
kgpalmer@cityofno.com
On July 8, 2010 at 6 p.m. at the Maison Dupuy Hotel, 1001 Toulouse Street, there will be an action meeting. If your a musican, or love em, come on out and show your support.
It’s time we brought our survival down to a personal level.
Look, I’m in the same boat as a lot of you. I live pay check to pay check. There’s not always a full fridge in my house. I’m certainly not starving, but there’s not excess. Even so, I enjoy what I’ll call a few luxuries. I can afford to attend school, and take tai chi, and I don’t work at the hotel full time. I’ve got the time to work on my book, and other independent projects I’m intending will turn some sort of profit one day so I don’t have to work at the Soniat House anymore. I’ve got a killer family support system so I know if I really needed anything that backup is there. I am admittedly, a little spoiled.
However, I am well aware that we are on a sinking ship. The luxuries I have now will not always be around, and the way the world is shaping that collapse is coming sooner than later. I don’t feel a sense a panic, but one of urgency. And that’s the same fire under the ass that we all need.
I have no idea how to grow my own food. I’ve waved to my neighbors a few times, I do chat occasionally with the guy next door, but I don’t really know them. There are basic things that I’ve relied on other people for for years, and very quietly but persistently a little voice is telling me that its time I learned a few basic things. That, is where we all need to head.
I understand times are tough, but our reliance on the powers that be no longer serve us. We need to start forming communities that have shared interests, (whatever those community interests are) and start relying on ourselves to do what’s right. I have heard that urban homesteading is not terribly difficult, and it’s inexpensive. I’m going to do a radio show on Saturday afternoon to help people get started (myself included) a basic 101. My lease is up soon, and I need to start thinking about making the shift to either get to know my current community, or finding one where I vibe with the energy, and share some of the same goals.
I understand that moving might not be an option for people. I understand that a lot of people have hardships, and problems, and are scrapping by. However, our excuses are no longer reasons for not acting. If anything, those hardships need to be the reasons that we start taking matters in our own hands and stop waiting for someone else. We need less fear and more information.
I know that working together has become an alien type thing. I know it will be hard because we’ve become very isolated from each other, and a million other reasons. What we need to beat into our heads is that the past is just that, the past. We must move forward in much more loving, much more informed way. We must start thinking of not only ourselves but each other. That is the only way we are going to turn an impending disaster into a time of transition. Transition can be messy, sure. But once we have broken through what is breaking down we have the opportunity to create something magical, sustainable, and that makes sense to our needs. Those needs will be different from area to area. It’s not a one size fits all solution. We are different but we are not alone.
I was reading the Times Picayune this morning, and went to the opinion pieces. A few letters to the editor caught my attention and then lead to the urge for me to write this piece. One gentleman wrote that we cannot expect corporations to act morally. He listed some good reasons such as shareholders and investors that watch profit margins from afar and don’t particularly care how the company is working so long as they get their money. What annoyed me about the article was not the truth, but our reaction to it. For so long we’ve seen this as being a fucked up way of doing things, but let it slide because we believed we couldn’t change it. Now we’re sitting on the brink of disaster, still crying out for someone to save us instead of taking steps to fix it ourselves. Do we need safer regulations on oil rigs, or do we need to stop our dependence on something that has never done us any good on that moral level? We don’t have to reinvent the wheel. The beauty of this is that alternatives already exist we’ve simply never created the demand for them. I don’t want the government pushing for renewable energy, I want US too. I want communities to get together to contact these alternative resource companies and discuss first hand their needs, and how they can make it a viable solution. I want us, who all need our modes of transportation for various reasons to demand that that our gas guzzlers be replaced by cleaner, more environmentally sound solutions for the same price. Hydrogen cars. Electric cars. Soy bean oil cars. Car pooling. Walking when we can. Riding our bikes when we can. These don’t have to be hardships. You gotta go the grocery store that’s cool find out who else does and ya’ll can go together. You gotta run out for milk? Is there a little local store around the corner you could visit, and instead of driving grab the dog and the hyper active children and wear both out? I know at first these may seem like difficult inconveniences but hey, that always happens when breaking a bad habit. Trust me I know, I’ve got to change just like the rest of you. But I’ve got to change. If we put our minds and our hearts in the same place it won’t become such a bad thing after all.
Another opinion piece in the paper this morning was a gentleman who stated that if the moratorium on oil rigs down here doesn’t lift the end result will be more people dependant on the government for welfare, higher prices at the pump, and fewer people who can afford to heat and cool their homes. He may very well be right. And that is prime reason for us to change the way we do things, not demand we go back to the same suck ass solution that got us into this mess in the first place.
It’s not going to be easy, I’m not saying it is. But that the fact that it’s going to be hard is no reason not to start. It’s hard now. It can either get worse, or we can get wise. It’s our choice.
So, riding your scooter in a torrential downpour = fun. Can get a little chilly, but that’s nothing to complain about.
I’ve got an activist project swirling around in my mind. I’m not going to share the details just yet, I’ve still got some reconnaissance and information collecting to do but, it’s certainly time to do more than just rant.
And on the book front, I am so excited (like jumping up and down excited) to share with you all that Synarchy Book 2: The Ascension will be released July 3rd! I want you all to grab your calenders and mark that night off because you’ve got plans. I’m holding a book release party live on P101 that night!
Show starts at 8 CST, 9 EST, 6 PDT. This is a great opportunity for you to ask questions about the upcoming novel, or the previous Synarchy and chat with other fans. I’ll be discussing some key topics that I touch upon in the book, and I’ll even read a small snippet. We will also be joined by some very special guests. It’s gonna be a blast and you, oh yes, you are invited.
That’s it all, that’s all I’ve got for right now. I need to get back to my do list and do some homework. Happy Monday!!
Chicken Little the sky is not falling, even though at times it can certainly feel like it. This oil spill has inspired a multitude of feelings with me. Deep sadness. I’ve been absolutely furious. I’ve been disgusted. I’ve been so frustrated that I wanted to throw up my hands and just try to ignore it all. But I can’t ignore it. It’s like a splinter in my mind, and its demanding that I do something.
I wanted to put this post up a few days ago but I waited. I waited because I wanted to have a conversation with myself first, because I wanted to make sure I wasn’t coming at this through the fear and despair I was feeling. I remember shouting at no one in particular at one point, “How many more lives do we have destroy!” I’ve cried my eyes out and apologized profusely to Mother Earth, our home for the things we do to her.
I’m not saying I still don’t have these feelings, because I do. But I am saying that after a few days of reflection, and meditation I’m ready to share my thoughts about all this with you all, and despite it all I do have hope, and whole lot of determination.
It is so utterly apparent that there are some people whom we have put into positions of power that do not have our best interests at heart. It is glaringly apparent that the old model of thinking no longer cuts it. It is glaringly apparent that we are going to have to take our power back, and that we are going to have to usher in this change as we see fit.
We have a choice. We can choose to use this event as an excuse to continue to ignore the problem, or throw up our hands in defeat, or claim that we have no control over the situation, to point the finger and blah, blah blah.
Or, we can choose to use situation as an example of to quote Barbara Marx Hubbard, “what is breaking through.”
I don’t understand why BP isn’t just as concerned about cleaning up the Oil that is being spilt as it is with trying to stop it. I am positive there exists on this planet a group of professionals whom they could outsource this task too. Furthermore, I fail to understand why dumping gallons of a equally harmful dispersant is the better solution than some of the others I’ve researched. I’m going to share those links with you.
To summarize, there is a contracting company in FL that has successful demonstrated to local government officials in that area that you can use Hay, that’s right, Hay to clean up the oil. Its environmentally friendly. It is amazingly effective. And it cleans up like seaweed. Using this solution not only makes sense, but it would provide some additional income to farmers across the US. A true win/win scenario.
But if you don’t like Hay, you can also use Corn Cobs. Another company, Recovery I Inc has 34,000 TONS of Corn Cobs just waiting. That too, will soak up the oil, you can remove said oil from the cob, and then use it again. Another win/win situation.
I also fail to see why, cleaning up the Oil spill has to be, “we can only do it this way..” type scenario. Why can’t we use a combination of Corn Cobs, Hay, and even Kevin Costner’s machines that will suck up water and separate the oil from it? Sure, it’s a HUGE mess, and a logistical nightmare, but are do we seriously believe that there are no logistical experts on the planet that would be willing to take on this task? If a solution to minimizing the damage being done is environmentally sound, effective, and can provide additional income to farmers don’t we owe it to ourselves, to our planet to try it?
We the people need to make the demand that they start trying these solutions immediately. I’ve got Jindal’s number. I’ve got Landrieu’s number. I’ve got Vitter’s number. I’ve even got my House of Representatives phone numbers. Better believe I’m going to start using them.
And beyond this oil spill, we the people need to also take this disaster as a wakeup call to stop fucking with our home, realize the inter-connectedness that we cannot escape from, and use this as an opportunity to demand that the energy market be free, not the illusion of. We don’t need to rely so much on oil. I read an article about four kids who made a car that effectively runs on soy bean oil. We’ve all heard about Hydrogen cars, electric cars, etc. We all know about renewable energy. The science exists, and there are options that can make these alternatives economically viable. It’s time we demanded that they be given their fair shot.
I’m passionately angry right now. So much in fact, I’m going to be on air tonight. And not just about the oil spill, though that’s enough for me to seriously consider making my own spaceship and moving to another planet. I’m also angry about the joke that has become the whole issue surrounding Rand Paul’s views on the rights of private businesses.
Look, I’m not a fan of Rand Paul. Ron Paul yes. His son, not so much. I don’t like Rand’s views on the Iraq War, I don’t like his views on same sex marriages. I don’t like the way he’s back pedaling now, though I understand, but even so. However, when he said that private business owners should be allowed to discriminate he was right.
Yeah, I said it. In the interest of a free society, the federal government should not regulate who private business can or cannot serve, or hire.
Stick with me, because we’re about to get into it. Henry David Thoreau in his essay on Civil Disobedience wrote, “Law never made men a whit more just; and, by means of their respect for it, even the well-disposed are daily made the agents of injustice.”
Did the passing of that law make Ku Klux Klan members any less racist? Once the Federal Government stood up and told everybody no, you can’t do that, did it make bigots more tolerant? Did it curb the hate?
What if, instead of passing the bill the Federal Government had said, “As your Government, we recognize the equality of all. And to preserve that equality, we cannot regulate the will of private business. It is up to you, the people, to show the blind how to see.”
In an opinion piece from the Christian Science Monitor Sheldon Richman wrote, ”Did the 1964 Civil Rights act curb the problem, or did we as a society evolve to become more accepting and tolerant of each other?
One might reasonably ask if Title II at least did no harm since it only codified what was already happening. The case can be made that it was harmful. The effort to pass the Act diverted the grassroots movement from self-help, mutual aid, and independent community action to lobbying, legislation, and litigation – that is, dependence on the white ruling elite. Direct efforts undertaken by free individuals were demoted to at best a supporting role.
That was a loss for freedom, justice, and independence. Our country is the worse for it.”
I could not agree more. People, I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again. We’ve got to stop looking at the government to solve all our problems, while refusing to look in the mirror and take responsibility for our lives. Period. Enough already. No government will ever work until we the people become balanced co-creators. Until we realize our connection, our responsibility to each other, our responsibility to step on the journey and evolve ourselves, nothing will work. It’s an impossibility.
In a Newsweek piece by Ed Reinke he writes of the divide, “Both should hope to see a better world, where bigots’ desire to gather together in their own sterile haunts could be not only tolerated but positively welcomed as a favor to the rest of us.”
We all have lives, and responsibilities, and our own problems. However, we are all co-creators, we all live on the same planet, and have to deal with our government. Our responsibility to take an active role in whatever area of society we choose needs to be on our to do list, but the bottom line is we need to take that role. No more running crying to Uncle Sam and demanding that law be put into place to further restrict us. I don’t think law changes minds as much as it inspires rebellion and widens the divide, instead of building a bridge.
If a white business owner chooses not to serve to black people, we the people don’t need Uncle Sam to slap him on the wrist. We can simply not do business with that person. It’s our choice. But the more important task is to figure out how to make an enemy a friend. We’ve spent so much time playing victim, have we ever stopped to figure out how our love and tolerance can transform a mind so full of fear and hate? And more importantly why, after so many decades does this type of thinking still exist? What does that say not about our government, but about us?
I for one have had enough. We must, we must evolve. We must take our power back. We must realize the beauty in each of us, the connection we all share, and our responsibility to co-create this world for the better.
I finally found a word for all this that I like. What I mean by “all this” are the terms new age, global spiritual awakening, ascension, even the revolution. The world I like to describe all this is Consciousness Evolution.
Look I’m a dreamer. I’ve got an amazing imagination. But I’ve got a logical, a practical, and even a little bit skeptical side. This is why I enjoy reading articles, and listening to teachers that take this conscious evolution and show us how it’s not only effecting the real world problems we face, but more importantly how we can solve then.
What am I talking about when I say conscious evolution? Barbara Marx Hubbard defines it best when she states, “…As Einstein admonished, humankind cannot solve its problems from the same place of consciousness in which we created them. A new place of consciousness is required.
Bela H. Banathy, author of Guided Evolution of Society, offers this additional understanding of Conscious Evolution:
It is a process by which we can individually and collectively take responsibility for our future.
It is a process of giving direction to the evolution of human systems by purposeful action.
And most importantly, Conscious Evolution enables us, if we take responsibility for it, to use our creative power to guide our own lives and the evolution of the systems and the communities in which we live and work. It is a process by which individuals and groups, families, organizations, and societies can envision and create images of what should be, and bring those images to life by design.
Conscious Evolution is at the core a spiritually-motivated endeavor. Its precepts reside at the heart of every great faith, affirming that humans have the potential of being co-creators with Spirit, with the deeper patterns of nature and universal design.
The promise of Conscious Evolution is nothing less than the emergence of a universal humanity capable of its guiding its own evolution into a future of unimaginable cocreativity.” (http://www.barbaramarxhubbard.com/con/node/8)
Sounds simple enough. But how can that, heal the world? Integral Life, another wonderful site of information that will stimulate both your left and right brain offers this for thought:
Normality is not the ceiling of human possibilities. What we have taken to be normality is looking more and more like an unnecessary form of collective developmental arrest. Almost half a century ago, Abraham Maslow wrote, “What we call normal in psychology is really a psychopathology of the average, so undramatic and so widely spread that we don’t even recognize it ordinarily” (1968, p. 16). Our psychological maturation has been stunted, yet we do not recognize this stunting. Worse, our psychological maturation has been stunted in part because we do not recognize this stunting.
Further levels of development are possible. In our culture, higher reaches of mental maturation remain almost entirely unrecognized. This means that our highest possibilities, our greatest potentials, our possible powers, go unrecognized and unrealized. This has always been a tragedy for individuals. However, at the present time it is also a social and global tragedy. Obviously we need all the maturity we can muster to deal with our contemporary social and global crises. In addition, it is painfully clear that the mental demands of modern life are increasing, and that consequently we often find ourselves “in over our own heads,” as the developmental psychologist Robert Kegan (1994) titled one of his books. Clearly, we need all our inner resources if we are to ensure the preservation of our species and our planet. The fact that we do not recognize some of the most valuable of these resources puts us all at risk. (http://integrallife.com/editorial/state-integral-enterprise-part-ii?page=0%2C1)
I found the later sentence the most powerful. The very fact that we don’t recognize our own power is not acceptable anymore; we’re putting ourselves at risk by living at less than our full potential. We need full steam ahead people!
What can you do? I don’t know what can you do? This is a personal question. You need to throw the rule books away, and get ready to step into your truth. The same article from Integral Life offers these suggestions when choosing what you want to co-create:
“First, it should draw and attract us; second, it makes use of our unique talents and capacities; and third, it brings satisfaction.” I will add further to this and say that it should ignite your passion, your excitement, your creativity. (http://integrallife.com/editorial/state-integral-enterprise-part-ii?page=0%2C5)
We don’t have to re-invent the wheel. And yet at the same time, we just might. And to give you an idea of just how big, and how far reaching this Conscious Evolution is getting, I invite you to visit this website http://www.fouryearsgo.org/organizations/ Scroll down, and take a peek at all the organizations. Mind boggling isn’t it?
I have gotten my mojo back. Wahoo! Yippie! Full steam ahead!
Fear not, I have not abandoned all my loyal followers who like reading, and not watching. But since I am going to start regularly (somewhat) attack different outlets with my message I was inspired yesterday to create a video. In it, I caution the revolution movement and discuss some sensitive issues surrounding the idea of freedom.
Have a look see. Your comments are always welcome!
DCS and Synarchy Book 1: The Awakening are finalists in The Great American Author competition. The top three novels with the most votes will be featured on a commercial!
Visit http://offthebookshelf.com/great_american_author to cast your vote!
As an added bonus if you email DCS at dcs[at] svtpublishing[dot]com with the username/email you voted under she'll send you a free ebook copy of Synarchy Book 2: The Ascension!
Don't delay! Voting closes September 1st, cast your vote today!
Straight from the Mind of DCS
The New Science Fiction Thriller On Sale Now!
A gripping science-fiction thriller now only 9.99!
High Praise for Synarchy Book 1: The Awakening
A Journey of Books described Synarchy as “…a wild tale with tons of plot twists and delicious complexity. I like to think of it as a cross between The Godfather and Stargate. Oh yes. It is that good.”
Morbid Romantic said, “In a world where every idea has been done and redone, it’s refreshing to read something that hasn’t been done quite like this before.”
BCF Book Reviews called it, “Fast paced, never a page without some action – twists and drama galore carry the reader though this book like reading a hint of what is to come. This book requires your close attention, but it will grab it and keep it from the very first pages. It is absolutely impossible to put down!”
Join DCS every Saturday night at 7pm CST on Blog Talk Radio's "In the Mind of DCS"! Join the discussion in the chat room or call in to participate! It's two hours of not to miss radio!
