Gaia: NOW

Words of Wisdom - brought forth by ~Guruma~

http://natureofwholeness.gaia.com — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 23:15:35 GMT

WORDS OF WISDOM Broadcast at Self-Realization Shala

MP3 Broadcasts - Listen to Dictations by the Messenger Swami Maha-Shaktiananda

WORDS OF WISDOM

Volume 1 Number 6 Beloved Helios January 8, 2007

The Dawning Day is Approaching

The day brings joy for all of life. Rest upon the knowledge that your connection to Light is your salvation. There is much darkness upon this earth that is like a passing storm. When you are surrounded by the discordant thoughts and actions of others, remember how storms with thunder and lightening terrify the little child at night.

Remember through the storms of life that the dawning day is approaching. Cling onto the Light within your heart chalice and find the comfort that the darkness tries to steal away from you, Beloved Ones. Terror and panic can beset mankind in all the different parts of the world.
Sing to Helios.

Lift up your voices and sing. The Light will prevail.

You are sealed in the Light of the Great Central Sun.

You are on fire with the Light of the Christ.

Sing Glory to God in the Highest.

Lift up your hearts and live in the joy of loving God.

You are forever blessed in Light.

Brought forth by Swami Maha-Shaktiananda

Words of Wisdom © 2008
Self-Realization Shala
Starlight Publications, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Vision of a Beautiful Garden

http://natureofwholeness.gaia.com — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 21:16:40 GMT

Create a vision, a mental picture, of a harmonious, beautiful garden.

Walk through the garden to the innermost sanctuary, passing through the wide open gate.
And within that garden see the silent pool, pure and still and so clear.

The still water of the spirit is clear as crystal.
You may look into that water and see the true reflection of yourself.
On the surface of the water you will see a lily, pure white with a centre of gold.

The lily shown on the surface of the water is an ancient symbol of the unfolding spiritual gifts.

White and Gold, symbolic of purity and divine intelligence.

Rest quietly in the contemplation of this flower."

Ascended Master Saint Germain

http://natureofwholeness.gaia.com — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 15:46:31 GMT

.......familiarize yourself with the Ascended Master Saint Germain.
.......recieve his recent Dictation brought forth through the Messenger.
.......Samuel, in the Bible, was a previous incarnation of Saint Germain.
.......In his recent Dictation he introduces Jesus, who then delivers His own message.
.......David, in the Bible, was a previous incarnation of Jesus.
.......These two Great Souls of Light have worked together for many lifetimes
.......They have recently Sponsored the Universal Eagle Lodge

Art - Zaadz members

http://natureofwholeness.gaia.com — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 14:42:13 GMT

Recovery of health and self

Today is Sunday, and while many ppl look at it as the end of the weekend, I tend to think of it as the beginning of the week. So, with that in mind, here's my thoughts for the week.
My hands are recovering nicely, I cannot say enough about Dr. Bob (a.k.a. Dr. Robert Walters) the surgeon who fixed me up. He is one of the kindest and most caring persons I have ever had the privilage to interact with, and if all docs were like him, the medical world would be a better place! How many docs will give a patient their cell phone #, and actually answer it when you call???

Now that I can create again, it's time for me to return to work. I love my art, I love doing it, creating something beautiful out of nothing, or from some broken piece of trash I pulled from the neighbor's can/pile. I know that selling is going to be the hardest part, I can't just sit and wait for ppl to find me, I'll have to get out and put my work in front of them. Unfortunatly, it costs money to make money, and I have very little extra. (None, really if you consider all the repairs my house needs!) If I could find someone who was willing to travel with me to events and share in costs, that would help tremendously. I do know artists who are supporting themselves, but they spend most of their time on the road, something which is not feasable due to the cost of gas. I've done the store front thing, while it worked for a while, again, overhead costs ate up most of the profit, since I didn't own the building. I'm in too residential of an area to have a store in my home, both from a legal and traffic standpoint. So that leaves the Internet.

Now that I've gotten the webpage up and running (Thanks to my husband Panzer, who does my page for me!) it's time to get the word out there, and get my art out in front of ppl who might actually buy it.

That being said, something I came to realize is that I cannot create 'production line' items like some of the 'artists' I know, who are really more craftppl than true artists. I tried that, and it SO didn't work. I create what speaks to my soul, otherwise I'm just a smaller version of Wal-MArt like they are. I do not create to sell, I create to live, and if it sells, all the better! My artwork are my children, in a way, and I want them to go to a good home, not be pitched in a drawer or closet when the 'new' wears off.
Want to see my work? http://www.concretedragon.ssenge.com/

Mabon (Fall Equinox, September 20-23)

http://natureofwholeness.gaia.com — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 14:34:48 GMT

It is important to learn and see that ritual in all religious practices has common denominators. We are bringing together, through understanding of different traditions, a new awareness on this planet of Oneness with all of life, for the overcoming of separation and strife. Here is some information about Mabon which is from the Pagan Practice of Worship....You can modify and creat your own ceremony from the following example:

Mabon, also known as Winter Finding, Alban Elfed, Feast of Avalon, Wine Harvest and finally, the Fall or Autumnal Equinox occurs when the sun crosses the equator on it's apparent journey southward, and we experience a day and a night that are of equal duration. The sun enters the sign of Libra, the Balance (an appropriate symbol of a balanced day and night). This day was christianized under the name of "Michaelmas," the feast of the Archangel Michael.

This is the second of the three harvest festivals of the Pagan year (the first being Lammas, is on August 1st, the second being Mabon, on September 23rd of this year, and the last, Samhain on October 31st). Mabon marks the completion of the grain harvest begun during Lammas. It is also a time to harvest many fruits, nuts, vegetables, and herbs for the coming winter. As such it is often known as the Pagan Thanksgiving.

This is the day of the year when the God of Light is defeated by his twin and alter-ego, the God of Darkness. It is the time of year when night conquers day. At this time the "chase of Lugh" ends with the felling of the last shaft of grain. It is within this last shaft that Lugh has hidden, but with his death, his sacrifice, we live through his abundance. It does involve the concept of sacrifice, but one that is symbolic only. The sacrifice is that of the spirit of vegetation, John Barleycorn.
Decorate the altar with fall fruits, flowers, and grain. Offerings can be given of sprouts, grain or cloth. Baskets of yarn, seed pods, shells, feathers, and small pine cones are set by the altar. A fire is lit as the coven gathers. The High Priest says,
"this is the time of harvest, of thanksgiving and joy, of leave taking and sorrow. Now day and night are equal, in perfect balance and flow within our own lives. The Sun King has become the Lord of Shadows, sailing West: we follow Him into the dark. Life declines; the season of barreness is upon us, yet we give thanks for that which we have reaped and gathered. We meet to turn the Wheel and weave the cord of life that will sustain us through the dark."
(Continuing with coven ritual...) Purify and Cast a circle; Invoking the Goddess and God; Begin with a banishing dance, moving counterclockwise; throwing thoughts of hurts or wrong done or held back into the dance; saying whatever they need to; ....continue until a banishing, purifying Cone can be raised and earthed.; All sit in a circle and make seed-shell necklaces; twined with natural symbols, concentrating on what is wanted for weaving into your life....The Kore Chant is chanted..(about change) ...when the cords are woven the High Priestress consecrates the necklaces by knotting each person's necklace around their neck by saying,

"Behold the circle of rebirth,
The cord of life.
You will never fade away."

A Cone is raised to charge the cords. Then there is Meditation time...
Then High Priest steps forward, holds up a sheaf of wheat, and says,

"Autumn's grain is spring's seed."
He tosses it into the fire and pours out a libation of wine, saying,
"Blessed be the Mother of all life.
Blessed be the life that comes from Her and returns to Her."

He givesthe cup to the High Priestress, who says,

"We have sown, We have tended,
We have grown, We have gathered,
We have reaped a good harvest.
Lady, we thank you for your gifts.
Lord, we thank you for your bounty.
I thank you for __________(something personal)"

She pours a libation and tosses her offering into the fire. As the cup goes around, each person gives thanks for something and burns her offering. Share food and wine, and open the circle.

We celebrate the story of Mabon ap Modron, "the son of the Mother", the Divine Youth, the Son of Light. Mabon is taken when he is three night's old. His whereabouts are shrouded in mystery; it is through the wisdom and memory of the most ancient animals (Blackbird, Stag, Owl, Eagle and Salmon) that we understand where he is and why. Mabon dwells in his Mother's womb, the Otherworld. It is a place where one is renewed and regenerated, a place of new life. So that He may be reborn, the source of Light and Joy, the champion of His Mother. Just as the Light is being drawn into the earth accumulating strength and wisdom, to become a new seed, Mabon has returned to his Mother's womb. For as winter begins, the earth incubates the tender seeds. Throughout the winter, the seeds are kept within Her womb so they may be reborn and bring forth new life.

Gardens and fields are in full bloom and heavy with nature's bounty. The harvest is upon us and it is time to reap the rewards of what has come to pass. There is a thankfullness for this abundance as well as a wish of the living to be in touch with the dead which comes up at Samhain. Mabon colors are russet, maroon, orange and all the colors of autumn. Foods consist of grains, fruits, vegetables and especially corn. Cornbread is traditional fare, as are beans and baked squash. Symbols are the apple, wine, vine, guard, cornucopia, burial cairns and garland. Deities for the Sabbat include Wine Gods (Dionysus and Bacchus), Aging Gods and Goddesses, Harvest Deities (Demeter Goddess of Grain), Persephone (Queen of the Underworld and daughter of Demeter), and Thor (Lord of Thunder in Norse mythology).

This is a time to give thanks to the gods for the fruits of our labor and our ability to provide for our family over the coming year. It is also a time to prepare for the new life and light that eternally begins. We go into the darkness to gather strength and wisdom. We gather with friends and loved ones to renew our reserves. We feast on the gifts of the harvest. We know that sometimes there is sorrow, sometimes joy. We know that the light will win again, but we must enter the darkness to get there.

Making a charcoal briquette for burning loose incense or resin...

http://natureofwholeness.gaia.com — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 13:42:37 GMT

In order to burn loose incense or resins you need a charcoal
briquette.

( To use this recipe safely and effectively, you should be in an area
where burning wood is permissible such as on your own land or in your
own fireplace at home. )

To Begin: Burn several branches or logs of hard wood (ash or oak is
best). Allow the wood to incinerate completely and wait until it
cools down. Take the chunks and grind them with a mortar and pestle
until the charcoal is a fine powder and you have 3 ounces of it.
Measure out the 3 ounces and put it in a wooden or glass bowl.

Take one tablespoon of Gum Arabic (you can find this at your local
herb store or art supply store) and mix it with 1 cup of water. Boil
this in a saucepan for 5 minutes. Put it in a jar or plastic bowl and
seal it. It can be re-used. Keep refrigerated.

Get your bowl of powdered charcoal and add 10% salt peter (potassium
nitrate). You may have to call around to find salt peter. It is
usually available in most new age shops. Mix your charcoal and salt
peter together thoroughly. Add 1 teaspoon of your Gum Arabic and
water mixture to your charcoal and salt peter and mix thoroughly.
Your mixture should the consistancy of dough (similar to bread dough).

Wen you feel you have the right consistancy, shape your charcoal
dough into spheres and set on wax paper. Flatten out your spheres and
use a shot glass or small round cookie cutter to cut into round
blocks. You might make a small impression in the center of the block
to hold the incense.

Allow drying and curing. This will take approximately 3-7 days. Go
outside to test.

NOTE: The rule of thumb is to NEVER EVER add more than 10% salt peter
to your mixture, ie 3oz=3/10 oz of salt peter. Too much salt peter
will cause your block to poof and burn too quickly. Not enough salt
peter, and your block won't burn at all. If on your test the block
does not burn , try adding another small pinch to a new mixture in
addition to your 10% or adding less than 10% if it burns too quick.
If you increase the amount of charcoal you use, be sure to also
increase your Gum Arabic mixture and your salt peter. Be careful that
you don't burn yourself. HAVE FUN!

Seasonal Songs

http://natureofwholeness.gaia.com — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 13:13:26 GMT

Fall Equinox (Mabon) Folk Songs

The autumnal equinox, also known as the pagan holiday Mabon, falls around September 22 each year. It marks the end of summer and the beginning of autumn.

AUTUMNAL EQUINOX...(FALL)   SEP 22 2006 1103 PM EST - 0403 UTC SEP 23 AUTUMNAL EQUINOX...(FALL)   SEP 23 2007  451 AM EST - 0951 UTC AUTUMNAL EQUINOX...(FALL)   SEP 22 2008 1044 AM EST - 1544 UTC AUTUMNAL EQUINOX...(FALL)   SEP 22 2009  418 PM EST - 2118 UTC AUTUMNAL EQUINOX...(FALL)   SEP 22 2010 1009 PM EST - 0309 UTC SEP 23

Alan White - Last Day Of Summer - (VA)Real World E-CD #9 - RealWorld Andrew Calhoun // She's Like the Autumn // HOPE Andrew McKnight - When the Maples Turn - Beyond Borders Anne Hills\ First Day of Autumn\ Bittersweet Street\ Redwing Beggar's Velvet - Lady of Autumn - Lady Of Autumn - Dragon Records Bill Garrett & Sue Lathrop\ That's How The Summer Slips Away\ Red Shoes\ Borealis BILL GARRETT & SUE LOTHROP / That's How the Summer Slips By / Red Shoes / Borealis Cheryl Wheeler\ When Fall Comes to New England\ Driving Home\ Philo Chris Thile // Leaves Fall // STEALING SECOND Connie Dover/ At Hay Cutting Time/ The Wishing Well Dar Williams\ The End of the Summer\ End of the Summer\ Razor & Tie Eliza Carthy/ Whispers of Summer/ Angels & Cigarettes/ Warner Bros. Erica Wheeler\ Autumn\ The Harvest\ Signature Greg Brown\ Smell of Coffee\ Milk of the Moon\ Red House Harvey Andrews - Autumn Song - Friends Of Mine - Cube Ian Tyson / Wild Geese John McCutcheon // Colors // AUTUMNSONGS Neal Hellman // Autumn Valley Suite // AUTUMN IN THE VALLEY Paul Kamm & Eleanore MacDonald\ End of the Season\ Like Water\ Freewheel  PETER MULVEY / Rain and Snow / Ten Thousand Mornings / Signature Sounds Rich Bala // Fall Is Here // HOME FOR THE HARVEST Sally Rogers // Old Father Fall // IN THE CIRCLE OF THE SUN Sarah Graves - Autumn Leaves - Black Boxes - MF Shanghaied on the Willamette / When The Coho Flash Silver Steve Ashley - Farewell Green Leaves - Stroll On Revisited - Market Square Steve Gillette & Cindy Mangsen // Traveler // A SENSE OF PLACE The Be Good Tanyas\ Rain and Snow\ Blue Horse\ Nettwerk America The Short Sisters // Autumn // A PLANET DANCING SLOW Tim O'Brien // First Days of Fall // WHEN NO ONE'S AROUND  Instrumentals: Altan\ Drowsy Maggie/Rakish Paddy/Harvest Storm\ Harvest Storm\ Green Linnet Curtis and Loretta\ Harvest Home\ Sit Down Beside Me\ Haymarket Bill Staines\ Autumn Waltz\ Going to the West\ Red House Jamie Laval\ Vineyard Harvest\ Shades of Green\ Tartan

Folk Music Song Themes

Last modified 12/21/2005 00:59:10

"Only Time" by Enya

http://rainbowflower2.gaia.com — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 15:10:33 GMT

Who can say
where the road goes
where the day flows
- only time
And who can say
if your love grows
as your heart chose
- only time

Who can say
why your heart sighs
as your love flies
- only time
And who can say
why your heart cries
when your love lies
- only time

Who can say
when the roads meet
that love might be
in your heart
And who can say
when the day sleeps
if the night keeps
all your heart

Night keeps all your heart

Who can say
if your love grows
as your heart chose
- only time
And who can say
where the road goes
where the day flows
- only time

Who knows? - only time
Who knows? - only time

Francis Bacon is now the Ascended Master Saint Germain

http://natureofwholeness.gaia.com — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 00:10:13 GMT

With the control over nature, for the benefit of humankind, as the objective of the male consciousness one person stands out as the father of science, Francis Bacon (1561-1626). Bacon was the son of Sir Nicolas Bacon, the Lord Keeper of the Seal of Elizabeth I. At the age of 12 Bacon went to Trinity College Cambridge were he studied the natural sciences of the day. He was of the opinion that the universe was a problem to be solved and investigated rather than just a fixed object to be walked on by man. This approach gave the impression that Bacon was recognising the wholeness of nature.

His method of exploring nature was one of combining the then technology of mining and natural magic to manipulate nature in an effort to find "a light that would eventually disclose and bring into insight all that is most hidden and secret in the universe." His method included experiments and data collection in an objective manner. Modern science never looked back.

In 1626 while travelling through Highgate he took one of his experiments a little too far. He wanted to experiment with the effect of cold on decaying meat. Buying a fowl he stuffed it with snow in the process he caught a cold and died on April 9 in the same year.

The First Star: By Ker Than

http://natureofwholeness.gaia.com — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 23:00:49 GMT

THE FIRST STAR: BY KER THAN

There are currently more stars in the cosmos than any one person could ever count. Our galaxy alone contains about 400 billion. But it wasn't always this way.

For many millions of years after our universe first formed no stars existed, and then there was one. That primordial star was likely a massive blazing behemoth that burned brighter and faster than any star around today. A new computer model now suggests that it also formed much earlier than previously thought. Other studies have estimated that the first star sparked into existence some 155 million years after our universe exploded into life in the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago.

The new simulation indicates that this event occurred much earlier, when the universe was only 30 million years old. It also suggests that it took about another 370 million years for the first galaxy as massive as our own Milky Way to form. The model is detailed in an upcoming issue of the Monthly Notices for the Royal Astronomical Society. When exactly?

Using detailed computer simulations, astronomers reconstructed the conditions under which the first star was born and even the precise sequence of steps that occurred soon after to allow other stars, black holes and eventually galaxies, to form. Astronomers suspect, for example, that the first star formed in a dense cloud of dark matter and gas. They also think that many present-day galaxies are the products of mergers between much smaller galaxies during the early days of our universe.

Estimating when the first star formed, however, has been difficult. That's because even the most powerful supercomputers can only simulate small portions of the universe at a time.

"To estimate when the first stars formed, we must remember that the first 100,000 solar mass clumps collapsed in regions that happened to have particularly high densities early on," said study leader Rennan Barkana, an astrophysicist at the University of Tel Aviv in Israel. "There were initially only a few such regions in the entire universe, so a simulation that is limited to a small volume is unlikely to find such [regions] until much later," he said.

The model created by Barkana and his colleagues gets around this problem by approximating how many dark matter clumps large enough to host the first star were present at different times of the universe. "We integrated this over time to find the total expected number of observable stars," Barkana said. The researchers then crosschecked their predictions with simulations. Primal stars

Even by stellar standards, the primordial star was a monster. It likely had a mass of about 100 times that of our Sun and it would have spewed out vast amounts of energetic radiation, especially in the ultraviolet range. Had human eyes been around to see it, it would have appeared blue-violet in color.

The first star shone brighter than most stars in existence today and it zipped through its stellar life in only 2 million to 3 million years, compared to the several-billion-year lifetimes that some of today's stars have. Our Sun is middle-aged now and has been around for 4.6 billion years.

Scientists think that when it spent its fuel, the first star exploded in a titanic stellar cataclysm called a supernova, flinging heavy elements forged during the star's lifetime into space (before collapsing to form a black hole), setting the stage for the next generation of stars. "After a short time, stars began appearing in greater abundance throughout the universe," The second generation stars likely formed within about a million years after the first, Barkana said. Within five million years, there were about 100 stars; within ten million years, 10,000 celestial orbs of fire were lighting up the heavens. Unlike that first star, which was made up mostly of hydrogen and helium, the stars that came after contained heavier elements, such as carbon and iron.

Still detectable Light once emitted by the first star might still be detectable, Barkana said!!!! In space, the older an object is, the farther away it is. It would require a telescope about 100 million times more sensitive than the Hubble Space Telescope to observe light from the first star, but it's not impossible.

"If the first star was indeed massive and produced in its death a huge supernova explosion or gamma ray burst, then we might have a chance to see the explosion with the instruments planned for the coming decade," Barkana said.

BLACK HOLES ARE THE DRIVING FORCE OF CREATION!!!!

Black holes suffer a bad rap. Indicted by the press as gravity monsters, labelled highly secretive by astronomers, and long considered in theoretical circles as mere endpoints of cosmic evolution, these unseen objects are depicted as mysterious drains of destruction and death. So it may seem odd to reconsider them as indispensable forces of creation.

"The emerging picture of co-evolving black holes and galaxies has turned our view of black holes on its head," says Meg Urry, an astronomer and professor of physics at Yale University. "Previously, black holes were seen as the endpoints of evolution, the final resting state of most or all of the matter in the universe. Now we believe black holes also play a critical role in the birth of galaxies."

Central bulges of stars in many galaxies, such as our Milky Way, are directly related to the masses of the black holes buried inside, as detailed in June of 2000. A galaxy's dimensions seem tied to its black hole's dietary habits.
Most black hole mass seems to come from direct consumption (called accretion) of gas, indicating that a black hole needs a surrounding galaxy to grow. The dark horse
a halo of mysterious dark matter is thought to infuse the space surrounding each of the bulge-packing galaxies. The invisible gravity generator would play a crucial role in galaxy and black hole construction.

The also-rans
If co-evolution reigns, as most researchers believe, then two older (but not-dead-yet) theories are wrong: that a galaxy forms first and directs the development of a black hole; or that a black hole is generated first, providing the seed around which a galaxy can coalesce. It is also possible that different types of galaxies form by different means, and that co-evolution will only be found to describe one path to galactic adulthood.

Earlier this month, Windhorst and a colleague, Haojing Yan, released a Hubble Space Telescope image showing the most distant "normal" galaxies ever observed.

Though stretched and distorted by the technique used to spot them (an intervening galaxy cluster was used as a "gravitational lens"), the newfound galaxies, Windhorst's team assures us, resemble our own Milky Way. They are seen as they existed more than 13 billion years ago, within 1 billion years of the Big Bang.

Practically side-by-side in time, discovered in separate observations made as part of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, are compact but bright objects known as quasars. These galaxies-to-be shine brilliantly because, researchers believe, each has a gargantuan black hole at its core, whose mass is equal to a billion suns or more, all packed into a region perhaps smaller than our solar system.

The resulting gravity pulls in nearby gas. The material is accelerated to nearly the speed of light, superheated, and swallowed. The process is not entirely efficient, and there is a byproduct: An enormous amount of energy -- radio waves, X-rays and regular light -- hyper-illuminates the whole scene.

Quasars also seem to be surrounded by halos of dark matter, a cryptic and unseen component of all galaxies. Co-existing around and amongst all this, researchers are coming to realize, is a collapsing region of stars and gas as big or larger than our galaxy. It was no coincidence that the announcements of the two findings -- distant quasars and normal galaxies --were made together at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS) Jan. 9. Co-evolution was on the minds of the discoverers.

Among co-evolution's significant impacts is its ability to render mostly moot a longstanding chicken-and-egg question in astronomy: Which came first, the galaxy or the black hole? "How about both?" Windhorst asks. "You could actually have the galaxy form simultaneously around a growing black hole."

Urry, who was not involved in either finding but was asked to analyze them, explained it this way: "We believe that galaxies and quasars are very intimately connected, that in fact quasars are a phase of galaxy evolution. In our current picture, as every galaxy forms and collapses, it has a brief quasar phase." So when a quasar goes dormant, what's left are the things we associate with a normal galaxy -- stars and gas swirling around a central and hidden pit of matter.

Evolving idea

Demonstrations of co-evolution began to emerge in the mid-1990s when researchers found hints that the existence of a significant black hole at the center of a galaxy was related to the galaxy's shape, says Martin Haehnelt of the University of Cambridge. Only galaxies with a spherical bulge-like component appear to accommodate supermassive black holes. Our Milky Way, if it could be viewed edge on, would display a good example of one of these galactic bulges: Imagine the profile of a stereotypical flying saucer, though with a wider and flatter disk. The Milky Way is smaller than many galaxies, however, and it has a correspondingly less massive black hole -- roughly 2.6 million suns worth. It almost surely once had a quasar phase, astronomers say. At any rate, in the mid-1990s no one knew for sure how prevalent black holes were. Theory and some observational data pointed to the likelihood that they were ubiquitous.

Evidence continues to mount. In 2001, two separate teams showed that many smaller galaxies that don't have bulges also do not seem to contain significant black holes.

Over the past six months or so, other important studies have emerged, providing independent confirmation to some of the initial work. Haehnelt: "It becomes more and more clear that supermassive black holes can significantly change the structure and evolution of galaxies."

There are many variations on the basic theory of co-evolution. Each version attempts to explain a vexing fact: In the blink of a cosmic eye -- just a half a billion years -- invisible spheres of matter were born, and several gained the mass of a billion or more suns and were driving the shape and texture of swirling agglomerations of newborn stars. Co-evolution is not a done deal. Perhaps, some have suggested, a huge black hole simply collapses out of a pre-galactic cloud and serves as a ready-made engine to drive further galaxy development. Even staunch supporters of co-evolution say there are still viable theories, not yet refutable, putting the immense black hole in place first, and others that have the galaxy solely responsible for driving the formation of a black hole.

"Indeed," Sir Martin says, "there is a lot of debate about whether black holes can form in very small galaxies, and whether there is a link between the 'small' holes that form as the endpoint of the evolution of massive stars and the holes of above a million solar masses that exist in the centers of galaxies."

Rose Quartz Crystal promotes Plant Growth

http://natureofwholeness.gaia.com — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 21:40:39 GMT

I have a large rose quartz crystal (among a selection of others) and, having dedicated it and it's qualities to the support of my plants (all of whom could do with a boost) I left it in a half a bucket of water overnight, and used the water for the plants next day. It took a few days, but I must admit they've all brightened up considerably, and in one case even produced new growth!

Inner Voice

http://elenaloves.gaia.com — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 16:49:47 GMT

Some of you may have come across this uplifting musical group already.Btw, they are Zaadz members. http://innervoiceband.com/main.html For those who haven't I recommend visiting their website and listening to their song. Lovely voices. Lovely Lyrics. I would love to hear about other uplifting music that people recommend. Love, Violetflame

Cosmic Chants and Meditation - Paramahansa Yogananda

http://natureofwholeness.gaia.com — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 16:23:31 GMT

Devotional Chanting increases the light of the heart chakra and deepens our love for God. This carries over to our ability to love others in our daily life; loving the light within them.
The chanting is followed by breathing techniques;
example is the Hong Sau technique;   breath in and mentally think "Hong"
                                                                       breath out and mentally think "Sau" ( saw )
Paramahansa Yogananda became my guru when I was 14 years old. This technique has stayed with me all of my life and can be practiced at any time during meditation and also during any activity. It was very helpful during childbirth.

Paramahansa Yogananda brought the initiation of Kriya to the west from India. You can read about it in his book called, "Autobiography of a Yogi". Kriya is a very avanced technique passed down from the ancient yogi, Babaji, who even now, maintains a close connection to this octave and can materialize his body for the devotee to see him. One can be personally initiated by Babaji into Kriya yoga or recieve initiation from one of Babaji's disciples.

It is a blessing to be a Kriyaban. Kriya is the most advanced yoga technique. The responsibility of the initiation is to practice and apply what One has been given. There is a saying that goes, " Don't cast your pearls to the swine". A master of light holds the balance for the student during initiations and throughout the yoga training process. It is important to conntect with your inner guru for soul guidance on the inner planes of existence. There is an existing heirachy which includes all Sons and Daughters of the Light and all Ascended and UnAscended Masters. This is called "The Great White Brotherhood". It pertains to the White Light which is the Divine Christ Light or Christic Light which is the Divine Radiance and Energy of God which sustains all of creation.
                                                                  ~Gurumaa~

Kriya Yoga

http://natureofwholeness.gaia.com — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 15:57:39 GMT

What is Kriya Yoga?

"Kriya is an ancient living tradition of yoga and tantra. It contains a well rounded mixture of techniques that address the many different areas of life; physical, vital, mental, intellectual, and spiritual. These include breathing to awaken the life force, meditation, yoga postures, mantras, sexual spirituality techniques and practices to move vital energy and open the heart.

Kriya Yoga is revealed by Sathguru Kriya Babaji of the Himalayas, the immortal Siddha-Avatar and fountainhead of all Kriya traditions. Kriya is the practical side of all religions because it provides a systematic approach to awaken consciousness and bring the practitioner into a state of divine power, light, energy, peace and bliss.

Under Babajis inspiration through the ages, thousands of these techniques, or Kriyas, have been discovered by the greatest teachers of yoga often as a direct result of a transcendental experience or specific mastery over some external or internal energy or process (siddhi). It is likely that some of these techniques have been many times discovered and rediscovered independently by various individuals throughout the history of the developing consciousness of mankind.These practical techniques, in fact, can be found in a significant number of esoteric traditions in various parts of the world, known under different names and practiced with slightly variant
forms. Certainly, the scientific art of Kriya Tantra Yoga does not belong to any geographic location or culture since one of its purposes is to transcend such limitations. Indeed Kriya Tantra Yoga belongs to all humanity. However, we rightly honor the origins, particularly India, the great homeland of Yoga and Tantra which even today continues to produce great and noble individuals through these practices. Much of what we know about early Tantra was recorded by inscription on palm leaf manuscripts using encodement metaphors which can only be understood by the initiated.

In practice, Kriya Yoga, which is an oral teaching supported by centuries of written records, consists of many practical techniques for inner change. In essence, Kriya Yoga is all about uncovering and releasing the accumulated debris of lifetimes so that the individual becomes liberated from the illusion that he is something other than the Divine essence." Aum

Marriage and Partnerships

http://natureofwholeness.gaia.com — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 14:18:55 GMT

MARRIAGE [AND PARTNERSHIPS] ...

And then Almitra spoke again and said:

‘And what of marriage, Master?'

And he replied:

‘You were born together, and together you shall be for evermore.

You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.

Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God,

For in spirit all is one and together all once came forth from the heart of God.

But let there be spaces in your togetherness

So that the winds of the Heavens can dance between you.

Love one another, but make not a bond of love.

Rather let it be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

You do not need another to make you whole,

For each has the energy of the other dormant within;

It is merely waiting to be taken into possession by each one.

Let the other help you do this, but then let go of each other again.

As each soul has their own pathway to walk, let each do their own thing.

Share what nurtures you -

Fill each other's cup but do not drink from the same cup

Or eat from the same loaf.

Sing and dance together and be joyous,

But let each also sometimes be on their own;

Even as the strings of a lute are alone,

Although they vibrate with the same tune.

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping;

For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.

And stand together, but not too close,

In the same way as the pillars of a temple stand apart,

And the oak tree and the cypress do not grow in each other's shade.

Each in their own way and time has to learn their lessons,

Their Karma to redeem and their Highest potential to fulfil.

Let each learn to take the lead in some things and to follow in others;

When each contributes in their own special and unique manner,

You add variety and interest to your relationship,

Helping it to last longer and ensuring that both partners

Grow at an even pace, individually and together.

‘The Prophet' - Kahlil Gibran

Zen Meditation ......practice while sitting, walking, eating....

http://natureofwholeness.gaia.com — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 16:45:35 GMT

Zen practice is usually focused on sitting in meditation. But equally, there are other forms of meditation. In Zen, there is also walking meditation, chanting meditation and eating meditation. The most important things happen when you get up off your meditiation mat and mix with the rest of the world. You might be a perfect Zen student on the mat, not moving, keeping a clear mind, but need more practice to mix with others in a busy environment. Anything can be a meditation if you concentrate on what you're doing and aren't distracted by other thoughts. Making your bed is a meditation if you pay complete attention to it. Making your bed while being mentally elsewhere is not a bed-making meditation.

Re: Twin Flames

http://natureofwholeness.gaia.com — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 15:28:02 GMT

--"Twin Flame means the other half of your soul that was created the instant you were created. Twin flames can and do incarnate here together and work side by side in all of the different relationships. Often times twin flames are together and don't even know that they are twin flames. The way to answer that question is to enter the hidden mystery inside of the soul. If you love whoever you are with as your twin flame; the love will go to your twin flame, whether you are physically together or not. And when you arrive at the time of knowing your twin flame, you will be amazed how you will see many parts of all of the people you have loved right inside of your twin flame. Wow! Your twin flame was there loving you, all of the time, right through other people. God is multifaceted; the faces of many; make up the face of the One."

( the one that was split from you the moment you were chosen to incarnate on this plane? i'm assuming that is what you mean...)

--"Twin flames are able to incarnate together or separtly. It is a fact that you can be with your twin flame here on earth. Sometimes one half has taken their ascension on the inner octaves of light and has never incarnated. Other times neither one ever incarnate on this particular planet and keep evolving in their Light bodies and become part of Elohim; where they join as one great being of Light.
The path towards self mastery brings us to are own ascension and each twin flame goes through their own ascension. Through holding the balance for our twin flame; or their holding the balance for us; whether both are in embodiment or only one is; initiations are passed and we progress on the path to our own ascension. "

( soul mates ? )

--"Soul mates are special connections with our lifesteam that we have known for many incarnations who have been all of the different human relationships we have had in order for us to learn the many diffrerent aspects of God's love that manifests such as:
Parent to child ; Husband to wife ; Employer to employee ; Teacher to student ; Brothers ; Sisters ; Lovers ; Friends ; etc......

Twin flames may or may not take on the same or oppostie sex in the body. With in us all, we have both the female and male principles ; the yin and the yang. So outward expression of sex is irrelevant of the balance of the whole within us. "

Cultural Influences on the Mother Contintent Africa

http://natureofwholeness.gaia.com — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 14:20:12 GMT

It is my understanding that the Black American isn't the only citizen who should be concerned about the AIDS epidemic and cultural influences that are lacking morality that are imported to Africa from America. This has become a world epidemic.

Doesn't it occur to everyone that Africa is all of the world's Mother continent. The fact is, that all people of all races on earth have a connection to the geneology of the ancient violet race. The golden age of ancient times on the African continent held within it all of the laws and precepts of a balanced and enlightened society.

http://www.takingitglobal.org/express/panorama/article.html?ContentID=3606

The following is the comment I made on "taking it global" :

This article expresses the thoughts I experienced when I lived just outside of L.A., Cal. during the year, around 1990. The city was experiencing looting and fires due to unrest over the incident that took place concerning the arrest of the black man, "KIng", and the injustices that were dealt at him by local authorities. People showed lack of self control and expressed their anger over injustices at innocent bystanders and merchants; whether they we on drugs and listened to demoralizing music or not. Black people ruined their own neighborhoods and expressed hatred for other races; which is the very thing they have felt was handed at them. "Two wrongs don't make a right."
~Gurumaa~

Re: Twin Flames

http://raziel.gaia.com — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 06:19:23 GMT

by Twin Flame do you mean the other half of your soul? the one that was created the instant you were created, the one that was split from you the moment you were chosen to incarnate on this plane? i'm assuming that is what you mean...

i'm definately not an "expert" per say, as far as someone who has studied a lot of other people's experiences, but i think that if we all look deep enough, if we all are able to look back far enough into ourselves, we'll find we probably have all the information we need on this topic right inside of us.

from what i understand, the Twin Flame is something that goes far beyond even a Soulmate connection. Soulmates are beings who are very similar to us in vibration and they are people with whom we have been acquainted through the Ages in this world and all others, but your Twin Flame was there with you at the moment you were first created, not just on Earth, but waaaaaayyy back in time, at the beginning of Everything. The story goes that when "God" went forth to create all beings, they were complete and whole unto themselves, a mass of androgynous souls, beings perfectly in balance. when it came time to descend into the 3rd Dimension (which thrives on the struggle of dichotomy), the souls had to be split in two, into an active half and a passive half (male and female, basically). through the ages, karma built up and we drifted apart from our Twin Flames. the further away we drifted, the deeper our loneliness became, so we found Soulmates and dwelled with them through time.

now, everything is so scattered and so disparate that Soulmate connections are rare, and Twin Flame reunions are even rarer. it's fully possible that a true Twin Flame reunion is only possible in the other world, where we are no longer hindered and blinded by the material constructs of 3-D.

i hope that answered some questions. remember, the best place to really find out is deep inside of yourself, maybe to a place you have never been before.

Blessings and Love,
-Raziel

Re: Twin Flames

Thu, 31 Aug 2006 20:02:31 GMT

There are so many 'systems' out there that independantly came to the conclusions about energy centres, lines, meridians and chakras etc. I got used to sensing this much the same way one feels, thinks, emotions etc. At one point just like emotional issues I was very distracted by all the energy flow and energy information. As the Buddhists would say - is it another form of 'distraction'. I still work with energy flow and awareness as I do with thoughts feelings etc but it is more from a sense of grounding, presence and mindfulness now. The goal I have for myself is more one of acceptance. I have had energy zing attacks, highs and black spikes and all sorts but in the end - as a Zen guy said - don't worry it will pass like all things LOL.

Enough for now. I am intrigued by further discussion on this one...

XG