ARTICLES
All
the Petals of the Rose (Seminar Event)
Earth
Day
May
2002 Events
Connections
& KVNF: Community Voices
Notes
From Cultural Creatives
Co-Creators
Handbook
Tarot:
An Old Language for New Times
Green
Media Works Presents “Imagine if …” Green Building
Workshop
All the Petals of the Rose
by Joshua Hayward
In late August of 2002, the Whole Life Network will be
presenting a Heart-Opening, Soul-Expanding event entitled,
“All the Petals of the Rose”. The intention of this event is
to touch the essence of the of the Western Slope Community
with healing, wholeness, and unity. On the Slope these days
there is a growing excitement, a ‘Soul-quaking’. We can feel
it shaking up our lives with new experience and new vision.
This awakening sense of things is a burgeoning spiritual
renaissance happening in our midst. We are creating it as an
answer to the calling we hear within our hearts.
“All the Petals of the Rose” will address our need to align
with the changes we are going through, individually, in local
community, and in the greater community of the planet Earth.
The Whole Life Network has called upon two profound
healers/teachers to facilitate this momentous event, Dr.
Judith Boice and Evan Hodkins, M.A., M. Div. Since these two
combine decades of experience in working with group energy, a
door will open up to wide perspective as well as intense focus
for this informative, experiential, and blissful event.
Both Evan and Judith are fairly new to the Western Slope,
so they bring fresh energy. During the interviews, I
discovered them both to be attuned to local vibrations. Judith
makes her home in Montrose, and Evan has found his peace in
Paonia, so they have become a part of us.
This interview will come in two parts. This month, we shall
be communing with Evan Hodkins, and in next month’s edition of
Connections we shall be visiting with Dr Boice. In both cases,
expect to discover extraordinary people quite capable of
stimulating the extraordinary in each and every one of us.
Evan Hodkins brings so much to the proverbial table, the
spiritual meal he provides is difficult to describe. He has
counseled countless individuals and couples over the decades,
but he has long since left off with what can be called
traditional “psychological therapy”. He calls himself an
“Amanchara”, which means “soul-friend” in the old Celtic
tradition. He is at once poet, visionary, mentor, and bard.
Evan has been lauded by such dignitaries as Rabbi Zalman
Schacter-Shalomi, World Wisdom Chair at Naropa Institute in
Boulder; Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, psychiatrist and author of
“On Death & Dying”; and Barbara Marx Hubbard, author of
“The Revelation”. But perhaps it is best to simply say Evan
Hodkins is a soulful, non-pretentious teacher whose inspiring
influence is widely welcomed. Evan is Director of the School
of Alchemy, now located in Paonia, Co.
How long have you been doing your work at the School of
Alchemy?
For over 25 years.
Alchemy is not a word that is well understood, so how
would you characterize that process for our readers?
On the surface of things, as far as medieval alchemy was
concerned, it was the process of making lead into gold. The
understanding was that all of Creation has an urge toward a
certain consummation. There is a restless inside each aspect
of Creation that wants to perfect itself. Every creature,
every porcupine and every squirrel, for example, has a
restless that stirs them toward completion. The alchemists
projected that onto metals, as well. They felt they could, by
virtue of their work, actually facilitate this power of
opening for the metals, that they could be like ‘midwives’.
The process of going from lead into gold was in 7 stages. Each
of those stages were parallel to the (original) 7 planets of
our solar system.
Possibly the 7 ‘chakras’, too?
Yes. I think, certainly.
But that is the ‘outer’ teaching. What would be the
‘inner’ process?
We would look at any of the ‘negative’ emotions. The task
is to address anything that comes our way. We usually do not
love it; we reject it and push it away, but if you develop an
‘alchemical appetite’ for doing the work, then essentially
what you are doing is sending the emotions back to Heaven, or
back to the Source through you. Negative emotions may then
come to the fullness of what they are. So, for example, anger
often is an unconscious way of goading a person to tell their
absolute truth.
So if you get angry enough, then you are going to say
something?
Yes. And you’ll have to live up to, or down to, that. But
to an extent, if a person is living in their ‘radiant truth’,
meaning if anger had been transmuted into truth-telling , then
the lower aspect of anger would have dissipated.
So what you are saying is that there is nothing ‘wrong’
with anger or negative emotions. They are the dross that is to
be transmuted into higher states?
The esoteric teaching is that any negative emotion followed
to the source will lead you to God.
What are some of your thoughts on God?
My sense is that these days we are making a transition from
religion to spirituality. Religion is characterized by
ego-oriented exclusivism, fear-mongering, and guilt
orientation. We are outgrowing that as a culture. As C.G. Jung
pointed out, religion is to ego as spirituality is to Soul.
What you had to back up religion of the exclusive variety was
some kind of dogmatic theology. So if you asked the question
what is God, there would be a prearranged definition. I think
that as religion expresses itself through theology,
spirituality expresses itself through poetry. The poet
discovers different names and faces of the mystery of God. God
may be the sum total of all perspectives, but decidedly more
than that. We are all emergent poets trying to dance around
God as best as we can.
The event which you and Dr. Boice are to facilitate in
August will have a strong focus on community. What does
‘community’ mean to you, and what direction will that
take?
I like to make the distinction between community and
‘communitas’, which is the Latin. I would like to define
community as a group well-intentioned egos coming together to
accomplish a certain purpose. And then they are subjected to
their differences and conflicts and so forth. Community is an
expression of the best urges of ego, and therefore is usually
destined to fail. Communitas, on the other hand, is an
expression of the Soul. It does not come together as a group
of well-intentioned egos, but rather as we begin to trust the
movement of Spirit, say, we share ourselves in prayer or in
meditations, then the ego is not standing in the way of the
searching for inner light. The classic expression of this is
of course within the Quaker tradition. In the Quaker meeting
you have a period of a half hour, or so, where the people are
just in meditation, and there is no preacher delivering a
sermon to them. There is ultimate trust in each person’s
access the inner light. Then they share from Spirit with the
community. That is what I mean by communitas. Its an
experience of community that is Soul-based. It is constantly
being nourished by the depths of Spirit. That is a viable
structure because people are getting nourished rather than
exhausted. We hope, within the context of the seminar or
workshop (in August), to actually create the experience of
communitas. So we are using dance, music and ritual, prayer
and meditation, and all these forms in order to create an
environment that actually gives an experience of communitas.
Its not going to be an abstract talk about community. And its
not going to be egos trying to imagine what we
I feel this approach is what is really needed. Abstract
talk about Spirit is still patriarchal, and largely
unsuccessful.
It’s a curious thing, isn’t it? Even after you’re rid of
the rhetoric of the patriarchy, you still have to deal with
the style, which is even more pervasive. But I would say that
the patriarchy is not simply a disease suffered by men: men
and women suffer from this.
This is part of our evolution, to change things from the
roots up. To move from the intellectual to the experiential. I
call it the ‘full-bodied experience’.
What you are saying touches deeply on the title of our
event, “All the Petals of the Rose”. That is the summary of
what you talking about. We shall be dealing with the ‘embodied
person’ and the ‘communal person’. Such people can become
‘planetary people’. All the petals of the rose. And the
workshop will be set up as the classical stages of initiation.
Moving through all the different worlds experientially in
order to maximize the expression of communitas. This is an
experience of trust, rather than trying to control the
process.
End of Part I.
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Earth Day
by Tricia Joy
The care and Sustainability of our most precious
possession, the earth, was the message at Montrose’s April
20th Earth Day Fair. The awesome power of mother nature’s high
winds and bone chilling cold proved daunting to the 15
exhibitors.
Whole Life Network board members Larry and Sue Lemser,
Marilynn Huseby and Meralee Shank braved the weather and
greeted the estimated 200 visitors who arrived before noon and
those who arrived after most exhibitors had left. Marilynn’s
“Rocky the Recycling Raccoon” puppet put smiles on kids of all
ages.
“Putting the power of electricity back in the hands of the
people,” is the mission behind EcoQuest’s “Wind Tree”
residential wind generator. John McChesney of Wind Powered,
EcoQuest Sales Representative, enthusiastically shared how the
high winds could translate to money in your pocket when the
“Wind Tree” hits the market later this year.
Marilynn Huseby and Delta Montrose Electric Assn
representatives Suzanne Teaque and Joyce Milton were laughing
with the wind as they promoted DMEA’s Green Power wind power
program with the message. Buying non-polluting energy can be a
breeze.
Environmentally responsible home building techniques is the
message of Built Green, the nationally renown program of the
Colorado Assn of Home Builders, represented locally by Phil
Bailey of Balanced Construction.
A global call to action, “restoring environmental damage to
our earth can be exceedingly profitable” is the message of
Dennis Weaver’s Institute Ecolonomics, (ecology + economics).
Representative Gary Acton offered the timely message on
Weaver’s acclaimed video “All the World’s a Stage”, as well as
information on resource efficient homes known as Earthships.
The Black Canyon Regional Land Trust’s Adele Heneghan
worked closely with the fair’s primary sponsor, the Montrose
Community Recycling Task Force, for over 3 months to
coordinate the many details necessary to make a successful
event. She expressed her appreciation for all the exhibitors
who generously shared their time, together with visitors
enthusiasm for learning how they can better understand the
opportunities for conserving and sustaining our precious
resources.
Carole McDermott of the Task Force had the most endearing
exhibits of the Earth Day Art Contest, made entirely of
recycled materials by a 3rd grade class of Northside
Elementary (Photo 4). All entries were winners and received
McDonald’s gift certificates, but finalist included Larrisa
Avila, Reina Galvan and Brenda Martinez. Earth friendly
organizations also represented were Alternative Power
Enterprises, E-Bike (offering free demo rides”, Circle A
Gardens, The Ridge, The Uncompahgre Farmers Market (check out
the new downtown Montrose location coming soon), The Sierra
Club, Tomten Institute and Valley Organic Growers (thanks for
the fresh and free organic greens - YUM!).
The Whole Life Network participation in the Earth Day Fair
reflects it’s renewed focus to work closely with community
organizations in the region to promote options for health,
spiritual and environmental education.
Kudos to all who cared enough to devote their time,
energy and heartfelt acknowledgement of Earth Day 2002.
When
we see
land as a
community
to which
we
belong,
we may
begin to
use it
with
love
and
respect.
-Aldo Leopold.
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May Events!
*May 18 @ 1 pm, Rocky Mountain Dowers Assn. monthly
meet, For information call Polly 240-4442.
*May 19 @ 1pm to 3pm, Cultural Creatives Potluck at
River Bottom (Baldridge) Park, Montrose Let’s have a waterhole
meeting, find out what everyone has been up to and share a
wonderful day. Everyone is Welcome Please Bring food to share.
Call 252-1040 for more info.
*May 23 @ 12 Noon Mark Kimmel, a member of the
Disclosure Project will be Featured on Whole Life Connections
KVNF with hosts Arlyn Macdonald and Joshua Hayward.
*May 24 @ The WLN Friday Night Forum will not be
held this month due to scheduling difficulties. Watch for the
next forum announcement in the June Connections. For more info
call 325-1545.
*May 29 @ 1:30pm Green Media Works Presents “Imagine
If…“Green Building Workshop For more information call 728-8701
To register online: greenmediaworks.org.
*June 3 @ 6:30pm Monthly WLN Board of Directors
Meeting at WLN Office
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Connections & KVNF: Community Voices
by Arlyn Macdonald
What is the truth behind the UFO phenomena? Is there a
secret government agency keeping the true facts from the
American public and the U.S. Congress? What advanced
technologies identified and developed from UFO encounters are
being kept from the public that could enable the Earth to
attain a sustainable civilization without pollution, energy
shortages, or global warming? Why is this covert and
unauthorized agency allowed to operate outside of the required
Congressional oversight? What empowers this secret agency to
withhold information even from the President?
Find out on Thursday, May 23rd at noon on Whole Life
Connections on KVNF Radio as co-hosts Arlyn Macdonald and
Joshua Hayward invite Mark Kimmel, a member of the Disclosure
Project from Ridgway, to discuss the latest developments of
this important project.
The Disclosure Project is a nonprofit research effort that
has, since 1993, been identifying top-secret military,
government and other witnesses to UFO and Extraterrestrial
events. To date, over four hundred such witnesses have come
forward to testify and bring supporting evidence about the
existence of UFO’s, extraterrestrial vehicles and advanced
energy and propulsion technologies.
The purpose of The Disclosure Project is to call the U.S.
Congress to hold open, secrecy-free hearings on the
UFO/Extraterrestrial presence on and around Earth. It also
calls Congress to hold open hearings on advanced energy and
propulsion systems related to UFO’s, when publicly released,
will provide solutions to global environmental and other
challenges facing the world today.
“The Disclosure Project is dedicated to bringing forward
the information, government insider testimony, government
documents and related evidence that will focus world attention
on this overlooked matter,” according to Steven M. Greer, MD,
director of The Disclosure Project.
Don’t miss this informative show on May’s edition of Whole
Life Connections, a radio show of the Whole Life Network.
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Notes From Cultural Creatives …
Exploring Deep Ecology
Spiritual Union of Humanity
with the Natural World
by Dustin Brunson
Camped out next to this lake last February. I was awakened
in the early morning and felt a thick solid warm body nuzzling
against my backside. Looking over my shoulder I realized that
it was a beautiful golden lioness and she was hitting me with
her tail. She looked at me with love in her eyes and began
purring. My body radiated in rhythm with the vibrations of her
wonderful breath.
I awoke from this dream and reveled in this vision of a
visit from the goddess. My love and respect for the earth was
coming into full expression and I was feeling one with
everything. Many dreaming and waking magical experiences have
been manifesting in my life as I continue to open my heart and
feel the love of the universe.
I owe much of this transformation to a group of people I
met at the Cultural Creatives symposium last fall and an
Exploring Deep Ecology discussion course we¹ve since completed
together. This course provided by the Northwest Earth
Institute (nwei.org) is a nine session booklet of excerpts and
essays on subjects such as: gaia hypothesis, simplicity,
native American wisdom, spirituality, ecopsychology, and
bioregionalism.
Meeting twice a month to discuss the readings, we have
developed a strong bond that changed our views of life in ways
unique to each individual. We are continuing to meet, grow and
spread the vibrations of love. Learning to live in unity with
the natural world, knowing place, respect for all things,
simplifying life, and bonding in love. These are all ways of
saving the earth, growing spiritually, feeling the oneness,
and co-creating a positive beautiful future together, for all
things.
Dustin Brunson is a resident of Telluride, Colorado and
can be reached at dustinbrunson@earthlink.com
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Co-Creators Handbook
Guides Group
by Elizabeth Rosco
"The Co-Creators Handbook is a book by pioneering social
archetects who practice what they preach. This book provides
an inspriring map for the journey from discovering our inner
creativity to developing a supportive and synergistic
community and then to practical and cooperative actions in the
world."
~ Duane Elgin of Promise Ahead
A group of 14 courageous souls from the Montrose and
Ridgway communities has been meeting since December with the
stated purpose of using the Co-Creators Handbook to deepen our
experiences of loving presence toward self and other; to
practice the personal communication skills necessary to
sustain group resonance and loving support; and to tap
personal inspiration and creativity to co-create new social
systems in harmony with all life.
I use the word 'courageous' because it is not easy to face
one's own or another's impulses to divisiveness, falsehood and
self-destruction. In the group we are calling on one another's
highest self to collectively learn the skills to walk the talk
of unity, integrity, authenticity, love, acceptance and
service.
We are all in need of healing, the earth is in need of
healing and the world societies are in need of healing. We can
begin here at home sitting, dancing and singing prayers in
circles to identify what impedes and what can release the full
spiritual potential of the human heart.
Clear intention is a potent spirit for healing and
transformation. Joining with others with similar intention has
proven for me to be a powerful catalyst for growth and
creative expression.
I invite you all to call a circle, purchase some handbooks
and together dive into the heart which holds the seeds of
profound personal and collective transformation.
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Tarot: An Old Language for New Times
by Joshua Hayward
We have found that the latent potential of the Major
Arcana, and indeed of the whole Tarot pack, lives within the
Fool and within the associated Hebrew letter, the Aleph. Since
we live in a world of ‘forms’, in other words, a material
world, the raw energy of life has an intention to develop
potential. So the pure, undifferentiated energy begins to pour
out into the next card of the Major Arcana, the Magus, or the
Magician. The theme of this card is the activation of
potentialities inherent in Life. The Magus shows that energies
may be focussed in order to realize potential through use of
the Will.
Our world is indeed one of potential and possibility, and
the truth is that there is a lack of neither. We live in a
magical world where appearances are often not what they seem.
In his book, ‘Creating Abundance’*, Deepak Chopra says that at
the heart of everything lies a field of ‘pure potential’, and
this is the realm from which we actually create. In fact,
quantum physics has shown that potentiality exists at the
subatomic level. My experience has shown me that the Universe
is characterized by an infinitude of possibilities stretching
way beyond the finite limitations our minds, which are, after
all, computers programmed by what has so far been learned. And
remember, most learning is suspect. To see the truth of what I
am saying here, just look around at the limitations with which
we have unnecessarily restricted ourselves. When you think
about it, are not these restrictions fear-based, moral
impositions?
The Hebrew letter associated with the Magus is Bet(h),
which means a ‘house’. This implies that our world is a
structure which houses the Aleph, or the essence of all
potential. We see the physical, but there is so much more, the
magic. The Earth is indeed a holy, or sacred, house filled
with mystery. How do we unleash the magical energies in our
lives? By focussing attention on what we truly want to have
happen in our lives and keeping our energy there until a shift
happens. Observation of human nature, however, shows that
people spend much, much more energy on resisting what they do
NOT want to have happen than on what they DO desire. Pause and
think about that statement. See if you can discover where your
energy is going right now. Is your attention on what you
desire or what you fear or resist?
Now please realize that the Magus is neutral by nature,
pure Will. There is no holding back due to misguided acts of
conscience, or learned fear. We need to trust the guidance of
Spirit, for there we shall not be led astray. Negative mind is
the worst guide of all. So remember, everything required is
already there for us. All Elements: the Wand, the Cup, the
Dagger, and the Pentacle, or Disk. Fire, Water, Air, and Earth
are at the command of the Magus, and hence, at our beck and
call as well. The Magus is Thoth, the Egyptian Mercury, ruler
of Crowley’s Tarot Pack. Nothing is lacking in this World;
only our own perceptions create lack. Cunning, courage, and
playfulness are attributes of the Magus which we are
challenged to utilize through the Will.
The kabalistic sephira (sphere) associated with the Magus
is Chockma, which basically means ‘wisdom’. Wisdom and the
Word are the powers of the Magus, personified by Mercury’s
role as the messenger of the gods in Greek mythology. Also,
the astrological sign attached to the card is indeed Mercury.
The issue of communication is of paramount importance;
communication with the self, others, and the Universe Itself.
The wisdom to understand one’s own needs must be combined with
the skillful ability to get those messages across to others
and, ultimately, the Universe. Then the magic of manifestation
unfolds as a flower of creation.
When reading this card in a spread, I note a call for
‘skillful means’. By this I mean a discovery of the best and
most creative way to accomplish a task. Often there is a need
for the client to communicate with those involved in a
personal or business situation. Such can become a healing for
all involved. Note that the Magus is positioned on a caduceus,
a symbol often set out by doctors and clinics. Since our boy,
Mercury, was often a trickster, healing and communication may
be accomplished by unorthodox means. Keeping one’s intent
clean and impeccable is of utmost importance to create the
highest good for all concerned.
*Creating Abundance, by Deepak Chopra
(Joshua can be reached at All Planets Healing
970-325-0545, or email jchiron@yahoo.com. Now taking
enrollment for the summer Tarot class, & Astrology class,
at the Light Source Institute, 307 E. Main, Montrose, Suite
1.)
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Green Media Works Presents “Imagine if …” Green Building
Workshop
Wednesday, May 29, 2002, This all-day program will include
presentations on such topics: Rethinking the building and
development codes, Integrating new codes into the system.
Designing a new way of building through a community based
process to facilitate the manifestation of this new vision.
Transforming the market, understanding market dynamics, buyer
motivations and how the various stakeholders in the
homebuilding industry influence what products and building
types are available in the marketplace. Create and implement
incentives for alternative and efficient use of energy that’s
practical and cost-effective.
Presenters include: Randy Udall, Director of Community
Office for Resource Efficiency, C.O.R.E., Stephen Kanipe,
Chief Building Official for Pitkin County also dubbed as the
most innovative building official in Colorado, Doug Graybeal,
Principal and Partner of Cottle, Graybeal and Yaw Architects
Ltd., Barbra Batshalom, Founder of The Green Roundtable, David
Eisenberg, Director of Development Center for Appropriate
Technology, David Johnston, President of What’s Working and
David Payne, formerly with Rocky Mountain Institute and expert
in Whole Systems Thinking.
"Telluride is on the cusp as a community to make decisions,
or they will be made for us. This is a crucial time to make a
move toward sustainability in Telluride, "says organizer
M’Lissa Story. "We are not alone fighting these battles of
development, increased air pollution, shortage of affordable
housing and loss of open space. However, Telluride is one of
the few mountain towns left in Colorado that still has an
opportunity to make long term decisions that will benefit its
community and the people who live here year round."
The seminar is not limited to the building industry.
Rather, this is an exciting opportunity for all who are
interested in this topic of efficient and green development.
We invite those who participate in the building/design/real
estate development profession: Builders, contractors, real
estate brokers, interior designers, architects, and the
general public, to explore and discuss innovative, integrated
design solutions.
Imagine If… Green Building seminar will be held at the
historic Sheridan Opera House located on Main Street in
Telluride. Doors will open at 1:30pm. The program will begin
promptly at 2pm. Reception will follow with drinks and
appetizers. All are invited to learn more about the critical
importance of innovative, integrated design solutions and the
use of alternative building materials for the betterment for
our environment.
Green Media Works (GMW), is a nonprofit organization
created to execute projects that will engage, inspire and
mobilize individuals, communities, and organizations. GMW’s
mission is to transform environmental awareness into
environmental activism. Our philosophy: Through education and
enlightenment, people and communities will begin to think
differently, change attitudes and habits, ultimately resulting
in a healthier planet.
GMW will host a series of educational workshops discussing
such topics as Organic Foods, Steps to a Sustainable
Community, Recycle, Reuse, Reduce In Action, and Youth and the
Environment.
Ticket price
$25 in advance & $30 at the door.
Student ticket price is $15 with student ID.
For more
information, call 970.728.8701.
To register online:
greenmediaworks.org.
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