The Karma of Natural Disasters

Haiti-Jan. 12, 2010

300,000 dead

On January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world. 300,000 thousand people were killed, 1.5 million made homeless.

Many countries rushed to help, then rushed away, and it should be noted, the countries that helped the most were Cuba, Venezuela and the Dominican Republic. The richest, more powerful countries that were actually responsible for making Haiti in the state it was, did the least, even when they could have done much more.

But just as these rich countries have their own karma, and so, too, does Haiti, but my purpose is to discuss the Karma of Natural Disasters. And again, it is not to say that when karma happens, people deserve it, or that God wills it.

Though it was interesting to see Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson blame Haiti's problems, as due to a "pact with the devil". He was referring to this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutty_Boukman

Boukman Dutty was a self educated slave born on the island of Jamaica, his first name on the island means "book man", his last name means "dirty". His French name came from his English nickname, "Book Man," which some scholars have interpreted as meaning that he was Muslim since even in Africa a Muslim was referred to as a "man of the book": "It is likely that Boukman was a Jamaican Muslim who had a Koran, and that he got his nickname from this."[3]In August 1791, Boukman presided in the role of houngan (priest) together with an African-born priestess and conducted a (voudou) freedom ceremony at the Bois Caïman and prophesied that the slaves Jean François, Biassou, and Jeannot would be leaders of a resistance movement and revolt that would free the slaves of Saint-Domingue.

An animal, which symbolized the wild, free, and untameable spiritual power of the forest and the ancestors, was sacrificed, an oath was taken, and Boukman and the priestess exhorted the listeners to take revenge against their French oppressors and "cast aside the image of the God of the oppressors." [4] According to the Encyclopedia of African Religion, "Blood from the animal, and some say from humans as well, was given in a drink to the attendees to seal their fates in loyalty to the cause of liberation of Sainte-Domingue."[5] A week later, 1800 plantations had been destroyed and 1000 slaveholders killed.[6][7

The great Haiti slave rebellion led to the defeat of the French, British, and Spanish armies that invaded Haiti, and to its independence. And all due to the actions of Boukman Dutty, who is regarded as even now, being one of Haiti's guiding lua, or spirits.

This was his prayer: "The god who created the earth; who created the sun that gives us light. The god who holds up the ocean; who makes the thunder roar. Our God who has ears to hear. You who are hidden in the clouds; who watch us from where you are. You see all that the white has made us suffer. The white man's god asks him to commit crimes. But the god within us wants to do good. Our god, who is so good, so just, He orders us to revenge our wrongs. It's He who will direct our arms and bring us the victory. It's He who will assist us. We all should throw away the image of the white men's god who is so pitiless. Listen to the voice for liberty that sings in all our hearts."

Did the ceremony create an energy there, shall we say? Unfortunately, yes. Just as I have written about such a ceremony leading to a vortex of negative energy in Palestine, so too, did it happen in Haiti. The passionate quest for freedom, that created such a force. That it later led to such events, is not something that I judge, just to understand, to explain, and, to try to heal.

The karma of natural disasters is something that hangs above us all. That the U.S., that Canada and the U.K. has been protected for so long, I know and understand why. But will that last forever? Each country, each nation, has its own karma. It happens because the earth is not in balance, and heaven is not in balance, and we are not in balance. And each of us is affected in our own way.

There is a great shift taking place. Bring out your own inner healer, and, do not be afraid.

Chiron, the Wounded Healer

I broke my arm

In two places, actually, the coronoid and the radius. I may need elbow surgery, but for now am letting it heal and the physiotherapy is um, painful.

In my previous post "The Bird came again" I referred to someone who was deeply in need of healing, but didn't know it. (Not referring to myself, of course :) But the question does come up. Where did this come from? Why now? Was it karma, or something else? What is the lesson, what can I pass on?

Every year I have a meditation around Christmas, and another in January. Previous ones predated the L.A. earthquake, the Asian Tsunami, the Kashmir earthquake, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto. Each time I sense the changes required in the earth's pattern, in other people's, in my own.

Last year I told my spiritual group there would be a lot of deaths in families. A woman whose husband had been run over said she had attended six funerals in a few months. A disciple lost an uncle. Another, her father. Another, both her parents. One of them changed residences at the same time as me then had an accident that hurt her back. Another, lost an unborn child. Chloe lost her wedding ring, and was so upset, yet I was praying so hard for her, feeling something might happen. The week after, while driving with her father, she had a strong feeling just as they went through an intersection. She told him to stop, and he did. At that moment another driver went through a red light. If they hadn't stopped, she would have been hit by the car.

I spent the year praying for the health and safety of my parents, my family, my friends. And in the course of it, I broke my arm.

This year, my meditation was about Chiron, the Wounded Healer, and the lesson for the year ahead.

It isn't just about me and my arm. It is about how we're all in need of healing, we and the people of this broken planet. And in my last post "The Islamic Bomb and the Day of Judgement" I wasn't referring to a nuclear device, but about destructive forces unleashed on humanity. And the ones inside ourselves.

Now I wish to talk about the wounded healer in ourselves. how to heal him or her. It may be that we have to pass through something, regardless. But if we can understand the process, we can learn from and go through safely to the other side.

Chiron, in Greek Mythology, is an immortal being in the form of a centaur who taught the greatest warriors, mystics and healers of his time. An Astrologer, he taught healing to Asklepios, the founder of healing, who was the father of Hippocrates, the founder of medicine. Chiron has been wounded by a poisoned arrow, but as he is immortal, he cannot die. Therefore he transcends his suffering by service to others. Prometheus, the Titan who is being punished by the Gods for giving the gift of fire to humanity, can only be saved if an immortal can take his place. Chiron offers himself up for sacrifice, and the Gods appreciate this so much they allow him to die and pass on into spirit. This is the basis of Jesus's story as well, but also, yours.

You are all healers who need to heal yourselves. Healers are the first to be needed, and the first to need healing. I ask myself, do I have things to let go of? And the first thing I have to say, to myself and all of you, is to let go of the self-destructive and self-sabotage aspects of your lives. The next thing is, first look after yourselves, a difficult thing to do when you're a healer. The last one is, follow the spiritual path. It is the only thing that will save you in the time to come.

Love others, be kind and have compassion, do not exploit others, find balance in your lives. That balance may come from finding your purpose, doing what you are supposed to do. It may come from changing yourself and your environment. Try to build a solid foundation. You cannot heal everyone. First, heal the wounded healer within.

The Islamic Bomb and the Day of Judgement

Yawm ad-Din, the Day of Judgement

The US firebombed Tokyo in 1945. More people died then than at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, but it was the horrific image of the atom bomb that has gripped the collective consciousness. It was a message of ultimate destruction, designed to not only annihilate the wartime enemy but also intimidate any future enemies that might dare to resist the Empire.

Didn't work, of course. The Russians decided they wanted the Bomb too, and got one. then the Brits French Chinese and Israelis got lots, using stolen or transferred technology.

They had to test the Bomb, of course, so lots went off on ocean atolls, in the atmosphere, and underground so that millions of people died from subsequent cancers. The Earth itself was permanently poisoned. Global disarmament (the "Peace Sign") was the movement whose campaign of civil disobedience based on Gandhian principles inspired the Civil Rights movement, Anti-War, Environmentalism and other causes.

When the Chinese got the bomb the Indians, who were fearful of them, developed their own, so the Pakistanis, fearful of the Indians, got their own, unfortunately styled 'Islamic' bomb. Now maybe the Iranians are trying to get one?

A woman came to see me in L.A. She was dying of cancer, which had metastasized and spread to her bones. She could barely walk, and her back was so hunched she couldn't walk. After two sessions her back straightened completely and her pain was gone. Coincidentally, her husband was a senior IAEA Inspector, who monitored nuclear programs. During the six months we were there, she did quite well, though the cancer was still there.

That woman is an analogue for the state of Islam today. It is consumed by cancer, yet even when offered healing, it cannot heal. Now I have honestly stated my deep love for Muslims but also, reasons for criticism, here: http://manfromatlan.blogspot.com/2009/03/whither-islam.html so there's nothing new to add there.

But how does that correlate with the Islamic Bomb and Day of Judgement? Muslims believe in corporal entities like Angels, who are beings of light, and Djinn, beings of fire. They also believe in a Final Day of Judgement, when all will be judged, and these elements are all a part of that narrative. The Pakistani Nuclear bomb is, in fact, the Genie in the lamp I refer to.

There’s a terrible beauty in weapons of war. Guns, swords, nuclear bombs. I can even, contrarian that I am, appreciate the tremendous effort in physics it took to manufacture them without moralizing about How Bad They Are. If some seek to threaten the Muslim nation, who would then feel safe by having the Bomb, I say go for it. Pakistan, Iran, Libya (now THAT was a hoot!) and I could even understand their strategic reasoning.

But: Are they really safer now? I doubt that. In one way, it prevents a conventional war. In another way, all it leads to is attempts by various states and intelligence agencies to destabilize the countries trying to develop nuclear devices. THAT is what’s happening in Pakistan now, but of course, the real, underlying, motive is that it all really is a War against Islam, because Islam resists this global domination.

That’s how I see it politically, and I’ve already asked the question, why is this resistance incapable of winning, but just persevering; where is the leader or saviour from Islam? But spiritually, I see it differently. Djinns are capable, like humans, of good and evil, and nuclear power can likewise be used either way. Djinns, as creatures of fire, will bring about the Final Days.

So, a nuclear war? No. The earth would become uninhabitable. But humanity, and not just Muslims, will still go through the fire now. You see, it is a human failing to want to control their environment, when one can’t even control one’s self. To that end we look for intercession from angels, djinns, and God. Some Muslims even attempt to conjure up djinn to do their bidding. But, according to tradition, those who try to control the djinn when they can’t even follow the right path, will always end up being hurt and tricked by them.

So, as millions of Muslims are being brutalized and killed, and NOT ONE Muslim is capable leading the Ummah, the question remains: are we entering the final Days? Indeed, yes, and it has been prophesied. And this applies To All, not just Muslims. The world will be in a worse place next year, and the Day of Judgement will come for all.

What can we do to prepare? Stop trying to control power. Follow the spiritual path. Be the best you can be.

The Occupation of the Mind

The Mind is too wonderful a thing to be wasted

As I get to a certain age :) I find myself reflecting on what I did with my life, and the directions taken. What always intrigued me was the pursuit of knowledge, but, as I recognised how we could control the mind, so, too, could the mind be controlled; if we could occupy or use the mind, so, too, could the mind be occupied by external forces, not always benevolent.

Our minds are occupied territory, no less than Palestine is, no less than the people of Orwell's 1984, no less than the drug controlled people of Huxley's Brave New World. And we do have Big Brother, new 'permanent enemies', and new drugs to control and manipulate us.

Then there's this: "The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country… We are governed, our minds molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested, largely by men we have never heard of. This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized… ”So opens Propaganda (1928), one of several strikingly frank analyses of western social psychology written by Edward Bernays. This nephew of Sigmund Freud founded the public relations industry in the United States"

Yes there is 'an unseen mechanism of society' and the question is, who, and what, are the forces that manipulate our minds?

I was the boy who was always reading a book. I was the one who questioned things. Not finding all the answers I needed in the Material world, I visited the Psychic and Spiritual worlds.

And this what I saw. Everything is, and has, an energy. When you learn to see the ebb and flow of energy, the imprints, the little points of light that are people, that are thoughts, that are events past, events that are are yet to take place, and the forces that try to shape them. it's so easy to read, like a book..

I wrote Man From Atlan in 1974. There's a scene inside an Egyptian pyramid. There, the descendants of the Atlanteans, now set up as the gods of Egypt, discuss how their secret society uses religion to control the masses.. for their own good of course.

There's a debate right now which pits religion against scientific objectivism, or the so called rational mind. This is a false debate, IMO, because both can be dogmatic, both can be abusive and part of the manipulative process. It is control through permanent conflict, which once used to be between believers and non-believers, 'good' vs 'evil' and now, the 'rational' and 'irrational' mind.

Yes, there are religious leaders, of every faith, who say their faith condones killing. That is false, as are they. But objective humanists do just as much harm with their new religion of what I call "Scientism", which seeks to confine all human knowledge to what can be determined by a new priesthood using what is called the Scientific Method. They could never acknowledge subtle energies, or Astrology, or ESP. Since they never can, it seems, admit that Vaccines are harmful, or adding Fluoride to our drinking water is insane, to name just two examples, I conclude that the harm they do is far greater than that posed by the religious fanatics, but I'll let them and the Darwin fetishists slug it out. Yes, religiousity is so easy to manipulate, and it in turn controls people through fear. But the rational mind bound by what can be observed through the senses controls people too. Get the Flu shot or you'll die! Hmmph.

There are so many ways opinion and belief can be moulded. Religion, society, culture, and authority figures masked as experts. Celebrities can sell anything, as we project our own lack of self-identity on to fantasy figures in the ether. The Media, the great distraction which includes the Internet, bombards us with visual stimuli designed to create a post hypnotic condition. Then we'll buy anything. Then we'll be manipulated into wars. Then we'll buy Bernays' 'Propaganda' and let our minds live under Occupation..

I've already identified the global elites. You can't defeat them with violence, that's Their tool. I couldn't even be bothered whether they're demons, or possessed by them. The sheer scope of their power makes them blind.. I can see them, I can outlive them beyond generations, and my mind, unbound, will always be free...

This is how we can free our selves. Accept responsibility for our selves instead of blaming others. Don't accept or buy their shit. Look after your self and your family. Build community and, be your brother and sister's keeper. Find your spiritual center. Always be in it.

Zombie Remembrance Day

Dawn of the Dead 2004

My daughter Gebbriel's elementary school class was working on a tableau commemorating Remembrance Day. My zombie-loving 10 yr old suggested they model it on Dawn of the Dead, with everyone chasing each other around and killing each other, and how silly war was, with people killing each other like zombies.

One kid said:
"I've got a rifle and I can kill everybody" pointing it around the class and going Bam! Bam! then another said "I have a rifle too" and started shooting so everyone in class started running around and shooting and falling down. Then my daughter marched in and, striking a pose, said "Everyone's dead. Now we have Peace!"

Every one was laughing now but the teacher said, 'sorry kids, this is a solemn occasion, so you'll have to be serious'.

The kids have it right: War is silly.

This stupid, stupid war

Stupid people:

Backasswards logic: An illogical war must be continued because otherwise "we aren't supporting the troops"

Republican logic: We have to invade Iraq to kill the bad guys.

Democratic logic: We have to invade Afghanistan and Pakistan to kill the bad guys.

Pogo on Vietnam: "We have met the enemy, and it is us"

The people who start these wars aren't stupid, of course. We, on the other hand, might not know (for now) how to stop them. They want to make this planet into a permanent slave colony, and it's up to us, to, not be slaves.

Two geniuses, Aldous Huxley and George Orwell, had opposing dystopian views of the future. Huxley, that we would be so distracted by the pleasure principle, by drugs and sexuality that we wouldn't really care about the ways in which we were controlled. Orwell, that we would be manipulated into hating the other, and that we could controlled through pain, and deprivation, and psychological mind control, and the lack of love.

Both were right, of course. So we need to focus on our goals, and, to love one another. And we need to know, the wars are a result of the imbalance within our selves. Oh, I predicted this War, as those who've read the blog articles and previous writings know.

But my answer to it, my solution, is harder. You have to follow me, and then I will stop this insane war? No I won't. It will follow its course, as it follows what humanity has created, and, allowed to happen.

But I will still bring peace, and the peace inside me will spread around the world to those who believe, and, there will be miracles.

Mysticism, not Religion

Yggdrasil, the Tree that connects the Worlds

In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. John 14:2

John 14:2 could be a religious text, but for me, it is a classic passage of mysticism, describing not only the place one goes to, but, also, the journey there.

My uncle was a wise man. He once said that Heaven and Hell existed here on earth. To a 10 year old, that was quite interesting. Then everything religion said could be seen in a new light, and our purpose should be not just to understand our relationship with God, but defining our relationship with all the worlds. And therefore, mysticism and spirituality would be the journey; and a philosophy, and not religion, would be the destination, for human beings to reach a true understanding of all that is, and could be.

In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil ("The Terrible One or Odin's Horse") also called the World Tree, is the giant ash tree that links and shelters all the worlds. Beneath the three roots the realms of Asgard, Jotunheim, and Niflheim are located. Three wells lie at its base: the Well of Wisdom (Mímisbrunnr), guarded by Mimir; the Well of Fate (Urdarbrunnr), guarded by the Norns; and the Hvergelmir (Roaring Kettle), the source of many rivers.

Four deer run across the branches of the tree and eat the buds; they represent the four winds. There are other inhabitants of the tree, such as the squirrel Ratatosk ("swift teeth"), a notorious gossip, and Vidofnir ("tree snake"), the golden cock that perches on the topmost bough. The roots are gnawed upon by Nidhogg and other serpents. On the day of Ragnarok, the fire giant Surt will set the tree on fire. These are wonderful pictures which I won't explain, because mysticism is supposed to evoke something inside each person, and the experience therefore, different, but important, for each. (I'm sorry, I know that's why people find descriptions of other people's spiritual experience so er, mystical, and hard to relate to sometimes)

And carrying the Tree of Life theme further, I would recommend "Understanding the Mysteries of Kabbalah" by Maggy Whitehouse, for more insight. That it links with hermeticism, alchemy, occultism, magic, and the visual symbolism of Tarot really appeals to me. That it acknowledges there are realities beyond ordinary human reality or the understanding of religion, I love that.

But it seeks also to help each person establish direct connection with God, as if that is the ultimate goal, and while important, that is not the only one.

Our definition of God, as religion goes, is based on a creator God, and our relationship with that unknowable being, whereas mysticism seeks more to understand the very nature of God, that very transcendent reality, and nothingness. Brahman, as opposed to Brahma. But, that is not all mysticism does. It seeks to understand ourselves, and our many possible futures. It seeks knowledge of the many worlds, and answers to the eternal questions.

Who are we? What is our purpose in life, and what happens to us when we are gone? Is this life real or illusion, and what are the stages of our evolution? What is the nature of the soul, or is that tied to our ego and personal experiences? What are the lessons we must learn, and why is there suffering? How can we heal ourselves, and many more.

In 'my father's house', there are many mansions, many realms, many loci of energy and the spaces in between. There is the place we go to when we die, and the choices for the future we must make decided. That Nature has a consciousness, we know.

And then again, the place that holds a special place in my heart is that of the native peoples:

1. Native people believe in a spiritual world that exists beyond the physical world that is reached through dreams, visions and ceremonies. They also believe in a single spiritual force.

2. The Ojibwe people believe in Kitche Manitou, an Algonkin term which means “The Great Spirit” or sometimes called the “Great Mystery”. Manitou means Spirit.

3. The Seneca believe in Orenda, a Haudenosaunee term which means “Spiritual Power” or energy. Orenda also means good energy, and Otgon means bad energy.

4. Both tribes believe in the meanings of spirit, energy, mystery and magic as it applies to daily life and nature.

5. However, the Ojibwe use prayers, vision quest and seeking guardian spirits, while the Seneca look for answers in the dream world and make masks as spiritual objects; see how this connects with the Tibetan Buddhism, Siberian and Amazonian shamanism, and Hawaiian Huna spiritual traditions?

The way to see the connections is also, a mystic one. Sometimes in meditation and prayer, sometimes through the hidden knowledge.

That the prophets were also mystics, I know. But the religions they taught also had hidden, inner meanings, which only the initiate could find. But then, religion is only a small part of that transcendent reality, like a rule book for children (Not that children, in many ways, are not closer to God, or wiser than adults)

Then there is the spiritual alchemy required for us to evolve, the mystic blending of forces which will one day lead to our spiritual transformation (hint: it requires a blending of male and female energies)

Is the Mayan calendar date of Dec. 21, 2012 when it will happen? No, because there are many dates and stages of learning, and for most, that will only come much later.

So what, then, is Mysticism? I have described many spiritual events in terms of a journey, of discovery, of a place. Mysticism is the journey that takes to the place of our birth, to where we always return.