by Carmen de Jesus
 The word of the week is: Stichomancy, otherwise known as Bibliomancy.
Stichomancy is a method of divination using random passages from books.
Sometimes this term is used in the same way as Stichomancy and Libromancy, which is a form of divination that seeks to know the future by randomly selecting a passage from a book, frequently a sacred text.
Suggested Method:
1. Pick a book you believe to hold truth.
2. Balance it on its spine; let it fall open.
3. With eyes closed, touch your finger to any random passage.
4. View the passage as wisdom for your future.
Source: Wikipedia
I just gave it a go, with the book "Thoughts Without A Thinker" by Mark Epstein, M.D. So here's my fortune for the day:
"The key to the transformational potential of bare attention lies in the deceptively simple injunction to separate out one's reactions from the core events themselves. Much of the time, it turns out, our everyday minds are in a state of reactivity. We take this for granted, we do not question automatic identifications with our reactions, and we experience ourselves at the mercy of an often hostile or frustrating outer world or an overwhelming or frightening inner one."
Translation: Pay attention to what you react to, and why. Diminish reactivity by increasing bare attention and mindful awareness.
by heathervescent
 When you are passionate about something it's easy to make it work. Many obstacles magically disappear. Solutions appear or the problem just stops being applicable. Life is perfect. You've followed your bliss.
But what happens when the bliss runs out?
The situation changes. People don't act the way they used to. Promises, agreements are broken. Bliss has run out. What happened? And what do you do when that happens? Work to make it better. Learn from the situation. Break and rediscover your bliss?
It's a hard call and every situation is different, but you can apply the same criteria to the conundrum. Where is your passion? If you still have passion with/for the thing that's giving you trouble - this is merely a more difficult obstacle for you to over come. But if your passion has run dry, then it's time to find another well to drink from.
This recently happened to me. I started on a project I was extremely excited about. It held promise and wonder and novel possibilities. Slowly those possibilities dried up and I became more and more frustrated. My passion turned to anger and resentment. The situation had changed dramatically from the beginning. It was excruciating to realize that I no longer needed or wanted this thing in my life. It was time for an exit strategy. As soon as I realized this, I became detached from the daily frustration and worked on a plan to get out. This gives me renewed hope and my passion has returned from its angry dark side. New opportunities and exciting possibilities again return to the forefront of my life.
I totally agree with Joseph Campbell and following your bliss. But like all things, you must be aware to the subtle changes of bliss and the world in which we walk. Bliss is not a static activity, nor a goal to attain. It is a mindful journey. If you're in doubt take a moment of silence and listen to your heart.
* photo by Suzimo via Flickr
by L. J. Williamson
I had a chiropractic adjustment by a practitioner of "Network" chiropractic, and boy, was it different that any other adjustment I've ever had. The typical chiropractic adjustment is all about the mechanical; the doctor uses his hands to push your spine into position, often with a deafening -- yet satisfying -- crack.
The doctor I saw had a totally different approach. Rather than starting in on me right away, he had me lie down on the table for a long time while he simply studied me from all angles, occasionally asking me to change position to see how my body moved or how I positioned myself. I found it a little unsettling at first, to know that I was being stared at and studied, but I realized that it was because I simply wasn't used to having a doctor spend time actually examiningme.
After about ten minutes of quiet observation and a few questions, the doctor finally put his hands on me and performed the adjustment. Actually, I didn't even realize at first that he was adjusting me. He touched me very gently and then stepped back. Instantly, I began to feel the oddest sensation, which I realized was the feeling of my vertebrae moving around on their own, rearranging themselves. No "ka-chunk" of popping bones or forceful pushing happened. He just put me into the right position and my body did the rest.
I left the office with a nonstop permagrin. I cannot explain how any of this works. It just felt like magic.
by Constantine
There has been a resurgance of interest in the lunar cycles lately. Reminds me of a conversation I overheard my mother and my aunts having when I was a child where one aunt confessed that she used the lunar cycles to chart out when to wean her baby. Out of sheer curiosity, I did some hunting around on the net and found only a few sites about weaning babies (most were written for farmers asking when to wean calves) but I did find some articles and sites about gardeners who use the phases of the moon to their advantage. Seeing as how this is the time of year when people start to plan out their gardens, I included the basics and a link for more information.
The basics are:
- From the first quarter through to the full moon – this is when you can concentrate on above the ground growth, the fruiting type of plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, legumes etc.
- From the full moon through to the last quarter – now is the time to be focusing on root crops such as radish, carrots, potatoes etc. as well as bulbs, biennials and perennials
- In the last quarter through to the new moon – Do Not Plant! You can either take the week off or spend your time weeding, tidying and mulching. [source]
If you want to get into even more detail, there are monthly charts that give you which sign the moon is in for each day. Planting when the moon is in water and earth signs ideally, and weeding or pruning during fire and air signs.
The best bet would be to order an almanac or calendar, for those of us that are not astrologers.
by heathervescent
We all know it's important to take care of our environmental. Oceans are rising not only in temperature but also level along with temperatures and the now current focus on environmental businesses. (The cover of Business 2.0 this month covers 8 technologies that could not only change the world, but that bring home the bacon.) As if being environmentally conscious isn't worth it to begin with.
To lighten the often dreary educational load, Sustainlane has an animated series called The Unsustainables. Each episode looks at one way we can help the environment. They're pretty funny and one reminded me about the cleaning power of vinegar and baking soda.Check them out. Sustainlane also publishes city sustainable rankings. Find out how your city fares here.
by L. J. Williamson
Pervasive in New Age circles, I find, is discussion of "healing." And New Age spirituality seems to differ from other belief systems in its emphasis on healing and the many ways to approach it. Most religions have something to say about the body and its frailties now and again, but talk of healing doesn't seem to come up quite as often as it does over at the local metaphysical bookstore.
This makes me wonder -- are New Age people just more damaged? I mean, I respect the whole openness to different points of view, the interest in avoiding dogmatic thinking, and so forth, but why all the massaging, the ear coning, the purification rituals, the chakra alignment, the crystals, the homeopathics, the high colonics? What's the connection?
At a New Age conference in 2004, Caroline Myss upset a lot of people by getting up on the podium and saying, “I used to think we create our own reality, that our illness is only the result of our negativity. But we cannot control the whims of God. Now I believe that real negativity is the need to think in such private, personal, ridiculous terms.
“New Agers are convinced that life is a therapy experience, that you have to be fully healed before you can be courageous. Most people don't want to be fully healed or fully courageous. We're afraid of our own lives and resentful of others' lives. Don't tell yourself you're wounded—get over it! You have to develop a backbone, not a wishbone." Myss continues, “It's more of a risk to be powerful than it is to be vulnerable. The real risk is not to sabotage yourself.”
Myss hits the nail on the head for me, about what I mistrust about those who seem to be on a never-ending quest for healing. I'd like to ask these people, "Let's pretend that you were completely healed. What would you do then? And why can't you start doing it today?"
by heathervescent
Want to know how to fake a UFO video? Then pop on over to Weird America, where they give you a demonstration. All you need is an old hubcap and a visit to Nevada. On second thought, you can probably find that old hubcap by the side of the road on your way to Nevada.
Photo by Walter April Haynes
by Constantine
Mandy Moore experienced some unusual phenomena recently while staying at a recording studio built into an old house in Woodstock NY.
The 22 year old actress, undaunted by the haunting, made a pact with the ghost.
"As soon as I arrived in my part of the house I walked around to every room saying, 'I'm just here for a couple of months and I'm here to do something real and creative, so please don't scare me, please leave me alone,'" Moore told "Late Night" host David Letterman." [source]
Update: Turns out Mandy's ghost was a fake! They pulled the white sheet off the suspect, and it was just some creepy old hippy guy who looks like he hasn't taken a bath since 1969. I snapped a photo just in time, see?
Gawsh! You guys are sooooo gullible. I don't know who that is in the photo. But one thing is for sure, I'm going to have nightmares because of it...
by L. J. Williamson
The Lakota Tribe has declared war on New Age quackery, in particular, self-styled "Shamans" who co-opt and cheapen Native American religious practices for monetary gain.
Rather than paying tribute to Native American religious practices through New Age eclecticism, as many participants might believe they are doing, they are actually diminishing the meaning of genuine indigenous rites while perpetuating the myth of the Noble Savage as they pay shallow homage to a Hollywood version of Indian culture, say the Lakota.
The Lakota Declaration of War, a fascinating read, offers a harsh critique of what it calls "an offensive and harmful pseudo-religious hodgepodge."
The declaration denounces "the unspeakable indignity of having our most precious Lakota ceremonies and spiritual practices desecrated, mocked and abused by non-Indian 'wannabes,' hucksters, cultists, commercial profiteers and self-styled 'New Age shamans' and their followers" and also takes issue with "phony 'sweatlodges' and 'vision quest' programs," and "individuals and groups involved in "the New Age Movement," in "the men's movement," in "neo-paganism" cults and in "shamanism" workshops" that "have exploited the spiritual traditions of our Lakota people by imitating our ceremonial ways and by mixing such imitation rituals with non-Indian occult practices."
The declaration also asserts that "the absurd public posturing of this scandalous assortment of psuedo-Indian charlatans, 'wannabes,' commercial profiteers, cultists and 'New Age shamans' comprises a momentous obstacle in the struggle of traditional Lakota people for an adequate public appraisal of the legitimate political, legal and spiritual needs of real Lakota people."
Read more here.
by Carmen de Jesus
The word of the week: Haruspex
In Roman practice inherited from the Etruscans, a haruspex (plural haruspices) was a man trained to practice a form of divination called haruspicy, hepatoscopy or hepatomancy. Haruspicy is the inspection of the entrails of sacrificed animals, especially the livers of sacrificed sheep. The rites were paralleled by other rites of divination such as the interpretation of lightning strikes, of the flight of birds (augury), and of other natural omens.
(Definition from Wikipedia)
Since I'm an animal loving kind of person, and because I think PETA would get up in arms, I've developed a modern kind of haruspicy, using various foods instead of live animals. If you ever need a Burrito Haruspex, give me a call.
by L. J. Williamson
Pluto's recent demotion really brings the problematic nature of the relationship between astronomy and astrology into focus. Astrology couldn't really exist without astronomy, but astronomy doesn't seem to give much of a hoot about its poor bastard child. The astrologers, on the other hand, seem to react like the scorned offspring they are -- in denial about their indebtedness to their progenitors one moment, resentful of it the next. There's an article about the debate, but you don't really have to read it, because I'm going to summarize it for you in the form of a riveting family drama.
Astronomy: Honey, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to take your Pluto away.
Astrology: But I'm still playing with it!
Astronomy: I know, sweetie, but it's not really a planet anymore. If I keep letting you have this, then I'm also going to have to let you play with hundreds of other dwarf planets, and you know I can't do that.
Astrology: Yes you can! You're not the boss of me!
Astronomy: Actually, yes I am. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even be here. If it weren't for my telescope, you wouldn't even have that Pluto.
Astrology: Hey, I didn't ask to be born! I'm going to keep using Pluto and you're not going to stop me!1 And how come you guys didn't even ask me MY opinion?2 Don't my feelings matter? It's like you don't even care about me!
Astronomy: I guess you've got me there. But this is my house, and you have to live by my rules.
Astrology: No I don't! I'm going to make up my own rules! You can stick it where the sun don't shine!3
Astronomy: Now you watch your language, there. Look, I might be taking away Pluto, but here's something new for you to play with.
Astrology: Xena?! Ceres!? Wow, cool! Thanks, Dad! You're the best!
1Official position of American Federation of Astrologers and The Astrological Association of Great Britain
2Position of Shelley Ackerman, astrology columnist for Beliefnet.com
3Actual quote from Astrologer Arch Crawford.
by heathervescent
Like this is a question you get everyday. Who would really admit to being a vampire? Not you. But we're not talking about the blood sucking kind - oh no. We're talking about people who suck your energy. You could be an energy vampire and not even know it.
People who "suck" the energy of others are called "psychic vampires." This "sucking" takes place when one's energy is depleted and needs to be replenished so he or she "sucks" the energy of another person. It is not unusual for a person who is ill or feeling inadequate emotionally to draw upon or deplete energized individuals of their life force. These "suckers" are not bad people, most of them are not aware on a conscious level that they are doing what they are doing. [Source]
With this handy quiz you can find out if you are of the blood - errr - energy sucking variety.
by heathervescent
Apparently there is a big square happening between Jupiter and Uranus. I'm feeling the necessity to change stronger today than any other day. According to Astrobarry:
When Jupiter and Uranus square off as they do tomorrow (Mon Jan 22)—and again in May and October—the Uranian drive toward total, abrupt revolution blows up to epic proportions. The tension generated by the squaring planets amplifies our courageous desire to make big, sweeping changes. But it's also likely that, with its tempting concomitant offer of even greater personal freedom, we'll be moved to angle for unnecessarily rash, foolhardy changes… just to prove we can.
While positive, passionate thinking is such an important cornerstone of creating the life we want, it alone won't cut the mustard. This Jupiter-Uranus square can inspire magical ideas… and inspire us to unhinge from the essential practicalities, just to whimsically follow it off the cliff. Yes, you've got to jump off the cliff if you ever want to fly. But wouldn't it be smarter to taking flying lessons first, or arrange a party of net-wielding safety officers in the rocky canyon below, to catch you if your first time isn't the charm?
So if you're feeling like mixing it up a LOT today, you might want to mellow out and wait until tomorrow. And that's good advice when your super passionate about something. Giving yourself a day for decisions to sink helps you discover what you really want - beyond the heat of the moment.
by
Steve Case is finally pushing what appears to be a good cause! He's helping people connect with others who share similar health issues and need while providing resources to simplify some of the paperwork pain.
Considering at one point he pushed those AOL CDs on us at the rate that bacteria reproduces, it was quite common to see angry lists of 101 Uses for AOL CDs and AOL Sux everywhere.
However, it seems he may be on the path to redemption. Time will only tell, as we may now be inundated with tongue depressors in the mail.
To see what Steve is up to today, you can go to www.revolutionhealth.com
by heathervescent
Yikes, the year is almost over... or at least feels like it. Has your January been as busy as mine? I haven't even had time to check out all the predictions that happen this time of year.
What's in store for us according to California Psychics [disclaimer, daily mantra is sponsored by CA Psychics]? Go here to find out.
Want a more astrologically focused preview? Then pop over to AstroBarry and click on your sign for advice in love, career and money.
If you need a sassy smack to get going on your resolutions, visit Mark Morford from the San Francisco Bay Area, who notes about this time of year.
It's a moment when you get to ask yourself, without too much intellectual mortification, without too much shyness about looking to the heavens and screaming out your soul's craving for passionate cosmic penetration, well, what's it gonna be? What can I resolve to improve or progress or evolve in the coming year? What is most meaningful and what is most profound to my heart and what can I do to give that very thing a wet tongue kiss from the divine every single goddamn day?
Now if that doesn't inspire you, then I don't know what will.
by L. J. Williamson
Now that Pluto is no longer a planet, we should all be heaving a collective sigh of relief. As My Astrology Book explains it,
In your horoscope Pluto symbolizes death, rebirth, sex, evolution, degeneration and regeneration, and symbolizes the breakdown of psychological blocks that prevent evolutionary growth. It is the higher octave of Mars, where it represents the conscious self-knowledge and self-mastery of the magician and alchemist standing above brute force and physical prowess; and it is also the fabulous and elusive Phoenix bird. Pluto rules the sign Scorpio in which initially/exoterically it symbolizes mastery of the emotions through the use of the will, and finally/esoterically it represents transcendence through consciousness of the ego-identified self. This is the true and liberating death of the self born here to earth.
To summarize, with that pesky Pluto out of the way, I no longer have to worry about:
- death
- sex
- evolution
- degeneration
- regeneration
- physical prowess
- the fabulous and elusive Phoenix bird
What a relief! That's a lot of stress off my mind -- especially the part about the fabulous and elusive Phoenix bird. He was really starting to piss me off.
by heathervescent
General Motors DID kill the EV1 - one of the most loved cars ever built; however they started out 2007 by promptly announcing "a new family of electric vehicles" at the North American International Auto Show.
The show is open to the public until this Sunday - Jan 21st. But if you're like me and can't make it, check out GM's virtual trade show where they show off the new Volt.
"The world has changed" since the EV1 project was killed in 2002, said Beth Lowery, GM's vice president for energy and environmental issues. [Source]
 Personally, the Saab Biopower Hybrid has my eye.
by heathervescent
If you missed the lovely ladies of daily mantra on Carol Allen's Enlightening Relationship radio show last Sunday, no fear - you can still listen in. This week our show is being rebroadcast on Karma Air. Check here for what is currently being broadcast. Don't have the time or patience to do that? Then download the podcast here. We're on during the second hour.
Linda, Molly and I had a great time with Carol and Eric. I'm sure we'll be joining them again soon.
by Carmen de Jesus
 I can't take credit for the headline - it's part of the site's content. While this is a product, it's NOT a product review, but Divine Interventions has an unusual line of "sensual accoutrements" to help you achieve divine bliss. Pictured here, is "Buddha's Delight," something to inspire bodhisattvas and non-Buddhists alike, with the same satisfied smile.
**Site is slightly NSFW, so click conscientiously!
by heathervescent
What does this photo look like to you?
I'll give you a hint....
Space aliens playing games again? Hide and seek got boring? Maybe it's time for Simon Says. Remember at the end of Close Encounters, where NASA and the Aliens engage in a back and forth musical mimicking? Maybe we've missed the cue.
But seriously, there was another UFO sighting - this time by an Air Force colonel Brian Fields. He was cooking dinner when he looked out the window and saw colorful lights.
"At first I thought they were landing lights from an aircraft," he said. "As I continued to observe them they began to slowly disappear, then suddenly one reappeared, followed by two, then three. On at least one occasion four or five appeared. Each time they would slowly fade and eventually disappear. This occurred several times and when they would reappear they might do so in differing numbers and in different positions, sometimes in a triangular shape, sometimes stacked on top of each other, sometimes line abreast, etc. When the objects appeared they might stay illuminated 10 or more minutes."
Col Fields grabbed his camera and snapped the above photo. More photos can be found here. A similar object was sighted in Iran. And although I'm making light of ufo stories, the article ends with a quote we should all keep in mind, for any situation.
"Be awake, be mindful you can be deceived," he said. "There are things that can shake our world."
* Photo by Col. Brian Fields (Thanks Will!)
by heathervescent
 Tonight is the new moon and that traditionally means it's good to start something.
New moon ceremonies having to do with creation, manifestation, birth, and rebirth.
In choosing the moon as a topic in healing I would suggest a simple new moon ceremony to manifest your desires, your wishes, healing, and well-being into your life. Any intentions stated or written down carries power, so be clear on what it is you would like to create in your life. The saying, be careful what you ask for, you might get it is fair warning in moving forward with a new moon intention ritual.
Phylameana lila Desy gives a complete run down of a new moon manifestation ritual, if you're game to try it.
If you think it's superstitious to believe in "special moon powers" there's still something to be said for knowing what you want and actively focusing on it.
* photo by PJr.
by heathervescent
Headed to Vegas? There already? Cause James Randi is having his yearly Amazing Meeting this weekend.
The Amaz!ng Meeting is a celebration of skeptics and skepticism sponsored by the James Randi Educational Foundation.
It kicked off today and goes through the weekend, so you still have time to book that last minute flight to Vegas. Can't make it? Check out the liveblog - although it doesn't have that much activity yet. I'd go check it out, but I'm heading to The Perception of Perceptions conference.
by heathervescent
It's not often that a high profile psychic is so obviously wrong, but Sylvia Browne does a pretty good job of it. Back in 2003 on the Montel Williams show, Sylvia Browne told a couple desperate for news about their missing child that he was dead.
Today the New York Daily News writes that the boy Sylvia Browne psychically predicted to be dead more than three years ago, was found - alive no less.
Shawn, now 15, was found alive and well last Friday, living just miles away with a man now charged with snatching the boy when he was 11.
But that's not the worst part. Anyone could make a mistake, regardless of their profession. The worst part is that Sylvia Browne took advantage of the charged emotional situation to try to extort money from the distressed parents. Using someones pain for your personal advantage means you're a bad person and gives you a bad name in any industry. I'm glad Sylvia Browne has been called out for the extorting fraud she obviously appears to be.
by Constantine
Why not? Nothing else seems to work. Just when you think you've got one piece of the 'weight loss' riddle nailed down, something else goes missing. Why not astrology to help us strategize against our spreading hips and waistlines?
Here's some proof in the pudding for you:
Cancer:
(June 22 - July 22)
Poor Moon Baby, are the seams of your jeans leaving imprints on your thighs? Of all the signs, you are the most likely to hold water. With Jupiter in your health sector, this will be an ongoing battle in 2007, so you'll need to avoid salty foods. And while it doesn't seem logical, drinking lots of water will help. If you get discouraged because you can't lose as quickly as you'd like, resist the temptation to just give up and dive into a bag of chips. [source]
I almost dropped my bag of Kettle Chips when I read that. Is this astrologer spying on me or something?!
I woke up this morning with the wrinkles from my bedsheets imprinted like a roadmap of Dallas on my face. If only I had read this horoscope yesterday before I ate that pizza with Stilton cheese, Calamata olives and practically a whole school of anchovies on it...
Farewell, my scaly and briney little friends.
I'm a believer. From now on I'll look to the heavens for motivation instead of at the numbers on my scale.
by L. J. Williamson
Initially, I was against anything that might confuse the movement to legalize medical marijuana with the issue of its recreational use. Don't get me wrong -- I'm totally in favor of both -- but I think that they are two separate issues, with two separate arguments. I felt that the medical issue shouldn't be clouded by discussion of pot's more amusing uses, and I felt that when arguments about the medical benefits of smoked marijuana were put forth by weed-reeking hippies, they lost their potency.
That was before someone pointed out to me that the other side uses dirty, sneaky back-door tricks to try to get their way, so we might as well do the same. They tried to get prayer in public schools by calling it "a period of silent reflection," so we might as well try to get doobage for all by saying it's just for the chemo patients.
I still feared that the scientific argument was being undermined by the tie dye set, but after the dispensaries began placing enticing ads ("Wednesday is Shake Day!" and "Brownies Half Off!") in alternative weeklies, and I began hearing from friends who'd gone legal, my resistance was worn down, and I decided to head through the back door myself.
What I found there was beautiful. I felt like women in the seventies must have felt when stores like Good Vibrations started cropping up. Finally, I'm shopping in a clean, well-lighted place! I don't have to feel ashamed! I can walk right in and be attended to by a well-dressed receptionist and helpful sales clerk! And even better than at Good Vibrations, I can sample the merchandise -- er, I mean, "medicate," right in the store!
My local dispensary is a delight. Lovely decor, helpful staff, comfy couches. In short, the place is civilized. Finally, I got to experience things just as they should be.
I wonder how long it will last?
by Carmen de Jesus
 Hollywood-based psychic Kenny Kingston has a message to Tom and Kat(i)e Cruise - the spirits are displeased about their union, and believe that their marriage is doomed from the start. Apparently, the spirits "are very displeased with this whole union and they don't like the fact the couple's child was born out of wedlock. They're all for lovechildren because the spirit world plans them, but this is not a lovechild."
Poor little Suri. But then, what does she care about the spirits' blessings, when her dad's an Operating Thetan?
Read more here.
by Carmen de Jesus
I'm sensing a trend here - the site "The Map of Happiness" is attempting to digitally track the world's happiest countries, much in the same way Emotionr is trying to track the world's feelings (see my previous post on Emotionr here).
Of course, the only people who can vote are people who have internet access, so a huge portion of the world won't be represented in this global vote/competition for "happiness." While these sites are interesting for a minute, they'll never comprehensively or fairly represent every country, especially countries where digital access is a far-off, or even unheard of, luxury. Meanwhile, the rest of us can just click away I guess, with our happiness quotients based on relative spectrums of comfort, convenience, professional fulfillment, relationships, etc. How about a site based on "The Map of People Who Have Adequate Food, Shelter and Clean Water?"
by heathervescent
Join me and daily mantra authors L.J. Williamson and Molly Fredenberg on Karma Air tomorrow at 11am pacific time. We're joining Carol Allen, host of Enlightening Relationships. Tune in to hear us talk about blogs and the hot tips we find for you. You can even call in and ask questions.
by Carmen de Jesus
 Gluttons for punishment may be onto something - it may be that masochists are happy and healthy because like athletes, the rituals of pain they endure are geared to stimulate adrenaline and endorphin highs. A good flogging can be therapeutic, especially when administered by a trained professional. That's a secret anyone in the BDSM community knows. It can relieve stress, be very cleansing, release those feel-good endorphins, and because the muscles beneath the area being whipped or flogged are tensing and relaxing throughout the whole process - it can end up feeling like a really good massage (that's what they tell me when I'm done with them, anyway).
Led by Doctor of Biological Sciences, Sergei Speransky, a group of Russian scientists have found whipping to be an effective therapy to cure depression and even suicidal thoughts.
Russian scientists recommend the following course of the whipping therapy: 30 sessions of 60 whips on the buttocks in every procedure. . . The whipping therapy has not become a new discovery in the history of medicine. Tibetan monks widely used it for medical purposes too.
As long as it's safe, sane, and consensual, I am all for this kind of drug-free and alternative medicine.
For the full article, click here.
by Carmen de Jesus
 I'm proud to be a Discordian, and if it weren't for Robert Anton Wilson, I'd never have known my true tribe on this planet. He blogged about his life to the very end of it, his fans rallied around him to support his existence when he needed it most, and his writings tore up the veils of "reality" in a way that made you think you were on drugs, except you were just reading one of his books.
This weekend I'll go through my bookcases, and pull out all his books, especially my favorites, The Illuminatus Trilogy and the Schrodinger's Cat Trilogy, and put them altogether, light a candle by an apple in tribute. I went through a period where I obsessively collected and consumed every single book of his I could find - concordantly, much of that period of my life was spent wandering in a daze, questioning everything as a conspiracy.
RAW, thank you for admonishing us all: THINK FOR YOURSELF, SCHMUCK; thank you for the number 23, thank you for making us all aware of FNORD, thank you for your brain, for sharing your glimpses of the future, for your teaching, for your words of wisdom, absurdity and inspiration.
More here: 10 Zen Monkeys
Image Source: RAWflesh
by heathervescent
In the past 10 years and more traditional Chinese medicine has become more popular in the US. When it first started being practiced, many people questioned the effectiveness of herbs and acupuncture. More recently, studies specifically testing the effectiveness of acupuncture and herbs have had mixed results. But traditional Chinese medicine is more accepted in the US today than ever. Not so in China.
As traditional Chinese medicine slowly expanded in the US, Western medicine expanded into China. This LA Times Story reports on the impact of Western Medicine in China.
A relatively obscure professor at a regional university kicked off the controversy in October with an online petition calling for traditional medicine to be stripped from the Chinese Constitution. It has a protected status here that, at least in theory, guarantees it equal footing with its Western counterpart.
Read the full article here.
by L. J. Williamson
In my exploration of various religious views about sex, I came across Aleister Crowley -- whom some describe as the godfather of Wicca, but whom many Wiccans would emphatically disown. Why hadn't I heard of this guy before? Anyone once known as "The Wickedest Man In The World" deserves attention. On of the practices he espouses is "Sex Magick." As Wikipedia describes it:
"Sex magick is the use of the sex act—or the energies, passions or arousal states it evokes—as a point upon which to focus the will or magical desire for effects in the non-sexual world. In this, Crowley was inspired by Paschal Beverly Randolph, an American Abolitionist, Spiritualist medium, and author of the mid-19th century, who wrote (in Eulis!, 1874) of using the "nuptive moment" (orgasm) as the time to make a "prayer" for events to occur."
Readers, try this at home and let me know how it works out. I'm going to be wishing for a pony.
by Constantine
 This is what bestselling author Stephen R. Covey had to say about television in a recent interview:
Teachers must develop not only intelligence of the mind in their students, but of the spirit, emotions and body, he said.
He challenged the teachers to demonstrate their own "lifelong love of learning" by forgoing television.
"Do you watch television?" he asked. "Let that be one of your New Year's resolutions. If you are addicted, go through withdrawal. This constant diet of television does not nurture the spirit of learning. Get back to reading and discussing." [source]
Considering that I believe Dante should have had the foresight to include 'compulsive television watching' among the list of seven deadly sins (right between Sloth and Gluttony)-- I think Covey is definitely onto something here.
Television sets make a high frequency hum whenever they are on, that I can hear-- much to my annoyance, from any corner of the house thanks to my 'dog hearing'. Not to mention that there is no way to relax when the television is going because they make the commercials so loud, it is very difficult not to find your attention constantly being engaged by what you are hearing even if you are trying to do something else, like read a book, anywhere in the general vicinity. And my final gripe is that if you added up the amount of time spent on your ass, passively watching mindless television programs per year, you'd find enough room in there to write the great American novel, compose several symphonies, plant an herb garden, take an African safari trip, learn how to sew your own clothing, build an airplane and maybe even finish reading an entire issue of the New Yorker-- before the next one arrives. Imagine that!
I'm with Covey-- let's make this a year of interacting with our environments and communities, learning from our experiences instead of living our lives through the characters in our television programs.
by Carmen de Jesus
A new website tracks worldwide emotions - Emotionr - wants to know how everyone around the world is feeling.
"Emotionr is a free tool for you to store and share your feelings, and to track your happiness. It's the best way to spread joy, get sympathy and find out what makes you and your friends happy - socially and worldwide."
Emotionr also tracks which countries are the happiest. Looks like Yugoslavia, Malaysia and Bosnia and Herzogivina are tied for the happiest places to be!
by L. J. Williamson
In contrast to all of the confusion about enjoyment of sexuality over on the Christian side of the fence, Jews know where they stand. From an interview with Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi:
"In Orthodox Judaism, detailed prescriptions are laid down for the man, instructing him on how to please his wife. He is meant to give her delight, carefully showing her his affection and desire, so that the woman does not feel unloved, undesired or objectified. When they make love, the husband is instructed to speak gently to his wife, and through his words excite her erotic passion.
And the husband is specifically prohibited from speaking with his wife about other matters during this time, for that will distract them, lessening their arousal and their pleasure. He is even urged to make love with her when he is about to go away on a journey, and again when he returns. Why? Because she will miss him while he is away."
Read the complete article here.
by Constantine
Recently, I saw some blog posts about Tara Reid, following the stories about her plastic surgery disasters and the trials and tribulations she's had with her body. There was a lot of trash talking going on about how bad she looked while showing off her figure in a swim suit lately.
Indeed, the photo I saw of her on the beach, her skin looks worse than before the lipo when she had a bit of a tummy. Despite this, she was lying out in the sun in something eensy weensy, not self conscious of the skin on her belly at all.
It occurred to me that maybe this woman was so unhappy with her tummy and her chest and her thighs that she would look at herself in the mirror everyday and nitpick about them. Now, after the surgeries, even though they are not Victoria Secret catalogue perfect-- she is probably just happy to not have a big belly that she can't get rid of and something to fill out her bikini tops with.
It doesn't matter that the general public thought she looked healthy and cute as hell before the surgeries, because she was unhappy. What do you do when you're so unhappy with your figure that you'd let a surgeon make a mess of your body just to get some relief? What is more important? Looking the way others want you to look because then men will want to sleep with you and women will admire you-- or looking at least decent enough so that you don't trash talk yourself everytime you look in the mirror?
I think a lot of women get themselves into this dilemma. Everyone around us says we're beautiful and not to change anything. But everytime we look in the mirror, there are things about our bodies that make us want to scream.
That's why I looked at Tara Reid's bikini photos and I realized that "hey, these assholes that are knocking her for not having flawless skin after liposuction, don't realize that the most important thing is that at least she is satisfied with her body enough to be s | 
