LOVELIGHT

Magazine

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January 2008***Volume 5, no.1

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Managing Editors: Richard Shining Thunder Francis and Adamaria Francis

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Special thanks, and public acknowledgement, to these, our faithful, smart, and amusing contributors: Ericka, Pat Fields, Linda Jung, Steven McDaniel, Nathan Merritt, Ty Scharrer

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LOVELIGHT MAGAZINE: WHAT WE'RE ALL ABOUT

Lovelight magazine is free, coming directly to your inboxscreen once a month. We love to laugh.:) So, if you discover any jokes that make you roar, please send them along to the efamily.:) But no bigoted, prejudiced, scatological, geruntological, low-quality, or poor-taste humor, please.

Still, life is not all laughs. So, we hope also to share with you some pleasant and happy thoughts. Lovelight wants to promote peace and harmony, and to aid you. If you are working on any religious, psychological, or spiritual issues, we encourage you to read the ezine, or to write to us at rmfrancis@juno.com

Also, if you come across any wise or touching pieces, not copyrighted, fairly short, please share them with the efamily. Also welcome are practical tips, short pieces on personal philosophies, interesting facts, wordplays, and general spirituality (but no religion or "preachy" dogma, please.:). We reserve the right to make whatever changes we deem necessary or desirable before inclusion in Lovelight.

As a subscriber, your email name/address will not be shared. Please share, send, or copy, this magazine, or any parts of it. Share it as widely as possible, with all your friends, and all others. Please use it on your websites and bulletinboards. Also, please have friends send us their emailaddress and subscribe. Subscriptions are free.

This is "light" reading. And it is also great, fun reading. A collection of magazines is produced once a year. We have published three volumes, and this would make a sweet gift for a loved one. Happy reading!:)

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CREDITCARD SCAM WARNING, sent in by Ty Scharrer

The following is real and everyone should take note of the scam.  This is important enough to forward to everyone.

 This one is pretty slick, since they provide you with all the information, except the one piece that they want. Note, the callers do not ask for your card number; they already have it. This information is worth reading. By understanding how the VISA & MasterCard Telephone Credit Card Scam works, you'll be better prepared to protect yourself:

An employee was called from "Visa." The scam works like this: Caller says, "This is (name), and I'm calling from the Security and Fraud Department at VISA. My badge number is 12460. Your card has been flagged for an unusual purchase pattern, and I'm calling to verify. This would be on your VISA card which was issued by (name of bank). Did you purchase an Anti- Telemarketing Device for 497.99 from a Marketing company based in London?"

When you say no, the caller continues with, "Then, we will be issuing a credit to your account. This is a company we have been watching and the charges range from 297 to 497, just under the 500 purchase pattern that flags most cards. Before your next statement, the credit will be sent to (gives you your address), is that correct?"

You say yes.

The caller continues: "I will be starting a fraud investigation. If you have any questions, you should call the 0800 number listed on the back of your card (0800-VISA) and ask for Security.

"You will need to refer to this Control Number." The caller then gives you a 6 digit number. She/he then inquires politely, "Do you need me to read it again?"

Here's the IMPORTANT part on how the scam works:

The caller then says, "I need to verify that you are in possession of your card." She/He will ask you to 'turn your card over and look for some numbers. There are 7 numbers; the first 4 are part of your card number, the next 3 are the security numbers that verify you are the possessor of the card. These are the numbers you sometimes use to make Internet purchases to prove that you have the card. The caller will ask you to read the 3 numbers out loud. After you tell the caller the 3 numbers, (s)he will say, "That is correct, I just needed to verify that the card has not been lost or stolen, and that you still have your card. Do you have any other questions?"

After you say no, the caller then thanks you and states, "Don't hesitate to call back if you do', and hangs up.

You actually say very little, and they never ask for or tell you the Card number. But after we were called, we called back within 20 minutes to ask a question. Are we glad we did! The REAL VISA Security Department told us it was a scam; and in the last 15 minutes a new purchase of 497.99 was charged to our card.

What the scammers want is the 3-digit PIN number on the back of the card. Don't give it to them. Instead, tell them you'll call VISA or Master Card directly for verification of their conversation. The real VISA told us that they will never ask for anything on the card as they already know the information since they issued the card! If you give the scammers your 3 Digit PIN Number, you think you're receiving a credit. However, by the time you get your statement you'll see charges for purchases you didn't make, and by then it's almost too late and/or more difficult to actually file a fraud report.

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A PEEK AT THE DARK SIDE: COMMENT ON BLOG, sent in by "Erika"

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Evil Clown":

I love your blog. Hopefully you will get your website up and running again soon, because I would like to order a book.(I am currently reading: "Love is God, The Jehovah Myth, The Mystic God, and The Mystery of Suffering".

Okay, as to the blog: this did not start with Bush. All the American presidents within my lifetime have been war criminals. This started way back when the federal government was hijacked by big business starting in the mid 1800s.
Please read Smedley Butler's "War is a Racket".

The hijacking culminated when the Federal Reserve Bank was installed, and the organic common law constitution began to be replaced by Universal Commercial Codes-- statute law.

IF you take an unbiased look at history, the US government has been one of the largest progenitors of evil, terror and bloodshed in the last one hundred years, all over the globe. The US government have murdered heads of state, armed uprisings to overthrow democratically elected heads of state that are threats to their business interests, and have sent death squads committing terroristic acts all over the globe. This doesn't include special ops where CIA or Brit intelligence pose as arabs and blow up buildings (as happened in falluja).

America has never been a shining land of peace simply because the political machinery is run by smiling sociopaths. It has ALWAYS been this way. The least fit, the least able, the least wise always are found in positions of power. That is The Way of the World.

Bush is simply more blatant than previous presidents.

When Satan was showing Jesus all the kingdoms of the world, Jesus did not dispute that Satan owned them all. He did not say yes, all but the United States.." Now we both know this is probably allegorical. Satan is usually the ego, but there are also evil discarnate spirits and lost souls in this world which could be "satan's," I suppose. (spirit is different from soul)

ALL governments throughout time are "satanic." [fear-serving]. They are in fact institutionalized ego. Everything any government touches turns to evil. Always. This never fails.

Look at the history of government over the last 6000 years of written history.

IF most governments were incarnated people, they would be locked up for being criminally insane. This is the way it has always been.

So, Jesus recommends, "Don't store up your treasures on earth where the moths can eat them and rust can destroy them."

You know what real treasure is; and you will not find it in this world.

Bighugs, and Blessings to you
Erika

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HERBAL COMFORTS FROM NATURE, sent in by Pat Fields

Peppermint-- As tea , good for intestinal and stomach problems.

As an oil, improves oxygen supply to the blood. Used by Native Americans for medicinal purposes. Has been used throughout history, in all nations, and is among the oldest of "folk remedies". All parts of plant are used, the stem, the leaves, and the oil. Has been used in the following ways : Headaches-- including migraine *** Gas *** Toothaches *** Sorethroat***Heartburn***Nausea***Coughs***Depression***Gallbladder***Insomnia***Morning sickness***Mouth wash. It has also been used as an anti-bacterial, antiseptic, and aromatic.

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LETTERS FROM BUDS, PALS, FRIENDS, AND OTHER HAPPY PEOPLE OF COMPASSION

From Nathan Merritt:

Dear Shi and Ada Marie

THANK YOU, both of you, VERY much, for the beautiful Seasons Greeting card you sent to me! You certainly intuited my taste in art! It brings back so many memories of walking in the cities of my youth while it snowed. The feel and scent of the cold air, the almost magical effect of the snow turning everything into huge coral sculptures, the feeling of peace and contentment. I've placed the card above my computer monitor where I can see it and enjoy it whenever I wish. 

Divine blessings to both of you for such thoughtfulness and affectionate efforts on my behalf.

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From Linda Jung:

I have copied and pasted my ethics paper onto this email for your enjoyment.  There were certain criteria that I had to include in this paper so it isn't an inclusive recording of my life.  Just a little mini peek.  But I want you to know that the good influence that you have had on my life as a teacher is clear.  I would not have survived my personal trials without your concept of the God of love.  I really don't think I would have made it without knowledge of reincarnation or the eternal soul.  In fact, the only thing that kept me from committing suicide…

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A ZEN MASTER ON ENLIGHTENMENT, by Steven McDaniel

Dogen was a Zen master from Japan who possessed great insight.  Remarkably, he lived at about the same time as Rumi in the early 13th century.  I… would like to share the incredible power of his study…    First, I want to set you up with a little background about Dogen from Wikipedia:

"…Buddhism… maintain[s] that human beings are endowed with Dharma-nature by birth. If this is the case, why did the Buddhas of all ages-- undoubtedly in possession of enlightenment-- find it necessary to 'seek' enlightenment and engage in spiritual practice?” 
--Dogen    

"This question was… prompted by the 'Tendai' concept of 'original enlightenment.' Hongaku states that all human beings are enlightened by nature; and that, consequently, any notion of achieving enlightenment through practice is fundamentally flawed."

-- Dogen

 The following passage is, perhaps, the most famous of Dogen's writings:

"To study the Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be enlightened by all things of the universe. To be enlightened by all things of the universe is to cast off the body and mind of the self as well as those of others. Even the traces of enlightenment are wiped out, and life with traceless enlightenment goes on forever and ever."

…In closing , here is Dogen's last poem written just hours before his death in 1253:

Fifty-four years lighting up the sky.
A quivering leap smashes a billion worlds.
Hah!
Entire body looks for nothing.
Living, I plunge into Yellow Springs.

Praise to the Immortal Beauty beyond and behind all worlds."

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THE YEAR 2012: END OF THE WORLD OR YET ANOTHER HOAX?

Many, if not most, people in the modern metaphysical community share some roots, origins, and even subconscious assumptions with members of fundamentalists communities.

This by no means suggests that they think the same way, or share the same teachings. They do not. But powerful teachings, especially if they are subconsciously planted in the mind, can exert powerful but subtle influences over a person who has totally transformed her exterior (visible, public) self.

The ghastly, nightmarish, bloody, messy slaughter and massacre of almost every living thing, in a nightmare called "Armageddon," is precisely this type of idea. It can be enormously, immensely, vastly powerful. It might be even more powerful than anything designed to replace it.

The horrible idea has lived for millennia within the collective unconscious. So, its force should not be underestimated. It is all but irresistibly powerful. It can hold a largely subconscious mesmeric sway over the mind.

In the history of Biblical doctrines, the theme of the "end of the world" has been central to the dogma of many churches, denominations, and cults. Christians of various brands have been suspiciously eying the clouds for centuries, and creating time-tables to predict this hideous event. All of nature, they say, will go totally insane, and the "hordes" of the evil, running in the streets, will escape control by police and armies.

This unimaginable horror lies at the nucleus of many Christian denominations. But it has not been contained by "Christian" history. It has overflowed the banks of the Christian Lake. A perfect example of the fundy "end of the world" contaminating the purer spirituality of others were the predictions-- often mislabeled as "prophecies" for the "end of the world" in 1999. We at Love Ministries simply shrugged, and laughed, it off.

For our careful and detailed studies proved that for virtually every year of history, some "prophet" or small group has "prophesied" the "end of the world."

When 1999 became twenty-hundred, for example, we were working on our home; that work continued, without interruption, and without letup. The ghastly "y2k" catastrophe-- in which all computer-systems were supposed to collapse-- never, of course, occurred. But many who were alive during that time well recall the panic in the eyes of thousands, as they freaked out about the "end" of civilization. Many kept stashes of food and water.

Several native American spokes-persons, and hundreds of "channelers," and dozens of gurus, preachers, and pastors, and recognized "new age" leaders, all over the world, as well as the famous Edgar Cayce and Nostradamus, all predicted the "end of the world" in 1999. Some were so careless that they actually made this serious error in print, but the really slick ones avoided this documentation of their silliness and panic. We studied these systems, and could only smile in the end. For they were as illogical, fearbased, and looney as had been all previous predictions of the "end of the world"!

This quest, this actual desire, to see the death of billions of innocent human beings, and as many animals, is a genuine disease. It is a mental disease. We will call it "eschatosis." There is a certain psychological type called a "worldender." She suffers from the delusion that the entire world is "soon" going to "end." Perhaps this is simply symptomatic of her boredom; or perhaps it represents a deep-seated hatred of people and other creatures. Or perhaps it is a blend of both. At any rate, the worldender-- and some are metaphysical, others fundamentalistic-- clearly suffering from a mental disorder.

For she would delight in massive nuclear destruction; worldenders from several denominations have agreed that nuclear war would be a "good thing," for it might lead to Armageddon-- the slaughter of all the "bad guys"-- usually meaning all those outside my church!

One of the latest hair-rising myths is that the Mayan calendar "proves" that these ancient people expected the "end of the world" in 2012. First, it is by no means clear that the ancient Mayans did expect an "end to the world." The whole idea is a Christian doctrine or dogma, and it cannot be simply superimposed upon other cultures and other times. And even if the Mayans really, truly did expect some kind of "end of the world," there is absolutely no reason why we in the twenty-first century should do so. As is true of the ancient Hebrews, Greeks, and Babylonians, the Mayans were as capable of writing gibberish, nonsense, and superstition as anyone.

The Mayans had their own rather complex worldviews, most of which had nothing to do with modern times. When they wrote, they usually did not have the twenty-first century in mind!

Thus, no matter how much we, or our culture, might want desperately to believe in the "end of the world," we cannot and must not assume that a very different culture, from a very different time-period, on the opposite side of the globe, believed. For, after all, when considered objectively, the "end of the world" is a very strange, weird, and oddball concept.

The Mayans did believe in several mythological deities. And one thing for certain that we know in which they believed was that time was cyclic. It did not progress in a mere straight line from past to future. Instead, it was seen as repeating itself in smaller cycles. This was, of course, reflected in the Mayan calendar. According to that calendar, the year twenty-twelve was the end of one cycle, and the start of a kind of "golden age," or time of great progress, discovery, and new hope. It might begin an age of discovery-- on the planets, or in the sciences.

But the year that begins on January 1, 2012, need not make you tremble. It will end, and the new year will begin on January 1, 2013. Twenty-twelve will evolve naturally into twenty-thirteen as naturally and quietly as the opening of a rose to sunlight.

We need not live in fear and terror. For, from the view of the Enlightenment tradition, fear is the only "devil" (lower nature), as, symmetrically, Love is the only God. And, as people of Love, we refuse to live our lives hiding from life, or from time-- nervous, quaking, and miserable. Instead, we insist on transforming each and every day into a Day of Love and compassion. We do not play with the toys of fear, talk the talk of fear, or walk the walk of fear. Instead, we cast fear from our minds and lives, and we prohibit it from making nests inside our heads! We refuse delivery!

As beautiful Love-filled beings, we evolve and move towards the perfectly blissful states of absolute fearlessness!

If you suffer from the mental illness of "eschatosis" (belief in the violent "end of the world"), you are strongly advised to seek recovery as soon as possible. You need immediate help, for this belief is the most anti-human conceivable. For the destruction of the world is closer to universal hate than to universal Love, and no lover of humanity can ever accept seriously any idea that nature, the universe, Mind, or God will massacre her beloved children.

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SMILES, GOOFY LAUGHS, AND DR. PEPPER OUT THE NOSE: HUMORTHERAPY

LITERAL IMITATION OF ORIGINAL CELEBRATION. I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land.

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"FLYING" AWAY. The restaurant was so bad, on the menu there were flies even in the pictures.

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REINCARNATION, NOT HEAVEN! Sid and Irv were partners. They made a deal: Whichever one dies first would contact the still-living one from the afterlife. So Irv died. Sid didn't hear from him for over a year. So, he started to figure that there was no afterlife.

Then, one day he got a call. It was Irv. "So there is an afterlife! What's it like?" Sid asked.

"Well, I sleep very late. I get up, have an enormous, delicious breakfast. Then I have sex, lots and lots of great sex. Then, I go back to sleep. Then, I get up for lunch, and have an enormous, delicious lunch. Then, I have loads and loads of great sex. Take a nap. Huge dinner. More sex. Go to sleep, and wake up the next day. Then, it starts all over again!"

"Oh, my god," says Sid "So that's what heaven is like?"

"Oh no," says Irv. "I'm not in heaven. I'm a bear in Yellowstone Park."

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GOTTA GET IT JUST RIGHT! This one works hard for the punchline, but it makes a great and important point, as a miniparable:

I was walking across a bridge one day, and saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off.

So I ran over and said, "Stop! Don't do it!"

"Why shouldn't I?" he asked.

"Well, there's so much to live for!"

"Like what?"

"Well, are you religious?"

He said yes.

I said, "Me too! Are you Christian or Buddhist?"

"Christian."

"Me too! Are you Catholic or Protestant?"

"Protestant."

"Me too! Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?"

"Baptist"

"Wow! Me too! Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?"

"Baptist Church of God!"

"Me too! Are you original Baptist Church of God, or are you reformed Baptist Church of God?"

"Reformed Baptist Church of God!"

"Me too! Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915?"

He said, "Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915!"

I said, "Die, apostate-heretic scum," and pushed him off.

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NOT REALLY SERIOUS. I failed my driver’s test. The guy asked me "what do you do at a red light?"

I said, I don’t know. Look around, listen to the radio."

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STAY AHEAD OF THE GAME. An old woman was upset at her husband’s funeral. "You have him in a brown suit and I wanted him in a blue suit"

The mortician said, "We’ll take care of it, ma’am." And he yelled back, "Ed, switch the heads on two and four!"

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REALLY CHILLY! Last night, it was so cold, the flashers in New York were only describing themselves.

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CONFUSED CRITTER. A guy was sitting at home when he heard a knock at the door. He opened the door and saw a snail on the porch. He picked up the snail and threw it as far as he could. Three years later, there was another knock on the door. He opened it and saw the same snail. The snail said, "What the hell was that all about?"

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Sincerity is everything. If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.

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My grandfather is hard of hearing. He needs to read lips. I don’t mind, but he uses one of those yellow highlighters.

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They say animal behavior can warn you when an earthquake is coming. Like the night before that last earthquake hit, our family dog took the car keys and drove to Arizona.

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I bought a box of animal crackers and it said on it "Do not eat if seal is broken." So I opened up the box, and sure enough...

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I went to a restaurant with a sign that said they served breakfast at any time. So I ordered French toast during the Renaissance.

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FAST IN FRENCH. (Works a bit hard for the punchline, but worth it.) There was once a snail who was sick and tired of his reputation for being so slow. He decided to get some fast wheels to make up the difference. After shopping around a while, he decided that the Toyota was the car to get. So the snail went to the nearest dealer and said that he wanted to buy the car, but he wanted it repainted with an "S on the side.".

The dealer asked, "Why an 'S'?"

The snail replied, "'S' stands for snail. I want everybody who sees me roaring past to know who's driving."

The dealer agrees to have the car repainted. The snail got his new car and spent the rest of his days roaring happily down the highway at top speed. And whenever anyone would see him zooming by, she'd say, "Wow! Look at that S-car go!"

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TIMELESS LIFE. Jesus told us to live like the birds and flowers. If he had used this miniparable, he might have recommended that we live as the pigs do as well! There was once a man from the city who was visiting a small farm, and during this visit he saw a farmer feeding pigs in a most extraordinary manner. The farmer would lift a pig up to a nearby apple tree, and the pig would eat the apples off the tree directly. The farmer would move the pig from one apple to another until the pig was satisfied, then he would start again with another pig.

The city man watched this activity for some time with great astonishment. Finally, he could not resist saying to the farmer, "This is the most inefficient method of feeding pigs that I can imagine. Just think of the time that would be saved if you simply shook the apples off the tree and let the pigs eat them from the ground!"

The farmer looked puzzled and replied, "What's time to a pig?"

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AD-DITIONAL THOUGHTS: FUNNY ADS

Now is your chance to have your ears pierced and get an extra pair to take home, too.

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Tired of cleaning yourself? Let me do it.

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Mount Kilamanjaro, the breathtaking backdrop for the Serena Lodge. Swim in the lovely pool while you drink it all in.

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Sheer stockings. Designed for fancy dress, but so serviceable that lots of women wear nothing else.
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Stock up and save. Limit: one.

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MARKETING ERRORS IN TRANSLATION

In Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan "finger-lickin' good" came out as "eat your fingers off."

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Pepsi's "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation" translated into "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave," in Chinese.

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PSYCHOBIOCRYSTALOLOGY: METAPHYSICAL APPLICATIONS OF CRYSTALS AND MINERALS

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abalone-- used by athletes and others for the reconstruction of muscle-tissue, including the heart.

agate-- GR (grounding) and BAL (balancing); CON + ( consciousness-raising).; DIGES (aid to digestion).

*****Botswana agate-- Used as protective against heat or smoke; also ,to aid in quitting smoking; circulation, kin, and brain; oxygen-assimilation. Depression. Astro-affinity: Gemini.

*****Fire-agate-- GR, calming, settling; meditation; relaxation and mellowness. Stomach, endocrine. Reveals hidden problems. AST: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Virgo, Capricorn. REC (recommended for): dentists and other healers.

***** moss agate-- REC: agriculture, botany, mid-wives. Cleansing (detox) and circulation. Depression. Intuition, creativity. Hypoglycemia. AST: Gemini.

albite--Depression, immune, respiratory. Stress; spleen, thymus. AST: Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces.

alexandrite-- Nerves, pancreas, testes. Self-respect. Promotes energy-retention.

amazonite-- used in data-processing. Soothes brain, nerves, filters data. Artistic, creative, masculine. AST: Virgo.

amber-- used by ancients as talisman. Brain, lungs, thyroid, spleen, endocrine, inner ear, neurons. Draws out disease; neutralized neg energy. GR. BAL. Depression. Memory-aid. Cleanse after use. AST: Leo, Virgo, Capricorn. REC: Chiropractors, massage-people.

amethyst-- see "quartz."

apatite-- Muscle-tissue, motor-skills. Hypertension. Thought-clarifier.

aquamarine-- soothing. BAL. Filters data to brain, calms nerves. Detox. Eyes, jaw, throat, stomach. Reduces fear. Increases sensitivities; mystical. Creativity/intuition. Meditation; nature-attunement. Tolerance. Sore throat. Verbal expression. Tonic. Pro-angelic. AST: Taurus, Libra, Scorpio, Aquarius, Pisces. A Pisces-birthstone. REC: teachers, counselors, lecturers, massage-people.

atacamite--genitals, thyroid, nerves. Anti-herpes (?).

azurite-- CON +. Mental control and meditation. Psychic abilities. Brain-restructuring; fetal development. Forgiveness and forgetting. Spleen, thyroid, bones, skin. AST: Sagittarius.

benitoite-- pituitary.

beryl-- includes aquamarine and emerald. Focus. Simplicity, attention, anti-stress. Detox, circulation, heart-lung, eyes, throat.

bloodstone-- circulation, detox; soothing. Life-energy; courage; CON+. General blessing.

brass-- copper + zinc. Detox.

caingorn-- see "citrine."

calcite-- Detox, bones, joints, mental clarity. Memory. Calming. Eases transitions. Helps with education of children. Meditation. Psychic focus. Astral work. REC: all healers.

carnelian-- GR; reproductive organs and fertility; detox; lower-back. Motivation, success. Anti-stagnation. Prosperity and creativity. Data-overload. Voice-amplifierAST: Aries, Leo, Virgo, Capricorn.

cat's eye-- see "tiger eye."

chalcedony-- a large mineral family that includes agate, carnelian, jasper, tiger eye, and onyx. Eases self-doubts; introspection. Bad dreams. Eye-problem. Bones, spleen, blood, gall bladder. Detox; open sores. Absorbs, dissipates neg energy. Protector.

chrysocola-- Arthritis, bone-diseases, digestion, hypertension, anti-stress. Confidence. Throat and lungs. AST: Gemini, Virgo

chrysolite-- inspiration, psychic enhancement. Meditation, spiritual receptivity. Appendix and detox. Ancient "topaz." Bad dreams.

chrysoprase--insight, calm, anti-ego. Creativity and talent. Fertility. Gout, mental disorders, eye-problems. AST: Gemini, Cancer, Aquarius, Pisces.

citrine-- see "quartz."

copper-- inflammation, arthritis, rheumatism. Metabolic stability and detox. Immune- and blood-builder. Lungs, mucous membranes. BAL. Emotional expressivity.

coral-- arthritis and anemia. Detox; thymus. Mental illness. Quiets emotion. Amplified by moonlight. REC: artists, lecturers, chiropractors, dentists, farmers, osteopaths.

creedite-- detox. Expression, intuition. Aids in transmission of nerve-impulses.

cuprite-- metabolic; BAL. Heart, blood, skeleton. Anciently used for dealing with authority, and in investigating past lives.

diamond-- amplifies all energies, even neg. Glaucoma (?), brain, testicles. Courage, strength. Bad dreams. Anti-evil. Good fortune. Spiritual CON +. Fertility. Enhancement of sex and love. Birthstone of aries.

emerald-- Inspiration, healing, BAL; patience. Meditation. Wisdom. Strengthens back; diabetes. Wear only periodically. Do not use for mental work if opaque. REC: athletes, counselors, lecturers, massage-people, optometrists; people who work with radioactivity; people who work in close quarters. Psychic abilities. CON +. Immune. Anti-enchantment and -conjuration. Memory, eloquence. Anti-sex. Anti-posssession. Anti-demonic. AST: Taurus, Cancer, Libra, Scorpio.

enstatite/diopside-- circulation, detox. Mental clarity. REC: public speakers, students, surgeons.

flint--cardio-pulmonary; detox. Mental booster for degenerative conditions.

fluorite-- teeth and bones. Arthritis, rheumatism, spinal injuries; Boosts sexual energies. Mental disorders. CON + Green is GR. AST: Pisces.

garnet-- circulation. Creativity, passion. Pituitary. Past lives. Square cut, business opportunities. Rectangular, intellect. Patience and constancy. Love and compassion. Heart-energy; renewal of love. Self-perception; openness AST: Aries, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius, Capricorn. Birth-stone for capricorn.

gold--regenerative. BAL. Nerve-conduction. Digestion and assimilation. Circulation, blood. Detox. Glandular efficiency. Anti-degenerative. Heart-disease, arthritis. Control of emotional extremes, anti-stress. Increases oxygen-exchange. Sharpens focus. Boosts confidence. Brain-functions. Works well with all crystals.

granite-- Bones, muscles, soften tissues. With flint, regeneration of tissues.

hematite-- Blood-detox. Protective, self-esteem. Tissue-regeneration. Astral work. Ancients used for headaches and hysteria. Talisman for law-suits. Used to strengthen soldiers.

hiddenite-- detox and digestion.

ivory-- NEVER USE IVORY; INSTEAD, SEEK A MINERAL SUBSTITUTE.

jade-- peace. Two forms, jadeite and the more common nephrite, exist. Creates mellowness. Rids one of neg thoughts, energies. Detox. Love-capacity expanded. Protective. Called "the concentrated essence of love." Kidney disease. Eases birth. In old days, used for bladder-stones.

***** blue jade--passive energy, meditation, serenity, patience. For the over-whelmed.

***** brown jade--GR; settles home-issues.

***** green jade-- same as "jade," above.

***** lavender jade-- for those hurt by love. Restoring, subtlety in emotions.

***** red jade--- passion. Anger-stimulant.

***** white jade-- energy focus or director. Eyes.

***** yellow or orange jade--joy; digestion.

jasper-- general healing. Ancients said it brought rain. (green form). REC: executives.

*****brown jasper-- GR and BAL. Anti-pollutant. Past events or lives.

***** green jasper-- tempering or moderation. BAL. Detox, digestive.

*****red jasper-- circulation; detox of liver.

*****yellow jasper-- endocrine glands. Strength, energy.

jet-- banishment, in colds, fever, cramps, mental disorders. Draws neg energy. Fears, mood-swings, depression. Enhance psychism.

kunzite-- circulation, respiration. Soothing. AST: Taurus, Libra.

labradorite-- also "spectralite." CON +. AST: Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces.

Lapis lazuli-- throat, lungs. Detox and nerves. Blood-detox and immune. Powerfully amplifies thought. Increases psychism and opens third eye. Serenity and spiritual attainment. BAL. Self-knowledge, enlightenment. In old times, used for depression. AST: Taurus, Sagittarius, Aquarius.

lazulite-- calming; detox, immune. Helps with ordering life and thought. Blocked creativity.

limestone--detox; anti-blockage. Creativity, anti-fear.

magnetite--circulation. Energizer and de-energizer. Adjusts yin and yang forces. Used in sports-injuries and asthma. Ancient "lodestone." In ancient times, an anti-demonic, and anti-enchantment.

malachite-- amplifies neg energy, as well as positive. Use in healing only with an impeccably honorable healer. Relaxation, neurological disorders, tissue-regeneration. Awakens healing energy; fights mental illness. Stimulates optic nerve and pancreas, spleen, parathyroid. Enhances visions. Anti-radioactivity. WARNING: Malachite dust is highly toxic and should never be ingested. In ancient and old times, used as protective. Helped babies sleep, when a piece was tied to the cradle. If it breaks into pieces, said to be a warning of coming danger. AST: Scorpio.

malachite/azurite-- a synergistic blend. Calming. Affects thymus-energy-center. Helps interpret dreams.

marble-- detox.

meteorite-- stone from space. Possibly aid in raising human energy.

moonstone-- analgesic. Intuition. Calming. Feminine, sensitivity, psychic ability. Anti-hypermasculine. Do not use during menstruation. Digestion, detox, reproduction. Spiritual openness to unconscious. In India, seen as passionate. AST: Cancer, Libra, Scorpio, Pisces. REC: Farmers, dancers, artists.

morganite-- nerves; calming.

nephrite--see "jade."

obsidian-- Among Native Americans, used to sharpen inner/outer vision. Drives away neg energy. Protective for sensitive. Helps let go of old loves, old ways. Enhances precognition. Used for "black mirrors" of magic/divination. AST: Scorp.

onyx-- psychometry. Strength-giving. Used for extreme mental and physical stress. GR from "flighty" states. Self-confidence. Transition. Tonic; overwhelming fears. Teeth and bones. Anti-passion. Tendency to provoke discord AST: Cancer, Libra, Aquarius, Pisces.

opal--scatters energy. Anti-constancy. Disorganizes thoughts. If you are centered, good for business. Can adversely affect solar plexus. CON +, joy, creativity. Intuition. Not for teens, not to be used with other stones. NOT GENERALLY RECOMMENDED. Can amplify love. In old times, cure for eyes, and retainer of hair-color. Usually unfortunate.

pearl--detox; good for women, esp. pregnant. Absorbs neg and positive energy. Soothing. Anti-stress. Hypertension, headache, exhaustion. Digestion, anti-heart-attack and -stroke. REC: artists, farmers.

peridot-- boosts confidence, heightens assertion. Aids visions. Avoid if fearful or confused. Detox. Mental clarity. Digestion. Tissue-regeneration. AST: Libra, Capricorn, but birthstone for August.

petrified wood--skin, muscles, circulation. Arteriosclerosis, arthritis, blood-clots, senility. Past lives.

platinum-- anti-excess. Hormonal, biochemical BAL; nerve-impulses; heart and circulation. Brain-functions. Memory-enhancer.

pyrite--Respiration, circulation. Oxygen-enhancer. Skin protector. Digestion. Detox. Aid to thought and memory. BAL of intuitive with cognitive. Enhances communication-skills. Eases anxiety, frustration. Attracts money. Mental stimulant.

quartz (clear)--BAL. Energy-amplifier and -purifier. Breaks through energy-blocks. Spiritual wisdom increased. Meditation. "Window" crystals have flat planes that allow one to peer inside the crystal. REC for confusion. "Dendritic" forms have pictures on their surfaces. "Elestial" crystals have fewer than six planes. "Phantom" crystals completed their growth, and began growing again later. Accelerate spiritual growth. "Singing" crystals have small side-projections from the center crystal. "Double terminated" crystals have points at both ends. Used to expel neg energy.

*****amethyst--emotive control. Increases hormones, and detox. Immune and metabolism. Soothes. Brain and neurons. Focus. BAL. Memory and skills. Insomnia. Soothing, meditation. Cosmic love, selflessness. Dispels rage, anger, fear, anxiety. Dream-memory. Relieves pain. In old times, cure for alcohol. REC: dancers, optometrists. AST: Aries, sagittarius, Capricorn, Pisces.

*****aventurine-- In ancient times, near-sightedness. Creativity; Material gain. Thymus, nerves. State of mind. Diffuses neg, and BAL. Well-being. With malachite, clears blocks. With rose quartz, increases empathy and love. Special resonance with thymus.

***** blue quartz-- detox-blood; immune. Calming.

*****citrine-- stimulating, positive. Promotes physical activity, and detox-blood. Education, business. Creativity. Calming, anti-sensitive. AST: Leo, Virgo.

*****herkimer "diamond"--amplify energies. Anti-stress. Life-directions. Detox; immune. Past lives.

***** purple quartz-- detox. Mental efficiency. Meditation.

***** rose quartz--gentleness and love. Soothing, anti-neg. Self-love. Self-forgiveness; openness. Transition, embracing change. Inner peace, faith. Heart and circulation. Detox, genitals. Love-expression as sex. Nurturing, compassion. REC: artists, acupuncturists, those with low self-esteem, lecturers.

*****rutilated quartz-- same as "quartz," amplified.

***** smoky quartz-- WARNING: SOME FORMS OF THIS ARE HEAVILY IRRADIATED, AND SHOULD BE AVOIDED. Reproductive organs, muscle tissue, heart, and nervous system. GR. Neutralizes neg energy.

*****tiger eye-- GR. Confidence. Wise use of inner resources to obtain dreams. Attracts helpful people and things. Centers mental focus.

*****tourmalinated quartz-- contains inclusions of tourmaline. BAL; harmony produced from conflicting components.

rhodochrosite-- asthma or respiration. Soothing. Detox-circulation/kidneys. Irrational fears, paranoia. Dreams and sleep. AST: Cancer.

rhodonite-- trauma, confusion; increases self-confidence. Bones. Inner ear. REC: musicians, sound-technicians.

rubelite-- see "pink tourmaline."

ruby-- amplifier of neg and positive energy. Passion. Anger, neg quickly surface. Heart, circulation, detox. Eyes and visualization. Removes evil, regulates passion. In old times, peace and concord, and protection. Keep rubies from solar plexus. AST: Leo, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn.

rutile-- filters out neg memories. Neutralizes self-contempt.

sapphire-- serenity. Anti-tension. Spiritual confusion, depression. Heightens concentration. Meditation. BAL. In old times, a protector, and interpreter of oracles. AST: Taurus, Virgo, Libra,Capricorn.

sard-- weak healer, used for mind-clarity.

sardonyx--bones, lungs. Depression, love. Self-regulation. Red stimulates, black absorbs, brown GR, and white purifies.

serpentine-- detox-blood. Control. Heightens psychic ability.

silver-- detox, circulation. BAL in hormones, chemistry. Lung, throat irritation. Brain-functions, neurons. Degenerative neural disease. Impotence. Intellect; anti-anxiety.

smithsonite-- security, BAL.

sodalite-- self-attitudes. Simplifies lifestyle. Detox, immune. Anti-radiation. AST: Sagittarius.

spinel-- moderation. Detox. Anti-anxiety.

topaz-- crisis and need for motivation. Relaxation; problem-solving. Calming, anti-tension. AST: Aries, Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius.

tourmaline-- detox. Dissipates neg energy. BAL, CON+.

*****black tourmaline-- does not absorb neg energy. It repels all neg. Crisis and extreme stress. Disease-protective. Immune.

***** blue tourmaline--pulmonary, immune. Spirituality.

***** cat's eye tourmaline-- weak healer.

***** clear tourmaline-- detox, immune. Nerves.

***** green tourmaline-- BAL, nerves, brain, immune. AST: Cancer, Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces.

***** pink tourmaline-- soothing, creativity. Fear of love. Self-love. AST: Aries, Cancer, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius.

*****watermelon tourmaline-- BAL; acceptance of past. Love, sensitivity.

turquoise-- resonance with others. Creativity. Problems, solutions. Communication, intuitive knowledge of others' systems. Respiration, immune. Peace. Self-realization. Necessary for all native American shamans.

variscite--nerves, eyes. Past lives.

zircon--peace, patience; detox. Sleep.

************

For more information see The Crystal Handbook, by Kevin Sullivan (New York; Armadillo Press Books, 1987)

THINK NOTHING OF IT: THE ARTSCIENCE OF MEDITATION

*******

"What'll I do now?" shouted the young woman in panic.

"There's not a damn' thing I can do," grumbled the exec.

"I just don't know how to do that," said the tech, regarding the computerscreen glumly.

The consternation of these people, and billions like them, comes from trying to figure out what "to do." Enlightened people say that, sometimes, "doing" is a valid part of life. But unlike the average person, the mystic also knows that there is another function of life, called "being." This is also known in mystical history as "non-doing," or, "doing nothing constructively."

This "non-doing" of the enlightened person is not inactivity or complacency. It is not an excuse for apathy, laziness, or non-productivity. Jesus, for example, is in many ways the archetype of the mystic. Arguably, no one has ever impacted upon, or influenced, Western civilization as much. Nor has anyone ever had a more active life. But it was he who said, not once, but twice, "I do nothing." (Jn. 5:19, 30) What could he have meant by this?

His was the "non-doing" of enlightenment, which arises from a parallel "non-thinking," or meditation. The Love-core cannot be touched by ordinary thinking. So, mystics have developed meditational systems to stop thought cold, dead in its tracks.

Stated most simply, meditation is a thought-free state. It is the absence of all normal, linear, logical thinking. It is utter stillness and silence. But although this state might be a goal, it is not the final goal. Since the word "goal" usually implies conscious structuring, meditation has no goals of this kind. But insofar as your life has a goal or destiny, meditation does have a goal from a larger perspective in an overall context.

That goal is startling. It is full "possession" by the Spirit of Love. This "Spirit" is also called inner Mind, Coremind, Superconscious, Lovemind, perfect Mind, Mother, Father, cosmic Mind holy Spirit, great Spirit, Love-nature, Love, God, or the Creator.

This is not the silly "possession" that appears in popular novels and films, attributed to evil spirits. This is, rather, a gentle, quiet metamorphosis of personality that occurs over a lifetime-- or even, many lifetimes. It arises from the abandonment of "normal" or ordinary thought. Its result is the transformation into an extraordinary being, who also has many names in many cultures-- a saint, bodhisattwa, Buddha, Christ, sage, master, teacher, mystic, or enlightened being. This luminous Being is the same in all people who bear its image, for It exists in a level of the unconscious that is collective.

Enlightenment is not an achievement. It is a discovery. There is nothing that you can do to "create" a state of illumination. For, deep down, in the more profound levels of the unconscious Mind, you are already enlightened. To use the common Buddhist phrase, "You are already Buddha." Now, "Buddha," like "Christ," was not the surname of a man in history. Instead, it was a title, meaning "enlightened one."

But if everyone is already enlightened, why do so many often behave badly?? Why is there everywhere ignorance and violence? Why do not more people act wisely?

This is because the fact of universal enlightenment, and the resulting Love, are often "buried" deep in the unconscious mind. In psychology, this is due to two processes: suppression (which is done consciously) and repression (which is unconscious). Both have obscuring and distorting effects on the expression of the Love-nature.

Picture the Love-nature as a bright light enclosed within a transparent bubble of glass, forming a great clear bulb. Now, picture the effects of suppression/repression as translucent black plastic resins poured over this glass, partially blocking the inner light. Soon, it appears dimmed.

A third element is related to these two. It is conscious thought. Its effect is to create an even darker and thicker light-blanketing "layer" over the bright light. In fact, this layer is not translucent, but opaque. When this layer of liquid plastic is poured over the glass bubble or bulb, and in time, hardens into a plastic shell, NONE of the light escapes or shines. Thus, one of the greatest obstacles to possession by Love is ordinary conscious thought.

Thought, of course, is not "evil" or even undesirable. It has its valid place and time. But usually it is carried on without pause, non-stop, unbroken, relentlessly and incessantly. In this way, it creates this opaque light-blocking phenomenon. In psychology, this is called "self-talk" or "inner dialogue." We often call it "overthink." It is because this roofbrain chatter blocks the light that a "Buddha" of light, a Christ of Love, can appear to be a person of evil and darkness, for the Light is drowned or crushed by a continuous flood of ordinary, everyday thought.

So, the long-term "goal" of meditation is not to become a zombie, a corpse, an inert, inactive being, for all purposes dead to the world. It is not designed to produce an unreactive vegetative state. Instead, the cessation of conscious thought is not the "end," but a beginning. It is the start of the inner resurrection of an entirely new type of being, called the "divine nature," "oversoul," "higher Self," "Atman," "holy Spirit," "Christ-nature," "Love-nature," or "Buddha-nature." In some Sanskrit traditions, this was known as jiva. In Greek traditions, it was pneuma. In the Hebrew Kabbalah, it was ruahh.

What is this inner pattern of being? Its most nuclear component is Love. Love is its essence. But Love is more than romance or sex. It is regard, respect, kindness, friendliness, and essential goodness. It is accepting all sentient beings as having intrinsic rights to freedom and happiness. It is also a fondness for and attraction to other beings.

But real Love is never dependent on the behaviors of others. Real Love arises not from the object of the Love. Instead, it flows from an inner Fountain, which Sufi and other mystics actually called the "Beloved" within. Anything called "love" that does not come from this Origin is not love at all, but a shabby counterfeit.

We arrive at a paradox: We cannot create this Love by an act of will. If a violent criminal held a gun to your head, and ordered, "Love me, or I'll blow your head off!" you would really want to love him. But no matter how much you wanted to love him, you could not force yourself to do so. Love does not happen simply because you will it to be so.

We are so accustomed to doing everything because we want to, we think that something will not, and cannot, happen at all if we do not personally make it happen. Yet we are powerless to create, make, or force love into being. So what do we do, if we want to love?

We recognize, with the enlightened people of all cultures and ages, the existence, deep in the unconscious, of a Love-nature. This is the inner force of dynamic Love, struggling to get out, like the light trying to shine so brilliantly. The master Jesus said, "Let your light shine," not, "Make your light shine." He who said, "I am the Light of the world" (Jn. 8:12) also said, "You are the Light of the world." (Mt. 5:14)

So Love, like enlightenment itself, is not an achievement. It is something which P.L.A.Y.S. in the world-- and that is an acronym for how it happens: We must Permit, Let, Allow, Yield, and Surrender to the intrinsic Force of Love that already exists deep within us.

By way of a parable, the water in a house plumbing system is pressurized. When you turn a faucet to allow that water to flow forth, water does not have to be "sucked" or actively drawn from the faucet, for that water is already under pressure, and needs only a release to flow through that faucet. In fact, if there is even a tiny hole in the waterpipe, water will also spray from that, because the water is under pressure.

The Love deep within the Mind is under a similar pressure. It wants or wills to express itself. This is, in fact, the obscure and debated "will of God." We don't have to create water at the faucet, but simply must release it from the pipe. In the same way, we don't have to create Love, but simply clear its way and let It Flow. It has already been created by the Superconscious Mind deep in the unconscious.

Now, water will not flow through the pipe correctly if it is blocked. And Love will not Flow through us if we are clogged with our own thoughts. Meditation is a way of unstopping the inner conduit to Love. Love flows freely only through an open, still, clear mind.

That is why the enlightened mystic often likens herself to a window-pane or a transparent crystal. Light can't flood through a window that is painted with opaque paint, and Love cannot come through a mind that is "painted," full of its own thoughts.

If you try to love with an act of your conscious mind or will, it will be like painting a picture of the sun, with opaque paint, on a window. It might look like the real sun, but the more you paint, the more you block the real sun from shining through that window. When the picture is picture-perfect, when you appear to be loving perfectly with your own mind, the real sun is completely blocked, and no light at all is passing through that window. This is what happens when a person becomes supereligious. She might fool everyone with the "realism" of her painting, but it is still a painting, and contains no real sunlight. In fact, it obscures, eclipses, and darkens, no matter how great its beauty and artistry.

But if the artist refuses to paint on that window, preferring the warmth and brightness of real sunlight, then the real sun shines through in all its incredible bright glory. This "non-doing" of the artist is precisely like the "doing nothing constructively" of the mystic or enlightened person.

So, meditation is a complete emptying of the conscious mind, a complete stopping of the thought process, so that the mind becomes as lucid, crystal-clear, and transparent as a windowpane. But the "backdrop" of this emptiness is the Real Mind, the Love-nature at the center of being. One clears the mind, one meditates, so that this Being of Love can shine through into the world, and into the heart, unimpeded, undistorted, and unblocked. One seeks to cast no shadows in this bright light.

Since the only thing blocking the inner light is the ego, one seeks to let this false human identity die. To allow its death, it is no longer "fed." Now, the ego "feeds" on conscious thoughts, so to starve it, one must halt this process of incessant thought. The mystics wrote, "Nothing stands between you and God but you."

What is this ego that must die? It is the socially defined self, the self to which your name refers. It is the earthly self that says, "I am this body," or, "I am the son/daughter of ..." or, "I am the plumber, electrician, butcher, baker, candlestick maker..." These are all false identities. You are not your body, your genetics, your occupation, your education, your money, or even your intellect or mind.

What, then, are you? You are your higher Self, a temporary incarnation of Love. You are a non-physical soul or mind, birthless and deathless. After "de-identifying" with your ego, your next step is to "re-identify" with your soul, and then, later, with the Spirit that is dreaming up this world. It is due to this radical shift in identity that the mystic commonly changes her name. she feels, after enlightenment, to continue to say, "I am Jane Smith," is a lie. she is no longer identified with this human self, for she has touched the inner Loveself, the Spiritself.

For, in the final analysis, we are all only part human.

We are also part Spirit. The human nature and divine nature exist in inverse proportion. If you want to be ninety percent human, you can be only ten percent divine. If you want to be 87% human, you can be only 13% Spirit. If you want to be 48% human, you can be 52% divine. But the enlightened mystic's goal is stupendous, startling, and stunning: She longs to become one hundred percent Spirit in incarnation, zero percent human. Has anyone ever discovered this goal? Possibly some of the illuminated masters of history have. Anyway, to discover this state, she must eliminate all personal thought-streams, and meditation is training for this ego-death. Even more importantly, it is the actual first step along the path.

For more information, please contact us at rmfrancis@juno.com