Mercury Retrograde

Cross-posted from Aloha Astro

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Mercury, the planet of communication and transportation, which recently entered the mutable earth sign of Virgo, turns retrograde late in the evening of August 2nd and backtracks into the fixed fire sign of Leo by the end of the first week in August. Virgo is an analytical and methodical sign that likes to do things purposefully. Virgo's mutable quality may make it run through several possibilities before deciding which option is the most effective, but the desired result is always function. Leo, on the other hand, is highly creative, playful, and dramatic. Leo can work as hard as Virgo, but the process of creation is half the fun and the bigness of the effect is sometimes more important than function. Why have plain and practical when you can go for fun and extravagant?

As you enter the Mercury retrograde period this week, use the Virgo energy at the start of the retrograde period to analyze, itemize, and prioritize the things that you would like to go back over. Mercury retrograde's finest attribute is the opportunity it affords you to pull out old plans and projects, collect more information, or revisit an issue in order to clear it. Mercury retrograde can bring second chances. When the energy begins to shift on August 7th, you will have a list to burn through with that creative Leo fire.

Just as Mercury turns retrograde, Mars, the planet of action, leaves the air sign of Gemini and enters the emotional water sign of Cancer. Mars happens to aspect Mercury with a supportive sextile and also aspects Neptune in Pisces with a favorable trine until August 7th. I see these aspects as dream incubators. You can use these favorable aspects to help you get in touch with your emotions and identify your desires before you take any action. I do have to add a "however" here, though. Mercury retrograde traditionally causes misunderstanding, delays, and breakdowns with travel- and communication-related things. Mercury happens to oppose Neptune, which increases the possibility of confusion. Mars can enhance the potential for fire, accidents, and arguments. Cancer, Pisces, and Neptune are all water- and ocean-related. Please be cautious when traveling in the rain or on water. Safety first at all times.

Whatever area, or house, in your chart that has Leo energy: get ready to re-create something during the Mercury retrograde period. Based on a solar (sun sign astrology) chart, these are the houses and their concerns. Read for both your sun sign and your rising sign, also known as your ascendant. There are links on this site where you can get both your ascendant and your natal chart for free.



Aries (5th house)
Creativity, theater, dance, music, art, film, gardening, cooking, gambling, pets, children, love affairs and romance, pleasure trips and entertainment, competitive sports.

Taurus (4th house)
Home, family, core beliefs, property, psychological foundations, possible past life carryover.

Gemini (3rd house)
Communication, sales work, neighbors and neighborhood, politics, local travel, early childhood education, imagination and formative ideas, siblings.

Cancer (2nd house)
Money, income, self-worth, self-esteem, personal values.

Leo (1st house)
Your sense of self, how you present yourself and how others see you, image, physical vitality.

Virgo (12th house)
The subconscious, prisons, hospitals, monasteries and other types of alternative communities or institutions, dream state and meditation, connection to Spirit and the collective.

Libra (11th house)
Friends, groups, organizations, the stage, gallery, or audience, wish fulfillment.

Scorpio (10th house)
Career, reputation in the outer world, authority, success, what feels like home to you in the outer world, recognition and titles.

Sagittarius (9th house)
Higher education, foreign travel, philosophy, search for truth and expanded horizons, writing and publishing.

Capricorn (8th house)
Sex, intimacy, death, taxes, metaphysics, investments, inheritances, insurance, divorce, business partnerships, other legalities involving shared resources.

Aquarius (7th house)
Marriage, relationship, the hidden part of yourself that you may not acknowledge.

Pisces (6th house)
Dharmic work, service, purpose, health, healing, habits, hygiene.

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Hiatus

Cross-posted from Aloha Astro

Thank you so much for visiting. Aloha Astro is on a summer break and Mercury retrograde retreat until August 14th. The next full horoscope post will be on August 15th. I will still be writing daily Tweetscopes for all twelve signs, which are posted daily on both Facebook and Twitter.

Due to popular demand, I have created another site that offers a very special report at a very reasonable rate. Please visit What is My Life About? to learn more. I will be accepting orders for delivery after August 8th.

While I am in retreat, I would love to hear from you. Please tell me if you enjoy your Tweetscopes, Horoscopes, and the Astrological Trends. Do you follow them all? Are the Astrological Trends too technical for you? The more honest feedback I receive, the better I can serve you.

Love, Dunnea Rae (Dee)

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Christian Fundamentalist Caught Telling the Truth

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.

Bradlee Dean

MSNBC's Rachel Maddow is being sued for quoting Christian rocker Bradlee Dean word for word. The excerpt from his radio broadcast was aired during an August 9, 2010 broadcast and reads as follows:

"Muslims are calling for the execution of homosexuals in America. They themselves are upholding the laws that are even in the Bible, the Judeo-Christian God, but they seem to be more moral than the American Christians do. Because these people are livid about enforcing their laws. They know homosexuality is an abomination. If America won't enforce the laws, God will raise up a foreign enemy to do just that."

Dean does not dispute the accuracy of the quote. But despite the fact that Maddow also quoted his disclaimer -- "we have never and will never call for the execution of homosexuals" -- Dean argues that his intent was distorted.

Despite the very clear disclaimer by Bradlee Dean on his ministries website and elsewhere regarding the false accusation that he was calling for the execution of homosexuals, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow and others seized on and accused Dean on her show of supporting the killing of homosexuals, as is the practice in some radical Islamic countries. This seriously has harmed Dean and the ministry, who pride themselves on respect and love for all people.

The transcript of Maddow's broadcast can be found here. (Scroll down for video.) Nowhere does she claim that Dean actually supports a death sentence for gay people. The only text from which such an inference could possibly be drawn is from Dean's own words. Maddow's "slander and defamation" of Bradlee Dean, for which he is suing MSNBC and Maddow personally for $50 million, lies in her use of his exact words in his own voice.

His biggest complaint against Maddow and the news network appears to be their liberal agenda.

The lawsuit is filed by attorney Larry Klayman, the founder of Judicial Watch and Freedom Watch, in DC Superior Court and seeks in excess of $50 million in damages. However, money is not the issue. "This case is filed as a matter of principle," stated Klayman. "We need more Bradlee Deans in the world and hateful left wing television commentators must be made to respect not only his mission but the law," he added.

I found the use of the word "hateful" in this context particularly interesting because it strikes me as such a clear case of projection. It would be hard to describe Dean's message as anything but hateful, despite his protestations of love for gay people. You can read a more complete quote released by Dean and his organization You Can Run But You Cannot Hide Ministries here. (Boy, that doesn't sound too threatening, does it?) Not included in Maddow's excerpt was some blather about loving his gay friends who "nitpick" everything he says and some sharp words about President Obama's hypocrisy.

The problem with Dean's statement is that he is at cross-purposes with himself. He doesn't want to be perceived as calling for the death of his "gay friends" but he is openly gushing about Muslim extremists having the courage of their convictions. He describes them as "more moral" than Christians in America. He attributed the "raising up of a foreign enemy" who would call for the death of gay people to none other than God. That's hard to misconstrue. It's pretty blatant. But when it comes to the follow-through, he flinches. He can't quite bring himself to admit that a literal reading of the Bible would indeed call for the execution of gay people. And fundamentalist Christians claim to take "God's word" literally.

"If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them." ~ Leviticus 20:13

That seems pretty straightforward to me.

The unfortunately named John Thomas of Philadelphia took it quite literally and murdered a gay neighbor the Biblical way -- by stoning. And yet, he was prosecuted for it. It would seem the American legal system is not in alignment with scripture -- a point I've made before.

There are actually numerous offenses that call for the death penalty in the Bible, so Bradlee Dean is really cherry-picking. At least, to my knowledge, he has not similarly praised Muslim fundamentalists for killing adulterers or girls who've otherwise lost their virginity. That said, he has given voice to something many have long argued -- that Christian and Muslim fundamentalists have a lot more in common than they will usually admit to publicly.

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Irish Ambassador Headed for Prague

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.

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As discussed, the relationship between Irish lawmakers and the Vatican have become so toxic that the Vatican withdrew its ambassador. Now comes news that Archbishop Leanza will be moved to Prague.

The Vatican has made a first move towards restoring relationships with Ireland and transferred Papal Nuncio Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza to the Czech Republic.

Leanza is seen as damaged after the Cloyne report crisis over sex abuse was allowed to occur on his watch and ineptly handled.

So once again, the Church is trying to defuse a sex abuse scandal with a game of rotating priests. And civil authorities are left staring into the gaping maw of an opaque and inscrutable bureaucracy.



The Irish government will also be waiting until the middle of next month for a Vatican response to the Cloyne Report.

The reply was initially scheduled for delivery next week but in the wake of the Taoiseach’s outspoken criticism of the Vatican in the Dáil and the subsequent recall to Rome of the papal nuncio in Ireland, Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, it has been decided more time is needed.

Holy See sources acknowledged that the writing of this reply will be an extremely “delicate” business. A sharp, pithy response would run the risk of the Holy See being criticised for not taking the Irish problem sufficiently seriously. On the other hand, a point-by-point analysis of all the issues raised in the report, which runs to 421 pages, could take years.

The Holy See would prefer to remain silent and issue no further statements.

. . .

“The Irish Government has asked for a response,” said a senior Holy See figure. “We respect all governments, so the Irish will get a response.” [emphasis added]

So the Vatican will deign to respond to charges that it obstructed civil investigations into the sexual abuse of children. It took me several readings and a little time to absorb that. Were the Irish government not stridently demanding a response, the Vatican would think it perfectly acceptable to just blow the whole thing off.

There are other indications that the Vatican will not be conceding to any culpability in the numerous cases of unreported abuse, either.

THE papal nuncio is set to deliver a strong response to the Cloyne Report before the end of August, rebuffing the Taoiseach's accusation the Vatican undermined child protection guidelines.

Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza will present the Vatican's response to Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore.

. . .

The Vatican has been exasperated by reports claiming Archbishop Leanza was being moved to Prague in the Czech Republic as a mark of his disfavour with his superiors in Rome.

But sources in the Vatican last night suggested that Archbishop Leanza will leave Ireland at the end of the year as part of routine changes.

In other words, move along, folks. Nothin' to see here.

They also intend to put blame on the "weakness of Irish state monitoring of child abuse." Never mind that such monitoring has been made extremely difficult because of a shroud of secrecy imposed by highly placed Church leaders who don't agree or comply with reporting rules.

Almost lost in the drama of a row made very public by the Prime Minister Kenny's remarks, are hints that Ireland is in the throes of a seismic shift in its relationship with the Roman Church.

It was the first time in the past 17 years of pedophile-priest scandals in Ireland that parliamentarians have taken on the Vatican rather than local church leaders. Revelations of widespread abuse have eroded Catholic authority in a nation where the church still owns most schools and several hospitals, and state broadcasters still toll a twice-daily call to Catholic prayer.

A confidential 1997 Vatican letter — originally published by The Associated Press in January — instructed Irish bishops to handle child-abuse cases strictly under terms of canon law. It warned bishops that their 1996 child-protection policy, particularly its emphasis on the need to start reporting all suspected crimes to police, violated canon law.

Kenny said Catholic canon law had "neither legitimacy nor (a) place in the affairs of this country." He pledged to press ahead with new laws making it a crime to withhold evidence of child abuse — even if the information was attained during a priest's confession. The Catholic Church insists that the contents of confessions must never be revealed.

For the very Catholic country, such bold moves toward secularity must come as a shock to the Vatican. Most stunning is the possibility of laws that would breach the confessional. The Vatican's response will reportedly include insistence that the seal of the confessional is "sacrosanct."

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Tragedy in Sedona

Article first published as Book Review: Tragedy in Sedona by Connie Jay on Blogcritics.

On July 25, 2009, Colleen Conaway plummeted to her death in San Diego's Horton Plaza mall; an apparent suicide. She had no history of mental problems. She was by all accounts very happy with her life and her direction. So how did the Minnesota native meet such a sad and inexplicable fate so far from home? She was participating in a James Arthur Ray "Creating Absolute Wealth" seminar for which she had paid thousands of dollars.

The exercise was one in which seminar participants were directed to dress as homeless people and wander around downtown San Diego. They were not allowed to carry money, identification, or cell phones. In what would become a pattern for those who had the misfortune to be severely injured during James Ray seminars, Colleen Conaway spent many hours listed as "Jane Doe."

Connie Joy's daughter Erica participated in that same seminar and both Connie and her husband Richard attended the final dinner. None of them were aware that a participant had died. Only Ray and his closest staffers knew that Conaway was lying on a slab in the San Diego County morgue. And they weren't telling. People who asked about why she hadn't returned were told that she was fine but wasn't coming back to the seminar. It was over two months later, in the wake of yet another horrific tragedy on Ray's watch, that his long-time followers learned that the unnamed woman who had died in the mall that day was the seminar participant who had never returned from her homelessness adventure.



Less than two weeks after losing one of his students to a deadly fall, Ray had a select group of the high paying World Wealth Society members hiking a mountain trail overlooking Machu Picchu -- blindfolded. When concerned local tour guides tried to steer the hikers away from steep drops and around sharp turns, Ray became irritated at their interference. He was going to teach his students about the value of living life to the fullest by flirting with death and no one was going to stop him. As his group of students removed their blindfolds to take in the view from the cliff they were standing on, he asked, "Are you just taking up space or are you really living your lives?"

Ray's fascination with the theme of death was not new. But it seemed to increase rather than diminish after Colleen Conaway's inexplicable plunge. In early October, just over two months after her demise, Ray would lead his Spiritual Warrior seminar in Sedona, AZ, in which he relied heavily on death metaphors. And three people would die from exposure to extreme temperatures in a sweat lodge ceremony.

When Joy learned of the deaths of James Shore and Kirby Brown and that her good friend Liz Neuman was in critical condition in an Arizona hospital, she was shocked and saddened but not surprised. Joy had been trying to warn people about Ray's sweat lodge since she, herself, had gotten sick from the heat during Spiritual Warrior 2007. She knew the dangers of heatstroke and had long thought it was only a matter of time before someone was severely injured in one of Ray's super-heated sweat lodges.

In Tragedy in Sedona, Joy offers an insider's perspective on what led up to the tragic deaths and multiple injuries that resulted from a sweat lodge that was "too hot for too long." As World Wealth Society members, she and her husband Richard got as close to Ray as anyone but his closest staffers were allowed to get. She also saw that limited access diminish as Ray's star rose. Over a three year period, the Joys attended 27 of Ray's events as either paying participants or Dream Team volunteers.

Joy witnessed numerous injuries at Ray's events: broken bones, a punctured eyelid, and other medical emergencies, for which Ray took no responsibility and implemented few precautions. His recklessness escalated dramatically as his Oprah fueled popularity increased and he began packing his events to capacity. As the number of these incidents mounted the Joys posited that Ray would never really risk anyone's life because, if for no other reason, it would be bad for business. Besides, they knew that Ray was extensively trained by native shamans and other practitioners. Surely he knew what he was doing. But as his recklessness increased, they became less and less convinced that people were safe and increasingly concerned until the World Wealth Society trip to Peru shattered what was left of their trust.

The breaking point came when Joy learned that the hotly anticipated climb up Huayna Picchu would be on a schedule too tight to safely reach the top. Knowing that there was a history of injuries and deaths on the steep trails, the Joys went to work investigating alternative scheduling for participants who, like themselves, wanted to do a complete climb without risking their lives. Their interference in Ray's plans put them on a collision course with his ego. The result was a verbal assault from Ray that finally convinced them that he was not a spiritual leader who was living by his own teachings.

Ray's hypocrisy had been increasingly evident the Joys for some time. From the very first seminar, they'd recognized deceptive, hard-sell practices. The Joys, being realtors, had seen such tactics before and took them in stride. But over time they noticed that promises made during pitches for the very expensive World Wealth Society membership were changed or discarded completely. In Orwellian fashion, there was often no acknowledgment that many of the offerings were vastly reduced from what had been promised. Since the pitches were always verbal, rather than written, there was no way to prove the change had occurred.

In one telling exchange, Ray publicly excoriated a man for his wife's diligent note-taking during seminars. With increasing frequency, Ray would "flame" people from the stage for asking questions he didn't want to answer or as an opportunity to air grudges they didn't even know he was holding. It was something he did so effectively that many of his students were terrified to take the mic to ask a question and feared being called out. In this case, the offense in question was keeping a record of what Ray said, which he ironically described as not "paying attention" to what he was saying.

Most of Ray's sales pitches and promises were delivered when people were in a suggestible state. His upcoming seminars and packages were sold during other seminars where he would keep people on action-packed schedules that provided little time for sleep and few breaks. Joy even cites one instance when Ray began a pitch as he was leading them in a guided meditation. That was not the only time Joy, a trained hypnotherapist, noted that Ray was using stage hypnosis and/or NLP techniques to sell his events, but it was the most shocking. It was an egregious abuse of trust; one another participant referred to as "black magick." Sadly, Joy noted that it worked. She saw a woman she knew to have tight finances standing on line to shell out $60,000 for a World Wealth Society membership she could not possibly afford. Thankfully, the woman came to her senses before closing the deal. A very good thing because Ray's company had an ironclad no refund policy.

Ray's business practices were among many pieces of information excluded during Ray's manslaughter trial because they were "prejudicial." Jurors would not learn, for instance, that Ray's unwillingness to provide refunds meant that by the time participants received information packets and waivers that gave some, albeit very small, indication of the dangers posed by Spiritual Warrior, they could not have canceled without forfeiting nearly $10,000. Ray's lawyers were free to argue, however, that by signing the waivers, participants knew what they were in for. Jurors did learn that Ray's Dream Team volunteers had to pay for their own travel, lodging, and meals. They did not know, however, something Joy only discovered after Dream Teaming numerous events -- that the group rates offered to participants and volunteers were higher than the regular rates because Ray demanded substantial kickbacks from hotels.

After his contributing role in The Secret and his appearances on "Oprah" and "Larry King Live," Ray's monetary focus sharpened. He now spoke openly of his goal to be "the first billionaire in the spiritual arena." He claimed that he had become a millionaire as a byproduct of following his bliss but this was no longer good enough. He wanted to be billionaire as a way of "keeping score." Joy was floored.

It wasn't just his now open pecuniary focus that belied his spiritual aspirations. There were other unsavory indications of an ego spinning out of control.

Dubbed the "Rock Star of Personal Transformation," Ray relished the limelight. He relished the perks of wealth and stardom even more. Like Elvis's "Memphis Mafia," Ray's "Dream Team" volunteers were required, among other ignoble tasks, to let women know that he'd picked them out of the audience to join him for the evening. In one horrible case, Joy noticed a woman sobbing in the back of the hall. Joy's friend Edward, who was among the volunteer staff for the event, explained the incident. She had been thrown over when Ray changed his mind about which audience pick he expected to join him for dinner.

Ray, who taught that relationships were one of five essential pillars in a balanced life, seemed to have very odd ideas about them. He had said many revealing things about how he didn't believe that people were meant to be together forever and that having children was a vain attempt at immortality. He had been married and divorced and never intended to remarry. Yet he considered himself qualified to teach people about integrity in relationships.

Over time, Joy observed that Ray ran interference in other people's relationships. She kept finding herself separated from her husband Richard during events. During Spiritual Warrior, for instance, couples were split up and assigned same-sex roommates. It was a pattern that started to feel very deliberate, particularly when Joy was volunteering for Practical Mysticism and her daughter Erica was there as a participant. After exchanging a few words with her daughter, she saw Ray whispering to the staffer in charge of volunteers who then pulled Joy aside and gave her a talking to. Joy needed to stay away from Erica and let her "have her own experience."

That phrase, "let people have their own experience" was one heard from numerous witnesses during Ray's manslaughter trial. People who were concerned about the labored breathing and apparent incoherence of other sweat lodge participants, for instance, knew better than to interfere in the "experience" of people who were, in fact, dying. Prosecutor Sheila Polk argued that such rules actually trained people away from their natural instincts to try to help each other and to completely defer to Ray's judgment.

After reading Tragedy in Sedona, it occurred to me that it was also a way to discourage normal bonding between participants and ensure that communication during Ray's events was almost entirely vertical rather than horizontal. Too much interpersonal bonding threatened the hierarchy and Ray's position at the top of it. That sense was confirmed for me when I exchanged emails with Mary Latallade, who described for me her sense of isolation in the crowd; particularly when she was seriously injured during the the 2008 sweat lodge.

During the trial, the pressure Ray applied to men and women alike to submit to buzz cuts during Spiritual Warrior was a contentious issue. The echoes of Heaven's Gate and the Manson Family would be hard to miss. Defense attorneys worked hard to diffuse the potential impact on jurors of numerous women being shorn of their locks. Joy struggled with the decision of whether or not to shave off all her hair when she attended Spiritual Warrior in 2007. Ultimately, she accepted Ray's logic: "You are not your hair." Shaving their hair was presented as an opportunity to sacrifice ego. But Ray wasn't leading by example. He didn't have his own head shaved. Worse, when police searched his hotel room, they recovered an impressive stash of pharmaceuticals including steroids and Propecia.

In the forward to Tragedy in Sedona, psychiatrist Carole Lieberman points out that in one of Ray's books he describes the embarrassment he experienced as a boy when his mother would give him buzz cuts on the front porch in full view of laughing neighbor children. And here he was, years later, pressuring people to sit in a public area and have their hair shaved off. So was Ray shaming Spiritual Warrior participants into shaving their heads to experience humility or humiliation? Taken in context, humiliation is about the only explanation that makes sense.

During the trial, it became apparent that participants were humiliated and degraded in numerous ways. Many witnesses visibly flinched as they described flaming episodes when Ray would take any opportunity to publicly enumerate any flaws and air grievances. Some students were terrified of attracting his ire by such things as taking an unscheduled bathroom break. A good number of Spiritual Warrior participants were forced to remain perfectly still on the hard floor for hours, unable to scratch an itch, use the bathroom, or eat dinner, after being symbolically killed by a capricious "God" (Ray) during his twisted version of the Samurai Game. Many people testified to his telling participant Lou Caci to relieve himself inside the sweat lodge on the ground rather than leave the "sacred" space; something he clearly found degrading.

These condescensions from on high became more and more common as Ray's fame grew and he retreated behind body guards and away from any two-way communication with students. Mostly, he criticized them for "not playing full on" if they failed to meet the numerous physical and emotional challenges presented during events. During Spiritual Warrior he criticized them for wanting to leave the intolerable temperatures of the sweat lodge and many of them stayed against their quickly evaporating judgment.

Ray's abnormally hot and abnormally long sweat lodge reduced people to vomiting, paralyzing muscle cramps, babbling incoherence, and unconsciousness. None of that indicated a problem to Ray. In fact, it was the goal. In the aftermath of the 2009 lodge, the hottest he'd ever run, more participants than ever were in such these disabling states. It was a scene that some participants described as looking like a war zone. And as the realization dawned that a number of people were in life threatening distress and participants who were able began administering CPR, Ray sat in the shade with a cooling beverage, and observed the scene. When told by the firekeeper's wife that she needed a cellphone to call 911 because people weren't breathing, he shrugged. He was later seen chatting to someone other than 911 on a cellphone. As the ambulances started to arrive, he shambled back to his hotel room to shower and have a sandwich.

The picture of Ray that emerges from Tragedy in Sedona and in the many hours of courtroom testimony is not just that of an overblown ego. There are glimpses of something truly sadistic. Ray seemed to enjoy watching people do what he told them to do even when it was degrading... and when it was horrifically dangerous.

Ray is certainly not the first spiritual leader to exploit followers sexually and emotionally. He's not the first to accrue massive wealth at the expense of financially struggling followers. He's not the first to take advantage of volunteers. He's not even the first spiritual leader to conflate sacrificing the ego to God with submission to his leadership. What sets James Arthur Ray apart from the average flimflammer is that he was playing a game of chicken with other people's lives. How else to describe someone who would blindfold people on a dangerous a mountain trail and retool a traditional sweat lodge into an inferno so as to induce heatstroke for its mind altering affects?

Ray's students followed his lead because they trusted him to know what he was doing. He had established credibility with them by being a published author, by being part of The Secret, and by claims of having trained under established spiritual teachers and shamans in numerous traditions. But tales of his vast, multicultural training turned out to be lies. After the Joys had their final confrontation with Ray, the whole facade came crumbling down. In Peru, he'd hedged when his students wanted to meet the shaman he'd told so many stories about. Joy asked around and learned the man in question was not so much a shaman as he was a tour guide. Stan Grof, the psychiatrist who developed Holotropic Breathwork had never heard of James Ray until after he'd made headlines for his deadly sweat lodge. Grof's institute had no record of his having been trained to facilitate the breathwork. Most of his knowledge of shamanism came from Carlos Castaneda books; a fraud being led by a fraud.

For all her disillusionment, Joy writes without rancor, and with a sense of gratitude for what good came out of her experience with James Ray -- even though it came with a whopping $200,000 price tag. Tragedy in Sedona began as a chronicle of her journey of spiritual growth and healing. Ray stole from good teachers as well as bad and some of what she experienced was valuable; even transformative. It is, after all, the message not the messenger that matters.

Joy learned that she'd be writing a book when she was in Egypt on a World Wealth Society trip. While communing with the Sphinx, she was told that part of her destiny was to write a book. A math person and "digital" thinker, she never considered herself a writer. But her higher self knew she'd have an important story to tell and indeed she did. The driving narrative, the power of that story, more than makes up for any lack of linguistic flair.

For anyone who wants to understand how apparently intelligent, educated, and accomplished people could fall pray to Ray's long con, the book makes essential reading. Joy, herself, is such a person. Her vulnerability to Ray lay in some of her highest aspirations -- a longing to understand the workings of spirit, to align all aspects of her life with her spirituality, and to make a solid contribution to the world. Joy bridles against media reports that characterize Ray's followers as a "cult." She makes the point repeatedly that they were not "mindless cult" members. I would take issue only with characterization of cult members as mindless. Not even members of Heaven's Gate, the People's Temple, Hare Krishna, or other well known cults could be fairly described as "mindless." They were simply subject to a higher level of manipulation, even coercion, than Ray's organization offered at its height. All cults target smart, accomplished members because that's where the money is. They all target people with appeals to their idealism. And they all break people down by leveraging their insecurities, emotional vulnerabilities, and innate deference to authority, just like Ray.

Tragedy in Sedona makes essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how it is that three of the best and brightest wound up getting cooked to death in an abomination of a sweat lodge. It's a warning to pay attention to every red flag and not excuse or minimize questionable behavior from those in whom we invest our trust. Else we may pay with more than our wallets.

James Arthur Ray was convicted on three counts of criminally negligent homicide on June 22, 2011. An original sentencing date that would have eerily coincided with the death of Colleen Conaway, was changed to allow for more of the extensive legal wrangling that characterized the very long trial. A presentence hearing is currently scheduled for August 16th in which Ray's attorneys will argue for a mitigated sentence. Ray's multiple attorneys have also filed for a new trial claiming prosecutorial misconduct. The State has responded with a lengthy rebuttal and the defense attorneys have replied. Ray is also facing still unresolved lawsuits and possible legal action from the family of Colleen Conaway.

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Cafe

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Around the Web, Around the World

"Why Shamanism Now?" with Christina Pratt

Sacred Balinese Healing Practices meet Globilazation with Daniel McGuire

"Balian," a documentary by filmmaker, Dan McGuire, tells the story of the rise and fall of a charismatic Balinese shaman (or "Balian") named Mangku Pogog. In Bali healers enter powerful trance states in which they embody their spirit help, often drawing the patient into trance as well. Mangku Pogog engaged in full embodiment trance states curing conditions like blindness and leprosy by guiding the power of spirit through yoga postures, large stones, heavy sticks, and sucking extractions. Join Dan and host Christina Pratt as they explore the world-view of Balinese healers and their attitudes towards sickness, health, and the healing power of transformative ritual. Through the story of Mangku Pogog we can see the effect of globalization on the belief systems of traditional people. What new challenges are presented to traditional healers as people come for healing with different worldviews and diverse beliefs about healing? Will traditional wisdom survive or be changed by "spiritual tourism." Dan, a journalist with many years experience in Indonesia, immersed himself in the world of the Balian, the Balinese traditional healer/shaman, in 1996 and is currently completing his documentary "Balian."

This week's guest:
Daniel McGuire

Daniel McGuire is a journalist with many years experience in Indonesia. He first went in 1984 to study the Javanese Shadow Puppet theater, and has written a book and Master's thesis on the subject. He speaks Indonesian and Javanese. He's also practiced Ashtanga yoga for 20 years, and studied in India with Sri Pattabhi Jois. Beginning in 1996 he immersed himself in the world of Balian - Balinese traditional healer/shaman, and is completing a documentary on the subject.

He got his start in documentary as an editor on the Academy Award-winning feature documentary "The Panama Deception". He won a Soros-Sundance grant for "Crash Course""a documentary on the 1998 upheaval in Indonesia. He has worked as a Foreign Correspondent for ABC News and as a Producer/Cameraman for New York Times Television, the Discovery Channel, The Learning Channel, PBS, ABC News and as Boston field producer for Al Jazeera and Good Morning America.

Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 11:00 AM Pacific

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Why Shamanism Now? on Co-Creator Network
Questions? Comments? Call: 1-512-772-1938

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Vatican Pulls Ambassador to Ireland

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.

Departing Papal Nuncio Giuseppe Leanza

Things have become so heated between Irish officials and the Vatican that the Holy See has recalled its ambassador. With characteristic tone-deafness, the Vatican cited "excessive reactions" to the priestly abuse scandal. At issue is the reaction of Prime Minister Enda Kenny who publicly rebuked the Vatican for its role in the cover-up as detailed in the recently released Cloyne Report.

During a July 20 parliamentary debate, Kenny said an independent judicial investigation into the handling of clergy sexual abuse in the Diocese of Cloyne "exposes an attempt by the Holy See to frustrate an inquiry in a sovereign, democratic republic as little as three years ago."

"And in doing so, the Cloyne Report excavates the dysfunction, disconnection, elitism and the narcissism that dominate the culture of the Vatican to this day," he said.

. . .

Kenny said that "this calculated, withering position" was "the polar opposite of the radicalism, humility and compassion upon which the Roman church was founded."

He said that "the Irish people, including the very many faithful Catholics who -- like me -- have been shocked and dismayed by the repeated failings of church authorities to face up to what is required, deserve and require confirmation from the Vatican that they do accept, endorse and require compliance by all church authorities here with, the obligations to report all cases of suspected abuse, whether current or historical, to the state's authorities."

Referring to a tendency identified in the Cloyne Report to put the rights of accused clerics ahead of victims, Kenny said "clericalism has rendered some of Ireland's brightest, most privileged and powerful men, either unwilling or unable to address the horrors" of abuse.

Vatican officials seemed determined to prove Prime Minister Kenny right. Their response to his remarks has been to, once again, minimize the problem and scold him for pointing out the elephant on the floor of parliament. The Vatican has been calling victims and their defenders excessive and reactive, in one form or another, for decades. Vatican authorities seem incapable of understanding how much pain and misery their actions and inactions have caused.

No doubt, because the Prime Minister echoed their incredulity and frustration, he has received an outpouring of gratitude and support from the Irish public.

In light of Judge Yvonne Murphy's findings on the Diocese of Cloyne, church officials would do well to issue a mea culpa, but the response has predictably been to deflect blame. Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi expressed disappointment at the reports failure to acknowledge all the new initiatives the church is taking under Pope Benedict's leadership to prevent future problems. Considering that the Cloyne report found multiple cases of abuse had been covered up as recently as 2008 -- when social services got involved -- perhaps now isn't the time to start congratulating the Vatican on its proactiveness.

At the heart of the scandal is Bishop John Magee who failed to report numerous instances of impropriety, including his own inappropriate conduct towards a "young" aspirant to the priesthood.

The commission was charged with investigating the handling of allegations made against 19 priests from 1996 -- when the church in Ireland first implemented child protection procedures -- to 2009. The commission found that "the primary responsibility for the failure to implement the agreed procedures lies with Bishop Magee."

"It is a remarkable fact," the report notes, "that Bishop Magee took little or no active interest in the management of clerical child sexual abuse cases until 2008."

Between 1996 -- when the Irish bishops introduced guidelines for mandatory reporting -- and 2005, the diocese failed to report nine out of 15 complaints against priests, which "very clearly should have been reported," the report said.

The report found further that the Vatican had been "entirely unhelpful" to Bishops who were trying to comply with the new required reporting guidelines. In particular, Vatican officials refused to grant the Irish guidelines approval, leaving Bishops with no clear policy to implement and the latitude to continue ignoring the problem.

Also faulted was Cloyne vicar general, Msgr. Denis O'Callaghan who doesn't approve of the entire concept of reporting child abusers to civil authorities. So he failed to report in even the numerous cases in which he believed abuse had occurred. In other cases of evident sexual abuse he seemed oblivious and obtuse.

Cloyne is not alone in its failure to address the problem. Three of Ireland's dioceses have now been subject to judicial scrutiny and found to have protected the church at the expense of children.

In light of the very fair criticism from public officials including the Prime Minister, the Vatican has chosen the cut and run approach. Rather than address the gaping wound in the hearts of devout Catholics in the devoutly Catholic country, the Vatican's response is to show its "displeasure" with Irish officials by withdrawing their ambassador.

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Horoscope for July 25-31

Cross-posted from Aloha Astro

Aries (March 21st - April 20th)
A creative mental challenge is possible at the start of your week, Aries. You may have a divinely-inspired idea that you are striving to make perfect, but this is earth, not heaven yet! A little persistence, a touch of genius, and a love of what you are doing are enough to help you unravel red tape, argue your case, or find the ways and means to do what you want to do. Some Rams may be surprised by a desire to become a parent or have a pet, despite the restrictions and work being responsible for a child or animal may bring. When you tap into your hidden desires, they can reshape your life and redefine who you are. The new moon in your 5th house of creativity, children, and pets amplifies the creative yearning you already feel and signals a green light - GO! Values and self-definition shift or expand as a result.

Taurus (April 21st - May 20th)
Here is a special video for you, Taurus. When I looked at your chart for the week, "Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'!" is what I heard - orchestra and all! If there is one energy you need this week, it is the kind of feeling this song imparts. The moon lines you up with a new personal cycle at the start of the week. Commit to a new and improved attitude and decide that everything really is going your way. You may have to negotiate, sell to, or be firm with faceless organizations that oppose you. Don't waste a moment on negative thoughts of other people or entities over which you have no control. Direct your energy toward loving and feeling wonderful about yourself and all the good you see around you and you will be able to sing, "Everything's going my way!" The new moon in your 4th house of home, family, and psychological foundations begins a new cycle of home improvement or a positive, action-oriented attitude. Put that Leo crown on your head and start ordaining and decreeing good things.

Gemini (May 21st - June 21st)
If someone says you can't do something the way you would like to do it, you will find an alternative, better way, Gemini. Some of your best ideas come to you when conventional doors close. The new moon in your 3rd house of formative ideas, mental creativity, local transportation, and communication stimulates a great deal of errand running, local socializing, and networking. One of your brilliant ideas this week could become a viable product or business that becomes popular and profitable faster than you could have expected. Look at every limitation as an opportunity for experimentation, exploration, and inevitable success. Write, speak, and spark new friendships.



Cancer (June 22nd - July 22nd)
Personal transformation work early in the week, such as clearing and releasing, helps you enter the new moon weekend with a strong foundation, Cancer. For many Crabs, this is a week of realignment. You may look closely at your relationships now to see if they are still a good fit. The new moon occurs in your 2nd house of money, personal income, and personal values. Your priorities may shift in work or relationships if you feel you cannot express your own individuality or your needs are not being met. If you are self-employed, you may push harder at sales and self-promotion now or raise your rates. If you work for a company, you may enter or create a new position that gives you greater income and satisfaction. When you decide to ask for what you feel you are worth, opportunities appear for you to expand and grow.

Leo (July 23rd - August 22nd)
How you spend your time and how you see yourself come under scrutiny this week, Leo. You are poised on the brink of a new personal cycle as the new moon approaches your 1st house of self, where it will join Venus and the sun, also in Leo. What could be better for self-improvement and launching new plans? You will also be more magnetic and in-demand. People want to be WITH you or be LIKE you even more than they want your skills or services, which is an important nuance you can add to your work or business plans. After a brief period of contemplation where you identify the image you wish to project and the lifestyle you wish to have, you emerge with a solid plan for creating both. Look out, world! The Lion is not sleeping now!

Virgo (August 23rd - September 22nd)
A longing for your partner or future partner is possible at the beginning of the week, Virgo. If you already have a partner, you may feel miles apart or you may be in different locations, missing each other. If you are single, you may be believing that you are not in the right place to meet your mate. This is just a passing phase that could be followed immediately by a reunion or sudden new union or a sign from the Universe that there is a special person for you. The new moon in your 12th house of the subconscious brings creativity and courage to your dreaming. Now is the time to paint colorful, dramatic images of your future in your quiet time before the planets cycle into your own sign to help you manifest them in the near future. Career and friends keep you happily distracted the rest of your week.

Libra (September 23rd - October 23rd)
Don't take a "no" to your business plan or criticism of your business as a negative thing at the beginning of the week, Libra. The new moon in your 11th house of friends, groups, organizations, and wish fulfillment indicates you may get what you want or something even better, anyway. The opposition you experience initially may be just what you need to polish up a presentation, get more information, or become more assertive. If you can effectively express the love and passion that you feel for what you do, you will influence people to buy or invest in you. Your romantic relationship benefits from play, experimentation, and adventure. If you are single, you may meet a potential partner unexpectedly at a group event or through a friendly introduction.

Scorpio (October 24th - November 21st)
The planets warn against mixing work with romance at the start of your week, Scorpio. It could be something as complicated as a workplace affair you are contemplating or as simple as a partner who interrupts your work time with too many personal calls. I know this won't be a big issue, though, because your work and creativity are becoming increasingly important to you this week. The new moon in your 10th house of career inspires you to new creative heights or makes you driven to be seen and recognized for a special talent. Expect some jealousy or criticism, especially if you are an artist, and remember that you don't create to make everyone happy; you must create to express what you feel.

Sagittarius (November 22nd - December 21st)
The new moon in your 9th house of philosophy, foreign travel, and higher education may prompt you to grow in new and creative ways, Sagittarius. The 9th house rules so many aspects of travel or communication that it is difficult for me to see exactly what you will experience now without looking at your individual natal chart, but I can predict it will be adventurous, fun, or crazily unique. Some Sagittarians may look for the means to finance a dream trip, a return to school, a relocation, or home improvements. Whichever way you direct the creative energy and joy of this new moon, you can expect a few surprises or innovations along the way. A partner encourages or joins you, but work, an employer, or customers may feel like they are left hanging or are critical or skeptical when you change methods or seem to have your mind elsewhere. If you want your balloon to rise, you have to get rid of excess baggage. Smile and say thank you as you lift off and wave goodbye.

Capricorn (December 22nd - January 19th)
Business, property, or investment changes are possible this week, Capricorn. The new moon highlights your 8th house of sex, death, taxes, metaphysics, investments, inheritance, and business partnership. You can make a push now for a big plan or dream that could be extremely lucrative in the future. There could be risk involved, but the risk has more to do with your emotions than actual finances. What you stand to lose are doubts, fears, and limitations. A deeper look at 8th house mysteries and your feelings about intimacy, commitment, and even death can help you decide what risks are worth taking to live a more powerful and authentic life. You may become aware of the passage of time in a new way that makes you choose to live boldly as opposed to traditionally or securely.

Aquarius (January 20th - February 18th)
The new moon in your 7th house of relationship and the hidden self is joined by the sun and Venus, making the whole arena of relationships a hot topic for you, Aquarius. Many of you will come to the realization that you have found your match, while others finally understand that they are their own best partner no matter who they happen to be with. The age-old adage that you can't love someone else until you love yourself holds true now. The sun and Venus will be warming your heart and you may be more demonstrative in your affections or willing to make commitments of loyalty now. There is still a small whisper of fear that may tell you not to lose yourself to another. You cannot lose yourself if you accept and love yourself fully - you will only become more by sharing the fullness of you. Also, remember that if you alter yourself for someone, you are cheating them by withholding all that you are.

Pisces (February 19th - March 20th)
Pisces, it will be extremely difficult for you to slow down and take things easily this week. Planets in the element of fire have your watery nature bubbling and steaming all over the place. I saw an image of pots boiling over on a six-burner stove in a steamed-up kitchen. A gourmet meal might make it to the table, but the cook could have a nervous breakdown in the process. I see a few dangers lurking behind the overflow of creativity and active energy the new moon brings to your 6th house of work, service, habits, and health. All that eager fire sends flames licking at your 2nd house of money. Extra work may bring a surprising windfall, but I also see that you may spend money on your work or health suddenly without giving it enough thought. Do you have time for that gym membership? Will that new techie device really make your work easier or more profitable? You might think a cautious partner is being a wet blanket when they question your motives or methods, but consider that they may also be the voice of reason. You could be thanking them later for their concern or advice.

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Astrological Trends for July 25-31

Cross-posted from Aloha Astro

It may seem as though you just cannot make something happen, no matter how hard you try, the morning of Monday, July 25th, due to a challenging T-square. The moon in the fixed earth sign of stubborn Taurus squares Mercury, planet of communication, in arrogant Leo, and also squares Neptune, planet of ideals, conjunct healing Chiron in Pisces, while Mercury in Leo opposes Neptune/Chiron in Pisces. You may have to stand up for what you believe in now or fight to get what you want or feel you deserve. Persistence is the key to overcoming this temporary challenge. There are other planetary aspects that can support you today. The creative Leo sun gets an inventive boost of genius through a favorable trine between the sun and Uranus in Aries, indicating unusual solutions to problems can be found or there are such things as exceptions to rules. The sun also forms a quincunx to Neptune/Chiron in the mutable water sign of Pisces and still receives some beneficial support from nearby Venus in the late degrees of Cancer. Venus in Cancer conjunct the sun in Leo forms a supportive sextile to the moon in Taurus and a semi-sextile to Mars in the mutable air sign of Gemini. Use courtesy and kindness in your negotiations and appeal to people by presenting the common bond between you. Jupiter in Taurus is still involved in a favorable trine to Pluto in the cardinal earth sign of Capricorn, helping you to manifest material things when you need them. Pluto gets some supportive energy from a sextile to Neptune/Chiron in Pisces, but the difficult square between Pluto and Uranus in the cardinal fire sign of Aries is still in effect. Yes, there can be changes or breakthroughs that are ultimately healing or for the highest good, but they won't necessarily come easily. Many people have been reporting that material things in their lives are breaking. This is a good example of the Pluto/Uranus square releasing the old (Capricorn) and making way for the new (Aries), whether we like it or not! At midday, the moon enters the mutable air sign of Gemini, enhancing communication and lifting the general tone of the day to a more playful vibration. The T-square begins to fade early this afternoon as the moon/Mercury square dissolves. Your problems may be solved now or negotiations come to a satisfactory conclusion. The Leo sun now forms a quincunx to Pluto in Capricorn, locking a decision into place and activating an action or procedure. At dinnertime, the moon in Gemini also forms a quincunx to Pluto, enhancing critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and firm expression of emotions.



A much more agreeable day begins on Tuesday, July 26th, as the moon in the mutable air sign of Gemini trines Saturn in the cardinal air sign of Libra until early evening. This beneficial aspect encourages pleasant and polite conversation and a meeting of the minds. People are more willing to compromise and they are also feeling kinder, thanks to a semi-sextile between the moon and jovial Jupiter in mild-mannered Taurus. Another "make nice" aspect is affectionate Venus in nurturing Cancer conjunct the outgoing sun in friendly Leo quincunx Neptune/Chiron in peace-loving Pisces. Perhaps the stresses of yesterday's aspects, which could have put people on edge and made them sensitive, are still fresh in the memory and everyone is feeling apologetic and forgiving now. Make the most of this happy energy and get all your communication and transportation chores done now. The longstanding trine between Jupiter in Taurus and Pluto in Capricorn fades today. I hope it brought a blessing to be grateful for whatever area of life it affected in your natal chart while it was in place.

"Action" is the word of the day on Wednesday, July 27th, as the moon in the mutable air sign of Gemini joins Mars in Gemini. You may be in transit most of the day or on the phone, communicating to make plans and connections. The Leo sun is energized to its fullest creative and dramatic expression now as it forms a trine to Uranus in Aries, a quincunx to Neptune/Chiron in Pisces, and a quincunx to Pluto in Capricorn. Creativity mixes with drive and imagination to bring something material into being. At lunchtime, the moon/Mars conjunction is activated further by a sextile to Mercury in Leo. This is an excellent salesperson, speaker, teacher, or politician aspect. You can motivate others to join you in your project, sell an idea or product, or teach a skill easily now. Today's positive aspects also enhance athletic performance and stimulate the love of competition. Early this evening, the moon conjunct Mars in Gemini exchanges a favorable trine with Neptune conjunct Chiron in Pisces. Time spent with a partner, friends, or family is mentally and emotionally satisfying now.

Too many energy shifts to integrate on Thursday, July 28th, can put you into emotional overdrive. Your emotions could become overstimulated as the moon in the cardinal water sign of Cancer opposes Pluto in the cardinal earth sign of Capricorn. The worst thing you can do now is judge yourself or another person for the expression or repression of emotions. A Pluto aspect can have the harsh feeling of immovable, eternal forever, but the moon moves quickly, so how you feel this morning may be serious now but forgotten later. Indeed, the moon/Pluto opposition is gone by lunchtime and things will feel less intense, but feelings still matter a great deal, as the moon in Cancer sextile Jupiter in the fixed earth sign of Taurus shows. It is best to get those feelings out or you may indulge in emotional eating or spending. Energy shifts noticeably as Venus leaves Cancer and enters the fixed fire sign of Leo, and Mercury leaves the sign of Leo to enter the mutable earth sign of Virgo. You may get one of those "I have the feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" moments. Funhouse, crooked-floor confusion is possible as you struggle to take in the new energy on top of an already-sensitive Cancer moon. People prone to crying may cry for what they think is no reason, but it is really just energy getting cleaned out so new energy can come in. Later this afternoon, the Cancer moon makes an ornery square to Saturn in the cardinal air sign of Libra. A critical attitude and defensive, hurt feelings are the most likely manifestations of this square, which will set the tone for the remainder of the day and into the evening.

The moon continues to move through the cardinal water sign of Cancer on Friday, July 29th. Except for two weak semi-sextiles that develop during the day between the moon and Mars in Gemini and the moon and Mercury in Virgo, which stimulate mental and physical activity, no other major aspects to the moon occur today. It is best to keep treading water now and not launch new endeavors just yet. A square develops between the sun in Leo and Jupiter in Taurus, which remains in effect until August 8th. This square can make obtaining money or other resources difficult. Venus in Leo, loosely conjunct the sun, forms a quincunx to Neptune conjunct Chiron in Pisces. This quincunx can stimulate creativity, but it can also give rise to unrealistic dreams or reckless behavior that could be harmful, such as overindulging in alcohol or beginning a romance for the fun of it while leading the other person to think they are the love of your life. Later this evening, the moon draws to the end of its Cancer transit and joins energy with Venus in Leo, increasing the desire to play, have fun, or seek romance. Be careful playing with hearts - they break easily.

A dynamic new moon arrives on Saturday, July 30th, as the moon in Leo joins Venus and the sun in the creative, dramatic, ardent fixed fire sign of Leo. Your month began with a new moon in Cancer and now it ends with a new moon. If you feel like you have lived life at double speed this past month, the doubling of new beginnings brought about by the lunar cycle may have something to do with this. The power-packed Leo trio forms a trine to Uranus in Aries, a quincunx to Pluto in Capricorn, and a quincunx to Neptune conjunct Chiron in Pisces. The planets are supporting the creation of dreams now. Mars in Gemini favorably supports Neptune in Pisces with a flowing trine, indicating that it is not just a good time to dream - it is also a good time to act. Early this evening, the moon and the sun in Leo form a supportive sextile to Saturn in Libra. "Plays well with others" is what this aspect says. This is a perfect time to have a new moon gathering, where the sharing of dreams and intentions with positive-minded friends can help you bring your dreams into reality faster.

On Sunday, July 31st, the day begins with the moon in the creative and playful fixed fire sign of Leo. No major aspects between the moon and other planets occur until the evening, indicating you should maintain things as they are and not begin anything new just yet. Mercury in the mutable earth sign of Virgo sextile to Mars in mutable Gemini can enhance critical thinking, helping you make the right decision that gives you the best potential for forward motion as you look at ways to implement the creative plans formed during the new moon. Venus in Leo trine Uranus in the cardinal fire sign of pioneering Aries indicates that the road less traveled or any unproven path is the most desirable now. The excitement of new beginnings is practically an aphrodisiac now. I recommend that couples take the energy of their relationship and direct it outward into the world - explore, play, and create new projects or friends together. The Venus/Uranus aspect is like an itch that needs to be scratched and I'm sure you would rather be the one having fun with your partner than someone new. If your partnership has a strong King/Queen energy where you and your mate honor each other, then this aspect can enhance your union. If you are already on rocky ground, this aspect can change the relationship - for better or worse - depending on choices and actions. If you are looking for love, you may find a potential partner with charisma and a sense of fun, but only chart comparisons and the passage of time will be able to tell you if it is a lasting love. Later this evening, the Leo moon forms a supportive sextile to Mars in Gemini. Rather than winding down and relaxing tonight, you may want to stay up late playing or partying with others. This has been a week of shifting energy followed by a new moon of optimistic fresh starts. Before you launch into a new cycle and a new work week where you must apply your energy to tasks, have some summer fun tonight and celebrate life.

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The Look On Her Face

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.

Think of a woman who spent the previous evening contemplating the works of William Blake, Gustave Moreau, and the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, who awakens the next morning to read a news item about how James Franco sold a piece of "non-visible" art for $10,000. This woman learned that the work conceptualized by Franco instructs the observer to imagine "Fresh Air" and was sold by the Museum of Non-Visible Art (MONA) which specializes in purely conceptual art -- pieces of paper that tell people to imagine various things. Now imagine the look on the woman's face.

This original work is offered free for contemplation on this blog. But for $10,000 I will print this out on a piece of paper and send it to you so that you can appreciate it in your home. Makes a wonderful conversation piece!

I'm currently working on my next non-visible piece called "Very Bored Rich People" but it's not quite ready. 

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The Giving Tree is a Sap

Crossposted from Reflections Journal.

Better Book Titles: Children's Book Edition

As a child, I loved The Giving Tree. I read it over and over. As an adult, a feminist, and a gratefully recovering codependent, I've long since given the book a rethink. So much so that I won't expose my daughter to it. It's not allowed in the house. What I once thought of as a sweet and moving story with a  moral about the beauty of altruism, I realized one day is an appallingly sexist book filled with poisonous ideas about the role of women and of earth itself.

I don't know why the book struck such a cord for me. Perhaps it had something to do with my profound fascination with trees. Perhaps it was something more prosaic like my nascent codependency. The book presents a dangerous message, overall: Imbalanced relationships in which one person sacrifices endlessly for the happiness of another are an ideal state. In fact, happiness can be derived entirely from pleasing someone else. This is the very definition of codependency.

Codependency is not necessarily a gendered phenomenon. There are plenty of male codependents. But girls are actually acculturated to be codependent, even in families where alcoholism and other major dysfunction aren't the issue. If we don't get it from our families -- and my family was probably more progressive than most -- we get it from our communities, from our schools, from movies, from books... books like The Giving Tree.



The gender dynamics in the story are fairly obvious. The tree is female. The child is male.The tree plays a very maternal and nurturing role with the boy. And she's the kind of mother who would definitely eat the Burnt Toast.

Up 'til now, I ate the burnt toast. I learned that from my mother -- metaphorically if not literally. I can't actually remember if she even likes toast or how she eats it. But what I know for sure is that although she was a loving and devoted wife and mother, she always took care of everyone and everything else before herself. This habitual self-sacrifice was well intended, but ultimately it's a mixed message for a child. It taught me that in order for me to succeed, someone else had to suffer. I learned to accept whatever was in front of me without complaint because I didn't think I deserved good things.

Like so many girls, Teri Hatcher learned the message from her mother that a woman's role in life is to sacrifice for others. Like so many boys growing up, the boy in The Giving Tree learned to profit from the sacrifice of those who love him.

The relationship between the tree and the boy is one based on give and take. She gives. He takes. He takes without gratitude. He takes without ever giving anything back except the occasional visit. And he only visits when he wants something. But the tree just gives, and gives, and gives, until she has nothing left to give... and then she gives some more. 

Even as a child reading that book, I was startled by the boy's effrontery: Give me some money. I want a house. I want a boat. What else can you possibly give me? But -- and this is the truly alarming part -- because the tree took it all with such aplomb and seemed so happy to keep giving, I accepted his behavior as normal. I could only really enjoy the story if I allowed myself to think that it was perfectly appropriate for someone to take endlessly and give nothing in return. The boy never even says thank-you. He just takes.

The implicit message to girls reading that book is that we are only really happy when we are giving something or doing something for someone else. This is how women are supposed to find fulfillment; not by expecting anything for ourselves. The boy's happiness is the tree's happiness. And no matter how many times he takes what he wants and abandons the tree, the tree is always happy when he returns so that she can give him more of her stuff.

That message is certainly not original to Shel Silverstein. It's one women have been wrestling with from time immemorial. For Virginia Woolf, that message was epitomized by the The Angel in the House; a narrative poem by Coventry Patmore that was all the rage in Victorian England. "The Wife's Tragedy" is one of the preludes in that poem.

Man must be pleased; but him to please
     Is woman's pleasure; down the gulf
Of his condoled necessities
     She casts her best, she flings herself.
How often flings for nought, and yokes
     Her heart to an icicle or whim,
Whose each impatient word provokes
     Another, not from her, but him;
While she, too gentle even to force
     His penitence by kind replies,
Waits by, expecting his remorse,
     With pardon in her pitying eyes;
And if he once, by shame oppress'd,
     A comfortable word confers,
She leans and weeps against his breast,
     And seems to think the sin was hers;
And whilst his love has any life,
     Or any eye to see her charms,
At any time, she's still his wife,
     Dearly devoted to his arms;
She loves with love that cannot tire;
     And when, ah woe, she loves alone,
Through passionate duty love springs higher,
     As grass grows taller round a stone.

Woolf found that her very survival depended on facing down this soul killing ideal of Victorian womanhood. The "angel" had to go.

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“It wasn’t housework that distressed Virginia Woolf. It was the battle with an ideal that she called The Angel in the House. Such a woman ‘excelled in the difficult arts of family life. She sacrificed herself daily. If there was a chicken, she took the leg; if there was a draught she sat in it — in short she was so constituted that she never had a mind or a wish of her own, but preferred to sympathize always with the minds and wishes of others.’ In order to become a writer, Woolf had to kill the Angel. ‘My excuse , if I were to be had up in a court of law, would be that I acted in self-defence. Had I not killed her she would have killed me.”

Even as social changes have allowed for more opportunities for women in every sphere of life, we tend to find ourselves in supporting roles in all of them. As we moved into the workforce, we found that instead of changing tasks, we just added more. We developed the Superwoman Syndrome, believing we had to be all things to all people both at work and at home. Structural changes to support the new opportunities for women have lagged behind those opportunities; the availability of good childcare, for instance. And we still constantly receive messages, both explicit and implicit, that it's all on us. If we want to work -- and for many women it's not a so much "a choice" -- it's up to us to find ways to manage both family life and work life.

One incident sticks out in my memory as emblematic of the kinds of hurdles working women have faced. The department head from an office adjacent to mine was waiting for the elevator at the end of the day. She was one of the hardest-working, most efficient and effective executives in the company. The marketing director stopped her in the hall and sneered, "Going home at 5:00 I see. That's what motherhood will do for you." He also had children but it never seemed to occur to him that this should create any conflict with his professional life.

The tragedy of incidents like that is that they will make most women feel guilty more than angry. They can trigger shame spirals in which we tear ourselves apart about whether we're doing enough for our children, our husbands, our jobs, and the world at large. We just know that it's all our responsibility because that's what we've been told since we were children; that if we wanted to pursue our own dreams someone else would suffer for it. So we keep eating the burnt toast and giving the perfect, lightly browned and lavishly buttered pieces away.

Ironically, feminism has provided whole new areas and opportunities for us to give over valuable parts of ourselves to other people. We have new vistas of codependency to explore. One of the most spiritually toxic arenas has been our sex lives. The sexual revolution has liberated us in some ways only to bind us to new-found levels of expectation.

Hugo Schwyzer addressed, in a recent post, how female identity as people-pleaser has informed our new sexual "freedom."

Ariel Levy, in her powerful and controversial Female Chauvinist Pigs, quoted Paris Hilton’s remarkably perceptive remark about herself that she was “sexy, but not sexual.” Hilton isn’t alone. My students today, who are mostly in their late teens (though

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I have many older ones as well) were deeply influenced by Hilton, who was at the peak of her notoriety four or five years ago, when these now-college freshman were just entering high school. And sadly, not unlike many of their older sisters, they find themselves stuck in what we might call the “Paris Paradox”.

Young women with the Paris Paradox were raised in a culture that promised sexual freedom, but what they ended up with looked a lot more like obligation than opportunity. It’s not hard to understand why the pressure to be sexy so often trumps the freedom to discover one’s authentic sexuality. As Levy and Martin and others have been pointing out for the past decade, we’ve begun to sexualize girls at ever earlier ages, as anyone who noticed the Halloween costumes marketed to tween girls will be aware. The explicitness — the raunchiness, to use Levy’s word — of this sexualization is relatively new. But when that sexualization (or pornification, to use another popular term) meets the far-older pressure on young women to be people-pleasers, we have a recipe for misery.

I read years ago that Marilyn Monroe was described similarly as one who did not seem to enjoy sex. For all her iconic sensuality, she was said to be very passive and not terribly enthusiastic. In a sense, this is probably a component of her sex appeal and of female sex objects more generally. Because that's what they are: objects. Objects don't have needs. They meet them.

This excerpt from Female Chauvinist Pigs describes the sexless sex appeal of the heiress who famously designed the "I'm Hot Your Not" [sic] t-shirt.

There is a disconnect between sexiness or hotness and sex itself. As Paris Hilton, the breathing embodiment of our current, prurient, collective fixations -- blondness, hotness, richness, anti-intellectualism -- told Rolling Stone reporter Vanessa Grigoriadis, "my boyfriends always tell me I'm not sexual. Sexy, but not sexual." Any fourteen-year-old who has downloaded her sex tapes can tell you that Hilton looks excited when she is posing for the camera, bored when she is engaged in actual sex. (In one tape, Hilton took a cell phone call during intercourse.) She is the perfect sexual celebrity for this moment, because our interest is in the appearance of sexiness, not the existence of sexual pleasure.

There is a very big difference between the preening, pouting sexuality portrayed for male entertainment and authentic female sexuality. A genuinely sexual woman can be a bit demanding. But in matters of sex, as in every other aspect of women's lives, the expectation is one of self-sacrifice. Schwyzer explains:

While both boys and girls may grow up hearing the old adage that it is “better to give than to receive”, girls are much more likely to be given regular instruction in how to give — and much more likely to be rebuked for “selfishness” if they show too much desire to receive. (Ask around. “Selfish” ranks right up there with “slut” and “fat” as an epithet with tremendous power to wound women. It only rarely does the same damage when applied to men.)

Dan Savage created an uproar, recently, when he opined in an interview with Mark Oppenheimer that monogamy may not be the best measure of the institution marriage and that in gay marriages, men will be far more tolerant of straying spouses. The last thing a lot of people want to hear, as gay marriage rights gain ground, is the suggestion from a gay activist that it will redefine marriage. Savage has a point in that infidelity has long been a part of traditional marriage.

“The mistake that straight people made,” Savage told me, “was imposing the monogamous expectation on men. Men were never expected to be monogamous. Men had concubines, mistresses and access to prostitutes, until everybody decided marriage had to be egalitar­ian and fairsey.” In the feminist revolution, rather than extending to women “the same latitude and license and pressure-release valve that men had always enjoyed,” we extended to men the confines women had always endured. “And it’s been a disaster for marriage.”

Yes. So many of our social institutions work more smoothly when women are willing to sacrifice their happiness so that men can do whatever they want. This is something women are very used to hearing; that the rules are different for men and that we only make ourselves more miserable when we are unwilling to accept that.

Historically, of course, while men had more license to enjoy their concubines, mistresses, and prostitutes, women faced such social penalties as battery, scarlet letters, and even death, for infidelity -- something we still see in the Arab world. And even in the modern world, some of the most unfaithful men still fully expect fidelity from their wives and girlfriends; even when they have both. That women embracing the infidelity path for themselves thing that Savage suggests tends not to go over so well with men. Men also crave fidelity from their partners. (I would specify heterosexual men here but I know too many gay men who have been emotionally destroyed by cheating partners.) At least a part of what underlies that male jealousy is that monogamy isn't so much in conflict with our basic impulses. Rather, our basic impulses around sexuality are in conflict. None of us can stop being attracted to other people but we also can't turn off the desire for genuine intimacy that can only happen when we feel emotionally safe in our relationships. There is an emotional component to our sexuality that we can't entirely shut off, as one of Savage's readers discovered when he and his wife opened up their marriage. He described his reaction to her having vaginal intercourse with another man: “It was as if all the air in the room was sucked out through my soul.”

Shutting off such feelings has always been harder for women than for men. In the same New York Times Magazine article, Judith Stacey explains:

“They are men,” she said, and she believes it is easier for them — right down to the physiology of orgasm — to separate physical and emotional intimacy. Lesbians and straight women tend to be far less comfortable with nonmonogamy than gay men.

Stacey, like Savage, concludes that there is no one size fits all solution on the monogamy issue and that different couples, gay and straight, need to define the parameters of their relationships for themselves. Throughout history and right up to the present day, however, these decisions have been made for women, not by them. The result has been second-class citizenry in sex and relationships. I find it telling that Savage pokes at feminism for failing to bring about egalitarianism in the world of cheating. I would posit, however, that the increasingly "fairsey" nature of marriage is a somewhat indirect result of the feminist revolution. Relationships are being redefined, not on men's terms, but on women's. Along with a plethora of other rights, women have been demanding the monogamy that is innately more comfortable for them.

I have long said that Bill Clinton's biggest mistake was his failure to notice what was happening across the pond with Prince Charles and Lady Diana. Diana did something that would have been unthinkable a hundred years earlier. She refused to tolerate her husband's infidelity. Women of her social position had always been willing to put up with mistresses and quietly accept that powerful men have powerful appetites. Diana simply refused to endure a miserable situation and take solace in the other contentments of her social position. In that respect, Lady Diana was something of a bellwether of a greater social transformation.

Fidelity, sexual or otherwise, involves consideration of another person's feelings, needs, and desires; something that has always been expected more from women than from men.

The giving tree is nothing if not faithful. She waits and longs like Calypso for the boy's occasional booty call.

The boy in The Giving Tree doesn't just exploit the emotions of the anthropomorphized tree. He selfishly strips the natural resources she embodies. Silverstein's messaging on ecology is horrible. Nature's gifts are man's for the taking, without consideration to reforestation, or even any real appreciation. What does the boy care? He's the self-described "king of the forest."

The analogy between woman and earth is extremely ancient going back at least as far the myths of the great mother goddess. In many of those myths, she is the earth itself. She is Gaia, Sophia, Tiamat. At her most reduced, she is "Mother Nature." In many iterations she is the original fire serpent climbing the tree of life to reconnect heaven and earth.

This, for me, is the greatest tragedy of the perennially adored children's story. The tree that gives so endlessly and to her own detriment is more than a mother figure taken completely for granted by an arrogant child. She's a trampled and disregarded vestige of the divine feminine. And like the vastly diminished serpent goddess Eve in popular myth (if not in the Bible) she hands the boy an apple.

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