Vol. 2, No. 7
An Educational Guide
to Sustainability and Spiritual Well-being
March 2010
Earth Odyssey Contributors An educational guide to sustainability and spiritual well-being Our Mission The mission of Earth Odyssey is to encourage individuals to develop a sustainable lifestyle and healthier well-being by providing educational information needed to make wiser choices. We envision an extended community of individuals who care passionately about their environment and their own spiritual well-being and recognize the symbiotic relationship between the two.
Magazine Staff Publisher/Editor Ann Haver-Allen Photographic, Web and PR Director Pia Wyer Advertising Art Director Distribution Manager Jason Allen Advertising Representatives Bill Allen Jo Ann Johnson Pia Wyer
Advertising Inquiries 928-778-1782
Subscriptions Earth Odyssey will be published weekly beginning in April by Pinon Pine Press LLC and will be available online at EarthOdysseyOnline.com. To receive Earth Odyssey notifications every Monday, join our mailing list by going to www. EarthOdysseyOnline.com and entering your e-mail address in the green box. If you are already a subscriber, no need to sign up again. Send comments and suggestions to: editor@EarthOdysseyOnline.com Phone: (928) 778-1782 The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or advertisers. Copyright © 2010. Pinon Pine Press LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction, in whole or in part, is prohibited without written permission. For photo reprints, contact Pia Wyer at pia@animistarts.com.
Printed by Media Print 4002 N. 36th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 95019 Page 2 • March 2010
Lili DeBarbieri is a freelance writer specializing in travel, environmental issues and wildlife. Lili’s writing and photography have appeared in dozens of publications in the United States and abroad, including Terrain Magazine, Earth Island Journal, Preservation, Alabama Living and E/The Environmental Magazine. She has more than five years experience working, studying, volunteering and traveling extensively throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, Oceania, the Middle East and the Americas. Based in Arizona, she is a frequent contributor to the Tucson Green Times and contributing editor of Ethical Traveler. Kimberley Paterson is a New Zealandbased journalist, author and public relations specialist who has a deep passion for stories about visionary individuals, businesses and projects and anything to do with positive world change. You can read more about her work on www.soulpr.com and www.lodestarmedia.co.nz. William (Wes) Ozier is the Camassia Institute Director. Originally from Detroit, Wes is a LEED accredited professional. He was the program administrator for the Arcosanti Project for four years and the assistant director for the Ecosa Institute. In addition to educational and construction work at both Arcosanti and Ecosa, he has worked on a strawbale construction
crew building the Mountain Meadows Permaculture Bio-Shelter, a two-story greenhouse, as well as four DIY scale “eco-machines” created by John Todd and a host of other DIY scale eco-design projects. He has spoken at Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University and Prescott College. If you have any questions pertaining to ecological design, sustainability or any of his past projects, e-mail Wes at wes@ lostvalley.org. Debra White is a freelance pet and environmental writer in Phoenix. A car accident on Jan. 6, 1994, left her with disabling injuries, thus ending her social work career. She reinvented herself as a pet therapist, animal shelter volunteer and freelance writer. Debra volunteers with the Phoenix Animal Care Coalition, Arizona Animal Welfare League and the Grand Canyon chapter of the Sierra Club. Carla Woody founded Kenosis Spirit Keepers providing programs that guide people in life direction, relationship and health and embracing a spiritual path. She is the author of the books “Standing Stark: The Willingness to Engage” and “Calling Our Spirits Home: Gateways to Full Consciousness,” the course Navigating Your Lifepath and recording Breath Meditations. Carla holds a B.A. in communications from Wright State University and an M.A. in human relations from the University of Oklahoma. She is certified as an advanced practitioner of NLP (special applications to health), hypnotherapist, conflict mediator and Reiki Master.
On The Cover: Summer Allen feeds a carrot to a burro in Oatman, once a prosperous gold mining town in Arizona. The burros of Oatman are decendants of those brought to the area by miners. They are protected and have the right of way along historic Route 66 through town. More than 500,000 tourists visit Oatman each year. See story on pageEarth 16. Photo by Ann Haver-Allen Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
Important notice
Earth Odyssey fans must read
M
ore changes are afoot for Earth Odyssey. Beginning in April, Earth Odyssey will publish weekly editions at www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com. An e-mail spotlighting the contents of each issue will be sent to our subscribers. If you are not already a subscriber and want to receive weekly Earth Odyssey notifications, join our mailing list by going to www. EarthOdysseyOnline.com and entering your e-mail address in the green box. Look for the current edition of Earth Odyssey to arrive in your e-mail box every Monday. Earth Odyssey will continue to focus on the topics of sustainability, spiritual wellbeing, alternative energy and nature and the environment. Two factors lead to our decision to publish online and to publish more frequently.
Economy The economy is the first—and biggest—factor. Printing costs are astronomical, especially when publishing in an environmentally
Join our mailing list at www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com Enter your e-mail address in the green box friendly way. We thought we had found the solution to that dilemia with Signature Offset, but, as it turns out, they were unable to honor their printing quote. That news forced us to rethink our business model. The truth is, we have readers who have encouraged us to move to an electronic model, which is not only more affordable, but also is tree free. Because I am a life-long producer and consumer of print, giving it up was difficult. I reached this decision after serious debate and consideration of all possible alternatives. Results from a recent survey played into that decision when we learned that 63 percent of Earth Odyssey readers prefer receiving the publication electronically. We will be monitoring those statistics in the coming months and anticipate a
This ’N That
By Ann Haver-Allen Publisher/Editor of Earth Odyssey
growing online audience.
Content Content is the second reason we have decided to produce Earth Odyssey electronically. Each issue will still be designed and packaged as if it were a print publication so that readers can view it as such, using the magazine viewing option on our homepage. Readers will actually have three options for viewing Earth Odyssey online: using the magazine page-turning software, reading html or downloading a PDF. We will no longer be limited by page count. We can print as many—or as few—pages as are warranted. Lately, after completion of each Earth Odyssey issue, I have had many excellent stories, which did not fit because of page constraints. Electronic production of Earth Odyssey weekly will enable us to provide more information, more frequently
to more readers. We will continue to uphold the same high standards for our content. The only change will be that we can provide more information than ever before—and on a more frequent basis. It’s a win-win situation.
March issue To ease the transition between print and electonic formats, the March issue is a hybid production—a 24-page printed issue, with a supplemental 28-page issue posted online at www. EarthOdysseyOnline.com. The online edition includes all the columnists that you have come to know and love and the puzzle pages. Be sure to read both editions to get it all. Drop an e-mail and let me know what you think about the latest changes at Earth Odyssey: editor@EarthOdysseyOnline.com.
Trusted. Local. Since 1991. Family-owned EV Solar Products has designed and installed hundreds of
renewable energy systems in Northern Arizona. Whether you need grid-tied or off-grid power, solar hot water or space heating, our technology, techniques
and incentives have never been better. And, we feature American-made SolarWorld® panels. Call us to find out which renewables are right for your home and business or visit our solar-powered store M–F 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
EV Solar Products, Inc. 2655 N. US Highway 89 Chino Valley, AZ 86323
928-636-2201 AZ ROC 248141 / 129793 / 118299
www.evsolar.com
Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
March 2010 • Page 3
Vol. 2, No. 7 March 2010
6
True confessions From a novice recycler
7
Earth-friendly tips That help Mother Nature
16
Oatman, Arizona Keeping the Old West Alive
21
Calendar of events
23
Sustainable Business of the Month Prescott salon working toward organic hair care
24
New Zealand’s cosmetic cop Expert in natural skin care shares knowledge
8
Home on the range Where the pronghorn antelope play
More stories, all your favorite columns and puzzle pages at EarthOdysseyOnline.com in the March supplemental edition of Earth Odyssey 6
‘Power animals’ Fetish carvings represent animal spirits thought to reside in stone In Native American traditions, animal guides provide information not normally accessible to the physical senses. Shamans guided people on special inner journeys to meet their “power animals.”
9
Volunteers needed Join spotlighting effort to monitor ferret recovery While the elusive, nocturnal, black-footed ferret has established a foothold in Aubrey Valley, the Arizona Game and Fish Department needs volunteers to help monitor progress in the recovery of the endangered animal. As part of this effort, the department will be conducting a spotlighting event from March 2529 and needs volunteer wildlife enthusiasts to help find the small predators.
11 People of Mollamarka Preserving Old Ways in the Peruvian Andes
10
The new ‘American Dream’ Family life in an eco-village Moving out of traditional society into the social milieu of eco-village can be a risky endeavor, especially since many eco-villages are more or less social experiments and still finding their own way.
26
Puzzle Pages
27
Hubble images Pluto’s terrain undergoes seasonal changes
14 Ancient cultures Petroglyphs date from 6000 to 1000 B.C. Page 4 • March 2010
The most detailed and dramatic images ever taken of the distant dwarf planet Pluto show an icy, mottled, dark molasses-colored world undergoing seasonal surface color and brightness changes. Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
Columns featured in the March supplemental edition at EarthOdysseyOnline.com 15 Music and Awakening by Martin Klabunde 16 Nature Notes
Domestic & Import
The only
Green Certified Auto Shop
by Fiona Reid
in the Quad-City
17 Organized Living by Tanya Allason 18 Horoscopes by Dominique Shilling 19 Astrology by Dominique Shilling 20 Inward Bound by Sarah McLean By Sarah McLean
21 Tracks Across Your Horizon by Bob Matthews
Recipient of the Arizona Green Shop certificate from The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality
We care about you, your vehicle and the environment Complete Auto Service Foreign & Domestic
928-775-7575
Mon.-Fri. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. 8737 E. Florentine Road, Prescott Valley
Locally owned and operated since 2005
22 Vibrational Realignment by Michael Davis 23 Yes! You Can Recycle That by Patricia Melchi By Michael Davis
24 The Small, Still Voice by Judith Pennington 25 E.D.U. Movie Review by Jason Allen 28 Heirloom Garden by Stephen and Cindy Scott
Movie Reviews by Jason Allen
Movies that won’t make you dumber
, malle S e Th ll Voic gton Sti h Pennin
u dit By J
Heirloom Garden Seeds & Stories by Cindy and Stephen Scott
To receive Earth Odyssey notifications every Monday, join our mailing list by going to www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com and entering your e-mail address in the green box. Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
March 2010 • Page 5
True confessions from a novice recycler M
By Tobias Hughes
e and recycling are not best friends. It is not on purpose; it just never crosses my mind. Also, I have never had a big reason to recycle other than it helps save the planet. Yes, that is a major reason, but I think “How much can I help by just putting this paper in the recycle bin rather than in the trash?” I’ve never noticed how much a single person can change a huge number. According to http://library.thinkquest.org, the average American makes 4.2 pounds of trash daily! That means in a month we each produce 130 pounds of garbage,
Page 6 • March 2010
about the weight of a teen. If you add this all together, you get just about 1,460 pounds per year! About an average cow! Still, this may seem like a small number when thinking about only yourself, but think about the population of Prescott. That’s a ton of cows… Now, what if you had recycled? According to multiple Internet sites, 70 percent of the objects in our trash can are recyclable! If you put this information into the average trash used per year information, each person would only have about 400 pounds of trash a year! That makes a lot fewer trash cows. You, yourself, can help eliminate those trash cows. Encourage your business to start recycling more. If you see a friend throwing recyclables away, tell them to recycle it and help save the environment. If you’re a kid, or have a kid, encourage his school to teach more about recycling. There is so much you can do! Just remember the three Rs: • Reduce • Reuse • Recycle Tobias Hughes is an eighth-grader at Mile High Middle School in Prescott.
Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
Earth-friendly tips that help Mother Nature By Debra J. White
S
aving the planet sounds like a daunting task. Sometimes we feel helpless as nations bicker over who is to blame for spewing toxic emissions into the atmosphere. Is there anything we can do as individuals, couples or families to make a difference? Absolutely there is. The tips listed below will not only contribute to a healthier environment but will save you money as well. • Recycle cardboard, plastics, glass jars, cans and paper. For those without curbside pickup, most cities and towns have public drop off centers. Recycling is not only good for the planet but also it cuts down on your trash bill. • Replace your old light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. They may cost a few pennies more but they last considerably longer and use less energy. • Turn off appliances when not in use. You’ll be rewarded with a lower utility bill. The family dog can live without the evening news if you’re not listening to it either. • Lower the temperature on your washing machine to cold. Your clothes will come out just fine. Cold water washing saves on your utility bill, too. • Adjust thermostats in winter and summer. If you’re chilly, put on a sweater. Cover all windows to block out the sizzling sun in the summer. • Hang your clothes outside. Mother Nature does an excellent job drying your laundry, especially in the Arizona summer. And she’s cheaper too. If your homeowner’s association balks at a clothesline in your backyard, encourage them to bend the rules for the sake of our environment. • Don’t drink bottled water. There’s a lot of hidden costs in bottled water such as the petroleum to produce the plastic bottles and the gas to deliver them, usually over long distances. In some cases bottled water is nothing more than treated municipal water. If you want purified water, install a filter on your tap. You’ll save money and still
Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
enjoy cool fresh water. • Take a walk or ride a bike. Exercise is good for you and the transportation is free. It’s also good for your dog. When using your car, plan your errands so you get the most out of your mileage. • Use cloth or old paper bags when shopping. Many stores offer a fivecent rebate to customers who bring their own bags. You’re also cutting down on refuse in our overcrowded landfills. • Take shorter showers. We don’t have enough water out West for long, hot showers. Maybe one day we will. • Inspect your house regularly for leaks. Repair even the smallest leaks. Hundreds of gallons of water are lost each year due to leaks. That adds to your water bill and wastes a precious resource. • Insulate your windows to keep in the heat during the winter and the cool air in summer. • Eat healthier, especially if you’re without health insurance. People who eat well-balanced meals generally are in better shape and require fewer visits to the doctor. • Save that kitchen sink full of water and dump it on your shrubbery. Plants thrive from gray water. • Reduce and reuse. You’d be surprised on how many uses you can find for an old table or chair. Whatever you can’t use, donate to charity. You’ll get a tax write off and someone else will probably find a use for your unwanted goods. • Start a garden. Gardening is one of America’s favorite pastimes. Raising your own produce has many rewards, such as watching your vegetables grow. There’s nothing as tasty as a salad with a home-grown juicy tomato. • Consider low-flush toilets. They use considerably less water. Many cities and towns offer rebates, too. • Replace grass with desert landscape and drought-tolerant plants. Arizona lacks enough rainfall to share with foliage. We need all our water for drinking and
crops. • For your next automobile, buy either a hybrid or a car that gets at least 25 miles per gallon. If you have a car that spits out toxic fumes, either fix it or replace it. Don’t pollute the air. • Don’t pour old medicines, paints or other household chemicals down the drain. They end up in our sewer system and eventually in the waterways. Each community has a disposal center for hazardous waste. Call city hall to find out where it’s located. • Buy nontoxic cleansers. They are safer for your health and the environment. • Encourage neighbors, friends, relatives and colleagues to adopt ways to help our planet. No one can do it all, but everyone can do something. • Support local businesses. They are the lifeblood of your community. Without them, your community would fall into disrepair. Buy local whenever possible. The aforementioned suggestions are just a few of the many ways that we can contribute to a healthier environment. Step up and do your role to help our ailing planet. Mother Earth says thank you for being kind.
March 2010 • Page 7
Home on the range
Where the pronghorn antelope play
P
ronghorn antelope are only found in North America. Although they are often referred to as “antelope,” they are not closely related to any African antelope species. The name “pronghorn” is derived from the prong on each horn. Pronghorn have an amazing speed of almost 60 mph. Approximately 10,000 American pronghorn are found in Arizona, mainly in the north-central area of the state. Their range encompasses a variety of grassland habitats ranging from desert grasslands to forest and mountain meadow. Unfortunately, grasslands over 5,000 feet are mostly privately owned and, therefore, subject to development. “This loss has taken out of production not only 15 to 20 percent of the antelope’s habitat in Arizona but also the highest quality areas,” said David E. Brown, biologist at Arizona State University. Energy development projects and ranching also chip away at important available habitat. Much of the remaining habitat on state and private land has been invaded by vegetation such as junipers, mesquites and acacias. But perhaps the biggest factor facing antelope conservation today is habitat loss due to fragmentation and development. “In our part of the country, we may have thousands of acres of what appears to be contiguous antelope habitat, but pasture fences are built with woven or low bottom wires and antelope won’t be able to access the seemingly available habitat,” said Henry Provencio, wildlife biologist at Coconino National Forest. This prevents the animal from accessing wildlife corridors. “Depending on the size of the fragment, the species viability could be at stake,” he added. In northern Arizona, I-40 effectively separates pronghorn habitat. Pronghorn habitat north of I-40 and south of I-40 have “little to no interchange of pronghorn from either side of the freeway,” Provencio continued. During the recent
Page 8 • March 2010
By Lili DeBarbieri
Photo courtesy National Parks Service A photographer gets up close and personal with a pronghorn antelope. Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
Photo by John J. Mosesso/life.nbii.gov Pronghorns prefer to cross under fences.
Photo courtesy Arizona Game and Fish Department A pronghorn antelope mom and her fawn make their way across the grassland.
real-estate boom, Arizona experienced a great deal of pronghorn habitat loss due to development. Housing subdivisions often fragment these otherwise continuous habitats. To combat the situation, agency biologists, ranchers, sportsmen, and environmentalists created the Anderson Mesa Pronghorn Plan in northern Arizona. The Plan identifies goals and strategies to improve the Anderson Mesa herd. “The folks funding projects wanted to take a landscape level approach at restoration treatments, state and federal biologists created a nearly 500,000-acre landscape approach to treatments,” Provencio explained. He further stated that “working together with NGOs [nongovernment organizations] we have increased the permeability of range fences by raising the bottom strand of wire to 18” and installing “goat bars,” where wildlife trails cross either over or under fences. “Prescribed fire and managed natural fire have also been used to improve over 25,000 acres of habitat,” he said. “Ranchers, NRCS, NGOs and sportsman groups collaborated to restore over 50,000 acres of juniper-encroached grasslands.” The Arizona Wildlife Federation, The Arizona Game and Fish Department,
Diablo Trust, Arizona Antelope Foundation and the National Forest Foundation have created small wildlife refuges around “29 ephemeral wetlands that are important water sources for pronghorn and other species,” Provencio said. Every year, the Arizona Antelope Foundation sponsors three or four work projects to conserve the habitat of pronghorn antelope. Usually, the work projects are weekend undertakings that are topped off with a steak dinner on Saturday night and breakfast on Sunday morning. Volunteers remove old barbed wire fences and posts, woven sheep fences and install new antelope-friendly fences. They also cut pinon and juniper trees that encroach on pronghorn occupied meadows. Each work project is different depending on the location and need. Volunteers are always needed and welcomed. Hunting is another important tool for antelope conservation. Sportspersons generate “dollars that have been the funding source for many brush removal projects, translocations, land-owner agreements, controlled burns, fence modifications and other habitat management measures,” Brown said. What is the future of Arizona’s charismatic antelope? “The only long-term habitat security
Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
Courtesy photo A pronghorn antelope relaxes.
for this animal in Arizona is on federal land, mostly U.S. Forest Service land such as Anderson Mesa, and some BLM areas such as the Arizona Strip,” Brown said. “The antelope in these areas, however, frequently suffer from the same habitat ailments as those on state land, including competition with excessive numbers of cattle and elk.” For more information about pronghorn, or for details on the next weekend work program, see www.azantelope.org. March 2010 • Page 9
Photo courtesy of John Hervert A Sonoran Pronghorn and her fawn are in a captive breeding enclosure at Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge.
Public can comment on recovery plan
I
n 2002, only 21 endangered Sonoran pronghorn lived in the United States. Today, an estimated 68 animals are thriving, thanks in part to extensive cooperative management efforts, captive breeding, irrigation for forage and protection from predation. Now, the species is ready for the next step—recovery. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has drafted an environmental assessment as part of the process to establish a second U.S. population into its historical habitats of southwestern Arizona. To allow for greater management flexibility in the reintroduction effort, the plan proposes that these new populations be designated as “experimental, nonessential populations.” The public can submit comments on the proposals by: U.S. mail to Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, Attention: Refuge Manager, 1611 N. Second Ave., Ajo, AZ 85321; Fax: (520) 3875359; E-mail: James_Atkinson@fws.gov or online: www.regulations.gov, reference Page 10 • March 2010
document id FWS-R2-ES-2009-0077. The draft environment assessment for establishing additional locations is available for review at www.fws.gov/ southwest/es/Library or by contacting the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge at 520-387-6483. “The experimental designation allows a more collaborative approach, garners support, and helps develop partnerships between stakeholders, landowners, and other federal, state and local officials,” said Eric Gardner, nongame branch chief for the Arizona Game and Fish Department. “Multiple populations for a species are critical to recovery efforts and are more desirable than one population because they help prevent a single regional catastrophic event (e.g., disease, weather events, high predation rate) from causing the entire species or population to disappear from an area or altogether become extinct.”
Background The United States Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Sonoran pronghorn
(Antilocapra americana sonoriensis) as endangered in 1967. The U.S. population of Sonoran pronghorn has been affected by habitat fragmentation, loss of perennial rivers and extreme drought. Several steps have been taken to prevent the extinction of Sonoran pronghorn, including closure of areas to traffic during fawning season and provision of summer forage. Another strategy for population recovery is establishment of additional populations. Multiple populations are more desirable than a single population because they prevent a single regional catastrophic event (e.g., disease, weather events, high predation rate) from causing the entire species to become extinct. Recovery criteria for the Sonoran pronghorn state the need for a second population of Sonoran pronghorn to be established in the United States and the current population to number at least 300 individuals, or for the current population to reach a size that will promote a stable population. Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
The People of Mollamarka: Preserving Old Ways in the Peruvian Andes By Carla Woody
T
Photos by Kelsey Collins Above, Mollamarka children gather to have their photo taken. Below, traveler Angela Foss, left, poses with the people of Mollamarka. Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
he main thoroughfare heading east of Cusco soon empties out onto dirt, quickly becoming a winding road, hugging the side of never-ending mountains going higher with each breath-taking turn. After about 60 miles—and four hours later—you finally come to the small town of Paucartambo, known for its Festival of the Virgin of Carmen, the syncretic celebration of pre-Colombian Andean rites and the town’s Catholic patron saint, which draws throngs of revelers in midJuly. An intersection on the far side of the village forces a choice, no further easterly travel by road is possible. Going left will eventually have you descending through the Cloud Forest and into the jungle preserve called Manu. Taking the right turn will provide an increasingly narrow road, sheer drops that can cause novice travelers to break into a sweat, mop their brow and pray for safe passage. But over the years I’ve grown used to it and find the journey, and its outcome, well worth it. Within an hour or so, the byway, that until about 25 years ago was merely a horse trail, dead ends into the Quechua Indian village of Mollamarka. Through a long-term friendship with respected Peruvian mystic and poet Don Américo Yábar, I’ve been able to bring small groups to Peru, those who are up for the unexpected, the things that widen a life and take us into the unknown. Don Américo throws open the doors of his centuries-old ancestral home aptly named Salk’awasi, in Quechua meaning the “House of Undomesticated Energy.” The old hacienda has a rich history, some of its previous inhabitants shrouded in mystery, like the three women who lived together having fled the Basque Region during the Inquisition, rumored to be witches. Nestled below Mollamarka, staying at March 2010 • Page 11
Photo by Kelsey Collins The sacred mountain Apu Ausangate (snowcapped in the distance) is visible along the road to Mollamarka.
Salk’awasi is a means to slow down, be truly present and experience what the Andean way of life has to teach us. Although electricity came to the village in the last few years, few families can afford it, and Don Américo chose for Salk’awasi to go without it. Many of the old ways are preserved in Mollamarka. But who knows for how long? The opportunity to participate in the old dances Page 12 • March 2010
and healing rituals may soon become more limited. As in many Indigenous cultures, women are the keepers of the traditions and, for the most part, stay close to home. Through the Club of Mothers they watch out for the health of the children and the well-being of the community as a whole. In Mollamarka, the women are the backbone of the community, keeping
it stable, while most of the men range from the village, bringing back outside influences and argue politics. Healers like Doña Maria and her daughter Gumercinda work with the energy of plants in limpia, or clearing, rituals. And through these engagements, it’s quite possible to find yourself transformed in ways you can’t quite put your finger on, like I was years ago after a good stay at Salk’awasi. I had traveled there with a friend. It all started through a two-day clearing process. The first day involved the limpia ritual, giving it a rest overnight. The next day Doña Maria and Gumercinda returned about the same time. As before, we waited for them in the same place, with anticipation, for the completion of their work with us. First, it had been necessary to clear from us what debris we inadvertently carried with us to that place from the ordinary world. Being as pristine in that realm as possible, we were then prepared for the next aspect, a push to the left side. The left side is the place of connection, the realm of the Mystery, the feminine aspect of receptivity. From that side comes the experience of insight—not the mental noting of it—that can flood the right-sided life with richness previously not lived. Again, Gumercinda cleared the house with her smoking pan. Meanwhile, her mother deposited on the floor a ball of yarn and a few stalks of the same herb used the previous day. When her daughter had exited the room and returned, Doña Maria arranged the plants in a star shape on the floor. When she was satisfied with the arrangement, she stood. Inviting my friend to remove her shoes and socks, she motioned for her to come stand on top of the plants. Then, taking the yarn in her hand, Doña Maria put one end under the big toe of my friend’s foot. She began winding it around her body, until she encased her to the top of her head in a string shrouding that passed around her joints and major energy centers of the body. No sooner did Doña Maria complete the wrapping than she immediately begin to undo it, snapping the yarn and breaking it quickly with her hands at each Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
juncture of the body that she deemed necessary. All the while, she spoke softly and rapidly in Quechua, compelling the string to do its work as she stored the broken pieces in her other hand. After all string had been removed, Doña Maria used the yarn bundle to wipe my friend down from head to foot, much as she had the day before with the leaves. When done, she handed the yarn laden with heavy energy to Gumercinda, who was crouched on the floor to one side. Gumercinda hid the bundle in her skirts to contain it. My friend stepped back to her seat, her body relaxed. Doña Maria turned to me expectantly. I arose and moved to the ritual space. I felt the leaves cool underneath my bare feet, sticking to them as I shifted to find my balance. Closing my eyes, I perceived the narrow pressure of the yarn being wound around my big toe and continuing in intervals up my body, joining my legs together, pinning my arms to my sides, slightly cutting into the base of my throat and sealing my eyes shut. I was aware of a sense of feeling tied and cut off, something that was not unfamiliar to me in the past if I allowed myself to become unconsciously encased in the right-sided world. Immediately following that fleeting awareness, I began to experience both a literal and a metaphorical loosening and lessening. Hearing the snapping, the breaking of my ties and Doña Maria’s voice compelling something to let go, to shift, generated what I can only describe as an effervescent quality in the interior of my body that surrounded me as well. It was as though something was opened inside that was flowing outward in gentle waves. I knew from past experience this sensation to be an expansion of my subtle energy field. But it was different somehow. The brushing of the wool over my head and face signaled to me that Doña Maria was collecting any remnants of heaviness that may have remained in my field. When I felt the yarn softly scratching my feet, I knew she was done. I opened my eyes and sensed rather than saw her deliver the soiled package to Gumercinda, who immediately departed from the room, the hucha, or heavy energy, safely Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
Photo by Carla Woody The Dance of the Ancients is performed for visitors.
restrained in her closely held skirts. Doña Maria gathered her simple instruments, dipped her head to us, and soon left as well. Seated once again, I began to detach myself from my surroundings. But before I completely moved into a meditative state, I heard Don Américo remark that a man was waiting to run swiftly all the way down to the river to deposit the hucha. The river would cleanse the heaviness, eventually carrying anything remaining to the sea where it would be dispersed. A few hours later when we made our daily journey up the mountain to witness the transition of the day, I remarked to my friend that I felt like I had just emerged squeaky clean from a long, hot shower.* As healing as it is to undertake these rituals, engaging with the children of Mollamarka is just as nourishing. Their open, smiling faces and abject curiosity remind us that we can rediscover that in ourselves. One time a woman from the even higher mountain arrived hurriedly with her newborn. Having heard that our
group of waikis was staying at Salk’awasi, she wanted us to name her child and conduct the baptism. Such was the trust and honor we were afforded.† Another time, when our group was walking on a nearby mountain trail, we came across several giggling young boys carrying huge burlap sacks full of some bounty they kept from us. The next day during festivities, they performed the Dance of the Ancients, the contents of their bags, gathered from the land, turned into the costumes they wore. Such are just a few memorable times in an out-of-the-way village in the Peruvian Andes, the generous people who make it home with traditions that, I hope, still have a long life ahead. For more information on Spiritual Travel to Peru: The Heart of the Andes and the work of Carla Woody, visit www. kenosis.net and www.kenosisspiritkeepers.org or call 928-778-1058. *
Excerpted from Standing Stark: The Willingness to Engage by Carla Woody. † Waiki is a Quechua term of endearment, used freely, for a cherished friend, brother or sister. March 2010 • Page 13
‘Documenting’ ancient cultures
Petroglyphs date from 6000 to 1000 B.C.
L
ong before Juan Bautista de Anza made his exploratory trek from the Royal Presidio of San Ignacio de Tubac to Royal Presidio of San Carlos de Monterey in Alta, Calif., in 1774, Southern Arizona and California were home to numerous Native American cultures. These indigenous peoples left their mark upon the land—quite literally. Anza had the great privilege of being the first foreigner— European—to make the journey of about 1,200 miles across the Arizona and California deserts. His route was the first overland path established by foreigners to connect New Spain with San Francisco. Along the way, Anza encountered, among others, the Hohokam, Tohono O’odham, Opas, Gila, Patayan, Chumash, Tongva, Ohlone and Yuma cultures. Without help from the Native American tribes he met along the way, his expedition may not have been so successful. In a scene that played and replayed throughout the Americas, the Natives welcomed and assisted Anza, not realizing it was the beginning of the end of their way of life. Today, only small pockets of the numerous, once thriving Native American cultures remain. The remnants of their civilizations can be found scattered throughout the landscape as ruins, pottery sherds and rock art.
Story and Photos by Ann Haver-Allen
Painted Rock The Painted Rock Petroglyph Site in Southern Arizona, where more than 800 petroglyphs decorate the weathered basalt boulders, is one of 6,000 to 8,000 known rock art locations in the state. More than 40 petroglyph sites are found in this area west of Gila Bend, but the petroglyphs at Painted Rock are the most accessible, densest and most impressive. This isolated area is the first petroglyph site in Arizona to be documented by Europeans. In the mid-1700s, Jacobo Sedelmayer, a Jesuit missionary and explorer, wrote in his dairy of the rock art in the Painted Rocks Mountains. The petroglyphs are attributed to the Page 14 • March 2010
Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
Hohokams, although petroglyphs are difficult to date. Ruins of Hohokam villages have been found in the surrounding area in all four directions. Archaeological evidence is very subtle and fragile, but estimates date these petroglyphs from 6000 to 1000 B.C. The Painted Rock Petroglyph Site is on the eastern edge of the Painted Rock Mountains, about 18 miles west of Gila Bend. Most of the petroglyphs are concentrated on the boulders along the eastern edge near the parking lot, but the petroglyphs face in all directions from that edge. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Anza passed this way, and in the 1800s so did the Mormon Battalion during the Mexican-American War and the Butterfield Overland Mail Route, which provided the first overland mail service route from the Mississippi River to San Francisco. Both of these trails followed the Gila Trail, which was used by prehistoric peoples. In the 1840s thousands of people used the Gila Trail as a route to the gold fields in California. In the early 1900s George Patton used the area as headquarters for World War II tank training. The “accomplishments” of Anza are commemorated by the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail and several historical re-enactments in various towns along the trail. Additionally, an educational Web site (Web de Anza) targeted to school children is dedicated to Anza’s trek. The only monuments to the Native Americans are those left by their ancestors. Ruins and petroglyphs are important to indigenous people today just as they
Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
were hundreds of years ago. Altering the natural landscape can be offensive to contemporary tribal members who still visit these places as their ancestors did. And, please, do not touch petroglyphs. The oil in your hands can deface the images.
If you go The Painted Rock Petroglyph Site is maintained by the Bureau of Land Management. Picnic tables, barbecue grills, steel fire rings and a vault toilet are provided for picnicking and primitive camping. A ramada is available for group activities. No potable water, trailer hook-ups or dump stations are provided—these facilities are available nearby in Gila Bend. During October through April, a campground host is on site. Camping is $8 per night. Sixty individual sites and two group sites are available. Checkout is 2 p.m. Winter temperatures vary from freezing at night to near 80° during daytime. Summer temperatures vary from near 70° at night to near 120° during daytime. Drinking water is not provided at Painted Rock Petroglyph Site, so bring plenty. To get there: Exit Interstate 8 at Painted Rock Dam Road (Exit 102) approximately 12.5 miles west of Gila Bend. Travel north on Painted Rock Dam Road (paved) 10.7 miles to Rocky Point Road (unpaved). Painted Rock Petroglyph Site is 0.6 miles west of Painted Rock Dam Road on Rocky Point Road.
March 2010 • Page 15
Story and photos by Ann Haver-Allen When driving Route 66 through Oatman, motorists have to share the road with pedestrians and burros.
Oatman keeps Old West alive
R
ecently, we took a daytrip to Oatman, Arizona. Oatman is a living history town that provides a glimpse into what life was like for common folk in the Old West. Oatman is an “official” ghost town and it’s the only town I know of where wild burros share the streets with pedestrians, motorcycles and automobiles.
History Oatman is a former mining town in the Page 16 • March 2010
Black Mountains of Mohave County. The town’s story began in 1902 when gold was first discovered. At the time, Oatman was a tent camp for miners. It was initially called Vivian after the Vivian Mining Co., which was the town’s first mine. In its heyday, from the early 1900s to the 1940s, Oatman and the nearby town of Gold Road were the largest producers of gold in the state of Arizona. About $36 million in gold came out of Oatman’s mines. Businesses to service the miners sprang up, including the Drulin Hotel, built in 1902. A narrow gauge rail line served the
town between 1903 and 1905, transversing 17 miles of mountains and desert to reach the Colorado River near Needles, Calif. The town changed its name in 1909 to honor Olive Oatman, a young Mormon girl who had been kidnapped by the Apaches after they massacred her family. The Apaches traded her to the Mojave Indians, with whom she lived for five years. In Mojave tradition, Olive was tattooed on the chin to indicate her slave status. She was rescued in 1857 near the site of the town. The town’s second mine, the Tom Reed Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
Mine, was established in 1910 at a time when the Vivian Mine was about to close. In 1915, two prospectors struck a $10 million gold find and within one year the population exploded to 3,500. Soon, the town had dozens of businesses, including its own newspaper, the Oatman Miner. The boom was short-lived, however. A fire in 1921 burned down many of the smaller buildings and three years later, the mining company pulled out. The town managed to stay alive because of Route 66—a U.S. highway originally connecting Chicago to Los Angeles that encompassed more than 2,400 miles. In the 1920s when Route 66 was being built, Oatman exerted its considerable influence as a mining town with clout and successfully campaigned to have the road pass through Oatman. So, Route 66 journeyed up through the Sitgreaves pass via many hairpin turns and switchbacks. By 1930, Oatman had two banks, seven hotels, 20 saloons and 10 stores. Almost 20,000 people lived in the area. But two more major setbacks were on the horizon for Oatman. The first was World War II and the second was improvements to Route 66. During World War II, the government needed metals other than gold, so miners were relocated and the Oatman mines were closed. Then, in 1952 when improvements were being made to Route 66, the highway was rerouted to avoid the steep mountain grades and Oatman was bypassed. Oatman was soon reduced to a ghost town.
Oatman was reduced to a ghost town when Route 66 was rerouted to avoid the steep mountain grades and the town was bypassed. Signs of the town’s prosperous mining past are everywhere.
Ghost town Oatman is a town that was built for and by working-class people. To me, that’s one of the appealing facets about it. Oatman’s working-class roots have also helped the town survive all the ups and downs over the years. Historians often clamor to save the mansions and monuments of the wealthy, but rarely are they interested in the preserving a slave cabin or a mining shack. For example, the Riordan Mansion State Historic Park in Flagstaff is a 13,000 square-foot, 40-room residence. The Jerome State Historic Park was formerly the Douglas Mansion. Built in 1916, the mansion had a wine cellar, Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
March 2010 • Page 17
Route 66 through Oatman is used by pedestrians, motorcycles, cars and burros.
billiard room, marble showers, steam heat and a central vacuum system. Both are under state care, although that doesn’t mean much in this economy. The Jerome State Historic Park is currently closed and the Douglas Mansion is in desperate need of repairs. But for a real ostentatious monument to wealth, check out Scotty’s Castle in Death Valley National Park. This twostory Spanish villa contains many lavish “toys,” including a chimes tower with a set of 25 carillon chimes set to play on the quarter-hour and a music room that features a huge Welte-Mignon theater organ with more than 1,000 pipes. (For a story about Scotty’s Castle, see the April, week one, edition of EarthOdysseyOnline.) How many people ever live this way and why is there a compelling desire to envy them through the ages? What good does it do to preserve the relics of the super rich and forget all about the working class upon whose shoulders their wealth was built? No, Oatman is much more realistic, Page 18 • March 2010
more fun, more real. Even its ghosts lack the luster of wealth, although a famous movie-star couple is among them.
Ghosts Oatman’s most famous ghost is “Oatie.” He resides in the Oatman Hotel, which was first named the Drulin Hotel and survived the fire of 1921. The Oatman Hotel is the oldest two-story adobe structure in Mohave County and is a historical landmark. Oatie is believed to be an Irish miner named William Ray Flour. The story goes that his family died on their way to America and in his distress Oatie drank himself to death and died behind the hotel. His body wasn’t discovered for two days and then he was hastily buried near the spot where he was found. Today, Oatie hangs out in his old room at the hotel where he is credited with opening the window and pulling covers off the bed. He is often heard playing his
bagpipe around the hotel. In the Theater Room Museum on the second floor, distinct outlines of bodies have been found in the dust on the beds there, although it appears nothing in the surrounding area is disturbed. Staffers think a former chambermaid, who is often spotted in the room, is the sleeping spirit. This brings us to Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, who spent their 1939 wedding night in the Oatman Hotel’s honeymoon suite after being married in Kingman. The couple loved the hotel and frequently returned for the peace and solitude. Gable was known to spend many a night gambling with the miners. Apparently, the Hollywood couple loved the hotel so much, that they still visit. The hotel is filled with period memorabilia and the Gable/Lombard Room is furnished as it was when they visited all those years ago. Staff say that they have often heard them whispering and laughing from the Gable/Lombard Room. One photographer reported that Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
Oatman’s post office is still operational.
when he took a picture of the empty room, a ghostly figure of a man appeared on the developed print. But every old western town has a ghost or two, and no doubt, Oatman is an authentic Old West town, complete with gunfights staged on the weekends.
Burros While the original Route 66 still winds its way though town, drivers have to be patient because they are not the only ones on the road. In fact, pedestrians who constantly amble back and forth across the street use the road more like a sidewalk. And then there are the burros that come to town to panhandle. Oatman’s burros are opportunists who don’t easily take no for an answer. They are not interested in posing for your photos or being petted. They are interested in handouts. Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
The burros are descendants of the animals brought by miners in the late 1800s. When the miners no longer needed them, they turned them loose, and well, they have thrived over the years. The burros live in the hills surrounding Oatman and they come into town every morning looking for food. Shops sell “burro chow” and carrots, which the burros love—and they are not shy in making their desire known. They spend the day wandering the streets of Oatman, eating their fill of carrots and entertaining the tourists and then shortly before sunset they wander back into the hills for the night. Visitors are asked not to feed carrots to the baby burros because they can choke. Stickers are placed on their heads to help identify the burros that should not be fed. Oatman receives more than 500,000 visitors a year. The town’s gold-mining history and its burros draw tourists. In the late 1980s, Route 66 enjoyed
resurgence in popularity. Tourists from the world over began visiting Route 66 towns, including Oatman. The town has been used as the location for several movies, including “How the West Was Won,” “Foxfire,” and “Edge of Eternity.” Walk along the wooden sidewalks and peruse the shops. Shopkeepers offer a wide variety of products, including handmade leather goods, Indian jewelry and knives. Most of the traditional tourist fare, including Route 66 memorabilia, wind chimes and T-shirts are available. The Ghost Riders Gunfighters perform Wild West Shootouts twice a day on the weekends and are also available for “shotgun weddings” and “stage coach holdups,” otherwise known as Tour Bus Robberies. A stable provides guided horseback rides and stagecoach tours. See page 20 for a list of scheduled events in Oatman. For more information, contact the Oatman Chamber of Commerce, at 928-768-6222. March 2010 • Page 19
Oatman events March 13 St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Festival April 21–25 Laughlin River Run & Biker Festival May 29–31 Memorial Day Weekend: Chili Cook Off and Pie Eating Contest June 12 Red, White and Blue Festival Commemorating Flag Day Festival July 4 Independence Day Weekend: 20th An-
Page 20 • March 2010
nual July 4th Sidewalk Egg Fry Festival—On the sidewalks of Old Historic Route 66, participants have 15 minutes to make the most edible fried egg. The Chamber of Commerce provides two official eggs and a piece of foil. The fryers can use any type of solar heat: mirrors, magnifying glasses, etc. Winners are selected in several categories and rewarded with medals and prizes. Categories include: showmanship (costumes and gizmos and gadgets), youngest fryer, and fryer who has traveled the farthest. Participants frequently come from across the United States. No charge to enter. Just show up. Participants are responsible for protecting their eggs from the burros.
Aug. 14 Oatman Route 66 Celebration and Summer Festival Sept. 4–6 Labor Day Weekend: Gold Camp Days Parade, 2 p.m., Saturday Sept. 4 Oct. 9 Halloween Festival and Pumpkin Carving Nov. 1–30 Fall Festival: Christmas Bush and Store Lighting Contest Dec. 12 Christmas Lane Parade and Festival 2 p.m., Route 66, Downtown Oatman
Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
All time and location information is correct at publication. Please call the facility in advance to verify that no changes have occurred in the interim.
Recurring Events Fourth Annual Rachel Carson ‘Sense of Wonder’ Contest—The categories are poetry, photography, essays and dance. The contest seeks to instill a sense of wonder for the environment among all generations and spur environmental stewardship. Entries must be from a team of two or more persons from both younger and older generations. The deadline is June 16, 2010. Winners will be announced in October 2010. The public will have the opportunity to vote among the finalists for the winners in each category. For more information, see www.epa. gov/aging/resources/thesenseofwonder/index.htm. Celiac (gluten free) Support Group, Payson. We will provide important resources and information for people on gluten-free diets. Snacks will be provided from Gluten Free
Creations Bakery in Phoenix! Contact Christine for more information 928-595-2379. Monday nights, 7 p.m.—Self Search/Channeled Readings, The Way To The Light Within, Phoenix. This class has been going on for over 12 years now. In the first part of the class, Dominique uses her psychic ability and StarWheel™ tiles to give each participant a mini reading. Bring your questions about anything you want to know, because in the second part of the class Dominique connects to her own as well as your guides, to get answers and guidance for you. Dominique is also a medium and can connect with and give you information from departed loved ones or friends. $20, Call 602-279-2941 to reserve your place. Saturdays, 9 a.m., Cottonwood, Prescott Valley, Scottsdale, Flagstaff and Kingman—Saturday Solar Seminars presented by Arizona Solar Power. Learn about solar energy for your home. Listen to a presentation on the most up-to-date products,
how they work, and how they can save homeowners and even businesses money! Question and answer session follows, so you’re sure to leave with a greater knowledge of solar and how it can be one of the smartest investments you’ll make for yourself and the future. Call to reserve your place at either of our great locations: Cottonwood 928-634-7341, Prescott Valley/Dewey 928-632-5525, Scottsdale 480-607-5339, Flagstaff 928-774-0753, Kingman 877-496-0167. First Saturday of each month, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Prescott—Children’s Clinic: Free Vibrational Realignment (spiritual healing) sessions will be offered to children at Mountain Spirit Co-Op, 107 N. Cortez St. No appointment necessary. Donation requested. More info, call Michael Davis at 928-2540775. Sundays, 4 p.m.–5:30 p.m., Tucson—West African Drumming Classes with Martin Klabunde. Learn West African rhythms on Djembe and Dununs. Drums available for
class use. Please RSVP. Drum Priority will go to those who RSVP. $75/4 weeks, drop in fee $20. Ask about our reduced rate referral program. For more information, call Martin at 520-245-4547.
Nonrecurring Events March 5, 8 p.m.–8:30 p.m., Tucson—Sacred Drumming Healing Ceremony. A formal ceremony using the drum as a tool for spiritual awakening and transformation. They provide participants an opportunity to put teachings into action. Experience a genuine healing drum ceremony. Learn to use the drum as the heartbeat of Mother Earth and doorway to the Universe! $10 per person. The Ranch, 3742 N Edith Blvd. 520-2454547, martin@kalumba.org, kalumba.org. March 6, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. and March 7, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Flagstaff—Holistic Wellness Faire 2010, Bringing Together Mind, Body, Spirit. Come out and experience a weekend of wellness, fun, relaxation, entertainment and learning! More than 50
Complete Prenatal, Home Birth and Postpartum Care
Free Initial Consultation 928-776-8033 • 928-710-0146
midwife4az@yahoo.com www.myhomebirth.shutterfly.com Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
March 2010 • Page 21
alternative practitioners, body and energy workers, intuitives, wellness products and more. PLUS: Free workshops, speakers and performances! $5 admission. Featuring musicians Sunny Heartley and Linda Ayers & Aziz. Sunny is a reknown flautist, composer, recording and producing artist. Linda Ayers & Aziz will perform original songs on Native American flutes, guitar and sitar. Location: High Country Conference Center, 201 W. Butler, Flagstaff. For more info, including a schedule of speakers and performances, see www.azholisticevents.com. March 6-7, 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Estrella Mountain Regional Park—Tres Rios Nature and Earth Festival is an annual two-day outdoor event that focuses on the rich diversity of wildlife, habitat, history and culture of the Gila River drainage. Event highlights include a fishing clinic, bird watching, wildlife displays, canoe trips, hiking tours, historical and nature education displays, children’s activities, and entertainment from local entertainers. There will be food and craft items for sale. Admission is free. For more info, see www.tresriosnaturefestival.com on the Internet or call 623-932-2260. March 8, 5:30 p.m., Prescott—Free Lecture: The Way of Mastery, Mountain Spirit Co-Op Conference Room, 107 N. Cortez St. Join Michael Davis to explore the book “The Way of Mastery,” which is an incredible channeled supplement to Page 22 • March 2010
April 22, 7 p.m., Prescott—Piano Concert: Ancient and Sacred Music. Music of the Inner Search: Asian Songs, Eastern Orthodox Chants, Great Temple Hymns, and Dances of the Sayyids and Dervishes of G.I. Gurdjieff/Thomas de Hartmann. George Ivanovich Gurdjieff was born in Russian Armenia and traveled widely on a spiritual quest to remote places in the Middle East and Central Asia more than 100 years ago. During these journeys, he heard the music of many ethnic traditions at remote temples and monasteries as he studied their rituals, dance and music. Gurdjieff was convinced that this music preserved essential characteristics of different cultures and conveyed deeper religious meanings that cannot be expressed in words. Later, in collaboration with the composer Thomas de Hartmann, Gurdjieff ’s musical recollections evolved into hundreds of pieces of sacred piano music, not only for students in the Gurdjieff work, but for those who heard the music and were touched by its unique range of impressions. Stafford Ordahl, Pianist. Trinity Presbyterian Church, 630 Park Ave. (Park and Copper Basin). For tickets call 928-771-8998 or 928-925-0154. Email: 4thway.az@gmail.com or write to: Gurdjieff Foundation of Prescott, P.O. Box 3967, Prescott, AZ 86302.
the teachings of A Course in Miracles. Cost: Donation. For more info, call Michael Davis at (928) 254-0775. March 13–14—Second Annual Tucson Festival of Books, University of Arizona Campus. Flagstaff author and artist S.D. Nelson will be signing his new book, “Black Elk’s Vision: A Lakota Story.” Other authors who will be on hand for book signings include J.A. Jance, Elmore Leonard, Alice Hoffman, Dan Balz and many others. Attendance and parking are free. For more info, see http://tucsonfestivalofbooks.org. March 19, 7 p.m.–9 p.m., Tucson—Sacred Drumming for Transformation Workshop Series. These classes are designed to support the deep surrender to the Master
Within (your natural connection with the spirit). Participants learn sacred rhythms that correspond to specific intentions, and how to use the rhythms to release their own innate potential to heal. Each workshop is comprised of a dialogue with the facilitator together with hands-on rhythm instruction, and concludes with a powerful drumming ceremony. RSVP required. Cost: $15 520-2454547, martin@kalumba.org, kalumba.org/. March 26, 7 p.m.–8 p.m.,Tucson—The Shaman’s Drum: Meditation and Relaxation with Live Music. In these sessions, we use ancient and modern energy building techniques to help you to move into and maintain a newly-focused awareness. $15 per person. Ask about
our reduced rate Referral Program. The Ranch, 3742 N Edith Blvd. 520-2454547, martin@kalumba.org, kalumba.org. April 1 and April 8-10—Introduction to Wildlife Tracking, Yavapai College Verde Valley Campus. Sign up for Rec 102 11369. Two-hour orientation on April 1. Field trip on April 8-10. Three-day, two-night field trip. This is a fun, intense and in tents class. Instructors Bob Matthews and Matt Keating. For more info, call 928-308-6548 or send an e-mail to bmatt@ instructor.yc.edu. April 15 and April 2224—Introduction to Wildlife Tracking, Yavapai College Prescott Campus. Sign up for Rec 102 11267. Two-hour orientation on April 15. Field trip on April 22-24. Threeday, two-night field trip. This is a fun, intense and in tents class. Instructors Bob Matthews and Matt Keating. For more info, call 928-308-6548 or send an e-mail to bmatt@ instructor.yc.edu. July 19-Aug. 2—Spiritual travel to Peru working with internationally renowned mystic Don Américo Yábar, Gayle Yábar, Carla Woody, as well as Q’ero shamans and other healers. A Spirit Keepers Journey co-sponsored by Kenosis and Kenosis Spirit Keepers. A portion of tuition is tax-deductible going toward programs preserving Indigenous wisdom traditions. For more info, contact Kenosis at 928-778-1058 or info@kenosis.net. Visit www.kenosis.net.
Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
Prescott salon working toward organic hair care Business of the Month
E
lements Hair Gallerie on Sheldon Street in Prescott is dedicated to conducting business in a sustainable and environmentally friendly way. Owner Gesika Brown avoids the term “green” because she believes the term is so overused that it has developed a negative connotation, instead of the positive image it is intended to project. Gesika’s idea of sustainability and environmentally friendly practices means that when you can: you buy locally, use organic products, reuse instead of buying new and share your success. “If you can buy your vegetables for a dollar more at the farmer’s market, you should do it,” she said. “You are supporting somebody in your community.” Sustainability is really all about community at its heart, added Jaymi McDonald, a stylist at Elements Hair Gallerie. “I think it’s about education for people,” she said. “We have so many people who haven’t even tuned into sustainability. All they think about is getting the most they can at the cheapest price possible. They don’t seem to realize that they have businesses right here that are promoting and practicing
sustainability.” Going organic in the salon business has been a bit of a tightrope act, Gesika said. “We are pioneers as a salon,” she said. “We don’t even know ourselves yet where the lines are. We try to use products that satisfy both the glamour girls who still want to bleach their hair blonde, but also the natural girls who want to be chemical free. It’s definitely a challenge.” Gesika said that ideally researchers should seek to rediscover the natural alternatives used by women in the pre-chemical days. “You know that in ancient times they had compounds that were healthy and natural to make their hair shiny or curly…all the things that we do now, only using herbs and not chemicals.” When you step inside Elements Hair Gallerie you will realize immediately that you are not in a chain salon. The interior is decorated in thriftstore chic, which supports Gesika’s philosophy of reusing and repurposing instead of purchasing everything new. “Sustainability is about not wasting, but reusing things that we already have,” Gesika said. “For instance, the shelves on the front wall are drawers from an old dresser and they make a great shelving system.” Old doors and windows that provide a degree of privacy for the stylist and client define the three workstations in the salon. The workstations themselves are old dressers that have been refurbished. The washer and dryer were
Earth Odyssey • www.EarthOdysseyOnline.com
Photo by Ann Haver-Allen Gesika Brown, owner of Elements Hair Gallerie, applies organic hair polish to the hair of stylist Jaymi McDonald.
purchased at a thrift store, as were many of the other items. The chandeliers were purchased at a local antique store. The one in the bathroom is especially magnificent. Sharing success is also key to sustainability, Jaymi said. “What good is it to sustain our resources if we are not sustaining the human spirit?” she asked. “Sustainability and spirituality are inseparable. One leads to the other. Most people who are on the path of sustainability are spiritual people.” In support of that belief, Elements Hair Gallerie participates in community giving. “The first stylings that we did in this salon were women
from a local shelter,” Jaymi said. “They needed makeovers so that they could get jobs and improve their lives. They didn’t have money to pay, so we gave them.” Gesika added that blessings have to flow: when you give, you receive. “If the humans don’t survive because we can’t be nice to each other and help each other, it really doesn’t matter if there’s a planet left,” she said. Shahana Turpin is the newest member of the Elements Hair Gallerie design team. The Gallerie is located at 514 E. Sheldon St. To schedule an appointment with Gesika, Jaymi or Shahana, call 928778-0812. March 2010 • Page 23
New Zealand’s ‘cosmetic cop’
Expert in natural skin care shares knowledge very potent, cosmetic-grade herbal extracts in a very pure ate Robertson form. It has global sales ramifiis a star. With cations. more than One of Robertson’s biggest two decades of strengths is her deep underin-depth skin standing of the true science care wisdom and knowledge, behind skin care. Just because Robertson is New Zealand’s something may be natural answer to American “cosmetic doesn’t mean it’s necessarily cop” Paula Begoun, albeit with brilliant (lanolin is a big case a natural twist. in point with sheep drenched At age 42 (but looking a and living in chemical environgood decade younger), Kate has ments). devoted her entire life to absorbShe said that cutting-edge ing every ounce of information modern technology can bring possible about natural skin care. real enhancements to natural Now that knowledge skin care products. radiates out through several Robertson knows there is streams—including a unique plenty of dodgy stuff on both bespoke service formulating sides of the skin care counter— incredible natural creams and natural and scientific—and lotions for clients. that a whole raft of ingredients Robertson also runs a groovy get sold simply so manufaccentral city business called Courtesy photo turers can make label claims, Kate Robertson has devoted her life to learning about natural skin care. Urban Botanica selling plantrather than offering therapeubased cosmetic ingredients to tic value. herbal and mainstream manufacturers; she tutors students in Robertson hasn’t bought a skin care product for her own skin herbal medicine and the art of inner beauty at Wellpark Colfor 20 years: Seeing the damage even prestigious brands can do is lege of Natural Therapies and consults with skin care companies just part of the issue. about new formulations. “It’s amazing how simple things work,” said Robertson as she Robertson also conducts classes teaching people how to make tells compelling stories of clients and students amazed with the their own skin care products. effectiveness of the all-natural formulations she prepares. In the big picture, she dreams of turning her 65 acres of Just one story is the nasty skin virus molluscum contagiosum, Northland New Zealand wilderness into fields of exotic plants which can linger for years, but is gone in days with her natural for worldwide cosmetic ingredient sale. preparations. Robertson’s story begins growing up on a country orchard. Secure enough to pass on what she’s learned to students, Long interested in organic horticulture, at age 18 she began forRobertson devotes one day a week to teaching at Wellpark Colmulating her own skin care products before moving to Auckland lege: she tutors in herbal medicine, herbal pharmacology, botany, to train as a beautician. Later, she returned to work for a Northmanufacturing and materia medica (www.wellpark.co.nz). land skin care manufacturer. She’s particularly proud of the required textbook for herbalists “I soon realized that my real passion was actually in formulatthat she revised with Gil Painter—a New Zealander who is world ing skin care products, rather than working on women’s faces,” renowned in herbal medicine—which passes on decades of both said Robertson, who is mother to three sons (Jesse, 21, a mewomen’s herbal manufacturing experience. chanic; Jordan, 19, a Northland scuba diver and foster son Alex, Robertson said her own youthful skin comes despite a life fully 21, a medic in Canada). lived. Her own regime involves twice daily cleanse and moisturNext came a foray working in laboratories in New Zealand ize; regular use of an exfoliant and a French clay mask; a daily and overseas, deepening her knowledge of skin care technology salad with vegetables from the garden and extra antioxidants and manufacturing. Then, she spent years qualifying in natural from spirulina, aloe juice and pine bark extract. therapies and herbal medicine. Her own home garden is a profusion of gorgeous and healing Robertson and a friend opened Urban Botanica in Auckland flowers and plants, while the dream that really keeps her awake at in 2008. Countless trial and error experimentations led Robertnight is transforming her corner of Northland New Zealand into son to develop breakthrough technology in being able to produce a global beauty garden.
by Kimberley Paterson
K