Lucuma 02

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Editor Steven Nicolaides

Design New Gaia Designs

Writers Adriana Wigderowitz

www.soul-clearing.com Irene Arango www.blissbites.co.uk Steven Nicolaides www.lucuma.co.uk

Front & Back Cover ‘The Other Side’ by Louis Dyer

www.plaguedbyimages.com

Advertising papillon@lucuma.co.uk

Om Noms, Goodies, Adornments creamy@lucuma.co.uk

www.lucuma.co.uk

© Lúcuma No part of this magazine can be reproduced without our permission

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Information in Lúcuma is for information only and no part of it is a substitute for health diagnosis, care or treatment. Lúcuma and its contributors, editors and related parties are not responsible in any way for the actions or results taken by any person, organisation or any party on basis of reading information, stories contributions or advertisements in this publication, website or related product.

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HIGH o, here it is LĂşcuma 2. Creating this issue reminded me of the great musicians and bands of the 1960s and 1970s who released a classic album and then knocked out another classic in the same year. It was only October since the first issue!

Gratitude

Thanks to all those who love what we are doing and those who share the magazine via social media. We received over 6000 views since October 15th through this alone. Also deep gratitude and blessings to the talented contributors who make this magazine possible.

Celestial Brilliance This is a great time to connect to nature, in particular the stars through trees.

I love leaning back against them and looking up at the lapis blue skies. Their black naked branches reaching up to the heavens gathering cosmic energy and grounding it in the earth.

There is a lot of interesting cosmic movement at this time, both for the solstice and other cycles ushering in a new age which makes it easier to receive the gentle whisper of the stars. For me it feels like snow falling from the stars, like cosmic stardust with messages of new perspectives on human existence.

Wow after Wow after Wow...Now I feel 2013 is the year things really start to take off, where spirituality, alternative views, veganism and multi dimensionality will start to become mainstream.

We will also start to see the beginings of things considered super natural becoming common place - miracles, alien contact even buddhas and other enlightened teachers will be more present and visible in our society.

A note from Steven Nicolaides (founder of LĂşcuma Magazine)

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OM NOMS THE RAW CHOCOLATE COMPANY HAVE GOT CHRISTMAS IN THE TUBE! These raw chocolate coated Mulberries are straight from the realms of deliciousness! A world of sensuous ecstatic flavours awaits you! Easily one of the best chocolate snacks I’ve ever eaten, and no wonder its already considered a classic in raw chocolate circles.

The seasonal packaging is lovely too making this a fantastic Christmas gift.

If that isn’t enough, Raw Chocolate Company have kindly given us a discount code to receive 10% all purchases on their website until December 31st!

Price: £4.99 GBP www.therawchocolatecompany.com

10% Discount code for you!

Just enter TC102012 (case sensitive) And receive the discount on all purchases on the Raw Chocolate Company website.

Unlike the Mayan Calender Valid until the end of 2012

RAW CHOCOLATE COVERED MULBERRIES, GOJI BERRY AND RAISIN VARIETIES IN POUCHES. Mulberries 100g £3.49 200g £5.89 Goji berries 100g £3.99 200g £6.89 Raisins 100g £2.99 200g £5.19

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LETS RAWR!!

Rawr have released this lovely light caramel tasting raw chocolate bar ‘Christmas Gold’ We adore the cute doodles on the packaging as much as the chocolate itself.

Another favourite of ours is the ‘Zest’ bar which is a chocolate orange and carob bar!

If you really want to be good to someone you can get them a gift bar collection with 2-8 bars of your choice! www.rawrchoc.com

tt RAWR CHRISTMAS GOLD BAR £2.45 GBP

pp RAWR GIFT BAR COLLECTIONS From: £5.05 To: £19.75 GBP

tt RAWR ZEST BAR £2.45 GBP

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FLORA TEA IT’S BLOOMING MARVELLOUS Many of you may all ready be familiar with dried flower teas, where the hot water causes the flower to open - but Flora tea are taking that to the next level! Each elaborate flower arrangement is hand made and tied together with a fine piece of string. Once the hot water is poured over the flower ball it starts to unfold before your eyes and the amazing structure is revealed. There are eight different teas in the ‘Premier flowering teas collection’ The most spectacular of which has to be ‘Flying Snow’ where coconut fruit fibres are spewed out from the flower like a snow globe! Flora teas also taste as good as they look, my favourite is the ‘Flower Lover’.

Each premium flora Tea comes individually packaged, and wrapped in 5, 10 and 20 packs that can be brewed in a glass or teapot. Water can be topped up to make more that one cup from each tea heart.

See a video of these wonderful Flora Teas in action: > Watch www.floratea.co.uk

tt FLOWER LOVER Green tea, Jasmine, Chrysanthemum, Globe Amaranth £14.95 GBP for pack of 10

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pp LILY FAIRY Green Tea, Lily, Jasmine £14.95 GBP for pack of 10 pp BUTTERFLY LONG FOR FLOWER Green tea, Jasmine, Chrysanthemum, Globe Amaranth £10.95 GBP for pack of 10

pp FLYING SNOW Green tea, Calendula, Coconut fruit fibre £16.95 GBP for pack of 10

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YOUR MOTHER SHOULD KNOW Organic unfiltered, pressed apple juice is used to make this ‘RAW Health’ Cider Vinegar with ‘mother’. The ‘mother’ is the sediment at the bottom where all the magic happens. It contains live enzymes and friendly bacteria (as this is a raw unfiltered and unpasteurised product).

The flavour is very mild and fruity and works well used in salad dressings and vinaigrettes. We also love the non-drip pouring spout, a great plus as some vinegar bottles tend to get their lids stuck.

Price: £2.00 - £2.39 GBP www.rawhealth.uk.com

BEING SQUARE IS NOW COOL A delicious healthy alternative to fried crisps. These crisps from Gourmet raw are made from a base of buckwheat (which is gluten free) flax seeds, vegetables and depending on the variety, various herbs and spices. It’s quite amazing how perfectly flat and square these crisps are and incredibly for a dehydrated product they have a little crunchiness to them as well!

Price for 12 bags: £23.88 GBP www.gourmetraw.com

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OH JOY, RAW VEGAN CHRISTMAS C AKE! InSpiral’s new Raw Christmas Cake tastes just as good as any traditional Christmas cake, if not better, with the bonus of being healthier! It’s wheat free, gluten free, soya free, and contains no added sugar. The cake is made up of three layers. A spiced raw fruit sponge base, a centre of delicious marzipan and finally topped with a coconut creme frosting!

The addition of goji berries to the more traditional raisins and sultanas gives the cake an interesting twist and I adore the light coconut creme top.

Price £39.00 GBP for a whole cake of 14 slices, Individual slices available at the inSpiral Lounge cafe in Camden, London, England.

Cakes are for collection from the Camden inSpiral Lounge. www.inspiralled.net

InSpirals Raw Christmas Cake - Looks a bit like a ship from this angle!

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BOX OF 6 ARTISAN RAW GOLD, FRANKINCENSE AND MYRRH CHOCOLATES InSpiral’s special Christmas gift - raw chocolates of frankincense, myrrh and topped with real 23ct Gold edible flakes!

Price: £7.95 GBP www.inspiralled.net

RAW MINCE PIE Having triumphed with the Christmas cake, InSpiral have another treat for us, a mince pie fit for the 21st century. It’s raw its vegan and its just wow! Made from a gluten free, buckwheat flour and lúcuma crust and filled with tangy Incan berries and other dried fruits. In case you’re wondering the white dusting in coconut powder!

Price: £2.20 GBP www.inspiralled.net

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UNPASTEURISED RAW SAUERKRAUT Fermented foods contain health-boosting lacto bacteria, which supports both the digestive and immune systems.

They are also rich in enzymes and vitamins and easy to digest. Where Raw Healths version of sauerkraut differs is that it is organic and unpasteurised (Pasteurisation can reduce the beneficial properties of the product).

“As an unpasteurised sauerkraut, this product requires a special lid to allow it to continue to ferment. We recommend using a round tipped knife or similar utensil to lever up the edge. It should then be possible to peel off the lid”.

Raw Health recommends consuming the contents of the jar within 3-4 days after opening.

Price: £3.19 - £3.49 GBP www.rawhealth.uk.com

PURPLE BALANCE RAW GREEN PROTEIN Often protein and superfood blends suffer from lacking in the taste department.

Thankfully this blend of raw protein rich and superfood ingredients happens to taste good as well even, with the chlorella , spirulina and barleygrass powder.... Just add to smoothies or desserts to enjoy the benefits.

Price: For 1.1kg £47.99 GBP www.purplebalancesuperfoods.com

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THE BEST PESTO IN THE WORLD.... EVER! This is not a new product but since Lúcuma wasn’t around when Seggiano’s raw vegan Basil Pesto burst onto the scene, we just had to include it. On occasion I have spent almost ten minutes scraping every last morsal of this delicious pesto awesomness out of an empty jar with a knife - yes it really is that good.

Price: £4.99- £5.99 GBP www.seggiano.com

cherry Christmas Organic, wild, sun dried golden and sweet cherries soaked overnight in agave, then mixed with chocolate.

Mmm tastes good to me! ‘Cherry Christmas’ to you too Conscious!

Price: £3.12 GBP www.consciouschocolate.co.uk

BAOBAB HAS NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD Baobab is easily my favourite superfood, and it’s not because it contains more iron than red meat, or that it contains six times more antioxidants than blueberries. It is the fact that it tastes good! It’s almost too good to be true that something so healthy tastes of lemon sherbert!

I also just adore this packaging artwork, which captures the spirit of Africa and Baobab so well.

Price: £17.99 GBP Also available in sachets and capsules www.aduna.com # 2

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GOODIES ‘SPIRALZ’ VEGETABLE SLICER BY JUICELAND A valuable tool for the committed raw food enthusiast which allows you to create fine noodles out of vegetables such as courgette, cucumber, daikon radish or carrot.

These noodles can be used in raw pasta/noodle dishes (see Irene Arangos Spiralz recipes in the recipe section). This is Juiceland’s own brand vegetable slicer. Unlike other Spiralizers, this vegetable slicer comes with 4 blades instead of 3 and this increases its versatility. One blade is permanently fitted to the machine and allows the creation of spiral ribbons, or for shredding cabbage. Three further blades are included which can be interchanged - a 1mm fine blade for delicate raw Angel Hair spaghetti, a 2.5mm blade and a 4mm coarse blade. For those who are catering its even possible to connect a cordless drill or screwdriver to spiralise your way through large volumes of vegetables!

We love the green colour which makes a change from the boring white. Plus it’s on currently on sale from an already good regular price!

Price: £49.95 GBP www.juiceland.co.uk

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MANGOS ARE GO! What’s the best thing about mangos? The soft delicious flesh right? What’s the worse thing? Getting at that delicious flesh past that massive hard kernel in the centre!

Well this cutter from Gefu can remove it for you! Just cut a small slice from the bottom end of the mango so it can sit flat on the work surface, then place the cutter on top and press down. The mango cutter will cut around the kernel leaving the flesh!

Price: £6 - 8 GBP depending on retailer www.gefu.com

PORTABLE SPIRAL SLICER This product from Gefu is an essential for every raw fooder who travels or for quick vegetable noodles in the home. Made from sturdy stainless steel and plastic and measuring just 5cm wide x 10cm in length you can easily take this slicer on the road to create julienne strips from firm vegetables such as carrot, cucumber, radish, sweet potato and courgette. This beauty of a product was tried and tested by a travelling raw fooder friend of mine. On a recent trip to Glastonbury she whipped this out at lunch time and turned out some courgette and sweet potato noodles from the vegetables we just bought at the farmers market. She has taken this product all over the world from the jungles of Brazil to the islands of Greece creating quick, nutritious and delicious dishes!

The Gefu Spiral slicer can create strips of two sizes 2mm and 3mm from the sharp stainless steel Japanese blades.

Price: approx £17.50 GBP depending on retailer www.gefu.com

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LETS BE ODD! SKY ODD ECO FRIENDLY WATER BOTTLES Extremely cool new food grade stainless steel bottles.

They come in a wide choice of funky bold colours (with non-toxic paints), and we adore the Scandinavian styling which is reflective of the brands roots. The bottle comes with 2 tops - one as shown and a sports top for quick hydration on the go.

They have a 600ml capacity, they are ethically made, BPA (Bisphenol-A) free, fit most cup holders and off course are 100% reusable and recyclable.

Price: ÂŁ12.00 GBP www.skyodd.co.uk

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Grolsch Goblets (2 pack) Finally something good coming from beer bottles!

These goblets are made from the iconic 450ml swing top Grolsch beer bottle, transformed into stylish and unique drinking glasses! A green juice in a green glass anyone?

Price: ÂŁ11.99 GBP www.nigelsecostore.com

Eco CORK iPad Sleeve Made from FSC-certified fabric-backed cork, this cover will keep your iPad safe from harm when packed in a bag, or in your hand. Designed by TAPE. Price: ÂŁ17.99 GBP www.nigelsecostore.com

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SWALLOW MOBILE This beautiful kinetic mobile captures the swoops and swerves of swallows in flight.

Made by Flensted Mobiles, a Danish family-run business using traditional techniques and materials. They have been making mobiles since 1954, and each one is expertly hand crafted from cardboard, wire and thread.

Price: £12.95 GBP www.nigelsecostore.com

UPDATING THE CLASSICS As a greek cypriot I am very pleased this book exists. Learn how to make raw vegan versions of classic greek dishes such as Taramasalata (‘fish’ less roe dip), Dolmadakia (stuffed vine leaves) Moussaka, Tzatziki, Keftedes (‘meat’less balls) and much more.

Price: £7.20 GBP www.therawgreek.com

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THE DEMONS TRIAL ‘The Demon’s Trial’ is a mystical tale about a man who decides to take time out to write about “animal ethics”, he doesn’t know what will happen but based on a dream he knows he needs to travel to Scotland and just write.

The book is a moving tale of a man’s conscience and how he has treated animals his whole life, the animals have come to haunt him in his little cottage. It is an exciting, comical, heart wrenching, frustrating and occasionally highly confusing diary of his two month sabbatical. At the beginning I couldn’t help myself from falling in love with the author, I felt a real sense of romanticism about his journey. By the end of it? I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusion.

It is well written and easy to follow, however you can’t help feeling there are hidden messages throughout and I may have missed the punch line! It reads like a weird sort of thriller, as I think I got the plot or did I? I am left asking numerous questions. I even wonder if he is sane, you will feel everything reading this book, its worth it for the emotional rollercoaster. The funny thing is I cannot help but feel that you are actually the driver of this roller-coaster somehow.

I was amazed to learn from the author that ninety five percent of it actually happened.

On a personal level, I read the book and felt myself asking questions about my/human/ societies treatment of animals especially pets which I had never thought about in this much detail. I can’t help thinking before I pass this book on I need to read it again to find more hidden messages and to aid my own thoughts about animals. It will get you thinking! - Review by Beenal Price: £11.66 GBP Publishers website

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ADORNMENTS CHEROKEE 1978 VINTAGE AUTO VINYL HANDBAG Tribal styles are currently back in fashion but this material was made back in the 1970s. This gorgeous vinyl with its Navajo Cherokee style in earthy colours has been waiting unused until now! Couch have made a pretty cool handbag out of it. It was originally intended to reupholster 1970’s Chrysler Jeep Cherokees so as a homage to its roots Couch have sewn a small square on the backside that has the Chrysler logo and stock number.

Inside, the bag is lined with brown canvas that has two sets of pockets, two large pockets that are silk screened with a Couch repeat pattern, and one small pocket for easy-access storage of your essentials like keys and phone. You can close this bag with the stainless steel centre magnet snap for security. $79.95 USD www.couchguitarstraps.com

tt CHEROKEE HANDBAG - Inside

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FASHION WANTS TO ASCEND TOO! ORGANIC COTTON TOP & JEANS FROM ASCENSION ONLINE OK its winter here in London but this combo we’ve put together from ascension is good enough to book a flight to tropics! Plus they have a fantastic sale on right now. www.ascensiononline.com tt JOAN TOP Tie Dye Top in 100% Organic Cotton with Tassle Tie Shoulder Straps & Gold Bead Detailing. £16.25 GBP www.ascensiononline.com tt ALEXIS STRAIGHT LEG JEAN Classic cut, stretch organic cotton denim jeans with regular rises and versatile straight leg shape. £21.25 GBP www.ascensiononline.com

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pp ORGANIC ENZA TIE DYE WRAP 55% Hemp, 45% Certified Organic Cotton Colour: Moonless Night, $37.70 USD

pp ORGANIC TIE DYE SERENGETI PANT 55% Hemp, 45% Certified Organic Cotton Colour : Eclipse $41.60 USD

FUNKY ORGANIC CASUAL WEAR FROM GRAMICCI Some bright beauties that caught our eye from organic outdoor and active clothing specialists Gramicci. www.gramicci.com

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ORGANIC BIRDS TEE 100% Certified Organic Cotton, Colour: Deep Ultramarine, $23.40 USD

pp ORGANIC KRIZA TIE-DYE LONG SLEEVE TEE 55% Hemp, 45% Certified Organic Cotton Colour : Turkish Tile $31.20 USD

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ORGANIC RISING SUN TEE 100% Certified Organic Cotton, Colour: Yucca, $23.40 USD

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Adornments

BAREFOOT BUDDHA JEWELLERY British brand Barefoot buddha have launched a new range of gemstone jewellery and we’ve picked out a couple of our favourites. www.barefootbuddha.co.uk

pp Barefoot Buddha Amethyst Protection Necklace Also available in other gemstones £78.00 GBP

pp Barefoot Buddha Aventurine Prosperity Bracelet - Sterling Silver Also available in other gemstones £36.00 GBP

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pp Rising Sun - Interconnected Celtic Knot Tree and Roots of Life Sterling Silver Pendant $39.97 USD www.silver-insanity.com

Adornments

REAL FRUIT JEWELLERY Slices of real fruit that have been dried and then coated in a clear resin by ‘Real fruit Jewellery’. There’s a wide range sold via etsy. www.realfruitjewelry.com

pp Real Orange Necklace £15.26 GBP

pp Real Orange Necklace £12.08 GBP

pp Real Kiwi Pendant £24.16 GBP

pp Real Black Walnut Shell Necklace £13.99 GBP # 2

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MENS STONE SHADE C ASUAL WINTER WEAR A selection of cotton and hemp fibre garments from Gramicci.

Also available in other colours. www.gramicci.com

pp ORGANIC TYROL BUTTON DOWN 55% Hemp, 45% Certified Organic Cotton $48.75 USD

tt FLANNEL LINE GHENT JACKET 100% cotton Colour: Fatigue Green. $57.20 USD

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TAXIM Long Sleeve Polo Long sleeve, polo neck tee made from organic cotton marl. Contrast colour collar and printed Ganesh motif. ÂŁ50 GBP www.komodo.co.uk

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LA, LA, LAs FEEL THE PEACE ‘Peace Sounds’ is an album recorded by ‘Wake up London’ - an organisation of people who practise mindfulness in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh and the same group that organise the famous London meditation flash mobs.

The album is a compilation put together by Joe Holtaway (who also appears on the album), of mostly acoustic songs with themes of peace, love, mindfulness, friendship and nature. These songs come straight from the heart and it’s so refreshing to hear music so full of honesty and openness which are awe inspiring to behold.

There are some real gems on this album in particular the opening track ‘Woods’ by James Wills which sounds like a sunrise. Nathan Balls ‘Footprints’ which sounds like Cat Stevens at his best, the jolly sounds of ‘Peace of mind’ by Corneilius, the peaceful ‘Walk with me my friend’ by Joe Holtaway and the haunting ‘Fall in’ by Gavin Kaufman.

On the origins of the album Joe Holtaway says “The seeds of the project found the earth back last Summer in Hyde Park. A number of us were together for a picnic there; meditation, food and guitars! I remember just how the sunshine gently lit that afternoon. With songs sung and food eaten we were talking “When we are mindful, over the forthcoming Thich Nhat Hahn tour deeply in touch with the and how we might get a song together for it.

I guess you never know what will come when present moment, our projects begin though I had a sense on my understanding of what bike ride home that there was magic in the is going on deepens, and planting!

Listen free online or digital download by donation £7 GBP £9 GBP for CD version: peacesounds.bandcamp.com

peacesounds.org

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we begin to be filled with acceptance, joy, peace and love.”

— Thich Nhat Hanh

PERPETUAL CHOIRS This album by Giles Bryant and members of the World Healing Project (including Giles’s partner Juliette Bryant).

The inspiration comes from the discovery that there were perpetual choirs running in ancient England at various sites such as Stonehendge and Glastonbury. People would take shifts and chant and sing in order to keep the sound going. The energy created from this practice must of been divine. There are still some perpetual choirs running in the world. In Rishikesh, India, a perpetual chant for world peace has been going since 1934.

The resulting album is full of healing and spiritually uplifting music. The opening piece ‘Moving Prayer’ is silky smooth and ‘Jai Ganga Mahadeva’ is just pure joy. This song came to composer Giles Bryant whilst he was meditating by the Ganges river in India. This album comes highly recommended by Lúcuma.

I was lucky to catch Giles on his ‘Perpetual Choirs’ tour in Glastonbury. It was a magical experience. Giles has a charming presenting style - part singer/songwriter, part yoga teacher and part childrens television presenter!

• Price: £12 GBP for 12 track CD version • Free 8 track download via the website • Also available via iTunes £7.99 GBP • Website • Watch a film of the Perpetual choirs tour

pp CD album artwork showing ancient sites of Perpetual Choirs. Giles Bryant embarked on a tour playing at each of these sites. # 2

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SAMSARA HITS THE SPOT If you read the first issue of Lúcuma you will know how much we loved the movie. Part of its success was the brilliant soundtrack which blended so well with the film. This album is powerful stuff, some of these tracks are like musical expressions of pure emotions - ‘Villages and Freeways’ is the energy of relief transformed into music and Lisa Gerrards haunting vocals on tracks like ‘Organics’ sends shivers down the spine. There’s also great variety here, from the clockwork sounding ‘Pagan’ to the electronic ‘Cebu’.

Price £12 GBP for CD version www.barakasamsara.com

nature through electronics ‘Mother Natures Orchestra’ is a stunning new self titled album. Composed mostly of sound effects and samples with a sprinkling of vocals here and there, layered over down tempo dub style beats. I love how the composer says he isn’t really the composer but rather it is mother nature and he channels it. The result is 14 tracks of great chill out tunes with no gaps, so you can hit play and enjoy. Its great background music too for yoga, meditation or working.

Many of the pages of this magazine were designed to this.

Price: Listen free online Download by donation or CD also available. www.mothernaturesorchestra.com

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rom early experiments as a teenager with raw natural ingredients, Star Khechara has become one of the worlds leading authorities on natural beauty formulation. She is founder of the School of Holistic Cosmetology - which offers online courses in organic skin care formulation for natural skin care businesses and the individual, and author of ‘The Holistic Beauty book’.

We caught up with Star and she finally spills the beans on her life, work and even the origins of her name!

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BEAUTY; STAR KHECHARA

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BEAUTY; STAR KHECHARA

You’ve been formulating home made skin care and beauty products for many years.

How and what inspired you to get started at such a young age?

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what inspired me, I just remember always having this special affinity with plants and flowers and I was really interested in their therapeutic and edible properties. I remember a friend of my mum’s drying chamomile to make tea and I just though “wow, you can pick plants and use them”. A few years later I found a random book about ‘ye olde country recipes for beauty’ on my mum’s shelf and was almost apoplectic with joy at the idea of making beauty potions for myself. After a couple of years messing around with lip balms and eating nettles I persuaded my mum to pay for me to do a short course on Aromatherapy & Massage – I was 18 at this point and by far the youngest student there. It didn’t take long for me to realise that, although I LOVED the essential oils and blending, I hated touching people. My dream of a career as an Aromatherapist was shattered but I knew I had to keep working with the oils as it just gave me so much pleasure to study and use them.

What changes have you seen in the ‘natural skin care’ sector over the years?

I’ve seen the natural skin care sector grow massively and especially organic and vegan products. Back when I started, all vegan skin care contain synthetics instead of animal ingredients and I had a tough time formulating 100% natural vegan skin care from scratch (with no books or even the internet to guide me). The natural and organic skin care industry is now a force to be reckoned with, which is great and I love that many small niche businesses have gained a lot of ground by launching a natural skin care range. The downside is that the larger commercial companies want a slice of the natural and organic pie and they don’t usually have the same product quality and ‘naturalness’ of the small artisan companies. As with everything in life – the big businesses are always out to dilute a quality product in order to make more profit.

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BEAUTY; STAR KHECHARA

Why should people make their own beauty products?

Everyone’s skin is unique, by making your own you end up with a totally bespoke product that is tailored just for your needs. It’s not just about skintype but also allergies and fragrance preferences too. The best products for the skin are always going to be those made in small batches using 100% natural and organic ingredients, but not everyone has the budget to purchase these highend potions - by making your own you can save lots of money while still giving your skin the very best. To give a real life example: organic body scrubs can cost between £8 - £20 but you can make one yourself for less than £2 and still use the same ingredients. Making your own skin care is also a fun skill to learn.

What’s your favourite antiageing skin care recipe?

I am big fan of using facial oils; I oil my face at least once a day and have done for over 10 years.

I don’t have one particular recipe as I tend to just blend whatever is lurking in my workshop but I do love to mix the oils of rosehip, evening primrose, pracaxi and avocado then add frankincense essential oil.

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BEAUTY; STAR KHECHARA

KIWI

ORANGE BLOSSOM BLUEBERRIES

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JASMINE FLOWERS

What are your favourite scents?

I adore the fragrance of orange blossom. When I visited Valencia last Spring the air was heavy with the scent of the orange groves in flower – I could’ve swooned! There is something intoxicating about the aromas that infuse the air from certain flowers. Next to Neroli (orange blossom) it would have to be jasmine, lilac and damask roses. I also fall in love with that lemon-sherbet-apricot scent that some tea roses have. I really should move into perfumery!

COCONUT ORANGE BODY POLISH

Do you get any inspiration from the plant or natural world in general?

All of my inspiration comes from nature, even in my art degree in metalwork I was fascinated by the process of rust; of how nature works on iron to produce that wonderful sunset of colours and textures. I have an entire collection of rust photos!

From my previous jobs as a gardener through to my work now as a plant-based nutritionist and skin care formulator, it is all driven by my love for the natural world and my fascination with plants. I am a flower geek.

What are some of the best foods we can eat for beauty?

For anyone who follows my work they can probably guess what I am going to say; fruit! Fruit has such an amazing ‘beauty nutrient’ profile – no other food comes close; berries, orchard fruits, tropical fruits, salad fruits and wild fruits especially are all excellent for the skin and physical beauty. I also recommend wild greens and herbs such as nettle, and sea plants too.

NETTLES RASPBERRIES

What are your earliest memories, thoughts and feelings about food?

My memory is hazy on that but I always loved my bowl of porridge in the morning, we were a poor family so a filling breakfast kept us going. My mum said I was a fussy eater and would only snack rather than eat full meals – this is still true today, I love to graze. I do remember eating an ant once (poor ant!) and I always loved fruit, I am lucky to have a French grandmother who had a huge garden in London stocked with berries and fruits of all kinds, me and my sister would go crazy eating everything. # 2

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BEAUTY; STAR KHECHARA

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Coconut Orange Body Polish Home made Spa quality beauty recipe by Star Khechara Ingredients Himalayan Pink Salt (fine) Raw Coconut oil Raw/organic honey (or glycerine if vegan) Finely grated zest of 2 organic oranges Ground almonds Essential oil of orange or petitgrain.

Method Place a tablespoon each of the salt and the almonds into a mixing bowl then add a tablespoon of coconut oil.

Cream together until the coconut oil softens.

Drizzle in a tablespoon of honey or glycerine until you have the scrub texture you prefer then stir in the orange zest and essential oils.

Store your scrub in a wide-mouth glass jar with a tight fitting lid and use a handful on damp skin, in the bath or shower, to massage and cleanse.

Warning: may make bath/shower slippery so take care.

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BEAUTY; STAR KHECHARA

How did the name Star Khechara come to you?

Does it have a meaning?

I guess you could say my mum is fairly progressive and she used to sometimes say that she believed a child should have a temporary name until it is old enough to choose its own. I was born Emmeline but the name Star chose me at age 14 – it started as a nickname and just became my name. I changed it by declaration as a teenager then finally by deed when I was 23. Khechara is my married name and it has a special meaning. My (now ex) husband’s surname was Smith but I said that I wouldn’t be called Star Smith for anyone and also that I didn’t believe an equal partnership could be based on the woman taking the man’s name, so we’d have to choose a new name together. Well, it took a few months but we found the word ‘Khechara’ in an encyclopaedia of the occult (of all places!) and it means ‘Skywalker’ or ‘He who works in the blue ether’, the name suited us because my husband was a skydiver and with my name being Star – we definitely walked in the blue ether.

How is it you can do so many different things, metal work, making jewellery, skin care formulation, burlesque, teaching, hula hooping, roller skating? ..nutrition, book authoring, web-design etc etc. I am such a doing person, I love to do things, lots of seemingly different things, but to me they are all linked by one thing: beauty. As an artist and dancer I create beauty, with skin care there is obviously a strong beauty link and my nutrition specialism is beauty nutrition. I love to empower and inspire others too, so I teach and write in order to pass the skills I have learnt

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onto others. I firmly believe in living life as it is meant to be lived – with joy, fun, laughter and trying many new experiences. I love to just get up sometimes and decide to learn something new – like my recent foray into figure skating. I refuse to own a TV and have been TV-free all my adult life, when people ask ‘how do you live without TV’ I laugh because I wonder how people ‘live’ with one – I am constantly living life to the full.

Whenever I die, I will die happy because I have done so many wonderful things on this planet that I won’t regret anything.

What’s with the Starla Bliss Burlesque? Is that an alter ego like cat woman? *grin* It’s actually my stage name for when I did Burlesque – which sadly I don’t have much time for these days. Starla is a cutesy version of my name and Bliss describes how I like to live my life.

Is it true you used to live in a caravan? What was that like?

I did yes. I have actually lived in 3 caravans, an old bus and a Tipi. I love the eco-lifestyle and have gypsy blood so I guess it’s inevitable that I often have unconventional homes. But I am as comfortable in a 5 star hotel as I am in a caravan, again it’s all about experiences. The caravan and bus I lived in while married were both designed and customised by myself and my ex – they were in featured in magazines as they were so beautiful. I love the simple life, chopping wood, real darkness, candlelight, composting, running outside for a wee at 5am in welly boots (ok maybe I don’t miss THAT). There is something so homely about being in a snug caravan, with the wood burner blazing while the rain thrashes down hard on the roof and I enjoy having all my favourite possessions in one space for me to

STAR KHECHARA

BEAUTY; STAR KHECHARA

enjoy, I love open plan living and am not a fan of walls and doors. I feel estranged from nature living in my city apartment as I do currently – I am always plotting the escape route so watch this space.

Have you got any exciting new projects you would like to tell us about?

I am always working on something! Right now it’s new courses for School of Holistic Cosmetology, we just launched our Advanced Diploma in Organic Skin care Design and I am working out a book deal for a new skin care book (details to come) which I am really excited about because I am making this one much more sexy and glamorous but still as ethical and natural as ever. I just feel that being organic doesn’t mean we should lose out on style or decadence – I have recipes for shimmery red lip gloss and even a series of body potions based on traditional English tea time cakes.

Also, look out for my appearance in an episode of Shazzie’s new TV show Raw Kitchen on Sky Active channel. Oh and come over to my cute new blog for free recipes: www.StarKhechara.com STAR’S CARAVAN

STAR’S CARAVAN

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Dig a bit deeper into the company behind your daily vitamins

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Ethical vitamins with an organic heart The Viridian Nutrition range of 180+ award-winning products includes vitamins, minerals, herbs, nutritional oils, speciality supplements, tinctures and balms all formulated to be healthful, efficacious and pure. By choosing from the Viridian Nutrition range, you are one step closer to your goal of 100% wellness.

Purity Matters Did you know that 50% of a tablet is made up of glues, known as binders, to hold the tablet together? For most people this is just an irritating fact, but for people who are hyper allergenic, this can be a real issue.

Would you add magnesium stearate, stearic acid, shellac, talc or colourings to your meal, in the way you’d sprinkle over salt or pepper? Neither would we.

By making our capsules, liquids and powders as pure and simple as possible, avoiding all the nasties, we have shown that it is possible to make a range of nutritional supplements acceptable for the majority of people.

From the seed to the recycling bank More than 40% of the Viridian Nutrition range is certified organic by the Soil Association, guaranteeing the provenance and eco-friendliness of the ingredients.

All the Viridian fresh organic tinctures and balms are grown and traditionally made in the UK, reducing the environmental impact of transporting ingredients around the world.

Our capsules and organic nutritional oils are manufactured in the UK. We use minimum packaging for our products, all made from recycled or recyclable materials, from our glass bottles to the recycled cardboard shipping boxes.

We take responsibility for our packaging, too, offering a 25p refund for bottles returned to the health store where purchased.

Care for others as you care for yourself Viridian is a big-hearted company, committed to creating a nutritional supplement range with integrity, quality and innovation.The company was founded in 1999 on two fundamental principles; to develop a range of supplements with the highest possible ethical standards and to generate significant funds for children’s and environmental charities.

So far, the Viridian Nutrition Charity Donation programme has donated ÂŁ145,000 to charities including Friends of the Earth, NSPCC,Woodland Trust, UNICEF,The Princes Trust, Comic Relief, RSPB,Terrence Higgins Trust, Shelter, the Woodland Trust, Save the Children and more.

By choosing Viridian Nutrition as your preferred vitamins, you are not only be benefiting your own health, but also helping benefit the lives of others.

For your nearest specialist health store visit viridian-nutrition.com

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nsion

by Adriana Wigderowitz

W

ith ascension on the lips of everyone this month and nothing but a few days standing between us and the reality of the 21st December 2012 marker, there’s a lot more to be experienced than there is to be said.

Many are aware that Jesus incarnated in part to introduce the Age of Pisces, but few are aware that the pattern of his life is also an Archetype held in our collective unconscious, the symbolic road we all take towards ascension. What is different about ascension now is that previously humans have always had to die in order to ascend. The resurrection of the being after death being proof of the process being complete. What’s so special about December the 21st 2012 is that thanks to a few, ascension is now possible whilst still incarnated in the physical body, and will be available to everyone. Much like when an athlete breaks a world record time in the Olympics and a new reality is created, so have the star seeds, avatars, yogis and masters created and anchored a new reality for all of us in the process of ascension. This doesn’t mean everyone will ascend on the 21st of December, it simply means that a new dimension within spirituality is available to the masses. Just like new records are celebrated by millions, so will this experience be. The following article provides you with a brief outline, there is always of course a world of difference between theory and experience. # 2

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Archetypal stages of Ascension: 1. The Birth of Christ 2. The Baptism 3. Transfiguration 4. The Desert 5. The Crucifixion 6. The Resurrection 7. The Ascension There is no specific length of time to integrate each step, because everyone chooses their own pace of spiritual progress and ultimately time is infinite.

However for the sake of understanding the process and mastering the art of spirituality and the experience of ascension we’re going to explore it anyway.

By addressing the archetype of the ascension process you’ll understand the patterning, blocks, purpose, scripts, contracts and dramas that live within this process and choreograph the experience. These stories may or may not be literally be true, but they are emotionally true, they illustrate the sub-routines played over and over by the limbic brain.

Always be conscious that life speaks in the language of dreams and is rich in symbolic, multidimensional and pictorial manifestation.

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ASCENSION

1. The Birth of Christ The first stage symbolises the realisation that you are more than you thought you were, and the awakening is the three fold flame within the human heart.

2. The Baptism This is the first conscious decision we make to cleanse our emotional, mental and spiritual bodies, as well as the energetic patterning that we carried from previous lives, ancestors, and the time in the womb itself.

3. Transfiguration This is the decision one makes to start the search for truth, once this stage is started it can quickly become obsessive, this is the stage where a lot of books are read, courses are attended, and one becomes involved in philosophies, cults or mainstream groups and religions in search of answers. This is also the first of the three testing stages.

Where your commitment to the spiritual path is tested. Can you be relied upon to carry out your tasks and agreements against opposition?

You need to be able to be counted on to complete your mission.

4. The Desert This was the time that Jesus went alone into the desert for 40 days and nights to meditate and be still. It is the time in your life where you must stand alone. This is the stage where family and friends desert you and only your connection with the divine remains. Depending on how much clearing has been done already this can be an extremely tough stage with deep sorrow and grief. The question is simply, can you maintain your spiritual connection under pressure without the approval of outside world. Can you trust that everything is in divine order regardless of what you will tries to tell you? Can you remain in service to Source under pressure and can you be unconditionally loving no-matter the reality?

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SAMSARA ASCENSION

5. The Crucifixion This stage involves a surrendering of all the burdens of the world, of the need to be needed. Those souls devoted to the service to others, in particular light workers feel that without them the world will fall apart. Whilst operating in the divine flow we discover that our service here should not be a burden to carry but a joy to be experienced. If you are feeling the ‘exhaustion of responsibility’ you may well be in this stage of the process. Its the stage where you give back responsibility that isn’t yours and stand in your own power.

You realise that you are not doing anyone any favours by taking on their stuff and may even be preventing them from achieving balance and responsibility in their lives. This is the part where your martyr/victim spiritual identity dies and you turn out to be more than you thought. When you begin to accept surrender of your own will to divine will.

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6. The Resurrection It is at this point that the divine will starts to take embodiment and one makes a profound connection with the ‘I Am Presence’. The lower subtle energy bodies are in the latter stages of purification and are taking precedence over incarnated personality identity. All the possible purposes that you have for this lifetime with begin to powerfully manifest, all the tools you need will be available to you. If things appear to be stuck at this stage check that you haven’t gone back to the over-thinking process.

7. Ascension Will occur in the physical body when you have purified your lower mental, emotional and physical bodies. The definition of purified depends on which method of ascension you have chosen. For those who are ascending without the physical body, only the above three bodies require purification. For those choosing to transmute the physical body this would also need purifying. Your intention is pure and you have accepted karmic absolution on behalf of yourself and humanity.

Whilst many of us have chosen to ascend this year, and leave planet Earth altogether, many of us have agreed to stay to further the development of the Earth and deepen our own profound experience of the energies available in the future, whatever it will bring. As the much awaited dates loom on the horizon, let us have the wisdom to love and honour each other as we seek to find our own multidimensional relationship with this universal being, and to those who choose a path we cannot tread, may we allow them the gift of love that source has bestowed upon us and all of creation. One thing remains clearer now that ever, if we want a reality of a higher consciousness for humanity we have to consciously choose and commit to this every day. It is the embodiment of ‘walking our talk’. The responsibility of heaven on earth rests quietly in the silence and in this reality. The 5th dimension is opening itself to human conscious and unconscious awareness, but the question remains will we have the courage to experience it?

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ART

LOUIS DYER

Painting the other side

Q Where does your consciousness go when you are sleeping?

Are those worlds in your dreams in fact more real than the waking world? Join us on a journey through the dream worlds - the astral realms!

Louis Dyer is stunningly talented young artist whose main inspiration comes from actual experiences of lucid dreams (where one becomes conscious in a dream and begins to control it) and astral projections (where ones astral self separates from the physical body and is free to explore the higher densities).

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All images by Louis Dyer | Questions LĂşcuma 60

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ART: Louis Dyer

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How did your astral journeys begin? Was is a sudden thing or did it gradually develop?

My astral travel experiences began once I bought my first book on the subject, I bought the book to learn astral projection techniques, and yet without performing any of the techniques in this book, I soon had my first astral experience. It’s interesting actually; from simply reading about astral projection and projecting my awareness to the subject it triggered my very own first astral projections.

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ART: Louis Dyer

What is the difference between Lucid dreaming and Astral projection?

It’s hard to list and compare all the differences and similarities between the two, and if you asked a group of people, they will likely have more opinions than facts, so here are my own.

Personally when I am lucid dreaming I feel I have more control, I feel safe because I know my surroundings and events are created by myself.

Almost like my dreams are just a movie I am creating and controlling inside my own cinema. There is also an all pervading feeling of no matter what happens I can control the dream events because they are enacting in my own self.

Lucid dreaming to me feels very internal and holds very personal information.

My Astral projection experiences however have a much more psychical and external feel; there is a definite shift from an internal to external awareness. When lucid dreaming I feel inside my body, when astral projection I feel outside of my body.

My Astral projections have often began with intense vibrations, loud sounds, strong sinking or elevating feelings, where as with lucid dreaming I rarely get such onset sensations. The differences and similarities are best known when experienced.

Do you have a form/body in the astral realms or are you just consciousness?

I have seen the commonly reported ‘silver cord’ and seeing my own body in bed in

a few astral projections. Once I have projected I sometimes see my arms and legs but often I am in a bodiless form.

Do you think humanity can benefit from some sort of lucid dreaming practice?

I definitely believe Humanity can benefit from these consciousness expanding activities, anything that awakens an inner connection and thirst for understanding is a great thing. Getting to know your true self and experience such elevation and freedom is vital to becoming healthier and happier, which in turn helps you to project your wholeness onto others around you. I am not saying it’s a quick fix to heal the world, but it certainly would awaken so much of the potential that’s inside of us.

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ART: Holly Sierra

tt HOLLY (right) with her daughter ESME

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Do you have any tips for developing lucid dreaming or astral travel?

The biggest tips I can give is to be consistent with a dream and astral projection diary, perform state awareness tests daily and perform some kind of meditation before bed affirming your intentions and desire to lucid dream or astral project.

Make sure you are not straining or forcing yourself to much, its important to stay healthy and positive; there will be periods of time where you may need to rest.

Does digital media help in capturing the images you see from the astral dream world?

For me digital media is the best format for capturing my visionary experiences.

The amount of imagery I see while in an altered state is best expressed digitally simply because of how quickly I can speed paint and build an image.

It’s more instantaneous than traditional painting.

Also it’s more effective for accurately producing the intense aesthetic of light and geometric patterns that I often perceive.

I have found astral projecting to be draining if practised to often, really take a look at how either practice would benefit you in the current moment, its important to find balance.

And the biggest tip I can give is to never be afraid, feel no fear!

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ART: LOUIS DYER

You are quite famous for speed painting, do you prefer working that way?

A lot of my digital work consists of speed paintings simply because of how often I see something that is relevant to express, it’s the best format to produce an image as fast as possible while the original experience is still fresh. I have found that I lose interest in working on a piece for a long period of time which would explain my lack of traditional work.

I love painting digitally, especially on such devices as the iPad because of its portability. For example I could be meditating, lucid dreaming or astral projecting and then within seconds of those experiences be painting on my iPad and immediately sharing my art with the world on my websites all from the comfort of my own bed!

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ART: Holly Sierra

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ART: LOUIS DYER

Are there any other interesting scenes from the astral realms and encounters with entities that haven’t made it into your paintings that you would like to share?

I have had many visionary experiences that although burning with intensity have yet to make it into all of my paintings, ranging from pearlescent planets, beautiful star fields, god like glowing bodies, pictures of actual complete random paintings, countless faces and landscapes, strange unexplainable diagrams…the list could go on and on. It’s probably better to say that the magnitude of the visionary realm and the brilliance of its experience like our imagination is infinite and deserves our full exploration and expression!

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LOUIS DYER pp MEDITATION

LOUIS DYER www.plaguedbyimages.com Print shop link Commission link Facebook page All images copyright Louis Dyer

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ECUADOR

CACAO Road Tour

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travel

Have you ever wanted to try

fresh Cacao Fruit?

Have you ever wanted to visit a

Chocolate factory?

Well now you CAN!

travel: PACARI CACAO TOUR

pp Arriba Cacao Pod sliced open

P

ACARI chocolate - one of the worlds best chocolate brands, teamed up with EC Travel in 2011 to create the “Ruta del Cacao” (Cacao Road) as a sustainable Agro-tourism project to promote the economic development of the Santa Rita community. “By creating the Ruta del Cacao we can provide enjoyable travel experiences in their beautiful community while assisting in creating a unique blend of the best tasting organic chocolate from Ecuador to give to the world”.

Enjoy a 5 day adventure tour with Pacari Chocolate from Quito to Archidona. An incredible experience awaits as you explore the jungle and highlands of Ecuador and encounter the beautiful landscapes and cultures around.

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Huasquila Lodge

Thermal baths at Termas de Pappalacta

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Quito

Day 1 On arrival in Quito you will spend the first day acclimatising to the high altitude. Quito is an incredible 2,800 meters above sea level, the highest capital city in the world. In the evening you can explore the city at night and enjoy the illuminated historic buildings and grand plazas.

Day 2 Breakfast and an exquisite chocolate tasting experience awaits you in one of the most exclusive restaurants in Ecuador.

FRESH CACAO TASTING The Cacao tasting will involve an introduction to the Chocolate of Pacari, photographic tour around the communities which Pacari works. Information of all the chocolate making process and the relevance of the different regions and also the importance of Cacao in the history of Ecuador.

Includes: • Chocolate tasting with a connoisseur. You will try Chocolate from 3 different regions; 2 flavored Chocolates and 3 Raw Chocolates.

• Cacao Fruit • Still water • Crackers • Premium Chocolate Special edition We then visit the historic center (Old Town), where legends and myths blend with modern life, then onto the ‘Middle of the World’ museum where you can witness unique aspects of being on the equator. Finally the local fruit market.

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Plaza Grande at night - Quito

Chocolate tasting - Quito

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Day 3 We continue our tour towards the Amazon Jungle staying at Termas de Papallacta, where we will take a hike in search of rare orchids and birds while discovering the wonders that the cloud forest holds.

Later in the day we can relax in the natural thermal springs and luxurious spa.

The source temperature of the thermal baths varies between 30°C and 70°C. The channeled water in the spa pools is between 36°C to 40°C. Papallacta’s thermal waters contain sulphates, chlorides, calcium and sodium, plus trace elements such as magnesium and lithium.

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Termas de Pappalacta

Thermal baths at Termas de Pappalacta

Thermal baths at Termas de Pappalacta

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Petroglyph

Bungalow interior - Huasquila Lodge Bungalow exterior at night Huasquila Lodge

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Bungalowexterior exterior- at night Bungalow HuasquilaLodge Lodge Huasquila

Dining Room - Huasqu

travel: PACARI CACAO TOUR

Day 4 After breakfast we will depart for the Huasquila Lodge in Archidona to visit the Jumandy caverns and take an expedition into the bowels of the earth to discover its mysteries and enjoy the wonderful rock formations such as stalactites and stalagmites. Here, you can also find some petroglyphs located just outside the cave as well as ancestral traces of the native cultures that inhabited for thousands of years and what is now known as the Sacred Valley of the Anaconda.

Huasquila Lodge Accommodation is in separate bungalows built by native people with natural materials in typical Kichwa style. Each bungalow has its own bathroom with hot water and wide interior space.

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Jumandy Caverns

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Cacao beans laid out to dry

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Afterwards we will visit the Santa Rita community to learn about the agro tourism project as well as where and how the Pacari chocolate is developed. We will spend a pleasant and relaxing afternoon with the community learning how they produce cacao and all the technical process that are necessary to create the exquisite and unique taste of Pacari chocolate.

Additionally, we will have a very special lesson from the “old mothers� of the community in making our very own pottery dish made out of mud which will be personalized and used that night to enjoy our dinner.

Day 5 On our last day there is a chance for a quick dip in a nearby waterfall before returning to Quito where you can continue with any of our optional extensions such as the avenue of the volcanoes, Galapagos, jungle, diving, or tailor-made programs. (Extension prices on request).

Cacao fruit!

Cacao beans laid out#to2dry

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Cacao beans laid out to dry

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Le Parc Hotel

travel: PACARI CACAO TOUR

ACCOMMODATION Quito Guests have a choice of three hotels for the stay in Quito: Le Parc Hotel Patio Andaluz Hotel Hilton Colon (Accommodation on the Hilton Colon is on Club Floor area)

Papallacta Termas de Papallacta

Archidona

Patio Andaluz

Huasquila Lodge

To Book or for more information about the Cacao Road Tour: tours@pacarichocolate.com For more information on Pacari pacarichocolate.com

Hilton Colon - Quito

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Hilton Colon - Quito

travel: PACARI CACAO TOUR

FOOD

Catering for vegetarian and vegan diets is possible at all resorts and lodges. For the Raw food enthusiast there is also an abundance of local tropical fruits in Ecuador.

PRICES 2013 Per person 2 PAX USD $1820 4 PAX USD $1629 8 PAX USD $1435 14 PAX USD $1230

- Prices are based on a DBL Room Accommodation.

- This is a private tour INCLUDES: • • • • • • • • •

Lodging Breakfast Lunch: Day 2, Day 3, Day 4 Dinner: Day 4 Private Transportation Private Guide – English speaking Activities according to the Itinerary Special Pacari Gift Box Special Chocolate Tasting

DOES NOT INCLUDE: • • • •

Dinner: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 5 Alcoholic Drinks Tips Expenses not detailed on the itinerary

DEPARTURES 2013 February: 17th April: 7th June: 9th July: 14th August: 18th NOTE: Other departure dates under request. # 1

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RECIPES

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Zucchini ‘pasta’ alla marinara Recipe by Irene Arango The quick version of this recipe takes about 15 minutes to prepare start to finish and it is a great hit with everyone. Who doesn’t like a good pasta after all?

Ingredients - Makes 4 servings For the zucchini pasta: 3 medium zucchinis (courgettes) For the marinara sauce 10 large fresh tomatoes, peeled and diced 1 cup sun dried tomatoes, soaked 1 red pepper, chopped ½ teaspoon garlic, minced 2 tablespoons chopped onion 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 teaspoon coconut sugar (or other sweetener of your choice) 1 tablespoon dried Italian herbs 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon Himalayan salt For garnish Black & green olives, sliced Basil leaves Method Blend all the marinara sauce ingredients together and warm in the dehydrator, in a pan on very low heat or serve at room temperature over the courgette ‘pasta’. Delish!

If you prefer to prepare a more elaborate dish it takes a bit longer, but the result is totally worth it. You just need to chop some veggies a few hours before you plan to serve your meal, toss them with extra virgin olive oil, Himalayan salt and a bit of Tamari and dehydrate until they have taken a more ‘cooked appearance’ and they are warm. I like to use red peppers & courgettes in small cubes and little cherry tomatoes, cut in half. # 2

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Butternut squash pappardelle Recipe by Irene Arango Now that the squash season is at its peak, we should all take advantage of the amazing quality & variety of squashes we get in the UK. The farmers markets around the country have loads of different varieties of squash and they are all incredibly tasty and nutrient rich. If you can’t get any squash, sweet potatoes also work well in this recipe.

Pick the smaller squashes as they will be more tender and easier to spiralise Ingredients - Makes 4 servings For the butternut pasta 2-3 small squashes Use the spiraliser to make flat strips of butternut squash. If your spiraliser doesn’t have this setting just make it into noodles or shave the squash with the potato peeler. It will be just a delicious.

For the creamy sauce 6 tablespoons olive oil ¼ cup cashews, soaked for 4 hours or more 4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons coconut sugar 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 clove garlic ½ teaspoon of chilli flakes (to taste) ½ teaspoon of Himalayan salt or to taste For garnish hemp & pumpkin seeds Method Blend all ingredients together until you have a creamy sauce and pour on top of the butternut strips or spirals. Mix well with your hands to cover the butternut squash with the sauce and sprinkle with some pumpkin and hemp seeds to serve.

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Raw papaya salad Recipe by Irene Arango This raw green papaya salad is delicious and surprisingly tast. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare and it makes the perfect accompaniment for a Thai meal or as a main dish too.

Ingredients - Makes 4 servings 1 kilo green papaya* Peel the papaya and spiralise it using the thinner setting.

Choose a very firm papaya- it will be easier to spiralise.

For the dressing 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced Âź cup lime juice 4 tablespoons coconut sugar, pulverised 1 tablespoon of Tamari (or Nama shoyu) Thai chillies, to taste and chopped Himalayan salt to taste Mix well in a bowl and pour over the spiralised or shredded papaya. Let it marinate for 15 min before serving.

For garnish 1 medium tomato, chopped into small pieces Crushed almonds, to taste** * usually available in Asian supermarkets ** almonds should be soaked for 8 hours and dehydrated.

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Lemon and Marigold Cake Recipe by Victoria Leith I adore lemons AND cake so this is a match made in lemon (I mean heaven!)

Ingredients - Makes 10 servings For the cake you will need: 400g cashew flour (made using a blender) 180g macadamia flour (made using a blender) 1 tsp turmeric The juice of one lemon (about 4 tbsp) The zest of 2 lemons 4 tbsp sweetener of choice 4 tbsp coconut butter (no need to melt) 1 tbsp lemon essence 1 tbsp ground flax seed Mix the above ingredients together and place in a silicone cake mould or spring form pan. You want to create two layers of cake with icing in the middle and to pour over the top!

For the icing 100g cacao butter 4tbsp Tahini or peanut butter 4 tbsp sweetener of choice Zest of 1 lemon 4 tbsp lúcuma 1 tsp lemon essence Pour icing onto the cake base and set in the fridge or freezer.

Decorate with marigold petals, coconut sugar crystals and lemon zest.

Top tip!

If you don’t fancy cake but want a really lemony chocolate, just make the icing and set in little moulds or shapes or your choice (or one big lemon cacao bar!) It’s REALLY good!

Taken from the “Caramelia Cakery...The Raw Un-Bakery” E-book

by Victoria Leith - £2.99 GBP Contains 24 yummy raw dessert recipes.

Check out this fantastic offer for all Lúcuma readers for her latest book, which involves a really great Christmas Gift Bundle of three of her other books and a very awesome Christmas Cake recipe! (valid till 31st December) recipebook.littleguru.co.uk

www.carameliacakery.co.uk 104

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CONTRIBUTORS Steven Nicolaides

Adriana Wigderowitz

Star Khechara

Editor & Founder of Lúcuma

Spiritualist & Soul Clearing maestra

Author & Holistic Beauty maestra

Steven is the founder and designer of Lúcuma. He has a background in music and design.

Like the way a hill alters the course of a stream upon their meeting, Adriana’s course in life was changed when she was woken up in 2007 by the Seraphim.

Her clairvoyance and other spiritual gifts switched on like a light bulb over night.

Since then she has been working as a Soul Clearer, deeply clearing physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and lifetime energy/belief systems with the help of her light team, angels and the Universe.

She helps to heal the collective human consciousness as well as individuals.

Adriana completed her training as a Certified Angel Practitioner in 2009 with Charles Virtue. “Surrendering to divine guidance often hasn’t led me down the easiest path, I do not know where I would be without it and I have experienced true inner peace and bliss through it.” “I work very deeply with the Mineral, Nature and Angelic Realms.” Adriana gives angel readings, space clearing sessions and has recently finished writing ‘Family Consciousness’, a book on healing the Family Collective Consciousness. This year she is running a free ascension workshop in December and starting the Enlightenment programme in January.

Star Khechara is an organic skin care formulation expert (potion geek!) & natural perfumer. She works from her fragrant science lab creating custom formulations for cosmetic houses, training students and consulting. Star is also a columnist for Natural Health magazine, international lecturer in essential oil science (including how to use essential oils in food) and published author of The Holistic Beauty Book and, soon to be published, The Cosmetic Anarchist.

Disillusioned with the conventional way of life he desired to unplug from the illusion and gain more freedoms on every level.

Spirituality, creating, veganism and mindfulness has been his passion since the turn of the millennium. He is a natural creative able to communicate ideas and concepts through a variety of media. He started doing free-lance design under the name New Gaia designs in 2008, but rarely takes on new clients now due to lack of time.

He loves spending time in nature, guitars, drums, chanting, meditating, travelling flowers and nice scents.

For more of Steven’s photography see fizzyimages.imagekind.com www.newgaiadesigns.com

www.soul-clearing.com Adriana also runs a spiritual meet up group: www.meetup.com/Soul-Clearing 106

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www.StarKhechara.com www.SchoolofHolisticCosmetology.com

Irene Arango

Louis Dyer

Victoria Leith

Founder of Bliss Bites & Detox

Artist

Founder of Caramelia Cakery

Irene started her journey into raw food in her search for better health, more energy and ideal weight. Delighted that she found it, she has since then dedicated her life to help others to embark on the same fulfilling path trying to bring raw food and its benefits to mainstream knowledge showing how exciting raw dishes can be using your creativity and imagination.

Louis Dyer is a professional artist who explores and expresses the visionary state; his source of inspiration and images manifest from his awe-inspiring lucid dreams, astral projections, altered states of consciousness and meditative practices.

Victoria Leith is the creator of Caramelia Cakery - the newest Raw Un-Bakery! She sells her exquisite cakes and decadent treats online, runs workshops and writes books and articles about living life positively. A qualified teacher by profession and a mother, Victoria is very keen to get children involved in the process of cake-creating and making and has written various articles for ‘The Green Parent’ and ‘Get Fresh’ on how to get children involved in our daily pursuits.

Founder of Bliss Bites, a raw chocolate, cakes, nut cheese and kale crisps online business and Bliss Detox, Irene spends her days working in her West London kitchen, producing the healthy raw treats for business Bliss Bites, developing exciting new recipes and making bespoke juices for her detox clients.

Irene also runs health related events in the UK and Spain, caters for meetings, dinner parties, conferences and retreats in Europe and runs raw food and chocolate workshops to encourage and inspire more people to embrace the raw lifestyle.

Painting offers Louis the chance to make his intangible images more concrete in this reality. Louis is also a graphic designer who recently graduated with first class honours in graphic design. He has produced effective and elegant design solutions for new, and old, digital platforms such as digital books/magazines, apps and websites. www.plaguedbyimages.com

Check out this fantastic offer for all Lúcuma readers for her latest book, which involves a really great Christmas Gift Bundle of three of her other books and an very awesome Christmas Cake recipe! (valid till 31st December) recipebook.littleguru.co.uk www.carameliacakery.co.uk

Irene believes that raw foods are not only a way to become healthier but also to use your imagination and nurture your spirit. www.blissbites.co.uk

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