MetaCreative Magazine is operated by: Mystikka Jade www.mystkka.com designed by: Pamela Kritner www.wynotdesign.com IN THIS ISSUE: Articles: Consider Peace - Bibi McGill ................................................................................................................ 6 - 7 Finding the Mystical and Magical in Everyday Life - Dr. Jeanine ......................................................... 10 - 11 The Shamanic Psycho Spiritual Process - Linda Star Wolf .................................................................... 20 - 22 Art: Cover Artist – Webgrrl ............................................................................................................................ Art by Rezurrection - Steve Krakoff ....................................................................................................... Exoskeletal Series - Adam Ramirez ........................................................................................................ Mixed Media Art - Rocco Agrippa .......................................................................................................... Sun Catchers – Pamela Kritner ................................................................................................................ Artisan – James Joy ................................................................................................................................. Psychedelic Art - Mystikka ......................................................................................................................
3-4 5 8-9 18 - 19 26 - 27 28 - 30 31
Conscious Cuisine: Vegan Raw Food Made Easy – Recipes - Jennifer Cornbleet ................................................................... 23 - 25 Interviews: Honoring The Crones: An Interview With Vila SpiderHawk - G.L. Giles .............................................. 12 - 17 Interview with Pauly and Rico of the ‘Fruit Salad Show’ Podcast - Mystikka ....................................... 32 - 33 Music: Mourning Magdalene Indie Music Review - Sometimes Girl .................................................................. 34 - 35
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Cover Artist – Webgrrl “Diversity is my middle name” Webgrrl’s digital art piece, “Sun Goddess” is featured on the cover of this issue.
Photograph: SUBCULTURE CREATIONS at RAINBOW SERPENT FESTIVAL ‘08
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About My Business: Intuitive Digital Artist & Publisher specializing in unique creative arts of varied styles including Psychedelic, Visionary, Photoartgraphy, Fractal compositions, with over 12 years experience within the Music, Arts, Media and Entertainment industries in Australia and recently Europe. Areas of Expertise: Old Fashion SERVICE using new TECHNOLOGY: Visual Artistry * Graphic Design * Photography * Fractal Art * Visionary & Spiritual arts * Psychedelic Art * Music Festivals and Events * Promotions * Web Design * T-Shirts & Merchandising * Mentoring, Support & Assistance * CD Covers * Flyers * Posters * Business Card * Identity / Logo establishment * Small Business Professional Affiliations: RAINBOW SERPENT FESTIVAL (AUSTRALIA) TRIBEADELIC RECORDS & EVENTS (AUSTRALIA)
2 Digital fractal image: Centuria Favorite Quote: “Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.” -Rumi
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http://www.webgrrl.org http://www.artdictive.com/blog http://www.ozdoof.com http://www.psydjs.com http://www.flickr.com/photos/webgrrl/collections/
Art by Rezurrection -
Steve Krakoff
This is a Metaphorical hermeneutic of the Biblical “Sodom.” The Eagle represents the Character “Lot”, i.e., mankind set free from his illusion of freedom. Lot chose Sodom initially due to its external beauty and fertility that is what we as men so often do (and in the process neglect to see the intrinsic of matter). The Anatomical Figure in its decrepit state represents “Sodom,” i.e., the world and its enticement. The eagle flies without looking back just as Lot did when he was set free from Sodom.
An experimental piece of which I did a self-portrait of my intrinsic nature, The Complex Stimulus is manifested in the subject matter. I made an attempt to capture the process of dementia, insanity and every other sister to death.
The piece I have included with this concise Bio is Titled “Eve” It is executed via premiere 3D Figure Design, Natural 3D and Animation Solution with minor post work. I am “Art by Rezurrection” Artist Steve Krakoff, a 33 year old native born to the mean streets of Los Angeles. My creativity is influenced by a life of undulation, my journey as an Artist and Theologian. Through a perpetual metamorphosis I seek to augment the intrinsic Revolutionary Artist within and manifest the multidimensional blessings bestowed upon me. I chose the name Revolutionary Art by Rezurrection because I refuse to become stagnate and tap onto myself a single appellation. I strive against what has already been said and done with the intent to experience a new creation, old things are passed away, behold, all things are become new. http://revolutionaryartist.com http://myspace.com/therevolutionaryartist
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CONSIDER PEACE by: Bibi McGill
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Did you know that never before in the history of diplomacy and politics on Earth, had a document been brought before all nations to be signed that simply stated we all desire world peace? Thoughts and actions are energy in which we create our reality. We may not be able to change the world over night but with our intentions we can get the ball rolling. Everything I AM in my life today started with a thought, an intention and I have created my dreams to be my reality. Peace is Love and it starts with me. I would like to invite you all to sign a very simple peace treaty. It is not a political statement. It won’t cost you anything. You won’t be asked for your blood, social security number or any other personal information. There is a very powerful energy underneath your signature and by signing, you will be making a contract with The Universe to consciously make the effort to be a more peaceful person in every aspect of your life; to pursue harmony on a daily basis in every situation and have kindness and respect for all living things. Many well-known spiritual leaders, professional athletes and entertainers have signed on, and the campaign has not even officially launched. I’m sure once people start seeing celebrities sign, everyone will want to jump on the bandwagon, but it doesn’t matter as long as the intention is there. Please visit the link, which will take you to the peace treaty page. Click on the download for the “SIMPLE” or “STANDARD” treaty. It is important for you to print out the treaty, sign one copy and keep as a reminder of your intention and fax or email the other one to the number or email address provided. Otherwise, your number will not be counted. If any of you are unable to print or fax the treaty, contact me and I will mail you 2 treaties, Sign both. Keep 1 and mail 1 back to me. http://www.goodwilltreaty.org/signed/ I also invite you to check out Bryant McGill: http://www.myspace.com/bryantmcgill or http://www.bryantmcgill.com. Bryant is the creator of the Peace Treaty as well as an exceptionally kind, loving, gifted and powerful motivational speaker, poet, artist, human Being. He has asked me to be a Goodwill Ambassador of Peace and I ask you to join me in the movement!!!! Bibi McGill is a high profile guitarist who has toured with celebrity sensations Beyonce and Pink among others. For Mystikka’s interview with Bibi, check out the MetaCreative Radio archives: http://www.metacreativeradio.com
Visit Bibi on myspace: http://www.myspace.com/bibimcgill Get Bibi swag: http://www.bibiswag.com
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Exoskeletal – A Series by Adam Ramirez
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Adam Ramirez optphoto@hotmail.com www.optphoto.com
Self-Projection
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Finding the Mystical and Magical in Everyday Life by: Dr. Jeanine
I saw a commercial today that made me laugh aloud. A man was beginning his day while a chorus of exuberant, if not completely over-the-top dancers, sang his day’s praises. The man walked outside, admired his beautiful home and smiled happily at his steaming coffee. Suddenly, a giant tree branch fell on his car and completely crushed it. Many of us have had the feeling of the magical in life and then something happens and we completely lose our mojo. Just like that, the ordinary, mundane and unpleasant has returned to be the focal point of our experience. On the other hand, most of us can also relate to the feeling of the magical; suddenly our ordinary life takes on extra-ordinary qualities. Unfortunately, these experiences are often fleeting. Just the other night I was taking out the trash and looked up at the full moon. I had an overwhelming feeling of connection, hope, and appreciation. It seemed as if something so impossibly beautiful was hung there only to communicate those feelings to me. Not soon after returning inside the house, the feeling of connection to the mystical and magical was gone and forgotten. I was back to clipping children’s toenails, making lunches for the next day, emptying and loading the dishwasher, picking wet towels off the floor and putting Spiderman Band-Aids on boo-boos. Sometimes these experiences of feeling connected to the mystical last slightly longer. Most of us are familiar with the feeling of falling in love. Our lover’s voice and touch transport us to another world where everything is alive, awakened and magical. The limits we once perceived for our lives seem to wash away and we bask in the appreciation of everything about our beloved. All the synchronicities and the shared experiences seem magical and mystical. While this is amazing time in our life, for whatever reason, it doesn’t seem to last. For most people the goose pimply early stage of coupling is gone by the second year. Most of us relate certain types of experiences to the mystical and magical while other experiences to the mundane and non-extraordinary. We may feel that a sunny seaside hide-away in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico is magical while a business trip in winter is undesirable. We may think a shopping spree to Dolce and Gabbana is magical while a new outfit purchased from Target is routine. Similarly, basking in a rose filled garden may seem magical but mowing the lawn may seem drudgery. We may think of life without our departing beloved as unbearable. How can we find the mystical and magical when he seems to have taken those possibilities with him? The adage, “Happiness is not a destination, it is the journey” applies to accessing the mystical and magical as well. Mystical and magical experiences don’t happen to us, we choose them. We don’t have to wait until we go somewhere, fall in love, or appreciate something beautiful. At any given moment, the mystical and magical are there for us to appreciate. The book A Course in Miracles discuses miracles as being shifts in perceptions. In keeping with this concept, if we open our hearts and minds, we begin to see our ordinary, temporal experiences, from of a perspective of the divine. We can decide that we will perceive our world as much as possible from this vantage point.
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People who are enlightened may truly understand what it means to see the entire world as divine. An awakened individual would say that there really is no difference between a trip to Muleshoe and a trip to Tuscany. They
describe the magical and mystical as not separate from the ordinary. Some may describe this phenomenon as a “one taste” experience. In other words, every taste or experience is one with the divine. In order to experience more mystical and magical elements in life we may choose to see our lives as inherently mystical and magical. Those of us who desire more mystical and magical elements in our lives may deliberately decide that whatever our dharma is, we will commit to seeing all of our life’s elements and nuances as divine, beautiful, mystical and magical; even when a tree branch crushes our car.
Jeanine Austin, Ph.D. Doctor of Life Coaching ~Simply Divine Solutions~ Personal Coaching for Women Worldwide - Women Transitioning, Transforming and Transcending Around the World Official website: http://www.simplydivinesolutions.com E-mail: jeanine@simplydivinesolutions.com Radio Show: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/CoachforWomenWorldwide Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/spiritualcoach You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/user/DrJeanine Expert Encyclopedia on Selfgrowth.com: http://www.selfgrowth.com/experts/dr_jeanine_austin.html E-mail now for a FREE~NO OBLIGATION consultation A $95.00 value!
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Honoring The Crones: An Interview With Vila SpiderHawk By: G.L. Giles 1) You’re truly an inspiration publishing your first book, Hidden Passages: Tales to Honor the Crones, at sixty years old. In much of mainstream society, aging females aren’t venerated in the least. In fact, older women are oftentimes portrayed as unsavory characters in books, on television, in movies, etc. Is this one of the erroneous stereotypes you hope to help eradicate through your writing? While I understand why old women are demonized at worst and made invisible at best, I cannot excuse that behavior. People fear old women. We’re too free. We see beyond the sexist expectations of our culture, for the most part, and refuse to play the game anymore. And that’s the very attitude that I found so empowering as a young woman. While I fell into my share of the sexist pits as a young woman, I always had a bevy of older women who helped me find my way. I grew up with so many wonderful gray-haired women who taught me much, and I treasure my memories of them. And now that the baby boomers are approaching their senior years, I think people are going to have to rethink how they look at aging. I hope my book Hidden Passages: Tales to Honor the Crones nudges that transition along. If just one person looks at an old woman with kindness because of having read my book I shall consider the effort a success. Women in our Crone years have so very much to offer! 2) What’s the best advice you’ve ever personally received from an influential Crone (defined as an old wise aspect of the Goddess for brevity’s sake)? I can’t pin down one specific piece of advice I received from a crone in my life. There were so many intimate conversations on night-darkened porches during which women of age listened and responded generously and with love. But I think I learned more by watching how they lived. They were loving, open hearted and optimistic. Now that I look back on some of their lives their optimism astounds me. Yet they always gave me the feeling by their reactions to life’s challenges that we can endure and learn from the troubles we encounter and grow from them. After all, we don’t tend to learn from the good times. It’s the sorrows that tend to teach us. So I’d say it was their example rather than their words that influenced me most. 3) Is Vila SpiderHawk your Craft name (in Witchcraft a publicly used magickal name) as well as the name you write under? If so, would you mind sharing how you came up with it? Yes Vila SpiderHawk is my magickal name. And I chose it carefully. Vila is a middle European goddess who lives in the woods. She protects the animals and plants that live there and dances hunters to death. She heals with herbs and treasures all her woodland friends. I learned about Vila several years ago. And the more I learned about her, the more I identified with her.
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And so I took her name. Spider has always been a totem of mine. A Spider is patient. She weaves her web and then patiently waits for food to come to her. She is solitary and contemplative. And that is one side of my personality. But I am also one who has to “do”. I want to soar and to see and to swoop and to feel the wind. And hawk has always been the emblem of that kind of freedom for me. I feel joyful every time I hear a hawk, every time I see one. Hawk is another totem of mine. It’s the other half of my personality. And so the name fits me well. 4) What are some of the things you’ve written for Sage Woman magazine and The Beltane Papers? Did they help you prepare in any way for writing your latest release, Forest Song: Finding Home? I wrote a few articles for each magazine that you mention. But the truth is I don’t believe doing those articles helped prepare me for creating Forest Song: Finding Home. Each piece is its own work, and each comes from its own inspiration. I believe writing of any kind, however, makes one more technically competent. And so in that sense writing those articles allowed me to flex my literary muscles so that they stayed in shape. Probably if I were going to give any advice to young writers, however, it would not be to write articles. It would be to become good poets. Poetry forces a person to write concisely and in imagery. And I believe that composing poetry for so many years was much better preparation for writing my books than my work on articles was. 5) I find your writing in both Forest Song and Hidden Passages quite lyrical. Do you think your linguistic background (specifically of extensive French study since you even taught college-level French) aided you in this? Oh there’s no getting around the fact that my study of French literature has influenced my writing style. I have learned from the masters. Nobody writes literature like the French! While many French writers are not particularly lyrical, their sentence structure, their use of language is nothing short of amazing. I read something by Flaubert, as an example, and I find myself reading a sentence over and over again admiring the sheer beauty of its design. Besides, it’s impossible to write anything worth reading unless you’ve read good literature. I have been blessed to have had access to some of the finest literature known to humanity and not just in French literature class. 6) In your opinion, what sets your writing apart from other writers’ works in your genre? I don’t do “good” and “evil”. No one is perfectly “good” and no one is perfectly “evil”. I am more interested in the struggles that happen within people who seem to be “good” or “evil”, since each of us has the capacity
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to be either one, alternatively, depending on circumstances. I also don’t do fantastic magic. My magic is much more practical than the magic I see in other books dealing with witchcraft. But mostly I explore the inside. I want to find out what makes my characters tick. So, while my books are definitely magical, that’s not the most important part of the writing to me. I want to explore my characters’ psyches. I want to know why they do what they do. I want to see into their minds and their souls. And I want my readers to do that too. I think it’s more interesting to understand how people work than to explore magical possibilities. At bottom, I believe that if we spent more time trying to understand each other and ourselves, we would have much less need of magic. Imagine all the protection spells we wouldn’t have to perform if everyone were busy trying to understand instead of lashing out. 7) What are the most important details for a successful (second) career in writing? I don’t actually know. That depends on the writer I think. All I know is what works for me personally. There are some basics, of course. One must carve out the time to write. I find that I must write every day to stay “in shape”, to keep my writing muscles strong. I also read as much as I can, but I refuse to read sloppy writing. When I read sloppy writing my own work becomes sloppy and I have to spend too much time and energy to clean it up. That’s very inefficient. And so I insist on reading quality work that has something to teach me. And having read and written poetry, I think about each and every sentence. I ask myself with every sentence if there is a better, more visual, more concise way to express what I’m trying to say. I can spend a few hours struggling over a single sentence because I simply am not happy with the rhythm or the syntax or the sound of the words. Yes, I am a perfectionist. After all, my name goes on the finished product. And I think it’s important to be aware, to watch how people really behave, to hear how they actually talk. But more than that, it’s important to truly see, as an artist sees, the world around me. After all, if I don’t see it, feel it, taste it or hear it, I can’t describe it. And if I don’t describe it, the reader cannot see it, feel it, taste it, or hear it either. I see myself as a reporter. I am reporting to the reader the experience of the protagonist. My job is to put the reader into the protagonist’s soul. I cannot do that unless I climb inside there too. 8) It’s truly wonderful that you’re a gourmet vegan cook. Since you’re also an avid gardener, do you grow most of your own food? I used to grow my own food, but it became too much when I began to write seriously. Putting up the harvest was a full time job. I could do little
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else but that. So I’ve cut way back on gardening for food. Oh I still grow tomatoes and a few other vegetables, and we grow blackberries and blueberries and strawberries. But that’s about it. Now as to the herb garden, well, I am way beyond control there! You name the herb and I grow it. I just love herbs! I love to cook with them. I love to do magic with them. I love to heal with them. I use them as ground covers. I have them in pots. I’m simply hopeless when it comes to herbs! Somebody really must stop me! 9) How long have you been vegan? What made you decide to go vegan? Were you a vegetarian first? I never really decided to be a vegetarian. As a kid I loved vegetables, and my mother used to have to nag me to eat meat. When I was a child, vegetarianism was looked at as an eating disorder. But as that attitude dissipated over the years, I felt freer to follow my natural preferences. Then I did some investigation and discovered that eating a plant based diet is a much healthier way to live, both for people and for animals. And, since I know how animals are raised for food, I wanted nothing to do with the meat industry. I’m not going to go into the horror stories here. But it’s pretty grim. I find the meat industry particularly horrifying, but the dairy industry isn’t much better, which is why I eventually cut out dairy too. I also have witnessed first hand how laying chickens are abused, and I wanted no part of that either. And so I cut out eggs. While I cannot single-handedly change the practices of agribusiness, I can refuse to support them. I sort of oozed from vegetarianism to veganism. But all that happened decades ago. And the truth is I have never looked back. I just love being vegan. I understand that it’s not for everyone, and that’s fine. But for me it works beautifully. 10) Are you planning any book projects in the future? Or any other writing projects? Oh yes, I’m currently writing the next volume of the Forest Song series. Forest Song: Finding Home ends when the protagonist becomes a woman. Forest Song: Little Mother picks up where that left off and the following book will pick up where Little Mother leaves off and so forth until I have told the story of Judy’s life. 11) Where are your books available online? Which brick and mortar stores carry your books as well? Are they available overseas, too?
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Both books are newly published and so are available only online at this time. Well, there are a few local bookstores that carry it right now, but in truth it will take 4-5 months for these books to appear in brick and mortar stores. It simply takes time to get books into stores.
As for international sales, the same issue of time gets in the way. My books are in the process of being translated into several other languages and will eventually be available in several other countries, but again it takes time. For the moment people would be best off going to Amazon.com or coming to my website www.vilaspiderhawk.com. On my home page there are links to each of my books at the publisher’s website. That’s actually probably the easiest way to buy the books just now.
About the interviewer: G.L. Giles is an author, reviewer and interviewer. In addition, she recently had the good fortune of being interviewed herself by the legendary Joe Franklin for his Bloomberg radio show. Giles writes a book review column called “The G.L. Giles Files” for Psychic Times. G.L. Giles can be reached, via e-mail, at christophe526@hotmail.com with comments and questions.
http://www.myspace.com/thevampirevignettes3
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Mixed Media Art by: Rocco Agrippa
Spinach “Over the years, I’ve worked in several mediums, including, though not limited to, audio, video, acrylics, oils, and digital photography, the latter of which being the topic of this portfolio. I’ve always been one to believe that a moment wasted is a moment never to be recovered, and that all time is an opportunity for productivity. A few years ago, I became frustrated in the fact that the time taken for traveling from point “A” to point “B” was, for me, time used for traveling alone, and thus wasted in all other respects. Being of this nature, I soon realized that by carrying my camera along with me on my ventures, I could effectively and productively fill this time. I was astounded at the sights that I would have otherwise overlooked had I been simply commuting. The beauty of nature was and is still ever prevalent even in the midst of urban life, and from time to time, the visage of the urban environment can take on a beauty of it’s own without even the slightest assistance of nature.
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I’ve taken thousands of photographs throughout the city of Philadelphia and, until recently, kept them as is. All of that changed a few months ago when, and I must admit that it was for no particular reason; I decided to begin digitally altering some of my favorite shots, creating a series of more fantastic views of the world around me. All that I can say is that I found myself quite pleased with what I had created, and I decided to press onward with them in an attempt to pursue yet another aspect of creativity which had, until that point, eluded me.”
Cave Skills Summary: -Web Design -Graphic Design
-Acrylic on Canvass -Oil on Canvass
-Digital Audio -Digital Photography
Mushroom Head http://www.namenooneman.com
roguethief187@msn.com
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The Aquarian Shaman: Shamanism for a New Age The Shamanic Psycho Spiritual Process By: Linda Star Wolf People often ask, “What makes the work you do at the Venus Rising Institute for Shamanic Healing Arts shamanic? Isn’t a shaman an indigenous medicine man or woman? Doesn’t shamanism involve the use of mind altering psychoactive plant medicines? Isn’t it necessary to journey to a remote rain forest or village in the mountains of South America?” People wonder how the work we do - which involves breathwork, music, art creation and deep process work - could be called shamanic? In traditional shamanism the Shaman is sometimes referred to as the Wounded Healer - one who has survived a number of trials and initiations, sometimes even near death experiences, and has returned to share the teachings, healing and wisdom gained from those experiences with their people or village. Someone who has learned to shape shift his or her reality by moving from one form to another. One who is intimately connected to the elements, the cycles of change, the spirit world, the earth, and knows that we are all multidimensional beings and that we exist simultaneously on many planes and levels of existence. The shamanic healer is compelled to heal his/ her self and to help others to heal as well, be it on a physical, mental, emotional or spiritual plane. They know that all healing has its origins in the spiritual realms and that without divine intervention true healing does not occur. The Shaman uses chants, prayers, musical instruments such as drums and rattles, dancing, singing, smudging and other types of ritual to create a ceremonial setting and an altered state. In these highly charged states of non-ordinary consciousness healing takes place that is definitely beyond the brain, or ordinary consciousness as we know it. Sometimes a shaman is called a “spirit lawyer.” They may find themselves bargaining and working with the spirit guides of another in order for parts of a soul to be returned. At other times the shaman may need to perform an extraction and assist an individual in releasing some form of negativity trapped in their energy field. All this is associated with traditional shamanism. All this we do in our healing and training programs at the Venus Rising Institute for Shamanic Healing Arts.
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During the late 60’s and early 70’s I experimented regularly with hallucinogenic substances. I often had incredible other worldly journeys rich with profound realizations and new spiritual awareness. These experiences made me want to be a better person. They contributed to my
already open mind, deepening my sense of connection to humanity and my awareness of the oneness of all things. At the same time, these “trips” did nothing to alleviate my growing drug and alcohol dependency, nor did they improve my significant relationships or create any kind of stability in my chaotic life. I was aware of old belief systems and negative behaviors more than ever but felt powerless to make lasting changes. These hallucinogenic journeys that I and many of my generation pursued were inherently shamanic. While they were powerful and certainly increased my awareness of the true nature of reality, they basically remained in the transpersonal realm and were difficult to integrate back into everyday living. In the 80’s and early 90’s I studied Holotrophic and Integrative Breathwork and discovered that it is possible to create an altered state – to take a “trip” - without the use of a mind-altering substance. I learned that healing can take place during non-ordinary states of consciousness. At the same time studied with a Cherokee teacher and with Wolf Clan Grandmother Twylah Nitsch and learned the rituals and tools of the traditional shaman. When I found breathwork and simultaneously learned soul return and other shamanic techniques I discovered the solution to the hallucinogenic dilemma that I and so many of my generation experienced. I learned that it is possible to experience deep altered states through the breath and other rituals that did not take me so far out of my own psyche that the experience became irrelevant upon my return to this plane. I learned how to travel between the worlds soberly and safely. And I began to heal many of my old wounds - emotional, psychological and psychic - and I released long-held addictions. I discovered that this healing can continue in the days and weeks after the journey if it is psychologically grounded back into normal life through an integrative process. I have spent the last 10 years blending breathwork process work with powerful shamanic rituals and techniques that evoke higher states of consciousness, where true healing can occur. The result of this work is the Venus Rising Institute for Shamanic Healing Arts and the Shamanic Breathwork Process. Our emphasis is on assisting others on a psychic journey supported by ritual, music, dancing and art. Our facilitators are trained in the shamanic techniques of soul retrieval and extraction and utilize them to assist the journeyer in their process. These are the tools of the traditional Shaman - and they are our tools as well. Included in our process is the sharing of the journey with others in the Shamanic Breathwork Process Group, which assists in the integration of the journey into everyday life. Our facilitators have journeyed themselves many times and have confronted their own wounds and addictions - dying to their old selves
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and awakening anew. They - like traditional shamans - have learned to shape shift their own reality. They too are intimately connected to the elements, the spirit world and the earth, and they understand the cycles of change. Through the training they’ve received at Venus Rising they are prepared to bring their understanding of the healing process back to those they work with. We at Venus Rising are not doing traditional therapy nor traditional shamanism, although what we are doing is highly therapeutic and truly shamanic in the very best sense of the word. We are bringing shamanism into the new age, adapting it to the needs of our present time and offering it to the world as an extremely effective form of emotional, psychological and psychic healing. We are the Aquarian Shamans, and through our work we offer those who come to our workshops and intensives the opportunity to “Awaken the Shaman Within.” This is truly Shamanism for a New Age.
Star Wolf holds a Doctorate of Ministry from University of Integrative Learning, a BA with honors in Human Services from St. Leo College, and is a nationally certified Addictions Counselor. As a Shamanic Pastoral Counselor, spiritual midwife and guide for souls in the transformational process, Star Wolf has facilitated groups and worked with individuals from every walk of life. For more than 30 years she has served as a guide to individuals moving through the full spectrum of spiritual initiations, including addiction, mental illness, shamanic life changes and spiritual transformation.
http://www.shamanicbreathwork.org/ http://www.myspace.com/venusrisinginstitute
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Vegan Raw Food Made Easy Recipes by Jennifer Cornbleet
Mediterranean Kale Salad Makes 6 servings
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2 small bunches lacinato or curly kale, stems removed
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2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
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2 tablespoons lemon juice
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1/2 teaspoon sea salt
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1/4 cup pine nuts
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1/4 cup golden raisins, soaked 10 minutes, drained, and rinsed
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1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Stack the kale leaves a couple of leaves at a time, and slice into very thin strips. Place the kale in a mixing bowl along with the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Toss well with your hands, working the dressing into the greens. Add the pine nuts and raisins and toss gently. Season to taste with black pepper. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, Mediterranean Kale Salad will keep for three days. Bring to room temperature before serving. Variation #1: Substitute ¼ cup sliced kalamata olives for the raisins and add 1 diced red bell pepper. Variation #2: Eliminate the raisins and the pine nuts. Add 1 seeded and diced tomato, 1 diced avocado, and a dash of cayenne pepper. When kale is cut into thin strips and marinated in a dressing, it has a wonderfully soft and juicy texture that makes it delightful in salads. This nutritious salad is visually beautiful, and sure to become a staple recipe for your family and friends.
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Zucchini Noodles Marinara Makes 6 servings
Marinara ingredients: •
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
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1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil
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1 red bell pepper, chopped
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1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
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2 cloves garlic, crushed
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1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
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Dash cayenne
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Dash fresh ground black pepper
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2 teaspoons dried basil
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1 teaspoon dried basil
Noodle Ingredients: •
6 medium zucchini, peeled
Place all the ingredients for the Marinara Sauce in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until smooth. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, Marinara Sauce will keep for three days. To transform the zucchini into noodles, use a vegetable peeler and peel the zucchini into ribbons on all sides until you reach the core. Alternatively, use a vegetable spiral slicer to create angel hair pasta. Toss the zucchini noodles with enough marinara sauce to coat well and serve immediately. Serve with extra Marinara sauce on the side.
This marinara sauce tastes like the original. Your family and friends will think it slow-simmered on the stove for hours.
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Flourless Chocolate Cake
Makes one 9-inch cake; 8 servings • • • •
3 cups walnuts 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 20 pitted medjool dates 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder or raw chocolate powder
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional 4 teaspoons water 1 ½ cups fresh raspberries for garnish
Place the walnuts and salt in a food processor fitted with the S blade and process until finely ground. Add the dates, cocoa powder, and vanilla and process until the mixture begins to stick together. Add the water and process briefly. Transfer to a serving plate and form into a 9-inch round cake. Chill for 2 hours. Decorate the cake and plate with fresh raspberries or top before serving. Covered with plastic wrap, Flourless Chocolate Cake will keep for three days in the refrigerator or two weeks in the freezer. Bring to room temperature before serving. This decadent dessert will delight chocolate lovers. About Jennifer Cornbleet Jennifer Cornbleet is a nationally recognized raw food chef and instructor, and a faculty instructor at the Living Light Culinary Arts Institute. She offers classes, hands-on workshops, and consultations in the Chicago area and nationwide. Her first book, Raw Food Made Easy for 1 or 2 People, has already sold over 50,000 copies, and she has recently released the companion DVD, Raw Food Made Easy. Her current projects include a new book, Raw For Dessert, to be published next year. For more information, visit Jennifer’s website at www.learnrawfood.com
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WY-not Sun Catchers...
Pamela Kritner
I’ve been building Sun Catchers for most of my life. I’ve always been fascinated by color and prisms. The first time I saw a crystal I had to have one. I used to hang them by themselves but I had found some beautiful glass beads one day and I wondered how they might look. The rest is color and light... I do Jewlery of course and this is an extension for the home. Looking at these each morning has brightened my life and I hope it brings the same peace to those who buy them... enjoy www.myspace.com/pamster55 www.wynotdesign.com
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More Items of color and light...
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Artisan - James Joy Ok here we go??????? I was born in Cherokee, Iowa. In Mar of 1957. I grew up in a small farming community called Cushing IA., a town of 300 people back then. I was the 5th of 6 children, 1 girl [the oldest] and 4 brothers. All of us boys got into mechanics at a young age, helping dad keep his small trucking business going. Starting out as wrench chasers and parts washers. Gradually working up to ďŹ xing our own cars etc. I spent the better part of my working years being a farm & construction mechanic, or operator. Learning to weld and do fabrication work, as I worked various jobs thru the years. But it always seemed that I went back to working with my hands whenever I could. Something I have always enjoyed, making something from nothing. It’s a gift and a talent that has always made me feel good .
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I always had an interest in hunting & fishing thru the years, and camping and raising my children. I picked up a new hobby when I moved to WY in 1995, rock hunting. Something that my youngest daughter and I have enjoyed doing for the last 13 years and we still do whenever we get a chance. I added rock tumbling to my list of hobbies as well, had to do something with all those rocks we would drag home. I would like to put together some more equipment and explore my lapidary habit further. I first became interested in powder horns in the 80’s after I started to attend the local rendezvous, and watching the re-enactors playing out the lives of mountain men. I finally got enough cash and traded some of my wife’s bead work for my first muzzle loader, a 50 caliber CVA percussion rifle. And that was the start of my horn building hobby; I had a gun but no powder horn. My very first powder horn was more like a powder flask, I used what was at hand and that happened to be some leather I had left from some other project. It held powder anyway. I finally found a source for some raw horns and built my very first powder horn around 1990, It was a large horn , and mostly black, but once it was finished it would hold almost a pound of powder and it was all mine. From there I went on making horns for sale and gifts?? I actually think I have given more away then sold, but it didn’t matter I was enjoying my new hobby. All 4 of my children have a horn hanging on their wall. In fact I have two that are my own personal ones hanging on the wall now. Yeppers and one of those is that very first one I made, still full of powder and ready to use. Thru my career as a horn builder I did get the opportunity to sell one fine white horn to a collector back east, a horn that once it was gone, I have always wished I would have kept. Now days I am trying to supplement my income with my hobbies, which vary a bit. I like to do leather work, wood work, build powder horns, have even delved into building a kit gun [muzzle loader], I have a nice 1970 Triumph Chopper that I built in the basement also.
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James Joy cont... More of the hobbies I enjoy are building doll houses, rock hunting still , rock tumbling when I can, building dream catchers, and I also do make a cool pipe or two from horns or what ever I think will make a cool smoking implement. I have even made some pretty cool ones using old spare lamp ďŹ xtures, and just about anything I can do with my hands to keep me busy.
www.myspace.com/i_love_life_daily www.wynotdesign.com
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Psychedelic Art by: Mystikka Inspired by my grandmother and aunt, both talented artists, I have been exploring art from as far back as I can remember. In high school, I did most of my sketching during math class. Probably more than once, I used my math teacher as an art subject and turned in the drawing instead of my homework. The teacher was surprised I turned in anything at all. ;-)
Even as a teen, my art veered toward psychedelic themes and often was sprinkled with rainbows and spiritual symbols. Since 2006, I have used Photoshop to create abstract and semi-abstract psychedelic digital art that is available for sale as prints and on t-shirts, mugs and more. In my experience, the process of creating art is an emotional release and an imaginative journey through love. Colors and patterns bypass words and thoughts, to express energy, meaning and moods. A mixed media collage series is currently in the works as I continue to explore new creative directions and stretch my artistic bounds. In light and harmony, Mystikka (Publisher of MetaCreative Magazine) www.mystikka.com/art.html 31
INTERVIEW WITH
PAULY AND RICO OF THE
‘FRUIT SALAD SHOW.’ By: Mystikka
1) Please describe the concept of the Fruit Salad Show and the type of content you work with. The Fruit Salad Show is a fruit-TASTIC weekly hour filled with celebrity guests, gossip, entertainment and fun with us....your fruity hosts Pauly and Rico! The concept is to bring everyone together, gay, straight, men , women, etc. through laughter. 2) What makes Fruit Salad stand out amongst the many shows that are starting to saturate the net? We are real guys and we are best friends. We call each other on our shit (can we say that)? and we ask celebrities questions other people wouldn’t. We also get them to sing. So far it seems our personal humor has translated to the masses and for that we are thankful. We listen to our fans and do the best we can to bring a fresh, funky show every week. 3) I know that many podcasting newbies often underestimate the amount of work involved in the commitment of maintaining a podcast. What are some of the responsibilities that go into keeping the Fruit Salad Show moving forward? Oh, let’s see, updating the website multiple times a day, writing blogs, generating ad revenue, contacting potential guests, booking guests, doing our own PR, going to shows, concerts, hotels, restaurants, vacations (ok, we like this one), photo shoots, emceeing and hosting events, going to Hollywood parties and networking to get our name and face out there, writing, producing, and performing our radio show, maintaining our MySpace, contacting and corresponding with our fans, promoting the shows individually with our station, passing our card and flyers out at numerous Pride events, industry parties, and various bathhouses, staying on top of current events and entertainment, and being funny. We were told that most podcasts do not last longer than 2 months. We are almost one year old, which is 21 in gay years. This endeavor is by far the most exhausting, and rewarding experience that either of us has ever been a part of. 4) Out of the positive experiences that have come out of doing your show, what are you most grateful for?
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First and foremost, we are most thankful for our fans. Our “fruit flies” will be there at a moments notice to give
shit to anyone who gives us shit! We are also able to debunk the myth that all gays are speedo wearing go go dancers or military fatigue lesbians. What we are most grateful for is the chance to have a voice and to have the opportunity to make people laugh. We hope to use that voice for good and to raise awareness and positivity through laughter and being ourselves. 5) What are your goals or plans for the Fruit Salad Show? “To rule the world” - Madonna Our goals are quite lofty. We love the word lofty. We hope to live up to our given title “the new face of gay.” We are normal guys with an abnormal job. We hope to remain at the forefront of our medium by bringing our audience fresh, innovative shows with candid, fun interviews. Eventually we would like to see our brand expand into television and other mediums. We want to continue to make our fans dreams come true, which we have been fortunate enough to do a few times. We want to reach out to huge audiences, and affect just one or two people all the same. Most importantly, we want to use the word “lofty” more. 6) Who were your top three favorite guests and why were those particular shows memorable? Pauly’s Top 3Deborah Gibson - This was the show where I really thought we made it. She sang an entire song from “Le Miserables” on her piano and I cried, It is well documented. RuPaul - I did a lot of research for this interview because he was our most famous guest up until that point. I called upon his friends to give me some dirt and inside stories. His publicist called me later and said she has never heard him laugh that hard during an interview. (tie) Eden Espinosa - One of my favorite singers, she sang “Happy Birthday” to me. I am simple. Augusten Burroughs - My favorite author. Our show became very journalistic. He had a lot to say and I was more than willing to sit there in awe of him. Rico’s Top 3: Lynda Carter - She has always been my icon ever since I as a confused little boy. And, to finally speak with her was a fairy tale come true -- all puns fully intended. Hyde (my sister) - She came on during our “So You Think You’re Smarter Than a Real Live Lesbian” where she was asked to answer lesbian related trivia against Pauly. As it turns out, Pauly was more of a lesbian than my sister. RuPaul - I think everyone had so much fun during that interview, it was almost illegal. 7) Where can people go online to learn more about your show and listen to episodes? http://www.FruitSaladShow.com or http://www.myspace.com/fruitsaladshow ! Woo hoo!!
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Mourning Magdalene Indie Music Review by: Sometimes Girl
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“Six Songs of Self Loathing” Mourning Magdalene, probably best pegged as Goth/Metal, is a little out of my element, a personal review challenge. It has the melancholy lyrics of classic Goth bands such as Bauhaus, the father of Goth; and is lyrically similar to Screaming for Emily, a lesser-known but consistent Goth band and personal favorite of mine now for a couple decades. Within the music surfaces sounds and feelings of NIN, Marilyn Manson, Sisters of Mercy (if slightly), along with the strong presence of strict metal. This is a CD which is so multi-influenced and layered it took me a while to break down and get to the guts of the music. This makes it an extremely interesting, creative, and cutting edge compilation. Anyone interested in these genres will have their curiosity provoked by this CD, as Mourning Magdalene is really defining its own terms and label. The songs, which vary musically from screeching lyrics and shredding guitar solos to much slower tempos reminiscent of the early 80’s, all have one thing in common: EXCELLENT MUSICIANSHIP. Dee Jay Nelson’s academic background in music composition is evident in this CD as a composer, guitarist, lyricist, and singer. Even among complex and obvious strivings for perfection, the CD never loses its overall direction. Often indie bands have a couple of great songs in a compilation, but quickly spiral down, lacking creativity and quality. This, however, is not the fate of Mourning Magdalene. In fact, the CD becomes more interesting and colorful as each song unraveled. Nelson’s own well-expressed description of his work: “The darkness that guides my writing comes from an overwhelming lack of self worth accompanied by an eternal broken heart. I find it very difficult to get over even the slightest betrayal.” I am in complete agreement with Dee, personally adding, that this CD is not for the weak-of-heart…actually, it was written specifically for them. Copyright, Sometimes Girl, 2008 Mourning Magdalene http://www. myspace. com/mourningmagdalene
Sometimes Girl, freelance music critic:
http://www.myspace.com/passionateprolificwriter
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