The entire OmPlace Alternative Newsroom can be found by clicking here. If you have trouble viewing this email, click here.
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THE NEW ALTWIRE
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Welcome to the new HTML version of OmPlace's Altwire. Our aim is to present informative articles relating to conscious living, holistic health, environmental issues, spirituality and more. Please direct your submissions and suggestions to: susan@omplace.com
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SPIRIT CARD
OF THE WEEK
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Golden Buddha
by Atmara Rebecca Cloe
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RECIPE OF THE WEEK
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Surprise Lentil Loaf from VeggieFiles.com
This lentil loaf makes a hearty main course and even includes some hidden eggplant and spinach for extra nutrition. Makes enough for 4 people with lots of leftovers.
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FEATURED WEBSITES
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Enrich your life with free distant healing, improve your health and well-being and, by gaining spiritual insight, help create global awareness. The Aumara Light & Healing Center's website is a helpful stepping stone on your path to enlightenment. You can visit now by clicking here.
Gaiam.com is a provider of information, goods and services to customers who value the environment, a sustainable economy, healthy lifestyles and alternative healthcare. Visit now by clicking here.
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HERB OF THE WEEK
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Qing Xiang or Celosia Seeds by Joe Hing Kwok Chu, from AlternativeHealing.org
A decoction used as drops stops nose bleeding - also used for painful, swollen eyes. It should not be used in cases of glaucoma or liver or kidney deficiency because it has a strong heat clearing effect and and can dilate the pupils.
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QUOTES OF
THE WEEK
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"Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule."
- Friedrich Nietzsche
"The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease."
- Voltaire
"The human race has one really effective weapon, and that is laughter."
- Mark Twain
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THOUGHTS & EXPRESSION
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The Path
by Steve Ives
Energy Healer Steve Ives offers this poem about The Path.
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FYI
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To find holistic health practitioners, yoga teachers, natural foods, products or anything related to healthy, conscious living in your city, state or country, visit our sister site, ByRegion Healing Arts Directory.
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OmPLACE FORUM
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Enjoy discussions regarding
conscious living, health, the
environment and more. Enter the OmPlace/ByRegion forum by clicking here.
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BECOME A MODERATOR
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We are accepting applications for Moderators. Share your expertise with the OmPlace Community. If you're interested, send us an email.
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MOVIE REVIEW
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Trembling Before G-d by Ed Gonzalez / Slant Magazine
In his documentary Trembling Before G-d, Sandi Simcha Dubowski efficiently probes the soul-shattering angst faced by those who hope to reconcile their homosexuality with their Orthodox beliefs.
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ALTERNATIVE NEWS |
CNN Chief Orders 'Balance' in War News by Howard Kurtz/Washington Post (via Common Dreams News Center)
The chairman of CNN has ordered his staff to balance images of civilian devastation in Afghan cities with reminders that the Taliban harbors murderous terrorists, saying it "seems perverse to focus too much on the casualties or hardship in Afghanistan." As more errant U.S. bombs have landed in residential areas, causing damage to such places as a Red Cross warehouse and senior citizens' center, the resulting television images have fueled criticism of the American war effort. See a related story, "Squelching the News in Democracy's Name," at the Mother Jones Magazine website.
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SPIRITUALITY
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Jesus and John Lennon - Looking Towards The Spiritually Gifted For Guidance by Michael J. Stillwell/VisionaryExpressions.com
 The recent terrorist attacks on Americans have been, to say the least, sad and unsettling. In times of crisis I find that it is important to look to real leaders for help and guidance. When I look for a true "leader" I rarely turn to politicians. After all, political decisions are often guided by power, money and greed - the very things that get us in trouble to begin with. Sadly, I feel that religious leaders today are led by the same skewed motives. That is why I go directly to the source, the real leaders, our spiritual masters. .. Although there are some wonderful people who fit this criteria, based on my life experience, I look to Jesus Christ and John Lennon for help.
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CONSCIOUS TRAVEL |
Life Among Afghanistan's Outcasts by Daniel Sullivan/LonelyPlanet.com
I had been living in the refugee camp, near the border of Afghanistan, for six weeks; I had a small mud brick room with wool carpets to cover the dirt floors. A long brown curtain divided the room where the women - who I would never see - slept. The young children were already hard at work tying knots on the loom. The night before America and Britain had bombed Osama bin Laden's terrorist training camps in neighboring Afghanistan. We had listened to the reports on Afghani radio before the electricity had been shut off. The morning’s retaliation had been a price on all Americans' heads.
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VEGETARIAN FOOD
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The Life of a Vegetarian in a Meat-Eating World by Rob Daugherty/VeggieFiles.com
After my first year of teaching, I took advantage of the summer off and drove across the country. It may surprise you, but there are people in our modern world that really don't know what a vegetarian is. I stopped at a diner deep in the heart of cattle country, where healthy eating is trimming the fat off the steak and sopping the gravy with wheat bread instead of white. When I asked if they had any vegetarian dishes the waitress responded, "Oh sure! Turkey or chicken?"
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ENTERTAINMENT |
Mary Gauthier - Many Lives in Song by Eric Fine/Dirty Linen
 Before Mary Gauthier could figure out what she wanted from her life, she had a few things to put behind her. Gauthier's problems with drugs and alcohol landed her in jail cells, detox centers, and a few other dreary places before she finally embraced sobriety. A cross-country move to Boston in 1986 provided the flash point. After establishing herself as a successful restaurant owner in Beantown, this quintessential late-bloomer discovered her muse. Her old habits now inspire her largely autobiographical songs. Her two self-released CDs feature spare narratives that skirt the edges of folk and country music.
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READING ROOM |
Understanding Oghams, the 'Alphabet' of Celtic Memory, Communication and Divination by BirchFire
Oghams are named from the Irish-Celtic deity named Ogma, the god of
eloquence
and learning. The
"letters"
were a systems of strokes on or across a centered line. Learning the Oghams system, the person begins to understand each tree,
numbers, deities, animals, bird, colors, minerals, stars, herbs or human
principles that are part of the "alphabet." The object of this memory
technique is so one can start to grow a grove of information. The magic comes in when signs that are learned come about repeatedly in
daily
life, giving clues to what should be observed or needed almost like a
personal communication with the spirit. This allows you to become a
tool of
the spirit to help in either your own path or those around you.
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MASSAGE |
Abhyangam: An Ayurveda Way of Massage
by Dr. Kamini Kaushal/Chakrapani Ayurveda Clinic & Research Center
In Ayurveda, the Abhyangam (massage) has been highly praised and people are advised to adopt it as a part of daily life. As we eat and sleep every day, so should we also massage and discharge our wastes every day. Massage is also used therapeutically. For different kinds of diseases, different type of massages and oil massages are prescribed. According to Vagbhatta, a writer of a famous treatise on Ayurveda, those who are desirous of health and happiness should massage the body, and they should use oils for massage according to the seasons.
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HOLISTIC ANIMAL CARE |
Veterinary Orthopedic Manipulation - Chiropractic for Animals by Dr. Mark Newkirk / Margate Animal Hospital
Ever wonder why chiropractic methods are not used on animals? Those of you who have benefited from chiropractic care and know the great relief it can sometimes bring, will understand that pets can benefit greatly too, especially those with spinal disc problems, arthritis and even hip dysplasia. The technique I use is called Veterinary Orthopedic Manipulation or VOM.
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YOGA |
The Seven Principles
of a Highly Effective
Yoga Practice by Sam Dworkis / ExtensionYoga.com
As you go through life, you inevitably injure yourself, either through accidents or simple wear and tear. You heal; but the muscles, tendons, ligament, and especially the fascia of your body “remember” the injury. About every ten years — ages 28 to 32, 38 to 42, 48 to 52, 58 to 62 and 68 to 72 — your fascia becomes less resilient, and those past injuries cause it to become tighter and tighter. ... Gently, layer-by-layer, an appropriate yoga practice relaxes and releases tight fascia ... and you begin to regain your energy.
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TAROT |
The Tarot Queens and the Kama Sutra by Cheryl Lynne Bradley / RealMagick.com
An ancient principle of Indian civilization was the teaching of the Kama Sutra and the sixty-four arts that a woman should acquire as knowledge. This was called kala. These were considered to be accomplishments in the teaching of erotic techniques and were taught to all girls regardless of their social standing. In keeping with the flexibility of Tarot interpretation, I have applied these arts as qualities and attributes of the Tarot Queens.
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HOLISTIC HEALTH |
Getting Real With Your Body - Ten Steps To Great Health
by Petrene Soames/Author of The Essence of Self-Healing
 For many of us, not being happy or satisfied or even disliking our body is a
major block to happiness and awareness. Women especially spend a lot of time
wishing their body was different in one way or another. We have not only
bought into accepted concepts of what is perfect, beautiful and ideal for
body shape, we also police ourselves constantly with thoughts and beliefs
such as "my stomach is too big", "my thighs are too fat", "my butt sags",
and so on. Follow these ten tips to get back into your body, into great health and
shape and get real with yourself and your life.
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ENVIRONMENT |
Japan Defies Whaling Commission, Begins Porpoise Hunt from the Environmental News Network
In defiance of a resolution passed by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in London in July, the Japanese whaling fleet begins its controversial hunt of Dall's porpoises on Nov. 1. It is the largest direct kill of any whale, dolphin, or porpoise in the world, with up to 18,000 porpoises killed each year in hand harpoon hunts in Japanese coastal waters.
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SOCIAL ISSUES |
Terror Law: A Win For Fear, A Loss For Freedom by John Nichols/The Nation
"Bad laws are the worst sort of tyranny," British parliamentarian Edmund Burke explained in 1800. Two centuries have passed, but legislatures continue to reinforce the link between bad law and tyranny. The U.S. Congress did so this week, with the passage of the ambitiously named Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act. Rare are the moments in American history when a Congress has surrendered so many cherished freedoms in a single trip to the altar of immediate fear.
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ASTROLOGY & DIVINATION |
The Sun And Moon In Families: Astrology Is Not Gender-Biased
by Erin Sullivan/excerpted from her book Dynasty: The Astrology of Family Dynamics
In an astrology book on families, we must be scrupulous not to arbitrarily assign strict gender roles to planetary agencies, but to try to find relationships between the masculine and feminine archetypes and see how they are played out in the family dynamic among all members, and how they are transferred through individuals in the family regardless of their gender.
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