AOL users and others who cannot view links in email can enjoy this newsletter at http://news17.omplace.com For more stories and archives, the entire OmPlace Altwire can be found here.
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SPIRIT CARD
OF THE WEEK
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Morning Meditation
by Atmara Rebecca Cloe
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THE NEW ALTWIRE
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Welcome to OmPlace's Altwire newsletter. 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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FEATURED WEBSITES
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4th Annual Wise Women Weekend - June 22 &23rd on Miami Beach, FL. This two-day conference on health and wellness, created by and for women, is a benefit for Victim Services Center and is sponsored by Center Peace. Special guests are best-selling author Marianne Williamson, actress Rosie O’Donnell, and global peace activist Naomi Tutu.
for more info or to register, click here.
Basic Webhosting Special - ByRegion will host your website for only $9.95 per month. This offer is good through July 1, 2002 - sign up for as many months as you like. For more information, email us.
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RECIPE OF THE WEEK
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Recipe of the Week: Squash And Red Pepper Roll-Ups From Mostly Macro by Lisa Turner
These colorful little pinwheels are made with steamed squash and sauteed red pepper and onions wrapped in whole-wheat tortillas. Chilled and sliced into rounds, they make the perfect healthy party appetizer, or try serving them whole as a tasty alternative to the traditional lunchtime sandwich.
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HERB OF THE WEEK
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Guggul May Lower Cholesterol from HealthCentral.com
Guggul (Goo-gall) is a resin from a tree native to India. This resin has long been used in Ayurvedic medicine, which combined it with other plant products to cleanse and rejuvenate the body, especially the blood vessels and the joints. It was also used for sore throats and digestive complaints. In Chinese medicine, guggul is known as mo yao and is used to activate blood flow, relieve pain, and speed recovery. Guggul (also spelled gugul, gugulu, or guggal) is now coming to attention in the United States because of its reputation for lowering cholesterol.
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QUOTES OF
THE WEEK
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"I am always doing that which I can not do, in order that I may learn how to do it."
- Pablo Picasso
"Getting ahead in a difficult profession requires avid faith in yourself. That is why some people with mediocre talent, but with great inner drive, go much further than people with vastly superior talent."
- Sophia Loren
"One must not lose desires. They are mighty stimulants to creativeness, to love and to long life."
- Alexander A. Bogomoletz
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THOUGHTS & EXPRESSION
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Forgiveness an essay poem by Gururattan Kaur Khalsa, Ph.D. / Author and Teacher of Kundalini Yoga
Life is not designed to keep us stuck. But we do have to learn from our experiences to attain the freedom, peace, happiness and prosperity that we desire. This poem on forgiveness was written by Gururattan Kaur Khalsa in 1997 for her book "The Destiny of Women Is the Destiny of the World." Men can read it with the meaning "The destiny of the feminine is the destiny of the world." When men tune into and acknowledge their feminine, we will create a peaceful world together. |
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FYI
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Radio4All.org is the website directory that connects you to the movement to reclaim the airwaves. It includes links to some of the best underground and indie stations in the world, and includes other useful links - like how to start your own low-power radio station. It's all about freedom of speech!
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OmPLACE FORUM
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Enjoy discussions regarding
conscious living, health, the
environment and more. Enter the forum by clicking here.
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MOVIE REVIEW
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Sunshine State by Ed Gonzalez / Slant Magazine
Director John Sayles continues exactly where William Faulkner left off, tackling the institutionalized racism that seethes in the New South, specifically in the fictional town of Delrona Beach, Florida, a capitalist-wary community trying to reconcile its past and tradition-free present.
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ALTERNATIVE NEWS |
FBI, Oakland Police Fined $4.4 Million for Persecution of Earth First! Activists from the Environment News Service
The jury in the Judi Bari and Darryl Cherney federal civil rights lawsuit against four FBI agents and three Oakland Police officers awarded plaintiffs $4.4 million for violation of the activists' Constitutional rights and returned a verdict largely in favor of Earth First! activists Cherney and the late Judi Bari. In a legal victory of historic proportions against the FBI, the jury found that six of the seven defendants violated the First and Fouth Amendments of the Constitution by arresting the activists, conducting searches of their homes, and carrying out a smear campaign in the press, calling Earth First! a terrorist organization and calling the activists bombers, in the aftermath of the explosion of a bomb that was planted in Judi Bari's car in 1990. For more information about the case, see http://www.judibari.org
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ENTERTAINMENT |
 Nashville's First Female Producer Took a Lickin' and Kept on Pickin' by Grant Alden /
No Depression Magazine
Gail Davies became the first female producer in Nashville, producing all but the first three of the 18 hits she charted from 1978—85. Then she had the temerity to bear a child out of wedlock, and to go to court in public dispute with his father, Gary Scruggs, the eldest son of Earl. She would prefer to be remembered as a first-rate singer and songwriter, precursor to several generations of literate voices such as Mary Chapin Carpenter and Kathy Mattea. At least some of the women who have since walked through doors she opened remember her work, and honor the prices she paid to do it. Davies resumed her career a few years back with the Little Chickadee label and her latest, "Gail Davies & Friends, Live & Unplugged At The Station Inn," was released last year. In this interview, she talks about learning the music business in Los Angeles, where she watched Joni Mitchell make "Court and Spark" and hung out with John Lennon and Phil Spector.
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HOLISTIC HEALTH |
 Exploring Alternative Cancer Treatments by Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D. / DrWeilSelfHealing.com
"You have cancer." Hearing those three words is terrifying enough. But when the initial shock subsides, you’ll have to face the tough task of choosing from a bewildering array of treatment options. Do you pursue surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of these approaches? Or should you forgo conventional measures, relying instead on alternative cancer therapies, or try to forge some combination of both? This article guides you through the decision-making process, and offers Dr. Andrew Weil's take on some of the most important alternative cancer treatments available.
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CONSCIOUS TRAVEL |
Finding the Middle of Nowhere: An Australian Visits Texas by Jane Rawson / LonelyPlanet.com
They say the most uninterrupted view on the planet is from Mount Kilimanjaro, but apparently 'they' haven't flown into Amarillo, Texas, on a 12-seater prop plane. I'd been on planes for 72 of the last 96 hours. I'd flown out of Melbourne and into Sydney, out of Sydney and into Los Angeles; from LA to San Francisco and from San Francisco to Dallas-Fort Worth. Nowhere had the view out the window been more breathtaking than it was above the Texas Panhandle. It's entirely, utterly flat. There's absolutely nothing to see, and it looks fantastic. On the interstate to Lubbock, about three hours south of Amarillo, there's a load more flat. I can't get enough of it. The utter flatness has a creeping drama that somehow hits much deeper than the showiness of the Sierras or the Rockies. The endlessness of it seems to wipe away everything I've understood about life until now: it feels like there's nothing but the drive.
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VEGETARIAN FOOD
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 How Safe Is Soy? by Susun Weed / Herbalist and Director of the Wise Woman Center (via Zenzibar.com)
All is not what it seems with the supposed health benefits of soy. Allergies to soy are at least as common as allergies to milk. Nitrosamines, potent carcinogens often associated with meat, are found in high concentrations in all commercial soy protein foods. Isoflavones, anti-carcinogenic substances present in soybeans, may have a pro-cancer effect when consumed unfermented. Although soybeans contain large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, these acids are particularly susceptible to rancidity when subjected to the high heat and pressure required to remove the oil from the bean; such rancidity promotes cancer and heart disease.
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YOGA |
Yoga Retreats: Stress-Free Vacations That Last by Sherry Roberts / YogaMovement.com
Many people are drawn to yoga retreats because they offer the chance to combine a vacation with an activity they love - yoga. One of the most important things you should ask yourself before signing up for a yoga retreat is: What do you hope to get out it? What should you look for in a yoga retreat or vacation? You should know the teacher and the style of yoga you will be practicing and make sure the level of yoga (beginner, intermediate, advanced, multilevels) meets your needs. You can learn about yoga retreats from your teacher, friends, magazines, or online. The important thing is to do your homework — ask questions about the teacher, the style, and the schedule. Besides expectations, teaching style, and practice level, the other important component of a yoga retreat is the locale. Yoga retreats are offered all over the world. Choose a place you’re interested in exploring.
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TAROT |
 The Hermit and the Inner Hermitage
by c.t. thrin / Tapestry-Magazine.com
The hermit card on a first reading appears to be quite forward - a person at some distance on the spiritual path, removed from society, who now sheds his wisdom for any below who care to follow in his footsteps. So far, so good - if this card appears in a reading, the querent is perhaps starting to become something of a solitary in their spiritual work, perhaps they are becoming a manifestation of the light for others who are only beginning to feel the call of spirit. Now a hermit is not easily found, and most in this day and age would not know where to look. The Hermit is found inside you ... the inner wisdom, the inner light, the inner comfort that you seek.
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SPIRITUALITY
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Activation:
A Process of Spiritual Awakening by Ronald L. Mann, Ph.D. / Spirituality & Alternative Healing
There are a variety of contexts in which a powerful spiritual dynamic can occur between two people. It can occur between a client and a psychotherapist, between a student and a teacher, and between two individuals apart from any defined healing or teaching relationship. I choose to call this phenomena "Activation." I like this term because unconscious shadow material, attachments, and identification with the little self, as opposed to the soul or higher self, are quickly brought to the surface. There appears to be very little written about this powerful process, although it is commonly experienced in spiritual communities and between individuals who have a desire for spiritual awakening.
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MASSAGE |
 An Interview with Polarity Realization Institute Founder Nancy Risley by Carol Bedrosian / OfSpirit.com
Nancy Risley, RPP (Registered Polarity Practitioner) founded the Polarity Realization Institute in 1980 as a school to train professional bodyworkers and polarity therapists. The Institute currently has four New England locations: Ipswich, MA, Plymouth, MA, Westboro, MA and Portland, ME. Obtaining a copy of Nancy's new book R.Y.S.E.: Tools for Life — Holding Your Personal Power and Lifeforce, I found myself resonating with what I read and called for an interview to learn more. Nancy spoke articulately about the new concepts of spirituality and energy being introduced into our healthcare world and how this gives hope for the possibility of healing in the world at large.
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READING ROOM |
Astral Projection and Extraordinary Life by Julia Jablonski / PsychicJournal.com
While many may associate an interest in astral projection with the "New Age," the belief in a separate astral/spiritual "body" or the ability to separate from the physical is not new, and can be traced back to the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, Tibetans, and Hindus, and through more recent schools of thought such as theosophy. Out-of-body experiences are apparently universal, as they are reported in many diverse and distant cultures of the world.
Astral projection is an awareness of one's consciousness detaching from the physical body, and can be spontaneous or induced. This generally occurs during a state of altered consciousness, often in the state of deep relaxation that arises just before one falls asleep. The physical body is then at rest, and may be "asleep" or paralyzed in order to not move about during dreams, but the conscious mind lags behind a step, remaining awake. It is also common in experiences of trauma, such as accidents and near death experiences, or when undergoing anesthesia.
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HOLISTIC ANIMAL CARE |
Natural Treatment for Ear Mites by William Pollak D.V.M. / Fairfield Animal Hospital (via phdProducts.com)
Ear mites are common in cats and dogs. A cat with ear mites will scratch its ears frequently and a deposit that looks like dried coffee grounds, black, gray or even white will form down in the ear canals. A dog will scratch and shake its head and its ear canal may look quite red and inflamed. Bacterial and fungal infections secondary to ear mites is another layer of imbalance. Reducing redness and inflammation from secondary infection is the first order of business, as medications and remedies that help kill ear mites can sometimes act as an irritant to a sensitized ear canal. This article includes homemade, natural ear-mite treatment suggestions - first treating with warm oil and 400 IU vitamin E in a dropper bottle for six days, letting it rest for three days, and then using a tincture of the herb Yellow Dock, diluted with water. If medicine is present for six continuous weeks, there will be no more eggs present.
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ASTROLOGY & DIVINATION |
 Debunking The Myths Surrounding Your Sun Sign by Jonathan Cainer / Cainer.com
Jonathan Cainer takes a new look at some old ideas about the zodiac, highlighting some of the crazy things that people seem to assume about the different signs and then setting the record straight. He stresses that nobody is typical of their zodiac sign. We are all individuals and, in our full birth charts, based on our date, time and place of birth, we have all twelve signs operating on us. Your zodiac sign is one of the stronger influences but it is not the only one. It can never, ever represent the be-all and end all of who you are. Being born on a certain day doesn’t force you to be a certain way. It just makes you a bit more likely to be that way. As the ancients said “Astra Inclinant, Non necessitant” - the stars may lean on us a bit but they don’t use force.
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ENVIRONMENT |
Baby Teeth Helped End Nuclear Testing In Southwest by Joni Praded
/ Emagazine - The Environmental Magazine
Some Washington University researchers were cleaning a musty old ammunition bunker at Missouri's Tyson Research Center last spring. There they stumbled across a bizarre find - 85,000 baby teeth. The teeth were unused specimens from the St. Louis Baby-Tooth Survey, a massive public health study mobilized by scientist and anti-nuclear activist Barry Commoner from 1958 to 1970. The U.S. had been conducting above-ground nuclear weapons tests, setting off about 100 bombs in the American West in the years following World War II. Radioactive fallout was increasingly detected in milk supplies and in the environment, and the public was growing uneasy about its effects. Researchers working on the survey collected some 300,000 baby teeth from children in the St. Louis area. They found that the amount of strontium-90 (a carcinogenic radioactive agent) in those teeth rose dramatically during bomb-test periods, and fell dramatically after testing ceased. This helped spur the U.S. to sign the 1963 treaty banning atmospheric bomb tests.
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SOCIAL ISSUES |
Quest for Oil Moving the War Machine by Michael T. Klare / Progressive Magazine
Since its inception, the Bush Administration has launched two great foreign policy initiatives: a global war against terrorism, and a global campaign to expand American access to foreign oil. Originally, each possessed its own rationale and mode of operation. As time has passed, however, they have become increasingly intertwined, so that today the war on terrorism and the struggle for oil have become one vast enterprise. The underpinnings of the Bush foreign policy can be found in the national energy policy paper of May 17, 2001, known as the Cheney report. This report became infamous for two reasons: Cheney wouldn't release the names of the people he consulted for it, and the report recommends drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. But these controversies distracted attention away from the gist of the report, which is spelled out in chapter eight, "Strengthening Global Alliances." There, the report "recommends that the President make energy security a priority of our trade and foreign policy."
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