Much Ado About Nothing?

By Jack Ohman, for the Sacramento Bee

Everyone not living under a rock is probably aware of Ebola right now, especially since mainstream attention got a boost when patient zero Thomas Duncan unwittingly imported it into the US from Liberia last October 1. The timing of TV shows like The Last Ship and The Strain have certainly helped thrust the subject of pandemics into the spotlight.

Just like any tragedy, there are many opinions going around, including conspiracy theories. One of the more popular conspiracy theories is the "global depopulation agenda" supposedly being instituted by those working towards a New World Order. In fact, as far back as 2006, University of Texas professor Dr. Eric Pianka advocated the mass culling of 90% of the world's population through the use of an airborne Ebola virus. Creepy, huh?

There are others who contend that it's all an elaborate ploy for pharmaceutical companies to make a killing with vaccines, the way Tamiflu was pushed in the wake of the H1N1 scare. Actually, one of the more far out conspiracy theories I read about came out soon after the disappearance of Flight MH370 back in March. The theory goes that MH370 was actually diverted to the US military base in Diego Garcia via remote control (like a drone) and that a team from the CDC and its counterpart from the People's Republic of China were scrambled and sent there. Since, in hindsight, it turns out the Ebola virus was starting to rage out of control in Africa at about that time, one has to wonder if there really was something to that particular conspiracy theory.

On the other hand, both government and medical officials keep stating that there is nothing to worry about, that Ebola does not spread easily. A few outlets have even mentioned other threats and diseases that kill thousands of Americans each year (also refer to the infographic image) but don't make the news like Ebola does, the implication being that Ebola is being hyped by fear mongers.

Be that as it may, something was lacking in the CDC response to the initial Ebola outbreak. Two healthcare workers got infected after treating Duncan (compare this to Doctors Without Borders where they were able to treat thousands of Ebola-infected patients before doctors started getting infected), there were missteps in decontaminating the apartment complex where Duncan stayed, and one of the infected nurses was even allowed to fly by the CDC despite having a fever.

Even if Ebola was not as scary as portrayed by media, people may have more to be concerned about government ineptitude (or nefariousness, if you believe the "depopulation" theory) than with the virus itself. Add to this the fact that the US continues to accept flights from Ebola-affected countries and hasn't secured illegal immigration in its southern border and it's easy to see why some people think that the US government wants Ebola to spread inside the country.

Nevertheless, there are signs of hope. Aside from the two nurses who were caring for Duncan, no one else Duncan had come in contact with has come down with Ebola and the Spanish nurse who contracted Ebola has apparently fully recovered. Even more goods news is the report that Nigeria has managed to become Ebola free with no new outbreaks for the past 42 days. It's encouraging because Nigeria's case shows that a country doesn't need to be a first world nation in order to effectively handle Ebola.

Still, Ebola remains a major concern. As long as air travel continues unabated across the world, it's still possible for Ebola to slip in even to those countries that have managed to stamp it out or into areas that haven't had an Ebola infection before, as evidenced by the latest news that a New York City doctor who just came from West Africa has tested positive for Ebola. Mutation is also another concern, although health officials keep downplaying that possibility.

But then again, in the book The Hot Zone, author Richard Preston relates a 1989 incident at a primate quarantine facility in Reston, Virginia where an Ebola virus quickly mutated and started to spread among the primates like influenza. When samples were sent to the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), two USAMRIID scientists accidentally exposed themselves to the virus when they wafted the flask. Although airborne and lethal to monkeys, thankfully that particular strain was effectively harmless to humans. However, the incident still shows that the possibility of Ebola becoming airborne is not as remote as we are being told to believe.

Given the above, is there anything the individual can do? The answer is yes. Since Ebola is a virus, the only way to fight it is through the body's immune system. Medical care can only help insofar as providing the patient enough nutrition and keeping the patient hydrated and clean, but the real battle can only be fought by the patient. Therefore, it makes sense to simply strengthen one's immune system and keep it that way, and this would be important even without the Ebola crisis anyway.

Fortunately, instead of sitting down just waiting for a vaccine, there are many natural ways to improve your immune system right now. Turmeric, cayenne pepper, Vitamin D through sensible sun exposure and apple cider vinegar are just some of the natural supplements you can take everyday. Getting enough sleep and exercise (not too much, since overtraining can actually reduce your immunity) also help.

Another important thing to note is that 80% of your immune system is located in your digestive tract, so keeping your beneficial gut bacteria at an optimal level is paramount. You can do this by consuming more fermented foods, kefir and yogurt (go organic, as much as possible).

While doing the above won't guarantee immunity or even survival, better health still leads to a better life even if you never encounter Ebola (and hopefully never will). The important thing is that you can be proactive and not give in to the fear, because the response is literally in your hands!

The Grand Star Alignment

maxinecrinall.com

Over the past week I've noticed a certain amount of excitement, or at least anticipation, in some quarters of the esoteric community. This has to do with the so-called Grand Star Alignment (or Grand Sextile) that is supposed to happen on July 29 when six planets (Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Pluto, Neptune and the Moon) align in the form of a Star of David pattern.

Planetary configurations have always been considered important in astrology, so it's interesting to see what the Grand Star Alignment portends from an astrological perspective. Expectedly, the interpretations vary depending on the perspective of the one doing the interpretation.

Some quarters put a mostly negative spin on the alignment. A couple of the articles I've seen seem to build off from the information from this PDF file. In summary, this Star of David planetary alignment is quite rare, and the few times that it has occurred, major upheavals supposedly happened such as wars and economic crises. It's hard to validate these claims unless you're also an astrologer, but the author does make his point with the different visuals and timelines, so it's certainly plausible. This view is also interesting because earlier this year, Chinese feng shui forecasts hinted at great changes in the second half of the Year of the Snake. Back in January, I remember reading feng shui predictions that hiccups in the Philippine stock market were likely towards the middle of this year and that's precisely what happened starting in June.

The Before It's News portal goes even further, saying that the Illuminati elite will perform a ritual between July 22-24 in order to accelerate the establishment of the New World Order. The article says that the ritual has to do with the Grand Sextile, although it's mistaken in that aspect because the Grand Star Alignment is happening on July 29.

What is happening next week though (and has been happening the past few days) is a couple of Grand Water Trines (3-planet alignments) with a supermoon happening on July 22. Such timing does seem appropriate for a ritual, even though it won't be on the Grand Star Alignment itself. It's interesting to note that the December 2004 Indian Ocean mega-quake and tsunami as well as the March 2011 mega-quake that resulted in the Japan tsunami and Fukushima disaster both happened on the eve of supermoons. Hopefully we're not looking at an encore of such disasters.

Moving on, some sources see the Grand Star Alignment in a more positive light, as a way to facilitate one's ascension or to mark the start of a grand change and mystical alignment. The Grand Sextile supposedly forms the Merkaba pattern, and the Merkaba has always been associated with ascension and a change in consciousness. This view is held by adherents of El Morya, which you can read here and here.

And then there are the more neutral views, that simply see the coming alignment as an opportunity for big changes. Supposedly, the last time a similar alignment happened was February 7, 1945, when world leaders started meeting on how to end World War 2. Some astrologers even refer to this Grand Sextile as the "saving grace."

So which one is it? Stock up the bunker or break out the crystals and incense? One thing consistent about these astrological alignments is that they simply offer opportunities and openings, so what you make of these opportunities is really up to you. In this sense, it's a part of creating your own reality. We're all supposed to lead sacred and moral lives anyway, so what the next few weeks will bring simply enhances what you already are (or should be) doing.

Whatever the case may be, it's interesting to see what happens next.

Are We Advancing Ourselves Backwards?

en.wikipedia.org

Most of us would be familiar with the phrase made famous in the Spiderman comics: "With great power comes great responsibility." In this day and age, humankind has literally made quantum leaps as far as technological advancement is concerned. Ever since the Renaissance and so-called Enlightenment, science has allowed us to take advantage of many of nature's secrets in order to produce wonders that would astound our ancestors, such as "iron birds that can fly," "horseless carriages that can outrun the fastest horses" or "magic picture frames that allow you to view scenes from half a world away."

To our forebears, such accomplishments would seem like magic, and if there is one area that science has had greatest effect, it's in the dispelling of many of the superstitions that ruled the lives of our ancestors. The scientific drive to question and to verify has led more and more people to throw off the yoke of blind obedience (a trait used in full by the Catholic Church to control the masses). Science has given us so much that atheists frequently raise the banner of science as the answer that would finally dispel the ignorance and suffering caused by religion.

Of course, they do have a point because religious fanaticism is simply wrong. But is science alone the answer, or will we be exchanging one form of extremism for another? Consider this. If science alone is the answer, isn't it strange that despite all our so-called advancements, never in our recorded history has humanity been so close to annihilating itself? If the existence of thousands of nuclear warheads around the world is not enough, consider other technological "advancements" that are doing us harm in the long run such as GMOs, the heavy use of toxic chemicals in the food processing industry, the harmful effects of electro-magnetic frequencies (EMFs) prevalent in many household devices or the grip of pharmaceutical companies on general healthcare, to name only a few.

The Institute for the Future of Humanity, based in Oxford University, has recently come out with a paper called Existential Risk as Global Priority (click on the link for the PDF copy). In the paper, Institute Director Nick Bostrom and his team argue that paradoxically, the present rate and use of scientific advancement has brought humanity closer to the brink of extinction. Something is definitely missing if we have reached this point.

A concrete example that hits close to home on this one is what social activists call the Monsanto Protection Act. This measure is a rider to Farmer Assurance Provision, Sec. 735 and what it does is that it prevents US federal courts from stopping the planting of Monsanto GMO seeds. This Monsanto Protection Act is most likely a reaction to a 2010 case where a federal judge revoked the rights of Monsanto to plant GMO sugar beets. Try to imagine how Monsanto managed to sneak this bill through the US Congress, all the way to President Obama who signed it into law last April. If there was ever an example of a moral compass gone awry, this would be it.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that science is wrong. In fact, I'm a geek and I was totally blown away by the article that detailed the 27 Science Fictions That Became Science Facts in 2012. However, if we look at the world in general, what we are seeing is a general trend from a world that was ruled by religious extremism to one where generally, the overly critical scientific mindset has lost all sense of the sacred. What I'm saying is that both science and spirituality are needed, a scientific drive to inquire and to verify, tempered by the moral obligation to use any discoveries only for the benefit and welfare of others.

A few days ago I watched this YouTube video of a homeschooled then-11-year old giving a TED talk. He basically sums up the current situation nicely and gives sound advice on how we, as individuals, can help to turn things around:



We have a left brain (analytical side) and right brain (intuitive side) for a reason. It is the physical expression of yin and yang, an example of the Law of Polarity made real. Totally giving up one for the other will lead to psychological imbalance. Just as we need both legs in order to run, we need both aspects of critical thinking and intuitive wisdom to make sure that the future we create will be a sustainable one.

Pope Benedict XVI Resigns - Is Peter The Roman Next?

liveleak.com

Earlier this week (February 11, to be exact), Pope Benedict sent shockwaves around the world when he announced his resignation from the Papacy, effective February 28, citing health reasons. The announcement was so sudden that it even caught Vatican insiders offguard. So unprecedented was the pope's move (at least in recent history) that soon after the news broke out, a couple of my friends contacted me to ask what I thought about it. The first thing that came to my mind upon hearing the news was the Prophecy of the Popes.

I became aware of the Prophecy of the Popes following the death of Pope John Paul II when a friend and I were discussing whether the (then unknown) new pontiff would be as progressive as John Paul II. The Prophecy of the Popes refers to a series of prophecies attributed to St. Malachy, a monk from the 12th century, who left behind cryptic phrases in Latin that supposedly described a line of future popes up until the last one.

According to interpretations of St. Malachy's prophecies, Pope Benedict is the one described in the Latin phrase Gloria olivae or For the glory of the olive because he chose the papal name "Benedict" after St. Benedict of Nursia. Supposedly, the crest of the Benedictine Order contains an olive branch. Ominously, only one other pope follows after Gloria olivae and that is Petrus Romanus or Peter the Roman. The full Latin phrase goes as follows:

In persecutione extrema S.R.E. sedebit Petrus Romanus, qui pascet oves in multis tribulationibus: quibus transactis civitas septicollis diruetur, & Judex tremêdus judicabit populum suum. Finis.

(In extreme persecution, the seat of the Holy Roman Church will be occupied by Peter the Roman, who will feed the sheep through many tribulations, at the term of which the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the formidable Judge will judge his people. The End.)

Understandably, the above prophecy could lead people to think that the next pope will be the much dreaded anti-Christ. And it didn't help that scant hours after Pope Benedict's surprise announcement lightning struck the top St. Peter's Basilica, adding a dramatic punctuation to this almost unheard of event (the last time a pope resigned was in the Middle Ages). This other website also lists other prophecies by saints that would seem to support the hypothesis about the end times being nigh.

However, before you start thinking that it was perhaps too early to come out of the bunker after all, let's take a closer look at other views on the prophecies. For one, theological scholars believe that St. Malachy's prophecies about the popes are a forgery, most likely made to influence some internal Church maneuverings in the 1600s. Scholars say the text only came out in the 1590s and while the list of popes up until that time was accurate, the list of popes after that time are filled with errors.

Any skeptic would point out that it would be easy for believers to identify characteristics of any pope that would retroactively fit in with the Latin phrase he is supposed to represent (much like how a major catastrophe can be made to fit in with one of Nostradamus' quatrains). Considering that all the doomsday hoopla about December 21, 2012 amounted to nothing, we should be cognizant of the skepticism about this latest doomsday scenario.

But let's say that the prophecies are not a forgery, will the next pope really be the anti-Christ? The Latin phrase qui pascet oves in multis tribulationibus or who will feed the sheep through many tribulations may sound like Peter the Roman would lead the sheep into tribulation. On the other hand, it could mean that the pope will feed (nourish) the sheep throughout the time of tribulation. In that case, perhaps we are expecting a compassionate and enlightened leader protecting the faithful in a time of hardship and challenge to Church authority. Of course, the downside is that the wording of the latter part of the prophecy seemingly indicates that this leader would be leading his Church just before its destruction.

So does this "last pope prophecy" amount to anything at all? I'm not one to give unequivocal statements, especially when it comes to prophecies and predictions, but I will share my own observations. First of all, I find the timing of the Pope's announcement interesting. It was made during the time of the new moon (a day after the Chinese New Year, but technically still considered a new moon). Generally, new moons represent a time of new beginnings, new directions and rejuvenation. One other fact worth noting is that the announcement occurred on the moon's day (i.e. Monday = Moon-day).

Now, was the timing deliberate? Don't expect any corroborating statements from the Vatican, but timing one's spells forms an important part of spellcasting. I'm sure that someone more literate in spell timing can work out if the timing of the Pope's announcement was significant from a magical standpoint (i.e. taking into account the Pope's birthdate, what zodiac sign the moon was in, etc.). In any case, it's also interesting that the Pope's resignation will take effect on February 28, a full moon (the full moon itself is on February 26, but 3 days before to 3 days after the actual full moon is considered the period of the full moon). It is the height of moon power when major workings can take place for most effect.

For me, it's also interesting that the Pope's resignation happened as we officially entered the Year of the Snake. From a feng shui perspective, this year is generally positive although we may see major changes and challenges, a manifestation of the way the snake sheds its skin. If that's the case, then the Year of the Snake is already living up to its name.

Another interesting tidbit that one of my friends mentioned is that a few years ago, the father of one of his wife's friends started a conversation about the Church with, "When Pope Benedict resigns...." So it seems this guy had an inkling that the pope would resign. My friend says that this guy is into researching these types of things. Whether this ties in to any number of other conspiracy theories out there remains to be seen.

Whatever the astrological or magical confluences that may or may not be there, the next papal conclave may start as early as March 15 so hopefully there will be a new pope by the time Holy Week rolls in. Which brings us to the next interesting tidbit. The timing of the conclave is interesting because it will happen as the Vernal (Spring) Equinox approaches. Generally, the spring equinox is a time of celebrating new beginnings. Among pagans and witches, Ostara (Eostre) is celebrated when the sun enters 0 degrees of Aries, usually every March 20 or 21. Ostara derives from the German fertility goddess Ostare and the Catholic Church adopted this practice, calling it Easter.

To quote from from a Celtic Druid site:

There is a distinct relationship between the Spring Equinox and Easter. The new religion of the Catholic Church absorbed the existing traditions and their symbols and developed a new name ‘Easter’ which is obviously a variant of a German / Saxon Goddess name whose festival was with the arrival of spring. In the pre-Catholic times the celebration of the Vernal Equinox was about new life and hope, the planting of seeds and the activation of the fertility cycle. But the Catholic Church replaced this with solemn displays commemorating Christ and Catholic dogma (written rules). The Old Testament heroine was the goddess Ishtar in thin disguise (Esther is the Aramaic word for Ishtar). Ishtar is Persian for 'star'. So Ishtar was the goddess of the morning & evening star, as well as being the Great Mother, Shining One, Lady of Visions, Priestess of Priestess', she was the source of the Oracles of Prophesy, & Possessor of the Tablets of Life's Records.

If the timing of Pope Benedict's resignation was meant to introduce regenerative energies into the Church, the next pope would certainly need those energies. The Catholic Church has been facing many scandals, often handled in a way that is less than satisfactory. These scandals have most likely influenced the declining numbers of the faithful attending church or those active in the faith. Renewal or further decline? Only time will tell the significance of this one event for the Catholic Church. But it would be interesting indeed if the new pope is elected on March 20 or 21, to coincide with the Vernal Equinox.

The next question of course is whether or not the next pope will be Roman. And by Roman, it doesn't necessarily mean Italian. It could also mean someone who is closely connected with the Roman Curia (the administrative body of the Holy See and the whole Catholic Church). In the last 170 years, only one pope was serving in the Roman Curia just prior to his election as pope, and that was Pope Pius XII who took over the Vatican in March 1939, just a few months before the start of World War 2. So Peter the Roman could just as easily mean "the Pope (seat of Peter) who was part of the Roman Curia."

Among the current frontrunners for the future papacy, only two of the candidates have strong Curial connections. They are Cardinal Marc Ouellet of Canada and Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi of Italy. Let's see if either one of these two becomes the new pope.

In the meantime, what does this mean for us personally? Right now, absolutely nothing. I mean this in the sense that it's not necessarily something to panic about, especially in light of the doubt surrounding the authenticity of the Prophecy of the Popes. But if there is a lesson to be derived from this news, it is this: the importance of spirituality.

Throughout this blog, I've kept reiterating in one form or another that it's important to develop one's spirituality, a connection with God that is not dependent on outside factors, organizations or personalities. Once we are connected to this Divine and Universal Source, we are better buttressed against any negative events. We are connected to the real and everlasting. We can see through life in a calm and objective manner and are not prone to mass blind beliefs, whatever may be happening in our projected surroundings.

The fate of the whole Catholic Church perhaps hangs in the balance, but as we wait with bated breath about the direction the Church will take, ultimately it all boils down to us as individuals. We have our own path to forge, and if we are sincere and persistent in our quest, it will lead us to the same paradise that has been promised by countless religions throughout the ages.

The Pendulum Always Swings

Wow, what a busy time the holidays are. In between all the family gatherings and reunions as well as the dine outs and late night gimmicks with balikbayan friends and relatives, there's hardly any chance to follow one's normal daily routine. That's why the Christmas holidays are the most enjoyable yet stressful times of the year. For most people even the diet goes on vacation, so much so that getting rid of that bulging waistline often becomes one of the top resolutions of the new year.

The fact that I'm writing this of course means that the "end of the world as we know it" didn't happen last December 21, 2012. I went through that day as I pretty much did any normal day. My wife and I even went out with a few friends that night. My philosophy is that if it's your time, you're going to go no matter where you are, so might as well try to make the most of the time you have right now. This is pretty much what I said in one of my previous articles that touched upon the December 21 date.

Not that the end of 2012 was entirely quiet. We had some natural disasters like typhoon Pablo and then Quinta that slammed through both the Visayas and Mindanao, and then we had man made disasters in the form of mass shootings both in the U.S. and here in the Philippines, as well as that brutal gang rape in India. For the people affected by these tragedies, the world seemingly comes to an end for them. Nothing underscores the reality of sudden change like disasters and tragedies can.

The saying goes that you never truly appreciate what you have until you lose it. Being a victim of typhoon Ondoy, I feel for those who have suffered similarly and suffered some form of loss. I experienced, first hand, how one's life can literally change overnight. Everything that was familiar for most of one's life at this point, turned upside down and never to be the same again. The experience always reminds me to appreciate even the little things and blessings that surround me, because I know that any situation can change in an instant. "Situation normal" is no excuse to slack off.

Just as good things can be temporary, so can bad things. And that's the beauty of life, because everything is subject to change. Esoterically, this is called the Law of Cycles. The recent end of the great Mayan cycle may not have produced the change that a lot of people expected, but change is not always tied to one big event. Life calls to us every day and every moment, and life is simply the experience of change in action. And if those signals just fly over our heads we miss out on some of the best things that life has to offer. The samurai of feudal Japan were not only warriors but also poets and artists. They savored every moment because they knew they could die in combat anytime. The life of a samurai was extreme, but their attitude towards life is something worth emulating.

Speaking of cycles coming to an end, yesterday was the Feast of Three Kings that officially ended the Christmas season. We've started taking down our Christmas decorations and soon enough, no physical trace of Christmas will remain. But hopefully, the same spirit that made us shower love and generosity to our fellows won't disappear along with those decorations.

So while everything is subject to change, there are some things that are definitely worth keeping. In a nutshell, that's the overall message of 2012.

End Game Plays?

Last September 12, President Noynoy Aquino signed the Anti-Cybercrime Act of 2012 into law. While everyone's attention was on the RH Bill, the signing of the Anti-Cybercrime law took almost everyone by surprise. One may even be led to speculate that the furor over the RH Bill was an effective smokescreen so that the Anti-Cybercrime law could get through unnoticed and unopposed.

While there is a need to have measures to effectively address cybercrime, legal experts have cited several provisions of the Anti-Cybercrime law that are particularly problematic. For instance, one may find oneself in double jeopardy (being charged for the same crime twice). The provisions against libel are chilling because of the vagueness of what comprises online libel and who should be held accountable. Even "liking" or sharing something on Facebook could get one imprisoned for up to 12 years, depending on how law enforcement officials interpret the law. One article even says that the Anti-Cybercrime law makes SOPA look reasonable.

Nevertheless, the Anti-Cybercrime law is not the main focus of this article, so if you want a more detailed explanation on the nuances of the law and how it can be problematic, just watch the video interview below:



It's a 30-minute interview but it's really informative. I would say it's a must watch if you want to understand the Anti-Cybercrime law better. You can also read this article which describes some shortcomings of particular provisions of the law.

One other interesting event I would like to call attention to is the gold-buying drive that I consistently see being advertised in the newspaper. I first noticed the advertisements about 5 weeks ago but I suspect they have been running even longer than that. And these are whole page ads near the front page, so it's not a cheap campaign.

Supposedly, they buy gold, silver and platinum even coming from old watches, ruined jewelry and so on, and the buying locations are located in 4- or 5-star hotels. My wife and I checked out one location recently in order to have an old gold ring with precious stone assessed. Interestingly, the lady we talked to said that they're only interested in the gold. They're not interested in the precious stones, even if they're diamonds.

The whole gold-buying thing is interesting because it shows that someone is seriously trying to stock up on gold. It's more than just investing in commodities because someone wants to have physical possession of as much gold as possible (or, in a more sinister vein, deprive the masses of whatever gold they have).

The above two scenarios are interesting in and of themselves, but with both happening together, the picture takes on an interesting dynamic. I say this because in some of the conspiracy theories I've read, they say that some of the signs towards a run up towards forming a one-world government would be efforts by governments to suppress freedoms and control the flow of information in the Internet. Some theories also talk about a restructuring of the world economy preceded by the destruction of existing economic systems. During such economic turmoil, gold may again take precedence over paper money. Again, all these theories have something to say about December 21 and ascension and the positive spin on these theories is that all these dire scenarios are merely temporary and the shadow forces behind governments cannot enslave humanity through such means anymore.

It's too early to say if all this is idle speculation, but I do think these two events are worth noting. Let's see if other countries would experience similar developments like what's happening here in the Philippines.

Nevertheless, the inherent message is still there, to always be aware and ready to guard our freedoms and our rights. While freedom always entails responsibility, this has always been used as an excuse for people in power to control others in order to get their own way.

Balancing order and mercy is always tricky, but for the most part, people can still sense when a line has been crossed. Listen to your inner voice and let God be your guide.

Are We Ready To Go Beyond 2012?

We are now less than three months away from December 21, 2012. The supposed end of the Mayan calendar has been receiving a lot of attention lately precisely because the date is so near. National Geographic's Doomsday Preppers is up on cable and if you haven't made similar preparations already perhaps you're now wishing you did. Although at this point in time, there's really not much in the way of physical preparations or skills acquisitions that one can do on the scale that's needed to be totally "disaster ready." But that's certainly no excuse not to have some sort of readiness level against most common emergencies.

For all the attention that December 21 has received, that day is still an enigma. What will really happen? We've been bombarded with a smorgasbord of theories ranging from alien invasion, pole shifts, catastrophic direct hits by coronal mass ejections, worldwide economic collapse all the way to the other end of the spectrum involving dimensional shifts, a worldwide raising of consciousness and the end of evil in the world. If there's one thing these theories are consistent with, it's in saying that a big change is coming.

Still, I would advise people not to get hung up on the date because I've also heard from other sources that should something happen, it would happen in January or February 2013 (depending on the source). At this point in time, all we can say is what's in the Bible, that "only the Father in heaven knows the day and the time." But this also carries the implied message that we have to be ready anytime.

Be that as it may, whatever preparations we may undertake is no guarantee for whatever may happen in the future. It's not even a guarantee against the next few hours, because any one of us can suddenly die from an accident or other cause. So what message can we extract during this time of uncertainty about the future? For me, the message would be this: living in the NOW.

The esoteric concept of Now didn't only come from Eckhart Tolle. It is a deep esoteric concept that we can get a hint of in the Bible when God in the burning bush gave His name as I AM THAT I AM. In some of his books, Master Choa Kok Sui mentions that during meditation, some meditators may experience the past, present and future converging, at which point the meditator would be experiencing the Now. That's a very deep concept of Now, something that can hardly be understood without experiencing it. But in order to dissect this concept into something applicable for us, we need to look at other levels of the Now.

For our everyday purposes, we can confine our concept of Now to living in the present. We often remain regretful of our past and fret about the future, so much so that we may miss the opportunities in front of us right now, today, to really appreciate what we have, where we are in life, and undertake the actions that would improve our state.

What if we just finally read that book we've been putting off for some time now, or played with our kid despite coming home tired from the office? What if we just savored the taste of our favorite coffee this afternoon, or finally did that community service we've been thinking about for so long? Today is tomorrow's yesterday, so if we spent today doing good, being happy and being grateful, then tomorrow when we look back we can be content that we made the most out of the day that had just passed. And guess what, we can even do more of that today!

Does this mean that we just act without factoring in the future and other possible events? Not at all. What is important is that we do not waste the time we have right now, to make the most of what we can do during the day, be it in prayer, meditation, helping others, completing a project or spending time with a loved one. Be aware of the things that matter and then go for it. Keep in mind that money, while important, is not the only thing that matters in this world. However, it's up to the individual to decide what to give priority to, although of course it would be wise to pay particular attention to the things that would survive with you after death (knowledge and karma).

If you have the time and resources to do some disaster planning and preparation, then do it wholeheartedly. Just be aware of the need to balance one's time between important tasks (and this includes sleep and rest!), and of course to let go at the end of the day. There are some things that we cannot control nor plan for, including hurts and disappointments, and that's where a measure of detachment is necessary.

I believe the greatest regret is that of time spent unwisely. In that sense, by living in the Now, what may happen in the future does not matter as much as the satisfaction gained by spending one's time wisely and making the most out of the time and resources that one has. So while December 21 is indeed speeding inexorably towards us, let's not forget the most important time which is, as you may have guessed, right now.

Did Nature Just Weep?

What are we supposed to make of the recent flooding and devastation across Metro Manila and adjacent provinces that occurred this past week? God's retribution or human mismanagement?

On one level, the causes of the flooding are quite straightforward, and both the citizenry and the government played a role. For the government, poor urban planning and lack of political will to implement large-scale infrastructure development (e.g. the Sucat spillway that has been proposed since 1975) to address the causes of flooding have left us at the mercy of Mother Nature. Among the citizenry, careless disregard for the disposal of waste, building houses beside creeks and other environmentally unfriendly practices have helped magnify the effects of poor government planning and management.

Some people would describe the crazy weather as "apocalyptic" but actually, almost 40 years ago there was even worse rainfall in what was called the Great Flood of 1972 when for more than 2 weeks in September non-stop torrential rains submerged most of central Luzon and caused hundreds of deaths. In the absence of hard data such as level of rainfall then compared to now it's hard to make an assessment, but based merely on description it seemed the level of rainfall in 1972 was worse than it was the past week. However, it didn't seem to cause the same level of destruction and disruption that we see now. I'm sure the events of Ondoy will be forever etched into my memory, so it's remarkable that my parents hardly remember the great flood of 1972. But it probably helped that Metro Manila and a lot of Luzon was not as urbanized then, so the scale of destruction and impact on people was not as big as the recent flooding. So you could say that the recent flooding was more an "apocalypse" of our own making.

How would an esoteric scholar look at these recent events and, the way 2012 has been hyped up, the promise of more of the same to come?

An esoteric law states that "As above, so below; as below, so above." Meaning, everything is interconnected, so that what we may experience is merely a reflection of what is inside and vice versa. As described earlier, some of what we've experienced are pretty straightforward cause and effect scenarios. Throw trash in the waterways, expect flooding. However, there are other esoteric views about this.

In the book The 72 Names of God, there is interesting description for the 29th Name :

All destruction - including even natural disasters - occurs for one reason: humanity's hatred toward our fellow beings.

Kabbalah teaches that tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, and disease are born from the collective hatred that burns in our hearts. In truth, there is no such thing as a natural disaster, despite what our insurance policies say. Human behavior and the human heart are the sole determining factors as to what occurs in our environment and what transpires between nations.

Here's what the ancient Kabbalists had to say on this matter: If a person witnesses any form of hatred - on his own street or anywhere in the world - it means this person still has some measure of hatred lingering in his own soul.

If we harbor even the slightest bit of hatred or animosity for another person - for any reason whatsoever, valid or invalid, whether we're aware of it or whether we're in self-denial - we still bring destruction to the world.

By cleansing the hatred in our own hearts, we can remedy all the world's problems at once at the level of their root cause.

The passage above reminds me of what Yoda said in Star Wars I: The Phantom Menance: "Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate; hate leads to suffering." For all that we may smile at this movie quote, it still has a ring of truth to it.

But really, a lot of us have become familiar with the Law of Attraction which states that thought combined with desire results in manifestation. Of course no one consciously wishes for the destruction of the world, although a lot may wish for the destruction of their fellow men. But that seed thought combined with the destructive emotion of hate and anger has psychic weight. We exert a force upon our environment. Unexpressed this force may be for most of us, but we still scatter that unseen force around us, just waiting for the chance to explode. It's like throwing gasoline into a forest, an inferno just waiting for a joker with a carelessly thrown cigarette butt to start a wildfire.

Be that as it may, we are living at a time when all previous choices are coming to confront us. Naturally, the question is what we can do about it aside from the usual "take better care of Mother Nature." This brings me to a quote attributed to Master Choa Kok Sui from the All Gratitude page. The title of the article is The Secret of Real Survival, which I will share here (with some emphasis added) because it is very relevant for us:

I have been asked, in my lecture tours two main questions: "What is happening with the world?" I answered this one simply: "Many bad things are happening and they are beyond the control of men, beyond the manipulation of human mind and human hands."

The second is more personal: "How do I survive?" This is a very good question and I would like to give you a little note that I have from the Teachings of the Teacher.

Our life is a world of impermanence. We cling to impermanent things: wealth, money, gold, power and human recognition, desires of many forms. They all come and go.

The Inner World of the Higher Beings is filled with Permanence: Fruits of the Spirit, Unconditional Love, the Permanence of Spiritual Joy and Blissful Existence, Immortality of Human Consciousness, the Infinity of the Love of God to humanity, the unrelenting Service of the Avatars and the Higher Souls to mankind.

So the answer to our real survival is in the search of the Permanence; for in finding that, we become deathless for there is a thing called Immortality of Consciousness.

All things that are impermanent have to go. This is the Law of Nature. Inescapable. Immutable. Relentless.

The Permanent will live and life will go on for Nature will sustain the Beings, Consciousness and Vehicles of the Permanent.

How do we apply these Principles in relation to our personal survival?

a) Develop the higher consciousness of the Spirit for such will show the future reality of things and forthcoming events, for higher realization is partly seeing and sensing the inner world and includes skillful handling of situations in the world of men.

b) Work on developing the Higher Bodies for Nature will spare the rare and useful for its higher evolution. Men kill the rare and the useful but Nature sustains and gathers the best in its forms: Survival of the best and the fittest.

c) Etherically speaking: Develop the Golden Body, for a golden man is rare and is spiritually useful. We have to go one step higher than the chakras for all men have chakras but rare is the one who has the Golden Body.

I think Master Choa's words are quite clear on what type of changes we need to institute so I will just end by saying that after all is said and done, our ultimate fate is not determined by the government, other people, or even by the exemplars that we look up to. The key is always within us, because it's what we choose that matters. Somehow, someway, our choices will weave themselves into the effects that we will see reflected in our outside perceptions.

In that sense, Nature didn't weep. We did. But there is always hope, for what is important are the choices we make from this moment on. It may seem to be the most simplistic answer in the world, but if you follow it through it is also the most empowering one.

Looking At The Bigger Picture

Today I'm going to discuss something that is seemingly at odds with my usual range of topics, and that's the current maritime row between the Philippines and China. I decided to discuss this topic because yesterday, a news report came out about how the Russian coast guard detained two Chinese vessels that were fishing inside the Russian EEZ. The Russian ship even fired shots when the Chinese fishermen initially resisted arrest.

Based on the Facebook posts and reader comments in the news articles I've read, the above news drew praise among Filipinos because of the strong Russian response. The way in which Filipinos welcomed the news no doubt reflects the underlying frustration at the weakness of the Philippines and consequently the inability to stand up to China the way the Russians did. "If we couldn't do it ourselves, at least someone else could" pretty much sums up the sentiment.

But, at the risk of sounding unpatriotic and unsympathetic, I take the view that we should look at all these issues while detached from nationalistic sentiments (from whatever side). The reason is that the concept of national pride can be so emotionally charged and this can all too easily lead to "we're right, therefore they're automatically wrong" conclusions.

The media highlights certain stories for maximum emotional impact, sometimes at the expense of accuracy or propriety. Some statements are sometimes outright lies. Mix in competing interests that would not hesitate to inject some black propaganda here and there and you get a very confusing picture about what the picture really is. A narrow viewpoint purely based on national pride can make it easier for one to be swayed by misinformation that may be presented in the media, especially if the information caters to one's preconceived views on the whole matter.

I won't go into the minutae of all the events that have transpired. All parties have had their own missteps and contributions to the crisis. However, it may be helpful to take a look at the factors that could most likely be driving the actions of different countries.

For China, it appears that overfishing in traditional Chinese fishing grounds has been forcing Chinese fishermen to cast their nets farther and farther from shore, in one case even reaching as far as Palau. Furthermore, China wants to secure its oil supply in this time of peak oil, and the South China Sea potentially holds large areas of oil and gas reserves. There are also different signs that China's economy is in trouble, so the Chinese leadership may be trying to shore up domestic support by appearing strong in the face of foreign "aggression." What makes the situation even more complicated are reports that several government bureaucracies are competing in terms of influence in foreign policy, with the Chinese Foreign Ministry not even the most powerful of those competing blocs. This can lead to mixed and inconsistent signals that can easily be misinterpreted by other countries.

However, on the other side of things, the U.S. is also keen on retaining its role and dominance in the region. We have seen this by the way the U.S. has set up military agreements with Singapore and Australia, plus the closer cooperation we see being offered to the Philippines. There are even reports that the Philippines is being so vocal and assertive because of U.S. backing. In fact, the current crisis plays into the hands of the U.S. as formerly hostile nations in Southeast Asia are now leaning more towards the U.S. to counter China's apparent aggressiveness in the region.

We've seen the above information at one point or another in news reports going as far back as a few years ago. It's interesting that the current crisis comes at a time when the U.S. has already withdrawn from Iraq and is already well on its way to winding down its presence in Afghanistan. When I first heard the news about the drawdowns in Iraq and Afghanistan, I already thought that if the pattern holds, then a new crisis will emerge. Of course, there was the Arab summer and the potential conflict with Iran, but I also had the South China Sea in mind and true enough the crisis erupted in April of this year. So, what pattern am I talking about?

According to William Bramley in his book Gods of Eden, throughout history human conflict has always been encouraged, with different incidents engineered in order to steer kingdoms and later nations into war with each other. This is now conspiracy theory stuff, but if you read the book it mentions a lot of remarkable examples of how conflicts have been engineered. In short, the current South China Sea crisis is more than just about jockeying for oil and other resources. The crisis is part of a larger pattern to keep the world in some sort of conflict.

On one level, it's the banks and military-industrial complex that truly benefit from war (countries usually need to make big loans in order to build up their military or finance a war). But according to William Bramley, ultimately it is negative extraterrestial interests that influence humanity's conflict-ridden history.

Supposedly, negative extraterrestials want a divided and docile humanity to make it easier for them to achieve hegemony of our world. Aside from cultivating divisions among nations, there are many programs that are meant to undermine the very fabric of human existence, from the introduction of genetically modified foods, promoting an unhealthy lifestyle, and making a lot of sick people dependent on artificial drugs. Greedy corporations and the people who own them are merely the executors of these underlying plans whether unwittingly or not.

The e-book Discerning Alien Disinformation discusses the different ways alien disinformation has shaped mass thinking. This book will also be very helpful for UFO enthusiasts, because there really is a lot of conflicting information coming out. You can download the e-book for free at the Montalk website. Just scroll down to the bottom half of the page.

According to the book, negative extraterrestials thrive on our negative thoughts and emotions, the same way that human waste is food for certain types of bacteria. This is one other reason that negative extraterrestials want to see a world in constant fear and conflict. However which way we choose to view things, there are deeper motivations at play behind the scenes being painted in media.

In any case, while world-changing events and the conflict between nations are not under our direct control, it doesn't mean that we can't see the bigger picture being played out. The point is, we can make an immediate impact on our surroundings by the way we develop and carry ourselves. Nations and governments are nothing more than groups of individuals. If each and every individual worked at improving his or her character, larger populations will become less prone to being swayed by propaganda that seeks to ignite lower emotions such as revenge and anger.

National pride is good in the sense that it teaches us self-respect and identification with a larger grouping other than our family. But let us also remember that we are souls with physical bodies, undergoing experiences consistent with the lessons that we need to learn in this life. We are not our nationalities, and because of reincarnation it's possible that in previous lives we have incarnated as Chinese, Japanese, American or any number of races.

If we truly want to welcome a new era of peace and a golden age of human consciousness, we need to push beyond the boundaries of self respect and cross into the attitude of mutual respect. At a higher level, this mutual respect becomes namaste, or seeing the divinity in everyone, regardless of nationality, creed or race.

The Wesak Festival

If ever there was a "Trending Now" indicator in the esoteric world, the Wesak Festival would be top on the list of trends right now. So what is it about this event that has esoteric communities around the world abuzz with excitement?

There are two aspects to the Wesak festival. The first aspect is that it's the most important Buddhist festival because it celebrates the birth, death and enlightenment of the Buddha. Think of Christmas and Easter combined into one. The Wesak is celebrated when the sun is in Taurus and the moon is full in the constellation of Scorpio, and this usually happens on the month of May.

The second aspect is that according to tradition, in the Wesak Valley high up in the Himalayas, the Buddha appears during the Wesak festival in order to shower the assembled initiates, holy men and lamas with the spiritual energy of Shamballa to empower them further in their world service. This congregation of pilgrims would have gathered in the valley at the approach of the full moon, there to await the appearance of the Buddha and other great beings who oversee the welfare of the world.

What is so special about this year's festival, aside from the fact that it's now 2012? We all know that the full moon brings about powerful energies. Even for those not sensitive to energy, you will find in police blotters and emergency room records that the amount of stabbings and other crimes in general tend to spike just before, during and after the full moon. The word lunatic actually derives from luna, the Latin word for moon.

The thing is, the full moon during the Wesak festival is also the most powerful full moon of the year. You can just imagine the magnitude the energies will be at right now compared to other full moons. What makes this May 5 full moon even more unique is that it's going to be a supermoon.

A supermoon means that the moon will be at its perigree (closest point to the Earth) and this particular perigree will be the closest of the three perigrees of the year. This means a brighter and bigger full moon as well as higher and lower tides than usual for the coming days. It's rare for the moon to be full AND at its perigree at the same time, so this is going to be a real treat for skywatchers indeed, especially if you're on a beach. The height of the full moon will be at 11:35 a.m. here in the Philippines, but Saturday night's full moon should still be something to behold.

So let's do a recap. This May 5 is the Wesak festival, happening on the most powerful full moon of the year, a Super Moon that also happens to be the closest perigree of the year. I think there are even meteor showers expected. With all these components coming together, you can already get the idea that the energies that will be generated during this Wesak festival are going to be really intense.

What does this mean for us? In his video address about the Wesak, Master Stephen Co (one of Master Choa Kok Sui's senior disciples) says that the full moon is a time either for crisis or opportunity, most especially this particular full moon (for reasons already mentioned earlier). For people not on the spiritual path, negative situations will tend to manifest more strongly, and thus it becomes a crisis. For people on the spiritual path, this becomes an opportunity to use the magnified downpour of energies to bless Mother Earth and be of service to others.

For those who do the Meditation on Twin Hearts, you are already of service to Mother Earth and all sentient beings. But during the Wesak, you can make use of these energies to bring down even more divine energies and thus be an instrument of greater service. This not only generates good karma, but it also serves to empower us in our spiritual evolution. This chance is priceless.

Master Stephen Co adds that with all the dire predictions coming out about 2012, especially the anticipation and anxiety surrounding the end of the Mayan calendar on December 21, it's even more important to bring down divine energies to our Mother Earth. Why? He cites the example of Sodom and Gomorrah, where Abraham initially asks God if He would spare the city if there were even 50 righteous people in it (with the number eventually going down to 10 righteous people), to which God agrees. However, as we know, not even 10 righteous people were found and so Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed.

The lesson we can derive from the Sodom and Gomorrah story is that even with a few righteous people, localized disasters can be averted. If we extrapolate this to the world, the more righteous and spiritual people there are, the more these dire predictions can be averted or at least mitigated. This is because every spiritual person naturally brings down intense divine energy which influences the person's surroundings through the person's aura. Think of the spiritual person as an antenna or conductor of divine energies. Imagine if millions of people around the world do this, the possibilities are endless!

For this Wesak festival, will it be crisis or opportunity for us? The choice is always ours, but if you would like to make the most out of this opportunity, I would suggest that one try to be of service during this weekend, such as healing others, visiting orphanages and handing out donations, or simply being there to help one's friends and relatives. It may not seem much, doing one little good thing, but keep in mind that millions of people around the world will also be doing these "little good things." And that's going to make all the difference.

It's All About Entitlement: How To Manage Karma

It's now 2012 and with all the hype in media, TV shows, books and the Internet, I'm sure even the most skeptical out there are wondering, in a very little corner of their minds, if there really is anything to the buffet of scenarios that are supposed to come about this year. I just thought that it may be helpful if people became aware of certain tips to take note of as it applies to all these supposed predictions and prophecies.

One critical key that one must understand is the role that karma plays. Karma, in a nutshell, is similar to Newton's Third Law: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. There is good and bad karma, representing the results (consequences) of positive and negative actions respectively. In the case of good karma, it tends to manifest as good luck, good health, prosperity, etc. Bad karma tends to manifest as bad luck, sickness, hardship, etc. A very simplistic illustration is that if you smile at someone, the person will smile back at you; if you punch the person, the person will punch you back. What you give out comes back to you, but magnified many times to emphasize the results (whether good or bad).

Materialization of karma need not happen immediately and can come up in future lives. Hence anything currently happening in one's life right now is simply karma (good or bad) that is finally materializing. Entitlement means you deserve it, so whatever happens is simply a matter of entitlement. As Master Choa keeps emphasizing in his teachings, everything that happens has a cause, it's just that we are not always aware of the causes. This may be a difficult concept to accept, but the sooner one comes to terms with it, the better one will be able to start managing the course of one's life.

If you're experiencing bad luck, but cannot trace it to anything you have done recently or earlier in your life, chances are your bad luck is a result of something you did in a previous life. Obviously, an acceptance of the concept of reincarnation is necessary for all of this to make any sense.

There is planetary karma, national karma, family karma, personal karma, etc. You can go crazy trying to trace all of it. However, it's not always necessary to trace the exact causes. In the case of hardship (bad karma), learn your lessons from them and strive to make sure no one else gets into the same situation you were/are in. In the case of blessings (good karma), be thankful for them and use them to improve not only your own life but the lives of others as well.

But more important than that, if your current situation is a reflection of your past actions, the corollary also holds true that what you do NOW will define your future. This is why karma is not fatalistic, because you can shape what your future will be by performing good actions now. Like a farmer planting seeds in order to have a bountiful harvest, you can plant good karmic seeds, and continue to plant them, so that you keep reaping good results. Of course, there are many dimensions in how this works. But generally, keep the principle in mind of planting good seeds now to reap a good future later.

Good karma can also neutralize or at least mitigate materializing negative karma. One particular aspect of good karma is the Law of Mercy and Forgiveness. According to Master Choa, the Law of Mercy and Forgiveness supersedes the Law of Karma. Which is why the Lord Jesus also said, "Be merciful, so that you will be forgiven."

Let's now go into the HOW of things. Like in anything, there is a Yin (Don't) and a Yang (Do) aspect. If you're in the red and trying to improve your bottomline, it not only makes sense to earn more money but also to reduce or substantially limit your expenses. The same principle applies to managing your karma. Avoid doing anything to increase your negative karmic debts while at the same time, keep planting good karmic seeds.

Eventually, your good karma will tend to overtake your bad karma, but you need to be patient and persevere because we're not talking about quick and instant fixes here. After all, we may be talking of several previous lifetimes worth of negative karma. Master Choa, in his booklet Achieve The Impossible, also adds that deliberately committing a mistake and then trying to "pay it off" with good deeds does not work.

Service and tithing are some of the quickest ways to generate good karma. Character building is what helps you avoid creating additional negative karma. In general, you need to give what you want to receive. As it applies to managing the predictions for 2012, if you want food security, then give food to those who need it (e.g. feeding programs). If you want security of shelter, contribute to the welfare of the homeless. And so on. While it would be great to personally participate in these works of mercy, it's not always possible, so you may instead just donate money or resources to the many charitable foundations who undertake these projects full time, such as the Red Cross, Food for the Hungry Foundation, Gawad Kalinga, etc.

In his book Psychic Self Defense for the Home and Office, Master Choa Kok Sui mentions that good karma is the ultimate protection. This is why in Psalm 91, "You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness, nor the plague that destroys at midday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you." This is also why there are skydivers who survive a failed parachute opening, or passengers who come out unscathed in some air crashes. The most extreme case I've read about is the amazing story of the 8 German Jesuit priests who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima despite being only 1 kilometer away from ground zero.

The topic of karma and its overall role in spiritual evolution is a vast subject that would require a book, if not several books, just to discuss. So by necessity, this article has been quite limited in scope. But I hope that I've presented enough information to show that one need not be held hostage to the prospect of dire predictions and events. It is possible to shape one's future by using esoteric laws, particularly the Law of Karma.

Here then is to our bright future, a future that we can start creating even today!

Recognizing The Source

Sumptuous lamb chops. Mouth-watering T-bone steak. "Heavenly" crispy pata (fried pork leg). Delicious chicken empanada (meat pie). Those of us who aren't full vegetarians would happily wolf down our favorite dishes without a moment's thought. But if someone puts a butcher's knife to your hand and tells you that you need to slaughter the animal you're going to eat, I bet most of us would balk at the thought.

Most people don't realize the process by which their meat gets to the table. This makes it easier for people to eat the end product, because they don't consciously make the connection between the animal and the meal they're eating. But come face to face with the animal and suddenly, most people can't even bear the thought that parts of the animal will eventually end up inside their guts.

In one of the episodes of Wowowee (when Willie Revillame was still with ABS-CBN), they had butchers as contestants. Before starting each game segment, Willie usually interviews the contestant about their work, why they joined, etc. More often than not it's this pre-game interview that gets Willie in trouble, but in this particular episode it was interesting to find out that butchers actually feel pity for the animals they are about to slaughter. Some of them even say prayers over the animals or at least perform some sort of ritual to ease what is about to happen.

On the one hand, it's encouraging to know that butchers aren't heartless, but on the other hand we should thank them for taking on the burden most of us wouldn't bear ourselves. If this isn't enough to make us into full vegetarians, it should at least make us more respectful and thankful for the meat that we eat.

This situation with how we perceive meat also has greater implications in how we relate with other people. Back in college, I remember finding an old propaganda booklet in the library. It was printed in the US back during World War 2 and was entitled something like "Know the Enemy". The booklet contained detailed descriptions of Japanese customs and beliefs, all in a negative light, of course. Enemies are always demonized in order to make fighting and killing them more palatable. Propaganda like this is still quite prevalent, especially in the way media portrays supposed "enemies of the state."

The problem with this mindset is that it perpetrates the "us versus them" attitude. Anything or anyone that is different from one's beliefs or from one's family is "evil." Most people eat meat without a second's thought because they don't recognize that the parts they're eating come from an animal they would otherwise feel pity for. This is the same type of thinking that leads us to easily hurt others. After all, they're the "enemy" and "we have nothing in common" so they'd be better off wiped from the face of the Earth. Isn't that the usual thought process when we're really pissed off or boiling with anger at someone or a group of people?

Many people forget that we are all spirits, perhaps inhabiting and using different forms, but all from the same source nonetheless. If people just saw more of the divinity in others, perhaps there would be less tendencies to hurt other people..

This disconnection, the failure to see the oneness in everything is also evident in how we are treating Mother Earth. The environment is something outside and separate, so many people think that they can throw trash in the ocean or deforest the mountainside and none of it has any effect upon them. But the many disasters in 2011 spawned by such ecological mismanagement show the folly of such thinking.

Since 2012 is already here and many are expecting a change in consciousness anyway, why don't we start by affirming the divine nature of everyone we meet. The Indians have a term for this: namaste. When you say namaste to someone, you are in effect telling the person that you recognize the divinity in him/her. You may be surprised at just how much inner peace and harmony you can generate by a change in how you see other people.

Namaste!

Typhoon Sendong: Lessons (Not) Learned

I already had a topic in mind for today's article, but after the events that happened during Typhoon Sendong (international name Washi), I thought it would be more appropriate to devote a few words to this tragedy for the sake of the victims and for better awareness about possible future disasters and how to mitigate or cope with them. As a victim of Ondoy, I can imagine very well what the victims in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City went through and are going through right now. The profile of both disasters are in fact eerily similar. Both happening on Saturdays, higher than normal rainfall, government agencies caught flat-footed.

One would have thought that after Ondoy, the different government disaster management agencies would have learned their lessons. However, by different accounts it seems PAGASA (the state weather bureau) was again caught sleeping even if international weather bureaus and even some local weather watchers knew what was coming.

Around the middle of last year, Typhoon Basyang was predicted to pass through Northern Luzon. Instead, it changed track and slammed directly into Metro Manila. Luckily, that typhoon brought more wind than rain, so the damage was not as bad as it could have been. President Aquino sacked the PAGASA chief at that time, saying that if meteorologists during World War 2 and the Korean War were able to accurately forecast the weather despite the technology of that time, why couldn't PAGASA perform similarly? Most people must have thought that this incident would have turned things around for the weather bureau, and over the next few months there were occasional news reports about new Doppler radar stations being set up. Unfortunately, Typhoon Sendong has shown that nothing has really changed. The evidence points to a problem that goes beyond the lack of modern technology or budget.

What happened last week was the Normalcy Bias in action over a massive scale (I wrote an article about this back in October). The people at PAGASA couldn't believe that a typhoon was really heading towards Mindanao, because the projected track of the typhoon covered areas that were not in the traditional typhoon belt. In the case of the people in the affected areas, even after the storm signals went up, no one really paid much attention because again, typhoons never really passed their areas. The tragic results speak for themselves.

Geo Farms founder and manager Edgard Guevara commented that the Typhoon Sendong tragedy only shows that we cannot rely on government or other agencies to watch over our welfare. The best way to prepare for a disaster is to ready oneself and one's family first, and then eventually involve the whole community. Any outside help that comes will then become a bonus that will merely supplement one's own preparations.

Victory loves preparation, so if you want to start educating yourself, you can watch a few YouTube flood survival videos here and another one here. It's strange that just last week I was also watching the National Geographic channel's Doomsday Preppers. One doesn't need to go to the extremes that the people featured in the show went to, but some level of preparation is definitely necessary. Beyond physical and material preparations, meditation and prayer should also become part and parcel of one's life. The power of sincere prayer should never be underestimated.

But while we proceed with our own preparations (or debate their necessity), there is still the immediate concern of helping the victims and survivors in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan City and other areas. If you want to help, please visit this site in order to identify which avenue of support you want to use.

Change in Magnetic North More Obvious

Earlier this morning, a friend texted asking me to check my compass because his compass was pointing to a different direction of North than before. So my wife and I took out three compasses (why we have so many compasses lying around is another story), put them side by side on the table and confirmed that what used to be North is now NorthWest in the compass. So the new compass North is what used to be NorthEast. I don't know if that type of change is significant as far as science is concerned, but for a layman like me it seems like a significant movement.

The movement of the magnetic north is a fact. In a National Geographic article, it mentions that magnetic north is racing towards Russia at a rate of 55 to 60 kilometers a year (as of 2009). This is much faster than the steady 15 kilometers a year recorded in 1904. The movement of magnetic north sped up in 1989, and yet again in 2007. What all this means is anyone's guess, although there are some theories that it could lead to a pole reversal.

Incidentally, I've also noticed that the movement of the sun has tilted further to the south than before. I know that the sun rises in different spots as the year goes by due to the Earth's wobble, but it seems to have moved more than last year this time around. The back of the house faces straight East and when I meditate I'm facing straight towards the sun, so I notice when the direction of the sun changes. Now the sun is much farther to my right than before, such that the south windows have sunlight streaming through them now. I don't know if this is related to the bigger change in magnetic north.

Changes in the magnetic north have become so significant that early this year, airports in Florida had to renumber the runways to adapt to the new magnetic north. This could also explain why there have been a lot of beachings among whales and dolphins this past year. Migratory animals navigate using the Earth's magnetic field and if this changes, they could be heading towards land when previously that direction led through open water.

In any case, whatever the changes in the magnetic north, it seems one can now detect it through the compass. This will definitely have an effect on outdoor navigation, though I don't know how this will affect the feng shui of some places. Feng shui practitioners often use a compass when determining favorable directions and other energy factors.

Let's see how the next few weeks unfold.

Lunar Eclipse: December 10, 2011

Astrology isn't my forte but according to one of my friends who has an interest in astrology, the coming lunar eclipse on December 10, 2011 should be interesting. The following is an extract of what he told me:

Lunar eclipses are always a full moon and usually mark endings or culmination points. They bring up memories, dreams and emotions so they pack a big punch. Eclipse of the moon will center more on the prominent women in your life (e.g. mother, wife or female boss) although this is not always the case. Events that follow an eclipse have more weight than events brought by a normal new or full moon. An eclipse is like a new or full moon on steroids! Additionally, there is a Mercury retrograde from November 24 to December 14, 2011 so expect delays, confusion and misunderstandings. There is also an ongoing Jupiter retrograde that started in July and will run until December 27, 2011. Almost anything related to prosperity will be affected.

The above should be enough to get your mental gears turning as it pertains to your personal life. However, I'm more interested on what impact such cosmic forces may have on world events. After all, what applies to one person should apply to the bigger grouping of persons called humanity.

What we are seeing, in the days immediately before and following the lunar eclipse, is a confluence of three major astrological events: the lunar eclipse itself, the Mercury retrograde and the Jupiter retrograde. There are probably more cycles and influences that a more expert astrologer would be able to point out, but I think we've covered the basics.

As my friend pointed out, lunar eclipses herald endings, and the confusion brought about by the Mercury retrograde and the Jupiter retrograde will probably magnify such an influence. With the ongoing Euro crisis, such astrological events could possibly scuttle any efforts at reaching a solution. There are even some sources that warn that if the Euro falls, the US dollar will soon follow. If there is any "ending" that a lunar eclipse could influence, it could very well be that of the current financial system. At the very least, professional astrologers say that lunar eclipses generally don't bode well for financial markets.

The current tensions with Iran is a another situation that is vulnerable to the influence of the lunar eclipse and double retrogrades. Aside from the recent attack on the British embassy in Tehran and the subsequent expulsion of Iranian diplomats in Britain, it seems a secret war is already being waged in Iran, right under our very noses. Such maneuverings, no less deadly despite the clandestine nature of such actions, can easily spiral out of control into open warfare. If it does, that can only contribute further to global financial woes because the price of oil will definitely be affected.

According to one astrological article I've read, the effects of a lunar eclipse will last for a duration of one month for every hour of the eclipse, up to 6 months. I think the coming December 10 lunar eclipse will last for 6 hours, and if so, the next half-year could witness a host of interesting events.

But again, astrology isn't my forte so I'm not taking any bets about what may happen next. It still wouldn't hurt to be on the alert, though.

Who Is Stirring the Pot?

If you've been following international news over the past week, it seems there has been a sudden spike in tensions and crises within or between sovereign states. We needn't get caught up in all the details of human conflict and fighting, but it helps to be aware of certain global events. In the Middle East, aside from the rioting that has resulted in the deaths of several demonstrators. Syria, in defiance of Arab League efforts, is still going full blast with their own crackdown that has resulted in even more civilian deaths. In a disturbing sign that Syria might turn into another Libya, army defectors have launched at least one attack in the capital city of Damascus.

The UN Security Council is divided on how to proceed vis-a-vis Syria. However, there is a twist in the Syria situation that could either defuse tensions or make it spread out of control. There are reports that Russia has sent warships to the Syrian coast in order to prevent Syria from being attacked by warplanes. Let's see where this one leads.

As if the Syrian situation wasn't bad enough, Israel seems to be ratcheting things up in regard to their confrontation with Iran. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak recently made statements calling for action against Iran's supposed nuclear weapons program. The Israelis have always been quick on the trigger and only US pressure has prevented an attack so far. But with the US possibly distracted by other international and domestic issues, Israel might just get impatient enough to act on its own.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the globe, tensions between the US and China are also rising, with one article raising the question of whether the US is goading China in the South China Sea dispute. Aside from making statements of "solidarity" with Southeast Asian nations who have disputes with China, President Obama also announced plans to expand the basing of US troops in Australia, putting them within striking distance of any conflict that may flare up in the South China Sea.

If you start putting all these things together, it hasn't been a good week as far as world peace is concerned. However, ever since the US lied about their reasons for invading Iraq (just in case you forgot, the US said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and used this to start the invasion in 2003; no WMD have ever been found), I've started looking at all these issues under a different light. The question now is, what is the overall agenda? Who is trying to profit by raising the stakes this way?

The current tensions are not really about "democracy vs. tyranny" or some other popular slogan like "freedom" and "liberation." Reading Gods of Eden has only reinforced that contention, aside from reading all those books and articles about the Illuminati. So hopefully less people will be taken in by popular media and instead start reading between the lines.

In the meantime, let's continue to do our meditations in order to bless Mother Earth with peace, understanding and cooperation. If you do Meditation on Twin Hearts, make sure to meditate it daily, particularly focusing on the Middle East and Asia.