Insights for your personal evolution
Nature
Fractal Time: The Secret of 2012 and a New World Age
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By combining scientific and practical knowledge with a fascination and thorough study of ancient wisdom, Gregg Braden offers a unique look at 2012 in Fractal Time: The Secret of 2012 and a New World Age
There is no question that earth travels through the solar system at precise intervals, observed by following its relationship to astronomical configurations. Known as the precession of the equinoxes, our journey can be tracked through the 12 astrological constellations of the zodiac as measured by the rising sun on the spring equinox.
Great monuments have been discovered to align perfectly with constellations on particular dates in the past. For example, the sphinx – half man, half lion – aligns with Leo during the year 10,500 which is when Virgo transitioned to Leo, suggesting that the sphinx was built at this time in commemoration of the event. Braden asks, “Who in Egypt was tracking cycles of time that are so vast that it would take technology developed over 500 generations later to confirm them?”
Numerous ancient cultures, including Hopi, Aztec, Maya and ancient India, have commonly specified a series of world ages that identify our current time as the marking point of the end of our current world age which aligns with the transition from Pisces to Aquarius. Braden asks the additional question, “Why did civilizations from Egypt to the Yucatan dedicate entire temples, texts, and monuments in their time to immortalize a single date that would not occur until the end of time, more than 50 centuries into their future?”
Knowledge of nature’s cycles brings in another layer of intrigue. Two keys of nature, fractals and the golden ratio, allow the understanding of patterns found everywhere in nature. Mandelbrot discovered that nature repeats similar patterns – fractals – to create the forms we see around us. The golden ratio refers to the mathematical number phi (.618), related to Fibonacci’s sequence. Nature replicates this divine ratio in its patterns, leading Braden to explore whether this pattern can also be applied to the cycles of time.
By selecting significant dates in the past and applying a mathematical formula based on phi, Braden presents numerous examples of initial “seed events” that can be related to future dates where similar conditions are present. This formula can be applied to both world events and personal happenings in our lives. A critical point to stress is that similar conditions , not specific events, are predicted. This allows for human free will and choice to play a role. With the awareness of when conditions will repeat, we can use this knowledge to create a different outcome on future dates.
Applying this theory to 2012 predictions brings another level of understanding. While catastrophic events have indeed been prophesied, so has the concept of a golden age of peace. Ancient traditions tell us that “our time of darkness is the very path that leads to a time of light.” Past evidence reveals that civilizations have been destroyed at key points in time and those conditions are repeating now.
Our current predicament can be thought of as a “choice point,” an opportunity to alter our beliefs and focus of awareness. Quantum physics has demonstrated that human thoughts affect experimental results. Braden considers that “the key to our transition lies in our collective feelings about the change.” This empowers all humans to play an active role in determining our world’s future. We are not victims of the cycles of change, but are dynamic participants in creating our destiny.
Book Author: Gregg Braden
Hay House, 2009
http://www.hayhouse.com
Gregg Braden is a former Senior Computer Systems Designer for Martin Marietta Aerospace and Computer Geologist for Phillips Petroleum and the first Technical Operations Manager for Cisco Systems. For over 20 years he has searched the remote monasteries of Egypt, Peru, and Tibet for the life-giving secrets that were encoded in the language of our most cherished traditions.
Other books:
The Spontaneous Healing of Belief
The Divine Matrix
Secrets of the Lost Mode of Prayer
The God Code
The Isaiah Effect
Awakening to Zero Point
Walking Between the Worlds
Weather Shamanism: Harmonizing our Connection with the Elements
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From hurricanes and blizzards to cool breezes and sunny days, weather is a part of all of our lives. In Weather Shamanism: Harmonizing Our Connection with the Elements
While reading the stories recounted in the book, I recalled my own attitudes about weather. I have always been fascinated by the force of water, especially during storms. I have recurrent dreams involving tidal waves of varying strength and circumstances. This translated into what I would often describe as “fear of tidal waves” when determining places to live. I would not live near water as I understood it could change its path at any given moment. As I have grown, my fear has transformed into respect and while I love to visit the ocean and rivers I am still wary of planting more permanent roots at water’s edge.
There are three defined levels of weather connection. The outermost level of connection is weather modification, or “power-over” weather, the furthest removed from the heart. The heart level is the innermost, representing harmonious relationship with weather, also known as “weather dancing.” Between these two levels is “weather working,” or attempts to control the weather, which may tend towards either level.
An example of modifying the weather may be seen in an event in which I took part. It was lightly raining during an ayahuasca ceremony when participants were invited to sing a favorite song. My husband, an experienced bata drummer, sang a familiar chant used in Cuban Santeria ceremonies. During the song, we heard distant, gentle rumbling thunder that became stronger then stopped when the song was finished. Later, I learned he had chosen a song for Chango, the god of thunder.
Other instances of “weather working” may be viewed as more intentional. There are those who have consistently shown their ability to affect weather, for example, with the goal of creating rain due to a drought. Others have attempted to move the path of a hurricane to less populated areas. When approaching the task of weather modification, one must be aware of the reason why.
“Both the desire and the need must come from the wisdom of the heart. There may be a desire to work for rain, but no need for it. Any working like this will serve only ego. This can create trouble. To have desire without the need is empty of heart.”
Sometimes, we merely note seeming synchronicities with weather and wonder at their significance. For instance, on my wedding day, the March day was clear with a few fluffy clouds. During the early afternoon ceremony, clouds quickly formed and a brief thunderstorm occurred with thunderclaps occurring simultaneously with the end of the ceremony declaring us man and wife. While thunderstorms are somewhat common in our area during the summer, they are more unusual and much less common in the early spring. Why the thunder formed and expressed itself at that exact moment is not known, but it was definitely noted as significant by those who had gathered for the ceremony.
Those who intentionally connect with weather obseerve the well-being that comes with creating this harmonious relationship. Indigenous tribes assign the vocation of weather working through one’s inherited lineage. Individuals in more modern cultures choose to develop the act of relating to nature and weather. Whatever the case, there is value in the awareness of weather and its reflection of humanity’s collective experience.
Book Authors: Nan Moss and David Corbin
Bear & Company, 2008
http://www.bearandcompanybooks.com
Nan Moss and David Corbin have been faculty members of Michael Harner’s Foundation for Shamanic Studies since 1995 and also teach courses at Esalen Institute in California and the New York Open Center. They have been researching and teaching the spiritual aspects of weather since 1997 and have a private shamanic practice located in Port Clyde, Maine.
Plant Spirit Healing: A Guide to Working with Plant Consciousness
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Long-time herbalist Pam Montgomery brings plant spirit shamanism to modern living with her book, Plant Spirit Healing: A Guide to Working with Plant Consciousness
I was struck while reading about the existence of songs associated with specific plant species. According to a Cherokee tradition, plants are able to reveal their songs to individual humans who are ready to receive them. Those who compare notes find they have found the same song for a particular plant. The song is then used in the process of healing and allows for complete knowledge of the plant spirit.
I read this book shortly after attending a “Communicating with All Life” seminar at Omega Institute with Penelope Smith. One of our exercises was to sit with our back against a tree, tune in and ask a series of 4 questions regarding our purpose. I chose a maple tree and was pleasantly surprised to receive thoughtful answers. Such communication often feels like you’re “making it up” and without confirmation from a third party, it can be difficult to ascertain a message’s truth. I have a friend who recommends to “ask the universe” for confirmation by receiving validation from another source.
Montgomery stresses the importance of allowing a plant ally to reveal itself to an individual. Plants often grow near humans who have a need for them. While getting to know a plant may involve touching, smelling, listening and tasting, it is eventually possible to merge with the spiritual energy of the plant. This allows for use of a particular plant’s properties without requiring its physical presence.
Prior to a recent ayahuasca ceremony experience, I wondered if one could bypass potential side effects by communing strictly with the plant’s energy rather than drinking the medicine solution. After becoming violently ill during the ritual, this option became even more curious to explore.
Healers often learn plant communication techniques to assist in their practices, however, individuals are able to bring balance to themselves and to the earth by tuning into plant spirits. An overriding message throughout the book is the importance of connecting with nature in general. When humans rediscover their partnership with all of creation, true transcendence is possible. This, above all, remains my motivation to continue connecting with all nature.
Book Author: Pam Montgomery
Bear & Company, 2008
http://www.innertraditions.com
Pam Montgomery is an herbal and plant spirit healing practitioner who offers consultations and treatments from her home at Sweetwater Sanctuary in Vermont. She teaches workshops internationally on herbal medicine, Plant Spirit Healing and spiritual ecology.
http://www.partnereartheducationcenter.com
Other books by Pam Montgomery:
Partner Earth
Destiny Books, 1997
