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DepartmentsClimate Change ArticlesArctic Getting Warmer FasterBy Stephen Leahy Global warming is hitting the Arctic more than twice as fast as the rest of the planet, scientists reported. The Arctic is particularly sensitive because the ice normally reflects vast amounts of solar radiation. But when icecaps recede, much more sunlight is absorbed by the darker mass of ocean and land. All that additional heat melts even more ice in what becomes a feedback loop. Some parts of Alaska have heated up 10 times more than the global average, Robert Corell, a chairman of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment, told Reuters. "I think it (climate change) can be stopped," he said, "but we will need an aggressive response." Thirsty?: Paradoxically, as all that ice melts, the world faces a future with less fresh water, a new study released this week shows. While rivers in the unpopulated north will have much more water flowing through them because of the melting ice, those in dry, temperate regions will have less. As temperatures increase, evaporation increases too, and drier regions of the world get even more parched. Water flow in the Mississippi and Nile rivers is expected to shrink. Water levels are at record lows in lakes Mead and Powell, the southwestern United States' two most important reservoirs. While the six-year drought is the main reason, increased evaporation due to higher temperatures is another factor, said meteorologist Martin Hoerling at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration's Climate Diagnostics Center in Boulder, Colorado. "We've experienced a 3 degree temperature increase in the last 50 years in the West and all the evidence points to global warming," Hoerling said in an interview. It's going to get a lot hotter, and very likely much drier, in the interior of the United States, he said. The available water resources likely won't be able to sustain the population of the Southwest in the near future. Urgent action on reducing greenhouse gas emissions is needed, he said. "There is a tremendous amount of conservation that individuals can do such as replacing light bulbs, using fuel-efficient vehicles and so on." No one has to wait for Washington to act. The city of Boulder is trying to meet the emission reductions laid out in the Kyoto protocol, he said. And there is much potential in alternative energy sources like wind turbines. "We can afford to do a lot more," he said. "The longer we wait, the worse it's going to be." Climate change heralds thirsty times ahead Fresh water will be in ever shorter supply as climate change gathers pace. A that increasing temperatures will dramatically affect the world's great rivers. While flows will increase overall, with some rivers becoming more swollen, many that provide water for the majority of the world's people will begin to dry up. Some of these predicted changes are already happening. A second study shows temperature changes have affected the flow in many of the world's 200 largest rivers over the past century, with the flow of Africa's rivers declining over the past 10 years. Veteran climate modeller Syukuro Manabe and colleagues at Princeton University modelled what effect a quadrupling of atmospheric carbon dioxide above pre-industrial levels would have on the global hydrological cycle over the next 300 years. That looks further ahead than most climate models, but the scenario is inevitable unless governments take drastic action to limit greenhouse gas emissions. Evaporation and precipitation Rising CO2 levels will trigger higher temperatures not only at the Earth's surface, but also in the troposphere, the team says. By factoring this into the models, together with changes to levels of water vapor, cloud cover, solar radiation and ozone, the team predicted the effect that climate change would have on evaporation and precipitation. Both would increase, the researchers found, causing the discharge of fresh water from rivers around the world to rise by almost 15 per cent. However, while water is going to be more plentiful in regions that already have plenty, the net effect will be to take the world's water further from where the people are. "Water stresses will increase significantly in regions that are already relatively dry," Manabe reports in the journal Climate Change (vol 64, p 59). Evaporation will reduce the moisture content of soils in many semi-arid parts of the world, including north-east China, the grasslands of Africa, the Mediterranean and the southern and western coasts of Australia. Soil moisture will fall by up to 40 per cent in southern states of the US, Manabe says. Desert irrigation The effects on the world's rivers will be just as dramatic. The biggest increases will be in the thinly populated tropics and the far north of Canada and Russia. For instance, the flow of the river Ob in Siberia is projected to increase by 42 per cent by the end of the 23rd century. This prediction could encourage Russia's plans to divert Siberian rivers to irrigate the deserts around the Aral Sea (New Scientist, 9 February 2004). Similar changes could increase pressure from the US for Canada to allow transfers from its giant Pacific rivers to water the American West. Manabe predicts a 47 per cent increase in the flow of the Yukon river. By contrast, there will be lower flows in many mid-latitude rivers which run through heavily populated regions. Those that will start to decline include the Mississippi, Mekong and especially the Nile, one of the world's most heavily used and politically contested rivers, where his model predicts an 18 per cent fall in flow. "Profound challenge" The changes will present a "profound challenge" to the world's water managers, Manabe says. They are also likely to fuel calls for a new generation of super-dams and canals to move water round the planet, like China's current scheme to transfer water between north and south. Some of the findings are controversial. The UK Met Office's climate model predicts that flows in the Amazon could fall this century, while Manabe's team predicts greater rainfall could increase its flow by 23 per cent. And while Manabe foresees a 49 per cent increase in the flow of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers that drain the Himalayas, an international study reported that the Ganges would lose flow as the glaciers that feed it melt away (New Scientist print edition, 8 May 2004). Time delay Meanwhile, a team of researchers in France say that climate change is already affecting the world's rivers. David Labat and colleagues at the government's CNRS research agency in Toulouse reconstructed the monthly discharges of more than 200 of the world's largest rivers since 1875. They took discharge data held by the Global Runoff Data Centre in Germany and the UNESCO River Discharge Database and used a statistical technique to fill in gaps left by missing data, or changes to run-off caused by dams and irrigation projects (Advances in Water Resources, DOI: 10.1016/j.advwatres.2004.02.020). Their findings reveal that changing temperatures cause river flows to rise and fall after a delay of about 15 years, and the team predicts that global flows will increase by about 4 per cent for every 1 ¡C rise in global temperature. However, climate change over the past few decades has already caused discharge from rivers in North and South America and Asia to increase. Run-off in Europe has remained stable, but the flow of water from Africa's rivers has fallen. (Original article: Wired, 02:00 AM May. 28, 2004 PT.) Arctic melt may dry out US west coastBy Kate Ravilious Cities and towns along the west coast of the US could be suffering from a serious water shortage by 2050, thanks to global warming. As Arctic sea ice melts, annual rainfall may drop by as much as 30 per cent from Seattle to Los Angeles, and inland as far as the Rocky Mountains. As temperatures rise over the next 50 years, the area of Arctic sea ice is predicted to shrink by as much as 50 per cent in some areas during the summer. To find out what this would mean for climate, Jacob Sewall and Lisa Cirbus Sloan from the University of California at Santa Cruz first used a climate model to work out how sea ice cover was likely to change through the rest of the year. Then they took these values for sea ice cover and the resulting sea surface temperatures, and plugged those into a global climate model to see which areas of the world would be most affected. While Europe got off quite lightly, they found that the sea ice changes are likely to mean significantly fewer storms will pass over the west coast of the US. "Winter sea ice acts like an insulating lid," explains Sewall. "When the lid is reduced, more heat can escape from the ocean to warm the atmosphere." Tower of air Towers of warm air form above areas where sea ice has been lost, and that disturbs the flow of air in the atmosphere around them, "like the supports under a bridge alter the flow of water in a river." In their model Sewall and Cirbus Sloan found that such towers formed between Norway and Greenland, deflecting winter storms that would otherwise have passed over the west coast of the US towards northern British Columbia and southern Alaska. These areas received six per cent more rain, while southern British Columbia down to southern California suffered a 30 per cent drop. The researchers will publish their results in a future issue of Geophysical Research Letters. "Given that water resources in this region are currently stretched close to their limit, a 30 per cent drop would have a serious impact," says Sewall. Water levels in reservoirs would probably drop, making water rationing a necessity. Meanwhile agriculture would suffer from a lack of water for irrigation and famous national parks, such as Yosemite in California, could change completely as natural ecosystems adapted to a drier climate. Global impact However, Sewall is careful to point out that so far they have only modelled the impact of reduced Arctic sea ice cover. Other climate factors, such as increasing greenhouse gases, might interact with melting Arctic sea ice, reducing, or even exacerbating, any changes in rainfall. The research "needs more work to become a prediction," agrees Marika Holland, a climate modeller at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. But she says the study "highlights the importance of regional changes associated with a distant location". Even though the changes in sea ice between Norway and Greenland were relatively small, they were enough to have a significant impact across the globe. (Earth Sciences, University of California at Santa Cruz, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Geophysical Research Letters) Warming speeds ice sheet flow in weeksBy Betsy Mason Hotter summer temperatures in Greenland can speed up the seaward flow of the islands massive ice-sheet in just weeks, new research shows. Previously, scientists believed that temperature changes at the surface of an ice sheet would take hundreds, if not thousands of years to affect the bottom of the sheet and speed up the flow of ice. But now researchers have found that the Greenland ice-sheet slides faster during the summer immediately after a rise in surface melting. As soon as the melting stops at the end of the summer, the ice-sheet slows back down. The rapid response could be caused by meltwater at the surface running directly to the base of the glacier through crevasses and tunnels known as moulins. The water lubricates the contact between ice and bedrock, allowing the sheet to slide faster toward the ocean. This process has been known to boost the speed of alpine glaciers, but has not been considered for large ice-sheets before, says lead author of the study, Jay Zwally of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. "It's something that's never been seen before," says geophysicist Shawn Marshall of the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. Scientists have been skeptical about whether water could get to the base of the 1.2 km-thick ice-sheet, says Marshall. "This is pretty convincing." Global warming The team also found that the hotter the summer, the faster the ice flows. Using GPS measurements, Zwally and his colleagues found that during the low-melt summer of 1996, the ice-sheet sped up by 1.5 cm a day compared to winter rates. But the hotter, high-melt summers of 1998 and 1999 saw increases of 8.8 and 7.3 cm a day respectively. Over the past two decades, summertime temperatures in Greenland have risen by about 0.25°C. Furthermore, the portion of the ice-sheet surface that experiences melting in the summer has increased by nearly 20 per cent during that time. "Just how this may translate into increases in sea level is something we need additional research on," says Zwally. With increased temperatures, the ice-sheet is expected to thin more rapidly at the edges. But it will also get more snow helping it to grow faster at the centre. "We don't know how much precipitation has been changing," he says. To answer this question, NASA plans to launch a satellite in December 2002 called ICESat. It will precisely measure the elevation changes on the ice-sheet with laser altimetry to determine how snow accumulation is changing. These measurements will help reveal whether the ice-sheet is shrinking overall and how much that might contribute to sea level rise. Journal reference: Science (DOI: 10.1126/science.1072708) Global sea levels may rise more than expectedBy Fred Pearce Global sea level rise in the 21st century could be significantly higher than previously estimated, according to the most comprehensive glacier dataset ever compiled. The missing factor is the melting of the world's largest temperate glaciers in Alaska and Canada, say Mark Meier and Mark Dyurgerov at the University of Colorado at Boulder. New data from the University of Alaska show this has been underplayed in earlier calculations, they say. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported in 2001 that the expected rise in sea level by 2100 due to glacier melting alone was between 1 and 23 centimeters. The estimate represents the consensus of many of the world's scientists. Meier and Dyurgerov's new range is much higher, at between 20 and 46 cm, and they say it could be even greater. Combined with the IPCC's estimate for sea level rise caused by other processes, such as ocean warming, of 11 to 43 cm, the total 21st century rise could be as much as 89 cm. "These estimates in sea-level rise may seem small, but a 30 cm rise in sea level will typically cause a retreat of shoreline of 30 meters. This would have substantial social and economic impacts," Meier says. But he admits: "We are still very data poor. This is the best we can do at the moment." David Vaughan, at the British Antarctic Survey, says he will not be at all surprised if Meier and Dyurgerov are right about the Alaskan Glaciers. But we should not be too harsh on the IPCC prediction, he says: "The IPCC group made an reasonable estimate based on what they knew at the time. It wasn't set in stone, it was a best-estimate. And as we get new data that estimate will change, up and probably down." Vast and remote Meier claims that the IPCC prediction fails to reflect the true likely sea level rise for three reasons. Firstly, their inventory of glaciers included little data from the large glaciers in Alaska and Canada and does not account for a recent increase in wastage. The Malaspina and Bering glaciers are both over 2000 square miles in area - the largest non-polar glaciers in the world. The lack of data has largely been due to the vast size of the glaciers, their remoteness and the high rain and snow fall which makes using helicopters very difficult. However, new laser altimeter data taken from light aircraft is starting to reveal a clearer picture, Meier says. Secondly Meier says the IPCC have not accounted for the fact that when precipitation increases over a glacier, it appears to shed more melt water for a given temperature rise. He claims this observation is an "empirical fact" and that precipitation over the Alaskan glaciers has recently been found to be four times higher that previously thought. Finally, he says, the IPCC underestimates the likely future contribution of ice melting in Greenland and Antarctica, where temperatures are still currently low enough to prevent large-scale melting. The new data from the University of Alaska shows that the long term contribution to sea level rise from the wastage of the Alaskan and Canadian glaciers is 0.12 millimetres per year, but that this has more than doubled to 0.32 mm in the last decade. The present rate of wastage in some glaciers is greater that it has been for 5000 years, says Meier. The new research was presented at the American Association for the Advancement of Science's 2002 annual meeting in Boston.
ReviewsBy Michou LandonBooksTitle: Quantum Prodigal Son Lee and Steven Hager provide us with a refreshing and meaty journey in their examination of Jesus' familiar parable through the lens of the Quantum paradigm, and what it may be revealing to us about "God" and human life. The parable's teachings come alive in this reading, sharing far more with Gnostic Christianity, A Course in Miracles and ancient perennial wisdom of other traditions than with the conventional Christian authorities who claim it. In 300 pages, the Hagers carefully examine elements of the story often neglected in its telling centuries later. Most noteworthy for me was the significance of the older ("good") son. They do so interpreting it not only against Quantum phenomena, but what Jesus' imagery would have meant to its original audience of mostly Jewish enculturation. This proves quite illuminating. The book is well written, and the arguments are sturdier and better documented than those of many contemporary metaphysical treatises. There are a few points where the thread of an argument lapses momentarily and little flags may spring up in the minds of discerning academics. However, the sense is that it may be the language that is failing rather than the logic. It is a tricky and layered topic to articulate. The authors seem uncharacteristically remiss, however, when documenting their claims about cultural contexts that would influence the understanding of Jesus' details by his contemporaries. The purpose and efficacy of the Truths revealed, however, seem scarcely impaired by this oversight. The language poses the same problems encountered in A.C.I.M., where pronouns must play triple duty, referring to players at different levels of reality; and also in the choice here to refer to "God" in personal pronouns. This is challenging for some readers, including myself. Even so, I found certain arguments in the book even more compelling, at times, than in the dense and verbose A.C.I.M. perhaps due to the reassuring presence of more neutral, quantum language as well. Not everyone will be ready for this book; full participation demands naked honesty about what each of us wants: to play the game or wake up. However, it makes for compelling companionship while we are, inevitably, in the process of doing both. Title: Kuan Yin: Accessing the Power of the Divine Feminine This one is a keeper. In aesthetic as well as content, this simple yet full survey of the history, essence and many faces of Kuan Yin has instant and enduring appeal. A uniquely feminine touch and fulsome understanding is palpable in the deliciously illustrations of Antonia Baginski and sympathetic and articulate writing of Daniela Schenker. The book is gentle balm for the eyes to behold and the hands to hold. The cover art on the jacket also appears on the hard cover beneath, illustrating the tender care that went into it and emanates from it. The little volume seems the perfect balance of weight and lightness, physically and visually, as well as in verbal tone. There is clearly far more to the lore of this most beloved Bodhisattva of compassion than can be included in such a modest book (roughly 6x5" and 60 pages); yet it richly and gracefully transmits the spirit and vibration of its subject as effectively as I've seen. It concisely clarifies the origins and nature not only of Kuan Yin's many manifestations and permutations, but elucidates the phenomena of bodhisattvas and ascended masters along the way. The centerpiece of the book, the second chapter contains 33 beautiful portraits, each accompanied by a meditation and an excerpt from the original Lotus Sutra that originally detailed each aspect of Kuan Yin. Schenker also gives attention to the mantra most commonly associated with the deity. Kuan Yin: Accessing the Power of the Divine Feminine may be modest in scope, but seems impeccable in execution. This one makes a particularly loving and lasting gift. Title: The Gospel according to Judas Iscariot In The Gospel According to Judas Iscariot, Jesus reminds us that people often become impatient with sermons and lecture, but that they will hear stories to the end, so he delivered the message of the Christ, of God's immanence, in parables. Following this wisdom, Peter Leighton has capitalized, with uneven success, on the trend to predigest and package perennial Truth in a plot of more modern intrigue and contemporary vernacular. We are offered the sumptuous meat of these truths in a rather flimsy Wonder-bread account of a contemporary man who discovers himself to be the reincarnation of Judas Iscariot, and who must then prove this in court to serve God instead of time. Strained plausibility alone might not defeat this story for the reader inclined to value its purpose and conceits. However, the inconsistencies and anachronisms of language and tone combine with rampant grammatical errors to distract and threaten the credulity of even the most indulgent reader. The enchantment and clarity of the book's successful passages makes this a real pity. Certainly, Leighton has steeped himself in the historical accounts, re-infusing them with the powerful loving Heart of Christ that was interpreted, edited or constricted out of many traditional translations. This is a work of fiction, however; and Leighton takes bold liberties in this speculation on the relationships among Yehudah (the Sicarri) and Jesus (the man and the Christ), Mary Magdalene, Apostle Paul and others. His is a candid, compassionate exploration of how Judas might have played out his role in the perfect unfolding of "God's Plan" to demonstrate man's immanent divinity and the soul's immortality. Leighton also offers poignant insight into personal and political motivations for the many key players and events. A reader could be convinced to forget that this is simply one man's inspired speculation. That alone highlights a valuable teaching of this book, that every "historical account" can only be interpretation. For all its contrivance, period-hopping language, and grammatical errors, the period of this tale in which Jesus lives and teaches is a scintillating transmission. The Christ pours shimmering through, pure and inspiring. It is truly like reading a freshly unearthed take on the old story, or seeing a decent film adaptation of a seminal book: there is inevitable disappointment, but the resonance that ignited one so memorably in the original read awakens that inspiration afresh — in this case, the very Christ waiting within. Alas, the tale loses power and cohesiveness, and seems to succumb to more sloppy writing, after Jesus' apparition fades — as if the author might have been losing interest, too. This, itself, is another case in which the book's apparent flaws mirror life, itself, as humans lose direct inspiration and bog down it it's distractions, confusion and illusions and lose awareness or certainty of our timeless Truth. This book chronicles a soul's journey of forgiveness and acceptance, and it walks a willing reader through the same course, at more than one level. Just as all humans harbor the Christ, we all contain Judas as well. I'd venture that anyone willing to forgive the irksome flaws in the medium, would enjoy the redeeming value of Leighton's message. There is nobility in the effort. Title: The Lens of Perception: A User's Guide to Higher Consciousness Yes, you've seen the title before. Hal Zina Bennett originally published The Lens of Perception in 1987. The second edition emerged seven years later, and the third after another thirteen years. The topic, however, never ages, and, as we evolve as a species and mature as individuals, the thoughts and focusing practices offered in this book may be more relevant today, or relevant to more people, than ever before. The revised edition is enhanced by contemporary references, reflecting how the collective understanding of (and personal empowerment in) the invisible realms has grown, through research, writings (and maybe the morphogenic field) in the years since Bennett originally wrote the book. Not only has it grown in popularity, but in articulateness. Drawing from his own shamanic and interpersonal experiences, as well as from everything from Aristotle and Carl Jung to What the Bleep, in an efficient 170 pages, Bennett offers us a very accessible, pragmatic and quietly empowering little overview and manual that will guide and inspire both novices and seasoned travelers, freshening and simplifying topics and realms that seem to almost get murkier, the more words are published about them. This, of course, may be due to the fact, as Bennett himself underscores, that these realms are entered and known differently by each unique individual. Hence arises the title of the book, which refers to the unique bias each of us inevitably has in our perspective of the world, no matter how much meditation some may employ to quiet their minds and achieve neutrality and "objectivity". Bennett takes the Shaman's view, that the Lens through which each of us experiences the world cannot be eradicated, and shouldn't be, as it serves a unique and essential purpose as consciousness experiences and expresses itself infinitely through multiplicity. Therefore, the truest, most peaceful and creative path is to cultivate one's relationship with, understanding of and fluency in one's inner language and landscape, the gifts and biases inherent in the Lens, and how these influence our way in the outer world. The key is simply to recognize that everybody has one. For it is what we see in the lens, not what is beyond it, to which we actually react and relate. When that knowledge informs how we interpret and act with "other," the pressure is off, all is forgiven, and the game is fun again. Title: The Reiki Magic Guide to Self-Attunement There have been a fair number of books published on the healing art Reiki since its emergence. Author and Reiki Master Brett Bevell, himself recommends at least one in particular in the pages of his own book. I have not read these other volumes; so, I base my comments on my experience as a healer, as a writer and as a reader who experimented with the ideas, practices, and energies addressed in Bevell's thoughtful and unrutted elucidation, The Reiki Magic Guide to Self-Attunement. His years of exploration give Bevell's voice a balance of authority, humility and authenticity, and his presentation seems consistently pragmatic, grounded and sensitive. He offers the basics: Beginning with his understanding of the history, energies and cosmology or Reiki; then introducing a familiar and fundemental full body self-treatment; then first and second degree attunements and their activating symbols; then some more advanced matters involving work beyond oneself and the beginnings of third degree principles. It is all lucidly and respectfully presented, even when the content might seem quite tenuous and esoteric to a reader uninitiated to these rarified realms. He defies traditional restrictions in revealing and instructing on key symbols and rituals. He does so, perhaps, in good faith about humans, but probably more from time-tested faith in the intelligent force(s) of Reiki's incorruptible origins and essence. He knows Reiki can take care of itself. His intention here is to speak to the wise, noble healer in all, to empower the wisdom and responsibility in each of us, and offer tools for harnessing, cultivating and ever refining that power for the collective good. This is his offering to a world waking up. It is indeed a gift, and one endowed to serve the reader for all time — and beyond. Title: Dreaming the Maya Fifth Sun: A Novel of Maya Wisdom and the 2012 Shift in Consciousness Leonide Martin, RN, DrPH, is a Maya Solar Initiate and ordained Priestess of Isis. She is certified in Intuitive Healing and Archetypal Consulting by Caroline Myss, and is a retired university professor. Captivated by the great Maya culture, she studied with elders and did extensive research to bring the Maya world vividly to life. After writing many professional books, her fiction focuses on the wisdom of the cosmic Maya and their message for humanity. The Maya Fifth Sun begins at Winter Solstice, 2012. This marks the end of our present 5,130 year Great Cycle and also the end of the Sun/Age cycle of 25,650 years, according to the Maya Long Count Calendar. It's also a complete precession of the equinoxes. In the Fifth Sun, an age of expanded consciousness, a new human emerges able to live in harmony with the cosmic order. Suppose you could dream a different reality? In the countdown to 2012, ER nurse Jana Sinclair is summoned to re-enact a mystical ritual to ensure successful transit into the new era, the Maya Fifth Sun. Compelled by a recurring dream, Jana journeys to jungle-shrouded ruins and discovers her connections with the ancient Maya priestess Yalucha, who was mandated to hide her people's esoteric wisdom from the Conquistadors. Jana's reluctant husband is swept into strange experiences and warns against further involvement. Answering the call across centuries, Jana must face her husband's devastating ultimatum and contend with dark shamanic forces intent on preventing her mission. Title: Buddhism Day by Day: Wisdom for Modern Life There seems a fashion resurging in spiritual publishing right now: the daily contemplation book. Many appeared in time for the holiday season. Although it is set up to start on (any) January 1, Buddhism Day by Day is due out in February 2007. As with most of offerings of this genre, however, the wisdom and value offered are hardly touched by time. This collection is compiled by Daisaku Ikeda, the president of Soka Gakkai Int'l, which "promotes world peace and individual happiness based on the teachings of the Nichiren school of Mahayana Buddhism" (according to its website, www.sgi.org). Nichiren is probably best known for its central mantra "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo," which is a Japanese translation of the title of the Lotus Sutra. In addition to quoting from the Lotus Sutra, Dr. Ikeda draws passages from many other sources, including his own wisdom. The book, a satisfying size and weight and five-inch square shape, is as simple, elegant, and solid as the wisdom it contains; the daily passages rarely exceed two to three quietly eloquent sentences. The effect is sane and grounding, promising one who undertakes a rhythmic practice of sitting with each day's remembrance a rejuvenating, encouraging oasis. One need not be Buddhist to benefit. One need only be human. CDs, DVDs & FilmFilm Title: Conversations with God Over 10 years after publication of the globally influential books on which it is based, 2006 saw the release of a film called Conversations With God, now available (and recommended) on DVD. The film does not attempt to simply transcribe the book's dialogues to film — a prospect both impossible far less palatable! Instead we see the themes unfold and clarify through narrative that touchingly recounts author Neale Donald Walsch's own journey to the revelations and publication of the book. The film is mostly flash back; but we meet Walsch first as he speaks to an audience of fans and skeptics once the book's success is established. This introductory scene feels "new-agey" and a little self-congratulatory, despite the pains that have been taken to acknowledge the author's human-ness almost immediately. With this, film risks turning off anyone with suspicion of New Age lingo and platitudes or even just a lack of first hand knowledge of the humbling process the main character (and those of us on similar journeys) has gone through to get here. However, if you can forgive that and stay open, it is a well worthwhile (if occasionally shaky) ride, driven with poignant and remarkable authenticity by Henry Czerny, who plays N.D. Walsch. All the performances are commendably genuine, but the film wouldn't work without Czerny. The lessons and the content presented redeem the characters, the film and the viewer alike. Although the words quoted from the books themselves roll by almost too fast to fully comprehend in the film, the phenomena they describe are far more effectively illustrated in the actions and interactions, thus effectively demonstrating a prominent theme: the importance of walking the talk as best one is able. In fact, in the scenes when the main character is merely speaking the book's content in promotional settings, its living wisdom seems desiccated to glib platitudes. Nonetheless, in one of those scenes, the Walsch character says that we are in conversation with God all the time, in every person, book, radio jingle or event we encounter. The viewer ends up gratefully aware that this film offers a rich moment in that conversation. CD Title: Dasi: Prayers by Women Although her CD has been out a good while, Karnamrita Dasi's live presence is what is giving the recording momentum. I quote an associate of mine whose almost uncharacteristically enthusiastic and poetic report recently speaks volumes: This CD is a true labor of love from a musician classically trained in India whose heart is as open as the clear blue sky and as passionate and loving as a true mystic. Her voice rings like a bell and conveys every emotion in its simplicity. Without stylizing the Eastern music to make it sound more American, or more sexual, she lays bare the intent of each chant so anyone with the slightest devotion in his or her heart can feel its meaning and is taken to new heights of spiritual bliss. I mean, sitting in the audience while she sang—with unassuming delight — was as much an experience of bakti (sacred devotion) as entering any temple. I hope you can hear that in these songs! There isn't a whole lot more to say. However, perhaps some background would serve. Karnamrita Dasi is a beautiful, young, American woman raised in a California community devoted to Krishna. She was inspired by her mother to pursue her studies in classical Hindu song, and, also inspired by her mother, she has dedicated her focus here to the transporting and powerful prayers of women in Hindu scripture and epic stories. The liner notes translate the scripture (sung in Sanskrit) and briefly summarize the circumstances originally inspiring each prayer. The wisdom, devotion, or emotion in each however, is universal. All are powerful; I found Draupadi (from the Mahabharata) profoundly stirring. The simple Truth discovered and expressed in this story and these few lines may be all any of us really needs to know. Needless to say, style, mood and instrumentation of each track varies distinctly. This illustrates not only the young artist's versatility, but the stillness and wisdom of a much older soul. There is a clarion innocence in this voice — still young and full of suppleness and liveliness of heart — which melts together her anglo origins with the bath of Hindu influence derived from her upbringing and formal musical studies. The fusion creates a truly original sound. Although this recording may not evoke quite the transcendent experience of her live appearances for every listener, anyone can savor a sincerity and purity here and share in the joy inhabiting the current of song in body and body in song; they become one and the same, mutually absorbed in the Great Love. CD Title: Coming Home "Oh, how sweet the taste of Love," rises the mellifluous voice of Danya Uriel, like vapors of incense, from a heart that resonates and smiles with the knowing behind the words. The youthful duo Temple has issued a CD of ethereal Hebrew prayers, a pastel pallet of sacred lullabies. With the loving and leisurely repetition of a handful of Hebrew syllables (and sometimes a line of English translation or amplification) each of the seven songs intentionally expresses a simple flavor or theme of Divine Remembrance: Wholeness, Invocation, Gratitude, Surrender, Purification, Harmony, Healing, etc. Inter-twining with these vocals, within a fluid foundation of acoustic guitar, bass and keyboard, earthy, sometimes ancient instrumental voices — including cello, oud, esraj, saxophone, harmonium, tabla, and human chorus —echo, richen and ground the spare melodic contemplations. With this CD, Temple fills a Judaic vacancy in the constellation of nationally visible recording artists (most notably Deval Premal, Snatam Kaur, Jai Uttal, Rasa, etc.) currently popularizing (and somewhat anglicizing) music in the sacred languages of Middle Eastern and other traditions. Late of Boulder, Colorado, Temple's core duo of Danya Uriel and Eyal Rivlin are supported here by Benjy Werthheimer and other heartful musicians to create a smooth, lush production whose instrumentation is varied and soulful and whose spirit is sweet and true. I must confess, though, for my part, the tempo seems conspicuously unvaried and unspirited as the collection of largos floats along. Each of these song prayers is meant to stand alone; and there is much to appreciate in every one. Yet, as the sequence progressed, I found myself yearning for momentum and passion — a good Hava Nagila! — a celebration of the more kinetic, boisterous aspects of Divine Expression. The final cut, "Shalom," seems to hint that perhaps Temple were beginning to embrace that idea, too! So, while I commend the tender offerings of Coming Home, now that Temple has so ably and melodically brought the house to sacred stillness, I can't help but hope that the sequel will invite the ethers through form again and bring the house robustly to its feet. What are they for, these bodies, if not to dance the delight of the awakened heart?! DVD Title: Journey into Buddhism John Bush's Yatra Trilogy: "Journey into Buddhism" comes as close as I've seen to defying the truism that The Tao that can be known is not The Tao. What began as a personal journey becomes glimpses into a universal one, intimate becoming epic and vice versa, for all time. Offered both separately and as a set, the three DVD's in the trilogy each focuses on the life, history, influences and practices of Buddhism and Buddhists in three regions of Asia: Laos, Thailand and Burma in Dharma River; Bali, Java and Cambodia in Prajna Earth (narrated by Sharon Stone); and Tibet in Vajra Sky over Tibet. Past and present, form and content recursively invoke and reflect one another in each program, though most notably, it seemed to me, in Dharma River, as the fluid theme imbues the pace and content. While the tone of each program may be subtly different, a common thread of luxuriant pacing and tender, steady attention draw the viewer in. The serene face of the Buddha, and the expansive yet sumptuous essence of Buddhism, saturates the space between textural and thematic variations. Actually meditations, these films rather defy categorization. Part primer in Buddhism (and Hinduism), they are also equally spiritual, geographical and anthropological travelogues, sure to inspire tourism to these sacred sites — pilgrimages. (Yatra is Sanskrit for "Sacred Journey.") For those of us who will not be traveling afar to celebrate the sacred in form, this Journey into Buddhism indeed offers every reward, as we join the Yatra pouring forth from the heart of formlessness, right now. CD Title: Dreams and Visions This is great driving music, for body and spirit: food for the soul, candy for the heart, and balm for the mind. Crank it up, so you can hear it over the vacuum, and dance the house clean — mood and matter. Mary Kathryn's latest CD serves up a banquet of sweetly crafted songs, sumptuously layered arrangements and freshly blended influences, Western and Eastern, personal, musical and spiritual. The uplifting lyrics stand up to listening yet recede readily and graciously into the arrangement, for less mental, more heart-centered, expansive company. We recommend this CD for all who love to roll down the windows and feel the winds of Grace blowing through us as we dance from point A to point B. Dreams and visions carries the fragrance of that Grace in its breezy melody and momentum. CD Title: Chakra Dhyana: A Musical Path to Meditation This approximately 50-minute program is a guided meditation through the main bodily Chakras. It enhances a meditative state in such a way that can both awaken Kundalini and induce a more balanced and relaxed state. The title, Chakra Dhyana, refers to the practices used to access and activate latent life-force and consciousness in this way. The program combines music (scored by G. Sathyaprasad) and constant chanting of precise, sacred chants in the background with a gently instructional voice-over (foreground) by Sri Krishnaraj Bhagavaddasa, who lends insight, support, focus to the experience with his beatific delivery. Of course, the impact of this meditation tool will depend on the user's degree of experience and openness with meditation, suggestion and yogic practices. It is potent enough, though, that I might suggest the package include a caution that participants make use of the Savasana portion of the program to integrate, and not leap up immediately and enter conversation or operate complicated appliances! Respect yourself; respect the gifts offered here, and they promise to keep on giving.
Cover ArtistOber Rae Starr Livingstone"Livingstone paints with acrylics on canvas and paper. Using vibrant as well as more subtle hues, he applies the paint in transparent layers until "they bounce or sing for me." A self-taught artist, Livingstone incorporates elements of abstraction and impressionism to create a multi-dimensional effect. Through the use of brilliant color, he expresses the "wonder of Creation" and energizes his canvasses with a dramatic light of their own. Livingstone explains: "I am constantly awed by the beauty of Creation. My landscapes and skyscapes express the wonder of a beautiful sunrise or sunset or the play of light on a field or river. My paintings are filled with the color and light I experience within, not just what I see through my eyes." Livingstone applies vibrant colors until "they bounce or sing for me." Working in acrylic paints, he creates color transitions by placing one transparent layer over another. He often employs hues that are opposites on the color wheel; these intensify each other and even appear to vibrate. The dramatic palette has an immediate impact on the viewer. Painting on a large scale allows Livingstone to express his inner energy while applying the paint. He uses a variety of brushes and often works from larger to smaller in order to build up texture and then add detail. Livingstone develops his compositions in the studio, sometimes starting from a photograph. He works intuitively and his canvases go through many color changes before he is satisfied. "The process itself has to excite me. I work freely and let the energy move through my heart more than the mind. When I paint I have to feel that its happening — it's like music when my colors start to sing." This artist's work is included in private and corporate collections in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Africa. An Independent Opinion "At Hyde Park's Miller Gallery, self-taught artist OBER-RAE STARR LIVINGSTONE's skyscape paintings are pregnant with hues like red, pink and orange, reflecting the kind of foreshadowing augured in the saying, "Red in the morning, sailor's warning. Red at night, sailor's delight." ... Livingstone shares his artwork's appeal. "People attach a strong emotion to a memory of a sunset or the sky right before the onset of a storm," he says. "You never know what will trigger a memory. Sometimes people claim they have seen that exact sky I've painted. It's powerful. Skyscapes have the ability to touch something in your soul." His solo show features primarily large paintings and the grand scale captures the awe of nature, truly a spectator's delight. Miller Gallery
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