To those who regularly follow my blog (thanks, Marnie!  And thanks Garima.  Oh, and Uncle Bill, too.) have sometimes asked the me a very personal question, the answer to which has been concealed until now: What's the link between your two loves, writing and restoring motorcycles?

I'll reveal all, now. When I restore motorcycle, the older the better, I take something that is not complete, not running, and perhaps in very bad shape. I give it love and attention.  I free what is stuck, I replace corroded parts, and I remake parts that cannot be found.  The result is a machine that works again, with all its personal character intact.

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Truth is stranger than fiction...

 

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The highest courage is to dare to appear to be what one is.” You are not necessarily who you think you are or even who you say you are. But, if you are true to yourself, then you are what you show you are. If not, then you are a hypocrite.

The other evening I caught an ad for garden equipment.  You may have seen it. The scene was a perfect dewy lawn; the voice-over said "It looks like dew - but really it's a cold sweat".  Then there was the sound and images of power tools starting up. The message was simple, this lawn was terrified and was now going to be worked over by professionals.

When did we get so aggressive about our gardens?  When did the rhetoric of terrifying something become acceptable?  And since when have we been at war with nature?

This last question is perhaps disingenuous.  Any society that allows crude oil to spew into the Gulf of Mexico, and uses highly toxic chemicals to 'clean it up' and kill any surviving wildlife at all, is not a society that has emerged much above the slash-and-burn tactics of the stone age. But this rhetoric of war is beginning to get to me. A war on drugs.  If you must...  A war on terrorism.  I suppose. A war on nature.....  No thanks. I love my planet.  I do not wish to kill it. A war on TV, however, that sometimes has a mighty strong appeal......

Last night the BBC news (BBC America, not widely viewed by American nationals, but a highly respected news organization) confirmed that 'chemical disperants' used by BP to get rid of the oil spill were known to be 'highly toxic' causing 'birth defects in fish and birds' and - in short - poisoning the few creatures that survive the oil.  Since it is now fish spawning season in the gulf we can be pretty sure we're killing off almost every living thing in the area.

Meanwhile BP looked at several dead turtles washed up and declared that they did not die from the oil.  This makes the company look better.  The turtles are still dead.  The company claims that because of the disaster people are now looking more carefully for dead turtles, which is why there are so many more reported corpses than usual. The turtles remain dead, and the evasions continue.

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As crude oil from the sunken rig sloshes ashore in Louisiana I notice that the media refers repeatedly to the 'fragile eco-system' that will suffer from the pollutants, and the heartening statement that 'chemical dispersants' have been used on the oil.

Let us be clear about this, my friends.

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Over the years, I’ve read thousands of articles and books and met many teachers and practitioners in the new consciousness genre. Each piece of information I’ve gleaned is rather like a mosaic – some fit my worldview, some have made me change it, and others I’ve discarded. One teacher may be very persuasive, and then another comes along with a very different perspective. One of the things I’ve come to appreciate is that because people are on very different paths and stages in their journeys, the kind of message they need at one level may be very different from what they need at the next.

It is rather like being on different points around the rim of a giant wheel. It may seem like we are on opposite sides, yet we are all moving along the spokes at our own pace towards the same hub. That center toward which we all are moving is, I believe, the realization of our connection to the source of creation and our connection to each other.

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It could be your saving grace. Or your greatest loss.

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Have you ever dreamt of visiting Egypt? If so, please join us on a free phone teleconference Thursday, April 29, 5:30-7pm PST, 8:30-10pm EDT to learn about the sacred pilgrimage I am leading with Joan Borysenko, November 4-18 (with optional extension to Jordan, November 18-22). Joan and I will discuss the importance of this pilgrimage and the spiritual/initiatory work we will share as we weave together our unique convergence of science, spirituality, and the shamanic mysteries of Egypt. You will learn about the initiatory rites of the Egyptian mysteries teachings, as well as the practical details of our upcoming tour. It will also serve as an introduction to some of the Egyptian gods and goddesses, who will be our true guides as we experience the magic and mystery of Egypt. Register to paticipate in the call here…Joan and Nicki
Joan is a shining star in the worlds of both science and spirituality—one of the vanguards of the body/mind connection, integrative medicine, and the spiritual consciousness movement. Her humility, humor, and authenticity provide a rare combination that permeate her presence and are expressed in her speaking and teaching programs, as well as in the thirteen deeply evocative books she has authored. Her presence with me in Egypt this fall is sure to catalyze a new level of wonderment and appreciation of the ancient teachings that await us there. Visit this tour's web page for detailed itinerary and more. More about Joan at: JoanBorysenko.com

Well we've taken the plunge into a number of social media pools, and hope you'll join us as we splash about. You'll see the new  NCR blog here,  and welcome you talented bloggers out there to contribute.

There you'll find a link to follow us on Facebook under "Media for Enlightened Living", as we debut our new tag line, and you'll find links to our Twitter page on the blog as well. 

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