Sustainable Change

"I want to feel the evolution of things. I don't believe in transcending, but in being embedded in a reality that is temporal."

- Ilya Prigogine

Now, between the Equinox and the Libra New Moon, our future gestates within the pre-dawn womb of consciousness.

Evolutionary forces beyond this dimension inspire us to sing the songs of creation in harmony with Mother Earth and all being, to heal, open and align, to attune to the rhythms of life and join the cosmic dance.

In a year of quantum change, we've reached the season of the harvest and celebrate the accumulated experiences of the journey so far. The joy and sorrow, ease and hardship, miracles, obstacles and the spirit that infuses all.

Days are growing shorter here in the northern hemisphere, lengthening below the equator. Leaves wither. Seeds sprout. Life slows down or speeds up, as the cycles turn.

The change of seasons in the outer world reflects our inner transformation. What's next?

In 2010, we're initiating a new sequence for the coming times. The window of opportunity is now. This is a year of tearing up the fields, turning the ground, then casting seeds for what will be through 2012 and beyond. What are we creating?

Life as we've known it is changing swiftly. It has to. The path we've been on will not sustain us much longer. We have to evolve. Natural cycles indicate we have two years to change direction and lay the foundation of a new world.

I've prayed all year that enough beings will seize this opportunity so we can turn things around on planet Earth. Now it's time to put that prayer into action.


Desert Awakening

Earlier this month, during Mercury's retrograde phase, I took a trip through the desert and awakened, again, to my deepest desire.

High in the San Jacinto Mountains of southern California, I pondered the state of our world, the economy and what all this change means day to day in people's lives. For generations, too many on all continents have lacked the basics of shelter, food, medical attention, education and our greatest human need, love. Today the numbers are growing fast as the economy shifts and the population swells unchecked.

As I drove from Los Angeles to Phoenix in 100-degree heat, I was shocked to see how much development has sprung up in the harsh desert terrain. Mile after mile of houses, condos, resorts, golf courses, shopping malls and strip centers line the desert streets. Where does the water come from to sustain life here? How many tons of coal does it take to keep the air conditioners running through most of the year? How much of the electricity is coming from wind and solar power?

I thought of my brother and his wife up north in Winnipeg. Where they are, millions live in near-tundra conditions, with countless homes and businesses dependent on a steady flow of natural resources and food.

What becomes of the people who live in these places if the power grid goes down during the searing heat of summer or the frozen depths of winter?

Development like this around the world is not sustainable. We can't keep draining the Earth's resources indefinitely. There are other ways of being that will ensure humanity's survival.


What's Sustainable?

The solutions rest in blending modern technology with ancient wisdom. Our ancestors thrived in extreme climates for generations without lights, air conditioning, heat and gasoline. Some tribal cultures still do. We can learn from them how to live in harmony with the Earth and natural cycles.

The devastating oil spill earlier this year in the Gulf of Mexico was a wake-up call. At least briefly, it focused the world's attention on the rampant global environmental crisis and the need to reduce our dependence on Big Oil. The damage created by this one accident will impact future generations for decades to come.

If we heed the message of the incident, the crisis could be a turning point that gets us headed in a positive direction that will heal our lives, our communities and our world.

The problem isn't going away just because the leak in the Gulf has been capped. We need to fix this. The Earth is out of balance, and she will do what she needs to do to rebalance her systems. We can participate in this process by harmonizing with Mother Earth and each other.

This is the next evolution.

On the Libra Equinox-Harvest Moon gateway last week, I shared how I will contribute to this turnaround on Earth, and I invite you to join me. After returning to the ocean from my desert journey, I received an e-mail with a link to a video that offered me enormous hope, and a vision for what we can do if we work together.


Four Years

"Four Years. Go." is a collaborative project bringing together organizations and individuals around the world in a unified effort to forge a new direction.




Check it out. Join if you feel called. And help spread the word.

My book Cosmic Time describes how our experience on Earth is embedded in a vast cosmic matrix of accelerating change, fueled by the creative force of love. It explores personal and planetary transformation within a cosmic context as we make our way through Earth's transition to the next world age.

As I wrote the book, I understood that the next evolution of my work will be to focus on sustainability, to continue exploring and sharing the wisdom that has been shared with me by those who are pioneering in renewable energy, natural building, alternative communities, local food production and other sustainable lifestyle practices infused with the spiritual light of the cosmos and rooted in the Earth and ancestral wisdom. This is Eco-Spirituality, and it is my passion.

In these times, sweeping change is forcing us to evaluate our priorities and pool our talents to address humanitarian needs, restore balance to the Earth and create a new world, a world we want our children and their children to inherit.

This is the essential message of the prophecies around 2012. We must change our ways to assure not only the survival of Mother Earth and her creatures, but the flourishing of a new, empowered, galactic culture on Earth.

The clock is ticking.



Earth in Balance

Where do we go from here?

We explored this question and previewed planetary energies in detail during the September 20 Autumn Equinox-Harvest Moon Teleconference.

Highlights include the Equinox and harvest season, Full and New Moons, Venus' upcoming shamanic journey in the Underworld, the Samhain/Beltane Gateway, planetary retrogrades and the eclipse series coming up in December/January. On this call I also shared more about my commitment to creating a sustainable future for the Earth and her children.

You can order the mp3 here:

http://www.starpriestess.com/events.html#forecast

Find out when the hotspots are in the next three months and how to navigate the energies. A special guided meditation will help you attune to the divine frequencies streaming to Earth through these planetary portals.

Introducing Floracopeia Essential Oils

As we make our way through these intensely transformational times, I'm always on the lookout for effective new ways to support our evolutionary process.

Author, world traveler, acupunturist, master herbalist, meditation teacher and green entrepreneur David Crow is up to something I want you to know about. His new company, Floracopeia, is producing the highest-frequency essential oils I've experienced.

As I wrote in my article about him in the new issue of Green Lifestyles on Planet Paradise, David is an unassuming visionary with a simple focus.

"The bigger global issues today - ecologically, environmentally, politically and economically - are accelerating rapidly in terms of the need for change," David says. "We need a new model, a new culture."

In these times of change and uncertainty, David wants communities to empower themselves on a grassroots level by becoming involved in local resource management, growing food and cultivating medicinal plants. He works to realize this vision around the world by helping communities establish local gardens. "Then we have our health care system taken back again," he said.

You can read the full article on my web site. Click here.

I happened into the world of David Crow and his company, Floracopeia, last year in Sedona, Arizona. David gave a presentation at 7 Centers Yoga about this amazing project called the Learning Garden in Los Angeles. I was impressed with David's determination to bring local gardens back to the people. He was in Sedona as part of that mission, and today there's a growing network of local gardeners as well as a new farmer's market selling locally grown produce.

I wasn't fully aware of David's company, Floracopeia, until I signed up for his Contemplative Aromatherapy retreat in Sedona a few months later. In this venue, David leads traditional Buddhist Vipassana meditation enhanced by the aromatic and medicinal essential oils bottled through his company, Floracopeia. As we learned about the oils, we also learned about Floracopeia. I'm convinced that David's progressive business practices, educational outreach and sustainable eco-projects enhance the energetic frequency of the oils.

The meditation retreat led me into a state of deep euphoria... and I was hooked. I purchased a collection of oils and began to meditate daily with these aromatic treasures. The spiritual and physical effects of the oils are profound. When I take in the aromatic essences, a deeply calming, visceral wave of love fills me up, head to toe. The plant essences bring comfort, awareness and healing on all levels of my being. And when I purchase these products, I'm contributing to the bio-sustainable projects David so passionately carries out around the world. Everyone benefits, including Mother Earth.

One thing led to another, and later I got a phone call from Green Lifestyles Magazine. I'd already submitted one article for the new issue, and they needed another... this one on David Crow and Floracopeia.

In interviewing David, I became more and more impressed with Floracopeia as a new-paradigm, sustainable business. A month or so later, I became the first affiliate of this company and now market the oils that have become a foundation of my meditation practice, ritual and healing work. We introduced the oils last week at my Core Shamanism training in Denver. The euphoria is spreading.

It isn't every day that someone as knowledgeable, inspiring and dedicated as David Crow crosses your path. I'm deeply grateful for this collaboration and look forward to sharing with you Floracopeia's aromatic treasures from around the world. From time to time, I'll post information about the oils on my web site and in my blog.

Here are some current favorites, in no particular order:

Palo Santo - from the sacred tree in Ecuador

Jatamansi - Himalayan Spikenard - enhances dreamstate and meditation awareness

Frankincense - sacred and healing - there are several varieties - I use the one from Ethiopia

Melissa - also known as Lemonbalm - excellent for brain function, both relaxing and stimulating for mental clarity

Tulsi - Holy Basil - restores the respiratory system

Vetiver - deep, rich, earthy, tremendously grounding

I also love the vetiver blends, including Rose-Vetiver and Vetiver-White Ginger Lily. In selecting oils for yourself, trust your intuition. There are no wrong choices. If you're drawn to a particular essence, there's a reason. Its gifts will unfold within you as you take in the aromatic essence.

Floracopeia offers a large selection of aromatic treasures, including essential oils, traditional Ayurvedic attars from India, exotic and infused body oils and natural perfumes. Just this weekend Floracopeia introduced a series of "Signature Blends," including the Relax Blend, Breathe Blend, Spirit Blend, Hormonal Blend and Mother Blend.

You may enter the Floracopeia web site through my StarPriestess.com web site, or go there directly. When you order, please be sure to mention my name as the affiliate who referred you. The Floracopeia web site is a treasure house of information about the oils and the company.

I'll also be attending the Medicine Buddha retreat in Nevada City, California, in September. Check the blog on Floracopeia's site for details. Maybe we'll see you there!

With heartfelt thanks to David Crow for his inspiration and teachings, to the staff at Floracopeia for their kindness and support, and to Mother Earth for providing these nurturing, healing plants for our benefit ... Namaste.