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CoSM6HumanNatureWeb PDF
CoSM6HumanNatureWeb PDF
It is the
one that is the most adaptable to change.”
-Charles Darwin
Walton Ford
Sanctuary
1998
watercolor, gouache,
pencil, and ink on paper
153.7 x 304.2 cm
Chief Editors
Alex Grey, Allyson Grey
Creative Director, Graphic Design
Marisa Scirocco A message from Alex and Allyson
Managing Editor Christopher Alexander, author of The Nature of Order: An Essay on the Art of
Delvin Solkinson Building and the Nature of the Universe, showed people of many backgrounds
Press Manager two pictures, one of a parking lot and the other a pond in the woods.
Eli Morgan Then he asked, “Which image reminds you more of your Eternal Self?”
People invariably chose the pond in the woods. We were carefully
Media Assistant
Syd Gnosis considering whether to continue a Chapel in an urban setting or to
build a new Chapel in a rural setting, and asked ourselves this
Contributing Designers
question. Because we felt that a Chapel in nature reminded us
Sijay Macdonald
Syd Gnosis more of our Eternal Self, we chose a peaceful patch of beauty
in the woods to call holy ground.
Feature Photographer
Josef Schmidt
Extracting poison from the nature field must become
Translation Team an alchemical experimental process that humanity
Gayle Highpine
is learning in the twenty-first century. The artists,
Satoshi Sakamoto
activists and philosophers in this issue of CoSM
Front Cover Journal, have each examined this challenge from
Alex Grey ‘Ocean of Love Bliss’
its deepest source and appear to be expressions of
2009, oil on canvas
a world-centric or planet-centric self. These leaders
Back Cover represent important new archetypes, heroes and
Mitsuru Nagashima
models for us to embody.
‘Myth and Legend No. 20 - A Tree of Life’, 2008,
wood cut on Japanese handmade paper
Thomas Berry referred to himself as a geologian.
Published by CoSM Press
He was a Catholic priest who saw the beauty of God’s
Website : www.cosmpress.com
Phone : 843-632-3880 world being desecrated and believed that evolution
was a demonstration of the cosmos as creative and
Purchase Journals
inclined toward self-reflection.
www.cosm.org
Advertising and Distribution inquiries Pablo Amaringo was a Peruvian healer who
delvin@cosm.org became an artist after shamanic journeying and an
All content copyright 2010 by the artists and contributors. Contact them directly for licensing inquiries. encounter with a magician. He produced an outstanding
CoSM Journal has been created with sincere dedication to the community and the environment. body of work that gives a first hand account of visionary
It is produced on 80% recycled, 60% post consumer waste paper that is green E certified. celestial worlds of heavenly crystals and exotic alien architecture.
The production facility at Green Solutions Printing is Certified Ancient Forest Friendly,
carbon neutral, powered by wind energy and is a certified triple bottom line company by B Lab. These two giants, both featured in this sixth issue of CoSM Journal,
Deep thanks to Daniel Swantek for his generous help with this production.
passed to the spirit world during the making of this special edition,
theme: Human/Nature. This issue is dedicated to them.
CoSM Journal, published by CoSM Press, provides a forum for the emergence of Visionary Culture. In the woods we return to reason and faith… all mean egotism vanishes. I become a
CoSM Journal shares with its readers the work and stories of artists, thinkers, and community builders
who are dedicated to transformative living and a commitment to the integration of wisdom and the arts. transparent eye-ball; I see all; the currents of the Universal being circulate through me.
CoSM Journal is offered to inform, connect, and inspire this evolving global awareness. The Chapel of I am part or particle of God...I am the lover of uncontained and immortal beauty.
Sacred Mirrors, CoSM, is located at 46 Deer Hill Rd, Wappingers Falls, New York 12590. CoSM is a
sanctuary for contemplation and a center for events encouraging the creative spirit. The Sacred Mirrors –Ralph Waldo Emerson
are a series of paintings that allow us to see ourselves and each other as reflections of the divine. CoSM
provides a public exhibition of the Sacred Mirrors and the most outstanding works of mystical art by
Alex Grey. The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors is a 501(c)(3) organization, supported solely by charitable
donations from the community. If you would like to make a contribution to the Chapel of Sacred
Mirrors please send checks to CoSM or make donations on-line at cosm.org.
f e a t u re d a r t f e a t u re d a r t i c l e s
Symbiosis and the Gall Wasp Eco-Machine
H u m a n / N a t u re Alex Grey...8
Ecovention
Skip Backus...16
History and Mystery of the CoSM Land
Amy Lipton...10 Alex and Allyson Grey...20
Revival Field Creating the New CoSM on the Hudson
Mel Chin...14
Alex Stark...22
art feature
Walton Ford...26 Mycelial Consciousness
Mark Ryden...28 Paul Stamets...34
Alexis Rockman...30 Being With Flowers
World Culture Anthony Ward...38
Visionary Mapwork...42 Remembrance
North America Thomas Berry...40
Madeline von Foerster...44 Art from Luna, The Butterfly Chronicles
Steven Kenny...46 Julia Butterfly Hill...48
South America
Maria Isabela Hartz...58 Humans and Earth
Pablo Amaringo...60 Ralph Metzner...54
Europe 13 Indigenous Grandmothers
Brigid Marlin...76 Carole Hart...62
Daniel Mirante...78 Spirit Dance and Plant Wisdom
Asia Kathi von Koerber...66
Akiko Endo...88 Visionary Permaculture
Mitsuru Nagashima...90 Delvin Solkinson...70
Oceania Damanhur Music of the Plants
Andy Thomas...98 Esperide Ananas...80
Africa fashion
Anne Mwiti...108 Dancing Shiva...84
Soul Furnace Building Bridges with Bees
Alex and Allyson Grey...110 Interview with David Wolfe...92
Nature of an Artist’s Soul Deep Ecology
Alex Grey...114 John Seed...100
Altered States Peace with the Earthly Mother
Kate Raudenbush...116 Gabriel Cousens...104
Vicarious World Culture
Tool and Alex Grey...120 Visionary Network...112
The Process Bioneers Conference
Allyson Grey...128 J.P. Harpignies...122
gallery Places of Power
CoSM Family...132 Econoshamanic...126
CoSM Journal
volume 6 www.cosm.org
Alex Grey
S ym b i o s i s and the
G a l l Wa sp
“The artist blooms cultural flowers for the world, so
bee-ings can gather the pollen of beauty into
their hives and lives.”
The diminishment of certain species, like bees and frogs, indicates a frightening
imbalance in our natural world. Awareness of this breakdown has led to an
upsurge in bee keeping worldwide. As our species consciously evolves, the study
of symbiosis as a fundamental law of nature provides a key to a sustainable future.
Alex Grey
www.alexgrey.com
www.cosm.org
8 above, Gall Wasp study, 2009, pencil, 8 x 10 in. 9
clean water, air and soil continue to diminish at an alarming rate. I wondered
Ecovention why this larger global picture was being overlooked in the art world internation-
ally. Every other pertinent socio-political issue has been addressed within the
A my L i p to n framework of post-modernist critique. Through the nineties exhibitions focused
At this turning point in humanities on AIDS, gender, feminism, identity politics, ethnicity, multi-culturalism, con-
relationship with the natural world sumerism, the body - these issues were being scrutinized thoroughly. I questioned
comes a need for immediate environmen- if our planet’s environmental problems were too big for artists to tackle, and
tal action. Philosophers, politicians, and poets, why many were still more concerned with an aesthetic of critique or an insular
architects, arborists and artists alike are being called to dialogue about art itself. I wanted to see works that were focusing on
have a more direct relationship with nature. The ecological crisis is bring- our relationship with the larger, living eco-system, recogniz-
ing together all peoples and professions, governments and corporations in a collective ing that our very existence depends upon its survival.
quest to curb the current environmental devastation. Out of this time of transition After some years of research I began to find
comes the spirit of creativity expressed eloquently through innovations in the Arts. One that an alternative vision existed. There is a
such new movement of artists is creating functional installations that help heal and restore small yet growing, world-wide movement of
natural spaces while educating and inspiring others to do so as well. Here Amy Lipton talks about her artists who are actively at work finding ways to
work with Sue Spaid sharing art that creates real positive change in the world while presenting sustainable creatively solve ecological problems. They are
options to a global society in need of direction. breaking out of the traditional confines of what
In the overlapping realms of Earthworks, Land Art, Earth Art, Environmental is considered art by engaging in real world issues
Art, and Ecological Art, we looked for artists whose works literally had a particu- and daring for their art to have a function - thereby
lar transformative effect as an end result. Since all great artworks calling into question the very framework within which
achieve transformation on some level, we chose to limit we define art. For years now, writers such as Suzi Gablik and Lucy
our search to art that fell into the following category: Lippard have been championing a social role and function for art, rejecting the
an ‘ecovention’ is defined as an artist’s aesthetic notion that aesthetics can not serve anything but itself and its own ends.
invention and/or intervention within the con- The purpose of the Ecovention exhibition was to create public awareness of these
text of an ecosystem. Its aesthetic components innovative and inventive artist solutions taking place all over the world. Some
may be both visible and invisible, with a primary of these artists have entered into the new scientific field of restoration ecology.
emphasis on regional site-specific projects that They are reaching out across disciplines and helping to bridge the gap between art
concern restoration, reclamation, renewal and and life by raising awareness and appreciation of our natural resources. By giving
rejuvenation of polluted and damaged waste- aesthetic form to restored natural areas and urban sites, these artists are engaging
lands. Our next big concern was to demonstrate in a collaborative process with nature, practicing a socially relevant art. They are
how and why this work is defined as art and not science, helping to create a new paradigm by proving that art can contribute to society
engineering, landscape design, architecture or eco-activism while as a whole, not merely in the politically correct sense or as a
at the same time not trivializing those important disciplines whose components social critique, but rather by participating directly in
might at any stage become part of the work. The key to this change in the viewer’s the world. By focusing on the interrelationships
perception is in challenging the predominant value system that determines what between the biological, cultural, political, or his-
an artwork can be. torical aspects of ecosystems, these artists are
In this respect, the exhibition reflected my own exploration over the last decade to working to extend environmental principles
find artworks that cross the line from traditional art production and institution- and practices directly into the community.
alization, into the larger context of human and non-human natural communities. By asking fearless questions that no one
In the late 1990’s, after more than a decade of working within the contempo- else thought to ask, the artists in Ecovention
rary art world as gallery director and curator, I began to have questions regarding are taking on the role of visionaries, working
my sphere of work. I wondered about the relevance of the art I was seeing, and collaboratively with architects, planners, social
was faced with a serious dilemma: the planet was deteriorating scientists, biologists, botanists, and communities. The goal for
rapidly, while the prevailing art in galleries and museums Ecovention was to present these projects as case studies. In this manner we hope
was mostly autobiographical and self-referential. that their experiences can provide access and information to those that might be
For decades environmentalists have foreseen inspired towards making works of their own, paving the way for a whole new kind
an impending disaster of immense propor- of art that can help realize needed change in the world.
tions when the planet becomes truly unable to Essay from the Ecovention exhibition catalogue, published jointly by the Contemporary Art Center,
10
sustain life. Our basic life support systems of Cincinnati, OH, Greenmuseum.org and ecoartspace. 11
Mierle Laderman Ukeles Jackie Brookner
Turnaround/Surround Laughing Brook
1989-present 2009
Cambridge, Massachusetts Salway Park, Cincinnati, Ohio
For this project, 22 tons of recycled Jackie Brookner created a series
crushed glass and mirror were of biosculptures and wetland
mixed into asphalt to create a habitats that filter stormwater
half-mile-long glassphalt path that runoff from parking lots,
traverses this 55-acre former refuse sidewalks and 3 acres of ball
dump turned recreational park. Pine fields before the water enters
and cedar trees have been planted, the severely endangered Mill
along with four types of native tall Creek. As water flows over the
grasses. Perennials, such as roses and biosculptures, the plants and
herbs, emphasize the park’s prior associated bacteria transform
role as a smelly dump. There is also toxins into food by using
an image of a galaxy grafted onto a pollutants as resources for
20 foot-diameter disc made from their own metabolism.
colored, pre-consumer rubber waste. Laughing Brook creates a
Representatives of Cambridge’s 56 community gathering area
different cultures will provide the and focal point for park users
The Omega Center for Sustainable Living started about five years
ago as we were approaching a critical infrastructure issue. The
campus was developed in the 1950’s when the septic system for our
wastewater disposal was installed. Omega is a not-for-profit educa-
tional organization, so we wanted to take the opportunity to convert
wastewater naturally and educate people, closing the gap between
how we live and the decisions we make that effect the environment.
16 17
We actually start this digestion
process when we eat. The
enzymes in our mouth and
the organisms in our digestive
tract are all part of our own
personal Eco-Machine. When
we are disconnected from
natural processes we create
a problem. Knowing that we
are a part of a cycle makes a
difference in how we live and
the decisions we make. Omega
is building an integrated way
The Eco-Machine pipes from the entire campus, 100% of the of understanding sustainability
water into two huge anaerobic tanks buried in the parking lot. These and modelling it.
tanks are filled with microorganisms that start working on the
digestion process. From there, the wastewater goes to the splitter Skip Backus is the Executive
tank which divides the waste stream in half. The wastewater travels Director of Omega. For more
along the length of the building and into the first two constructed than 20 years, he managed
wetlands. A constructed wetland is like a four foot deep swimming his own contracting business,
pool with a rubber liner, filled with gravel and plants like bull rush and including residential and light
cattail. Billions of micro-organisms start digesting and living off the commercial projects, and
materials that make up the waste stream. Roots are also pulling up Omega’s operations includ-
ing all of Omega’s buildings.
Photos Courtesy of Omega Institute for Holistic Studies and Marisa Scirocco
nutrients and using them for their own growth. Next, the waste-
water goes by gravity to the lower two wetlands. All along the way Backus has provided visionary
you can see the dramatic change occurring in the water quality. At leadership for the Omega
the bottom of the first two wetlands water no longer looks brown, Center for Sustainable Living
has almost no odor to it and is starting to clarify. The lower two which is expected to be the
wetlands duplicate that process. Then the water gets pumped into first “Living Building” in the
two eight-foot deep aerated lagoons located inside the building. Its United States.
all hydroponic. The plants are on metal racks and there is no soil.
The roots go down three feet into the water, creating a habitat for
micro-organisms. Fish, fungi, and snails do all the work for us. We
add air to help the digestion process and keep the environment fresh.
From the aerated lagoons, the water goes down to a sand filter for
a final polishing. The water comes out of there as if you just took a
glass of water out of your faucet at home – from brown and nasty to
totally clear. This water is used to flush the toilets, irrigate gardens or
it goes back into the aquifer where it is treated as if it were rainwater.
It is especially restorative to walk in the woods and experience the trees com-
municating with us. Every tree has a special character. There is a Grandmother
Tree, a Heart Vagina Tree, trees in sexual intercourse. One tree that we call The
Sentinal, is at the heart of the land and after being struck by lightening, appears
to be pointing to the spot where the Chapel will be built. This was the spot
where the divine feminine, seven women from Allyson’s family, came together to
bury a rose quartz crystal on New Year’s day 2010.
We became fascinated with the history of the area and learned that the Wappani
were the native Americans that lived in this beautiful land and probably on this
forty acres. Likely, Dutch settlers coined the name of their town Wappingers.
The big Victorian house at CoSM was built in the 1860’s and the carriage house
in 1882. The Sherwin family lived in this house until they gave it to their church,
the United Church of Christ, in 1959. A brochure from that time shows a pic-
ture of the house with a quote, “Where God first spoke to us on the land.” It was
then called Deer Hill. What we do know about the United Church of Christ is
that it was a very forward thinking, activist church. They left us black and white
pictures of their black and white ministers on the pulpit together, and black and
white teenagers in robes engaged in ritual together.
Crystal Burial:
On New Year's Day, 1/1/10
at 11:11 am, seven women
from Allyson's family
joined together to bury a
rose quartz crystal in the
heart of the land, planting
a seed for manifestation
of the Chapel
20 21
When the Land Speaks to the Heart
Creating the New CoSM on the Hudson
Alex Stark
The road winds uphill from the river. Through the gathering mist, we glimpse the fact that nutrients move along the river in two directions: the Native
patches of forest on both sides of the road. Behind us is the Hudson, the mighty Lenepes called the Hudson Muhheakantuck, “the river that flows two ways”
river that, further downstream, will embrace the greatest city in the world. But in reference to the tidal swings that can reverse the river’s flow as far back
up here, miles from the din of civilization, the quietness of the woods surrounds as Croton, only miles from Wappingers Falls and the compound we are now
us as we climb further into the land which once sheltered the Wappani, one approaching. Occasionally, when the wind blows from the river, we can catch a
of the many Native tribes that populated the Hudson Valley before they were whiff of the salty mustiness that incongruously characterizes this estuary river.
exiled by the arrival of white settlers. Their presence is memorialized in the
name of this town; their legacy, although dimmed by time and the encroach- But now the only wind that moves in this forest is our breath as the gates
ment of history, is part of this region and lives on in the stories of Washington appear through the lifting fog to greet us in this cold winter morning. We are
Irving and, much later, in the poetry of Walt Whitman. about to enter into Deer Hill, the compound that is to become the new home
of CoSM. Nestled in a patch of forest only a mile or so from the Hudson,
But we are far from these concerns, as our hearts pump ever faster to get us up the property is surrounded by cleared farmland on one side and scattered
the hill. As we approach the gates of the compound, a blast from a train whistle residential development on another. Within the compound, however, the
startles us into awareness of where we are: somewhere between a native forest feeling is one of surrender to the landscape, as the path meanders sinuously
and the commuter corridor that feeds the ever-hungry canyons of Wall Street. through acres of wooded slopes. At sudden turns, we catch glimpses of a clear-
This contrast highlights a seldom-discussed fact of topographical history: the ing, as feeding deer scatter at the sound of our footsteps.
influence of the upland Hudson Valley on the history and destiny of Manhattan.
Once part of a now-scattered spiritual community, this land had been
From the perspective of geology, the Hudson is a remarkable formation, winding preserved for its ultimate purpose: to serve as the heart and center of the
its way across three hundred miles from its origins in Tear of the Clouds Lake CoSM community. We are witnessing the transformation of CoSM from an
in the Adirondacks. This mystical name belies its own magic: when Hudson and urban-based institution to one that is more deeply rooted in the land. The
his sailors first arrived in New York Bay they reported seeing clouds of migrato- purchase of this property has been the result of many small miracles, both in
ry birds that obscured the sun as if in an eclipse, lobsters a full five feet long, and the human and financial sense. The purchase is a momentous event, as it will
enough shell fish to create mounds of shell-waste ten feet deep. The wetlands allow the congregation to transform itself physically as well as spiritually. Part
of what is now the Meadowlands was a teeming cauldron of biological diversity, of this growth is the property itself, as its development and enrichment are
now sadly impoverished. This natural wealth has always been the result of a certain to become a central part of the ritual and spiritual life of the commu-
great river’s encounter with the sea. We need only name a few such estuaries: nity. In this context, the layout of the compound will necessarily have to reflect
the Nile and Mekong Deltas, New Orleans, Buenos Aires. This abundance is the the principles and wisdom that guide the community: the integration of wis-
product of rich silt, marshy spawning grounds, and waves and waves of dom traditions in the unfolding of our own personal path of enlightenment.
biological migration that have criss-crossed these areas for
millennia. In part this wealth is also derived from
Walton Ford, Ricordazione, 2005, watercolor, gouache, pencil, and ink on paper, 108.9 x 158.8 cm
Walton Ford was born in Larchmont, New York in 1960 and lives and works in Great
Barrington, Massachusetts. A recent survey of his work was organized by the Brook-
lyn Museum in New York in 2006 and traveled to the San Antonio Museum of Art
in Texas and the Norton Museum of Art in Florida in 2007. Over
the last year, TASCHEN Books has issued three editions of
his large-format monograph, Pancha Tantra. Ford’s first
major European exhibition will open at the Hamburger
Bahnhof in Berlin on January 23rd, 2010 and will run
through May 24th, before traveling to the Albertina in
Vienna from June 8th to October 3rd, 2010.
Walton Ford
www.paulkasmingallery.com
26 27
Mark Ryden
30 31
But the modern mallard flies off to the left, the extinct pterodactyl
Alexis Rockman Evolution to the right. The central space in Rockman’s Evolution features a
titanothere (large extinct mammal) and pterodactyl moving right, a
Boundaries and Categories by Stephen Jay Gould turtle and duck going left.
Rockman takes a standard icon of evolutionary biology (second only to the tree of I don’t accept the hierarchy of art as the improver of a coarser nature, but I do
life)--the large rectangular mural, depicting progress in life’s history, left to right- applaud the partnership that allows art, for all its celebrated ambiguity and stress upon
-and inverts its meaning while retaining its conventional artistic form. Evolution the arcane, to bring nature out of her hiding places, down from her mountaintops (for
presents a zoo with movement in all directions, not a sequence toward progress. The surrounding pervasiveness can be visible as careful sequestering) and into our scrutiny–
left side contains more lumbering and slithering reptiles, the right some pretty birds. by asking more varied questions, rather than supplying fewer integrated answers.
Alexis Rockman
www.alexisrockman.net
32 33
Mycelial Consciousness: As we are in the midst of 6x, I think the evolutionary lesson we should pay
The Emergence of Mycorestoration attention to is that, by pairing with fungi, organisms – like us – have a better
chance of survival.
Paul Stamets
My book, Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World, lists specific ways
we can ally with fungi to have practical, immediate and long term benefits. From
CoSM : Your work with mushrooms is about both the health of destroying toxic wastes, filtering water, building soils, growing fungal foods, to
people and the planet. At this time of great transition on our planet, creating biological guilds with fungi as a foundation for healthy ecosystems,
what do mushrooms have to offer our quest to address pressing eco- fungi, especially mushrooms forming fungi, offer us a menu of solutions that
logical concerns? can be implemented now.
Paul Stamets : We are fully engaged in 6x, the sixth greatest extinction Plus they taste good.
event of life known on this planet. Two other extinction events, one 250 million CoSM : So much of your work is helping mushrooms to have a relationship to
years ago, known geologically as the PT (Permian-Triassic) Boundary, killed people. If there was a message the mushrooms were able to communicate what
more than 90% of life on this planet. Whether an asteroid impact, volcanic might that message be?
eruptions from what now is known as Siberia, or methane hydrate bursts from
the oceans – or all three simultaneously – is a matter of academic debate. Paul Stamets : Mushrooms are bridges to the underworld, a hidden landscape
What is not debatable are the deep levels of extinction, and the surge of beneath our feet. Mushrooms are the fruit of the mycelium, a vast net-
fungal dominance. Prior to the PT Boundary, the ratio of plant pol- work of fine threadlike cells that can literally extend to thousands of
len to fungal spore was 10:1. Directly after, fungal spores dominated acres in size, erupting here and there, like tips of icebergs, into
without pollen spores for hundreds of years. The fungus Reduvi- something we see and recognize as a ‘mushroom’. Fungi are
asporonites gobbled up the destroyed forests, and in the after- primary residents, co-existing beneficially within all plants,
math soils were renewed. Those organisms that paired with in soils, from deserts to forests to arctic tundra. I often im-
fungi were rewarded. age “alexgrayian” works as a reflections of what strike me
deeply. If we could see only mycelium, in its luminosity,
We fast forward to 65 million years ago, and an asteroid all around us, we would see the exact same outlines
impact caused another massive extinction, jettisoning of plants now. Fungal networks make up the infra-
enormous debris into the atmosphere, choking off structure of the ecosystem, the foundational food
sunlight. Since fungi do not require light, another web, the cellular fabric of being upon which, and
fungal explosion occurred. Again those organ- in which all land based organisms and we are
isms that paired with fungi survived, and gained a embedded.
competitive advantage.
Ants discovered the value of fungus farming Mushrooms call us to us as allies to help re-
nearly 50 million years ago. By growing fungal pair the catastrophes we are inflicting upon
mycelium in their nests, they could prevent the Earth. Unless we heed their call, we will
other diseases from destroying their homes. slip into extinction – an extinction of our
Specifically, Atta ants found that by grow- own making. If we call out to our mycologi-
ing Lepiota mushrooms, the nests would cal ancestors for help they will respond.
become honeycombed with luxuriant my- Few people know – even scientists – that
celium. The mycelium produced antibiot- we are more closely related to fungi than
ics that pre-selected a bacterium (actually any other kingdom. A new super-king-
an actinomyces) that, in turn, prevented dom, Opisthokonta has been erected to
an ant-colony fungal parasite called Es- join Animalia and Fungi together, reflect-
covopsis from invading the nest. Ants ing our close ancestry. Ironically that we
discovered long ago, what we need to are now discovering – at this late stage
re-discover now. By pairing with mush- in the game – how important and closely
rooms, we can enhance our ‘host de- related to fungi we are. Proto-fungi gave
fense’ of resistance against parasitizing rise to animals. And we are animals, albeit
diseases, and strengthen sustainability. debatably uncivilized in our view towards
nature.
34 35
CoSM : What are some of the goals and intentions of your work, and the work of
Fungi Perfecti at this time?
Paul Stamets : Our goal is to spread the mycelial message far and wide, to instill
children with an awareness of the fungal networks upon which we walk, to let all
know that these networks are everywhere, they are alive, they are sensitive, and
they have a form of intelligence deeply meaningful, that resonate in both the ma-
terial and spiritual realms.
As a company, we have contributed more than 700 mycobags—burlaps sacks
stuffed with woodchips and mycelium – to our community in Mason County
(Washington State) for cleaning up water streaming into ditches and out-fall-
ing onto beaches, threatening the ecosystem with the pollutants that are carried.
We have approximately 10 sites currently, and third party testing by the Mason
County Health Department has shown a dramatic (10 fold) reduction of coli-
form bacteria, allowing in one case for a beach, previously closed for more than
five years, to be be re-opened for recreational shellfish harvesting. Not only do
these ‘mycofilters’ reduce coliform bacteria, but they also capture and degrade
oil residues, and reduce Phosphorus and Nitrogen impacts. Since parking lots,
farms, housing developments and industries emit pollutants, and since they are
carried ‘downstream’ when it rains, water run-off is a huge vector of pollut-
ants. The architecture of mycelium is a network of cells that filters and gobbles
up many of the toxins we create. By networking the Mason County Health
Paul Stamets has written six mushroom-
related books. His latest book: Mycelium
Department with the Public Works Department and the local Soil Conservation
Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World
District, the storm debris generated from falling and trimming trees provides a
has been heralded as a milestone for healing
ready source of woodchips that can be used as a no-cost base for these mycofilters.
the planet. He started a mushroom wholesale
This is but one example of many where the use of mycelium has an immediate,
and retail sales business, Fungi Perfecti, LLC,
low cost, highly beneficial impact on downstream environments.
in 1980. He is an advisor to the Program of
The Life Box ™ is my re-invention of the cardboard box. Within its corrugations Integrative Medicine at the University of
are communities of seeds and fungal spores that lie dormant until the box is torn Arizona Medical School, Tucson. His strain
up, soaked and planted. We envisage Garden Life Boxes with drought tolerant collection is extensive and unique, with many of
seeds to ship food aid, or the strains coming from old growth forests. In
to help ship books (Korans 2008, Paul received the National Geographic
or Bibles), Meadow Flower Adventure’s Magazine’s Green-O-Vator and
Life Boxes customized to the Argosy Foundation’s E-chievement Awards.
help bees, Prairie Life Box- In November of 2008, Utne Reader recognized
es to re-establish vanishing Paul as one of the fifty Visionaries of the Year.
grasslands, and many other Married to C. Dusty Yao, a plant fanatic, who
variations. Each Tree Life shares a passion for fungi and their love of the
Box™ will sprout a mini- Old Growth forests, both believe that people
forest—essentially a tree properly enriched with fungal wisdom can help
nursery. This is my idea for save the planet.
re-foresting the planet.
above
Ann Gunter
Mycelium Forest Scene, 2004
water color
Paul Stamets
Mycobag Filtration www.lifeboxcompany.com
photo : David Sumerlin www. fungi.com
37
CoSM: Your work reflects the wonder of nature with
such grace. Sometimes it feels like you are helping
nature to communicate to humans. If this was the
Being With Flowers Anthony Ward case, what do you think that message would be?
Anthony Ward:
The message is simple, its beauty.
“Behold me, I am you”.
It’s just a reflection of us.
Nature in all its glory and simplicity,
that’s what I am hoping to bring.
“In the work I do with Nature, I am not trying to say anything
namely Flowers, the deep because I don’t have to,
connection with water is the Just look what’s happening,
root of my art form. Without These leaves are telling you to wake up.
water, my floral sculptures would “Remember you are alive”.
not last an hour. This work is my
calling and is my main spiritual One of the things Thich Nhat Hanh kept talking
practice. Through my work I have about was the Miracle of Life.
created for, and with, some of The fact that we are all just sitting here.
the most important teachers of We can sit up.
Spirituality on this beautiful We’re breathing also in the present moment.
Blue Planet we call Home. My Nature is an amazing and often beautiful way to
Dancing with flowers is an art bring yourself to the present.
form most have yet to see. From Something as simple as holding a flower in your hand
Spring until Autumn for the last in silence.
11 years I have been in residence
at Omega Institute in upstate Georgia O’Keeffe had this saying
New York. I share a workshop “If you take a flower and hold it in your hand,
called ‘Being With Flowers: that becomes your world”
Floral Art As Spiritual Practice,’ So this very simple meditation is
and create for weddings.” holding a flower in your hand,
and looking at it,
and being with it,
and letting it reflect you.
Something like the Sacred Mirrors
seeing the flower and seeing yourself
38 39
The more a person thinks of the infinite number of interrelated activities taking
Remembrance: place here the more mysterious it all becomes, the more meaning a person finds in
the Maytime blooming of the lilies, the more awestruck a person might be in sim-
Thomas Berry 1914-2009 ply looking out over this little patch of meadowland. It had none of the majesty
“The Universe is a communion of subjects of the Appalachian or the Western mountains, none of the immensity or the
rather than a collection of objects” power of oceans, nor even the harsh magnificence of desert country; yet in
this little meadow the magnificence of life as celebration is manifested in a
As humans we have come into being just when the planet Earth has reached its most manner as profound and as impressive as any other place that I have known
splendid moment, when the seas and continents have attained their full expression, in these past many years. It seems to me we all had such experiences before
when the mountains soar into the sky, the rivers are flowing through the valleys, the we entered into an industrial way of life. The universe as manifestation of
flowers blossoming in the meadows, the wolf and the deer roam the forest, the birds some primordial grandeur was recognized as the ultimate referent in any
fill the air with song. human understanding of the wonderful yet fearsome world about us. Every
being achieved its full identity by its alignment with the universe itself. With
It is a precious moment for us as we come onto the scene. Our minds are filled indigenous peoples of the North American continent every formal activity
with the wonders of it all, our imagination responds to the beauty revealed in the was first situated in relation to the six directions of the universe: the four
color and sound and shape of things wherever we turn. Our emotions respond with cardinal directions combined with the heavens above and Earth below. Only
delight to have such a world to live in. thus could any human activity be fully validated. The universe was the world
Our need just now is to keep this world in its full wonder and beauty and delight. of meaning in these earlier times, the basic referent in social order, in econom-
We are all aware of the severe challenges that have arisen in recent times. Our ic survival, in the healing of illness. In that wide ambiance the muses dwelled
modern technologies have left us with a world imperiled in its every aspect. whence came the inspiration of poetry and art and music. The drum, heartbeat
We know, too, that the extinction of any species in the natural world is forever. of the universe itself, established the rhythm of dance whereby humans entered
into the very movement of the natural world. The numinous dimension of the
In this final reflection we look forward to a deepened understanding of the gifts universe impressed itself upon the mind through the vastness of the heavens and
that are given us here on the planet Earth and beyond the Earth - the stars in the the power revealed in thunder and lightning, as well as through springtime renew-
heavens, the winds and the rains, the dawn and the sunset. We need to take care lest al of life after the desolation of winter. Then, too, the general helplessness of the
we upset this most delicate design. Nature always enfolds us. We need only respond human before all the threats to survival revealed the intimate dependence of the
to this all-embracing presence with care and gratitude, with wonder and praise human on the integral functioning of things. That the human had such intimate
and resonance with that Universe wherein all things come together in intimate rapport with the surrounding universe was possible only because the universe
celebration that is the Universe itself” itself had a prior intimate rapport with the human.
Written for ‘The Universe Story Journey’ Excerpt from ‘The Great Work’
Wo r l d C u l t u re
V i s i o n a r y M a p w ork
Steven Kenney
Maria Isabela Hartz
The planet wide art culture
reflects a web of rich diversity,
a thousand facet world map
charting unique geographies,
traditions and lineages. Each
facet has its own art community,
technique and style, and yet all are Pablo Amaringo
Bridgit Marlin
facets from the same world crystal
celebrating the spirit of the
visionary in art.
background art by
Akiko Endo
“Sound of Silence”
42 43
North America
Madeline von Foerster
These paintings invite the viewer into the
bewitching, claustrophobic realm of the
Cabinets of Curiosities, or Wunderkam-
mern. These wooden cabinets intention-
ally allude to the once-living trees that
were their source. Some are carved into the
shape of women, personifying trees, whose
bodies have become cabinets. Meanwhile,
the “curiosities” displayed are actual species,
dependant on the trees for survival.
Tsariwa Mama (The Mother of the Tree), 2009, oil and egg tempera on panel, 30 x 40 in.
“In my paintings, I attempt to unveil images of the subconscious underworld – my own and that of
my culture. I utilize the methods and the styles of the past, in order to reinterpret current topics
using the iconography of history.”
Madeline von Foerster received her art education at California College of Art. She also traveled
to Austria to study the Old Masters’ mixed technique of oil and egg tempera with Philip Rubinov
Jacobson. Born in San Francisco, she now resides in New York City.
Madeline von Foerster
www.madelinevonfoerster.com
44 45
North America
S t e v e n Ke n n y
S t e v e n Ke n n y
www.stevenkenny.com
46 47
J u l i a B u t t e r f l y H i l l Art from Luna
54 55
Invocations
We call upon the Spirits of this Place
The guardian spirits of this particular place,
This house and this region,
Its landforms and waterways,
Its elemental forces and energies,
Its fields and forests, plants and animals,
Two-legged humans of past times and present,
The natives and the dwellers -
We approach them with respect and appreciation,
Mindful of our interdependence,
The continued balance of giving and receiving.
We call upon the Spirits of the Plants and the Fungi
as well as the molecular substances extracted or derived from them
Remembering our biospheric symbiosis,
Cellular webs of mycelial networks of independence,
With roots and bark, seeds and spores, flowers and fungi.
Those providing substance and sustenance of food;
Those healing sickness and relieving pain;
Those delighting our senses and souls
With beauty and color and flowering fragrance;
And the plant teachers, vines of visions, herbs of healing,
Mushrooms of magic, ergot of mother grains -
Gate-keepers and door openers to the spirit world
Helping us to cleanse the lenses of perception,
Helping us to know our place in the great Web of Life.
We call upon them with respect and appreciation,
always mindful of our mutuality, the flowing balance
of receiving and giving, giving and receiving.
We thank you, Grandfather Fire, who gives us warmth
We thank you, Grandmother Sea, who brings us peace
We thank you, Grandfather Air, who brings us change
We thank you, Grandmother Earth, who gives us life
56 57
South America
Maria Isabela Hartz
The “Ave Maria” idea came from a vision, from my
first trip to the Amazon in 1985 to meet Padrinho
Sebastião (the one on left with a white beard), an
incarnation of Saint John the Baptist, my spiritual
master. I say spiritual master, because through him, I met
my divine self.
I started drawing it in 1996 and took about two years to get the
whole conception finalized. To the right of Padrinho Sebastião is
Padrinho Corrente, a fellow captain. On the far right side we have Bob
Marley, Yogananda, Gandhi and an Indian called “Sete Flexas”, which
were all martyrs of peace and freedom. The angels with their back to us
are Gabriel and Michael. Santa Maria is holding the earth. Above her fly
two angels who are carrying her crown on a blue cushion. It’s an angelic
coronation of Santa Maria.
It’s about a vision. Padrinho Sebastião met the Santo Daime through his
master Irineu, the black tall men on left, who showed him his divine self. In
those times they just used the Daime. But when master Irineu passed away,
Padrinho Sebastião left his community to create his own spiritual center which
opened the doors for people from all the world and which introduced him
to the marijuana plant. He liked this, and one day he had a vision with Saint
Gabriel who took him on a walk in the jungle until they got to a place where
there was a lot of marijuana plants. Saint Gabriel asked him “What is this?”
and Padrinho responded “This is marijuana.” So Saint Gabriel said “This is
the Santa Maria, She is the Divine Mother, you will plant it and use it as a
sacrament with the Santo Daime in your spiritual work.” So happened
the most astonishing, ecstatic, incredible marriage: Santo Daime
& Santa Maria.
Maria Isabela Hartz has lived a spirited life illuminated
with inspiration, learning, teaching and healing. Her
life, like her artwork, is devotional, a living prayer
dedicated to sharing a divine vision of love
with the world. Besides Brazil, she has lived
in the USA exhibiting her work and
teaching with Alex Grey and Pablo
Amaringo. Her holy mission is to
create a foundation with an in-
stitute, gallery and museum of
art, science and religion. This
sacred site can be an inter-
national pilgrimage point
and place where struggling Ave Maria
Maria Isabela Hartz
http://isabela-hartz.lightscience.ca/
artists, particularly those 1999
watercolor on paper background image detail: Area de Trabalho : Angels Orchestra
from the third world, can 16 x 24 in. 2005, acrylic on canvas, 24 x 48 in.
58
engage in their artwork.
59
South America
Pablo Amaringo
The Fairy of Peronuga is a goddess who
presented herself to me in one of my many
Ayahuasca concentrations. There, she
declared to me that she is one of the
goddesses of Persia and her work is
to bring together many spirits to help
humanity in their healings with the wild
and domestic animals and plants. For
this, she unites the avatars, chimeras,
cimerios, dryads, sylphs, fata-morganas,
hamadryads, incubi, succubi, kelpies,
numen, peris, sybils, duendes, ghosts,
nymphs, and other spirit beings. All these
beings play a role in the function of the
terrestrial globe.
This fairy and all the beings who come together
with her teach us the spirituaity that animates us,
directs our path, orients us, helps us to have success,
to be ordered, to educate ourselves, to have good purpose and to develop virtues. The
influence of these spirits helps us to organize ourselves, it equips us to work
together in accordance with our trustworthy responsibilities, full of respect, love, and
altruism. The spirits who keep themselves within the Light want us to be excellent
and efficient people. Their orientation is to be loyal, precise, ordered, disciplined,
and expelling hatred, antipathy, distrust, rejection and fear. For understanding, they
inform us what has happened, what is happening and what is going to happen. They
equip us with the energy of love and make us optimistic. They teach us that one
must not lose a good sense of humor in any work. They tell us not to be egocentric
and not to hate anyone. They teach us to help and cooperate with our fellows in this
life. They teach us that the virtues that we have in our hearts are like the energies
that the plants have in their hearts, the energy a tree has in its center. In the human,
the heart is the center of feelings and motives; in the trees and plants, the energy that
motivates the effect of health and the construction of active force to cure kinds of
illness is the function of the Fairy of Peronuga.
Pablo Amaringo lived from 1943 to 2009. He was born in 1943 in Puerto Libertad, in
the Peruvian Amazon region. A severe heart illness, and the magical treatment of this
via ayahuasca, led Pablo toward the life of a shaman. He eventually became a powerful
curandero, learning the icaros, or healing songs, that the ayahuasca brew taught him. In
1977 Pablo abandoned his vocation as a shaman and became a painter and art instructor
at his Usko-Ayar school where there was no charge for the students to learn painting
from him. The school is dependant on donations. Many of his final paintings feature
angels as well as the flora and fauna of Peru. above:
Ada de Peronuga
background:
Sacha-Uya
Pablo Amaringo
2008 2004
1943-2009
Translation : Gayle Highpine acrylic on canvas Gouache on paper www.pabloamaringo.com
44 x 64 cm 18 x 24 in. www.sensorium.com/usko
60 61
13 Indigenous Grandmothers
For The Next 7 Generations
Carole Hart
Their feature film is titled “For the Next 7 Generations”, It comes from the
Great Law of the Iroquois Nation which states that “in all deliberations,
we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next 7 generations.”
Carol Hart
www.forthenext7generations.com
www.youtube.com/carolehart
62 63
The Grandmothers see an urgent
need for change, but their message
is one of hope for the future.
All the Grandmothers agree
that they can help people
experience a shift in
consciousness that will lead
them to an awareness of
the sacredness and inter-
dependence of all life, to
a mutual respect for one
another, and to an abiding
love for our Mother Earth.
Through their prayers,
their ceremonies, and their
active collaborations with
like-minded coalitions, they
are working to preserve the
environment and create peace
For the past 4 years, producer/director Carole Hart and her crew have among peoples. The movie,
accompanied the Council as they traveled around the world sharing their like their message, hopes to
prayers, their ceremonies and their message of peace, hope and unity. This bring widespread attention to
journey has taken them from the forested mountains of New York to the spiritual solutions for healing our
deserts of New Mexico, where Nicaraguan Maya Grandmother Flordemayo planet and ourselves.
is currently making her home; to the heart of the Amazon Jungle, where
Grandmothers Maria Alice and Clara Shinobu Iura live in their Santo Daime
community; to the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico, home of Grandmother
Julieta Casimiro and the Ninos Santos; to Dharmasala, India, second home of
Tibetan Grandmother Tsering Dolma Gyalthong, where the Grandmothers
met with the Dalai Lama; to the Vatican, home of the Pope, and more.
Emmy and Peabody-Award winning Filmmaker Carole Hart was introduced to
indigenous communities and their healing way in a dramatic way. In 1994 she
received a miraculous cure from a terminal cancer through a Native American
Church ceremony. It was during this time that she befriended Jyoti, a spiritual
teacher and founder of the Center for Sacred Studies (CSS), an organization
whose mission is to sustain indigenous ways of life through cross-cultural spiritual
practices. When CSS began to organize the first Grandmother’s gathering in
2004, Carole knew that this historic moment needed to be documented.
At the time of the first gathering, she never envisioned that she would be
spending the next four years following this circle of woman around the world
and telling their story. Since the Grandmothers were meeting each other for
the first time in Upstate New York, no one knew that they would decide to
formalize an alliance. But after three days of sharing their stories and visions,
it became clear that this was what they had to do; there was no turning back.
It’s the first night of the week long retreat at Lua, a rustic eco-lodge Mother Nature. “The dancer
nestled in a river valley high in the Chapada da Veadeiros near does not move the universe,
Alto Paraiso, Brazil. As dusk settles into the valley with a whisper, but rather it is the universe
the cicadas drone and the fireflies glow green. Thirty people sit that moves the dancer,” Kathi
silently around a fire on the riverbank. The flames and shadows von Koerber explains. Her
dance across the ceremonial totem: a tree that has been master, Atsushi Takenouchi,
painted black across its trunk and adorned with talks about this mystery as
a feather headdress. Standing in front of the “Jinen”, translated loosely as “all
totem, Keklêeni-sô, a leader of the Funio that is larger even than Nature.”
Indian Tribe of northeastern Brazil, be- Jinen is the flow that dances
gins to chant. through all living beings, whether
we are aware of it or not. Butoh
“We are here to discover our spirit dance challenges us to open to
dance,” Kathi von Keorber, the re- the unknown.
treat’s organizer, explains during the
opening ceremony. “Rituals bring us The group dances under
into communication with ourselves, waterfalls, on river banks,
this river valley, and each other.” After and among bamboo patch-
the initiation ritual, the group gathers es. In this way the dance
to participate in the first of three tra- becomes a prayer. “The truth
ditional plant healing ceremonies that of performance stimulates
are led by a Colombian healer. It isn’t the will to Live,” Kathi von
until the pink sun emerges from behind Koerber says. “It is the innate
the hills that everyone rests, exhausted longing that a Butoh dancer
from the medicine’s journey. “Welcome shares with a tribal dancer: to
home,” Mother Earth coos. allow the true rumbling of the
universe to enter and unite
The retreat is structured around Butoh with one’s body.”
dance workshops, nature excursions, and
plant healing ceremonies. Using organic Selected from Discovering Your Dance
movement and guided imagery inspired by by Katie Clancy
Butoh dance and improvisation, the group
reconnects to themselves, each other, and
Kiah Keya
photos on this page: www.kiahkeya.com
66 Hernando Villa, Kathi von Koerber, Robert Johnson photos on this page: Benno Klandt 67
Improvisational Spirit Dance
Kathi von Koerber
Dancing with the source is a way of life.
As the Dine (Navajo) say, To Walk in Beauty.
“My workshop invites the one who wants to dance, to be danced by the universe. In affect to teach each his The dance has a
own dance. I am a facilitator to help create the link between cellular consciousness/universal consciousness purpose and offering,
and the letting go of the mind. I draw parallels to ancient rites and rituals that involve going into trance, a healing, a teaching,
through breath, dance, spirit and music, initializing the profound nature of the human body to express, its a celebration, a sacrifice,
spirit and its capabilities. Improvisation is the only rule, allowing the flow of universe to enter. We are a a giving thanks,
blank canvas, vibrant in colors, changing all time.” – Kathi von Koerber a requiem, a ritual.
To walk in beauty is to embrace all life, the darker and the harder it gets, The more simple people live,
the brighter the light of life will shine. Spirit moves us, but we have the the more purposeful their life
childish urge to interfere with the natural flow of life and existence. might seem. Butoh draws upon the
Spirit is the will to live, like the seed of a flower that has the image of a peasant, those who work
natural urge to meet the sun. It grows towards the heavens, with the land, whose hands are in touch
and once it opens its petals, it brings a human to smile, with the primordial. Finding ones centre,
reflecting its beauty. Spirit emanates energy. Without done in China with the Dan Tien, and photos by Robert Johnson
Spirit, we would be like a stem with no water, we in the native American Tradition with the
would shrivel. When we dance, we use our body and Medicine Wheel, distinctly embodies the
being to communicate with Qi, energy as it is called source of life. In all ancient traditions, dance,
in the Eastern philosophy. Qi moves in circles, in music and a wealth of plant knowledge have
continuity with the cycles of life. We need water, been a communicative way of maintaining
and water is life. We move our waters when we connection to nature.
dance. Water carries all memory on earth, it is the
Tribal traditions believe that nature is our
ancient reservoir of life from long before humans
teacher and our guide, and our nature is to
evolved. As babies we swim in the amniotic water.
respond to her needs. In the traditions of
Moving our waters is a mystical right, every move-
ancient plant knowledge, the wisdom keepers
ment has resonance, just like every word we utter
on our planet, it is a form of spirit that heals photo by Hernando Villa
has an intention behind it that resonates. To move
and teaches.
our waters essentially means to take responsibility
for the greater existence of each individual. The earth has provided us with all the
information we could ever need. In the depths
When we move our waters, we are offering our
of jungles, first animals and then humans came
being as a tool to communicate with that which we
upon the healing and profound sacred plants
cannot see or control. As we see in tribal dance,
that enable us to harmonize, balance, and
an initiate is moved by Spirit.
come to understand that life is a connected,
everflowing event of purpose and intention.
photo by Hiroko Komiya
The relationship between humans and Permaculture came out of the optimism
the natural world can be traced through and utopianism of the 1960’s and 70’s.
our collective consciousness to the very Reflecting the Back to the Land move-
origins of cognition. This root relationship ment it expressed a renewed interest
defines the human condition and reflects in natural living, focussing on organic
much about the state of our civilization. sustainable agriculture, minimizing
At this turning point in history when a energy use, and softening our ecologi-
vast divide between culture and nature cal footprints. Interested in creating and As we enter the final stretch towards
has created an ecological crisis like the maintaining harmonic systems, produc- 2012, a visionary model of perma-
world has never known, it is becoming ing an abundance of food, medicine, culture is emerging. In a world of
increasingly important for us as individu- energy and resources, the early perma- hunger and inequality, Food Security
als, and as a World People, to return to culture communities experimented in is fast becoming a catch phrase for the
a more harmonic relationship with the living off the grid in a healthy way. new agriculture. Growing our own
planet. At the very brink of a organic food locally and welcoming
collapse in the inextricably The three jewels of permaculture: native plants into our seasonal menu
interwoven Gaian ecol- observe, integrate, apply, reflect a helps to support a bioregional diet with
ogy and human society simple approach to conscious decision Working together, an emerging World
a lower impact on the environment. Culture seeks to create an integral,
emerges a plant path making and design. Starting at the begin- Sustainable agriculture based on forest
paradigm with the ning, permaculture prescribes a map of intentional and consciously charged
gardening in the style of the First design for the future of human
knowledge for cre- the home land which shows borders and Peoples can bring balance to our
ating a sustainable boundaries, patterns of seasonal sun and relationships with the natural
destabilizing ecology. Seed banks, world. Together our fate is
and permanent shade, identifying structures, elements, nurseries and community gardens help
culture of nature: plants and animals, testing water and soil, intertwined with the fate of
to preserve guilds of sacred plants that the Earth and all who dwell
a permaculture. and describing the history of the land. reflect the traditional practices, food
Inspired by a planetary ethos of Earth here. Permaculture points
and medicine of the First Peoples. a way towards the devel-
Care, People Care and Fair Share, perma- Where the old model promoted alter-
culture understands that in these times opment of a healthy and
native systems of holistic living away harmonic World People
of transition for people and the planet, from civilization, the new model seeks
its ok to use unsustainable means when living in the permanent
to integrate into a society in need of culture of a many splen-
building a more permanent and sustain- healing. Community education sites,
able system. Permaculture promotes a dored visionary future.
farmers markets and conscious restau-
slow but steady return to earth friendly rants are popping up everywhere from
practices, lifestyles and industries by the rural clearcuts to crowded urban centers.
World Peoples.
Delvin Solkinson
www.gaiacraft.com
www.elvism.net
art by Pablo Amaringo
www.pabloamaringo.com
www.sensorium.com/usko
70 71
2.0 Vermiculture
Gaiacraft Composting A vermiculture worm bin can be located in
the compost area as well. These can be made
A key principle of permaculture involves cycling energy. Nature inexpensively when using an old sink or tub.
1. 6.
does this, recycling all its elements and thus creating no waste. 1. Build a box that can fit a sink and drill
Modelled on nature, permaculture composting helps support small holes in the lid to let the rain in.
the healthy breakdown and reuse of all organic elements. 2. Put a bucket beneath the sink
3. Gather some newspaper, sticks, leaves or
compost, a bit of dirt and some worms. 2. 7.
4. Start with an empty sink.
1.0 Composting 5. Add sticks for drainage.
Composting is the science of renewable systems 1.
6. Add torn newspaper to regulate
showing how to effectively break organic materials moisture and for worm food. Dampen.
down into rich, healthy soil, mulch and fertilizer. 7. Add some leaves, dirt and worms to
3. 8.
Composting works well in a shady space that is activate the decomposition.
covered to limit evaporation. If you can have two 8. Feed worms with tender greens and other
containers for compost, fill one then fill the other nutrient rich plants. Worms often tend
2.
while the first one sits. A third container is helpful towards mild flavours but will eat most things.
for storing autumn leaves and dry grass. 9. Put a bucket under the sink or tub to collect
the drips of infused water. Mix the resulting 4. 9.
1. Untreated wood can be used to make a box nutrient rich liquid fertilizer with an
or bin with a lid. equivalent amount of water and use
3. directly on the gardens.
2.Line the bin with chicken wire if pests are a
10. Collect worms and rich soil to add directly
problem. Leaving small spaces open will
to the gardens. The whole system should be 5. 10.
allow the compost to breath.
changed every couple of months.
3.Put cardboard at the bottom of the compost
to draw up worms and kill any weeds or plants 4. 3.0 Hugelkultur
beneath it. Tougher materials like wood, blackberries,
4. A layer of sticks will help with drainage egg shells or fruit pits that do not break down
at the same rate as the other composting 1. 6.
5. T
he compost is made with layers of green materials can be stored in the compost area.
material (nitrogen rich organic waste like grass 5.
This can be used to make productive living
clippings, kitchen waste, coffee grounds, tea bags,
manure, garden weeds and other fresh vegetable compost ‘mound’ beds.
matter). 1. Choose an area to build this bed. Cut plant 2. 7.
6. Alternating with layers of brown material (car growth down to just above the ground.
6. 2. Lay down newspaper. Wet this well to begin
bon rich organic waste like leaves, dried grasses,
or hay). Every 4-6 inches of green material we decomposition and attract worms.
add up to 12 inches of brown material. 3. You can put down a layer of cardboard here
too if available. This will ensure the plants 3. 8.
7. A
dd some soil every few layers to infuse the
beneath don’t grow back.
compost with micro-organisms 7.
4. Lay down heavy pieces of wood.
Stirring the compost will speed up the decomposi- 5. Then a layer of lighter wood.
tion process but also result in a less potent finished 6. Any brambles or vines can go now.
7. Add some soil to this to seed it with 4. 9.
product. You may wish to avoid composting meat
scraps, bones or any food (cooked or uncooked) micro-organisms.
that contains dairy, wheat, oil or fats as these 8. Cover the pile with a layer of compost.
materials rot, creating odors and attracting rodents, Biodynamic plants work especially well here.
flies and other pests. With extra attention to layer- 9. A layer of soil can go on top.
ing and stirring as well as inputs of manure and wood 5. 10.
10. Put in spike root plants like comfrey and
ash, you can help to process materials tending to rot. potatoes along with biodynamic plants.
After three to six months of sitting, sift the compost
through mesh wire to create high nutrient fertilizer.
72 73
Practical Biodynamics
Here we review each of the elements needed for the healthy
development of plants and examples of dynamic accumulator
sources of these elements which you can add to your compost,
mound bed or worm farm. If you have room, these plants be grown
in the area around your compost. Using crystal dust, biodynamic
plants, kelp and cardboard in your compost one can create fertilizer
charged with the nutrients that plants eat. Here we review elements
used for the healthy development of plants.
74 75
Europe
Brigid Marlin
Deep Ecology 11
2009
oil on canvas Daniel Mirante
120 x 90 cm www.danielmirante.com
78 79
Federation of Damanhur
Music of the Plants Damanhur’s extensive research demonstrates
Esperide Ananas how living organisms respond intelligently to
their environment, and is confirmed by an
earlier U.S. based study by scientists whose
findings are detailed in a book entitled
Imagine a concert where musicians can
The Secret Life of Plants. Plants respond
interact with trees, improvising with
in very sophisticated ways to both
them through a special electronic
physical and intellectual stimuli.
device that allows them to play music.
The data derived from these
Imagine millions of people all studies demonstrates that
over the world having this plants communicate with
experience. Imagine all each other through shifts in
of them realizing that their conductivity – shifts that,
plants are alive and until now, humans were not able to
sentient beings. detect or understand.
Imagine the change Damanhurians discovered that the electrical
in ecological and behavior of plants could be captured using a
spiritual awareness this probe, electrodes, and a device. This combination of
will create on our planet. electronic components “translates” the signals
being conducted by living plants into musical
Imagine a world in which humans have learned that
sound. The pulse streams of each organism are
everything that lives, humans, animals and plants, has
unique, with each Plant manifesting its own
emotions and feelings and participates in life fully as we
individual biological “signature sound.”
do. Imagine gardens and forests in which trees and flowers
interact with human beings by means of sounds and music. Moreover, plants demonstrate that they can
All this may soon not sound like sci-fi anymore, but become learn to interact with humans. At first, the
part of the normal experience of every child of planet Earth. plants “simply” realize that the sounds
emitted by the device are a consequence
Many years ago, in Italy, in the world-renowned Italian cultural
of their electric activity, then they learn to
community known as Damanhur, a device was developed that can
modulate it to change the sounds. More
translate electric conductivity of the plants into music and melodies.
expert plants, eventually, use the sounds
Damanhur was established in Valchiusella Valley, in the Alpine they modulate to interact with humans
foothills of northern Italy (90 miles north of Milan) in 1978 and is and create a real form of communication.
populated in part by scientists, doctors, researchers and artists who When they interact with musicians for example,
dedicate their lives to understanding the workings of Nature as a living, they sometimes even repeat the same scales, the same
intelligent force. For many years, Oberto Airaudi, founder of Damanhur, tunes and the same notes!
and his fellow researchers, researched bioelectric processes that are con-
It has also been demonstrated that trees and plants that
ducted by plants, trees and flowers. They discovered that the conductivity is a
have become experts in interacting with humans and
core indicator of the life force of plants generating key pathways for water,
in controlling the music device can ‘train’ other trees,
minerals, and other nutrients within trees and flowers. It is this electronic
helping them to learn quickly.
process that is sensed by the unique, innovative device that Damanhurians
use in their experiments on the consciousness of the plant world.
80 81
The Music of the Plant Technology
The device that utilizes the revolutionary technology invented at Damanhur
to convert the energy of Plants and translate it into music contains a unique
software program, microcontroller as well as other electronic hardware. It
attaches to the plant via two probes, one of which attaches to a leaf (or the leaf’s stem)
and the other is attached to another leaf (or the leaf’s stem) or by the probe grasping
a small metal rod inserted into the soil close to the root of the plant. The electrical
behavior of the Plant is sensed through the probes and translated into music.
The device allows a plant to play music based upon its health, environment and
general demeanor. This is achieved by monitoring the Plants instantaneous
resistance. Dependant upon the level of resistance, different notes and cadenc-
es are played, from the selected music type, allowing the plant to actually play
the music. On certain occasions, the Plant’s resistance creates a spike, indi-
cating an excited state. This can occur due to external influences such as
touch, watering, moving, etc. Sometimes the plant can spike its resistance Experiments with the Music of the Plants create awareness of how
independently. Whenever a spike occurs, it causes a change in notes, plants and humankind co-exist in nature. A small, portable device in
which may be more to the plants liking. the shape of a green leaf called “Plantunes” has now been developed by
Because Plants themselves are complex entities, their internal Damanhur in collaboration with US based researchers, so that it can
electrical pulsations are at the same time strong and subtle. The be sold at a very reasonable price, making this experience available to
Damanhurian technology is capable of responding to both everybody. Plantunes will create a connection for millions of people
large and small electrical changes, and translating them into who desire to interact at a deeper level with nature. This product will
musical sound. Thus, the device essentially becomes a serve as a catalyst to bring forth ecological awareness, and, for those
musical instrument, which is played by the plant, through the Plant’s in the holistic field, the device will serve as a facilitator to help reach
electrical variations. The natural shifts in the plant’s energy impact the a meditative state of consciousness. It is a tool that offers a soothing,
quality and timbre of the music played by the Plants. The relaxing and pleasant environment.
Device used in translating the Plant’s electrical variations into Esperide Ananas is a full time citizen of the Federation of Damanhur
music captures and expands these complex variations and since 1993. In the same year, she graduated from the Damanhur School for
translates them into different musical sounds. For example, the Spiritual Healers. She is part of the Way of the Oracle of Damanhur,
same electrical variation stream can be made to sound like string and of a specialized group of researchers in “Selfica”. Selfica is an ancient
instruments, an organ, a brass ensemble, or the elements of a rainforest. discipline aimed at directing intelligent and subtle energies, capable of
Regardless of the channel selected, the underlying musical progression is interacting with human beings and the environment. In Damanhur, Selfica is
used extensively to explore different planes of consciousness and for healing.
unique to the Plant, and helps create a feeling of well-being.
Fluent in five languages for over 10 years Esperide has been an International
Ambassador for the Federation of Damanhur, leading seminars on the
development of consciousness and human potential, and sharing Damanhur’s vision
for new social, spiritual and economic models for sustainability.
Federation of Damanhur
www.damanhur.org
82 83
Dancing Shiva
Colorful fashion from
handmade Khadi-Cotton
photography provided by Dancing Shiva
84 85
The project ideology initiated by Mahatma Gandhi:
Keeping and respectively encouraging rural people´s
autonomy and independence by creating employ-
ment among Indian villagers (who make up 80%
of India´s population) prevents the so-called
“rural exodus” –the emigration to large
cities in search of work. the controlled and fair
marketing through the KVIC (Khadi Village
Industries Comission):
After Gandhiji´s death, the idea of “Village
Industries” was taken over by the Indian
government. The KVIC controls impor-
tant factors such as fair payment, strict
obedience of legal working hours, creation
of infrastructure in the villages, building
hospitals and schools.
We think that design, sustainablility and
social responsibility don´t have to exclude
each other….…..that being lovely, happy
and colorful is much more fun than cool
understatement ….
….that behind
unique fashion
and distinctive
style there can
also stand fair
thoughts and
big ideas.
Dancing Shiva
www.dancingshiva.at
86 87
Endo’s importance cannot simply be relegated to her position as a female artist.
She resides in the space of a total individual, a painter’s painter with a determined
Asia separateness in which realizing her vision occupies her every artistic movement.
Indeed, at a show’s opening, she is quoted as saying, ‘’To live is to paint. To remain alive
A k i ko E n d o is to remain painting.’’
Excerpt from Endo Akiki: Poetry of an everlasting life by Andrew Conti
Published by Metropolis metropolis.co.jp
The Bell, 2008, oil on canvas, 333.3 x 498 cm
Since ancient times, Japanese people have believed that Kami (Spirits) are embodied in all but to have a world where humans and nature live
things in the universe, that they are everywhere including the mountains, the ocean, the rivers, together in harmony. Just as the seasons change,
animals, plants as well as houses and all things. They give blessings of protection to all people. people are living and dying, continuing in the cycle of
transmigration. In such a world, tossed about by
However, in the late 60’s, modernization rapidly destroyed a lot of nature and nature, humans seem fated to be fragile beings. However
distracted people from their sense of spiritual value in the natural world. In present day everything is filled with vital energy.
Japan, materialism prevails over the spiritual basement of Buddhism and ancient
animism-like thoughts. We can’t separate them in order to find a way of living in the While we lost something, we gained another. We have
contradiction and uneasiness. My works have been changing along with the times and a past that we can not return to. On the other hand
inspired by the chaos of modern values. The recent series of my works represent magnificent we have a future to which we must go. I would like to Akiko Endo
stories filled with reverence for nature. The message is not to aggressively overcome nature, express all those things fully in my pictures. www.akikoendo.com
88 Translation : Satoshi Sakamoto 89
Asia
Mitsuru Nagashima
I think the primary cause of the die off in the conventional bee industry is tobacco and
nicotine based pesticides. These are very toxic to insects, particularly in the larval
and egg stages of growth. Tobacco is an insect eating plant like the Venus
Flytrap, it’s part of how this plant procures its minerals and nutrients
from the environment. Each tobacco leaf can consume dozens of
insects a day. Concentrated spraying of this toxic juice on fields
contributes to the colony collapse disorder. There are other
factors too, like the way bees are treated. Conventional
Bee Keepers throw bees on trucks and drive them to dif-
ferent farms outside of their original habitat. Square
shaped hives have also been implicated in causing
confusion amongst bees. We can learn from
the Egyptians who used circular based hives.
Electromagnetic waves from cell phones and
EMF pollution could be confusing the bees as
well. Industrial bee keepers use sugar to feed
the bees and rob them of all of their honey.
Out of the 100% of the honey produced by a
good colony, only 40% of that honey is needed
to survive. What’s happening is that humans
have gotten greedy and are taking 80%. The
remaining 20% is being replaced with high
fructose corn syrup. This is collapsing the bees
immune system. Bees have become susceptible
to the Varroa Mite and other viral diseases
going around these colonies. Over 50% of
hives spontaneously died in the conven-
tional industry last year!
92 93
Alex: In your own philosophical and reflective depths, do you see that the bees not Alex: Can you tell us a little bit about Ormus?
only provide this kind of healing sweetness and nutrition to the human life stream,
but also that there’s something of the architect and something of the communal liv- David: If you look at the chemical analysis of bee pollen and royal jelly,
ing situation? there’s always between three and nine percent of substances that are
completely unidentifiable by modern scientific methods. Those are pieces
David: I love beekeeping because it brings us into two aspects of the of the puzzle that we call ‘Ormus elements’, or levitational matter.
human based spiritual journey. One is the light side; the fun, the
joy, the excitement, the giving birth, all those things that make life beautiful Alex: In what kind of things do you find Ormus?
and great. Then there is the other side, the shadow side; if you keep bees you David: Just like some foods have more calcium or zinc than others, some
are going to get stung. This is a metaphor for how we get stung in life. As foods have more of these Ormus elements. Bee products are the top of the
a result of being stung by bees and the medicine of their venom, we are list. Ormus elements have very peculiar properties that aid the immune system
taught that we better be careful. If we do get stung, even though we will and are good for your joints. Every living thing contains Ormus elements. Its been
go through the pain, it’s actually good for us. The longest lived people, estimated that we have ten times more Ormus elements in our
who suffer from the least amount of arthritis, and who generally have bodies than we do all trace minerals combined.
the best health, are always bee keepers. The Russians did 150 years
of research on longevity and found out the longest lived people in Alex: Since the human
their country were bee keepers and honey eaters. Rudolph Steiner, relationship with
a prophet of our time, saw beekeeping as an example of “right rela- bees is so long-standing,
tionship” with the insect kingdom, which teaches us to see a whole and because of what
other grouping of intelligence and come into communion with it. the bees are offering,
it sounds like there is
Bees interact with each other inside the hive completely in the a sacred dimension or
dark, entirely through feeling. They feel each other, they touch celestial hierarchy
each other, and they work with a heart centered female energy. that the bees are
The bee hive is run by a queen, so it’s a female oriented, matriarchal channeling. Have you
system of governance. Each bee is working for the betterment of the had some encounters
whole, and they produce more food than they can ever eat. We can glean with those subtle
a little bit of their food off without hurting the overall vitality of the hive. visionary dimensions
of the bee populations
Alex: I have a friend who’s father was recently stung by a wasp that was hiding in and group soul of
their can of beer. The wasp stung them many times as it went down their throat and the bees?
they died. Insects can be powerful creatures.
David: Bees are
David: Bee venom and insect venom brings to light channeling energies
Paracelsus’ famous phrase: that the differ- out of higher
ence between a medicine and a poison dimensional
is dosage. We all have to be careful geometrical forms
because some people are very sensi- with an insect
tive to formic acid, bites and the consciousness
venom of bees. The best thing to do that we don’t
if you get stung and go into shock, really understand.
is to use your urine, both internally When you approach a hive
under your tongue as a homeopathic that is well developed,
agent, and also directly on the sting. you observe hierarchies of roles.
Your urine contains the antibodies to There are watchwomen bees guarding the hive,
counteract the venom. You can drink your urine and as soon as you get close they will come
too. It’s very important information because it can save buzz in front of your third eye and hang out there.
your life if that happens to you. If you make a wrong move they dive at the crown of your head.
94 95
Alex: This connection with a higher dimension certainly seems related to the With a masters degree in nutrition, David Wolfe
sacred geometric, hexagonal, close packed lattice that is the same strategy God uses is considered one of the world’s top authorities in
through the crystal matrixes. health, nutrition, herbalism, chocolate, and organic
superfoods. He has hosted nearly 120 cleansing and
David: We are beginning to realize the complexity and infinite levels of intelligence rejuvenation retreats over the past fifteen years and
that exist in the natural world. Life forms are channeling expressions of the higher
is the author of Superfoods: The Food and Medicine of the
intelligence group soul of their species. Bees are one of the best examples of that.
Future (2009, North Atlantic/Random House, ) Eating for Beauty
It’s their sacred geometry. It’s their magic of forming each cell for their
(4th Edition), The Sunfood Diet Success System (7th Edition),
larvae and how they place their larvae inside. Each one of
Naked Chocolate, Amazing Grace (2ndEdition), and The Longevity
those bees is in a little hexagonal sarcophagi channeling
NOW Program.
in hexagonal energies to produce themselves.
Alex: This is really crucial information for David is also the lead content creator for
us, just starting to live in nature. Friends www.TheBestDayEver.com, an extra-ordinary
have offered to help us get started with online member site resource for peak-performance
our first hives. It’s inspiring to hear nutrition and health information. He is the
your evolutionary perspective on co-founder of Sacred Chocolate, an all-green and
the nature of beekeeping and your eco-friendly organic cold-pressed chocolate producer
higher vision of offering quality and education source. David is also the President and
nutrition through reverence for Founder of The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation.
the natural world.
Parasite
completed in 2009
digital
Andy Thomas
170 x 130 cm 300 dpi www.android.net.au
98 99
Deep Ecology John Seed Now, although it is true that not many people nowadays believe that the Earth was
illustrated with art by Mark Henson created a few thousand years ago by an old man with a white beard as a stage for
the human drama to unfold, nonetheless, this attitude permeates all aspects of our
The Council of All Beings is a series of re-Earthing rituals society, our language, our very psyche. Growing up in a culture permeated with this
created by myself and Joanna Macy to help end the sense of alienation arrogant view of ourselves, we are isolated, separated from nature.
from the living Earth that most of us feel, and to connect us with new sources of joy,
As long as we maintain a self-image created in the matrix of such views, a shrunken
commitment and inspiration that follow from union with Gaia.
and illusory sense of self that doesn’t include the air and water and soil, we experience
I had been working for the rainforests since 1979 first in Australia and then elsewhere nature as “outside” ourself and fail to recognize that the nature “out there” and the
around the world. Although many of our early efforts were crowned with success, nature “in here” are one and the same. Moreover, we can’t think our way out of this
I couldn’t help but notice that for every forest we were able to save, worldwide 100 mess - the attitudes and habits are far too deep-rooted.
disappeared. Clearly we weren’t going to be able to save the planet one forest at a time.
So, what to do? It is all very well to have this understanding but, as Arne Ness
One green Earth or a bowl of dust, unless somehow a profound change of conscious-
(the Emeritus Professor of Philosophy from Oslo University who had coined the
ness was to sweep the globe we could kiss the forests goodbye, the ones we had “saved”
term deep ecology) pointed out, ‘ecological ideas are not enough, we need ecologi-
alongside the rest.
cal identity, ecological self.’ Wrestling with these issues, in 1986 I saw that Joan-
In 1982 I first heard the term “deep ecology” and immediately realized that this was na Macy was in Australia and I attended one of her “Despair and Empowerment”
a key to the change that was needed. After thousands of years of conditioning, the workshops. Here I came to understand that it was the denial of feelings that held the
modern psyche is radically alienated from the air, water and soil which underpin all status quo in place and in the days following the workshop Joanna and I developed
of life and this is reflected in the rapid shredding of all natural systems in the name of The Council of All Beings, a series of processes or rituals which synthesized the
economic development. The world is not as a pyramid with humans on top but a web. ideas of deep ecology and the powerful engine of personal transformation that was
We humans are but one strand in that web and as we pull the web to pieces, we destroy despair and empowerment work.
the foundations for all complex life including our own.
Many people INTELLECTUALLY realize that we are inseparable from Nature
To deep ecology, our relationship to the Earth is that of a leaf to a tree. We have no and that the sense of separation that we feel is socially conditioned and illusory.
independent existence - the pain of the Earth is our own pain and the fate of the Earth These rituals enable us to deeply EXPERIENCE our connection with Nature, in
is our fate also. No tree - no leaf. our hearts and our bodies.
The sap in the leaf comes from the tree and returns to the tree. Our much-vaunted
human intelligence is but a tiny fragment Mark Henson, New Pioneers. 2009, oil on canvas, 130 x 185 cm
of the intelligence of the Earth and there
is a constant exchange of water, soil and
breath between the Earth and ourselves.
Our psyche too is Earth-made and we may
therefore be guided and informed by Earth
wisdom if we but ask. Indeed we MUST
be so guided if our deeply embedded
‘unconscious’ concepts of separation,
isolation and arrogant superiority are to be
healed.
We then, are like a leaf believing itself to be
separate from the tree on which it grows.
This MUST be an illusion of course or
we would wither and die (try holding your
breath for a few minutes if in doubt of
this). However, the power of this illusion
backed up by thousands of years of tradition
is such that we destroy the Earth and we cut
ourselves off from Her wisdom and
nourishment. Healing this mistake is vital
for the sake of both person and planet.
100 101
If we look at indigenous cultures, we may notice that without exception, rituals
affirming and nurturing the sense of interconnectedness between people and nature
play a central role in the lives of these societies. This suggests that the tendency for
a split to develop between humans and the rest of nature must be very strong. Why
else would the need for such rituals be so universally perceived? It also suggests the
direction we must search for the healing of the split: we need to reclaim the ritual and
ceremony which were lost from our culture a long time ago, and to our amazement
we find that this is incredibly easy to do.
In the Council of All Beings we weave together three important themes: After
preliminaries to introduce ourselves to each other and build up trust, we begin with
a MOURNING ritual. It is only to the extent that we will allow ourselves to feel
the pain of the Earth, that we can be effective in Her healing. As Joanna Macy points
out “Deep ecology remains a concept without the power to transform our aware-
ness, unless we allow ourselves to feel - which means feeling the pain within us over
what is happening to our world. The workshop serves as a safe place where this pain
can be acknowledged, plumbed, released. Often it arises as a deep sense of loss over
what is slipping away - ancient forests and clean rivers, bird songs and breathable air.
It is appropriate then to mourn - for once at least, to speak our sorrow and, when
appropriate, to say goodbye to what is disappearing from our lives. As participants let
this happen, in the whole group or in small clusters, there is hopelessness expressed.
There is also something more: a rage welling up and a passionate caring.
‘Only if one loves this earth with unbending passion can one release one’s sadness’
(Don Juan in Carlos Castaneda’s “Tales of Power”). The energy previously locked
up in the denial of these feelings is released and becomes available to us. The sense
of numbness and paralysis evaporates and we prepare for action.
Then we move on to exercises which assist the REMEMBERING of our rootedness
in nature. For instance in the evolutionary remembering, we use guided visualization John Seed
and movement/dance to recapitulate our entire evolutionary journey and release the John Seed is founder
memories locked in our DNA. We invite the experience that every cell in our body and director of the
is descended in an unbroken chain from the first cell that appeared on the Earth 4 Rainforest Information Centre
billion years ago, through fish that learned to walk the land, reptiles who’s scales in Australia. He has created
turned to fur and became mammals, evolving through to the present. numerous projects protect-
ing rainforests in South Ameri-
We further extend our sense of identity in the Council of All Beings itself where, ca, Asia and the Pacific through
after finding an ally in the natural world and making a mask to represent that ally, providing benign and sustainable
we discover that we can indeed give voice to the voiceless ones. In Council, we lend development projects for their
our voices to the animals and plants and features of the landscape and are shocked indigenous inhabitants tied to the
at the very different view of the world that emerges from their dialogue. Creative protection of their forests.
suggestions for human actions emerge and we invoke the powers and knowledge of He has written and lectured extensively
these other life-forms to empower us in our lives. on deep ecology and has been
conducting Councils of All Beings
The Council also provides tools for practicing our deep ecology in our daily lives. As
and other re-Earthing workshops
many participants in this work have discovered, alignment with our larger identity
around the world for 25 years.
clarifies, dignifies and heals our personal conflicts. We see that the pain of the Earth
is our own pain and the fate of the Earth is our own fate. The Council of All Beings Mark Henson: Born and raised in California,
empowers us to act on behalf of the Earth and gives us clarity and direction for this spends part of his time living an traveling in the
work. In the same fashion it clarifies and orders our patterns of consumption, our jungles of Costa Rica where he is
needs for intimacy and supports our priorities for action. creating a retreat for artists, and Upper Lake
California where he paints daily in his
Mark Henson studio with his sweetheart Ms. Monti. John Seed
Sylvan Serenity, 2001 www.sacredlight.to www.rainforestinfo.org.au
102 oil on canvas, 30 x 185 cm 103
Peace With the Earthly Mother
Doctor Sir Gabriel Cousens, M.D., M.D.(H), D.D.
illustrated with artwork by Alex and Allyson Grey
Peace with the Earthly Mother is the foundation of our physical and
spiritual Unfortunately, since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, we seem to have
existence on this planet. Peace with nature requires us to attune
ourselves and forgotten this law of unity with nature. In the last thirty years
be sensitive to our inner nature so that we are able to know nature as an exten- alone, we have destroyed more of our environment
sion of our Self. One aspect of this peace is the ability to resensitize ourselves to than all of the previous cataclysmic events of
nature, to feel her energies, to know and cooperate with her laws, and to become previous civilizations on this planet. We have
one with them as a natural expression of who we are. Peace with nature entails completely broken this law of unity. We
understanding that we are but one strand in the web of life of Mother Nature.
act as if we were separate from nature.
Nature is a reflection and a reminder of our Creator. Our love of nature
enhances our communion with the Divine. We exploit nature rather than act as
co-creators with nature. We treat
To be at peace with nature is to accept that, on the physical plane, nature as an alien force to be
we are governed by the forces of nature. In understanding this, we fought and conquered. Driven
discover that our health depends on sunlight, clean air, pure water, by greed and the search for
healthy food, rest in accordance with the cycles of the day and night,
profit, we can’t seem to
exercise of our physical bodies, and harmony of our mind with our
inner and outer nature. comprehend the meaning of
the unity between humanity
Conserving Topsoil and the rest of this planet.
In 1854, Chief Seattle, in
Every nation of this world is subject to the laws of
nature. For example, his famous address to the
in the book Topsoil and Civilization by
Vernon Carter and Tom Dale, president of the United
a clear link is established
between the decline of a civilization and soil States, forewarned us
erosion destroying its fertility base. Topsoil is defined as nutrient- concerning the result of not
rich soil that holds moisture and in which our crops grow. It is the respecting the earth as our
basic foundation of our sustenance on this earth. The United States mother: “His appetite will
Department of Agriculture has acknowledged a drop of seventy percent devour the earth and leave
in the United States cropland productivity as an unparalleled disaster. behind only a desert. Whatever
Two hundred years ago, the U.S. had twenty-one inches of topsoil. Now befalls the earth befalls the sons
there are only six inches of topsoil left.
According to Dr. Szekely, “Universal of the earth. If men spit upon the
history shows that every nation reached its greatest splendor by following the ground, they spit upon themselves.
great law of unity between man and nature.” Dr. Szekely points out that history Contaminate your bed, and you will one
shows that when a nation led a simple life of cooperation with nature, that nation night suffocate in your own waste.”
flourished, but when the nation deviated from this unity, it inevitably disintegrated
or
disappeared. We are but human organisms living in the topsoil, along with all the Because of our ignorance, greed, and alienation,
other organisms. When the topsoil is destroyed, so are we. we are
actively disrupting the ecology of this planet.
According to statistics
compiled from official sources by Friends
This law of unity between humanity and nature was held by the
Essenes to be the guide of the Earth in the United Kingdom, each minute fifty-one acres of tropical forests are
to how we should live in the material world. In the
Zend Avesta, an ancient synthesis destroyed, and fifty tons of fertile topsoil are washed or blown off cropland. Every hour
and expansion of early Sumerian wisdom
written by Zarathustra, it was taught that the 1,613 acres of productive dryland become desert. Each day 25,000 people die because of
ideal existence entails always
keeping in contact with the forces of nature. This law of water shortage and water contamination, and sixty tons of plastic packaging and 372 tons
unity is the foundation for how we may best organize our life on the planet if we are of fishing nets are dumped into the sea by commercial fishermen. One species
becomes
to have a healthy humanity. At this point in our planetary history, if we are simply to extinct every five hours. The greenhouse effect is changing our weather. People have
survive, we need to begin to follow the law of unity between humanity and nature. If we become afraid of our friend the sun because the ozone layer has
become thinner. Famine
keep trying to break the laws of nature, they will eventually break us. has become a regular phenomenon as desert land grows.
104 105
The Gaia Hypothesis
Interestingly enough, our own The Gaia hypothesis—that planet Earth is a single living organism with intelligence
technology has provided us and purpose—is both new and quite ancient.
Ancient cultures often regarded the
with a new understanding that energies of the earth, all life,
all minds, and the cosmos as one, and yet, at the
may inspire us to re-
establish same time multiple manifestations of universal energy. This “new discovery” of
our unity with nature. This the Gaia
hypothesis supports our small but growing rediscovery of the unity of
new insight is called the Gaia humanity and nature.
hypothesis. NASA has developed
an instrument called the telebioscope, One of the most exciting movements today is the tremendous ground swell of
which, when placed upon the various interest in national and international ecological concerns. The more we get
spacecrafts, can determine if life exists on various in touch with the law of unity, the more we will be able to realize that the
planets. One experiment was to point this telebioscope at basic foundation for a healthy humanity is peace with nature.
our own planet Earth. The data collected showed that the To preserve the planet is to affirm our own divine spirit. It is the
whole planet is not only alive, but that it possesses all affirmation of life—our very own life and meaning.
the essential characteristics of a single living organism.
From these findings, one of the NASA scientists, Excerpt from Sevenfold Peace: World Peace Through Body Mind
Family
James Lovelock,
developed what he called the Community Culture Ecology God
Gaia hypothesis, which proposes that our planet Dr. Gabriel Cousens is one of the world’s foremost
authorities
is a single living organism that maintains its on living food nutrition, holistic lifestyle and complementary
own homeostasis. Lovelock noted that a slim medicine. He is Founder/
director of the Tree of Life
margin of biophysical conditions on this Rejuvenation Center in Patagonia, Arizona. He received
planet allow life, as we know it, to exist. his M.D.
degree from Columbia Medical School in
These biophysical conditions include 1969 and completed his psychiatry residency in 1973.
a delicate stabilization of the
chemical He was the Chief Mental Health Consultant for
composition of the
atmosphere, a ratio of the
Sonoma County Operation Head Start and
mixtures of
barometric pressures, heat from a
consultant for the California State Department
the sun, the axis spin rate, and the
mineral of Mental Health.
composition of the ocean. If these or many
other variables that maintain life on this planet Dr. Cousens is a holistic medical doctor, a
psychiatrist
are shifted more than a slight degree, it would and family therapist, and a licensed
homeopathic
end life on this planet as we know it. Lovelock physician in the state of Arizona. He uses the
determined that these conditions necessary to modalities of live-food nutrition, naturopathy,
Ayurveda,
maintain life on the planet are not inherently homeopathy and acupuncture, blended with spiritual
stable and that under the normal laws of physics awareness, in the healing of body, mind and spirit.
and chemistry these conditions should have only A best-selling author of Conscious Eating,
lasted a short time. Somehow, something on this Depression-Free for Life, Spiritual Nutrition and the Rainbow Diet
planet has been self-regulating and maintaining the as well as several other books.
equilibrium of these life-giving conditions for the
last four billion years. We see this sort of homeostatic
equilibrium in the human body. Perhaps the earth is
alive! Perhaps we are each equivalent to one cell in
this living organism! Gabriel Cousens
www.gabrielcousens.com
106 107
Anne Ntinyari Mwiti is a
college trained artist and art
teacher. Her first encounter
Africa with art runs back to a small
village in the heart of Meru of
Anne Mwiti Eastern Kenya, Africa, where
she scribbled her first notable
drawing of a girl, at the age of
five years. After going through
the usual high school years, she
studied art at Kenyatta Univer-
sity where she completed her
undergraduate degree of Art,
and a Masters of Fine Art at the
School of Visual and Perform-
ing Arts, where she is currently
teaching art and design and
pursuing her doctorate in art.
Anne’s main passion is in
drawing and painting anything
visionary; and works along with
her undergraduate students to-
wards developing their deeper
talents and art vision.
110 111
World Cu l t u re : V i s i o n a r y Network
ASIA
I n te r n a t i o n a l F a n ta s t i c A r t A s s o c i a t i o n
NO R T H A M E R I CA w w w . i fa a . c c
Pod Collective www.podcollective.com
Illusions and dreams are constantly with us all, and it is as if we are completely
The Pod Collective is a collection of North American visionary immersed in nature. We use our imaginations to deal with the infinite diver-
artists and an online community forum for exploring aspects of the sity of nature, and to add the desirable aspects of our fantasies to the world.
art in culture. It is as interested in artists and their relationships As for persistent or insatiable illusions, they are a positive affirmation of the
to each other and their work as it is in the art itself. The visionary notion of taking part in a world which is becoming brilliant. Rather than perceiving
community, with its intent and collective power of manifesta- artistic illusions and fantasies as a particular genre, one can view works of art such
tion, is the single greatest community yet created. It is an ongoing as sculptures, photography, painters and so on as a much more comprehensive
collaboration between many people with powerful properties of spirited work, which we can use to associate and create relationships between the
emergence and healing. It is this facet of the art gem that is at the various genres.
heart of the Pod Collective.
OCEANIA
SO U T H A M E R I CA Bein a r t I n te r n a t i o n a l S u r re a l A r t Co l l e c t i ve
U s ko Aya r A m azonian School w w w . b e i n a r t . o rg
w w w . s e n s o r i um.com/usko BeinArt is a virtual haven of bizarre and mind-blowing
artwork, where one can discover hundreds of new artists
We want to contribute to the conservation of the rainforest. who are pushing boundaries within the Surreal and Vision-
The silent, beautiful factories, producers of oxygen, food, ary art movement. The collective was formed to increase
medicine, living things beyond numbers. We, the jungle public awareness and appreciation of contemporary Surreal,
people, see well and understand the bounty. Art is like Fantastic and Visionary Art. Each individual artist’s contribu-
recreating the world, every sheet of paper has tremen- tion increases the movements credibility in the contemporary
dous possibility. Our paintings are shown publicly around art world. The central aim of beinArt.org is to show the work
the world in museums, galleries and with conservation of internationally renowned artists with the work of lesser
programs. The images are reproduced in art, medicine, known, though extraordinary artists. These emerging artists
environmental and news media enlightening and engaging make up the majority of the collective, which represents over
minds, many of which are children’s, to learn more about 500 artists and growing.
the relationships of humans, plants and their environments.
AFRICA
African Visionary Art Society
EUR O P E www.africanvisionaryartsociety.com
S o c i e t y fo r t he Art of Imagination The African Visionary Art Society aims to bring together like
w w w . a r to f i m agination.org minded artists and create a platform of group art exhibitions and art
Our Society for Art of Imagination was formed to promote media, to foster the study, practice and appreciation of visionary art in
Art of Vision, which combines imagination with craftsman- all media, to encourage exchange of ideas and experiences in this field,
ship, and to provide a forum for Artists working in this field. We and to promote these artists internationally. The purpose of the Society
encourage fine technique coupled with imagination to create fine is to foster development of visionary art in Africa, which crosses over times
works of art that transcend the ordinary. We intend to assist the and places as a thread that weaves through the collective history of all human
resurgence of interest in fantastic and visionary art by creating a cultures. This will serve to help unify and network the visionary art community
community of support for other artists working in this spirit. The members in Africa and bridge with the visionary art movement all over the world.
of the Society work independently of one another in various countries yet their
work shows a consistent ethos and, whether the work is a painting, sculpture,
computer-originated art or 3D object, it speaks a universal language.
background art by
Daniel Mirante, ‘Pangaian Wilds “
112 113
Nature of an Artist’s Soul
Alex Grey excerpt from “Art Psalms”
The Vicarious video is a meditation on the nature of the Self. The story line begins “10,000 Days.” Having previously used stop-motion animation in their videos,
with a constricted vision of the central character as he experiences a self that can this work was entirely created in computer graphic animation, making it Tool’s first
only consciously see a myopic perspective of violent/negative stimulation. A violent full CGI video. The work was co-directed by Tool’s lead guitar, Adam Jones and
encounter knocks the Self unconscious. Upon awakening, he enters into a bright artist Alex Grey. Also included on the DVD is a documentary on the making of the
world of infinite interconnectedness in the “Net of Being.” There he recognizes his video reviewing the history of Jones’ previous brilliant animation and special effects
fate, waking up to his Oneness and integration with the planet. work, a presentation of Jones’ and Grey’s animation storyboards, and a feature on the
extraordinary CoSM Gallery in Manhattan.
The Vicarious DVD, released on December 18, 2007, contains an extended
version of the video counterpart for the song, “Vicarious” from the Tool album To o l
www.toolband.com
www.adamjonesfmx.com
120 121
Creativity, Diversity & Cross-Pollination
at The BIONEERS Conference
Some of Bioneers’ core elements distinguish it
J.P. Harpignies from nearly all other roughly comparable “green”
“Green is the new black” one frequently hears these days. initiatives. Founded in New Mexico by film-
Environmental consciousness has finally become hip. Talk of maker/writer Kenny Ausubel, it has always sought
climate change, clean energy, carbon footprints, green buildings, to highlight strong Native American voices,
eco-fashions, local foods, and so on, seems ubiquitous and incessant. But despite featuring over the years such leading lights as John
this undeniable (and positive) explosion of environmental awareness, the painful Mohawk, Oren Lyons, Winona LaDuke, and
truth is that our species is still very, very far from genuinely facing the magnitude Tom Goldtooth, to name only a few. Kenny
of the ecological predicament we face, let alone actually addressing it. realized that our modern Western societ-
The profound changes we would need to make to our lifestyles, technologies, ies have gotten ourselves in the mess we are in
social relationships and guiding paradigms in order to birth an authentically to a large extent because we failed to integrate
sustainable civilization are almost never honestly confronted in mainstream the deep ecological teachings of first peoples,
discourse. Not only are we not deploying the necessary solutions on a sufficient who had learned “the original instructions” that
scale, we are for the most part not yet even asking the right questions. And the came with the land over millennia. We moderns photo by Chuck Casteberry
problem is that we are devastating most of Earth’s ecosystems so rapidly that, didn’t even understand that concept and are now
despite the heartening increase in eco awareness, the pace of the destruction is paying the price.
still far outstripping the emergence of new attitudes and cleaner technologies. One of Bioneers’ key missions is to highlight
This doesn’t mean we humans will disappear anytime soon. We are a very hardy, the work of those who in very different ways
“weedy” species that consistently finds ways to live in even very harsh environ- draw from a deep, reverent study of “Nature’s
ments. The issue is how radically impoverished and toxic a biosphere we will Operating Instructions” to fashion imaginative,
leave our descendants, how much suffering the poorest billions among us will efficient but benign ways of meeting human
have to endure, and how much of the ark of life we will condemn to extinction. needs without destroying ecosystems, people
such as Bioneers stalwart John Todd who has
All that said, though, there is no question that we have seen a remarkable eco for decades designed “living machines” that use
awakening in the last few years, and that countless groups and individuals from bacteria, plants and animals to purify water, or
all walks of life working in a wide range of contexts have been making inspir- mycologist Paul Stamets, who has discovered
ing contributions to the greening of our energy, agricultural and industrial new strains of powerful medicinal mushrooms
systems; our building and transportation, our land and water management; and our and developed revolutionary uses of fungi to photo by Tim Porter
socio-political, cultural and spiritual attitudes, at least laying a foundation, clean toxic wastes and deter insect pests.
planting the seeds for the future emergence of a genuinely Earth-honoring
civilization. It may not yet be enough, but it is a dynamic beginning. And there Another longtime core Bioneer value is that
may be no place to get as good a sense of the extraordinary variety, creativity and social and environmental justice is central to
depth and breadth of this movement than at the annual Bioneers Conference. sustainability. The rights and health of the
poorest among us and the vitality of the natural
This uniquely diverse gathering, held in San Rafael, California (a bit north world are inseparably linked. From its inception it
of San Francisco) the third weekend of every October, now in its 20th year, has been grounded in a profound awareness that
brings together cutting edge thinkers, indigenous leaders, scientists, inventors, human health is intimately connected to how we
designers, civil and human rights advocates, public servants, organic farmers, treat each other, the land and water and other
educators, grassroots activists, artists, filmmakers, entrepreneurs, independent species, and how we grow and distribute our food,
media pioneers, philanthropists, and others whose work is so cross-disciplinary so all the leading schools of organic farming and
and inventive they are impossible to categorize. It exposes these very different gardening from Permaculture to Biodynamic
people working in seemingly unrelated fields to each other’s work so that they to French and Bio-intensive have long been
all begin to realize they are part of a much larger movement to pull our society represented at Bioneers, as have leading
out of its ecocidal trajectory and nudge it toward sanity. Like rich “edge” ecosys- herbalists, ethnobotanists and alternative/
tems, such as estuaries, coral reefs or coastal mangrove forests, in which many complementary healers from Andrew Weil
different species thrive, Bioneers has spawned countless fruitful cross to Wade Davis to Terence McKenna to the 13
pollinations and partnerships across disciplines and social and ethnic divides. indigenous grandmothers.
122 photo by Jennifer Esperanza 123
A very dynamic youth activism of the exciting emerging field of “biomimicry”-the development of
program has also become a cru- non-toxic, highly efficient technologies from the deep study of “how
cial element in the mix, and the nature does it” (water repellent paints that mimic the surface of lotus
nurturing of women’s leadership leaves, wind turbines shaped like whale fins, underwater adhesives based
has always been a cornerstone of on mollusks’ secretions, boat hulls shaped like dolphins, super strong
the event. resilient fibers based on spider silk, etc., etc.).
Of course, with such a diversity of The organization that puts on the Bioneers conference does much else
views and people, creative disagree- besides. It has published a line of books (five so far), has a radio series
ments abound under Bioneers’ “big syndicated on several hundred radio stations, develops specialized materials
tent” as organic ranchers and vegan for educators at all levels, has in the past run special training programs for
animal rights folks, anti-corpo- Native American and African American farmers on growing organic and
photo by Chi Fang
rate/anti-globalization and green heirloom food crops and finding markets, and is currently working on
business leaders, dreadlocked young an experimental visionary strategic plan (Dreaming New Mexico) to
activists and European government rigorously map New Mexico’s and then the Mountain West’s potential to
officials in suits, neo-pagans and green its economy over the coming decades by switching to clean, renew-
Catholic nuns, hard core secular able energy, restructuring its electric grid, shifting its building and trans-
rationalists and mystics all bump portation infrastructure and localizing its food production. These regional
up against each other. Bioneers is templates, should they gain traction, could then be adapted as models that
there to highlight what it views as could be adapted to other regions nationally and internationally.
promising initiatives and projects
and ideas. It has a broad philo- Bioneers is only one of countless worthy organizations and events dealing
sophical direction, but it accepts with sustainability issues around the planet, but it offers a particularly
contradictions, paradox and uncer- inspiring and hopeful model because, while far from perfect or free of
tainty, and has no party line. flaws (what is?), it highlights a remarkable abundance of wildly varied,
brilliantly creative projects, inventions, ideas, campaigns and individuals
photo by Chi Fang The three-day weekend includes working in so many different fields at all scales, from the intimate to the
featured plenary talks (beamed international, some well established, others nascent. Experts in
to many other sites across North various fields will of course learn more about their own discipline
America holding simultaneous at their specialized professional conferences, but no other event
gatherings, so that up to 13,000 combines quite the cross-section of highly accomplished innovators
people see them in real time), from so many realms as Bioneers. And, even for a temperamental
panels, hands-on workshops, dis- pessimist like me, it’s usually a lot of fun.
cussions, social networking, art in-
stallations, music, movement and J. P. Harpignies, a writer/editor and environmental activist, is
dance, rituals, celebrations, perfor- an associate producer of the annual Bioneers conference. A
mances, and a film festival. It also former program director at the New York Open Center, he
includes highly specialized one-day is the author of three books, Political Ecosystems, Double Helix
events on the Thursday and Monday Hubris, and most recently, Delusions of Normality. He also
preceding and following the main edited the collection on shamanic plant use, Vision-
photo by Chi Fang
body of the conference. These ary Plant Consciousness, and was associate editor of the
have ranged from programs Bioneers books Ecological Medicine and Nature’s Operating
on the greening of schools and Instructions. J.P. also taught taijiquan in Brooklyn, NY,
curricula targeted to educators, to for 24 years.
creative fundraising for activists, to a
gathering of international experts in
national “green plans” from around
the world, to hands-on seminars J.P. Harpignies
by Rebecca Moore and her team www.bioneers.org
from Google on using Google Earth
technology for community activism,
to a conference on the leading edges
124 photo by Tim Porter 125
Places of Power: Portals to the Numinous
Econoshamanic
A place of power is a location in the physical world that It turned out that whenever I passed this place, my state of consciousness
somehow, mysteriously links an individual or a collective to shifted. Sometimes I would be drawn into my body with a strong here and now
something that is beyond the physical, to another reality, to a place presence. Sometimes, insights about my life would flood into my awareness.
which is ultimately healing, renewing, whole and individuating. A Sometimes, I’d just experience great gratitude.
particular place can be a power spot to an individual, a particular group or all of
humanity. It can be a place in nature, something human made or a human creation One time, as I passed this place, I was sure the old tree in this yard was
standing on a natural spot. talking to me! Not in words, but talking nonetheless. It told me one of its
heaviest branches was in danger of falling off and that I should tell the
The idea of the place of power was popularized in the writings of Carlos owners of the house to trim it back. I debated for weeks whether to follow this
Castaneda in his book, The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge instruction, and ultimately decided against doing this. I was afraid of being thought
(University of California Press, 1968). Carlos was sitting on Don Juan’s crazy by the residents of the house. A few weeks later, the old tree was cut down.
porch when Don Juan suggested he find his place of power, or “spot” on the When I asked the workers who were removing it, they told me it was because of the
porch. Don Juan explained that a spot is “a place where a [person] could feel heavy branch. I was heartbroken and learned (I hope) never to ignore the calling of spirits.
naturally happy and strong.” He went on to say that, in a person’s spot, nothing
Who knows why places of power become places of power? Sometimes these
can hurt them, because in that spot, the person is at their very best. The spot is a
places stay powerful for a long while; some remain powerful for only a short
type of ally. An ally, according to Don Juan, is “a power capable of carrying a man
time. Some are powerful because of natural forces, for example the Grand
beyond the boundaries of himself.”
Canyon or Niagara Falls. Some are powerful due to the actions of beings.
Carlos spent hours trying to find his spot on Don Juan’s porch. Finally, he fell asleep in The powerful yard I just mentioned has a nature spirit that dwells there.
frustration, only to awaken later and be told by Don Juan that he had found his spot. Sometimes places become powerful by virtue of intense psycho-spiritual practices
This is an example of a place of power unique to an individual. performed thereon. In India, it is widely believed that when powerful sadhus do
spiritual practices in a place, the place becomes holy.
This subject fascinates me because in my own shamanic path, individual places of
power have been allies of mine. Several years ago, I lived in a house on a hilltop. While In their book, The Magician Within: Accessing the Shaman in the Male Psyche (Avon,
walking in my back yard one day, I started to descend the stone steps to a lower level 1993), authors Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette talk of power spots as
of the hill that bordered my basement walk out. As I descended, a voice from the openings between our ordinary world and “extraordinary space.” These
center of my being said, quite loudly, “Pay attention. You are entering a place of power.” openings are discovered by shamans and mystics who go on to build altars,
temples and shrines on these power spots. According to Moore and Gillette, the
Suddenly, I was totally present, attentive, in my body, here and now. The world around purpose of these structures is to keep the two worlds – ordinary and extraordinary –
me was shimmering with newness as if I’d never truly looked at anything before in my separate. Without these boundaries between worlds, the energies of both worlds
life. I could see patterns of energy radiating everywhere – coming from the trees and would flood into one another. This is undesirable because, among other reasons,
bushes and from the structure I called my home, and these patterns were filled with we can’t handle the intensity of the energies of extraordinary space. They take us
meaning. It was magnificent! Yet far more magnificent and meaningful than what deep within ourselves and reveal deep and often dark (or unbearably light) aspects
I was sensing, was the flood of insights about my life that came into my conscious- of our psyches. Extraordinary space is crazy space. Altars act as filters so just the right
ness over the next hour or so. I had to run to find a paper and pen to write what amount of sacred energy comes through.
was coming through. I ended up with several pages of text that served as a source
of profound teaching over the next several years. After this experience, I moved my In truth, power spots are everywhere. If we are perceptive, we can notice them and
shamanic practice into the basement and right up against the walk out adjacent to the the opportunities they present for our growth. Perhaps one is here, right now. Enjoy
power spot. the moment. Then build your temple!
Places of power have continued to play an important role in my path. In my quiet Econoshamanic (Kevin D. Sachs, Ph.D.) facilitates transformational processes,
neighborhood, there is a large house with an incredible and wild hedge and landscape events and crises for healing self, society and planet. An advanced student in
in its front yard that I frequently pass. One day, as I walked by, I was drawn to the Grof Transpersonal Training, he offers Holotropic Breathwork with certified
hedge. It seemed fluid, moving. It’s hard to describe, but it seemed to be opening like facilitators. He also offers support during psychospiritual crises (spiritual
a lotus and telling a story as it did. Although I couldn’t quite decipher the story, this emergencies), integration of nonordinary experiences, design and facilitation of rites
flowing hedge fascinated me. I started to pay attention whenever I walked by. The of passage and shamanic healing. ©2009, Kevin D. Sachs, Ph.D. All rights reserved.
dance of the hedge continued – it wasn’t just a one-time affair. I resolved to keep
paying attention. Kevin D. Sachs, PhD.
econoshamanic@nyc.rr.com
126 127
Allyson Grey The Process Each piece is hand drawn in
pencil using rulers and a square
template. Each piece is painted
one color at a time. This series, a
Allyson’s phenomenal painting series entitled, “The Process” was two years two year project, shows the progress
in the making. It started with an inspired idea to deconstruct and reveal the of a painting from finished drawing,
method she uses to paint all of her work. When the painting series was the addition of each color, to the
conceived, its completion seemed impossibly daunting. Nearly every eve- finished painting when all squares
ning after a day of working at CoSM, and at every Entheocentric Salon are filled.
live-painting event at CoSM for two years, she sat at her table and worked The concepts chaos, order and
on this epic project. The goal: to complete this extensive project and secret writing symbolically expressed
exhibit the entire twenty labor intensive works, at MicroCoSM Gallery in in the compositions, colors and
Manhattan before our move at the end of 2008, a goal that was fulfilled in October systems of my art, represent
of that year. This kind of planning and follow through is a metaphor for all great an essentialized world view that has
endeavors that may seem out of reach. long been the content of my oeuvre.
Any creative manifestation begins with an intention, the carrying Chaos in these paintings sym-
out of which involves a process. The cleansing and purification of the bolizes the material world where
ecosystem requires the united will of humanity with a focused and distinctions and judgments are
indomitable plan. Healing our planet will be a long journey that must be made. Explosions and drifts of
taken one step at a time, an essential process for fulfilling the most beautiful thousands of spectrally arranged
and crucial dream of our species.
- Alex Grey squares in the artwork represent
the presence of entropy, disorder and
unpredictability that exist in every
system in the physical world.
Order in the work, the intercon-
nected harmonious patterns, suggest
bliss realms one might experience in
transcendental states of mystic unity
sometimes called Nirvana, heaven or
the infinite Divine.
The Secret Writing in this
series is comprised of twenty
unpronounceable letters, corre-
sponding to the nameless presence
existent in all sacred writing, the spirit
imbedded in communication that
cannot be reduced to concepts.
Secret writing in every culture is like a
window revealing inner concepts that
are manifested in the material world.
The Process is a completed work of
art revealing twenty steps of its own
creation. Each panel bears one of
the twenty letters of Secret Writing
centered and bridging a field of order
and a field of chaos, opening a visual
dialogue between the two realms.
128 129
“Intending to create spiritual art, I feel naturally attracted to abstraction and to a written had one person shows at Stux Gallery and O.K. Harris The Process, 2008,
sacred language. Every known religion reveres its holy writing. Sacred writing of all faiths, Gallery in NYC, among others. Commissions of permanent graphite pencil, colored
however, come into conflict through human interpretation as the written word defines the public works include a 24 foot mural at the First Bank of pencil, oil on wood
differences of philosophy and traditions, when truly the basis of all religion is unity and Lowell, Massachusetts and my paintings have been 20 pieces, each 10 x 20 in.
infinite love. collected by many corporations and individuals. I paint and
collaborate with Alex in Brooklyn, New York, and at CoSM Allyson Grey
Born in 1952, I have been Alex Grey’s partner and wife for 35 years. We met at the Boston www.allysongrey.com
in the Hudson Valley.”
Museum School where I received a Bachelors and a Masters Degree in Fine Arts. I’ve
130 131
CoSM Family Gallery
designed by Syd Gnosis
photo’s provided by Susan Buck, Syd Gnosis,
132 Eli Morgan, Brian James, Kevin Hedley 133
Earthghost
Inspired
journeying
through
Laos, Burning
Man and New
York during
the last five
years has
brought about
Earthghost from
the land of ideas
into reality.
please contact us at
Earthghost is 165
acres of native bushland/forest www.earthghost.org.au
that lies in the beautiful Yarra Valley,
one hour East of Melbourne in
South Eastern Australia.
An Antipodean sister for CoSM.
We feel fortunate to be given this opportunity to open up this property to those
who wish to be interactive and effective in creating a site where the consciousness
exploring community can meet and express. We will be hosting a variety of art
workshops, ceremonies and small events over the coming year.
If you are in or traveling to South Eastern Australia and wish to visit or be involved
please contact us through the web site.
All love, Thy and <mOUSe-----
AD
contact
delvin@CoSM.org
Celebrating our nature in a time of transition, this magazine brings together
visionary artists and activists who illuminate and evolve our relationships with the
world. Each contributor included in this issue uniquely expresses the important
message of living in harmony with Mother Earth. Their chosen life path and
visionary art channels a deep love for the natural world and the interconnectivity
of humans and nature.
As a conscious part of the living ecology of Earth, we are inspired by people whose
sense of stewardship is reflected in their work, innovators who bring a renewed
sense of hopefulness to the problems of the present. With contributors from all
six continents, this global arts journal illustrates diversity and similitude, reflecting
these qualities in the emerging planetary culture.
Thanks to all those who participated in “Human / Nature”, especially those who
sponsored spaces to make the printing possible. It was a pleasure working with
all of you, we honour the gifts you bring to the world and feel fortunate to have a
forum in which we can share the spirit of this endeavour.
Deepest of gratitude to Alex and Allyson Grey for the vastness of their vision
and all the joyful wonder they bring into being. We are so grateful to have Delvin
Solkinson joining our CoSM team. His dedication, creativity, and seamless
organization has synthesized this monumental issue. This magazine would not
have been possible without the magic of Marisa Scirocco whose endless work and
inspiring designs rendered this sixth volume of CoSM Journal from imagination
into manifestation. Shouts to Syd Gnosis who anchored our presence and helped
in so many unseen ways. Glowing appreciation goes to our treasured guide
Eli Morgan, who joined with Alex, Allyson and Marisa to initiate the CoSM
Journal in 2002, and whose innumerable influences can be seen in every aspect of
this light filled lineage.
We are excited to follow this flow into the future and have already begun work
on our next issue. Ten thousand blessings to Gaia and all her sentient beings.
May the collective power of our love help heal our world.
Marisa Scirocco
Two of Crystals, 2006, digital Human / Nature
Eli Morgan, Marisa Scirocco, Allyson Grey, Alex Grey, Delvin Solkinson, Syd Gnosis
www.alienambassador.net