Useful Herbs

Agrimony

Agrimony strengthens the whole system, but it works chiefly on the liver. The astringent properties contract and harden tissue. It is absorbed in the system to strengthen and tone the muscles of the body and is therefore a useful tonic. It affects the cells of the kidneys, allowing fluids to pass more readily through the kidneys, so it is a useful diuretic. The astringent qualities of Agrimony help draw thorns and splinters from the skin. It has been recommended to help acidity and gastric ulcers, because it is a good, safe stomach tonic which helps in the assimilation of food. Agrimony contains vitamins B3, K, iron and niacin


Alfalfa

Alfalfa contains health building properties. It helps assimilate protein, calcium and other nutrients. It is beneficial for all ailments because of its vitality and nutrient properties. And the contents are also balanced for complete absorption. Alfalfa contains chlorophyll. It is a body cleanser, infection fighter and natural deodorizer. It breaks down poisonous carbon dioxide and it is the richest land source of trace minerals. It is a very good spring tonic, it eliminates retained water, and relieves urinary and bowel problems. It helps in treating recuperative cases of narcotic and alcohol addiction. The' enzymes help to neutralize cancer in the system. Alfalfa contains a very rich supply of vitamins A, K, and D. It is also high in calcium and contains phosphorus, iron, potassium and eight essential enzymes. It is rich in trace minerals

Amaranth

Amaranth is used for gastroenteritis or stomach flu. It lessens irritability of the tissues. Topical application can reduce tissue swelling. The saponine content in Amaranth can be used to produce a lather. It has been used for bandages for medical treatments. A strong decoction can be used as a vermifuge (remove worms and other parasites from the digestive tract). Amaranth is a vitamin-packed herb and was used by the Indians as a survival food. The mature seeds were eaten raw or mixed with corn meal or added to soups. The leaves were used in place of spinach. Amaranth is very high in iron and vitamin C. It is also high in calcium and protein and contains phosphorus, potassium, thiamin, riboflavin and niacin.

Angelica

Angelica is very helpful in colic and digestive problems. It is considered a tonic to improve well being and mental harmony. There is a caution for diabetics, because it increases sugar in the blood. It is also an emmenagogue, so it should not be used by pregnant women. Culpepper said the juice of the plant had been used in the eyes and ears to help dimness of sight and deafness. It is also used for toothaches. It cleans wounds and helps them to heal quickly, and is useful in all sorts of stomach and intestinal difficulties, including ulcers and vomiting with stomach cramps. It can be used for intermittent fever, nervous headache, colic, and general weakness. Angelica contains vitamin E, calcium, and some species of this plant contain vitamin B1, which is rare in vegetation.

Anise

Anise is helpful in removing excess mucus and in preventing the possible formation of catarrh along the alimentary canal. It is said by some herbalists that Anise seems high in estrogen content, which tends to stimulate all the glands. Anise is used for loss of appetite, difficulty of digestion, mucus obstruction in coughs and whooping cough. It is used as a stimulant for vital organs of the body such as heart, liver, lungs and brain. It is one of the best herbs for relieving pains for colic. Anise contains the B vitamins, choline, calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium.

Blackberry

Blackberry, when used as a tea, can dry up sinus drainage. An infusion of the unripe berries is highly esteemed for curing vomiting and loose bowels. The root contains astringent properties. The young shoots are credited with fastening loose teeth in the gums. The Indians used the root tea with success for dysentery. The Chinese believe the fruit increases the "yin principle", in addition to giving vigor to the whole body. Blackberry contains vitamins A and C. It also contains iron, calcium, riboflavin, niacin and some thiamin.

Boneset

Boneset is excellent for influenza. Dr. Shook says that he has never known this herb to fail in overcoming influenza. Boneset tea was one of the most common home remedies in the last century. The Indians used it to reduce fever, to relieve body pain and for colds. It was given the name of "Break-bone fever" because of the pain influenza caused that felt like breaking bones. It is a mild tonic and very useful in the indigestion of old people. Boneset contains vitamin C, calcium, some PABA, and also contains magnesium and potassium.

Borage

Borage is especially soothing in bronchitis and for the digestive system. It promotes the activity of the kidneys to dispose of feverish catarrh. Borage has a stimulating effect to the adrenal glands. It acts on the kidneys to dispose of feverish catarrh. It is said to be good in restoring vitality during recovery 37 from illness. It is soothing to the mucous membranes of the mouth and throat. The tea can be used as an eyewash for sore eyes, and it has been used to increase mother's milk. Borage contains potassium and calcium.

Buchu

Buchu has a healing influence on all chronic complaints of the genito-urinary tract. One of the best herbs of the urinary organs, Buchu absorbs excessive uric acid, reducing bladder irritations and "scalding urine." Buchu increases the quantity of urinic fluids and solids, and at the same time it acts as a tonic and astringent and disinfectant to the mucous membranes. It is said to be useful for the first stages of diabetes. It has been combined with Uva Ursi for treatment of water retention and urinary tract infections. When taken warm, it is used in treatment of enlargement of the prostate gland and irritation of the membrane of the urethra.

Buckthorn

Buckthorn has a stimulating effect on the bile. It does not gripe, and it has a calming effect on the gastrointestinal tract, without being habit forming. It can be used for longer periods without discomfort. If taken hot, it will produce perspiration and lowers fevers. The ointment of the herb helps provide relief from itching. The leaves bruised and applied to the wound will stop bleeding

Burdock

Burdock is one of the best blood purifiers, it can reduce swelling around joints and helps rid calcification deposits, for it promotes kidney function to help clear the blood of harmful acids. Burdock contains anywhere from 27 to 45% inulin, a form of starch, which is the source of most of its curative powers. Inulin is a substance that is important in the metabolism of carbohydrates. In Europe it is used as a remedy for prolapsed and displaced uterus. Burdock, when mixed with Sassafras and made into a tea, is said to release a strong oil that is soothing to the hypothalamus. It also aids the pituitary gland in releasing an ample supply of protein to help adjust hormone balance in the body. It is said that a poorly nourished pituitary gland is sometimes responsible for overweight. Burdock contains a lot of vitamin C and iron. It contains 12% protein, 70% carbohydrate, some vitamin A, P, and B-complex, vitamin E, PABA, and small amounts of sulfur, silicon, copper, iodine and zinc.

Caraway

Caraway is a powerful antiseptic which is especially useful in relieving toothaches. It is similar to Anise. The two oils are highly recommended for the same purposes. Caraway is very useful when mixed with other herbs, for it helps to correct or modify the action of purgatives such as Mandrake and Culver's Root. When applied locally to the skin, it acts as an anesthetic. It helps prevent fermentation in the stomach, and to help settle the stomach after taking nauseous medicines. It Is useful for all stomach problems, encourages menstruation and the flow of milk, is good for uterine cramps, mucus in the lungs and intestinal gas in infants. Caraway contains the B-complex vitamin. It is high in calcium and potassium, but also contains smaller amounts of magnesium, lead, .silicon, zinc, some iodine, copper, cobalt, and iron.

Cascara Sagrada

Cascara Sagrada is a bark rich in hormone-like oils which promote peristaltic action in the intestinal canal. it is one of the best herbs to use for chronic constipation and is said to not be habit-forming. It increases the secretions of the stomach, liver, and pancreas and exerts a remarkable action in torpor of the colon in constipation. It has been effective to the gall ducts, and in helping the body rid itself of gallstones. Cascara is very valuable whenever there are hemorrhoids because of poor bowel function. It helps in painless evacuations and, after extended usage, the bowels will function naturally and regularly from its tonic effects. It also has a stimulating tonic effect to all nerves that it comes in contact with. It is very cleansing to the colon and helps rebuild its functions. Cascara Sagrada contains B-Complex, calcium, potassium, manganese, traces of tin, lead, strontium and aluminum.

Catnip

Catnip has been called natures "Alka-Seltzer." The Indians used it for infant colic, but it also has a sedative effect on the nervous system. It is useful for many ailments: for aJi cases of fevers for its action in inducing sleep and in producing perspiration without increasing heat in the body. In children it is said to speedily overcome convulsions. It is also good for restlessness and colic and as a pain killer, especially for small children and infants. It has been known to help prevent a cold when drinking a warm infusion when you notice the first symptom. It helps in fatigue and improves circulation. It is said to help to prevent miscarriages and premature births. It helps in aches and pain due to flu and upset stomach and diarrhea associated with flu. Catnip is high in vitamins A and C, and the B-complex vitamin. It contains magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, sodium, and has a trace of sulfur

Celery

The seeds and stems of Celery have been used in Australia as an acid neutralizer. It should be cooked with milk and eaten freely to neutralize uric acid and other excess acids in the body, thus aiding in the treatment of rheumatism. Celery is useful for headaches when taken as a tea. It produces perspiration and is useful for nervousness. It has a stimulating effect on the kidneys, producing an increased flow of urine. Celery contains vitamins A, B, and C and has lots of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, and iron. It also contains smaller amounts of sulfur, silicon, and magnesium

Centaury

Centaury is useful during a slow convalescence by promoting appetite and strengthening the digestive system. It purifies the blood and is an excellent tonic. It is good in muscular rheumatism and strengthens the bladder of the elderly. This herb helps prevent bed-wetting. It regulates the gall bladder, and is known as a preventive in all periodic febrile diseases, dyspepsia, and recovery from fevers. It has a healing effect on wounds. Centaury acts as a diffusive stimulating tonic to the heart, stomach, liver, generative organs and the nervous system.

Chamomile

Chamomile is one of the best herbs to keep handy for emergencies, for it is both beneficial and trustworthy. It is a welcome tea for nerves and menstrual cramps. Chamomile helps promote a natural hormone, like thyroxine, which helps rejuvenate the texture of the hair and skin, and also helps in youthful mental alertness. It is a soothing sedative with no harmful effects. It is useful for small babies and children for colds, stomach trouble, colitis, a gargle, and externally for eczema and inflammation. It is one of the best herbs for soothing an upset stomach and colic in babies and inducing sleep. It is recognized by orthodox medical profession as a valuable medicine for the young, especially in France and Spain, where numerous doctors prescribe it. Chamomile contains a high content of calcium, and magnesium but also has potassium, iron, manganese and zinc. It also contains some vitamin A

Chickweed

Chickweed is valuable for treating blood toxicity, fevers, and inflammation. The mucilage elements are known for stomach ulcers and inflamed bowels. Chickweed will help dissolve the plaque out of the blood vessels and fatty substances in the system. Chickweed is mild and has been used as a food as well as medicine. It strengthens the stomach and bowels. It has antiseptic properties when exposed to the blood, and has been called an effective anti-cancer agent. It is used as a poultice for boils, bums, skin diseases, sore eyes and swollen testes. Chickweed is rich in iron, copper and vitamin C. It contains lots of calcium and sodium and has a high content of the B-complex vitamin. It contains vitamin D, some manganese, phosphorus. and zinc.

Chicory

Chicory has many of the constituents of dandelion. It was well known in ancient Rome as a food and blood purifier. Chicory tea helps eliminate unwanted phlegm from the stomach and is useful as a tea for upset stomach. It Is useful in uric acid conditions of gout, rheumatics and joint stiffness. It has been used as a wash for boils and sores It has been said that regular use of the tea is recommended for gallstones. The sap of the stems are used for poison ivy and sunburned skin.

Clove

Cloves contain one of the most powerful germicidal agents in the herb kingdom. It is safe and effective for vomiting during pregnancy, and increases circulation of the blood and promotes digestion and nutrition. The oil of cloves is a diffusive stimulant and is often rubbed on the gums to relieve toothache and is frequently used as a remedy for bad breath. Cloves contain vitamins C and A, the B-complex vitamin and contain potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and sodium.

Coltsfoot

Coltsfoot is known as a remedy for coughs and respiratory ailments. The ingredients of the flowers are chiefly expectorant in effect, being very soothing to the mucous membranes. It has a soothing effect on the throat as well as on the brains' cough-activating mechanism. It is a chest and lung expectorant. Colts-foot contains a high percentage of mucilage and saponins which have disinfectant and anti-inflammatory effects on respiratory problems. Used with horehound and marshmallow Coltsfoot is one of the best cough remedies. Use as a tea. It is rich in vitamins A and C, but also contains calcium, potassium, vitamin P, zinc, , and Be. There are traces of manganese, iron and copper in Coltsfoot

Comfrey

Comfrey is one of the most valuable herbs known to botanic medicine. It has been used for centuries with success as a wound-healer and bone knitter. It feeds the pituitary with its natural hormone and helps strengthen the body skeleton. It helps in the calcium-phosphorus balance by promoting strong bones and healthy skin. It helps promote the secretion of pepsin and is a general aid to digestion. It has a beneficial effect on all parts of the body, being used as an over all tonic. It is one of the finest healers for the respiratory system, and can be used both internally and externally for healing of fractures, wounds, sores and ulcers. It has been used with great success to check hemorrhage, whether from the stomach, lungs, bowels, kidneys or piles. Comfrey is rich in vitamins A and C. It is high in calcium, potassium, phosphorus, and protein. It contains iron, magnesium, sulfur, copper and zinc, as well as eighteen Amino acids. It is a good source of the amino acid, hysine, usually lacking in diets that contain no animal products.

Damiama

Actions : Nerve tonic, anti--depressant, urinary antiseptic, laxative.
Indications : Damiana is an excellent strengthening remedy for the nervous system. It has an ancient reputation as an aphrodisiac. Whilst this may or may not be true, it has a definite tonic action on the central nervous and the hormonal system. As a useful anti-depressant, Damiana is considered to be a specific in cases of anxiety and depression where there is a sexual factor. It may be used to strengthen the male sexual system.

Ellingwood describes this herb thus: (please note that the language is that of Ellingwood, reflecting the time it was written) A mild nerve tonic claimed to be valuable in the treatment of sexual impotence. Some of our physicians praise it highly for its influence in sexual neurasthenia, and it is said to correct frigidity in the female. It had long enjoyed a local reputation as a stimulant tonic of the sexual apparatus among the natives of Mexico, before it attracted the attention of the profession. Besides its peculiar action on the sexual appetite and function, it is a general tonic, somewhat cathartic and is slightly cholagogue. The midwives and women of loose morals of western Mexico also attribute emmenagogue properties to it.

Dr. Reid uses Damiana in all conditions where a general tonic is needed, especially if there be enfeeblement of the central nervous system. He esteems it most highly, prescribing it constantly for this purpose. It is valuable in renal and cystic catarrh and in general irritation of the urinary passages, through its influence in soothing irritation of mucous membranes. This latter property renders it valuable in the treatment of respiratory disorders, especially those accompanied with profuse secretion.

In terms of the action of this remedy in its influence upon the reproductive organs, Dr. Reid mentions dysmenorrhea, headache, at the menstrual epoch, bad complexion, rough or discolored patches on the skin with acne, especially of a severe type, depending upon uterine irritation. Eruption resembling eczema, from insufficient menstruation. Dr. Watkins gives as its further indications, delayed or suppressed menstruation in young girls, irregularity at the beginning of menstruation, amenorrhoea in very young girls. It will certainly allay sensitiveness of the sympathetic nervous system to irritations caused by disorders of the womb and ovaries. The remedy must be given in full doses, to accomplish these results. From 5 to 10 grains of the extract is necessary 3 or 4 times a day, and persisted in.

Ellingwood gives these specific indications: sexual impotence, sexual neurasthenia, frigidity, renal catarrh, respiratory disorders, dysmenorrhoea, headache at the menstrual epoch, bad complexion, delayed or suppressed menstruation, amenorrhoea.

Combinations : As a nerve tonic it is often used with Oats. Depending on the situation it combines well with Kola or Skullcap.
Preparations & Dosage : Infusion: pour a cup of boiling water onto l teaspoonful of the dried leaves and let infuse for l0-l5 minutes. This should be drunk three times a day.

Damania has stimulating properties and has been used for nervousness, weakness and exhaustion. Damania has been recommended for increasing sperm count in the male, and to strengthen the egg in the female. it helps to balance the hormones in women. In Mexico, it is used for female disorders. It is especially beneficial for an exhausted state of the body and of the vital powers of the system. It is useful in increasing sexual prowess in persons who suffer from sexual weakness. It has been used as a mild tonic laxative for children. Damania has been said to be one of the most popular and safest of all plants claimed to restore the natural sexual capacities and functions

Dandelion

Dandelion benefits the function of the liver. It has the ability to clear obstructions and stimulates the liver to detoxify poisons. It should be considered a valuable survival food. It contains all the nutritive salts that are required for the body to purify the blood. It promotes a healthy circulation, strengthens weak arteries, cleanses skin blemishes and restores the gastric balance in patients who have suffered from severe vomiting. The juice of the broken stem can be applied to warts and allowed to dry. If used daily for two or three days, it will dry up the warts. It is also useful for corns, acne and blisters. A diet of this herb (green) improves the enamel of the teeth. Dandelion is a natural source of protein. It is rich in vitamin A. It is an excellent source of vitamin B., C and E. It is rich in potassium, calcium and sodium. It contains some phosphorus and iron, as well as some nickel, cobalt, tin, copper.

Echinacea

Modern Encyclopedia of Herbs. By Joseph M. Kadans, N.D.,Ph.D
Also known as Black Sampson, Coneflower, Pale Purple Coneflower, Red Sun-flower, Purple Coneflower.

Botanical name: Echinacea Angustifolia; Brauneria pallida; Rudbeckia pallida; Brauneria Angustifolia; Echinacea Purpurea. Habitat: Found in the prairies west of the Mississippi River; some varieties have been reported growing in Virginia and westward to Illinois and southward to Louisiana. Generally, it is found in the Central United States. Growth needs: Moderately rich and well-drained loam (mixture of sand, clay and organic matter). Plants should be left in the seed-bed for two years before transplanting to the field. Description: This plant is a shrub with a stout stem arising to the height of three feet or less. The leaves are narrow and the purple flowers are cone-shaped. Rhizome and roots are cylindrical or slightly tapering.

Effects: Antiseptic qualities destroying bacteria and blood cleanser.
Recorded uses: Blood impurity diseases such as boils, gangrenous conditions, bites and stings of insects, spiders or snakes, pus formations, sores, infections, wounds, sore throat (used as gargle), tonsillitis, typhoid fever, abscesses, glandular inflammations, cerebro-spinal meningitis, diphtheria, tetanus, septemia (infection of blood), uremia (condition of blood containing urea, ordinarily excreted as urine through the kidneys ) and ulcers. It is reported to have given relief in cases of dyspepsia (difficult and painful digestion) and relieves ulcer pain of the gastrointestinal tract. This herb is reported as not having any toxic or other undesirable effects and is easily eliminated. other reports indicate that this herb is also valuable in relieving diseases following childbirth. It has also been reported as having the power to stimulate sexual activity (aphrodisiac) and to have pain-ending (analgesic) powers. It has also been used to relieve hemorrhoids.
Preparation: Fifteen grains of the powder, twice daily, taken with water or fruit juice. Mix with water, for gargle use.

This plant and its relatives, spread over the Americas, have a justified reputation with native herbalist as Powerful wound healers. In laboratory tests it was demonstrated that the rhizome, in addition to activating the white blood cells, inactivates an enzyme present in infectious processes. Echinacea's alternative and antiseptic properties are said to be potent against septicemia, gangrene, boils, carbuncles, uremia, peritonitis and tetanus. Some success has been reported in the treatment of diphtheria and tuberculosis with echinacea. As a poultice combined with flax, it is recommended as a treatment for infections and abscesses.Echinacea stimulates the immune response, increasing the body's ability to resist infections, especially the production of white blood cells. It improves lymphatic filtration and drainage, and it helps remove toxins from the blood. It is considered one of the best blood cleansers and is called the King of the Blood Purifiers. It is considered a non-toxic way of cleansing the system. It is said to be good for enlargement and weakness of the prostate gland. It is a natural antibiotic. It has been used with Chickweed to help in weight loss. It contains vitamins A, E, and C, iron, iodine, copper, sulfur, and potassium.

Elecampane

Elecampane has been used for intestinal worms, retention of water, and to lessen tooth decay and firm the gums. It is also used for any catarrh conditions. It gives relief to respiratory difficulties and assists expectoration and general catarrhal conditions. Elecampane is one of the richest sources of natural insulin, and is therefore helpful for the pancreas. It is usually preferred in combination with other herbs. It has antiseptic properties and is used in Spain as a surgical dressing and as an antiseptic in surgery.

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus has antiseptic properties in the leaves. It is very potent but safe to use. The oil is useful with pyorrhea and bums to prevent infections. It is helpful against poisonous germs. Eucalyptus trees have been planted in fever districts and marshy areas infected with mosquitoes, and found that its leaves convert the oxygen of the air into ozone. It is also found to be a great life-giver, purifier, vitalize, and sweetener of all organic matter. The oil can be snuffed to clear sinus congestion. Oil mixed with water is good for insect repellant. Small drop on the tongue will help nausea

Fennel

Fennel helps to take away the appetite. When boiled with barley, it aids lactation. It helps stabilize the nervous system and moves waste material out of the body. It has an anticonvulsive and pain-relieving property and is recommended as a sedative for small children. Fennel improves digestion and has a diuretic effect. It is also helpful in cases of cough and persistent bronchitis, with its mucus-countering and anticonvulsive properties. Fennel contains potassium, sulfur and sodium

Fenugreek

Fenugreek has the ability to soften and dissolve hardened masses of accumulated mucus. It helps to expel toxic waste through the lymphatic system. It expels mucus and phlegm from the bronchial tubes. It has antiseptic properties and kills infections in the lungs. Fenugreek contains lecithin which dissolves cholesterol and contains lipotropic (fat dissolving) substances, which dissolve deposits of fat, prevents fatty accumulations, and water retention. The constituents in the seeds contain a saponin closely related to those in yucca. Fenugreek used with lemon juice and honey soothes and nourishes the body and helps to reduce fevers. It is rich in vitamins A and D. It also contains an oil that resembles cod liver oil. Fenugreek is rich in minerals and is high in protein also. It has vitamins B1, B2 and B3 and contains choline, lecithin, and iron.

Feverfew

Feverfew is not a new herb, it is a rediscovered one, being a natural remedy for pain relief It is considered the best remedy for the worst headaches. It was used in the past as aspirin and codeine are used today. It was used in ague ( a fever of malarial origin), or any ailment where chills, fever or headaches developed. Feverfew is a natural relief for migraine headaches. It is excellent for relieving colds, and in inflammation from arthritis. It is used in dizziness, tinnitus and aids in circulation to the brain and head area. Feverfew contains elements that work synergistically to regulate normal function of the body. It works gradually and with gentler action allowing the body to heal itself works in a natural way to strengthen the body. Feverfew contains high amounts of iron, niacin, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, and selenium, It also contains vitamin A. C

Figwort

Figwort provides hormone-like materials into the system to help soothe the digestive organs. This also cleans the kidneys. Figwort has an effect on the entire body. It is used as a poultice for ulcers, piles, scrofulous glands in the neck, sores and wounds and toothache. In Wales, it is used to treat circulatory disorders and is especially good at reducing varicose veins. It is said Figwort will lessen high blood pressure, and is a diuretic as well as an efficient pain killer when nothing stronger is at hand. It is essentially a skin medication used for eczema, scabies,tumors,and rashes

Garlic

Garlic is nature's antibiotic. The properties of garlic have the ability of stimulating cell growth and activity. It has a rejuvenate effect on all body functions. It is a health building and disease preventative herb and dissolves cholesterol in the bloodstream. Garlic stimulates the lymphatic system to throw off waste materials. Garlic opens up the blood vessels and reduces blood pressure in hypertensive patients. It contains antibiotics that are effective against bacteria which may be resistant to 0ther antibiotic5. It is Called Russian Penicillin. G~lic does not destroy the bOdy'5 normal flora.This herb Contains vitamins A and C. It Contains sulfur, calcium, manganese, Copper, and a lot of vitamin 131. Garlic also Contains some iron and it is high in Potassium and zinc.

Ginger

Ginger is an excellent herb for the respiratory system. It is good for fighting off colds and flu. It removes congestion, relieves headaches and aches and pains, and helps to clear sore throats. It is excellent for upset stomach and indigestion. It is very effective as a cleansing agent through the bowels and kidneys and also through the skin. Ginger is an excellent herb to combine with other herbs to enhance their effectiveness. It can also be added to meat dishes to help the intestines to detoxify the meat. Ginger and capsicum work together for bronchial congestion and stuffy noses. It contains protein, vitamins A, C and B-complex. It also contains calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, potassium and magnesium,

Ginseng
Botanical Name: Pana quinquefolia, of the Family Araliacea
Habitat: Mountains of eastern Asia and in Korea and Japan. It is also found in the eastern part of North America in the woodlands. Some roots grow in North Carolina, Kentucky and several other states.

In the Orient Ginseng is called the King of the Herbs. It stimulates the entire body energy to overcome stress, fatigue, and weakness. It is especially stimulating for mental fatigue. It stimulates and improves the brain cells. Ginseng has a very beneficial effect on the heart and circulation. It is used to normalize blood pressure, reduce blood cholesterol and prevent arteriosclerosis. It is used as a preventive tonic in China. It is claimed to slow down the aging process. It is considered a cure-all herb. It acts as an antidote to various types of drugs and toxic chemicals, and is said to protect the body against radiation. It is said to improve vision and hearing activity, improve working ability, and help to check irritability to give one more poise and composure. Ginseng contains vitamins A and E. It also contains thiamin, riboflavin, B12, niacin, calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, silicon, potassium, manganese, magnesium, sulfur.

Growth needs: Grows best in rich soil, with partial shade. Should be watered regularly.
Description: The stems of this plant are more or less hollow between the nodes of the stem and are solid at the nodes. The leaves alternate rather than growing opposite to each other on the stem. The root often roughly resembles the figure of a man, with legs, body and head.
Part used: The dried root.

Effects: Stimulates perspiration and normalizes the nutritive system.
Recorded uses: This herb has been used for loss of appetite, stomach and digestive affections arising from mental and nervous exhaustion and to stimulate perspiration. It will also stimulate other secretory glands, secreting products of the glands, such as the salivary glands. It is this characteristic of ginseng that has helped establish it as an aphrodisiac.

Eyesight: Ginseng has been recommended for eyesight difficulties where objects appear double and where there is difficulty in opening of the eyelids. It is also reported helpful for gray spots before the eyes, usually accompanied by dizziness.

HEADACHES: Ginseng has been recommended for headaches in the lower back part of the head as well as for semi-lateral headaches, partly to the side of the head.
BACK PAINS: Ginseng has been recommended for pain in the small of the back, in the thighs or for any stiffness of joints of lower limbs or stiffness of the back. It is reported as giving relief in cases of lumbago, sciatica and rheumatism.

Miscellaneous: Reported good for paralytic weakness, hiccoughs and pimples.


Gotu Kola

Gotu Kola is good when used after a nervous breakdown. It is able to rebuild energy reserves. For this reason, it is called 'food for the brain'. It increases mental and physical power. It combats stress and improves reflexes. Gotu Kola has an energizing effect on the cells of the brain. It Is said also to help prevent nervous breakdown. It relieves high blood pressure, mental fatigue, and senility, and helps the body defend itself against various toxins. Gotu Kola contains vitamins A, G, and K and is high in magnesium. It probably contains vitamins E and some B and minerals, but at this point no research has been done in the United States

Hawthorne

Hawthorn is very effective for relieving insomnia. A poultice of leaves (crushed) or fruit has strong drawing powers and has been used in England for centuries in the treatment of embedded thorns, splinters, felons and whitlows. The fruits are used for nervousness and also in preventing miscarriage. it has been known for centuries as a treatment of heart disease. Regular use strengthens the heart muscles. It has been used in preventing arteriosclerosis and in helping conditions like rapid and feeble heart action, heart valve defects, enlarged heart, angina pectoris and difficult breathing owing to ineffective heart action and lack of oxygen in the blood. Some herbalists recommend Hawthorn to use against diseases before actual symptoms are manifest. This herb is high in Vitamins C and B-complex. It contains sodium, silicon, phosphorus, and some iron, zinc, sulfur, nickel, tin, aluminum and beryllium.

Hops

Hops is recognized for its remarkable sedative powers. It is known as one of the best nervines in the herb kingdom. It is strong but safe to use. Culpeper says, "It opens obstructions of the liver and spleen, cleanses the blood, loosens the belly,cleanses the veins from gravel, and provokes urine. Hops contains appetizing and tonic properties as well as sedative and acts as a nervine in overcoming insomnia. It acts as a stimulant to the glands and muscles of the stomach and at the time calms the hyperexcitability to the gastric nerves. relaxing influence upon the liver and gall duct and is also a help to the bowels. Its main uses are to alleviate nervous and promote restful sleep. Hops is rich in the vitamin B-complex. It contains magzinc, copper, traces of iodine, manganese, iron, lead, fluorine, and chlorine.

Horehound

Horehound is excellent in children's' coughs, croups and expectorant properties assists in loosening tough m the chest. It will sustain the vocal cords in congestoarseness. Horehound promotes the healing of wounds and stimulates bile secretions.Warm infusion will relieve the hyperemic conditions of the lungs and congestion by promoting an outward flow of blood. It acts as a tonic to the respiratory organs and to the stomach, but in large doses, it acts as a laxative. Some herbalists have recommended it to promote delayed menstruation. It has been recommended for herpes simplex, eruptions, eczema and shingles by applying the dried herb topically. It contains vitamins A, E, C, and F. It also contains B-complex, iron, potassium, and sulfur.

Horseradish

Horseradish has an antibiotic action which is recommended for respiratory and urinary infections. It is a strong stimulant for the system and has been used internally to clear the nasal passages and cleans the system of infection. It has been used as a stimulant for digestion, metabolism and kidney function. It is rich in vitamins C, Bi, sulfur, and potassium. It also contains vitamins A, P, B-complex, some calcium.

Horsetail

Horsetail or Shavegrass is used in urinary tract disorders, especially lower tract infections. Horsetail aids in coagulation and helps decrease bleeding. The most impoflant ingredient is silicic acid which helps aid the circulation. Research has shown that fractured bones will heal much faster when horsetail is taken. Decoction applied externally will stop bleeding of wounds and heal them, and is used as a mouth-wash for mouth infections. Bathing in herbs accelerates the metabolic rate through the skin and makes them especially effective for circulation troubles, swelling of broken bones, chilblains. Also, pain of rheumatic diseases and gout is relieved. It is rich in silicon and selenium. It contains vitamin E, pantothenic acid, PABA, copper, manganese, some sodium, cobalt, iron. and iodine

Hydrangea

Hydrangea is called a remarkable herb. It contains curative principles second to none in nature. It contains alkaloids that ad like cortisone and has the same cleansing power of chaparral. It is useful for preventing gravel deposits to form. It is known as a remedy for gravel and helps relieve the pain when the formations pass trough the ureters from the kidneys to the bladder. Hydrangea contains calcium,

Hyssop

Hyssop is used in lung ailments. It is good for fevers to help produce sweating. Research has found tat the mold that produces penicillin grows on hyssop leaves, and therefore helps the healing process. It contains essential hormone oil to build resistance to infectious diseases. Hyssop is usually mixed wit other herbs for the best results. The leaves can be applied on wounds to help infections and help aid in healing. It has been used for poor digestion, breast and lung problems, cough from colds and nose and throat infections. It is useful for mucus congestion in the intestines.

Irish Moss

Irish Moss is a very useful herb when recovering from illness, because of its high content of nutrients. It has a high mucilage content, which makes it soothing to inflamed tissues and lung and kidney problems. It has been used externally to soften skin and prevent wrinkles. It purifies and strengthens the cellular structure and vital fluids of the system. The iodine contained in its small and usable quantities contributes to the glandular system. It has a beneficial effect on all the functions of the body in addition to its use as an aid to the mucous )ranes. Irish Moss contains vitamins A, D, E, F, and K. It is high I iodine, calcium and sodium. lt contains some phosphorus.

Juniper

Juniper is used in cases where uric acid is being retained ir the system. It is an excellent disease preventative. In ancient Europe the scent of Juniper was believed to ward off the plague. It is high in natural insulin. It has the ability to restore thc pancreas where there has been no permanent damage. It is excellent for infections. Juniper is high in vitamin C. It contains sulfur, copper, and a high content of cobalt, a trace of tin and aluminum.

Kelp

Modern Encyclopedia of Herbs. By Joseph M. Kadans, N.D.,Ph.D

Habitat: This seaweed is found along coasts and borders of inlets of the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans between low and high tide marks. It is also found in various other parts of the world.

Description: This is a plant-body without a true root, stem or leaf. It grows near the surface of sea-water, attached to rocks or to mussels along banks by means of a series of expanded tendril tips which hold the plant fast. The color is dark brown and the plant has many forks or branches.

Parts used: Entire plant.

Elects: Remedial and normalizing action on organs, especially the thyroid.
Recorded uses: The high iodine content of this plant, providing an ample supply of iodine to the body, has made this plant valuable for cases of obesity, because of the normalizing effect upon the thyroid gland. other recorded uses are:
Reproductive organs: This plant is reported to have a remedial and normalizing effect upon the reproductive organs, including the prostate gland, the uterus, the testes and the ovaries.

ARTERIES: It has been reported that kelp cleanses the arteries, removing deposits from their walls, thus restoring their elasticity.

SKIN: The presence of silicon in kelp is reported to keep the skin from wrinkling and sagging. Silicon is also an important food for the roots of the hair and an ample supply of kelp will usually prevent hair from falling out. The fingernails are also aided by the presence of kelp, which not only contains silicon but also calcium and sulfur, which are all needed for healthy fingernails.

INDIGESTION: The presence of sodium in kelp helps the digestive system to absorb food and also aids in preventing acidosis.

Spirits in the Material World

The Erogenous Zones of a Woman’s Body

Women love to be touched both mentally and physically.

One of a woman's most erogenous zones is her mouth. Most women love to kiss. I mean real kisses with thrusting tongue and all. Kisses should be long lasting with the tongue constantly probing around the inside of the lips. Play with her hair while kissing her. Stop kissing only to venture toward her neck and ear and then come back to her mouth. That will tell her that you enjoy kissing but also love playing with her neck and ears.

Most women are very sensitive in the neck and ears area. Hot breath and tongue tracing a fiery path around a woman's neck and ears will drive her wild. Be very careful not to make any marks on your woman's neck. You'll have a chance to leave your love marks (if she lets you) in a more secluded place of her body. Spend a few seconds nibbling on her ear and focus on gently caressing her neck with your tongue. This only leaves her longing for what’s to come.

The breasts are one of the most important erogenous zones on a woman's body. This is where you can show her how you can please her and tease her at the same time. Don't have to remove her bra just yet. Start by playing with her breasts while her bra is on. Start kissing your way down from the mouth, make a little trail down her neck and kiss her in the area between her breasts as you gently cup both breasts with your hands while pushing them together. (Look deeply into her eyes while doing this. I know you're busy and quite into what you're doing but eye contact is the name of the game. DON’T GIVE UP YOUR GLARE). Remove her bra and groan as you place her breasts in your face and start sucking on her nipples. They will be quite hard and erect by this time and this will make them extremely sensitive. Concentrate on pleasuring her by gently pinching her nipples and then sucking on them hard (if she can take it). Show her that you love her breasts by cupping them in both your hands as you suck on her nipples. She may want to initiate sex at this time, but make her wait until you're done pleasuring her.

Gently turn your woman over as you straddle her and start kissing her back. This great erogenous zone is often overlooked. Take little nibbles as you work your way down towards her buttocks. When you make your way down there give her a sweet and playful slap. She'll be surprised and will love it.

Every woman loves to be kissed on her inner thighs. Don't be surprised if your woman is very ticklish there. This area is hardly ever touched much less kissed. Part your woman's legs and start kissing her inner thighs. Nibble your way up and down her inner thigh. It's up to you if you want to move further up than down. You'll know when you find her hottest spot.
Women tend to have a lot of foreplay before full sex and concentrating on some erogenous zones of your partner will increase her desire and lead to more satisfying sex.

Neck is one of the best erogenous zones for most women. Kissing, licking and sucking this part makes most women aroused. Explore different areas of her neck. Areas close to her ear is very sensitive but be careful not to get carried away and bruise her neck. Then again at this point she may want it (evil grin).

Anywhere in the body where the nerves come close to surface could be erogenous zones. Belly button is another area which you should stimulate. Rib cage is also very sensitive to touch (not the entire rib cage but the area closer to the breasts). You can use the tip of your nose, a feather or a cue tip.

Nibble or stroke her earlobe, it can be erotically stimulating. While you are there you can whisper sweet nothings in her ear but avoid heavy breathing into the ear.

The most neglected erogenous zone is arms and hands. The key area here is her wrist. You can tenderly kiss it and stop for a gentle nibble. Other area you can target is the underside of her arm, just down from her armpit.

I think this article should be enough to hold you for a while :). Hope you enjoyed it.

- Oculus

Mysteries of the Cosmic Black Woman

ULTIMATUM

Ultimatum:

1. a final, uncompromising demand or set of terms issued by a party to a dispute, the rejection of which may lead to a severance of relations or to the use of force.

2. A final proposal or statement of conditions.

These are other synonym's to define the word Ultimatum:
conditions, demand, final notice, final proposal, final terms, final warning, final word, last chance, last offer, last word, sticking point, and warning.

In certain situations we have no choice but to falter under ultimatums especially when they involve our health, life or family.

But in other travels of our life we don't have to buckle under pressure as did the Santa Monica Freeway in the Northridge Earthquake (see below). Of course after the earthquake certain measures were taken to strengthen the foundation so that this wouldn't happen again.

WOW, just think if folks were strong enough to strengthen their foundations.

They could be likened to the Brooklyn Bridge which is known as one of the world's strongest spans; whenever they do documentaries on bridges John Roebling's suspension bridge is amongst some of the famous mentioned. It passes inspection every year with flying colors.

Why?

Because it was built on a STRONG foundation.

- Oculus

One of A Kind

I am me. In all the world, there is no one else exactly like me.

Therefore, everything that comes out of me is authentically mine, because I alone choose it.

However I look and sound, whatever I say and do, whatever I think and feel is me. Take me for me!

Could I have been anyone other than me? If you still believe in stereotypes, you haven't met me.

Who I am is the possibility of absolute authenticity, passionate leadership, and something else (guess what?)!

Always remember you are unique, just like everyone else.

Sometimes, I wake up early, so I can be with "ME" even longer!

My life would be perfect, if I just had a few more hours in the day.

I choose to make every day a Zippity-do-dah-day.

I was born alive and I live that way. If I was any better, there would be two of me!

I'm too blessed to be stressed, and I refuse to be depressed. I'm finer than a frog hair split 28 ways.

There are two mantras in life, "yum" and "yuk". Mine is "yum".

The future's so bright, I gotta wear shades.

May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks I am.

To be old and wise you must first be young and dumb.

Everything I ever needed to know, I learned in kindergarten.

I learn more and more about less and less until eventually I know everything about nothing.

I have to remember to put the corks in my ears at night or my brain will leak out.

I started out with nothing, and I still have most of it left.

If I had life to live over again, I'd pay better attention. I blame it all on my roots.

I tried sanity once, but it was an excruciating bore.

I don't suffer from insanity. I'm loving every minute of it.

I didn't just fall off a turnip truck. I do whatever my Rice Krispies tell me to do.

Sometimes, I feel like two-thirds Rice Krispies…past Snap and Crackle, but just shy of Pop!

No. I'm not crazy, but I am a carrier!

You're just jealous that the voices talk to me!

What do you mean I have an attitude?

Every time I try to see things your way, I get a headache.

Life is like sandpaper... rough!

I know God will only give me what I can handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much.

I used to be snow white, but I drifted.

I can resist anything...except temptation.

I don't need a miracle, but I could use a push in the right direction.

I keep pulling myself up by my bootstraps, but they keep breaking.

I once had a handle on life, but it broke. I live in a state of perpetual confusion.

I'm so wound up I could ride my pony bare back and bare bottomed. I'll never do "THAT" again!

I learn by my mistakes. Trouble is, it will take more than one lifetime to learn all that.

Sometimes, it’s tragic. Sometimes, it’s magic. I have a good life all the same.

"Great minds are always misunderstood." --- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Be brilliant only for short periods of time. Otherwise, people start expecting it from you.

Half of what I say is meaningless, but I say it so that the other half may reach you.

My goal in life is to amass a large assortment of interesting stories.

Since I have already amassed quite a few I suppose I should amass some more.


- Oculus

Human Sacrifice in Aztec Culture

Human Sacrifice in Aztec Culture

The practice of human sacrifice was widespread in the Mesoamerican and in the South American cultures during the Inca Empire. Like all other known pre-Columbian civilizations of Mesoamerica, the Aztecs practiced human sacrifice. The extant sources describe how the Aztecs sacrificed human victims on each of their eighteen festivities, one festivity for each of their 20-day months. It is unknown if the Aztecs engaged in human sacrifice before they reached the Anahuac valley and started absorbing other cultural influences. The first human sacrifice reported in the sources was the sacrifice and skinning of the daughter of the king Cóxcox of Culhuacán; this story is a part of the legend of the foundation of Tenochtitlan. Several ethnohistorical sources state that under the guidance of Tlacaelel the importance of human sacrifice in Aztec history was given extra emphasis.

Sacrifice was a common theme in Mesoamerican cultures. In the Aztec "Legend of the Five Suns", all the gods sacrificed themselves so that mankind could live. Some years after the Spanish conquest of Mexico, a body of Franciscans confronted the remaining Aztec priesthood and demanded, under threat of death, that they desist from their murderous practice. The Aztec priests defended themselves as follows:

"Life is because of the gods; with their sacrifice they gave us life. They produce our sustenance which nourishes life."

What the Aztec priests were referring to was a central Mesoamerican belief: that a great, on-going sacrifice sustains the Universe. Everything is tonacayotl: the "spiritual flesh-hood" or "bodily [sacrificial] presence" of the gods on earth. Everything —earth, crops, moon, stars and people— springs from the severed or buried bodies, fingers, blood or the heads of the sacrificed gods. Humanity itself is macehualli, "those deserved and brought back to life through penance".A strong sense of indebtedness was connected with this worldview. Indeed, nextlahualli (debt-payment) was a commonly used metaphor for human sacrifice, and, as Bernardino de Sahagún reported, it was said that the victim was someone who "gave her service".



Human sacrifice was in this sense the highest level of an entire panoply of offerings through which the Aztecs sought to repay their debt to the gods. Both Sahagún and Toribio de Benavente (also called "Motolinía") observed that the Aztecs gladly parted with everything: burying, smashing, sinking, slaying vast quantities of quail, rabbits, dogs, feathers, flowers, insects, beans, grains, paper, rubber and treasures as sacrifices. Even the "stage" for human sacrifice, the massive temple-pyramids, was an offering mound: crammed with treasures, grains, soil and human and animal sacrifices that were buried as gifts to the deities. Adorned with the land's finest art, treasure and victims, these temples had become buried offerings under new structures every half a century.

The sacrifice of animals was common, a practice for which the Aztecs bred dogs, eagles, jaguars and deer. Objects also were sacrificed by being broken and offered to the gods. The cult of Quetzalcóatl required the sacrifice of butterflies and hummingbirds.

Self-sacrifice was also quite common; people would offer maguey thorns, tainted with their own blood and, like the Maya kings, would offer blood from their tongue, ear lobes, or penises. Blood held a central place in Mesoamerican cultures. The Florentine Codex reports that in one of the creation myths Quetzalcóatl offered blood extracted from a wound in his own penis to give life to humanity. There are several other myths in which Nahua gods offer their blood to help humanity.

Common people would offer maguey thorns with their blood. Lloyd deMause has argued that, like present-day self harmers, the Aztecs also practiced bloodletting from cuts made with obsidian knives or bone needles on fleshy parts of the body, like earlobes, lips, tongue, chest and calves. This was considered private and a personal act of penitence toward the gods. The thorns were put in a ball of straw called zacatapayoli and later placed in an adoratorium.

The 52-year cycle

The cycle of fifty-two years was central to Mesoamerican cultures. The Nahua's religious beliefs were based on a great fear that the universe would collapse after each cycle if the gods were not strong enough. Every fifty-two years a special New Fire ceremony was performed. All fires were extinguished and at midnight a human sacrifice was made. The Aztecs waited for the dawn. If the Sun appeared it meant that the sacrifices for this cycle had been enough. A fire was ignited on the body of a victim, and this new fire was taken to every house, city and town. Rejoicing was general: a new cycle of fifty-two years was beginning, and the end of the world had been postponed, at least for another 52-year century. (A similar ceremony is still practiced by small indigenous groups, but without human sacrifice.) The ceremony was older than the Aztecs. While originally it was believed it was a matter of luck to survive, the Aztecs thought that constant sacrifice through the fifty-two year cycle could postpone the end.



According to Miguel León-Portilla, Tlacaelel reformed the original Nahua religion and the Aztecs viewed themselves as the main representatives for feeding the gods. This gave them a new sense of identity, from "people without face" as they were called by hostile neighbours, to the people in charge of the existence of the universe. Thus they began to call themselves "The people of the sun". Other researchers dispute León-Portilla's perspective, pointing to the relative lack of primary sources.

Sacrifices To Specific Gods



Huitzilopochtli
Huitzilopochtli was the tribal deity of the Mexica and, as such, he represented the character of the Mexica people and was often identified with the sun at the zenith, and with warfare.

When the Aztecs sacrificed people to Huitzilopochtli (the god with war like aspects) the victim would be placed on a sacrificial stone. Then the priest would cut through the abdomen with an obsidian or flint blade. The heart would be torn out still beating and held towards the sky in honor to the Sun-God; the body would be carried away and either cremated or given to the warrior responsible for the capture of the victim. He would either cut the body in pieces and send them to important people as an offering, or use the pieces for ritual cannibalism. The warrior would thus ascend one step in the hierarchy of the Aztec social classes, a system that rewarded successful warriors.

Tezcatlipoca

Tezcatlipoca was generally considered the most powerful god, the god of night, sorcery and destiny (the name tezcatlipoca means "smoking mirror", or "obsidian"). The Aztecs believed that Tezcatlipoca created war to provide food and drink to the gods. Tezcatlipoca was known by several epithets including "the Enemy" and "the Enemy of Both Sides", which stress his affinity for discord. Tezcatlipoca had the power to forgive sins and to relieve disease, or to release a man from the fate assigned to him by his date of birth; however, nothing in Tezcatlipoca's nature compelled him to do so. He was capricious and often brought about reversals of fortune. To the Aztecs, he was an all-knowing, all-seeing nearly all-powerful god. One of his names can be translated as "We Who Are His Slaves".

Some captives were sacrificed to Tezcatlipoca in ritual gladiatorial combat. The victim was tethered in place and given a mock weapon. He died fighting against up to four fully armed jaguar knights and eagle warriors.

During the 20-day month of Toxcatl, a young impersonator of Tezcatlipoca would be sacrificed. Throughout a year, this youth would be dressed as Tezcatlipoca and treated as a living incarnation of the God. The youth would represent Tezcatlipoca on earth; he would get four beautiful women as his companions until he met his destiny, in the meantime he walked through the streets of Tenochtitlan playing a flute. On the day of the sacrifice a feast would be held in Tezcatlipoca's honor. The young man would climb the pyramid, break his flute and surrender his body to the priests. Sahagún compared it to the Christian Easter.

Huehueteotl

To appease Huehueteotl, the fire god and a senior deity, the Aztecs had a ceremony where they prepared a large feast at the end of which they would burn captives and before they died they would be taken from the fire and their hearts would be cut out. Motolinía and Sahagún reported that the Aztecs believed that if they did not placate Huehueteotl a plague of fire would strike their city. The sacrifice was considered an offering to the deity.

Tláloc

Tláloc was the god of rain. The Aztecs believed that if sacrifices weren't supplied for Tláloc, rain wouldn't come and their crops wouldn't flourish. Leprosy and rheumatism, diseases caused by Tláloc, would infest the village. Tláloc required the tears of the young as part of the sacrifice. The priests made the children cry during their way to immolation: a good omen that Tláloc would wet the earth in the raining season. In the Florentine Codex, also known as General History of the Things of New Spain, Sahagún wrote:

"They offered them as sacrifices to [Tlaloc and Chalchiuhtlicue] so that they would give them water."

The sacrifice ritual



Most of the sacrificial rituals took more than two people to perform. In the usual procedure of sacrifice, the victim would be taken to the top of the temple. Then the victim would be laid on a stone slab by four priests, and his/her abdomen sliced open by a fifth priest with a ceremonial knife made of flint. The cut was made in the abdomen and went through the diaphragm. The priest would grab the heart and tear it out, still beating. It would be placed in a bowl held by a statue of the honored god, and the body thrown on the temple's stairs.

The body parts would then be disposed of: the viscera fed the animals in the zoo; the bleeding head was placed on display in the tzompantli, meaning 'hairy skulls'. Not all the skulls in the tzompantlis were victims of sacrifice. In the Anales de Tlatelolco it is described that during the siege of Tlatelolco by the Spaniards, the Tlatelolcas built three tzompantli: two for their own dead and one for the fallen conquerors, including two severed heads of horses.

Other kinds of human sacrifice, which paid tribute to various deities, approached the victims differently. The victim could be shot with arrows (in which the draining blood represented the cool rains of spring); die in unequal fighting (gladiatorial sacrifice) or be sacrificed as a result of the Mesoamerican ballgame; burned (to honor the fire god); flayed after being sacrificed (to honor Xipe Totec, "Our Lord The Flayed One"), or drowned.

Estimates of the scope of the sacrifices

For the re-consecration of Great Pyramid of Tenochtitlan in 1487, the Aztecs reported that they sacrificed about 80,400 prisoners over the course of four days, though there were probably far fewer sacrifices. According to Ross Hassing, author of Aztec Warfare, "between 10,000 and 80,400 persons" were sacrificed in the ceremony. The higher estimate would average 14 sacrifices per minute during the four-day consecration. As a comparison, the Auschwitz concentration camp, working 24 hours a day with modern technology, approached but did not equal this pace: it executed about 19,200 a day at its peak. Four tables were arranged at the top so that the victims could be jettisoned down the sides of the temple. Nonetheless, according to Codex Telleriano-Remensis, old Aztecs who talked with the missionaries told about a much lower figure for the reconsecration of the temple, approximately 4,000 victims in total.

Michael Harner, in his 1977 article The Enigma of Aztec Sacrifice, estimates the number of persons sacrificed in central Mexico in the 15th century as high as 250,000 per year. Fernando de Alva Cortés Ixtlilxochitl, a Mexica descendant and the author of Codex Ixtlilxochitl, claimed that one in five children of the Mexica subjects was killed annually. Victor Davis Hanson argues that an estimate by Don Carlos Zumárraga of 20,000 per annum is "more plausible." Other scholars believe that, since the Aztecs always tried to intimidate their enemies, it is more likely that they could have inflated the number as a propaganda tool. The same can be said for Bernal Díaz's inflated calculations when, in a state of visual shock, he grossly miscalculated the number of skulls at one of the seven Tenochtitlan tzompantlis. According the Florentine Codex, fifty years before the conquest the Aztecs burnt the skulls of the former tzompantli. Mexican archeologist Eduardo Matos Moctezuma has unearthed and studied some tzompantlis.

Sacrifices were made on specific days. Sahagún, Juan Bautista de Pomar and Motolinía report that the Aztecs had eighteen festivities each year, one for each Aztec month. They clearly state that in those festivities sacrifices were made. Each god required a different kind of victim: young women were drowned for Xilonen; children were sacrificed to Tláloc; Nahuatl-speaking prisoners to Huitzilopochtli, and a single nahua would volunteer for Tezcatlipoca. The Ramírez Codex states that for the annual festivity of Huitzilopochtli more than sixty prisoners were sacrificed in the main temple, and prisoners were sacrificed in other large Aztec cities as well.

Not all sacrifices were made at the Tenochtitlan temples; a few were made at "Cerro del Peñón", an islet of the Texcoco lake. According to an Aztec source, in the month of Tlacaxipehualiztli (from February 22 to March 13), thirty-four captives were sacrificed in the gladiatorial sacrifice to Xipe Totec. More victims would be sacrificed to Huitzilopochtli in the month Panquetzaliztli (from 9 November to 28 November) according to the Ramírez Codex. This would mean a figure as low as 300 to 600 victims a year. There is little agreement on the actual figure due to the scarcity of archeological evidence.

Every Aztec warrior would have to provide at least one prisoner for sacrifice. All the male population was trained to be warriors, but only the few who succeeded in providing captives could became full-time members of the warrior elite. Those who could not would became macehualli, workers. Accounts also state that several young warriors could unite their efforts in order to capture a single prisoner, which suggests that capturing prisoners for sacrifice was challenging.

Early Spanish accounts mention the sacrificial practice of the Aztecs as well as other Mesoamerican cultures in the 16th century. There are numerous depictions of sacrifices in the Mexica statuary, as well as in codices such as the Ríos, Tudela, Telleriano-Remensis, Durán, and Sahagún's Florentine. On the other hand, the pre-Columbian, indigenous codices that depict the rites were not written texts but pictorial and highly symbolic ideographs -- the Aztecs had not developed the fully written language of their predecessors, the Mayans. Bishop Zumarraga (1528-48) burned all obtainable texts in his religious zeal.

For Mesoamerica as a whole, the accumulated archaeological, iconographical and in the case of the Maya written evidence, indicates that human sacrifice was widespread across cultures and periods, dating back to 600 BCE and possibly much earlier. Osteological analyses have also been interpreted as corroborating the texts. Pictorial illustrations of sacrifices on Maya ceramics and stelae have also been published.

Accounts from the Grijalva expeditions
In addition to the accounts provided by Sahagún and Durán, there are other important texts to be considered.

Juan de Grijalva, Hernán Cortés, Juan Díaz, Bernal Díaz, Andrés de Tapia, Francisco de Aguilar, Ruy González and the Anonymous Conqueror wrote about the Conquest of Mexico.

Martyr d'Anghiera, Lopez de Gomara, Oviedo y Valdes and Illescas, while not in Mesoamerica, wrote their accounts based on interviews with the participants. Bartolomé de Las Casas and Sahagún arrived later to New Spain but had access to direct testimony, especially of the indigenous people. All of these narratives mention and describe the practice of human sacrifice

Juan Díaz
Juan Díaz, a participant of the 1518 Grijalva expedition, wrote Itinerario de Grijalva before 1520, in which he describes the aftermath of a sacrifice on an island near Veracruz.

Bernal Díaz
Main article: The Conquest of New Spain
Bernal Díaz corroborates Juan Díaz's history:

"In these altars were idols with evil looking bodies, and that very night five Indians had been sacrificed before them; their chests had been cut open, and their arms and thighs had been cut off. The walls were covered with blood. We stood greatly amazed and gave the island the name isleta de Sacrificios [Island of the Sacrifices]."

In The Conquest of New Spain Díaz recounted that, after landing on the coast, they came across a temple dedicated to Tezcatlipoca. "That day they had sacrificed two boys, cutting open their chests and offering their blood and hearts to that accursed idol". Díaz narrates several more sacrificial descriptions on the later Cortés expedition. Arriving at Cholula, they find "cages of stout wooden bars full of men and boys who were being fattened for the sacrifice at which their flesh would be eaten". hen the conquistadors reached Tenochtitlan, Díaz described the sacrifices at the Great Pyramid:

"They strike open the wretched Indian's chest with flint knives and hastily tear out the palpitating heart which, with the blood, they present to the idols. They cut off the arms, thighs and head, eating the arms and thighs at ceremonial banquets. The head they hang up on a beam, and the body is given to the beasts of prey."

According to Bernal Díaz, the chiefs of the surrounding towns, for example Cempoala, would complain on numerous occasions to Cortés about the perennial need to supply the Aztecs with victims for human sacrifice. It is clear from his description of their fear and resentment toward the Mexicas that, in their opinion, it was no honor to surrender their kinsmen to be sacrificed by them.

Hernán Cortés
Cortés describes similar events in his Letters:

"They have a most horrid and abominable custom which truly ought to be punished and which until now we have seen in no other part, and this is that, whenever they wish to ask something of the idols, in order that their plea may find more acceptance, they take many girls and boys and even adults, and in the presence of these idols they open their chests while they are still alive and take out their hearts and entrails and burn them before the idols, offering the smoke as sacrifice. Some of us have seen this, and they say it is the most terrible and frightful thing they have ever witnessed."

The Anonymous Conqueror

The Anonymous Conqueror's Narrative of Some Things of New Spain and of the Great City of Temestitan details Aztec sacrifices. In Chapter XIV he depicts the temple in which men, women, boys and girls were sacrificed. On Chapter XXIV the Anonymous Conqueror repeatedly claims that the Aztecs were cannibals, sodomites, alcoholics and polygamists. The original Spanish text is lost. The description of the temple was published in the 1556 Ramusio Italian edition.

Toltec Wisdom for the Spiritual Warrior's Journey

The Four Agreements in Concise Layman Terms Below:

Be Impeccable With Your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

Don't Take Anything Personally: Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering.

Don't Make Assumptions: Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness, and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.

Always Do Your Best: Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

Embrace the Future Instead of Trying to Predict It

Photo Sparks Push for New Cloud Type

I love to photograph clouds I found this interesting, I hope you enjoy.
- Oculus

Looking out the 11th floor window of her law office, Jane Wiggins did a double take and grabbed her camera. The dark, undulating clouds hovering outside were unlike anything she'd seen before.

"It looked like Armageddon," said Wiggins, a paralegal and amateur photographer in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. "The shadows of the clouds, the lights and the darks, and the greenish-yellow backdrop. They seemed to change."

They dissipated within 15 minutes, but the photo Wiggins captured in June 2006 intrigued — and stumped — a group of dedicated weather watchers who now are pushing weather authorities to create a new cloud category, something that hasn't been done since 1951.

Breaking into the cloud family would require surviving layers of skeptical international review. Still, Gavin Pretor-Pinney and his England-based Cloud Appreciation Society are determined to establish a new variety. They've given Wiggins' photo and similar pictures taken in different parts of the world to experts in England, and are discussing the subject fervently online.

"They (the clouds) were the first ones that I noted of this type and I was unsure which category to put them under," said Pretor-Pinney, author of "The Cloudspotter's Guide." "When we put pictures up online we list the category, and I wasn't sure how to categorize it."

Some scientists are skeptical. They argue that researchers who have long watched the sky haven't seen anything distinctly new for decades.

There are three main groups of clouds: cumulous, cirrus and stratus. Each has various sub-classifications built on other details of the formation.

Brant Foote, a longtime scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., said the clouds photographed by Wiggins already fit into the existing cumulous classification.

But Pretor-Pinney, who never studied meteorology, believes the clouds merit their own cumulus sub-classification. He proposes they be called altocumulus undulatus asperatus. The last word — Latin for roughen or agitate — is a reference to the clouds' undulating surface.

"Not necessarily gentle or steady, but quite violent-looking, turbulent, almost twisted in its appearance," he said.

The group has compiled several photographs documenting the formations from the billowy, rolling clouds shot by Wiggins in Iowa to ones from New Zealand that were much more menacing, hanging lava-like in the sky.

Foote said it would be "very unusual" for such a formation to be recognized as a new variety of cloud.

"People have been looking at clouds for hundreds of years and the general cloud classification is well defined," Foote said. "It's not as if someone discovered a new plant in the Amazon. It's what you've seen every day. There was no atmospheric condition that caused a new kind of cloud to form."

Pretor-Pinney is working with the Royal Meteorological Society in Reading, England, to prepare his case. If that group signs off, the proposal will go to the United Nation's World Meteorological Organization in Geneva.

Society executive director Paul Hardaker said a small panel within the society is gathering evidence to review. Their efforts include talking with those who took the submitted photos to determinine when, where and amid what weather they were taken. Hardaker said meteorologists tend to be skeptical of such proposals.

"We like to believe that just about everything that can be seen has been, but you do get caught once in a while with the odd, new, interesting thing," Hardaker said. "By this stage we think it's sufficiently interesting to explore it further and we're optimistic about the information we've got."

Tantric Sexual Rituals

Tantrism was a "movement appearing in India about AD 400 and operating within both Hinduism and Buddhism. The word tantra means a work. It may simply mean a book. But it also has an implication of the right way to do something, to perform ritual, for example. And there seems to be allusion to weaving and spinning, the skilled work of women: the world too is woven like a tissue."
- John Ferguson, An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Mysticism and the Mystery Religions

"It uses meditation, ritual, symbolism, and magic. Although magic was not part of the Buddha's teaching, Tantric practitioners regard Tantra as a faster way of attaining the Buddha-nature than the path of the bodhisattvas. The forms of Tantra using mantras, powerful sacred sounds, are known as Mantrayana. Tantra tries to realize the continuous connection between all human states and conditions, including ones that are usually thought polluting or dangerous; all are the Buddha-nature, if perceived and experienced rightly. Thus hatred and revulsion, which are the oppositions of love and desire, dissolve in the realization that all states are equally the undifferentiated Buddha-nature and are without real characteristics of their own."
- John Bowker, World Religions: The Great Faiths Explained and Explored (1997), p. 74

"Not to all and any should this hymn be revealed
For be it made known to one who is unworthy,
Then ill falls upon him.
Therefore should it be carefully concealed."
- Tantras

"Their principal theme is ritual and worship; they are involved with what one critic calls 'baroque forms of yoga'; women, goddesses, and fertility and sexual energy generally are important for religious understanding; wine and meat are also important. Tantric ritual has in fact been summed up as 'the five ms' - madya (intoxicating drinks), mamsa (meat), matsya (fish), mudra (ritual gestures), maithuna (ritual sexual union). Thus whereas Hinduism tends to deny this world, Tantrism in general affirms it."
- John Ferguson, An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Mysticism and the Mystery Religions

"Another name for Tantric Buddhism is Vajrayana, the Vehicle of the Thunderbolt. The vajra is a double-headed ritual implement, used with a bell. Held in the right hand, it represents the masculine, skillful means, and compassion. The bell in the left hand represents the feminine, wisdom, emptiness, and nirvana. It is especially common in Tibet. In the Vajrayana the five Jinas, eminent ones, also known as the dhyani-Buddha, are a major focus of meditation. they are Akshobya, Amitabha, Amoghasiddhi, Ratnasambhava, and Vairocana."
- John Bowker, World Religions: The Great Faiths Explained and Explored (1997), p. 74

"In the creative process, initially the sexual pair, Shiva and Shakti, within both man and world, are so deeply joined in sexual union they are unaware of their differences and beyond Time. They then become aware of their distinction and the female 'objective' separates from the male 'subject'. She performs her dance of illusion, persuading the male 'subject' he is not one but many, and generating from her womb the world of multiplied objects in what seems to be a sequence in time. These 'subjects' now each perceive a differentiated reality, seeming to be composed of separate particles of objective fact, and live lives that seem to be extended in time."
- Philip Rawson The Art of Tantra

"What yogis see as the eternal, unwasting, solitary, pure, supreme Brahman, that is the ultimate state of the Great Goddess [Shakti]. That all-embracing existence, higher than the highest, universal, benevolent and faultless, which is in the genitals of Prakriti, that is the ultimate state of the Great Goddess. That which is white, spotless, pure, without qualities and distinction, that which is realized only in the self, that is the ultimate state of the Great Goddess."
- Hindu Text (from An Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Mysticism and the Mystery Religions)

"A close analogy was found by Shellon [Annotations on the Sacred Writings of the Hindus] between the rituals of the Hindus and those of the Egyptians. He equated Shiva with Osiris, and Shakti with Isis, represented by the same equilateral triangle with a dot in the center, the same emblem of the generative power - two coexisting principles of nature, active and passive, linga and yoni.

"Shellon describes Hindu Tantric sexual rituals as being performed with naked temple courtesans or yoginis, young and beautiful, representing the goddess Shakti, or power, reciting mantras, becoming sexually excited and inducing promiscuous orgies among the votaries which he qualifies as 'very licentious' but constituting a mysterious initiation. He further describes Shakti as represented in coitu sitting on Shiva's erect member, just as Isis 'the goddess who grants all desires' did with the dead Osiris."
- Peter Tompkins, The Magic of Obelisks

"...Not only initiation, but the very capacity to reach to Tantric goal can only be transmitted along a line of female 'power-holders'... Tantra demands that every bond with the everyday conventional world must be broken if one is to obtain enlightenment."
- Philip Rawson The Art of Tantra

"In all Tantric magic, the essential requirement - whether in the ecstasy of couples or the solo rituals of a priestess - involved the raising of the energy known as the serpent of fire, or kundalini....The excited chakras are seen clairvoyantly as whirls of multicolored lights, glowing and pulsing along the spinal column, with lesser lights 'pulsating like stars throughout the ganglionic network of nerves which constitute the subtle anatomy of man.' The aroused chakras are described as petaled lotuses, tuned as receivers of powerful cosmic rays to link the microscopic body to the macroscopic universe."
- Peter Tompkins, The Magic of Obelisks

"...All the faculties - the senses, the emotions, and the intellect - should be encouraged and roused to their highest pitch, that the person's store of memories and responses can be awakened and re-converted into the pure energy from which they all originated. Feelings and pleasures thus become the raw material for transformation back into enlightenment."
"Raise your enjoyment to its highest power, and then use it as a spiritual rocket fuel."
- Philip Rawson The Art of Tantra

"The ambrosia is the nectarlike reproductive secretion which, at the highest point of ecstasy, pours into the brain with such an intensely pleasurable sensation that even the sexual orgasm pales into insignificance before it. This unbelievably rapturous sensation - pervading the whole of the spinal cord, the organs of generation and the brain - is nature's incentive to the effort directed at self-transcendence, as the orgasm is the incentive to the reproductive act."
- Gopi Krishna

Kenneth Rextroth, in his introduction to the works of the seventeenth-century alchemist Thomas Vaughan, states "that the 'Vessel of Nature', the vessel in which the alchemical operation takes place, is a 'menstruous substance'. 'It is the matrix of Nature, wherein you must place the universal sperm as soon as it appears beyond its body. The heat of this matrix is suphureous, and it is that which coagulates the sperm...This matrix is the life of the sperm, for it preserves and quickens it.' And he ends his postscript by stating that he is convinced that this basic secret of alchemy was originally 'revealed' to man, 'for it is the secret of Nature, even that which the philosophers call "the first copulation"...' Such sexual symbolism is not rare in alchemy (i.e., the sexual yoga of Chinese alchemy and Tantrism). It looks as though either Vaughan is hinting that the 'vessel' is the female vagina, or the alchemical operation closely parallels sexual intercourse."
- Colin Wilson, Mysteries

"The 'left-hand' worshippers, who follow the destructive principle and claim that they can utilize it, worship [Kali] in secret. In the higher levels of initiation, worship is changed, for both the Tantra (left hand) and other worshippers
"The Tantrics explain that the physical license of the worship of Kali is needed for brutish mankind in this evil (Kaliyuga) time. This is because only a few can liberate themselves from the flesh and reach divinity direct. Kalipuja (Kali-worship) gives the brutish man and woman an outlet and an idea of how intoxicating true communion with the divine could be. For this reason, according to the priest, it is not uncommon for mass orgies to be held in the early stages of initiation of even the right-hand worshippers, so that they may get a glimpse of the physical reflection of the true ecstasy which comes with acceptance by Kali."
- Arkon Daraul, Secret Societies

Higher Levels of Consciousness

The totality of our consciousness is comprised of three levels: the subconscious, the conscious, and the superconscious. These levels of consciousness represent differing degrees of intensity of awareness.

The first level, the subconscious, is relatively dim in awareness: it is the stuff of which dreams are made. We may think of it as the repository of all remembered experiences, impressions left on the mind by those experiences, and tendencies awakened or reinforced by those impressions. Every experience we've ever had, every thought, every impression of loss or gain, resides in the subconscious mind and determines our patterns of thought and behavior far more than we realize.

The subconscious, being unrestricted by the rigid demands of logic, permits a certain flow of ideas. This flow may border on intuition, but if the ideas are too circumscribed by subjectivity, they won't correspond with the external world around us. When we dream at night, we are mainly operating on the subconscious level.

The subconscious mind can all too easily intrude itself on our conscious awareness, tricking us into thinking we're getting intuitive guidance, when actually we're merely being influenced by past impressions and unfulfilled desires. The subconscious mind is in some ways close to the superconscious, where real intuition resides. Both represent a flow of awareness without logical obstructions. The subconscious is therefore more open to the intuitions of the superconscious, and sometimes receives them, though usually mixed with confusing imagery.

To be really clear in the guidance we receive is difficult, but very important. Calamitous decisions have been make in the belief that one was drawing on higher guidance, when in fact one was responding only to subconscious preconditioning. The next level of consciousness from which we receive guidance is the conscious state, the rational awareness that usually guides our daily decisions.

When we receive input from the senses, analyze the facts, and makes decisions based on this information, we are using this conscious level of guidance. This process is also strongly affected by the opinions of others, which can cloud our ability to draw true guidance. Dividing and separating the world into either/or categories, the conscious level of awareness is problem-oriented. It's difficult to be completely certain of decisions drawn from this level, because the analytical mind can see all the possible solutions.

But ultimately it doesn't have the ability to distinguish which one is best. If we rely exclusively on the conscious mind, we may find ourselves lacking in certainty and slipping into a state of perpetual indecision. Intuition and heightened mental clarity flow from superconscious awareness. The conscious mind is limited by its analytical nature, and therefore sees all things as separate and distinct. We may be puzzled by a certain situation, but because it seems unrelated to other events, it's difficult to draw a clear course of action. By contrast, because the superconscious mind is unitive and sees all things as part of a whole, it can readily draw solutions. In superconsciousness the problem and the solution are seen as one, as though the solution was a natural outgrowth from the problem.

Technique for Tuning in to Higher Guidance

Whenever you need special guidance but find none forthcoming, try following these suggestions: 1) Ask for guidance from superconsciousness at the Spiritual Eye. 2) Wait for a response in the heart center. Be completely impartial. Don't intrude your personal desires into this process. Pray, "Thy will, not mine, be done." 3) If no guidance comes, propose several alternative solutions at the Spiritual Eye.

See if one of them receives special endorsement in the heart. 4) Guidance often comes only after an idea has been made concrete by setting it in motion. If, therefore, you receive no answer in meditation, act in whatever way seems reasonable to you, but continue to listen for guidance in the heart. 5) At a certain point, if your direction is right, you will feel the endorsement you've been seeking.

But if your direction is wrong, suddenly you will know it is wrong. In that case, try something else, until the endorsement comes. 6) To refuse to act until you receive inner guidance is good only if you can keep your level of energy and expectation high. For it is high energy and high expectation that attract guidance. If you must act because you have no other way of maintaining that level of energy, then go ahead and act.

Often, it is better to act, even in error, than not to act at all. 7) Even if you feel inner guidance, never presume on it. That guidance may tell you, metaphorically speaking, to go north, but if you cease listening you may not hear it when, at the next corner, it tells you to turn east. 8) A problem is half solved already once it is stated clearly. In seeking guidance, form a clear mental picture of what it is you need.

Then hold that picture up to superconsciousness at the point between the eyebrows. People often struggle for a long time to find the inspiration they want. No time at all is needed: only sufficient mental clarity, and energy. Never use the claim of inner guidance as an argument for convincing others to listen to you. The flow of superconsciousness is always humble, never boastful. It doesn't cooperate with attitudes that discourage others from seeking their own inner guidance.

To tell a person, "This is what my intuition tells me, so this is what we must all do," is to say, in effect, "God will speak only through me, not through anyone else." Such an attitude sooner or later gets its comeuppance. The divine law does not endorse pride.

Humor as a Higher Level of Consciousness

Mystics in most of the major religious traditions refer to different "levels" of consciousness. They don’t all describe them the same way, or provide the same kind of instructions for accessing them. A generation ago, some drugs were touted as non-religious means for achieving extraordinary states of consciousness. For most people, "common sense" might be thought of as the standard state, and other states, however described in glowing terms, are better left alone. Many scientists, even neurologists who concentrate on matters of the brain and nervous system, are reluctant to make sweeping statements about the nature of consciousness.

Writers such as Aldous Huxley, who wrote The Perennial Philosophy back in the 1940s, and Ken Wilber, who is still prolific in his attempts to organize our concepts of reality, describe consciousness as a continuum, beginning perhaps at the bottom of the hierarchy of life forms. (Wilber suggests that there may not even be a "bottom," for even the movement of heavenly bodies could be thought of as reflecting some form of consciousness.)

The upper reaches of the continuum are referred to variously as religious ecstasy, nirvana, or enlightenment. What we refer to as "lower forms of life" could be seen as evidencing less complex awareness of their environment than most humans, with less effective means for organizing their experiences. Some people insist that "consciousness" begins with human beings, who seem uniquely gifted with a sense of "I."

I’ll take as my starting point for the sake of this discussion an assumption that we humans do, indeed, possess consciousness, defined rather vaguely as an awareness of self and not-self. I’ve noticed that many people appear to have "something" in their mental makeup that is beyond my capacity to understand, let alone hope to achieve. They might be called "geniuses," or "saints," or "prophets," or something similar; and to many people they seem to operate at a level beyond us ordinary folk. Their specialness seems not just a matter of degree. They not only understand things we do not, they know things that we cannot even dream of. They may not be in a different world than we, but they obviously see it differently. When I watch my dog Tasha trying desperately to understand me when I’m explaining something to her, something that affects her directly but of which she is totally unaware, I remember listening in awe to the Dalai Lama a few years ago, and feeling just as I imagine Tasha does.

And I’m likely to be gentler with the "poor, dumb animal." Wilber did much to illuminate my thinking about levels of consciousness. We do move up, he said, as we learn to integrate our experiences at different ages. A six-year-old cannot be expected to respond appropriately to, say, sexual situations.

Usually, but not always, there comes a time when he or she understands more of the complex emotional and physical and social aspects of sexuality. This advance in perspective is often taken for granted, but if one thinks about it, it’s pretty remarkable. When a person grows up enough in different areas of experience, they understand more, and their range of responses is greater. At some point, we call it wisdom. "Ah, yes," I’ve said more than once, "I’ve been here before. I’ve felt this tightness in my gut and my sudden desire to escape.

And I know also that I’m really not in danger, and I can control my urge and make the most out of what’s happening right here, right now." Sometimes, I might even make a joke about it all. The ability to laugh at oneself at times is usually considered a desirable trait. If I’m frightened by something that turns out to be benign, and I can laugh about it, I’m not so apt to be at its mercy in the future. If I feel insulted by someone unexpectedly, and then realize that their intentions were not hostile, a little humor can disperse the difficulties in the transaction.

When I suddenly realize that it’s the little kid in me who is responding to a situation, I can choose to act more adult, and at the same time have compassion for that part of me who is still four years old and fearful of abandonment. I’m talking about gentle humor. There’s also another kind, a hurtful kind, expressed in sarcasm and even sadistic glee. Enjoying another person’s suffering is not a higher level of consciousness. But humor—any humor—requires a degree of sophistication to understand. Humor, as a response, is often a matter of seeing some familiar situation and twisting it, creating a paradox or an unexpected result.

The enjoyment of "getting the joke" is in perceiving both ends of the paradox. Relating two things that are usually not thought of as related. My wife thinks "Humor as a higher level of consciousness" is itself funny. Why? I believe it’s because we ordinarily think of humor as a leveler, a folksy thing. I could relate some incidents in which my dog Tasha has fun with me—not playing the way animals often do with each other, exercising abilities that are to be used in very serious ways, such as fighting off intruders or competing to get food, but in a gentle teasing behavior, pretending to give me her ball to toss, then slyly pulling it just out of reach. If I stop reaching for it, she brings it back, and repeats the tease until I manage to grab it, then instantly she lets go and bounds off, looking back at me waiting for the toss.

This little game is fun for her and fun for me, and we both know it and appreciate the humor. It’s a delicate dance, what James Carse calls an "infinite game," played for the fun of playing and not to have a winner and a loser. That’s humor, too, the "good" kind. Laughing at oneself is not destructive. On the contrary, it helps to bond people (and animals). What I’m enjoying when Tasha plays her little game with me, is my own limitation—my dog outwitting me! If I were truly embarrassed or humiliated, my responses would not encourage her to repeat the game.

It wouldn’t be fun for either of us. Since I’ve become aware of all this, I’ve begun to pay more attention to my own humor, checking now and then to see whether it’s destructive or constructive to the relationship. Laughing at another person can be either. It’s a fine line to walk, requiring sensitivity and skill—and a lot of knowledge about the other person.

Psychologists tell us that humor at someone else’s expense is always a hostile act. The important word there is "expense." If I’m aware of my own forgetfulness, for example, and make jokes about it, someone I trust can also kid me about it—a little. To gauge the word "little," I guess it would be less than I do. If I can laugh at myself, it indicates an acceptance of my own shortcoming, a level of comfort. A perspective. In perhaps only a small way, I have "risen above" myself and my ego. About other personal topics, such as my deteriorating physical condition, I’m not so sanguine. I can’t readily joke about it, and I can be easily hurt if someone else jokes about it.

My level of consciousness related to that is rather stuck. My ego reigns. So, perhaps it’s clearer to say that humor can be an indicator of higher consciousness, rather than the state itself. When it reflects that ever-important perspective, or that bit of insight, humor might be thought of as one characteristic of wisdom. Logically, the next question is: does God have a sense of humor? Personally, I have no doubt.

Lucid Dreams

A lucid dream, also known as conscious dream, is a dream in which the sleeper is aware that they are dreaming. When the dreamer is lucid, they can actively participate in and often manipulate the imaginary experiences in the dream environment. Lucid dreams can be extremely real and vivid depending on a person's level of self-awareness during the lucid dream. A lucid dream can begin in one of three ways. A dream-initiated lucid dream (DILD) starts as a normal dream, and the dreamer eventually concludes that they are dreaming, while a wake-initiated lucid dream (WILD) occurs when the dreamer goes from a normal waking state directly into a dream state with no apparent lapse in consciousness.

A mnemonic initiated lucid dream (MILD) can happen when the dreamer intentionally affirms him/herself that they will become lucid that night. This can sometimes happen due to dream-signs or spontaneously upon remembrance. The first technique is to overcome fear. Realizing that you are in a dream provides a unique opportunity to actually seek fearful situations and overcome them. If you are haunted by nightmares you can heal yourself with lucidity. I had a recurring dream where I was cornered by a vicious rabid dog. Usually I woke up with my heart pounding.

But one time I became lucid and I calmed myself and said to myself "this is just a dream." The dog sensed that I wasn't afraid and he became friendly. I never had that dream again. I know a someone who suffered trauma from something that occurred to her in the past and had recurring nightmares. She healed the trauma with the power of lucid dreaming and moved on with her life. If you are afraid of "evil" take a trip to Hell and meet the Devil. You may be pleasantly surprised when you overcome this fear. You may also gain some very interesting philosophical insights. Remember even interesting philosophical insights are dreamlike also.

One time I had a dream where I was on a very narrow dock far out into the ocean. There were sharks trying to bite my feet off. I became lucid and I said "I must transform". So I transformed the sharks into dolphins! This brings us to our next task: transformation. To help realize the illusory nature of existence we practice transforming things. Transform sharks into dolphins, mountains into puddles, castles into trees, rocks into cupcakes, etc. You can transform anything into anything.

Transform big things into small things. Transform someone into someone else. Make things disappear. You get the idea. Our next task is to transform our dream bodies to help us realize that we are not our bodies. Shape shift into a cat, dog, bird, or a deity. Multiply yourself into twenty. Make yourself disappear. Walk through walls. Walk through a mirror. Turn yourself into a cabbage. Have fun.

The idea is to free your mind and your conception of yourself. Another practice is to summon deities. This is always fun. You can identify with the deity and therefore take on enlightened attributes the deity represents. This goes with the shape shifting practice also. Summon Buddhas. Become them. Ask to meet your spirit guides. Ask to meet a famous guru. Ask to meet Aliens. Ask to meet Albert Einstein. Learn to play a musical instrument. Learn Kung Fu. Do yogic practices or Qi Gong. Activate your kundalini. Travel to the higher dimensions. The best mode of transportation in the dream world is to fly. If you walk you are very likely to get distracted and forget your mission. Fly to the light, fly to where there is more light. Or... fly to the darkness.

Fly into outer-space. When you get very "high" in the dream you may have some very interesting sensations. You may feel like you are actually leaving your body and you are traveling astrally. You may be flooded by intense exalted feelings of universal love. You may have visions of emptiness.

The point of all this is to have first-hand experience of the dreamlike nature of existence. You should contemplate during waking life also how everything is ultimately like a dream. This does not mean you should jump off a building to try to fly. If you think you can fly, start from the ground. Contemplate how when you lay yourself down to fall asleep and pass into dreaming, you are going from one dream into another.