BIOPHILE 16 — JUNE/JULY 2007 R25 - Biophile Magazine

Biophile Magazineis published every two months,in February, April, June, August,October and December. Deadlinesfor advertising and articlesubmissions are the 15th day of themonth preceding publication.Mission StatementOur mission is to impartknowledge with truth and integrityfor the highest good of all. Biophileis not affiliated to any religious,political or philosophical ideologyor organisation. Our ethos is oneof co-operation and sharing. Wetherefore actively encourageyou to reproduce and share theinformation in this magazine, butplease contact us first to confirmthe availability of the materialyou’d like to use.DisclaimerNo guarantee is madeconcerning the validity of theinformation in this publication andno responsibility will be acceptedfor any errors or omissions,or comments made by ourcontributors.The TeamEditor: Anthea Torranthea@biophile.co.zaCo-Editor: Steve Ventersteve@biophile.co.zaAssistant Editor: Ian Lightian@biophile.co.zaSubscriptions: Coral McCallumcoral@biophile.co.za021 709 0390www.biophile.co.za/subscribeAdvertising:Steve Ventersteve@biophile.co.za021 782 3401www.biophile.co.za/advertiseAssistants: Des du Plooy,Shahied Ishmail, Debbie EnslinCartoonist: James Wolfaardt(Wolf Art) acme@webmail.co.zaContact usTel: (021) 709 0390Fax: (021) 709 0392Postal: Box 39277Capricorn Square 7948Email: inbox@biophile.co.zaVisit us onlinewww.biophile.co.zaCopyLeftThis magazine has been freedby copyleft. Unless otherwisenoted, you are free to redistributethe content of this magazine ifyou clearly credit the author andsource.ISSN: 1813-1395inside issue 16 [June/July 2007]16 Electrical SensitivityThere is much scientific proof that electromagnetic pollution is detrimental to ourhealth.18 ElectrosmogTVs, computers, wireless technologies and cellphones all add to the smog ofelectromagnetic radiation which surrounds and affects us all.20 The Global Ecovillage MovementImagine a village where people of all ages live together in harmony; where diversityis celebrated; where all villagers devote their goodwill, intelligence, capital andlabour to meet the common goals of caring for the Earth.22 Khula Dhamma Ecovillage24 A Touch of Madness, Touched by Modernity26 Auroville: a Blueprint for Living28 The Magic of Findhorn30 How to be a Greener Cloth Nappy UserIf you wash your child’s cloth nappies incorrectly, you could be doing as much harmto the environment as ifyou were using disposables.35 To the Bush with CarnivoresPatricia Glyn travels to Botswana to find out if any San communities have gone backto their homelands after several years’ exile.38 Eden CampusEden Campus has launched a number of student businesses.40 2007: the Year of EventualitiesThe official version of what is going on has very little to do with the truth of what isgoing on.43 Healing Mother EarthA global project of healing intention.46 What’s Your Headache?Some headaches are mild and disappear after a while, others are more seriousmigraines, which keep coming back.48 Horses Reconnecting HumanityExploring the potentials of horse/human relationships.50 Welcoming WinterAyurvedic tips and recipes from Dr Ram Garg.52 ADHD: an Illness of GenerationsADHD children are very sensitive to pollution, noise, poor nutrition and overstimulation.54 The Truth about Cholesterol-Lowering DrugsCholesterol-lowering drugs are the most widely sold prescription medicine inhistory, and are ruining lives with their serious side-effects.56 Colloidal SilverA necessity for both good and bad times.58 What Goes On... Goes InPetrochemicals in the mix.59 Blatant DeceptionA simple bottle of shampoo... a reflection of our society, culture, and way of life!02 Inbox09 Editorial10 The Biofiles31 Green Directory34 Subscriptions & Back Issues60 Soil for Life63 Books to Change Your Life64 Cosmic DirectionsPrinted with lead-free inkson recycled paperMinimum 10% of profitsdonated to charity1

inbox our readers writeWorth every centI was recently introduced to yourmagazine by our local health shop.It was suggested as noteworthyreading in conjunction with theOdyssey magazine that I buy. I wasa little suspicious as the cover didnot look all glossy etc., but, as theysay, do not judge a book by itscover. In your case, magazine.Well, it was worth every cent.We have decided to find an alternativeto the IAMS dog food thatwe have been feeding our sausagedogs. Also I have quit using Canderellsweetener.I have also joined Earth Life.So, thanks! Us citizens of theworld need to have a platformof unbiased truth to digest andmanifest on.George RodinisIssue 13’s coverHi there. Would it be possible foryou guys to explain somethingto me? I am not going to bediplomatic nor am I going to beobnoxious or hateful in speech.On the cover of Issue 13 thereis written in pencil: “I must notexpress myself/I must not be creative/Punishmentand detention.”Now... let us say that a childread that. What would she orhe think? Saying that someoneshould not express themselves orbe creative and that they will bepunished basically takes away themeaning of being human.Mentally, that is. A person isbound to be creative and they willalmost always have the insatiableneed to be expressive, no? Takingthat away from a growing mindwith racing thoughts is just asbad as taking away life, paralizingsomeone.Now please explain to mewhy this was put on the cover.(I am still just a young person. Iexpressed myself here.)Ricky WheelerThe reason that we put that on thecover is that children are rarelyallowed to truly express themselveswhen they are in the classroom,Hence the bound mouth andthe backdrop to the child. If youread the articles you will see theethos that is running through theinformation is about allowingchildren much more freedom toexpress themselves, we at Biophilefeel strongly that the current systemis not serving our children in a waythat is allowing them to reach anythinglike their full potential.AntheaSend your letters to inbox@biophile.co.zapost them to PO Box 39277 Capricorn Square 7948or fax them to 021 709 0392Star Letters win a free subscription to BiophileBiophile is part of the movementagainst lies and propagandaMuizenberg’scob houseMany thanks for printing the articleabout our house last month — exceptfor the misleading information that the cobhouse in Muizenberg has been finished.It hasn’t! We have nearly cobbed up tofirst floor level at the time of writing (thereare two floors to the building). We are verymuch still busy, offering building workshopsfor the public on the last Sunday ofevery month, and also hoping that peoplewill take up the offer of future accommodationin our organic Bed and Breakfast inreturn for paying now.This would help with getting the last fewpennies to complete the house — as we mentioned,there is no chance of getting a bankloan at present for this kind of building.Thank you for the amazing work you do ofraising awareness and increasing publicknowledge on so many issues which impacton the lives of millions of South Africans.Much of what we have come to know as‘modern life’ has been the result of ill-communication,manipulation and outright liesby those in political and economic power.I recognize that Biophile is part of themovement against the lies and propagandapumped by the money hungry that have verylittle regard for our Great Mother Gaia andhumanity.I have recently been exposed to Biophileand all the copies I have are at least 2 yearsold. Everything in them, however, is stillrelevant and serves as timeless carriers ofmodern truths.I do have a request with regard to the wayin which articles are written. As a concernedperson I am often disturbed by what I readin Biophile in terms of how we are having anegative impact on the earth and ourselvesbut I do not know how I can do somethingpractical.I would greatly appreciate if more informationcould be supplied as to what us average“on-the-bread-line” South Africans cando to turn the tide against the abuse of ourland and humanity in favour of a sustainablefuture.Often I find that it is mostly people whohave access to facilities that are able to be involvedin the fight to save the earthand humanity.(For example: I do not have a vehicleand do not live close to a recycing depot, andcannot afford to pay someone to move myplastic and paper for me.)What can I do? My idea is to use a publicationlike Biophile to create a network ofpeople in my area who are also keen to recycleand collectively transport our recyclablewaste... just an idea!)I am also just about to become a fatherand read your article on polio vaccinationsin Biophile Issue 1. I was vaccinated and sowas my partner and we are both healthy butwe also see the dangers of such vaccines. Iwould be very interested in learning moreabout alternatives, their advantages and risksand what dangers exist in the modern ageif we step out of the mould which has beencreated by many generations of people takingvaccines.If we choose not to vaccinate our daughterare we just being stupid as we now live in thecity and she will at some stage be surroundedby many children who carry the virus insidethem as well as the anti-virus?Once again I commend you for an amazingpublication, for creating awareness andbringing knowledge, information and powerto the people.Mikal (Gaia’s Kitchen, VegetarianResturant, Durban 084 961 9985 )For more information ring us on 021 7886613, or watch the progress on our blog,www.cobhouse.blogspot.comSimric and Carey Yarrow2 Biophile Issue 16

All bent and twisted!We couldn’t put your magazinedown! It’s all bent and twisted andwe’re showing it to everyone! Atleast five of our friends are goingout tomorrow to buy the magazine— they LOVE it too!I’m a physical fitness instructor/personaltrainer and have astudio from home and my beliefshave always been along the linesof what your magazine promotes.My husband is a Naturalist artist— please find attached a fewexamples of his artworks — andhe’s also believed and followed thesame beliefs forever despite therejection when people pull grossedout faces at what he loudly saysabout we’re burning out the earthetc etc...He’s a bodysculptor/builder bygenetics and lifestyle and I followthe same principles but in anEXTREMELY Holistic way!! Somepeople just don’t understand thatyou have to respect your body andtreat and feed it the right stuff asmother earth intented even somepeople in the fitness industry dothings that go completely againstthe fitness rules and simply cozthey have great genetics getaway with it but it’s still not goodthough!Corne (Ms Figure & Ms Physique)and Frans (World Champ)Monbiot’sfallacyYour Durban reader JM’s letter “A finebrush stroke” (Biophile Issue 15) refers.I could not agree more with whatyour enlightened correspondent is sayingaltogether, but would like to bring toher/his attention, as well as yours andyour readership’s, the essential fallacyconcerning George Monbiot’s Heat:How to Stop the Planet Burning (sinceJM uses a quote from this particularbook to bolster her/his argument).INBox: our readers writeExotic despairIn South Africa, the ownership or possessionof an indigenous animal is illegal without apermit (nudge, nudge – wink, wink). Who’sgonna know anyway?Yet, it is apparently acceptable and actuallypreferable for usto rape, pillage,plunder andexploit a foreigncountry’s wildlifeand heritage.All the hassle and redtape involved in acquiring of apermit for an ‘exotic’, is not even anissue or a requirement.South Africans must realize and understandthat our vulnerable and valuableindigenous wild animals areso-called ‘exotics’ in every othercountry, around the world?It has been documented thatbetween 1990 and 1999 the EuropeanUnion imported 176 000 chameleons…Should we not be questioning where allthose chameleons came from?To ‘possess’ an exotic animal is an attemptto change the very nature of these animals,but these beautiful creatures are wild andunpredictable by their very nature, and arenot suited to life in captivity.Exotics always require specialized careand have very specific housing and dietaryrequirements, which the average person willbe unable to provide in the long term. Oftenthese animals are forced to live their lives indeplorable conditions.Exotics will on occasion ‘escape’ or are‘freed’ by bored, frustrated owners and endup fending for themselves in a completelyWhereas Monbiot discusses thehuge costs of tackling climate change,but claims these are manageable inthe long run because the global economywill keep growing by 2-3% a yearthroughout the 21st century, he at thesame time assumes the required 90%reduction in CO2 emissions is somehowattainable by 2030. His analysis is basedon the United Kingdom’s present populationand economy, which are growingslowly if at all. And even here he strugglesto reach this goal in overall terms,giving it up completely in respect of thehighly damaging air transport.And yet, unchecked world populationcould easily double this century,while the global economy, given hisforeign land. These animals will then have tocompete with our indigenous wildlife for precioushabitat and feed in order to survive.We all have a duty to protect our indigenouswildlife from exploitation and extinction.In order to attain these ideals; we mustaccept responsibility for and protect thoseanimals indigenous to other lands.Exotic (wild) animals should be sent backhome, where they are surely being missedand where they truly belong.P.S. Of those 176 000 chameleons exportedto the EU it is estimated that only 10%survived their first six months in captivity.Please consider a more suitable compa ion...Paula SpagnolettiCORRECTION: VONDIS HOLISTIC PET NUTRITIONIn our last issue, we printed Paul’s cellphone number incorrectly.The correct number is: 083 326 9931assumed growth rates, is expected toincrease tenfold!Even the juggler of concepts andwords of his caliber cannot obscurethe iron-clad fact that endless materialexpansion is impossible in a world offinite resources which is our only planetEarth, and replacing capitalism witha steady-state, non-growing economy(accompanied by a firm cap on anyfurther population expansion) withinthe next couple of decades at the latestis the only way for humanity to avertutter ruin.How’s that for the self-proclaimedguru of the global [environmental]movement?Ivan Brezović MlinarićBiophile Issue 163

Vegetarian pets?Thank you for your informativearticle on dog food (Food Pets DieFor, Issue 14). Dogs are really meateaters, so should I be includingmeat (one third of the meal) dailyor perhaps alternate it with lentils?Then, where does one find organicallygrown meat/chicken?Lastly, where does one find bonesfrom organically farmed animals?I’ve asked everywhere and I amloathe to deprive my animals ofthis nightly treat!Also: what is recommended for ourfeline friends?Thank you for an awesome andrefreshing magazine!Michele HigginsonI do feed my dogs completelyvegetarian as I don’t like to think ofother animals suffering and dyingat their expense. Whenever I cansource happy organic bones ((notoften, I must admit, but usuallyfrom Camphill here in the Cape) Iget them some. I do give them largeraw carrots and they munch awayat them quite happily! My preciouscat gets the same. He also likesnatural organic yoghurt (from anunpasturised source—you may beable to get from Fruits & Roots?)with wheat germ, flax oil, a littlekelp, and the essential amino acidsupplement, taurine. AntheaINBox: our readers writePoisoned petsMy cat ate Hills Science Diet dry food forabout five years and became extremelyill throughout last year. I am still convinced itis because HSD was made, using geneticallymodified ingredients.(It has recently been replaced by HillsScience Plan which is made in Europe, notU.S., therefore conforms to GM-free requirements).My cat would vomit out all of his foodseveral times a week. I was under the impressionthat ‘because it came from the vet, itmust be very healthy’, and it took a while forme to go in and challenge my vet, who felt Icould not blame the GM product.I telephoned several pet food agents whosupply the well-known imported brands tovets and discovered, to my disappointment,that all were reluctant to come out and makea definite statement as to whether theirbrands contained GM, and how much. Eventually,my cat was so ill, I knew I was rightand stopped it immediately.It was difficult, then, to know what foodto buy. Woolworths is always a good bet, soI hit the jackpot and (first time) bought oneof contaminated bags of cat food containingethylene glycol (anti-freeze).How did I realise it? Intuition. The foodhad a strong chemical smell and was a darkcolour. I exclaimed on opening it that if thiswas all Woolworths were capable of producing,then we are in trouble! A family memberwas unable to pick up an untoward, chemicalsmell, so I doubted myself early on and fed itto the cat. He was really rejecting it. It’s hardwith cats; they are so fussy. But if you starvean animal long enough, he will eat poisonfood when he is really desperate. This I haveproven. I hope others take heed of this. I havehad to ask the cat’s forgiveness.Fortunately, I soon obeyed my ‘inner voice’and stashed the bag in the garage from Novemberuntil February, meaning to return itto Woolworths.In February I noticed a small press articleabout Woolworths contaminated pet foodwhich was being pulled off the shelves, andwas off to prove that my bag was one of them.There were frustrating moments. My vethad received a special bulletin (to vets only)from Aquanutro, the supplier in Malmesbury,which said the incident affected dog foodonly and it took some persuasion to obtaina lab report on my cat, but Woolworths requiredthis.The upside is that Woolworths made it apriority to handle all (grieving) customerswith as much tact and kindness as they couldmuster. They explained the process to usand were helpful. Not long after, I received acheque in the mail from Woolworths’ InsuranceCompany, not admitting liability - insettlement of most of my vet’s bill (excludingthings like teeth scaling).I felt the need to know the result of the teston my specific bag and whether my instinctswere right. (Apparently the chemical sank tothe bottom and sporadic bags were affected).On request, I was informed that I was correctand that my bag had tested positive for thesubstance. Woolworths will continue investigatingthis matter and get specialist helpuntil they locate the source of the incident.Woolworths are also re-drafting the terms oftrade with all their suppliers.I congratulate Woolworths on their handlingof this unhappy situation. It was donein the best possible way. I would like moreSouth African companies to handle unfortunatesituations in a manner which does notsmack of denial, defensiveness or “fobbingpeople off”. This is common and, had Woolworthstaken this attitude, it would have hadserious consequences for them later on. It isalso encouraging that they are not leaving thematter to rest.To those who endured the unexpecteddeaths of their animals — my heart goesout to all of you. Let us build a better worldwhere things like this don’t happen anymore.Wendy Damerell4 Biophile Issue 16

Accuratescience is notused enough toback our causesubscribe to Biophile because I amI very concerned about our worldand the wanton destruction of nature,greed, pollution, global warming etc.I am concerned that far too often,science is not used to back our cause.Instead, Biophile often uses inaccurateor questionable “science” or “nonscience”in articles which is detrimentalto the “environmental movement” ingeneral and causes Biophile to losecredibility.For example, in the April/May2007 article “Smelter at Pelindaba”it is stated that “... this region willreceive an absolute minimum of140,000,000,000,000 [1.4 x 1014]minute, breathable, radioactive particles,delivered into the atmosphere ....”Shock and horror !This statement is completely meaninglessunless you also state what typeof particles and over what time periodthe figure refers.Rather than being shocked I amrelieved! 1.4 x 1014 is an almost insignificantamount of atomic or sub-atomicparticles!Recall that it requires an inconceivablylarge number, one Avogadronumber (6.02 x 1023 [602 000 000 000000 000 000 000.] of atoms or moleculesto make up one gram atom orgram molecule of the substance – eg1 g of Hydrogen, 18 g of Water, 238 gof Uranium etc.) so 1.4 x 1014 particlesrepresents only 2.33 x 10-10 gram atomor gram molecules of the unnamed substance.eg. only 0.000000000233 g ofHydrogen particles, 0.0000000042 g ofWater or 0.000000055 grams of Uraniumetc! Even if the time period referredto is only a second this is still insignificant!(Even then it would only amountto 0.007 g of Hydrogen or 1.75 g per yearof Uranium over a 1 year period).I have other concerns and queriesabout this article but the numbers mentionedabove are most significant.I suggest that you contact physicistsor engineers (but please not politiciansor lawyers…) who know aboutthe Pebble Bed Reactor, the Fuel Plantat Pelindaba and Nuclear Physics ingeneral to present the (scientific) facts.You may consider contacting Dr KevinINBox: our readers writeKemm (stratek@pixie.co.za) or Dr RobAdam Chief Executive of NECSA.Unfortunately you are trying to combineconservation and environmentalissues with mysticism, new age religion,astrology, spirit guides etc.Why not have two publications, onefor people interested in the environmentand science (health and foodissues could easily be included) and onefor those interested in new age or oldage religion, mysticism, superstitionetc. They actually don’t mix.But keep up the great environmentalwork. The magazine’s heart is in theright place!Ron SmytheLeaving aside for a moment the “extreme”mathematics, that most of us do not evenwish to understand, let’s begin with thefundamental problem we all face.The emissions from the proposed Pelindabasmelter will be minute, invisible,odourless, highly radioactive in substanceand poses extremely dangerous healththreats to all living beings. These minuteparticles are small enough to bypass theHepa filters and escape through the highstacks at Pelindaba, from where theyenter our collective atmosphere and aredispersed into the region spreading aswind borne seeds of cancer. In the formthat they are emitted by the smelter theseuranium radioactive particles can be easilyingested and will remain dangerouslyradioactive for several hundred thousandyears – whilst they decay (inside oroutside your body) they change into other,even more deadly compounds of uraniumderivates.Contrary to soothing statements frequentlyuttered by Nuclear proponents thatAlpha particles can’t penetrate clothes andskin (inferring they are safe), The UraniumMedical Research Centre USA stateunequivocally “this statement ignoresthe most prevalent and dangerouspathway for uranium to get into thehuman body. Inhaled uranium canremain in the lungs and bones foryears where it continues to emitalpha, beta and gamma radiation.Each alpha particle can traverse upto several hundred cells causing somaticand genetic alterations.”The Canadian Coalition for NuclearResponsibility concurs: “Uranium isnot harmful outside the body -- butneither is E-coli. The “alpha rays”given off by uranium are stoppedcompletely by a sheet of paper or bya person’s clothing or skin, so thereis no external exposure hazard.”“Inside the body, however, alpharadiation is the most potent carcinogenicagent known to science --twenty times more damaging than x-rays or gamma rays. Large numbersof miners and radium workers havebeen killed by internal exposure tominute quantities of alpha-emittingradioactive materials, causing lungcancer, bone cancer and a variety ofblood diseases including leukemia.”So health threats from the PelindabaSmelter are very clear – the precise numbersof particles that are released intothe atmosphere is academic, on NECSA’sversion they are guesstimates, on anyone’sversion there are too many to count.The critical issue is this; if you are one ofthose unfortunate people who will breathein a couple of these minute radioactiveparticles, this will be extremely damagingto your health - it is difficult to avoidbreathing – unless NECSA has anothersuggestion, so it is a risk we are forced totake. Every year the risks increase becauseevery year the cumulative amounts of radioactiveparticles increase – they are withus to stay for so long it is almost impossibleto imagine.We live with all sorts of threats on a dailybasis and deal with them as best we can,but the NECSA smelter is a totally unnecessaryhazard that is merely a moreconvenient and cheaper method of dealingwith waste for NECSA but could be dealtwith quite safely by encapsulation of radioactivewaste and regular monitoring.But why should NECSA pay more to safeguardour health – they will not – certainlynot while we continue to tolerate whatthey are doing to us and our children andtheir children for countless generations.Health and lives in the nuclear industryare commodities to be traded against theexpense in rands and cents – smeltersare cheaper and more convenient thanthe safe alternative; if we continue to becomplacent these smelters will happen, infact they were on site long before the EIAwas completed, let alone a decision made.That means WE all have to do somethingto make the EIA process meaningful,laws need to be changed and loop holestightened up, most of all we need to act asa community.Now the numbers! On NECSA’s documentedversion the estimated Uraniumemissions alone amount to 5 000 gramsof contaminated Uranium emissions and360 grams of pure uranium, that’s justfrom the existing 16 000 tons of radioactivewaste that has been lying aroundPelindaba for several decades – the rest isspeculation. That, in terms of Avogadronumbers, for Ron Smythe and who everwould like the math’s, equates to 5 360x 6.022 141 99 x 1023 “gram molecules”or, if you prefer plain numbers 30,110,706 Biophile Issue 16

INBox: our readers write9,950,000,000,000,000,000,000 grammolecules of uranium contaminated emissionsalone over 10 years – that averages95,480,434,899,797,000,000 releases ofgram molecules per second – assuming ofcourse that NECSA is not grossly underestimatingthe quantity of Uranium in theemissions.And that is not all you need to worryabout – there are various other poisonousemissions which do not even feature inthose numbers.The fact that Ron Smythe tries to blindreaders with big numbers, goes off on atangent with new age, mysticism and superstition,smacks of renewed attempts bythe pro nuclear lobby to use such pueriletactics to disseminate false comfort to thepublic and discredit true environmentalistswho give their time freely for a cleaner,safer world for all.Ron Smythe, finally refers your readers totwo impeccable sources of unbiased scientificinformation – forgive the sarcasm.What else can Rob Adam, NECSA’s CEO dobut give you his slanted pro nuclear view?As for recommending Dr Kelvin Kemm,climate change denialist, spokesman andapologist for the nuclear industry, perhapsalso a card carrying member of theflat earth society…I can’t help but wonder what truly liesbehind Ron Smythe’ s interest in protectingthe nuclear industry from well earnedcriticism.Christine GarbettPelindaba Working Groupread the letter written by Dr. A. MarshI (Biophile 15, page 7) with a lot ofinterest. The author quotes therapistssaying that dog aggression is likediabetes: incurable. Yes, sometimesaggressive behaviour in dogs isincurable and I will explain why. But inmany other cases it is curable.“Aggressive” dogs do not exist. Dogsshowing aggressive behaviour certainlydo exist. As a professional dog listenerand former owner of three trainingschools for dog owners, I have workedfor many years with thousands of clientsand their dogs. I want to share with youtwo conclusions based upon personalexperienceFirst: Many dog owners simply do notknow how to behave correctly with theirpets. The distance between our way oflife in big cities on the one hand andMother Nature on the other, is for manypeople too big.Second: We are being brainwashedby multinational food and drug companieswho are constantly trying to turnus (together with our dogs) into junkies.What is being advertised as “natural” orAggressive dogsdo not exist“wholesome” is very often just chemicaljunk. Processed food manufacturersand pharmaceutical companies use thesame advertising firms and are bothusing direct image-based advertising toconsumers.Today all the major pet food brandsare owned by producers of processedfood like Proctor and Gamble, Unilever,Colgate-Palmolive and Philip Morris.The “information” on bags and cansof pet food reads like a Frankensteinstory about derivatives, colouringagents, preservatives, by-products,flavouring agents and “approved” additives.“Approved” often means approved bya self-appointed body of pet food manufacturers.These self-appointed bodieshave names like “Pet Food Institute”,thereby creating the impression thatthey are independent organizations.In hundreds of cases I have dealtwith so-called “bad” dogs. I witnessedmany times that switching the dog froma commercial brand to natural food caninfluence his/her behaviour and stateof health positively in a short time. Inother words: food influences the dogs’behaviour.Even better results in changing thedogs’ behaviour are obtained if the dogowner changes the WAY he/she servesthe food. If the owner respects the basicrules of the feeding ritual in a pack ofwolfs, the dog(s) will respect him/her asthe pack leader.I want to share with you a personalexperience.One of my dogs is a Labrador male.The former owner wanted to put him tosleep because he was an “aggressive”dog. Four months after his adoptionhe won the first of several trophies inagility competition. As some of you willknow, you can only compete in officialchampionships if your dog has passedthe “good citizen” test. My Labradorpassed the test with flying colours. Hedid not even show aggression when thejudges took him away from me, tied himto a fence and threatened him. He stillis a very loyal and very obedient memberof my canine pack.Bruno A. Goffin, Dog listener,JohannesburgBiophile Issue 167

Dolphin Encountourswww.dolphin-encountours.co.zaOver a decade ago a group ofyoung holistically minded SouthAfricans had the honor of meetingand interacting with the Dolphinsof Ponta do Ouro. It was through these magicallyenlightening dolphin meetings that the mission becamevery clear. Dolphin EnCOuntours was to establish herselfin eco-tourism as the pioneers of Sustainable DolphinSwim Programs in Southern Africa, with education,investigation and conservation steering her.Dolphin EnCOuntour works closely with cetaceanecologists worldwide and has developed an intensivecode of conduct to limit the negative effects of swimmingwith dolphins. A % of our tours goes to dolphincareafrica.org.zafor research and conservation.Dolphin EnCOuntours initiated dolphin swimactivities in 1996 after a two year trial. Angie Gullan hassubsequently developed dolphin swim programs insouthern Mozambique which follows the highest ethicsand strictest codes of conduct. Our boat launches fromthe protection of the bay in Ponta Do Ouro. Our mission is sharing the watery realm of thedolphin with man in a sustainable manner, thus ensuring our vision to protect and conserve isaccomplished through an experience that awakens the soul to the call of help from our planetearth, the very being that supports us all.8 Biophile Issue 16Ray Lacey winsCover DesignCompetitionSteve Venter (right)congratulates the winnerof our cover designcompetition, Ray Lacey ofKommetjie, at Anthea Torr’searth-friendly house inNoordhoek. Ray designedthe covers for Issues 14 and15, and has won a DolphinEco Tour in Mozambique,courtesy ofDolphin Encountoursdolphin-encountours.co.za

EDITORIALeditorial“The mind is a house ofquestions, and the heartis a library of answers”We occasionally get lettersfrom irate readers asking ushow we can possibly mix matters ofscience with matters of spirit. Someeven complain about us mixingenvironmental matters with spiritualmatters!It makes us realize that the teachingthat is going on in the majority of ourschools and in most homes has beencarried forward from our dark past,where these exact issues of separationand fear have caused devastation andchaos in all areas of our lives. Most of uswould simply not even think of puttingour planet in danger if we knew that shewas a fully conscious spiritual being!I was reading a book the other dayand this sentence jumped out at me:“the mind is a house of questions,and the heart is a library of answers”.To me, this says it all in one simpleThe courage to beginseparates dreamers fromachieversYour difficulty and the difficultyof every individual who everDesired to achieve anythingworthwhile, comes in the movement.Don’t always be intending to livea new life, but never find the timeto begin living it.Most people fail because theynever get started.They don’t go. They don’t overcomeinertia.They don’t begin.Begin to freeyourself at onceBy doing all that is possible withthe means you have.As you proceed in this spirit theway will open for you to do more.The worst thing you can do is notto try. ~Daily Gurusentence; it’s just that our materialisticallydriven, spiritually detachedculture has forgotten how to listen toour hearts for all the answers we need.The early scientists knew this, and,throughout history, most of the menwith great minds were the ones witha close connection to the spiritualworld.In 1930 Albert Einstein was quotedin the New York Times as saying: “Imaintain that a cosmic spiritual feelingis the strongest and noblest motivefor scientific research.”When asked what motivated hislifelong devotion to mathematics andscience Einstein replied: “I want toknow God’s thoughts.”So what is science if not a search tounderstand creation? And how can wepossibly understand creation if we arenot working with — or understanding— the creator?The creator is not some male, despoticfigure sitting away somewherein a place called ‘heaven’ and only accessiblethrough some special personwho has a connection as we have beenlead to believe. The divine creativeforce or principle is everywhere andin everything, including us!The notion that some so-called‘scientists’ clad in white coats and sittingin sterile laboratory conditions,guided by some totally unscrupulous,commercially-driven venture, canbetter Mother Nature by geneticallymodifying her plants is ludicrous.They are so far removed from anything‘natural’ or ‘God-like’ that itwould be laughable if it were not sodevastating to our natural world.When are we going to start workingagain with the nature spirits or Devas?When are we going to teach ourchildren that they are real and love towork with us? They can restore life toour depleted soil, which will restorelife to our sick bodies. Without thislife force our bodies decay and witherand although our cells were meant tostay young forever and never age, theyBiophile Issue 16lack the life force to sustain themselves.Group consciousness dictatesthat we grow old and die, as that iswhat the masses believe. This is whatwe have been taught!We have moved further and furtheraway from the things that will restoreus to the state of perfection and joythat is our birthright as we are constantlyfed fear-based limited information.The Idea that we live in a dangerousworld and won’t have enoughis so deeply ingrained in us that webelieve it and thus we manifest it.We are encouraged to be greedy;to gather more and more; to refuse toshare. We need to connect with thesoil, the water, the trees, the animalsand move away from the conditioningthat is not serving our planet or us.Sitting in the ivory towers of technologyand trying to prove things ‘scientifically’seems such a waste of timeand energy when we have all we couldpossibly dream of right outside thewindow. And it is free!We have some amazing articles inthis issue which show how peoplehave taken back their power and aremanifesting a life full of joy and miracles.They are working in harmonywith nature and each other, and connecting— on a deep level — with thecreative principle (both in the physicaland etheric) to bring harmony andlove to all and everything, and notneeding to prove anything to anyone.It is the way we should all be living;in peace and love for all and everything.It can be done: we just need tochange our minds!Anthea9

ARTICLE TITLE GOES HEREthe biofiles news from around our worldHow manytoxins are inyour potato chips?Acrylamide is a dangerouschemical present in foods such asfrench fries, potato chips, breakfastcereals, cookies and crackers.But it’s difficult to determineexactly how much of the chemical— which is a natural byproductof cooking starchy food at hightemperature — is present in anygiven food.High levels of acrylamide infood were first reported in 2002,and, currently, little is knownabout how acrylamide forms, exactlyhow it affects people or whatto do about it. Studies have shownthat acrylamide causes cancer inlab mice and rats. The US federallimit for acrylamide in drinkingwater is .5 parts per billion, orabout .12 micrograms in a 200mlglass of water. However, a 170gserving of french fries can contain60 micrograms of acrylamide.The presence of acrylamideand other currently unrecognizedtoxins are good reasons why youshould avoid processed foods asoften as possible. Ideally, morethan half of the foods you eatshould be raw.You can get a good start byavoiding foods that have nonutritional value, like fries, chips,sugary soft drinks and doughnuts.[Dr Mercola]EcoPods are environmentallyfriendly coffinsmade from recycled paper.Whether you’re worriedabout the state ofthe planet, or just wantto be sure that you’llhave an easy climb backout of the grave, shouldsomething go wrong, thisseems like a good idea.Leopard nearextinction —only about 30remainnew census estimates that only 25 toA 34 wild Amur leopards remain—atleast 66 fewer than are needed to ensuresurvival, experts say. Also known as the FarEastern leopard, the Amur has been paintedinto a deadly corner by habitat-slashing,conservationists said this week.Weighing in at about 25 to 59 kilograms,the large cat once flourished along the KoreanPeninsula, in the Russian Far East, andin northeastern China. But habitat fragmentationand the hunting of the leopard andits prey have decimated wild populations,conservationists say.The Amur’s long legs and long fur set itapart from other leopards, allowing it toprowl in deep snow and withstand Siberiancold. At least 100 are needed to guarantee thespecies’ survival which depends upon femaleleopards breeding. There are more maleleopards in the wild than female because catstend to breed males when under stress, WWFsaid.Hunters killed one of the last remaining femaleson April 15 this year.“Leopard murder can only be provokedRecycled paper coffinsFrom their website (ecopod.co.uk):The Ecopod was designed by Hazel Selina whospent many years working with natural birth.Now that her family have grown up she feels it istime to turn her attention to the primal event ofdeath.Hazel has had a lifelong interest in AncientEgypt and the rituals surrounding birth anddeath. She is also a friend of the earth and concernedabout the pressing issues of Ecology.It was this interest in Ecology, and the factthat a friend she was caring for was dying, thatprompted her to begin an investigation intofunerals and particularly coffins.Most coffins are made from chipboard coveredwith laminate. The Ecopod is 100% environmentallyfriendly and will not pollute theatmosphere or earth. The Ecopod is one way ofkeeping our planet beautiful.by cowardice or stupidity, in this case mostlikely by both,” Pavel Fomenko, WWF’s biodiversitycoordinator in Russia’s Far East saidin a statement.A hunter shot the leopard through the tailbone. It tumbled over and was then beatenover the head with a heavy object, WWF said.Amur leopards have not been known to attackhumans.Environmentalists have urged the Russiangovernment to introduce tighter controlson its national parks in the Far East to crackdown on leopard hunting.They also want more done to protect theanimal’s natural environment and food supply,which they say is being destroyed byhuman development.[Source: WWF/Greenpeace/Yahoo News]Reality is something yourise aboveCourage is a special kind of knowledge.It’s the knowledge of how to fear what shouldbe feared and how not to fear what should notbe feared.A brave mind is always impregnable.True courage is the result of reasoning.You’re more important than your problems.You’re bigger than anything that can happento you.Great things are accomplished when youbelieve that what’s inside of you is superior toyour circumstances.What you have outside you counts less thanwhat you have inside you.Nothing external to you has power over you.~Daily Guru10 Biophile Issue 16

What’s really ina Mcdonald’sChickenMcnugget?The Omnivore’s Dilemma by MichaelPollan is a fascinating book thatdetails the changing eating habits ofAmericans. It explains how, over thelast 30 years, Americans have become anation that eats vast quantities of corn.Most people assume that a chickennugget is just a piece of fried chicken,right? Wrong! Did you know, for example,that a McDonald’s Chicken McNuggetis 56% corn?Besides corn, and to a lesser extent,chicken, The Omnivore’s Dilemmadescribes all of the thirty-eight ingredientsthat make up a McNugget — one ofwhich I’ll bet you’ll never guess. Duringthis part of the book, the author hasjust ordered a meal from McDonald’swith his family and taken one of the flyersavailable at McDonald’s called A FullServing of Nutrition Facts: Choose the BestMeal for You.The ingredients listed in the flyersuggest a lot of thought goes into a nugget.And a lot of corn. Of the thirty-eightingredients it takes to make a McNugget,thirteen can be derived from corn:• the corn-fed chicken itself;• modified cornstarch (to bind the pulverizedchicken meat);• mono-, tri-, and diglycerides (emulsifiers,which keep the fats and waterfrom separating);• dextrose;• lecithin (another emulsifier);• chicken broth (to restore some of theflavor that processing leeches out);• yellow corn flour and more modifiedcornstarch (for the batter);• cornstarch (a filler);• vegetable shortening;• partially hydrogenated corn oil;• and citric acid as a preservative.A couple of other plants take partin the nugget: There’s some wheat inthe batter, and on any given day thehydrogenated oil could come fromsoybeans, canola, or cotton rather thancorn, depending on the market priceand availability.According to the handout, McNuggetsalso contain several completelysynthetic ingredients, quasiediblesubstances that come from a petroleumrefinery or chemical plant. Thesechemicals are what make modernprocessed food possible, by keeping theorganic materials in them from goingbad or looking strange after months inthe freezer or on the road. Listed firstare the “leavening agents”: sodiumaluminum phosphate, mono-calciumphosphate, sodium acid pyrophosphate,and calcium lactate. These areantioxidants added to keep the variousanimal and vegetable fats involved in anugget from turning rancid. Then thereare “anti-foaming agents” like dimethylpolysiloxene,added to the cookingoil to keep the starches from bindingto air molecules, so as to produce foamduring the fry. The problem is evidentlygrave enough to warrant adding a toxicchemical to the food: According to theHandbook of Food Additives, dimethylpolysiloxeneis a suspected carcinogenand an established mutagen, tumorigen,and reproductive effector; it’s also flammable.But perhaps the most alarmingingredient in a Chicken McNugget istertiary butylhydroquinone, or TBHQ,an antioxidant derived from petroleumthat is either sprayed directly on thenugget or the inside of the box it comesin to “help preserve freshness.”According to A Consumer’s Dictionaryof Food Additives, TBHQ is a form of butane(i.e. lighter fluid) which the FDA allowsprocessors to use sparingly in ourfood: It can comprise no more than 0.02percent of the oil in a nugget. Which isprobably just as well, considering thatingesting a single gram of TBHQ cancause “nausea, vomiting, ringing in theears, delirium, a sense of suffocation,and collapse.” Ingesting five grams ofTBHQ can kill.There you have it – lighter fluid. Betyou never thought that was in yourchicken McNuggets![Source: Al Nye, the Lawyer Guy]Biophile Issue 1611

BIOFILESWhy are swimmingpool workers moreprone to colds?Swimming teachers, and otherswho spend time near chlorinatedpools, face an increased risk ofbreathing problems.Chlorine reacts with urine andsweat to create chemicals calledchloramines that irritate therespiratory tract. A research teamsurveyed more than 600 swimmingpool employees and measuredlevels of trichloramine, the mostvolatile type of chloramine, at 38swimming pools.Swimming instructors weremore than twice as likely to sufferfrequently from sinusitis or sorethroat, and more than three timesas likely to have chronic colds, thanpool workers with less trichloramineexposure, such as cateringemployees or receptionists.Compared to the general population,employees with high levelsof exposure were at a 40 percentgreater risk for tightness of thechest, and were over 700 percentmore likely to suffer breathlessnesswhile walking.In addition to the problemsmentioned in the linked study,chloramines also leach lead andcopper into the water supply. Leadin water has been linked to kidneydamage, miscarriages, nervoussystem damage, anemia, highblood pressure, brain damage andreproductive difficulties, as well aslearning and behavioral problemsin children. Long-term exposureto high levels of copper can causeliver damage, kidney damage,headaches, stomach problems anddizziness, among others.Chloramines can also createbyproducts, such as N-nitrosodimethylamine,which is a humancarcinogen. Some research linkschloramines to bladder cancer.Please remember that your bodyabsorbs more chlorine swimmingin a public pool in one hour thandrinking unfiltered tap water fora week.Last year I purchased a homeand inherited a swimming pool sofinding a practical alternative becamea recent practical challenge.After carefully evaluating the optionsI elected to install an ozonegenerator as the way to keep thewater clean. This radically reducedthe amount of chlorine use andseems to have been working quitenicely for the few weeks that I havehad the pool operating.So if you have a pool that issomething you might want toconsider.[Dr Mercola]Turning highways into wind farmsClogged highways usually don’t conjureup thoughts of green, but it seemslike these very roads could become thesource of a lot more energy.Several recent designs have proposedthat major roadways be retrofittedwith various forms of wind energycollection devices, ranging fromoverhead turbines that collect energyfrom quickly-moving cars below tobarrier panels that harness the windfrom closely passing vehicles movingin opposite directions.Ideally, the wind energy could thenbe sent back out to the grid to powernearby communities and light-railtransportation systems, or even intelligentbillboards. [Source: Engdaget]ArtificialfoodcolouringwarningParents are being advised byexperts not to give their childrenfood containing certainadditives until the results ofa new study are published.UK researchers tested theeffects of a range of artificialcolourings on children’sbehaviour. It is understoodthe results back previousresearch linking additivesto hyperactivity and poorconcentration.A team at the Universityof Southampton tested theadditives tartrazine (E102),ponceau 4R (E124), sunsetyellow (E110), carmoisine(E122), quinoline yellow(E104) and allura red AC(E129) on both three-yearolds and eight-to-nine yearolds. The amounts used inthe study were those that anaverage child might consumein a day.A source at the Universitytold food industry magazinethe Grocer that theirresults supported findingsfirst made seven years agothat linked the additives tobehavioural problems suchas temper tantrums, poorconcentration, hyperactivityand allergic reactions.Professor Vyvyan Howard,one of the experts on theFSA’s Additives and BehaviourWorking Group said: “Itis biologically plausible thatthere could be an effect fromthese additives. While youYou are responsible for your lifeIf you don’t run your own life, somebody else will.If you want to see a change for the better, you have to takethings in your own hands.To affect the outcome of anything, you must control the actionat the point of decision making.You’re in control of your life to the degree that you make thedecisions.If you let others make decisions for you, you have no control.When you control your decisions, you control the actions.are waiting for the results tocome out you can choose notto expose your children tothese substances.“These compounds haveno nutritional value and Ipersonally do not feed thesesorts of foods to my 15-month-old daughter.”[Source: BBC News]Going green beats thebluesA walk in the country is an effectivealternative to chemical antidepressiontreatment, a leadingmental health charity has said, callingon British doctors to prescribeoutdoor activities.The Mind charity said so-called“ecotherapy” could help millionsof people with mental healthproblems after two studies it commissionedsuggested it could havesignificant benefits for sufferers inmost cases.Prescription of care farms as atreatment has been highly successfulon mainland Europe, butBritain has failed to follow theexample, it added as it launcheda report “Ecotherapy: the greenagenda for mental health”.Mind chief executive Paul Farmersaid: “Mind sees ecotherapy as animportant part of the future formental health.“It’s a credible, clinically-validtreatment option and needs to beprescribed by GPs, especially whenfor many people access to treatmentsother than anti-depressantsis extremely limited.”[Source: IOL]Biophile Issue 1613

BIOFILESFuelling extinction?Unsustainable biofuels threaten theenvironmentThere are many risks to biodiversityand the environment which resultfrom a growing biofuel market:The displacement of land-uses that areimportant to biodiversity. The mostimmediate risk is losing agricultural‘set-aside’ land. European farmers, forexample, are required to set aside someof their land and put it out of production.While not an environmentalmeasure, setaside has had huge benefitsto wildlife and has become a criticalpart of the European farmed landscape,acting as a refuge for farmland biodiversity.The harmful impact of energy cropmonocultures (concentrated growth ofa single crop over wide areas), excludingthe plants and animals which wouldotherwise contribute to the ecosystem,making fields ecological semi-deserts.Intensifying the production of energycrops, including new types like miscanthus(elephant grass), also increasesuse of fertilisers, energy and pesticides,which further damage the environmentand contribute to climate change.Biofuel growth can aggravate existingthreats to biodiversity.Losing natural habitats of globalimportance for wildlife and carbon storage,such as the Indonesian rainforestand the Brazilian Cerrado, through importingbiofuel feedstocks. Cultivatingvast plantations of palm oil, sugarcaneand soy may also cause soil erosion,harm water quality and bring socialproblems, such as displacing nativepeople and small farmers.• Many environmental organisationsbelieve the solution is to ensure thatonly the right kind of biofuels — thoseproduced sustainably which genuinelyoffer major greenhouse gas benefits— are used. A mandatory certificationsystem for biofuels must ensure minimumproduction standards are met andconfirm eligibility for public support.• Biofuels are only one of many technologieswhich reduce greenhouse gasemissions. Their role is restricted bylimited available land and competingland uses. Biofuel development musttherefore be part of a broader energypolicy focusing on energy saving andefficiency.• Biofuels are often termed ‘carbonneutral’ as they generally come fromorganic material that is then re-grown.In fact, production causes substantialGHG emissions, mainly from makingand using fertilisers and from fossilfuels used in processing. Using biofuelsmay even cause more emissionsthan conventional fuel. Savings can beincreased through good crop managementand minimising fossil fuel use inprocessing and fuel transport.• Biofuels are not an unlimited resource.We need land to grow biomassfor fuel, and our fuel demands are sovast that even small targets requiremajor land-use changes. This has amajor impact on bio-diversity and theenvironment.[Source: Birdlife International]As part of the Tierras Bajasproject, people have beenresettled from the Altiplanoto cultivate soybeans. Eachagricultural “pin wheel”pattern is centered on a smallcommunity. The communitiesare then spaced evenlyacross the landscape at 5-kmintervals. Roadways can be seenconnecting each town center.14Biophile Issue 16

BIOFILESOne wind turbinepowers 4000 homesEnercon, Germany’s largest wind turbinemanufacturer, now makes the most powerfulwind turbine in the world, the E112. This giantturbine was upgraded, so that instead of generating4.5 megawatts, it now produces 6 megawatts— that’s enough to supply power to 4000homes in Germany. It’s named the E112 becauseit has a rotor diameter of 112 meters (about 367feet). It also has an innovative gearless drivesystem, so it doesn’t require any oil to operate.The tips of the turbine’s blades are tilted toreduce noise emissions.Black cloud over ChinaWhile the Chinese economy is booming,the skies above its cities are darkening.One of the biggest causes is the phenomenalgrowth in the number of carsand exhaust emissions. To kick off their“20 tips for sustainable development”campaign, WWF expressed one tip in adramatic fashion.On balloon: Drive one day less and lookhow much carbon monoxide you’ll keepout of the air we breathe.Biophile Issue 1615

ElectricalSensitivityby Barbara Baum“All around us now flows a mighty oceanof electro-magnetic waves of a myriaddifferent frequencies and strengths. Allday and night they are passing throughthe delicate cells of our bodies whichare by no means prepared by evolutionto withstand their diverse influences.We are continually bombarded by thesame invisible energies from militaryand commercial radar, microwaves andradiowaves, and the entire apparatusof the worlds telecommunicationsindustry… A single century ago none ofthis technology had been invented”.~ R. Coghill, Something in the Airhave worked for over 35 years as aI nursing sister, midwife, practisenurse, in a war in the Middle East andvarious fields of Western medicine, butI had never heard of anyone sufferingfrom what has been termed ‘electricalsensitivity’.In the late 1980s I began running theHealth Centre at Middlesex Universityin the UK, despite being dubious aboutthe substation that powered the wholeUniversity sitting six metres from myoffice wall. The Health and Safety officertold me that it was covered in lead, andhe assured that I would not be affected.I loved the job, the beautiful green surroundingsand the term time hours.The effects of the substation wereat first subtle: feeling frazzled andfatigued. When I started complainingabout the station, I was belittled andundermined at work and by some of myfamily. I had always been an energeticand healthy person: qualifying as ashiatsu practitioner and giving treatmentspart-time, running tennis teamsand a home with two boys, studying fora diploma in crystal healing, exploringnew avenues of health and healing. Iwas not a complainer, and was used toworking hard.When given a computer aroundseven years into the job, and jammedbetween it and the substation, the situationdeteriorated drastically. Shiatsu,crystal healing and holiday time nolonger reversed the symptoms, as I nowrealise that chronic exposure had slowlyweakened my defences extensively.Physicist Professor David Melville statesthat even chronic exposure as low as0.2MT may cause significant changeswithin the cell membranes, which inturn may trigger changes in cellularbiochemical processes (Cyril Smith,Electromagnetic Man).Indeed I could feel my red and whiteblood cells changing polarity whichwas extremely uncomfortable. I begansuffering from insomnia, palpitations,tinnitus (from frequencies outside myhead), muscle pains, headaches, flushing,not being able to think clearly andforgetting people’s names. My skinlost all elasticity, and was dry and fullof red blotches, and I would often turngrey and start shaking in front of thecomputer.At full moon symptoms were exaggeratedand unbearable. I was soexhausted, finding it difficult to movemy body to get up in the morning. I’dalmost pass out when using the photocopier,and struggled in places witha lot of radiating technology suchas banks, and around supermarketfreezers. The television at home was anightmare, and I could feel the radiationcoming through my bedroom wallwhen my son turned on his computer: itfelt like a live current passing throughmy body. Certain people such as thosewho work on computers extensively,people with negative thought-forms, orthose with certain illnesses, affectedme immediately. I remembered readingabout a child in America who had to beseparated from her father because shewas ‘allergic’ to him. I can well understandthis now as of course each personhas an energy field and if there is any‘negative’ or un-harmonious aspectsto it they can really have a detrimentalaffects on someone who is sensitive (oranyone for that matter).Eastern Electricity and the NationalGrid came to my office and said theelectromagnetic fields were ‘acceptable’.My GP told me it was menopause, andprescribed me anti-depressants, whichI refused. At the time I didn’t knowquite what was happening and it wasquite scary, but I knew I had to changethe polarity of my body back to resonatingin harmony with the earth. When Iwent for a crystal healing session withmy teacher Ivy, she told me I had toleave my job as I had enormous tears inmy aura and she didn’t know how I wasfunctioning. She sent me to Harry Oldfiedwho had computer equipment thatcould take pictures of the aura just soI could see for myself. Harry again expressedthat he didn’t know how I waswalking around, as my aura, consideredthe body’s etheric shield amongst otherthings, was in shreds. He said I was onno account to return to work.At the Royal National HomeopathicHospital I was told that a number ofpeople suffered from these symptomsand couldn’t hold down a job, or goanywhere at all. I was referred to DrCyril Smith who had written on electricalsensitivity. Professor Smith saidthat people exposed to pesticides orchemicals, as I had been while workingon a kibbutz when younger, were farmore likely to be electrically sensitive.He later e-mailed me saying it wasremarkable I had survived ten years ofworking there and that I hadn’t died ofleukaemia. He referred me to Dr Munroat the Environmental Hospital.At the Breakespeare EnvironmentalHospital Dr Jean Munro explained mysymptoms and that electrical sensitivitywas a big problem for many people. Shesaid her patients suffering from allergieswere also sensitive, and peopleall over the world were coming to seeher. Indeed when eating anything in aheightened state of ES, I became allergicto it. As a Doctor she was able to putme off work for six months. However,as the condition was not recognized inthe UK at the time it was put down as‘Chronic Fatigue Syndrome’.This was all over a period of aboutthree years. My last year I was mostly offsick, and then had to take early retirement.I knew I had to avoid all electricalappliances. A Japanese film crew cameto interview me about the subject, asthis is a condition that is extremelyprevalent in cities such as Tokyo thatare wall to wall radiating un-harmoniouselectromagnetic fields. Thepopulations of other ‘overdeveloped’areas of the world such as NorthAmerica and Western Europe arealso subject to mass exposure ofvarious fields, frequencies, andwaves.I knew I had to change mylife radically, and with my boysolder now, I returned to South16 Biophile Issue 16

Africa. The cold Atlantic ocean cleansesmy body of any electromagnetic pollutionand enables me to function. Salt,the grossest form of crystal, absorbs thepositive (those that harm), and whenthe sea is clean and unpolluted it istruly a blessing for me. Indeed, duringthat time in London salt baths wereable to absorb much of the radiationfrom my body, and with cold showershelped to alleviate my symptoms.Symptoms of microwave exposure:• Fatigue disproportionate to effort• Frequent headaches• Sleep disturbances• Emotional instability• Inability to concentrate• Difficulties in memorising• Decrease in sexual potency• ECG abnormalities like bradycardiapalpitations(from R. Coghill’s Something in the Air)I have so much information on thesubject that I have trouble putting it alltogether. I felt it was important to tellmy story, my truth. From the Sovietsradiating the US Embassy in 1956 inMoscow causing illness and cancerin workers, to the Americans todayhaving developed microwave weaponsdesigned to heat the skin and causeintolerable pain in under five secondsfor the purpose of crowd control (AlanDuggan, Editor of SA’s Popular Mechanicsreported in the Sunday Argus 3/7/05);studies from the 1960s showing beessubjected to Electromagnetic frequencies(ELFs) sealing up their hivesmid-season, ceasing honey productionand committing socialsuicide (Wellenstein1973), and variousother effectson theanimalkingdom; from office workers and engineersworking in dense electromagneticfields, to horror stories of families livingnear power lines or cell phone towerssuffering chronic illness and death.Although there are many studiesshowing the link between leukaemiaand power lines government bodiesrefuse to acknowledge this. How couldthey admit anything and pay out compensationto all those families?Dr Robert Becker, one of the earlybio-electromagnetic researchers in thisfield (twice nominated for a Nobel Prizefor his pioneering work on healing withbone fractures with externally appliedELF’s), but lost research grants and wassubject to much harassment by US governmentbodies because his crime wasthat he established a clear link betweenpower lines and health hazards:“I want to tell the public about itbecause it makes me furious. I wantthe general public to know that scienceisn’t run the way they read about it inthe newspapers and magazines. I wantlay people to understand that theycannot automatically accept scientistspronouncements at face value – far toooften they are self-serving and misleading.The way science is currently fundedand evaluated we are learning moreand more about less and less, and scienceis becoming our enemy instead ofour friend.” (R. Becker, author of BodyElectric)Because we cannot taste, smell, hear,see or feel these things in the air, (unlessyou are ES), to them it doesn’t exist.Electromagnetic stress is too persistentits effect is accumulative, the immunesystem can’t cope and the body is unableto detoxify. There will be a declinein the endocrine system function andeffects on the cardiovascular system,adverse effects on blood compositionand tissue function, changes in carbohydratemetabolism, rise in blood sugarlevels and decreased muscular strength.(R. Becker and G. Selden, The BodyElectric).“Certain scientists keep telling the publicthat we still do not whether electropollutionis a threat to human health –however there is so much scientific proofand information to the contrary thatone cannot help but think that this is aprogramme of deliberate disinformationand deception.”(Harry Oldfield, Harry Oldfield’s InvisibleUniverse)What I now realise is that my sensitivitywas able to save my life, as it actsas an early warning system. Those whoare able to detect these things beforethey manifest in the body are far morelikely to avoid degenerative diseaseslater in life. The problem is that whilethere are so many sensitives out there,denial about electrical sensitivity isrampant for perhaps three reasons thatcome to mind now:1. It won’t do for the growth oftechnologically oriented businessand government to admit the dangers.2. Generally people are sosaturated on a daily basiswith electromagneticradiation that theirsenses have for allintents and purposesbeen

ELECTRICAL SENSITIVITYnumbed, (especially by medication,alcohol and red meat — vegetariansare more sensitive.) If they were tofeel any effects the lack of informationabout ES leads them to beingmisdiagnosed (Indeed one of thefirst undiagnosed cases of ES wasthe father of electricity Nikola Tesla.His over exposure to electromagneticfields left his nervous systemhighly sensitised. He was close todeath without any of the top physiciansof the time understandingwhy). There are many, and I personallyknow of people who have beenmisdiagnosed and tragically institutionalisedby the mental healthindustry. Because we cannot taste,smell, see, hear or feel these thingsin the air, to them it doesn’t exist.3. Most people do not like toadmit that their everyday practicesand lifestyle are detrimental totheir own health, the health of thosearound them, and the health of theplanet.Some tips are to pull out all plugs atnight, and not sleep in metal-framedbeds or on mattresses with wiring oruse electric blankets. Sleeping overgeopathically stressed or negative earthlines can be devastating.(As a member of the British DowsingSociety for the past 10 years, mysensitivity and acquired knowledge hasbeen instrumental in helping myselfand other people).If one insists on putting a lap-top onones lap, protect your testes or ovarieswith a fresh daily newspaper. Houseplantssuch as Peace Lillies, Hen andChicken (Spider Plant) and certain cactisuch as cereus peruvianus, thrive onelectromagnetic chemicals and stress,and are important to place such plantsaround workstations. There are manyother simple things one can do –Drinking lots of water, eating enoughprotein, taking MSM and Vitamin C aswell as walking barefoot on the beachor communing with Nature. I wonderwhat we are denying ourselves and ourchildren by saturating them with unharmoniouselectromagnetic fields?The ‘modern home’ with its multipletelevisions and computers, wirelesstechnologies and satellites, electricfencing and security beams, are simplydens of electromagnetic radiation. It alldraws us further away from the naturalworld and its magic, and indeed willleave not a corner of it alone and unpolluted,when it is perhaps only withnature that we can realise our full potentialon this planet. Feel free to get intouch: Barbara Baum (021 783 1943)Electrosmogby Daniel BaumSo I’m sitting on the couch,minding my own business, whenout the corner of my eye I noticethat my girlfriend’s cellphone hassurreptitiously angled itself with abee-line for my cranium. My ears detectthe furious pitter-patter of typing,and before my tongue can be whippedup to issue a harsh rebuke, I hearno more, and she’s sent one of thosetext-message thingy’s through my softtissue.“Good God woman! Are you tryingto kill me!” There’s supposed to beno cellphone usage indoors. It’s beentough trying to house-train this one,but I confess I have trouble finding it inme to kick her out into the cold as shehooks up our flat to the nearest satelliteor cellphone mast. There’s generallysupposed to be nothing indoors: TVs inthe garage (never use it anyway: whatan eyesore!) the place where I have alsotried to have the fridge relegated (thecompromise has been hard to swallow).And if that pesky cellphone ends upin the bedroom or anywhere near myfruits and veggies I could — if I chose— have a darn near fit. But I’m rushingahead. Let’s back up and start fromsome sort of beginning…Ever felt the heat around your earwhen speaking on the cellphone toolong? That’d be the radiation. Damnnear flabbergasted me, when I meetpeople who have failed to realise thatwireless technology means that thereare no wires; that the information theyare receiving or sending is passingthrough our air, through our waters,through our animals and children andgirlfriends and grandmas, and thatevery technological object generatesits own electrical field. Seeing as thistechie-age of ours is so young it’s stillmessin’ its nappies, we have no ideawhat our love affair with gadgetry isdoing to our planet and its people,what effect these electrical fields andwaves and beams are having. Nor domany want to, as we’ve been lulledinto believing that these are things weneed and not just desire (or think wedo) - it just wouldn’t do for big and littlebusiness anyway. Cellphone use hasincreased the pace of our lives, as oneis contactable potentially 24/7. Somewould not feel safe without a cellphone,and while I personally believe I am saferwithout fear of anything, I appreciatethat’s a philosophy not all will subscribeto. What seems totally unnecessaryis the need for cellphones to doubleas movie-cameras, internet stationsand all the rest, which only means anincrease in power (radiation) from bothphones and towers. A friend of mine inLondon was one of the first to get one ofthese live video cellphones, and wouldhave great fun phoning others that heknew with one from his toilet throne.That is funny, but I could feel theradiation of that cereal box-sized thingfrom across the room. I see peoplewalking with flashing blue ear-piecesconstantly hooked up to satellite — itmight make them look like cyborgs, buton a physical level, as a natural organicbeing, I wonder what will become oftheir brains in time? It’s heart-breakingto see all those people living underradiation emitting power lines alongthe N2 just outside Cape Town. Anothersuppressor of our immune systems wejust don’t need.And be very aware of cellphone companiesputting up hidden masts andtowers, like in Kommetjie lighthouse,or putting them up in neighbourhoodsand switching them on without thelocal’s knowledge. Many might start tosense an uncomfortable change in theirenvironment, but not have a clue whatit is.That a school or orphanagewould take the money from acellphone company and havea mast on their roof is eitherignorance or blind cruelty.The radiation from our technologies(along with sugary, chemicallyladen foods) can disrupt the nervoussystem and is another reason why somany of us kids and adults have troublekeeping still or sleeping. Mums (sorryMoms) and Dads, get those TV ’s andcomputer’s out the bedroom — we’ll allwake up a lot less groggy, having had acleaner fresher sleep with more workdone in it than just detoxifying, detoxifying…So my girlfriend’s cellphone rings.It sounds distinctly like it’s not in thegarage, but somewhere in the vicinity ofmy cap, damn it!“It’s for you,” she says.“ What, are they crazy!” I rant. “Arethey trying to kill me with arrange-18Biophile Issue 16

ments and conversation?”Yes, I do feel fortunate to be able tofeel when an environment is overly pollutedwith electromagnetic radiation,even if it makes being in some placeshard (though these are places clearlybest avoided anyway). Being at UCT forthree years and trying to sit in a computerlab was, well, challenging. I’d go in,sit down, feel the radiation engulf myhead, hands and body, getting decidedlyedgy until my senses became completelysaturated and my whole beingjust went numb. At this point I could sitthere for hours, hooked in like anyoneelse – then walk out into the glaringsun feeling zombified and in a cloud offog. Those who are sensitive to thesethings and can feel them in the etherhave the advantage of knowing exactlywhen they need to take measures toclear themselves of this pollution, andthus prevent anything more seriousmanifesting in the body — whether inthe short term or long term. I generallynever get sick or run-down, and I doattribute this to being constantly awareof, and in communication with, my selfand my environment (though I’ve hadtick-bite fever this week, which hasbeen a wonderful learning experiencethat I’ve thoroughly enjoyed: boy, thebody is magic!).I don’t know a single person whoworks in an electro-magneticallycharged office environment who doesn’tend up in bed for a few days every nowand then. I’m not attributing their illhealthsolely to this cause - as there arealways multiple causes for ill-health –but it’s certainly a factor.Whether one can feel the radiationor not, it should be mandatory to ‘wash’oneself of ‘the dirt’ at the end of the day.So I can’t resist a big hug from my ladyfriendwhen she walks in at the end ofthe day from the office but “Sheesh,straight into the shower with you girly,and quarantine those clothes!”“But that’s your reality,” she protestsnow and then.“ Well, if so, please be considerate ofit.”Indeed a powerful medical intuitivewe know rightly pointed out that if weexist in the Oneness, then we shouldbe able to stand in the middle of anuclear power reactor and be cool ascats, though she has trouble sitting infront of the computer too long herself.Of course, I’m not into ‘conclusives’,and the potential of the like is there. Ifcertain plants can thrive from manmadeelectromagnetic energy, then whyshouldn’t I be able to?See the problem is our brains havebeen so fried that the chances of meaccessing the unused 95% and telepathicallylearning the plants secretsare a little hindered — though again,not a conclusive. Indeed screw cellphones - they’re affecting our abilityto be telepathic, which is a cheap andenvironmentally friendly mode of masscommunication.One thing (of many things) to be saidfor my lady-friend — she has a powerfulmind. She can totally clear (or at leastto the point that I can’t feel it anymore)the radiation from the most fibrousof clothing in a matter of moments. Ifthe TV has sneaked into our lounge inthe winter for an odd excursion, or thecomputer has been on (like now, thoughits just a LCD screen as the laptop sitsin a closed cupboard) and sendingits vibes into all and sundry, when allradiation emitting technologies havebreathed their last, I send in the troops,or trooper, rather.With a ‘Alakazam Alakaboosh!’ orwhatever takes her fancy, and a wave ofthe arms for theatrical good measure,she zaps the place clear. Sometimes Ihave to tidy up the excess, but generallya job well done.Indeed clearing with visualizationshas proven most effective for us. I findTibetan bells are great at dissipatingunwanted unconscious energy, andrunning a quartz crystal over my headand body, or clothes and surfaces etc,also helps lift the radiation out/off ofthem (then the crystals must be clearedthemselves). There’s nothing like runningwater, a conscious ‘magic’ shower,and really nothing quite like divinginto a crisp ocean wave. Salt baths canbe just the ticket, as the salt draws outthe radiation, but remember to blessthat water before you send it down thedrain.Tachyon chips really do work atminimising the radiation comingfrom a cellphone (I can feel the differencebetween the same phone with orwithout a chip on its battery). Radiationeating plants a must have, and I’m inthe process of designing a proto-typemulti-layered radiation suit completewith helmet, gloves and easy excrete zipup flaps at the back, for all those who sitin front of the computer.My mum told me today over a cup oftea that she read somewhere we’ll allbe living in faraday cages in the futureto protect us from our densely electromagneticallypolluted skies. Perhaps.Well, I could go on, but the editorneeds some space too, so I’ll leaveyou with the question of whether thatsounds like an exciting prospect? It’s awin aSARSHIELDcellphoneradiationshield!5 lucky readers can win aSAR SHIELD. To enter, sendyour name and contactinformation to sarshield@biophile.co.za or on the back ofa postcard or sealed envelopeto Biophile, PO Box 39277,Capricorn Square 7948For more information on theSAR SHIELDsee page 31bit doom and gloom and I think we’vegot it in us to avoid such a thing butwho knows.So good luck, and have a great day.Whatever perceived problems exist outthere, in there or where ever, they’reours for the making or breaking.Biophile Issue 1619

Windmill, FindhornGEM:The GlobalEcovillageMovementby Yan(Khula DhammaEcovillage, Eastern Cape)“When you are inspired by somegreat purpose, some extraordinaryproject, all your thoughts breaktheir bonds, your mind transcendsall limitations, your consciousnessexpands in all directions and youfind yourself in a new great andwonderful world!”PatanjaliImagine if you will, a village wherepeople of all ages live together inharmony. Where diversity is celebratedand all villagers devote their goodwill,intelligence, capital and labour tomeet the common goals of caringfor the Earth, to live a peaceful andmeaningful existence while honouringand nurturing all life-systems. Whereall villagers support and care foreach other; where children are giventhe freedom, guidance and relevanteducation to reach their full potential;where each individual has a voicein decisions that affect them; whereconflicts are resolved peacefully; wherea constructive and rewarding livelihoodcan be gained without sacrificing timefor family, friends, play, creativity,bonding and connecting with nature;where, aside from bartering certaingoods with other villages, they arecompletely self-sufficient. They growtheir own food without harming theEarth, build their own dwellings withnatural and local materials, generatetheir own electricity, and turn their ownwaste into nutriment for the land.If you think it sounds a bit like a Utopianfantasy, you’re probably not alone.It’s ironic that despite the fact that sucha place appeals to and touches most ofus on a very deep level, there are veryfew of us who dare to dream about it,and perhaps even less who believe itcan actually be achieved. Now what if,by choosing to live this way, you concurrentlytackle and overcome many (andperhaps, in time, ALL) of the problemsand suffering that humanity andthe Earth are currently facing, whilesignificantly improving your quality oflife? You’d probably wonder what you’rewaiting for!“Paradoxically, things are gettingworse and better at the sametime, although the worse is moreapparent because it makes somuch ‘noise’.”Eckhart TolleIn the last decade or so aquiet revolution has been gainingstrong momentum, quiteoverlooked by the media andgovernment bodies.It is called the Global EcovillageMovement (you might say“GEM”) and has been hailed as‘the most important movementin human history’.The type of village describedabove is a possible example ofwhat has come to be known as anecovillage. Succinctly speaking anecovillage is an intentional community,where all are committedto living in harmony with natureand with each other. The definitiongiven by the Fellowship forIntentional Community is “A groupof people who have chosen to livetogether with a common purpose,working cooperatively to create alifestyle that reflects their sharedcore values.” An ecovillage generallysupports between 30-500 residents andcan vary from a small tribe of Stone Agefruitarians (Terramana, Indonesia) toan extensive, high-tech internationalcommunity with over 1500 inhabitants(Auroville, India).The GEM is a global phenomenonresponding to global causes. Whileecovillages are an integral part of theanti-globalisation movement, ratherthan protesting and boycotting thecorporate-political self-interest, thepioneers behind them are gently creatingsmall sustainable communities withtheir limited resources and relentlesscommitment- walking their talk.“Do not be afraid to build castles inthe sky.That is where they belong.But once the dreams are in place,Your job is to build the foundationunder them.”Henry David ThoreauThe few, more established ecovillagessuch as Findhorn (Scotland, est. 1962),The Farm (USA, est. 1971) and CrystalWaters (Australia, est. 1987) havebecome such focal points of an internationallygrowing interest that theyare continually running courses andworkshops. Perhaps their steep attendancefees are also a means of keepingthe hordes at bay!Intentional community is certainlynothing new. Native tribal villagesand religious communities, with a commonthread of self-reliance and spiritualreverence, have existed for millennia.Interestingly, the traditional ruralvillages of the South tend to grasp therevolutionary potential of ecovillagesmuch quicker than those from the modernsociety. Since their social fabric andconnection to Nature have remainedrelatively intact, they often recognisethe ecovillage-model as complementaryand enhancing to their village-basedculture. Deplorably, many such villagesare continually threatened, exploitedand destroyed through commercial globalisationas the currently dominatingquasi-liberal economic system remainscompletely unaccountable for theinestimable social and environmentaldevastation left in its tyrannical, toxicwake.Meanwhile, in the North, manypeople are awakening to our shallow,careless and isolated existence thathas become so fragmented and disconnectedthrough spending negligibletime in the wild; through separation ofwork and home; separation of rich and20 Biophile Issue 16

Confuciuspoor; crime in the streets, and living inconstant fear. We have driven ourselvesto the very brink of self-destruction forus to realise that it doesn’t have to bethis way.Watering Cans, Findhorn“This is the work for politicalavtivists who want to live theirsolutions. If we are to survive wewill do so learning the ecstacy ofcommunity. We do have to gettogether.”Patch AdamsNow the ramifications of an everincreasingand ever-more consumingglobal population can no longer bedenied or disguised by the corporatepoliticalsystems, whose wisdom isclearly inversely proportional to theiraccumulated material wealth. However,despite the fact that our dire situation isbecoming widely acknowledged- evenby the corporate-controlled media- itseems that the vast majority of peoplestill remain unaware of the sacrificesand the immense changes in lifestylethat are necessary to insure our survival.And there are probably fewer stillwho are willing to make those changes.At a time where the fate of our speciesrests upon the choices of a singlegeneration, the strong (perhaps weakerin “alternative” circles) attachments toconvenience are stubbornly maintainedthrough refined forms of justification,avoidance, denial and suppression. Nodoubt the sky-rocketing mental stresslevels are multiplied by the fact thatdeep down we all know that the currentWestern lifestyle of over-inflated consumptionand social inequity is unsustainableand unjust and will sooner orlater come to an end.Independent media and publications,like Biophile, are in fact placing ahuge burden on us because they’re providingus with true and vital informationthat, for those of us with integrityand who genuinely care, requires us toACT upon. Nevertheless, in reality, itremains to be seen that the actions andthe “sacrifices” that lead to less extravagantand wasteful living actually alsolead to a more fulfilling, balanced andconscious lifestyle.Weeding, Findhorn“To know what is right and not todo it is the worst cowardice.”Fossil fuel-dependence underpinsour modern “developing” society. Justin terms of our food supply, fossil fuelsand petrochemicals are key to massscalefood production, harvesting,transportation, and the energy requiredto cook it. Peak oil advocates say thatwhen (within the next 5 years) the dwindlingremains of the Earth’s oil reservewill cause its extraction to become unviable,the suburbs will become the slumsof the future. But what of the cities andtowns themselves?Urban areas now hold more than halfthe world’s population. For all the jobs,facilities and entertainment they provide,these high-density residential andindustrial zones are essentially extremeconcentrations of consumption; specificallyfood, energy and water.Moreover, there is little of life-supportingvalue that is produced there,not to mention the complete spectrumof pollution. Common sense and abasic understanding of natural systemsdictate that one farmer producing foodfor 10,000 people- even (compromised)organically- is unnaturally disproportionate.The combination of being so dependenton institutions and distant farms tomeet our basic needs, leads, not onlyto disempowerment, but also to a veryfragile and vulnerable situation. Thenthrow in the fact that the very system,to which so many are inextricably tied,is in and of itself not only ecologicallydestructive, but also completely unsustainablefor future generations,Biophile Issue 1621

GEM: THE GLOBAL ECOVILLAGE MOVEMENTand you have a sure recipe for ruin.Admittedly, there are many nobleattempts at sustainability within citiesand towns — even entire ecovillages.Yet, the question remains as towhether the inevitable demands ofdensely populated areas can ever betruly sustainable vis a vis the producerconsumerimbalance. As we graduallybecome more aware of this imbalanceand how we often unconsciously orunwillingly support it, the motivationto “become the change we want to see”and the wish to live “closer to nature”will naturally result in the re-designingand re-organising of human lifestylesand settlements. Ecovillage living leadsus to experience directly the results ofall that we produce and consume in atruly holistic manner.Bioregionalism, which is to have allyour basic requirements met withinwalking or bicycling distance, is neverso pertinently addressed as in an ecovillagesetting. And the more diversethe community, the more chance thatgoods and services go way beyond basicneeds to manifesting an exceptionallyrich and stimulating environment withclose friends, health care, entertainment,meaningful employment, socialand community functions, theatre,art, dance, and spiritual practice- allprovided with minimal impact on thenatural environment. The point is thatwhether we embrace this lifestyle as anecessity or not, ecovillage living simplyoffers far more satisfying life conditionsthan the dominant Western model, as acloser examination would demonstrateto any curious citizen.As yet, South Africa still only has ahandful of emergent ecovillages thoughthere is certainly growing interest. Theclimate, available land and abundantsolar energy certainly offer impressiveprospects for self-sufficient communities...While, in theory, an ecovillage maysound enticing and straightforward, thereality is that to pioneer an ecovillagerequires persistent conscious attention,physical work, commitment and patience.It’s a little known fact that 90%of all intentional communities disbandor peter out within the first few years.Even as the challenges are indeed manifold,the biggest obstacle for many is tonurture and maintain an environmentthat grows harmoniously in the face ofinterpersonal dynamics.One of the prominent concerns ofour modern culture is our fragmentation.Due to our conditioned socialalienation, when we come into an communalenvironment where we are requiredto integrate other people’s viewsand choices into many decisions thatwere previously made autonomously,we often feel that our sense of personalfreedom is threatened or compromised.It is said that through moving from thePiscean into the Aquarian age, we willfind much of our spiritual growth andtranscendence through our relationshipsand social interactions.Our progressive attitude towardsdisagreement and conflict finds aninvaluable platform in intentional community.Through conflict we are invariablyconfronted with our own personalissues and mental conditioning. Byhonouring adversity as an opportunityfor growth, through honest communicationand commitment to resolution, weare confronting, on a practical level, ourmost deeply conditioned illusion of beingseparate from all that is.The GEM is like a blueprint that’s beingchanneled on a planetary level, forhumanity to not only continue living,but to flourish to our full potential asspiritual beings in the heavenly gardenof Gaia. Through GEM’s crystalisationwe are preparing the space for thebirthing of a New Culture. Intriguingly,as human consciousness evolves, sodoes the GEM proportionately gainmomentum and as this global shiftbecomes more prevalent, we are naturallydesigning and creating the mostcongenial environment for its manifestation.In the larger scheme of things it’squite uncanny how, in the entire historyof humanity, we have simultaneouslycome to two precipices: One loomingover a massive ecological cataclysmfuelled by an escalating war for theresidual natural resources and furtherextreme examples of human ignorance;the other, a juncture in human evolutionwhere we can release the colossal,yet subliminal, burden of fear and soarto an unprecedented realisation of consciousness.In truth, the former cannotbe prevented without the latter.The time for integrating ecologicaland spiritual consciousness is uponus and if we wish to welcome it into aspace that truly nurtures and reflectsour interconnectedness with all lifesystems,then it is up to us to create it.References:Ecovillage Living- Restoring the Earth and her People,edited by Hildur Jackson and Karen SvenssonCreating a life together, by Diana Leafe ChristianCreating Harmony, edited by Hildur JacksonResources:www.gaia.orgwww.ic.orgwww.context.orgKhulaDhammaEcovillageby Yan(Khula DhammaEcovillage, Eastern Cape)The name “Khula Dhamma” consistsof the Xhosa word “khula”, whichmeans “to grow” and the ancientEastern word of “Dhamma” which hasvarious spiritual connotations such as“the natural, universal law” and “thepath that leads to enlightenment”.Since, as a community, we do notidentify ourselves with any oneparticular philosophy or belief systemwe generally convey our name as“to grow on the path that leads toconsciousness.”To grow and exploring consciousnessare indeed the two fundamentalaspects of our ecovillage. First andforemost we embrace the profound andunique opportunity for human beingsto overcome fear and the illusion ofbeing separate from all that is. One outwardmanifestation of this is reflectedthrough how we relate to one another,share enthusiasm and ideas, toleratedifferences and how we approach andresolve opposing views. The other isthe surrounding environment we havechosen to live in (or perhaps it was theland who chose us!) that allows us toreconnect with Nature.Through investigating the causesand acknowledging the current realityof how we, as human beings, havebecome alienated from our true nature,each other and our natural environment,we are deeply moved to healthese wounds of ignorance and work torestore the sacred natural balance.(continued on page 43)How we grow our food, build ourdwellings, gain our livelihood, generateour electricity, use our resources,manage our waste, choose which goodsto purchase etc. are all done with theaim of constantly reducing our impacton the Earth and her creatures. As withour relationships, we are still far fromperfection — if there is such a thing!But this is our intent.Our ecovillage is still very much inthe embryonic stage. Only in the last22 Biophile Issue 16

four years or so, has work here beenconsistent and we are still only six residents,including two toddlers. By beingso few adults (not always on the landeither) and having limited resources,the growth has been fairly unhurried.Admittedly it’s quite a challenge attimes to pioneer such an endeavourwith rudimentary amenities, little privacyand continual hard work while theto-do list just keeps growing! But muchof our loving labour is starting to bearfruit. We are pumping crystal water withsolar energy; we have a properly functioningcomposting toilet; our gardenproduces more veggies than we can eat;two beautiful and unique natural dwellingsare nearing completion and a thirdis under way.Until very recently our access roadwas quite an obstacle, but with the helpof some heavy machinery our road is nolonger reserved for 4x4s. Furthermore,we are expanding our honey productionand we’re looking seriously into thepossibility of farming hemp.An integral part of our communalvision and mission is to establish alearning centre where we can facilitatea wide variety of workshops andprograms that cover, but also integrate,sustainable living, creative expressionand spiritual enquiry. The advantage ofrunning workshops from within a fullyfunctional and vibrant community willprovide the participant with an extensiveecovillage immersion experience.Rarely a day goes by that one of usdoesn’t remark how tremendously fortunatewe are to be living and workinghere! While honouring a deep senseof responsibility toward future generations,our work and lifestyle barecountless rewards in the process. Witha growing worldwide interest in sustainableliving we also feel blessed to beamong the very few ecovillages that arepioneering the movement here in SouthAfrica. With much of the groundworkin place it’s clear that to now continuegrowing we need more like-minded,enthusiastic and committed pioneersto help Khula Dhamma to blossom toits full potential. We especially hope toattract families and active elders froma variety of cultural backgrounds! Formore information and photos, visit ourwebsite: www.khuladhamma.orgOr write to us:Email: khuladhamma@gmail.comPost: PO Box 1, Haga Haga, 5272Biophile Issue 1623

SimplySustainableby Nirmala NairAs Sustainability discourses becomea buzz word, a household topic,it has become more confusing -removed from ordinary people’sperspective.Yet the very essence ofsustainability lies in its simplicity,and its accessibility to any layperson.We are living in an extremelyspecialized world where the simplestuff is often forgotten. The way ofcommonsense is pushed aside foran apparently more sophisticatedproduct approach to life - like theorganic insect spray in a fancyplastic bottle instead of the good oldgarlic-chilli mixture, and marigoldsand companion planting to maintaininsect free veggie patches.The focus of this column will be to1. Dig out the much forgotten ‘goodold’ways of living, simply usingcommon sense and nature’s wisdom,learning to dance with nature2. Share from around the worldsimply sustainable living narratives- stories about real people livingsimply and sustainably notbecause they believe it is ‘cool’or fashionable, because that is allthey know, because they have notbeen polluted by ‘development’;because they have not progressed(regressed?) into sustainabledevelopment.Often these stories are tools forreflection – to look deeper intothe well meaning well-intentionedprojects to ‘De-velop’ that are oftenfilled with contradictions. Most oftenthe damages and destructions facedtoday are the resultant outcomeof such development projects thatforce communities to compromisethe process of living simply with in alocal context.A touch of madness...touched by modernityStories from Payyallore, a tiny village nestled under thefoothills of Western Ghats of Palakkad province in Kerala,South IndiaThis tiny little village, my home-town,now boasts more than ten busesplying through the only dusty mainroad. The majestic backdrop of theWestern Ghats made this little villagepicturesque, almost out of a livingcanvass of nature.Every couple of years I return tothe village only to be shocked to seeanother development… another paddyfield filled up to construct another horrendousconcrete building. The numberof old buildings in the area are vanishingfast. No more mud bricks. No moreKerala style old buildings with timber,stone and mud bricks or the poorerhomes with thatch equivalent palm leafroof structures with bamboo supports.Bamboo used to be the main fencingmaterial, but has been totally replacedwith either brick walls or barbed wirefencing or a combination. When I livedat home, my mother lovingly cultivatedmany shade loving trees interspersedwith the bamboo fencing, making itmore like a green wall. Most of thesewere Neem and another local specieswe call vaka, the bark of which wasused for soap. The touch of modernitybrought home by my retired father sawthe demise of the entire Neem familyfrom our homestead along with thebamboo fence now replaced with a concretewall and barbed wire fencing.Concrete and brick housing hasbecome a symbol of upward mobilityand status. The emerging constructionindustry has moved to all corners, buyingup paddy fields and luring the localsto lease their land for brick kilns.Scattered across the paddy fields,spewing smoke and fume, stand thebrick kilns – bringing modernity to thehomes around. Studies after studieshave shown that brick kilns are killingthe fields, making the land unarable foryears. But the construction industry ishungry for bricks; people want concretehouses. Mud bricks are not fashionable.Laborers are not interested in buildingwith mud bricks. And are losing theknowledge.And yet…far away in towns, tired ofmodern buildings, sustainable architects24 Biophile Issue 16

have been working with compressed earthblocks for many years. Take Auroville aneco-township in Pondicherry, the southof India. Led by Sat Prem Mani, who hasdedicated his life to working on sustainablearchitecture, the Earth Institute hasdeveloped multiple ways of working withcompressed earth blocks, practical, sustainable,labor intensive as well as ableto meet the demand in volume, if need be— contrary to the constant criticism thatproponents of cob-house and such otherdesigns have to hear from mainstreamurban housing Mafioso.What is most disturbing is the trend todiscard what has been working generallywell, adopt something that is new and inthe process destroy the foundation of whatdid work previously, only to discover thatwe may have to go back and improvisewhat was working before. By this time, acouple of decades have gone by, generationsdestroyed.Is there a better way to learn, becomewiser, wake up to the reality of appreciatingwhat one has, exploring the possibilitiesof building on what is locally available?Is there a better way to bridge commonwisdom without losing it entirely?Is there a way to support local craftsmenand women without becoming slavesto sustainability experts busy taking overthe few craftspeople with local knowledge?Is there a way of making sustainabilitychoices accessible to all ?Is there a way to create consciousnessaround sustainability stemming from aneducational paradigm that facilitates oneand all to make conscious choices aboutpro-active citizenry?Is there a way of thinking that becomesthe norm, the backbone of any societythat enables citizens to challenge unethicallifestyles being promoted by businesscouched as good living?Take the case of Payyallore, my village.People have become conditionedto the idea of a false notion of modernity.Swept by the winds of modernisationold and new alike suffer from feelings ofshame. Shame of being old fashioned,shamed of the old dwellings. Shamedwearing old fashioned clothing. Shamedat the unaffordability to buy the glitteringnew materials goods that the shopsare inundated with.Purchasing power of the money islow. People’s ability to sustain themselvesis great but is afflicted, dis-easedunder the onslaught of glitzy media andtelevision giving evangelical gospelsabout good living.In our little small holding my motherplanted almost everything we needed.There was very little we needed to buyfrom outside, soaps, textile perhaps…even the textiles came from the nearbyweaver. The pots that my mother cookedcame from the local potter.The small holding went through amake-over once my father returned,retired from the military. A victim ofmodernity syndrome, he came to livein the village full of new ideas, deeplyconvinced of the need to modernizevillage life. Totally skeptical about oldways, rituals and festivals, temples anddeities. He pooh-poohed all of this asnonsense, superstition and doomed tokeep the villagers, ‘lazy and backward’.Where my mother did veggie patcheswith companion planting, trees andshrubs and bushes growing in harmony,my father cleared the land. Where shemanaged with one well to water her entireveggie patches, my father got a borewell and motorized pumping.My father believes true developmentmust be accompanied by real technologies.His real technologies have chasedthe humus away from the garden, thelush undergrowth, mostly edible weedshave become a forgotten species of thepast. No more frogs in the garden, nomore snakes and no more abundance ofbird life that always sought lush greengardens and insect life as their priorityliving habitats.My father opted for cash crops thatdon’t generate immediate returns butthat may yield income in four to fiveyears. By that time, if he is lucky theprices will be good. But the market isnot a dependable mechanism and mustnot be the core determining factor inthe pursuit of sustainability.Years and years of accumulatedhumus and undergrowth gone. The soilexposed to harsh tropical sun had tobe coaxed to produce anything. The tallgrowing coconut planted mainly as cashcrop casting ever longer shadows preventedlush undergrowth and no humusto accumulate.The small holding, that grew enoughfor a family of five soon became dry,parched barren naked soil with no undergrowthto hold the moisture duringthe dry hot season and no undergrowthto drink and absorb the excess moistureduring heavy monsoon.After many years, of working passionatelyin the garden my mother withdrewfrom the modernist male domainespecially after her daughters left home.She neatly put away her few pieces ofgardening equipment, a small sickle, apick and a hoe, became aloof. Her essenceof life, her garden shriveled awayin the tropical sun as her body witheredwith gloom and despair, the male waysNirmala Nair(ZERI Southern Africa, Cape Town)Nirmala Nair has been involved in sustainabledevelopment initiatives for thelast 25 years. She consults, lectures andconducts training workshops nationally andinternationally on whole systems inspiredsustainable practices for local developments.Born in Kerala, raised in Kashmir andNew Delhi, she was home schooled by hermother until the age of 10. She believes thatthe roots of her passion to do sustainabledevelopment differently from lies in beingraised in a simple but sustainable life style,free of formal factory schooling, which soeasily thwarts creative, innovative potentials.She has a Masters Degree in Sociology fromJawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi anda Masters Degree in Development Studiesspecializing in Women and Developmentfrom the Institute of Social Studies, TheNetherlands. She has been living in CapeTown since 1992 with her South Africanhusband, Philip van Ryneveld, and her threedaughters,Nirmala’s quest has been seeking solutionsbasedsustainability approaches, locallydesignedand rooted in local cultures andtraditions. She believes that external,technocratic interventions alone are notgoing to be sufficient to create a paradigmshift. Her work in this respect is focused onenvisioning self organizing bio-regionalzonesthat sustains and regenerates localeco-systems and communities in truesustainable abundance.She is the founder director of ZERI-SA (ZeroEmissions Research and Initiatives - SouthAfrica) www.zerisa.orgof living too harsh for her soulful living.She became bed ridden…for manyyears, just waiting to move on, whichshe did last year. She passed away onmy lap, looking into my eyes in despairand fear for what awaits humanity. I hadto reassure her, it is okay to leave, themodernity era is coming to an end, thegoddess era is awakening.Many women removed from the landget sick… so many women removedfrom their mothers’ gardens live lifewith no meaning anymore, nothingmakes sense to their old ways of living.Men rushing, men impatient, menraking deep, machines grinding. Eyesglassy, eyes frantic, seeking searching,caught in the prison of inertiaBiophile Issue 1625

A TOUCH OF MADNESS...and matter. Depression gets deeper.Breakdowns increase and not breakthroughsfrom the cul-de-sac of lifelessliving. Life wrapped up in colourfulwraps of material living, urban living – atouch of madness, afflicted by modernitysyndrome. Those afflicted by thisdis-ease return to the villages, like myfather, eager to make their simple villagedwelling into a small urban shanty– sad testimony that urban developmentis addictive, it hooks simple folks formvillage with all the pomp and glitz onlyto slowly leach the simple living in harmonywith nature spiced with commonsense a thing of the past.My mother passed away last year.Watching the villagers pour in I realizedhow the local village communicationsystem is so self organizing, no ADSL,broadband, telecommunication glitchholding news… news just travels. Peopleflock by. Nothing is done for money.It just is the custom. She was crematedon the land. The tree from the land waschopped down. A tamarind tree. Usuallythe best. It burns even when it isjust cut. The best tree always used forcremation. Our local custom does notallow the body to be kept after the sunset…here in this part of the tropics,everything is taken care of according tothe law of nature…rules and rituals arecreated to follow the rhythms of nature.With no refrigeration and modern,cooling system body will rot in no time.Cremation is the best way to disposeof the dead. Ofcourse wood has to bechopped. But almost every householdmaintains trees, especially tamarind…for the dead…no one has to be told togrow trees…It is a different story when the developerscome, the rich new moniedclass want terrace buildings, concreteapartments, bulldozing the entire ecosystemto grow concrete jungles. Andthen the bickering starts, sustainablearchitecture…sustainable urban dwellings,and spatial development.How sustainable is this approach?We are witnessing this trend globally.Where is this taking us? This kind ofdisplacement of the old for the newthat has no sustainability other than tosustain the newly emerging sustainableindustry – of developers, architects,planners, agri-business you name it…all making the old look really redundantand yet, taking the new to an unsustainablelevel, uprooting and distorting theold. At the same time bottling convenientremnants of the old in new packageswith new labels to be traded assustainable development with a liberalgarnish of modernist technology.Auroville:a Blueprintfor Livingby Stacy FriedlanderIs there really a place on earth wherehuman beings from all nations andways of life, have come together ina melting pot with a singular visionof human unity, world peace andnatural living? Could it be true? Werewe dreaming when our taxi arrived inthe midst of the Indian winter in whatseemed to be a very uncanny forestright in the middle of the open coastalplains of Tamil Nadu, Southern India?We stopped to have a tea and somejuice at the Auroville visitor’s centre, abeautiful structure made of compressedraw clay earth and renowned by architectsworld wide for being one of themost elegant naturally built communitybuildings today. Our first glimpse wasthe communal watering system whichboasted ‘Dyanamised Water’ – couldthis be true? A city where the citizenseven care about the essential qualityand energy of the drinking water of itsinhabitants?Some may have heard of Aurovillein the recent African outreach thattook place in SA last year, or smelt itssweet fragrances from the Auro-incensethat is always sold out in Kalk Bay, orhypothesised its existence with friendsover a cup of steaming chai.Growing up in a torn apart SouthAfrica we are one of those many soulswho have yearned for ubuntu in a moremanifest way in our nation throughintentional and conscious communities.Why should South Africa, such aprosperous and advanced nation, so upthere in technology and science, lackso direly an expression of communalliving and human unity? Yes, we have itin the media, in the rainbow nation, inthe “One South Africa” movement, butis it really there on the ground wherewe need it? Communities serve a deeppurpose of bringing a healing heart totheir surroundings and their countriesas we were to witness on our journey toAuroville.Auroville, “The City of Dawn”, was inauguratedon the 28th of February 1968,when people representing 124 countriesand all the Indian states symbolicallyplaced a handful of earth from theirhome lands in a marble clad vessel nearthe centre of Auroville, then a piece ofdry desert earth, symbolising the crea-26Biophile Issue 16

tion of a city dedicated to human unityand international understanding.Today the Community celebrates 40years of existence and expansion asa unique manifestation on the face ofMother Earth. Auroville has attractedover the years dedicated beings thathave taken the responsibility to researchand act according to the needof all. It is a microcosm of consciousprojects and individuals from aroundthe world and within India. It is a meltingpot of natural living and healing theearth and the individual and most ofall it is a beautiful, calm and vital placesituated in a dense forest which wasseeded by hand by the early visionaries.The reforestation is a powerful symbolof what can be done with focusedheart and intent. Along with the newforest came birds, small mammals,monkeys and so many other brothersand sisters who could once again roamfree.On our personal journey we stayedin one of the many Aurovillian communities(where a group of people with acommon activity or vision stay together,something like a village but morefocused) called Verite, meaning Truth.This older community, like many others,runs completely on solar energy witha huge windpump to pump its water.Recycling is part and parcel of daily life.It has a well-established organic andherbal garden that feeds and nourishesthe community members daily wherethey gather to share organic healthymeals in the communal eating hall. Todayits is well shaded by a variety of indigenoustrees that were planted in thedessert landscape of the 1970s, whichnow attracts a large variety of birdsongs and provide shelter and shadefrom the summer sun and a microcosmof insect life and small mammal.In Verite, the members are involvedin a multitude of tasks ranging from Villageaction groups (working on humanrights and basic needs issues in the surroundingvillages of Auroville), organicgardening, natural healing, naturalarchitecture, youth art projects, instrumentmaking, and of course the muchneeded engineer, as some one has tomanage the solar panels, wind pumps,septic tanks, reed beds and so on. Thereis no shortage of skills in Auroville asthe community strives to take care ofevery need of itself independently.Branching out to our surroundingneighbours, someone is designing naturalclothing using the ancient Indigodyes, the same way it has been done forthousands of years. The gentle Brahminmother is making sun dried pasta fromorganic millet and spirulina for thoseItalian members who miss their mama’scooking. The donkey from the Ponyfarm has broken out and was found in“Fertile Windmill’s” garden munchingtheir summer supply of salad, theTibetan pavilion is running a Tibetanmedical clinic and the Dalai lama maybe visiting again soon, the Centre ForScientific Research is designing anergonomic and energy efficient solarmoped and four Tamil village youthare packing their backpacks to attendan international youth Forum in theUSA. The kids in the Youth Centre havejust put on a completely cycle poweredEarth Day 2007 show that had a completetheatre and music productionelectrically powered by a convertedold bicycle that has become a portablehuman-powered generator.So how can South African benefit,learn and model off this creation, as ourstruggle for unity amidst diversity is soobviously real, painful and of coursefamiliar. The divide amongst us as a‘unified’ nation is growing. We hangon to our hope and trust that we willwin the battle over crime and separation,living in our snug apartments orisolated kraal, with a silent commongreeting and heart sore from the nightsguns shots.We must be inspired by the creationof conscious, safe, vibrant communities.It is time for the creation of the firstconscious community in South Africa:all those interested, let us join ourheads, hands and hearts. Let us humblybow before this beautiful example inIndia — where souls have joined witha common vision of care for the earth,care for the individual and care for thenation — and build our own Auroville inAfrica soon.Earth Day celebrations in Auroville,May 2007Biophile Issue 1627

“So what do you thinkFindhorn is really about?Why is it here?”I turn towards the woman asking thequestion, and mumble through a fewsentences before realizing that I didn’treally have an answer. We are makingsweet-pea flower bunches in Findhorn’sorganic vegetable garden, Cullerne.Today is a harvest day and the rest ofthe staff, volunteers and guests arebusy picking summer vegetables for thecommunity kitchen, Phoenix shop andorganic food box scheme.I intend to be in Findhorn for oneweek. Now, five months later, I have takenon a seva (“service” ) position, andam a full-time gardener. I remember myfirst day, being dropped off at the foundationfor my Experience Week – as if itwas my first day at a new school. And allI wanted to do was cry.Most people start off their journeyat Findhorn on an experience week; aweek long program used as an introductionto the community and its wayof being. And so, with my nervousness,judgements, curiosity and newness, Iwas gently supported through a weekof sharing, dancing, discovery games,meditation and working in the community’skitchen.By the end of the week I could havefit a hundred planets worth of loveinside my heart. I was overflowing. AndI spent hours fantasizing about anddesigning the property I’d build formyself, and the friends I’d fly out. Afterchecking the prices, my double storycob house turned into the next bestway of being there, booking myself ontothe Living-in Community Guest programme.The community is in the north ofScotland and was started by Eileen andPeter Caddy, and their work associate,Dorothy McLean. The abridged versionof the story goes something like this:Eileen started receiving guidance fromwhat she called her “still small voicewithin”. Peter was a man of action andreadily put this guidance into practice.Dorothy connected with the naturespirits, and together, with no job andvery little government support, theystarted growing world famous vegetables.20kg cabbages and giant spinach.Eileen’s first little booklet (called GodSpoke To Me) and the talk of enormousvegetables attracted people from allover the world, and from there, thecommunity grew into what it is today.And what a thriving community, with150 people who are a part of the Foundation,and 450 people living in andaround the wider community. Around13000 guests per year, and almost 200week long courses ranging from livingincommunity guest programmes, innerwork, and eco-village design educationtraining to non-violent communication,5-rhythms dancing and astroshamanism.Seminars include UnitedNations training programmes, CarolineMyss, Joanna Macey, and Nealle DonaldWalsch…to name a few.Findhorn is abundant with activities…allthe time. From biodanza,chakra dance, Taize singing, journeyworkshops, trance dance, global changetalks, meditations, story telling, studygroups, festivals and celebrations –summer solstice and equinox, harvestfestival and Samhain. So many thingsare possible, and people make themhappen.Their awareness of living sustainablyhas made them one of the leadingeco-village education centres. Fourwindmills provide clean energy, as donumerous solar-panel systems. At theother end, by the caravan park, is whatthey call “the Living Machine” – a biologicalsewerage treatment plant. Thereare now 40 ecological buildings madefrom natural or recycled materials, andwith the intention of being as energyefficient as possible. In the cul-de-sacnear the forest stand three houses madefrom recycled whisky barrels. I am toldthat Findhorn’s next housing projectwill be built with a zero carbon emissionpolicy.So what exactly is Findhorn about?How does one begin to describe it? TheyThe magic offindhornby Ashleigh Gordon28 Biophile Issue 16

call themselves a spiritual community,an education centre, and an eco-village.They talk about their willingness andcommitment to listen; to oneself – onesinner guidance, to each other, and tothe environment. They talk about workbeing love in action, and to love eachmoment, where you are, who you arewith, and what you are doing.The magic of Findhorn is the magicof being present. Of people coming togetherand saying yes. I experience thisplace as a mystery school. And in eachmoment I experience a chance to learnand grow. To observe myself. To see othersas my mirror. To share. To connectdeeply with other people. To listen. Tobe present. And to include. Findhorn isinclusive, not exclusive, and welcomesall belief systems.Communities, I imagine, might experiencemany challenges with politics,conflict and differences in opinion, andfindhorn is not without its faults. I did,however, see people in Findhorn withsuch a willingness to go beyond theego, to look at ones own shadows andprojections, and to own one’s experiences.To ask permission before offeringreflections, criticism or advice. To listendeeply to the other and release blame.Work departments have regularsharings, and each shift begins with a“tuning-in”, a round of names, jobs, anda short check-in – “how are we feelingtoday?” Through this I am able to connectmore with people, judge less, andknow if someone needs support or gentleness.People in Findhorn are encouragedto listen to their inner guidance,or intuition, through what they call theprocess of “attunement”. Nearly everysignificant decision is made in this way!After this time in Findhorn (sevenmonths in total), I feel changes in me.I experience so much more than ispossible to put into words. I love more,fear less, risk more and care less whatother people think. I am in completeawe of this infinite experience of life.This hugeness and human-ness. I feela deeper love for the planet, and feelinspired to be a part of the change, tolive my truth – and to live lightly on theearth.Do I miss Findhorn? In some ways Ifeel like I carry her with me. A part ofme feels the time I had there was themost beautiful dream that will never goaway. I remember closing the gardenin the evening by myself, running fromtunnel to tunnel, and suddenly stoppingand throwing my arms in the sky andfeeling such an overwhelming rush ofappreciation, and such a deep comfortand peace knowing that Findhorn exists.Mama Findhorn, and all the beingsseen and unseen that are a part ofyou…thank you.The Findhorn Foundation is aninternational centre for holisticeducation, helping to unfold anew human consciousness andcreate a sustainable, positivefuture.The Foundation wasestablished in 1972 as aneducational trust committed toteaching and demonstratingthe essential truths inherentin all spiritual traditions.The pioneering work of itsfounders, Dorothy Macleanand Eileen and Peter Caddy,continues today in theFindhorn Foundation spiritualcommunity and ecovillage,committed to the vision of anew culture that is inclusiveand sustainable, and taking anactive part within a wideningnetwork of like-mindedorganisations to create thischange.Biophile Issue 16 29

How to be a GreenerCloth Nappy Userby Stacy FriedlanderThere has been a lot of talkabout cloth nappies latelyand I have heard many peoplerefer to some research done inthe UK by The EnvironmentalAgency¹ saying washing clothnappies has just as muchimpact on the environmentas disposables. This studyhas however been stronglycriticized by The Women’s EnvironmentalNetwork² (WEN)for statistical inaccuraciesdue to the small sample sizeof the cloth nappy users (117but further reduced to only 32users of terry squares for thereport) compared to disposablenappy users (2000).The biggest area of concernwhen reading The EnvironmentalAgency’s research isthe washing method that itstudied. Traditionally terrysquares were washed at veryhigh temperatures and soakedin chemical sanitizers. I stillget questions about whethernappies need to be boiled andsoaked in chemicals beforewashing. By basing the abovestudy on these washing methodsis not taking into accountthe more modern washingrecommendations by themanufactures of shaped clothnappy, which are fast becomingthe most popular form ofreusable nappies. No allowancewas also given for thedecrease in impact of secondhand nappies. My son (due tobe born next month) will bereusing all his sister’s nappies,and I hope that the secondhand market for cloth nappieswill grow in South Africa asit has in the UK and USA, notonly amongst siblings, butalso in nappies being resold.What we need to takefrom this report is that notall washing methods can beconsidered equal in their environmentalfootprint. Thereis a lot that cloth nappy userscan do to make a noticeablereduction in the environmentalimpact. WEN concludedthat significant energy savingscan be made when using 24nappies, washing at no morethan 60°C in an A-rated washingmachine thus cutting thecontribution to global warmingby 17% compared to the 47nappies and washing methodssuggested by The EnvironmentalAgency’s research.Greener ways to reduce theenvironmental impact of usingcloth nappies:• If financially possible,choose nappies made fromorganic cotton, hemp or bamboowhich are grown with lessimpact on the environment.• Buy nappies from a localsupplier - most importednappies are flown into thecountry causing huge carbonemissions.• Buy second hand nappiesor reuse nappies with subsequentbabies.• Avoid soaking. Dry storenappies in a bucket with aclose fitted lid. If you do soakavoid using sanitizers. Ratheruse a natural agent like lavenderoil or an organic nappysoak like that available fromEnchantrix.• Nappies that are wet onlycan be washed at 40°C andsoiled nappies at a maximumof 60°C• Use a washable nappy liner• Avoid PVC waterproof covers• Make sure your washingmachine has an A rating forenergy efficiency and if yourmachine does not adjust thewater volume to the weight ofthe load automatically then alwayswash a full load. Towelsand other items of clothes canbe added to make a full load.• Use an environmentallyfriendly washing detergent.Organic laundry liquid isavailable from Enchantrix• Do not use a fabric softener,it reduces the absorbency ofthe nappies and is an unnecessarychemical pollutant.White Spirit Vinegar can beadded to the final rise water ifyou feel softening is required.• Line or air dry where everpossible and avoid using thetumble dryer.• Nappies never need to beironed• Sell or pass on your nappieswhen you are finished withthem.Using the above methodswill certainly make usingcloth nappies much moreenvironmentally friendly thandisposables. As parents we do,after all, have a responsibilityto the children we are raisingto limit the damage we do tothis planet, and try to repairsome of the damage we havealready done.1) The Environmental Agency Report:http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/commondata/acrobat/nappies_1072099.pdf2) The Women’s Environmental Networkcomments: http://www.wen.org.uk/general_pages/Newsitems/ms_LCA19.5.05.htmOther source of information Twinkle-Twinkle www.twinkleontheweb.co.uk30 Biophile Issue 16

Green DirectoryProducts and Services for the Ethical ConsumerTo advertise, please phone Steve Venter on 021 782 3401 or email steve@biophile.co.zaMore information and current advertising rates are available at www.biophile.co.za/advertiseHealth Warnings on Cellphones!Has the time come?With the explosive growth in cellphoneusage, a number of leadingUK health scientists are now calling forhealth warning on cellphones. Whilstthe short-term usage of cellphonesappears safe, international researchresults are raising serious concerns regardingthe health risks of longer-termexposure to cellphoneradiation.So much so, that theBritish Dept of Healthis investing a further£3m into extending theirresearch into the associateddevelopment ofserious diseases, includingcancer, Parkinson’s& Alzheimer’s, with longterm cellphone usage.Prof. Lawrie Challis,world expert on cellphoneradiation andchairman of the BritishGovt’s research programme,probably bestsums up this situationwhen he refers to cellphonesas the Cigarettesof the 21st Century!So what are theauthorities doing aboutthis? The EuropeanCouncil and the USA’sFederal CommunicationCommission have now set radiationsafety guidelines for all cellphonemanufactures to comply with. Theseradiation exposure guidelines are definedas the SAR or Specific AbsorptionRate. Simply put, it’s the measure ofthe amount of radiation that your brainabsorbs when using your cellphone.Remember not all cellphones arethe same so the higher the SAR ratingof your cellphone, the more radiationyou’re absorbing! In Europe theSAR limit is set at 2Watts/Kg in 10g oftissue and in the USA & Australia, it is1.6Watts/Kg in 1g of tissue. However theburning question remains “ Will theseSAR limits prove safe over the longterm?”Only time will tell, as we allundertake the world’s largest voluntaryexperiment known to mankind, on thehealth hazards of long-term cellphoneradiation exposure! Furthermore, oneof the major growing fears is the effectthat cellphone radiation is having onkids.The SAR levels set apply to adults,but it is a proven fact that kids absorbup to 60% more of this dangerous radiationdue to thinner skulls!A leading professor of genetics hasnow stated that SAR levels for kidsshould be at least 10 times lower thanfor adults! So you may be asking, “whydidn’t I know about this? Well justmaybe you didn’t look at the “HealthWarning” on the box that your last cellphonecame in?Yes, manufacturers are also becomingincreasingly concerned about thegrowing evidence on long-term cellphoneradiation exposure. The industry,through its CellularTelecommunications &Internet Assoc. has nowordered cellphone manufacturersto place labelson cellphones disclosingtheir radiation, and alsofeature this in brochures& technical specs too.Could this then be thestart of Health Warnings?While the SAR rating of acellphone may not be asenticing a features as 3megapixel cameras, 3000music tracks, 3D Graphics,FM Radios, 3G, VGAetc., the bad news is thatit comes Free with everycellphone! Hopefully intime it will be a decidingfactor in choosing acellphone?So now that you knowthe facts, what can youdo to limit your risk?Well, choose a cellphonewith a low SAR rating, use a hands freekit, keep it away from the body (not inpockets) and only use it when it hasfull signal strength - more radiation isemitted with low signal strength. Or ofcourse, apply an internationally provenSAR radiation shield to your cellphone.Not convinced? Then why, if we can’tuse a cellphone on an aircraft becauseof its interference with the avionics,is it so safe for us to use? Maybe itsbecause we jam it up against our brainsfor hours every day!Biophile Issue 1631

ARTIST’S WAY COURSE(Julia Cameron) 12 weeksDo you have repeating patternsyou’d like to change? Call Ann: 084477 6420 or 021 782 7125SUSTAINABLEARCHITECTUREDesign and Consultatione-mail requirements and contactdetails to anjaholtzhausen@hotmail.com for a free quotation.EMPLOYMENT OFFEREDEastern Cape: Skilderkrantz NatureReserve and organic farm (www.skilderkrantz.com) seeks practical,resourceful person or couple with office organizational skills, Pastelaccounting, welding, building,pump maintenance, mechanical,gardening/orchards. Must benuts about Nature, non smokers,interested in Natural health/organic living. Small starting salaryplus accommodation, but thisposition could grow. Skilderkrantzis situated 20km from R62 on dirtrd, is fairly isolated, very quiet andsafe. Rangers also needed. e-mailcarol@skilderkrantz.comTel: 042 273 1640FARM WORKERSREQUIREDPerhaps you are moving and need a position for your beloved,trustedfarm worker couple? We need suchpeople. Must be teetotal, used toliving on remote farm, Karoo/E.Cape type people, preferablyAfrikaans speaking for generalwork and care-taking.carol@skilderkrantz.comTel: 042 273 9900ARE YOU STRESSED?Need a detox? Give yourself newlife with a four-in-one oxygen spa.Includes hydro-,massage-, aroma-,and oxygen therapy. Phone Claudefor a complimentary treatment anddetailed info on 078 4050 698www.medi-zone.co.zaHEALTHYSOILSWANTED Dedicated person toassist with distribution of Biophileand Renaissance for approximatelyone week every two months.Must be adept at keeping goodrelations with an existing supplychain of 40/50 esoteric and healthstores and assist with adding newoutlets. Basic is R2000 for oneweek, with strong possibility ofmore income generation (to bediscussed). Suited to someone inJohannesburg — currently based inthe Kensington area. Please contactCrosby Menzies 082 954 0144 / 011624 2432 / crosby@sunfire.co.za formore information.MILLBROOK COLD PRESSED OILSCONTACT : CAROL TEL: 016 366 7014 FAX: 016 362 1805sales@millbrook.co.zawww.millbrook.co.zaHEALTHYSEEDSwww.hundredyearlie.comA ground-breaking, shocking andvitally important book(June 2006, 304pp, hardback)Vision QuestRENEW YOUR CONNECTION TO YOURSELF & ALL YOUR RELATIONS6th -16th December 2007Khula Dhamma Eco-Villagenear Haga Haga in Eastern CapeCost: R3000 neg8 participants max.Vision Quest guides:Carolyn Howell & Ian LightFor more information e-mailwildvision@gmail.comor call Ian 082 834 9780We are not separate fromnature. Just being,nature mirrorswhat we need to hearfor our healing and growthR239(plus R25 postage & handling)To order, contactGondwanaland BooksTel: (044) 883-1110 Fax: (044) 883-1109lee@gondwanaland.co.za32 Biophile Issue 16

Creating holistic architectureby honouring the chosen siteand working with the spacespresented to us.We endeavour to use ourplanet’s energy wheneverpossible to convert heat intousable energy by working withsustainable energy experts.We strive for harmony withnature by using naturalmaterials such as clay, lime,straw bales, drift timber, stonerammed earth, wattle & dauband green roofs, extensively.EARTHTEMPLEARCHITECTS21 NTOMBENI ROADDANIEL DALE ESTATE,NOORDHOEKTEL: 021 789 0213WWW.EARTHTEMPLE.CO.ZASOLAR COOKER“Every home should have one! I usemine every sunny day...” Anthea TorrSunstove 2000 is a simple, new design, user-friendly,lightweight and rugged. Holds several pots.USES ONLY THE SUN’S ENERGY!Available directly from Biophile Magazine forR340.00 including VAT, excluding postage.Includes a free pot!Phone 021 709 0391 or email sunstove@biophile.co.za formore information and to orderBiophile Issue 1633

Subscribe to BiophileSave Money, Save a Tree!with our new electronicsubscription formatYou now have the option of subscribing to anelectronic (PDF) version of Biophile. If you havea connection to the internet, you’ll be able todownload your copy directly from our website, orif your connection is too slow, you can opt for theCD subscription, in which case a CD containing thePDF file will be posted to you. The PDF version of themagazine will allow you to search, extract articles andprint out any pages you wish, and is viewablewith either Acrobat Reader or Foxit Reader,both of which are free software.For more information, and to subscribe,see this page on our website: biophile.co.za/subscribe where you will also be able todownload a free sample issue.subscribe now andsave 20%off the cover priceBACK ISSUESALSO AVAILABLEAT R15. 00 each(including postage)Subscription rates:South AfricaNeighbouring Countries6 issues: R120. 00 R180. 00 (surface) R200. 00 (airmail)12 issues: R240. 00 R360. 00 (surface) R400. 00 (airmail)Please post the form below (make a photocopy ifyou’d rather not cut it out), together with a cheque madepayable to BIOPHILE: PO Box 39277, Capricorn Square 7948Name:______________________________Address:_______________________________________________________________________________________Tel: ______________________________Email: ______________________________Please indicate whether this is:a new subscription or a renewalOr pay the amount directly into our bank accountAccount Name: BIOPHILEBank: Standard Bank ConstantiaBranch Code: 02530917Account Number: 271 596 791and fax the form below, together with proof ofpayment to 021 709 0392I would like to subscribe for: 6 12 issues,beginning with Issue #________This is a gift subscription; please post the magazine to:Name:_______________________________GIFTAddress:_______________________________________________________________________________________34 Biophile Issue 16

Confessions ofa ConvertedCarrot CruncherTo the Bush withCarnivoresby Patricia GlynTHE PLACE: Central Kalahari GameReserve, BotswanaTHE PLAN: To find out which, if any,Bushman/San communities have takenthe opportunity of going back to theirhomelands after several years’ exile,now that they’ve won the right to do soin a lengthy legal battle with the Botswanagovernment.The team: Travelers, translators,camp hands and a wise, elderly expertin Bushman culture. Meat eaters all,except me – and oh how much I was tolearn from them about animal rightsand conservation!On the peripheries of the park, ata place called Phuduhudu, we spendtwo nights with a large settlement ofKua (as the “first people” are known inthis area). The sad cost of their interactionwith other cultures is everywherein evidence. A couple of drunks weavearound the huts, and old tins andplastic bags litter the pathways. Thetoothless elders are overcome with joyat seeing our old guide, a regular visitorto their community for over 20 years.But their proud self-reliance isnowadays replaced with poignantgratitude for a little tobacco and a bagof sugar. We’re shown how, once upona time, they made fire by rubbing stickstogether.But the spark doesn’t come, and theyabort their attempt with shy, embarrassedsmiles. Maybe we’d like to seethem sing and dance? Sadly, the singingis lack-lustre and the dancing hasnone of the ebullient foot-stomping ofdays gone by. For hours these beautifullittle people crouch around ourcampfire, eating from our bush kitchenand drinking deeply from our watertanks. And on the cold, dark edges ofthe festivities, three skeletal dogs skulkaround, their sparse and brittle coatsfull of horse-flies which bury deep andbite hard.Eventually, I can stand the dogs’parched, sidelong glances no longerand I go for a bowl of water. The Batswanacook chortles with derision at mygesture, the Kua snort with unmistakabledisapproval and our white guidelambastes me for my “sentimental firstworldvalues”.But the dogs drink, and drink, anddrink. How can it be that these aboriginalwonders, revered for their almosttelepathic ability to communicate withanimals, and renowned for their deeprespect for all living things, have noregard for the suffering of these cravencreatures? If Gandhi is correct in claimingthat one can judge a civilization bythe way it treats its animals, then theKua are clearly in the same melt-downas we Westerners.Into the Kalahari Reserve we go, tofind several abandoned Kua settlements,their earlier occupation signaledonly by ghostly circles of sand wherethe huts once stood, and former goatkraals piled high with petrified dung.Days later, we come across a wellmaintainedbut apparently unoccupiedhut. Much noisy coaxing from us drawsa small, stocky girl from the dark wombof her stick home. She has Down’ssyndrome, that’s clear, and her terrifiedlittle brother tries, unsuccessfully, tohide in a folded mattress – we may bethe police and they may be dragged offto an uncertain future outside the park.We leave them food, tobacco andwater, and I ask the translators if theycould please tell the girl to make surethat the dog (whose bones are surprisinglywell covered) has some water too.Now I’m definitely pushing my luck,and the tone of my travel-mates getsstridently critical.“Don’t interfere, don’t impose, don’tpresume,” they scold.Well, those who know me, know thatI will always interfere when the voicelessare at risk. As it happens, though, Ihave no more tests awaiting my tootenderheart as we move further intothe relentlessly harsh Kalahari. To ourgreat joy, we find several communitiesof ecstatic Kua, recently returnedto their ancient hunting grounds insomething akin to a biblical migration– albeit one facilitated by rattle-trapToyotas. And the more remote the settlement,the healthier the dogs.Here the canines are robust, evenrotund, and their care-givers providethem with juicy Tsama melons in lieuof water. Sure, the dogs are of useto the Kua in their hunts, but is it acoincidence that the more culturallyintact the group, the more the weak anddefenseless are protected?The final few days of the expeditionsee me once again biting my tongue –and so hard that the Kalahari sand isspattered with blood for many a longroad! My guides, you see, are all avowedconservationists.“Ag shame” they lament, “those poorbokke, it’s so hot out here and the waterholesare completely dry.”So they proceed to apply admirableeffort to the rehabilitation of a defunctborehole pump in the middle ofnowhere. Ah, I get it - dogs are to bedenied water, but not gemsbok. Is thatbecause they’re edible? Or more beautiful?Or what?The delightful Sandtonite in ourmidst trains her binoculars on the telegraphtail of a stiff-strutting warthogand sighs (much as I would have in myhypocritical carnivorous days): “I justdon’t know how anyone could shootsuch a cutie!”At lunch, half an hour later, she pilesinto a ham sandwich. You see, somepigs are more equal than others - andthat’s why it’s all gone so, so wrong.Suggestions (with balls please!) to:patriciaglyn@wol.co.zaBiophile Issue 1635

Who’s that Girl?In 1994 a Siberian elder told the entrepreneur VladimirMegre a fascinating story about the "ringing cedars" -trees respected from Biblical times for their curativepowers and the capacity to re-connect human beings withthe Divine. The elder told him where such a ringing cedarwas growing in the Siberian backwoods. Vladimir Megreset out on an expedition to find the tree. But his encounterwith the elder's granddaughter Anastasia transformed himso deeply that he abandoned his commercial plans and,penniless, went to Moscow to write a book about thespiritual insights she shared with him. What happened nextthrilled and inspired millions!What readers worldwide are saying“Thank you for these wonderful books! To read them has been an amazingexperience… my life has changed…” Virginie , FranceBook 6 is so powerful. It brings me so much joy to see something I have alwaysknown in "my bones" so beautifully articulated.” Maria“What a blast... I digested the 5 in a week. I have not been as engrossed in a seriesof books since I discovered Lobsang Rampa in the 1970's. I will be recommendingthese books to everyone I know” George, Australia“Book 1 was extraordinary… a sense of deep well-being came over me! Anastasia’scomment that illness is a conversation with God just blew me away. I have had achronic illness for 21 years now and that is exactly what it has been for me. Justcan’t stop reading this remarkable material!” Robert, Pasadena CaliforniaWith no advertisement other than word of mouth theRinging Cedars Series has become an internationalbestseller. Having sold over 10 million copies in Russianalone and translated into 20 languages, it has madeVladimir Megre into one of Russia's most widely readauthors.The books, which read like a fascinating novel, have anauthenticity of a documentary account and present spiritualinsights of incredible depth, are believed to be a mostsignificant masterpiece of Russian literature and one of themost important revelations in the history of humanity.These highly unusual books provide extraordinary insightsinto dozens of subjects - from natural child rearing to theproduction of high-energy, healing foods, from themeaning of human life to the amazing potential that awaitsevery one of us, from ancient megalithic science to the vitalimportance of breast-feeding, and from sacred sexuality tothe hidden history of world religions.Megre presents Anastasia's deep understanding ofMankind's innate spiritual connection to Nature andprovides practical solutions to the problems currentlyfacing humanity. He reveals her brilliant vision for thefuture of this planet, one full of hope and possibility.Her words of wisdom inspire and uplift in a way that has animmediate and profound impact on the reader.Now a series of 9 volumes, these books have alreadycreated a silent revolution across Russia and Europe.Book 1 – 6 Now Available in South Africa.For more information see:www.ringingcedars.co.zaOr e-mail books@ringingcedars.co.zaOr phone 021-439 3986"It is difficult finding the words to express how much [reading Anastasia] means tome and how powerfully I am impacted by it. It's as if my mind and heart have beenprepared to read this book for years! I've found a treasure for which I have beensearching desperately for years! I will be ordering the entire series soon and sharingthem with everyone I know!" ... and soon after from the same reader..."I've beenimmersed in the books. Since we last spoke, I have read book 2 AND 3! I am in aweof what I have read. I have been DEEPLY impacted and touched thus far, and I can'twait to read book 4 through 8!" Brian, Los Angeles USA"Anastasia is among - no - is the most profound work I have ever read… this issomething special. No other book has actually changed me. I am even more excitednow in expectation of acquiring Books 2 thru 4 I'm quietly confident that this isindeed the life-changing experience I have been waiting for. Cheers" Ben,Australia"I cannot even begin to describe the depth of the effect Anastasia has had on me and Ihave only read Book 1. For the first time in my life I feel affirmed on a very deeplevel and feel free to be me." Mary, New Zealand"At last! Truth that has not been distorted by dogma or someone's ego! I mightexplode from emotion if I read any more! I had a hard time getting myself to juststand still." Ana, Portugal"After reading this series I have recommended that my daughters give away all theirother reading materials." John, Melbourne, Australia"I first laid my eyes on the Anastasia books and felt the energy at once, bought them,and was completely breath taken. I had to stop reading just to cry for a while I wasso touched with the beauty and simplicity of Anastasia's spirit... I have read 100's ofbooks through the years on spiritual advancement, but there is nothing so direct andclear as this." Jan, Norway"Have just read with utter delight and joy Book 1 and would like to buy the [other]books that are translated into English." Araura, UK"I so love Anastasia and everything about her. I have read or I should say devouredthe first four books and my life has changed. I am waiting for book five with excitedanticipation." CT, Sydney"It is the first thing written in a book that has made so much sense to me. All that shesays makes sense and you just know that you are reading TRUTH. The book isawesome and I could not put it down! " D, CanadaAnthea Torr (Editor, BIOPHILE) on theRinging Cedars Series:“… it is one of the most important series ofbooks to hit the planet and should be setbooks for all schools...”“Anastasia lives according to the originalblueprint for humanity… she has not beenclosed down by the fear based systems thatrun our lives.”“If you only read one book in your life... readAnastasia!”Doug, Portland, OR (electrical engineer)36 Biophile Issue 16"Basically, these books make all the books that I've read to date look like a completewaste of paper! .... I think that going through life without this knowledge is a waste oftime, and not passing it on to children is a crime. I can say with confidence thatnothing like these books exists in the world today." Rafal, Australia“We should all read this book, no matter nationality, ethnicity, gender or age. Thisgives us something to discuss that we cannot receive from modern media. Thisallows us to expand upon ideas to create a community our children can thrive in.”

NEW “mind-blowing” revelations!These electrifying messages will change your life forever…“I was so excited I couldn’t stop jumping up and down and had goose bumps all over...”WHAT IF something got you SO EXCITED...You started dancing around the room and you couldn’t sit still if your lifedepended on it?What if you COULDN’T SLEEP – perhaps for days?What if I told you about a series of books ...• That few people in the West have ever heard of?• That have sold over 11 million copies with no advertising except word ofmouth? (That’s ELEVEN MILLION !!!)• That from day one have created a frenzy of excitement among peoplefrom all walks of life?• That are the most stolen books in some overseas bookshops?• That after reading, thousands of people have quit their jobs?• That have inspired top scientists and military officers to write poetry andpaint?• That within minutes of starting, countless readers have ordered 3, 5 even12 copies to send to friends & loved ones?Sounds amazing?... IT’S ALL ABSOLUTELY TRUE!Can YOU think of ANY books, in the entire history of humanity, thathave had such a response? Well these have! And we have never heard ofthem ... until NOW.You can FEEL yourself changing as you read...If I told you your understanding of your life and your relationship withNature is about to change forever, if I told you these books contain themissing links we have all been looking for, if I told you that in manyEuropean countries the Ringing Cedars Series is now considered the mostsignificant book series ever written and contains the most importantrevelations in the history of humanity, would you want to read them?Well of course you would!These books have gained cult status across the globe. You won’t findthem in mainstream bookstores. If you would like to be one of the firstpeople in Africa to read the most amazing messages in these books –messages that will change yourway of being on this Earth andchange your understanding ofyour place in this Universeforever... I will tell you howyou can get them yourself in just a minute.Electrifying messages will totally INSPIRE you ...My name is Jan Wessels. I was sitting in my cubicle at one of those mindnumbingcorporate set-ups, looking around on the internet for anythingthat could help me get through the afternoon, when I came across a reviewof a book that immediately got me sitting up. The reviewer was describinga Russian book called Anastasia by Vladimir Megre and the excitement ofthe description was tangible. There was an excerpt from this book on thewebsite and I started reading through it. From that moment my lifechanged drastically and permanently.The BEST news EVER…After finally getting hold of a copy of Anastasia from the publisher I wentto sit on the beach by myself and read it from cover to cover. Sometimesin the middle of a page, I had to laugh out loud with a sheer feeling ofhappiness running through me: The best way I can try to describe this toyou, is: “Imagine what you would feel like if you heard the BEST newsyou could possibly hear, but could never have imagined, about Life, God,Man, Nature, the Earth and the Universe!” This is the feeling that thedeep truth and beauty in Anastasia’s words sprouts inside you. I got upwith a feeling of warmth and joy all over. I quit my job immediately andvowed to distribute these books as far and wide as possible in Africa!“If you only read one book in your life … read Anastasia.”Anthea Torr ~ Editor of BIOPHILEYour brain starts working at a NEW level…After I finished reading Anastasia, I walked along the Promenade in CapeTown from Bantry Bay to Mouille Point and back. I was so excited Icouldn’t stop jumping up and down and had goose bumps all over – mywhole understanding had suddenly tied together, as if all the loose endshave found each other! All my beliefs and instincts were confirmed andreinforced in me. I have NEVER had such a deep feeling of happinessand peace inside me before!And the EXCITEMENT keeps growing…I could not sleep that night, and decided I HAVE TO share this with all thepeople I love so much in this country. The first shipment of books arrived,and as the boxes get packed into our lounge and bedroom, I can just feelhow they are going to bring about great things in the lives of many people.You’ll DISCOVER life is more precious than you knew...That day my life changed forever. I quit my job! Never again will I wastea precious moment doing meaningless work! This life changing book iscalled... Anastasia (pronounced Ah-na-sta–SEE–ya) written by VladimirMegre. It’s the first volume in what is known as The Ringing CedarsSeries.You have NEVER read anything like this...Readers (and editors!) alike assure us that they have never read anythinglike these books. They contain the most astounding messages you willever read, from an amazingly beautiful woman, found more than 10 yearsago, living alone in a forest in Siberia. She is considered to be a survivingmember of an ancient culture, whose powers and knowledge FAREXCEED anything known today. Since her discovery in 1995, the spiritualinsights she has shared in these books have spread like a raging wildfireacross Europe, selling over 11 million copies. Yes it is TRUE!These books have been translatedinto more than 20 languages, butonly into English last year, when ayoung Russian scholar went to theUSA and set up Ringing CedarsPress. Six volumes have been translated so far and they get progressivelymore mind-blowing! Book 6, The Book of Kin, has just arrived!Listen to Anthea - EVERYONE needs to read thesebooks…Don’t make any important plans until you have read Anastasia. Thisreally is potent, critical new information. Get reading!Email: books@ringingcedars.co.zaOr Call 021 439 3986 Mon-Fri, 8.30am-5pm.Or Visit www.ringingcedars.co.za to order on-lineSAVE with this SPECIAL OFFER (expires 31.7.07)Order a set of 6 books over the phone or by mail and if you quote the code6GO4FREE you get FREE shipping within South Africa. To getthis offer when ordering from our online web store, go towww.ringingcedars.co.za and use voucher number 107070543 inthe cartAnd this is a NO RISK read…Read Anastasia risk free. If you feel you have not been affected ina positive way, contact us within 14 days and we will gladly buy itback from you! No bookshop offers that!Order your copy now ~ and prepare to get very excited…

The most exciting event in the EdenCampus calendar was the launchof our very own student businesses.These businesses act as action learningfor our students where they practiceall they learn in the classroom. Thesebusinesses are totally run by thestudents of Eden Campus with guidanceof various local business people andmentors.Different teams of motivated studentsrun these businesses. Theprimary goal of these businesses is togenerate an income for the future ofEden Campus. It is therefore so vital forthe students of Eden Campus to make asuccess of these businesses. In runningthese businesses the students aregaining a lot of business skills and areexposed to the greater business world.The students are also challenged to utilisetheir theoretical knowledge in therebusinesses.These businesses include :Eden VeggiesThe vegetable business is looking atproviding organic vegetables to thecampus and the surround communitiesand businesses. The business is friendlyto the environment in the sense thatthey will sell organic vegetables.We are a team of dynamic studentsat Eden Campus who came up with abusiness idea of selling organic vegetables,chickens and honey. We arestarting this business to provide fundsthat will be generated into everyday lifeat campus such as buying food and payingfor textbooks, to name a few of theexpenses.Eden Bicycles(Karatara Nature Cycle)The bicycle business has been donated120 bicycles by Ben Bikes and is lookingat encouraging the surrounding communitiesto make use of their bicyclesinstead of vehicles, which will also makea positive impact on global warming.Eden TransportEden transport is a business thatyoung students of Eden Campus wantto initiate. The aim of the business isto provide a safe, reliable transport tothe greater garden route area, and theprofit generated by the business willbe used for education. The core of thebusiness is to promote global warmingawareness, by using environmentalfriendly fuel (bio-diesel) and by usinggreen cars. The profit generated by thebusiness will be used for education. Thecore of the business is to promote BlackEconomic Empowerment (BEE), andglobal warming awareness.Tara of EdenThe Tara of Eden is looking at providingaccommodation and entertainment tolocal residents and international tourists.Our vision is to be the number onetourist destination for travellers with asocial conscience.In the short term we will provide ourvisitors with an experience that enablesthe socially conscious to engage withthe regeneration of education possibilities.We wish to educate our visitorsabout our spectacular surroundings bypartnering with local businessmen whohave the necessary knowledge aboutKaratara.The hiking trails, talent shows andthe showing of movies that we also offerwill enable our visitors to have firsthand experience of the beauty that existsin KarataraEden ClothingEden clothing received a donation ofclothing worth r50 000. Clothing thatsuits all occasions and different kind ofpersonalities and creating diversity inwhich every one feels comfortable.Gug’o thandayo comes from the diversityaspect of the business, where we donot exclude anyone. Mainly by sayingcoalition clothing is for all ages, cultureand genders.The term “gug’o thandayo” means: youare only old when you want to be old.Our future aims are to hold fashionshows and to work with young africandesigners, and form partnerships withthe other Eden Campus businesses.38 Biophile Issue 16

EdenCampusNewsletterWhen we decided to start a GreenBusiness School from nothing wefocused on the Business and creatingour amazing multiversity in Karatara —a small town on the Garden Route, anddid not immediately get the green sidegoing. That was in February 2006 andnow it is May 2007 and we are goinggreen.We have allocated time in ourweekly timetable to a subject we havecalled “Going Green”. This is whereour students — 52 in total — are givenassignments and tasks to take an old,dilapidated building and change it intoa green — lush — healing — environmentallyaware campus and to makedaily differences in the way we live.Our plan is to take what we learn to thecommunity of Karatara and for eachstudent to take their new found awarenesshome to their various communitieswhere, whatever they do, is going tomake a difference.We have recycle bins all over ourcampus, we are beginning to compostour waste, have started the most beautifulorganic vegetable and herb gardenand the most exciting new addition isour very own Worm Farm. Our plan isto have up to 10 working worm farmson the campus and market and sell ourspecial vermicast to the community.Our plan for the next 2 months is toget a full recycling programme startedin Karatara and to start an awarenesscampaign getting the locals to plant andgrow organic vegetables.We will keep you up updated in thenext newsletter.On 25 April 2007 we launched ourstudent businesses with a very specialevent and the acceptance of a donationof 60 Bicycles from BEN (BicycleEmpowerment Network). The studentsof Eden Campu,s with the help of staff,mentors and angels, hosted a wonderfulevent which included handing over of60 bicycles to our local primary school,a fun ride where more than 120 peoplecycled around Karatara and a wonderfulmusic concert with Verity and her band.It was an evening to remember andopened up a way forward for more positive,non-alcohol and non-violent, magicand connectedness that has takensteps to heal and nurture a depressedand often forgotten community.Biophile Issue 1639

007passing through a confused period of2007the year of eventualitiesPaul Theroux, author of theforthcoming novel The ElephantaSuite, writes in an editorial forthe New York Times that “ We areaggression and fear, characterized byour confrontational government, thedecline of diplomacy, a pugnaciousforeign policy and a settled belief thatthe surest way to get people to tell thetruth is to torture them.”“It is no wonder we have begun tosquint at strangers. This is a corrosivesituation in a country where more andmore people, most of them strangers,are a feature of daily life. Americansas a people I believe to be easygoing,compassionate, not looking for a fight.But surely I am not the only one whohas noticed that we are ruder, more offhand,readier to take offense, a nation ofshouters and blamers.”Unfortunately he is not telling evenhalf the story. We are just one countryamong others (notably Germany andEngland) that has conspired to destroythe heart and soul of humanity throughthe use of the capitalist impulse toreach unlimited power, wealth and totalcontrol of the masses.Money has been at the heart of agrowing evil that was begun long agowith the antics of money changers.No wonder Jesus Christ’s momentof unconcealed anger was reserved forthem. Some even believe that it is thesame families, from that time, that havepulled the financial strings of civilizationbut certainly the Rothschild familyqualifies as a central modern day dynastythat has impacted modern civilizationin ways few understand.We are in a country and ina world that is being run byunbelievably sick people.David IckeThe people at the top have set no limitsto how nasty, cruel and evil humanscan become in the search for moneyand power. The richest 2 percent ofadults in the world own more than halfThe official version ofwhat is going on hasvery little to do withthe truth of what isgoing on.by Mark Sircus (Ac., omd)the world’s wealth, according to a newstudy released by the Helsinki-basedWorld Institute for Development EconomicsResearch of the United NationsUniversity.The richest 1 percent of adults owned40 percent of global assets in the year2000, and that the richest 10 percent ofadults accounted for 85 percent of theworld’s total. This is a hard and a mostdisgusting reality and does nothing tomake our world beautiful or fair.There is nothing beautiful orevolutionary about evil.Evil is destructive in everymeaning and sense of the word.Evil is wrong, not in a moralisticsense but in an absolute sense.Those who have taken on the taskof driving humanity with the motive ofaccumulating and maintaining enormouspower and wealth have created asystem where anything goes as long asit is hidden from plain sight. They havecreated an educational system that hasconditioned (hypnotized) the minds ofthe vast majority, one that has succeededin hiding their atrocities behindwalls of ignorance, misinformation, andoutright lies.The battlements of rationalizationmixed with denial have led to a steadilydeteriorating situation with dire consequencesthat many have already metup with, especially in terms of health.2007 is probably the year where it willbecome almost impossible to not seethe beginning of the end, the time whenthe system begins to collapse in on itsown inherent evilness (wrongness).We have become passive in the face ofmonstrosities against our planet and allthe people on it and the interest on thatpassivity is coming due.Their greatest feat of controlhas been to hypnotize us tothink we are free when in realitywe are being fundamentallymanipulated and dictated to.Some really good people that I knowbelieve that the populace needs to seea glimmer of light, a sliver of hope thatwe will turn things around, and then ina sudden world wide change, when consciousnessevolves to a point of criticalmass we will achieve world peace.It is hard to disappoint them withsuch naked truth but evil has triumphed,or is in the process of windingup to a finale of truly unpleasantproportions. It certainly is not the goodguys destroying the earth….or are weall guilty of participating to one degreeor another?We are living in a world of ourown creation though the superwealthy hold a disproportionatepercentage of the responsibility.“The contribution of Americanculture to humanity is consumptionobsession. Our epidemic of obesity, ourland gluttonous suburban sprawl, ourmonster-size environmental footprint,our ravenous automobile addiction, andour heartless greed are symptoms ofa deep-seated, sick mental state thatkeeps the economy humming.And it keeps increasing economicinequality and apartheid,” writes Joel S.Hirschhorn for COA News.Americans are enslavingthemselves with theirspending and delusionalprosperity.Joel S. HirschhornBesides poisoning the minds of billions,the richest people on earth havebeen very busy building their modernday empires on physically poisoningevery man, woman and child on earth.It is a very lucrative endeavor so it has40 Biophile Issue 16

een fully exploited and will continuebe so until a total collapse occurs.So tough and so tightly do the richesthold the reins that even a full collapsewill not wipe them from the face of theplanet. With all the money on earththey are more than likely prepared withtheir underground bunkers and willprobably evolve into the same monsterspreviewed by H. G. Wells in his storyTime Machine.But as indicated by Icke, perhapsthere is no need to project that into thefuture since they truly seem to be actingin grotesque ways right now.Another terrorist attack, awarmer planet, death anddestruction from a naturaldisaster. These are amongAmericans’ grim predictionsfor the United States in2007.Associated PressProphecies of the end have alwaysbeen around but now it is basic sciencethat is screaming out dire warnings,which of course we deny in our mindsto the maximum possible. We are collectively,through unbalanced humanactivity, changing the weather and thevery fabric of life on earth throughintense pollution but people commonlybelieve everything is all right.In fact for some of us life has neverbeen better!The fantastically wealthy seem alsoto ignore reality or in all likelihood areeven welcoming events as the continuingsaga of a destiny that has been deliberatelycreated by them. From theirpoint of view times of adversity are agood time to start more wars to distractour attention and to generate morewealth and economic expansion.My goal in writing thisdocument is to provide peoplewith the gritty truths that theyneed to protect themselves.It is the year 2007 and the greatesttragedy to ever face humanity is well inprogress and will eclipse all the movieswe have watched these past years. Evenour snow storms are intensifying andthis last month we saw how they toocan paralyze modern day life. “This is avery significant storm; it’s in the recordbooks,” said Scott Blair, a meteorologistwith the National Weather Service, talkingabout the first of a series of threebig storms in January. “The magnitudeof the snow out here is astounding,”said Ed Cordes, project manager forPioneer Pork.In Australia, which is strugglingthrough its worst drought on record,the impact on farmers of global warmingis already devastating. The countryhas registered its smallest wheat harvestin a decade, food prices are rising,and severe water restrictions have putthousands of farmers at risk of bankruptcy.British climate scientists predict thata resurgent El Nino climate trend combinedwith higher levels of greenhousegases could touch off a fresh round ofecological disasters — and make 2007the world’s hottest year on record.Experts at NASA’s Goddard Instituteare saying that 2006 was the fifthwarmestyear since modern recordkeepingbegan.It was reported on December 12that exhaustive computer simulationscarried out at the National Center forAtmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo.,suggest that the Arctic Ocean will bemostly open water in the summer of2040 — several decades earlier thanexpected. The rapidly opening artic watersare speeding up the warming effectbecause of the additional absorption ofsolar radiation.The weather and global warmingare both connected intimately to waterissues. The weather cares little for ourneeds and concerns and demonstratesa power that should humble us but stilldoes not. Physicians for Social Responsibility,in their 2006 Briefing Bookfor Congressional, Gubernatorial andMayoral Candidates, lay out a list of theMAJOR crises facing us in 2007 andbeyond.Their list:I. Climate changeII. Species loss & ecosystem disruptionIII. Air pollutionIV. Drinking water contaminationV. Food safetyVI. Toxic substancesVII. Environmental injusticesVIII. Environmental threats to childrenIX. Worker safetyX. TransportationXI. Urban sprawlXII. Stratospheric ozone depletionXIII. Global population growthXIV. Nuclear energyXV. Sustainable energyThe accountant-in-chief’ of theUnited States, David M. Walker’s professionalopinion is that the Americanpublic needs to tell Washington it’stime to steer the nation off the path tofinancial ruin.“ You can’t solve a problem until themajority of the people believe you havea problem that needs to be solved,”Walker says. Every year that nothingis done about it, according to Walkerthe problem grows by $2 trillion to $3trillion. According to Walker economicdisaster is looming but no one is reallypaying attention least of all the politicians.He is one of the few in Washingtonwilling and capable of telling the truthfor he has complete job security with afifteen year appointment. Believe it ornot others calculate the problem withhigher numbers. “ What really jumpsout is that the US financial position hasdeteriorated by over $22 trillion in only4 years and $4.5 trillion in the last 12months. The problem did not ‘get better’as a result of the excellent economicgrowth over the past 3 years but rathergot worse and is apparently acceleratingto the downside,” writes Dr. ChrisMortensen.Dr. Mortensen points out that anyeconomic weakness will only exacerbatethe problem. Budgetary assumptionsof the US government are fargreater than 5% nominal GDP growththrough at least 2011.In other words, because no economicweakness is included in the deficit projectionsbelow, $53 trillion could be onthe low side. Further, none of the longtermcosts associated with the Iraq andAfghanistan wars are factored in any ofthe numbers presented (thought to beupwards of $2 trillion more).Yet the greatest standup comedian inthe world spoke from the White Housesaying, ““By holding the line on spendingand continuing our pro-growthpolicies, we can balance the budgetand address the most urgent needs ofour nation.” One can truly wonder whoBush was talking to or who he thoughtwould listen to his ramblings.Crises rarely hit when investorsexpect them. Instead, theyshow up when investors arecomplacent. And that’s exactlywhat we have right now.Some watch the weather others thehousing market and many the dollar,which is set up on the wall like Humpty-Dumpy set for a great fall. With moredebt measurable in dollars than starsin the universe, the world has a greatproblem on its hands.Michael Nystrom writes, “Americans— consumers and the government alike— are spending money as fast as the FedBiophile Issue 16 41

007As all of this builds up like a pressurecan print it. There is no end in sightto this liquidity trend, and everybodyknows it. Because Ben Bernanke ismanning the printing presses at the Fed,deflation is an impossibility. He’ll justprint more money. Everybody knowsthis.”The year 2007 will in all likelihoodshed some intense light on this entireprocess. If there is a sudden shock tothe US economy that causes a drasticslowdown (like a lot of central banksdumping dollars because of a recordtrade deficit), homeowners will bescrambling to make their payments.cooker modern medicine and the pharmaceuticalcompanies are assaultingchildren all over the world with a hideousform of medicine that is devastatingthem.Add to that the deliberate poisoningof populations with toxins hidden in thefood and water supplies and you havemassive crimes against humanity thatno-one is being held accountable for.For all those who support the hangingof Saddam Hussein, it should be knownthat scores of politicians, corporate executivesand health officials should beswinging next to him on the gallows forthe murder of literally millions of men,women and children.Water fluoridation, aspartame andMSG, and the use of mercury in vaccinesand dentistry jointly illustrate thispoint of madness in modern medicine.Crimes against humanity have neverbeen greater and the FDA takes the leadtelling everyone is all fine and safe andokay for our kids.The government only loves us if weact like cattle, feeding ourselves and2007: THE YEAR OF EVENTUALITIESour children to their corporate sponsors.Are we railing loudlyenough over health issues,proclaiming our angerat vaccinations infestedwith pollutants and toxins,deadly radioactive fluoridein our water, testing of ourchildren in schools to justifyforced drugging, and more?Emma HolisterBut everything is fine! Don’t worry;no one is going to get rid of our preciousdoctors no matter how enslavedthey are to the pharmaceutical people.Who cares that there is such a thingas pharmaceutical terrorism and thatmedicine has turned an insane corner,killing millions around the world eachyear through iatrogenic causes. It is allperfectly normal in a world that evil hasconquered.Enjoy life; eat, drink and be merry.And don’t forget to borrow some moremoney and spend, spend and spendsome more. Do your part to keep theparty going as long as possible and certainlydon’t lose any sleep over our collectivecatastrophe waiting to happen.For the masses this is the preferredstance until all choice is taken fromtheir hands. What most of us should reallybe doing is saving emergency fundsand taking care of certain fundamentalsthat will facilitate our comfort when thehuge downdraft takes civilization downa few notches.Though this might make sense tomany of us the secret power of themasses is found in the opposite. Consumerscould bring down the insanesuicidal system quickly just by curtailingtheir spending. Though the richand powerful rig many aspects of theeconomy, financial markets, and internationaltrade, they remain dependenton consumer spending to createnational wealth and keep the economyhealthy, because it accounts for some 70percent of the GDP.In one sense, they are not able tophysically force people to spend moneyyet through huge marketing campaignsand total control of the media they doan excellent job of keeping us spending.The world as we know it is about toend. And this actually is a very goodthing. It’s the fundamentals that willshape our future; there is absolutelyno question about that. Even in financeand economics there are fundamentallaws like gravity that have be abused,manipulated and stretched to theirultimate limits.But everything that goes up mustcome down eventually and this is especiallytrue with spending sprees basedon debt creation. Those in control havepostponed this eventuality for theirgain is our loss.The year 2007 is the year of eventualities,a year for us to begin to confrontreality; only those who are used toliving with truth will not be shockedwhen American society and our globalcivilization hits the hard wall of realitythat ‘we’ have created. This is that kindof reality that no one on earth has thepower to manipulate us out of.42Biophile Issue 16

a global project of healing intentionHealing Mother Earthby Shelley YatesIn the messages I amreceiving, I am beingshown a way for us all toparticipate in a healing ofMother EarthTwo miracles happened: myson and I drowned in a floodedmarsh and not only lived to tellthe tale, but are now better than ever.(I was “dead” for fifteen minutes) and Iwas given a message on how to heal theEarth.As you are reading this I ask youwith all my heart to open yourself tothe possibility of what I say. I feel it isimperative that we unite this world asone planet with one common goal — toestablish peace and prosperity for all,not just the select few who were blessedto be in the right place at the right time.I had not had God in my life for fortyyears. I did however, as a child, chasethe possibility of God. I felt that thosepeople who had undying faith were thelucky ones, and the fact that I believedin nothing made me the loser. As a childI often spoke to God, but never feltheard or connected. It took life throwingme into a flooded marsh and drowningme, to open my eyes to the reality ofhow much we are all connected to theDivine power. There is something in theworks, but God is merely directing itthrough people like me, and it will takethe faith of people like you to create thereality.Now I will tell you the truth of whathappened to me, after a car accidentthat occurred in in Halifax, Nova Scotia,Canada in November 2002.My son and I were travelling to afriend’s house for an afternoon of play,when disaster hit. My car was sweptinto a flooded marsh after hydroplaning.The car landed upside down in thisboggy marsh, and sank to the bottom.I tried to open the car’s windows, butthe power windows failed and we weretrapped inside. I spoke with my tiny son(who was four at the time) and assuredhim that Mommy would get him out.The car was filling up quickly with thecold, murky water and I held my son’scoat tightly in my hand, while I waitedto be fully submerged. I hoped that Icould open the door after the car equalizedwith water and we would swim out.My final words to my little boy as thewater came over his head were: “Holdyour breath honey. Mommy will have usout soon”.I watched him take a large gulp of theremaining air, and the water took him.When I felt the last air pocket escapethe car I tried the door. It wouldn’tbudge! The other door was equallystuck. I struggled with the doors severaltimes, to no avail. We were trapped andgoing to die.At this point I took Evan’s little bodyand pushed it over the seat, hopingbeyond hope that he would find air. AsI drank a deep breath of water into mylungs, the fiery feeling added panic tothe moment. I wanted my baby backand I swung my arms feverously aboutin an effort to find his body. I couldn’t,and I needed to breathe again. That iswhen I heard a voice—a calm majesticvoice—directing me to relax. The voice“No shit!” I thought.“I get a wise-ass ghost onmy deathbed.”reassured me that all would be well andthat that if I fought the water I woulddrown.“No shit!” I thought, “I get a wise-assghost on my deathbed.”The voice continued to give meinstructions about what was to happen,and that all would be well if I just followedthe instructions. I relinquishedmyself to this voice from beyond, andpassed quietly into the other side.While on the other side I saw beingsof light, who once again assured me thatmy son and I would not only get out ofthis car, but we would both be fine. Theywere definite in explaining that I mustfollow instructions implicitly and notlose faith in their words.It took my rescuers fifteen minutes topull my lifeless body from that car, andanother seven minutes to revive me.I blurted out “Get my baby out of thecar”. Twenty two minutes had passed.The rescuers jumped back into thefreezing bog to retrieve my son. It tookthem another five minutes to free him.His limp body was transported to theIWK Children’s Hospital, where a teamof doctors and neurologists were waitingfor me. They told me that my littleboy was brain dead, that he was haemorrhagingthroughout his body, and thathis organs were non-viable.That is when the voice came to meagain. “Have faith, child.”The doctors advised me to unplugmy baby and let him pass peacefully, foreven if a miracle happened and he didlive, he would be a ‘vegetable’.Once again I heard the voice, “havefaith”.The doctors agreed to keep Evan onlife support, but advised me not to holdout any hope. He had less than one percentchance of living and then he wouldcontinue to be hooked to machines forthe rest of his life.It was in the quiet of my first momentalone, that I was given the instructionswhich saved my son. I was instructedto rebuild my son’s aura by infusing hisbody with the auras of others for twentyminutes at a time. Any longer, and itwould drain the aura of the giver. I wasThey instructed me toparade loving peoplethrough Evan’s room, eachdepositing their own energyfield into his lifeless body.instructed to bring loving people toEvan’s room, each depositing their ownenergy field into his lifeless body. Theywere to do this by touching him andallowing their energy to run through hisbody, and then to give Evan their “gift.”If they sang, they were to sing. If theywere story tellers, tell a story, and soon. Infuse him with positive energy andyour love and your talents, and this willrevive him.I brought loving humans into myson’s room every half hour, 24 hours aday, for three days. Dozens and dozensof people came. The fact that I was ableto convince the hospital to allow thiswas a miracle in itself. On the third day,after 72 hours of constant vigil, my boyopened his little eyes and recognizedme. He was back!Evan recovered all his body functions,and within two weeks he was runningdown the hall to the hospital playroom.I wanted to take him home andbe done with the whole nightmare, butmy light friends were not done with me:I continued to hear the voices and seeBiophile Issue 1643

HEALING MOTHER EARTHvisions and auras. I was more than a littlefreaked out. As time passed, I wouldask “ What do you want of me?” Theyexplained that humanity has spiralledout of control, and has lost its true connectionto God and to the Earth. Theywanted desperately for me to spreadthe message that we have inside of usthe power to unite everyone, with peaceand prosperity for all.This power lies inside us, and whencombined with the loving energy ofHumanity has spiralled outof control, and has lost itstrue connection to God andto this Earth.other humans, we can do for this planetwhat we did for my son. We can revivethis Earth and catapult it into healing.With this healing will come a newphase of humanity. We will have a timeof peace and harmony. All it will takeis our intention, as a united group, andone hour of our time.We need to unite enough peopleto fire the divine energy system ofthis planet and jump start it likewe did with my boy.This global project of lovingintention is completely possible.Your intention to make it happencan change the outcome of thisplanet. I will discuss the detailsof the plan on my website:www.firethegrid.comI will give you the directions tofollow, and you will see how littleit will take for you to becomean ambassador of light to ourhome, planet Earth. I beseechyou to join me when we fire theEarth grid on July 17, 2007 at 11:11Greenwich Mean Time (13:11 inSouth Africa) and add your energyto this project.I promise you, just one hourof your time and you can helpheal this planet, and help createpeace among all people. My sonand I are examples of the powerof positive energy, and what humansare truly capable of whenthey unite with the intention oflove. Love is the universal languageof our world, and the worldbeyond.Be part of the excitement andplease join us.Stone walltreated withProNature RockStaircase treatedwith ProNatureOutdoorPAINTyou do havea choiceby Bernhard Lembeck,EnviroTouch44Biophile Issue 16

Paint is the general term for a family ofproducts used to protect and add colourto an object or surface by covering it with apigmented coating.Paint is very common and is applied toalmost every kind of object. It is a method ofproducing art, an industrial coating, a preservative(rust-prone steel auto bodies), oninterior walls, on exterior surfaces exposedto weather and has a myriad of other uses.There are generally four components topaint: Binder, Solvents, Pigments and Additives.However, only the binder is absolutelyrequired. The binder is the part whicheventually solidifies to form the dried paintfilm. Simplified a binder is a long chain ofcarbon atoms.The solvent serves to adjust the viscosityof the paint. It is volatile and does notbecome part of the paint film.Pigments are materials which give paintscolour and other optical properties.Anything else is an additive.Typical synthetic binders include resinssuch as acrylics, polyurethanes, polyestersand formaldehydes.Natural binders include plant oils(linseed or sunflower oil), beeswax or milkprotein.Typical synthetic solvents includeketones, esters, glycol ethers and aromatichydrocarbons.Natural solvents may comprise gumturpentine or orange peel oil. Water is also acommon solvent.Synthetic pigments in general are manufacturedby rather toxic and very energyconsuming processes. In addition a lot ofthese pigments contain large amounts ofheavy metals like lead.Natural paints normally contain pigmentsof natural origin, the so called “earthpigments”. These have the advantage thatthey are available in abundance. Their coloursare exceptionally harmonic, conservativeand unobtrusive.Typical additives include syntheticcatalysts, thickeners, stabilisers, emulsifiers,adhesion promoters, matting agents andthe like.Natural paints may contain additives likerosemary or eucalyptus oil, known for theirharmonious health and aromatic qualities.All of the above synthetic componentswhich are made from crude oil or so calledpetrochemicals are known to contain manytoxins which are partially known to causecancer, ozone depletion, lead poisoningand respiratory problems, as some of theseingredients evaporate from the paints overmany years, causing allergies and otherunhealthy discomfort to the human environment.Even the highly promoted waterbased synthetic paints are not free of thesetoxins.Natural paints make a healthy difference.They are safe to use, safe to throwaway, with excellent quality and coverage.Natural paints promote healthy living byeliminating toxic fumes, providing beautifulcolour and care, and improving indoor airquality. What’s more, most natural paints are100% biodegradable.Natural paints are made from fullyrenewable natural ingredients that disruptthe ecosystem as little as possible. Naturalpaints usually have a linseed oil base,possibly combined with other high qualityplant oils and extracts, resins, pigments, andsolvents such as genuine oil of turpentinewhich makes coatings that are both flexibleand biodegradable.This results in products that disrupt theecosystem as little as possible, while notusing valuable and finite resources such ascrude oil.Natural paints are manufactured accordingto the principles of “Gentle Chemistry”.A considerable part of the production doesnot take place in a factory, but inside livingplants. Solar energy leads to photosynthesis,which gives us an abundance of natural substances,with low energy input and withouthazardous waste.Future Prospects and ProjectsEnviroTouch is the only company inSouth Africa currently producing a rangeof 100% natural finishes, including wallpaints as well as wood and stone finishes.Paints and other decorative finishes madefrom natural raw materials are aimed at themarket as direct replacement for today‘sconventional paints manufactured from petrochemicals.Natural paints do not containpetrochemicals. Only where natural, renewablematerials pose a health risk to the userwould synthetic raw materials be used.Modern paint technology, advancedchemistry knowledge and exacting productionstandards ensure that natural paints offera high standard of protection, durabilityand ease of use, in addition to the obvioushealth, safety and environmental benefits.We strive for highest local content insourcing our raw materials, we promoteour products by providing information andsamples to the public and the professions,promote involvement of urban communitiesin providing raw materials, i.e. grow linseedfor oil et cetera, and finally, by ongoing R&D– research and development.For further details or other enquiriesplease contact us on0860 105 299 or visit our website:www.pronature.co.za.Biophile Issue 1645

There are headaches and then thereare headaches. Some are mildand disappear after a while; othersonly subside after a headache tabletor two. Then there are those splittingtypes of headache and more seriousmigraines, which keep coming backregardless of how many headachetablets one takes.Some people experience moresevere and recurring headaches andoften have no choice but to seek thehelp of professional medical specialists.Some of the causes of headachesand migraines are emotionalstress, fatigue, lack of sleep andeven the food we eat. Withoutany further consideration, oftenwe turn to the quick fix in theform of a pill, neatly wrapped,labelled and convenientlysupplied by pharmaceuticalcompanies. Yet forthose who are not so eagerto swallow bitter pills,healthier alternatives doexist. Nature has providedus with many miracle curesin the form of plants sincethe beginning of time. Forthousands of years plantshave served to feed, clothe,comfort and heal generationsafter generations allaround the planet.Marjoram and Oregano(Origanum species) arerecommended for nervousheadaches as well as insomnia,while Rosemary (Rosmarinusofficinalis), can be used in theform of tea to alleviate headaches.Violet or Sweet Violet(Viola odorata) — four flowersand about five leaves boiledusing one cup of water — canbe used to calm and soothetension-related headaches.Scullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)could be very usefulespecially when combined withValerian (Valeriana officinalis).Both of these herbs are most effectivein the soothing of tensionrelated headaches.Lavender (Lavendula angustifolia)which happens to be one of the mostcommon herbs in gardens and nurseriesin our part of the world, is helpfulin soothing stress related headachesas well as the calming of nerves.Lavender flowers should be infusedand drunk three times a day. Thereare over fifty listed species of thisherb. Ginger, tried and tested overcenturies and known for its headwhat’syourHEADACHE?by Paul Zapasnik46Biophile Issue 16

Thereis nothinglike havinga little herbalpharmacy rightat home. Oftenthe cure is just amere cup of teaaway.ache soothing properties, comes highlyrecommended by some herbal healers.Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium), canbe eaten fresh on sandwiches just likelettuce. Three to five Feverfew leavesdaily could be helpful with migraines.However, beware! Feverfew can causemouth ulcers in sensitive people.Peppermint (Mentha piperita) andSpearmint (Mentha spicata) also a verycommon herb, in the form of tea, canbe blended with other herbs such asValerian and Marjoram. Peppermint orSpearmint leaves mashed in a tiny bitof oil and massaged into areas affectedby migraines. An infusion of LemonBalm (Melissa officinalis) can alsosoothe headaches. The dried flowers ofCowslip (Primula veris) and Primrose(Primula vulgaris), can be infused asa tea to soothe headaches. The root ofPrimrose can also be infused. EveningPrimrose (Oenothera biennis) seed oilalso available in capsule form can beuseful not only for headaches but alsofor premenstrual tension and menopausaldiscomfort.Most of these herbs and many othersare available at health shops, pharmaciesand in plant form at nurseries.When approached, the manager ofthe Lantana Nursery located in Blackheath,said that one the most popularremedies for headaches is lavender.Many healing plants are not too difficultto grow at home, whether it is in agarden or in pot plants in your home onwindowsills. To ensure good growth it isimportant to note the fact that variousspecies of plants have different needsin terms of soil types, amounts of waterneeded and the exposure to sunlight.There is nothing like having a littleherbal pharmacy right at home. Oftenthe cure is just a mere cup of tea away.Besides the cures for both headachesand migraines in the form of tea infusedfrom dry herbs, there is also the optionof therapeutic massage, concentratingon pressure points optionally usingherbal oils. Infused Thyme oil (Labiatae)is perfect when used for headmassage.Nevertheless, many people areconvinced that the chemicals suppliedby pharmacies are all they everneed to cure or prevent sickness.There are also people who wouldrather put their faith in naturalremedies. Pharmaceutical headacheremedies often contain potentiallyharmful chemicals. Some argue it isgenerally not as easy to find naturalremedies, as it is to find their pharmaceuticalcounterparts. If one is inneed of herbs such as Lavender orFeverfew, only select or specialist shopswould stock these. Yet the quick fixheadache tablets seem to be always easilyavailable not only at pharmacies butalso at just about every grocery storeand petrol station. This makes it seemto be a more convenient, short-termsolution. We live in a world where ‘convenient’does not always mean healthy.Yet herbalists and herbal remediesin general are greatly underestimated.This is possibly due to lack of knowledgeas well as the convenience of modernliving in world of passive consumerism.When approached on this subject,Mr. Fox the manager of a nursery inRandburg, had the following to say “Asironic as it is, as somebody involvedwith plants to the extent that I am,whenever I have a headache I tend toresort to headache tablets”. Yet Mr. Fox,just like other people who run nurseries,acknowledges the fact that manyplants have medicinal properties. Peoplewho lead busy lifestyles, often tendto resort to what they think is the easyway out, often without consequence orconcern for their health in the long run.When using herbal remedies, as isthe case with conventional medication,one should not ignore possiblesensitivities that individuals may havefor certain plants. When using herbs,as is the case with anything else thatpeople consume, allergies and negativereactions may occur and requirecareful observation, according to eachblood type and possible sensitivity. It isimportant to know your body and theremedies you use.Herbal remedies should not be usedexcessively and have to be administeredwith utmost care because the body mayeventually become immune to the healingeffect of that remedy.Furthermore, whoever you may beand whatever your headache, there isa cure for you somewhere in the herbgarden. If all else fails, other therapieswhich may just be the solution in termsof desired relief and also prevention ofmigraines are aromatherapy, nutritionaltherapy, massage, yoga, meditation, acupunctureas well as osteopathy whichis a system of diagnosis and treatmentbased on a theory of the association ofailments with the disorders of the musculoskeletalsystem.There is always the option of brewingherbal tea and even starting your ownherb garden, which could be a greathobby and a productive way of spendingyour spare time at the same timetrying to preserve the ancient knowledgeby learning more about the healingproperties of plants.Biophile Issue 1647

Horses reconnecting humanitywith a human consciousnessby Vanessa Malvicini, Apaloosa Horse FarmIt was very hot that day in May, and I was sitting undersome mesquite trees in Tucson, Arizona. I was attendinga one week workshop in Equine Facilitated ExperientialLearning, by Linda Kohanov, author of Riding Between theWorlds and The Tao of Equus. A breeze was caressing my hair,and behind me there was a round pen, with a horse namedCali inside.At Epona Equine Services, this is the name of the school,they sometimes rescue a horse and allow this four legged beingto find his character and spirit again.But this horse was somehow struggling to decide what hewanted to do, and got into a transition phase where he sometimeswould not eat, and be depressed. As I was fully presentin my body, just listening and observing what was aroundme, I started to receive some messages. At first I did notunderstand whether my mind was busy creatingthem, or whether someoneelse was sending them tome, but no two legged was around . At first I heard: “ What areyou doing here? You have nothing to look for here, go backhome”. This was a very weird message to receive, consideringthat it was the very first time I was at that place, and that Ihad been travelling for more than 36 hours to get there fromCape Town, South Africa! And then I suddenly started to cry,and the tears were not of sadness or grief, it was a differentsensation. I did not understand it, so I decided to ask thehorse, what that could have meant. He very gently comfortedme and replied: ”I am attuning you to the universal song ofthe horses”.During the workshop, I got very interested in exploringthe potential of horse/human relationships, and started theEpona apprenticeship program lead by Linda Kohanov andKathleen Barry Ingram. Since that day my life has completelychanged, although not on the outside. What I mean is that Istarted to reclaim my own character and spirit whichhad been taken away from me when I was a child.My parents, from catholic Italian families,did not know better. As it oftenhappens in western cultures, verylittle importance is given to thespiritual side, and I am nottalking here aboutreligion. I had neverbeen taught to• Equine FacilitatedExperiential Learning• Stone Medicine Ceremony• Emotional, Energeticand Spiritual Healing• Intuitive Life Coachingwww.icavalli.co.zaAppaloosa Horse Farm, KatzenellenbogenNoordhoek, Cape TownT 021 789 1395 Cell 073 221 51 7248 Biophile Issue 16

live in the present moment and that having altered states ofconsciousness was something good.Cali was right saying that he was attuning me, becausesince that day a lot of horses have been telling me parts oftheir life stories, and asked me for help as their humans (e.g.owners) were either unable or unwilling to understand them.I started studying shamanism which helped me to get connectedto different realms, with the majority of my teachersbeing spirits themselves.Sometimes I have visions during journeys, while in alteredstates of consciousness, which I would then find in theprophecies of Native American Indians. Synchronicity startedto be an important factor in my life. All this different informationand experiences have brought me to reflect on theconnection of all things about which already a lot of peoplehave been talking. Carl G. Jung talks about the “collectiveunconscious”, and has been working often in altered statesof consciousness where he would get a lot of information hewould then put on paper and publish to the world. Einstein,Stanislav Grov, and other well known scientists have beenworking with the spiritual world in the last centuries. The factis that all these people, as well as me, have not found anythingnew.Many tribes, all around the world, used to have avery strong connection with nature which helped themto survive for millennia, and in some cases upto the present time. If I looknow at the periodafter the Industrial Revolution, I notice that something isgoing in the wrong direction. We are destroying the world atsuch a speed that disaster is looking inevitable.The point is that I do belong to the people who cannot goon sitting in the comfort of their house and watch movies,while the nature outside my window is dying.Eckhard Tolle talks in his books The Power of Now and ANew Earth about the insanity where the people are not able tolearn from the mistakes done in the past, and where they goon repeating the same mistakes, in an attempt to gain morecontrol, more power and more money.A couple of nights ago I had a dream. I was busy defendingmy small holding boundaries from people breaking in, whensuddenly a grey horse with a little Khosa girl passed througha cut in the fence and went through our garden and into theNoordhoek wet land. They were both in peace with themselves,there were no constrictions, no halter, no ropes, nothing,just love, peace and harmony. They did not see me andmy husband, they were happy walking through a nice garden.Then I started to talk to my husband about closing up thefence, and not letting them enter into our garden any longer.As I turned around, instead of the green pastures and gardenthat are normally there, I could see a desert. There was abright light, and a breeze moving around the sand. I felt sadnessinside, I could not see any life left, and it looked likean atomic bomb had just exploded.I went into my house, I was speechless. My husband’sparents were there, and were not aware of what hadhappened outside. Their only concern was to preparetheir breakfast. Then I saw a small vase with a pinkgeranium plant inside, it reminded me of the oldgarden, where the plants used to stretch their roots freelyinto the earth.On the next day I woke up and I decided to take a showerand suddenly the dream came into my consciousness. Istarted to recap it and analyse it, and suddenly I felt mylife energy increasing into my body: it is now the time todo something, I thought! In the dream I could see the edgewhere humanity is now, and that we can still make a decisionin which direction we want to go.One direction is heading to peace, love, relationship,and the other side is heading to a complete destruction oflife on the planet. On the one side there was a horse at theside of a human being (right brained), on the other sidethere were people that are very mental and are not able toreally see and listen any longer (left brained).In the last two years, during my studies, I have beenobserving the commitment of the horses in being at the sideof the human being and helping them to recognise the rightdirection to go toward. Far too often I have been confrontedwith the fear of the people to make a jump into the unknownand walk toward sanity.Come out of the head and get into the present time,make a shift in consciousness and use more the rightside of our brain, instead of the left. These are all lessonsthat the horses can teach to the humans, if wewould only listen to them.Every human being has the power of choice, asCaroline Myss says, the point is which choice can themind make, is it based upon creativity and intuition?I have the feeling that the people in SouthAfrica can be a catalyst of the process of awakening.In the American Indian prophecy traditionthey talk about the rainbow people, that are goingto bring fertility onto the world.Biophile Issue 1649

Welcoming WinterAyurvedic tips and recipes from Dr Ram GargYou should take care of your bodyduring this period, because thechange of climate may cause problemswith your body.Love it, it is a great gift. It is a miracle— a mystery.You should wonder first about your ownbody, how the body turns the bread intoblood. We have not been able to find afactory yet where bread can be turnedinto blood.You and your body are not really seperate,but the manifestation of one. Yoursoul is your invisible body and yourbody is your visible soul.Now is the time to give it attention.Winter has arrived in South Africa andit is cold. You can help your body toadjust itself accordingly.Your body is a miniature universe. It isvast with millions and millions of cells,and each cell is alive with its own lifeand functioning in an intelligent manner.This in itself seems incredible, impossibleand unbelievable.According to Ayurveda two types ofsun positions are observed:AADDAAN KAAL:sun is taking energy from existence(Summer)PARDAAN KAALsun is giving energy to existence(Winter)This winter period is different for differentparts of the planet. In winter yourbody can always lose energy quickly. Sowe should try to save our physical andpsychic energy as much as possible.This simply means that you shouldboost your immune system during thisperiod;Drink warm liquids;Cover Head and Feet;Avoid using the car heater for shortdistances;Include sprouted grains, nuts and warmfoods in your meals.Some recipes for winterSpice Mixture for winter• 1 part turmeric• 2 parts ground cumin• 3 parts ground coriander• 4 parts ground fennelMix these spices together in bulk andstore in a jar.When you are cooking a meal,place a small amount of ghee in afrying pan on medium heat. Adddetoxifying spice mixture, measuringout one teaspoon of spice mixtureper serving of vegetables. Sauté spicesuntil the aroma is released (but becareful not to burn).Add steamed vegetables, mix lightlyand sauté together for one minute. Addsalt and black pepper to taste.Alternatively you can use the sautédspice mixture to drizzle on vegetablesor grains.Bean Soup(Two servings)½ Cup Dried Gram (ChickPeas)10 Cup Water½ Cup mung Beans½ Tsp Coriander Seeds1 Tsp Pure Ghee¼ Tsp Powdered Rock Salt½ Tsp Black Peppercorns1 Tsp Fresh Lemon JuiceWash the gram and mung beansand soak them for 5 hours in sufficientwater to cover them.Bring 10 cups of fresh water toboil in a large heavy soup pot.Strain the soaked chick peas andmung beans and add to the boilingwater, along with the salt. Coverand simmer on medium heat for40 minutes.Use a small mortar and pestle andcrush the seeds and peppercorns.In a small cast-iron skillet, heatthe ghee and add the crushedseeds. Allow the seeds to fry for a fewminutes, then add to the soup mixture.Continue cooking the soup for an additional20 minutes until the chick peasand the beans are soft and crumbly.Remove from heat and let it sit undis-Gingeris usedso widely inayurveda that itis an entire medicine chest in itself.There is an ayurvedic sutra (verse)that says that everyone shouldeat fresh ginger just beforelunch and dinner to enhancedigestion.In ayurveda,cinnamonis used to balancethe digestion and to pacifystomach disorders. Combined withother warming herbs and spices likeginger and black pepper, it can beboiled into a herbal tea to soothediscomfort associated with colds.Mung beans are one of the mostcherished foods in ayurveda.They are tridoshic: they can beeaten to balance all three doshas,especially when cooked with spicesappropriate for each dosha. Theyare very nourishing, while beingrelatively easy to digest.50 Biophile Issue 16

turbed for 10 minutes, then stir in thelemon juice.Serve immediately.Kichadi — rice and mung beanmixture(Two servings)8 cup water1½ cup white basmati rice½ cup yellow split mung bean½ tsp cumin seeds2 tsp pure ghee¼ tsp powdered rock salt½ tsp coriander seedsBring the water to boil in a large stainlesssteel pot. Wash the rice and beansand add to the boiling water, alongwith salt.Cover and simmer on medium low heatfor 25 minutes.In a small cast-iron skillet, roast theseeds for a few minutes over the heat,until they are golden brown. Grindthem into coarse pieces, using a mortarand pestle.Heat the ghee in the same skillet andadd the crushed seeds. Sizzle for 2minutes, and then pour into the riceand beans mixture.Cover and continue cooking on lowheat for another 10 minutes. Removefrom heat and let the Kichadi sit for 10minutes before serving.Wheat-Date Porridge(Two Servings)6 cup water1 cup whole wheat kernels¼ cup raisins¼ cup pitted dates½ tsp orange zest½ tsp cinnamon powder½ tsp cardamom powder1 cup milkBrown sugar according to tasteBring the water to boil in a heavy stainlesssteel pot. Wash the wheat kernelsand add to the boiling water, alongwith raisins, dates, orange zest andspiced powders.Stir, cover, and let simmer over medium-lowheat for 1 hour.Then add the milk, sugar, and vanillaessence. Stir, cover, and continue tocook over low heat for an additional30 minutes. Add water, if necessary,to prevent the porridge from sticking.Serve warm or cool.Ama-reducing dalPreparation time: 3 days to sprout the mung,30 minutes to 1 hour to make soup.Serves 5 -6In a pressure cooker put:2 -3 cups sprouted mung beans.2- 4 cups waterBring to pressure and cook for about 2minutes. Or cook the beans and waterin a covered saucepan until soft. Blendthe beans and cooking liquid in ablender.Set aside.In a stainless steel soup pot, warm:1 ½ tsp. ghee or olive oilAdd: 3-5cm fresh ginger root, peeledand chopped1-3 cloves of garlic, minced (omit if youhave high Pitta)1-2 – 1 tsp cumin seeds1 tsp coriander seeds½ - 1 tsp turmeric½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper2-3 bay leaves1/8 tsp. each of fennel seeds, cinnamon,and cardamomToss until coated and their aromasemerge. Add to the spices and oil.2-3 cup. chopped vegetables (broccoli,carrots, greens, sprouts, green beansor asparagus work well)Toss until coated. Stir for two minutes,and then add 4-6 cups additional waterMix well. Bring to a boil, then reducethe heat and simmer covered until veggiesare cooked.Add pureed mung beans to soup pot.Bring to a boil again. Reduce heat andlet soup simmer for 5 minutes. Addmore water if a thinner consistency isdesired. Add:½ tsp salt, or to taste.Serve it warm.Uses of ghee in winterThe cow is revered in India as a sacredbeing. Her milk and her butter, clarifiedas ghee, are like mothers in Ayurveda,absolutely essential for health and wellbeing. They must be pure to do this.Many westerners are concerned that theuse of ghee will increase their cholesterolor add unnecessary amounts of fat totheir diet. Used with in context of anAyurvedic lifestyle, this is a quite unlikelyto occur. If abused, it could.To explain: ghee, unlike butter, helpsto stimulate the healthy flow of fluidsthroughout the body. Butter can congest;ghee removes blockages. No othersubstance stimulates the flow of bodilyfluids as ghee does. Cold- pressed oliveoil is specific for stimulating the flow ofbile from the liver and gall bladder andthereby reliving congestion there. Butghee does this throughout the body.At the same time, ghee strengthensOZA, our vital energy cushion, which is atthe root of our well- being and immunity.Through OZA, ghee nourishes immunityas well, the fire of our minds. In thisway, intelligence, energy, confidence,understanding, and memory areenhanced.It is important to understand that gheeis given and taken within the contextof an Ayurvedic program. Usually thefortunate and wise person will do detox,at the change of seasons or whenever it isrecommended. This, in conjunction witha healthy lifestyle, will ensure arelaxedbalance, inner and outer. And yet thiswhole lifestyle is new to us to a certainextent, as westerners. Adding a littleghee to our rice, kichadi, or steamedvegetables, or hot fresh milk, is likely tohelp us. Adding ghee to our frozen foodentrée is unlikely to do so. Making richdeserts daily with ghee is also unlikelyto have the desired effect. We must useit with common sense and prudence,within its context.As always, this is up to us.Dr Ram Garg BAMS, MD Indiaruns his Ayurveda Centre at 5 Clifton Road,Muizenberg and a monthly Ayurved Clinic inFourways, Johannesburg.Practice No: 10400002188045 Clifton Road, Muizenberg021-7883435/0828528084Or Email: ram_ayurveda@yahoo.comBiophile Issue 1651

ADHDan illness ofgenerationsby Eva F. Schoenfeldde GoffinADD children — also called Indigochildren — are very sensitive toenvironmental and electrical pollution,noise and poor nutrition. In our worldof over-stimulation, they are totallystressed.Parents and teachers call theirbehaviour and reactions unusual andmany people share the same opinion:ADHD children are “not normal”. Thetruth is, they are special and that’s thereason why they need special treatment.One can understand why manyparents would not want their child to belabelled as ADHD or ADHD. This labelimplies imperfection; some may eventake it to mean the child is “damaged”.Today ADHD is the most commonlydiagnosed childhood disorder.Unfortunately the big and strongpharmaceutical companies recommendgiving children chemical drugs likeRitalin (personality changing) or Strattera(suicidal danger) and label thesechildren as having brain disorders.But how do you explain, that geniusesand famous people like Thomas Edison,Albert Einstein, Martin Luther King,John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill, BillClinton and Virgin’s Richard Bransonalso had the ADHD gene?Even several rock and pop stars likeJohn Lennon, Mick Jagger, Billy Idoland others all had the ADHD gene andwere very creative and extremely successful.Have they been treated withchemical drugs or are they sufferingfrom brain disorders?I believe that ADHD children cangrow up healthy in a loving, understandingenvironment without beinga victim of chemical drugs, as long astheir parents (and teachers) are educatedabout ADHD and willing to supporttheir extraordinary kid.Support an ADHD child’s self-esteemand magnificent personality: these childrenare definitely different. When theirself-esteem has been well supportedthey are able to be incredibly successfulin whatever they do.Don’t change their personality bygiving them chemical drugs to calmdown! There are other possibilities tobe taken into consideration — and theyare very helpful!Nourishing the bodyNutrition is one of the most importantfactors! It is absolutely necessary forchildren to avoid most protein andsugar in the diet, and eat a lot of vegetablesand salads instead. It is well knownthat large amounts of phosphorus andphosphoric acid, found in meat and softdrinks, use lots of minerals in order tobe dealt with by the body. This causeshyperacidity in the body.The very best drink is purewater! It is an absolutemiracle. Why do people,and especially children,start replacing water withvery sweet soft drinks likeCola?It takes 32 glasses of high pH alkalinewater to neutralise one glass of Cola!This means the body reacts to hyperacidityand that makes us nervous, itchyand aggressive! Are the bells alreadyringing?It is very important for ADHD childrento get daily exercise. Morning exerciseminimizes hyperactivity throughoutthe day. Usually children learn byexample: If you exercise, in most casesthey will too. Let them have some fun,for example with bike riding, swimming,skating, tennis, squash or soccer.Our society doesn’t teach people howto play to the strengths of an ADHDmind. Instead, schools teach almostexclusively for non-ADD types—how tosit still, follow directions and competefor grades by conforming to teacherexpectations.This unfortunately does not supportan ADHD type to succeed. The increasingnumber of ADHD children in ourworld definitely requires an adjustmentof the education system.The value of tissue saltsThe most significant support happenswith tissue salts, which are in fact anancient Vedic science, rediscovered byDr W.H. Schuessler — a Medical Doctorand Homeopath in Germany — morethan 100 years ago.Schuessler’s theory can be dividedinto 3 statements:1. The human body contains 12 vitalmineral salts and normal health requiresa proper balance of these salts2. When this balance is disturbed, diseasefollows3. The balance can be re-establishedby administering the deficient mineralsalts in a readily assimilated form. (Themost effective way to do this is to administera triturated form.)Why is one person prone to diseaseand the other not, even though both areexperiencing the same living conditions?Dr Schuessler discovered thatthe answer lay with the balance of theindividual body.The mineral deficiency is carriedby the mother. What the mother lacksin minerals during her pregnancy, thechild will also lack when born. That’swhy generation after generationbecomes weaker, unless minerals arereplaced in sufficient quantities. Ifhumankind continues to deplete itselfof minerals at the current rate, ourbodies will become so weak through thegenerations that they will not be able todefend themselves any more. In applyingthe correct amounts of tissue salts,the body can heal and restore itself,from within.Tissue salts are biochemical essentialfunction agents. If we are deficient,we might feel tired, exhausted, sufferfrom skin, hair and nail problems andnot feel well at all. In the past we couldeasily replace the lost minerals through52Biophile Issue 16

About SchoolHe always wanted to explain things, butno one cared.So he drew.Sometimes he would just draw and itwasn’t anything.He wanted to carve it in stone or write itin the sky.He would lie on the grass and look up inthe sky and it would only be the sky andthe things inside him that needed saying.And it was after that he drew the picture.It was a beautiful picture.He kept it under his pillow and would letno one see it.And he would look at it every night andthink about it.And when it was dark and his eyes wereclosed he could see it still.And it was all of him and he loved it.When he started school he brought itwith him.Not to show anyone, but just to have itwith him like a friend.It was funny about school.He sat in a square brown desk like allthe other square desks, and he thought itwould be red.And his room was a square brown roomlike all the other rooms.And it was tight and close.And stiff.He hated to hold the pencil and chalk,with his arm stiff and his feet flat on thefloor, stiff, with the teacher watching andwatching.The teacher came and spoke to him.She told him to wear a tie like all theother boys.He said he didn’t like them and she saidit didn’t matter.After that they drew.And he drew all yellow and it was the wayhe felt about the morning.And it was beautiful.The teacher came and smiled at him.“What’s this?”, she said.“Why don’t you draw something likeKen’s drawing? Isn’t it beautiful?”After that his mother bought him a tieand he always drew aeroplanes androcket ships like everyone else.And he threw the old picture away.And when he lay out alone looking at thesky, it was big and blue and all of everything,but he wasn’t anymore.He was square and brown inside and hishands were stiff.And he was like everyone else.All the things inside him that needed sayingdidn’t need it anymore.It had stopped pushing.It was crushed.Stiff.Like everything else.Anonymousour nutrition, but today’s soils are soempty that there is no way of replenishingour cells. If we look at the effect ofdepleted soils, we can easily establishwhy we have lots of immune diseases inSouth Africa.The soil in this wonderful countrycontains no more Selenium, the mostimportant immune booster. We cancompare this to Senegal, their soils arevery rich in Selenium and immune diseaseshardly occur. This small exampleshows the importance of nutrition (…and agricultural practice)!The loss of minerals is not onlycaused by almost empty nutrition andbad eating habits, but is also due to anunsuitable sleeping place, increasingelectrical and environmental pollution,stress and many other reasons.However, even when we can’t get theminerals from the food, with tissue saltswe have a subtle and very effective alternativethat refills the empty mineraldepots! They are triturated and so thinthat they can enter the cells immediatelyand are quickly available to supportthe body in its vital work.Vitamins and nutritional supplementsare too big to enter the cells. Butwhen taken together, tissue salts supportthe absorption of Vitamins and wecan achieve optimal results.If you take vitamins, but the deficiencydoesn’t disappear, then you haveforgotten to refill the deficiency on thecellular level with Schuessler’s tissuesalts!Case study:My 6-year old daughter was diagnosedwith ADD, which put a lot of stresson her and all of her family. Me as themother had to put up with a lot of pressurefrom the professionals to give herRitalin, which is supposed to be thewonder cure for ADD.Neither my husband nor I believein using drugs on children, so I had tolook at other options. I read as manybooks as I could and realized thathealthy food and mineral supplementscan make a big difference. Eva came tosee my daughter and analysed whichtissue salts she needs to take.Within the first week of cutting allsugars, preservatives and colorants andtaking all the prescribed tissue salts wecould see a huge improvement in mydaughters ability to concentrate. Herteachers also saw the difference in herwork.As long as I keep her on healthy foodand all her tissue salts and vitamins,she has a better appetite, is not so hyperactiveand sleeps a lot better.Biophile Issue 16Mardie R. MotherWhen I met this girl, she jumpedaround, couldn’t sit still and her behaviourwas unnatural. I did a facial analysisand could see many deficiencies.However, I detected something elsein her face — but what? I insisted onchecking the girl’s bedroom.Here was the answer! The bed stoodin a corner and when I checked it, allmy hair stood on end. There may havebeen water veins, field lines or a crossingof the earth grid, this place was avery bad sleeping place.This was the reason for the higherconsumption of minerals in her bodyand also the girl’s insomnia.My question about nutrition waseven more shocking. Megan was onlyeating chocolate and sweets. She refusedall other food! No wonder she wasso wriggly — her level of acidity wasvery high.Together with her mother we developedthe following plan:1. Megan had to replace urgently themissing tissue salts, which wouldenable her to abstain from sweets! Inaddition to the tissue salt mixture, I offeredher some related vitamins (mainlymagnesium)2. The second component was a completechange of nutrition. I appreciatehow much her mother was in favour ofthat!3. And the third component was changingthe bed position.Never before I have seen parentschanging all the necessary things soquickly. Megan’s mother has done anincredible job, so good that Meganobviously accepted everything.In the first few days Megan’s sleepwas not really better, but slowly herbody — supported by tissue salts andhealthy food — started to adjust to amore relaxed way of being. Her cravingfor sweets and chocolate disappearedquite quickly. She likes to take tissuesalts as a healthy replacement forsweets.Four weeks later, I met her againand I couldn’t believe what I saw: shewas a completely different girl. What achange!My experience as a tissue salt consultanthas really convinced me of thevalue of tissue salts when supportingADHD children and their parents.Before considering the use of behaviouraltering drugs, I would stronglyurge you to try nourishing your ADHDchild’s body, restoring the mineral levelsand appreciating the special geniusof these special, precious, wonderfulchildren.53

THE HIDDEN TRUTH ABOUTcholesterolloweringdrugsby Dr Elizna HanekomStatin drugs are the most widely soldprescription medicine in history: in2004, Pfizer’s block-buster drug, Lipitor,became the first prescription drug toamass a staggering $10 billion in annualsales. But, the price to society is muchhigher: Lipitor, and other drugs inthe statin class, are not only loweringcholesterol. These drugs apparentlyruin perfectly good lives withserious side effects that lead to slowPART TWOdegradation into physical disability -and still heart disease remains thenumber one killer in the developedworld.SIDE EFFECTS OF STATIN DRUGS:Side-effects are usually said to affect2-6% of patients. In fact, a recentmeta-analysis noted side-effects in20% of patients above the placebo rate.(Newman CB, 2003. Am J. Cardiology:.92) Most medicines destined to causeadverse effects will do so early on, butnot the statins, where side-effects usuallymanifest many months after commencingthe therapy. To maintain theirlipid-lowering effects, statins must beadministered on a life-long basis. Giventhe complete lack of data on the effectsof decades of statin administration, userscan consider themselves part of amass experiment in progress.54 Biophile Issue 16

Patients can report statins’ adverseeffects on a new website at the Universityof California San Diego School ofMedicine: www.statineffects .com. Thesite will facilitate the opportunity forpatients to confidentially share informationabout their experience.Heart Failure:Statins have been shown to depletethe body of a vital substance knownas Coenzyme Q10. CoQ10 is a crucialcomponent of mitochondria, the intracellularengines responsible for producingall of a cell’s energy requirements.Since nearly all cellular functions aredependent on energy, CoQ10 is essentialfor the health of all human tissueand organs.The heart is especially susceptible,because it requires vast amounts of energyto function properly, and thereforehigh levels of CQ10. As the CQ10 diminishesin the heart muscle, the heartweakens over time, resulting in congestiveheart failure.( Silver MA 2004. Am.J.Cardiology:94) It is well documentedfrom biopsies that the severity of heartfailure correlates with the people whohave lowest CoQ10.Deaths from heart failure havedoubled nationwide in the US since theintroduction of statin drugs in 1989..Adding a double whammy - in patientswith chronic heart failure, lowserum cholesterol is also independentlyassociated with a worse outcome.( Rauchaus M et al 2003. J Am. Coll.Cardiology: 42)Cancer:It appears that cholesterol loweringdrugs in general also increases one’srisk of developing cancer. In their studypublished in JAMA (1996: 275)ThomasB Newman and co-workers show thatall cholesterol-lowering drugs - boththe early drugs known as fibrates, andthe statins - cause cancer in rodents atequivalent blood levels used in manAlthough the lag time betweenexposure to a carcinogen and clinicaldetection, is often a decade or more,a disturbing increase in breast cancerhas already been reported in theCARE statin trial as well as certain skinmalignancies in the Simvastatin trials.A report in 2006 from the Departmentof Haematology At the Toranon Hospitalin Tokyo, Japan - studying patientsbetween 1995 and 2001 - found a 224%higher frequency of statin use amongpatients with lymphoid malignancies,compared to control patients. (IwataH 2006 Cancer Science:97) From April1998 the FDA(US) allowed the exclusionof cancer from drug side-effects in thestatin drug trials..Cognitive Impairment:The incidence of memory impairment- complete memory loss for abrief or lengthy period -, confusion anddisorientation and loss of concentrationgoes under reported.Professor Golomb, Department ofMedicine at UCSD found that 15% ofpatients on statins developed some cognitiveside effects.She states” We have seen people whohave lost thinking so rapidly - from usingstatins - that they went from beingheads of departments to not being ableto balance a chequebook.”A study conducted at the Universityof Pittsburgh showed that patientstreated with statins for 6 months, comparedpoorly with patients on placeboin solving complex mazes, psychomotorskills and memory tests. (Muldoon MFet al 2000 Am. J. Med.: 108)Muscle and nerve damage:On public adverse effects reportingwebsites, patients using statin drugshave reported trouble talking andenunciating words, trouble swallowing,feeling fatigued all the time, pain andstiffness in the neck and calf muscles,weakness and muscle spasms. Inflammationof tendons and ligaments, leadingto rupture, can occur.Researchers from the Universityof Denmark report that about 15% ofcholesterol-lowering drug users overthe age of fifty will suffer nerve damageas a direct result of using statin drugs.( Gaist D et al Neurology: May 2002:58) Taking statins for more than twoyears raised the risk of nerve damage byabout 26%.Nerve damage, characterised byweakness, tingling and pain in handsand feet and difficulty walking, is oftenirreversible.Other:• Numerous studies have also linkedlow cholesterol to depression.• Statins have immune suppressing effects( Kwak B 2000 Nature Medicine:6)• Statins can cause difficulty in sleeping• Findings reported in the NEJM in2004, showed that twenty of fifty twobabies exposed to statins in the wombwere born with malformations• Statins are associated with impairedlibido and erectile dysfunction. ( CarvajalA 2006 Drug Safety:29)• Simvastatin decreased blood levels ofalpha-tocopherol(Vit E) by 16.2%, betacarotene by 19.5% and CoQ10 by 22%compared to placebo.( Jula A. 2002. J.Am. Med. Assoc.:287).• A three year follow up in patientstaking statins, revealed a significantamount of calcium only in the coronaryarteries of the patients who had a heartattack, despite similar LDL cholesterollevels in the non-heart attack group..ConclusionThere is some recognition thatstatins operate to lower non-fatal heartattack rates by mechanisms other thancholesterol lowering. These effects ofstatins are independent of initial orfinal total cholesterol or LDL levels(Nielsen JV. 2001 BMJ:323) and thusthere is no way to determine “whoshould be treated” with statins, or whatthe dose should be.Researchers in the Department ofVeteran Affairs and at the Universityof Michigan School of Medicine, US,examined all the significant studiesthat have tested the link between LDLcholesterol levels and major cardiovascularoutcomes in patients with highLDL blood levels.Published in the Annals of InternalMedicine (2006) the researchers noted “current clinical evidence does not demonstratethat titrating lipid therapy toachieve proposed low LDL cholesterollevels is beneficial or safe“Statin use should be limited to highriskpatients, where dramatically shortenedlife expectancies may override anyconcerns about long-term side effects.Careful examination of the literatureon statin drugs, reveals false premises,minimal to no benefits, serious sideeffects leading to very low adherencerates, and safer, low-cost alternativesfor preventing cardiovascular deaths.(Newman C B, 2003. American J. Cardiology:92)Can honest assessment find any possibleuse for these dangerous drugs?Dr. Peter Langsjoen of Tyler, Texas,suggests that statin drugs are appropriateonly as a treatment for cases ofadvanced Cholesterol Neurosis, createdby the industry’s anticholesterol propaganda.If you are concerned about yourcholesterol, a statin will relieve you ofyour worries.Next Issue: Your Healthy HeartBibliography:Statin drugs side-effects. Duane GravelineMDwww.vitamincfoundation.orgThe Great Cholesterol Con Anthony ColpoBiophile Issue 1655

Colloidal Silvera necessity for both good and bad timesby Robert C. Beck, D.Sc.You have food reserves to get youthrough an emergency. Some water.Probably some gold or silver. Maybesome defense weapons. But medicalhelp will probably be no more availablethan food, and under these conditions,disease and infections will probably berampant. Ordinary first aid supplies areobviously not enough.But there is good newsand its called “colloidalsilver”. From the time manfirst learned to work withsilver he has known thatit prevented the spread ofdisease. Thus the wealthypeople had silver drinkingcups, silver tableware andutensils.Even those who could have had gold,which does not tarnish, usually chosesilver because it promoted health. Inthe days before refrigeration, farmerstossed a silver coin in a bucket of milkto preserve it. Chemists put a silverdime in their petri dish to sterilize it.For hundreds of years it was commonpractice to place a silver wire in an infectedwound that refused to heal.Eventually man learned to makesilver nitrate and use it in wounds anddrink it as an antibiotic. But silver nitrateis caustic and burns tissues muchlike iodine. Also, heavy use of silver nitrateaccumulated in the skin turning itdark, a condition which became knownas Argyria. Still, it was an effectivetreatment of disease and that was moreimportant than ArgyriaIn the early 1900s research provedsilver to be effective against hundredsof pathogens of widely different kinds.Then it was found that smaller particlesof silver could be produced by precipitatingit out of chemical compounds ofsilver. These were more effective dueto the fact that there were hundreds oftimes as many particles of silver from agiven amount of silver.Eventually it was learned that silvercould be reduced down to its atomicsize with a positive electrical charge byusing an arc under water, producingthousands of particles for each one thatwas previously produced by the bestgrinding. It also added a positive chargewhich noticeably increased its effectiveness.Furthermore, no detrimental sideeffects have ever been shown. It did notcause argyria, even in prolonged largedosages. It was not caustic and insteadpromoted healing in general. No allergicreactions were ever reported. Itwas highly effective for most infectionsof every kind.It is is really important tobuy high quality colloidal silver(it should be a completely clearliquid) such as that producedby BioSil.Then came penicillin and sulfa,which could be patented and weretherefore well worth advertising. Thesewere soon followed by continuous newantibiotics from the pharmaceuticalcompanies. Each one is considered effectiveagainst certain pathogens, usuallyno more than half a dozen. Unlikesilver, almost none of the antibiotics iseffective against virus, yeasts or parasites.The chemical antibiotics do keep welland they are usually as effective afterlong storage as when first produced.This, plus the fact that they could bepatented, while silver could not, andtherefore the producers could afford topromote them heavily, have been majorfactors in the general adoption of theantibiotics.However, the antibiotics soon provedto have various side effects of varyingdegrees of danger. Some of the sideeffects are almost always experienced,while most only appear occasionally.But some of those occasional side effectsare as serious as death. There arethousands of patients a year who die ofan allergic reaction to penicillin, generallyconsidered to be among the safestand most proven antibiotic. A frighteningthing about this is that many ofthose deaths are to patients who havetaken penicillin many times in theirlife and were not aware of any problembefore.Soon after the new antibiotics wereintroduced it was found that certainbacteria they were effective againstdeveloped an immunity to the antibiotic.Some developed an immunity veryquickly, while others did so very slowly.Today many of the diseases that werethought to be easily treated by antibioticsare no longer treatable, even by newantibiotics. The researchers are runningout of new replacements, leaving thosediseases untreatable.These problems now have the wholemedical profession concerned, some tothe point of panic. The March 28, 1994issue of Newsweek featured a six pagearticle, “Antibiotics, The End of MiracleDrugs?”. The rise of drug resistantgerms is unparalleled in recorded history”,according to Newsweek. “Penicillinand tetracycline lost their powerover staph back in the 1950s and 60s. Abetter strategy might be to abandon antibioticsaltogether in favor of differentkinds of drugs.” How about abandoningdrugs altogether in favor of the naturalsilver?But Science Digest was way ahead ofNewsweek, in an article in March 1978;“Our Mightiest Germ Fighter”. ScienceDigest already saw the problem andhad the solution! In this article, JimPowell stated: “Thanks to eye openingresearch, silver is emerging as a wonderof modern medicine. An antibiotic killsperhaps half a dozen different diseaseorganisms, but silver kills some 650.Resistant strains fail to develop. Moreover,silver is virtually nontoxic.”The article further relates how Dr.Carl Moyer, Chairman of WashingtonState university’s Department ofSurgery, received a grant to developbetter treatments for serious burns. Dr.Harry Margraf was Dr. Moyer’s chiefbiochemist on this project. With theirstaff of medical researchers they tested22 antiseptic compounds and rejectedthem all. The problem was that infec-56 Biophile Issue 16

tions in burns often tailed to respondto antibiotics. Most antiseptics have avery caustic nature, actually destroyingthe delicate new tissues and are verypainful. The greatest problem was thebacterium Pseudomonas acruginosewhich is particularly infectious to burnsand does not respond to any antibioticor antiseptic.It was found thatsilver had beenused effectivelyfor hundreds ofyears in one formor another totreat infection.Unlike the newerantibiotics, silver hadwell proven itself to betotally non-toxic at allconcentrations. In allthe hundreds of yearsof use, no pathogen hasever developed an immunityto silver.After extensiveexperiments with regrowthof body partsand the healing of bone,Dr. Becker was led intoother experiments withcolloidal silver. Amonghis experiments werethe effects of silver oncancer. On pg. 178 ofthe Body Electric, Dr.Becker states “...silver,which when negativehad no effect on, andwhen positive suspended,mitosis of cancercells in our lab.” It is thepositive silver ion whichwe call colloidal silver(Ag+1). The colloidalsilver stopped the cancergrowth. Other metals did not. Dr.Becker was unable to obtain the fundsto continue his promising cancer research.However, he did draw a personalopinion that the effective quality ofcolloidal silver in both the stimulationof bone, muscle and skin growth, wasits ability to cause cells to dedifferentiatewhen needed, just as Dr. Gary Smithconcluded.All of this makes colloidal silverperfect for survival conditions. It hassuch a broad spectrum of effectiveness(practically all bacteria, virus, yeasts,molds, parasites) and at the same timehas a miraculous healing quality. Mostpeople taking it orally say they feelbetter and notice more energy. It evenprevents plaque from forming on teeth.Therefore, an exact diagnosis is not requiredas with antibiotics. If the mouthis rinsed with one ounce daily and thenswallowed, the plaque is stopped, gingivitisis soon healed, the breath is sweet,colds and flu’s are gone, candida issoon cleared up, yeast infections of theBIOblood disappear, the immune system isrestored! Internal surgeries heal muchfaster and with much less scarring!Colloidal silver can beused orally, topically, byenema, douche, or by adoctor intravenously. Theexact dosage is not criticalbecause it is non-toxic atvirtually all levels.SILwishing you abundant healthColloidal Silver and Ozone productson the market for more than a decadeEnquiries:Please contact us for details of our fullproduct range and stockists(011) 615-5504 / (011) 616-6773biosil@worldonline.co.zaAvailable at your pharmacyHowever, common practice is tostart orally with about one ounce a dayat 20 parts per million as a maintenancedosage. When treating a chronicinternal condition, that dosage could bedoubled each day until a dosage of fourounces in the morning and four ouncesin the evening at 20 parts per million isreached. Always watch for a rash breakingout on the skin when first takingcolloidal silver. This is not an allergicreaction or a side effectin the common sense. Itis usually caused by killingoff yeast in the bloodor intestines so fast thatthe body cannot properlydispose of them. It is ahealthy sign but may bevery uncomfortable dueto itching. Furthermore,you do not want to overloadthe body’s cleansingabilities. Thereforeit is best to reduce theintake of colloidal silverwhen this occurs. whenthe rash disappears, asit normally does in a dayor so, gradually increaseit.Colloidal silveris especiallyvaluable in caseof disaster aswell as whenevercamping ortraveling becausethe water oftencannot betrusted.One ounce of colloidalsilver at 20 partsper million in one quartof water assures thesafety of the water for drinking. It is thefinest disinfectant known, being totallynon-toxic and non allergenic as wellan non-caustic. Used on the scalp, itstops most cases of itching. It is greatfor the hands and face and reduces skinwrinkling over a period of time. It healswarts (virus), athletes foot, and nailfungus. It effectively treats many skinrashes although some rashes get worsebefore getting better.If you don’t have colloidal silverready, YOU AREN’ T PREPARED!Reprinted with permission from: Preparedness JournalBiophile Issue 1657

goeswhat on...inby Trevor SteynPetrochemicals in the mixPetrochemicals have become nearlyubiquitous in creams and lotionsover the last fifty years. Mineral oilforms the base of aqueous cream andpetroleum jelly is applied generously tobabies. This is because these productsare extremely cheap and are stable andfragrance free. Mineral oil, petroleumjelly, petrolatum, paraffin wax andmost of the other petrochemicals arebyproducts of the distillation of petrolfrom crude oil.There are two sides to the petrochemicalstory and – as usual – it is upto the consumer to decide. On one sidethere are the fairly extreme claims thatpetrochemicals cause cancer and acneand deplete the skin of vitamins. Theother side is that these are very stableingredients that are resistant to oxidationand are very nearly inert. Thismakes them non-irritating and leads toproduct with a shelf life of up to 5 years.Over the last few years there havebeen many internet reports damningthe use of mineral oil in personal careproducts. A common accusation is thatpetrochemicals are carcinogenic.This was the result of findings thatsome petrochemical derivatives containpolyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)which are strong carcinogens. Thepetrochemicals that are used in personalcare products today are highlyrefined and generally contain very lowconcentrations of PAHs. The cancerrisk from exposure to these ingredientsappears to be low althoughno studies have been done toconfirm this.Mineral oil has also beenblamed as a causeof acne. There issome researchto back this up 1,2, 3but the researchis basedon exposure toindustrial grade mineral oil and thushas limited application to skincare.There are many anecdotal reports thatacne has been greatly improved byavoiding petrochemicals in skincareproducts but there is nothingin the published literature toback this up.The UpsidePetrochemicals are stableand products that use themgenerally have long shelf lives.Petrochemicals are fragrancefree and, in general, nonirritating.Mineral oil is also atleast ten times cheaperthan vegetable oils, sothe products that use itshould be very cost effective.The DownsideMineral oil and otherpetrochemicalsare very poorlyabsorbed by theskin. They siton the surfaceof the skinand slowthe production of the skin’s naturalemollients.There are also concerns that thisbarrier makes it difficult for skin toeliminate toxins.Many formulatorsuse propylene glycoland other solventsto improve the penetration of petrochemicals.Petrochemicals are also notnourishing or active in any way.Petrochemicals and their derivativesare banned by every organic certificationbody in the world. Any product thatuses petrochemicals and claims to beorganic is a long way away from globalstandards.ConclusionIt seems as though the worst that youcan expect from using products thatcontain petrochemicals is a heat rashand possibly acne.But – do you want to support multinationaloil companies and do you thinkthat you will see an improvement inyour skin?1. References:1. Contact Dermatitis. 1982 Mar;8(2):141.2. Contact Dermatitis. 1988 Feb;18(2):120-1.3. Contact Dermatitis. 1997 Apr;36(4):216-2058 Biophile Issue 16

Asimple bottle of shampoo... a truereflection of the state of oursociety and culture, and ourway of life! On the shelves of most ofour major retailers is the Organicsrange of shampoos made by Unilever,the third biggest company in the UK(only BP and Shell are bigger). They arecleverly packaged in a green bottle, andwill con any ignorant, unsuspectingconsumer that has not done theirhomework into thinking that they arebuying a harmless ‘organic’ shampoowhich will be good for them and theirfamily, and probably the environmentas well!Little do they know that this so called“Organic (s)” shampoo is filled with acocktail of chemicals that should youdecide to drink it, a trip to the doctor,without any stops on the way wouldprobably be essential!This product is not organic; in factthere is not one organic ingredient init. Some of the ingredients are on the‘carcinogenic’ list of most of the independentresearch companies that arenot funded by large unscrupulous corporations,who have nothing other thanmoney in mind. It is all about “profitbefore people, planet and animals”.They are a shameful bunch and it is theethos of greed, competition, power and‘more is never enough’ that has got usinto the devastating the state we arein. It is time for these large bullies toBlatant Deceptionby The Biophile Teambecome accountable and start actingwith integrity and honesty. Diseaseis epidemic amongst the old and theyoung, our wildlife is threatened withextinction becoming an every day occurrenceand our planet is in crisis. Itis also time for the public to get out oftheir comfortable ‘autopilot’ mode andmake informed conscious choices andeducate themselves.The commercial world has managedto persuade us to pay a handsome pricefor a bottle of ‘poisonous detergent’that we are being conned into believingby their clever advertising and marketingwill make us sexier, more beautiful,healthier, cleverer or what ever elsethey can conjure up to make us buy itand believe that it is good for us.In fact, the word shampoo comesfrom the Hindi word chapo, meaningto massage or knead. A far cry from theharsh foaming mixtures we call now call‘shampoos’. The first ‘soapy’ shampooswere simple solutions of basic soapmade from vegetable oil and wereinvented by British hairdressers duringthe heyday of the empire.But like most things in our commerciallydriven materialistic lifestyles it isfar removed from the original intentionand there is very little integrity or honestlyattached.The irony of it all is that we don’teven need to wash our hair! If the bodyis balanced and the skin healthy thenatural oils of the body and the microscopicbacteria on all skin will clean itnaturally, just look at animals, especiallyin the wild, and even our domesticatedones and see how beautiful theirfur is when left alone and their diet isgood and natural.Listed ingredients for Organics Shampoo for Normal Hair.The shampoo is meant to include clove oil, but we cannot find it listed in the ingredients!Aqua waterCocomidopropyl betaine a strong detergent – not organicSodium laureth sulphate surfactant, banned by all major organiccertifiers. This cleaning agent can also contain carcinogen 1,4 dioxane.Lysine hci amino acidCetmonium chloride conditioning agent banned by organiccertification bodiesTrideceth 12 banned by organic certification bodiesOctamethylcyclotetrasiloxane banned by organic certificationbodiesSodium acetateDimethiconol banned by organic certification bodiesTea-dedecybenenesulfonate emollient banned by organiccertification bodiesMica banned by organic certification bodiesGuar hydroxypopyltrimonium chloride banned by organiccertification bodiesCarbomer a synthetic gelling agent used to thicken, stabilize andpromote the shelf life of the product. It can be irritating to skin and eyes.Banned by organic certification bodiesSodium chloride table saltSodium hydroxide caustic soda. Ph adjusterTeltasodium edta banned by organic certification bodiesParfum petrochemically derived with undiscolsed ingredientsbanned by organic certification bodiesFormaldehyde a preservative and suspected carcinogen, causesrespiratory irritation banned by organic certification bodiesSodium benzoate preservativeBenzyl salicylate preservativeCitronellol essential oil componentGeraniol essential oil componentLimonene essential oil componentLinalool essential oil componentThis is outright fraudulent misrepresentation!Biophile Issue 1659

Soil for LifeSheet MulchGardeningBuild your soil the‘no work’ waySoil for Life is a Cape Town-based NGOwhich teaches people to grow theirown food. For more information aboutSoil for Life membership, and organicmethods for growing vegetables, herbsand fruit, please phone Pat on (021) 7944982Sheet mulching (or composting)is the simplest, and least labourintensive, method of building thefertility of most soil types andaffords the gardener an easier optionthan back-breaking spade workfor establishing a new garden. Itencourages the soil biota, many speciesof which will work the soil over for you -no digging required. It is a three-in-onemethod which combines composting,mulching and biodegradableweedkillers (cardboard and newspaper),and it enables you not only to improveyour soil but to grow and harvest a cropall at the same time.There are many ways of sheet mulching,two of which are discussed. Bothrequire enormous volumes of organicmatter initially and, thereafter, it becomesa routine activity in the gardento keep adding more mulching materialsto the surface as the soil floraand fauna break them down intolife-sustaining humus, and releasingnutrients which are gobbledup by the plants. The whole ideabehind it is to minimise soildisturbance.Here’s how to go about it:Method 1• Mark out the areas for yournew beds and, right on top ofwhatever is there (bare soil,weeds, grass), sprinkle somerock phosphate or bonemealand wood ash or dolomitic lime(for acid soils) or sulphur (for thosealkaline Cape Flats soils).• Cover the area with a layer of manureto provide the extra nitrogen to breakdown the dead leaves and roots of theplants that will be buried by the mulchingmaterials.• Then add alternating layers (6cm, or3 fingers, deep) of green, wet materials(lawn clippings, fresh leaves and prunings)and brown, dry materials (untreatedsawdust, autumn leaves, straw)and more manure, watering each layeras you go, until you have covered thedemarcated area to a depth of at least20cm. With vigorous Kikuyu grass it is agood idea to mulch the area up to 30 or40 cm deep. You’ll be surprised at howmuch organic matter it takes to do this.• Cover the whole area with overlappingsheets of newspaper (3 – 5 sheets) orcardboard (1- 3 sheets) to prevent weedseeds from germinating, and grass runnersfrom creeping through, and competingwith your plants. Wet the paperand cardboard thoroughly and, in a veryshort space of time, it will have rotteddown and disappeared, its job done.• Lastly, add a layer of compost, soil andmulch to hide the unsightly newspaperand, hey presto, you’re ready to plant.Make a hole in the mulch/soil layer, cuta cross through the paper or cardboard,add a dollop of good potting mix (halfcompost, half good garden soil) andplant your seed or transplant your seedling.Water well.Method 2• Mark out the areas for your new bedsand cover whatever is there (bare soil,weeds, grass) with between three tosix sheets of newspaper or one to threesheets of cardboard. Make sure thesheets are overlapping well and water.• Now proceed as above, layering green,wet and brown, dry materials and manureuntil the bed area is covered to adepth of at least 20 cm.• Add a layer of mulch to cover.• To plant up this sheet mulched area,simply make a hole in the mulch, add agood soil mix and plant.In both cases there is no need to useherbicides or other drastic measuresto kill the grass and other vegetation.The newspaper and cardboard will doit for you. A myriad different creatureswill take up residence in this bountifulenvironment, enriching the soil beneathwith valuable humus which willbe worked in by earthworms and otherorganisms which are, in effect, diggingthe soil for you.60 Biophile Issue 16

Food from treesOur indigenous trees are a good sourceof food; they’re both beautiful, andbountiful.Wild fruits have an exceptionally highvitamin C content – partly what makesthem so acid – and sometimes a highprotein, fat, carbohydrate or mineralcontent.Global warming and climatechange are topics that are repeatedlydiscussed in the media andamongst concerned citizens ofPlanet Earth.And so they should be. Yet too fewpeople seem sufficiently motivatedto make a lasting and positive impacton these disturbing trends by changingtheir lifestyles even a smidgen. Itdoesn’t have to be a drastic, life-alteringchange. It can be as simple and rewarding,as planting a tree, or two, or three?Trees benefit the ecosystems of theworld by providing habitats for manycreatures that play significant roles inmaintaining the balance of nature. Theyfertilise and look after the soils, absorbmassive quantities of carbon dioxide,release life-giving oxygen, and absorbthe rainfall and slowly release it backinto the atmosphere or into groundwater supplies. They provide the magic,medicine and poison that minister tothe mind and spirit of man; fuel, timber,shade and shelter and, not least ofall, food provide for the physical bodywhich is, perhaps, more important inthe minds of many people.Our indigenous trees are a sourceof all these things, but let’s take alook at trees as a potential source ofnourishment.Over hundreds of years the wild treesin this country have provided sustenance– the difference between hungerand plenty, life and death, for peopleand their livestock, and for the wild animalswhich they hunted and on whichthey fed. Today, with our so-calledsophisticated tastes, many of these treefoods are unappealing to the palate.I was intrigued recently to see thenumber of folk – young and old - climbingon neighbourhood walls, and hangingprecariously off the boughs of thetrees planted along the length of oneof the main roads in our seaside villagein Cape Town. I stopped to investigate.The centre of interest was the beautifulplum-coloured fruits of the waterberry– also known as Waterbessie (Afrikaans),umdoni (Xhosa, Zulu), montlho (NorthernSotho) and (more technically) Syzigiumcordatum – whichwere growing in profusionon these rathersplendid trees.I tasted the fruits,somewhat takenaback that I hadnever noticed thembefore, and waspleasantly surprisedat the sweetnessof the obviouslyripe ones, and thesour and tangy taste ofthose still to reach their prime.Syzigium cordatum – the waterberrytree – belongs to the familyMyrtaceae along withthe various guavas,pomegranates andAustralian gums.Most people are alsofamiliar with thecommon Eugeniaused as a hedgingplant. We’ve all usedallspice and clovesin the kitchen. Theseare the aromaticfruits and flowerbuds respectively ofother members of this same family, andwhich have great commercial value inAsia.The waterberry is an evergreen, waterlovingtree occurring fairly widely inSouth Africa and in a wide range of habitatsranging from forest margins, alongwater courses, in open bush and rockyoutcrops, and from sea level to altitudesof 1 600 metres. It reaches heights of 12to 18 metres, the larger specimens beingfound in swamp forests where theyhave been described as being ‘literallysupported on top of quagmires by thetremendous spread of their roots’.Waterberries are dense with round orspreading canopies and are often moreluxuriant at the coast where the air ismore humid, and water tables may behigher. In fact, it is believed that thepresence of these trees in the wild indicatesthe presence of ground water. Theblue-green leaves are thick and leathery,well able to tolerate the gale-forcewinds in the South-Western Cape andnew foliage is bright red which addsto the aesthetic appeal of the tree. Inthe wild, browsing animals such as theKudu eat the leaves and there are certainlybirds such as the Crowned Hornbillwhich indirectly benefit by feedingoff the hairy caterpillars of moths andbutterflies that sometimes infest it oc-Syzigium cordatumca-sionally.In early spring and summer theclusters of sturdy buds at the ends ofthe branches burst into creamy-whiteor pink flowers which drop their petalsvery quickly leaving little puffs ofstamens. The flowers have a delicatescent, produce large amounts of nectarand provide a good food source for beesand other insects. In late summer andautumn, the fleshy, deep pink to purpleberries ripen, each one with one pipand these provide food for humans anda variety of animals including monkeys,birds, tortoises and mice.This tree is perhaps one of themost useful in our arboreal anthology:• It provides nesting sites and habitatsfor a variety of wild life.• Its bark provides a reddish-brownor orange dye, is used as an emetic andto treat stomach complaints and diarrhoea.Powdered bark is also used as afish poison.• The leaves and roots are used forSoil for Life runs monthlyworkshops in Cape Town on allaspects of organic gardening. Checkour website (www.soilforlife.co.za)for details of these workshops. Bookearly to avoid disappointment!Biophile Issue 1661

treating respiratory ailments and tuberculosis.• The timber is heavy and hard, strongand elastic with a beautiful grain and,after seasoning in water, has been usedfor beams and rafters, furniture, boatbuilding and fuel.• It is purportedly strongly fire-resistant.Perhaps we should be plantingmore of it as fire-breaks in vulnerableareas.• The berries are a source of purpledye, food for humans and animals, andare used for making alcoholic drinksand flavoured vinegars. Indeed, with astretch of the imagination and a senseof adventure, a bowl of deep purplewaterberries with their sweet-sour tastewith just a hint of green apple could bequite a novel addition to your culinaryexperience.By the way, please don’t confuse ourwaterberries with the American termfor small watermelons, or a cocktailcombination of watermelon and strawberries!Chef Justin Patterson has come upwith some novel ideas for incorporatingthese berries into both sweet andsavoury dishes.Before you start, there are fourpoints to keep in mind:»» A lot of waterberries are needed tomake a small portion of jam or sauce,simply because they have a very highwater content.»» The berries have to be pitted beforeuse; luckily this is very easy.»» Take care to pick only the ripest berriesso that the bitter-tasting stalks arenot included in the food.»» They have a very delicate flavour so itis best not to combine them with otherstrong flavours.Good luck and bon appetit!Waterberry and mintsorbet(Makes about 600 ml)250 ml water250 ml white sugar1 litre waterberries (pitted)1 teaspoon mint jelly1 egg white1. Chop waterberries finely in a foodprocessor.2. Add the chopped berries to asaucepan with water, 200ml sugarand mint jelly.3. Heat gently and stir until the sugarhas dissolved.4. Remove from the heat and let themixture cool.5. Place mixture into ice cream machineand let it churn. As soon as themixture starts to freeze, remove.6. Whisk the egg white until stiff, add50ml sugar and continue beating tillit is smooth and shiny (the meringuestage) and fold into sorbet mixture.7. Put the mixture into a containerand freeze.Note: If an ice cream machine is not available,place the mixture into the freezer andbreak the forming ice crystals every hourwith a whisk.Waterberry compote(Makes 250 ml)Serve as accompaniment to dessertsor strong flavoured cheeses.300g Waterberries (pitted)100g sugar1 small cinnamon stick2 Star aniseWater to cover1. Place the ingredients in a saucepanand bring to boil. Urn down theheat and cook until thickened. Themixture must coat the back of aspoon when hot.2. Remove from the heat and let cool.3. The mixture will thicken when coldand has a slight jammy consistency.You can also try steeping them incider vinegar for a richly coloured,flavourful vinegar, or making jam andcordials.Try plucking them off the tree as youtake a leisurely walk through yourgarden in the evening. They will mostcertainly boost your immune system,and provide you with the purplepigments necessary for good health.References:Medicinal Plants of South Africa – Ben-Erik van Wyk,Bosch van Oudtshoorn, Nigel Gericke. Brize Publications1997Field Guide to Trees of Southern Africa – Braam van Wykand Piet van Wyk. Struik Publishers (Pty) Ltd 1997Trees of Southern Africa, Volumes 1 and 3 – Eve Palmerand Norah Pitman. A A Balkema/Cape Town 1972People’s Plants. A guide to useful plants of S Africa –Ben-Erik van Wyk, Nigel Gericke. Briza Publications2000Everyone’s Guide to Trees of South Africa – Keith, Pauland Meg Coates-Palgrave. CNA 1985Food Plants of the World- Ben-Erik van Wyk. BrizaPublications 2005Southern African Trees – a Photographic Guide – Pietvan Wyk. Struik Publishers 1993Field Guide to Insects of South Africa – Mike Picker,Charles Griffiths, Alan Weaving. Struik Publishers2002Chef Justin Patterson of Chef-on-Call, www.chefoncall.co.za.62 Biophile Issue 16

Books to Change Your LifeTelos : The Call Goes Outfrom the Hollow Earthand the UndergroundCitiesby Dianne RobbinsPublisher: Mt Shasta Light Pub (Sept 2000)ISBN-10: 097009020XTelos, Volume 1,Revelations of the New Lemuriaby Aurelia Louise JonesPublisher: Mount Shasta Light Publishing (July 2004)ISBN-10: 0970090242This book touches the very core of your heart.Timely and fascinating messages from the people of the ancient civilizationof Lemuria, living in the fifth dimensional city of Telos, situatedbeneath Mount Shasta, CA. They are the survivors of the lost continentof Mu, who perished beneath of waves of the Pacific Ocean over 12,000years ago.The Dossier of theAscension: A PracticalGuide to ChakraActivation andKundaliniby Michael SharpAvatar PublicationsISBN-10: 0973537930The Dossier of the Ascension is theowner’s manual for your physicalbody. Learn about your bodyas energy system and manifestationdevice. Learn how to clear thechakra pipes and safely awakenkundalini. Move from disconnectedand energetically impotent body toconnected and powerful co-creatorof your physical world in weeksinstead of decades and lifetimes.Easy peasy lemon squeezy.Once you experience the lightningflash of enlightenment and the power of your owndivinity, you won’t ever go back to before.Biophile Issue 16Telos is the book humanity has long beenwaiting for, and will outsell all otherbooks in history.The Telos book engages you in a communicationfrom Earth’s Interior. The book presentsseries of timely and fascinating messagesfrom the people of the Hollow Earth and fromthe Golden City of Telos situated beneath Mt.Shasta, CA.Telos is an ancient Lemurian City of Lightthat is real and exists to this day in the physicalrealm, underneath Mt. Shasta. Meet Adama,the High Priest of Telos, as he describesthe kind of earthly paradise they have forgedfor themselves as they raised their consciousnessto let go of all violence and negativity.Because they have moved into a consciousnessof total love and true Brotherhood, it hasbeen possible for them to survive until nowfrom the time of the sinking of the continentof Lemuria. They have created Heaven onEarth for themselves in their undergroundcities, and throughout the Hollow Earth. Theyare looking forward to be coming out, whenwe are ready, to teach us how to do the samehere on the surface.This book brings magic for all those of youseeking to discover your ancient roots andheritage.This book will re-open your mind and heartto the great possibilities and wonders that areawaiting us on the surface when we finally letgo of the old paradigm of duality and violence,and turn to Love and true Brotherhood for all.This book brings all of us so much hope for abetter and easier life here on this planet.Explore the rich family life of the peoplefrom the lost continent of Lemuria, who havebeen underground for the past 12,000 years,and who, due to their isolation from the surfacepopulation, have created a civilization ofpeace and abundance with no sickness, agingor death. They have mastered immortality inphysical expression.Read about the Advanced Civilizations thatlive in peace and brotherhood in the Centerof our Earth, which is Hollow, and containsnumerous physical cities of Light, its own innerCentral Sun, with oceans and mountainsstill in their pristine state. Vividly and heroically,Telos delivers a very clear understandingof what is required on the surface to createa prosperous society and a healthy environment.63

MThe month of June begins andends with a glorious full Moon, thesecond Moon of the calendar month,which is more commonly referred to asa Blue Moon. Add this to the fact thatit is also the changing of the seasons,solstice time, and we know that we havean interesting month ahead.You may read articles that state thatthe double full Moon falls in the monthof May, and that is so, for those wholive in the Western Hemisphere. In theEastern Hemisphere, with a differenttime frame, the Moon is full in the earlyhours of the morning on the 1st day ofJune.Blue Moons are not as rare as the oldsaying would have us believe, we haveanother lined up for December 2009,so although not rare, we could say theyare not common. The Moon does notchange her cycle and the calendar isjust a measurement of time, but we canexpect a time of heightened emotions.Full Moons are associated withromance, madness, water andemotions. The first full Moon in Juneis in Sagittarius, opposing the GeminiSun. Jupiter is involved in this line upand serves to enhance and magnify.This positive, enthusiastic, expansiveand abundant energy is wonderful, andcan work wonders if one is short onconfidence. It is important to modifythe magnification aspect, and keepexpectations in perspective and inproportion.People who have birthdays withina few days of the 1st June, December,March and September could be personallyinvolved and would be wise to takeheed. Be alert to possibilities, enjoythe positive, optimistic feelings, just bemindful of keeping perspective.This can be a very positive time ifone needs to accomplish anythingthat requires physical energy. Excessemotional energy can be worked outin the gym, climbing a mountain orworking in the garden.Tackling a marathon clear out incupboards, home, garage or office, isthe perfect practical way to use physicaland emotional energy in a positive manner.It is vital to keep the lines of communicationopen and wherever possiblenegotiate to avoid ultimatums.The time of the first full moonworks best if you listen to the heartCosmicDirectionsBernadette Medderof Cosmic DirectionsConsultant and Teachersince 1993021 794 4150 orcosmicdirections@icon.co.zaBlue Moonbut make decisions using the head.The time of the Blue Moon on the 30thJune requires some good old practicalCapricorn sensibility but if gut instinctis working well, emotional decisions,made from the heart, can work out successfully.WINTER SOLSTICEWhen the sun moves in to the signof Cancer on the 21st, it heraldsthe start of a new season. Around thistime, in the Southern Hemisphere, wecelebrate the Winter Solstice, when theSun is furtherest from the earth, thedays are short, the nights are long, andnature rests. This period coincides withthe last direct contact between Saturnand Neptune before Saturn picks upspeed and moves forward.We have discussed this cosmic dancein detail in previous issues of Biophilebut in brief, once you have completedthe ground work and laid the foundation,you can now prepare to restructure,redefine, and get ready to rebuildany area of your life that seems to havedissolved or unravelled.The astrological message of thiswinter Solstice is to work withwhat you have, rather than what youwish you had, pay attention to thedetail, but don’t nitpick, negotiateand compromise rather than demandand issue ultimatums. This is a time ofnurturing and building up strength.JULY NEW MOON in Cancer continueswith the emphasis on emotionsbut also has an adventurous theme.Despite the shorter, colder days andthe tendency to hibernate, this couldbe a time to step out of the comfortsof home, have some fun, break someboundaries and personal limitations.This is also a time to think aboutlong-range plans and goals. Anyonewith a birthday within a few days of the14th July and January will be personallyinvolved in this planetary dynamic. Asthe Moon comes to it’s full position atthe end of July there may be more clarityabout the challenges involved, whereand what the obstacles are and who willtravel this journey with you.The emphasis here is on identificationof our individual ego needs vs.others in our lives and their needs andthe necessary compromise between thetwo.MAKING CHOICESIS YOUR GREATESTPOWERYou can decide to alter the courseof your life at any time.No one can ever take that awayfrom you.You can do what you want to doand be who you want to be.Nature is constantly at work aroundyou.Character and destiny are herhandiwork.She gives you love and hate,jealousy and reverence.You have the power to choose whichimpulse you follow.While your character is formed byyour circumstances, your desirescanshape those circumstances.The one thing over which youhave absolute control is your ownthoughts.It is this that puts you in a positionto control your own destiny.Your greatest power is the power tochoose.~Daily Guru64 Biophile Issue 15