GAIAN MIND SUMMER FESTIVAL

June 22nd-25th, Four Quarters, Central PA, USA

Just added! Daniel Pinchbeck is one of the leading voices in today’s counter-culture and is the author of Breaking Open the Head: A Psychedelic Journey into the Heart of Contemporary Shamanism, which has given him a higher profile among those interested in alternative religion and spirituality. He will be speaking at GMSF2K6 in support of his forthcoming book, 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl. more…

2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl. May 4 release date. Pre-order from Amazon.

Throughout the 1990s, Pinchbeck had been a member of New York's literary select. He wrote for publications like ArtForum, Esquire, and The New York Times Magazine. Critics acclaimed his first book, Breaking Open the Head, as the most significant contribution to psychedelic literature since the work of Terence McKenna.

But the unexpected occurred: Pinchbeck found himself increasingly pulled into the shamanic and metaphysical realms he was reporting on as a journalist. As his mind opened to new and sometimes threatening experiences, disparate threads and synchronicities made new sense: Humanity, every sign suggested, faces an imminent decision between greater self-potential and environmental ruin. The Mayan "birth date" of 2012 could herald the close of one way of existence and the beginning of another, symbolized by the prophesied return of the Mesoamerican deity Quetzalcoatl, the mysterious "Plumed Serpent" of ancient myth. In just the nick of time, the skeptical modern mind can reclaim the suppressed psychic, intuitive, and mystical dimensions of being, and institute a new planetary culture. But it is only - and by no means assuredly - possible if we confront the environmental catastrophe staring us in the face.

Something is in the air: many, if not most, of us feel that real change - for good or ill - is afoot. Pinchbeck's journey - a metaphysical opus that takes the reader from the endangered rain forests of the Amazon, to the stone megaliths of the English plains, to the Burning Man festival in the Black Rock desert of Nevada - tells the tale of a single man in whose trials we ultimately recognize our own secret thoughts and unease over modern life. And a redemptive vision of where we are heading. [via]

Alice Cooper and Jefferson Airplane singer Grace Slick discuss their struggles with drug dependency in The Harder They Fall. The book, which was co-authored by Gary Stromberg and Jane Merrill, features extensive interviews with 21 celebrities who have overcome addiction to lead "more successful [lives], free of drugs and alcohol." The Harder They Fall hits shelves April 1.

March 18-20: Global Days Of Protest on the two-year anniversary of the Iraq war. End the war. Bring the troops home now. Visit United For Peace to find an action near you. On Tuesday, March 15th the House of Representative is scheduled to vote on the president's request for an additional $82 billion for the war in Iraq. Just a few days later the 2nd anniversary of the beginning of that war will be marked by protest activities in at least 300 cities around the country, and scores of other places around the world.

J. Lo has a nasty habit of shamelessly flaunting furs, from her mink eyelashes down to her rabbit-fur footwear. Read more for the lowdown on the gruesome, bloody fur trade. "Many of the great designers, including Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, Todd Oldham, and others have turned their backs on fur and created synthetic alternatives that are hip, humane, and easily available and don't turn animals into fashion victims."

Today's Quote: "Wal-Mart puts down roots in the shadow of the Pyramid of the Sun in San Juan Teotihuacan. Is the global leviathan any match for Quetzalcoatl?"
~~ John Ross, Wal-Mart A La Mexicana

What happened? I thought I posted this Saturday.