Mind Body & Soul Ezine

Fritz Perls and Gestalt

2026-10-15T14:14:00.000+02:00

Who was Fritz Perls?

Fritz Perls was an innovatory humanistic practitioner whose Gestalt Therapy became very popular during the 1960s. The word 'gestalt' comes from a German word which explains foreground and background images. Perls was a rather controversial figure but his psychotherapy provides fast insight and change.

For more information about gestalt: http://www.gisc.org/gestaltreview/documents/whatsagestalt.pdf

The Benefits of Fairtrade

2026-10-14T14:21:00.000+02:00

Fairtrade is a commodity registered trade mark which provides a better deal for third world producers. It pays them a fair price for products, gives up front payments and guarantees long term trading partners. It exists to improve the lives of those abroad, it promotes development through education and improved quality, and prevents exploitation and promotes social justice for children, women, etc. Of the products available on the Fairtrade market are foods, clothes, handicrafts, footballs, roses, and cotton wool. Precious metals and gemstones are being considered for this label. Why should people in the rich West not pay a few pence more to ensure those living in the poorest ways get a fair price for their work!

Article Wendy Stokes https://wendystokes.co.uk

Last words of Jacob de Molay

2026-10-13T10:52:00.000+02:00

“I think it’s only right that, at so solemn moment, when my life has so little time to run, I should reveal the deception which has been practised and speak up for the truth. Before heaven and earth, and with all of you here, as my witnesses, I admit that I am guilty of the grossest iniquity - but this iniquity is that I have lied by admitting the disgusting charges laid against the Order. I declare, and I must declare, that the order is innocent. Its purity and saintliness is beyond question. I have indeed, confessed that the order is guilty, but I have done so only to save myself from terrible tortures by saying whatever my enemies wished me to say. Other knights who have retracted their confessions have been led to the stake. Yet the thought of dying is not so awful that I shall confess to offences which I have never been committed. Life is offered to me, but at the price of infamy. That’s a price that life is not worth having. I do not grieve that I must die if life can be bought only by piling one lie upon another.

It is just that, on so terrible a day, and in the last moments of my life, I should discover all the iniquity of falsehood and I make the truth triumph at last. I declare, in the face of heaven on earth, and acknowledge, to my eternal shame, that I have committed the greatest of crimes in acknowledging of those accusations foully charged against the Order. I attest, and truth obliges me to an attest, that the Order is innocent. I made the contrary declaration only to suspend the excessive pains of torture and to mollify those who made me endure them. I know the punishments which have been inflicted on all the Knights who had the courage to evoke a similar confession, but the dreadful spectacle which is presented to me is not able to make me confirm one lie by another. The life offered me on such infamous terms, I abandoned without regret.”

“Jacques (James) De Molay and Geoffrey De Charny, with their last breaths amid the searing and roasting flames, with black faces and tongues swelled until they could no longer speak, uttered the innocence of the Order, and the injustice of the charges.”

Fritz Perls and Gestalt

2026-10-12T15:05:00.000+02:00

Friedrich 'Fritz' Perls (1893-1970) was born in Berlin (Germany) but left there when Hitler came to power. Originally Perls studied under Freud. He was a psychiatrist and an innovatory humanistic practitioner whose 'Gestalt Therapy' became very popular during the 1960s. The word 'gestalt' comes from a German word for form, an organised whole which differentiates foreground from background images. Only parts of ourselves are known, and gestalt exposes the whole, the integrated parts that bring us from dependency to self sufficiency, from authoritarian behaviour to authenticity and self reliance. Top dog and under dog engage in dialogue! Perls was a rather controversial figure at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur but his psychotherapy model provides fast insight for therapeutic change. “Reality therapy for the walking well”.

Perls joined the German army and was posted to the trenches in WWI. He worked as a psychiatrist with brain injured soldiers at the end of the war, studying under Wilhelm Reich, Jacob Moreno and Otto Rank and other leading lights of the therapeutic movement. As Hitler became more powerful, he and his wife and family fled abroad.

Gestalt focuses on current awareness of sensations, feelings and thoughts.

This quote is attributed to Fritz Perls: I am not in this world to live up to your expectations,
and you are not in this world to live up to mine. You are you, and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, it's beautiful. If not, it can't be helped.

Books by the same author:

Perls, F., Ego, Hunger and Aggression (1942

Perls, F., Hefferline, R., & Goodman, P., Gestalt Therapy: Excitement and Growth in the Human Personality (1951)

Perls, F., Gestalt Therapy Verbatim (1969) .

Perls, F., In and Out the Garbage Pail (1969)

Perls, F., The Gestalt Approach and Eye Witness to Therapy (1973)

Elias Amidon - Murshid Teacher

2026-10-11T18:33:37.017+02:00

“A Sufi is one who knows that nothing matters, yet acts as if everything does.”

— Murshid Fazal Inayat-Khan

Video from Conscious TV on the Information Channel featuring Elias Amidon leading a Murshid meditation. Elias Amidon has been a practising Sufi for more than 40 years. The International Sufi Way is an eclectic school which includes Indian Sufi teachings (Inayat Khan). The environment is at the forefront of his concerns.

For more information, visit: http://sufiway.org/about-us/pir-elias

High Blood Pressure Advice

2026-10-07T08:39:00.000+02:00

Blood pressure – or Hypertension – should be seen as an indicator, a “risk factor” for other diseases, but not as one in its own right. This very fact means that it should not be simply treated in a blanket and uniform manner, if found to be elevated, but examined in this broader picture.

The main reason for this is that treating it without this assessment means a “symptom” rather than a “disease” is being treated, and, as there are significant side effects to blood pressure medication, this is an important first step. Also you may be living in a fool’s paradise, where treatment lowers the pressure, but not the factors that lead to the increase in pressure and hence to the resulting disease.

But the principle question should be “what is elevating the blood pressure in the first place?” It may be that there is arterial or vascular disease, which usually provides a clear pattern on measurement, often with a wider than usual range between the two levels measured; that is, the systolic, or higher end, and the diastolic, or lower.

Taking this out of the equation – because it is a vascular disease problem primarily – then the question is what raises the pressure within the blood vessels? Without doubt the major factor here is stress, whether psychological or physiological; that is mind or body.

We will examine the issue of psychological stress in detail elsewhere, but it should not be forgotten that it is probably the major contributor. So, it is important to look at this first, and this demands a level of insight and self responsibility with management, rather than relying on medication to “fix the problem”.

In this article the value of a sound diet is appreciating the physiological stress that can be reduced or eliminated with the right diet. Why should we be surprised? But don’t forget that it is not usually a question of either the mind or the body, but both operating in the problem, because it may be stress that produces the poor diet in the first place!

How Mediterranean diet lowers blood pressure

Marc Llewellyn ABC

Tuesday, 20 May 2014

The typical Mediterranean diet is known to combat high blood pressure, but now scientists believe they have pinned down the mechanism behind its success.

Working on mutant mice, a group of researchers based in the UK and the USA have linked unsaturated fats (found in food such as olive oil and nuts) and nitrite and nitrate (found in significant quantities in leafy green vegetables) to a reduction in blood pressure in rodents.

Olive oil and plant-based foods, together with the occasional serving of fish and chicken, a low intake of red meat, and moderate consumption of wine, typically make up the Mediterranean diet.

The research, which is published in the latest edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, investigated the process by which unsaturated fat combine with nitrite and nitrate to form nitro fatty acids. It showed that these inhibit the activity of an enzyme called soluable Epoxide Hydrolase (sEH), which then leads to the lowering of blood pressure.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is the most common circulatory system problem, affecting around 32 per cent of adults. It is a major risk factor for stroke, ischemic heart disease, and other chronic cardiovascular diseases.

Randomised controlled trials have previously shown that the Mediterranean diet has positive effects on blood pressure in humans. Past research has also shown that it is linked to a lower risk of heart disease and can protect against Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes and various types of cancer. It can also lower cholesterol and improve rheumatoid arthritis.

- See more at: http://www.drkennan.com/how-mediterranean-diet-lowers-blood-pressure/#sthash.RQ6eZtJI.dpuf
More info here: http://www.drkennan.com/

The Lost Land of Shambhala

2026-10-06T11:22:00.000+02:00

Legends abound of a lost land of great beauty, a paradise where superhuman feats are conducted by its people who have great esoteric knowledge! Theosophists suggested this land was in the Gobi Desert, the Chinese say in the Kun Lun Mountains. Greek and Middle Eastern sources say it is in thevAltae Mountains and some Taoistscsay in Szechwan and Tibet. Hungarians say it is in the Syr Darla River and Russians say it is in the Belovodye. In 1923 an expedition was sent to the Kokushi Mountains but never returned.
Perhaps the person most likely to have known where this mysterious land can be found is a Tibetan abbot who wrote 'The Path to Shambala' who describes the entrance to the lost land as being in Mongolia. This mystical land is also known as 'Shangri'La'.

Visit for more information: http://intersci.ss.uci.edu/wiki/eBooks/BOOKS/Shambhala.pdf

A Healing Meditation

2026-10-05T14:31:00.000+02:00

This video meditation created by Jo Barnard with text by Wendy Stokes. The meditation might cause a light trance, so do not drive a vehicle. Allow 30 minutes to fully relax without interruption. Make yourself comfortable, take a couple of deep breaths, close your eyes and enjoy the experience. https;//wendystokes.co.uk

The Lakota Way of Life

2026-10-04T23:07:00.000+02:00

Praise, flattery, exaggerated manners and fine, high-sounding words were no part of Lakota politeness. Excessive manners were put down as insincere, and the constant talker was considered rude and thoughtless. Conversation was never begun at once, or in a hurried manner.

    Children were taught that true politeness was to be defined in actions rather than in words. They were never allowed to pass between the fire and the older person or a visitor, to speak while others were speaking, or to make fun of a crippled or disfigured person. If a child thoughtlessly tried to do so, a parent, in a quiet voice, immediately set him right.
    Silence was meaningful with the Lakota, and his granting a space of silence before talking was done in the practice of true politeness and respectful of the rule that ‘thought comes before speech.’…and in the midst of sorrow, sickness, death or misfortune of any kind, and in the presence of the notable and great, silence was the mark of respect… strict observance of this tenet of good behavior was the reason, no doubt, for his being given the false characterization by the white man of being a stoic. He has been judged to be dumb, stupid, indifferent, and unfeeling.

    We did not think of the great open plains, the beautiful rolling hills, the winding streams with tangled growth, as ‘wild’. Only to the white man was nature a ‘wilderness’ and only to him was it ‘infested’ with ‘wild’ animals and ‘savage’ people. To us it was tame. Earth was bountiful and we were surrounded with the blessings of the Great Mystery.
    Kinship with all creatures of the earth, sky and water was a real and active principle. In the animal and bird world there existed a brotherly feeling that kept the Lakota safe among them. And so close did some of the Lakotas come to their feathered and furred friends that in true brotherhood they spoke a common tongue.
    This concept of life and its relations was humanizing and gave to the Lakota an abiding love. It filled his being with the joy and mystery of living; it gave him reverence for all life; it made a place for all things in the scheme of existence with equal importance to all.
    It was good for the skin to touch the earth, and the old people liked to remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred earth… the old Indian still sits upon the earth instead of propping himself up and away from its life giving forces. For him, to sit or lie upon the ground is to be able to think more deeply and to feel more keenly. He can see more clearly into the mysteries of life and come closer in kinship to other lives about him.
    Everything was possessed of personality, only differing from us in form. Knowledge was inherent in all things. The world was a library and its books were the stones, leaves, grass, brooks, and the birds and animals that shared, alike with us, the storms and blessings of earth. We learned to do what only the student of nature learns, and that was to feel beauty. We never railed at the storms, the furious winds, and the biting frosts and snows. To do so intensified human futility, so whatever came we adjusted ourselves, by more effort and energy if necessary, but without complaint.
    …the old Lakota was wise. He knew that a man’s heart, away from nature, becomes hard; he knew that lack of respect for growing, living things soon led to lack of respect for humans, too. So he kept his children close to nature’s softening influence.
    Civilization has been thrust upon me… and it has not added one whit to my love for truth, honesty, and generosity.

Here, then, are 10 quotes from the great Sioux Indian Chief known as Standing Bear that will be sure to disturb much of what you think you know about “modern” culture. Luther Standing Bear was an Oglala Lakota Sioux Chief who, among a few rare others such as Charles Eastman, Black Elk and Gertrude Bonnin occupied the rift between the way of life of the Indigenous people of the Great Plains before, and during, the arrival and subsequent spread of the European pioneers. Raised in the traditions of his people until the age of eleven, he was then educated at the Carlisle Indian Industrial Boarding School of Pennsylvania, where he learned the english language and way of life. (Though a National Historical Landmark, Carlisle remains a place of controversy in Native circles.) This article was originally featured on Wisdom Pills and was written by Kirby Sattler

The Philosophy and Psychology of Loneliness by Ben Lazare Mijuskovic

2026-10-03T09:39:00.000+02:00

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Recommended Book Review: Feeling Lonesome: The Philosophy and Psychology of Loneliness by Ben Mijuskovic, 205 pages in hardback and kindle formats:

This book presents an intricate, interdisciplinary evaluation of loneliness that examines the relation of consciousness to loneliness. It views loneliness from the inside as a universal human condition rather than attempting to explain it away as an aberration, a mental disorder, or a temporary state to be addressed by superficial therapy and/or psychiatric medication. The book:

• Provides key insight into the dynamics of loneliness, enabling readers to be able to recognize its sources and counter its insidious and invidious force―not only in one's self, but in others as well
• Presents cross-disciplinary perspectives that addresses and critiques both philosophical and psychological views on loneliness
• Reviews the works and words of philosophers from Descartes to Kant and Wittgenstein, and of psychologists from Freud to Erikson, Fromm, and Mahler
• Authored by a former mental health therapist who has taught philosophy for more than 30 years

About the Author: Ben Lazare Mijuskovic, PhD, MA, is professor of philosophy and humanities at California State University at Dominguez Hills, Humanities Department. He is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and is a retired Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health therapist. Born in Budapest in 1937, lived in Ankara, Turkey (1939); Jerusalem, Palestine (1941); Cairo, Egypt (1942-1944). Came to US in 1945, naturalized (1955). Dual citizenship--US and Montenegro. Educated primarily at the University of Chicago (1956-1963); taught at various universities, tenured at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale (1975) and he has been a social worker and a threrapist since 1986.

Also by the author: Click on this link for information: http://mbsmagazin.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/ben-mijuskovic-loneliness.html#.VeqSrX354Xg

Please note: Dr Mijuskovic will be speaking at a seminar at Brunel University on 30th October 2015. More information to follow!

Yoga Meditations

2026-10-03T02:19:00.000+02:00

Yoga Meditations:

Sit comfortably with your eyes closed.

Exhale and inhale deeply a few times.

Breathe naturally while you focus on the following:

Yoga is a deep well into which we can tap, drawing forth whatever we need to bring ourselves into wholeness and balance.

Ask yourself what will bring wholeness and balance to your life.

Wait for an image or an idea to arise.

Be still with that vision or thought for few minutes.

Breathe.

Meditation of Intent

Sit comfortably. Close your eyes, Inhale and repeat silently:

My body is strong and supple

Exhale and repeat silently:

My spirit is filled with power, love and wisdom

Exhale and repeat silently:

All in equal measure

Breathe and feel the intention fill your entire being.

From The Yoga Deck by Olivia H Miller

The Charge of Inanna

2026-10-02T19:44:00.000+02:00

THE * CHARGE * OF * INANNA

Channeled by Helen Demetriou From Goddess Inanna

This charge has been channeled from the Goddess Inanna and can be used by the Priest/Priestess to open and/or close their ritual. It can be used as a prayer, for meditation purposes and for bringing the reader closer to the Goddess. Please respect these words as they are divine in origin and always remember to give the credit to the author should you wish to publish it to your website or blog.

"Hear, all you children of the Star, who is Inanna, She who is known as Ishtar, Astarte, Aphrodite, Anahit, Hathor, and many other names.

I am the lamp stand of a thousand flames; I am the illuminator and the Star Maiden of the celestial vaults. I clear the black clouds to allow the light of the sun, which is that of truth and justice, to shine upon the children of the gods. O! Hear the moon, hear the moon! She is placing the sun on the mantle of the Earth, the great altar of resurrection and life! Feel the essence of the divine chapters of the Book of Life rising from the pages that are the crusts of the earth. And as each page turns a new memory is born, a memory of when ye were free! Free to love, free to know the truth and free to worship the gods of the Earth!

I am the bright Morning and Evening Star. I am Venus and the Queen of Heaven and Earth. I am love and my cup of wisdom is offered to all who wish to learn my mysteries of soul initiation. I am from the Mother of Midnight Blue, and I am from the red core of the Earth. I am the middle and the in-between of woman and Goddess and I am the mediator between illumination and ignorance. I am the Lady of knowing and un-knowing, I am the Wise Sophia wearing the flesh of the gods. I am She who walks between worlds, and I am she who speaks to you now.

I have always been with you; I was there during your journey into this life. I have always loved you for I am the missing part of your whole; I am the circle surrounding you and I am the one you have always longed for.

I am the seer of my people and the magnifier of wisdom, I am a woman of the divine root and the symbol maker and the knower of roads. I am the divine shoot, the egg that hungers the seed and I am the golden obelisk that surrounds the conscious of your passion.

I am the rose on the cross of change and with my words come clarity and knowing, for any ear that should hear my whispers who have turned their hearts towards the heavens shall hear the sounds from my tongue reverberate off their thoughts and all that they can identify with is the one true power of ALL.

Let all men know my power and let all men know not to try to replace my significance with that of the male pride, as this is my story, the story of the Rose, the moist spiral within the redness of the white. I AM the star who is the eternal bride of the Hieros Gamos who redeems and resurrects the soul. I am the Mistress of beasts and the rider of the beast, the one who surrenders and obeys to my divine Word.

I shall not be used as a tool; I AM the channel of the Shakti and not for the pride of men who wish to abuse the words of the gods for their own satisfaction. I am Womb-An(u). I speak for no man. I am here in service to humanity to share my Logos among you, to bring hope, wisdom and love and the arrival of the divine plan on Earth.

I am the seven fold star that unravels the mysteries of the universe. I am the seven petaled rose that reveals the true name of all that is sacred. I am the winged serpent that rises to kiss your third eye and I am the mother of blood that rises from the lava of the Earth. I know every one of your faces for I fashioned them with my own bare hands. And I know every one of your souls because I housed them within your flesh. Seek me within the darkest depths of your soul for I reside between the place of riches and glory. I shall not be a phantom that poisons you if you look at me with humility and understanding.

There is no thing that is beyond my vision for eternity is entombed within my body, just as every child that is born into flesh has been hatched from the graveyard of my womb. For all that has come from me has come unto me, either to find rest or to find life.

If you are shameful, I shall wear your shame, and clothe you with the splendor of my pureness. For I am the Rose and I spiral my way across the sky, following the Serpent Path, forming petals of five detailing each vibration and emission of love and sending it to you. I am the whole who brings the Cross of Light. I am the complete cycle and the joiner of polarities.

The rose is the heart and the core and the empowerment of the cross. Therefore I am the empowerer of the god of light and I am the root of the Tree of Life. Let the brave ones come unto me and let the brave ones try to part my petals for only by searching for the core of me shall you find the heart of me. Only by finding the heart of me shall you find the truth, for the truth is what I give but only the true seeker shall find it. And if you shall find it, so you may journey down below my breasts to the place where exists the cup; the cup of plenty and the cup of lies, the cup of absolutes and the cup of enlightenment. The cup is the seat of my power and only through finding the heart of the rose can you enter the cup and take your fill of life and wisdom. But first you must leave your heart behind as an offering to me.

I bare my breasts to you and summon you to drink from my fountain of life and wisdom; get drunk from the nectar of mine. Through the recognition of your own divinity, you are set free and you are born once again in the egg of the Great Mother and from the seed of the Great Father.

Come unto me and I shall walk beside you until that day that I shall call you once again to walk beside me and at this time I shall guide you back into my womb.”

https://sanctarosablog.wordpress.com/.../the-charge-of.../

Simone Weil

2026-10-02T18:52:00.000+02:00

Who was Simone Weil?

Simone was born in France and lived from 1909 to 1943. She was an intellectual and mystic, and taught philosophy and the politics of socialism. During WWII she was an activist in the dangerous French underground movement and previously she was involved in the Spanish Civil War. She died of Tuberculosis and her correspondences were discovered and published posthumously.

For more information, click on this link: http://againstprofphil.org/wp-content/uploads/simone_weil_lectures_on_philosophy_1978.pdf

Erhard Seminars Training

2026-10-01T11:12:00.000+02:00

Albert Ellis - Rational Emotive Therapy

2026-09-28T15:42:00.000+02:00

This is a video of Albert Ellis (1913-2007), creator of Rational Emotive Psychotherapy (RT). Out of the three demonstrations, Fritz Perls, Carl Rogers and Albert Ellis, Ellis is my favourite! His therapy is direct, clear and can be confrontational but it works quickly and profoundly.Albert Ellis has always been a favourite of mine. He seems to be able to get to the heart of the situation (but does not often spare the client's feelings!).

To find out more about this extraordinary psychotherapist and his work, visit this website: http://www.rebtnetwork.org/library.html

John Gray on Health and Happiness

2026-09-27T15:16:00.000+02:00

In a personal message to the Administrator of the Mind Body Spirit Magazine, John Gray writes "So much of my work can be summed by saying, "If you don't know your past, you will not know your future! I try to help people move forward by looking at their past mistakes and removing the blocks that are holding them back from finding happiness. Basically, unloading their baggage so they can enjoy their future (which is usally a combination of parents, siblings, friends, exes, etc) and is also the basis for most of my health work - unloading the baggage from past health decisions, which can be a combination of poor diet, not enough exercise, genetic traits and even prescribed medications.

8 mistakes men make in an argument

1. Aggressive tone or loud voice Men can care so much about being right that they don't realize that they often sound threatening and overwhelming. 2. Condescending commentsPhrases like, "Don't worry about it." or "It's not a big deal." are big mistakes because it does not acknowledge her feelings. 3. Interrupting her with arguments that invalidate her feelings or correct her observations A typical comment would be "You shouldn't feel that way." Instead of taking time to reflect and saying something like, "I understand you think that..." 4. Expressing frustration with the pace of the argument This is when a man will say in frustration, "Why do we have to go over this again and again." A better approach is for a man to say, "I have to take a time out so I can better absorb what it is you are saying." 5. Offering solutions rather than asking more questions This goes back to everything I teach men. It is such a common pattern for men: rather than listening, they offer solutions. He might think he is being helpful, but to her, he is simply being dismissive. 6. Having to get in the final word Whatever she says, her man comes back with, "So once again everything has to be the way, everything you want to be such a big deal." Statements like these often stem from a male's sense of frustration that his partner has more accomplished verbal skills. Getting in the final word is simply taking a verbal swipe that says, "I refuse to let you think that you have won this argument." 7. Tit for tatWhen she complains, you raise her complaint with more complaints of your own. Chalk it up to a man's competitive nature, but in truth, it's no way to make peace and move beyond your argument .8. Giving in to what she wants, but with the message that you are doing so even though she is being unreasonable This is no way to make peace. All this approach will accomplish is to set both of you up for future fights.

8 mistakes women make in an argument 1. Raising your voice with emotion Try to resist the temptation of being accusing, mocking, or sarcastic.2. Using rhetorical questionsAvoid asking questions like, "How could you say something like that?" Try to express what you do like and accept. For example, "I understand and agree with that, but..."3. Making generalized complaints Saying things like "We never spend time together." or "You're not doing the things that you said you would do." are not specific enough for men. In general men do not respond to the abstract as well as the specific. Give examples of what he has done if you want to be heard. Give direction with such comments as, "Let's plan a date to go out this week."4. Expecting him to respond like a woman instead of a man.Try not to say things like "Why can't you speak from your heart?" or, "You're not opening up to me." Try to say things like, "I understand that it is difficult for you to open up about this," or, "I know you want to solve the problem, but right now I just need you to hear me."5. Bringing up old issuesDon't muddy the waters with past arguments and points of disagreement. Stay with the issue you are dealing with at the moment otherwise you run the risk of having your partner turning off his hearing all together. 6. Comparing him to another man or how he acted in the past Never compare him to another man unless you want the fight to escalate quickly. Even more confusing for him are comments like, "You used to be so much more affectionate." Instead make a positive statement and give him a model of behavior you want him to follow. For example, "I love it when you...."7. Expecting him to make you feel good Women need to take the responsibility to feel good on their own, especially after a fight or argument. Do not say things like, "Well that doesn't make me feel any better." Try instead to say, "I think I'll take some time for myself and go play some tennis, or do some shopping, or take a walk." 8. Controlling the conversation. These are the times when your mate feels like he is facing a tsunami of issues without having a chance to stand up and explain things from his perspective. You're never going to come to a satisfactory conclusion in any argument until both sides feel they have had a chance to express themselves. I hope these ideas will help you the next time you get into a argument!

Dealing with Difficult People

2026-09-26T12:23:00.000+02:00

There are many techniques for managing people you find are difficult to deal with. Many would prefer to leave a situation rather than use the methods that have been tried and tested over time by others and have been found to work in the majority of cases. However, sometimes, yes, it is necessary to leave a situation where someone's patterns are honed to get the best of yours. Whether it be a parent, spouse, child, work colleague, it is usually a power issue. Do not give away your power. Have clear boundaries. Remain distant and obscure if necessary. Knowledge is power. Use affirmations to contradict your soft natured patterns. Keep your sense of humour. Don't try to fix them. Say 'no' and mean it!

For more information, visit: https://www.blueskycoaching.com.au/pdf/v8i04_difficult_people.pdf
and: http://www.edcc.edu/counseling/documents/tips_000.pdf

The Goddess 2.0 - Karen Tate

2026-09-24T16:16:00.000+02:00

Extract from ‘Goddess 2.0 – Advancing a New Path Forward’ by Rev. Dr. Karen Tate published by Megalithica Books, paperback 188 pages £10.99

You are not alone if you believe domination and authoritarian patriarchy are destroying countless lives and our planet. There is a more sustainable alternative and it's not new. In fact it's ancient. Exiled for a time, but making a return, the Sacred Feminine has become indelibly integrated into our lives, reminding humanity during this time of crisis that the ideals of the Great She offer a pathway to secure a more sustainable future. As people lose faith in organized religion, as the paradigm of power shifts across the globe, as climate change quickly approaches a point of no return, people are leading using their divine intelligence gleaned from Goddess teachings to find solutions and sanctuary. They're listening to their consciences, heart wisdom, and intuition to manifest a new normal. They're practicing partnership, generosity, and compassion to establish a new way of being. They're tapping into their empathy and morality as they hit the reset button. We are witnessing an awakening across the globe as people and entire cultures turn to Goddess, deity, archetype and ideal, to evolve from the malignant chaos we face.

Using the wisdom and activism suggested in Goddess 2.0; Advancing a New Path Forward, we see through the lens of spiritual, cultural and political leaders, old and new, male and female. They share the many ways Goddess Spirituality has grown and matured in the minds of Her advocates to inspire the birth of a new world and usher in a time of security, peace, joy, equality and prosperity for all.

What am I talking about you might ask? Sacred Feminine ideals are the new liberation thealogy. Here's what I mean...

There is no doubt people all over feel under siege considering the domination under which we are attempting to live. Here in the United States, predator capitalism, globalization and bad trade deals for labor resulted in good paying jobs being shipped overseas where corporations could pay workers slave wages, leaving Americans with few options for decent paying jobs. People now work longer hours for lower wages than they brought home decades ago, with many living on credit cards to make ends meet. The elderly suffer little dignity in their retirement while the poor and disabled have slim opportunities or economic security as our tax dollars never seem invested in their quality of life. The vast income disparity between the “haves” and the “have nots” grows every year as the latter witnesses the elites immune from accountability for their actions on the uneven playing field. Bankers can destroy the economy and not go to jail while the average person might be incarcerated for a minor offense - but we have to keep those privatized prison cells full! Both political parties have presided over the decimation of the middle class and the largest income disparity in our country’s history. The American Dream is all but dead as the poor and middle class are relegated to little more than cannon fodder or consumer status, both fulfilling their roles keeping our corporate masters rich and their greed satiated.

Climate change threatens our security and the health of Mother Earth, our only home, but we ignore the warning signs because it affects the bottom line. The bees are still dying while our acidic oceans face potential mass extinction but corporations are people now, so says the Supreme Court of the United States, and with their immense profits, they are legally buying democracy, leaving the 99% with little to no representation in government. Fracking is being sold across the globe with seeming little regard for the poisoning of our ground water by multi-national corporations, or the growing concern it might be contributing to earthquakes, not to mention the collapse of property values of homeowners as they can set fire to the water from their kitchen faucets.

Failed, yet not abandoned, “trickle-down” economic ideologies and austerity budgets can be blamed for our dangerous crumbling infrastructure, hardly limited to the now-famous lead poisoning of poor children and adults living in Flint, Michigan. Journalism, as the Fourth Estate, or fourth branch of government, protecting democracy, is dead, but not unbiased. Voting irregularities left many people in the United States feeling they must petition the United Nations to monitor our elections during the Hillary Clinton vs. Bernie Sanders presidential campaign. With corporate interests the priority, “news readers” on the nightly news perpetuate the fear-mongering or divide and conquer strategy, allowing racism and bigotry to fester, and the wrong people targeted as the blame for the chaos, fear and escalating unease, all kept under control, of course, by the ever increasing militarization of our local police forces.

Let’s not forget, men still believe they have a religious mandate to control women’s sexual lives and what they can or cannot do with their bodies, all under the guise of their concern for women’s health and morality, while women in the 21^st century have yet to receive social or economic parity in the developed world.

And the sad truth is, as the curator of this anthology, I do not think any of this is hyperbole. I wish it were. The good news is, there is an answer, and more and more people are catching on.

The Sacred Feminine, deity, archetype and/or ideal offers humanity solutions and sanctuary, from womb to tomb, from the boardroom and bedroom to the voting booth, as readers will discover within the pages of this book. Exiled for a time, but making a return, the Sacred Feminine has become indelibly integrated into our lives, reminding humanity during this time of crisis that the ideals of the Great She offer a pathway to a secure and more sustainable future. As people lose faith in organized religion and bastions of authority, as the paradigm of power shifts across the globe, people are leading from the grassroots, using their divine intelligence gleaned from Goddess teachings to find answers. They’re listening to their consciences, heart wisdom and intuition to manifest a new normal. They’re practicing partnership, generosity and compassion to establish a new way of being. They’re tapping into their empathy and spiritual morality as they hit the reset button. We are witnessing this awakening across the globe as people from all walks of life and cultures turn to the Feminine to evolve from the malignant chaos we face today.

Using the wisdom and activism suggested in Goddess 2.0; Advancing a New Path Forward, we see through the lens of spiritual, cultural and political leaders, old and new, male and female. They share the many ways Goddess Spirituality has grown and matured in the minds of Her advocates to inspire the birth of a new world and usher in a time of security, peace, joy, equality and prosperity for all. Talking about everything from abortion and women's health, to caring economics and new ways of seeing the Divine, everyone in this anthology offers a thread of the new tapestry for humanity's future and we invite you to delve in, dig deep and find your sacred roar!

Meet the contributors: Anne Baring, Starhawk, Carol P. Christ, Riane Eisler, Barbara G. Walker, Cristina Biaggi, Elizabeth and Robert Fisher, Shirley Ann Ranck, Bob Gratrix, Patricia 'Iolana, Nancy Vedder-Shults, M. Isidora Forrest, Karen Tate, Amy "Amalya" Peck, Linda Iles, Andrew Gurevich, Charlotte L. Cressey, Delphine DeMore, Tabby Biddle, Trista Hendren, and Harita Meenee. For more information, visit: http://www.karentate.com/

Attention Deficit Disorder

2026-09-18T12:46:00.000+02:00

What is ADD? This video explains!

Bioenergetics

2026-09-15T17:18:00.000+02:00

What is Bioenergetics?

Bioenergetics is the study and practice of using energy within the body in better ways. It is based upon the controversial work of Wilheim Reich and was created by two of Reich's students, principally Alexander Lowen, who included some of the theories of Reich's tutor, Sigmund Freud. It focuses on releasing unconscious blocks within the body that cause headaches, backache, etc., through physical exercises so that the person becomes more physically and psychologically free.

For more information, visit: http://michaelmaley.com/Somatic_Psychotherapy_files/BIOENERGETIC%20FUNDAMENTALS%20.pdf

Solo Vision Quest

2026-09-13T16:23:00.000+02:00

The Vision Quest was held by native tribal people of the Americas and was a time spent alone in nature to learn about themselves and about other species, to be thankful for the water we drink, the song of the birds for comfort and the breeze in the trees for company. We can do this in our time, perhaps with fasting, with meditation, with kindness and love for all we see, hear, feel and experience. This video was made in 2011 but the information does not go out of date.

For more information: http://www.soulartstudio.com/pdf/your-vision-quest.pdf

Scotland - Coorie!

2026-09-13T14:24:00.000+02:00

Coorie (aka Cosagach in Gaelic) a Scottish word that means to snuggle or cuddle.

Coorie is a Scottish wellness trend based on simplicity, balance and harmony. It is similar to Danish art of 'hygge'

The Art of Coorie is a book by Gabriella Bennett describes the ancient traditions based on an embracing of landscapes and wild places that provide health and wellbeing, an appreciation of home grown and home cooked foods, and taking comfort in 'blethering' with close friends and caring for one another. A swapping of stressful demands for a quieter and easier lifestyle is recommended.

Coping Skills

2026-09-12T11:39:00.000+02:00

Helplessness, anger, and feelings of being out of control are common following emergencies. Depression can also follow, and lead to exhaustion which compounds the already difficult situation. Stressed minds can only come to stressed conclusions and a disordered mind does not make sensible decisions. Advice: Get into nature, see friends and speak to them about your problems, seek professional advice and take it. Build you own immunity to stress during quiet times, prepare for the worst but hope for the best. You can cope better, regardless of your experiences and difficulties.

For more information, a resources link here: https://depts.washington.edu/hcsats/PDF/TF-%20CBT/pages/cognitive_coping.html

and: http://www.selfinjury.bctr.cornell.edu/perch/resources/coping-stress-management-english-1.pdf

and: https://www.nyu.edu/content/dam/nyu/studentHealthServices/documents/PDFs/mental-health/CWS_SOS_for_Emotions_Booklet.pdf

The Female Cycle

2026-09-11T15:38:00.000+02:00

The power of self-love and our cycles by Gabriella Guglielminotti Trivel

On a nice winter day ...

It was a wonderful winter day and the sun was shining so I decided to go out and give myself the pleasure to commune with nature for an hour or so.

I decided to go and see my giant friends in the wood. They are some century old beeches that form a part of the wood where I normally go walking and relaxing during my week days.

I hadn't been there to see them for a while, therefore I thought to go on my pilgrimage of love to visit my old friends.

Some of them are so big and old that they have fallen on the ground and broken in various parts. They lie on the ground with their roots exposed and show their magnificence, they are awe inspiring!

My old friends

I remember the first time that I saw a very big and old one on the ground and could not remember having seen it lying there before, therefore I realized that it must have fallen recently.

I felt inside a sharp sense of loss and grief similar to what one feels when a loved one passes away. I felt sad and mourned as if my grand-father had just died. It is natural to grieve and mourn the passing of someone or the loss of something, it is part of life.

I walked around the gigantic tree in disbelief of how big the tree was, I felt like a midget in comparison!

I wanted to cry in fact, I could almost feel the pain of the tree that couldn't stand any longer and gave up. Of course I was projecting my human experience on the beech, but I couldn't help myself.

In its death that beech was majestic, magnificent, awe inspiring, I felt speechless.

The difference between a tree and me

When I go back to visit the beeches, the fallen and standing ones, I look at them with a fresh eye and see again their beauty and appreciate even more their enormous size.

While I was standing there in awe and admiration, I realized that I was admiring a huge tree because of its size, but I couldn't do the same with my life as we don't grow as tree do. We just grow up to a certain size and then we tend to shrink in the last part of our life, we don't keep growing!

I am witnessing this process with my parents right now.

We don't show on the outside the physical appearance of our life as trees do.

All of a sudden I realized that if I were a beech like the ones in front of me there in the wood, even if I am not as old as they are, I would start having a certain stature and height.

If I could add more branches to my trunk year after year and my trunk could expand according to the years lived on this planet, I wouldn't be a little tree any longer, but I would possibly be like a good looking and imposing tree!

If I could put all my life experiences so far in a physical form, I would probably be amazed by my height and size!

I am like a tree

I stood there in awe for another while, but now in awe of myself and my theoretical tree called Gabriella Guglielminotti Trivel.

I also realized that the trunk of a tree is circular and it grows in rings. As a matter of fact experts can date the age of old trees or even fossil trees by looking at how many rings there are in a tree trunk section.

Then I thought of my feminine cycles. A woman's cycles cover a huge part of her life and bring so much experience to a woman over the years.

I thought of myself approaching little by little my menopause years and how much knowledge and wisdom I have accumulated over time. The more I thought about all this, the more I saw the similarity between me and that majestic beech lying on the ground.

By looking and admiring that giant, I was admiring myself in the future when, after a long and adventurous life, I will decide to let go and lie down for good, wow!

My cycles and self-love

I felt speechless again and tears came out of my eyes and I stood there in meditation/admiration for a while.

Realizing all this, made me feel a huge surge of self-love for the woman I am and want to become.

I cycle like Nature and like that beech on the ground I go through my 'inner seasons' every month and through the 'outer seasons' every year.

I can't stop this process or alter it, I can only second it and go with it, something bigger than me controls it, I just need to learn how it works and follow it, go with it and enjoy it!

When I do that my self-love grows like a tree.

I love my seasons, am proud of my growing wisdom and my extreme joy is sharing it with other women in the world.

Do you enjoy your cycles?

Are you aware of how big your tree would be, if you could put your life into the form of a tree? I would like to read your thoughts and comments.

If you want to start appreciating your feminine cycles and grow your self-love, check www.flyinginspiration.com and have a chat with Gabriella. If you enjoyed this article and would like to read another on this topic, by this author, click on this link: http://mbsmag.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/pre-menstral-syndrome.html#.VY2QzlL54Xg

Pagans and Ecology

2026-09-08T07:38:00.000+02:00

Making generalised statements about Pagans is rarely a good idea as Pagans are incredibly diverse. My current working definition for Paganism(s) is recreated, reconstructed and/or reimagined indigenous traditions from around the world, many of which see the sacred in the landscape. So Paganism isn’t just one tradition, but many, from all sorts of different origins around the world.

One of the causes for the differences you might find in Pagan traditions is the very landscape they originally emerged in, because, in different landscapes, with diverse ecological conditions, the way people perceive and interact with that landscape will vary.

It is fair to say that a great many traditions see the sacred in the landscape, which means that interacting with that landscape equates to interaction with the sacred. As the sacred is very important, a great many Pagans will be keen to see and work for a more sustainable way of living- a way of living that is less likely to damage the local environment and more likely to honour it. This may take the form of activities to clean up rubbish left in waterways, forests and open land, by others. It may take the form of protesting against business that could be considered to damage the landscape- hydraulic fracturing (fracking), building on greenbelt land or destruction of ancient woodland. It could take the form of guerrilla gardening activities, permaculture or simply in tending to their own gardens. But running through all those activities is an understanding that the land is sacred, that we do not inherit the land from our ancestors, but borrow it from our children. Of course, these kinds of activities are not the sole province of Pagans. But a key motivator for Pagans to engage in them is that recognition of the sacred in nature.

Communication from Mike Stygal, President of the Pagan Federation. Please click this link for more information: http://www.paganfed.org/index.php