From The Inside Out Mag.
For Personal Healing, Spiritual Growth & Development

By   Sat, Feb 04, 2012

One of the most intriguing, nebulous and controversial topics of history and magic is the “hieros gamos”, “the sacred marriage”. Believed to incorporate both sex and ritual, it should not come as a surprise that throughout history, it has attracted many – and often, those who should truly well stay clear of it. Its fame has meant that the theme was used by Dan Brown in “The Da Vinci Code”, where he described it as how “man could achieve a climactic instant when his mind went totally blank and he could see God”. Brown is not the only one who has linked the experience with tantrism and the withholding of orgasm. He is, of course, also the man who considered Mary Magdalene’s vulva to be the Holy Grail.

The quest to define the hieros gamos foremost is one of answering the question who and when it was performed. Some – including Dan Brown – link it to temple prostitution, while others see it as the king of the country who marries “the land” – in the form of a high priestess – to rejuvenate it. For the Greeks, it was more abstract. They considered it a marriage between the gods and hence apparently outside of the reach of ordinary human beings. It was only in the Jewish and medieval tradition that the hieros gamos became linked with magic and ritual and it is therefore here that we find the current obsession with it. As such, in 1605, Cesare della Riviera wrote that “in Europe, the tracks of these ancient rituals pass through the Gnostic schools, the alchemical and cabalistic currents of the Middle Ages and Renaissance – where numerous alchemical texts can be read on two levels.”

What is the hieros gamos? At its core, the sacred marriage is more of a sacrament than a ritual. It is a marriage between husband and wife, but is of a sacred nature: it is a marriage blessed by the gods, with active participation of those deities, present in the act of lovemaking between the two humans. Focusing on the king having sexual intercourse with the high priestess is thus largely a misnomer, as the king was equally a high priest, and the queen… a high priestess.
In the 20th century, Carl Gustav Jung studied the hieros gamos through the Rosarium Philosophorum, a series of twenty woodcuts, printed in Frankfurt in 1550. The images have a clear sexual and royal nature: a king and queen are depicted with the sun and the moon, sharing a bed, performing sexual acts, as a result of which they become one, and are transformed. And it is with these woodcuts that we come to the core of the hieros gamos: indeed, the primary purpose of the sacred marriage is that two equals, twin souls, a husband and wife, reunite through the hieros gamos. In short: the hieros gamos, or sacred marriage, was not a marriage of just any human beings, but of twin souls.

The concept of twin souls – more popularly known as soulmates – is as old as civilisation itself. Isis and Osiris were both sister and brother and husband and wife: twins. Rather than seeing this as an incestuous relationship, the ancient Egyptians were using this imagery to portray a complex metaphysical framework.
They – like so many other religions – believed that each human being possessed a soul. That soul was half of one unit, which consisted out of one male and one female half. This meant that for every human being alive, there was a perfect twin soul. The quest in this lifetime was to find that twin soul, and be reunited with it. This was the truest of loves; the greatest quest. If not the Great Work of Alchemy. The alchemist Nicolas Flamel stated that he was only able to accomplish the Great Work while in the presence of his wife Perenelle, but it was equally accepted that the majority of marriages here on earth, was not between twin souls.

Once the twin souls had found themselves, apart from understanding the true depths of love and kinship they shared throughout their many lifetimes together, the hieros gamos would be completed at some point. What was it? It was seen as God personally “attending” a sexual activity, in which the human beings – male and female – each get “infused” by the divine essence of the male and female component of God.
The best-known historical example of such a sacred marriage is between King Solomon and Queen Sheba. The story relates how the Queen of Sheba travelled from her homeland to meet Solomon, to perform the hieros gamos with him.
This story is discussed by Kathleen McGowan in her fact-based novel “Book of Love”. She relates that ancient traditions stipulate God had both a male and female aspect: El and Asherah. Tradition relates that they desired “to experience their great and divine love in a physical form and to share such blessedness with the children they would create. Each soul who was formed was perfectly matched, given a twin made from the same essence. […] Thus the hieros-gamos was created, the sacred marriage of trust and consciousness that unites the beloveds into one flesh.”

Echoes of the sacred marriage can be found in the Song of Songs, directly linked with Solomon and describing love making. The title highlights it was the holiest of all songs, underlining its importance. Margaret Starbird has pointed out that there are strong parallels between the Song of Songs and poems to the Egyptian goddess Isis. Of course, both Solomon and Sheba and Isis and Osiris were twin souls, and hence able to experience the hieros gamos.
The Song of Songs became very important for the Kabbalists, specifically following the Book of the Zohar, which saw the Song of Songs as a prime example of the hieros gamos. It is in the Zoharic Kabbalah that God is represented by a system of ten spheres, each symbolizing a different aspect of God, who is perceived as both male and female. The Shekina was identified with Malchut, which was identified with the woman in the Song of Songs. Her beloved was identified with Yesod, which represents God’s foundation and the phallus or male essence.
Within the Jewish religion, Malchut and Yesod are El, the fatherly creator god, and his consort, Asherah. He was identified with the bull and She with the mother goddess. Indeed, women who have experienced the hieros gamos note that they have experienced this mother goddess energy, some even mentally visiting some of her sanctuaries during the experience. The imagery also reveals how long our ancestors have been familiar with this sacred marriage: the link between the bull and the earth goddess is visible on the walls of Catal Huyuk, built in the 8th millennium BC.

The hieros gamos should therefore be more appropriately labelled the reunion of twin souls, while incarnate in the body, through sexual activity, involving the active participation of the male and female aspect of God: “What God has put together, let no man separate.”
Those who have experienced such union find it largely impossible to describe – “beyond words”. They are, however, capable of breaking down the experience in some components. The man will become one with El, while the female melts with Asherah, the “Queen of Heaven”. During this union, it is entirely possible that Asherah or El is more prominent in one partner than in the other. During these encounters, the sexual activity exceeds – and is different from – a normal orgasm; it is normally more intense, prolonged and multiple, whereby the orgasm itself is more energetic, rather than physical. However, the presence of this divine energy should not be seen as a form of possession; normally, the human sexual energy is equally present, and the sexual experience is a balance and interplay between both energies. To put it crudely: the hieros gamos is a foursome: two human beings, and El and Asherah operating with and through them.

Where does this leave the reputation of the hieros gamos as a form of temple prostitution? Asherah has been linked with the Mesopotamian Ishtar, whose cult did involve sacred prostitutes. However, should we perhaps see in these women initiatrices: women who prepared and taught certain methodologies as to how sacred sexuality should be experienced between partners, so that their union could lead to a sacred marriage?
Interestingly, the world’s oldest poem, “The Epic of Gilgamesh”, relates how when Gilgamesh discovers the wild man Enkidu, he sends him to Shamhat, a priestess of Ishtar. She was instructed to teach Enkidu how to live as a cultural human being, suggesting that our ancestors identified culture specifically with how to make love properly – the hieros gamos way.

These examples, and the example of Solomon and Sheba, make it clear that the quest of the hieros gamos is not open to anyone: it is only the bailiwick of twin souls. It is why Flamel noted that it was only possible to be performed with Perenelle, clearly not only his wife, but also his twin soul. It is also not so much ritual, but total union of body, mind and spirit: the two parts of one soul become united in the body, thus accomplishing in the body what they were at the beginning of time: a unity. The Great Work. And this union was “blessed” by the sacrament of the hieros gamos, in which God themselves, present at the separation of these souls at the beginning of time, reunited and blessed the two lovers.
So even though tantric yoga as such has nothing to do with it, tantrism does know about this state of perfect union and has labelled it Samadhi. It is the state where the respective individualities of each of the participants are completely dissolved in the unity of cosmic consciousness – the two units are reunited. For tantrics, the deities are not El and Asherah, but Shakti and Shiva.

Because it is “restricted” to twin souls, the hieros gamos might not hold the sexual and ritual appeal that many would like to give it. But it is nevertheless the most important sacrament of all, as it was the completion of the quest of the soul in life: to find his twin soul and reunite, and within this love, continue their life, combined.
People who have experienced the hieros gamos agree that this is a unique experience. One person stated that during the hieros gamos, both partners experienced total orgasm, though this was without any physical activity – through a physical connection, the other partner experienced perfectly the sexual stimulation the other person was sending in the mind – in short, the partners were both not only reading the other person’s mind, but interacted within that mind – as one unity of cosmic consciousness. Another person described it as “utter bliss” or what “heaven” must have felt like. The feeling of “heaven on earth” may indeed be what the hieros gamos was all about: the twin souls in heaven, experiencing their divine union on earth. As above, so below?

http://www.philipcoppens.com/hierosgamos.html

Philip Coppens is an author and investigative journalist, ranging from the world of politics to ancient history and mystery. He co-hosts The Spirit Revolution radio show with his wife Kathleen McGowan and is a frequent contributor to NEXUS Magazine and Atlantis Rising Magazine. Since 1995, he has lectured extensively and has appeared in a number of television and DVD documentaries, including Ancient Aliens: The Series (The History Channel). He is the author of The Stone Puzzle of Rosslyn Chapel, The Canopus Revelation, Land of the Gods, The New Pyramid Age, Servants of the Grail, the ebook 2012, Science or Fiction?, Killing Kennedy and The Ancient Alien Question.

By Debra Flowers   Tue, Feb 14, 2012

I often come across people who only want to lose weight from certain parts of their body, and my answer is always “you can’t spot train and why would you want to?”  Proper weight loss comes from the right nutrition along with cardio and resistance training. Everything has to come into play in order for you to lose weight effectively and losing weight effectively means losing body fat throughout your whole body-not just one body part. A weight loss regimen takes time and patience and plenty of self-discipline.

However, there are certain exercises that will assist you in fat loss and toning of those thighs, hips and buttocks. But first let’s examine why women are usually more susceptible to body fat in those areas moreso than men, especially with age.

• Gender difference begins early in life: From birth up to age six, the number and size of fat cells triple in both boys and girls, resulting in a gradual, and similar, increase in body fat. Between six years of age and adolescent, there is little or no increase in fat cell number, in healthy-weight children. In obese children, however, the number of fat cells can increase throughout childhood. 
• During the adolescent growth spurt, the rate of fat increase in girls almost doubles that of boys:  It is marked by more and larger fat cells, and it is seen mostly in the gluteal-femoral area--hips, buttocks and thighs--and, to a much lesser extent, in the breasts. This general acceleration in body fat accumulation, particularly sex-specific fat, is attributed mostly to changes in female hormone levels. After adolescence, the accumulation of sex-specific fat more or less stops, or decreases dramatically, in healthy-weight women, and there is usually no further increase in the number of fat cells. As most women know, it is more difficult to shed fat from the hips, buttocks and thighs than it is to trim down other areas of the body. 
• The fat stored around the hips, buttocks and thighs of women appears to act as reserve storage for the energy demands of lactation: During lactation, however, sex-specific fat cells are not so stubborn. They increase their fat-releasing activity and decrease their storage capacity, while at the same time fat storage increases in the mammary adipose tissue. This suggests that there is a physiological advantage to sex-specific fat. The fat stored around the pelvis, buttocks and thighs of women appears to act as reserve storage for the energy demands of lactation.  

But this advantage brings one annoying disadvantage that many women experience: it’s the orange-peel-look on the hips, thighs and buttocks called cellulite. Cellulite appears as body fat is gained and more of it is packed into existing cells. (Remember, new cells are not normally formed after adolescence.) These packed cells then swell and, when large enough, become visible through the skin. Adding insult to injury, as the skin gets thinner and less flexible with age, the puffed-up fat cells become even more visible. (Unfortunately, no cream, massage, vibrating machine, injection, pill, whirlpool bath, rubber pants or other gimmick will get rid of cellulite. The only help is general weight loss, with a sensible diet and regular exercise, which can reduce the effect.)

So here are a few tips and exercises that will help you lose that unwanted body fat.

Eat Properly: With any type of exercise to lose fat, ideally you should also eat properly otherwise you will find it so much harder to see the results to want.

Try to burn off more calories than you eat. 

• Cut down on sugar, cakes, biscuits, processed meals, alcohol and fast food.   If you eat a lot of sugar, your body will produce too much insulin which will make you hungry and tempt you to eat more food, more often.   (Does this cycle sound familiar?)
• Cut out saturated fats and replace these with unsaturated fats like olive oil.
• Choose healthier complex carbohydrates like whole grain foods, dark green vegetables, tomatoes, citrus fruit and other fruits high in water content.
• Don’t stop drinking milk. This is a mistake many people make. Calcium helps keep your metabolism working efficiently. Just change from full cream to low fat or there is also lactose, soy or casein free milk.

Cardio: Your heart rate will improve which will strengthen your heart muscle.  Your metabolic rate will speed up which will help burn off excess body fat. Pick any type of cardio exercise and stick at it: 

• Aerobic exercises like Zumba
• Running
• Brisk walking
• Swimming
• Rowing
• Cycling
• Yoga or even stair-walking. 

Ideally, you must do cardio exercise for at least 20 – 30 minutes, 3 times a week.   Have rest days in between so that your body can recover from the exercise. (Cardio also depends on the person. Do what you are capable of doing and once you find your body is adjusting, change your routine. Always keep your body guessing.)

Resistance Training: Below are a few leg exercises that you can do in your home or at the gym.

• Leg Press, Leg Extension, Hack Squats, and Multi-Hip Machine. These are just a few leg machines you’ll see at the gym. If you don’t have access to a gym, try  doing leg lifts, lunges, dumbbell squats/lunges, walking lunges, side-lying leg extension, leg squats and wall sits at home.

Remember, change takes time but if you don’t give up you’ll get the results you desire!

This website and its content are: NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR YOUR PHYSICIAN OR THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN. PLEASE CONSULT YOUR OWN DOCTOR BEFORE STARTING ANY LIFESTYLE CHANGE, EXERCISE OR DIET PROGRAM

By Dr. Beena Vesikar M.D.(Ayurvedic Medicine)   Sat, Feb 04, 2012

New year comes with new inspiration, thoughts, challenges, activities, goals, resolutions and much more. Many of us every year have a goal of achieving physical fitness.

This is the perfect time to maintain the goal of being healthy physically as well as balancing emotionally. Ayurveda a traditional healing system that has its root in ancient India believes in unique understanding of the individual’s biological makeup (Body type/constitution). It maintains that all life must be supported by balanced energy. When there is minimal stress and the flow of energy within, a person is balanced, the body's immune system will be strong enough to defend against diseases.

There can be no mental health without physical health and vice versa. In Ayurveda, symptoms and disease that could be categorized as mental thoughts or feelings are just as important as symptoms and disease of the physical body. Both are due to imbalances within a person and restoring the natural balance mentally and physically, treats both. It focuses on maintaining health by removing stress from the mind and body and balancing the basic bodily functions like digestion, elimination, circulation etc.,

REJUVENATION THERAPY called, as 'RASAYANA CHIKITSA' is the golden way to attain longevity, as it is aimed at the preservation of health. It strives to improve physical, mental and ethical qualities. It restores youthfulness, improves complexion and voice and increases physical strength and immunity, strengthens memory and intelligence, gives happiness and promotes a life that is beneficial for self and others. Rejuvenation therapy is a method of channeling and focusing the different energies of the body, mind and spirit and balancing those energies to work together in harmony. It releases unhealthy energies, heals the heart and helps individuals achieve more clarity and focus, which usually results in increased productivity, better health and greater life satisfaction. Absence of disease is not health; promotion of health forms an important objective of Ayurveda. Rasayana chikitsa not only increases the quality of life by promoting health but also by increasing it quantitatively. One of the rejuvenating therapies in Ayurveda is SHIRODHARA.

SHIRODHARA is the traditional Ayurvedic therapy, which balances the mind body and consciousness. In Sanskrit language Shirodhara is composed of two words Shiro means head and dhara means flow. It is the continuous warm oil/decoction/medicated milk/medicated buttermilk flow gently poured onto the forehead for an extended period of time.

The basis of effectively performing Shirodhara is through understanding of the primordial energies of the five elements (Ether, Air, Fire, Water and Earth) and the three biological humors (doshas) namely Vata, Pitta and Kapha. (These Tridosha stand in clear and definite relation to each other. When functioning normally they have physiological characteristics and when their function is disturbed i.e. either hyper functioning or hypo functioning they have pathological characteristics, so their function is patho-physiological.)

The predominance of vitiated dosha and the body type determines which oil/milk/buttermilk/decoction to be chosen for Shirodhara. Before the therapy begins the Ayurvedic physician needs to know the body type of an individual taking Shirodhara. Shirodhara gives best result when taken after Sarvabhyangam (whole body massage). Shirobhyagam (Head massage) and Padabhyangam (foot massage). Abhyanga promotes circulation and relaxation to the whole body.

The individual lies supine on the Droni (massage table) with head back and rolled towel or pillow beneath the neck. Oil is poured slowly in a steady stream from a traditional copper bowl on the forehead for 30- 45 minutes. The oil/milk/buttermilk flows down nourishing the hair and scalp region and is collected in a bowl kept below the Droni. This period of 30 - 45 minutes can be extended or shortened according to the severity of symptoms. Soothing music or mantras are advisable and this effect is indescribable.

 Shirodhara is beneficial for everyone. It calms mind and relaxes the entire physiology. It eliminates diseases of head and disorders affecting neck, eyes ears nose and nervous system. It helps overcome stress and its ill effects on the nervous system. Helps relieve Insomnia, Tension, Anxiety, Anger, chronic headaches, Hair fall, scalp diseases- like dandruff etc., It gives great mental relaxation, strengths the vital organs the heart and the brain. Rejuvenates the entire face and softens the worry lines. The pituitary gland is one the main gland of the endocrine system; shirodhara helps to stimulate the pituitary gland which helps bring hormonal balance.

Shirodhara eradicates the root cause of the diseases and is a rejuvenating therapy. For severe illness the therapy lasts for 14- 21 days depending on the severity of disease. For relaxation purpose it can be taken occasionally or weekly. Shirodhara is not indicated in few of the health conditions- so should be taken under observation of an Ayurvedic physician.

It is advisable to follow Ayurvedic lifestyle, which includes food exercise; yoga, pranayam and herbal preparations to achieve maximum benefits from the therapy.

To be healthy is important but health is not an end in itself. We must know where we are using our energy and why. Health needs to be achieved in all aspects of our life physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, behavioral, familial and social. Our strongest desire is to live healthy, happy and inspired life. Ayurveda helps us to know how to maintain health and improve both our energy and our awareness- how to live life to our full human potential.

Dr. Beena Vesikar, M.D. (Ayurvedic Medicine), CMT, Nutrition consultant.

Founder of Beayurvedic wellness center located in Farmington MI.

www.beayurvedic.com

Contact- 248-631-7271

By   Sat, Feb 04, 2012

By Frederick Nnoma-Addison

Like Dr. W.E.B DuBois, Shirley DuBois, the Reverend Leon H. Sullivan, Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Erieka Bennett (African Union Diaspora African Forum) and a few other notable Americans with a heart for Africa, the recently consecrated Bishop Barbara L. King (Nana Yaa Twumwaa) has successfully reconnected with her ancestral continent (Africa) and is impacting one country (Ghana) in a powerful way at age 80.

She stands tall amongst both women and men, wears an interesting pair of spectacles, is naturally graceful and full of youthful energy. In my phone interview with her at her residence in Atlanta she remarked “…If you would take me dancing, I could dance all night…Honestly I don’t know what age is…we all have ideas and images of what an 80 year old should look like or be like. My thinking is energy… I am a child of God…”

On Sundays she is usually behind her pulpit at the Hillside Church on Cascade Road, South West, Atlanta feeding her congregation which numbers in the thousands or preaching in some city in the United States or abroad.

BIOGRAPHY

The founder and minister of Atlanta-based Hillside International Chapel and Truth Center was on September 26, 2010 consecrated as the first Bishop within the International New Thought Christian Movement of churches in a solemn ceremony attended by notables from all over the world. She was born in Houston, Texas in 1930 to a set of college students – Ms. Mildred Jackson Shackelford and Mr. Lee Andrew Lewis who was the first African American motion picture operator in Texas.

True to her pioneering spirit she first considered being a minster of the Gospel at age 13, when there were no visible examples of women ministers, especially in the African American community. Bishop Barbara, the mother of one biological son and thousands of other children worldwide recounts being raised by her grandmother - Ida Bates Lewis, the church and the community in middle class America. “… We ate well and lived a decent life. Grandma sewed for a living and sometimes when there was not enough money to pay the rent, she would talk-her-prayer, as if to a real human being. Grandma taught me how to pray and Hillside church is a faith based church… I have always trusted God to do what he said he will do…I started singing in the choir at age 13 and teaching in church at a young age…”

Dr. Barbara as she is fondly referred to had her initial spiritual orientation at Antioch Baptist Church in Fourth Ward, Houston, Texas. She is a graduate of Texas Southern University (1955 – BA), Clark Atlanta University (1957-MSW), has 3 honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees and is currently completing a Doctoral degree in Ministry (DM) with a special focus on succession in charismatic leadership at the Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, Michigan.

After her college education in 1955 she moved to Chicago for a number of years and worked as a social work administrator at the Church Federation of Greater Chicago, South Chicago Community Center, Henry Booth House and Malcolm X College. In the early 1970’s she and her son, Michael, moved to Atlanta and has called the city home ever since.

Dr. Barbara is a recipient of several awards and honors as well as the author of seven books including Transform Your Life, Piddlin’ for the Soul, The Church: A Matter of Conscious and Prosperity That Can’t Quit. The March and November 1998 issues of Ebony Magazine listed her as “One of the 100 Most Fascinating Women of the 20th Century” and as “One of Fifteen Outstanding Black Women Preachers” respectively. On April 3, 2003 she was inducted into the International Hall of Honor Portraits in the Martin Luther King Jr. Chapel at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.

 In the field of religion, Dr. Barbara is known as a minister with an extraordinary gift. Her portrait hangs in Washington, D.C., at the Smithsonian Museum in the gallery of “Women in the Pulpit.” She has the ability to provide leadership through example and instruction, but more importantly, she is known as a spiritual healer and a truth motivator. Not only has she provided leadership to her congregation and the community, but to the larger spiritual community through the Barbara King School of Ministry, her involvement in the International New Thought Alliance, and more recently as guest lecturer at the Harvard Divinity School Summer Institute for Ministers.

At her age there are very few things left for the Bishop to pursue, one of them is to build a museum for her numerous collections from around the world and the other, further expand her church facility. Asked about some of her greatest life lessons she replied “patience and trust in God.” She lists Maya Angelo Susan Taylor, Bishop Desmond Tutu and Tavis Smiley as some of her friends and admirers.

Bishop Barbara King & Dr. Maya Angelou at the Hillside Church

MINISTRY

Dr. Barbara entered into ministry 40 years ago with a background in social work and psychology instead of a formal education in seminary training. Over the decades she has successfully built a world-class ministry which she attributes to the grace and faithfulness of God. Despite her many life accomplishments she is focused on service to humanity and sums up her life’s mission and ministry in just a few words “impacting lives, bringing value to people and living as an expression of God on this earth.” At age 80, retirement is not really on her mind although she is proactively planning a succession strategy for the ministry.

HILLSIDE CHURCH

Hillside International Chapel & Truth Center is a member of the International New Thought Alliance. Dr. Barbara began this nondenominational, ecumenical ministry in 1971 with twelve members in her living room. The Hillside complex covers nearly twelve acres with a growing congregation numbering more than 10,000. Hillside has a very visible and important role in the development of metropolitan Atlanta through its numerous programs and outreach projects. Hillside Chapel is the first African-American led New Thought affiliate to establish a sister-church in South Africa in May 1994.

Hillside Church which caters to the needs of an extremely diverse congregation is best described as a holistic ministry. It emphasizes ministry to the total man: spirit, soul and body and provides services that meets the needs of all these human departments. Members engage in intense prayer, bible study and devotion throughout the year and also learn how to live healthy and responsible lives especially in these economic times. The church is located on 2450 Cascade Road, S.W. Atlanta, GA 30311 and on the web at www.hillsidechapel.org

Nana Yaa Twumwaa I (Center) at a Durbar In Ghana

CHIEFTANCY IN GHANA

Aside being priest Dr. Barbara is also the development Chief of Assin Nsuta in Ghana, West Africa and the first female chief in the region. She cherishes this function and title as much as her new one – Bishop and describes her consecration experience as surreal and somewhat similar to her enstoolment in Ghana on August 18, 2001. Her path to becoming a chief is not one of those things she anticipated or discerned it was more of preparation meeting a God arranged opportunity, an opportunity to serve, support and uplift a people which for her, an African-American woman has tremendous importance.

When the surprise enstoolment announcement came to her during a service in her Atlanta church, she neither knew about the word enstoolment nor its meaning. However since accepting the honor and responsibility she has contributed to her town through several development and educational programs, is currently working on a library project for her community and mothering one Ghanaian young lady in the United States. As chief she endeavors to visit her people twice a year. “ ..I am at home when I am in Ghana…” Her stool name Nana Yaa Twunmwaa I translates into a Thursday born chief with special spiritual power, energy and courage. The name Twumwaa is related to the name Asantawaa in the Akan culture hence Nana Yaa Asantawaa, national hero of the Ashanti’s of Ghana is a spiritual sister of Nana Yaa Twumwaa I. (Dr. Barbara). In Ghana she serves on the council of Chiefs for the Nkosuohene of the Benkum Division of the Assin Apimanim Traditional Area

Reprinted February 2012

Posted by AMIP News (Info@afroimagetv.org) at 3:16 PM

http://us-africarelationsupdates.blogspot.com/2010/11/bishop-barbara-l-king-aka-nana-yaa.html

By   Sat, Feb 04, 2012

If you are finding yourself torn between two men, this can be a very tough time for you. You will have a lot of questions that you are going to have to ask yourself and take the time to carefully sort through them to figure out what is right for you. This is going to be something that you will have to address because it is not a healthy relationship to have.

You will have to decide if what you are doing is good for you. Is it possible for you to have a healthy and loving relationship with two men at the same time? Are you going to be able to choose one over the other? These are things that you have to think about and then you have to think about them some more. You can be in love with two men at one time, but it is not something that you can act upon without getting yourself hurt.

Top reasons why we can fall in love with two people at the same time

It is possible to fall in love with two people at the same time. When you find that you are having feelings for two people at the same time, this can be a very difficult time. You may be having some feelings of love in the same way for these two people. This is going to be something that you will have to lay out on the table in front of you so that you can see where your feelings are coming from.

It is possible to be in a loving relationship and still find yourself having feelings for someone else. This is completely normal and it may just be temporary. Maybe this other person has done something nice for you or has shown you some kind of interest for one reason or another. This may trigger some emotional feelings towards this person and you may not understand why or how you can stop them.

There may be two people that are so very different from each other but for some reason they both have caught your attention and you like them for separate reasons. This is possible and you will have to come to terms with which one is going to be better for you. You must think about your feelings for both people and why you are having these feelings.

How do I determine which one is the right mate for me?

You may wander how you are ever going to decide between the two people. You will have to figure out which person is right for you. This will take a lot of thinking on your part. You will have to figure out what it is you want to have in life. What type of life do you want and which person will be better for you. You will have to spend some time with both of the people so that you can better determine which person you have more of a connection with.

Attraction is the main reason why people want to be together. They may have some sort of physical or emotional attraction for the other person. When this is the case, you have to dig down deeper and find out if there is another reason why you are so infatuated with this person. You will need to spend time together talking and finding out about one another so that you can better determine who is going to be best for you.

How do I make a wise decision without hurting both of them?

If you think that it is best to be open with both of the people that you are attracted to, you may find that this will end both relationships. Some may not take the news that you are in love with two people very well and they may decide to make the decision for you by ending it. If this is the case, you may have some relief knowing that the problem has now been solved and even though it is over, you may feel a little more relieved. This feeling may be one that you have anticipated for a long time.

There are some people that just decide it is impossible to choose between the two and it is a wise choice to let them both go. This is going to be a hard decision to make; however, in some cases, it is the only possible outcome. You cannot string someone along and make him or her wait for you because you cannot make up your mind. You may have a strong connection with both partners, but you know that it is wrong and you have to do the right thing.

The main thing that you need to remember is that you have to do what is best for you. It is important to make sure that you have your best interest in mind. You need to put yourself ahead of anyone else so that you can have it all and make all of your dreams come true.

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image: jeyankheme.blogspot.com

By   Sat, Feb 04, 2012

No matter how badly or sadly a relationship ended, there is always something you can learn from the experience. Whatever you learned is your gift.

Very often a current or past "failure" is what fuels you to the very success that you've always dreamed of. Past relationships give you a clearer picture of what you want and what you don't want in a relationship if you take the time to examine them. That's the key, "take the time to examine them." Whatever you do, don't move to another relationship until you perform this examination. Let me share an analogy to make my point. When you rent an apartment, you are required to pay a refundable deposit fee and you are refunded this deposit if you leave the apartment in good condition. Consider your heart as the apartment and your self-esteem and self-worth as the deposit. If you don't adequately clean the apartment (your heart), you will not get the deposit back (your self-esteem and self-worth intact). Leasing offices would not dare think of renting an apartment to a new renter with out first cleaning up, cleaning out and refurbishing the apartment. Do the same for your heart; clear away the debris of pain, disappointment, anger, fear, etc. before you invite another guest to inhabit your heart.

Now let's get back to failed relationships as gifts.

One gift a failed relationship can give you is the power of contrast. If you can muster the strength and courage to let go of an unfulfilling relationship, you will soon see just how much precious time and energy you were wasting on something from which you were not reaping any reward.

Another gift a failed relationship can give you is the power of vision. By finally realizing what you don't want in a partner, you can focus on building your vision of what you do want in a partner. You can now focus on what points of compatibility you desire in a partner.

For the gift of a failed relationship to really be useful, you must decide to bless the relationship and let it go to make room for the type of partner you desire and also to free your previous partner to find a more appropriate mate.

In reality, there are no "failed" relationships. Begin to view past relationships as incredible gifts; some relationships offer more incredible gifts than others but gifts nonetheless.

As the saying goes, people come into our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. We may never understand or know why we were in a particular relationship. We may never understand or know why people come into our lives and then leave.

What I've learned is that if a relationship isn't working, it is not a bad thing or a failure as we have been trained to believe. It is merely that you, and perhaps the other person have learned what it is that you were supposed to learn by being in a relationship with that other person and it's time to move on to other "lessons."

The purpose of all relationships is to help us to grow--personally and spiritually. Even the most painful and ugly relationships can be gifts in learning more about ourselves, strengthening of our intuition and learning to accept the truth when we see it. The greatest gift of a past relationship is that you now know what you really want in a mate.

So instead of looking at a relationship that didn't work out the way you had hoped as a failure, I suggest you look at it for the gift that it is.

Carmin Wharton is a relationship coach, professional speaker, entrepreneur, and the author of Lessons Learned: While Looking for Love in All the Wrong Faces; a book which she shows you how to recognize undesirable partners and how to move forward after a painful relationship ends. She is also the Founder of e-BlackWomenNetwork; an online networking community for women of color. To learn more about how you can book Carmin to speak or network with her visit www.carminwharton.com.

By   Sun, Jan 31, 2010

By   Sat, Feb 04, 2012

Amiri Baraka, born in 1934, in Newark, New Jersey, USA, is the author of over 40 books of essays, poems, drama, and music history and criticism, a poet icon and revolutionary political activist who has recited poetry and lectured on cultural and political issues extensively in the USA, the Caribbean, Africa, and Europe.

With influences on his work ranging from musical orishas such as Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Theophilus Monk, and Sun Ra to the Cuban Revolution, Malcolm X and world revolutionary movements, Baraka is renown as the founder of the Black Arts Movement in Harlem in the 1960s that became, though short-lived, the virtual blueprint for a new American theater aesthetics. The movement and his published and performance work, such as the signature study on African-American music, Blues People (1963) and the play Dutchman (1963) practically seeded “the cultural corollary to black nationalism” of that revolutionary American milieu.

Biography by:
http://www.nathanielturner.com/amiribaraka.htm 

Ka 'Ba by Imamu Amiri Baraka

A closed window looks down
on a dirty courtyard, and black people
call across or scream or walk across
defying physics in the stream of their will

Our world is full of sound
Our world is more lovely than anyone's
tho we suffer, and kill each other
and sometimes fail to walk the air

We are beautiful people
with african imaginations
full of masks and dances and swelling chants

with african eyes, and noses, and arms,
though we sprawl in grey chains in a place
full of winters, when what we want is sun.

We have been captured,
brothers. And we labor
to make our getaway, into
the ancient image, into a new

correspondence with ourselves
and our black family. We read magic
now we need the spells, to rise up
return, destroy, and create. What will be

the sacred words?

By   Sat, Feb 04, 2012

I have a post card on my wall at home saying: “You need to have a dream to have a dream come true.” These words help me lift my thoughts above the small entanglements I meet in my everyday life and think about where I really want to go, in the long run. It makes me smile, and to keep my hope up. It gives strength to keep on walking.

Dreams are important. It wasn't before I defined my dream of a close and long term relationship that I could lift my head above those casual flings with tourists, toy boys or “cruel but hot” men and find my lovely partner. When I defined my dream about what kind of love life I wanted, I saw what was really important to me and I started looking in the right direction. Not wasting another minute on the wrong boys.

I want you to have a great love life too! I want you to feel passion, butterflies and harmony – with a new partner or the one you're with now. I know you can! By turning your thoughts around a bit, you can get there in no time.

To reach your goal you need to have a goal. You need to see that bright future in front of you and drool.

Unfortunately, many people are today stuck in status quo (like unwanted singledom or unhappy relationships) because they have neither a stick nor a carrot to motivate them to move in any direction.

On one hand there is no longer a stick in the shape of a strong culture telling us that we have to settle. It is considered totally ok to be single no matter how old you are; it is even seen as cool and trendy. Your mum might be asking the itchy question “so when will I get grand children”, but we are individualistic enough to say “so what” and live as we please anyway. And since both men and women work and educate themselves nowadays, we don't have to pair up to survive. Hence, there is nothing strongly pushing us towards a relationship.

On the other hand there is no longer a carrot in the shape of a clear dream of how life should be. In a world filled with divorces, dramas, a myriad of life styles to choose from, we don't really know what love is. Is that the stuff they show in the movies? Is it my mate's booooring 2 kids-and a mortgage-life or my dad's fourth marriage? Who knows? When we were 17 it was all innocent and pretty. At 30 we are all confused.

It is natural to be a bit afraid of getting rejected and hurt. If you fall for someone there is a risk of loosing. You might be hurt, humiliated or wounded. There might be entanglements. This is relevant for those who already are attached, but have problems letting go totally.

If we were super motivated to go for a true love and a relationship we would overcome the fear, but since there is no stick and no carrot pushing us, many stay where they are, not strongly motivated to move an inch.

To find true love you have to want it so much you don't care about the risks. You may be terrified, but you want it so much you just throw yourself out there, head first.

Are you that motivated? I mean, do you really want it – that close, deep relationship that makes you a part of a team, sharing ups and downs with someone? Most singles I meet don't have a clue about where they are going. They just keep on “hunting”, being more focused on looking than finding. More into the pursuit than the happiness. Or they just live next to their partner, not knowing where they are going or where.

I know a lot of people crave true “love”, but I also know through coaching hundreds of singles, that very many are not really sure of what that “love” is. They want it because they are supposed to want, because the hunt is fun or because they deep inside miss something. But since the Dream is so unclear, they keep falling into traps all the time. Dating the wrong type of people. Being too scared to ask. Ruining growing relationships with dramas.

1. Find a big, big piece of paper and put it in front of you. Make sure you have glue, pens, scissors and a stash of magazines and news papers.
2. Put on some nice relaxing music and close your eyes for a while. Remember times in your life when you were really happy. Remember people you love and loved. Think about friends who are in happy relationships. Find out what makes you smile and sparkle.
3. Now open your eyes and get to work. Define your dream relationship using your tools. Choose pictures in the mags and glue them on to the paper. Write important words about for example:
   1. How you feel
   2. How you make your partner feel
   3. What you do together
   4. Who you spend time with
   5. Your energy
   6. How you communicate
   7. What is important
4. Put the paper in a place where you can see it clearly every day. This is where you are going! This is your dream.
5. Say out loud: “My dream is to have a relationship that is…(whatever you have defined) I will now be true to my heart and have the courage to move towards my dream. Now that I have a dream my dream will come true.”

Now you will be more focused and naturally brave. You know what you want and deserve, so you act, think and behave in this direction, towards true love. You flirt with people who have great values instead of just great biceps. You hold your head, and not just your heals, high. You have a different look, a more honest smile. You ask for more, and more will be given to you. It's not magic at all. It is you creating your own, better future. You are adapting to your new life, and through that adapting you make it happen.

So do the Dream exercise and bring on that happy love life! Why live another day without true love, when you can easily get it? When you have a dream, you can have your dream come true. Sweet dreams!

Carolin Dahlman The Love Coach The Love Coach Carolin Dahlman, www.coaching2love.com

By   Sat, Feb 04, 2012

Not only does Feng Shui bring good luck and fortune to your home, but it can also help enhance your love life as well. The best place to begin this Chinese Art of Feng Shui is in the bedroom. Why? Because it is the one room in the house where we spend 1/3 of our lives dressing, sleeping, resting and most importantly, cuddling.

In Feng Shui, the bed is very important because it is intimately connected to our personal energy. A solid wooden bed with a headboard is an ideal choice. Always remember, a solid bed will equal a solid life. The bed should also rest against a solid wall, for protection and security. Although water beds can be loads of fun, it is not recommended for good Feng Shui in the bedroom. Also, get rid of the full size bed and switch to a queen size bed. A full size bed will feel too small and uncomfortable for a couple to sleep in. A queen size bed is big enough for a couple to sleep in and small enough to bring them closer together.

When laying in bed, you should always be able to see the entrance door. This will help you feel more secure and in control of your life. Avoid positioning the bed in front of a doorway. The Ancient Chinese consider this to be the "death position" because your feet are pointing directly to the door, mimicking a coffin. This bed position will drain all the passion and energy right out of you, which is not a good thing when it comes to love.

Make sure there is an equal balance on each side of the bed, for equality in the relationship and in the bedroom. Avoid placing the bed next to a wall at all cost! The person who sleeps next to the wall will feel trapped and in need of more space in the relationship. A great way to create a sense of balance is placing matching night stands on each side of the bed. Arranging everything in pairs will also symbolize a union. For example, two flowers in a vase instead of just one.

The sheets on your bed are also very important because it is always close to the body. Choose sheets that are comfortable and breathable, such as those made of natural cotton, bamboo or silk. Avoid polyester or other synthetic fabrics. Lay in peach or pink bedding if you are looking for love. Choose red linens if you are looking for passion and more energy.

Bring the passion and energy back into the bedroom with the red duvet cover sets from Bedroom Duvet Spot. You will also find a great selection of duvet covers, goose down comforters, quilts, bedspreads, trend lab baby bedding and more.

http://bedroomduvetspot.com/

Retrieved from "http://www.articlesbase.com/feng-shui-articles/feng-shui-love-tips-for-the-bedroom-5254372.html"

Linda enjoys reading, writing and giving advice on interior decorating.

image: http://www.brokenheart911.com/find-love/feng-shui-bedroom/

By   Sat, Feb 04, 2012

Can you be good friends with an ex-lover? Firstly, the word 'lover' has many connotations and the answer may be different for a one-night stand. But what I believe if it's someone who spent a substantial portion of his/her life with, someone who have had a good relationship with, based on shared values, ideas and emotions, a healthy friendship is definitely possible even after they are no longer involved. This is possible because every relationship evolves. If both people concerned have the same level of understanding that they did when they were lovers, it can be used to establish a stable friendship. Of course, if there's any negativity from either side, being friends may not be possible, and that's sad.

When a man and woman relate, there's always a part that is sexual, small though it may be. In most relationships, you tend to suppress the attraction. But when you're friends with an ex, it's much easier to understand and accept this attraction as you've already experienced all there was to experience. In some cases, one person may feel it more than the other, but either way. I think it's much easier to talk such residual attraction through, as you both share a certain level of comfort. Communication is the basis of any relationship.

Even when you and your ex have new love interests in your life, communication is still the key. I believe, for the new relationship to work, you cannot hide your past. The attempt should be not to do things that you need to hide. And you have to resolve the level of importance you want to give your current lover and your ex. Your partner may be insecure, but then we're insecure about so many things in our life. For example, people do compromise their careers for their relationship. So you have to either talk things through with your partner or compromise on your friendship.

As for whether an ex can be a platonic friend who can casually rib you about your present relationship or relate well with your current lover, it's all about the different levels of sensitivity that various people display. The dynamics between your friend, your lover and you will play out according to each person's position in your respective relationships.

I don't think perspectives change depending on your gender. It's about what you believe is right and wrong. If the other person has had a very similar upbringing (although that would be rare), he or she is likely to emote, perceive situations, react and resolve issues just like you would.

Retrieved from "http://www.articlesbase.com/relationships-articles/can-former-lovers-be-just-good-friends-81087.html"

Michael Douglas is a relationship expert and marriage counselor who is committed to help people building healthy relationships. Currently, he provides an insightful commentary on various relationship problems and issues at his website Love-Lectures.com. Here you can also find free dating tips and hints to make your online dating a wonderful and memorable experience life long.

By   Sat, Feb 04, 2012

Living in a hi-tech society driven by materialism and greed comes with its own share of ills. Just look around you… divorce, break-ups, cheating couples, couples two-timing or worse… Does it all sound familiar? That is what we fear. That cheating, two-timing, and casual relationships have become everyday, humdrum facts of life. According to a survey conducted by the Associate Press 20% men and 16% stray beyond their marriage. Another survey reveals that in the US 49% marriages culminate in divorce and in Sweden that statistic is as high as 64%.

Ever wondered what happened to love that runs deep? Or fidelity and trustworthiness? Ever wondered what sort of legacy we are leaving behind for the younger generation?

And yet… through this penumbra of defeatism there exists hope. For, don't we all entertain the hope that we will meet are true love someday? That happiness through a soul mate is possible?
Generations have been inspired by the love stories of Romeo and Juliet, Antony and Cleopatra, and the Egyptian god and goddess Osiris and Isis. The last-named, particularly, has not just inspired generations over millennia for reasons of undying love and romance but also because of the great mystique and aura of awe surrounding them.

Most people are aware of the love story of the Egyptian god Osiris and Egyptian goddess Isis and yet it is a story that needs to be re-told time and again for people who inhabit this planet. Their tale needs to be re-told because people have forgotten what true love truly means.

When Osiris wed his sister-consort Isis there was rejoicing all around as both were known to be good, kind, and just. This caused Set, their brother and arch-rival to be jealous and plan the overthrow of Osiris. Set, as many would know, is hailed as the God of the Desert, Storm, and Violence. He set a trap for Osiris by enticing him into a coffin pre-designed to suit his size. He then quickly shut the lid of the coffin and had it hurled into the Nile. Poor Isis, getting wind of Set's evil doings, went around in search of her husband. With all the willpower and patience at her command she finally traced the coffin at distant Byblos. Yet the vile Set, not content with his misdoings, created further mischief by seizing the coffin and smashing it into thousands of pieces along with the sleeping Osiris in it. Isis, however, was undaunted and went off in search off each dismembered section of Osiris' body. With every piece she rediscovered she erected a commemorative shrine. Putting all the pieces together she created the first mummy which she temporarily breathed life into to conceive their sole heir- Horus. Osiris, the God of Love, also became known as the God of the Dead. Horus, on his part, went on to defeat his malicious uncle Set in a battle and ruled the land.

A touching story of love, intrigue, deceit and patience, certainly. And love and patience are what the world needs today.

Retrieved from "http://www.articlesbase.com/dating-articles/the-tale-of-isis-and-osiris-in-the-modern-context-2283350.html"

i

Miley - Author wants to share a story of love. The passionate love story of Egyptian Gods Osiris and Isis is not simply a legend; it is also an ode to the rich civilization and culture of the ancient Egyptians.

By   Sat, Feb 04, 2012

Allie McGhee is known for his large expressive paintings in which he often combines colors inspired by nature with symbolic forms and shapes to convey ideas about harmony in the universe. He continues his exploration of science and spirituality in his latest works, drawing parallels between the two.

McGhee, whose works can be found in international collections, is a native of Charleston, West Virginia, and holds degrees from Ferris College (now Ferris State College), Big Rapids, Michigan and Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti.

http://alliemcghee.com/

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By   Tue, Dec 07, 2010

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By   Tue, Feb 23, 2010

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In the ‘old days’ of the web to keep track of updates on a website you had to ‘bookmark’ websites in your browser and manually return to them on a regular basis to see what had been added.

The problems with bookmarking

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RSS flips things around a little and is a technology that provides you with a method of getting relevant and up to date information sent to you for you to read in your own time. It saves you time and helps you to get the information you want quickly after it was published.

RSS stands for ‘Really Simple Syndication’. Many people describe it as a ‘news feed’ that you subscribe to.

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