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Fall 2011
The Heartland Spirit
A free publication of the Heartland Spiritual Alliance
Dusk Before the Dawn
A Masquerade Fundraising Event
FRIDAY , NOVEMBER 18, 2011
7PM—M IDNIGHT
BACCHANALIA
12450 NEWTON ST
OVERLAND PARK , KS 66213
$20 T ICKETS AND EVENT SCHEDULE AVAILABLE ONLINE AT :
HTTP : //WWW .BROWNPAPERTICKETS .COM/EVENT/199021
CONTACT : FUNDRAISING@KCHSA .ORG
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Heartland Spiritual Alliance (HSA) is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation dedicated to promoting the appreciation and acceptance of a variety of
alternative religions and philosophies. HSA encourages participation in
educational programs and activities; most of which deal with the various
nature oriented or nature connected religions of the world, the similarities
within all religions, and the respectful free exchange of spiritual beliefs. We
strive to maintain a well organized, dynamic, and smooth running
organization within an atmosphere, which allows people of all religious
traditions to coexist peacefully.
Heartland Spiritual Alliance Board of Directors and Officers
Board of Directors:
Diana Arganbright
Sarah Geimer
Kaleigh Jones-Clark (Interim)
Tristan Knight
Michelle Lindeman
Dana Locke (Chairman)
Lane Locke
Officers:
President: Aislinn Firehawk (Interim)
Vice President: Dusty Silversmith
Secretary: Kettryn Jones- Clark
Treasurer: Angela Krout
In this issue
Statement of Intent ................................................................................... 4
The Power of Cauldrons in Your Everyday World ................................... 6
Spirit Circle............................................................................................... 8
Song of the Hunter .................................................................................... 9
Healthy Kitchen Witch Tips and Tricks .................................................. 10
The Core Foundations of Pagan Leadership .......................................... 12
Community Calendar of Events .............................................................. 14
Environmental View ................................................................................ 18
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Newsletter SUBMISSIONS
All contributions should be submitted electronically to the Newsletter
Committee at [email protected] .
Please submit your contribution along with your article's title, your
"pen"-name, pictures or public domain graphics, and a four to five sentence
by-line introducing yourself and/or your business/trade/organization.
The Heartland Spiritual Alliance reserves the right to accept or reject all
submissions at its discretion for any reason.
All copyrights remains the property of the submitter. As a non-paying
newsletter, we ask for reprint rights only. We will not grant permission for a
third party to reprint your content without your permission.
All submissions are accepted and published on the representation that the
submitter is authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter. The
submitter agrees to indemnify and hold Heartland Spiritual Alliance and its
agents harmless from any and all liability, demands, or damages arising out of
the submission. Such indemnity includes the provision of a defense to any
actions or claims and the payment of costs and attorneys fees in connection
therewith.
Newsletter GUIDELINES
Choose a theme, announce it the first paragraph, and use it throughout
your article. It is important to be clear, precise, succinct, and organized..
Re-read your article and look for ways to make it more focused and easier
to read.
Use subheadings to help break up longer articles into specific topic areas.
If presenting yourself as an expert on a subject, make sure you list your
credentials in your by-line. Acknowledge your sources.
If submitting a controversial article, back it up with facts. Anticipate the
other's viewpoint and address it with respect. Avoid name-calling. Try to
provide solutions to problems rather than just complain.
Other tips: Shorter sentences are better than longer ones. Front load your point
in the first paragraph. Simplify when possible. Use and follow an outline.
Don’t overuse a word. Have someone else read it. Write from the heart!
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“We come together to promote spiritual evolution through understanding,
participation, acceptance and retrospection.” This is the statement of intent of
the current opening to HSA meetings but, what do those words mean? Doesn’t
“statement of intent” indicate some kind of magical working? When did an
HSA meeting become a magical working? Why should an HSA meeting be
treated as a magical working?
These are all valid questions and should be explored by each member, but first
we must explore the words themselves. “We come together…” The simple act
of coming together brings its own set of opportunities as well as difficulties.
Each person has a view of what is best for the organization; people may have
agendas of their own and each member may have a set of expectations, realistic
or not, that they are trying to carve out of reality. The four words of intent, the
ideas, and the ideals in the statement arm us with tools we can use to temper
those expectations, agendas and views.
Air, the fixed element of objectivity, brings us the lesson of Understanding. Air
touches every side of an object, both the desirable and undesirable parts of any
thing it comes into contact with. It does not discriminate, harbor prejudice or
shy away from unpleasantness.
Fire, that irresistible element of will, brings the necessity of Participation be-
fore us. Each of us has chosen to come together; the critical first step to partici-
pation. Fire admonishes us to drive forward from that initial point lending our
will to the evolution of the whole.
Water, the mutable element of subjectivity, teaches us that by wanting
Acceptance ourselves, if we are balanced and fair-minded, we must accept oth-
ers. We must also accept that our views, agendas and expectations may not be
what is best for the evolution of the whole; one of the hardest lessons of water.
Earth, the fertile element of riposte, insures we do not lose Retrospection. Just
as the fertility of soil is dictated by the substances deposited in it, any organism
or organization, is helped or hindered by what is laid down in history.
The situations with the highest probability of success seem to have their emo-
tional subjectivity balanced with detached objectivity and the passionate will to
drive forward checked by a stalwart knowledge of the road behind. We must
remember that HSA was entrusted to us by those who came before as we will,
in time, entrust it to those who come after us. As one of her current guardians, I
am confident that if we work to build and maintain a balanced and fair mind
we can leave a stronger, healthier organization to those who come after us.
And, in planting those seeds in fertile soil now, see the trend grow exponential-
ly over time.
Statement of Intent by Jason Truman
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‘Sleepy Boy’ by Jason Truman
Jason Truman – HSA’s Chair of Sacred Experiences
Jason has been practicing magic for a little over twenty years. He is well
versed in the Egyptian pantheon and has explored many other paths for
varying amounts of time; finally settling on Kaos Magic as his “somewhat
chilly, magical home.”
Fancying himself something of an artist, he has been known to “smear
graphite on paper,” a skill that has grown over a lifetime. He has frequented
Camp Gaea in Kansas for the past fifteen years and has a long, sordid past
with cabin number S3. With good friends, Evelyn Welk and Mark Beason, they
left a lasting impression on the land in the form of Key Pass. As some of the
founding members of the House Arcanum, they have also marked camp in the
form of the House Site off of First Field.
For the past six years he has been in love with Chi Lu Chuan, a southern
long-arm, eight animals kung fu style. Most recently, he decided to throw his
lot into the cup and Chair the Sacred Experiences Committee; “my most beau-
tiful and terrifying commitment yet.” He looks down the road, both personally
and in HSA, with excitement and a budding care for the community.
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Next to the broom, cauldrons are one of the most recognizable symbols of the
witch. Their rolling, boiling, alchemical process is at the heart of the Craft—to
change and alter mere mundane elements into something more; something
magickal.
But like other elements of the Craft, cauldrons hold their own mysteries that lie
hidden beneath the surface—just out of reach of those who do not dare or care
to look. But if you look, really look, the symbol of the cauldron is everywhere
in many forms. The form and image of the cauldron is readily accessible
throughout the mundane world for your magickal needs.
Before one can find the symbols of the cauldron in everyday life, it’s important
to understand and define the properties of the cauldron so that it can be easily
seen. My experiences with the tool of the cauldron have taught me that the
cauldron represents the power of the feminine, the realms of feminine magick
and a place for the Goddess’s alchemy to take place.
When I began looking to find the cauldron in my day to day life, I was amazed
to discover how readily available it is for me. Naturally, the first place I looked
was in the kitchen. The quickest, easiest symbol is in the kitchen—the sauce
pan or soup pot. I’ve spent many pagan holidays brewing, baking, and boiling
up something to be magickally imbued with the power of the Gods and
Goddesses on those special days.
But beyond the soup pot, I discovered that basically anything you cook food in
is a form of the cauldron because of the alchemy that takes place during mixing
ingredients and heating. I would even suggest that the oven is a form of the
cauldron. Mixed ingredients go into it, but a wholly transformed, single item
comes out in return. It does not come back to us exactly how we put it in. It
becomes a new item, whole and complete; no longer the sum of all of its parts.
To me, that is part of the magick of the cauldron.
However, the cauldron’s powers can also be found in another room in the
home—the bathroom. A bathtub is a type of cauldron because of the magick
that can happen there. Just ask any woman who’s soaked away the stress of her
day or soothed her sore muscles how warm water, salt, and herbs can transform
her body, her heart, and her mind. Isn’t that the nature of the magick in a
cauldron?
The Power of Cauldrons in Your Everyday World by Colleen Scherer
This article originally appeared in Circle Magazine in 2007.
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Speaking of a woman’s body, she carries a cauldron within her. Many symbols
of the cauldron reside within a woman. A woman’s womb is a symbol because
of the creative, transformative nature of her organs. Within her, life is
created, formed and released into the world. Even if she never carries a child,
the sacral (or second) chakra energy is housed in the womb of a woman. It is a
dark, moist, creative space where her ideas and creativity find the force to be
created and brought forth into the world.
As we continue to travel through the body, I found that the skull is also a
representation of the cauldron. Within its boundaries holds our brains—a
magickal organ that connects us on many different levels to the unknown and
the unseen. The skull cradles the brain where so many thoughts and ideas are
created and molded, where we meditate and join with other worlds. Scientists
still do not completely understand how our brains work. The brain is such a
complex organ with multiple energies happening simultaneously, it appears to
be magick.
One of the most powerful representations of the cauldron is the heart. In the
heartspace, emotions and energy are transformed. Mystery schools and
spiritual elders all teach that the heart is the basis for true magick and true
wisdom. Our hearts have the ability to change negative emotions and feelings
into happiness, joy, and contentment. That power is unlike any other in the
body. Best of all, all of the body symbology of the cauldron can be taken with
you every day to use and experiment with.
If looking to the world to find physical cauldrons within nature: caves, hot
springs and even the core of the earth are all natural symbols. Look at how the
core of the earth births multiple layers of rock and crystals. She transforms
simple minerals and materials into solid forms with etheric resonance within
them. I’m reminded of the lyrics, “She changes everything she touches and
everything she touches changes.”
Another real-world example is the chrysalis. We still do not understand the
process completely by which a caterpillar turns into a butterfly. The butterfly
is the ultimate symbol of transformation. The question becomes: does the
butterfly remember its existence as a caterpillar who only knew the world from
the ground? Does it only know its life as a winged creature? Does the rebirth
allow it retain memories of its former self or is it merely a past life?
The cauldron teaches us that nothing is static. Nothing is without movement.
Nothing comes out of the cauldron unchanged. It is the nature of the cauldron
to transform, to take you into the darkness to be reformed. I encourage you to
find other examples of cauldrons in your everyday life.
con’t page 9
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Spirit Circle
October 20th KC Metaphysical presents the Tarot. A high level introduction and discussion
on the cards followed by readings for donations.
November 17th Angela Krout presents an introduction to, and discussion about, Native
American mysteries and traditions.
December 15th Mark Stinson presents a Heathen Yule/presentation on the Norse traditions.
January 19th Shae Moyers presents an introduction and discussion on the Voudon traditions.
February 16th House Arcanum hosts a demystification and discussion on Kaos magic.
March 15th The Sacred Experiences Committee presents a Spring Equinox ritual. A purely
celebratory observance of the season.
April 19th (tentative)
A presentation of Mayan beliefs and how they relate to 2012 is planned.
May No spirit circle is planned in May due to Heartland Pagan Festival.
June 21st (tentative)
A presentation of Wicca by Jeff Heckathorn is planned.
Spirit Circle is a monthly educational gathering facilitated by the Heartland
Spiritual Alliance Sacred Experiences Committee. They strive to bring together
respected presenters of various backgrounds and belief systems to help share
knowledge within the community.
Spirit Circle meets 7-9 pm on the third Thursday of the Month at Aquarius
Books, 3936 Broadway, KCMO 64111.
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Gather round the bonfire bright
And tales of hunts recall
Hail the Horned God's Glory
And returning of the fall.
Glad tidings of the new year
Let the crackling bonfires bring,
As the Horned God comes in victory clad
Let happy voices ring.
Hail Cernunnos, God of Witches
Grant us strength and stealth and grace,
To bring down game for the winter
As we time of famine face
Let the Horned God shine glory
On his children one and all
And let him grant us power
All throughout the coming year.
Song of the Hunter by Michael (aka Elfin)
The Power of Cauldrons in Your Everyday World con’t from page 7
Magick happens within, not without. Although using a physical tool is handy,
magick takes place inside of you and you really don’t need any tools. The
world has provided us with many forms of cauldrons to use in our daily lives.
We have only to see them and use them. That is the greater magick behind the
cauldron.
Colleen Scherer is a writer, magickal practitioner and teacher, a Seichim Rei-
ki Master/Teacher and faery oracle reader. She has been following an eclec-
tic magickal path since 2001.
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Healthy Kitchen Witch Tips and Tricks by Sherree Ross
Each person’s soul is nourished by all aspects of life: relationships, career,
hobbies, physical activity, spirituality, etc. The physical body is nourished by
the food eaten. When the soul is happy, singing it’s own music, food choices
tend to be healthier and contain the nutrients the body needs to flourish and
support the soul. When the soul gets unbalanced, stressed, thrown off course,
or even overtired, the body seeks to help the soul try to be happy and often
compensates by craving foods that keep the body going and overstimulated.
Caffeine, sugar, and salt become best friends to the body in times of stress.
They all dehydrate the body making it more tired and over-stimulated,
sluggish, and less energized. If thirst sets in, the body has already reached the
state of dehydration.
One small change a day can go a long way in helping the body to feel better.
Instead of that second or third cup of java or that next forty-four ounce soda,
or fifteen ounce bottle of juice (1/4 cup sugar with no fiber), why not try a
glass of spring water or sparkling water with a slice of lemon or lime?
Coconut water has natural electrolytes without all the sugar of most energy
drinks. How about a cup of herbal tea? Hibiscus with it’s beautiful red color,
and vitamin C is uplifting. Mint tea helps calm the stomach and nerves.
Jasmine tea, aromatic and sweet, sooths the soul. Happy Hydrating!
Sherree Ross is a Certified Health Coach, a living foods chef, a Seichim
Reiki and a Karuna® Reiki Master/Teacher, an Emotional Freedom
Technique Practitioner (holding Certificates of Completion for EFT-CC and
EFT-ADV) and a trained herbalist. Helping people with food allergies
(especially going gluten-free and dairy-free) reclaim their health, she offers
nutritional classes, healthy cooking classes, weight loss classes, pantry makeo-
vers and grocery store tours. [email protected] or
www.SherreeRoss.com
Heartland Spiritual Alliance a proud sponsor of
www.witchvox.com
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HEARTLAND PAGAN FESTIVAL
May 24 - May 28,
2012
Gaea Retreat Center
McLouth, KS
http://www.kchsa.org
“Dawning of a New Day”
Honored Guests include Kerr Cuhulain,
Christopher Penczak, Barbara Criswell,
Flannigan’s Right Hook and more.
The 27th Anniversary
of One of the Largest Pagan
Festivals in the United States
Rituals · Vision Quest · Bonfires
Distinguished Speakers · Concerts
Workshops · Mystical Merchants
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The Core Foundations of Pagan Leadership by Raven Spirit
Recently, I received an invitation to speak at the “Pagan Leadership
Conference” hosted by Elysium Coven. I will be candid: I had a wide range of
thoughts go through my mind when approached, the first being, “What do I
have to say that anyone would be interested in hearing?” I am not an Elder;
would not claim the title if someone gave it to me; and I certainly do not
consider myself a Leader by any means, though some would disagree.
For a number of years I was very open and out in the community. I started
“Pagans’ Night Out” (PNO) with the help of Pat Chambers and Selene Rati.
Shortly thereafter “Kansas City Pagan Pride Day” (KCPPD) was created. In
the 10-plus years I “ran” the event, we (or rather YOU), raised very close to
$20,000.00 for local charities in the Kansas City area. Now I say I “ran” the
event but I was just a figurehead and simply promoted it a lot. During the ten
years I was involved quite a few people actually helped run it. The passing of
the torch to the community occurred when the event was turned over to the
“Witches’ Meetup” to organize.
But I am getting a bit off topic.
What makes up a Pagan Leader? I used to think being a Pagan Leader was a
person who was out in the forefront of the Pagan Movement, being the activist
for the rights of all Pagans. Please do not misunderstand me, those people are
also needed. Case in point: if not for the Pagan Leaders fighting the Veterans
Administration (VA) and The White House I would not have the option to lay
at rest in a VA cemetery under the pentagram symbol. Through their hard
work, I now can.
However, I want to get to the root of my feelings on this subject. What is a
Pagan Leader, at its very core, when we strip it all down, remove the fancy
glitter, hang the robes back up in the closet, and turn on the TV? What is the
core of Pagan Leadership? Where does it all come from? It is simply the three
foundations of spirituality: the Hearth as Altar; Work as Worship; and Service
as Sacrament.
The Hearth as Altar
Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, is more sacred than your home. It is your
escape and sanctuary from the day-to-day grind. In his book, Folklore by the
Fireside, Alessandro Falassi discusses how, at the end of the day, families
would gather around the hearth and share stories; not only of the Gods and
Ancestors, but the things going on in their lives right then. Have we
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become too busy with mundane life that we have forgotten this? I don’t
mean give it lip service. What I mean is (for example) if the kids have good
grades then light a candle on your altar and thank the Ancestors for the guid-
ance and protection of our children.
I know times are tight. I know the economy sucks - it has for a while. Would
you let your altar, dedicated to the Gods, become tattered and shoddy? No!
Then why do we do it to our homes? There have been times we will go to every
pagan event, festival, gathering, circle, et cetera, just to leave our homes and
“temples” with a stack of bills and maybe even no water, lights, or heat. Where
are our priorities? Part of making our Hearth our Altar is taking a bit of pride in
the place we live. It shows we have pride in our families and ourselves.
Work as Worship
Work your faith. You do not have to go around with a million bumper stickers
on your car to prove your faith. In fact, who cares what your faith is? Who
cares what my faith is? The only ones it matters to are the Gods and yourself.
Personally, it matters to my coven as well, because I swore an oath not to re-
veal the tradition to anyone outside of Circle. But more than anything, your
actions matter. You can think “All Pagan, All Day” and then charge your action
with the thought and send it on its way. The mundane are not freaked out; you
did your work; everyone is happy. It is a win/win situation.
Before you comment, I am not talking about Paganism having to go back in the
shadows, and burning times returning. No, I am talking about power with and
not power over - working with mundane society and not shoving or forcing our
spirituality down their throats. Gods know we hate it when someone hands us a
Tract, or tries to tell us about Jesus, so why would we want to do something
similar?
Service as a Sacrament
This goes hand-in-hand with Work as Worship. Let us look at this a bit deeper.
In Robert A. Heinlein’s book, Stranger in a Strange Land, we learn of the con-
cept “Thou art God” (multiple). If we hold this to be true, our thoughts and the
things we put energy into have power and take on form. This is part of our God
-self taking shape, so really our work is holy. But wait a minute…if I have a
part of this God-nature in me, and you have some in you (because “Thou art
God”), then what I am doing to and for you is directly for the Gods. Treat peo-
ple with a bit of kindness and not like the world is out to get you. If we are
Gods, we should act like it. I do not mean having a big old chip on your shoul-
der and an “I am I better then you” attitude, but more with an attitude of, “How
can I help you? What can I do to make your day easier?” In time we will look
at the person and not the action, and find out who we are really helping - the
other person or ourselves?
con’t page 14
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To sum up my view of a Pagan Leader: it is someone who takes pride and
responsibility in themselves and their surroundings; works and walks their
faith (instead of just talking about it); and sees God not only in themselves but
in others.
Wait another minute… since it’s just a label, what if we removed the word
Pagan from Pagan Leader? We would have someone who was proud,
responsible, stood up for what he/she felt was right, and regarded others as
important, too.
That sounds like something to strive for.
Works Cited
Falassi, Alessandro. Folklore by the Fireside. Austin: University of Texas
Press 1980. Print.
Heinlein, Robert A. Stranger in a Strange Land. New York: Berkley Medallion
Books 1961. Print.
Duane "Raven Spirit" Marshall served on the HSA Board for 2 years, was a
committee head for 10 as well as serving as a Pagan Pride Inc Board Member
and was the Founder of KCPPD. Currently, Duane is a Third Degree Priest in
the Georgian Tradition.
The Core Foundations of Pagan Leadership con’t from page 13
Community Calendar of Events
Sat, Nov 12, Psychic Development Series - Module Two: On The Path - Prac-
tical Tools of Integrating the Mundane and The Spiritual w/Rev. Shae Moyers,
$33.33, 1-4pm, Crescent Springs; 7317 W. 80th St., Overland Park, KS 66204,
Kat, 913-341-2044, [email protected] , www.crescentsprings.net
Sun, Nov 13, Heartland Spiritual Alliance, Monthly Meeting, 2-5pm, Aquarius
Books, 3936 Broadway, KCMO 64111, Aislinn, 816-813-8167,
[email protected] , www.kchsa.org
Wed, Nov 16, Spiritual Pathworking w/Aislinn $5, 7:30pm, Amethyst Dreams,
4301 Main Street, Suite #10,KCMO 64111, Aislinn, 816-231-1919,
[email protected]
Thurs, Nov 17, Heartland Spiritual Alliance, Spirit Circle, 7-9pm, Aquarius
con’t page 15
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Books, 3936 Broadway, KCMO 64111, Jason, [email protected] ,
www.kchsa.org
Fri, Nov 18, Heartland Spiritual Alliance, Masquerade Ball, Dusk Before the
Dawn, $20, 7pm-12am, Bacchanalia, 12450 Newton St, Overland Park, KS
66213, [email protected] , www.kchsa.org
Sat, Nov 19, Journey With Your Spirit Guides/Totem Animals w/Aislinn thru
Communiversity, 2pm, Amethyst Dreams, 4301 Main Street, Suite #10,
KCMO 64111, Aislinn, 816-231-1919, [email protected]
Sat, Nov 19, Unlocking Your Immune Potential: Exploring Natural Approach-
es to the Cold and Flu Season, Dr. Mark Green, ND, 2-3pm, Aquarius Books,
3936 Broadway, KCMO 64111, 816-931-6303, www.aquariusbooks.com
Sat, Nov 19 Manifesting Your Hopes and Dreams, Zane Matthews, 6-8pm,
Aquarius Books, 3936 Broadway, KCMO 64111, 816-931-6303,
www.aquariusbooks.com
Sat, Nov 19, KC Metaphysical Fair, 10am - 8pm, $6, Holiday Inn, 8787
Reeder ,Overland Park, KS, Sylvia/Gigi, [email protected] ,
www.facebook.com/kcmetaphysical, www.kcmetaphysical.com
Sun, Nov 20, KC Metaphysical Fair, 10am-6pm, $6, Holiday Inn, 8787 Reed-
er, Overland Park, KS, Sylvia/Gigi, [email protected] ,
www.facebook.com/kcmetaphysical, www.kcmetaphysical.com
Mon, Nov 21, Green Party, Monthly Meeting, 7-9pm, Aquarius Books, 3936
Broadway, KCMO 64111, 816-931-6303, www.aquariusbooks.com
Tues, Nov 22 –Dec 6, Yoga Tuesdays-Gentle Flow Hatha Yoga w/Mimi
Mateos, $30/3sessions, $60/6 sessions, drop-ins, $12, 6:15pm -7:15pm, Cres-
cent Springs, 7317 W. 80th St., Overland Park, KS, 66204, Kat, 913-341-2044,
[email protected] , www.crescentsprings.net
Tues, Nov 22, Ananda Nidra: Tantric Meditation for the 21st Century, Johnson
and Michaels, 7-9pm, Aquarius Books, 3936 Broadway, KCMO 64111, 816-
931-6303, www.aquariusbooks.com
Wed, Nov 23, Spiritual Pathworking w/Aislinn $5, 7:30pm, Amethyst Dreams,
4301 Main Street, Suite #10, KCMO 64111, Aislinn, 816-231-1919,
[email protected] con’t page 16
Community Calendar of Events con’t from page 14
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Community Calendar of Events con’t from page 15
Wed, Nov 23, Witches Meet Up, 7-9pm, Aquarius Books, 3936 Broadway,
KCMO 64111, 816-931-6303, www.aquariusbooks.com
Sun, Nov 27, Journey Around the Medicine Wheel w/Aislinn thru Communi-
versity, 12pm, Amethyst Dreams, 4301 Main Street, Suite #10, KCMO 64111,
Aislinn, 816-231-1919, [email protected]
Wed, Nov 30, Gluten-Free, The Good-to-Go-Grains, Sherree Ross, 6:30-9pm
$55, The Culinary Center of Kansas City, 7920 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park,
KS, 66204, 913-341-4455, www.kcculinary.com
Wed, Nov 30, Spiritual Pathworking w/Aislinn $5, 7:30pm, Amethyst Dreams,
4301 Main Street, Suite #10, KCMO 64111, Aislinn, 816-231-1919,
[email protected]
Thurs, Dec 1, Higher Self Alignment Temple, Rev. Kat Lyman; $15, 6:30-
8:30pm, Crescent Springs, 7317 W. 80th St., Overland Park, KS 66204, Kat,
913-341-2044, [email protected] ; www.crescentsprings.net
Thurs, Dec 1, Chocolate Bliss, Sherree Ross, 7-8:30pm, North Kansas City
Library, 2251 Howell St., North Kansas City, Missouri 64116 , 816-221-3360,
www.northkclibrary.org/node/245
Thurs, Dec 1, EFT: Pain Management w/Rita Reno thru Communiversity, $5,
7:30pm, Amethyst Dreams, 4301 Main Street, Suite #10, KCMO, Aislinn, 816
-231-1919, [email protected]
Sat, Dec 3, Holly Holly Holly Days Sale, 10am-6pm, Cristo Rey School, 211
W Linwood, KCMO, 64111, www.facebook.com/hollyhollyhollydays
Sun, Dec 4, Holly Holly Holly Days Sale, 10am-5pm, Cristo Rey School, 211
W Linwood, KCMO, 64111, www.facebook.com/hollyhollyhollydays
Wed, Dec 7, Spiritual Pathworking w/Aislinn $5, 7:30pm, Amethyst Dreams,
4301 Main Street, Suite #10, KCMO 64111, Aislinn, 816-231-1919,
[email protected]
Sat, Dec 10, Psychic Development Series- Module Three, w/Rev Shae Moyers,
$33.33, 1-4pm, Crescent Springs, 7317 W. 80th St., Overland Park, KS
66204, Kat, 913-341-2044, [email protected] ,
www.crescentsprings.net con’t page 17
Page 17
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Community Calendar of Events con’t from page 16
Sun, Dec 11, Heartland Spiritual Alliance Monthly Meeting, 2-5pm, Aquarius
Books, 3936 Broadway, KCMO 64111, Aislinn, 816-813-8167,
[email protected] , www.kchsa.org
Wed, Dec 14, Spiritual Pathworking w/Aislinn $5, 7:30pm, Amethyst Dreams,
4301 Main Street, Suite #10, KCMO 64111, Aislinn, 816-231-1919,
[email protected]
Thurs, Dec 15, Heartland Spiritual Alliance, Spirit Circle, 7-9pm Aquarius
Books, 3936 Broadway, KCMO 64111, Jason, [email protected] ,
www.kchsa.org
Sat, Dec 17, The KC Tarot & Oracle Meetup, 10am-12pm, Donation, Crescent
Springs, 7317 W. 80th St., Overland Park, KS 66204, Kat, 913-341-2044,
[email protected] ; www.crescentsprings.net & www.meetup.com/
kctarotoraclemeetup/
Sun, Dec 18, Castle and Cross Celtic Concert, 2-4pm, Aquarius Books, 3936
Broadway, KCMO 64111, 816-931-6303, www.aquariusbooks.com
Sat, Dec 17, Journey Into the Stones Part I w/Aislinn thru Communiversity,
2pm, Amethyst Dreams, 4301 Main Street, Suite #10, KCMO 64111, Aislinn,
816-231-1919, [email protected]
Sun, Dec 18, Journey into the Stones Part II w/Aislinn thru Communiversity,
12pm, Amethyst Dreams, 4301 Main Street, Suite #10, KCMO 64111, Aislinn,
816-231-1919, [email protected]
Sun, Dec 18, Luna Lushede Open Yule Ritual, $Donation$, 5pm,
www.lunalushede.org
Mon, Dec 19, Green Party Monthly Meeting, 7-9pm,Aquarius Books, 3936
Broadway, KCMO 64111, 816-931-6303, www.aquariusbooks.com
Wed, Dec 21, Spiritual Pathworking w/Aislinn $5, 7:30pm, Amethyst Dreams,
4301 Main Street, Suite #10, KCMO 64111, Aislinn, 816-231-1919,
[email protected]
Wed, Dec 28, Witches Meet Up, 7-9pm, Aquarius Books, 3936 Broadway,
KCMO 64111, 816-931-6303, www.aquariusbooks.com
Page 18
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I was surprised recently when I performed a basic Internet search under the
term “environmentalism” and immediately found numerous sites vehemently
and passionately opposed to what I had always considered to be a common
sense and moral duty of man. One website says that environmentalism is
“fundamentally an attack on the ideals of Western civilization. Opposed to
science, technology, and economic development, environmentalism holds that
the non-human has value but the human does not.” Another declares, “Now
observe that in all the propaganda of the ecologists—amidst all their appeals to
nature and pleas for ‘harmony with nature’—there is no discussion of man's
needs and the requirements of his survival. Man is treated as if he were an
unnatural phenomenon.”
First of all, please allow me to dispel what is apparently a common myth.
Every living organism is interrelated. Everything. We cannot understand one
part without looking at the other parts. Everything we do affects something and
someone else. Since humans constitute “living organisms” then yes, we are in
the same boat, my friends. When we talk of environmentalism, we are
essentially talking about ourselves. Auto exhaust affects the air that flows
through my lungs. Contamination affects the water I drink. Chemicals used in
factory farming affect the food I eat. A thinning ozone layer results in cancer
on my skin. In areas of overpopulation, violence increases, etc. The list goes on
and on. It is clear to me that a healthy environment allows me to continue
maintaining the kind of lifestyle I have become accustomed to living. This is
my requirement for survival; this is man’s requirement for survival. As a
human, I value my health. So the claims of the anti-environmentalist are in-
comprehensible to me. They do not make any sense. How is this an attack on
man? Environmentalism is common sense. It works for us, not against us.
con’t page 19
Blast from the Past
The Heartland Spirit has been in publication for over ten years. Many of the
articles written in the past hold relevance for this day and for our new
generation of readers. To that end, this section will occasionally appear with a
previously printed article from The Heartland Spirit.
Environmental View Answering Mother Earth
by D. Sanders
This article originally appeared in The Heartland Spirit August 2003
Page 19
19
Many of us also look to the Earth as being our Mother and our home. We find
a deeply spiritual connection with Mother Earth and all things of nature. When
we contemplate the idea of interconnectedness, we start to realize that to treat
all things of nature with respect is to ultimately treat ourselves with respect.
There is much for us to learn in this regard. The first step, I think, is to start
being conscious of all our regular daily actions. We are a culture of
post-industrialist mass consumerism. We still hold on to a “frontier mentality,”
the grand American notion of limitless resources, and the freedom to take and
use them however we want to. We are constantly bombarded with advertising
media that promise immediate gratification. We have been taught that
material objects can fill our ever increasing spiritual emptiness.
We consume goods and culture, though they cannot possibly give us true
pleasure, insight, or wisdom. Mother Earth is calling out and we should answer
her. We should listen to what she has to say and act according to what will be
ultimately more beneficial to all of us in the long run. Do not think of it in
terms of some boring obligation that you have to do for the cause of some far
away abstract idea. Think of it in terms of what gifts you can give to yourself.
There is a Buddhist saying that goes, “Don’t sacrifice your own welfare for
that of another, no matter how great. Realizing your own true welfare, be intent
on just that.” (from Dhammapada 166). Do not think of it in terms of the
non-human having more value than the human. Do what is right and most
Environmental View Answering Mother Earth
con’t from page 18
HSA Membership
If you are 18+ and would like to become a member of
HSA and help promote the practice of, and tolerance
Towards, alternative spiritual paths, please visit our
website at www.kchsa.org to submit a membership
application.
Membership in HSA is $20.00 per year, and the
membership year extends from July 1st to June 30th of
each year.
Page 20
20
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Kansas City, MO 64127
Heartland Spiritual
Alliance
Phone: 816-813-8167
E-mail: [email protected]
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Editor’s Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in The Heartland Spirit are strictly those of the
authors of each individual article and do not necessarily represent the positions of The Heartland
Spiritual Alliance’s Board of Directors, its Officers, or Membership.