Halloween - Big Business

Halloween is one of those holidays that sparks all sorts of reactions. To some Christians, it is a pagan-like, satan inspiring event to be avoided. To many other folks, it's an excuse to dress up and party down. To marketers it is evolving into one of the biggest sales grossing holidays of all. To kids it is arguably a sugar and fun high. And to dentists... well just say that with all that candy going around, optimism for future business abounds.

Gone is the real meaning of Halloween. Halloween is actually one of the those times of the year when spirits can make contact with the physical world, and when magic is most potent. It is a time of when the two worlds - one of the physical and one of the metaphysical, meet.

So while we bounce around town in our costumes, let's make meaningful connections to various ephemeral beings. Don't waste the magic....

November 2007 Horoscope

It is November and thankfully we have a rush of positive powerful energy  pulsating in lucky Sadge through the month. And yet we may find that it is too much of a good thing. Don’t gobble when you can nibble.

Read your full November 2007 horoscope here.

Quantum Sleeper

I am not sure if this is a joke or not. This Quantum Sleeper touts that it is great for sleeping because it protects you from storms, attacks, biochemical warfare, kidnappers and bullets. It has its own built in entertainment center, microwave and refrigerator but I am not sure it has a bathroom. Gives new meaning to the term "sleep tight".

There are many good ways to have a secure and comfortable sleep without building and lying in a bunker. Some say warm milk before bed helps bring on the z's. Others suggest calming scents via aromatherapy starting with a slow relaxing bath with essential oils of camomile, lavender, neroli, rose, marjoram and/or geranium that you can add to the water or gently inhale. Also drinking camomile tea before bed will help bring on a restful sleep.

Virtual Stargazing

Hey you Leos, when you look at the night sky can you pick out the constellation that looks like a lion? And Scorpios, you may know your ruling planet is Pluto but, if you were looking through a telescope, could you find it?

Well there are no more excuses for your ignorance. Now all you astronomically-challenged, budding astrologers can revel in Google Earth's new Sky feature which allows you to view the skies as seen from Earth. Google Earth's Sky lets you explore, search and discover about a hundred million stars and two hundred million galaxies -- and all the images you see are real!

To get started you just download the free Earth software and click on the Sky button. A view of the sky above your current location will appear and from there you can navigate, rotate and zoom at will. You can add layers such as an overlay to help you see all the constellations and you can view a planet and watch an animation of its orbit. Google provides online documentation and user forums to assist you.

Just keep in mind that while viewing the stars and planets can be an enlightening experience, you should leave the interpretations to astrology professionals .. .like someone we know...ahem...

Baraka

Netflix is a great service because we wind up seeing great films that we might never have heard of before. The other day a 1992 film called Baraka arrived in the mail. We popped it in the DVD player a couple of days later. I didn't know what to expect because the description on the label was fairly general but as soon as it started I realized that this is a must see. There is no dialogue, no script, no main and supporting characters as such and no plot. But it is fascinating, emotional, inspiring and all too short at 96 minutes.

The film encapsulates a day in the life of earth and seems to span many if not all religious practices, 6 continents, 24 countries, the comings and goings, the architecture, the nature and even the destruction and waste. It is a heliocentric day in the life. FIlmed before HD, the film is absolutely gorgeous.

Baraka is an ancient Sufi word, which can be translated as "a blessing, or as the breath, or essence of life from which the evolutionary process unfolds."  There is also an incredible soundtrack including on site recordings of The Monks Of The Dip Tse Chok Ling Monastery.

Cosmic. See it.
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Baraka, filmed by a three person crew over a period of 14 months in 24 countries across 6 continents -- also available at Amazon.