The Spiritual Forum

“God gave animals to humans for food.” “Jesus ate fish.” “Jesus helped fishermen catch fish.” “God loved animal sacrifice.” These are just a few biblical arguments that many Christians make to justify humanity’s current utter domination of animals. But how do they jibe with what the Bible really says? How do our behaviors harmonize with the Christian ethics of love, mercy, peace, service and humility? How should we apply any of this to today’s world? Rev. Carol and philosophy and religion professor emeritus, Dr. Lisa Kemmerer cover all this and more in this engaging episode. Dr. Kemmerer is internationally known for works focused on animals, the environment, and disempowered human beings. She is the author of over a dozen books and founded and directs the educational, information-sharing non-profit, Tapestry. Her latest book, Animals and Christianity, was written to empower Christians to talk to one another and encourage people to start conversations with their Christian friends and family. It is the focus of this conversation. Here is a summary: •The fallacies in biblical arguments and the importance of reading scripture •Love is not limited; it is not a zero-sum game •The human factor - oppression of slaughterhouse workers •The corrective attempts of the Prophets to turn people back to God’s original intention •What we really need to sacrifice •The importance of context in moral arguments (i.e. today’s fishing is nothing like fishing in biblical times) •The excuse of sin •The story of the snake and Balaam’s donkey and what they tell us about animals and historical misinterpretations Websites: Animalsandreligion.org Tapestry - http://tapestryofpeace.org/ Lisakemmerer.com Lisakemmerer.org Animals and Christianity book: https://www.amazon.com/Animals-Christianity-Religion-Lisa-Kemmerer/dp/B09WPTLSP7 © the spiritual forum 2023

Carmen Turner-Schott, a licensed clinical social worker and astrologer, discusses the astrology of phoenixes and angels. Topics include characteristics of 8th and 12th house people, accessing your own astrological chart, and the impact of current planetary movements. The eighth house is explored in-depth, discussing resilience, healing, and experiences of individuals with planets in this house. Additionally, the fascination with death, eighth house traits, and the impact of retrograde planets on finances and technology are covered.

“Learning to differentiate our head voice from our Soul voice begins this opening. Our head voice says you should, you must, you did it wrong; but our Soul voice tells us how brilliant we are, how loved we are, how exquisite we are. Our Soul honors and encourages us; she never judges us. She holds us with pure love, no matter what we do or what we experience.” – Excerpt from I Am Serena Raised in a satanic cult and subjected from infancy to covert MK-Ultra mind-control experiments, Serena-Faith Masterson developed over three-hundred unique personalities in her courageous fight to survive. In her remarkable and inspiring memoir, I am Serena, she authentically shares her 35-year journey to heal severe trauma, dissociative identity disorder, PTSD, depression, eating disorders and many other emotional issues, and integrate into the whole person she is today. She did this by connecting to her authentic self under the guidance of Norma Delaney, a woman who committed over twenty years to helping Serena heal. In this episode, Serena shares her journey from hatred to love of self, her relentless pursuit of truth, and the brilliance of her soul to navigate the fulfillment of her life purpose. Today she lives joyfully, free from her past. Some of the key ideas discussed are: •We are in truth, divine beings •The Kingdom of God dwells within •The applicability of Serena’s healing to everyone •The miracle of breath •The love affair that matters •Integration requires facing truth and releasing rage and judgment •It takes perseverance to discern what you are feeling, what is truth and what is a lie •The wisdom of Kuan Yin •The infinite love of God/our Soul •With Spirit ANYTHING is possible •We are never alone •How we impact consciousness •Fear is NOT the reality on this planet! If you are curious or skeptical about childhood ritual abuse, here is an informative published research paper on the subject: https://www.academia.edu/2128441/The_role_of_ritual_in_the_organised_abuse_of_children#:~:text=This%20paper%20is%20based%20on%20qualitative%20interviews%20with,of%20religious%20or%20mythological%20justifications%20for%20organised%20abuse Links: Serena’s website: https://www.iamserena.net/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/I-Am-Serena-Serena-Faith-Masterson/dp/1733097082 Free breathing meditations: https://www.iamserena.net/breath/ © the spiritual forum 2023

Two years ago, Rev. Carol had a fascinating conversation with Solveig Barrios, founder of the Mayan Wisdom Project. From Guatemala and born in a line of Mayan spiritual leaders, Solveig's whole life has been a journey of discovering the deep knowledge and wisdom of one of the most ancient and enlightened civilizations in the world. She founded the Mayan Wisdom Project to allow universal access to the incredible healing technologies known to the Mayans. Today we are in the midst of a great awakening and potentially a political collapse. Solveig shares her perspective on what is happening in the world through the lens Mayan Wisdom. After two years, this is a good time to revisit this conversation and reflect on where we are and the possibilities we can create. Some of the things we talk about are: •The significance of 2012 •Why Mayan wisdom can now be shared •Five cycles of evolution (fire, agriculture, science/reasoning, space time, ether) •How we became attached to the third cycle •Illusion and reality •The period of awakening and transmutation •Predictions for 2025 •We are going against nature – we are going against ourselves •The deeper way the Mayans view nature •What we call technology is not what technology is supposed to be •Why we will not pull off going against the fifth cycle •We are masters not victims •Everything that is happening now is perfect •The purpose of duality •What evil is in Mayan philosophy © the spiritual forum 2021 wisdommayanknowledgeunityspiritual pathhealing

“We have divorced ourselves so entirely from the living soil, that we imagine we exist outside of its cosmic order. With our screens and our machines, our drugs, and our dictators, we have placed all faith in the greatness of our intellect, and in doing so, sent into exile the intuitive wisdom of the divine feminine force.” -- Maré Hieronimus Maré Hieronimus is a mother, dancer, writer and philosopher. Her unconventional upbringing on a commune in Maryland - surrounded by mystical teachings, a reverence for the earth, and a love of dance - allowed her to grow up keeping traditional societal roles and values at arm’s length. She listened to the call of her soul to live a creative life. Maré is a return guest on The Spiritual Forum podcast (check out Episode 170 - Choice Between Two Paths: Nature or Transhumanism). In this episode – one year later - we once again explore what we see happening on the world stage through a spiritual lens. Maré shares her perspectives on transhumanism, the exile of the Sacred Mother, the widespread dislocation of the soul from the body, the war on children and women, and the meaning of sacred biology. Some of the things we talk about are •The need to have conversations about what is happening •The divine feminine as the portal •The erasure of the high sacred feminine through transhumanism •The ways we play God •Extraction from our wisdom lineages cause us to not anchor •The sacred nature of the human form •We are set adrift when we split ourselves from our bodies •Divine wisdom pulses through us when we are healthy •There is a mass dislocation from our intuition •What is the remedy? •The inversion of politics •Hope in the human spirit Website: https://thesacredbody.earth Sacred Body Teaching: https://www.patreon.com/TheSacredBody © the spiritual forum 2023

Are religions the primary source of violent conflicts of human history? Can a person be spiritual but not religious? Is secularism devoid of close-mindedness and irrationality? These are some of the questions addressed in this episode by theolgian, Jonas Atlas. Jonas is a Belgian scholar of religion who writes and lectures on religion, politics and mysticism. Growing up Christian in predominately secular Europe he found himself having to defend himself for being religious. Additionally, his marriage to a Muslim from Turkey influenced his interest in deconstructing the way people think about religions. Jonas currently teaches classes on ethics, spirituality, and religion at the KDG University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Antwerp, Belgium. He is also an independent researcher at the Radboud University, as a member of the Race, Religion, and Secularism network. His latest book, Religion: Reality Behind the Myths, unravels the most common misunderstandings about religion. Here are some of the things we talk about: •What are the seven myths about religion? •What is religion? •Religions, like languages, evolve •When we pretend to live without structures, we become blind to all the structures we are really in •Can you be spiritual but not religious? •The characteristics and behaviors that people think are bad about religions are in all organizations because violence, control, oppression is in our consciousness •Everything that can be said of a religion can also be said of the secular world (i.e. they both do dumb things) •“Us versus them” mentality keeps us from reconfiguring our consciousness •The spirituality of the big bang Jonas Atlas links: Website: https://jonasatlas.net/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/Religion-Reality-Behind-Jonas-Atlas/dp/1803411821 Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/re-visioning-religion (where you can hear the conversations with Jeffrey Kripal and William Cavanaugh) Interfaith conversations with Muslim scholars, activists and artists: https://halalmonk.com/ © the spiritual forum 2023

“For me, the number one reason of our temporary sojourn on Earth is simply to grow in love.” — Pierre Pradervand Pierre Pradervand is a true world citizen, having labored most of his life for social justice. Among his varied work experiences, he had a brief stint in the United Nations in Geneva, worked as a demographer in Algeria, worked for American Friends Service Committee in Senegal and started a periodical that became the best-selling magazine in sub-Saharan, French-speaking Africa. Pierre has led workshops on personal development and spirituality for 30 years and is the author of 22 books, including The Gentle Art of Blessing and The Gentle Art of Spiritual Discernment. At the wise age of 86, he is totally happy living a simple life in his home in Geneva, Switzerland. In this episode Pierre shares about his relationship with Texas inmate, Roger McGowan, and how he got him off of death row. We also talk about: Pierre Pradervand is a true world citizen, having labored most of his life for social justice. Among his varied work experiences, he had a brief stint in the United Nations in Geneva, worked as a demographer in Algeria, worked for American Friends Service Committee in Senegal and started a periodical that became the best-selling magazine in sub-Saharan, French-speaking Africa. Pierre has led workshops on personal development and spirituality for 30 years and is the author of 22 books, including The Gentle Art of Blessing and The Gentle Art of Spiritual Discernment. At the wise age of 86, he is totally happy living a simple life in his home in Geneva, Switzerland. In this episode Pierre tells the story of getting Texas inmate, Roger McGowan, off of death row and his continued relationship with him. We also talk about: • The privilege of life itself • Pierre’s two mystical experiences • The basic structure of the universe • Similarities between Joel Goldsmith and Unity co-founder Charles Fillmore • Spiritual Discernment, integrity and finding your own point of view • The #1 problem in the world • We all must be our own teacher • Discussion on the scientific method • Women’s World Foundation run by Pierre’s wife • The debt we have towards Africa • The spiritual practice of blessing Pierre's website: https://pierrepradervand.com/ Gentle Art of Blessing: https://gentleartofblessing.org/ Gentle Art of Discernment book: https://www.amazon.com/Gentle-Art-Spiritual-Discernment-Discovering/dp/164411805X Messages of Life book co-authored with Roger McGowan: https://pierrepradervand.com/messages-of-life/ https://www.amazon.com/Messages-Life-Death-Pierre- Pradervand/dp/1439235600/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8 Women’s World Foundation run by Pierre’s wife: https://www.woman.ch/ Prize for Women's Creativity: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/wwsf-prize-womens-creativity-rural-life-2017-giving-elly-pradervand/ © the spiritual forum 2023 #blessing #spiritualjourney #pierrepradervand #spiritualdiscernment #deathrow #integrity #joelgoldsmith

Dianne Waltner grew up in rural Kansas where her Mennonite family ran a poultry hatchery. An introverted, highly sensitive child who was bullied and ostracized at her small school, Dianne always felt a sense of solidarity with the underdog, which ultimately led her to challenge the paradigm she was raised in. Her journey through cognitive dissonance, feelings of loss & rejection, depression, self-medication with alcohol, and her ultimate redemption is told in her book, Evolving Into Wholeness – A Journey of Compassion. Through her self-discovery and its unavoidable companions, pain, courage and dark nights of the soul, Dianne ultimately chose to align her life with her deeply held values of compassion for all. Dianne is an ordained Animal Chaplain and Main Street Vegan Academy certified Master Vegan Lifestyle Coach and Educator (MVLCE). These are some of the many things we talk about in this episode: •How quickly humans become desensitized to the suffering in the world •The spiritual path is about becoming ourselves not the living out the patterning of our parents and culture •What is cognitive dissonance •The compassionate nature of our inner child •The struggle associated with breaking away from family norms (especially if you are loved) •Self-care/love versus will power is at the root of quitting unhealthy habits •Connection to all life supports loving the self •Changing habits like diet or drinking isn’t about giving up, it’s about gaining •The Animal Chaplaincy program - what the program is about and what people are doing with it (starts around 35 minutes) Websites: https://diannewaltner.com/ & https://evolvingintowholeness.com/ Memoir: www.amazon.com/Evolving-into-Who…ion/dp/B08WZMB9CL Email: dwaltner@icloud.com Animal Chaplaincy Program: www.compassionconsortium.org/training Main Street Vegan Academy: https://mainstreetvegan.com/ Books referenced in the episode: Man Kind? by Cleveland Emory www.amazon.com/Kind-Incredible-W…eld/dp/0060100923 America’s Last Wild Horses by Hope Ryden https://www.amazon.com/Americas-Last-Wild-Horses-Ryden/dp/B001LGC4GA/ref=s © the spiritual forum 2023

“How we live is how we die” -- The Tibetan Book of the Dead for Beginners The Tibetan Book of the Dead is the English translation of the Tibetan text known as Bardo Thodol. It serves as a guide for the soul of the deceased after it has left the body and before it is reborn. Lama Lhanang Rinpoche and Mordy Levine co-authored a recently published book, The Tibetan Book of the Dead for Beginners, which provides enduring and accessible advice for living with wisdom and compassion, and meeting the end of life with courage and peace. Lama Lhanang Rinpoche was born in northeastern Tibet. At the age of 8 he was chosen and invited into the monastery by a great Buddhist master. He studied there until he completed his training as a monastic. He has received teachings from a large number of teachers from the different lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, including from His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Lama Lhanang Rinpoche is from the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is the founder and director of Jigme Lingpa Center, a non-profit organization with centers in the US, Canada and Mexico. His mission and teachings are to develop world peace through inner peace. Mordy Levine, an accomplished entrepreneur, has been a Buddhist practitioner for over 40 years. He is the creator of the Meditation Pro Series, which teaches meditation for conditions that affect western civilization such as stress, insomnia, weight issues and smoking. He serves as president of the Jigme Lingpa Center. In this episode we talk about: ·      Lama Lhanang’s story of coming to America, his initial resistance ·      Mordy’s first experience with karate which led to his journey with Buddhism and his initial resistance ·      Our state of not knowing that we are unhappy ·      Summary of the Tibetan Book of the Dead and its history (life and death, the six bardos, direction on how consciousness should proceed during death) ·      Differences between western and Buddhist perspective on death and aging ·      When you work with death, death is not death, it is liberation ·      Fear of death is rooted in our fear of the unknown ·      We can prepare for death now – training our mind today can bring a peaceful state of mind at death ·      Chasing material things without appreciation keeps people hungry and unsatisfied; it’s Important to have happiness in our hearts and peace in our homes ·      The benefits of a meditation practice to retrain our minds to be in the present moment ·      Consider alternative views of the self to create positive karma ·      Difficult confrontations are gifts to help us see who we really are, we all think we are good people until we are challenged ·      Learning in wisdom through listening ·      The only thing we know is our mind; we know nothing about the minds of other people ·      How to support loved ones as they navigate death (last 10 minutes) Jigme Lingpa Centers: https://www.buddhistsandiego.com/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/Tibetan-Book-Dead-Beginners-Living/dp/B0C384VH5J Mordy’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGQb8ts_ORIbjigbSL9RoCw/featured Complete transcription of this episode: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15QsnenQnFqlDvHj9HM23RBN0BdIMCfza/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=117420754387657503464&rtpof=true&sd=true © the spiritual forum 2023

“Until we can use our will to live consciously and make wise choices every day, to be self-aware, to self-observer and be virtuous, we cannot lay claim to the kingdom.” -- Geoff Thompson In this second hour with Geoff Thompson (best-selling author of nearly 50 books, successful playwright, BAFTA award winning screenwriter, and one of the world’s highest ranking martial arts teachers), we get into more depth on the Law of Reciprocity (aka Law of Compensation, Law of Cause and Effect, Law of Karma, etc.), the forces of good and evil, the power of the will, and how we can use entanglement to thrive. He also tells the story of how his single act of compassion transformed a neighborhood street in London. In Part 1 (Episode 218 - Freedom Through Forgiveness) Geoff shared his experience of confronting his childhood abuser as an adult with truth and forgiveness rather than vengeance. He embarked upon a journey of turning into his fear and converting it to light. Geoff's most recent book, 99 Reasons to Forgive and Revenge Ain’t One, catalogues his personal experience of transformation and the power of forgiveness. Some of the things we discuss in this episode are: • If the judicial law doesn’t serve you, you don’t need to concern yourself because the law of reciprocity is impeccable • We have evil and good inclinations like a right terminal of energy and left energy of energy in a lightbulb • The best way to keep the dark forces at bay is to constantly be in a place of love • Simple message – just live kindly (the golden rule) • Understand the rules of life – they are restrictive and protective It is the will that makes the change from cultural conditioning • The part of us that exercises the will is our true authentic self • Everything is connected – we are in a sense responsible for everything that happens, so we want to contribute in a positive way • Revenge interrupts the flow of love The Forgiveness Project: www.theforgivenessproject.com/stories-li…-thompson/ Instagram: @geoff_thompson_official Book: www.amazon.com/99-Reasons-Forgiv…int/dp/1803411341 © the spiritual forum 2023 #forgiveness #lightanddark #goodandevil #authenticself #revenge #karma