Native American Voter Suppression

Standing Rock is now known worldwide for the protests over the Dakota Access pipeline, which were ongoing in the period leading up to the 2016 elections. But the advocates and celebrities who flooded into the region have nearly all left. And Standing Rock's own energy and activism hasn't translated to the ballot box, for reasons both ancient and recent. This week the United States Supreme Court chose not to overturn a new North Dakota voter ID requirement that could effectively disenfranchise thousands of Native voters for the upcoming election on Nov. 6. It's pure institutionalized racism, and it threatens the future of North Dakota and our nation. Mobilization is now more important than ever. In North Dakota, every vote really does count. Because of their relatively small population, it's possible for statewide election results to change based on a couple hundred votes -- and as of now, the court's ruling means thousands of Native voices could be eliminated from the rolls on election day. Read more.

"The Great Shift" Book Release

The Great Shift is about the new era of humanity. We have entered the new epoch of humanity’s spiritual evolutionary journey into higher consciousness. Our present world is one in which order is arising out of chaos. Everything is changing and seeking equilibrium. The conditions are nothing short of a rebirth. We are quite literally witnesses and participants in the shift from individual to planetary consciousness. We are part of the emerging consciousness, and the signs are everywhere. It is here now, and we all have a part to play in it.

This book is a guide to navigating the shift from an old paradigm into a new one. It is deeply rooted in the shamanic and Taoist traditions, which are a fountain of wisdom and knowledge for restoring our relationship with the Earth. Shamanism and Taoism are a way of living in harmony with nature, rather than an adherence to a religious doctrine. By practicing these ways of being, we awaken our soul calling and our connection to nature. They provide a myriad of responses to the spiritual quest of self-discovery. They are ways that embed us in the living web of life, yielding greater awareness and perspective. These practices are easily integrated into contemporary life and provide a means of navigating the turbulent times in which we live. Look inside The Great Shift: And How To Navigate It.

New Shamanic Album "Mudang Rock"

Mudang Rock, the revelatory new album from Grammy-winning guitarist Henry Kaiser, uses the rhythms and spirit of Korean Shamanism as the vehicle for an extraordinary voyage into improvisation and collaboration that reaches far beyond boundaries of genre. In Korean spiritual lore, a mudang is a type of shaman who has become possessed by a god, called a momju. Mudang perform fortune telling using their spiritual powers derived from their possession. They preside over a kut (rite) involving song and dance. The highly electric music on this album is a collaboration of four musical luminaries of jazz and experimentalism: Henry Kaiser, Simon Barker, Bill Laswell, and Rudresh Mahanthappa. Kaiser, Barker, and Laswell each have spent more than one-half of their musical lifetimes collaborating with Korean traditional musicians. They invited saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa to join them for this newly energized exploration of the musical unknown. The result is compelling, ecstatic, and very shamanic. Available on Amazon and iTunes.

Psychedelic Experiences versus Mystical Experiences

We are witnessing a renaissance of the idea of using psychedelics in connection with spiritual practice. The main theory put forward by psychedelic users in relation to spiritual practice is that those who take psychedelics are able to skip all preliminary work with spiritual practice. Are psychedelics a fast track to enlightenment? If so, why have we never heard of one single human being who has attained enlightenment through the use of psychedelic drugs? Why is that all wisdom traditions, which incorporate spiritual practices that lead to enlightenment, without exception warn against the use of drugs in combination with spiritual practice? What is the difference between genuine mystical experiences and psychedelic experiences? Read more.