Sex, Religion, Power and Politics

Sheda Vasseghi, contributor to the book, Anahita, Ancient Persian Goddess, discusses the Goddess, Anahita, and her role in ancient Iranian beliefs and her place in history and Iranianism or Aryan philsophy and the way of life better known as Zoroastrianism. Crossing the threshold into the second half of the show Mary Anne Radmacher discusses the importance of celebrating the power of friendship.  We'll delve deeper into a subject that is often overlooked - friendship.  Are you a good friend?  Why does there need to be a book about friendship?  Do women have problems being good friends?  What are real "best friends" and why you don't mention that in your book, US: Celebrating the Power of Friendship.

At the top of the hour, Lisa Corbel of Group of 5,will discuss lithotherapy, or working with stones and crystals.  She'll tell us how to care for our stones and how to know what stone or crystal is good for us. Crossing the threshold into the second half of the show, Rev. Loreon Vigne of Isis Oasis Sanctuary and the Fellowship of Isis/Temple of Isis will discuss her new booklet, the 42 Ideals of Maat. and how they offer us a more concise template for living beyond the Golden Rule or Threefold Law.

Tune in tonight as I chat with Noam Chomsky, noted philosopher, political critic, activist and long-time professor at MIT.  Noam has written extensively on politics, war, corporatism and the mass media.  Prof. Chomsky has been described as a prominent cultural fiture and he was voted the "world's top  public intellectual in 2005."  Topics might include:  His views on the role of feminism in today's society, government repression and our loss of civil liberties, including Obama's continuation of the Patriot Act.  What he thinks of the Affordable Health Care Act, his views on the distinction, if any, between Democrats vs Republicans. I'll inquire if  thinks Americans are being primed for a new war and what we as citizens can do to stem the tide of losing worker rights, voting rights, women's rights and the dumbing down of America. Crossing the threshold into the second half of the show, Layne Redmond, beloved drummer and author of the book, When the Drummers Were Women, returns to tell us about her new project  - the Sacred Path of the Bee and the awakening of Bee Priestesses in contemporary times.

Opening tonight's show, Rabbi Wayne Dosick, acclaimed best selling author will discuss his new book, The Real Name of God, that answers the question "Who is God?" and postulates vastly different and more expansive understandings of God so that we might transcend our modern divisive world.  He is the award-winning author of 8 books, including Living Judaism, Soul Judaism, 20-Minute Kabbalah and Golden Rules.  Rabbi Dosick has been described as "a rational intellect with the soul of a mystic." Crossing the threshold into the second half of the show, we have returning to the show, Fr. Roy Bourgeois.  If you haven't heard of him, you'll want to know him.  Fr. Roy has courageously supported a woman's right to ordination and for that belief he's finally been excommunicated by the Vatican after being a Maryknoll priest for 45 years.  We'll discuss this decision which came down last November now that Roy is granting interviews once again.  We'll discuss the Womanpriests Movement and why he felt it was so important to stand on the side of the rightsof women,  equality and dignity than risk being de-frocked.  I'll also get his insights on how the Vatican can allow priests known to have molested children retain their position in the Church, while supporting women's rights is intolerable.  That's a question I'd love to lay at Pope Francis' door step.

At the top of tonight's show, Prof. Anna Fedele, Visiting Fellow from the European University Institute in Florence and Research Fellow from Lisbon University Institute will discuss her new book, Looking for Mary Magdalene: Alternative Pilgrimage and Ritual Creativity at Catholic Shrines in France.  Sacred sites of Mary Magdalene, if she was really Jesus' wife and why the Church insisted on labeling her a prostitute will be discussed. Crossing the threshold into the second half of the show, the noted Episcopal Minister, Matthew Fox, long ago excommunicated by the Vatican for his views on feminist spirituality and work with Native Americans, will discuss his book, The Pope's War and we'll delve into the various scandals in the church from their connection to the CIA, their involvement in sabotaging liberation theology, the Church's child molestation problem and of course, the new Pope.  

Returning to the show by popular demand is Normandie Ellis discussing Egyptian dream temples, dream techniques and interpretations and texts of the "afterlife" as a collective unconsciousness and archetype. Next up is Bob Koenig sharing with us his extensive research into the Gnostic-Christian View of the Goddess Hera

 Professor Andrew Gurevich will discuss Gaian Interconnectivity and the Future of Public Myth - a sweeping subject that will include a chat about the Chauvet Cave and Goddess in the Upper Paleolithic era, the violent origins of patriarchal religion, Columbia and the history of the American Goddess and much, much more. You won't want to miss it!  

Deborah Heneghan, a spiritual intuitive and energy counselor will discuss her new book, Closer Than You Think, the EasyGuide to Connecting with Loved Ones on the Other Side.  We'll learn how we can see the blessings and gifts even in difficult times like death.  What the difference between subtle signs and rock star moment when we connect with loved ones on the other side.  Can everyone connect with those who have passed through the veil?  Must you have faith to make these spiritual connections - and much more!  Tune in! Sally Kempton, writer of the popular Yoga Jounral Column "Wisdom" will discuss her book, Awakening Shakti: The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga.  Sally will introduce us to the 11 Goddesses of Yoga and tell us how to meditate on them rather than the more traditional form of self-inauiry practice or meditation on consciousness itself.  We'll talk about what "shakti" actually means and the relationship between invoking the power of these goddesses and the pnenomenon of kundalini awakening in the human person.  Sacred Feminine will be defined according to Sally and she will get into aspects of the feminine power which is under-recognized in the West today that we can find in these goddesses.  Learn to access goddesses of the Hindo tant4ric tradition using these techniques.

At the top of the hour, beloved and respected community elder Selena Fox of Circle Sanctuary will discuss celebrating the cycles of the seasons and community.  Crossing the threshold into the second half of the show, Michael Horowitz and/or Cynthia Palmer will discuss their book, Sisters of the Extreme, Women Writing on the Drug Experience, which captures the drug experiences of women from diverse times, social backgrounds and professions in memoir, fiction, poetry, song and art.  As listeners well know, there is a dearth of information out there on women's history of all kinds but this book details the mythic associations of ancient history and the rituals of indigenous peoples, through to the rampant opiate intocixation of the Victorian era, to the psychedelic pioneers, junkies and anthropologists of the 20th century - and more - all through the lens of women.   Yes, we'll get into their "after visions," revelations and the healing powers of sacred plants as the authors tell the effects, good and bad,  of opium, LSD, peyote, mushrooms and other forms of psychedelics.

Opening the show tonight is Julie McIntyre, author of Sex and the Intelligence of the Heart.  From her website, Gaian Studies it is clear we have much in common and you will want to understand Julie's insights on sacred sexuality.  Tune in to hear why it is important to be intimate with oneself, how to talk to children about sexuality, how to get one's needs met and what it means to be an authentic and genuine human being.  Hear Julie's insights on the role of intimacy or the lack of it, in our relationships. At the crossroads of tonight's broadcast. Susan Shumsky will tellus how to transform our minds, body and emotions with her practice of Instant Healing.  She says in 5 minutes or less, using her powerful spiritual healing and affirmation methods that have proven effective for millions of people for the past 150 years, you can benefit too and change your life.  Tune in!

At the top of the show, Charlotte Cressey will lead us in a discussion titled Living As Love: Co-Creation of a Kind World Through an Embodied Vegan-Feminist Ethic.  We'll delve into the dominator paradigm that makes commodities of women, animals and Mother Earth and the myth of a humane animal agriculture.  We''ll get into the damage of sexually explicit media and how this is a symptom of this dominator patriarchal paradigm we're living in.  After this show you will be able to "connect the dots" and speak to anyone on these important and interrelated topics including learning ways to heal our bodies and the planet. Followed by John Michael Greer, author and Druid speaking about Spiritual Ecology.  We'll delve into JMG's views on genered spirituality, define Spiritual Ecology and "mystery teachings" and discuss creating our own reality.  You won't want to miss our discussion on what spiritual ecology teaches about magic and the future.  JMG is the author of Natural Magic,Mystery Teachings from the Living Earth, Spiritual Ecology, The New Encyclopedia of the Occult, The Druidry Handbook and the Druid Magic Handbook.  

Tonight's show might easily be titled Everything You Always Wanted to know about Sacred Sex and Drug Use in Sacred Ritual...Dr. Tom Roberts, author of The Pschedelic Future of the Mind: Enhancing Cognition, Boosting Intelligence and Raising Values proposes bold new research directions and methodologies that advance what psychedelic research can become and how it can enhance our lives. We'll also be discussing his older book, Spiritual Growth and Entheogens: Psychoative Sacramentals and Human Transformation and I'll asking him about the use of hallucinogens in sacred ritual. Crossing the threshold into the second half of the show, Caroline Muir, author of Tantra Goddess, chats about Sexual Consciousness and Passionate Prayer as we delve into how sexual education and Tantra Yoga are relevant to the Sacred Feminine, explore the nature of Shakti, Sexual Healing and Awakening and the Divine Feminine Institute for Men and Women.

Tonight for your listening pleasure we will start off with a very controversial topic that might sound off-topic, but is it really?  Why the Buildings Fell on 9/11.  David Chandler, retired physics and math teacher for three decades got curious about how the buildings could have fallen on 9-11 after seeing videos. He drew on his knowledge and experience to analyze what he saw happening and he's going to share it with you.  Why isn't this off-topic for us?  Well, once one considers how history has been written by the conquerors, how patriarchy uses sexism, racism and worker exploitation to get what it wants, how Herstory has been subverted, how an administration can lie a country into a bogus war - then your mind opens to many possibilities and one has to have the courage to ask hard questions of the status quo and use critical thinking even when it leads to disturbing possibilities! Then in the second part of the show, Dominick James, author of The Reiki Man trilogy, will talk about the power of using Reiki.  We'll look at what it is, why some in the Church are so afraid of it and warn their congregants against using it.  We'll also discuss what Reiki can lead to and how it might help your life.

Earl Lee, University Professor at Pittsburg State University and the author of numerous books and articles will discuss his book, From the Bodies of the Gods: Psychoactive Plants & the Cults of the Dead....The origins of modern religion in human sacrifice, ritual cannibalism, visionary intoxication, and the Cult of the Dead.  We'll explore -• Explores ancient practices of producing sacred hallucinogenic foods and oils from the bodies of the dead for ritual consumption and religious anointing • Explains how these practices are deeply embedded in the symbolism, theology, and sacraments of modern religion, specifically Christianity and the Eucharist * These practices continued openly into the Dark Ages, when they were suppressed and adapted into the worship of saintly bones--or continued in secret by a few “heretical” sects, such as the Cathars and the Knights Templar. While little known today, these rites remain deeply embedded in the symbolism, theology, and sacraments of modern religion and bring a much more literal meaning to the church’s “Holy Communion” Crossing the threshold into the second half of the show, we have author Tony Burroughs, author of The Law of Agreement helping us discover the true power of intention.  Learn about intentional living and how when we lend our agreement to a belief, we reinforce it and make it stronger.  Tony will tell us about the opportunity in adversity and what happens when we don't get what we want.  Tony is a storyteller and co-founder of The Intenders of the Highest Good, a grassroots community movement with Intenders Circles in countries across the globe.  

As has become the Spring tradition, I share with listeners my Spring Ostara Meditation which can be used throughout the season.  The Spring Meditation is intended to raise awareness of this budding season of abundance and fertility, as well as suggest religious tolerance and show how we might find common ground with progressive Christianity.