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The recent guerrilla war in Guatemala, combined with the very depressed Guatemalan economy due to the collapse of the international coffee market, has driven hundreds of thousands of Mayan Indian refugees to the United States.   There they are often ruthlessly exploited and held in conditions of near-slavery by agribusinesses.   Even where they can obtain fair employment they live in constant fear of denunciation and deportation, especially since the recent immigration law enacted by the present administration.   However it is now possible for illegal immigrants to ask a legal question online.  People who heretofore had nowhere to turn can now consult with an internet lawyer from any library or public internet facility.
There are now websites that enable even the poor to consult with an online immigration lawyer no matter where they live or work.  This promises to bring great benefit to people who heretofore were helpless and apprehensive about revealing their plight to persons in authority.  The anonymity of the internet serves as a protection for people who, because of their history of oppression by the system, have become suspicious of authority in any form.   People who need help can receive an answer to an email legal question  or obtain other online legal services without identifying themselves personally.   This enables those who have been persecuted and victimized to seek aid without fear of reprisal or deportation.  Necessary legal forms are also available online for those who need them.
Unlike the closed-door policy and repression which characterizes present-day governmental policy, online immigration law fulfills the dream of freedom for all which brings helpless refugees to America’s shores.

Setting up a blueberry processing plant represents a major outlay of capital which can be quite difficult for small producers to finance.  One solution is to purchase used processing equipment rather than by purchasing such equipment new whenever this is possible.   For example, used packaging machinery can be obtained for a mere fraction of the price of such machinery purchased first-hand.   A refrigeration unit, a grading belt, a weighing machine, and a used coder machine are other examples of required equipment which a wise producer will consider purchasing second-hand rather than new.  Besides obtaining the benefits of lower initial costs, second-hand equipment is proven and doesn’t require a breaking-in period, with the bugs and engineering headaches and which new machinery often brings.
Strict quality control is a problem faced by all blueberry producers.     For example, an x-ray metal detector to scan outgoing boxes of fruit for metallic trash can be obtained much more cheaply used than new.  Similarly, it is much more economical to obtain used laboratory equipment for quality control than to invest substantial sums to equip a laboratory new, or to rely upon outside consultants.
It is necessary for commercial blueberry growers to have some market for broken and underripe fruit.   If sufficient manpower and time are available, the grower can more profitably process this fruit himself.  For example, a gas kettle is necessary for producing jellies and juices.  A pressure canner and sealing machine can also be purchased much more cheaply second-hand.
The problem with buying used equipment, of course, is to ensure that the machinery is in good repair and that the supplier is responsible and will stand behind the equipment he sells.   It is recommended that the grower avail himself of a reputable company, such as the Frain Group, before investing in used machinery.

Huna, meaning “secret”, is the word coined by Max Freedom Long to describe the ancient tradition of Hawaiian shamanism which he obtained from the Kahunas, or keepers of the secret.  Vacation rentals in Hawaii can be wonderful opportunities to learn some of the techniques of huna in the very place that they originated.  Huna is a set of shamanic practices based upon viewing humans as consisting of three akas, or bodies – a lower, middle, and higher self – which are energized by mana, or vital force.  The purpose of huna practice is to integrate the three selves to make them work harmoniously together.  This is accomplished largely through visualization.
For example, mana, or life force, is symbolized in huna by water.  Thus when kahunas wished to accumulate vital energy they visualized mana rising like water rises in a fountain, higher and higher, until it overflowed.  Thus when people take Hawaii vacations it is best to obtain Hawaii beach accommodations where it is easy to visualize the water (mana) or vital energy.   Tenants of Hawaii beachfront cottages can stand on tiptoes facing the ocean with feet close together, and rake the air with widespread fingers reaching as high as possible.  The raking movement should form a circle bringing the mana energy into the body, while visualizing life force being gathered and stored in the body.
Once sufficient mana has been gathered and the three vital bodies joined, this energy is used to animate prayers (visualizations) for whatever is desired.  First amends should be made for hurts done to other people.  Then one visualizes oneself in the midst of whatever new conditions one is praying for.  This is best done standing before one’s Hawaii beach rental facing the ocean (symbolizing the infinite source of mana).  The kahunas voiced their prayer three times while visualizing it mentally, and imagined sending mana to “water” their prayer.   A Hawaii rental house can thus become a temple dedicated to the practice of huna; and Hawaii vacation rentals can become pilgrimages for spiritual renewal and enlightenment.

Sarah Winchester – the heiress to the Winchester rifle fortune – felt such remorse for all the victims of gun violence that she embarked on a never-ending remodeling of her California mansion – adding room after room after room until her death.   This is an extreme, but one’s home is a symbol for one’s body, one’s place in the world, and by remodeling our homes we can feel like we are renewing and revitalizing our lives.  Thus home improvement can be symbolic of spiritual improvement - of leaving the old behind and beginning anew.
For example, room additions make us feel like we are expanding, moving forward in life, growing emotionally and spiritually.  They can make us feel freer to express our inner vision and needs.  Similarly, because (as Freud pointed out) the bathroom is the place where we perform functions for which we feel shame, bathroom remodels can symbolize a release from the toxic shame which has held us back from expressing our true feelings.
The kitchen is the place of work – it is the no-nonsense room in our house – so kitchen remodeling symbolizes bringing a new, creative impulse into our working lives and reality.   Kitchen renovations can make us feel as though our daily work is more purposeful and meaningful.
Similarly, windows are our eyes on life; thus window replacement symbolizes looking out at life with a fresh perspective or point of view – releasing our obsessions and looking our lives in a new way.   It is important that we make these sorts of symbolic gestures – irrevocable acts of renovation which symbolize breaking with our past and beginning anew – in order to pull ourselves out of our psychological ruts and the mired-down feeling of drudgery.   Remodeling our homes can make us feel that we are remodeling our reality – giving ourselves a new lease on life, with fresh hope for the future.

Many of us New Agers are trying to find ways of bringing the Law of Abundance into reality in our lives.  The problem is that we tend to be troglodytes when it comes to using the latest technologies – as if the Law of Abundance works without a bit of flexibility and willingness to adapt to business realities on our parts.   One cannot be successful without being realistic and keeping up with modern technology.  For example, point of sale displays should be enticing to prospective customers of such items as aromatherapy fragrances, music CD’s, Tarot decks, crystals, flower remedies, pentacles, and magickal tools such as wands, amulets, and chalices.  Studies by major business schools have shown that prospective customers linger at attractive pos displays, which can increase sales by up to 50% in many cases above those of standard checkouts.
Complete point of sale systems include handsome display racks with a variety of different products; and also the modern equipment such as a barcode reader, credit card reader, and cash register systems which make your company appear businesslike instead of New Age flakey.  Orderliness and professionalism give customers a sense of comfort, and lead them to trust in your acumen.
Successful New Age businesses also expand their customer base by enabling prospective customers to buy point of sale online.  The internet is a tool that takes a local business national or international.   Really, if your business isn’t marketing online, then you are thinking small, thoughts – not visions of Abundance.
The Law of Abundance isn’t a matter of keeping your fingers crossed and wishing for the best; it’s a matter of taking charge, using what tools are available, and exuding an air of competence and assurance.   Modern pos systems are a sine qua non for making the Law of Abundance a reality.

When you were little, did you ever pretend you were acting in a movie?  Well, you are.   That’s what the theory of reincarnation tells us.  Because our viewpoint is necessarily couched in linear time it is inconceivable to us that everyone we have met in our lives – even strangers passing on the street who we don’t even nod to – get together on some level and agree to people each other’s lives.   It’s very much like actors in a movie getting together, rehearsing, having a performance, and disbanding at the end.   In our different lifetimes we star in different movies:  sometimes we’re in action movies; sometimes we’re in romances; sometimes we’re in comedy movies; and sometimes we’re in tragedies.
That is to say, sometimes it is just people’s life purpose to suffer unspeakable pain, or boredom and “meaninglessness”.   When we run past life regressions we see that most of our own lives have been like that.  We can call our karmic debt a type of pay per view – the lessons we have to learn are the cost we bear of reincarnating.   It is only when we have burnt out our karma, exhausted the striving which turns the wheel of reincarnation , that we obtain new movie release – that is to say, release from the revolving wheel of life, death, and rebirth.
Past life regressions can be considered movie trailers – glimpses of our karma in other lifetimes and realities.  Running past life regressions are like free movie downloads in which we can obtain an overview of our karma in all our lifetimes without having to actually pay (suffer).  We only burn to DVD – i.e. make a permanent impression in the Akashic Records – when are suffering.  When striving ends, so too does suffering; and when suffering ends, the revolving wheel of reincarnation comes to a halt.

The practice of magic requires going out to nature – particularly to tree spirits – every single day for at least half an hour.  This is the easiest way to release the obsessive fixation of everyday life and get back to experiencing the “suchness” or “thusness” of the world which we knew as infants.   However, many of us work in offices most of the day.  How can we feel ease while imprisoned in a little cubicle for 8 hours at a stretch?  The answer is through ergonomic seating and chairs and other office furniture designed specifically to help us relax and tune out stress.
As Aldo Leopold put it in A Sand County Almanac, “There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot.”  It is comforting and soothing to be surrounded by plants growing in pots, which are as important a part of contemporary office furniture as computer desks.   A pot of flowers on our desk; a trailing vine grown in a pot hanging from the cubicle wall; a bonsai grown on a stand; can help us to feel the presence of nature even in a cubicle.  When we need a moment’s rest and peace, the sight of these wild things reminds us of our connection to a higher reality – that we are part of a natural process.
It’s also important that our corner computer desk, wherein we spend so much of our lives, is comforting rather than stressful.  This is why leather office chairs are so much more conducive to contemplation and relaxation than the plastic-and-steel variety.
When we work at home we have more options in selecting home office furniture which will be conducive to relaxation and ease.  Home office desks and chairs can be selected for comfort rather than looks; and of course we can plant a veritable garden under fluorescent lights in a corner of our home office.
It is important in the practice of magic that we don not permit our daily lives to become a grind – that we find ways to maintain a light, positive mindset and mood no matter what it is that we are doing.  Wise selection of office furniture is one thing we can do to practice magic even in the most unmagical circumstances.

Those of us who cannot swim with dolphins can nonetheless obtain some of the spiritual benefits of communing with the sea and its creatures by keeping fish tanks at home or in the office. Fish are at peace; they’re not going anywhere; and they’re a good model for us New Agers of how to take things easy, take things as they come. Acrylic aquariums can provide hours and hours of fascinating views of nature in our living rooms. The essence of spirituality is acceptance – releasing the constant struggle and striving of our social conditioning – and just going with the flow. Fish are alive, fish are real, fish are a part of nature. Watching fish reminds us how to be fully present in the now moment.
Custom aquariums are easy to take care of. Aquarium supplies such as reverse osmosis systems and protein skimmers make aquarium keeping so simple that even a child can be taught to take care of fish. This is not only a good lesson in taking responsibility for keeping pets, but also introduces children to a love for the world of the sea right in their own homes. Acrylic fish tanks also make an excellent gift for bedridden people, who otherwise soon become bored with the incessant mindless blah-blah of the television. The colorful ballet of the fish is a source of endless joy and pleasure for people whose movement and horizons are limited by disability or illness.
There are scores of varieties of fish suitable for aquariums available – your local pet shop can advise which types need UV sterilizers or an aquarium chiller. The joy of watching the fish reminds us of what is real and what is important in life. We’re not going anywhere in particular; we’re just swimming around in circles.

The Law of Abundance is another way of saying that “you create your own reality” – the things which happen to you in life are the things you visualize in your moment-to-moment thinking.  If your thoughts are of limitation, loneliness, poverty, illness then this is the reality you will bring into manifestation.   Conversely, if your thoughts are of expansiveness, companionship, wealth and health then you will experience a reality of joy.  Putting the Law of Abundance into effect does require discipline – the discipline to focus on what you already possess in your life rather than on what you lack.   For example, instead of comparing yourself to people who are luckier than you are, compare yourself to people who are suffering more.  Instead of agonizing over your money problems, think about all the things which do bring you happiness and a sense of fulfillment.  Instead of dwelling on the partner you lack, focus your attention on the friends and family who love and support you.   If you are alone and without a date, invite yourself for a night on the town.  One way of doing this is by treating yourself to something special, something which makes you happy.  To me this is symbolized by a New York cheesecake, which is my favorite food and to me symbolizes utter joy.
Muslim martyrs get forty virgins when they die, but my heaven is a cheesecake factory.  When I’m feeling blue and at a loss, there is really nothing like a chocolate cheesecake or a strawberry cheesecake to make me appreciate all the good things life offers.  Really, as long as there is cheesecake, how can I complain?   Even for people with dietary problems there are diabetic desserts.
Next time you are feeling down, think about something that brings you up.  This is really just a matter of practice.  Cheesecakes; think cheesecakes!  Nothing symbolizes abundance so much as a cheesecake!  H3/K%9D78#4J

Okay, now you’re a professional, dyed-in-the-wool spirit channel, ready to hang out your shingle and charge for readings.  Now what?

Generally speaking, spirit guides are useless for calling horse races, lottery numbers, or even for predicting the outcome of specific events.  If prediction is what you want, it’s better to use horary astrology, tarot, etc. than to ask of your guides.  My experience is that spirit guides can predict the outcome of certain events when they volunteer the information; but they can’t or won’t predict outcomes merely at our behest.  This is because spirit guides look at things very differently from us; they’re on another wavelength, and the things which are of crucial importance to us are not of consequence to them.  Spirits don’t give a hang about what we call the “future”, and they regard our obsession with it as an odd peculiarity of our species, scarcely worthy of serious notice.  On the other hand, things that spirits believe should be simple for us (such as dropping lifelong habits, addictions, fears, etc. as a simple act of will) in fact present insuperable difficulties which spirits can’t really appreciate.  Even spirits who have had human incarnations tend to forget what it’s like down here.  Things just aren’t as simple as they try to make them seem, because they don’t have to deal with doubt, fear, inertia, temptation, taxes, etc.

Nor are spirit guides capable of pulling our chestnuts out of the fire for us, saving our skins, or changing the outward circumstances of our lives.  There are spirits which can assist us with the concrete problems of our lives to some extent, but spirit guides are basically advisors, not employees.

Spirit guides can’t live our lives for us; they can’t feel our feelings for us, can’t absorb or deflect our pain for us, can’t resolve our problems for us, and can’t find our happiness for us.  All they can do is show us how to take responsibility for doing these things ourselves. 

(excerpted from Bob Makransky’s book Magical Living

  More of Bob Makransky’s articles are posted at:  www.dearbrutus.com  

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