The Fall - What Happened...?

Around 4,000 BC, a change so dramatic, so life-altering, so cataclysmic occured, that it changed everything.

And no ... it's not all because some woman named "Eve" ate a piece of fruit.

(That would be the metaphorical rendering of one particular group of people, trying to describe what had happened.)

There had been gradual warning signs ... from an outbreak of random violence in Turkey (which was linked to drought) ... to some Semitic people invading Syria and Mesopotamia ... but it wasn't until 4,000 BC that violence became pandemic, with continuous wars, social oppression on a large scale, and prevalent male domination.

But why 4,000 BC?

Prior to this time, most of the humans lived in the regression of the great glaciers, as the last Ice Age receded. As the glaciers (sloooooowly) regressed, the land in their wake was fertile and lush ... plants and animals flourished, and food was plentiful for the humans. But a dramatic climate change occurred at the end of the ice age ... not only did the ice recede, but the land dried out, and the air became arid ... transforming previously lush lands into the deserts that are now the Sahara and the Gobi, and the Arabian and Iranian deserts in the Middle East (fossils and cave drawings attest to the plant and animal life that once flourished there -- species that could no longer survive the harsh climate).

Now, a funny thing happens when the land goes arid. The positive ions that exist in such regions actually have a negative affect on humans -- actually causing discontent, anxiety, and intense fear for survival. The peace loving humans turned on one another -- particularly now that they had to compete for food, water, life. Humans suddenly got all cranky. What had previously been plentiful was suddenly scarce. Quite suddenly, men became the ones who had to hunt the scarce animals for food (plants wouldn't survive long) ... they returned to migrating, chasing the animals ... suddenly the earth was no longer a source of provision, but a thing to be conquered (shades of the Garden of Eden -- the thorny earth, and the sweat of the brow) ... suddenly women were seen as distractions, sex was seen as dangerous (energy-sapping), and children were seen as inconvenient mouths to feed. It only takes a couple of generations of treating some as "less than" for a new consciousness to be cemented in a culture ... particularly when the children grow up feeling invalidated. It didn't take long for the cultures to switch from matrist, to patrist. This, was the Ego-Explosion... when love was replaced with fear.

As these desperate Saharasian nomads pushed into other settled lands, farther north, south and east, they brought destruction into the places they sought to conquer, in the name of survival. They saw themselves as superior (& there's evidence that the ego gave birth to a higher level of intellect, as they needed new skills in order to survive). But they had lost their reverence for nature ... as ego goes up, reverence for life goes down. The Womb-Spirit with a Female nature was replaced with the Male Sky God, who was as angry, distant and warlike as His worshippers (creating god in their own image!).

For the first time in all of history, graves began to take on different sizes ... indicating class distinctions. Some people were more valuable than others. Possessions now begin to be added in to the graves (along with still-alive wives and concubines!) ... and we find the first indications of slavery -- humans "owning" other humans. It seems to have been the practice to kill the men in the villages they conquered, but to keep the women and girls, who became concubines and slaves (reminds me of a biblical passage ... where they believed God told them to do this).

All over the planet, it was the same story ... the regions that dried out, altered the human psyche from peace to war ... and the invasions of those war-like humans wrought devastation to those who were conquered by them. Each area that was conquered by the Saharasian people, made a transition from matrism, to patrism. From Spirit-focus, to ego-focus.

Steve Taylor writes:

From this point on everything is different. There are no more female figurines, no more artistic depictions of natural phenomena, and no more communal graves ... Now war takes precedence over nature in art, and death seems to take precedence over life. Weapons are found everywhere, and settlements are always fortified and walled."

Historian P. Stern writes:

they were introducing violence to a part of the world that previously had been relatively peaceful. And along with ruthless invasions, undeclared warfare, and appropriations of women as their rightful spoils, they were developing a society in which masculinity was supreme. An insatiable desire for property and power, together with insensitivity to pain and suffering in themselves as well as in others, characterized everything they did.

(Sound familiar?)

Now, we have to also acknowledge that there were some positive aspects to this new egoic psyche that emerged with The Fall. Along with the brutality and selfishnes, we see a new kind of intellectual ability, a new level of inventiveness. In fact, the millennium prior to 3,000 BC contained likely the most explosively inventive years in all of history, prior to the 1700's AD. During this time we see the wheel, the plough, wagons, sailing ships, writing systems, number systems, and calendars come forth (but, I have to wonder, at what price?). Most of these came out of Egypt and Sumer -- the first post-Fall civilizations in history.

It seems clear that the Egyptians and Sumerians were the descendants of the migrating nomads from the deserts ... who inherited the large male-dominated egos of those invaders. Refuges of desertification. Cranky folks. Brutal people with an insatiable lust for possessions. Status-differentiation takes on new levels...!

This is inordinately portrayed in the burial monuments to the bodies of dead kings -- the pyramids. Gargantuan edifices built at enormous cost to hold the corpses of dead rulers, while the bodies of the slaves who built them were tossed into common pits.

Life has continued in much the same way ... with some of the worst atrocities of brutality continuing in the areas that have remained arid (such as the Middle East today). The story has been that of more and more violence, more and more repression, suffering untold, acute anxiety, fear of disaster ... which would then complete the cycle by creating more of a compulsion toward violence (it was the same story in Europe, but not as brutal ... it seems that the farther one got from the desertificated areas, the less intense the violence was).

What's interesting is that the three great monotheistic religions of the desert (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), arose out of this egoic/patristic mindset ... and they each dogmatized the negative attitudes toward sex, the body, women, and the natural world -- creating a sense of "separation" ... enmity ... "otherness" - between believers and unbelievers, between male and female, between faithful and infidels. All three religious groups began intense fighting with each other, and even infighting within each group. Ego despises the aspects of the Spirit ...

I found this passage of Taylor's to be horribly profound:

"With the spread of Christianity a stronger anti-female attitude took hold all over Europe. Men (particularly clergymen) began to see women as evil temptresses with a naturally sinful nature, who were easily influenced by - and often working for - Satan. This led to the catastrophic witch-craze of the Middle Ages, when, according to some estimates, during the years 1485 to 1784 at least 9 million innocent women were murdered as "witches," mostly at the behest of celibate clergymen. Bishops saw the rooting out of "dangerous" women - which often just meant women who were more intelligent, independent, wealthy or beautiful than normal - as a God-given duty, and boasted of the number they killed. The Spanish Inquisitor Torquemada, for example, boasted of having over 1000,000 people executed (nearly all of them women). The historian Gordan Rattray Taylor notes that the murder of women - together with other religious persecutions by the Spanish Inquisition - was responsible for reducing the population of Spain from 20 million to 6 million in two centuries."

As a woman, I have to say that I feel the agonizing weight of this ... as if the collective pain of all those women kicks me in the gut. It's wrenching (& this is just the report -- not the descriptions of what they went through!)... may we never live under another theocracy!

Yes, humankind has made amazing advancements in the realms of technology, medicine, science ... but when we look at what happened 6,000 years ago, and what has happened with the human psyche since, it's sickeningly clear that the most definitive event in human history was a sudden and cataclysmic *regression* -- a shift from peace to chaos, from peace to war, from life-celebration to wretchedness ... from sanity to INsanity.

Next, I'll refer to some people-groups that somehow were not affected by the Fall ... many of which are still among us today ...

Shalom, Dena

Life Before The Fall ...

Yesterday, we looked at the various ways we've been in malaise in our cultures for the past 6,000 years ... and we can easily imagine that it's always been this way.

But has it?

Let's go back waaaaaaaaay back ... for many thousands of years ('til around 8,000 BC), all humans were hunter-gatherers ... the man hunted, and the woman gathered nuts, fruits and vegetables. They were migratory ... moving to follow the food supply. The tribes were small (a few dozen each), and they would frequently meet and interact with other tribes ... with no conflict. There was plenty of food for all. It was once assumed that men must be "in charge" as the primary food-suppliers ... but recent research (& observations of hunter-gatherer groups that exist today) demonstrate that the women provided the vast majority of the food (the hunting provided only 10% of the food supply). Perhaps we should call them gatherer-hunters...?

Their lives were quite leisurely ... a few hours per day was for gathering the food, and the rest of the time was spent in story-telling, dancing, arts, music, and being with loved ones. A very low-stress lifestyle. The communities were peaceful. They were also strikingly healthy -- much to our surprise! Their skeletons were large, well-developed, and larger than those found after 6,000 years ago. Their teeth show little decay (health seemed to decline, once corn began to be planted ... malnutrition set in). And when animals were domesticated, unknown diseases were introduced -- the flu (from pigs and ducks), colds (from horses), pox (from cows), and measles (from dogs). [I did NOT know this!]

Archaeological records throughout the planet tell us that there is almost NO evidence of any warfare during the entire gatherer-hunter stage of history! Although we have a plethora of tools, pots and other artifacts, there is no evidence of weapons. The drawings on over 300 caves from this era depict no warfare, no weapons, and no warriors.

These ancient gatherer-hunters had an egalitarian view ... all were equal, regardless of gender, or age. There is no evidence of "status" ... all graves are of equal size -- further, possessions are not seen as important, as they are not found IN the graves (as with later societies). It also seems that gatherer-hunters were not territorial ... they seemed to not believe that the land belonged to them ... but that they were one with the land (much as with Native Americans). Someone else approaching, did not mean encroaching, to them.

There was a marked lack of patriarchy -- no assumption that the male was superior. Since women provided most of the food, they were considered valuable equals ... and since the observation was that life came forth from the woman, she was highly esteemed (later on, we'll find out how the oppression of women is closely linked to devaluing of the body, of the earth, and a negative view of instincts and bodily functions). Interestingly, almost all indigenous peoples were matrilineal -- meaning that property and family lines were passed on through the woman -- even though women did not rule over men ... it seems that the natural female psyche does not seek to "lord over" but to share. [Just a couple of weeks ago, I heard on NPR that the rescuers in Haiti are passing out food tickets, to reduce mobs ... if they gave tickets to men, the men would hoard the food ... if they gave tickets to women, the women would share with all.]

In these early, Pre-Fall societies, men did not have authority over women ... and in fact, the men didn't seek to rule over anyone. If anyone showed signs of desiring power or wealth, that person is usually kept from leading, as it was considered unthinkable for anyone to tell anyone else what to do (this is still the case among many of the Eskimo tribes). Boastfulness, aggression, superiority were frowned upon, and put down.

These early humans seemed to be amazingly free of all the social suffering that has been our common misery for so long. According to Steve Taylor:

The archaeological and ethnographic evidence overwhelmingly suggests that during the whole of this period human groups didn't wage war with one another, didn't dominate and abuse members of the opposite sex, and didn't oppress and exploit each other.

For those of us who stayed awake during our early history classes, and who may remember what we were taught (yeah, all 3 of you), you may be wondering, "So what happened once horticulture/agriculture set in? Did they get all angst-ridden then?"

Nope. But let's look at that time-frame.

It seems that around 8,000 BC, people left the hunger-gatherer lifestyle, and began to domesticate animals, rather than hunting them. No one's clear about why this happened ... but it's suggested that perhaps the population could no longer be sustained by the hunting. The earth was having a "global warming" experience (sheesh - our carbon output was mucking it up all the way back then!), and migratory patterns of animals altered. So, animals were gathered, and gardening began. Women still played a major role, as they did most of the gardening, while the men tended the children (as is the case among many Aboriginal tribes today).

And so, humans settled down.

And yet, the archaeological record continues to support that they continued in the same social characteristics ... no warfare, no violence, no suppression of women or each other, no class status, and evidence that they led by consensus (group agreement).

Now, once upon a time, historians believed and taught that conflict arose once humans developed towns/villages ... that living in close contact brought conflict.

Not true, says the evidence. Apparently, many large towns sprung up throughout the Middle East and Europe, without resulting in warfare or inequality. One such town was Catal Huyuk in southern Turkey (which was excavated in 1952). The population is estimated to be around 7,000, between 7000 and 5500 BC. There is no evidence of damage due to warfare, and no sign of any sort of violence. It was a multi-ethnic society, but apparently without conflict. The houses and graves are of the same size -- suggesting no inequality. There are signs of many crafts and arts -- pottery, tools, and religious icons (interestingly, all religious art indicates that they saw the Divine as female, not male -- the Womb was seen as the Source of all Life).

Taylor says, "Some Neolithic cultures reached such a high level of development that archaeologists have suggested that the traditional view that 'civilisation' began in Egypt and Sumer in the third millennium BC should be revised." Throughout "Old Europe", in this time, there were many cities/towns with several thousand people in them ... many of whom were highly skilled craftsmen and engineers ... some temples were several storeys high ... they developed roads and drainage systems. They also had a simple writing system, used for religious purposes.

And yet -- there is no sign of any conflict, much less war.

These were peace-loving, art-flourishing, highly reverential and respectful people.

And this way of life was not confined to Europe and the Middle-East ... in China, there are legends that speak of a "Golden Age" before all the warfare came. The archaeological records support these legends being based in reality. No defensive walls, no war weapons ... children took their mother's surname.

So, what were these people like?


These peaceful cultures were devoid of the concept of sin, repression and suffering. Rather, there was a prevailing atmosphere of joy, the sacredness of all life, and seeing beauty in the world. It was good -- very good. There seems to be no fear of death -- the artwork shows an enjoyment of life, and closeness to nature. They had no sense of separation from all that is ... they had an attachment to the natural world, and lived in harmony with the cycles of it. Their artwork shows "an awe and wonder at the mystery of life."

There was no sense of separation between religion and all of life -- all was sacred ... they were one with the Divine. God/Spirit was everywhere, in all things ... everything and everyone was a manifestation of the Spirit. They didn't have the concept of "gods" ... (this came later) ... but they saw all connected to the Great Spirit. They also had a natural attitude toward their bodies and sex -- with no sense of shame. All of life was seen as infused with the Spirit.

So, here's the snapshot of life up 'til 6,000 BC:

The population was likely around 100 million ... horticulture was wide-spread ... though many regions were still populated with the hunter-gatherers (both groups sharing the same peaceful nature). James DeMeo writes in his book, "Saharasia" that matrism refers to cultures that are "democratic, egalitarian, sex-positive", and has no violence.

If this sounds like paradise, it certainly explains why so many later cultures, who remembered this time, referred to the pre-Fall time as a "Golden Age", or when life was perfect (by contrast!). The Garden of Eden was the Semitic people's version of life before the Fall ...!

But everything was about to change, in 4,000 BC ... a cataclysmic shirt was about to occur...!

Next: The Fall -- What Happened.

Shalom, Dena

Whatsa Matter With Humans?!?

Okey-dokey then ... I'm launching into this exploration of "The Fall" by Steve Young -- and yes, I do recommend the reading of this book ... I'll hit some highlights, but there's a wealth of info here, to which I just cannot do justice.

It wouldn't taken an "alien" observer very long at all to conclude that the human race (at least on Earth), is an inordinately violent species. In fact, the humans are the *most* violent species on this planet. Some say that this is just our inherent nature -- that we've always been this way (perhaps due to too much testosterone in males, or a "selfish gene"). Steve Taylor sets out to say, "this just ain't so" ('cept he doesn't say "ain't").

First, war is foreign to the rest of the animal kingdom (with the rare exception of some apes, who appear to react with war-like actions after being disrupted by humans -- interesting in and of itself).

Secondly, while we're told that war is "as old as humanity", war is actually a relatively recent development ... "recent" being relative to how long humans have been on the planet (roughly 125,000 years, by some estimates -- the problem is that someone, who shall remain nameless, went and misplaced that first photo-album, so no one knows for sure!).

What's incredibly interesting, and enlightening, is that war began only 4,000 years ago. Now, along with war, there are other main characteristics of human societies throughout the world/history (with a few exceptions that we'll look at later). War, as mentioned, and patriarchy (or male-domination), and social inequality (class status distinctions).

Which brings up another point -- to say that the human race as "always" waged war is only half true. The reality is that only half the human race has done so --the male half. And, further, males have fought against females as well. The past few thousand years have demonstrated a long rampage of brutal oppression of women by men (hang in there, this isn't going to be unabashed male-bashing!).

What's interesting, is that the artwork, the burial sites, and other evidences of life during the early Neolithic (Old Stone Age) societies show a lack of evidence for men dominating women. It seems that women played just as equal a role in those societies as did men. Some were even distinctly matriarchal (which meant women-revered, rather than women-dominating).

But something happened 6,000 years ago (~4,000 BC), that brought about a cataclysmic change -- since that time, patriarchy developed, and the status of women plummeted ... suddenly women could not own property or land ... Assyrian men punished a rapist by turning over his wife to the husband of the victim, so that he could treat her as he desired, in his rage. ritual widow murder/suicide was practiced in many societies ... and to this day, there are cultures in which women are little more than slaves. If an unmarried girl is raped in some areas of the Middle East (even if she's raped by her own relative), there's a strong chance that she'll be murdered by another relative, in order to "save honor" for the family. In Saudi Arabia, a woman can be stoned to death for committing adultery -- while a man is allowed to marry four times. In China, women were subjected to having their feet bound and mutilated, in order to meet a standard of beauty imposed on them (and to keep them unable to get around). Beating of wives has been considered a good and sound practice -- to "keep women in line," since they were considered to be overly emotional and undisciplined -- they needed to be taught self control via violence (this rational is still used by men who abuse women). Females are killed by infanticide FAR more than are males. Female "circumcision" (genital mutilation) is practiced in some countries today ... in order to prevent women from enjoying sex, and to keep them from straying (many have life-long infections, or actually "close up" as they heal ... requiring yet another mutilation prior to marriage). And then we have the Inquisition, and the witch-hunts -- the state-sanctioned, church-approved mass murder of thousands (some say over a million) of women who dared to speak out, to heal the suffering (mid-wives), or, heaven forbid, dared to be too attractive for the comfort of the men who saw them.

But it's not just women who have suffered from patriarchy -- men have dominated and oppressed each other as well. Since 4000 BC, the unfolding story has been of the brutal oppression of "many" by "some". Caste systems were created, land-owners (who lived in luxury) prevailed over the serfs (who lived in utter squalor).

All of this came about because many men didn't consider either women, or most other men, as truly human -- they were sub-human creatures who didn't deserve empathy or equality.

So, what's wrong with humans? What happened? We're so used to violence, oppression, class status, inequalities, that it's hard to imagine how odd and even *insane* all of this would appear to an "alien" (impartial) observer. Is life really meant to be this way?

Are our religious explanations correct? Did we plunge into this darkness due to a choice of rebellion against God? What's interesting is how the very people who have been so brutally oppressed, are the same people who have sought to console their suffering with a religious belief in a rewarding afterlife ...

Beyond the physical suffering, there is also the psychological suffering we humans experience. We struggle to be happy. We seem bent to suffer ... all around us we see depression, drug abuse, alcoholism, eating disorders, psychological disorders ... anxieties, worries, guilt, shame, regret, jealousy and bitterness. We ain't happy campers. Why are so few of us content or joyful?

Interestingly, it appears that our earlier ancestors, those prior to 4,000BC lived more peaceful, content, and satisfied lives than we do. We can see this in "less civilized" cultures today -- i.e., the Native Americans, the Eskimos, the Aborigines of Australia, and the Pygmies of Africa. They don't seem to suffer with as much psychological malaise, as we do in the "more civilized" cultures.

Evidence mounts that something happened ... a giant transformation amongst humans ... an "opening of Pandora's box" that spread ...

Let's look at our current state of "discontent" -- we seem wholly restless, finding it difficult, if not impossible, to *do nothing* -- we seem to need to have something external happening at all times, to distract us from the inner pain and discomfort ... we seem driven to ensure that we are never inactive, and alone with ourselves. We fear going "within." It's even likely that most of us spend so much time watching TV, because it's incredibly effective at keeping our attention focused *outside* of ourselves.

Why are we so driven to *do*, rather than to *be*...?

Why are we afraid of looking within, facing our souls?

Why do unemployed and retired people more prone to depression? Could it be that they cannot stand the lack of distraction that a job offers?

And why are we so driven to own *things*? We spend most of our time earning the means to possess stuff.

Similarly, we're driven to be ea "success" in the eyes of others. We crave status, attention, applause, accolades, respect, admiration. We seem to *need* to become "special and important people." We feel a huge lack within ourselves ... and we're driven to fill it from the outside.

And why, when we accumulate the money, and the stuff, and the respect, and the admiration, why is it that we're NOT satisfied...? Why do we live in a perpetual state of *wanting*...?

According to Steve Taylor, "there seems to be a kind of psychological discord inside us, an inner discontent that continually plagues and torments us ... paying for our talent [and achievements] with psychological imbalance and turmoil."

As the Buddha said, "An enemy cam hurt an enemy, and a man who hates can harm another man; but a man's mind, if wrongly directed, can do him far greater harm."

We have met the enemy, and he is us.

So, what went so wrong, that we're bent on destroying ourselves, each other, and our planet?

Let's hear what Steve Taylor says:

Should we assume that human beings are just naturally violent, sadistic, and discontented, so that there's nothing we can do about it, as the evolutionary psychologists (who tell us that war and patriarchy are the result of natural and sexual selection) and the physicalist scientists (who tell us that they're the result of hormones and brain chemicals) would have us believe? Or, as the myths of a "Fall" which are common to so many of the world's cultures suggest, was there an earlier time of relative harmony, a time when these problems didn't exist, and a point when for some reason a giant change occurred, and we "fell" out of harmony and into social chaos and psychic disorder?

It's my intention in this book to show that this latter scenario is the true one, and that there really was a point in history when something went wrong with human beings.

Something did happen, which brought about not only this incredible malaise, but also gave rise to the incredibly positive advancements in our creativity, our ingenuity, and our technological/scientific achievements.

All of this came about 6,000 years ago, during The Fall -- or, the Ego Explosion.

Next, I'll describe what life was like prior to The Fall -- according to some surprising sources of evidence..!

Shalom, Dena

"The Fall" in a Nutshell...

Tomorrow, I'll begin sharing some highlights in "The Fall" by Steve Taylor. For those who aren't yet familiar with it, feel free to check it out, via the synopsis and reviews on Amazon, and you can even read the entire introduction in the "See Inside" portion (top left corner - click on the photo of the book).

In the meanwhile, I'll share here a sneak-preview of coming attractions ... a preview that is rated G for all audiences ... perchance to whet your appetite.

Once upon a time, there was a "Golden Age" upon the earth. This earth. Hard to believe, no? And yet, archaeological, geological and historical records give hard and strong evidence to this. Sociologically, every culture has a story, a myth, of this Golden Age ... and of something rather cataclysmic occurring, about 6,000 years ago, that dramatically and drastically altered that peaceful life.

The Judeo-Christian story for it is recorded in the biblical book of Genesis ... and when it's read as the metaphorical myth that it was intended to be, we learn much of the depth there ... which is hidden from view when a more western/literal/historical interpretation is forced upon it.

Yes, there was life on earth prior to Genesis ...!

And not Neanderthal cave-dwellers, either ... but a flourishing civilization ... many tribes, throughout the world, living in peaceful, egalitarian, hunter-gatherer societies ... complete with buildings (some as high as five-storey!), roads, rough sewers, and flourishing expressions of art.

These societies were largely matriarchal ... which does not imply that women *dominated* ... that's not the nature of the female psyche -- but that women were highly revered, even seen as the symbols of the source of life. All live was seen as reverential, infused with the Spirit of all, and this Spirit was seen as All in All.

The original understanding of this Spirit, of God, of the Source of All Life was of "Mother". Womb. During this time, all were equal ... a time of equality for all ... sharing of all things among all. No ego-dominance, therefore no competition. The arts flourished ... the people were healthier, physically and emotionally. Less stress. More freedom. No violence. No dominance. God was seen as in all things, sustaining all things ... all was one. Infused with the divine.

The Garden of Eden, and the other "Golden Age" stories, which all cultures have, speak of this time. It was a time before the ego-explosion of 6,000 years ago. The Genesis account of the Garden of Eden speaks of this in metaphoric terms ... of the "fall" into the ego, into duality, into thinking in terms of "good and evil" ... into the realm in which man did indeed rule over woman, and woman did indeed begin to seek her identity in man. When the fertile regions did become desert, and food became scarce ... when people began competing and fighting ... things of the earth/body/sex/female became abhorrent and devalued ... violence and suppression of women began, and has continued.

And it was IN that time when the scriptures were written, during the reign of patriarchy (which we've been in since then), wherein the concept of God as Womb/Mother was replaced with the Male "God in the Sky" -- separate and distant ... angry and war-like (just like the dominating, patriarchal men). So of course God would be seen as "Father" only. And of course Jesus would meet them where they were, and lead them into more. Our problem is that we stopped with them then ... we've limited our understanding to theirs.

The God I've been experiencing, since I cried out to know what's of man and what's of God, is not the distant, male, separate, war-like God of patriarchy. The God I experience is a God of All-Inclusiveness, all in all, pure and perfect Love, pure and perfect Wisdom, the One within who leads and guides and nurtures and reveals.

And this God is leading me to explore the feminine side of Divinity ... as I'm quite familiar with the masculine side.

The goal is transcendence and integration ... but you can't integrate that which you've not experienced.

I'm open to experiencing whatever God leads me into.

I'll share more of what I've been learning in this book, and in the one that I read after it ... "The Dance of the Dissident Daughter."

Men -- this is NOT just "for women"! Patriarchy has damaged and enslaved men, just as it's damaged and enslaved women ... perhaps in just more subtle ways. This is about the freedom of HUMANITY, not just of women. This will not be about male-bashing ... I happen to adore men (including my own husband and five sons). This is about exposing the egoic, patriarchal system that has done much harm, and which is threatening to destroy us all.

But we have the option of waking up.

Join me in this discovery ...!

Shalom, Dena

Wake Up Laughing, And Wise Up Loving

[Sharing a bit of levity, 'til I recover from another trip, and then plunge into reviewing/sharing "The Fall" ... enjoy!]


Swami Beyondananda's State of the Universe Address 2010

Wake Up Laughing, And Wise Up Loving:
The Upwising Has Begun!
By Swami Beyondananda

"We're not here to earn God's love, we're here to spend it!"
-- Swami Beyondananda

Well, another 12-month episode of that long-running comedy of situations, Universe Knows Best, is in the can, and you'll be happy to know the show has been renewed for another season. The Producer thinks it's hilarious.

However, if you're like most of us, you really had to strain to hear the laugh track in 2009. Certainly, there was plenty to not laugh about. Take our political system -- please!

A year ago, Americans believed they had chosen not just a new President, but a new precedent. Well, now that the hopium fix is wearing off, we must face the inconvenient truth that if we want a truly new deal, we the people must become the new dealer. Unfortunately, the old dealer seems to have dealt a great hand to the uncommonly wealthy at the expense of the commonwealth.

Obama Bails Out Wall Street, and Bails Out On Main Street

Riding high on the shoulders of public opinion, President Barack Obama came down to earth, showing he -- like anyone else in the employ of the American Empire -- must answer to the Board of Directors, and not the shareholders. To give credit where credit is not due, the Administration bailed out the big banks, which immediately reinvested the money in three big houses: The White House and the two houses of Congress. Yes, it's a buy-ological fact. When the banks are picking up the tab, the government becomes more usurer-friendly.

No wonder they have names like Chase and Wachovia. Sadly, a lot of little folks are feeling walked over. Last year, downsizing and lay-offs affected every industry. I recently went to one of those 50s and 60s rock music nostalgia shows, and was shocked by the line up: The Jackson Four ... The Three Tops ... Two Dog Night ... and the Everly Brother.

Even I went minus last year, and frankly it left me nonplussed. So I too have had to downsize. I'm now wearing smaller pants.

Meanwhile ... the Up-Wising Continues

Fortunately, the up-wising continues, as the body politic now recognizes the difference between change, and chump change. I predict even more awakening and a-wisening in 2010. Americans are waking up left and right, because the news is alarming and the snooze button no longer works. Anger is becoming all the rage, proving once again that old adage: the truth shall upset you free.

As even more shift hits the fan in 2010, the body politic will need all the fortification and nourishment it can get to metabolize the political toxins and neutralize the sociopathogens. And so I am offering my simple and effective two-step program because frankly we don't have time for all twelve: Wake up laughing, wise up loving.

Wake up, because it's time to wake up. Laugh, because there is definitely something funny going on -- even if you can't find the joke hidden in the picture. Yes, waking up is hard to do, so we will need plenty of "ha-ha's" to go with the "aha's." As we wise up to the inconvenient truths hidden behind convenient lies, we will need something to keep us from taking these political toxins poisonally.

That is where love comes in, because love is the one solution that will dissolve negativity. Of this, I am positive: love will positively dissolve negativity.

Step One: Wake Up Laughing

Do you realize that billions of people worldwide go to bed serious every night? And wake up the same way?

Seriously.

So naturally -- or in this case, unnaturally -- the world is in serious condition. Between the stresses of work, the economy, and a steady diet of bad news, is it any wonder so many people have gained weightiness?

Yes, the problem is serious. But the solution is humorous. If gravity's got you down, let levity lift you up. Do you ever wake up in the morning with a funny feeling? Great. Go with it! Feel the levitational pull uplifting the corners of your mouth into a smile. You want to uplift humankind? Uplift your face first, and everyone else will get the idea. It will be like wearing one of those buttons: I lost weightiness. Ask me how.

Step Two: Wise Up Loving

In the midst of our evolutionary up-wising, we must amp up the loving -- particularly loving that which we find most unlovable. Why? The lovable has no problem getting love, because it's so ... lovable. Meanwhile the unlovable is left unloved, and so acts unloving, and becomes even more unlovable. This is a vicious cycle that can indeed become a never-ending cycle of viciousness, unless we end it. So, as the old saying goes, when you find yourself caught up in a vicious cycle, stop peddling and get off.

Now you're going to love this: when we find some lovable part in the unlovable to love, that lovable part expands, and the unlovable shrinks. So ... if you find something unlovable, by loving what is lovable about it, you can love the unlovable to death!

At the same time, we can love the lovableness to life! We do that by focusing on the positive. That is why I have launched my "Just say no to negativity" campaign. It is especially important that we give our children an esteem bath every day. Next time you see your youngster sprawled out on the couch playing video games, speak only positive words of praise: "What's right with you, you useful good-for-something? And wipe that smile on to your face!"

I guarantee that before long, he or she will be hanging out with a savory crowd.


We Can Achieve Fulfilament!

As we wise up to the awful truth, we must then rise up to the awesome opportunity: Humanifest destiny! We are here to manifest our destiny as imaginal souls in the body of a newly emerging organism called Humanity, where each of us is totally unique -- just like everyone else! We are here for one singular purpose -- to let our light fully shine. The enlightened ones call this fulfilament.

And with more delighted lights lighting up, enlightening is going to strike more frequently. A critical mass of us will recognize that we'd be a lot happier and a lot more successful if we put our energy into fruitfully re-growing the Garden instead of fruitlessly scrapping over the scraps. As we children of God put aside childish things like war and greed and finally become adults of God, we will evolve past the Ten Commandments to the One Suggestion: Love thy neighbor, otherwise there goes the Neighborhood.

Yes, this will require conscious evolution, but I say we were created to evolve. Otherwise Jesus would have said, "Now don't do a thing till I get back."

As you probably know, I never make predictions because I don't want to jeopardize my non-prophet status. However, I do set intentions. And so, may 2010 be the year that we collectively tune out reality TV, and tune into ... reality! We are in the hero's role in the greatest adventure story in human history: Conscious evolution! A world win campaign where the whole world can win.

May we use our intelligence intelligently and our hearts lovingly. May we wake up laughing, and may we wise up loving. And may we -- each and all -- achieve fulfilament.

Swami Beyondananda is the alter ego of author and uncommontator Steve Bhaerman, and can be found online at www.wakeuplaughing.com

Our Adventure on TV - Talking Sex...!

Nearly two years ago, we were invited to be on the Mike & Juliet Show, in NYC (Fox network). Seems the notion of Christians who like sex is quite the news.

Our friends, Paul & Lori Byerly, own The Marriage Bed website (& they then lived in our guesthouse). They got a call, asking if they wanted to fly to NYC to be on the show ... and did they know of any couples who'd been impacted by the website. Did they! Only, this couple had to be not-shy, and willing to talk -- did they know of anyone like that? Did they! ;) So, 24 hours after we heard about it, we were whised off to NYC, to take the show. Mark and I were in downtown Times Square, at Midnight, taping a pre-segment ... and then ushered to a *spendy* hotel for a few hours of sleep. Only ... in NYC, trash is picked up ALL night long ... we barely caught any shut-eye, between the sounds of broken glass crashing into dumpsters, metal clanging, and trucks beep*beep*beeping their way backwards ... and we had to be at the studio at zero-dark-thirty. To add to the adventure, I had my make-up applied next to Willem Dafoe. Quite the surreal experience!

Our interview is now a Youtube video ... here's an 8 minute segment of our interview ... fitting, as I delved into this in my recent talk.

It pretty much speaks for itself (& airbrushed make-up is FABulous -- even if it does make me look vaguely Asian).

Enjoy! :)



Shalom, Dena

What Jesus Demonstrated ... and Demonstrates

Building on the past 3 days' posts ... (don't start here! go back and begin on the 11th!).

Here's what I'm seeing Jesus demonstrated, and demonstrates, for us:

~ Jesus shows us God's nature. Which is love. "If you've seen Me, you've seen the Father." Jesus is our plumbline. Our lens. Through Him, we view the Father ... and through Him we can tell what of the Hebrew scriptures are actually God, and what is instead the ego-perspective of man, projected onto God. Everything about God comes out of His love -- even what we would egoically describe as His "wrath." God is in the healing business, not the punishment business.

~ Jesus shows us what's *not* working. For instance, the entire measure-up system of Judaism (of mankind, period!). Jesus shows us the folly of conventional wisdom, of status quo, of group think. Jesus highlights our egoic insanity. The wisdom of Jesus is subversive/alternative wisdom. Which is the very wisdom of God.

~ Jesus shows us that the gospel and salvation are not what we think they are today. We think it means "accepting that Jesus died in your place, to appease the justice-demand of God." Adjust according to your own denominational background. However, Jesus was instructing the disciples to spread the gospel before the crucifixion and resurrection. And, Jesus was declaring folks saved, before the crucifixion and resurrection (further, David was claiming salvation in the psalms). The disciples couldn't fathom Jesus dying, much less resurrecting. And they couldn't have faith in something that wouldn't occur to them.

~ Jesus shows us that all is fulfilled. According to Jesus, until *all* that was in the law and the prophets (including the prophecies of His parousia/return) was fulfilled, not the smallest portion (not a jot nor tittle) would pass from the Law. IOW, if Jesus hasn't returned (albeit quite differently than the traditions of man describe), then we are all still under the Law, and in the old covenant.

~ Jesus shows us that all are One. Beyond the prayer before the crucifixion, He claimed that whatever we do or do not do to each other, we do or do not do to Him.

~ Jesus shows us that death is not the end of life, but a transition, much like birth is. His body stopped working, but His life went on. Paul says that just as we were crucified with Him, we were resurrected with Him. All life is God's life, and all life is eternal. That's just the nature of life. Death is an illusion.

~ Jesus shows us that the Kingdom of God/Heaven (He used them interchangeably), is not "what happens to us after we die", but that it is here, now, at hand, in our midst, within us. Jesus even used two "unclean" images to define the Kingdom -- a woman spreading yeast in flour -- it permeates the flour, slowly, incrementally, ever-spreading 'til it takes over. NOT a sudden-shift. The Kingdom is that which we experience when we let go of the ego's perspective, and see with God's perspective.

~ Jesus shows us that we need eyes to see. Jesus speaks more about blindness/seeing than about any other paradox, including righteousness/unrighteousness. We need a new perspective, not a new ontology.

~ Jesus shows us that there is no duality in God's perspective. God declared everything "very good" (and never took it back). We are *still* to stay out of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (the perspective of judgment), and instead to eat of the tree of life.

~ Jesus shows us that we are connected to God. The leaders confronted Jesus, asking Him, "do you think you're one with God?" His answer? "Do your scriptures not say, 'you are all gods?'" If you read Psalm 82, which He is quoting, and check out the meaning of the words, you can see that He did not mean "judges" -- which doesn't fit the context. Jesus is telling us who we really ARE - if we have ears to hear, and eyes to see..! IF we can bear it.

I've been accused of arrogance, by "bringing Jesus down to our level." But Jesus already did that. Jesus was a human. Son of Man was how He described Himself. And yes, of course, He was also Son of God. Jesus brings us to HIS level ... to show us that our true identity is In Christ. We are all Sons/Daughters of God -- children of the Most High. God's offspring.

It's truly arrogant to insist, "I'm not part of God -- I'm separate from God!" We only think that's humble. True humility is to see as God sees. So, ask Him to show you how He sees you!

We are Spirit-beings, currently having an earthly/human experience. We came from God, and we return to God. We are God-manifested in physicality .. and all life is God's life.

It is my passion to be set free from all the lies I've ever believed ... and to be a contagious/infections catalyst that inspires others to be set free as well.

May we come to live and breathe our truest/highest/deepest identity ... may we live as we are One ... with God, and with each other.

Shalom, Dena


(The past four posts summarize what I said to the folks at the Baytown conference ... you can compare my memory with what you hear, once the links are available. Oh - and I said a lot more about sex ... but I'll be sharing the video of that aspect tomorrow ...!)