One of the greatest inventions of the political world and one of the greatest revolutions introduced to humanity is, without a doubt, the sense we have of what we call the movements of masses.

Continuation of Odyssey of Bataou

Whatever the diversity of the excuses we bring, these excuses by themselves shed light on one fact: our perception of good, evil, sacred, profane, etc. only have the qualities that have been allocated to them by our imagination and fantasy. If we persist in believing in our goodness despite the fact that we are destroying our neighbor and despite the quantity of tears and blood that flows around us, we must recognize that we are using our belief and faith like a life preserver in the sea of blood and tears that is eternal.

Because all the adults in the household usually must work to provide the necessities for their families, children are left without supervision much of the time. Television and video (promoting fighting, games killing, and violence) have replaced outdoor neighborhood games and constructive activities.

We are conditioned to see our successes and our failures based on very specific criteria that are set by the system, rather than our own set of criteria based on informed choices and spiritual values. The result of this conditioning leaves us feeling empty and alone, despite our perceived level of success.

Cat's Claw is a tropical vine that grows in rainforest and jungle areas in South America and Asia. Some cultures refer to the plant as the "Sacred Herb of the Rain Forest" thorns at the base of the leaves look like a cat's claw, allowing the vine to attach itself to trees (and climb up to 100 feet!), hence its name. Cat's Claw is a very powerful plant, and it is protected in Peru as a medicinal resource.

The concept of corruption is a topic for discussion throughout the world. Every day, we hear about the corruption of society, our politicians. our families, and our communities; as common a concept as this is, I find it fascinating that we all seem to know so little about how corruption affects our own lives.

The industrialization of our food supply has proven to be dangerous. Our food is altered genetically and has now been found to be nutritionally deficient due to industrial farming practices. Buying organic foods, natural foods, and grass-fed meat is one option, but the entire farming industry must change for our own survival and well-being.

Reflections on Commandment #11 by initiates

Examples of colonialism and imperialism are not lacking in the news, but for one living in a society that practices these tactics on the world (including their own citizens), they can be difficult to recognize. Hopefully, by becoming more aware of examples of such practices, we will be able to recognize when we are victims of these oppressions.

Anokye declared that the Sika 'Dwa represented the well-being of all Akan people and symbolized their unity, power, and strength. Should the Sika 'Dwa ever leave the hands of the Asante nation, the Asante would lose its power and would eventually disintegrate into chaos. He also reminded the Chiefs that the occupant of the Sika "Dwa must be respected as their supreme ruler and authority.

We Americans take much for granted and are, generally, a blind lot who do not understand how our greed and comfort contribute to the suffering of others. As we blissfully sip our morning cup-o’-joe in our air-conditioned car, home, or office, we tend to think of our own preoccupying lives, wishes, hopes, and desires. While we drive our cars to work, to the mall, or to baseball practice, we complain to ourselves about the rising cost of gasoline. Meanwhile, the coffee grower in another part of the world cannot afford to eat or educate his children because he was forced to sell his coffee beans at a price that is below the cost of production.

Preventing asthma is possible. In traditional societies where people live outdoors, asthma is fairly rare because their bodies are used to the pollen and other "pollutants" in the natural air. Exposure to natural environments helps prevent asthma. People who are confined inside buildings, houses, cars, etc., are more likely to develop asthma because their bodies are not used to natural air. Unfiltered air becomes strange to the body, and the body will react by having an asthma attack.

Personal reflections of an initiate on their spiritual journey