Hopi Message of Hope

Long ago, the Hopi (means People of Peace) were given a plan that would guide them through this time is history. The plan consists of two parallel paths, representing choices that mankind could make. The paths appear very similar, except that the upper path turns into a zigzag that goes nowhere. Those who chose this path will experience this time as great confusion and chaos leading to destruction. The lower path is strong and even. Those choosing this path will grow strong and healthy.

There is a vertical line that connects the two paths, and that until this point is reached, one may move back and forth between the paths. The prophecy tells of a choice point from which there is no return. The prophecy states that "If we hold fast to the sacred way as he (the Creator) devised it for us, what we have gained, we will never lose. But still, we have to choose between the two ways. . .when earthquakes, floods, hailstorms, drought and famine will be the life of every day, the time will have then come for the return to the true path." Hopi prophecy reminds us that the way we live our lives determines which path we follow.
Choose wisely.

Ancient Prayers

Ancient traditions remind us of a lost mode of prayer, one that embraces the consciousness that we embody. The key is feeling as if the prayer has come to pass, that a future dream is a present fact, that the desire has been fulfilled. We give thanks for the creation that is already complete. The prayer is of gratitude for the opportunity to choose which creation we experience, to allow all possibilities to exist and bring the ones we choose into the world.
This attitude comes from a knowing within that we have the power to commune directly with the creative forces of the universe. Faith is the key, as it becomes the acceptance of our power as a directive force in creation. We can trust that our prayers are accomplished by giving thanks that they are alive and manifest in the world.

The Spirit of Sadako

"I will write peace on your wings, and you will fly all over the world."
------ Sadako Sasaki

Sadako, the young girl who survived Hiroshima and died of leukemia 10 years after the bombing, was held in the hearts of those attending the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation's Sadako Peace Day at La Casa de Maria in Santa Barbara. The rainbow colored cranes cascading from the trees gently fluttered their wings in remembrance. Sadako's spirit was present during the beautiful tribute of music, poetry, reflections, peace and love, but especially when a bird flew into the peace garden and perched above the gathering during the Music Academy Chamber Ensemble performance of Pachelbel's Canon, touching the heart strings of the audience.

Pilulaw Khus, a Chumash Elder and the Mother of the Bear Clan who offered the opening ritual spoke of the ancients who lived on this land, this refuge of peace beneath the giant eucalyptus tree, that they were peaceful people. She reminded us that it doesn't mean much to say peace unless you put peace into your life and into action. "We must get to peace committment." She said that "When we see the crane, we know that it is Sadako the messenger of Peace. She was powerful in her statement that can't be ignored. . .she spoke from a place of truth." The thoughts and prayers for peace from the hearts of those who gathered were sent out into the world on the wings of Sadako's cranes. May Sadako's spirit live in all of our hearts. Peace.

Many thanks to the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and all of those who contributed to a beautiful and soulful remembrance.

The Crane: A Symbol of Peace

Hiroshima Day –
in my heart,
I release a thousand cranes
--- Karma Tenzing Wangchuk

"SADAKO was a two-year old girl when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Ten years later she developed leukemia. Japanese legend holds that one's wish will be granted upon folding 1,000 paper (origami) cranes. Sadako folded 646 before dying. She wrote, "I will write peace on your wings, and you will fly all over the world. The paper crane has become a global symbol of peace."

On 9 August 2005, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation will hold its 11th Annual Sadako Peace Day, a day to remember and pay tribute to the victims of the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as all victims of war. The event will include music, poetry and reflection at Sadako Peace Garden at La Casa de Maria Retreat Center in Montecito, CA . For more information, contact the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation at (805) 965-3443. Quoted from Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.

The Archetype of War

War is an archetype that is imprinted in the collective consciousness, a primordial image that is part of the human psyche. James Hillman, author of "The Terrible Love of War" speaks to the reality of war in our psyches. He states: " War belongs to our souls as an archetypal truth. Our natural state is one of war. We are lived by forces we pretend to understand but in fact do not. Our attitudes and observations are informed by archetypal patterns. War is a mythic theme in our archetypal imagination. It abides through time--timelessly. To understand war we have to recognize that war is a mythical happening; those in the midst of it are removed to a mythical state of being; their return from it seems rationally inexplicable. The love of war tells of a love of the gods - the gods of war. No other account of war, (political, historical, sociological, psychoanalytical), other than mythical can penetrate to the depths of inhuman cruelty, horror, and tragedy and to the heights of mystical transhuman sublimity. On September 20th, 2005 Deepak Chopra and James Hillman are going to engage in a dialogue entitled War and Peace at Emory University in Atlanta.