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May/June 2006 NW Newsmakers
Community News

12th AnnualWesak Celebrations in Mount Shasta

The tradition of Mount Shasta’s popular Annual Wesak Celebration will continue this year, in honor of its founder, Dr. Joshua David Stone, whose untimely death last year saddened us all. The festival resumes this year under the direction of Dawn Fazende, editor of Mount Shasta Magazine. Some consider Mount Shasta "the holiest place outside the actual Wesak Valley" and the mountain is considered one of the 7 sacred mountains in the world.

Wesak is named for the legendary annual convergence of Buddha, Christ and other Masters at the hallowed Wesak Valley in the Himalayas, during the full moon occurring in the sun sign of Taurus. Every year devout Buddhists still make the long and arduous pilgrimage to the sacred Wesak Valley, over 24,000 feet above sea level, in the Himalayas of Tibet. By participating in a Wesak celebration, attendees have an opportunity to connect with high-vibrational spiritual energies, which are not otherwise easily accessible.

Great expansions of consciousness are possible because of the blessings of the Wesak. To this end, luminaries and pioneers in the realms of Healing and Conscious Human Evolution converge ethereally around the world, to explore the realms where science and spirit merge on the Quantum frontier.

In 2006, Wesak officially falls on May 13th at 6:52 a.m. The 3-day 2006 Mount Shasta Wesak Festival will run from Friday evening May 12th to Sunday night May 14th.

For more information on the speakers or the festival, see www.wesak.us or call 888-926-9555. To learn about the surrounding attractions contact the Mount Shasta Visitors Bureau at 530-926-4865.

Sacred Activism: Finding a New Political Compass

May 11 - 14, 2006 – Seattle, WA at the Lynwood Conference Center

"All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration. We are the ones we've been waiting for." -          Hopi Elder

Let the real 'sacred activist' inside of you emerge. Sacred Activism Conference is designed to take a stand for progressive values and to galvanize a deeper connection between our spiritual practice and social action. It combines the paths of the mind (vision), the heart (values), and the hand (intention or action) to effectively translate our spiritual experience into significant political and social change.

Nationally known presenters including Robert Kennedy Jr., Marianne Williamson, Caroline Myss, Andrew Harvey, Paul Ray, Rabbi Michael Lerner, Jean Houston, and activist Cindy Sheehan - along with more than 100 speakers and workshops featuring a wide array of local activists and organizations - provide insight, analysis, and examples of what we can do to bring about the profound healing and change so desperately needed today.

Panels and workshops include such topics as interfaith spirituality, social justice, the media, sustainability, integral wisdom, healing, communication skills, wisdom traditions, movement, and the new economy. The conference is moderated by Jim Garrison, president of Wisdom University, a graduate school based in San Francisco dedicated to building a global learning community rooted in the wisdom traditions of the world.

For registration go to www.wisdomuniversity.org/sacred-activism-conference.html. Special Group Discounts available; contact: Victor Bremson at vbremson@comcast.net.

The 2006 Global Sustainability Conference

An inspiring, life changing weekend will be held June 10 – 11 in Seattle, Washington.

The purpose of the Global Sustainability Conference is to support the creation of sustainable, life affirming ways of living and provide important tools and resources one can effectively use at home. Topics to be covered include alternative energy, self sufficiency and living in greater balance with nature; promoting safer, more prosperous communities; what we can do to become part of the solution to such problems as peak oil, climate change, and economic uncertainty.

This conference will create a more life affirming Vision for our future, including information on:
How we can move beyond our nation's addiction to oil; new approaches to wind and solar energy; how to grow your own organic food for 1 person or 100; creating prosperity through alternative forms of money; gold, silver, and the future of money; an introduction to advanced new energy systems; how to effectively organize community interest groups; how to powerfully improve your health and energy level.

Celebrate a greater human possibility! Register at www.newworldseminars.org or call (360-739-3186

Gather the Women North American Congress 2006

Gather the Women North American Congress 2006 will be held in Victoria, British Columbia June 22-24, 2006. This event is one of six congresses on six continents being organized by a grassroots effort for women and women's organizations who share a belief that the time is now to activate the incredible power of women's wisdom on a planetary scale. Gather the Women is a place where new models of feminine collaboration are being born. Among the organizations that joined the Gather the Women Global MatrixSM in 2003 were Millionth Circle, Peace X Peace, Foundation for Conscious Evolution, AYA Partners, Pathways to Peace, Earth Luck International, Spiral Muse, Women of Wisdom, Red Web, and Women Rise for Global Peace.

The Congress registration fee is $125-150, and includes the opening celebration, all Congress events, workshops, Friday evening banquet and Saturday lunch.

For more information contact: Clare Peterson (bcpeter@shaw.ca) , Kathe Schaaf (kathe@gatherthewomen.org) or visit the Website: www.gatherthewomencanada.org

Portland cable-access to premiere new metaphysical program

Your Soul Awareness is a new monthly TV show exploring mind, body, and spirit well-being. It premiers in May on Portland’s Community Channel 11 (PCTV) and Gresham’s Metro East Community Channel 23 (METV). Hosted by Intuitive Consultant Margi Lantos, the hour-long program will offer spiritual answers to life’s challenges and explore new avenues for expanding soul awareness and creating self-empowerment. Guests will include Naturopaths, Hypnotherapists, Acupuncturists, Chiropractors, Astrologers, and more from across the country. Viewers will be invited to call in with questions.

For more information about this new program and its scheduled segments, email yoursoulawareness@comcast.net, visit www.spiritualbridges.com, or call (503-722-8631.

Take a Walk on the Wildflower Side and Revel in the beauty of Nature

Wildflower walks in the Columbia River Gorge offered on three Saturdays in May teach nature lovers about holistic healing and spiritual connection with the place. Walks to waterfalls and sacred sites will occur on May 13th, 21st, and 29th. Many of these places were significant to the Native Americans who lived and visited here for thousands of years.

On May 13th is the Fairy Falls & Wildflower Walk from 11-2 PM, where participants will learn how to breathe with the elements, attune to the water fairies, and do a water healing at magical Fairy Falls. The Wahclella Falls & Wildflower Walk on May 21st from 10-2 PM will explore Nature as “oracle” as thoughts are released and participants let the Earth answer their big questions. The last walk is a Vision Quest Mounds Healing Circle on May 27th, 5-7 PM. Offerings will be made to the spirits of the land and all will be attuning with the sacredness of place.

These walks are led by Camilla Blossom Bishop who makes flower essences (holistic remedies) from the wildflowers of the Gorge and markets them nationwide through her business 3 Flowers Healing. Camilla has been involved in holistic healing for 15 years and is a long time resident of Hood River. For more information about these Walks call 866-678-1333 or on the web at 3flowershealing.com/sacredjourneys.cfm.