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July 2007 Newsletter
Subject of the Month
WAKING GOD DELVES INTO THE ESOTERIC AND RAISES THE AGE OLD QUESTION: ARE WE AT THE MERCY OF THE FATES, OR MASTERS OF OUR OWN DESTINY? THE FOLLOWING BLOG BY A NEW FRIEND GIVES AN INTERESTING VIEW ON THIS ISSUE!
I heard someone on the radio recently discussing the concept of fate or destiny—and our perpetual fascination (some would say obsession) with answering the Big One: “Why am I here?”
It reminded me of my own questions--not only the Big One, but related ones about how much of what happens to us, how much of what we experience in any given go-round (assuming you believe we have more than one), is decided or otherwise determined before we get here? What about predestination? What about soul contracts? What about free will?
I couldn’t think of anyone better to ask than The Shower Team, so I tossed the Big One and its cousins at them . . .
"You tell yourselves all sorts of things on this subject. Some of you choose to believe that your lives are essentially mapped out for you from start to finish and it is your job—or your “destiny” to simply find and follow the map. Others of you prefer to believe that it’s all basically a crap shoot and you just hope that the dice roll in your favor more often than not. Still others of you hold to the notion that nothing is planned and that your experience is exclusively an exercise in free will, and you can become rather indignant at any suggestion to the contrary.
What we would suggest to you is that what you believe about this really only matters to the extent that it invites or interferes with your choice to let well being abound for you. You could choose to hold any of these positions or any combination of them and as long as you are having a great time either because of or in spite of it, you would be on the right track.
If pressed to answer a question about “What is fate?” or “What is destiny” we would offer that you do come forth into physical experience with some formed intentions. In other words, you do come here with some ideas about what you want your experience to be like or to be about. Some of you come forth with more specific or more focused or more powerful intentions than others. However all of you come forth with the intention of benefiting and expanding and becoming more as a result of your experience. None of you plan a miserable time for yourselves. None of you come forth understanding or being resigned to some silly notion that this will be a payback lifetime—designed to punish you for past sins. None of you come forth with some expectation of martyrdom for this go round because you were such a jackass the last time you were here.
We would also offer to you, that none of you decides before you come forth that there is ONE thing and one thing only that you must do here and that you must do it only one way and/or with only one person and in only one place at one certain time. In other words, you do not limit your options except, in some cases, to decide that you will focus your energy in either some general or some more specific way. For example, some of you come forth with the intention of having a particularly powerful experience of freedom. Some of you---many of you—come forth with an intention of being teachers or being individuals who will be focused on uplifting others.
Where we see you tripping yourselves up is in your holding of the belief that there is a particular and detailed plan or design for you made prior to your emergence into physical and that you must somehow stumble upon it or spend a good chunk of your lives fretting and fumbling and floundering until you—if you’re lucky—happen upon this holy grail where you can finally relax and do what you are ‘supposed’ to be doing.
In the simplest terms, your “fate” or your “destiny” is to have the most expansive, thrilling, fulfilling experience that you can have. You jump gleefully back into the ocean of your physical experience because, from your broader nonphysical perspective, you know what perfection it is . . . and you are eager to get back in there and to experience the breathtaking variety that is available to you and to respond to that variety by making new choices and forming new preferences and allowing yourself to expand and to grow and to experience all the delicious flavors of life that are available to you.
You jump back into that ocean because you know, from your broader nonphysical perspective, that you will learn how to swim and that you will be guided every step of the way by how you feel nd that as long as you listen to and trust your heart or your emotions or your inner knowing that you will not only survive but you will thrive . . . and your destiny is to make that experience as luscious and satisfying and enriching and stimulating and joyful as you possibly can.
Whether or not your intentions coming forth are more general or more specific doesn’t really matter much as long as you are following that guidance, because when you are following your guidance, you will know every single time you turn toward or turn away form your “destiny.’ As long as you are turning toward what delights you, what inspires you, what thrills you, what stimulates you, what lights you up, what turns you on, what makes your heart sing . . . then you are following your destiny.
So we would prefer that you all just sort of lighten up on this topic and rather than spend so much time scratching your heads and seeking ‘experts’ who can tell you why you are here this time, just pay attention to what really fires your rockets or floats your boat. No one---not even The Shower Channel—knows better than you what you should be doing in this or any other lifetime.
So if you want to decipher your destiny or figure out your fate . . . ask yourself the simpler questions about what makes you feel most like you . . . what makes you laugh or smile or sing or dance? What lights you up? What brings you your greatest pleasure and your greatest sense of satisfaction? The answers to those questions are your fate, your destiny, as you planned them when you were getting ready to dive back in to this ever expanding, ever evolving, ever thrilling sea you call a physical lifetime. "
Waking God on Location
The following comes from a friend of ours named Ahmed whom we consider to be correspondant from the Middle East. It is an interesting read and comes in two parts. Here is the first part.
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Islam – making up the second-largest organized religion in the world – originated in Arabia by Mohammed as a set of doctrine that stressed on the belief of one god and the pursuit of virtue through this doctrinal law. Taken by Muslims to be the true religion of Adam, Islam was recognized as the seal of all monotheistic religions.
According to tradition, the revelation of Islam manifested to Mohammed at the beginning of his fortieth year when he underwent his annual journey to Ghar Hira' – a cave located in the peak of Jabal an-Nur – the Mountain of Light – near Mecca. The angel Gabriel was said to have descended upon the mountain as Mohammed delved in meditation.
Mohammed jolted back in fear as he gazed in disbelief at the luminous, white-clad stranger standing before him. Gabriel broke the silence by uttering "iqra'" – "read." Mohammed, being illiterate, fearfully replied: "ma ana bi qari'…" – "but I cannot read…" But Gabriel repeated: "read!" Mohammed did nothing but insist his illiteracy. And then it happened that Gabriel uttered what were to become the first five verses of the 96th chapter of the Qur'an. This was the beginning of the advent known officially by Muslims as Al-Da'wa al-Nabawiya – the Prophetic Invitation.
What followed were simply the intricate events that entailed Mohammed's struggles with spreading the revelation. The ones that initially followed were close members of his family and friends – including his wife, Khadija, his cousin, Ali, and his most trusted companion, Abu Bakr. But with such a small number of followers, Mohammed quickly became the center of ridicule and the laughingstock of the majority of the people – the trigger that initiated a long and bloody struggle between the Muslims and the Quraysh tribe of Mecca that began to see Mohammed as a threat not only to the wellbeing of their own followers, but to the economy of Mecca. Muslims regarded the Ka'aba – a cubic stone structure in Mecca – as the holiest of shrines, built by Abraham and Ishmael and set by Allah (God) to be the focal point of the Islamic faith. To the tribe of Quraysh however, the Ka'aba was a housing structure for the idols of the Arabian gods and a tool of the trade, attracting merchants from all over Arabia and beyond for business purposes. An advent such as Islam was therefore regarded as a threat to their economical infrastructure.
To Mohammed's fortune, the number of Muslims slowly began to increase, which triggered another pivotal event in Islamic history. The elders of Quraysh gathered to discuss a method of putting an end to Mohammed's mischief. They eventually reached a unanimous conclusion: the assassination of Mohammed. The plan was to bring about a number of men from every corner of Quraysh, send them to Mohammed's house in the middle of the night and simultaneously smite him to death in his sleep. This way, Mohammed's blood would evenly spread upon the hands of the assassins and an investigation would subsequently prove futile.
Mohammed's followers learned of the plot and urged Mohammed to flee Mecca – an advice, which Mohammed was forced to accept. And at the early hours of night, Mohammed succeeded in his departure. His cousin, Ali, took his place and slept in his bed that night. And as the assassins made their way into Mohammed's household, they removed the blankets to find the valiant, 17-year-old cousin of Mohammed fast asleep. The plan was thwarted.
The very departure of Mohammed and his arrival at the city of Yathrib, marked the Hijra – the flight of Mohammed, and the beginning of the official Muslim calendar. Yathrib – renamed as Madina al-Munawarrah – the Illumined City – was where the first mosque has been built, which served as both a place of prayer and the new home of Mohammed. It served as the core of Islam.
The great victory of Islam in Arabia came about with the occurrence of the event known as Fatih Mecca – the Liberation of Mecca – when the Muslims took complete authority over the city – liberating it from idolatry. But even in the aftermath of his victory, Mohammed decided not to resettle in his original hometown of Mecca. He returned to Yathrib and died there, approximately three years after the Liberation. He was 63 years old at the time of his death.
What came about after the death of Mohammed made up the foundations of a crossroads of beliefs that separated the canon views of the so-called Sunni Muslims from the so-called Shi'a Muslims.
The Sunni branch makes up the largest denomination of Islam. Known also as Ahl al-Sunnah wal-Jama'ah –the People of Words and Actions (of Mohammed) and the Community – or simply as Ahl al-Sunnah, the Sunni peoples follow the branch of Islam that accepted the caliphate of Abu Bakr, who was believed to have been selected as Mohammed's successor by means of a shura (Arabic for congress, consultation or council – the method through which Arabian tribes selected leaders and representatives and made major decisions).
The Shi'a denomination of Islam – also known as Shi'at Ali – the Followers of Ali – holds the belief that Abu Bakr abrogated Ali's leadership. And that it was Ali, himself, Mohammed's cousin, who was the rightful successor of the Prophet's message. To the Shi'a peoples, it was Ali who had restored the prime values of Islam as set forth by the Prophet, and was quoted in the Sahih Bukhari compilation of hadiths to have said:
"I will not leave the tradition of the Prophet on the saying of somebody."
The clash of creeds between the Sunni and Shi'a sects had (according to the latter) begun with the time of Mohammed's death. Sunnis hold that the successor of Mohammed to bear the message of Islam was Abu Bakr, chosen through a democratic method by Muslim tribal elders. Along with Omar, Othman and Ali, all four were equal candidates in the procedure. Shi'as however believe that only those of Mohammed's bloodline had the right to bear the message of Islam and hence view Ali (Mohammed's cousin) and his descendants (Imams) as the rightful successors, while rejecting all the other three Sunni caliphs as unmerited usurpers of Ali's rightful legacy.
To the Sunni Muslims, Ali was the fourth canonical caliph who succeeded Othman Ibn Affan, and was one of the most important and respected figures. And in spite of the Shi'as' accusations, the Sunnis openly deny any harm done to Ali or his descendants, claiming that Mohammed mentioned nothing about his bloodline bearing the message.
Furthermore, the Sunnis and Shi'a also differ in terms of exegesis – as both sects had recorded their own interpretations of the Qur'an, leading some of the more conservative Sunnis to view the Shi'a as a heretic sect. This intricate web of difference was due to the various branches of theological schools that were founded on both sides of Islam, and had succeeded in adding more fuel to the ranging fire between the both of them. The situation in Iraq today, simply serves as an effective example of this age-long feud. However, as large the rift between Sunni and Shi'a exegesis becomes, the two sects believe in the same text: the Qur'an. And not a word of it is subject to alteration.
Al-Qaeda, which is a radical offshoot of the extreme Wahhabi branch of Sunni Islam, is mainly responsible for the suicide bombings and all the atrocities that occur in the Shi'a-populated areas of Iraq. On the other side of the field, there is the Mahdi Army, which is an extreme branch of Shi'as that performs heinous crimes against the Sunni population. The name Mahdi, is also a label of an entity that was subject to theological research. The Shi'as believe that one of the descendants of Ali (also known as Mohammed) will appear before the commencement of Judgment Day to unite all Muslims after the Antichrist's demise. He will be the twelfth Imam who disappeared a long time ago, without leaving a trace in a manner similar to that of Enoch.
Although the Sunnis believe in the Mahdi who will appear with Jesus Christ not long before Judgment Day, the prophetic and eschatological details of the so-called Twelve Imams remain as a subject of intense debate.
For more on the Sunni-Shia' relations, a reliable source and references can be found on http://www.wikipedia.org
This Month’s Review
A reader review says:
"I picked up Waking God by Brian Doe and Phillip Harris as some light reading. Was I ever amazed by the insight and depth of these two authors. I found that once I started reading I was unable to put the book down as it kept calling at me to finish and know what I didn't know. It was difficult to stay with the plot of the story as the truth kept slapping me in the face and demanding that I acknowledge it. So much of it brought out the memories that I had kept repressed; a past knowledge that had been kept buried deep within me. I intend to reread this book as I believe I may have missed some of the authors' finer, more subtle details. And I am anxiously awaiting the next book of this trilogy. Although this is an excellent book for those who like science fiction and some who will only see it as that, it is my belief that it will touch the multitudes on a much deeper level. This is what the world has been waiting for to wake them from their slumber and know what is truth."
K. Burgoyne, New York
News
WAKING GOD IS IN THE BOOKSENSE SYSTEM-TO FIND A STORE WHERE YOU CAN GET WAKING GOD CLICK ON THIS URL TO FIND A STORE NEAR TO YOU: http://www.booksense.com
Both Brian and Phil are now live on www.nothingbinding.com. Please visit the site and search for authors. You will see some familiar faces from other groups and your site can be there, too. Sign up now and join a group that will help transform the literary world. There is a lot more to come on this site and many more features will be added!
Brian's novel, BARLEY AND GOLD has been released by Cambrige Books! More information can be found at: http://www.ebooksonthe.net/catalog/eBooks_Catalog_NewBooks.html/ .
Phil's third book, JESUS TAUGHT IT, TOO: THE EARLY ROOTS OF THE LAW OF ATTRACTION will be published in both the U.S. and Canada by AVATAR PUBLICATION! He already has a page on the Avatar site so check it out at www.avatarpublication.com. This non-fiction work should be out by July. AVATAR is seeking non-fiction titles that focus on mind, body and spirit, but be sure to check the site for details of types of works sought.
Phil has moved his main blog page to http://philipharris.blogspot.com. It has a great new look and some nice features. Stop by and comment when you get a chance.
PLEASE PASS IT AROUND! If you enjoy this newsletter please forward the notice to all of your friends. We do not want the addresses, but hope you will share this with those who may be interested in this novel and what Brian and Phil are doing. You can even send it to someone you dislike just to bug them.
REMEMBER: Our Forum is still active. Again, please sign on and join in on the discussions. Just go to the main page of the web site and find the forum on the right sidebar, or enter the forum through the link at the top of this newsletter. Also, in addition to Phil's Internet Voices Radio show on PIVTR, he has joined the ranks of BLOGTALKRADIO. You will be able to catch his ramblings at 6:30 pm on Mondays. Check out http://www.blogtalkradio.com/pharris. After 5 weeks, the time will probably change, but it will still be on Monday nights.
BE SURE TO TUNE IN TO PHIL'S WEEKLY BROADCAST ON WWW.INTERNETVOICESRADIO.COM EVERY MONDAY NIGHT, 7:30 PM, EST. THE TITLE OF HIS SHOW IS "ALL THINGS THAT MATTER." WHILE NOT FOR AUTHORS ONLY, THE SHOW WILL INCLUDE AUTHOR INTERVIEWS REGARDING BOOK CONTENT IF IT FITS THE SHOWS THEME.
Resources for Writers
In the pursuit of establishing ourselves as authors, we have done a tremendous amount of research and have come upon many invaluable resources. It is our intention to pass these resources onto you so that you won't have to do quite as much work as Brian has in preparing this newsletter and trying to balance Phil's indolence at the same time. We hope you find what follows useful. Each month, we will add to the list.
INDEPENDENT AUTHORS SUPPORT/INITIATIVES
Jerry Simmons and WritersReaders.com
Sign up now!
RADIO STATIONS
www.internetvoicesradio.com
www.writersfm.com
www.contacttalkradio.com
www.achieveradio.com
www.iRockTalkRadio.com
NEWSLETTERS & BLOGS
There are many newsletters and blogs that are good for writers. They have treated us nicely in the past. The following is just the beginning of the list with more to come! Check them out.
http://www.mayracal vani.com/ newsletter_ May07.html
http://www.writergazette.com
http://community.livejournal.com/roseshadows/1070.html
http://starpublishnews.tripod.com/
HoJoNews@aol.com
http://tri-studio.com/ezine.html
http://tjbook-list.blogspot.com/
http://community.livejournal.com/roseshadow/1008.html
www.oncewritten.com
www.writerscafe.org/
www.bookpromotionnewsletter.com
nate@redenginepress.com
http://nadinelamanbooks.com/pdf/brag3.pdf or http://nadinelamanbooks.com/news.html
http://community.livejournal.com/roseshadows/1070.html
http://hometown.aol.com/lbmwriter/romance/newsletter.html
NEWSLETTER@KOMPES.COM
EDITOR@ABSOLUTEWRITE.COM
http://www.karenmagill.com/
http://www.katherinewarwick.com/kw/
JERRY@WRITERREADERS.COM
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/pharris
http://www.writergazette.com
http://www.readingwriters.com/contest.htm
FREE PRESS RELEASE SITES
The following is a list of press release sites that we have used to announce events regarding Waking God. These sites are easy to use and they do not send you much, if any, follow-up ads about their services. For most, you must do a simple registry and for a few you can just issue the release. Many offer more advanced coverage for a small fee, but so far we have found that our releases have made it to Google without paying any money. Authors should avail themselves of these free sites. If readers come across others, please share and we will post them in the newsletter.
GENERAL RESOURCES
Toby Fesler Heathcotte
For a great site on promotional resources go to
PubInsider Magazine Online:
http://hipiers.com/publishing.html#S1
http://newagewebdirectory.com
GROUPS
WWW.ALTERNATIVE-READ.COM
WWW.PUBLISHINGANDPROMOTING.COM
WWW.INTERNETAUTHORS.COM
WWW.POST-A-PAGE.COM
WWW.GATHER.COM
WWW.YACK.COM
In Conclusion...
Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter. Each month we set aside a special segment of time to organize our information so that we might bring it to you, our readers, personally. Please do us the favor of passing the newsletter along, as well as telling everyone about our thought-provoking book, WAKING GOD. Without you, we'd never have an audience!
Thank You!
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