HOW TO SURVIVE TOUGH TIMES

During these tough economic times, natural disasters, wars, famine and plagues, we women can meet the challenges. We have been doing this for centuries. It is in our genes to rise to the occasion. How do we survive? Make a plan and follow through.
1. Mental stability.
2. Emotional stability
3. Prepare
4: Suggestions
1. Mental Stability: First of all, do not panic or fall into fear. Fear attracts what one does not want. There is an old biblical verse that says, The thing I feared the most came upon me. Mentally step back and access the possibilities that are open. Make a list of what you want. Read aloud each item on your list three times a day or more. Visualize yourself receiving and experiencing what you want.
2. Emotional Stability: Stop feeling like you are a victim. The most difficult thing to do is to take responsibility for our actions, our thoughts and our words. The frequencies of our thoughts and words go out and attract to us our experiences. The best advice comes from this quote:
Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Choose your words, for they become actions. Understand your actions, for they become habits. Study your habits, for they become your character. Develop your character, for it becomes your destiny. ~ Tryon Edwards
3. Prepare: Do you have extra food in your pantry? Can you survive for a month? Do you have extra water? What would happen if due to natural disasters that the trucks bringing in food to the grocery stores could not get through? What is there is no available water? Do you have a good first aid kit? Do you have adequate warm clothes if the weather is cold and there is no heat in your home? Search Internet for items needed.
4. Suggestions: Do not use plastics. Plastics are made from oil derivatives and can be harmful and weaken the immune system. This is why bottled water in plastic is not good. Look for glass. If you live in cities, fluoride has been scientifically proven that it is harmful and can weaken the immune system. Find a source of good, clean water. Saving wine bottles and glass pop bottles is great. You can sterilize them by pouring scalding water inside them and then pour it out. Or, you can leave it in and once cooled, cork it with new corks.
I have also cleaned these bottles and store sugar in some and salt in others. I always use new corks. I use quart size glass canning jars with clean lids to store flour and rice. We can each become innovative.
Stop looking at television and read a good book. A recent article indicates that many people are beginning to read more books instead of going to movies and dining out.
Even if you live in a city, you can have a garden. Many people grow vegetables in containers. If you live in the suburbs, you can make your yard a garden. There are many avenues open to anyone who have the inclination to research and take action.
Do not take the vaccines. Have a healthy mind and emotional body and you won't need a vaccine. Many of them weaken the immune system instead of protecting them. Read up on this by going on-line and researching this.
We are creative beings and we have the ingenuity to create methods and means for taking care of ourselves and our families. It does mean that we have to sacrifice our anger, our resentment, our jealousy, our victimization and a host of other beliefs and emotions to become strong.
To the Future!

Celebrating 100 Years of Women's Right to Vote in Washington State

HONORING WOMEN WHO HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE.

If I had my druthers, I would be most happy to say that all women in the United States had the right to vote for 100 years. On Monday, February 1, the women of Washington State will be celebrating their 100 years of the right to vote. The move for equal voting laws began in 1854 when a member of the Washington Territorial Legislature introduced an amendment for this and it failed to pass by one vote even though another bill passed in the same year, which gave all male white citizens above the age of 21 the right to vote. Even though this was voted down, it rallied the women and they filled the large cities and the small towns. They were angry and argued that the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment used the word 'citizen' meaning 'all persons born or naturalized in the United States did not mean only white males over 21 years of age.

When the Territorial Legislature passed the law giving the right to vote to 'all white citizens above the age of 21" some of the suffragists tested their voting rights based on the U.S. 14th Amendment in 1869 at White River. Their votes were rejected although fifteen women in Thurston County successfully voted in 1870.

The women of Washington State began organizing parties, marches, and demonstrations. Actually Washington was a territory because it was not admitted into the Union until November 11, 1889. One forceful woman was Emma Smith DeVoe who after moving to Tacoma organized speeches, rallies and demonstration forcing the issues into the open. In 1883, both houses of the legislature signed into law a bill giving women voting rights and the governor signed it. However, in 1887 the Washington Territorial Supreme Count revoked suffrage because of a suit brought by a gambler who had been indicted by a grand jury that included women. This did not stop the women.

In February 1910, the legislators allowed a vote to amend the State Constitution giving women the right to vote. It passed and the suffragists had distributed one million pieces of literature. Washington State joined the states Wyoming, Utah, Idaho and Colorado who had already enacted the women's right to vote. The right to vote did not become nationwide until the 21st Amendment initiated by suffragist Alice Paul was ratified by the necessary number of states.

Even though women have the right to vote today, there are still many hurdles to overcome and one is the Equal Rights Amendment, which needs only three more states to ratify it. This amendment gives all women equal rights. It is pitiful that women have to gain equality law by law and also an amendment. When is this going to stop? If it is to be, it is up to each woman individually to bombard their national representatives to garner the votes from the states who have not ratified the E.R.A.

Frances Perkins
One notable woman who is rarely recognized or honored for her achievements is Frances Perkins. Some will say Frances who? Frances was born in 1880 in Boston. She attended college in New York State and developed a passion to help the underprivileged. In 1911 she was working for the Factory Investigation Commission in New York City when the Shirtwaist Factory Fire occurred. From her biography by Naomi Pasachoff, the writer tells of Perkins being horrified that 146 immigrant women had jumped to their deaths. Perkins lobbied until she had a law passed in the city for all buildings to have fire escapes.

Perkins became active in politics and what I have gleaned from her biography is that she was persistent without seemingly being abrasive in her approaches. As she worked her way up the political ladder, she always made friends with the wife of the politicians. She worked for Franklin Delano Roosevelt and became a friend of his wife Eleanor. This seems to be a trait Perkins had or a ploy to become friends with the wives and then there would be no jealousy of her while working with their husbands - smart woman. With the election of F.D.R. as President, Perkins became his Secretary of Labor and the first woman cabinet member. She was also at that time as the first selected cabinet member to be in line for the presidency if he should pass.

As the Secretary of Labor from 1933-1945, Perkins initiated and with F.D.R. backing her, the Social Security Act, Civilian Conservation Corps, Unemployment Insurance, Public Works Agency and its successor the Federal Works Agency and the Fair Standards Act. Therefore, I salute Frances Perkins for love and caring for the poor and wanting to make life better for them.

Her biography is The Woman Behind the New Deal: Frances Perkins by Naomi Pasachoff.

Book Review - Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls

The US Review of Books - Received January 5, 2010
Reviewed by Sue Johnson (no relation)

"Praise be to the Creator of All.
Praise be unto this Life
For she is the one foretold
To be the Messenger of Hope.
She is the Anointed One
To bring the Message of Remembrance
Of who we are.
Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice!" (quote from Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls)

Dan Brown opened the door to religious artifacts with his book The Da Vinci Code. Bettye Johnson blows that door off its hinges in Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls. After visiting France, the author became fascinated with Black Madonnas, which forms the basis for her wonderful new novel centering around two women hiking the French Pyrenees Mountains and discovering ancient scrolls in a hidden cave. Bringing an American Businessman and a disillusioned priest into their secret, the women hear an interpretation of the scrolls. It appears to be the life self-scribed story of Mary Magdalene.

As the two women and their companions continue to interpret the scrolls, they become fearful that the scrolls will fall into the wrong hands. The ladies begin a cross-country trek to insure that the scrolls are placed with the proper authorities, so that they may be received and enjoyed by all. What follows is a story of passion, betrayal, and mystery told in a page-turning style.

Although this is a work of fiction, truth is found in the research on display here--truth and the seekers of truth. The novel is packed full of historical references, but the fictional elements ease the delivery of the overly intellectual passages. There is also a bit of the outspoken to please the curious mind. In the end, this is an adventurous and thought-provoking story.

www.theusreview.com/USRrecent.html.
The US Review of Books
PO Box 11, Titusville, NJ 08560
www.theUSreview.com

THE FIRST 100 THINGS TO DISAPPEAR

Why prepare? One only has to listen to the news or read the news to realize that we are
in for some volatile times. It may not be a war or terrorism. Instead, it could come from Earth Changes. Humankind has taken much from the earth and there is the possibly that She is going to let us know how it feels. All over the world, there is an increase in the number of earthquakes, hurricaine force, tornados, typhoons, floods along with changes in the weather.
There could also be acts of terrorism on this soil in the U.S.

This list came to me over 10 years ago on a legal size sheet of paper. I re-typed it and sent it out to friends and family via email. Now this list has been returned to me by a correspondent from a United Kingdom blog! When disaster hits, it is well to be prepared and not to depend on being able to go to the grocery store every day. Think of what happened to New Orleans and the people who have had floods, tornados and hurricaines, and tsunmis.


In addition to the 100 things, one might consider having copies of drivers licenses, marriage licenses, social security cards, insurance papers, photos of loved ones and anything else treasured placed in a safe place.

1.Generators (Good ones cost dearly. Gas storage, risky. Noisy-target of thieves; maintenance etc.)
2. Water Filters/Purifiers
3. Portable Toilets
4. Seasoned Firewood. Wood takes about 6-12 months to become dried, for
home uses.
5. Lamp Oil, Wicks, Lamps (First Choice: Buy CLEAR oil. If scarce,
stockpile ANY!)
6. Coleman Fuel. Impossible to stockpile too much.
7. Guns, Ammunition, Pepper Spray, Knives, Clubs, Bats & Slingshots.
8. Hand-can openers, & hand egg beaters, whisks.
9. Honey/Syrups/white, brown sugar
10. Rice - Beans - Wheat
11. Vegetable Oil (for cooking) Without it food bums/must be boiled etc.,)
12. Charcoal, Lighter Fluid (Will become scarce suddenly)
13. Water Containers (Urgent Item to obtain.) Any size. Small: HARD CLEAR
PLASTIC ONLY - note - food grade if for drinking.
14. Short wave radio - portable.
15. Sleeping bags/blankets
16. Propane Cylinders (Urgent: Definite shortages will occur.
17. Survival Guide Book.
18. Mantles: Aladdin, Coleman, etc. (Without this item, longer-term
lighting is difficult.)
19. Baby Supplies: Diapers/formula, ointments/aspirin, ect.
20. Washboards, Mop Bucket w/wringer (for Laundry)
21. Cook stoves (Propane, Coleman & Kerosene)
22. Vitamins
23. Propane Cylinder Handle-Holder (Urgent: Small canister use is dangerous
without this item)
24. Feminine Hygiene/Hair care/Skin products.
25. Thermal underwear (Tops & Bottoms)
26. Bow saws, axes and hatchets. Wedges (also, honing oil)
27. Aluminum Foil Reg. & Heavy Duty (Great Cooking and Barter Item)
28. Gasoline Containers (Plastic & Metal)
29. Garbage Bags (Impossible To Have Too Many).
30. Toilet Paper, Kleenex, Paper Towels
31. Milk - Powdered & Condensed (Shake Liquid every 3 to 4 months)
32. Garden Seeds (Non-Hybrid) (A MUST)
33. Clothes pins/line/hangers (A MUST)
34. Coleman's Pump Repair Kit
35. Salmon
36. Fire Extinguishers (or.-large box of Baking Soda in every room)
37. First aid kits
38. Batteries (all sizes...buy furthest-out for Expiration Dates)
39. Garlic, spices & vinegar, baking supplies
40. Big Dogs (and plenty of dog food)
41. Flour, yeast & salt
42. Matches. {"Strike Anywhere" preferred.) Boxed, wooden matches will go
first
43. Writing paper/pads/pencils, solar calculators
44. Insulated ice chests (good for keeping items from freezing in
Wintertime.)
45. Work boots, belts, Levis & durable shirts
46. Flashlights/LIGHTSTICKS & torches, "No. 76 Dietz" Lanterns
47. Journals, Diaries & Scrapbooks (jot down ideas, feelings, experience; Historic Times)
48. Garbage cans Plastic (great for storage, water, transporting - if with
wheels)
49. Men's Hygiene: Shampoo, Toothbrush/paste, Mouthwash/floss, nail
clippers, etc
50. Cast iron cookware (sturdy, efficient)
51. Fishing supplies/tools
52. Mosquito coils/repellent, sprays/creams
53. Duct Tape
54. Tarps/stakes/twine/nails/rope/spikes or a tent
55. Candles
56. Laundry Detergent (liquid)
57. Backpacks, Duffle Bags
58. Garden tools & supplies
59. Scissors, fabrics & sewing supplies
60. Canned Fruits, Veggies, Soups, stews, ect.
61. Bleach (plain, NOT scented: 4 to 6% sodium hypochlorite)
62. Canning supplies, (Jars/lids/wax)
63. Knives & Sharpening tools: files, stones, steel
64. Bicycles...Tires/tubes/pumps/chains, etc
66. Carbon Monoxide Alarm (battery powered)
67. Board Games, Cards, Dice
68. d-con Rat poison, MOUSE PRUFE II, Roach Killer
69. Mousetraps, Ant traps & cockroach magnets
70. Paper plates/cups/utensils (stock up, folks)
71. Baby wipes, oils, waterless & Antibacterial soap (saves a lot of water)
72. Ram gear, rubberized boots, etc.
73. Shaving supplies (razors & creams, talc, after shave)
74. Hand pumps & siphons (for water and for fuels)
75. Soy sauce, vinegar, boullions/gravy/soupbase
76. Reading glasses
77. Chocolate/Cocoa/Tang/Punch (water enhancers)
78. "Survival-in-a-Can"
79. Woolen clothing, scarves/ear-muffs/mittens
80. Boy Scout Handbook, / also Leaders Catalog
81. Roll-on Window Insulation Kit (MANCO)
82. Graham crackers, saltines, pretzels. Trail mix/Jerky83. Popcorn, Peanut Butter, Nuts
84. Socks, Underwear, T-shirts, etc. (extras)
85. Lumber (all types)
86. Wagons & carts (for transport to and from)
87. Cots & Inflatable mattresses
88. Gloves: Work/warming/gardening, etc.
89. Lantern Hangers
90. Screen Patches, glue, nails, screws,, nuts & bolts
91. Teas
92. Coffee
93. Juices
94. Wine/Liquors (for bribes, medicinal, ect,)
95. Paraffin wax
96. Glue, nails, nuts, bolts, screws, ect.
97. Chewing gum/candies
98. Atomizers (for cooling/bathing)
99. Hats & cotton neckerchiefs
100. Goats/chickens
******
From a Sarajevo War Survivor:
Experiencing horrible things that can happen in a war - death of parents and
friends, hunger and malnutrition, endless freezing cold, fear, sniper
attacks.
1. Stockpiling helps, but you never no how long trouble will last, so
locate near renewable food sources.
2. Living near a well with a manual pump is like being in Eden.
3. After awhile, even gold can lose its luster. But there is no luxury in
war quite like toilet paper. Its surplus value is greater than gold's.
4. If you had to go without one utility, lose electricity - it's the
easiest to do without (unless you're in a very nice climate with no need for
heat.)
5. Canned foods are awesome, especially if their contents are tasty without
heating. One of the best things to stockpile is canned gravy - it makes a
lot of the dry unappetizing things you find to eat in war somewhat edible.
Only needs enough heat to "warm", not to cook. It's cheap too, especially
if you buy it in bulk.
6. Bring some books - escapist ones like romance or mysteries become more
valuable as the war continues. Sure, it's great to have a lot of survival
guides, but you'll figure most of that out on your own anyway - trust me,
you'll have a lot of time on your hands.
7. The feeling that you're human can fade pretty fast. I can't tell you
how many people I knew who would have traded a much needed meal for just a
little bit of toothpaste, rouge, soap or cologne. Not much point in
fighting if you have to lose your humanity. These things are
morale-builders like nothing else.
8. Slow burning candles and matches, matches, matches.

The Forgotten Symbol Omitted from The Lost Symbol

The Forgotten Symbol Dan Brown Omitted From The Lost Symbol

In reading Dan brown's latest book, The Lost Symbol, I was delighted and I applaud him for his magnificent research along with his knowledge of symbols and ciphers. His book is one to read if one wants to understand the symbolism of the Freemasons and their effect on our nations' capitol. Several years ago I traveled to Washington D.C. and visited the Capitol. I have been a student of symbols for many years, and it was each to the Masonic symbolism there. I often wonder how many people really understand these great symbols which hold messages for all to see and to realize what their meaning are.

There is an unobvious obvious that Dan Brown did not touch on in his latest book, but then he was developing his plot based on Freemason symbols and these are really universal symbols. Our senators, representatives and the many tourists who visit the Capitol have almost overlooked the Feminine Principle so blatantly obvious for those who recognize the unobvious obvious.

I had not visited the Capitol in over forty years. When I first arrived, my eyes were drawn to the 19-1/2 foot bronze statue crowning the dome. This statue is a female and her original and formal name is Freedom Triumphant in War and Peace. Beginning at her head, she wears a helmet with a circle of stars topped with a crest of an eagle's head, talons and feathers. She is clothed in a long full robe with creases. Her right hand rests on a sheathed sword while the left holds a laurel wreath representing victory and a shield of thirteen stripes representing the original thirteen states. This statue is standing on a globe with e Pluribus Unum atop a pedestal with fasces, which are rods with an axe blade as a symbol of ancient Roman magistrate's authority. She was erected on top of the Capitol dome on December 2, 1863.

There she stands in all her glory – a female figure. Who said this was a male country? Ah, there is even more. When entering the east central entrance to the Capitol, one can look up and see the pediment over the entryway titled, "Genius of America" with three female figures representing Justice, America and Hope. President John Quincy Adams wanted these figures to "represent the American Union founded on the Declaration of Independence and consummated by the organization of the general government under the Federal Constitution, supported by Justice in the past, and relying upon Hope in Providence for the future." I find it amazing that there are three feminine figures representing 'Genius in America.'

The pediment above the House entrance wing is the "Apotheosis of Democracy." The central figure is a female representing Peace. Peace has her right arm stretched out over a youthful winged figure named Genius who holds a torch signifying immortality. The wings signify knowledge and wisdom. Flanking the sides of her are figures representing Industry and the other Agriculture representing two sources of wealth. The pediment has ocean waves on each end standing for the Atlantic and the Pacific. Apotheosis is an interesting word meaning "exaltation to divine rank, stature or deification. Again, we have the feminine principle as the center figure.

The entrance to the Senate side of the Capitol also has a pediment, "Progress of America" with the central figure a woman named America. She has an eagle at her side, a laurel wreath in her right hand and the sun at her back. The feminine principle once more.

In walking into the Rotunda, my eyes were drawn to the domed ceiling. These paintings by Brunei with the central one titled Apotheosis of Washington. We see George Washington rising to the Heavens surrounded by female figures representing Liberty, Victory and Fame. Once more, we have the word 'apotheosis' meaning deification. On the perimeter of George rising to heaven are six other frescoes. One is dedicated to Science and portrays the goddess Minerva/Athena teaching Benjamin Franklin, Robert Fulton and F.B. More while she is pointing to an electric generator creating energy in stored batteries.

The fresco of "War" is "Armored Freedom" with her sword raised and cape flying, with a helmet and shield reminiscent of those on the Statue of Freedom. She tramples Tyranny and Kingly Power and a fierce eagle carrying arrows and a thunderbolt assists her. Armored Freedom is a woman. All of these frescos were painting by Constantino Brumidi in 1865.
Moving on to the other frescoes, we have "Marine" showing Neptune, god of the seas in a boat with the Goddess of Love, Venus laying a transatlantic cable. The frescoes of "Commerce" and "Mechanics" portray men while the one named "Agriculture" has the goddess Ceres sitting on a McCormick reaper. Only when we unify the female-male principles in balance will we have peace and true justice.

If our history books are correct, the men who have governed this great nation have been blind to the feminine principle, and they have denied women the right to vote until 1920. The Equal Rights Amendment only needs three more states to ratify it and I find it pitiful that women have to get their rights law-by-law. Our feminine principle dominates the early art of the Capitol. She graces the top of the Capitol through heat, rain, sleet, snow and watches over those who govern us. It is time for revelation and acceptance of the feminine principle.

Dan Brown's book, The Lost Symbol is excellent because it has brought the Freemasons into a true perspective of what the organization is truly about. There have been women Freemasons in history; however, this is an obscure attribute. Perhaps with the revelations of Brown's book, it may be open to women once more.

For more representations of the feminine principle, one only has to see the statue of Abraham Lincoln in the Capitol Rotunda. The sculptor was a female, Vinnie Ream, the first woman artist commissioned by the U.S. Congress in 1866 to create a memorial to President Abraham Lincoln. She was eighteen years old.

How can the United States fulfill its destiny when women do not have full equal rights? How can this be the 'land of the free and the home of the brave' when women do not have full freedom and the ugly heads of bigotry and prejudice suppress freedom for all? It is time for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment and equal opportunity for everyone. The forgotten symbol in our U.S. Capitol is the Feminine Principle.

Where Is My Pot of Gold?

There is an ancient saying that at the end of every rainbow there is a pot of gold. Most people think it means money – wealth. It is this and more. It is said that the rainbow is a sign of God. This is not a treatise on religion, but more of sharing realizations from knowledge and experiences.

There is also a well-known statement: change your attitude and change your life. What does this have to do with a pot of gold? Everything. There are those who read all the self-help books and I have been one of those, and there are also those who seek the pot of gold by believing it means great financial wealth. It could also be that. Many become disillusioned because the use of affirmations and positive thinking has not brought them the financial rewards they thought they would get.

Getting to the root of the lack of not getting is very much like peeling away the layers of an onion. This is what I have discovered. I have realized that in order to change an attitude, the belief must be addressed and changed. How does one do it when our beliefs hold the emotions of guilt, fear, anger, resentments, regret and doubt?

We have a brain that is unprogrammed when we are born. Parents begin the programming by instilling in the baby their belief systems and dogmas. Added to this is input and influences by other members of the family, peers, religion, school, the media and government. Have you ever wondered why you might have an unhappy relationship with your mother or your father? Perhaps you had problems at school. There is a deep-rooted guilt covered up by many attitudes with the primary one being that you don’t measure up to someone else’s expectations and therefore you feel unworthiness. Could it be that why you didn’t measure up is because you also brought with you into this lifetime an innate knowingness of something else?

There are four beliefs that contribute to lack and they are guilt, regret, fear and doubt. We can use all the affirmations we want but first we begin by changing our beliefs, which are followed by a change in attitudes. Have you ever had a yearning inside that you wanted something different? I have and I wasn’t sure of what it was going to be. I only knew I was dissatisfied with my life. I was in a marriage that was dull and boring. A friend loaned me a book and the book had a message for me. I was searching for intimacy from a relationship. When I attempted to share this with my husband, he looked at me and asked if I wanted a divorce. I said yes, and the horse was out of the barn. I have never looked back with regret.

What has followed has been a journey of discovery - a discovery about me and who I am. I have searched high and low for the pot of gold. First I had to shed some old beliefs. I had never been a religious person, but after my divorce I sought a spiritual aspect of my life and became a minister of Divine Science. It was there that I met my late husband and he gave me the intimacy I had been seeking. Once I attained that, I began searching for something more. I realized during the short time I was a minister that religion promotes hypocrisy and I retired. I knew I did not want to be a hypocrite and that if I was going to talk the talk that I had to learn to walk the walk. My attitudes began to change because I began addressing beliefs.

When a new idea or new information was presented to me, instead of discarding it I began telling myself that it was a possibility. The more I told myself this, the more old beliefs fell by the wayside and my attitudes changed. This led me to the teacher, Ramtha the Enlightened One. I have been a student at the Ramtha School of Enlightenment, an academy of the mind for over twenty years. One of the first things I learned was that adversity was the propellant for change. I also realized that too many people fall victim to adversity by failing to heed the opportunity for change. Richard Bach wrote in his book Illusions had this to say: "Every problem comes with a gift in its hands." I began to look for the gifts in all of my adversities.

I have learned to seek knowledge and not to accept Ramtha’s teachings blindly. I finally accepted within me that I was here to change and to experience the unknown. I have been encouraged to research and this I have done. I have expanded my knowledge base to include quantum physics, the biology of emotions, how the brain works, ancient history, religion and how it developed along with other subjects.

It has been an interesting odyssey from 1979 when I read a book that changed the course of my life. It has been a wonderful journey of self-discovery. What about the pot of gold? Having been taught about the light spectrum made up of the colors of the rainbow, it has taken me many years to finally get the message of the pot of gold. The pot of gold is the light spectrum filled with potentials and possibilities. It depends on what frequency we are in tune with.

The rainbow is God’s (or whatever name you choose to use) promise because just as the sun cannot be separated from its rays, neither can we be separated from the All-in-All, God, Isness, Creator or It. It is not outside of us as religions have taught. It is within each of us and we are here to experience our aspect of It. The reason we get so many versions is that each one of us is a unique aspect of God or It that is neither female nor male.

How do we change our beliefs? First we forgive our self of harboring guilt, regret, resentment, anger, fear and doubt. Now we can move into new attitudes and allow our pot of gold, which is our life to be filled with the manifestations of our dreams and our desires. We live on the plane of opposites. It is not possible for everything to always be positive. When we begin to change, I have learned that in the beginning it threatened my family who were use to the old me and friends began dropping away. The rewards for me have been attracting into my life new friends of like-mind and the fulfillment of dreams.

The pot of gold was a symbol created by wise beings from thousands of years ago as a sign or a symbol of our own divinity. We have all been part of the light spectrum and our dreams and desires come from those various frequencies. What we send out comes back to us according to the level of our acceptance. Each of us is our own pot of gold and those gold coins that are coming from the rainbow represent the fulfillment of our dreams, our desires and our experiences. Enjoy your own pot of gold. It is all within you. Change your beliefs and your change your mind.

LOST SYMBOLS

In reading Dan Brown's latest book, The Lost Symbol, I applaud him for his magnificent research and his knowledge of symbols and ciphers. His book is one to read if one wants to understand the symbolism of the Freemasons and their effect on our nation's capitol. Several years ago, I traveled to Washington D.C. and visited our nation's Capitol. Having been a student of symbols for many years, it was easy to see much of the Masonic symbolism in our capitol building plus more.

There is an unobvious obvious that Dan Brown did not touch on, but then he was developing his plot based on Masonic symbols, which are primarily universal symbols.

When I first arrived at the Capitol, I looked up and what I noted was a 19 1/2 foot bronze statue crowning the dome. This statue is a woman named the Statue of Freedom. Now, what is a woman doing gracing the top of the United States Capitol? The creator of this marvelous statue was a Thomas Crawford and it has graced the top of the Capitol since 1863 with the original and formal name of Freedom in War and Peace.

What astounded me as I walked around the Capitol Rotunda and over the entries into the Capitol was the unobvious obvious feminine principle depicted in the frescoes, pediments and sculptured statues.

For instance, when entering the entrance to the Capitol, there is a pediment over the entryway titled "Genius of America" representing Justice, USA and Hope, which are female figures. Together with Justice, USA and Hope there is a female figure named Peace protecting Genius represented by the goddess Minerva, also known as the goddess Athena. A Roman/Greek goddess in our U.S. Capitol Building? However, wait; this is not the only depiction of Minerva/Athena.

The pediment over the House wing is titled Apotheosis of Democracy. Interesting word - apotheosis. It's sub-title is Peace Protecting Genius and this is depicted by a female figure representing Peace. Peace points to a youthful winged figure named Genius holding a torch signifying immortality. The wings signify knowledge and wisdom. The pediment was done by Paul Wayland Bartlett (1865-1925). Again we have the feminine principle as the primary figure.

Entering the great Rotunda, one looks up and sees the Apotheosis of Washington representing George Washington rising to the Heavens surrounded by female figures representing Liberty, Victory and Fame. According to the dictionary I used, apotheosis means deification or godlike. On the perimeter of this marvelous fresco are six other frescoes. One is dedicated to Science and portrays Minerva/Athena teaching Benjamin Franklin, Robert Fulton and Samuel F.B. More while she is pointing to an electric generator creating energy in stored batteries.

Another fresco is titled War and the female America stands in a chariot while holding a sword aloft with a eagle by the chariot. Moving on to another fresco, we have Marine showing Neptune, god of the seas in a boat with the goddess of love, Venus laying a transatlantic cable. I find this very interesting to contemplate. The frescoes of Commerce and Mechanics portray men while the one named Agriculture has the goddess Ceres sitting on a McCormick reaper.

The feminine principle, which has been almost ignored for eons, is well and alive in our U.S. Capitol. However, those who are our representatives appear to be oblivious to this. It is the unobvious obvious. Only when we unify the female-male principles in balance will we have peace, justice and true justice.

Unfortunately there are those who will read this book and reject its powerful message sprinkled throughout and these are the ones who have a narrow or closed mind. We are moving into a new age and the truth is being revealed, however the close minded people will be blinded and fearful of organizations such as the Ramtha School of Enlightenment that teaches students to expand their minds and to look within for their own salvation.

There is an old adage that says many eons ago four wise sages were creating the human form and one asked 'where will we put God?' One sage, let's put God in the ocean because the human will never look there. The other sages disagreed, saying "No, they will conquer the oceans." Another spoke up and said, "Let's put God in the sky" and again the other sages disagreed by saying, "No, the human will conquer the sky." A third sage spoke up and said, "Let's put God in deep in the Earth" and the others shook their heads no while saying "No, the human will conquer the Earth." A fourth sage smiled and said, "I know where to put God. Let's put God inside the human. They will never think of looking there." And so it has been.

Dan Brown's book The Lost Symbol is an excellent book that has brought the Masons into a true perspective of what the organization is truly about. I am delighted to have this understanding since my maternal grandfather was a Mason and my mother a member of the Eastern Star. Nevertheless, wouldn't it be even more wonderful if there were no separation of the male and female in the Masons? And wouldn't it be even greater if the word 'man' was not used as being the human form? Why not use the word 'human'? This includes both woman and man. It is something to think about.