Jaguar Speaks***Dawn of a New Consciousness

After 16 years of living off the grid I now have a wealth of information to share with you. After a lot of writing about different topics I realized I don’t have a tips and tricks for living off the grid. These are just some basic tips that will help you achieve your dream. If you keep them in mind while you are trying to make the switch I’m sure you will succeed.

The biggest tip I can give you is to never lose sight of your goal. 16 years ago when we were going to make the switch we actually had people laugh at us, but those same people now ask for our help with their own conversions.

Start small and take baby steps at first. Living off the grid is a learning process. You’re going to be generating your own energy and you’ll need to do a little bit of learning along the way. I recommend to first start out by making your house more energy efficient, and just become more aware of how you’re using energy in your home. This can help quite a bit when it comes to building your renewable energy system as the less energy you need the less money you’ll need to spend to produce it.

If you have a little bit of DIY skills consider building the solar panels or wind generator yourself. I know you may not think that you can actually do this, but trust me… we didn’t think we could really do it either, but we managed to do it.

Get in touch with people who share the same ideals as you. They have a ton of information that they are willing to share with you. Right now there are literally thousands of places you could find people who are like minded. Forums are the best place as you can take part in discussions and ask questions from people who have actually made the switch.

Above all is never give up. One of my favourite quotes of all time is “those people who give up never realize how close they were to success.” This is true in almost every case. We’ve been very close to giving up several times, but just by hanging in there and reminding ourselves why we were doing this we were able to achieve our dream of energy independence. I believe that if you want to you can do it too.

Andrew Oke is very interested in renewable energy. He has 16 years experience living off the grid, and has completely built his own renewable energy system. Visit his website at http://www.living-off-grid.com

The Every day life of the Aztec people
By: Armando Martinez 

Very few is left today of the ancient Aztec city of Tenochtitlan. Most of what is left of this city lies at the bottom of Mexico city’s Historical center. The city was largely destroyed during the Spanish conquest between the year 1519 and 1521 A.D, However, some of this remains can still be appreciated in the “Templo Mayor Museum” and in the nearby neighborhood of Tlatelolco. The visitor would normally appreciate the ancient ruins, but How did these people actually lived? How was their every day life and their social structures. This is an extensive topic which I will try to briefly cover in a series of articles. In the present one, I will try to cover the Aztec social divisions and how they evolved from the foundation of Tenochtitlan until the Spanish conquest.

As I mentioned in the previous article, when the Aztecs arrived to the central valley where Mexico City lies today, they were mainly a tribe of nomadic hunters with a very basic social structure. Every head of the family at that time was a warrior and a farmer. These family heads participated of larger discussions with other family heads. These discussions were the political center of the early Aztec “democracy”, and were very much influenced by the Priests of the god “Huitzilopochtli”, which had overall authority over most public aspects of the Aztec People.

This primitive structure evolved to give birth to more complex, differentiated social divisions during the XVth century. Priests were no longer involved with military and civil actions, and the influence of commerce had a big impact in the social structure, with traders occupying an important place. One man above all used to shine against all others, the Tlatoani, the Aztec emperor. The tribal democracy had finally given up to an aristocratic Monarchy.

The nahuatl word “tecuhtli”, mandatory, lord, defines the upper class in the Aztec social division. They are the military, finance chiefs, and judges that solve the important issues. The ancient emperor of a city that was incorporated into the empire received the rank of “tecuhtli”. Aztec gods also often receive this denomination: “Mictlantecuhtli”, The lord of the underworld and “Xiuhtecuhtli”, the fire god. Aztec priests only exceptionally received this rank, they used to have their own hierarchy. The rank of tecuhtli was acquired by election or by designation within a particular family. An analogy can be made with the feudal lords of the middle ages. Similar to the way it happened in Europe, a rural noble lord had a different category to a noble lord close to the king. In Mexico, the Tecuhtli of an isolated village did not have the same social status as one close to the Tlatoani, the Aztec emperor.

In terms of the social divisions, the Aztec city was divided in Calpullis, or neighborhoods, the calpulli is the basic nucleus of the Aztec social division. Each neighborhood had its own chief or “calpullec”, elected by the people and assisted by a group of elder counselors, the “huehueteque”. Few things of public interest were done without the approval of the huehueteque. The main task of the calpullec was to keep a record of the collective lands that belonged to the calpulli, these lands were distributed by parcels among the different families. Land was given based on certain labour conditions (i.e. agricultural production based on the type of crops) the calpullec and its counselors were in charge of making sure that these conditions were met by each family.

Social status, unlike in like our western culture, was not acquired by the accumulation mansions, servants, dresses and jewels, instead, these came as a consequence of the accumulation of honors. The Aztec was rich because he received honors, he did not receive the honors because he was rich. The warrior that captured 4 prisoners during a battle had a higher social rank than the average warrior. In this way, the emperor gave the higher positions to the people that deserved them, a pure meritocracy.

 Armando Martinez is a Mexican etno-historian specialized in Mexico’s precolumbian cultures. He currently provides guided tours in Mexico for HAKI. For archaeology tours and Mexico Travel information, please visit www.mexicoculturaltours.com

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBiz.com

Everything about Ecosystem by George Chao

Ecosystems are part of our lives each day. It is everything around us, seen or unseen with our naked eyes. Man’s unyielding impact on the Earth’s ecosystem is not a new phenomenon. Tests and studies by prominent ecologists have already proven that man’s constant presence slowly, but surely means the earth’s demise. The balance is delicate, and education and diligence will be needed if we are to maintain that balance. It is distressing that a vast majority of people are unaware of the way they effect their immediate environment, not to speak of the delicate balance of nature’s ecosystem. Do you care about the impact? We are all part of an ecosystem, and need to realize how all we affect, and are affected by, it in all that we do. This audio program will discuss ecosystem characteristics and classification. This text will show you the hope which it provide information about everything around you.

How do we classify ecosystems?

Ecosystems are categorized accordingly using multiple various methods. The classification can also be based upon the vegetation and terrain like a rainforest ecosystem. Classification may be according to the kind of atmosphere where they live, such as the marine ecosystem. A consistent classification system still remains elusive although experts and researchers studying ecosystems are working hard to define a universal classification system that can identify ecosystems for protection purposes.

What do you infer from Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.

Scientists and researchers in 2001 undertook an effort to study the ecosystems of the world and determine the extent of the damage that has been done to them by mankind. Cataloging and labeling of earth’s ecosystem was a tedious effort made in history. They have proven that over the past fifty years we have caused more damage to the ecosystem than has ever been done before. If we want to continue to live in a sustaining environment then this assessment is important to humans everywhere. We must be clear what are the effects on the environment for us to make the required changes to ensure a brighter future for our planet.

How would we describe a biome?

The ecosystem is also called a biome. In one contained area, a group of plants, animals and soil organisms are living together. The murking and milieu of the swamp or the urban sprawl next to it is the urban biome or biome in the outback of Australia. Even our homes are considered to be a biome within a larger biome of area. You need to keep in mind that it also includes any non-living object that is present within the region.

How are ecosystems formed?

An environment and an organism are the starting points. An ecosystem is started from that initial beginning point. As the organisms grow and flourish along with flora and other fauna coming into the area the ecosystem begins to take shape. A good example of this would be a marine environment in which a piece of coral has begun to grow. As the coral starts to grow or increase in number, marine species like fish start taking shelter and food from coral. Presently, this is now what we call the ecosystem. Although it is an ecosystem that exists within a larger ecosystem, it is still considered an ecosystem.

Regardless of how much you feel you are aware regarding The Ecosystems such as resources about Ecosystem Services, or Forest Conservation, visit http://www.digitalexcellent.com/ecosystem/ to be entertained with really insightful information.

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The pursuit of ‘green’ buildings that will preserve the environment may possibly veer off in an unpredictable direction that will change the face of America’s housing. Contradictory though it may sound, concrete is raising its ugly head as an attractive and ‘green’ alternative for residential housing.

Although concrete has been used in European homes for over fifty years, it has not been in any way popular in U.S.A. If the thought of gray concrete homes in small town America is abhorrent to you - think again.

One of the European countries that make the largest proportion of concrete houses is France. Yes, that includes those cute little homes in the villages of Provence that people drive for miles to see! Underneath the sunny yellow paint on the exterior ’stone’ finish and the brilliant blue shutters framing the tiny windows - is blah gray concrete.

What’s more, inside the cool cottages where the interior walls are painted cream and edged with dark woodwork for relief is also blah gray concrete! So what’s the problem?

Change is always resisted by the majority, but concrete is gaining ground in developments around USA. This is because concrete has re-invented itself into the environmentally acceptable AAC. It is also known as E-Crete, but AAC - short for Autoclaved Aerated Concrete - can produce a home that is fireproof and whose construction is 80% air!

Buildings made from AAC will not rust, decompose, warp or rot and this makes them very low maintenance. Concrete does not offer the type of environment that encourages little critters such as termites; it also cannot be chewed through by mice etc, which are two more points in its favor.

Concrete walls do not give off toxic gasses and neither will home owners experience ‘cold spots’ in their rooms. This can be attributed to the unique design of the blocks which means that an AAC home comes with its own insulation against both the summer heat and the winter cold.

AAC offers better acoustics than a normal wooden home, in that it reduces the traveling of mechanical noises, decreases the penetrating ability of outside noises and does away with the echoing sound of an empty room. Or, in a nutshell, it is a quieter life inside!

For those who are interested in the environmental ethics of it all - AAC is made from adding a naturally occurring expansion agent to natural cement and sand which produces air bubbles within - rather like making concrete bread! It means all the trees can stay in the forest.

The Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Products Association (AACPA) boast that a minute amount of energy is needed to produce this organic product and the process of manufacturing produces no pollutants, by-products or toxic waste.

Hey! Move over log cabins and watch out America - it sounds too good to be ignored!

Every parent has at one time or another told their child, “You need to volunteer and help others instead of playing video games all day!” Yet can a nine-year-old realistically serve soup at a nearby homeless shelter? Sondra Clark, 18, knows first hand the benefits of volunteering. “When I was eight, my mom and I put together Easter Baskets to give to homeless kids coming to a free Easter dinner, said Clark. “It was great seeing how excited kids were to get a few special treats.”

Since that time, this teenager has made volunteering a high priority in her life. She’s raised over $85,000 to help educate children she met in Uganda and Kenya, spoken to over 25,000 people on the importance of volunteering and collected 12,000 pens to send to school children in Africa.

Sondra’s latest mission is collecting and distributing shoes through Soles4Soles, a non-profit organization based in Nashville, Tennessee. “Our family went to Guatemala and passed out flip flops to people in remote villages. Many of the kids didn’t even own shoes so they were thrilled to get a pair of flip flops” said Clark. “I remember giving a pair of shoes to a little three-year-old-boy sitting on a street with his mother. She begged all day, and he had no choice but to sit on the sidewalk with her. He not only loved his shoes, but he used them as toys!”

Sondra has been fortunate to travel around the world in her volunteer efforts. She knows not everyone has the opportunity to travel overseas and encourages people to volunteer in their own communities. Her latest project involves getting people to use GospelShoes as a ministry tool. (www.gospelshoe.org)These clogs and flip flops have the same five colors as the Wordless Book. People can give a person in need a practical gift like a pair of shoes and also explain the plan of salvation through the colors on the shoes. “I know I find it hard to witness at times, ” said Clark. “But giving a person a pair of shoes opens the door for conversation. Then you can casually explain the gospel from the colors on the shoe.”

Studies show children increase their self esteem by volunteering as they gain new skills and meet positive adult role models. The following are some simple ways children and adults can get involved in volunteering as described in Sondra’s latest book, 77 Creative Ways Kids Can Serve. (Wesleyan Press).

- Bedtime Snack Sacks. Children living in homeless shelters seldom get bedtime snacks. Decorate a number of lunch bags with markers, sequins and glitter. Fill each bag with a juice pack and non-perishable treat such as granola bars, packaged crackers or dried fruit. Add a small “Happy Meals” type toy as a surprise. Deliver the snack sacks to a women’s shelter.

- Dog and Cat Fun. Local humane societies look for volunteers to walk their dogs. See if your family can register as dog walkers. You’ll get exercise as well as the dogs! Kids can also collect old towels and newspapers to donate to shelters to use for animal care.

- Reading Fun. Collect gently used children’s books from family and friends. Give the books to an inner city school or Headstart program to expand their library.

The next time you want your children involved in a worthwhile activity, consider volunteering together as a family. Let Sondra’s practical suggestions encourage your family to help people, animals or the environment.

Am I to be a long burning ember —
Smouldering, dully red at the edge of sight ?

Is this all that I will remember,
Peering one-eyed from the underbrush of ash ?

Such an odd fate it is to be forever
Bound to the Earth and upward staring,
To be amazed by the cauldron dancing
And mystified by the vapors weaving.

There is the odd fit of flame —
A brilliant blaze upward leaping,
Above the dark wood dancing…
Yet all too soon it falters, seeming
To stumble back into the dim rubble below.

Stumbling back to quietly watch, dimly glaring, warming the night,
And from time to time to delight in new wood igniting.

AEM
032706

Okay everybody. Listen up.

We all know Going Green is a hot these days - just like jagar spots. But do you know what your environmental footprint is?

Take this great quiz at Live Science to find out. 

Every journey of consequence begins at a portal of access, face to face with the guardian of the gates.

A warning is issued.  Sacred contracts are demanded along with a sincere commitment to one’s own inner initiatory truth before access will be granted. It is right and just that this should be so because no such journey should ever be undertaken lightly, without deep pondering. Too much is at stake.  Sacred contracts are demanded along with a sincere commitment to one’s own inner initiatory truth before access can or will be granted.

We live in dangerous times.  Recognize them for what they are.  A clarion call to weigh and ponder with utmost care, integrity, and sincerity, our real commitment to the common cause, our sacred trust that beckons from beyond the portal at which we now stand.

Humanity’s ability to affect the fate of the world has skyrocketed over the past few centuries as its scientific mythos has escalated.  We have become the gods of the world, holding the power of creation and destruction in our hands.  Unfortunately, the development of our consciousness has not kept pace with our technical skills and we seek to play these new god games with our old outdated limited local mindset. As a result, the fate of the world is in jeopardy.  With so much at stake we no longer have the luxury of remaining indifferent to the intricacies of our consciousness evolution. We must step beyond our personal particular desires, our limited local selves, to take the greatest stride humankind has ever been asked to take.  As Christopher Fry proclaims in his poem The Sleep of Prisoners, our affairs are now soul size and the enterprise with which we engage is nothing less than exploration into G-d.   

As a result, it remains imperative that we recognize the importance of maintaining impeccability, constant vigilance and heightened inner clarity with every action we take whether we journey inwards through the psychic, spiritual and mythic realms or whether we journey outwards into the dangerously explosive times of physical reality.  The Guardian at the Gate is on watch and will alert us, often times with a stronger shake up call then we care to experience, should we fail to exercise due diligence.  Purity of intention and integrity of thought is required at all times so that we can remain free of contaminated hooks and eyes (sticky attachments) that will catch and hold the projections of tainted thoughts, both our own as well as any others directed our way.  Observant of these sacred truths, we must approach life with reverence and gratitude, seeking at all times to practice right thought and action on life’s journey.

Having pondered all this with care, it is now time to affirm that we are not alone on this journey. Once we make the commitment and pass the Guardian of the Gates the inner daimon appears, ready to assist us along our chosen way. This sacred fellowship is cemented by our first hesitant steps as we enter the portal of dedicated commitment.  As our paths combine and converge, the depth soundings of a never-ending partnership begin to peal out in a resonant rhythm that rocks the soul…Let the Dance begin.  

Here is an interesting post from the Reconnections,  ”Bridge Concepts” that connect a person to what is called The Multiverse, speaking through the Spiritual Translator David Jacobs. The message seems very appropriate for our Consciousness work here.

The Reconnections describe themselves as “All those parts of your Expanded Self that you had to forget about in order to be human.”

And here is their message on Endtimes:

“This isn’t the beginning of the end. It’s merely the end of a very long beginning. As your conscious knowledge of this process continues to expand, a wonderful Transformation now begins.

 At your own rate and in your own timing, the lines that border and divide your world will begin to fade. Within the face of every person and imprinted on every object, you will notice the seams of that common fabric out of which all stories are cut. And you will be Transformed……in a moment…….in the twinkling of an eye.

And with that change, your whole universe will change. Those story boards and props will fall away. You will begin to see things as never before. You will BECOME your Greater Self. And the only change needed will be in your perception. It’s always been here, all around us. And you begin to see. And you will begin to know. And you will begin to smile.

 It will be a MIRTHQUAKE! And, with the laughter of a child, there will finally be an appreciation of the humor and grace out of which everything is formed. And THEN, you will be HOME.” <end transmission>

We wish everyone a Happy Valentines Day. Live and love from the heart, from your ture essence and everything else will fall into place.

 Blessings
 

Many things about Mind and Consciousness remain a mystery. This great frontier of exploration prickles at being chunked down to independent parts to be studied separate from life and the mind-body system. Here’s an interesting site in which scientists attempt to come up with theories about the top 10 mysteries of the mind. I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether or not they succeed. Mysteries of the Mind.