Atlantean Power Crystals

A few days ago, I received an email from a local store which sells Atlantean Power Crystals. (They were also selling their beat-up old car and looking for a home for their equally beat-up old cat.)

The email asked if I was a Past-Life Atlantean, and if so, my Atlantean Crystal was calling me to come and collect (buy) it. My crystal and I would continue our special relationship – I had already programmed it in my previous life on Atlantis. I should keep it with me at all times and talk to it as I would to my plants. If I had to take it off for any reason I was to lay it carefully on a little pink satin cushion underneath some sort of paper re-charging pyramid. My crystal will guide me through the coming worldwide 2012 change of consciousness. It possesses a special energy that will heal me and protect me.

That sounds certifiably insane!

I immediately banged out an email to the lady selling these marvellous crystals, with a couple of questions: where do the crystals come from? How will I know which is the one I programmed myself back in Atlantis? Tell me all about the coming change of consciousness? How does crystal healing work?

The lady’s response was not encouraging – she wanted my phone number, so she could phone me to discuss my questions. Well, I certainly didn’t want to have a conversation with this nut-job, so I responded that I was uncertain about the feelings I was having about the crystals and I didn’t feel I was ready to talk just yet. Could she not just give me some information, so I could mull it over?

Of course, there’s no way she was going to commit her madness to paper – so I had to leave it at that.

Reluctantly, I turned to the internet to find out more…

Atlantis was a mythical land which Plato wrote about in 360 BCE in “Timaeus” and “Critias.” He claimed it was a land that lay beyond the “Pillars of Hercules” (often taken to mean it lay in the Atlantic Ocean, to the west of Africa) and sank into the ocean in a “single day and night of misfortune.”  Few people took the story seriously until modern times, when it became a symbol for all great lost civilisations. Plato describes Atlanteans as a military nation, but they have come to be viewed as much, much more….

A “psychic,” Edgar Cayce, claimed that Atlantis was the size of a continent, and lay between the Azores and the Bahamas. Its people were highly evolved – having ships and aircraft powered by “Energy Crystals.”

(Unfortunately for Cayce, continental drift has proved that there cannot have been a continent in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean in the geologically recent past.)

Others have suggested sites such as within the Mediterranean Sea, Antarctica, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean…. lots of speculation, but no evidence that Atlantis was anything other than a legend.

Until now, that is, with the discovery of the Power Crystals!! Although you and I may see them as simple quartz, quite pretty, but nothing special, the Past-Life Atlanteans believe they can be used for healing, and to store information and energy.

Atlanteans apparently used them to transmit audio and video over great distances, just like modern day television! They used crystals to communicate with God, and to heal their Aura. The misuse of these powerful crystals led to the downfall of Atlantis – so be VERY careful when you put it down on its little pink cushion, don’t bump it whatever you do!

Life Technology can create their own Power Crystals by “incorporating the toroidal power of implosion, orgone energy, phi harmonics, tensor fields, sonics and ultrasonics, visible and invisible light spectrum energy and most crucially a unique energy template within the crystalline matrix of the Atlantean Power Crystal.”

These crystals supposedly have the power to:

• heal and recharge the human electromagnetic field
• emit neutrinos, enabling the correction of intracellular frequencies (Bollocks. Neutrinos are only emitted by radioactive decay or nuclear reactions, and penetrate straight through matter without interaction – they certainly won’t interact with the cells of the human body)
• enable centrifugal reorganisation of the chakras
• dissipate harmful cosmic rays from outer space
• make food more nutritious and water positively energised
• send and receive love and light
• give access to the universal language of the body of light, for bilocation, translation and multilocation functions (WHAT does that actually MEAN???)

The list goes on and on, and each claim is more fantastic than the last. What is missing is any evidence that any of this really happens (except in the mind of the reincarnated Atlantean)

One of these is Archangel Metatron, Lord of Light! (Exclamation mark is his.) He claims that 2008 began the unlocking of the great Atlantean Crystals, held for over 12 000 years in dimensional seal within the magnetic complex of Arkansas. They will align with other sleeping crystals all over the Americas, and many have already come to live within this crystalline vortex which will be fully in place THIS YEAR! Yes folks, 2012! the Guardians of Sirius B are preparing for you to join them….

The man obviously belongs in a padded cell…. It’s all completely made-up Bullshit of the highest order. If you manage to read it all the way to the end without your head exploding, I’ll send you a lollipop 🙂

SLIGHTLY less bonkers is Crystal Wings where your Crystal Companion is waiting for you. Powerful tools for healing and transformation, Ruby Lavender Quartz, resonates with your High Heart Chakra, resonates with the Seventh Spiritual Ray (a unique frequency and quality of the Divine,) brings in the Divine Feminine (passive, intuitive, receptive – it would be wouldn’t it.) and carries a Trinity of Colour.

The Temple Baby, a big pointy, faceted pink crystal will set you back a mere $800. A small price to pay in the pursuit of spiritual ascension and divine purpose!

If you prefer to carry your cosmic ray deflector around your neck, a Ruby Lavender Quartz pendant in a 14 carat gold setting will also empty your bank account of $800. They’re not shy are they?

2012 promises to be quite a year, by all accounts: If we don’t all get wiped out by the non-existent planet Niburu which is currently “hiding behind the Sun”, the Magick Crystals will cause a portal to open up to a new dimension, maybe all the way to Sirius B.

Those of us whose elevator goes all the way to the top floor can relax. Be assured, these portents of disaster are no more likely than all those that have come (and gone) before.

Poll: Norah the “World Class Psychic”

Reflexology

Some of my friends have mentioned consulting a reflexologist about their health problems. I tend to lump reflexology in with acupuncture, homeopathy, reiki, magnet therapy and many other “alternative health” practices. The self-reported benefits of some of these treatments seem impressive to the uncritical mind – but what do we find when we delve a little deeper?

Reflexology, also known as Zone Therapy, was invented by William H Fitzgerald, an American ear, nose and throat doctor, in the early 20th century. His idea was that the human body is divided into ten vertical zones, each of which is represented by a part of the foot on the opposite side of the body.

This all ties back to the Eastern ideas of Qi or Chi – a life force or energy which supposedly flows along detectable meridians in the human body. By manipulating this Qi, therapists claim to be able to:

• stimulate lymph nodes, kidney and colon reflexes, thereby “cleansing the body of toxins” (I thought your liver and kidneys did that all by themselves)
• “balance and harmonise” the body (What??? That doesn’t even make sense!)
• enhance bodily function by increasing oxygen levels and nutrient supply to every cell (deep breathing when you fall asleep during your foot massage?)
• unblock nerve impulses and stimulate lethargic blood supply which prevent your Qi from reaching unhealthy or diseased organs.
• aid healing after surgery (using the same mysterious Qi energy)
• reduce tension (as would ANY foot massage)

By pressing on parts of the foot, the highly-trained reflexologist can detect areas of resistance which apparently indicate disease in the organ or part of the body represented by that spot on the foot. (Hands apparently also have zones connected in the same way ……. as do ears.)

Therapy involves massage at that point, which is believed to repair the diseased organ and generally improve the patient’s health (see the list of outlandish claims above). Several sessions of high-pressure massage may be needed to cure the problem, and thereafter maintenance sessions to prevent further disease. (This is really funny if you think about it. The reflexologist diagnoses a disease which does not yet exist in your body, treats it with nice foot massages at great expense to you because Medical Aids sensibly refuse to pay for reflexology treatments, and then claims a “hit” because you DIDN’T get sick with whatever they were treating you for!)

Okay, that all sounds very nice, comforting in a way. Here’s a therapy that can treat or cure your diseased organs without surgical intervention or even drugs. No nasty trips to the doctor, no lengthy and expensive stays in hospital, no years of chronic medication…. Hell no! Just pop off to the reflexologist for a foot massage and you’ll be fine!

Just a couple of small problems……….

Reflexology is not a legal medical profession – in South Africa for instance, two years of study at a spa training college or cosmetic and massage academy, covering the following subjects – anatomy and physiology, pathology, theoretical and practical reflexology, business practices, patient care, nutrition, HIV policy and first aid – will give you a DIPLOMA in Reflexology.

You can then register as a member of the Allied Health Professionals Council, pay your annual fees, and go out and pretend to be a medically qualified to diagnose and treat people with serious health problems.

The fact that they might DIE because they came to you for a foot massage instead of consulting a REAL doctor shouldn’t concern you too much, should it? Apparently ethics are not a huge part of the training course….

Neither is consistency.

Reflexologists can’t agree on exactly WHICH part of the foot/hand/ear is supposed to be magically connected to WHICH part of the body! You can check this out for yourself – just Google Reflexology Images, and you will find pages of charts of the zones – hands, feet and ears – and if you care to look closely you will see that although they obviously started out with Dr Fitzgerald’s original charts, some Poetic License has crept in over the years.

Compare the massage spots with the first diagram above - notice anything?

This one is for when you have an enlarged heart....

Isn’t it weird how the heart bit jumps around, getting bigger and smaller….? And the ascending colon becomes the descending colon? Some charts coyly don’t mention certain “private parts” – I guess those therapists didn’t learn about STDs in Cosmetics School….

The other major problem with Reflexology is that there is no scientific basis for its theories. There are no detectable meridians, there is no detectable Qi or Life Force, there is no evidence that this non-existent Qi is connected to parts of the hand or foot or ear and can be manipulated to treat specific illnesses. It’s just not biologically plausible. We have perfectly adequate explanations for the cause of most diseases, and scientific researchers are working on the rest. You don’t need to invoke magic to explain illness – germs, unhealthy eating habits, genetic inheritance, unhealthy environment, accidents, etc can explain most of what goes wrong in the human body.

There are SO MANY published results of clinical trials which have tested reflexology properly (random, double-blinded, peer-reviewed) and found it to be useful only for relaxation, and some pain relief, as well as having a placebo effect. Here are just a few links:

• The Medical journal of Australia
• Pubmed – in respect of menopause
• Mendeley – in respect of irritable bowel syndrome

You will notice that I have not included any links to “trials” which consist mainly of anecdotal evidence and which do not provide proper data to back up their conclusions – the internet positively teems with such information, all of it useless from a scientific and medical point of view.

Once again, I ask the question, What’s the Harm in seeing a reflexologist?

If you have any bone or joint condition in your feet or lower legs, it can be exacerbated by forceful massage as applied by the reflexologist. These are not doctors – they have a two or three-year diploma with debatable credentials – yes, they will ask you about your medical history and try to take reasonable care to not kill you outright. You hope.

If you allow a reflexologist to treat you for a serious condition you might delay consulting a medical doctor who can treat you with the medicine or surgery you really need. The condition could get a lot worse before you end up seeking proper medical care, by which time it might be too late…. cancer is the obvious example where early diagnosis and aggressive medical treatment is essential.

You just can’t afford to mess around with cancer….  How many people do you know who were diagnosed, tried chemotherapy, thought it wasn’t helping, went to an “alternative” practitioner, and then DIED??? Yes, it’s often fatal anyway, but you have a better chance of survival and a better quality of life if you get REAL MEDICAL CARE!

Modern reflexology tries to downplay the woo – if you look at a lot of their websites they emphasise the relaxation and massage side of it. Well, if it’s just a massage, why call yourself a reflexologist? Why rely on Zones and Qi and all the rest of the nonsense to back you up? Why pretend that it’s a valid medical intervention when it clearly isn’t?

Could it be because you can charge a LOT more for a reflexology session under the guise of medicine than you can for a simple foot massage? Reflexology treatment can run to several sessions and of course there are those “preventative” sessions – you could be tied into those for years!

Should A Christian Consult A Psychic?

Let me state right at the beginning that I am not a christian, I don’t even spell christian with a capital C. (I USED to be a christian, but that’s another story.)

However, I do think quite a lot about religion, because it is such an important facet of society, and I like to think I’m fairly well-informed on the subject.

So, when one of my christian colleagues tells me she knows an “incredible psychic” she wants me to see (to overcome my scepticism of all psychics) my first reaction is: Should this person, who believes in an all-knowing, omnipotent god (note, no capital G) be consulting someone who claims to be able to see the future using paranormal powers?

As far as I am aware, this is a very un-christian thing to do. Aren’t they supposed to have faith that their god already has their future all planned out and is taking care of them, and whatever happens will be for the best because it is “God’s Will”?

Don't you trust me??

The christian god doesn’t like his followers to consult fortune-tellers and psychics. His own holy book has numerous passages such as:

• Deuteronomy 18:10-12
• There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord
• Leviticus 19:31
• “Do not turn to mediums or necromancers; do not seek them out, and so make yourselves unclean by them: I am the Lord your God.

To an interested observer like me, that seems pretty clear!

Assuming we can agree that the christian god has declared consulting psychics, fortune-tellers and mediums to be verboten, the question is: why do so many practising christians do it? There could be several reasons:

• they have never properly read their own holy book, so they don’t know they shouldn’t be paying some charlatan to contact their Auntie Emily from Beyond the Grave to tell her that her cat just died and will be joining her soon (As if she didn’t already know!),
• they have read the book but they don’t think it applies to them – so it’s okay to pay a fortune- teller to look into their future – perhaps the tall, dark stranger really is out there, just waiting for you to come into his life, if you cross that lady’s palm with silver….
• they know it applies to them but they don’t care – which means they don’t take their own deity seriously. Apparently, that course could lead to eternal damnation – fire and brimstone, guys in red latex body-suits with pointy sticks and all that?
• they DON’T SEE THE HARM.

Let’s examine that last point.

Psychics rely on people’s belief in their apparently “paranormal powers”. People don’t always think critically, so it is pretty easy to fool them using pretty standard techniques. There are many famous instances of psychics cheating – James Randi has written extensively on the subject, and has offered a $1 million prize to anyone who can demonstrate any paranormal ability under controlled conditions. Many have tried, and all have failed.

Psychic con artists take people’s money and feed them lies, prey on their grief at losing a loved one, mislead police investigations and just generally waste everybody’s time.

If you want to read about the harm caused by psychics, please read What’s the Harm? The website draws on reports from all over the world and makes for horrifying, disturbing, often tragic reading.

Here is a very instructive lesson on How To Be A Psychic – do you recognise any of these steps from the last time you visited a psychic/fortune-teller/clairvoyant? You should – they’re commonly used ploys to get you to believe the bullshit they’re about to feed you!

So, should a christian consult a psychic? Should anybody? What do you think?

Norah, the World Class Psychic, tells my fortune

A few days ago, just for a laugh, I responded to an online advert for a personal astrological reading by Norah, the World Famous Astrologer/Psychic.

I used a false name, gave my date of birth (I could tell you too, but then I’ll have to kill you) and said I wanted to know about the money in my future.

Sure as nuts, a day later I received an email from Norah, personally, with the startling admission that she was “overwhelmed by intense revelations” when she began to focus on my specific case. A more gullible person might have thought “Ooohh, I wonder what she saw in my future that was so overwhelming?”

I, on the other hand, thought “Oh yeah?”

The link provided by my new “Devoted Friend Norah” took me to the most bizarre, woo-infested missive I have ever read (and I have read a few….*sigh*….)

Apparently I am about to enter my Transit Period, starting Monday 30th January, and going on for another 77 days. During this time I will finally have the ability to attract the abundance I deserve, and shake off the Dark Cloud that has been preventing me from gaining eternal luck and happiness, especially in the fields of Love and Money.

It seems I had asked her for help just in time, because these Transit Periods only happen once or twice in a lifetime per individual, and mine is about to happen due to the influence of my “heavenly body” Venus, and the number 4. (How does SHE know about my Heavenly Body…..?)

Dear Norah, in her meditations and deep personal connection to me, sensed that there has been some Evil pursuing me since childhood, and that I have had one problem after another, especially concerning money.

After a short, generalised, feel-good “analysis” of my character – only the nice things you would say to butter someone up – she hit me with the whole point of this ridiculous charade: she wants my money!

If I am to get the best of the Great Change that is about to overtake my life, sort out my money problems and my love-life, all I have to do is hand over $79 for my Complete Detailed Astral Reading (plus three freebies worth $280 which will allow me to cultivate my Own Extra-Sensory Abilities).

AND, just to top off this incredible life-changing offer:

Along with your “TRANSIT PERIOD GUIDE TO LUCK AND HAPPINESS” you’ll receive,as a free gift on top of the $280 worth of bonuses that I have already described: “MY MAGIC WISH-FULFILLING PENTACLE”.

This Pentacle seems to be impregnated with a mysterious secret that contains POWERFUL ASTRAL FORCES. It is reputed to trigger the RAPID REALIZATION OF YOUR SECRET WISHES. Many men and women who have had the privilege of owning a MAGIC PENTACLE during a period of luck, have seen their SECRET WISHES come true, often in less than 7 days. It is urgent that you use it as quickly as possible, so that you are prepared for THE GREATEST CHANGE YOU HAVE EVER KNOWN IN YOUR LIFE.

A Magic Pentacle! What the hell is a Pentacle? Off to Wikipedia: “A pentacle is an amulet used in magical evocation, generally made of parchment, paper or metal…. on which the symbol of a spirit or energy being invoked is drawn”.

Nice! Is she going to send me a paper gold star with a dollar sign drawn on it?

Those who know me well will know that by that stage I was nearly paralysed with boredom by the whole Norah marketing machine. Not to mention the obvious wrongness of her deep, psychic insights into my life: I am extremely happily married to a man I have loved deeply for years, I have a FANTASTIC, well-paid job, loads of money, precious friends and family, a stimulating intellectual life, interesting hobbies… I could not be happier or more content if I wore a pentacle ;-p

I clicked “unsubscribe” and a day later received a response from someone called Pat, telling me I would not receive any further communications from Norah and politely asking whether there was anything else they could help me with? I responded that they could help me, and the rest of the world, by not publishing such blatant Bullshit. They should be ashamed of themselves. Gullible people might actually believe it and make decisions based on it – decisions that could be harmful or cost them money – just because some mass-mailed “psychic reading” told them to.

Don’t they have a conscience?

Astrology, for those who don’t already know it, is not true. The planets do not influence your life. The Gynaecologist who delivered you had a stronger gravitational influence on you at that moment than the relative angle of the planets that happened to be overhead at the time.

Astrologers were mightily embarrassed when it was discovered that the Earth actually revolved around the Sun, and when new planets (other than the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) were discovered that they had not taken into account in their charts (Neptune, Uranus and Pluto). Do only certain “planets” (including the Sun and the Moon!) influence humans, and not others? Why not? How could the astrological charts have been right up until then?

Psychics can’t sense your problems from the other side of the world. If any one psychic had any “extra-sensory” ability, they would have accepted the Million Dollar Challenge and proved it.

Not one psychic has EVER demonstrated real extra-sensory abilities under controlled conditions. It’s easy to do it on stage, with common magic tricks, and an assistant in the audience communicating with you through your “hearing aid”. That’s not to say no psychic will EVER demonstrate that ability under controlled conditions – but if Norah is an example of a World Class Psychic, then I don’t hold out much hope…..

Fortunately, if I didn’t realise my Earth-shattering Potential with Norah’s Reading, the Extra-Sensory Help Pack and my Magic Pentacle within 30 days, there was a 100% money-back guarantee – now that’s a psychic prediction I CAN believe in!

Labyrinth Power?

This morning, one of my colleagues mentioned that she had planted a labyrinth in her garden recently. She added that early on New Years’ morning she had gone outside and walked the labyrinth, “asking for guidance and seeking peace.”

I had never heard of “Labyrinth Walking” so I decided to try to find out more. What is the history of the labyrinth? What effect, if any, does walking a labyrinth have on the walker?

My Google search turned up the Labyrinth society (labyrinthsociety.org) which “offers support to those who create, maintain and use labyrinths” and to provide “education, networking and opportunities to experience transformation.” (Italics mine)

Ah, ha! The first clue! The society defines a labyrinth as a “single path or unicursal tool for personal, psychological and spiritual transformation” and says that “labyrinths are thought to enhance right brain activity.” (Just be careful your Right Brain doesn’t become so creative, your Left Brain forgets to look where you’re going.)

Apparently there are several types of labyrinth, from the Classical Greek (found on Cretan coins from 400 to 500 BCE) , Roman and Medieval labyrinths found in various churches and cathedrals.Modern contemporary labyrinths are designed to “enhance spiritual perception,” and are touted as an alternative medical treatment for cancer amongst other dire ailments. (Note: Walking a labyrinth will not cure your cancer, no matter how “spiritual” you find the experience. It may help you to relax and calm your mind, which may be beneficial.)

The Labyrinth Society site offers some basic information on “Sacred Geometry” (whatever that is), and a Labyrinth Locator. If you want to become a member, it will cost you between $50 and $1250. Membership entitles you to access to the Energy Keepers, a group of volunteers who will provide you with “loving support” and “energy” to help you overcome your troubles.

All very nice, I’m sure. Nowhere on the site does it state exactly how the 140 Energy Keepers acquired this marvellous power, or how they will channel it to you, the financially disadvantaged,  bereaved and suffering Labyrinth walker.

There is a very religious slant to the whole thing, of course. Various websites talk about “spiritual awakening”, “prayer tools”, “balancing the chakras” (what??) and “discovering your own sacred inner space”.

Very New Age.

Wikipedia, on the other hand, has a much wider and more historical view of Labyrinths. Here, I read about the ancient Greek, Egyptian, Native American, Indian and Roman labyrinths, and their decidedly pagan use in meditation, myth and making things look pretty.Prehistoric labyrinths were supposed to trap any naughty Evil Spirits that might be lurking around, and were also used as paths for ritual dances.

There is no evidence that early Christians attached any significance to labyrinths or mazes. and it was only in the 17th and 18th centuries that crawling along the labyrinthine path on your bloodied knees was considered an adequate alternative to a pilgrimage to the “Holy Land.” Even today, walking along the labyrinthine path is supposed to lead to salvation, enlightenment, and so on.

My opinion is this: if you want to walk around in circles to think and clear your head, you could use a labyrinth – or you could just pace up and down like a normal person. Or you could just sit and think, and clear your head. Or, you could just sit. Any one of those actions is going to relax you, or focus your mind, or make you feel better. Running around the block or punching a pillow or pounding out some rock ‘n roll on your piano will make you feel better.

Why do people feel the need to attach “spiritual” significance to a meandering walk along a laid-out pathway?

Does a labyrinth laid out by a landscaping contractor in a Hotel garden also have “Special Spiritual Powers?”

How the hell would you know???

Introduction

Hello World!

That sounds very ordinary, and right now I don’t FEEL very ordinary. This is my first tentative step into the blog-o-sphere – I must admit it feels pretty good.

By way of introduction: I am a South African woman, happily married, and thoroughly enjoying life. I work as a Financial Manager.

I want to use this blog to share my many and varied interests with anyone who is interested.

At the moment, I’m very involved in photography so I’ll share some of my best images here.

I am a technophile of note – I love having the very latest geeky toys, so I’ll probably rave on a bit about my iPad and my new Canon DSLR. The Canon is my biggest challenge at the moment – it’s new, it’s heavy and it’s Com-pli-ca-ted. I can’t wait to learn all the ins and outs of the machine, and hopefully take some good, creative shots…

I read a lot, so I will also post some book reviews. My tastes in books range between science, philosophy, astronomy, economics, management, history, politics….the list goes on.

There is a lot happening in my life at the moment. I will probably talk about that too, eventually.

To wind up, I’d like to dedicate this first blog to my lovely daughter, Angela.

Angie, you are an inspiration to me. I hope to one day be as prolific and intelligent a writer as you!