THE BEAUTY AND POWER OF A NEW MOON

MoonPrints

Today is the first New Moon of the Astrological New Year. Everyone loves the beauty of the Full Moon, but the New Moon is just as beautiful and twice as powerful, and even though it's hard to see even a sliver of light during a New Moon, its impossible to avoid its profound influence. The Pisces New Moon has ended and the Aries New Moon has begun.The New Moon in Aries is a good time to commit to personal goals that express positive energies of the sign of the Ram. It's time to take action and try something new and innovative. Go at it with gusto and confidence and be assertive without being aggressive. Take charge of your life and discover your own personal courage. 

Of course, it is wise to be like this every day, expressing our own personal courage, but the stars--as such-- aren't always aligned in a way as to support this behavior..rest assured they are now. This is the beauty and the power of a New Moon. It can bring us fresh winds of energy and inspiration to persevere in any endeavor and also the time to reflect on recent happenings so we can clearly see that path illuminated before us.
Unlike the Full Moon energy that illuminates every aspect of our being, the New Moon energy has a more inward feel, a void, or maybe an empty quality and might be frightening to those of us not comfortable with uncertainty. Its often reassuring when our path is determined for us and we can follow it without thought. This can be comforting--a daily routine where we know what will happen at each time of the day. This dependable calendar is healthy for many, but its also healthy to vary it up, otherwise we can get stuck in a rut and fail to grow spiritually, mentally, emotionally and even physically. So the question is this: Can you learn to trust the dark? When it is dark, and you can learn to trust these dark moments--the moments when the way ahead is filled with  shadows and mist--the old can pass away even though the new is not yet here if you can but trust. The New Moon phase is a powerful time to send prayers, to verbalize your positive intentions, and give thanks to the Universe or whatever Divine Presence you choose. New Moons are a blank page on which to speak your dreams out loud, and Full Moons are for taking action and celebrating the fruits of your efforts.
But the New Moon in the Astrological New Year is even more ripe with beauty and power because it is an energy of renewal. Just as nature at this moment is awakening, we too can awaken our intentions, glimpsing what we wish to manifest in our lives, a vision we can pursue and take necessary actions to change those parts of our lives we feel are unsatisfactory and make a new beginning. But know this, you DO need to be clear about your vision of what you want to do and where you want to head. The change will be complete, done, because the Universe is supporting you. As the saying goes 'be careful what you wish for.'
I encourage you, at this time, not to rush out and take action. Remember, this is a New Moon, not a Full Moon. This is a time to reflect and reconnect with your spiritual center. It is a time for subjective, spiritual, and non-materialistic concerns. Kick back, let life flow, and center yourself. Connect with your Divine Self and trust the darkness which this New Moon provides for you. Then, as the days progress, get ready to step out of your 'comfort' zone and be fearless. You've drawn the mantle of your spiritual center around you, you've reflected on the things in your life you feel are unsatisfactory, you spoke your dreams out loud, and now you will be supported by the Universe to persevere in your endeavors.
I too will take this time to reflect, as I am doing at this moment. I'm sitting at my desk, listening to the symphony of the birds and the Western Chorus Frogs as they welcome the energies of Spring. I know that mother goose is nesting and the tulips are just beginning to pop, if the deer don't enjoy them first, that is. I see the beautiful soft green shoots in the shrubs and the trees surrounding my home and I know in a matter of a few days, this magical soft green and yellow color of rebirth will be replaced by stronger colors that will take us through summer. Nature is awakening and is happy and confident even though she's just come out of a long, dark sleep. This New Moon reminds me that I too am awakening and even though I might have passed through some dark nights where the world can be so uncertain, the Universe is benevolent and with the help of the beauty and the power of this New Moon, anything is possible.
My question to you today is this: What is it that you wish for? Who knows, maybe your wishes and dreams will come true.
Namaste,
PB

WARRIORS OF LIGHT

Since the release of my latest book, Blue Crystal Mountains, I have felt a little odd, like something

was wrong, or if not wrong, not right. I've felt incomplete, like something was missing. A heavy hand has laid over my heart and I've been walking around in a type of myopic fog. I've allowed the proverbial box to once again drop down around me, feeling isolated from the sunlight of the spirit.

Then I remembered. It's always like this after I send a book out into the world. I feel a sense of abandonment, like I've been left behind. I must attribute these feelings to insecurity or fear that my books will be ill-received or ignored. Musicians, artists, poets, actors and all other entertainers probably feel this type of uncertainty when they deliver a performance either written, sung, or acted. We're opening our hearts, exposing our vulnerabilities to the world and it's bloody scary. After all, human nature yearns for acceptance and/or acclaim. Not only that: A writer, musician, painter, etc. builds extremely strong connections with their work and when they are released into the world, it can sometimes feel like a child is gone, never to return. We've nurtured them as best we could, given them our hearts and wisdom and now it's up to them to find their way. But it's up to me to trust that they will be okay and that whatever happens next, good or bad, at any moment I can close my eyes and take the hand of my personal God and feel her benevolence. Whatever I've done is good enough for her and should be for me too. There is nothing frightening or scary about my God. My personal God is benevolent, tolerant, patient, and knows that my purpose for being on this planet at this point in time is not only to write books, but to be a Warrior of Light. And I sincerely believe every human being has this same connection spiritually to something divine that makes sense to them; the land, a prophet, or whatever, they can take the hand of this God and feel love.

This morning, and yesterday as a matter of fact, I devoted a few hours to my favorite teacher: Kryon.  Lee Carroll has been channeling Kryon for almost 25 years and I've been listening and learning from these messages for almost as long. When I feel a type of disconnection, this is the hand that I reach for, reminding me time and again that I am not alone. Kryon, of course, is not my God, but always re-directs me back to the source. And then I re-establish my own spiritual connection and instead of searching the exterior world for approval, I am reminded of the things I know but tend to forget when I'm feeling insecure and vulnerable.

As Kryon said in his latest channel while sitting at the base of the beautiful red rock "Uluru" in the

Uluru

Northern Territory of Australia: "The air has been purified and templated with intent. The discovery of this day is that we have an alliance with more than we think. When we sit on unspoiled land, such as this, the messages of the ancients are clear." 

There is so much more going on at this moment than we could ever know. The eyes of billions of souls are watching the human being on the planet of free choice, waiting to see what we will do next.  Lightworker that I am, along with thousands of others now walking this planet, I need to see beyond that box I've built around myself that reflects my reality back as 3D. We need to understand, today, that our thoughts have energy. It's more than just energy; it's physics. Consciousness can be measured and seen for its beauty and strength.  We as human beings are passing into the realm of knowledge, realizing there is a much bigger scenario of the creation of God. Kryon reminded me...again...If consciousness has energy, the box I've build around me that is my reality can stop this energy and when I allow the box to disappear, a world opens up that I do not know anything about, on a conscious level. And when that box is removed and I am open to new concepts the message I receive will be clear. 

After listening to Kryon I felt much better. I took a long, deep breath and remembered why I am writing my books. It is not for acclaim or applause or even worldwide recognition, which of course would be nice, but frankly and in all honesty, it is to tell a story about the ancients and their messages. I must not attach myself to the outcome of the book and what happens after I release it, but to be proud of myself for doing that which I came here to do. I'm sure with the release of subsequent books, of which there are at least three more in the series, I will once again feel bereft and a little lost for awhile, but that's to be expected. I love my characters and my story with all my heart and when I am done with a book I grieve for those moments writing it. While writing, I'm swept away on Crystal's journey along with her and I can only be grateful for I learn a great deal about myself and the exotic places Crystal travels to. 

I've learned along the way that each of us have long lineages of ancestors and we've shared lifetimes with them. In my books, within each message are secrets to how we can survive and thrive in the coming changes ahead.  At this time in our history, we are the designated ascendees of our ancestors. Each one of us has chosen to be here, representing our ancestors. Humanity is on the cusp of a magnificent shift the middle of which was 12/12/12 with the Procession of the Equinoxes. Eighteen years before this date the shift began, and there are eighteen years left.  The ancients who created the calendars have given us the schedule. Free choice will determine how long it will really take and this is the Lightworkers's reason for being here. And my particular method of sharing my light is within my books and the stories of the ancient cultures around the world that Crystal Blue meets. The sooner humanity discovers, for themselves, how powerful they are, the sooner the shift will be complete. Within each of the ancient's messages are ways to discover this personal power and put it to use both to enrich their own life and their families, and ultimately enriching our planet and her health.

All ancestors of different colors and cultures are now asking to be discovered as realized as one family. The days of separation are leaving and we will discover we are family no matter the color. We can look upon differences as not strange or odd but as something to discover that we want to know. Respect for other's belief systems will be a staple of human life. We see in our cities and across the globe the separation of light and dark are becoming more prominent as the last gasp of evil struggles for breath. The melding of cultures is not hard with benevolence and with understnding and discovery. And when I discover these things for myself, this changes the energy and consciousness of my space. In turn, the earth recognizes this and leaves an imprint of this understanding and acceptance for future generations to learn from. As a Warrior of Light, this knowledge is immediately directed into the Crystalline Grid of the planet to be accessed for the next generation of souls. Much like my character Crystal Blue, an Avatar whose mission is to travel the world and unveil ancient secrets, we too have this power and that is why the Lightworker is here.   Changing from one energy to another is always difficult. Warriors  of light will make a difference because we are willing to listen to the ancients. Not to copy their concepts, but their compassionate actions. Warriors of Light are, by nature, curious and often second-guess themselves. This is because we are Old Souls who lifetime after lifetime have been challenged with experience. Our self-worth is often hanging by a thread and we wonder if it is all worth it. I sincerely believe I have been on this planet and experienced no less than 1000 lifetimes, all different, all challenging, all excruciatingly painful, yet exhilarating at the same time. I must remind myself over and over that this lifetime is different. This is the one where within a generation we are ascending into the new human and the Warriors of Light, the Lightworkers are paving the way to peace and it is up to us to honor ourselves in the best way possible. This, I must do, by acknowledging to myself that I am worth it. I am open to receive all good things. I am compassionate. I am worthy. I do not need to look outside myself for this kind of recognition, but to merely say aloud: I am worthy to receive God's divine love and all this beautiful planet provides. I deserve to be here at this time in history where future generations will look back on and declare it one of the greatest, most memorable lifetimes in their ancestral history. This is the lifetime which will launch peace, accepting the feminine ways of cooperation and sustainability back into the fold. Science is beginning to embrace spirit and this is the moment the magic happens, when evolution goes quantum. 

I thank each and every one of you, whoever you are, wherever you may be and I welcome you into my family of Lightworkers. May the light of your ancestors guide you and show you the way home.

Namaste,

PB

Here is the link to the Kryon channeling I referred to earlier: Kryon

A BENEVOLENT PLANET

Greetings ~

It is my greatest pleasure to share with you one of Sarah Varcas's special reports. This message is dedicated to both the imminent eclipse and Spring Equinox, both cosmic events happening together. Coincidence? Of course not. There is always a pattern to be found when it comes to celestial events. After reading Sarah's message, follow this link to get to know here better. I've been reading her messages for a handful of years and never regret the time it takes to often explore her work. Then, after reading, I urge you to take note of what resonates with you. Do you remember your life in 1997? Did you make any important decisions, have any realizations, take any chances? I know I did, but maybe I'll explore that with you at a later date. Today let's just spend a bit of time with Sarah. Here is the link that will take you to this Astrologer. Sarah Varcas.  And so, without any further adieu, I present to you:

Synchronising Hearts

By

Sarah Varcas

 
This total solar eclipse occurs at 9:47 a.m. GMT on 20th March in the final degree of the zodiac. An eclipse here speaks of completion on a grand scale. Things within reach that we failed to grasp disappear; opportunities postponed for a ‘better time’ dissolve; riches hoarded lose their worth. This degree of the zodiac brings to a close great cycles of time and change, major life themes and patterns. An eclipse here reminds us the cosmos has its own timetable, weaving its design through our lives with or without our consent. We are faced with the choice to synchronise our timepiece of the heart with that of the heavens or occupy our own time zone – sometimes in synch, sometimes way out of it, struggling to impose our own schedule upon the unfolding of sacred creation. The endings we face now, be they losses, disappointments or liberating closure, remind us of the need for deep and abiding alignment with the god-force from here on in, as it threads its way through our lives.

The cycles now ending offered certain challenges, opportunities and emergent wisdom. They required choices, the distant outcomes of which we now face. Those made in alignment with the evolutionary imperative of awakening reveal powerful new beginnings on the near horizon, crystallising as we speak. Past courage will reap rewards of freedom and deep peace. Decisions made out of fear, from a defensive heart, reveal now the fading of a future self even as we gaze upon it: opportunities lost, the time for action passed. We may feel burdened with shame or regret, sadness or grief. But no matter the pain this moment may hold, there is comfort and hope at hand.

This eclipse connects us with 1997, bringing to a close cycles begun then. Whatever life asked of us at that point, the cosmos now echoes back to us the answer we gave. As we approached the dawn of the new millennium many were speaking of disaster, others of liberation. Life was taking on a sense of urgency and the energies which have tested our mettle to the max in recent years were tentatively beginning to make themselves felt. An eclipse on 9th March 1997 released into the collective consciousness a vision of completion, of enlightenment. A flame was lit in the human psyche, brighter than before, which called us to draw near and remember our original face, just visible in the dancing shadows. A deeper knowing was awakened in many and the seed for it planted in many more. We were changed from that moment, even if we didn’t know it. Since then our task has been to know it, to live intimately with the divine, with the universe, the god-force. To discover just how deeply we are guided and led by forces whose influence stretches far beyond anything we had previously known. In 1997 we were conceived in truth, at this eclipse we are born of it, stark and undeniable, beautiful and nourishing, truth in all its guises and glory: harsh and gentle, in darkness and in light.

Don’t look away. Whatever you see at this time, in the symbolic darkness of an obscured Sun, don’t look away. No matter what, it cannot diminish the authentic self within. This Real Self has power, it carries weight. It challenges the very foundations of life as we know it. It refuses to conform to mindless notions of right and wrong, to dictates of value and worth that dishonour inner wealth. It sees through artifice, laughs in the face of shame and denies everything but the bold and beautiful truth. The world is not ready for the Real Self and yet still it emerges, in you and in me, in the collective psyche which twists and turns to accommodate a deeper knowing that nothing is as it seems. The Real Self emerges every time we stop and wait, sensing the integrity of the moment, the deep, pulsating beat of the unified heart, time-keeper of our collective awakening. It grows in strength and fortitude each time we honour its wisdom over and above the expectations and demands of the external world which denies all but that which can be counted, compared and traded. The Real Self knows that to think one’s own thoughts is the only path to freedom, whilst the world demands unthinking conformity and the False Self agrees.

The power of this solar eclipse will remove rose-tinted glasses and veils that hide the truth. We cannot stop it nor can we choose to postpone our own awakening. This – right here, right now – is the end of denial, the end of artifice, the end of avoidance. This is life in all its terrible grace and terrifying beauty. For this we were born: a visceral, unavoidable, undeniable confrontation with the very heart of All That Is. We may greet this eclipse in mourning or ecstasy, in freedom or bondage, but wherever we find ourselves we are living the life shaped by choices made, commitments honoured, promises broken and betrayals enacted since the collective spirit was shaken awake never again to sleep. Each moment since then has been a step upon the path to awakening. Whether those steps have taken us deeper into truth or into shadow has no impact on their power. Each one has shaped who we are and the relationship we now have with the authentic and sacred self within. We are precisely who we have caused ourselves to be. The extent to which we have denied the truth or sacrificed its pursuit in favour of security reveals the extent to which we must now change and grow in ever more vital and transformative ways.

The past is gone. Never was this statement more true, for second chances – third and fourth – have all dissolved. Opportunities missed may never return. We had our chance and did with it as we saw fit. Now here we stand at the grand closure of a cosmic cycle, reviewing its shape in our lives, invited by the cosmos into deep reflection on how we best move forward from here. Let it go: regret or shame, sorrow or sadness for chances now gone. They were not for you or me this time around. New ones await us the other side of the darkened Sun. They hold promise of wisdom and hope of freedom from all that held us back before. The cosmic clock continues to tick-tock its way through our awakening as our hearts synchronise to respond, this time without hesitation, heeding the call of the divine to prioritise truth above all.

For information about astrological events as they happen
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Sarah Varcas

The abovepublic report was taken from http://astro-awakenings.co.uk/19th-20th-march-2015-solar-eclipse-in-pisces for the sole purpose of sharing publicly. All credit goes to Sarah Varcas.

Namaste,

PB

BLUE CRYSTAL MOUNTAINS - BOOK IV IN THE WHITE BIRD SERIES

Good Afternoon All ~

I hope you are all happy, healthy and well. I know I am! And, excited to present you with my newest installment of the journeys of Crystal Blue. 

I know I've already posted about it, but I just had to again. Now, it's available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other online retail bookstores. Ebook edition isn't quite ready yet, but should be soon!

I've had an amazing 16 months, pouring every ounce of energy into this story. And I already miss it. I miss traveling around with Crystal and Wyndon, Elijah and Claire, Daniel, Gina, Madelynn, Cosmo and of course, Adam. They've become family and when I'm not surrounded by their presence, I feel a bit bereft. I find myself opening up the book, reading a page here and there, smiling as I remember how I felt when I wrote a particular passage. I could not ask for a more wonderful life. And, I suppose, this is good news for readers. It won't be long before I find myself in front of my little laptop once again, trying to decide what Crystal will do. Or, rather, listening to her and the others tell me what to do.

As I mentioned in my last post, I'm in school right now. By the end of next fall, I will be a certified elementary educator, and for that, I'm excited. I love children and their particular view of life. Once school is done I will devote every moment of my life into the next book, Blue Flames Rising, which by the way I've already started. But for now, let's focus on this one, which I sincerely believe is the best one yet.
To promote the book's release, I've done a few things. One being, I added this new book into a great giveaway program. Goodreads, one of the largest, if not THE largest, bookclub on the internet hosts book giveaways for new or recently released books. I've had the pleasure of giving away 4 - 5 copies of each of my books. Beginning March 5  and going through March 19, Blue Crystal Mountains, print edition only, will be available as a Goodreads Book Giveaway. Follow the link provided below if you'd like to participate. After that, take a look at my new book trailer for Blue Crystal Mountains. For each book in the series, I've created a book trailer and placed on YouTube.
Thanks for your support and I hope to be sending you a signed copy of Blue Crystal Mountains!
Here are the links if you'd like to buy my books on Amazon or BarnesandNoble Online bookstores.
Amazon

BarnesandNoble

Enjoy the book trailer and I hope you participate in the Giveaway!

Love to you all,
PB

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Blue Crystal Mountains - Book Four in the White Bird Series

by P.B. Morlen

Giveaway ends March 19, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

PATIENCE HAS ITS REWARDS

So, here it is the middle of February already. I believe in the school systems, they are approaching the

day they celebrate the hundredth day of school which usually falls near Valentines Day. Sometimes they couple the celebrations together. Of course, the younger grades use this day as a learning opportunity...counting to 100, grouping items in 10s, classifying similar objects and such. There are books written for just this thing, and I sincerely believe it helps the students get through this often times tedious time of the year.  Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas is over, and so is New Years. Valentines Day is done and spring is nowhere in sight. Throwing in some random ways to celebrate winter by acknowledging the fact that they've already been in school for 100 days...is one way. 

The reason I know this without having any children enrolled in K - 12 school for five years? Since fall 2007 I have been a college undergrad taking classes to obtain my teaching degree and have visited many elementary and preschool classrooms performing fieldwork. I'm enrolled at St. Kates University in the EWO program...evening/weekend/online. I've taken time off from my classes to write my books as there was no possible way I could do both. Classes in the weekend format only meet 8 times over the course of 10 weeks, therefore, homework is extremely heavy. And not only is the homework daunting, the material is as well. Obtaining a teaching degree is not a simple task as maybe it once was. There are strict state standards to be met. Today, at least at my college, before we can graduate and become a licensed teacher in MN, we need to be certified in the STEM areas. Science, technology, engineering, and math. Even though I plan on either being a preschool teacher or kindergarten, it doesn't matter. Let me just say this: my brain is not wired this way. I am a writer, a right-brain thinker and these courses are challenging. 

Last fall I took the engineering course, which was actually a physics class. I managed to get through it, but kicked and screamed the whole way. I'll say this, though. I learned a helluva lot. This semester I am enrolled in a chemistry and a biology course. As I am writing, I can scarcely believe I've allowed myself time away from my heavy course load of reading, tutorials, lab work, homework, and other things I can't come up with a name for. Atomic structures, electron configurations, phytoremediation, evidence for evolution, homologous structures, periodic table of elements, metrics and measurement, creating a virtual presentation covering the BP Oil Spill, which I must say, we, not just our nation but the world, is still feeling the effects from the damage this oil spill caused.

Okay, enough of school, but I thought I'd point out I've been rather busy over the past few years and this is why my books are not coming out as fast as other author's books are. I'm aware of the industry demands this puts upon authors. Readers love books that are in a series, however, they are not as patient as they once were. When the Potter books were published, there was no such thing as an e-reading device. J.K. Rowling did not have a twitter account, or a FB Author page, or even a website. Her readers discovered her books in the bookstore, and, if I understand her story correctly, librarians recommended her books to teachers in the UK. When she began her books, she wasn't under strict deadlines, not until after book IV, The Goblet of Fire, which was the top-selling book of 2000, with 7 million hardcovers sold.

The reason I bring up J.K. is this: did you know she wrote all of her scripts long hand? Can you imagine? I can't. But she did and was able to write seven books, meeting the demanding needs of her readers and publisher. 

It might sound like I am complaining about the demanding needs of readers today, but I am not. I am simply stating a fact. We live in a fast-paced world and the practice of spacing an author's book one year apart is being swallowed up by the 'must have it now' audience that drives publishers and producers to pump out books and TV programs as fast as they possibly can. Impatient readers and viewers are being handed whole series of books and TV shows at once. As an Indie author, I respect this new method of delivery, but I can also honestly say I will probably let some readers down because I cannot write a 500 page novel within a six-month time frame, not while I am a student and hold down a job. 

Of course, this little diatribe of mine has to ultimately lead to the movie released this weekend that has taken not only our country but the world by storm. The erotica blockbuster, "Fifty Shades of Grey." The books were released in paper book, all three released within one month and went on to sell 90 million copies world wide. This 'rapid release' strategy satisfied impatient and hungry readers, but is it realistic to say every author writing books in a series can pump out books this fast? Of course not. 

What about George Martin? He's yet to complete his sixth and seventh book in his 'Song of Ice and Fire' series, yet his fans are wildly anticipating them. So, as in every scenario, there are two sides. The timing of J.K. Rowling's and Martin's books helped make them a phenomenon, as well as the E.L. James books and Collin's 'Hunger Games' books rapid release strategy. Impatience has its rewards, but so does patience.

And for this, I am grateful. My readership is small, but I don't think it will stay that way. Faith in the fact that at some given point in the history of my series' release that my books will find a wider audience continues to spur me on. I've written and published four books in four years. My next book, 'Blue Flames Rising' is set to be complete by the end of 2016. After that, two more will be written before the series is done. I have a plan and so far I've stuck to it. I always knew I'd become a teacher, and, I always knew I'd be a published author. I can be both, but this might hinder the timing of the release of my books. The thing is, though, I am not writing these books to satisfy the impatient needs of an audience. I am delivering a message that has been a long time coming. As I've said time and again, we are living in an age where humanity is waking up from a very, very long sleep. This takes time, as all good things do. And just like a good bottle of wine, good stories need to age a bit. 

Crystal's story is complex and just like an onion, layers of the ages and people's lives are being peeled away on every page. I can promise my readers that if they are patient, there will be rewards. I cannot release my books rapidly because I cannot write them that way. My story needs to settle into my mind before I can write it out. I do hours and hours of research, combing through documents, books, websites and articles about the places that Crystal visits. I sometimes travel to these places and/or interview explorers and writers who've traveled there. All of this takes time, and I cannot expect everyone who reads my books to have the patience to wait for the next release, but I will promise you this--I will deliver to you the best book that I possibly can, utilizing this time to the best of my ability. Weaving Crystal's story onto the fabric of our existence is my gift to you and I promise, this next book, Blue Crystal Mountains, which will be released before the month is out, will be my best book yet. But it will be up to you if it was worth waiting for. I can only hope your answer will be 'yes.'

Namaste,

PB 

TEN COMMANDMENTS OF A STAR WARRIOR

It isn't every day I get to converse with a young man living in India whose desires don't vary much from my own. But today I did. At the moment, he is reading my books and occasionally will send me questions regarding messages in my books. Today's discussion brought me back to a message delivered by a man named  Robert Morning Sky. When I was writing Book III in the White Bird Series, Little Blue Star, I knew I wanted to use Morning Sky's Ten Commandments of the Star Warrior. I sent Robert an email requesting his permission and he immediately responded, giving me his blessings. Every word written below are his words, not mine, but I was honored to be able to use them in my book and will forever be grateful to his wisdom.

As readers know, while Crystal Blue, my heroine in the White Bird Series books, travels the world she unveils sacred knowledge kept hidden for hundreds, even thousands of years, by secret societies. Now, as we enter the Fifth Age, it is time for these secrets to be revealed, allowing Mankind to embrace these ancient sets of technologies that will help them evolve into the next level of the human.
As I've told my readers, the story of Crystal Blue is mine to share with you, but the messages she discovers along her journey are not. I am, like Crystal, only the messenger.
Therefore, without any further adieu, for your reading pleasure and spiritual growth, I will share with you the Ten Commandments of the Star Warrior as delivered by Robert Morningsky, and also shared in my novel, Little Blue Star.
Enjoy:

"To become a Star Warrior, you must first eliminate two concepts from your mind and spirit...Can't and Impossible. If you believe yourself inferior, you are. If you say to yourself, I cannot - you are right. If you say to yourself, I can - you are also right. To become who you wish to become, first establish who that person is and how they would act. Then, practice and rehearse everything that person would think and do.
"To become a deer, one must act, think, live and be as the deer - only then can the passion of the deer be yours. In other words, create yourself. Write a script for your own movie. The hero is you. In the script, write all those things you wish for yourself, all those things you would like to do or feel. Then, rehearse your script. Practice becoming the hero or heroine of your movie. Rehearse over and over again until you know the behavior instinctively. Slowly, you will begin to know how the hero acts and thinks. Slowly, you will become the hero of your movie and your life. The only way to become a runner is to begin running. The only way to become a writer is to begin writing. The only way to become passionate is to practice passion. Practice being that which you wish to be...and soon you shall become it.
"The Star Warrior follows a set of Ten Commandments that, when followed, can lead to a compassionate life.

• Number one is: I AM BORN OF THE STARS. The stars were born of chaos. There shall always be chaos, but I shall always be a warrior. Only in challenge shall we find our greatest strengths and our weaknesses. Only in challenge shall our passions be made strong. The goal of life is outward development, not inner peace. Peace that brings no challenge means stagnation. Confidence in self - wrought through challenge - is TRUE peace.
• Number two: I AM FIRE. I am passion and all that I do, I do with passion. Fire is passion. Passion is that inner force that distinguishes us from all others. Passion is that which makes the Bear become the Bear...never will you see the Bear trying to fly as the Eagle, for it is his passion to be the Bear. Passion is the gift that allows us to be what we wish. To do anything without passion is to go through the motions. To be passionless is to lose the fight of life. Those who have no fire are easy to conquer and manipulate. The study of physics and other sciences tells us that all things are comprised of atoms, which in turn, are comprised of electrons, protons and neutrons...all are particles of energy or electricity. This energy cannot be destroyed, only changed. From these very same particles, came the release of a basis of our existence, within our own bodies. Herein, science has revealed the existence of a force unlike any on this planet: the force which directs each one of us in our path. This is our passion, this is our gift.
• Number three: I SEE THE FIRE IN ALL THINGS. All things possess fire. All things have spirit. The only difference between man and animal is that they wear different skins. The only difference between man and all things is the skin, or outer covering. In the Hopi world, the spirit of a thing is called katcina. It is the katcina that is the fire or passion. Those who can see and hear can learn from those katcinas around us. If you can communicate with another human being, you can communicate with the trees, the wind and all things of the earth.
• Number four: I AM BUT A VISITOR IN THE LAND OF LIVING THINGS. The skin we wear is but a temporary robe.That part of us which is most important is the inner spirit, or the passion. Yet, we must never forget that we are guests in this land and we must conduct ourselves a such. We respect all that is here. That which we may receive in this place must be left here...things cannot be taken with us, but all of our riches that we have accumulated in memories and knowledge shall go with us forever.
• Number five: I WALK THE PATH OF SILENCE. In the Song of the Morning Sky, there is a line that says 'live as though you cannot speak.' It means that what you do is more important that what you say. If you cannot speak, you must communicate your love and friendship through your actions. You must demonstrate that which you feel. Let your actions be your measure. Only in silence can you learn. He who talks does not hear - only in silence can you defeat your enemy. He who makes no noise is invisible.
• Number six: I AM NOT SEEN OR HEARD, I AM ONLY FELT. The warrior must make himself felt. If he lives his life and th world has not felt him, he has failed. If he lives his life and grandfather has not felt him, he has failed. His passion must be experienced by others, not witnessed. He who uses his fire warms the world; he who shouts out his fire fill the world with nose. 
• Number seven: I TAKE ONLY THAT WHICH I CAN RETURN. The balance of nature and harmony of the universe must be maintained. If the warrior takes a tree for use as a canoe, he must return and plant a seed to replace it. If a warrior takes an ear of corn, he must return and plant another. If a warrior takes a life, he must replace it. In days of old, if a man took the life of another, he returned and took care of the victim's wife and family. It was the civilized European immigrants who taught the Indian to take life without concern for repayment or maintaining the balance of nature.
• Number eight: I CANNOT POSSESS, I CAN ONLY SHARE. Which of the fleas owns the dog? Which of the leaves owns the tree? If there can be such a thing as ownership, does not the grass have first claim to the land? Or cannot the trees make the same claims? The secret of possession is this: when you make a claim of possession...that which is claimed to be the possession is not the possessed, that distinction lies with the owner.
• Number nine: I AM MY GRANDFATHER IN ALL WAYS. Grandfather is the name given to the Great Spirit. Grandfather is the name give the to the Universe. Grandfather is father of the man to whom I was born. The universe is Grandfather. In the entire universe all things are possible. To believe in Grandfather is to believe in all things. I am the Great Spirit, I am grandfather, I am the universe..in me all things are possible.
•  Number ten: I AM THE ANSWER. The Warrior is an answer to a problem. She is not the answer, but one of many possible solutions. The Warrior is the first one into battle, the first one to sacrifice, the first one to step between her loved ones and danger. The warrior is a living example of passion.

You can explore the world of Robert Morning Sky by visiting his websites. I will put their links below.

As always, 

Blessings and Light,

PB

Robert Morning Sky

Robert Morning Sky

Terra Papers

Lady of Fire

BLUE CRYSTAL MOUNTAINS

Good Morning,
In celebration of the imminent release of Book IV in the White Bird Series, Blue Crystal Mountains, I am sharing with you the first three chapters, hoping to entice you into further reading. I've worked

very hard on this latest edition to Crystal's life and anticipating the release the first part of February.
And, for your reading enjoyment, you can download this PDF onto your computer, reading any time you choose. Follow the link below which will direct you to my website. Download option is provided there.

Blue Crystal Mountains.

Now I can breathe for a bit, catch up on some other writing...my blog for instance. I've poured my entire being into this latest book and am so proud of it. Anticipating hearing from readers their thoughts and opinions. In the meantime, while we wait for the release, I will direct you to the writers and explorers who I couldn't have written this book without.

• Robert Thurman and Tad Wise wrote a book together titled, Circling the Sacred Mountain: A Spiritual Adventure Through the Himalayas. 1999. In every sense of the word, this book inspired me to write my own. As readers who've followed Crystal through Books I, II, and III know, she is traveling the world, unveiling ancient secrets as she goes. Because I wanted Crystal to travel to Tibet, after reading this book, it was clear to me exactly where she would go. This book details a lively account of a pilgrim's circumambulation of Asia's holy mountain in Tibet, illuminated by Thurman's passionate teachings and Wise's colorful insights. I used dozens of resources as I researched the cities and plateaus of Tibet, but this book was overall my favorite source and I would encourage anyone to read it. In addition, if you sympathize with Tibet's struggle for independence or are interested in Buddhism, visit Thurman's website here. Tibet House. 
• Dr. Alberto Villoldo is the author of the book, The Four Insights: Wisdom, Power, and Grace of the Earthkeepers. 2006. I discovered this book a few years ago when I began researching Peru as a possible destination for Crystal. Having heard of the Q'ero shamans living high in the Andes north of Cuzco, Peru, when I began reading this book, I discovered they were one in the same. I then knew this book was going to be extremely important. Villoldo continues writing and giving workshops in the U.S. and Europe. To find more information about his current schedule, go here. Alberto Villoldo.
• A few years ago, I watched a video of a group of travelers on the highlands of Peru who had discovered a doorway carved into the side of a cliff wall. These travelers, when placing their hands on the doorway, experienced a sense of 'time traveling' and some even announced their trip extremely dangerous. Now, I was intrigued because, well, frankly, time travel excites me, but they weren't convincing because their accounts were flimsy. Then I came upon a book called Andean Awakening: An Inca Guide to Mystical Peru, written by Jorge Luis Delgado. On the front cover of the book is an image of a man standing in a doorway carved into the side of a cliff wall. His arms are out to the side and he's leaning into the doorway. At once, I knew this was the same doorway I'd seen in the video. Delgado calls this Amaru Muru's doorway and has had many profound and mystical experiences here. But his book is a lot more than this. He takes the reader on his own journey of awakening. One of Peru's premier spiritual tour guides, he takes us on a trip of discovery through the most powerful places on earth. Readers of my new book, Blue Crystal Mountains, will come to see for themselves the mystical powerful energy of Peru and a lot of my information has come from this book. I would encourage anyone seeking to know more about the Children of the Sun, to buy a copy for themselves.
• Websites I visit often to keep current on earthly events, celestial events, evolving consciousness and things to come I will list below. The messages I glean from these sites are extremely important to my writing and Crystal's travels.
• Kryon.
• Awakenings: Intuitive Astrology for Heart and Soul
• Crimson Circle
• Lightworker

I hope each and every one of you has an exciting day filled with magic and possibilities.

I look forward to announcing the release of my new book and I'll talk with you all soon.

Namaste,

PB

THE TALE OF THE TWO SISTERS

Greetings!
Yes, I am back...its been exactly two months since my last post and I must first apologize, as I've promised

http://reconnections.net/blue_star_children.htm

to make bi-monthly posts, but I've been so caught up in researching and writing Book IV of the White Bird Series that I put all of my writing efforts into it and by the end of the day, there's nothing left in me.
It's been a wonderful spring-turned-summer so far. Here in the Northland spring was slow to start, but it finally arrived and summer's knocking at the door. When I can pull myself away from Crystal and her latest journey, I've tended my gardens which survived one of the coldest winters I can imagine, jumped on my bike and attempted to find my 'biking' legs, wandered around the gardens at the MN Landscape Arboretum (one of my favorite spots of all time) and other household sundries I need to pay attention to. Yes, I'm a writer, but this is such a lovely time of year, I have to pay attention to it!
For those of you who have read the first three books, I know you're anticipating Book IV and I'm putting all of my efforts into making sure it is perfect and complete and ready for publication as promised. So, here's what I've decided to do. I'm going to share with you a story that I've included in the beginning of my new book, due for release fall 2014..."Blue Crystal Mountain."
Now, I don't want to tell you where Crystal is, because that would spoil a wonderful surprise, but I will say this: the being sharing the story with Crystal that you are about to read is a goddess, well-known throughout Asia, known by various names. She shares this story with Crystal because, well, I cannot tell you that either, but it's really not important at this point. Important for Crystal, yes, but for you right now, let's just say, the story can stand on its own. So, I now present to you, the Tale of the Two Sisters, as told to Crystal by a goddess whose beauty and compassion is beyond compare.

The woman eyed Crystal curiously. “Has no one told you the tale of the two sisters?”

Crystal shook her head.

“Then before we continue, I must tell you and then you will understand the importance of your sister.  The story is this: Long ago when new worlds were being created, there were two sisters of royal birth, each known for their extraordinary gifts. The older sister was a great warrior whose skill in battle was unmatched. Her spirit was like the moon, dark and elusive, filled with powerful, mystical qualities, and her intuition, heat and passion in battle were legendary. When enraged, her anger was explosive and everywhere she went, a large snake with blue shiny scales would follow, a warrior in its own right.

“The younger was her opposite. Her spirit was like the sun, filled with powerful qualities of light. She was full of life with a strong clarity of mind, a warm open heart and possessed great wisdom. After heavenly battles were fought, many would seek her out to sit by her side—just being near her light would heal their bodies and their minds. And she was never seen without a glorious white bird at her side. The sisters were inseperable, spending hours in each others company, desiring no other.

“One day the younger sister was called away and told by her father, the king, that she must leave. A new planet was being birthed, a world where the angels could pretend to be human, and the galactic council needed her help in overseeing its construction. To make it complete, they needed her warmth, wisdom and light. The news distressed her when she learned her sister would not be joining her, but she had to obey the king. She and the white bird left that day. The sister left behind went into deep despair, speaking to no one, taking her grief out on unsuspecting foes in battle, and more elusive than ever. She soon discovered why her sister had left and vowed to someday leave her kingdom to search for this new blue planet and the only being she ever loved.

“Finally the day came when she wasn’t needed in battle and she left, bringing the blue snake with her, spending untold years searching for her sister and the planet in the vast universe. When she came upon a blue star she was immediately drawn to it. Tired after eons of searching for her sister, she settled on the star, establishing a strong connection with the light beings upon it and became their leader, remaining there until the day she decided to once again begin searching for her sister. However, this time she didn’t travel alone, she brought with her twelve beings from the blue star, hoping their special gifts could help.

“And so they set off, soon discovering a small cluster of stars and a council of six sisters. Without telling them why, the warrior sister asked them if they knew of this blue planet and they told her of a place that was newly born and how their sister, a warm compassionate creature with a sunny nature and open heart had traveled there to plant the seeds of compassion into the race of beings who were given the planet as a place to live. But she’d become trapped by an evil reptile who’d hoped to claim the planet as its own and who feared her light.

“The warrior sister, trying not to fly into a rage, calmly asked if this sister, like her, had traveled to them from the stars and when they nodded, she told them the truth of who she was, asking them to help her find this planet, promising them anything if they did. They told her they could help upon one condition: if she could release her sister, she must return to them for it was necessary for their number to remain seven. Without hesitation she agreed and the sisters sent her off.

“Finding the blue planet was easy compared to finding her sister so she sent the twelve beings in different directions. She had just begun to despair of ever finding her sister when she saw a white misty bird hovering over a mountain’s top exuding a light brighter than anything she’d yet seen on the planet. Overjoyed at finding her sister, yet suspicious of the reptile that had trapped her, she told the blue serpent to stay behind, instructing it to find the other twelve and return to the blue star if anything happened to her.

“She fled to the mountain, encountering a large bronze serpent that reared up, attempting to strike her down but she fought bravely until the wicked one bested her, dragging her to its lair, entrapping her like it had her sister. When she found her sister sitting like a regal queen of light in a golden cage deep beneath the mountain her heart broke. Her sister had always been filled with joy, her smile lighting up the stars, her warm spirit boundless and free. Now she was a captive, sad and confused with no sign of recognition in her blue eyes when they laid upon her.  The warrior sister knew her sister could not survive like this and called for the bronze serpent, making him a promise.

“’If you release my sister,’ she said,  ‘I will remain and share my warrior qualities with you and any that you choose. But if you do not, I will escape and use every means to destroy you.’”

“‘Very well,’ it hissed having witnessed her skills and realizing her request could make him stronger. ‘But once released, the light can never return. If it does I will destroy every creature upon this planet. And you must remain here forever, returning even after you die, using your skills to do whatever I wish.’”

“Satisfied that her sister would be safe, she agreed, and the bronze serpent released the light, sending it into the heavens along with the white bird where the light sister remained, becoming the seventh sister once again, vowing to return, knowing her sister had sacrificed everything for her. And the blue planet, without the warmth and compassion of the light, suffered and moved into centuries of battles and death. The twelve beings from the blue star, along with the blue serpent, decided to stay and hid deep within the earth, each caring for the planet in their own way, attempting to maintain its energies until the light could return.

“Lifetime after lifetime kings and queens of great wealth sought out protection from the bronze serpent who used the warrior and her skills to betray and corrupt Mankind. But the warrior sister separated herself from him and began protecting those who loved the planet, sharing the sacred information she’d brought from the blue star, knowledge they’d once had but forgotten, showing them loyalty and compassion, becoming more legendary every time her spirit returned.

“All the while, the seventh sister watched, sending the white bird to the planet every thousand years to gather information, becoming a witness to every life and event, recording with detail and great care everything that happened, witnessing the destruction of one age and the rebirth of another, placing the information into a blue stone. She even witnessed the contract made between her sister and the twelve caretakers of Earth, ensuring Mankind could regain their inheritance, their divine knowledge, if they did not destroy it by the year 2000. 

“Not until the great event of 1987 occurred when 144,000 lightworkers joined together in peace, raising the vibration of Earth and setting it on a new course, was there hope that the light return. Because of this shift, the bronze serpent no longer had power over the earth and its people and for the first time since the planet was born, the sisters from the stars would spend their first lifetime together—one fulfilling the contract, unveiling the sacred information she’d once shared with those who loved the planet, and the other called on to witness the first days of the Fifth Age, bringing her light and the white bird with her to herald the coming of a new world where compassion and love will once again prevail on earth.”

Crystal stroked Wyndon’s head, letting the story sink in. Even though the last few months were surreal and she’d done and seen things only the wildest imagination could dream up, the story of the sisters took the prize. 

Crystal closed her eyes, seeing her sister’s sweet, beautiful face, missing her and loving her now more than ever. No one, other than her grandfather, had loved her more than Claire, even in their youth when she’d tormented her, stolen her things, lied to her face, shut her out after their grandfather death, even growling when she’d stopped her from planting her fist in the moronic Luke Cob’s face. Her sister had stepped in stopping her from doing stupid things time and again, but she’d never thanked her, only ignored her more, but the love in Claire’s eyes had never dimmed. All because she’d been so jealous of Claire’s goodness. Claire was good and she’d always felt rotten, rotten to the core. Claire was like the sun, always bright and happy, she like the moon, dark and elusive. Her sister was her hero and she had to save her.

I hope you enjoyed this story! Some of you  might have a bit of deja vu...thinking I might have touched on this story once already in another book. But I will not say where, when, or how, I will let your own imaginations and intellect take you on that journey.
And so with a fond farewell, I bid you adieu. Crystal is calling me back to the page and I must heed her call for she is at another impasse and needs my help!
Have a lovely day
Namaste
PB 
 

Greetings!

Starting today and ending April 6, I am offering everyone a chance to win a free copy of Book Two in the White Bird Series, Crystal Blue Sky. Because I've just come off a successful promotion for Illuminating Crystal, I thought the timing appropriate. If you are not a member of Goodreads, signing up is easy and very, very rewarding. Being a Goodreads member allows you to share books with friends, share your thoughts on these books, write reviews for your favorites, take part in giveaways like mine, connect with authors, join Q & A seminars, join groups with readers who share your tastes, as well as a whole lot of other tantalizing things. But if you are a Goodreads member, well then, you already know how great it already is.

After you've signed up to win a free copy, stop on over to my Author Page and 'friend' me, 'follow' my reviews, or even become a 'fan.' And once again, if you are a book fanatic like myself, this really is a wonderful environment to spend time in, like having a library in your own home.

Just click on the 'enter to win' link I've provided for you below and Good Luck!
Have a wonderful, wonderful week,
PB

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Crystal Blue Sky - Book Two in the White Bird Series

by P.B. Morlen

Giveaway ends April 06, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Cheers! Starting today 3/24, and ending Friday 3/28,  as part of Amazon's KDP select program, Book One in my fantasy / Coming of Age White Bird Series, Illuminating Crystal, is free to download on Amazon with any ebook reading device. I love these free giveaways because it's a good way for readers to stuff their libraries with books. So, in honor of this week, I have decided to include in my blog something I've not done before--Satisfied reader reviews. Therefore, for your reading pleasure, out of 12 reviews, here are a handful of 4-5 star reviews posted on Amazon. After that, I've included a list of 7 character descriptions, highlighting important character qualities, strengths, and how these characters are related.

But remember, I have published three books in the ongoing series, with many more to come. Then, if you decide to visit Amazon, click this link and you can download Illuminating Crystal for free! 

• Illuminating Crystal drew me into a fascinating world of characters, some menacing, some innocent. The story unfolds in a way that challenges you as a reader to sit up and pay attention to Crystal's journey which includes many clues and hidden meanings that become apparent later on. There is no shortage of mystical and magical imagery which made it hard to put the book down. When I finished it, I couldn't wait to see what was around the corner for Crystal and the many characters intertwined in her life and adventures. PB Morlen opens the door to a new way of looking at life's experiences. It made me think about what I would do if I were in Crystal's shoes....would I want to set my idea of life aside to follow a "calling?" Read it and decide for yourself! ~ 5-star Reader Review.
• 
  
• I just finished reading Illuminating Crystal for the second time. I loved it the first time, and, as the song lyric says, love is lovelier the second time around. In these times of stress in the outer world, if you are looking for a book to take you away on a grand adventure, this will do it. The author's style creates a world where I would like to live. The adventure will unfold in the rest of the series, and I look forward to it. As an aside, I also enjoyed the proverbs from different cultures at the beginning of each chapter which helped to set the mood. My favorite was 'Thousands of years ago cats were worshipped as Gods. Cats have never forgotten this.' 5-star Reader Review
• 
  
• This was an unusual tale to be sure. Yes it is a fantasy and magic things happen and there are bad guys. But it was the premise or main theme that grabbed me the most. As much as you want to believe that this is all make believe, there are parts where I found myself thinking "hmmm, this could just very well happen, in fact very well might be happening."
  
  
  I loved watching as each secret was unveiled and how seeming unconnected people were in fact all connected to Crystal and her destiny. There are some very good messages hidden within the magic and power struggles and I am on my way to get the next two books in the series to see how it all turns out. 4-star Reader Review
• 
  
• This is not my usual genre and I really didn’t think I would like it….but I was so wrong!! I loved this book!! I quickly fell in love with all the unique characters. Their stories all intertwined with a good mixture of fantasy and "new-age" spirituality. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author. ~5-Star Reader Review
• 
  
• My dad bought me this book for Christmas last year, and I got hooked on it from the moment I started reading. I have read it twice now, and it is still such an amazing read. The characters are well developed and really helped add to the story. I found myself engrossed in the adventures of Crystal and her friends and I couldn't get myself to put the book down until I'd reached the end! I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something good to read. 5-Star Reader Review
• 
  
• I was honestly not expecting much from this book. I had read many others about the vibrations and a changing earth, humanity's chance to gain compassion and move to a higher existence or perish. Most of those had been very preachy and just not an enjoyable read. This, however, was an absolutely wonderful book. The mixture of fantasy and "new-age" spirituality was done so well, and did not try to force any new belief onto the reader, instead it seemed to mesh into the reader's heart.
  I fell in love with the characters quickly. Their stories so intertwined with many not knowing why. As the story continued I became glued to it. The author did a fabulous job or keeping me engaged as a reader. The unique characters and their flaws sets a wonderful path full of danger and adventure. I am truly looking forward to reading the next in the series. 4-Star Reader Review
• 
  
• This is a truly remarkable book. Quality wise I would say it is the new Harry Potter but than a slightly more mature version. This one actually managed to scare me a few times. Beautiful story that really captures you and never lets you go untill you reach the end. I highly recommend it and can't wait for the second book ! Way to go PB Morlen. Congratulations..... I am glad another writer of your caliber stood up, just keep them comming now.... ;-) 5-Star Reader Review
• 
  

Characters & Important People (7)

• Crystal Blue: 18-year-old heroine of the series. Crystal is not only the heroine, but she's also an Avatar, and a rather reluctant one at that. She wears her long dark hair in the ancient style, more commonly referred to as dreadlocks. Her eyes are honey-brown, usually covered by a pair of slim and dark eyeglasses. She's got a slight swearing problem, but nothing that would be too offensive, and the reason she's reluctant is because she's just found a bit of happiness in the bookstore where the most attractive man she's ever met works.
• Adam Walker: Tall, dark, and broodingly handsome half-blooded Lakota man who is Crystal's soul mate. Adam immediately sees Crystal's powerful, blue aura and is at once captivated by the fact that she is completely unaware of her unique qualities.
• Cosmo Attis: Elderly gentleman who owns and operates the Minneapolis-based bookstore, The Blue Crystal. Cosmo wears wire-rimmed glasses, which make his eyes owlishly-large, and he's all business until Crystal mysteriously appears in his bookstore one blustery winter day, begging for a job.
• David Lange: Middle-aged physics professor who discovers Crystal in a 7-11 and saves her from a botched kidnapping. David becomes a key player as he is the only one who can decode the ancient manuscript Crystal has found in the basement of The Blue Crystal bookstore.
• Claire Blue: Claire Blue is Crystal's older and rather bossy sister. Claire, whose blonde hair is long and curly, attends the University of Minnesota located in the heart of Minneapolis. It is because of Claire that Crystal now lives in this city.
• Madelynn Blue: Madelynn Blue is Crystal and Claire's grandmother. Not long after meeting her, readers discover that there's more to this woman than just a lovely Irish brogue, sea-blue eyes and fiery-red hair.
• Daniel Attis: A bit of a rebel, Daniel (Cosmo's grandson) is misunderstood. On the surface, this teenager seems to take a particular dislike to Crystal, but soon, his true nature shines through.
• 
  

I hope you can take advantage of this great giveaway and are also aware that on any given day there are thousands of books to choose from on Amazon Kindle that are free to download. If you're an avid reader like myself, you should take advantage of this free book option.

Happy Reading!!

PB

THE JEWEL TREE OF TIBET

Happy Almost Spring!

After a winter which included three, maybe four visits from the Polar Vortex, bringing us 55-60 nights of below zero temps and a handful or two of below zero days, I am happy to report that winter is almost, but not quite, over. Whew. As I've stated before, I am a Minnesotan, hearty through and through, thick blood and all. For instance, I love to run in single digit weather, I am not afraid to go get the mail without a coat when the mercury has dipped below the 0 mark, I don't find it unusual when my garden flags are buried under 4' snow covers for months at a time, or I start looking for signs of daffodils before the ground thaws, as they say, hope springs eternal! And the fact that it's still light out at 7:00 sheds light..haha..that spring is right around the corner. It has been one helluva long winter and I'm glad to see the backside of it. And yes, Minnesotans love talking about the weather, so there.

So, the topic of conversation today stems from a webinar I attended last week given by Robert Thurman. The webinar's title was: The Jewel Tree of Tibet: The Enlightenment Engine of Tibetan Buddhism, a book written by Robert Thurman, an American Buddhist writer and academic who has written, edited or translated several books on Tibetan Buddhism. The Jewel Tree of Tibet is considered one of the most explicit teachings on the steps on the path of enlightenment available. He is the co-founder and president of Tibet House and a professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies at Columbia University, the first endowed chair of Buddhist studies in the United States. He is known as a talented popularizer of the Buddha's teachings and after learning Tibetan and studying Buddhism he decided to become a Tibetan Buddhist monk and was ordained by H.H. the Dalai Lama, the first Westerner to earn that distinction. However, as his biography says, "some years later, he gave up his robes when he discovered he could be more effective in the American equivalent of the monastery: the university". He returned toHarvard to finish his PhD. A very popular professor, students call his classes "life-changing". www.bobthurman.com

During the webinar, Thurman focused on The Jewel Tree of Tibet. Tibetans think of their cherished tradition of Buddhism as a "wish-fulfilling jewel tree" for its power to generate bliss and enlightenment within all who absorb its teachings. Being that the webinar was only 2 hours, it was impossible for Robert to convey the message of the book entirely, but our meditations throughout the webinar helped us discover an esoteric teacher, one you might imagine and visualize to be indivisible from the Buddha himself, someone who is a living example of enlightenment. This 'mentor devotion' is a practice of acknowledging or worshiping the Buddha in a figure of your choice and you strive to emulate that model until you are able to understand and embody the teaching entirely yourself. 

However shortlived the webinar was, I took a lot away and feel a more personal connection to Mr. Thurman who is passionate, knowledgeable and very sincere about his teachings.

For anyone seeking the path to peace and enlightenment, I would encourage you to get your own copy of this book. 

Below, I've included an interview from the DailyOm with Robert Thurman pertaining to the steps leading to and during while writing this book and ultimately what the reader might discover about themselves.

The Jewel Tree of Tibet From "The Jewel Tree of Tibet: The Enlightenment Engine of Tibetan Buddhism" by Robert Thurman Posted by: DailyOM This book began as an intensive retreat with a small group of students. It is a teaching on the steps on the path of enlightenment that is common to all the forms of Tibetan Buddhism. The Tibetans have taken teachings from all kinds of Buddhism, especially those preserved and developed in India over fifteen hundred years before they traveled to Tibet. But there in Tibet, Buddhism was made into a systematic method for people to practice and perform in order to become perfectly enlightened in this life, or in a short number of lives, starting from wherever they started.  This is what we'll aim to practice on this retreat, on this quest for enlightenment in book form. You'll start wherever you are in your life, today. We'll retreat into one of the greatest sacred wisdom texts of Tibetan knowledge of the soul, called The Devotion to the Mentor, in which a glorious wish-fulfilling gem tree is used to focus our minds. We're on a quest to contemplate this great text line by line, so that we come to understand its full, rich meaning, the brilliant reflections of its many facets guiding us, lighting up our awareness. And we'll take this awareness with us, out into the world, into our lives. It is a powerful text, just the reading of which has the capacity to lift you out of your individual self and into a perspective of unity, refreshing your individuality immeasurably. It will help you cultivate the sensitivity and appreciation to love more fully, feel compassion more intensely, and become a fountain of cheerfulness for all you meet and know.  The steps on the path of enlightenment in this text are a distillation of the vast profusion of healing techniques dispensed by the Shakyamuni Buddha -- the historical Buddha -- to his many thousands of disciples, two thousand five hundred years ago. I first encountered The Devotion to the Mentor and the jewel tree, in this life, forty-two years ago, when I met the Very Venerable Geshe Wangyal at his monastery in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, which was in a little pink tract house on East Third Street in Freewood Acres. He read to me a version of this same enlightenment path, the way to a higher quality of being, that had been written by the great south Indian philosopher sage Nagarjuna in the second century c.e. Nagarjuna had written it as Letter from a Spiritual Friend to his friend and disciple the south Indian King Udayibhadra, whose name means "King Happily Good."  My teacher read this text aloud in a Tibetan translation, accompanying it with a commentary written by a great fourteenth-century Tibetan lama, and as he read he would translate and explain in English to me and my friend Chris. The three of us would sit together in the chapel room or out in the yard of the little pink house that served as a monastery in New Jersey, under the spell of the great wish-fulfilling jewel tree of Tibet. Then, in the evening and late into the night, I would memorize the Tibetan, learn the text's meaning, and meditate on the steps and themes -- incorporating it all into my mind and psyche and spirit.  The fresh and reasonable vision of life, the deep meaning of existence, the imminence of freedom, the vast horizon of my human potential -- all this leapt out at me from these words in the lovely Tibetan script, block-printed on beautiful, long, fibrous pages. I loved Nagarjuna and his friend the king. I loved the Tibetan alphabet, so logical and elegant. I felt totally at home in it.  At that time, I was in the middle of a long pilgrimage that had led me to drop out of college and had taken me across Europe on a motorcycle and across Asia on foot, all the way to India. There, I had met the Tibetans and begun to learn from them and work with them when the death of my father brought me back to New York City for a month of family sadness and mourning, as well as a reimmersion into the hypocrisy and anxiety of the world that I was eager to transcend. Yet there I also met my teacher and went to work with him in the Jersey Pine Barrens, in a Russian Mongolian refugee community. Through him, I met the path of enlightenment. I met a true mentor. I had come home -- to myself and my soul -- through this great teacher and the jewel tree text he revealed to me.  And it was not just the text and the teachings that affected me so deeply. It was the special context in which Tibetans meditate and use their teachings. I learned to look up with my inner eye, the third eye of imagination, which lies in the middle of our foreheads and opens a channel of vision into a subtle realm of reality. In this inner sky revealed by my third eye, I discovered mystical beings, buddhas, bodhisattvas (persons who strive for enlightenment in order to help others on their quest for their highest development), historical lama mentors, angels, deities mild and fierce, and all the saints and teachers and philosophers from all the world's spiritual traditions. I beheld the shining tree of jewels, decked with living jewel beings.  I recognized the jewel tree as the world tree, Yggdrasil, the great ash tree extending over the entire earth, growing from the well of wisdom, where Odin, the highest god, had to cast one eye as sacrifice in order to receive the eye of wisdom from the goddess of the tree. The jewel tree is the tree of life, the tree of wisdom, and it is also the giant fig tree under which the Buddha attained perfect enlightenment, the bodhi tree. It grows from earth to heaven and is filled with the wish-granting jewels that make up the family of living mentors who have reached immortal life and can share their bliss with you, protect you, bless you, and help you open up your own inner doorway to peace and fulfillment. The jewel tree opens its loving embrace to everyone and promotes happiness -- which is our natural state and birthright.  Since that time when I began to enjoy the luminous shelter of the jewel tree of Tibet, I have studied and meditated year after year. I went on to become a monk; I learned more and more advanced teachings, tried to put them into practice, and seemed to succeed with insight after insight. But then I began to realize that last week's insight was superseded by the next one. For a while, all I wanted was to stay in my Buddhist community of seekers of enlightenment, to be embraced as a monk. My inner life was rich, full of insights and delightful visions, with a sense of luck and privilege at having access to such great teachers and teachings and the time to study and try to realize them. Eventually, I realized that there was more I needed to learn from the world, from engagement with others, from developing compassion in my interactions rather than the solitary quest of wisdom. So I resigned as a monk and reentered the university, determined to find a way to continue to study while engaging more actively with others.  As I have grown older and become less sure about everything -- and even confused and discouraged when my inherited negative personality traits reemerge in the heat of relationships -- I have repeatedly turned back to the beginning of my studies of the jewel tree. I regularly rest under the jewel tree and reflect on the steps it provides us to enlightenment, freedom, and happiness. A golden ladder from earth to heaven, the great jewel tree is an inner space for a retreat, a spiritual vacation, a refreshment and recharging that comes from stepping back from our emotions and habitual perspectives -- even for a few moments. You can spend minutes under the jewel tree or you can spend entire days or weeks, depending on the time you can afford to take. Sometimes it helps to meditate with others on the jewel tree, since your thoughts will become amplified and intensified by the resonance of one living mind with another.  Whenever I conduct a retreat, I try to remember that the main person who needs the retreat is myself. The person who most needs to learn what I say, even though I may be saying it, is me. So, therefore, I'm very thankful that you're joining me in your reading of this text and on this quest. I don't pretend to be a great teacher, but I do claim that this, the wish-granting jewel tree of Tibet, is a great teaching.  We love and admire Tibet because Tibet is the guardian, custodian, preserver, developer, and utilizer of these great enlightenment teachings. Originally, all the teachings came from what the Tibetans call the Noble Country, Aryavarta, the country of the noble beings. These beings followed the Buddhist tradition and achieved nobility in the spiritual sense, they were selfless beings -- beings who did not live enclosed within their own personal, egocentric perspective but lived within a multiperspectival world. The perspectives of the others were to them as important as, or more important than, the perspective of the self. The noble beings realized the meaning and the reality of selflessness. A noble person is defined by the Buddha not in terms of social class or race or nationality or sex or religion but by whether you perceive things only from your own perspective or whether you perceive them simultaneously from all others' perspectives.  So, what we're going to try to do on this quest together is to go from the beginning of the Tibetan path of enlightenment to its end. And we're going to rehearse various short meditations that will help us get deeper along the path. And we're going to learn about what that path is so that we understand it, so that you can do this retreat yourself again and again, and I can do this retreat myself again and again, each time learning something new. We're aiming to develop a tolerance for cognitive dissonance, a greater subtlety of consciousness. You don't want to get all fascinated or obsessed or entranced with one particular thing that you experience as you go along, but keep moving and learning, seeing things freshly again and again.  Even if you are not a Tibetan Buddhist or any kind of Buddhist, I hope you will be able to follow along with this teaching and gain something from it. I follow His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He's my main teacher, my mentor. I follow his view that, in the world today, we don't want millions and millions and millions of new Buddhists. We're not competing with the Christians, the Jews, the Muslims, the Hindus. We're not competing for market share, for a population explosion. But we are looking to the quality of people's lives, hoping that people will become more enlightened, whatever their religious affiliation or secular humanist beliefs. Conversion is not the goal here. Therefore, in teaching a teaching like this, which we hope the public will use widely, we want to make it accessible to as many people as possible.  However, if we teach a spiritual practice in a completely bland, watered down way, then no one will really have much inspiration to use it. I love the Buddha, and I love the Dharma, which is the teaching of the Buddha, and I love the Tibetan versions of it. And I particularly love the version that was perfected by Tsong Khapa, who lived in the fifteenth century. It is the core teaching that the Dalai Lamas have practiced since then, including the current Dalai Lama, the Fourteenth, His Holiness Tenzin Gyatso. So, I want to share my love for their vision and wisdom with you through the ancient text that inspires this retreat in book form.  In this book, I will draw from those teachings and focus on the particularly vivid teaching about the wish-fulfilling jewel tree by the Fourth Panchen Lama, called the Guru Puja, or the Devotion to the Mentor. A mentor is not considered merely a teacher but is seen rather as an exemplar of the teaching, a model to follow. So, in each lesson or subject or verse, I will veer away from my own narrow understanding and Tibetan images, and I will encourage you to meditate, whether you are Sufi, Christian, or another kind of Buddhist, and to draw in your own images and ideas to enhance your own understanding. This retreat is divided into six chapters that can serve as retreats in themselves, with different meditations and a regular review of the principles that form the steps on the path to enlightenment. I want you to figure out how to enter a kind of jewel space of awareness, to populate and retreat to that jewel space in your own way. There you will be energized to discover your own feeling of insight into your own soul -- and into the soul of the entire universe. The wish-fulfilling jewel tree will restore you to yourself and illuminate your path through life...and illuminate your spirit into the next life.  Copyright © 2005 by Bob Thurman, Inc. See Also: Book Excerpt, Philosophy, Spirituality, Buddhism Namaste, PB