As Stacy returns from the Spiritual Educator’s Retreat for the Unity Southwest Region, Malayna has been celebrating ways of being a godmother. Join them as they explore similar roles and archetypes in fiction, and in life, that can offer kids a wider support system. Whether you’re a “Sparent” or part of the “Auntie Brigade,” an uncle, grandparent, Big Brother, or Sister, you can positively influence a child’s life without even trying. As volunteers or involved family members, we can all make an even bigger difference in their lives and ours. Tune in for inspiration!
Malayna’s Pre-Show Notes (and lots of ’em!):
GOOGLE
Spiritual Educators
Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education – csee.org/ “Building character, transforming culture”
For over 100 years, we’ve helped educators assist students in developing congruence between their inner and outer lives. We know that the quest for meaning and purpose in life, and grappling with important questions, lead not just to greater satisfaction in life, but also to greater health.
CSEE is not affiliated with any religious organization and does not promote a specific religious belief through our programs.
Character Development [Moral Education, Ethical Education]; Community Service / Service Learning; Grief, Death, Crisis in Schools; Interfaith Understanding; Honor Systems [Codes / Councils]; Spiritual Development; Leadership Development; Teaching the World’s Religions
We keep a comprehensive calendar of events for all major religions in several formats
based in teachings of Yogananda, The original Living Wisdom School in Nevada City, California offers children a rigorous academic education in a safe, beautiful rural environment. Sister schools are in Oregon and Washington.
The purpose of spiritual education is to fulfill the divine potential of children, and to prepare them for life by giving them the tools they need to keep on learning throughout the many experiences that will come to them.
By teaching children kindness, concentration, will power, strength of character, truthfulness, and other higher qualities, life is made richer.
Education, rightly understood, is expansion of awareness.
Spiritual teachers fall into several subcategories: Shaykhs or Sufi teachers, Gurus (including Hindu Gurus, Sant Mat Gurus, and Sikh Gurus), Buddhist teachers, including TibetanLamas (which is really simply the Tibetan word for Guru), and Mahasiddhas, who may be claimed by both Buddhist and Hindu There are also many Western spiritual teachers, some claim a spiritual lineage from the East and some do not.
We’re all on a spiritual adventure called “life”, but sometimes we need a book, TV show or movie to show us what our inner landscape can look like. This week, our Pop Conscious gals look at the travels we take through books like Eat Pray Love, The Celestine Prophecy, and Way of the Peaceful Warrior translated to film…and how these books and films inspired Malayna’s spiritual adventure novel, Echoes Across Time. We’ll also explore the deeper lessons of adventure-genre movie franchises like Indiana Jones and The Mummy, and whatever else feels like an adventure at any given time. It all boils down to our own Hero’s Journey!
Indiana Jones:
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)– not Noah’s, but Biblical nonetheless – supernatural + adventure
“Subtler and more interesting, however, is the ark’s biblically based propensity to protect itself when needed. In a fascinating mixture of judgment and mercy, the film’s finale features God saving Indy and instead of Indy saving the ark. When the Nazis sacrilegiously lift the lid, the wrath of God pours out. The entire party of evildoers is horrifically melted and incinerated, then spectacularly (and rather tidily) disposed of in a celestial pillar of fire.
While such gimmickry never appears in the Old Testament, there are many stories of God protecting the ark from falling into the wrongs hands. In 1 and 2 Samuel, a disrespectful handler is killed, a false god is decapitated, three Philistine towns are inflicted with a deadly plague and, most pertinently to Raiders, 70 Israelites are put to death for peeking under the hood. I’d say “put to death” is a pretty apt description for what happens to the Nazis at the end of Raiders.”
Temple of Doom (1984) – Filmed in Sri Lanka! India’s spiritual heritage, British-Indian reference…Thugee cult and Kali
Last Crusade (1989) – Holy Grail, Arthurian Legend, Joseph Campbell & Hero’s Journey,
Crystal Skull – (2008) – South American –
From National Geographic: “There are perhaps a dozen of these rare crystal skulls in private and public collections. Some are crystal clear, others of smoky or colored quartz. Some are actual human size and of very fine detail, while others are smaller and less refined. All are believed to originate from Mexico and Central America.
Many believe these skulls were carved thousands or even tens of thousands of years ago by an ancient Mesoamerican civilization. Others think they may be relics from the legendary island of Atlantis or proof that extraterrestrials visited the Aztec sometime before the Spanish conquest.
An adaptation of James Redfield’s novel about the search for a sacred manuscript in the Peruvian rain forest.
Macchu Pichu
Through a mysterious set of coincidences, he finds himself on an adventure to Peru in search of ancient scrolls, known as the Celestine Prophecy. The prophecy and its nine key insights, predict a new awakening that redefines human life and provides a glimpse into a completely spiritual culture on earth. Resistant at first, skeptical and unsure, John finds that each step he takes, each person he encounters leads him to a new awakening. It is only in this letting go that he finds his destiny and comes to understand the meaning that had escaped him when his adventure began.
Way of the Peaceful Warrior: A Book That Changes Lives
Way of the Peaceful Warrior is based on the story of Dan Millman, a world champion athlete, who journeys into realms of romance and magic, light and darkness, body, mind, and spirit. Guided by a powerful old warrior named Socrates, tempted by an elusive, playful woman named Joy, Dan is led toward a final confrontation that will deliver or destroy him. Join Dan as he learns to live as a peaceful warrior.
Film – Nick Nolte – Peaceful Warrior (2006)
The 4-Minute Peaceful Warrior Workout Premium on-line course by Dan Millman from Daily Om.com
KEYWORDS: “Prophecy” = spiritual adventure – belief in something that was written about before, fate, a journey, steps to be taken, Divine order revealed (mind-idea-expression)
Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
The Lego Movie (2014)
Left Behind (I) (2014) (The Rapture?)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003)
Smallville (2001–2011)
The Matrix (1999)
Cloud Atlas (2012)
Lego movie – An ordinary Lego construction worker, thought to be the prophesied ‘Special’, is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil tyrant from gluing the Lego universe into eternal stasis.
Left Behind – the rapture refers to the belief that either before, or simultaneously with, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to earth, believers will be raised from the earth to meet him in the air. Rapture = Latin “carrying Off”, Koine Greek “caught up”… First Thessalonians and how it relates to interpretations of various other biblical passages, such as those from Second Thessalonians and the Book of Revelation.
BOOKS: keyword
And Toto, Too:: The Wizard of Oz as a Spiritual Adventure
Do you believe in Dog? And Toto, Too: The Wizard of Oz as a Spiritual Adventure And Toto, Too elevates the familiar and much-loved film, The Wizard of Oz to a higher plane. Nathan G. Castle weaves his own story into the timeless classic with warmth and a delightful sense of humor. At first glance the book’s approach is slightly unconventional and perhaps a touch irreverent, given that the author is a Catholic priest who bravely shares his belief that God loves everybody wildly, extravagantly, beyond belief — and beyond belief systems. In praise of And Toto, Too Scotty McLennan, Dean for Religious Life at Stanford University says, “Father Nathan Castle touches us deeply, right where we are, with a completely unlikely claim — that the tiny, unimpressive dog, Toto from The Wizard of Oz is God on earth — or at least the canine face of God on earth!”
Rev Kristin Powell on Soulstream here on Unity Online Radio did a series about The Wizard of Us: Transformational Lessons from Oz by Jean Houston. Part of why we love Rev. Kristin…
The 13th Disciple: A Spiritual Adventure Hardcover – by Deepak Chopra
When a solid gold reliquary missing from a church in Belgium suddenly resurfaces in America, a young newspaperman begins to investigate the story. At first, it seems like just another case of a treasure stolen during World War II that has resurfaced. But it soon becomes apparent that much more is at stake.
Hidden within the medieval reliquary is a gold box that holds a sacred relic—a single finger bone—from an anonymous saint. Why would the remains of someone unknown to the Church be considered holy? The search for answers leads to a shocking discovery—a dangerous secret known only to a small band of people. If one touches the reliquary, a sacred vision is received—a vision involving a young girl who had a chance encounter with Jesus just before he was crucified.
My choices = Anne Rice books, Anne McCaffrey – being in tune with nature – dragons or crystals. Piers Anthony – Magic in the earth and each of us, express it differently.
Magical Realism – Writers don’t invent new worlds but reveal the magical in this world, as was done by Gabriel García Márquez who wrote the seminal work of the style, One Hundred Years of Solitude.[12] In the binary world of magical realism, the supernatural realm blends with the natural, familiar world.[13]
Vicarious – If something is vicarious, it delivers a feeling or experience from someone else. If your child becomes a big star, you might have a vicarious experience of celebrity.
Vicarious comes from the Latin work vicarius, which means substitute. If you have vicarious enjoyment, you have a second hand thrill. You might get vicarious thrills of adventure by reading your friend’s letters from overseas.
Gotta use some imagination – one of your 12 powers
Second-hand
Tina Turner – What’s love got to do, got to do with it? What’s love but a second hand emotion?
Cousin Violet, Dowager Countess – “I’m too tired for an evening of second–hand emotion.”
Echoes Across Time
Mara is a woman on a mission to follow the unraveling trail of meaning behind her symbolic dreams while trying to save her best friend from self-destruction. Part spiritual adventure, part feminist fairy tale, this modern-day myth takes you through a mystical series of events from America to India, and on to Sri Lanka spanning four generations. Along the way it offers metaphorical explanations for simple mysteries of our lives that make up our identities. From seemingly inexplicable friendships to exotic mixed ancestry, Mara finds the purpose behind it all. Ultimately the tale offers insight into how each of our souls has at least one connection that echoes across time.
Jonas Seaman – Destination Wedding Photographer – a cross-cultural/spiritual adventure. It’s kind of like Carlos Castaneda meets Dora the Explorer. I could especially relate to the character of Mara, because she’s constantly having to surrender herself to the mystery unraveling around her, and to what seems to be the guidance of a higher design. It made me take a look at my own life, as if every seeming random event might have a reason or a meaning, even long layovers in airports. Also, I really like how Malayna Dawn introduces in the story many different cultural and spiritual viewpoints. Throughout the book, the character of Mara seems to keep a keen focus on the similarities of differing cultures and religions, rather than be critical of their differences. That’s so refreshing, and needed in this day and age. Overall a great read. I’d recommend this book to anybody who likes a good, fast paced mystery and archaeological adventure story…
Looking back at the history of Hollywood has been a source of inspiration for us at Pop Conscious, so join in on our discussion about our recent outing to the Hollywood Costumes Exhibition at the Oscar Museum. We’ll play the prediction game, Unity-style, and affirmatively declare what we would like to see more of in pop culture and entertainment in 2015. Join us in shaping our collective future!
Titanic, Moulin Rouge, Marilyn Monroe, Wizard of Oz shoes
As You Wish book by Cary Elwes – Heart is the magic ingredient
Downton Abbey ornaments exchanged at Christmas
NEWish shows I checked out and wanna see more like them:
Agent Carter – 1940’s capable woman agent, after Capt American disappears,
Scorpion – geniuses solve real word, real-world problems
Elementary –
Galavant – Timothy Omundson (Psych) – saw him at the Magic Castle (built 1908)
Predictions:
Geena Davis Institute for Gender in Media – seejane.org – You have the power to change the face of children’s programming. With your help, if she can see it, she can be it. Your donation will further our research efforts and fund continuing curriculum development for young children.
“In a World” – Lake Bell
2015: The year women take back tech
Hedy Lamarr – Invention of Spread Spectrum Technology – women-inventors.com/Hedy-Lamarr
Although better known as an actress, she was also an inventor and a pioneer in the field of wireless communications, along with co-inventor George Anthiel, she developed a “Secret Communications System” to help combat the Nazis in World War II. Lamarr and Anthiel received a patent in 1941, but the enormous significance of their invention was not realized until decades later. It was first implemented on naval ships during the Cuban Missile Crisis and subsequently emerged in numerous military applications. But most importantly, the “spread spectrum” technology that Lamarr helped to invent would galvanize the digital communications boom, forming the technical backbone that makes cellular phones, fax machines and other wireless operations possible.
BFF’s have it all
Tina Fey & Amy Poehler should play us in a new movie.
Bentonville Film Festival – Celebrating Women and Diversity in Film is First to Guarantee Theatrical, Television, Digital and Retail Home Entertainment Distribution for Winning Films – Geena Davis : “my message is to look at the world of the movie and make whatever you were already going to make, already planning to write — maybe it’s already written — but before you cast it, go through and change a bunch of first names to women, figure out where you can add characters of diversity and, bam, you’ve really improved the film and broadened the audience and probably made it much more interesting than it was in the first place.
Shift from lowest common denominator to highest we can reach – celebrating the strength and power within each of us, the heart and the beauty, and not the worst of us. What Oprah did for daytime talk shows, everyone in entertainment can do for whatever media they use. Let’s use pop culture to harness what people are naturally drawn toward and raise them up.
Pop Conscious 