Interesting movie that 10,000 BC. I was watching it and one of the characters was explaining to a young man about his father. His father supposedly had left the village and was said to be a coward. In truth, it was a story put forth so that others would not follow him on his journey. The young man had grown up trying to overcome the ridicule. I don't want to stray too far off point, which I have a habit of doing, nor spoil the film for those who have not seen it, so I won't go on much more.
The part I want to talk about is how the one who knew his father's secret explained the truth to the young man. He told him of the hoops. Now, I have spoken of Black Elk's vision and the joining of the sacred hoops which will bring the four races together, but this was another way of looking at it. He explained to the boy that there are many sizes of hoops. There is the smaller hoop in which a person is called to look after family and maybe a few others. There is a larger hoop where the person is called on to support the village and all the people. But, he turned to the young man, his father was called to an even larger hoop that would call upon all of his skills to help all of the people. His hoop encompassed many villages and many peoples.
It begs the question of ourselves, as to what size is our hoop? Is our hoop so small that it only encompasses ourselves? Does our hoop include family and maybe some friends? Is it large enough to encompass the village, town or city? Is it large enough to encompass the country, continent, or even the largest, all of the peoples and all of creation?
If you get a chance, watch this movie and see the young man grows his hoop. I believe all of us have within us the power to grow our hoop. Some of us may be called upon to do just that. Will we answer the call and move beyond our small hoop?

And I say the sacred hoop of my people was one of the many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight, and in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father.
Black Elk

In Black Elk's vision he saw the mending of the sacred hoops. He saw the four races coming together in peace and harmony to mend the sacred hoops and join as one. Then the tree of life would flower once again and peace and harmony would reign in the land. Black Elk wept because he was not to see his vision come to be. I have wept also as I have heard people becoming more and more divisive. Each feeling that they must malign another in order to raise themselves up. The sad part is when it is not only between the races, but within. We have heard the terms "white trash" used to denigrate other whites. We have heard mixed-bloods or apples used between Native Americans. We have heard blacks denigrate other blacks. I am not too sure about Asians but given the goings on in China, I can't imagine that their hoop is still in one piece either. How can we bring the four races together if we can't even come together between ourselves? Just today, I laid into my son when he made some disparaging remarks against some people. I told him that he does not know their story. How can he then judge them? How can we all? Beings as he is being raised Catholic I told him, "Judge not, lest ye be judged". I think, or hope, that he is thinking on that. How often do we fall in that trap? Especially after we, ourselves have been the subject of some form of abuse? My friend Lonnie just posted an article on his group on Yahoo regarding blood quantum. He spoke about how many purebloods talk down to or ignore mixed bloods. Yet, he brings up a good point about genocide by blood quantum. With many having to go outside the tribe to marry because they are related to so many within the tribe, how long before there is no one left with pure blood? That is just another example of how the hoops are broken.
So I have talked of two types of hoops. One is the sacred hoops of Black Elk's vision. The hoops that represent the four races. The hoops that need to come together in order to bring about the fifth world of the prophesies. The other is the hoop as a measure of your reach as an individual. How large is your hoop? Are you doing things to benefit yourself? Your family? Your neighborhood? Your town, city, or state? Just how big is your hoop? How big can you make it?
With all that is going on in this world and in some cases for many it is about survival. Some may ask, how can I even begin to think about the world, when I need money for gas, food, and health care? Throughout history, some of the poorest people have grown to have the greatest impact on the world. Maybe it is time to change our mindset regarding wealth and move way from a material viewpoint. Maybe putting more value on things like service, honor, open-heartedness and making these things more valuable in our lives than gold.
How big is your hoop?

Okay, so many of you know that I am boycotting McDonalds because of their Olympic sponsorship. It is not that I am against the Olympics, I do support and wish our athletes much luck. What I don't support is that China was given these Olympics with their abysmal human rights record. It appears that the IOC felt the need to appease China. Well, they did in the same back in 1936 with Hitler's Germany and look how well that turned out.
However, this isn't about the Olympics. It is about corporations buying into the notion that we are just dumb Americans who will believe whatever is laid out before them. If I wasn't all ready boycotting McDonalds, I would certainly stop going after their latest attack at the intelligence of the American people. Have you seen the new commercial? The commercial shows a number of different people screwing up breakfast. Whether it is burnt toast, or the woman who goes to flip a pancake and it lands on the burner and then while it sits on the burner she is spraying something on the sausage. They end this montage of human ineptitude by telling us to leave making breakfast to the professionals. Um, okay, so McDonalds has somehow transformed itself into professional breakfast makers? Um, did Wolfgang Puck or Emeril suddenly show up at McDonalds? Hey, it is an egg muffin. Not hard, buy some of those rings to get them perfectly round. An English Muffin, some Canadian bacon, and cheese, voila! Not rocket science and my kids can do it.
The other thing that is getting me is the car manufacturers. Maybe they are missing the picture but the recent burst of ads are touting, not higher mileage, but more distance on a tank of gas. So let me see, if you put a bigger gas tank in the car, you can increase the distance I can go, but now it costs $100 to fill the tank instead of $60. Maybe a little exaggeration there but it is amazing that they think no one would notice that it is still getting the same MPGs, it just has a bigger tank!
On the political front, oh boy, are the Republicans desperate? It just seems like they are shooting themselves in the foot left and right. I am an independent myself, and hold no allegiance, but when you are getting caught in lie after lie or having to rely on negative messages, then you lost my vote. Take the billboard in Orange County, Florida. It has a picture of the twin towers smoking with the message, Please Don't Vote for a Democrat. Then there is the New Yorker front page with Obama and his wife as terrorists. They claim that it was just a satire, but it is something we don't need. Oh, and please don't forward that stupid message about Obama being Muslim and wanting to change the country to Islam. Dang, didn't we just go through the whole thing with his pastor? Can't people put two and two together. Hmm, pastor, Christian. Of course there are the recent ads against Obama by McCain's camp that FactCheck.org has said are outright lies. You can read their full article at http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/the_32000_question.html
Oh, Obama has been no angel and has stretched the truth a bit, but it just seems that McCain is going over the top. When will the candidates begin to respect our intelligence and stay on issues and discuss them intelligently and try to find answers rather than go straight for the mudslinging? It just seems that every year, the American people ask for clean elections. The candidates appear to go that direction, but then bam, out comes the mud.
The other thing is these emails. Anybody can write an email and make up things and the next thing you know they take on a life on their own. A new one is going around about Obama and taxes. Fact Check responded:

Q: Would Obama tax my profits if I sell my home? Would he tax my IRA? Would he tax my water?
A: No. A new e-mail being circulated about Obama's tax proposals is almost entirely false.

So please, if you get those emails saying Obama is going to tax you into the poor house, Obama is a Muslim and is going to turn America into an Islamic nation, Obama is the anti-christ, then hit the delete button. Do not forward that crap to others. Do the same if you get anything for McCain like that. Let's show them that we are intelligent and are not going to fall for this stuff anymore.
Just had to get that off my chest. Sorry, if I offended anyone.

From Wikipedia:
The philosopher's stone (Latin: lapis philosophorum; Greek: chrysopoeia) is a legendary substance, supposedly capable of turning inexpensive metals into gold; it was also sometimes believed to be an elixir of life, useful for rejuvenation and possibly for achieving immortality. For a long time, it was the most sought-after goal in Western alchemy. In the view of spiritual alchemy, making the philosopher's stone would bring enlightenment upon the maker and conclude the Great Work.[1]

Of course, many are familiar with the Philosopher's Stone due to the Harry Potter book/movie. The stone was supposedly given to Dumbledor for safe keeping. What many people don't know is that Nicolas Flamel was a real person.
Also from Wikipedia:
Nicolas Flamel (traditionally c. 1330 – 1418) was a successful scrivener and manuscript-seller who developed a posthumous reputation as an alchemist due to his reputed work on the Philosopher's Stone. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Flamel

That is the key to making a believable story is to include just enough truth. There indeed was a Nicolas Flamel. He as believed to be have been a Grand Master of the Priory of Sion spoken of in Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code. Like most things with a smattering of truth, the Philosopher's Stone may not be a real physical stone, but a symbol of something else. Bear with me as I lay out some of the fascinating things I have learned on my journey. Sometimes it pays to open one's mind to other possibilities.

It is said that the Philospher's Stone is the Holy Grail of alchemists. One thing that was brought into more popular thinking thanks to Dan Brown's books, Angels and Demons, and the Da Vinci Code, is that much was hidden in plain sight though obscured by imagery. Much of the sought after knowledge of the "secret societies" was considered the Occult. Of course, the Church deemed the Occult to be devil worshiping and forbade it. The truth is that the word Occult simply means hidden. So it was hidden knowledge and wisdom that these societies sought. The Church originally had deemed much of the Gnostic Gospels to be heresy. This included the Gospels of Thomas and Mary Magdeline. You could be excommunicated for reading such heresy. Like that is a bad thing? Sorry.

Okay, now I have read many philosophies from indigenous cultures from across the world, various religious beliefs, raised Catholic, read Buddhist wisdom, Hindu teachings, and my own innate reasonings. One common thread throughout all of these is the importance of heart. Now, even science, through quantum physics is beginning to find the power of heart. It is said that we can change things through intent. But other wisdoms teach us that it is not only in thinking about a change, but in feeling it that it becomes. Okay, let's let that sink in for a moment. Quantum Physics as well as ancient teachings tell us that it is not our thoughts alone, but our intention, our heart that drives changes around us.

It is interesting that no matter where you turn, everything centers on the heart. I have never read The Celestine Prophesy, but I did get the movie. My wife has two copies of the book and it is on my list of "to read". Now, in the movie there is a point where one of the characters goes to the center of the ruins with a young girl. The two sit on the ground in this circle and the girl shows him how to exchange energy, not from the head, but from the heart. We see a stream of energy going from her to him and as he understands, it is returned to her. Their power grows as they continue to exchange energy until they create a field around themselves that the soldiers can not see them. Now this brings in another aspect of quantum physics that could be an interesting side note. That is that so far they believe they have ascertained that there are fifteen dimensions. What if what they did was to create a tunnel in which they switched dimensions. To the soldiers, it appears as if the circle is empty. However, they can see the soldiers outside the circle. Now, I believe it was Einstein, not sure if I am remembering correctly, I do have a problem in that area. Too many concussions I suppose. Anyway, I believe it was Einstein who hypothesized that there are parallel dimensions where at certain points the veil between the two is thin. He called these decision points. It is at these points when we make a life-changing decision that we may actually change dimensions and take a different track in our life. This is an interesting side note, but let me get back to Celestine Prophesy. The point that is being made is that they exchange energy of the heart. This is the key to the "magic" that they were able to create.
Now if we look at Hindu philosophy which has been carried over into many "New Age" practices, we see the chakras. Chakras come from the Sanskrit that means spinning wheels. The chakras are spinning wheels of energy. In most practices there are seven chakras or energy centers. There is the root, sacral, solar plexus, heart, throat, brow, and crown. Now depending on the practice that you follow, the energy is said to flow from the root to the crown and out the top of your head, or from the crown to the root and into the ground. A chart that shows the various chakras and their meanings can be found at www.meaningoflife.i12.com/chakras.htm Now, Greg Braden in his latest book, The Spontaneous Healing of Belief - Shattering the Paradigm of False Limits, presents another perspective that I think flows more in line with some of the more ancient teachings and modern science about the power of heart. From what I read, Greg believes that the energy flows both from the top down and the bottom up and enters and exits through the heart. Of course, Greg is known for his books that tie spirituality and science through quantum physics. In this book he also notes something called resonance. This is that feeling you have that something is true. You just feel it. it was actually in reading this passage from his book that got me to seeing the synchronicity in a lot of spiritual beliefs.
Now science, through quantum physics tells us that we actually affect things simply with our attention or intention. Lynn McTaggart in her book, The Field, tells of experiments where quantum physicists attempted to test to see if we could affect an outcome simply by observing. It appears, according to science, that we can. Of course, this has always been stated by ancient wisdom. Of course, when it comes from New Age sources mainstreamers have a tendency to scoff at it. Yet, one of the reasons I loath the term New Age is not only because it is a blanket term, like shaman, which has been used to cover a diverse belief system, but because many of these so-called New Age wisdoms have their basis in ancient teachings. I think what draws the negativity most is the charlatans that use this as another means to fleece people. Yet, there are charlatans in many walks of life, why denigrate an entire group for the actions of a few? Ah, because then we can make people disbelieve in New Age teachings. I am still a little upset with the neighborhood priest who stated that the Church teaches that God is within while these New Agers teach that God is out there somewhere. Um, since when? That wasn't what I was taught when I was brought up Catholic. I had to go through a priest for everything.
Okay, so we have science and ancient wisdoms starting to come together. In essence, science is proving what the ancients have been saying all along. What keeps us then from starting to believe that we can change the world for a better place? Well, separation for one. Throughout history we have been taught to be separate from others. We have been segregated by race, creed, nationality, sex, and any other difference we can find. We have built fences, borders, and gone to war because our governments, churches, and other leaders have told us that THEY are out to get us. We have been taught not to believe the ancient teachings because they were put out by pagans, ignorant savages, or some other denigrating term meant to keep us from listening. We are taught to fear others. We are taught to close our hearts. This breeds hatred, bigotry, and violence towards others. But what if the ancient teachings are correct? What if we all come together as one heart, one spirit, remembering that we are all related? What if we can through our hearts change the world? If we all can come together can we bring about the beginning of the fifth world? A world of peace, love and harmony?
So what does this have to do with the philosopher's stone? Well, think about it for a moment. The philosopher's stone is supposed to wield enormous power. Heck, even Voldamort wanted it. But what if it was hidden in plain sight all along? What if the truth of the philosopher's stone is not that it is a great and powerful stone, but that it is not a stone at all? What if the philosopher's stone was a coded way of speaking of the power of the heart? What if all of us were to put aside our differences and be like the girl in the Celestine Prophesy and concentrate our loving energy to bring about healing for ourselves and the world? What if we are the philosopher's stone?
My heart to your heart, one heart, one spirit.

I want to follow up on my hypothesis regarding the Philosopher's Stone. Now there are many who believe that simply thrugh envisioning we can bring about the changes needed to bring about the fifth world of peace, harmony, and balance for all people. I know many others who believe that this i just New Age fluff talk and only by taking action can we bring about this change.
I think that the truth lies somwhere in between, action without vision and especially belief may not bring about a good result. Vision without a corresponding action to bring it into play, is just a dream. Think about this for a moment. I have a hoe and a garden. The garden is full of weeds. Now if I just sit and envision the garden being weed free, would it be? You have to remember that the weeds are going to do their thing according to nature. They are following the natural path, so they will be there. The hoe is a great tool to help one loosen the dirt and remove the weeds. Yet, if we have a hoe, but only envision a weed free garden, it will remain a weed. If we take the hoe and use it without a vision of what a weed free garden will look like, we may very well destroy some of the good plants along with the weeds. If we take the hoe and envision a weed free garden, we develop a plan to bring this into fruition.
Much can be said about the heart. We can have a ginormous heart, but if we don't do anything with it, what good is it? If we have great dreams of what this world could be like, but just dream it, then how will it ever come into fruition?
If we take our Philosopher's Stone and envision the world we want, then use that Stone to reach out to others and to put into practice the changes we envision, then maybe the changes will start to take affect. Open your heart, reach out to others, show the world that you are a representative of the world you want this to be. When you look back at that Wikipedia article on Nicolas Flemel, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Flamel , you will note the passage:
During his lifetime, Flamel and his wife provided lodging and meals for the poor in their home, in exchange for prayer; they were devout Catholics. Later in life they were noted for their wealth and philanthropy.
It was his action that brought about change.
I believe in order to bring about the changes we all seem to want, we need to do two things. First, we need to get out the me mentality. We need to open our hearts to others and begin to think of life as service and how we can help others. Second, we need to move out of the material world. We need to stop measuring a person's worth by how many toys they have accumulated or by their bank accounts. Rather, we need to deem those who give most of their heart to others as being the richest. We need to move beyond the need to accumulate and into the mindset of the giveaway. Many Native American cultures practiced such a thing. I believe the Lakota called it Wopila. There is an article about such an event here. http://www.widdershins.org/vol6iss4/mabon00.04.html
Bottom line, having a tool like the Philosopher's Stone is only good if you put it to use. Dreaming about using it will not bring about the results you wish to see.
My heart to your heart, one heart, one spirit.