Writing my new book, ‘The High Heeled Guide to Enlightenment’ saw me undertake several remarkable spiritual adventures. All of these were performed in the pursuit of a higher wisdom and deeper spiritual enlightenment. Each experience aided my understanding, and in turn added amusement for my very modern readers. A side effect of my newfound spiritual interest was a burgeoning love for the planet, and a deep concern for all the horrific abuses we commit upon her.

To me spirituality now comes hand in hand with a responsibility to make the world a better place. As grand an ambition as they may sound, it is nonetheless true. Frankly, there is no point sitting upon an enlightened pedestal and then watching the world you love turn to garbage around you. Indeed any wannabe enlightened being had better get used to the idea that balance, moderation and mindfulness are going to be key to her peaceful and spiritual journey. Such things come as part of the deal, and impeccable spiritual credentials include more than a love of meditation and a connection to spirit. In our godforsaken consumer culture, being spiritual also means treading lightly on the earth.

This heartfelt belief was exhibited to me by a number of incredible alternative systems of belief. The one that grew closest to my heart was Shamanism. Shamanic people worldwide feel a deep affinity with Pachamama (Mother Earth). They see nature as our equal, and believe that humans are just one part of a greater spiritual organism that makes up this planet, and indeed the universe.

Without being privy to our first-world satellite systems or eco-knowledge, Shamans have always known that the abuse of Mother Nature will bring us naught but trouble. They know it and for thousands of years they have truly respected it. Nature to the Shaman is a stronger force than any number of intelligent human beings. Shamanic people court nature, living in it, loving it, worshipping it and treating it with reverence. Somewhere along the lines our Western society moved away from pagan earth-worshipping principles, and we all got greedy. Leading of course to our wasteful, ‘have it all’ consumer culture.

Shamans were the original environmentalists; their simple lives and naturalistic based beliefs could teach us modern humans a great deal. My personal studies of Shamanic belief have brought strong spiritual focus to my love of nature and the environment. It was good for my soul and in tandem I rediscovered the naturally shamanic part of me that adores the world we live in and the creatures and flora that reside upon it. For all Green Goddesses a side dish of shamanic style spirituality can help bring a meaningful mix of harmony and super consciousness to your sincere eco-friendly lifestyle.

Article by Alice Grist
Read more about Shamanism, and other alternative spiritualities in Alice Grist’s book, The High Heeled Guide to Enlightenment available in all good bookstores worldwide.
www.alicegrist.co.uk
www.o-books.com

The 70s had the Hippies, the 80s had the Preppies, the 90s had the Yuppies now the new millennium has the Scuppies.

It’s a new term I just read about – it stands for Socially Conscious, Upwardly-mobile person, a term coined by Chuck Faila, president of a Manhattan based financial planning firm.  He says he’s tired of being called a yuppie and hopes this new term will take its place in the American lexicon as the natural progression from Hippie-Preppie-Yuppie to Scuppie!

These days, more Americans not only want to live well, but want to also do good (or at least do no evil). They still love money and conspicuous displays of affluence. But now, the way to achieve status is to trade in the Beemer for a Toyota Prius, spend $50,000 putting solar panels on the roof, shop at Whole Foods for $7-a-bunch organic endive, and acquire a chic new wardrobe fashioned entirely of hemp, soy fiber, and recycled tires, Failla says.

He hopes to get the word out through a national promotional campaign and he is also writing a guide: “The Scuppie Handbook: A practical guide to living well while doing good.”

Visit the website and read “A Scuppie Believes”, it’s funny!

There is is fascinating new book titled Earth: The Sequel by Fred Krupp, President of the Environmental Defense Fund and Miriam Horn.  I have to admit I have not read the book- yet- but I have been receiving so many emails and hearing a lot buzz surrounding it, that I finally went to its website to see what all the hype is about.

It’s about hope, inspiration, ingenuity, entrepreneurship, and optimism, plus the biggest explosion of wealth for whoever wins this race (their words not mine)!

I even found the few minutes of the video educational, as there are many things happening as we race to end global warming and reinvent energy; that I have never heard of; and from what I gather the book is about all these innovative technologies and the inventors behind them.

The book tells us we can’t wait for governments to change the world, it’s the thinkers, risk takers, and innovators who will save the planet, in other words it’s us – the people!

The scent of desire, it turns out has more to do with our biological imperative than we might have ever imagined. That magical x factor in seeking and connecting to your special someone is actually right under your nose- or at least in it. Author Rachel Herz’s new book The Scent of Desire will be the first of many volumes on the often overlooked olfactory system that will forever change how we think about our relationships. And even though I have long been promoting smell as our primary sexual sense, I had no idea that its reach went to the very core of the species regeneration.

Our sense of smell and what attracts or repels us, is blueprinted in our immunological gene structure called the MHC. Every individual’s own genetic scent makeup is as unique as their fingerprint. What’s more, when it comes to reproduction, the healthiest progeny comes from two individuals whose MHC is most distinct and different from each other. This assures that any offspring has the widest range of immune function and therefore is the most disease resistant. This actually makes perfect sense in terms of our biological imperative to go forth and multiply, but it also profoundly affects the whole courting process as well as the likelihood of making your love sustainable. MHC compatibility is a predictor of not only bearing healthy offspring, but relationship longevity and frequency of cheating on your partner.

Even more remarkable than the biological compatibility of scent between partners is the new recognition that our ability to smell is completely intertwined with our ability to feel.
Recent research on people who suffered anosmia (scent blind) usually from a traumatic injury to the head, shows that they also became unable to feel a wide range of emotions. “Our sense of smell and our emotional experience are fundamentally interconnected, bi-directionally communicative and functionally the same.”

Suddenly the axiom to “Wake up and smell the roses” is not just good advice but actually may save your life. Without scent, we lose the texture and depth that makes life the rich and varied tapestry that it is. Imagine not being able to smell or taste not just a ripe melon, but your lover, it would make the experience almost inaccessible. Practice smelling, indulge in scent and taste and bear witness to the emotional response that accompanies this. It will surprise you.

I have been promoting the use of true scent products that enhance your own natural chemistry for years, intuitively knowing that products made chemically are not just bad for your most sensitive tissue, but also covers up your own natural odor and may just interfere with our ability to find and smell our true mates. So take this message to heart and as you breathe- inhale deeply, build your vocabulary and experience of scent especially around the people you love most. It will make you feel better.

A great review of this topic can be found in the article Scents and Sensibility in this month’s issue of Psychology today(psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20071228-000001.xml ). The book is also definitely worth the price.