Depression and anxiety are crippling, but treatable, conditions. I am a patient and a survivor of these conditions. This article is meant to provide information and support for anyone who has suffered from or is suffering from these illnesses. For me, overcoming these conditions meant putting myself in a better place to experience all that life has to offer.I first discovered my depression in the spring of 1993 at the age of 28. I began my journey to recovery by talking to some close friends … [Read more...]

Jeffrey's Journey: Healing a Child's Violent Rage, by Debbie Jefferies and Larayne Jeffries (Quick American-Publishers Group West, Oakland, CA 2005) $12.95At the age of seven, Jeffrey had been asked to leave every school he had attended, treated by sixteen different doctors, prescribed at least sixteen different psychotropic drugs, and admitted to inpatient mental care three times due to his oppositional defiance. No facility in the state of California would accept a child at his young age for … [Read more...]

First of a four-part seriesWhat does it mean to open to sacred purpose? This is a question often asked when individuals register for one of Venus Rising’s Sacred Purpose Workshops. I usually tell them that somewhere deep inside they already know what it means or most likely they would not be attracted to the subject matter. In fact, they are probably right on the verge of discovering that they are much more than who they think they are and are getting ready to step into a “bigger … [Read more...]

"You would have to be dead to be unaffected by Moore's movie..." - Barclay Fitzpatrick, Vice President of Corporate Communications Capital BlueCross I expected Michael Moore, in his newest documentary, Sicko, to tell us in no uncertain terms that our health care delivery system in America is ill. And, just as he did in Roger & Me (against corporate giant General Motors), Bowling for Columbine (the National Rifle Association and gun lobby) and Fahrenheit 9/11 (Bush administration), … [Read more...]

I belong to Lake Harriet Spiritual Community. We used to be called Lake Harriet Community Church. Several years ago, we voted to change our name from church to community. Church just didn not seem to fit with our mission statement which is to honor all spiritual traditions.The foundation of a community is respect for individual differences and unconditional love. Because our culture doesn not give us good role models to follow for community, we are pioneers and trailblazers.Being trailblazers … [Read more...]

What is it about our children's development that we, as parents, are most interested in? Wouldn't it be great if we could guarantee the happiness of our children? While there is nothing foolproof in life, what we can provide to our children are the strategies to help them achieve happiness, confidence and well-being. One such method now available to help with this is the Brain Education (BE) System, which is becoming widely used by parents and in schools across the country. The BE system … [Read more...]