My Herbs Have Arrived

Thanks to the generosity of Tyrone from Australia and his friend in California who acted as courier . . . my John of God herbs have arrived from Abadiania.

Currently Blogging Elsewhere

Time moves forward.
Apparently.
Things change.
Certainly.

The Journey to John of God Blog (and beyond) is quiet now as I am in Boulder, Colorado and planning to journey back to Brazil in 2009.
My creativity, journalistic urges, therapeutic expression and narcissism have now moved to a new blog.

The life and times of Mercury Roberts (Robert Mercury to many) are now being self-chronicled at:
Meditate and Eat Your Vegetables

Two Months Home From Brazil

Starting to slip into some winter blues.
Sent a package to Brazil today and it felt good to be connected.

Starting to plan the return trip.

One week back from Brazil

It feels like I'm visiting the United States until I return to Brazil.

It is great living with my daughter, her brother and older sister who just moved from Dallas, Texas, her mom and their new RottweilerMix puppy.

Going to yoga, giving bodywork, exploring opportunities, finalizing my insurance demand, going to more yoga and missing Abadinaia.

Looking Back

Now that I have been back in the United States for over 48 hours . . .

The things that I remember most about my almost four months in Brasil:

~ Slowing down.
~ Getting more quiet.
~ Going inside more.

~ Heaps of growth. Sensitivity to energy. Emotional release. Self-discovery - releasing denial and coming to see myself more clearly, honestly, directly.

~ Taking care of the basics . . . prayer and meditation, exercise, being of service, sun and water on my skin, time and laughter with friends, being with animals and children, letting go faster and eating simple solid colorful whole food.

~ Kneeling down, taking the Entities hand and looking into the eyes of the Entity fourteen times in the fifteen weeks I was in Brazil. Getting permission and protection, getting connection direction and acceptance, getting acknowledgment and love.

~ Sitting in 69 session currents and meditating, praying, concentrating, breathing, intending and visualizing.

~ Not driving, watching TV or using my cell phone.

~ Going to the sacred waterfall over 70 times and using the triangle to connect and to let go.

~ Fabulous meals at Cafe Central (the burger special), Tribo in Brasilia, Luz Divina, VagaFogo, Bon Appetit, Frutti's, The PizzaPlace (Cafe Sao Joao) and Pousada Irmao Sol.

~ Incredible people. Humble, Creative, Willing, Open, Sensitive, Fun, Loving and Crazy.

~ Did I mention slowing down?

~ Being helpful, defending against attack, being tolerant, managing my energy and living in community.

~ Spending time in nature. Seven wonderful trips to Vaga Fogo. Two trips to the waterfalls at Salto Corumba. Seven trips to Amila's land and Fazenda Barreiro (see Om Shanti in the links).

~ Flying over the handlebars of my bicycle in front of Frutti's on my way to my first appointment with Emilio . . . cracking a rib and a bone in my left hand when I landed . . . getting an Edgar Cayce osteopathic treatment and unraveling of the trauma five weeks later in the van on the way to Brasilia.

~ Bicycling to the farm and cachoeiras of Rogerio, the Brazilian Huck Finn, with him and Keenya.

~ Giving lots of massages to my friends. Being present and quiet with them. Connecting to the Entities. Being a part of the healing.

~ And did I mention that I met some wonderful human beings? Aine, Beth from Sun Valley, Vishnu, Robert Beno, Leandro, Alison, Susan & Bobby Love, Belinda, Nick, Dave from BrightonEngland, Nurit, Julie, Dica, Preta, Concesau, Vitor, Tracy-Mike-Tessa-Tyler Wilkinson, Gemma, Peter and Beryl, Monica from Montreal, Rebecca, Sontash, Patricia from Scotland, Shannon, Gary Walker, Kristjan, Egle, Elizabeth, Reini, Victoria, William, Lauren, Olivia, Eleuza, Evandro, Catarina, James and Jeff from NYC, Keenya and Narayani, Beatrix, Irena, Sarah, Henri & Bianca, Alvoro & Vanessa, Catarina Pelegrino, Reverend Patti, Crescent, Gita, Daniel Prates, Angie from San Diego, Shelly, Gary Walker, Naomi, Art, Fred, Vee and IanMilan, Greg NZ, Frank, Michael from Australia, Trenka, Michael from California, Peyla, Brooke, Tanya and Horacio, Jennifer, Emma Bragdon, Pablo Prates, Paulo, Salito, Ron, Bondi, Danni, Maha Dev, Maree Duffy, Maria Crane, Johannes, Elin, Zeynep & Yann, Amila & Leila, Aria & Jeff, Grainne & Joao, Lucia and Ricardo, Rick and MerriLu, MeriLee, Allesandra and Ultan, Theo, Masha & Ryan, Elle from Greece, Lily and Mara, Martin, "Expect Success" Martin, Andy, Cashambra, Martin Mosquera, The gang at Frutti's: Lucas, Julianna, Elione, Lisiandra, Keyla, Martia, Luciano and Romolo, Greg from California, Ned, Cynthia, Phoebe, Sean, Emilio, Marilina, Janice, Will Johnston, Aidan and Jonny, Tyrone, Anjelica, Radan and Vida, Ida, Una and her 90 minute haircut, Su from New Zealand, Susie Sao Paulo, Gina, Gina from Virginia, Lynn and Fabio, Luba, Osney, Sean, Peter Waugh, Renaldo, and, of course, The Casa: Joao, Hamilton, Ricardo, Reginaldo, Jack, Arturo, Chico Lobo, Diego, Antao, Mario, Ricardo "Uma fila mas", Heather, Sebastian, Marissa and the Professor.

It Is As It Is

Back in Boulder

I have arrived back to Boulder, Colorado after 34 hours of traveling.

Monday
. . . after a lovely day at Vaga Fogo being with Beth, Theo, Dave, Su, Phoebe and Evandro . . . I spend the last night in Abadiania preparing to go . . . Daniel Prates came by first to get the prepaid cell phone to use next until Vishnu's return in February. MerriLu and Rick dropped by to pick up their Arabic cheese from the farm and to take care of my beloved blue bike until I return. Then Henri and Bianca came by to say good-bye and to get my massage table for nine months of use and safe keeping.
Reini came over for a farewell and I gave him my Bronner's Liquid Aminos.
Beth, Sue and Phoebe also dropped by for a slide show and some tears.

I love living in living community.

Tuesday
I put my under funded get away into the triangle at the Casa and fully expect a miraclous day.
I thoroughly enjoy my final fabulous breakfast (veggie and cheese omellette, oatmeal, papaya and coffee) at Luz Divina with Dave Sherman.
Time spent finishing packing.
More good-byes (Dica, Eleuza, William, Lily and Mara, Preta, Trenka, Sara, Anjelika) . . . paying my tabs at Frutti's, Ribeiro and Elements . . .

Leandro picks me up at home on credit because I don't have the money to pay him for the $75 ride to the airport in Brasilia. After two hours dealing with my artificially induced visa problem with the Federal Police, Tam waives my ticket change fee and upgrades my international flight to Miami to Business Class.

Wednesday
After arriving fresh in Denver, I wait for a few hours for my daughter to pick me up after her basketball practice. When I find out she is sick, I start calling friends because I don't have the money for the bus. Someone suggests I try traveler's aid . . . and on the way over I run into my friend April who is on her way to Boulder with room for one more . . .

I love and appreciate the triangle at the Casa.
I truly love and appreciate the Entities of the Casa de Dom Inacio.

Words are Energy

One of many, many learnings of this year's JourneyToJohnOfGod has been an increased conscious awareness of the power of my word.

As Don Miguel Ruiz says in The Four Agreements . . .

1. Be Impeccable With Your Word

Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.

I have had any negative words that I have spoken or words that had been shared in confidence with me that I spoke to others come back to me and come back to me so quickly here that I could not deny the effect they were having.

When I begin to speak negatively about someone who isn't present it feels painful . . . as if I'm putting a curse on them and they don't know it.
And I don't want people doing that to me.
So I stop.
(More of the time)

Sometimes, when I'm in the presence of people who begin to gossip and speak negatively, I tell them that it doesn't fell good to me and I would prefer that they didn't . . .

Baby steps.

When I speak or write, I use the vehicles of words to carry meaning, as well as energy, from me to other people. I may be writing a love letter, a work-related memo, or an entry in my blog. Whatever the case, each word I speak or write has a life of its own, a vibratory signature that creates waves in the same way that a note of music creates waves. And like musical notes, my words live in communities of other words and change in relation to the words that surround them. When I am conscious of the energy behind my words, I become capable of making beautiful music in the world. I don't want to create disturbance or distraction.

I try to continually remind myself that my words have an impact on the world at the level of energy and to be more conscious, more sensitive.

A fun way that I increase my sensitivity to the power of my words is by making a list of my favorite words and then noticing the energy they contain. This is like learning to consciously play an instrument that we have been playing unconsciously for most of our lives, and the effect can be startling and delightful. I am growing more comfortable and confident playing the instrument of language . . . Here's to more beautiful messages, creating positive energy every time I write or speak.

Off the top of my head:

My favorite words in English: love, aloha, inpiration, serotonin, cinnamon, organic, coconut, psychoparabolic, avocado, xiphoid process, rendezvous, pistachio, mitochondria, super, visceral, paradigm, hallucination, dopamine, popcorn, hoax, and tutti frutti.

My favorite words in Portuguese are: acabou (it's over), chakara (smal farm house), faca (knife - "give me the faca"), sempre sohindo (always smiling), xi-xi (pronounced "she-she" . . . means 'to pee'), propoganda (advertising), por du sol (sunset), tranquilo (relaxed) and my personal favorite beija-flor (literally: kisses the flower . . . English: hummingbird).

Life is Good When You Have Friends

Peter Pan and TinkerBell at Soup.

A Matter of Priorities

Letting Go of the Small Stuff

from Dailyom.com

We experience numerous disappointments each and every day. Our expectations go unmet, our plans are blocked by circumstance, our wishes go unfulfilled, and we discover that our lives are subject to a myriad of forces beyond our conscious control. In some cases, our response is powerful because we must invest ourselves and our resources to overcome genuine hardship. In others, our reactions are far more passionate than our circumstances likely warrant. The tension that permeates our bodies and minds when we are late for an event, interrupted at work, or sitting in traffic is not inappropriate, but it can interfere with our well-being in profound ways. When we stop worrying about relatively unimportant matters, we can be at peace and devote so much more of ourselves to what is truly important.

The small frustrations and irritations wield such power over us because they rob us of the illusion of control. But every problem is a potential teacher—a confusing situation is an opportunity to practice mindfulness, and difficult people provide us with opportunities to display compassion. There is a natural human tendency to invest copious amounts of emotional energy in minor dilemmas and frustrations in order to avoid confronting those more complex issues that are largely outside the realm of our control. The intensity of our response provides us with a temporary sense of personal power that helps us cope with challenges that might otherwise overwhelm us. But it is only when we let the little stuff go that we discover that the big stuff is not really so devastating after all.

In the stress of a singularly tense incident, differentiating between an inconsequential annoyance and a legitimate challenge can seem a monumental task. Ask yourself whether the emotions you are feeling will be as vivid in a year, a day, or even an hour. As focused as you are on this moment in time, your reward for letting go of your emotional investment may be the very happiness and harmony of being whose loss you are lamenting. Needless aggravation is seldom worth the cost it exacts. You cannot distance yourself from life's inconsistencies, irritations, and upheavals, but you can relinquish your desire for perfect order and gain peace of mind in the process.

John of God in New York - October 1-4, 2007

	John of God was received with admiration, love, and immense gratitude during his 4 day stay at the Omega Institute, in Rhinebeck NY. The campus was a sea of white as approximately 1200 people gathered each day to see this amazing medium and the loving and compassionate Entities. Heather Cumming, Medium João's dear friend and Liaison for his healing tours in North America, translated for this event. Skip Backus, Executive Director of the Omega Institute and Carol Donahoe, Omega's Program Director, did a beautiful job organizing every detail of this inspiring event. One could tangibly sense the growing anticipation and excitement as people arrived. People gathered with hope, belief in miracles, and open hearts to experience the infinite transformations this experience could bring into their lives. Each person followed a white chrysanthemum-lined walkway into an enormous white tent. This Main Tent was the gathering place where people began their sessions as Heather, Noberto Krug, Rosa Machado, Diana Rose and Bob Dinga offered the opening prayers from the stage. Medium João arrived each morning to address the crowd. Looking out into the eyes of everyone gathered there, one could visibly see the awe and respect people felt for this man who lovingly shared his appreciation at having this opportunity to be there with them. Medium João was then led to the Entity's room in a building adjacent to the Main Tent where he incorporated and began seeing people as he sat in his chair. There was a large reproduction of Sirlei Lerner's altar painting of Dom Inácio, Jesus, and Mary that hangs above The Entity's chair at the Casa. Reproductions of King Solomon, Dr. Augusto, Dr. Oswaldo Cruz and St. Rita of Cascia adorned white linen curtains which served as partitions for each of the rooms: The Mediums' Room (first current room), The Entity's Room (second current room) where John of God in Entity sat and received each person; The Divine Intervention and Blessing Room; The Infirmary. It was a beautiful arrangement. The first session lasted five hours. The other sessions were each approximately three hours long. The 1200 people seated in the Main Tent were dressed in white and were very honoring of the process. Noberto Krug, Medium Joao's close friend from Brazil, addressed the crowd, sharing loving messages as Rosa Machado translated for him. Rosa shared her amazing experience of being healed from cancer at the Casa. Bob Dinga assisted Skip with organizing the lines of people to see John of God in Entity. Diana Rose and Bob Dinga held a short orientation before each session. Diana and Rosa led the crowd in meditation, prayers, and guided visualizations as people waited for their line to be called. You could have heard a pin drop were it not for the grass floor; the there was a profound silence as people allowed themselves to go deep in these meditations. Emma Bragdon, Peter Waugh, Gary Walker, Josie RavenWing, Thom Levy, and Rosa Haritos led the Current Rooms, Divine Intervention/Blessing Room and The Infirmary, supported by Casa mediums that volunteered to build and hold the current in each room. Diego Coppola and Peter helped with debriefings after the Divine Interventions. Ana, Medium João's wife accompanied him at the event. Dorothy Cooke sat in service, to the left of John of God just as she does at the Casa. Martin Mosquera, Medium João's close friend from the Casa, helped Heather with translations. Dr. Jose Valdivino, Dr. Augusto de Almeida, and Jose Penteado were the three recognizable Entities João incorporated during the event. The energies were very strong and every person who waited to see John of God was seen. There were as many as 800 Divine Interventions done at a session. Although participants were asked not to take photographs, Karen Leffler, professional photographer and co-author (along with Heather Cumming) of a new book called "John of God, the Brazilian Healer Who's Touched the Lives of Millions" was asked by Medium João to photograph the event. (see photo gallery) The Omega campus is a serenely beautiful 80 acres of tranquility. It was brilliantly colorful with the autumn leaves in shades of red, orange and gold. The gardens were abundantly filled with flowers of every color and kind. 400 attendees enjoyed on-campus accommodations in cabins and dorms. Some people camped by Omega's pristine lake. This was the largest event ever held at the Omega campus and the staff was available and attentive to their many guests. The blessed soup was available at lunch every day and all meals were extremely healthy and delicious. Omega provided the perfect site for this visit. Medium Joao was happy and appreciative of his warm welcome in the USA. (This article was submitted by Diana Rose and Rosa Haritos)

For more information go to www.friendsofthecasa.org.

The Challenge for the Enneatype Nine (me)

. . . is often dealing with anger and facing conflict.
When I'm able to do this then I don't waste time.

I'm prone to sloth and indolence when I'm stuffing lots of anger.
Then I can turn down the temperature even more with a good bout of depression.

It has been over 18 months since I started the distant healing herbs with the Entities.
It has been 18 months since I went off anti-depressant medication.
It has been 18 months since I was depressed.

Definitely a connection.

And spending more time closer to the equator hasn't hurt.

The Day of the Dead in Brazil

Some of the fun people at Pousada Caminho Encantado.




Chopping vegetables for the soup at the Casa with Patricia, Rick and MerriLu.

Egos have Preferences

And so does mine.
I do not feel that "failure or success" need be pegged onto the
expression of a personal preference or observation or a personal choice.

I don't even believe in failure or success anymore . . .
just learning more and letting go more.

From where ever I am right now.

I have put myself in a fairly public position here in Abadiania the past
two and a half months and people have projected their preferences on me.
I have led group tours and guided people here at the Casa.

"I like this."
"I appreciate that."
"I'm disappointed by that."

So preferences and their expression seem to be
part of the culture here.

I often express mine.
And that's all it is.
My preference. My opinion.

Nothing to defend.

And so, after all these years, after all the countless books, lectures, learning, unlearning, solving, resolving, and absolving . . .
the monies spent for workshops, books, satsangs, therapy, gurus and trips around the world, the knick knacks acquired, the practices, the austerities, the overindulgences, the depression and the near-suicidal tendencies, I'm back today to square one again today: Preferences.
With or without adding insult to injuries.
Past, Present or Future.

And now I can let go of that.

Heaven and/or Hell are both just a thought away . . .