A QUIET REVOLUTION - Part 2

Please read Part I first by scrolling down.

The Peacemakers, Inc. hosted the Third International Women’s Peace Conference held in Dallas, Texas from July 10-15, 2007 and was first incorporated in 1987 with the first conference being held in 1988. Founder of the Peacemakers, Inc. was Vivian Castleberry, an editor and reporter for the now defunct Dallas Times Herald newspaper for 28 years. The current president of Peacemakers, Inc. is Carol Crabtree Donovan; a practicing attorney in Dallas and this is why the International Women’s Peace Conferences is held in Dallas, Texas. I found the women of Dallas open-minded, warm and dedicated to making a difference in spite of the fact that there was no media coverage and this was commented on. I find it hard to think this was an oversight. Discrimination?

The broad spectrum of topics covered in the workshops and presentations was more than addressing the atrocities of the world. Education was a focal point and the women in the third world countries want education, technology and communication skills. The conference was also about women reaching out and helping women. It was also about using non-violent methods to settle conflicts.

Before the opening session, we gathered in the great open area of the conference center where each of us was given large flags representing every country, island, and protectorate in the world. I was handed the flag of Georgia (Russia). We began moving in a circle towards a microphone and when we reached it, we gave the name of our flag’s country and everyone said three times: “May peace prevail in ____.” We then moved on and handed our flag to a woman who placed it in a holder. By the end, we had a tight circle of flags. It was very profound and moving.

I learned about the United Nations from Gillian Sorenson, former UN Secretary-General and now Senior Advisor at the UN Foundation, a national advocate on matters relating to the UN. I realized after listening to Sorenson, how ignorant I have been about the United Nations.

During her session, she said: “This is a critical time in the world. Goodwill is not enough. Prayer is not enough. It requires action.” War and conflict have reached new depths and spawned cultures of violence in Africa.

Bigotry and hate are all learned. In the past 13 years 3-1/2 million people that include children, women and men have died in Africa. Women need to find their voices. Women must be an agent for change. Women must raise awareness and funds. Women must hold governments accountable. We can counter-balance. We must find work for the men and women. We cannot wish. We must look for kindred spirits…

Optimism and confidence is contagious. Pessimism is contagious. We must begin in our own communities. We must speak up to the media and our governments. Do not be intimidated. Research and then name and shame the manufacturers of weapons and oil. In the U.S. there have been and are manufacturers of land mines. Find out who the war profiteers are. In other word, ‘knowledge is power.’

Organize, teach, speak, and dramatize. There are 20 million refugees. A mature nation earns its reputation. Sorenson spoke of the United Nations. (http://www.un.org/) There are non-governmental organizations involved. There are 193 countries that belong to the UN. Around the world there is a leadership deficit. We need vision. Sorenson then spoke of Nelson Mandela. She quoted him: “Education is the most powerful tool you can use to change the world.”

Sorenson spoke of the UN Association of the U.S. (www.unausa.org/) - a non-profit organization that promotes education because it creates confidence, freedom and opportunity. An example is a woman from a tribe in Africa. She now has a cell phone and when she has a goat she wants to sell, she calls other villages and finds out the price goats are selling for. Now she has information and knows what to ask for her goat when she takes it to market.

Peace begins at home. See what needs to be done in your own community. Educate yourself about what is happening in the world. Pick an issue and commit.

There are 13 global environmental treaties that have gone into force in the last three decades – but the U.S. is party to only part of them. Why? The Senate refuses to ratify them and this means the U.S. has no role in their implementation. The treaties that have yet to be ratified are:
· Bonn Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species since 1983.
· Convention on Biological Diversity in force since 1993.
· The Kyoto Protocol
· Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade.
· Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.

Sorenson recommends voting. Go to your local offices of your U.S. senators and representatives. Call and find out when they will be home and take a delegation.

Sorenson spoke at a second session. She has been in senior positions pertaining to the United Nations for over 20 years. There are civil societies – non-governmental organizations that are called NGO’s. These organizations are designed, organized and led by citizens, i.e. citizens groups. Civil societies have influence and power. Example: The Rotary Club has worked with the UN for ten years to eradicate polio and it is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Their next issue is Clean Water. What is happening is that NGO’s are doing what governments won’t do. The UN global meetings for women have connected women globally.

What are the assets of NGO’s? Their assets are the media, lobbying and know how to build support in Congress. They can push, prod and shame governments. The UN is not perfect, but it is the best we have and we can make it better.

We can give an issue a face, i.e. land mines. Go after the manufacturers. Under the Human Rights division of the UN there are 150 NGO’s. The UN cannot respond to 150 groups who have differences of opinions. Unfortunately between NGO’s there is competition, wasted energy. Do your homework. The most recent issue is the Child Soldier issue.

There has been bad press regarding Family Planning. There is propaganda that the UN is for abortion. This is not so. Once the UN funds one of 100 countries asking for help, it is up to that country to determine to be pro or anti-abortion. The UN is neutral.

The U.S. hasn’t given a dime in six years. Regarding the International Criminal Court – the U.S. is absent, but has asked the Court to prosecute the Sudan. Soft power versus Hard power. Hard power is might and guns. Soft power is persuasion and as an example, it is values and moral issues. And then there is Smart Power, which is leadership. NGO’s for the most part fall under this umbrella. It has the elements of compassion and intellect.

People have power if they become organized and focused. There must be accountability. There needs to be more women in political office. In the U.S. Senate only 16% are women and in the House of Representatives there are only 16% women.

The UN Family Population Fund – the U.S. had $30 million in 2002 earmarked and Pres. Bush has withheld this.

The speaker from the League of Women Voters told us that politics affect all aspects of our life. The most effective ways to contact your representatives are 1) Personal visit; 2) Faxing; 3) Telephone. Letters may take up to 3 months to reach national representatives due to the anthrax scare. On-line petitions have very little impact. E-mailing – your email may get lost in the shuffle of the thousands they receive.

Do your homework. Know the issue. Have talking points of who, what, etc. Be ready to listen. Know the financial implications of what you are asking for. Be courteous. Be brief. Shake hands. Write a think-you note. Do a follow-up and build up a relationship. Thank of creating a coalition of groups in your community. Talk to unelected people of authority also.

The above model is suitable to use on any level of local, county, state and national representatives. Most of the people in prison fall into 3 categories: 1) childhood abuse, 2) substance abuse, 3) illiteracy. Do they have a positive role model in their life?

I overheard two women talking and one asked, “Where are the people from the Sixties? The reply was, “They went to the corporate world for comfort and now they are afraid of being poor.” I did not interrupt, but I thought those answers were only part of it. They had their leaders, i.e. John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King assassinated and the fear struck home as it was intended to do.

I heard mention of Open Source Technology – free technology and found this site: http://www.oftc.net/oftc/ I attended a workshop titled: Leveraging for Technology. This was put on by WorldPulse Media http://www.worldpulsemedia.com/. Within this organization is another tool for women called Pulse Wire. Utilizing the Internet enables women to be a great force in the media. We need voices for women and children of ethnic cleansing.

Women in Afghanistan are making baby bouncers out of rubber tires. We have to move from giving advice to listening to what women need and want to build their own websites. Jensine Larson, the founder and CEO of WorldPulse, is building her website to enable women to be powerful in their own right. She is using Craig’s List as a model. Women everywhere are clamoring to be heard – to connect. They are risking and daring to be bold.

Larson has been to Burma where she has seen first-hand the results of ethnic cleansing. The Burmese Army of 4000 members is known as the “School of Rape.” Betty Williams told the story of a little girl she interviewed at a relocation center. The girl was under the age of 12 and in her village had to watch her mother and father dig their own graves. The soldiers then raped her mother and then had the parents stand facing the open graves and shot them in the back of the head. The little girl and her brother had to cover the graves with dirt and the girl was then raped. The soldiers led them on a forced march through the jungles and she was given 1 small bowl of rice a day. When she stumbled and fell, she was raped, beaten and forced to march. This lasted for days. Williams said that the girl has since died.

An outstanding presenter was Sharon McCord of the Peace X Peace non-profit organization. She gave a list of Internet resources to enable women and men to become web savvy. You can find out more by going to http://www.peacexpeace.org/

I attended a workshop regarding genital mutilation. I personally heard the story from a 29-year-old woman from southern Kenya. Lucy came to the U.S. ten months ago and her mission is to make people aware of the horribleness of genital mutilation and perhaps something will be done. She said it is a cultural thing and not religious. It is prevalent in Africa. In her tribe they took 29 young girls when Lucy was age 3 and performed the ceremony of genital circumcision. She was tied town and a rope put in her mouth while the surgery was performed with an unclean instrument. She screamed from the pain and so did the others. Today only 4 of the original 29 are alive. At this age she was betrothed to a man who gave her father some goats.

Her tribe also had another custom. It wasn’t proper for a girl to have flat breasts so they took her down to the river and attached an animal to her nipples and they were stretched until her breasts became enlarged and over the years grew quite large. In another tribe it was the opposite. The girls had heavy iron weights put on their breasts so they wouldn’t grow. She is now in constant pain.

At age 9 she moved out of her parents house and lived with her grandmother until she was age 12 and married to the 54 year-old man who gave her father 50 cows for her. She was wife number five. After her so-called wedding night, his other wives cut her vagina and while she screamed from pain and bled, he entered her and laughed because he thought she was enjoying it. Between ages 12 to 15 she had two forced abortions and she finally found the courage to run away. She became an activist and became known in Tanzania where she encouraged women to declare their freedom. She was caught and taken to a forest where she was raped and a coke bottle shoved up into her vagina. Lucy is beautiful and laughs. When asked why she laughs so much, she said that if she didn’t that she would die.

And then there is Odette from Rwanda. I met her the first day of the conference. She has beautiful mahogany skin and arrived at the conference from Costa Rica where she received her Masters degree from the university there. She originally was from Uganda and came from an extremely poor family. Somehow her father managed to send her to the mission school for 3 years and she excelled. One day he told her she could not go back to school. When she asked why, he told her that she was a girl. He had to save the money for her brother to go to school. She screamed and cried so much that he took a cane to her and beat her.

When the head of the mission school met her in the village, he asked her why she hadn’t returned to school. She lied and told him she was a refugee and had no money. A Catholic priest overheard the conversation and he left money for her education. She managed to complete high school and continued to seek knowledge. I’m not sure at what age she met her husband, but he was in the government service of Tanzania and became ambassador to Japan. Odette shook her head in amazement while telling me her story. “Can you imagine? I became an ambassador’s wife!” She also was amazed that she had attended a dinner for the senior Bush when he was President.

Then there was Linda from Dallas – a schoolteacher. When she began teaching, she told them to give her all the problems. They did and she taught them love – self-love. Some of them went on to become engineers, lawyers, and other professions. She is making a difference.

Rita Johnson went to Costa Rica 15 years ago and in that time has worked with the Costa Rican government to establish a Peace Army. The President of Costa Rica is Óscar Arias Sánchez who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1987 for his negotiations in Central America. Costa Rica is the only country in the world that has no military army. Instead they have a Peace Army. Costa Rica is a model for non-violent negotiations and a model for peace.

Each of can make a difference in our own way. It only takes one to make a difference.

Bettye Johnson – Part 3 to come.

A QUIET REVOLUTION - Part 1

There was a gathering of women from all over the world and a quiet revolution was occurring. The Third International Women’s Peace Conference put on by the Peacemakers, Inc. was held in Dallas, Texas from July 10-15, 2007. This was a monumental occasion with keynote speakers including three women Nobel Peace Prize Laureates.

When I first learned of the Third International Women’s Peace Conference in Dallas, Texas, I felt a strong pull to attend and I did. It was a journey of discovery and learning. It was an auspicious period for me because this conference was sandwiched in between Al Gore’s 7/07/07 Live Earth and 7/17/07 Fire the Grid. It was also meaningful for me because Dallas is the city of my birth in the 7th month – July.

I had no expectations, however I soon learned that this was a gathering of female warriors – peaceful warriors. Some had been militant and won Nobel Peace Prizes. Others came from a background of repression; bigotry, hate, torture, rape and almost every vile thing a man can do to a woman. I have named this A Quiet Revolution because it was non-political and crossed all religious boundaries. The time is now for women to exert their power in a non-violent way. There was no ‘bashing’ of men. It was a meeting of great minds who want change. In fact, men are welcome to join the women to make this a world where women and children are safe and conflicts can be settled by non-violent methods.

At the airport while waiting for the shuttle to take me into Dallas, I met a beautiful woman from Kenya who had just flown in from Boston. I thought it was interesting that we were two points of light coming from the opposite sides of the U.S. and meeting in Dallas to form a ‘V.’ Over one thousand women from 43 different countries and 32 U.S. states convened to discuss peace and to discuss peaceful solutions to the torture, abuse, killing and maiming of millions of women and children as well as men. We were women from various ethnic, religious and political backgrounds. Missing from this landmark event was the media. Time and Newsweek along with CNN, NBC and CBS should have covered this event.

Joining me on Wednesday was Louise Oliverio and together we attended workshops together and separately with each of us learning. There was no mention of forming protest groups, carrying signs and banners. No. This was a meeting of planning strategic plans of action using non-violence avenues.

Keynote speakers and Presentation leaders included such notables as Betty Williams, co-winner of the 1976 Noble Peace Prize for her work in uniting Northern Ireland to become what it is today. Her thrust today is helping the children of the world.

Gillian Sorenson, former UN Under-Secretary General, UN Assistant Secretary-General for External Relations and currently Senior Adviser of the UN Foundation – a non-profit organization shared with us her knowledge of the United Nations. I learned that I really knew very little about the United Nations other than the Security Council. There is much, much more occurring in the area of human rights. She said that it is not a perfect organization but it can be improved.

The opening ceremony featured the Honorable Leticia Shahani, Ph.D., former United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and later a Senator from the Philippines. In addition to her inspiring speech, the entertainment was spectacular and I was particularly taken with an acrobatic group of women who title is “The Fools” from New Mexico. They do acrobats on stilts and are awesome.

Betty Williams, a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate gave an emotional speech to the entire gathering. Betty was a co-recipient of her Nobel Peace award for contributing to the ending of the strife in Northern Ireland. She is a powerful woman whose thrust now is to champion the rights of children. Betty has traveled all over the world and she has had to deal with politics, economics and culture. Referring to Ireland, she said that she and her friend, both Catholics contacted Protestant women. They were all tired of the killing and maiming of children, husbands, brothers, sons and began day by day with a ‘cups of tea’ campaign. They would go into homes and over cups of tea began to find out what the others needed and wanted. She also said that on 9/11 35,615 women and children all over the world died from torture, rape and atrocities and no one noticed.

Williams is now building the first City of Peace for children in Italy. She has formed the World Centers of Compassion for Children International and is asking for contributions. The land, which was earmarked for disposal of nuclear waste, has been given to her non-profit group. To learn more of this please go to www.wccci.org. Betty shared that after she received the Nobel Peace Prize that she was asked to come to the Vatican by the Pope. As she walked through the palace, she noted the many paintings and sculptors by Michelangelo. Just as she was leaving the Pope said something needed to be done about world hunger. Betty replied, “Why don’t you sell some of these Michelangelo’s”. It was a long time before she was asked back.

We were a colorful array of women from around the world dressed in native garments and each with smiles and hope. There were folded paper cranes done by children of China. In China the crane is a symbol for longevity. We also had representatives from the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers. There were women from many countries who head important organizations and all want to end violence towards women and children and to educate them. The service organizations of Dallas were well represented and there is an active organization representing refugees and attempting to find them homes. I learned of a ‘concentration’ facility in Taylor, Texas where illegal immigrants are incarcerated with most of the fathers being separated from their wives and children. The children are threatened with removal from their mothers if they don’t behave.

I understand there is a great deal of resentment against illegal immigrants. I can understand this, but if one were to reason it, instead of protesting wouldn’t it be better to become active and attempt to resolve this issue through non-violent methods? Instead of targeting the illegals, perhaps it would be better to go to the source of why they are coming into this country. Corporate America brings them in to work in their sweatshops. Immigration periodically rounds them up and sends them home. They are then recruited by Corporate America and it is a non-ending ugly game. I suggest targeting the ones hiring them. I urge each of you to research and find out who is behind the influx of illegal immigrants. Instead of complaining – take action.

Among the many women I met, there was camaraderie of compassion and enthusiasm to make a difference that by-passed cultures, religions and politics. There were Muslim women from the U.S. and other countries wearing their scarves. They interacted with women of Christian faiths. I spoke to one woman from Israel and her organization works with Palestinian women wanting to end the war. It is – as I understand it – illegal, however these two groups get together and ‘break bread’ by cooking meals for each other. My understanding is that these women as a whole want to end bigotry, injustice and prejudice.

I heard another term used for women who have been abused as ‘wreckage women.’ Dr. Sharon Welch, Chair of Religious Studies, U. of Missouri asked, “Is the U.S. a fool of force and a fool of history?” She quoted from a N.Y. Times article October 5, 2006 where the US Army and Marines have prepared new countersurgency doctrine that draws on lessons learned of Iraq and “makes protection of civilians bedrock element of strategy; doctrine warns against overly aggressive raids and mistreatment of detainees and stresses rapid development of local security forces.” It is something to think about this almost turn-about-face. There are nine points in the new manual. She went on to say that conservatives have a lack of compassion. We need to look at our trickster awareness and ask are we “artisans of hope, artisans of molding, artisans of design?”

There was a spectacular workshop on Leveraging for Technology. This will have to be another email. However, I will say that women can become changemakers and the greatest force for women in the media. We need voices for women and children of ethnic backgrounds. In Burma, the army of 4,000 is known as the School of Rape. Women all over the world do not trust mainstream media. There are three crucial areas that need to be addressed: women trafficking, HIV/AIDS and water sustainability.

A woman from the Navajo tribe in Arizona asked for help because the newspapers are giving us a diet of murder, robbery, sports and war. The Navajo Indians are sick from the effects of mining of oil, coal, uranium and power plants on their land. Large corporations are stripping their land and the air is polluted and the ground water poisoned.

The second Nobel Peace Prize Laureate was Rigoberta Menchu Tum, an indigenous Guatemalan of the Quiche-Maya ethnic group. She was the recipient in 1992 for her contributions for the ending of the Civil War that lasted from 1960-1996. This beautiful woman who said she was Mayan, shared her way of becoming peaceful within herself. She had seen many members of her family killed and this adversity fired her to do something and make a difference. This is what Rigoberta Menchu Tum said:

“We can make a light. We can make a difference in the lives of people…” She spoke of the Mayan calendar, as being an important date – a time and the time is very large. “This date is a beginning again…It is cosmology – a dark time and it is when we can begin anew…It means humans are good. We can begin again….My theme is how to develop creativity. Creativity is born out of our experiences…Many of us have suffered to take on leadership roles…Everyone who has suffered must work their way out and can be well again.”

She went on to say, “I have had many successes and this is to say I have lived fully…those of us who have suffered must find our spiritual fortune within us…Our spiritual fortune gives us a different perspective…” She has done a lot of meditation with a candle and she looks into it and feels the light. She takes a bath with flower petals and feels the negative energies coming out of the body. “What happens is we women don’t want to do it for us…We want to have someone to love us and for us to love ourselves.”

“We can be a leader who will be lights to others…It is important for leadership to be balanced…We have to cry. We have to laugh and that is when you will be well…Times are dark now…Values are lost…There is no connection between young people and adults…What is my success today is that we are a small energy in eternity…We are a small part of the total wisdom…That’s when we live with humility…We live in two clocks. One is the money clock and the counter-clockwise is the spiritual clock. The two clocks need to get to a time when they can coincide…

“We need to recover our values and our beginnings of family, society and schools…When we start an initiative we gather others to us…Some will say you’re nuts and others will say you are taking a step forward…Don’t ever lose your self-esteem…The majority is waiting for someone to do it for them. Ask them ‘what are you doing for women, children, poverty?’ and if they say ‘I can’t. You do it.’ Then say ‘Yes you can do it. Try…’ Peace is harmony and there is a misunderstanding of peace. Peace is harmony. We need to rescue the sentiments of peace.

“We need to have goals…I love life…Contribute to resolution of conflicts…There are many ways to support social transformation. By sending energy you can heal others and ease their pain and give hope…The key is to be well within me (you). We can build technology, hospitals, and scholarships for poor girls. Don’t do it for power…It’s a process and we have to change our mentality…To take leadership, women must have values. If not, we have nothing…Never give up the struggle.

“Try to make your dreams come true…Don’t say some day. Say ‘today I can do it. In my life I do those things today.’ Do not stay in the suffering…Take baths with flower petals.” Rigoberta Menchu has written 30 children’s stories. She said, “Be happy. Make parties. Plant trees…Life is what you want to make out of it.” She is now running for President of Guatemala this year.

This was the ‘up’ part of the conference. I have not included the stories of some of the women and that will be covered in Part 2 along with opportunities for making a change. On Friday night I heard Jody Williams from Vermont, a Nobel Peace Laureate speak and I will share that in part 2.

I attended a small reception for Betty Williams. There were only 25 of us there and I wondered how I managed to get an invitation. I learned more about her foundation and I urge those reading this to go to her website. At the suggestion of some women I met and spoke with, I facilitated a discussion forum on Saturday with the topic being Mary Magdalene. On Wednesday evening the Dallas Tourist Bureau hosted a reception for those of us attending. I learned also that Dallas County officials are now all Democrats having ousted the entrenched Republicans.

More to come…Bettye Johnson, July 17, 2007

PROMISE YOURSELF

The following was first written by Christian D. Larson in 1912 and was adopted in a slightly altered form by the Optimist International organization as the “Optimist Creed.”

Larson was an influential New Thought leader and teacher. He was a prolific writer and an influence over the Religious Science leader and founder, Ernest Holmes. In honor of a great mind, here is the original version of “Promise Yourself.”

PROMISE YOURSELF by Christian D. Larson

• To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
• To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to every person you meet.
• To make all your friends feel that there is something worthwhile in them.
• To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
• To think only of the best, to work only for the best and to expect only the best.
• To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
• To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
• To wear a cheerful expression at all times and give a smile to every living creature you meet.
• To give so much time to improving yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
• To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.
• To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world, not in loud work, but in great deeds.
• To live in the faith that the whole world is on your side, so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

Some of the greatest prosperity teachers and writers came from the era of the late 1800’s and the first half of the 1900’s. They all knew the Secret of the ages, which is what you think, you get. Florence Scovel Shinn’s books are some of my favorites and can be purchased on Amazon.com.

I AM WOMAN - In honor Women's History Month

I AM WOMAN

I am Woman

I have always been powerful,

I have always been genius.

I am Woman

I am now awakened

I have alwsays been genius

I am Woman

I shed anger, hatred and condemnation

I keep only Wisdom

I am Woman

I shed jealousy, envy and greed

I keep only Wisdom

I am Woman

I give up sickness and blame

I keep only Wisdom

I am Woman

I participate in life

I share my Wisdom

I am Woman

I am a nurturer

I nurture the flame of hope and freedom

I share my Wisdom

I am Woman

I have always been a giver expecting no return

I am Wisdom

I am Woman

I am always loving who I am

I am Wisdom

I am Woman

I am friend to woman and man alike

I am Wisdom

I am Woman

I attract to me what I think and I say

I am Wisdom

I am Woman

I have always been wonderful and brilliant

I am always beautiful and filled with love

I am Wisdom

I am Woman

- Bettye Johnson

SELECTIVE VISION AND AWARENESS

A Tribute to Black History Month:

What do prejudice, bias and discrimination have to do with selective vision? What is it that many people do not see although something has always been there that has not become part of awareness? It’s an unexplored world of the mind.

Our brain is the ultimate in computers and it is we who program it with our thoughts, our words and our emotions, which often create blocks in our mind that, limit us. One of the most prevalent deterrents to moving away from prejudice, bias and discrimination is religion. Religion has done almost nothing to move their followers to a state of having an open mind. In fact, the religions encourage separateness, better than, competition, and war.

I was born in Texas during the time of segregation. I experienced the Afro-Americans having to sit in the back of the bus and if it became crowded with white people, then the blacks had to stand up. I never dined in a restaurant where Afro-Americans ate. We lived in separate sections of town, went to separate schools and churches. It was a world of acceptance for me because I had been taught that it was natural even though something inside of me wondered why we couldn’t attend the same church if God loved everyone.

My awakening has a number of threads, which became an unraveling. When I was 23, I began working for the Foreign Service branch of the U.S. State Department. I first had a 3-month training course in Washington D.C. and experienced my first interaction with Afro-Americans. It was a new experience to see them in a different environment and I do not remember having any particular adverse reaction. My first tour of duty was with the embassy in Paris where I saw blue-black Africans married to French women and when I visited London, I heard them speaking the King’s English. I was changing my mind by what I observed and experienced. Later when I transferred to the embassy in Tokyo, I worked with a lovely Afro-American man. I knew that these people had brilliant intelligence and the capacity to do great things.

However, there can be subtle prejudices that we may not be aware of for years until an opportunity comes. I married a career military man while in Tokyo and we were stationed in southern California. One Christmas season when my children were quite small, my husband and I decided to take a train to Texas. We changed trains in Los Angeles and the car we were assigned to was filled to the brim with Afro-Americans on their way south to spend the holidays with their relatives.

I caught myself holding my breath every time one would walk pass me and I wondered why because they were neatly dressed, clean and didn’t smell. Then I remembered an experience I had when I was living and working in Houston. Each morning I would catch the bus, which traveled, through the black (even though segregation was no more) part of the city. The aroma was overwhelming to me and I began holding my breath. It was that experience that had become entrenched in my brain and when I experienced being in a crowded train car, it was triggered. Once I came to that realization I was able to put that prejudice to rest. However, my great learning did not stop there.

A few years later my husband was transferred to Hawaii and we moved there. One of my friends was a Japanese woman who had met and married her American military husband while he was stationed there. One day Peggy and I had an interesting conversation about her experiences of growing up during WWII in Osaka and the occupation by American troops. She made one statement that surprised me. “We could smell the Americans before we could see them.” When I pressed her for an explanation, she replied that the odors of different foods, the leather, tents and clothing were alien to the odors the Japanese were use to.

The final segment to my emergence from prejudice and a greater understanding came when my husband and I were traveling from Massachusetts to Texas one late November. We were driving through Birmingham, Alabama and came to one part of the city that was predominantly Afro-American when the same odor hit me that I had experience years back in Houston, Texas. I had a grand ah-ha when the realization came that these people cooked on wood stoves and their diet was different from many people because it included their ethnic foods! It really had nothing to do with color or cleanliness. It was all due to their ethnic preference for certain foods and their mode of cooking.

It was a great unraveling to finally come to this awareness that taught me to look beyond the outer appearances. The world today is filled with prejudices and discrimination built upon what has been taught from birth and the full awareness was never allowed to blossom. One religion discriminates against another and belief systems become entrenched. Like a snake, it is time to shed the old skin of prejudice and bigotry for a new skin of awareness and acceptance.

WAKE UP! LOVE IS HERE!

Wake up! Can't you see the webs surrounding the Earth?
Wake up! Don't you feel the connection to all?
Wake up! Can't you feel the frequency touching all minds?
Wake up! Love is Here!
Wake up! Hear its sweet music!
Wake up! Fall in love with You!
Wake up! Love all life!
Wake up! Feel your worth!
Wake up! Feel your greatness!
Wake up! Love is calling You!
Wake up! Feel, sense, taste, hear Love, It's real!
Wake up! Love is Here!
Celebrate you! Celebrate life!
Love is Here!
My Valentine to You - Bettye Johnson

The Secret De-Mystified

What is The Secret? There is a plethora of prosperity thinking teachers giving lectures, seminars and workshops today. Where did they learn the secret to fabulous wealth? Who or what turned them on to prosperity? Each one has a different answer or a different approach.

I began contemplating this and I realized the secret to prosperity really isn't a secret. Down through the ages it has always been available to those who have the eyes to see and the ears to hear. Or, in other words an open mind that is ready to receive and utilize the information. There have been numerous books writton on prosperty and to have whatever you want. One of the well-known prosperity thinkers/writers is Catherine Ponder and Napoleon Hill whose books sold in the millions. Now, who do you think they got their information from?

Ask and you will have. I wanted to know and began looking for signposts along the way. I was led to re-read "The Writings of Florence Scovel Shinn," which includes her books, The Game of Life, Your Word is Your Wand, and The Secret Door to Success. Her affirmations are simple and basic - but effective.

Shinn was an amazing woman. She was born in 1871 and lived in New York City. She was an artist and an illustrator of popular children's literature before WWI. After Florence graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, she married Everett Shinn another artist. After 14 years of marriage Everett asked for a divorce leaving Florence devasted. In the first part of the last century divorce was an almost unheard of occurrence. Her biography states that according to Ira Glackens she got religion in her own way.

Very little is know of her life and how she got religion. This woman is only known and remembered through her books. She self-published her first book The Game of Life in 1925. This book became immensely popular leading her to a career of author, lecturer, teacher and created correspondence courses based on her books. She left clues in her books as to where she received her information. She uses the Bible extensively and there will be many who will shut their minds to the wealth of information given. Florence turned the Bible into a metaphysical book and it all makes sense. However there are other clues and she mentions Hermes Trismegistis, an ancient Egyptian teacher and The Kybalion written by Three Initiates, which gives the Laws of the Universe of which is the Law of Attraction. Doesn't that law sound familiar? Apparently Florence absored this and brought forth her wonderful books all based on esoteric teachings taught in the ancient mystery school of Egypt and Persia.

Floence became adept at using affirmative thing, which JZ Knight also adheres to. What is the difference between affirmative thinking and positive thinking? Positive thinking is a term coined by the late Norman Vincent Peale when he wrote his best seller in the 1950's, The Power of Positive Thinking. Peale reviewed Shinn's book The Game of Life and How to Play It and this comments are displayed on the back cover. Possibly Florence was one of Peale's teachers. It can also be said that Catherine Ponder took a leaf out of Shinn's books and ran with it into selling millions of copies of her books.

Returning to positive thinking, I recently heard JZ Knight when she appeared on the Larry King Live Show with four of the participants of The Secret. When Knight was asked by King what she thought of positive thinking, her reply was that she does not subscribe to positive thinking and prefers affirmtive thinking. Why? I also contemplated this and realized that women have been labeled negative and men positive for eons. We are living on the Plane of Opposites and the words negative and positive carry the taint of good and evil. Women have had the reputation of being the source of evil for ages. Therefore, in using the term positive thinking there is a subconscious interpretation for women that says since you aren't male it is unattainable. Affirmative thinking is open-ended, having no attachment to good or bad.

In utilizing the Law of Attraction, our thoughts magnetize to us what we are thinking and also the words we speak. Affirmative Thinking is being the energy, which is neither male nor female and brings to us our desires. Many women do not understand why positive thinking doesn't work for them. By understanding Affirmtive Thinking as given forth in Florence Shinn's books and utilizing the information, one has the key to unlocking the Secret.

According to Shinn, The reasoning mind and personal will causes a short circuit. There is a term used by many people, Let go and let God. In other words, don't try to figure out how it will come. Another affirmation of Shinn's is The Genius within me is released. I now fulfill my destiny.

Having been a student of the Ramtha School of Enlightenment for 20 years, I was taught years ago the power of affirmations along with in-depth teachings on how the brain works, the biology of emotions and quantum physics. Think about the word genius. Drop the 'us' off and we have geni. Each of us are our own geni and we have the brain to create whatever we want. All we have to do is practice over and over and over and over until it becomes.

Are You Prepared?

Changes. Are you prepared for earth changes? This morning I read an article on Yahoo news that states 13% of Americans are aware of global warming. That is great! However, I have wondered how prepared these people who are for any disaster that could hit near where they live or in this country. I live in the Pacific Northwest and this winter we had winds that were gusting at 60 miles per hour. I was fortunate that there were only downed trees across our road. Power was knocked out and we went 6 days without power. We were prepared and the temperatures were in the teens during the night.

Many people do not think of preparation for earth changes. Let's think about it. Our food supply is dependent on truckers bringing it to our local chain stores. What would happen in your area if trucks couldn't get through? Most grocery stores only have enough supplies to last 2 days.

What if the power lines went down. No television. No computers or electrical heating and electrical cooking plus think of your other electrical items such as hot water heater, refrigerator, lights, washing machine, dryer, hair dryer, etc.

What if the winds downed cell towers? No cell phones. We learned we were wise to have a line telephone we could plug into the wall. Over the years I have learned a lot
about being prepared. How many days of food do you have for you and your family?
Water? Toilet paper? feminine supplies? Do you have babies? It is something to think about. My next blog will be a list of the first 100 things to disappear when disaster hits.

If you are skeptical about what I am writing, so be it. If you are a wise person, then you would check out the world weather situation and you will begin to see a pattern. What if the Long Caldera in northern California exploded or/and the caldera in Yellowstone National Park blew? I suggest viewing the DVD movie "Volcanoes" that can be purchased from the Discovery Channel. Very sobering to think how that can affect every part of the globe. No one will go untouched. As the Girl Scouts say: Be Prepared.
Bettye Johnson

Where Is Your Passion?

Here it is! January 2007. Where I live Nature is in her dreaming state. Some will call it dormancy - however that is only another name for the dream state. It is a time for us to follow Nature's example and dream of what we want to experience during this New Year. There is an old saying: to "ring out the old and ring in the new." This means we can do it at any time and at any moment. We are all different from Nature because we can change our minds at any moment. WHERE IS YOUR PASSION? Passion. What is your passion? I just completed reading a profound book titled Swimming to Antarctica by Lynne Cox. As a little girl Cox developed a passion for swimming. One of her dreams was to swim the English Channel. She accomplished this while in her teens and went on to break many swimming records and to do what no other woman had done before. Her passion drove her to swim the 2.7 miles between the U.S. Little Diomede Island and the Russian big Diomede Island and her intent was to perhaps bring the governments of Russia and the U.S. to friendlier terms. For over ten years she wrote, called and tried everything to get permission from Russia to swim to the Big Diomede. The U.S. was cool to the idea and the Russians had given her no response. She trained to swim in frigid water - 30 degrees temperature. She had a passion to do this and with the encouragement of family, friends and admirers set off to Nome, Alaska to do this even though she did not have permission from Russia. At the last minute Russia came through and she swam the 2.7 miles and received a tumultuous reception from the Russians. To learn how she accomplished this feat against all odds and a lack of funding to bring together a closer and friendlier relationship between two major governments in the world is truly a story to inspire anyone. She made a difference. She was instrumental in speeding up glasnost between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. Passion does not have to be as all consuming as the passion of Lynne Cox, but I think there is a passion within each of us to accomplish something in this life. Mine came in the form of writing and it did not emerge until I was in my seventies. It is never too late! Perhaps there is a passion to help others - to be a light unto the world. Our abilities come in many disguises and it is up to the individual to discover what it is. There is always a way. If you are unsure of what your passion is, I suggest reading Janet Attwood's book "The Passion Text." It is a simple process of writing down 15 things you like to do. The next step is to list the top 5 interests and to then list them in the order of priority. It is a simple process of elimination. Many people think that by going to workshops and get-rich seminars that they will find their passion. For some this may be true. Usually it comes in those still quiet moments. I have been a student of the Ramtha School of Enlightenment for almost twenty years and what I have learned and experienced inspired me to recognize my passion for writing. Each of us is on a journey of discovery and no two people will experience the same journey. Do what you love to do- meaning find your passion and the money will follow. JZ Knight appeared on the Larry King Live Show last year and was asked what she thought of positive thinking. Her reply was that she did not subscribe to positive thinking because she uses affirmative thinking. We live on a plane of opposites and one of the ancient laws is called the Law of Attraction. If we think about thinking positive, then we also attract the opposite - negative thinking. There is also another subconscious aspect to positive thinking. For eons women have been considered to be negative energy and men the positive energy. What message does this send to women? Affirmative thinking is being the center of the magnet and it has no positive or negative. It just is. One of the greatest writers of Affirmative Thinking is contained in the book The Wisdom of Florence Scovel Shinn. Shinn was born in 1871 and died in 1940. Her affirmations are each a jewel and one can purchase this collection of her four books from Amazon.com. Within her writings are clues as to where she received her wisdom and knowledge. She mentions The Kybalion by Three Initiates, which includes the Law of Attraction. In addition she mentions Hermes Trismegistis indicating she had studied ancient wisdom called the occult. For those who think they are burdened with debt, she has a wonderful affirmation, which is as valid today as it was during the first half of the last century. I deny debt. There is no debt in Divine Mind. I owe no person or corporation anything. All obligations are now wiped out under the grace of God in a miraculous way. I have learned over the past twenty years to re-wire my brain for affirmative thinking. I must give up the past of old unproductive thinking. Affirmations must be utilized and spoken out loud over and over until it becomes natural and productive. The killer of dreams and passion is fear, doubt or skepticism. Manifestations come to me in beautiful ways and below I share a few with you. The German language version of Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls is doing well in Europe. It was released in December 2006. My publisher Helga Krachler tells me that my book is now in the archives of the Austrian National Libray and the German National Library. (It is also in the Australian library system.) Here is a note from my publisher of the German edition: I also would like to let you know that the people who have read the book and contacted me give a fabulous feedback. Beside that they like the story, have to force themselves to put the book down and thoroughly enjoy reading it, the questions most frequently asked are: Is this all true? Are the scrolls real? How does she know all this? Today a bookseller who had ordered about 25 books had called and said: "Magdalena seems to so real when she tells her story." By now you have readers of the German version in Germany, Austria and Switzerland who knows where else. I send you blessings for a fantastic year of 2007. May each of you find your passion and pursue it. Bettye Johnson

Life is like a tapestry. A chance meeting can lead to a beautiful new thread. We are weaving our individual tapestry with each choice we make. - Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls

The Awakening of Women...

I have read the articles written by various women and I applaud their efforts in contributing to the awakening of women to their true potential and power. I have contemplated the status of women and on the surface it appears that we women have not progressed very much in the past hundred years – and yet, we really have when history is assessed. History is his-story and the greatness of women has long been suppressed.

I was recently told that during the Civil Rights movement it was said that there was no failure because with each step taken, we are and were a winner. I was born in Texas during the time of segregation and grew up in an atmosphere of bigotry, prejudice and discrimination. When I left Texas at the age of 23 and entered the Foreign Service of the U.S. State Department, I was immediately cast into a new world and my first assignment was the embassy in Paris. I felt like Alice who had fallen through the looking glass and I immediately shed my ideas about races of color and prejudice.

I left the Foreign Service a much wiser young woman and married a career military man. We moved often and when my husband retired, I had returned to the work force after brining up three sons virtually alone. In the 70’s I began working for the passing of the Equal Rights Amendment. It failed to pass by three votes. Only three more states were needed to ratify it. It has since been reintroduced and I urge you to go to these sites: www.4ERA.org.(the most active site) and http://www.equalrightsamendment.org/.

I was astounded in the seventies to read of Phyllis Schlafly who was an outspoken opponent of the ERA. From what I read she adhered to the outmoded belief that a woman’s place was in the home. Her hypocrisy was shocking because she was wealthy, a Republican, a writer and a paid speaker. She traveled all over the country receiving money for her talks and her articles. I sadly realized that it was the women who defeated the ERA. It wasn’t the men. There were some very powerful women working hard for women’s rights such as Betty Freidan and Gloria Steinem to mention two of the many.

Over the years I have observed and thought about why women aren’t taking back their power in greater numbers and my realization is that the primary obstruction is religion. Religion – and it doesn’t matter whether it be Christian, Islam, Buddhist, or Hindu – has not been kind to women. There was a surge forward in the sixties when women burned their bras and became flower children. This led to the surge for passing the ERA and then what happened? A new religion took over the lead from the established religions.

The name of the new religion is Corporate America or Corporate World. Now we not only have religious programming from childhood and engrained in so many that they continue on as an adult, but we also have the corporate world enticing women to be sexy, beautiful, thin and miserable. One has only to see the offerings of television and movies where almost anything is acceptable. The impact on brains is devastating in that the violence that is promoted creates a false excitement. I remember a few years ago when moviegoers were interviewed coming out of a theater in Seattle and most of the words I heard were “great action.” Action has become the new word for violence. Am I anti-religion? I am anti-hypocrisy and any religion that deprives women of their status as equals is hypocritical.

For a woman to become liberated, there must come a moment when she asks, “Is this all there is?” For many they have reached that point and are confused, angry and often resort to drugs, prescription drugs and alcohol, which only compound the problem.

Fortunately there are women who have awakened and are carrying the torch of freedom, each in her own way. We are the teachers of our children and for some of us the teacher of our grandchildren. We have a role to play and we can provide women with information from our own experiences. We can be role models and create forums and websites such as Gather the Women and Women of the Blue Rose. We can write and perhaps something we write or say will strike a cord in a woman and she will want to know more. We set an example by doing.

I was extremely moved by the Care2 ad having women walking across the desert sands chanting “I am powerful.” We are and we will each find our own niche where we can be a beneficial presence. We can raise our voices in unison for women all over the world to move away from the strangling cords of religion. Religion is not spiritual. Spirituality does not need a religion. Spirituality knows no prejudice, discrimination, or hatred. Women and all people must have their brainpower restored.

Adding to the mantra of “I am powerful,” I have added for myself: “I am genius. I am powerful. I am wonderful. I am liberated.”

A HYMN TO WOMEN

The following is from the book “Jesus in India” by Nicholas Notovitch. His book was published in 1854 after his trip to India. While there, Notovitch gained access to manuscripts in a Lamasery at Himis. He had journeyed there because he had heard of Saint Issa, which was their name for Jesus. Jesus was revered in India and many of his teachings were written down.
The manuscripts at Himis were only a few that had been held in other lamaseries in India and possibly in Tibet. I find it sad that these have been hidden away in lamaseries for hundreds of years and only a few of the privileged knew of them. They have now been hiddened away again. The Christian world has been kept in ignorance that Jesus actually traveled to India and lived there for 18 years before he returned to Jerusalem. These are teachings that the world needs to be aware of. Here are his teachings about women:
“It is not good for a son to push away his mother, that he may occupy the place which belongs to her. Whoso doth not respect his mother—the most sacred being after his God—is unworthy of the name of son.
“Hearken to what I say to you: Respect woman; for in her we see the mother of the universe, and all the truth of divine creation is to come through her.
“She is the fount of everything good and beautiful, as she is also the germ of life and death. Upon her man depends in all his existence, for she is his moral and natural support in his labors.
“In pain and suffering she brings you forth; in the sweat of her brow she watches over your growth, and until her death you cause her greatest anxieties. Bless her and adore her, for she is your only friend and support on earth.
“Respect her; defend her. In so doing you will gain for yourself her love; you will find favor before God, and for her sake many sins will be remitted to you.
“Love your wives and respect them, for they will be mothers of tomorrow and later the grandmothers of a whole nation.
“Be submissive to the wife; her love ennobles man, softens his hardened heart, tames the wild beast in him and changes it to a lamb.
“Wife and mother are the priceless treasures which God has given to you. They are the most beautiful ornaments of the universe, and from them will be born all who will inhabit the world.
“Even as the Lord of Hosts separated the light from darkness, and the dry land from the waters, so does woman possess the divine gift of calling forth out of man’s evi8l nature all the good that is in him.
“Therefore I say unto you, after God, to woman must belong your best thoughts, for she is the divine temple where you will most easily obtain perfect happiness.
“Draw from this temple your moral force. There you will forget your sorrows and your failures, and recover the love necessary to aid your fellow men.
“Suffer her not to be humiliated, for by humiliating her you humiliate yourselves, and lose the sentiment of love, without which nothing can exist here on earth.
“Protect your wife, that she may protect you—you and all your household. All that you do for your mothers, your wives, for a widow, or for any other woman in distress, you will do for your God.”

WHO WERE THE MEROVINGIANS?

Bettye Johnson ©

I been asked a number of times the following question: “Wasn’t the bloodline of Mary Magdalene and Jesus carried down through the Merovingians?’

There are many variations to the story of the Merovingians and after researching this dynasty of their kings, I find it a challenge to accept most of the posted and published information about them. I came across an excellent book, The Birth of France: Warriors, Bishops and Long-Haired Kings by Katharine Scherman. For me, Scherman ‘s research is comprehensive and it brought to me a greater understanding of the Merovingians and that period of history.

First, who were the Merovingians? Second, from whence did they come? The origins of the Merovingian dynasty came from the Franks (a tribe of Celts) – or the Germans. In the first century A.D., Gaius Cornelius Tacitus wrote, The Germans I regard as aboriginal, and not mixed at all with other races. Who would leave Asia, or Africa, or Italy for Germany, with its wild country inclement skies, its sullen manners and aspect, unless indeed it were his home?

In 241 A.D. historian Flavius Volpiscius gave these tribes the name of “Franks”. There are some unsubstantiated reports that one of the tribes was the Sicambrians also known as the Salians from which the Merovingians emerged. There are so many mixed reports that it is difficult to separate myth from facts. To understand the rise of the Merovingians, I suggest keeping the perspective that the Catholic Church became their mentors or allies during their rise to power.

During this period of time called the Dark Ages, there were many small Frankish tribes in addition to the many Celtic tribes further south. The Romans had extended their rule of Gaul, which included Germany on the west bank of the Rhine River, western Switzerland, Belgium, parts of Holland, and present day northern France and Italy. Each tribe had a council of elders from which was elected a chieftain. Sometime in the early fifth century, a Frankish chieftain named Faramund married a woman whose name is supposedly Argotta. There are reports she was a princess, however that is stretching it a bit because these small tribes had no royalty per se. When I began researching the origins of the Merovingians, I began to see many variations and genealogies. I am not at all sure that the genealogy I am citing is correct. There were no written records and most of it comes from legend possibly perpetuated by Gregory of Tours, a Catholic bishop of the sixth century. It was Gregory of Tours who wrote most of the known history of the Merovingians.

Clodion was the son of Faramund (also spelled Pharamund) and Argotta. Clodion’s rule began around 428 A.D. and he is credited with creating the longhair dynasty. It was the hairstyle of the Frank men. When the Romans began to inhabit parts of Gaul, their hairstyle was short and more and more of the Frankish men began cutting their longhair and emulating the Romans. It wasn’t until the sixth century that Gregory of Tours noted in his writing that it had become symbolic of the Merovingian rulers and had now become exclusive only to the men of this dynasty. If one of the male heirs stepped out of line, his hair was cut and he was no longer eligible for succession. Of course, in some instances it was noted that the hair could be re-grown long. This practice became identified with the Merovingians and has come down in history to be known as the “Long-Haired Kings.”

After Clodion, the next king to be recorded was Merovech. As the legend goes, Clodion’s wife went to the sea to bathe and was attacked by a sea monster and gave birth to Merovech. Other myths say she was a mermaid. Some reports state there were two fathers who sired the son named Merovech. Scherman writes, It is impossible to pinpoint pre-fifth-century individuals of this family that was to become supreme. The Frankish settlements were still transitory and their political arrangements changeable.

Purportedly, Merovech had an older brother whose name has been lost in history. Roman history records that Merovech went to Rome after the death of Clodion and asked for support for his succession to the kingship. The brother had gone to Attila the Hun asking for his support. Merovech won out. After the death of Merovech, his son, Childeric I became the next ruler in the Merovingian dynasty.

Childeric I was known to have a sexual appetite that was considered unwholesome even by the standards of his time. This characteristic was handed down to his descendents. At this time he was considered a chieftain and not a king. A group of his subjects demanded his abdication due to his over excessive debauchery and he was given sanctuary by another branch of Frankish tribes. Gregory of Tours wrote of Childeric I, “His private life was one long debauch.” A Roman aristocrat from a Gallo-Roman family became the chieftain and when he died, Childeric returned and was restored to power in 464 A.D. It was a century later that Gregory of Tours gave him the title of King.

Clovis I was a son of Childeric and is credited with the beginning of the Merovingian aristocracy. He was a warrior who won his battles and is said to have created a unified Frankish confederation. Clovis came to power around 481 A.D. He married a Christian woman who after some years converted him to Christianity. This queen was named Clotild and having been educated as Catholic was devout as one. Before the marriage, Clovis had mistresses and one was the mother of his eldest son. The rule of succession could pass to a son whose mother was not the legal wife. All sons were considered equal and when Clovis died, his kingdom was divided among his four sons.

It is alleged that the bloodline of Mary Magdalene and Jesus has been handed down through the Merovingians. A mystique has grown up around the term “Long-Haired Kings” and the Merovingians were said to have magic powers. There are several instances cited of magic power and one was Guntram of Burgundy, a grandson of Clovis I.

In 588, the plague had spread to Europe and reached Marseilles. When Guntram heard of this when he went south for a three-day supplication ceremony of Rogations, (a ceremony of prayer). He urged those participating to eat and drink only wheaten bread and pure water. Those who took his advice found it worked and there is a report of one woman who took a thread from his cloak and put it in water. She fed this to her ill and dying child and the child became well.

If one were to describe the offspring of Clovis I and the subsequent Merovingian dynasty, the adjectives of violence, deceit, treachery, greed, vice, debauchery, despotic, jealousy, ruthless, fratricidal and prone to murder each other are only a few along with military prowess, courage and cunning. They managed to rule because they were willing to create laws that were considered wise for the people they ruled and they were fierce warriors. Other than Clovis I, most of the Merovingian kings only gave the Catholic religion lip service. As the descendents were killing off each other, the remaining male survivors were small boys and their mothers were their regents who ruled as wise as they could in the climate of others wanting to take over their realms. Many of the queens were lowborn having been servants or slaves. The Catholic Church frowned upon having their kings to be literate. The Church could exert more control over an illiterate king.

It had become a practice to punish disobedient young princes and princesses by forcing them to be committed to holy orders. The Church benefited from this along with the monies given to them into outrageous proportions of wealth, immorality from the licentious parish priest to the intrigues of the bishops. Thus, the dynasty of the Merovingians began to weaken until in the end. All of the mature Merovingian kings had been murdered or died from other causes. The last sustainable king was Dagobert who died in 639 A.D. The Mayors of the Palace who were the majordomos or the second in command became the powers behind the thrones. With the Merovingian kingdom having been divided up among the offspring, the two most powerful areas were Austrasia, which at that time was northern France with its center being Cologne and Mainz. The second most powerful area was Neustria, which is present-day northwest France, each with its own Mayor of the Palace. Mayors of the Palace quarreled among themselves and often perpetuated the tainted Merovingian legacy. The young Merovingian kings became puppets. The end of the great Merovingian dynasty was a tangled web that added nothing to their reputations. The regent queens relied upon the Mayors of the Palace.

After years of fighting, one Mayor of the Palace, Pepin the Younger emerged as the most powerful. He began as the Mayor of the Palace of Austrasia and gained control Burgundy and Neustria where he placed two of his sons as the Mayors of the Palace. Thus began the dynasty of Pepin emerging into Charlemagne and the Carolingians.

It does not appear from their history that there has been any connection to Mary Magdalene and Jesus or their lineages to the Merovingians. It has also been alluded to that the line of Mary Magdalene could have come through the Visigoths. The Visigoths appeared in Spain and France in the fifth century and there is no documentation that I have found that can be considered valid.

Therefore, can one accept that a claim to the lineage of Mary Magdalene and Jesus through the line of the Merovingians is valid? I am reminded of a family story when I was growing up. I was told that one of my Texas ancestors was the first governor of Texas after it joined the Union. Years later my brother was into genealogy of our family and he told me ruefully that no, our ancestor had not been the first governor of Texas because he had no children. So much for that claim! As with so many events in the fluidity of history, this could be another lie perpetuated upon the world. May the truth always be revealed and ignorance becomes knowledge.

THE KEY TO FREEDOM

Bettye Johnson ©

Once upon a time in the past I would look here and I would look there for freedom. I thought something or someone was always placing blocks in my way and freedom appeared to be pushed away from me. Over the years I have learned much about myself and especially since I became a student of Ramtha, teacher of RSE, an academy of mind and Gnostic teachings.

For a number of years I worked to get the Equal Rights Amendment ratified and it failed by only the failure of getting several more states to ratify it. I realized that it wasn’t only the men who did not want it passed – women did too. The women were afraid of change. They chose to remain in their status quo of the uncomfort zone.

There has been a plethora of bumper stickers on vehicles that say, “Freedom is not free.” The bumper stickers state a truth. Freedom has a cost to it and the freedom I am writing about is not about a war although on a deeper level it is part of the cost.

So many of us live in a mental house imprisoned by our emotions of the past as well as the programming we have received from our parents, peers, religion, government, entertainment media and corporate world. We have developed a program that plays over and over in our mind. The cost is giving up the old program.

Change is a fearsome word to most people. I/we have blamed our government for most of our woes. The changes that came were not what I/we wanted. However, it was fodder to complain and denounce. There have been some brave souls who did speak out. One group that comes to mind is those warriors of the sixties. Another is Martin Luther King. I honor them.

What I have learned is that I cannot participate in politics as I use to. It doesn’t mean I can’t work for issues. However, if all is a creation of god, then there must be a middle place where there is no good or bad. As I look at the issues of the world, I am now choosing to support those that I want to include in my reality. I am choosing to say to myself, I don’t accept that if it doesn’t fit into the reality of my choice.

I/we each have the power to influence the world. I/we each have the power to change our weather. I/we each have the power to change our health from illness to wellness. I/we each have the power to move from lack to abundance and wealth. One has only to look at a small child learning to ride a bicycle. The child would never learn if it gave up. I have learned that perseverance pays off instead of giving up and saying ‘it doesn’t work.

How do we create all of these changes? We change the programs in our brains. We become aware of our thoughts and our words. We seek knowledge. We seek truth. We no longer play over and over the mental tape of bigotry, prejudice and hatred.

There are some major issues at this time on our planet. We have 9/11, the war in Iraq, the polar shift, Planet X, oil, the environment and earth changes. For many this is very fearful. I am choosing not to give power to fear. Job is purportedly to have said, The thing I fear the most has come upon me. Therefore I am choosing not to give power to fear. By being aware of my thoughts and emotions, I change my mind all the time.

Letting go of the power of fear gives me the inner freedom that I have sought all my life. Freedom is an inside job and that is the key.

THE ORIGIN OF RELIGION

by Bettye Johnson

From what I have researched and also from what I have been taught, the origins of religion began when God was placed outside the human, meaning the human was to worship a god or gods that was not within. I have been approached to write about the origin of the Bible and before I could address this, Seven Star Hand has posed some interesting and intriguing ideas regarding symbols on my Blog. I have also done research into symbols. Symbols and religion are interrelated. Before addressing the origins of religion I will give some background. Having been a student for over 18 years of the Ramtha School of Enlightenment, an academy of the mind and also an ancient school of wisdom, I am familiar with symbols and Gnosticism. Having been taught the theories of quantum physics, I know now that each of us is an observer and as an observer we create by what we think and say. From Seven Star Hand, he is correct from his point of view.

The phrase point of view has a loaded meaning. From my interpretation it means that each of us have our own individual point of viewing or understanding and from our vantage point, we think we are correct. We are correct even if we are coming from a limited base of knowledge because it our point of view. Religion is a very limited foundation to base anything on as absolutely correct. Religion is based on falsehood – or a lie. The Catholic Church has taken this to its zenith in altering the New Testament. The New Testament has been changed, altered and manipulated to get people to remain enslaved to their point of view. As an example, the New York Times has reported that the Catholic Church wants to make changes in the Order of Mass supposedly to bring the language more in keeping it in adherence to the Latin text. An example given is the statement, Lord, I am not worthy to receive you to Lord I am not worthy to receive you and that you should enter under my roof. Both statements are an abomination and are blatantly against the teachings of Jesus.

The premise for Gnosticism is to know. The word gnosis is a Greek word meaning to know. It is to seek knowledge. As with most ideas and teachings, it becomes polluted and misunderstood. When religion took god out of the human, symbols were created to remind the human of who she or he is. Jesus is said to have asked, don’t you know you are gods? In Psalm 82:6, it is written I have said, ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High. These two statements have been glossed over by theologians for centuries. Jesus also said that we could do greater things than he. Jesus was attempting to bring god back to awareness within the human. However, to do this, the power brokers of temples, mosques and churches would not be in control and the human would remain enslaved to a false doctrine.

Jesus taught by allegories and shared his knowledge only with his trusted disciples because his disciples were at various stages of understanding. Jesus’ brother Thomas Judas, the twin was in all probability taught and trained the same as Jesus. However it is apparent that he did not fully realize the deeper meanings. This also goes for another brother of Jesus, James the Just. James the Just was murdered during the Jewish revolt against the Romans.

The beauty of the book and movie The DaVinci Code is that it touched the inner core of millions of people with a feeling that there was a truth that had been suppressed by the Catholic Church and religion. Yes, there are those who only think it is fiction. Most fiction is based on facts. Myths are allegories of actual teachings and events. Myths are beautiful works of symbols. Fairy tales have been a way for those who knew the esoteric teachings to share the knowledge. What child hasn’t loved Cinderella? I have been taught that Cinderella is an allegory of the brain and how our thoughts work and how our dreams come true.

Getting back to religion and to understand its beginnings, one must explore the Sumerian tablets. Zechariah Sitchen has done an admirable job of translating them in his books The Earth Chronicles. Sitchen sums it up neatly in his Lost Book of Enki. Another writer who has a most informative book is Michael Tellinger’s Slave Species of god. The Sumerian tablets tell the story of the Annunaki who came to this planet from the planet Nibiru searching for gold. Their orbit is lengthy and goes away from the sun so far that it loses much of the energy of the sun. Their scientists discovered that by refining gold in a certain way that they could seed their atmosphere and have light. I am putting this in a very simplistic manner and suggest reading the authors’ books to become more knowledgeable.

One year of the Annunaki is equal to 3,600 Earth years. Over thousands of years, the Annunaki finally rebelled against working the gold mines in Africa and demanded help. The chief scientist and geneticist was Ninhursag who along with her half-brother Enki developed the human form as it is today and this includes the brain. These beings became the slave species and through evolution became the humans of today. In Genesis it is written of the Annunaki and it states, let us make man in our image. Thus the slave species created in a Garden of Eden, i.e. laboratory in Africa were brought up to think that the Annunaki were gods. An important question that I will address further on is who or what occupies these human bodies?

The Old Testament would lead the reader to think that this all happened around 5,000 years ago and yet the tablets say that the astronauts from Nibiru came approximately 450,000 years ago and the human form was created 200,000 years ago. Ninhursag and Enki had a half brother named Enlil and apparently he was in charge of the Earth due to royal seniority. In Tellinger’s book, he names Enlil as evolving into the god Jehovah - a very mean god. All one has to do is read about this god’s wrath and vengeance. A God of all would never do this to her/his people. Why? Because gods occupy the human form. The word gods is a word to describe that aspect of the originator of spirit, its essence that is sent out to explore the many aspects of the Originator. Ramtha states he has come here to wake up the forgotten gods and that our mission is to make known the unknown. If we really think about it, we could ask what is occupying the physical body? We know we have a brain and we know we can think. Therefore we must have a mind. What intelligence is making the body breathe and have automatic reflexes? There has to be an intelligence operating this body or this human vehicle. We are all here on a journey and this is the plane of opposites. For every good there is a bad.

The Old Testament is a quest map of ancient history and some of it is distorted, however there is always a kernel of truth and the perhaps truth is written on the Sumerian tablets. For the seeker, there are two books that shed light on this. Ramtha, A Master’s Reflection on the History of Humanity, Part I: Human Civilization, Origins and Evolution and the Part II: Rediscovering the Pearl of Ancient Wisdom.

Jesus chose to incarnate and his mission was to bring humanity a new way of living. His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1; 7:28) is the greatest sermon ever given and if those who profess to be Christians would apply this teaching to their lives, we would not have war, prejudice, hatred, or anger. Unfortunately most Christians and Moslems are still applying the message of Jehovah (Enlil) in their lives. They pay obeisance to Jesus and Mohammed but do not apply in their lives the original teachings. They perpetuate the erroneous teaching of Jehovah (Enlil).

The Catholic Church has perpetuated the Great Lie that God is outside of the human and one has to have an intermediary or intercession. What a travesty! The cross has been the club they use to keep the populance in ignorance. Jesus dying for your sins is a lie. He came to bring the human a sword of truth to free you and yet for nearly two thousand years – ever since the Council of Nicea created Christianity, humanity has born the yoke of sin and guilt and reinforced the slave mentality that the human was programmed with from the beginning.

There have been enlightened beings that have incarnated and have created symbols to remind the gods in the human form of their origins. The swastika is one of the most ancient symbols and yet Hitler adopted it, turned it to face the reverse and now it is a hated symbol. The ancient meaning of the swastika pertained to the four directions of space and solar creation. It was also a sign of sky gods and the sun and became a universal symbol for divine energy including prosperity. It was commonly used by many cultures, i.e. China, Greece, India and England as well as Scandinavia and the American Indian tribes. It is sad that it only took one man to turn it into a hated and feared symbol.

The advertising world has latched on to sacred symbols and this is another travesty. The Shell Oil Company uses the symbol of the shell, which is a sacred symbol that pilgrims carry with them while walking the Camino to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. Texaco uses the sacred five-pointed star as their symbol. Now more and more advertising is using sacred symbols. One is the pyramid as the food pyramid. Those who watch television a lot are constantly being subliminally bombarded with the purloining of sacred symbols to where their subconscious minds no longer feel the pull towards the spirit, but are dumbed down and addicted to corporate America.

One has only to go to Chartres Cathedral in Chartres, France to view the great symbols left by the architect(s) of that beautiful cathedral. In all probability the Knights Templar brought the knowledge of the symbols back from Jerusalem along with divine geometry. In this cathedral there is not one statue or picture of Jesus on the cross. There are two Black Madonnas and it is obvious this cathedral is dedicated to the divine greatness of Mary Magdalene. The Catholic Church did their best to eradicate her greatness. However, her greatness is reflected in the great cathedrals in Europe and the Rose Window is one example. The labyrinth on the floor in Chartre is a reminder to the god within that our journey is to realize who we are and our purpose for being in human form.

Now is the time to allow those who choose to stay in the clutches of religion to do so, and to take back one’s power and evolve into the recognition of who we really are. One of the most difficult challenges is to move away from hypocrisy, prejudice and believing that our way is the only way. There are as many different ways to god-realization as there are humans on this planet. We can change our genetics by changing our mind. Our brain is encoded with knowledge that we are a god and it is up to us to activate this code. We no longer have to believe that due to our genes that we have to be a certain way. This is a limitation.

Religion is a format for control and to keep the human in slave mentality. Perhaps it has always been that way since the human form was created. Because of the way slave mentality has reacted to those who want to go against religious ideology, we have had horrendous massacres and have burned people at the stake. It is documented that Christian Crusaders roasted live babies in front of their mothers and ate them. It is time we evolved beyond. There are many great beings that have moved beyond and these are the unsung heroes, the great minds, the great scientists and the greater writers. This is why the sacred knowledge had to go underground and become the Rosicrucians and the Freemasons who now are suspect due to pollution. Those who have left religion are to be blessed for they have the minds that can evolve them to freedom. Seeking knowledge is a great way to move into freedom. True freedom is the freedom of mind to think for oneself and not follow the herd mentality. When one can read the Bible with detachment, it seems that unnoticed items leap out and give us a new perspective.

If what I have written disagrees with your point of view, I urge you to research and find out if your point of view can be expanded. Welcome to the Journey.

MARY MAGDALENE - MALIGNED AND MISUNDERSTOOD

Bettye Johnson ©

Mary Magdalene. Her name conjures up different images for people. The DaVinci Code has been instrumental in shedding new information regarding her life. However, it really isn’t new information. The information has been known for centuries in some sectors, and now the truth is finally coming out. My book Secrets of the Magdalene gives a portrait of the Magdalene that is in all probability the closest to what her life was like. In my research I have connected the dots that others have missed.

Unfortunately there are still those scholars and writers who want to keep hidden the greatness of Mary Magdalene. For the most part these writers are men and apparently are unwilling to accede that she was the wife of Jesus and bore children from their marriage.

I have an issue with these so-called authorities who want to pick at the dry bones of the first four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the New Testament. One scholar named Bart D. Ehrman wrote a book titled Truth and Fiction in The DaVinci Code and I have not read it. However I have read two of his other books. In his book Peter, Paul, Mary Magdalene he writes of what he tells people regarding the information in The DaVinci Code during his lectures and speaking engagements and I quote from his book, “There are in fact mistakes all over the place, some of them howlers and some of them simply rooted in a misunderstanding of, or more likely an ignorance of, what our ancient sources actually say about Jesus (and Mary Magdalene).” Ehrman goes on to say, “But when it comes to Mary Magdalene, there are always two or three people who want to insist that he must have gotten it right. These are never people who are historians, who know the ancient sources and read them in their ancient languages (Greek and Latin, for example). They are just regular folk who think it must have be right: Jesus and Mary must have been married with kids, just because it makes sense.”

The above statements from my perspective indicate that Ehrman is spouting recycled ignorance and picking at the dry bones. The winners, or those in power write history. History is slanted to the writers who want the people to know what often is not the truth. An example is the maligned Judas Iscariot. For hundreds of years he has been portrayed as the traitor or the betrayer and using “He is a Judas” when someone wants to name-call a traitor. Now that the Gospel of Judas has finally been revealed with information that Judas did what Jesus asked him to be and is a hero. Jesus was going through his final initiation and he had shared the deeper mysteries with Judas. By doing as Jesus requested, Judas was also going through an initiation. It is hard for theologians to accept something out of the norm and Robert Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, CA is a prime example. During the National Geographic special on the finding of the Gospel of Judas, Schuller was interviewed and his inane statement when asked for his opinion was, “Why do we need another gospel when we have the Four Gospels?”

These ancient sources and historians are rarely reliable. The works of those ancient manuscripts written in Greek and Latin have been translated not by only one man, but by many and each has a different perspective. If the so-called authorities writing books based on what the New Testament says, then they do not have the vision to realize that the New Testament has been altered according to who was doing the translating. There are also records that popes and bishops changed them to put forth what they wanted the people to know. The New Testament in its current forms is one of the most unreliable documents there is.

If one really thinks about it, why do theologians and historians want to keep Mary Magdalene bound to the confines of the four gospels? Why do they deny her the right to be the wife of Jesus? It was Paul who never knew Jesus and was not an apostle who is attributed to having made Jesus as a Christ and the only Son of God. If one wants to use so-called historical records, Paul was a Roman spy who converted to Christianity and at that time it was not called Christianity. Perhaps this is the basis for denying the Magdalene her rightful place. If so, then it is indeed pure ignorance or planned misinformation.

Again, if one were to ask what other reasons were there to deny Mary Magdalene her heritage and place in history, then we are open to some intriguing possibilities. For the most part, written history is unreliable because men have written it and men have been programmed for centuries to think they are superior to women. This attitude is still prevalent today. One only has to go back to the Old Testament to find its roots. The Book of Lamentations is an example of the vile things that were done to women.

My intent as a woman is to re-write history and begin with: What if Mary Magdalene was an initiate from a mystery school the same as Jesus? What if she was his equal and they married and each had their own ministries? What if out of this marriage, they had children? This is all very plausible because there was no written information of that particular era until fifty to sixty years after the fact. To rely on the Roman historian Josephus is ludicrous even though Josephus was Jewish and claimed to be a descendent of the Hasmonean dynasty. He was born in 37 CE and was a leader in the Jewish Revolt in 67 CE. The Romans won the bloody battle and Josephus was captured. He willingly served the Romans and later lived in Rome where he wrote the history of that war. Now, how reliable do you think his history is?

When the Emperor Constantine chose to create a new religion, he chose presbyters to submit documents in 325 CE and this evolved into the Council of Nicea. From this came the beginnings of the New Testament. It took another 800 years give or take to hone the New Testament into what is accepted today. I ask, how reliable are

these books in the New Testament? Therefore, I am putting forth a hypothesis that Mary Magdalene has a spectacular history that has been covered up. In fact, it is one of the greatest cover-ups in history. Actually the role of women, their works and they power has been almost eradicated from history. It is time to bring it forth and restore women to their rightful place.

Because of the lack of written history about Mary Magdalene, there is another question that comes to mind and that is, what is it about Mary Magdalene that the Church and theologians do not want the public to know? In all myths there is always truth. There are many myths about the healing power of Mary Magdalene and her daughter Sarah. Author Margaret Starbird is one of the few writers who almost have the answers and another is Marilyn Hopkins who co-authored Rex Deus.

In my research for information, I have read almost every book on the Knights Templar. Again, the writers have missed the mark and I say this because they didn’t know what they were looking for. The Knights Templar were formed in 1118 CE while in Jerusalem on a Crusade. There were nine knights who formed the Templar and supposedly they were excavating the stables of what is purported to be part of the Temple of Solomon. It is assumed they found fabulous treasure and became exceedingly rich. It wasn’t until nine years later that the Templar admitted other knights into their order. What were they doing during these nine years?

According to some, they found perhaps the Ark of Covenant and brought it back to France and in addition found ancient scrolls and treatises of hidden wisdom of ancient initiates of the traditions of the Judaic and Egyptian mysteries. This included sacred geometry. This is very intriguing and

plausible. The Knights Templar were responsible for the architecture of the Gothic churches in France and other European countries. The Templar were behind the building of the great Chartres Cathedral and the flying buttresses are a sight to behold. The architects and sculptors are unknown.

Another church had been built upon the present site of the Chartres Cathedral and burned in 1194. Considering the time the church was re-built, it was a miraculous feat because the present cathedral was completed in 1223.

I am writing about the Knights Templar because they were the ones responsible for the proliferation of the Black Madonnas in Europe and especially in the French and Spanish Pyrenees Mountains areas. Having traveled in the Languedoc region, I was amazed that almost every small church had a Black Madonna and many were dedicated to Mary Magdalene. Apparently the Templar learned the truth about the Magdalene when they excavated the stables in Jerusalem. It is also interesting that there are two Black Madonnas in the Cathedral at Chartres and outside if one looks at the Royal portal, one will see a sculpted figure of the Queen of Sheba. I am putting forth the hypothesis that the Chartres Cathedral was created by knowledge of sacred geometry and the symbols throughout tell the story of what the original Knights Templar learned and passed on.

Since I am re-writing the history of Mary Magdalene, I am saying that she was a great initiate in the ancient wisdom and after the crucifixion of Jesus, left Palestine and by way of Egypt went to France.

What becomes even more interesting is that she established ekklesias (the forerunner of the word church) in France and they spread to Italy. Mary Magdalene was the first Pope of Rome and that is why it has been necessary to malign her and give out misinformation. Peter was not the first Pope.

This is the reason why most of the descendents have been hunted and some killed. This is why Pope Gregory in 591 CE proclaimed her to be a prostitute and further maligned her. False history has a way of repeating itself until the people accept it as fact.

In my research, I have examined the Old Testament and based on my findings, the people had very dark skin because most of them were Egyptian or Ethiopian. One has only to research and this is what the biblical scholars and theologians have missed. In all probability Mary Magdalene and Jesus had dark skin. In other words, they were black people. In the Old Testament there are 619 mentions of the word Egypt or Egyptian, 39 of Ethiopia and in addition when there is mention of leprosy and that the skin and/or hair turns white as snow. This means the skin is that of the black race when the pigment of the skin turns white and in white Caucasian people, the pigment turns dark.

The Queen of Sheba is mentioned in the Song of Solomon as being black. She and King Solomon had a son named Menelik and he became Menelik I. The late Emperor Halle Selassie of Ethiopia claimed to be a direct descendent of Menelik I and also of the lineage of Jesus. He carried a title of Lion of Judah and Judah means Israel.

In my research, it has been an interesting journey of connecting the dots that other researchers have missed. I stand by my storyline of Mary Magdalene in my book Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls, a fictionalized version of her true herstory.

A GIFT FROM ME

There is a new item in the Bookstore! A music CD of Gifts From Me by Bill Dallavo is
now available for purchase. Bill is singing his own song and it is beautiful. Bettye used his
words at the end of her book, Secrets of the Magdalene Scrolls. Go to the Bookstore page
and listen to a sample. You won't be disappointed.