Leo

I drive a manual 'cause that's the car I got. Manual definitely makes me feel more connected to the road, and it is a little safer (if you ever loose your brakes you can downshift). Oh, yeah, and it's usually better fuel milage too (especially when you like to coast like me ). But I gotta say I'm gettin' a little tired of shifting in traffic all the time, and if I had my druthers I think I'd get me an automatic where I can just stomp on the gas 'n go!

Here is a version of the Middle Pillar combined with the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram that is quite good. The Pentagram ritual is important, as it seals up the aura and helps to make sure you don't "short circuit" anything. I'm sure from your other practices that you've gotten everything strong and able to handle lots of energy, but still to be on the safe side I would recommend doing the Pentagram ritual once or twice a day for a week or so before you start the Middle Pillar. Then always do a Pentagram before you do a Middle Pillar (it just takes a few minutes). If you've haven't done a lot of serious chanting before, you may feel a little silly at first, but I think that tends to fade pretty quickly. You'll notice that parts of the circulation of the light are similar to the microcosmic orbit, so your previous experience should serve you well. Also, the instructions here are to stand while you do the practice, but I would highly recommend you actually lie down. When you finish doing the Pentagram Ritual, you will be facing East. Lie down with your feet in the East, and your head in the West. Much more relaxing! Try lying down and meditating for a good while afterwords. I would suggest focusing either on the light surrounding you, or on the sphere in the solar plexus. The spheres used here don't exactly conform to the Eastern chakra system, but that's ok. Some of them are combined, or in slightly different places, etc. My understanding is that this way the chakras are stimulated a little more indirectly, and therefore a little more safely (the chakras are actually more located on the back of the body up the spine, and here we are visualizing the spheres on the front of the body). Happy Humming!

Yes! But if it be your aim to destroy the Earth, don't forget the Checklist

Well...I suppose I could tell you how it felt there if I could reach it! But I know it feels great when I can get someone to scratch it for me!

Show us a picture - where is it? what does it mean? what's it supposed to do?

I use the Crystal roll-on deodorant. It's the same stuff as the stone, but the stone is a big hassle. I think it ends up being more expensive, but it lasts so long that I think it's still pretty cheap. I tried to use some other brand once, but it smelled weird and I took it back (I can't really smell this stuff - you probably already know the idea is it doesn't let the bacteria grow so it ends up smelling like nothing). The only thing is you gotta use it every day, and use a lot. If you skip a day then it takes a few days to "catch up". Also, I think it may depend on your chemistry - Mrs Leo tried it swears it smells like "dirty feet" on her.

I am definitely not an expert in nutrition. I eat ovo-lacto vegetarian because it seems to me that is a logical conclusion of the precept of non-killing (if I buy meat at the store they didn't kill it for me, but they gotta kill one to replace it, etc). I try to eat my fruit and veggies and take vitamins. I don't try to convert people to my way of eating, or try to tell them that they're wrong for wanting to eat meat, but I would take issue with the "ok to kill fish" idea. I've heard it before from people who are otherwise vegetarian, and it just seems like a justification to me. If someone wants to eat fish, I think they should just eat fish without saying that fish don't mind being killed. All beings love their lives and hate death. Even an ant will run away if you try to squish it. If someone has ever seen a fish struggle on a hook or in a net, or seen them gasping for air on a boat I think they would agree that they don't look like creatures that are ok with dying.

I think that it used to be that America always looked at itself as just and right, and if the story didn't support that it was changed or swept under the rug. That was dishonest, but it was at least sustainable for society. Now I am becoming increasingly alarmed about the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves. No people can survive as a people if they only tell negative stories about themselves. We look at ourselves with sneering sarcasm and scorn, we tell cynical stories about ourselves to ourselves and the world. And we wonder why people hate us. Loving our country is not cool, and hasn't been for a long time. Anyone that loves America is looked at as either naive or corrupt. We tell the world that their problems are our doing. Is it any wonder they believe us? Most people want to blame someone else for their problems. The bigger and more powerful the target, the easier it is to cast blame on. And if that target is in perpetual spasms of self-flagellation? Well, heap it on! Have America and Americans done negative things? You bet! People are people and we will all do good and bad things. But there is a hyper-judgmentalism about America right now, and we need to wake up and start presenting ourselves in a better light because if we don't, no one else will.