The VQ Newsletter Archive
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Creativity,
Healing
& Shamanism: Workshop
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Hello Creatives; It's Christmas again in America filled with wonder, joy, and anticipation. As I
mentioned last year this, now global newsletter, extends to many countries where holidays,
religious beliefs, and ceremonies are different. So, with all the joy this season brings
to me, I wish for all of you the blessings of your faith and family. A common theme through our site is "Creating is a natural act." It is natural
then that the acts of nature provide a rich source of creative inspiration. This
newsletter focuses on nuances teased out of one such engagement. TWO EARS TO THE EAST (Newsletter recipient Diane Luboff submitted the following in a group of children's
letters to God. Thanks Diane!) "Dear GOD, I didn't think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset You made on Tuesday. That
was cool. -- Signed, Eugene" Sunsets have been striking here the past days and, like Eugene, I am in awe. The autumn
colors of the tall grass prairie have dulled, but not the sky. No, not the sky, it dons a
celestial palette. Luminous pastels are often daubed from horizon to horizon as if poured
from the vaults of heaven. Such displays call me to my hillside to witness their splendor. A couple of days ago, as I walked the quarter mile to my prairie ridge, my mind was
stirring with recent conversations and news reports on the year 2000 computer problems
(Y2K). It seemed hard to know what, if anything, to expect. In my pondering saunter, I
looked up to notice a pair of ears standing erect above the grass, silhouetted against the
magenta dusk. Two ears to the East, two ears tuned to my footsteps as I approached the
saddle of the hill that is my observation point. Though these are the holidays, I doubted
it was an Elf. I walked quietly hoping to detect the creature beneath these pointed
antennae. In a few steps the critter moved out into the trodden path and we examined each
other eye to eye, Coyote to Carlisle, for several seconds. Then, capitulating to my
advance, he darted out of sight beneath the crest of the hill. Oh, but that's not the
amazing part. I have had previous encounters at less than a stone's throw with coyote, the
"Trickster" of shamanic lore. Each arrived just before a big change I was about
to experience. One appearance accompanied a career change from acting to music. Another
preceded the 1989 San Francisco earthquake (that shook me). Sometimes nature talks, I have
learned to pay attention. Reaching the top of the hill I looked for this four legged voyeur down the valley where
he appeared to have fled. In true trickster fashion he had vanished so I went to my perch
and got on with the sunset. It was glorious. Then, scanning the skyline, I saw the coyote
sitting at the top of the hill a few yards away. We noticed each other again but here's
the amazing part. The coyote was watching the sunset just like me. OK, enough words about "Wiley" you say. What's the point? Is it that the
moment was unforgettable; or, without anthropomorphizing this animal too much, that it was
surprising to see it take time to enjoy the sunset? No, the real power in the experience
was in the synchronicity of this personal harbinger of change, my thoughts on Y2K, and the
sunset. Reality seasoned with paradoxical nuances of surprise, concern, and serenity. The
encounter was a fusion of sensation, thoughts, and emotion. Author John Briggs describes
the import of such moments in the creative process as follows: "Nuance is the raw
material whose distillation is the creative act" (1988, p.40). So after due
distillation, I popped up with this idea. CREATE A WORLD YOU WANT TO LIVE IN It occurs to me that no matter which prediction, if any, about Y2K is correct it is
affecting our collective consciousness now. Whether one hears the voices of the Prophets
of Doom, the Champions of Complacency, or the Magus of the Middle Way, change is afoot!
1999 is the sunset of this millennium. Creative minds must assert themselves to increase
the certainty that a "restful night," and a "dawn filled with promise"
will follow. Energy follows thought as surely as images flow from the mind of an artist,
through the brush, and onto the canvas. In last year's Christmas newsletter I wrote:
"What if during this season we performed each act 'as if' it was a gift, 'as if' each
gift would change the world." This year the season ushers in this new sunset. Can we
now extend this commitment? What if we extend it to create a world we want to live in with
our thoughts, our words, our acts? What if in this sunset we perform each one "as
if." Simplified in the words of a child. "Dear GOD," "In school they told us what You do. Who does it when You are on vacation?" -- Signed Jane What if.......? SITE NEWS; There are two new features on the site this month. First. I have added a new discussion forum to the site called: "CREATE A WORLD YOU
WANT TO LIVE IN." I hope this will foster a dialog and help inject our collective
consciousness with a positive vision of this change. You are a very diverse and talented
group of individuals. I invite all of you to share your thoughts about how to create that
world beyond the year 2000. You may enter any of the forums at:
http://www.vantagequest.org/mindmeld.htm "Y2K" Whether artist or aristocrat, scientist or seer, homemaker or hierophant, your voice is needed here. Whether poet, Pop, or prophet, model, monk, or Mum, we are each others keeper past the year 2001 Second. Many people have asked for a demo clip of Vantage Quest. I have added a sound
sample of VQ for those who are interested. You will need the RealPlayer Plug-in for your
browser to hear it. This short sample is not enough to produce any effect and is subject
to the limitations of transmission over the net and the quality of your system, but it
will satisfy some of your curiosity. It's accessible throughout the site. Enjoy! Also, I am in the chat room on Tuesday Nights from 9 PM (US Central Time) to answer any
question about Vantage Quest or what ever is on the group's mind. Tonight's the night, I
hope you will drop in and say hello. NEWSLETTER ADMINISTRATION; Please remember. 1) This not a "bulk email" mailing. If you are receiving this writing, it is
because you have signed our Guest Book, bought our product, are our link partner, a good
friend, or have communicated with us in some other way. There are a few exceptions whose
names have been added along with others from some mailing we share. I maintain this list
by hand. Any multiple copies you received result either from my error, or you have entered
your name multiple times in our drawing and I have failed to catch it. I apologize for any
inconvenience and hope you will continue to participate. 2) I still do this the old fashioned way -- by hand! If you don't want to receive our
newsletter, just send me a note and I will groom the list. Please don't sign up each month
and then repeatedly ask me to remove you from the list. It's too much work. The goal here
is to build a community of creative folks, not make "email enemies." For those who do not know, I hold the drawing from the previous months Guest Book
entries about the 1st. of each month. One winner is selected from the US, and one from the
International submissions. The winners receive a free copy of our latest release and our
thanks. YES, you can enter again each month, and many of you have, but ONLY ONCE PER
MONTH. Please let me know in the comments that you already receive this mailing so I don't
bombard you with multiple copies of this newsletter. AND THE NOVEMBER WINNERS ARE: That Christmas Elf just insisted again that we do something special for the season. So,
we are awarding two prizes in each category this month. Happy Holidays! International: Melanie Tucker Edwardstown, South Australia and Geoffrey Negus Oman, Arabian Peninsula US: John Deremiah Chubbuck, ID and Sandra Okstad Ely, MN Congratulation Melanie, Geoffrey, John, and Sandra! Your CD's are on the way. Enjoy the
hum heard round the world. I mentioned in the last winners' announcement that many folks refer friends to our
site. To thank those folks who tell others about us, we give away a copy of Vantage Quest
to the person who referred the most visitors to our site. I am sorry to say that this
month no one filled in any of your names so I can't give away a CD. The offer remains
though so tell your friends and keep on talking about us. Maybe next month you will be the
winner. My thanks as always to you all for your interest, participation, and support. That's it for this quarter. I'll send out a Winner's Announcement each month but the
newsletter will remain quarterly. The next issue will be in March. May 1999 find you daring to dream, and bring you the courage to create! Signing off from "Coyote Ridge," somewhere under the rainbow. With warm regard, Carlisle Return to VQ Newsletter Archives |
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