by Stephanie Brail

Each presidential election, America turns into a football field where two sides, Republicans and Democrats, fight it out in a bloody battle that usually ends up leaving the country more divided and bitter once the game ends. Each side thinks that it has the claim to moral superiority and rightness. As the game wears on, fans becoming increasingly rabid and nonsensical, to the point where fisticuffs often ensue.

As elections become closer and closer, the two sides begin to employ increasingly drastic slash and burn tactics to take out their opponents. On the right we have the Republicans, who use scare tactics to tell us that voting for a Democrat is sure to rain terrorists down upon our heads. To the left we have the Democrats, who use scare tactics to tell us that electing a Republican is sure to bring World War III down upon our heads.

by Stephanie Brail

There's a popular spiritual mailing list I won't name that I left long ago due to what I felt was its disingenuous content. Unfortunately, a well-meaning friend of mine, not knowing that I purposefully left the list, has a habit of forwarding these and other channeled messages to me regularly. I don't read all of the messages, but once in a while I take a peek and see what's being said.

The general theme is typically "ascension," and it's becoming more and more urgent as we near 2012. "Ascension" is a broad term referring to the new age version of the "Rapture." In the most extreme form of "ascension," all good new age people will "ascend" to a higher earth plane while mere mortal earthlings will remain here, in a living hell. (Real loving, eh, to leave everyone you don't like behind?)

by Stephanie Brail

A healer told me about the following technique a while ago. I don't even remember her full name; all I have is a set of notes on a single sheet of paper. So, whoever you are, thanks for the information.

A "soul-to-soul" conversation is a spiritual technique of forgiveness and letting go. The idea is that we are all somehow linked via spirit, that we can transmit our thoughts and feelings to others over distance. Even if you don't believe we are somehow spiritually linked, this exercise can still provide a sense of well-being and peace of mind.

Let's say you are at wit's end about a situation with someone, perhaps a family member. Maybe you've tried talking to the person but nothing seems to help. You can use the soul-to-soul conversation to help heal the situation, without ever speaking to the other party.

by Stephanie Brail

Eckhart Tolle is a spiritual teacher and author of the bestselling Power of Now. A New Earth is his second runaway bestseller, bolstered by Oprah's Book Club and Oprah's phenomenally successful online course about the book. A New Earth is the first book by Tolle I've read (though I've known of him for years) and has served as my introduction to Tolle.

A New Earth, according to Tolle, will shift your consciousness and "awaken" you, if you are ready. He claims this in chapter one - a bold statement, I felt, for a guy who claims to be anti-ego. But there's something exciting about feeling like you're one of the "chosen ones," those who are supposed to be awakened at this point in history as our earth is in crisis. (Just don't get too caught up in your ego about it.)