Books & Films – September 2007
Books
The Metamorphosis of a New Age Man
by John L. Robinson / Published by Publish American, Baltimore
Have you ever wished for some kind of primer or “how-to” manual while on your spiritual path? How about something written by an ordinary human being, someone without a huge name or flock of thousands? When the Wheels Fall Off: The Metamorphosis of a New Age Man by ordained spiritual minister and Reiki practitioner John L. Robinson is just that.
This is the story of a simple man with a simple intent: to support others on their spiritual path by sharing his journey and the lessons he experienced along the way. Some of the topics he covers include personal power, timing and religion. Each chapter begins with a concept stirred by the author’s personal experience. Throughout the pages of this small, unpretentious book, the reader is shown the “human” side of the author in his journey to embrace the divine within. There is an exercise at each chapter’s end to help the reader explore the lesson described, revealing how it applies to their own spiritual journey.
Some of my personal favorites were the exercises on “defining moments” and “how to listen for spirit.” (Let’s just say that they were much needed at this time for this writer.) Whether you have just begun your metamorphosis, are thinking about it, or have been on your path for years, this book offers both helpful tools and fond remembrances of the spiritual path. -LG
2012 Atlantean Revelations:
Becoming a Mystic in a 9 to 5 World
Wisdom Teacher Sri Ram Kaa & Angelic Oracle Kira Raa / TOSA Publishing $26.95
2012 Atlantean Revelations: Becoming a Mystic in a 9 to 5 World is the third in a series that started with Sacred Union: The Journey Home and continued with 2012: You have a Choice. This third book is described by Sri Ram Kaa and Kira Raa themselves as “the most difficult (in the series) to bring to completion.” Yet, while they were writing it “…just behind the fabric of fatigue, we felt the glowing support of Spirit, the unyielding love of the Universe.” With a Universal stamp of approval as well as two best-selling books behind them, Sri Ram Kaa and Kira Kaa’s collaborated on a multi-dimensional journey to help readers in their own education and reawakening during this exciting and critical time.
Though a creative blend of personal testimony, wisdom teachings and illustrated guidance, 2012 Atlantean Revelations is a powerful and refreshing resource for those on the path of becoming who they really are. I responded personally to Section Three—Finding Your Right Mind. Being a fairly high-strung and (gulp) stress-prone person, “Chapter Eleven--Addicted to Illusion” was a wake-up call for me. I appreciated the insight into how to function as an emerging new-consciousness being in a modern world often fraught with chaos and “addictions” to many things.
Wisdom Teacher Sri Ram Kaa and Angelic Oracle Kira Raa leave no stone unturned with their latest publication. They cover every aspect of modern human existence including romance, life lessons and preparation for the current global shift. Their unique voice expands his or her concept of reality. In the end, the reader is gifted with a different perspective of our earth, the universe and our place within it all. www.selfascension.com
Film
Forgotten on the Bayou:
Rocky’s Mission to the White House
Directed by Steve Scaffidi for Ghost Rider Productions
Ever since Hurricane Katrina pushed her way into New Orleans and surrounding areas in August 2005, there have been periodic stories of heroes and heartbreaks, news clips about individuals who risked their lives to rescue others as the waters rose that month and those whose patience are wearing thin as the months and now years after Katrina.
And then there’s Rocky Vaccarella. He’s got his hurricane story too. Vaccarella first made the news when he survived Hurricane Katrina by holding on to a rope on the roof of his Mereaux, Louisiana home for four hours.
But this story of human will and determination–-exemplified in the new film Forgotten on the Bayou: Rocky’s Mission to the White House produced by Ghost Rider Pictures–-doesn’t end there. One year later, there were still 30-feet boats in front yard of Rocky’s neighbor and sludge in the front lobby of the abandoned neighborhood McDonald’s. The aid that President George Bush had promised two weeks after the storm when he stood in Jackson Square and declared that “Bureaucracy is not going to stand in the way of getting the job done for the people” had yet to materialize. So Rocky decided to do something about it. He hitched up a replica of his FEMA-assigned trailer, got a couple dozen of his New Orleans friends together and hit the road to visit Bush himself in Washington. His goal when he got there: to treat the President to a home-cooked Cajun meal in his trailer. His message: “Thanks for everything, but the job is not done. Don’t forget us.”
Forgotten on the Bayou: Rocky’s Mission to the White House, directed by New Orleans native and Ghost Rider founder Steve Scaffidi, is a feature-length documentary chronicling Rocky’s journey from devastated Mereaux to the Oval Office. It’s a raw, homespun look at government response (or lack thereof) one year after the largest natural disaster in U.S. history. It’s the story of the power of one man’s vision as linked to the destiny of an entire community. In 2007 alone, Forgotten on the Bayou has won awards at the Newport Beach Film Festival, the Moondance Film Festival in Los Angeles, the Palm Beach Film Festival and First Glance in Philadelphia.
“For the people with the power to save it, New Orleans is a forgotten place,” wrote Brian Schwaner, AP correspondence and New Orleans native, in a recent editorial. That may be true. But perhaps now that a few famous names in Washington know Rocky Vaccarella, the present administration will remember the promises they made — and make good on them for folks down on the bayou. -NLP
For more information, see www.forgottenonthebayou.com