EDITOR'S COMMENTS

     Although I have always loved writing and publishing The Caldron, this issue is late. Until recently, I have not thought about it at all, not since the doctor shared the results of Jake's blood test and told us that he has muscular dystrophy. Since that dark moment in time, I have thought of little but Jake and the life he will be leading.

     Poor Jake. No one deserves what he will have to go though. Before too long, unless there is a miracle, he will be unable to walk. He will have to use a wheelchair. Already, he cannot run for very long, nor do any other exercises that require weight bearing. He tires easily. He still rides his bicycle though. He's learning to swim now too.

      Basically muscular dystrophy is all about losing muscle mass. Eventually, Jake will have no muscles. The heart is a muscle. Most sufferers of muscular dystrophy do not have long lives.


      But life goes on. As long as Jake and I are alive, we'll keep on doing our thing. So here's the summer issue of The Caldron. The theme of this issue is "Beyond Body - Consciousness after Death." It concludes our year long survey of consciousness and how it affects our lives - our social lives, our spiritual lives, our lives that exist beyond the mundane, and now, our lives that exist beyond the body.

      When I was a young boy, I died while being operating upon to remove an infected mastoid bone. I went through an incredible journey while they were removing parts of the bone. Afterwards, I forgot most of what happened, except for the memory of the swing going higher and higher, and then over....

      However, during my life, mostly in my thirties and forties, I began to remember images and events from that previous time. Over time, I have been able to piece these images and events all together, I have come to realize that I did die on the operating table - and I was blissfully heading towards a great White Light, when they brought me back into my body.

      Because of this, I have always attracted others with similar death experiences. We have found that we all share something in common - a sense of peace, of comfort. We no longer fear death. We all tend to see the stresses of daily life in a new light too. It's hard to take it all so seriously. It's really all just pretend anyway.


     In this issue, "Wisdom's Corner" shares some information and comforting thoughts by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross concerning the process of grieving. She was a very wise woman. She knew what was important and what was not.

     "BeHereNow" shares some information, and inspiration too, gleaned from the parentproject website, a site run by folks who are dedicated to the understanding and curing of muscular dystrophy.

     I have written two essays for this issue. One concerns the original theme for this issue - the notion of Consciousness existing after the death of the physical body. In it I share my personal experience of dying as a young seven-year old boy, as well as where I have gone with it spiritually since then.

     In my second essay, I share my feelings about my son Jake. I also share how difficult it has been to heal my broken heart so that I can be healing for him. I have learned that I have to be fully myself, writer and healer, as well as grieving dad, in order to help him. More importantly, I have learned that I have to let my heart continue to break open.

     In "Seeds from Plot 509," Aspen Marks shares her feelings about our son's disability as well as her feelings as to where it is taking her in her own life.

      Jyoti Wind shares two of her wonderful poems with us. In them, she shows how seeing clearly and letting go allow us to leave "with a free heart." Her poems were originally published last month by Jyoti in "Into the Heart of the Flower: Poetry, Prose and Meditations."

     Celeste Labadie shares five of her beautiful poems with us. Celeste is a Poet, Workshop Facilitator, and Disc Jockey on public radio in Boulder, Colorado, She continually finds herself in the midst of something spontaneous. Her poetry appears in the 2006 & 2007 We'Moon Desk Calendar for women, the 2006 Desert Shovel Review, and Mountain Gazette.

      Ariana Saraha shares a spiritually inspiring tale of death, acceptance and rebirth.

     Guillaume shares an incredibly beautiful vision that he calls dream time. Besides sharing the image, he also shares some of his inspiring thoughts.

     And finally we share six beautiful and profoundly interesting crop circles. The idea for this as well as several of the circles were suggested by Rex King.

     Enjoy

     Eugene Marks, Editor