A seasonal message from Elisabeth from Winter Solstice 2001, which seems to still hold value and importance today...two years later...

What an exciting time to be alive. And an exhausting one! If you are like us, you've experienced some of the deepest disappointments of your life, as well as some of the most awe inspiring epiphanies. The old paradigm is dying and something new and wonderful is being born. We are witnessing this in our personal lives, as well as collectively.

How appropriate that this is happening just after the last Solstice of the millennium which occurred 12/21/2000. The Winter Solstice is the time when our ancients celebrated the birth of the light, the Sun King, (Holy Son) during the darkest night of the year. The end of the year has been the time of reevaluation, of deep cleansing and the birth of HOPE.

The big question now is - what are we leaving behind and what lies ahead, both personally and collectively? We will now attempt to make order out of chaos.

To prepare for our imminent changes we need to leave behind those things we call bad "tapes" or "programming." These are the beliefs that we have taken on as "truths" that are now not useful to us. Maybe in some distant past these beliefs were necessary, but in reality they are just thoughts that have kept us trapped far from the freedom of our true nature, our authentic selves. Some of these are:

• "The amount of money I make is equal to how happy I will be."
• "The system I am in and work for is dependable."
• " I'm powerless to stop the suffering in the world "
• " It's just another year, just like any other year."
• "People never change and never will."
• "I'm alone ultimately and always will be."

How untrue these things have now become! And every day we see the proof of it. We can now see that:

• As people living here in the U.S., our standard of living is high. Our worst days are often better than most of the world's best days. Ask yourself what you really need. Then look into your life and see if you don't actually have it right now.
• The system we have taken for granted for so long is breaking down. How about that election, eh?
• Every day millions of people who have realized their power effect positive changes in our world and create opportunity through cooperation rather than domination.
• Every moment is sacred and unique, and like no other before it. Ours is here and now. What are you going to do with it?
• We can change and do change, faster and more positively every day.
• As we look around us, with more powerful and farther reaching eyes than ever through things like the Internet, we bear witness to a planet where people are joining to share and express one idea - that Peace, Love and Understanding must dwell at the core of our beliefs or we shall all perish TOGETHER!

Truly an exciting time to be alive!

-E.Sikie, 2001