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About What's happening. (Eugene, OR) 1982-1993 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 13, 1987)
Harmonic Convergence by Deborah S. McGee Where were you in ’62? And where will you be on August 16, 1987? Local, national and international New Age groups are holding events centered around that date. Harmonic Convergence is the title given the phenomenon. There will be prayer, meditation, celebration, ceremony, purification and even a global radio link-up of some of the earth’s sacred sites. It’s all worded in different ways and coming in many patterns, but Har monic Convergence could be the Christmas Day of New Age folk. There've been precedents: Earth Day, 1970, which spawned a still-vocal en vironmental movement. The Live-Aid concert, which united many of the world’s peoples in action against hunger. The Planetary Congress, the Great Peace March, the First Earth Run. And at the end of last year: World Healing Day/Instant of Co operation. On bulletin boards about town has appeared an anonymous “open letter to 144,000 Rainbow Humans.” It is expected that at dawn on August 16, there will be 144,000 human beings so drawn to the idea of Harmonic Convergence that they will surrender their Ego to the Cosmos. Some peo ple are looking to dedicate themselves to Earth first in their lives that day, in hopes that their energy will con nect more harmoniously with an all Universe network of energy. Why 144,000? That’s supposed to be the magical number for critical mass. The concept of critical mass at its simplest means that when enough members of a population begin to adopt a certain mode of behavior, the rest will follow in rapid fashion. Ken Keyes of Coos Bay has promoted this idea in his book The Hundredth Monkey. Prevalent among many New Age people is the belief that a large push for social change, both indi vidually and collectively, will bring about a dawning era of utopia. y* Prophecies from Central America Whether positively or negatively, many diverse groups speak of immi nent apocalyptic changes. The proph ecies of Native American peoples seem to be getting more than their usual attention these days. Interest ingly enough, just when our nation is faced with large questions about our relations with the people of Cen tral America, many thinkers and wri ters are looking to the ancient cultures from that area: the Aztecs and the Mayans. That the great Mayan calen dar comes to an end in 2012, after over 5000 years of clockwork opera tion, seems to be an important detail in people's minds as they look to the future. Artist, poet and visionary Jose Ar guelles has recently published The Mayan Factor, in which he put forth his theory of what's to come. Ar guelles’ name appears more than others in the literature available local ly on Harmonic Convergence. With his Boulder, Colorado-based group The Global Family, Arguelles is one of the driving forces behind the August 16 celebration. On that day and along with Barbara Marx Hub bard, another futurist author, Ar guelles will lead a panel discussion during a three-hour live radio link-up of Boulder, the Haliakala volcano of Hawaii, and the ancient civilizations’ remnants at Machu Picchu, Stone henge, the Greek Temple of Delphi and the pyramids of Giza, Egypt. (Unfortunately, I am unable to con firm a local broadcast of this pro gram.) According to Arguelles and other Harmonic Convergence thinkers, Quetzlcoatl is returning. A mythical figure prominent in Central Ameri can cultures, Quetzlcoatl was a “spec tacular culture hero” who “taught a religion of love.” His return on August 16 is to be in the form of energy, rather than in person. Arguelles be lieves this energy will link us to “the more evolved intelligent planets in the galaxy.” With the New Age dawning, Arguelles says we will bring forth a memory of happier times before the Great Mayan Cycle of 5000 years. He says, “Earth is entrusting us to remember all the old magic, which is all the future magic, and to bring in to being” the global awareness pre dicted by the Mayans. While articles on and references to Harmonic Convergence have ap peared in recent issues of such New Age periodicals as Magical Blend and Welcome to Planet Earth, news of the phenomenon also has reached the mainstream press. Newsweek ran a story on Shirley MacLaine last month, called “Going Even Farther Out on That Limb.” According to the author, MacLaine is telling audiences that a “window of light” will appear on August 16 and 17, which will “allow us to rise to a higher plane of cosmic understanding.” The Wall Street Journal last month did a feature on Arguelles, written in rather glib style until suddenly the writer Meg Sullivan reports, “Only the hardest cynic here on the West Coast could deny that a New Age has 66 Earth is entrusting us to remember all the old magic, which is all the future magic and to bring into be ing” the global awareness predicted by the Mayans. dawned, is dawning or will dawn sooner or later.” And now cartoon strip artist Gary Trudeau is getting in on the act, through his usual method of poking fun at the most sacred or profane interests of his readership. The predictions of Nostradamus and the Bible’s Book of Revelations lead some to feel it’s time for the big fire. Increasing intensity of the Mideast Wars nightly fuels the belief. New Age thinkers, though, are quick to point out that such negative thoughts are dangerous and self-per petuating. They prefer to look at Har monic Convergence as a starting point for healing planet Earth. Astrological Link-up August 16 is not an arbitrary date. According to Arguelles, at sunrise on that date and for eight days after wards, the Pleiades constellation will be straight overhead in Teotihuacan, Mexico. Teotihuacan is thought by many scholars and psychically-ori ented people to be a holy place, a power center connected to other long accepted-as-holy places. Together these holy spots are believed by some to be sort of acupuncture points of our planet. If enough good healing energy can be applied, Earth will begin to heal from the ravishes of mankind. Many true believers will be at those points on August 16. Other unique planetary phenomena abound at the time of the conver gence, explained in detail in recent issues of Mark Lerner’s locally-pub lished Wslcome to Planet Earth astrological monthly. An “as above, so below” philosophy lies behind this look to the heavens; celestial align ments and positionings reflect earth ly realities. Some go so far as to say that we’ll be in a position to link our selves up to more advanced extrater restrial consciousness. As the Mayan Great Cycle comes to a close with the end of the Mayan calendar in 2012 A.D., just 25 years away, August 16 is supposed to be the begining of our chance to turn around destructive forces on Earth. Steven S.H. McFadden calls the New Age “The Age of Flowers,” and speaks eloquently of it in the Cancer 1987 issue of WIPE. He writes that “Quetzalcoatl prophesied that after his passing the world would go through 13 52-year cycles of de creasing light and choice, followed by nine 52-year cycles of increasing darkness and trouble, the period of the nine hells. The last of those periods ends this summer—on August 16, 1987 to be exact.” Earthy Perspective Harmonic Convergence is another in a long chain of visionary human events. Every once in a while some where somewhen on Earth along comes a group of people with a pic ture of how humans can improve their lot and attain a state of at-oneness with all creation. In the 1960s people talk ed and wrote of the dawning of a New Age, the Age of Aquarius. A similar movement is afoot. Perhaps it all reflects a deep need by our species to have occasional light-filled dreams, that we may go on. Whether you believe in the great changes some say August 16 will bring, or whether you just look for ward to an opportunity to hobnob with other people interested in and open to these ideas, here are some of the ways of connecting in Eagene: Circle of Light: Nine evening gatherings from 7:30-9:30 pm. Au gust 16-24. Persons may attend as many as wanted, at a suggested dona tion of $36 for all evenings, or $5/ session (sliding scale). Free orien tation meeting at 7:30 pm, Friday, August 14. Call 484-4243 for place. Activities include visualizations, meditations, a Wave of Love cere mony, and forums by Karimu Kudura and Mark Lerner. Harmonic Healing Evening: Women only, from 4-8 pm, Saturday, August 15. Donations. Drumming, crystals, channeling. 343-3925, 345-3433. Star Gate: This New Age store will repeat its recent Harmonic Con vergence workshop on August 23. Clearing away of negative emotions and thoughtforms, releasing stress energies and more. Alan Stein and Moira Timms will use music, sound, movement and creative visualization with group and individual process. 342-8348. Norma Cordell: Local psycho therapist, bodyworker, songwriter and teacher, Norma sponsors two events. A morning meditation at 8:30 am on August 16 at Skinner’s Butte Park. Free. At 6:30 pm on the same date she will give a teaching on the conver gence, followed by a ritual of medi tation, visualization and rattling, “to take you through yourself’ to the “Land of the Dreamwalkers.” $10. 344-0178. Preregistration required. Eugene Yoga Center: Open from dawn to dusk August 16 and 17. Group meditations from 7 am-11 am and from 7 pm to dusk—walk in any time. Learn to breathe instruction from 1-3 pm. Deep relaxation at noon, 3 pm, 5 pm, 7 pm. At 1315 Willamette Street. 485-6220. Free. is open seven days a week serving delicious New York Pizza by the slice or by the whole pizza pie. Choice of regular crust or deep-dish Sicilian. Eat here or take out. Also serving Vegle and Meet Calzones every Tuesday and Thursday. Now Open Earlier on Saturday, at 11:30 a.m. 3 30 pm-Midnight Sun Open 11 30 im-Midnight Mon -Sat SY'S PIZZA • 1211 Alder on Campus • 686-9598 HARMONICCONVERGENCE CIRCLE OF LIGHT Attune yourself to the Planetary Consciousness... For nine evenings (August 16-24) we will gather to focus and generate energy for the planet by working on the four planes—physical, emotional, men tal and spiritual. Activities will include: Group Meditations • Movement • Visualizations • Wave of Love Ceremony • Sound and Color Meditations • Relaxations • Walking Meditations • Singing and Mantra -PLUS SPECIAL FORUMS— • Mark Lerner, publisher of Welcome to Planet Earth, on the astrological significance of the Convergence • Karimu Kudura on The Wave and The Metasociety —Free Orientation Friday, August 14, 7:30 PM— Call 484-4243 for location and preregistration. Come to as many sessions as you wish. Suggested donation: $36/all 9 sessions, $5/session (sliding scale). Sessions will meet 7:30-9:30 pm. C* (ale4 4 Now under new ownership Featuring a large selection of natural and bulk foods, vitamins and body care products, a large organic produce department and full-service deli. iiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiii August Specials: Heinke's Old-fashioned Apple Juice 1 gallon $3.99 (reg. $5.19) Westbrae Malted Soy Drink 654 (reg. 934) Open daily 9-10 • 4th & Blair • 342-7503 NOW OPEN IN EUGENE. Complete home furnishings, gifts and more right here on Willamette Street. Come and join our grand opening. Sign up for freebies and special prizes. And have a grand opening of your own. © 1030 Willamette Street 342-1762 Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6/Thurs 10-7/Sat 10-5 Portland • Seattle • Eugene NN on; m V’i e 5 । FUTON CO IV P a N y
