An Urgent Lesson from "The Book of Love"

Please Note: Venus is Retrograde, and has been in a pattern since November 20th 2013, and remains in such until March 4th 2014.  During this period, we have been and will continue to be forced to examine our relationships on many levels: romantic, platonic, familial.  Those which no longer serve our growth or forward movement are imploding.  They need to.  It hurts like hell, but it must happen. 

Stay with me on this, there is a point to it beyond celebrating my own book. I promise. Keep reading.

My favorite thing as a writer is getting feedback on my books, specific details that people respond to. I have been gifted over the years to receive tens of thousands of letters, notes, messages, etc. with this kind of delicious responsiveness. And I do mean GIFTED. It's like Christmas and my birthday combined when I receive the natural, enthusiastic responses that tell me my work has somehow impacted someone's life in a positive and forever manner. And whereas ALL of these comments mean the world to me, I have a particularly euphoric response when a man tells me that some element of The Book of Love has rocked his world. If I could issue a copy of TBOL to every man in his own language on his 21st birthday, I would do so. I truly believe that this is how important the information in TBOL is for men. And don't just take my word for it. TBOL is what caused Filip to want to be in a relationship with me after a lifetime of being single. He said often that TBOL completely altered him, it awakened him and gave him "eyes to see and ears to hear - and a heart to be heard." A dear friend of mine's husband says that TBOL "Changed the way he loves for eternity."

  This week, a wonderful and dynamic male friend of mine sent me a text to tell me that he had been reading TBOL on an airplane and he was completely blown away by a specific element. In this case, it was the legend of Ariadne and Theseus, the story of the labyrinth. Well the way that story is told in TBOL has a twist. Trust me, even if you think you know this story, you have never read it told quite like this. This version was revealed to me in a very special way and I rewrote it many times over the course of that book to get it just right. But I realized as I read his text that I had not read that segment in years - probably not since it was published in 2008. And so... I went back to read it again.

Now, it may sound a little weird that I often do not remember what I have written in great detail, and I do not know if this is true with all writers, but once I have committed something to the page finally, it leaves my memory. I don't need it anymore, and what I do need is more space to add new stories and teachings, so I don't hold on to old material. I often have to go back and read something I wrote when somebody asks me about it for that reason. At the time of writing it, I LIVE it to the point of insanity. But once it's gone... it's gone. So there I was, re-reading the story of Ariadne and wondering why it had been so impactful when I was punched in the stomach by one of the lessons in the story. This spiritual truth about love and the concept of a true beloved relationship is so powerful, so honest and so important that it bears repeating to everyone who has ears to hear it, and I know a number of people right now who DO need to hear it. So this is it:

"For love that is not requited in equal measure is not love at all. IT IS NOT SACRED. And holding on to the ideal of such love will keep us from finding the one that is true."

  Too often, we try to make a relationship work because we desperately want it to. We love so hard, so deeply, so much more than the other person in the relationship. We WILL them to love us back in the same way, but they simply cannot. They cannot, because it is not the right relationship for us. We cannot force another to love us as we love them, and that is the most painful of realizations.

It is only when we are loved in return, in EQUAL MEASURE of give and take, that love evolves into the "beloved relationship." And so, my friends, during this time of Venus retrograde, if you are in a relationship where your love is not returned in equal measure, it is perhaps time to release it and let it go. Holding on to the idea of a love that is not of equals is keeping you from finding that true, bonded mating that changes the world with its depth. I know that kind of relationship intimately and was blessed to experience it, and I wish it for everyone. Was my relationship perfect? No way. It was flawed and challenging and messy in all kinds of ways, as most truly intimate relationships are. But did we love each other with equal depth and incredible commitment? We did. And THAT was what made our love epic.

Do NOT settle for anything less than epic love, a love that is reciprocated, a love that gives to you as much as you give to it.

 I was listening to Neil Young recently and was struck by the harshness of a specific lyric, "It doesn't mean that much to me, to mean that much to you."  It kind of kicked me in the teeth and made me think about whether or not I had people in my life who might think that about me - people I loved with far more commitment than they loved me in return.  It was a very eye-opening and somewhat disturbing inventory, but a necessary one.  But certainly, if this sentiment can be said within your most intimate relationship, you are receiving a very strong wake up call to get out and  let go.  Love deserves love in return, always.  Open yourself to the kind of epic love that reciprocates in generous measure.  Accept nothing less. 

You deserve to be loved in the same, "all in" kind of way that you know you are capable of loving.  And every minute you settle for anything less, you are blocking your ability to know something far greater.

  And if you have not read this version of the Ariadne story, it may be time for you to pick up The Book of Love. Who knows where it might take you? 

Here's a great link to understanding the Venus Retrograde energies at work in our lives: http://virgomagic.com/2014/01/11/venus-in-the-underworld/

Wishing you epic love on the journey.  - k  x
 

Ancient Aliens - Aliens and Mysterious Mountains Dec 13, 2013

Aliens and Mysterious Mountains

Premiere Date:December 13, 2013 – 10:00-11:00PM ET

“Storm in the Mountains” by Albert Bierstadt

Shooting the “Mysterious Mountains” episode of this week’s Ancient Aliens for H2 and the History Channel had special meaning for me given that I spent my birthday this year hiking in the Himalayas. As I trekked through the Anapurna Mountain range in Nepal during the Vernal Equinox, I was often breathless – not only from the strenuous hours of uphill climbing, but also from the sheer beauty and majesty of my surroundings. On my first night of the trek, we arrived at our campsite under heavy cloud cover, unable to see anything beyond our immediate location. We fell into our beds, exhausted, and there we stayed – until our guides came knocking on our doors just after midnight. ”Come, you must come now!”

Annapurna – Ghandruk

We jumped out of bed and scrambled to see what the guides were so excited to show us. The clouds were parting as we slept, and the tallest peaks of the Anapurna Mountain Range were emerging in the moonlight, revealing their height and breadth and almost indescribable beauty. It was the most spectacular and mystical vista I have ever experienced. Compounding the exquisite natural gift was the fact that it was now the earliest hours of the 22nd of March – my 50th birthday.

That night and in the days that followed, I found myself in communion with these magnificent mountains and frequently said aloud some version of the phrase “God lives here.” For surely a place this close to the heavens, this pure and powerful and magical, is the dwelling place of the Divine. This is a feeling that I have shared with countless generations who have come before me, from cultures across the globe and into antiquity. Thus when I was asked to talk about the power of mountains in folklore, mythology and ancient cultures for Ancient Aliens, I was feeling very inspired.

When working on a show like this, one never knows just what segments will make it on the air – sometimes we shoot 30 plus questions for a segment that lasts 5 seconds on the air, but that is the nature of television. I spoke on a number of topics related to the mysticism of mountains for this episode, and I am in delicious anticipation of what will make it on the show. Watch with me on Friday, December 13, 2013, and see!

Synopsis From The History Channel website:

Across ancient civilizations, the world’s mountains were viewed as the sacred home to all-powerful gods. Why would so many different cultures share this belief that mountains had a connection to otherworldly beings? The Greeks believed their most powerful gods, the Olympians, waged an epic war for control of the universe from Mt. Olympus. Ruins of a 4000-year-old observatory discovered on a mountain in Macedonia reveal that the ancients tracked celestial movements from on high with remarkable precision. And in Peru, the descendants of the Incans continue an ancient pilgrimage tradition in order to commune with mountain spirits known as Apu. Could these gods have been extraterrestrials? Did they use remote mountain peaks to interact with early man? Might this explain why humans have been drawn to mountains for thousands of years?

TVPG

Upcoming Airings:

• December 14, 2013 – 02:00-03:00AM ET

http://www.history.com/shows/ancient-aliens


Ancient Aliens - Aliens and Mysterious Mountains Dec 13, 2013

Kathleen McGowan on Ancient Aliens - Dec 6, 2013

Aliens and The Lost Ark

Premiere Date:December 06, 2013 – 10:00-11:00PM ET

Indiana Kate says:

It is always fun to appear on a hit show like Ancient Aliens, but this week’s episode on the Lost Ark is really special. I am very excited to participate in bringing this new information about the Ark to the world. If you think you already know all there is about the Ark of the Covenant, this episode will change your mind and make you think again. Come with me and see, Friday night at 10 PM on H2.

The Ark of the Covenant is one of the most sought after religious relics of all times and far more than just a box that contained the Ten Commandments. The biblical stories surrounding the Ark speak of a device with divine powers that was able to produce food, take down stonewalls, kill those that come in contact with it, and provide direct communication to God. Are these stories mere myth? Or did the Ark of the Covenant possess extraordinary powers? What happened to this incredible relic? Could it still be hidden? Are we getting close to a rediscovery and reactivation of the Ark? And if so, will the Ark of the Covenant reveal a long, lost connection to our extraterrestrial past?

TVPG

Upcoming Airings:

• December 07, 2013 – 02:00-03:00 AM ET

http://www.history.com/shows/h2


Kathleen McGowan on Ancient Aliens - Dec 6, 2013

Kathleen McGowan on the History Channel - Dec 4, 2013

Kathleen McGowan on The History Channel

“I am honored and thrilled to have had such a huge role in the “Forbidden Scriptures” episode of the History Channel‘s new show, Bible Secrets Revealed. It was and is a dream come true to discuss openly these topics which would have all been cause for execution at so many times in the past 2000 years – the importance of Mary Magdalene as the keeper of sacred wisdom and the true successor of Jesus, Asherah as God’s female counterpart and equal, the benevolent nature of God. It is the first time on television, that I am aware of at least, for discussion of texts as controversial as the Testimony of Truth, the Apocalypse of Peter and the Life of Adam and Eve.

My heartfelt thanks to the History Channel and the producers at Prometheus Entertainment for allowing me to have such a strong presence and opinion on this show, and for being the sole “non-academic” voice in the mix. If you missed the airing of “Forbidden Scriptures” last week, there will be an encore showing of it this Wednesday, December 4, prior to the new episode, “The Real Jesus.” I am told that I appear in the new episode as well, but as yet I do not know in what capacity, so let’s watch and find out!”

The Real Jesus - Premiere Episode - December 4 at 10 PM ET

For billions of people around the world he is known as “The Son of God” ”the Messiah whose teachings have inspired one of the most powerful and influential religions in the world. Nearly everything we know about the life of Jesus comes from the four Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. But just how accurate are these sacred texts?…(find out more)

The Forbidden Scriptures - Watch Online

The books, gospels and epistles found in the Holy Bible are writings considered to be divinely inspired. But are there chapters of the Bible that are missing? Have stories been censored and characters deleted? And if so, just who decides what is included–and what is forbidden?…(watch it online)

Show Schedule:

(All are scheduled at 9PM CST)

“Lost in Translation” – November 13, 2013
“The Promised Land” – November 20, 2013
“The Forbidden Scriptures” – November 27, 2013
“The Real Jesus” – December 4, 2013
“Mysterious Prophecies” – December 18, 2013
“Sex and the Bible” – Date to be announced

Bible Secrets Revealed is produced by Prometheus Entertainment for The History Channel

Kathleen McGowan on the History Channel - Dec 4, 2013

The Glories of Autumn

It is the fall of the year, my favorite of the seasons.  There is something so deep and mysterious, magical and sensual held within the promise of the warm autumn winds that are blowing through Southern California as I type this.  Winds of change bring whispers of a new world.  This year has held sweeping changes for almost everyone I know as we are being pushed to move into new directions, to find our way into our truest path, to step in to our destiny.  We are being asked to be ALL IN for the life that we signed up for, to accomplish the mission we created for ourselves.  There will be no more fence sitting, no more dabbling.  It is TIME to move in to a higher place.  And in order to do that, the old world we once lived in must fall away to make room for the new energies, people and opportunities which await us.  There is much to be excited about, hopeful for, desirous of - but first we have to be willing to release the old paradigms that no longer serve us. 

In my book on the power of prayer and intention, "TheSource of Miracles," I have section which I audaciously refer to as THE SECRET OF LIFE.  But I did not mean it to be cheeky. I truly meant to reveal what I believe to be the secret of life.  And here it is, because it is the time of year to really stop and contemplate this:

"You made a promise to God to carry out a specific set of duties and to accomplish a predetermined mission during your life on earth. How and if you do that is up to your free will, but your understanding and fulfillment of that promise and mission is the key factor in determining your happiness. fulfillment and abundance."

Go back and re-read that as many times as you need to, because it is this understanding  that will transform you more than anything else.  You are special, you are unique.  You chose to come here to do something that only you can do.  Now... what is it?

This is the season of knowing, of gaining clarity, of hearing the voice of the Divine speak to you in soft but determine whispers.  Listen to what it tells you, hear what you tell yourself.

As for me, the voice tells me to expand my vision, to work harder on creating more immediately accessible content for my readers who are ready to go to the next level.  And this is what I am working on now.  So stay tuned for the last newsletter of the year, where I will have some exciting announcements for 2014.  

We did it!

You may remember in my last newsletter, that on March 22, while traveling in India and Nepal. I made a commitment to raise 50,000 dollars to fight human trafficking and support survivors.  A new shelter is desperately needed to become a home for girls and women who have been rescued from enslavement, and there was a 50,000 deficit in the fundraising.  I pledged, as it was the year of my 50th birthday, to raise the 50k within this year.

By September 22nd, the six month mark of my pledge, I had raised an impressive $28,000. That weekend I was hosting an extraordinary conference for women in Ventura, CA, called The Heroine's Journey.  The theme was epic living, how to have an amazing life and be in service to this beautiful planet we are blessed to inhabit.  At the conference, one of the heroine participants stood up and challenged the others to raise the remainder of the necessary money by the end of the weekend.  And so it came to pass that 70 determined women in a single 24 hour period came up with the additional 22,000 dollars that we needed to fund the shelter!  It was the stuff that an activist's dreams are made of!

And a numerologist's dream as well: Pledge taken March 22.  Halfway point Sept 22.  Amount raised:  22,0000.

THANK YOU ALL so much for helping me to raise this money to keep our girls in the West Bengal region safe and free.  I will keep you posted on the progress.  I have been told that foundation will be poured next week, and I will b in India in January to check out the progress in person. 

To read more about our efforts in West Bengal in support of survivors, or to participate in our efforts, click here:

http://www.madebysurvivors.com/you-can-help-49/free-forever-campaign

It is Solved By Walking - The Labyrinth as a meditational tool for the Type A Truth Seeker

It has been exactly a year since my last post. Here is why. 

I am not Zen and I never will be. I am not a navel contemplator.  I do not do "still."  But I consider myself a deeply spiritual woman, someone who needs to commune with the divine and feel a connection to something bigger and better than I am on a regular basis.  So how does a Type A personality find a means in which to slow down and focus on the inner world rather than the outer world?  For me, that answer became abundantly and blissfully clear years ago when I first discovered the empowerment of labyrinth walking.

                                            Two views of the labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral,
                                             completed in 1200 AD. 


The labyrinth is an ancient tool for meditation and prayer.  Often mistakenly referred to as a maze, the labyrinth is markedly different from those hedge maze garden structures that challenged people to find their way out.  A maze is a place where people get lost, because there are multiple pathways to the same destination.  But a labyrinth has only one path to the center.  It is a structure filled with metaphor, but this is the first and most important: when you walk a labyrinth, as long as you stay true to your path, you will always reach the center.  A labyrinth is a place where we find ourselves rather than lose ourselves.

I need to find myself now.  Ten months ago today, my newlywed husband died in my arms at the age of 41.  Married on July 22, 2012, he became ill on Thanksgiving and died of an aggressive and impossible cancer right before New Year's Eve.  My life does not look anything like I thought it would at this time.  Everything I have ever believed about the world, about God and even about myself has been challenged in these last ten months. With the exception of my immediate family and a very small group of friends, no one and no thing that was critical to my life at this time last year even exists anymore in my daily experience. 

My own labyrinthine path over this past year has taken as many twists and turns as the 11 circuits of the most famous and exalted of all labyrinths, the 800 year old structure within Chartres Cathedral.  When walking the circuits of that labyrinth, there are moments when I am certain I am coming very close to the center, what I have perceived to be my destination, when suddenly an unexpected turn takes me out to the most distant reaches - as far from the center as it is possible to be.  But the labyrinth has taught me to put my head down and just keep walking.  Stay on my path.  Keep moving toward a center on my way to a sacred destination worth reaching.  It is a walking meditation, a place where I can pray, a place where I can talk to God and know that He and She are not only listening, but replying.

I often say that walking into an 11 circuit labyrinth is like dialing the 1-800 number to the Divine.  As I walk in to those circuits, I breathe away the stresses and anxieties of the cerebral world, and allow myself to stay on the path that flows to the center.  When I arrive at the central space, in the shape of a rose  with six petals, that 800 number has connected me directly to the Upstairs Department.  I have reached a customer service line of angels to answer my questions. 

I have written two books which were inspired by the labyrinth and how it serves as a prayer tool.  In this excerpt from my second novel, The Book of Love, the heroine Matilda of Tuscany seeks her answers in the labyrinth.  This passage conveys my deep love of this process, through the eyes of Matilda:

"Solvitur Ambulando meant "It is solved by walking," and it was an integral part of their teachings from the labyrinth.  For Matilda had been taught that the labyrinth was a perfectly constructed device.  It was created through the combined wisdom of Solomon and Sheba, a sublime indication of how beloveds can manifest great miracles through shared spirit.  It was given to man as a means of accessing God most directly through inner listening.  Walking the labyrinth gave the prayerful person ears to hear, so that upon reaching the center , the messages of God could be heard and understood most clearly.  It was a walking prayer, a dance of meditation that brought the mind, body and spirit together in a singularly powerful understanding.  It was through the labyrinth that Solomon gained his legendary wisdom. 

"Perhaps Matilda would find her strength in the morning, once she had listened to God in the center of the labyrinth.  It had never failed her before.  The six-petaled flower at the center of the labyrinth was her favorite place on earth, the sweetest, safest location ever created.  Tomorrow she would go there in search of herself, her future and God's otherwise indiscernible will."

In 2009, I released a book entitled "The Source of Miracles" to convey the prayer practice that I utilize within the 6 petaled rose.  The book also tells the story of how my experiences within the labyrinth saved the life of my youngest son, Shane. 

 And so this week, after many years of driving for hours to find walkable labyrinths, I have realized one of my great dreams: I am in the middle of construction of my very own, custom built labyrinth!  It is designed to replicate the dimensions of the labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral.

Construction of the circuits 

Selenite is cut and polished to create the rose petals

                                        

More selenite and celestite for the center of the labyrinth

 

 

I will keep you all posted on the progress of my labyrinth.  But if you would like to try this amazing walking meditation, and perhaps find some respite for your over-committed 21st century mind, try this Worldwide Labyrinth Locator:

 

http://labyrinthlocator.com/

 

I'll meet you in the center.

 

 x k