Culture & Media articles:

Film — Fatima

Fatima (covered) with her daughters

Fatima is a glimpse into the challenges of all of their lives, nut particularly the mother’s. She faces discrimination for wearing a headscarf, is studying French but hasn’t mastered it, works exhausting hours at menial jobs, and as if all this weren’t enough, suffers a physical injury.

Film — Seed

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“Seed” painstakingly but entertainingly takes us through the history of seeds, showing us their beauty in myriad shapes and colors. You owe it to yourself to see this film so that, if nothing else, you can appreciate their gorgeous diversity, as well as how threatened they truly are.

Missy Galore

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Fittingly, Galore has performed at the Burning Man festival—a listen to Shamanatrix is like a 15-minute vacation to the Black Rock Desert, far from conventions, violence and political warfare.

Nam Myoho Renge Kyo Chant

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There is always violence in the world, but events of this past week have heightened our awareness of it. Every time we turn on the news or look on social media, there is more bad news of humans causing pain to humans. Death does not care what color our skin, or what uniform we wear.

Kaia Kater New Release

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Some of Kater’s lyrics were inspired by the works of author Toni Morrison, and like “Beloved” or “Song of Solomon,” “Nine Pin” transports its audience to a very specific time and place. Turn it on and you can practically see the bluegrass and Appalachian hills.

Dying to Know

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Beautifully edited, Dying to Know weaves together archival footage and stills of the two icons together and individually, with more recent footage of Ram Dass and reflections by friends and admirers celebrated in their own right, What emerges is a stunning portrait of two brilliant men.

Album Review: Barrule

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While many of the songs’ meanings are difficult to decipher, the group does touch upon modern, universal themes. On “High Net Worth Individuals,” Barrule lampoons greedy, power-hungry businessmen—something American voters are dealing with this election cycle.

Album Review: Sukha

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Rise never flags in its efforts to get the listener up and moving, appreciative and ready for the day or night ahead.

Book Review: Gentle Energy Touch

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Savin gives us detailed descriptions of the locations of each of the seven chakras and their associated colors, elements, areas of body governance, physical problems arising from imbalance, associated belief systems, mental and emotional correspondences, over- and underactive chakric issues, spiritual lessons and chakric truths.

Atlantos

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[Maxwell has] taken all her favorite “mysteries of the universe”—civilizations lost to the Great Flood; unexplained missing links in human evolution; evidence of ancient extraterrestrial visitation on Earth and Mars—and set them against the havoc technology is currently wreaking on the natural world, weaving the whole into a sprawling, character-driven epic family saga.