Editorial
Volume 20 Issue 1 — May/June 2014
by Melva Armstrong

Ah, the spring is an extremely welcome season this year, after the very long winter. As I write this, the snow is still on the ground but the temperatures are warming gradually, so it will be a slow melt. The birds are back singing their lovely songs and the geese have been flying across the sky, honking in unison. On my walk, I saw a few little ducks floating on a small pool of water in a grain field, and later the dogs spotted a ruffed grouse in the bushes, but it scurried off when they started heading toward it. The squirrels have been busy scampering along the tree branches while chattering to each other and eating whatever they find on the spruce trees. And, I saw my first pair of robins, so the crocuses will likely follow soon. The brilliance of spring is watching everything begin their display of colours.

In your hands, you are holding the first issue of year twenty and, with that, we celebrate WHOLifE Journal completing nineteen full years! Starting year twenty is very exciting for me and to mark this milestone, our designer, Cheryl McDougall, has given the front cover a fresh makeover, so I trust you will enjoy her brilliant creativity. It is a great honour to be doing this work for so many years. I feel blessed to have been guided to create this journal and to continue serving the folks of this province and beyond. I get to meet and work with many amazing and beautiful people and everyone is so much fun. Over the years, I have loved watching people grow and evolve and move into new realms of awareness where they begin finding much more peace, joy, happiness, and abundance in their lives. Many more people are waking up and helping to change the world for the better and highest good of all. These are very exciting times in which to be living and I am looking forward to sharing many more fabulous years with everyone.

Spring is often seen as a time of deep cleansing and rejuvenation and a good plant to help in the healing process is the bright and brilliant dandelion. According to Sandra Brandt in her article, Dandelion Delicacies: Bountiful Roots, Greens, and Blossoms (p. 8), this so-called weed is packed full of minerals and nutrients, especially the leaves. She has also included some tasty and nutritious recipes to help you get started.

With more people today demanding healthy organic food for their well-being, it is no surprise someone has invented a device that measures the quality of our food. Using a Brix refractometer, you can now figure out if each of the foods you have is poor, average, good, or excellent. Graham Noble has been researching the benefits of organic foods for a number of years and recently discovered this new gadget, which he explains in his article, High Brix Organic – The New Standard in Food (p. 14). He says you can purchase one on eBay for a reasonable price, so be sure to check it out and let us know your thoughts.

May you read on to the many other articles, news of note, and advertising, all of which are meant to awaken the spirit in you and to help guide you on this amazing life journey. Speaking of journeys, there is an amazingly beautiful Maitreya Loving Kindness Tour coming to Saskatoon August 1 to 3. You can read about it on page 20 and see the beautiful photos of previous tour locations.

On the more serious side, I must say I am deeply disturbed about the continuous abuse and cruelty to animals throughout the world. I recently read an article from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), part of which I’ve included in a News of Note item on page six about the Canadian and US military use of torture and mutilation on pigs and goats, all in the name of medical military defence training, The very sad part is that Canada and the US are the only NATO countries still authorizing such inhumane treatment. All the other NATO countries have wisely switched to using advanced simulation technology for this kind of medical training. I hope you will sign those petitions for the advancement of humane treatment for animals. There are so many ways in which animals are harmed in our world and if we can only educate ourselves and others about these horrible practices, then we will be doing our part to prevent them. Thank you for your love and protection of animals.

May you enjoy the glories of spring renewal and find peace and happiness in every step you take.

Namaste
(The spirit in me honours the spirit in your)