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Those of you in my age group probably recall Barry McGuire’s hit song of the 1960s, "Eve of Destruction." The recording became a classic protest song. As Wikipedia puts it, McGuire "expressed the frustrations and fears of young people in the age of the Cold War, Vietnam, the nuclear arms race, and the civil rights movement."

Today many are expressing the same fears, but of another apocalypse -- global warming and all the other sins humans have committed against Mother Earth.

Are we on another eve of destruction? What can we do about it?

(This is a long newsletter, much longer than we normally do, as this topic is a huge concern to so many today. Perhaps, as sometimes happens with Joseph’s messages, more questions will be raised than answered. We’ll be willing to do a follow-up if enough of you tell us you want that.)

Lately Joseph and I have been getting lots of emails from old and dear friends who’ve been with us since we started many years ago. We’ve responded to some of those in recent newsletters. Here are some excerpts of recent letters from yet another of those friends.

"I've been thinking a lot about the environment lately. The earth and the environmental movement have always held an important focus for me. I was well aware of the looming earth crisis. . . . (and) my younger son kept pestering us to watch An Inconvenient Truth and I kept avoiding it. Finally, we saw it. I was well aware of the pieces of the crisis, but never saw the whole thing laid out for me in quite that way.

"What if it becomes clear that we have been living inside a myth that holds no truth and by following that myth, we assure our own destruction? So, now I'm in the inquiry. What is there to do? What is the path that will heal the earth? Is there more to do than bring in Light, pray, give to environmental causes, make our personal ecology and personal environments healthy?

"Clearly, the state of the earth mirrors the state of many on this planet. But, what to do? Or what to be? Humanity as we know it may be left in ruins, but why do we need to take this beautiful planet and other species with us?

"I seem to be nagged by something in me that pushes me to stay in the inquiry. How do we transform the looming environmental crisis? It would seem to me that while physical action must be taken, there is a spiritual and/or energetic action that may be much more powerful.

". . . . if we're the ones that are awake to the situation, don't we owe it to ourselves/the world to know and see what's happening so that we can be ‘in action’ about the situation in our lives/communities/world? Especially if we can watch it without getting ‘sucked under’ vibration-wise. I found myself galvanized into action. BUT, I'm still really looking for what is the appropriate action to take.

"That is, will simply raising our vibrations and doing energy work be enough? Is it a spiritual question that has a spiritual answer? Or do we really need to dig? Many of those with higher vibrations (myself included) don't watch the news often -- too much fear-mongering and negativity. And, watching the news other than as a prayer list for sending Light and prayers isn't terribly useful. It doesn't change much and focuses on the negative. But is it appropriate to have that same attitude when it comes to the environmental changes which so desperately need to be (shifted)?

"Is it better to have the higher vibration of seeing the earth as whole and complete and healthy or is it better to engage in the fear of what is happening to the environment and work for solutions and to ‘wake up’ people? Is it better to spiritually ‘hold the space’ for the earth and the environment or work in the three dimensions?

"I guess the best thing is to keep a high vibration and ‘do the work’. . . . but I'm not sure how to do that.

"I would love it if you did a newsletter on this subject. . . . I am very interested in your and Joseph's ideas. And of course, you are welcome to quote anything I've said. I love the work you do and I love you both too!"

Here’s Chief Joseph.

Chief Joseph

Friends, let us say this right up front: This is not the eve of destruction.

Yes, you have challenges -- in your personal lives, in your groups, governments, organizations, etc. So too does your planet have her challenges.

But those challenges are not the prelude to destruction. There is no destruction. Yes, you live and die physically. Parts of your physical bodies are constantly dying and being reborn. Your scientists say every seven years you have a completely new physical body.

So too are parts of your Mother Earth constantly dying and being reborn. You saw this in a dramatic way with the 1988 wildfires in the USA’s Yellowstone National Park. First, seeming devastation, and then a few years later rebirth.

Nothing that exists can ever be annihilated. It will never cease to exist. It simply changes form.

We applaud your deep concerns for the welfare of your planet. Humans have done much, particularly in your modern age of scientific progress and technology, to do what you see as harmful to the planet’s health.

While we’d agree much of what the human race has done is not particularly helpful to the planet, neither does it spell doom and destruction.

Your planet is far healthier than most of you know, despite appearances. Your planet has all the resources it needs to restore itself to perfect health, perfect balance. Just as your physical bodies do.

But the question remains: What can you do about all this?

As our friend asked in her letter, should you simply work on a spiritual level, envisioning the planet as whole and healthy? Or should you take physical action? Or both?

Our answer: Both. But with a caveat.

You often gather together in groups with a common purpose. For example, environmental organizations, peace advocacy groups, educational organizations, etc. All well-intended. All good. We commend them all. Some are powerfully effective. Some are not.

What sometimes happens in such groups is the individual members, while having the same overall goal, have differing intents and methods for the best ways to achieve their common goal. Then you have a "fractured" group, often achieving little or nothing.

So this is what we suggest.

In your environmental challenges -- or any other challenges, personal or global -- go within, whatever that means to you. Could be prayer, meditation, anything that gets you into a peaceful centered place. Trust your inner guidance to show you what to do.

Sometimes you’ll be told to simply hold your planet in your vision and send it love and light. Other times you’ll be guided to take physical action. Do whatever your higher selves guide you to do -- or perhaps you’ll be guided to do nothing for now. There is no one "right" way.

Above all, know this: One person, acting alone in alignment with her/his higher self, is far, far more powerful than millions of other acting out of fear, anger, rage, revenge.

If you have a world full of powerful individuals acting alone and separately, you will create paradise on earth.

If you have a world full of those acting out of fear, anger, rage, revenge, you will continue to create more of the world you have now.

The "bottom line" here, friends is this: You, alone, can make a powerful difference in restoring the planet to a healthier state. The planet herself is helping you do this because her natural state is that of perfect balance and health.

It’s up to you how you want to achieve your goals -- individually, in groups, or both. All ways will work if you ensure you are aligned with your higher selves. If you act from a centered place of peace and power, nothing shall be impossible for you to achieve.

You are not living on the eve of destruction. You are living at the dawn of rebirth into light.

This Week's Newsletter Reflection Questions

News Updates

1)  Tuning In, a brand-new spiritual movie featuring some of today's prominent channels and their spirit guides, including Chief Joseph and me, has been released. It's now available to the public. Get more information and order your copy here. Watch the trailer (short video preview) here.

2) We're now doing monthly podcasts with Chief Joseph

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