Rishikavi Raghudas:  

Life Greetings, poetry lovers! (As Bullwinkle used to say; you'll have to forgive me--I live in L.A. and work as a writer in Hollywood.) Let me first invite you to visit my website, which you can find if you google my name. There you'll find my writings and more about me than you probably wanted to know. Here's an overview... I've taught yoga for over 30 years, have a broad background in metaphysics (I've met many great saints, including my beloved guru, Swami Satchidananda, the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa and others) and often give spiritual counsel to the needy amid the bohemian splendor of Venice Beach. I have been a professional astrologer for many years. Remember, it was the Wise Men who followed the stars who found the baby Jesus. I also am a Reiki practitioner (hands-on healing), and I teach Tantra. Yes, it's sometimes called the yoga of sex, but it is also a way to attune to the Spirit. I was well known in MI for my poetry (Gov. Blanchard gave me the title of "unofficial poet laureate of Michigan") and I performed at Pres. Bill Clinton's 1997 inaugural. Many have asked me what, as a professional astrologer, I see for the near future. First of all, there will BE one. The world will not end in 2012. But we have entered now into a period, exemplified by the troubled economy and much environmental stress, where over the next 15-20 years the major purpose behind events will be to create a harmonious global community out of our current shortsighted world. This is an important time. It will be bumpy and full of drama, and our ideals need to shift into more of a global-family perspective to make it all work. So stay centered; relax, and enjoy the ride! As for myself, throughout the '80s I had a lot of fun performing at the Michigan Renaissance Festival as Sir Pretense Past-Tense, the Court Bard. ("I was barred from more Courts than you can name!") Another highlight was my close involvement with the Romantic Futurists. A group of mystical creative artists, we staged 5-hour multi-media extravaganzas that featured poetry, music, dance, painting and other arts. There was a flowering of great art and spirituality in Michigan during this time, and the Romantic Futurists were the center of it. Perhaps some will also remember my many columns in phenomeNEWS, on social topics from a spiritual perspective. And my book, "The Lotus and the Dawn," a 108-stanza brief epic poem on world peace and spiritual harmony, was turned into...Expand for more