Sample article from the December 2000 Star Beacon

DISC-ussion

Ann Ulrich

by Ann Ulrich

I don’t know about you, but for me this has been one incredible year. So much has happened that there has been extremely little time to reflect on anything before the next major event occurs.

Our E.T. friend, Sanni, also known as Marcellina Beckwith, changed our lives when she came to Colorado for an 11-day visit in early June. This project had been in the works for a year and a half. We soon discovered that Marcy needed to be part of our group, so we all worked to bring her here, and by the end of June she had moved into a little house in Paonia. She has now been a Colorado resident for five months and has made a lot of progress. Thanks to many of you who wrote to her and encouraged her with words and gifts and friendship, Marcy is living a happier and freer life, and certainly a more creative one. I would like to acknowledge my 11-year partner, "Starhawk," for going above and beyond the call of lightworkerhood in helping Marcy adjust to her new life. It was not without sacrifices.

In August the 2nd annual Love and Light Conference was small but highly successful, at least in the way of instilling lots of love and light. There are things more important than making money, and those who participated as vendors, readers and workshop givers may not have come away with a lot of the green stuff, but almost every one of them expressed joy and gratitude for being a part of this year’s conference in Hotchkiss, Colo. And certainly those who came strictly as conference attendants were delighted. My task now will be to revise yet again the plan for making next year’s conference as high quality, yet more feasible for all, meaning we must find a more suitable place and reduce the number of speakers even more. I am tentatively planning for the first weekend in August for the 3rd annual conference.

Last month I went on my first Caribbean cruise. My sister decided to give our mother, who turned 80 years old on Nov. 9, a cruise for her birthday. I decided to invite myself along. It turned out to be an amazing experience. It was such a treat to sail for seven days and seven nights on Carnival Cruise Line’s largest and newest ship, the Victory. We three shared a cabin on the eighth deck and got to dress up in colorful, exciting clothes, stroll through the luxurious lobbies and lounges, listen to great jazz music, sip daiquiris, lay out under the sun on top of the ship while Reggae music played, and eat gourmet food while being pampered by professional waiters and crew. There were high-class shows every night in the Caribbean Lounge, most of which were top notch. My favorite time for being on deck was at night with the salty sea air blowing in my face.

If you ever get a chance to take a cruise, do it. We stopped at three ports of call, the first of which was Playa del Carmen, where we took a tour to see the Mayan Ruins. Then we were ferried over to the ship, which had docked at Cozumel in Mexico. Two days later the ship visited Grand Cayman, where the sea was a lovely turquoise blue. The next day we toured Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and visited the beautiful Coyabe Gardens as well as the famous Dunn River Falls. I still have Jamaican tunes running through my head and a slight tan to remind me that just a couple of weeks ago I was in a tropical dream.

But, like everything else, the time comes to return to reality. On the cruise we didn’t think very much about the indecisiveness of the 2000 election, or about what was happening in the Middle East. For me it wasn’t total escapism, for I took along with me Scott Mandelker’s book, Universal Vision, which kept me in touch with my spiritual side. In fact, on many occasions I felt my heart chakra sending out a steady flow of love and light to all. I felt that I, lonely lightworker on a ship of "normal" people, was performing what I was supposed to be doing, just by being there. It gave me perspective and it helped me self-reflect at a hectic time in my life when there is no time for reflection or review.

Now as we approach this special season of the year -- Christmas, Hanukah, Solstice -- we once again open our hearts to reflection and peace and joy for our fellow humans worldwide. This is the time of year to concentrate on loving everyone, focusing on peace, and being thankful for our many blessings and experiences that guide us toward our ascension and that of our Earth.

Peace, prosperity and joy to each and all of you!

Subscribe to The Star Beacon

Return to Home Page