Mona Lisa - mystery no more

Oh well, yet another mystery bites the dust in this age of desperate demystification. It has been removed from our ever-graying lives that were once filled with enigmas, exciting unknowns that moved our fantasy, and engaged our imagination. Finally, we know who the lady truly was who had such a mesmerizing smile that it inspired one of the greatest geniuses of all time to create such an amazing painting that kept mankind fascinated for centuries. Now we know that the lady's name was Lisa del Giocondo, the wife of a Florence merchant. Funny this took so many years and the interventions of Cicero and German scientists to figure out when in Italy the painting has for hundreds of years has been known as 'La Gioconda'.

Of course, as always, there had to be a secret lover as a suspect subject for the painting, then there was the theory that the lady with the smile was supposedly the master's mother. Better yet, there was a theory the painting was actually a symbolic representation of Leonardo himself. I have seen various desperate attempts at mapping the facial characteristics of Mona Lisa to those of the only surviving self-portrait of Leonardo. The question was also raised why it would be that Mona Lisa, assuming it was Leonardo himself, looks so much like a woman? Now we know. Because the sitter was a woman. But for those proposing the Leonardo = Mona Lisa theory, this was exactly where the magic of symbolism would have to come in. One does not have to give evidence if its a symbol, right? Dan Brown to the rescue! She is hiding the ultimate secret: knowldege of the 'Sang Real'.

Then, there were those who tried some kind of facial proportion analysis to figure out what really was making the famous smile so famous. Various theories of asymmetry emerged. There was also supposed to be some clues in the fact that the lady's eyebrows and eyelashes were missing.

To me the good news is, the smile of Mona Lisa, remains just as fascinating as ever. Above all the puzzlement, amazement and all the petty confusion it has caused.

Any man can make mistakes, but only an idiot persists in his error. (Cicero)

Ask and It Is Given by Jerry and Esther Hicks

For almost two hundred years authors have been writing books about the concept that the focusing thought on prosperity or wellness will bring those desired things into ones life. Some of the most influential such authors from the past century were Charles Haanel (Master Key System from 1912), Prentice Mulford (Thoughts Are Things), Robert Collier (Secret of the Ages), Napoleon Hill (Think and Grow Rich), Norman Vincent Peale (Power of Positive Thinking), and the more recent Jose Silva (Mind Control Method). The "New Thought" movement, of which the Hickses are also part of, is essentially based on the writings of these individuals along with philosophical influences from Ralph Waldo Emerson, with some remote references to Hinduism.

The book "Ask and It Is Given" by Esther and Jerry Hicks is a brief introduction into the application of the "law of attraction" and the "law of allowing" in our everyday lives. The general concepts and the 22 processes listed are a great tool for transforming one's mind set from one focusing on lack, difficulties and defeat to one centred around prosperity, health and well-being. There is nothing fundamentally new in the message conveyed by this book. It is the authority that Esther Hicks references in her channellings that make this book (and videos and tapes/CDs and seminars and counselling and ...) interesting. It's all supposed to be "blocks of thoughts" downloaded from a group of non-physical beings who call themselves "Abraham" into Esther Hicks translated into English-language communication that makes this interesting.

Some of the core communications that the authors share in this book are that we are physical extension of that which is non-physical; we are here in this body because we chose to be here; the basis of our life is freedom with the purpose of joy; and that we are creators who create with our every thought. Therefore, if we focus our thoughts on the things we want in our lives, those can be manifested.

The Hickses had been two of the most successful proponents of the "law of attraction" before the consciousness-propsperity-wellness market was stormed by an Australian documentary producer's Rhonda Byrne's, movie "The Secret" and her similarly titled book.

Esther and Jerry Hicks wrote a series of wonderful children's books worth reading:
Sara, Book 1: The Foreverness of Friends of a Feather
Sara, Book 2: Solomon's Fine Featherless Friends
Sara, Book 3: A Talking Owl Is Worth a Thousand Words!

Contacts with your guardian angel (Kontakte mit Deinem Schutzgeist) by Penny McLean

Penny McLean was a popular singer star in the late 70s and early 80s. In her book McLean relates that during the early years of her singing career, which happened to coincide with the dawn of the new age movement, she started to be aware of and able to make contact with her "guardian angel" and other spiritual entities who have shared with her wisdom from the realm of these entities and also some practical knowledge (such as how to fix an automobile or an answering machine). This book relates the story of her journey to experiencing and communicating with these entities.

As I had only the chance of reading a terrible translation of Penny McLean's German original, I cannot make any comment on the literary qualities of her style. Still, one thing is sure. If the translator is responsible only for three quarters of the incorrect grammar and inconsistencies in the book, this book is farily low in the list literary gems.

The first part of the book is an entertaining story about the author's initiation into the world esoteric experiences, the first angelic encounters, "talks" with entities like Rudolf Steiner and the events that helped her become a believer and fierce proponent of the ability of us humans making deliberate contact with the entities of the spiritual domain.

The second part is a much less friendly read about some of the wisdom the author claims to have received from the angelic entities. These are pieces of wisdom that have been floating around for millennia. Unfortunately, not much new is presented here.

On the one hand, the book might offer some entertainment value for those who are not believers of the human-angel dialog. On the other, tt is, however unimpressive, an affirmation for those who are already followers of any of the many branches of the new age movement.