by Anthony Doerr. Reprinted by permission from Orion magazine

We live on Earth. Earth is a clump of iron and magnesium and nickel, smeared with a thin layer of organic matter, and sleeved in vapor. It whirls along in a nearly circular orbit around a minor star we call the sun.

I know, the sun doesn't seem minor. The sun puts the energy in our salads, milkshakes, hamburgers, gas tanks, and oceans. It literally makes the world go round. And it's huge: The Earth is a chickpea and the sun is a beach ball. The sun comprises 99.9 percent of all the mass in the solar system. Which means Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, etc., all fit into that little 0.1 percent.

The article, "We are not from here," that was sent out in last month’s Herald stated that our sun (and us!) did not originate in the Milky Way Galaxy. Several readers pointed out this is not congruent with the actual scientific findings of Steven Majewski, University of Virginia professor of astronomy, who conducted the original study. The original press release published by the University of Virginia was immediately placed on the Herald website and can be read at bleepingherald.com/oct2007/galaxy. Many apologies to our readers.

One Minute Shift delivers important kernels of wisdom, wrapped in beautiful music and video – a minute of higher awareness in the midst of your busy day! First releases include: Van Jones - It's Not Too Late, Marianne Williamson - Are You Part of the 11%?, and Edgar Mitchell - An Epiphany in Space

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Orbs: The Veil is Lifting is the first full-length film that brings together scientists, spiritual teachers, and experts to explore the orb phenomenon. What are they? What does their presence they mean? How do we experience them ourselves? Through the lenses of science, skepticism, and first-hand experience, this DVD opens the conversation by addressing questions about the possibilities of what exists in the unseen. Viewers are then invited to draw their own conclusions and to explore their own first-hand experiences. Featuring "What the Bleep" experts, Miceal Ledwith and JZ Knight and many more. Click Here

The Veggie Van Voyage - In Joshua Tickell's first independent film he shows you what life on the road in "the Van" is like. Follow Joshua on a cross-country venture from Sarasota, FL to San Francisco that you’ll never forget. Watch Tickell get a ticket, talk to Jim Hightower and be interviewed by the Today Show. We see America through the windows of the only van ever to make a two-year adventure across the USA on biodiesel fuel made from used French fry grease.click here.

From Grammy Award Winner Bunny Hull comes the Young Masters Little Wisdom series featuring 3 hardcover storybooks with CD’s that cover themes such as friendship, gratitude and imagination. BLEEP Filmmaker and Elora Media Publisher, Betsy Chasse says, "Hands down the best books for children I’ve ever read. My daughter Elorathea loves these books. They are fun, spirited, conscious, beautifully illustrated and are very accessible to children 3 and up.” Click here

In 365 Days to Let Go, best-selling author Guy Finley reveals the most beautiful and elegant of these indwelling principles — the Law of Seasons – and the secret story it tells of a Life Without End. In four stirring chapters, he gently explains how you can discover and harness the immense powers that serve as the invisible soul of winter, spring, summer, and fall. Daily meditative insights show you how to align yourself with the power and peace hidden in each day. Work with this special book every day for one year, or use it for the rest of your life and watch your mind grow sharper, your days grow brighter, your creativity flourish, and your heart become whole. Click here

The Untethered Soul - Who are you? When you start to explore this question, you find out how elusive the answers are. Are you a physical body? A collection of experiences and memories? A partner to relationships? Each time you consider aspects of yourself, you realize there is much more to you than any of these. Spiritual teacher Michael Singer explores the question of who we are and arrives at the conclusion that our identity is to be found in our consciousness, and our ability to observe ourselves and the world around us. Click here