Lúcuma 11

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THE WORLD IS...

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Back when LĂşcuma began, I needed a tag line to describe what it was all about.

I instinctively came up with "Surfing the waves of change". Whether we like it or not, the world is changing. Its people are awakening to a new consciousness, and as they do so they change the energy of the collective consciousness of the planet - making the whole process of awakening easier. At first it can seem as if we are being battered by waves as everything in our reality seems different.

But this can also be an opportunity to learn to ride those waves and eventually feel the exhilaration that comes from progress and mastery of the game. It may take some practice at the beginning, but a lifestyle of conscious living anchored in gratitude and nature is actually more in harmony with our truest selves.

With that alignment, life becomes a joy ride. Key to successful surfing is a calm, centred state - also known as the "Zero Point". It essentially means presence, mindfulness and alignment with ones higher self. All of which bring peace - a bit like being in the eye of the storm. From this state we are more able to feel ourselves and recognise true guidance and synchronicity. As usual much of the content in this publication was found by synchronicity. The opening poem by Simon Welsh is a great example. Alternative physicist Nassim Haramein came to London in winter last year to give a talk. I found out via facebook when I saw that a friend was going and at the last minute booked a ticket based on a positive feeling I had inside. During the question and answers section Simon gave a recitation of his poem "The Zero Point Field" in honour of the day being Nassim's birthday. My ears immediately pricked up as the zero point is one of my favourite topics and I've never really met anyone who had considered it so deeply as to write a poem about it. Simon totally won the crowd over with this poem and hit the nail on the head in respects to how many of us are feeling.

Another synchronicity was discovering the art of Candy Alderson. I happened to walk into Wild Food Cafe as she was adding the finishing touches to her mural there.

The list goes on but instead enjoy LĂşcuma!

Steven Nicolaides Founder/Editor of LĂşcuma Magazine

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INGREDIENTS

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THE ZERO POINT FIELD

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TAKE A BITE OUT OF VEGAN NEW YORK

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CATS, DOGS, COGS & GODS

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INSIDE THE VIENNA ACADEMY OF VISIONARY ART

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IS THERE LIFE ON MARS?

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NEW YORK RECIPES

86

BONPOM HEALTHY CHOCOLATE FACTORY

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INGREDIENTS

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REDISCOVERING MISUNDERSTOOD POWERPLANTS

106 DESTINATION VEGAN: EXCALIBUR

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LOOK OUT FOR: SWEETLY SIMPLE

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CACAO CEREMONY: THROUGH THE GLASSHOUSE

124 ART CANDY: THE ART OF CANDY ALDERSON

140 RECIPES

KIRLIAN PHOTOGRAPHY: FLOWERS & LEAVES

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5

SWIMMING WITH THE DOLPHINS OF ATLANTIS

• Just outside of space-time is a place you’ve always been, Though it may be that you cannot well remember what you’ve seen.

All of who you are is there – not just ten per cent.

The real you is quantum. You vibrate with pure intent;

• A frequency of light and sound, directed here and there.

You don’t exist at all and yet you’re always everywhere.

The moment’s all there is and can’t be measured on a line.

There is no right or wrong because the moment is divine.

• You are the creator of the frequency of youth: Born in swirling symphonies of nothing but the Truth.

Age cannot affect you for the only moment’s now.

And your mission is delightful – to explore yourself. But how?

• As Truth, you are the answer to the question with no name.

The journey lasts forever and it’s nothing but a game.

So when you last decided that you’d like to come to Earth, That you wanted to explore human beingness from birth,

• You knew what you were doing. Your choice to come was true.

You manifested simply in the frequency of You. But somewhere you forgot the truth and let it fall away.

You forgot this was a game and that your mission is to play.

• But now you are remembering that Truth is who you are; That you are not your body, nor your thoughts about your car, Nor your marriage nor your misery; your spectrum of emotion; You are just a drop of water looking for the ocean.

• But here’s the thing – a drop of water falling from the sky, Does not attempt to take control – it does not try to fly.

A drop of water gives itself to gravity and peace, And when it hits the ocean, it’s the ultimate release.

• We are like those drops of water, falling from the sky.

But we do not surrender. We resist. And here’s why: We’re scared of death. We scared of life. We’re scared of being bold.

We’re scared of one another, and we’re scared of growing old.

• We’re scared that if we join the ocean, we will disappear.

We’re scared of what will happen if we give in to the fear.

But just the other side of fear, whispering and true, Is the zero point, our place of birth, calling me and you.

• And if we let our conscious thoughts descend like drops of rain, They will sink down to the heart and join the ocean with no name.

And there, together, consciously, as many and as One, The zero point will shine through us as brightly as the Sun.

• 6

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TH E

ZE RO POINT FIELD

Poetry by Simon Welsh

If you wish to commission a poetic portrait from Simon Welsh, and for further exploration of his world, please visit:

www.simonwelshpoetry.co.uk

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SWIMMING WITH THE DOLPHINS OF ATLANTIS

TAKE A BITE

out of

Vegan

NEW YORK Words by Steven Nicolaides

Central park skyline from Mandarin hotel in Columbus circle © NYC & Company/Marley White

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SWIMMING WITH THE DOLPHINS OF ATLANTIS VEGAN NEW YORK

Wooah,

I'm a vegan, I'm a hungry vegan, I'm a vegan man in New York...

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VEGAN NEW YORK

N

ew York is one of those places we all feel we've been to even if we've never actually set foot there before. That famous Manhattan skyline of skyscrapers is ingrained in our subconscious. We've seen the movies, watched the tv shows, heard the songs and seen the fashions.

Walking around New York does not disappoint - it is just like entering a movie! The sights and sounds so familiar - the hustle and bustle of the long straight avenues and streets, the yellow taxi cabs, steam rising up from air vents on the sidewalk, the background soundtrack of car horns honking in the distance. Even the clichéd New York characters are there, the tall and glamorous fashionistas, aspiring actors, business men rushing around and the sad sight of the eccentric and destitute. I wish the latter were movie exaggerations but apparently not.

New York has always had a dark side, it's a city of contrasts, rich/ poor, happy/sad. Even its famous images are that of contrast bright lights shimmering like constellations against black skyscraper silhouettes. The white tiles of the New York subway and the void like blackness of its tunnels. New York is a town that can chew you up and spit you out. It has pressure and malaise as well as enterprise and creativity. The key to succeeding here is to recognise those introverted moments in life and spring back from them and express like a phoenix from the ashes. Perhaps this is why New York is so famous for its creativity - one has no choice but to create.

Vegan & Raw Food Dining In the noughties New York along with L.A would have been the place to go to experience the best in raw food. Pure Food and Wine opened in 2004 as New York's first luxurious and upscale gourmet raw vegan restaurant. In its day it was hugely influential for the modern global raw food scene. However today in 2016, Pure food and Wine is now permanently closed and the rest of the world has caught up - and in many ways overtaken. Organic Avenue a pioneering fast casual health and juice chain closed all 10 locations in autumn 2015 just before I arrived (although there's a possibility the chain may live on under new ownership).

New York's hottest new spot is by CHLOE. A casual restaurant offering delicious vegan comfort food, from burgers to good old mac and vegan 'cheese'. It's not the only one either, the current trend in New York seems to be more about healthy comfort food rather than gourmet raw food and salads. Even high end restaurants will make use of ingredients like soya and seitan, something that's quite rare for London and the rest of Europe. After all seitan - however delicious and satisfying it may be, is fundamentally a solid block of gluten!

I had six days in New York and for this guide I've tried to stick to the more healthy raw food restaurants, as well as destination eateries.

The choice in New York is overwhelming and it just wasn't possible to visit them all! If you want to find the hidden gems then head over to the Greenpoint and Williamsburg neighbourhoods in Brooklyn (aka hipsterville) where our tips are Jungle Cafe, Little Choc Apothecary and Botica.

Above: 'The Classic Burger' - tempeh-lentil-chia-walnut patty, pickles, onion, beet ketchup and air baked sweet potato fries and artichoke dip side at by CHOLE. Below: Organic apple in Central Park bought from Whole Foods Market nearby.

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Vegan cheese burger

SWIMMING WITH THE DOLPHINS OF ATLANTIS VEGAN NEW YORK

Peacefood

Uptown: 460 Amsterdam Avenue, 82nd Street Downtown: 41 East 11th Street, University place www.peacefoodcafe.com As the name suggests, one of the founding principles of Peacefood cafe was peace. Eric, an antiques dealer, and Peter, an interior designer, decided in 2009 that what the world needed was peace, love and joy, and that the road to those happy destinations begins with veganism. I love the menu at Peacefood - it spans quick satisfying comfort food like sandwiches, and pizzas (with or without Daiya cheese) to healthy salads with some truly special dressings. You can visit at anytime and find something you'll love and you don't have to be a hard core vegan to enjoy their food. The main highlight for me is that they also have an in-house organic bakery and the first thing you see as you enter at both locations is a display of freshly baked cakes that are hard to resist. Large bulging muffins and cupcakes, huge succulent looking chocolate sponge cakes. One cake that particularly caught my eye was a tower cake coated with lashings of pristine white frosting. The most amazing thing of all was a cake house complete with front doors and windows piped out with icing. You don't have to worry about all of these decadent sounding desserts being too sweet as they aren't. I'm highly sensitive to large amounts of sugar, (refined or not) in food, and I happily ate my fare share with no issues. Throughout my stay in NY I always seemed to plan a pit stop to Peacefood for take out treats to fuel my New York explorations.

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Chocolate ganache

VEGAN NEW YORK

Peace begins on your plate Peacefood Cafe

Stuffed sweet potato

Photo by Alex James Etling

Blossom

Chelsea: 187 Ninth Ave Upper West Side: 507 Columbus Ave West Village: 41-43 Carmine St blossomnyc.com Two passionate vegans - Ronen Seri and Pamela Blackwell wanted an organic plant based restaurant to eat at near their home in Chelsea. There wasn't one so in 2005 the decided to create Blossom. Now they have three locations in Manhattan.

I picked the Chelsea location to visit purely on synchronicity.

It's phone number of (212) 627-1144 stood out as 114 is a big synchronicity number for me (I see it everywhere). I'm glad I followed the sign as walking around the corner from Blossom I found the most picturesque New York town houses complete with winter holiday decorations. It was almost a scene straight out of a movie set. Cosyness turned out to be the theme of the evening. The interior of Blossom is decorated with warm colours and furnishings and the menu focuses on satisfying seasonal food with intense rich flavours (though there are lighter dishes also on offer as well as the odd raw dish and salads). A starter I was desperate to try was the 'Cape Cod Cakes', made from hiziki seaweed and tofu served with tartar sauce. It was delicious and actually did taste of cod yet it was entirely vegan. For my main dish I chose a dish from 'IN BLOOM', a special menu of seasonal creations. The dish itself was a stack of different varieties of potato and spinach rising from a purĂŠe topped with slabs of seared beetroot - incredibly hearty for a cold winters night in New York!

Seitan Picatta

Photo by Alex James Etling

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by CHLOE. 185 Bleecker Street

Flatiron: 60 West 22nd Street (opening Summer 2016)

Soho: 240 Lafayette Street (opening Summer 2016)

bychefchloe.com

By CHLOE is a 'perfect storm' of a cafe. Updated healthy vegan alternatives to old American comfort food favourites such as burgers, meatballs and 'mac n cheese' pasta, good branding, excellent clean and funky interior, good publicity and a well known co-founder in Chloe Coscarelli. At any given time you can see a long line of cool looking New Yorkers queuing up for a taste of by CHLOE'S magic. Some of them might even be very famous indeed judging from their Instagram feed! The first occasion I visited was at lunch time and the place was heaving, so I made sure I arrived bang on opening at 11am the next day - and guess what? There was still a queue!

Luckily it was a more manageable 5 minutes wait and it doesn't actually take that long for you to receive your food. The ordering process is unlike anything I've ever seen before. You place your order at the counter and give your name. After you pay you are presented with a circular black 'puck' device. "What's this?" I queried. "It will start vibrating when your order is ready" replied the waitress. The wait gave me time to inspect the decor. There is a 1950s diner feel in both the food and look of by CHLOE. The retro

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style menu with cute illustrations boasts "Best burger in NYC". I'm glad, because I ordered 'The Classic Burger' - tempeh-lentil-chia-walnut patty, pickles, onion, beet ketchup, special sauce and a potato bun (bun made with potato replacing a large portion of flour) $8.95. To go with it a portion of air baked sweet potato french 'fries' $3.95 and a kale artichoke dip $5.95 which comes with nachos. "Buzzzzzzzzz"my puck went off and like a sprinter at the starting line of the Olympic games 100 meters I dashed to the counter. I felt like I'd won the gold medal when I saw the tray of vegan goodies presented to me. I found a nice cosy spot to eye up my prize. Full marks go to the attention to detail in the branding. The paper pouches housing the burger and fries had more cute illustrations on them and underneath it all on the metal tray a paper sheet with information and illustrations for you to colour-in. Looking around there were adult customers actually doing that with the crayons provided, so clearly it's not just a fad. The burger was magnificent. The patty had a nice thick succulent texture to it and the beetroot ketchup was a nice new variation. The potato bun was as fluffy as a cloud. The sweet potato baked fries were great and all amazing value for money. After eating here I can totally understand their success. by CHLOE are already planning two more locations in Manhattan which is great news, but I get the feeling they could have another five and they would be just as busy.

Hopefully the by CHLOE team will set their sights on London in the near future where I'm sure it would be just as successful.

VEGAN NEW YORK

Guac Burger, air baked sweet potato fries and seasonal lemonade

Pesto

me

a h t i w l atbal

ed k a b ir

F

ri f h c ren

es

Chloe Coscarelli Quinoa taco salad

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The Haricat Beyond Sushi

Chelsea Market: 75 9th Avenue Union Square: 229 East 14th Street Midtown West: 62 West 56th Street beyondsushinyc.com Quite simply the best vegan sushi or indeed any kind of sushi you will ever have. These guys are taking sushi rolling to infinity...and beyond! The rice is not just any old 'sticky sushi rice'. Most of the rolls are a blend of 6 grains and it doesn't end when the sushi is rolled. Just when you think it cant get any better they decorate the sushi or wrap with yummy sauces and toppings. For Beyond Sushi this is an art form and you only need to look at the walls of the outlets to see large prints of their food - which look more like abstract sculptures than sushi. This is a 'life saver' of a destination for vegans in New York. If you are out late or missed a meal or want something quick and light, Beyond Sushi will get you out of trouble. It didn't take me long to wish there were more branches of Beyond Sushi in not only New York but in London... and every other city in the world.

Taking sushi to infinity & beyond..

The Mighty Mushroom 16

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VEGAN NEW YORK

cacao cheesecake Rockin Raw

171 Sullivan St, Greenwich Village rockinraw.com I'm a big fan of Peruvian cuisine so when I found out there was a raw, organic, gluten free Peruvian Creole kitchen in Greenwich Village, I made sure they were one of the first places I would visit.

The rock music theme took me totally by surprise and looking around at its almost kitsch like interior with rock music playing in the background I couldn't image an organic raw food restaurant looking anything like this in Europe. This is one of the joys of New York, where places like this can exist. In fact as I sipped on my 'jungle shake' (banana, spirulina, lúcuma) I could imagine Led Zeppelin stumbling through the door after a sound check at Madison Square Garden - only the food here is definitely not from the 70s, just the look! I was pleased to see some truly Peruvian ingredients on the menu like jicama fries, choclo (Peruvian corn), plantain and perhaps the holy grail - FRESH lúcuma! One of the advantages of being in the USA is that it's close enough to Peru to make its sourcing viable and they use it well in a soft and light lúcuma cheesecake. The dishes here are more of a rustic style of raw food cuisine which suits its image.

Raw burgers and chezzy burrito's is exactly what you'd want in a charismatic restaurant like Rockin Raw.

The Cheezburger with Cajun Jicama Fries *11

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VEGAN NEW YORK

Candle 79

154 East 79th Street at Lexington Avenue candle79.com New York's poshest organic vegan restaurant.

Chances are if a vegan celebrity is in town they'll visit Candle 79. Consistently voted highly in restaurant guides as one of the worlds best vegetarian restaurants. I would also add they have one of the worlds best locations - a short walk from Central Park. If you can, ask for a table upstairs by the window overlooking 79th street. Sitting upstairs in the sunlight overlooking the busy street below whilst sipping on an organic cocktail provided me with my most memorable dining moment in NYC. Candle 79 have plenty of raw options too - the most popular being the heirloom tomato lasagne (this dishes fame has even reached our shores!). Oh, and Paul McCartney's favourite dish is the Seitan Piccata!

CAESAR SALAD - absolutely sublime! kale, tomatoes, quinoa, herb-nori grilled seitan, cashew parmesan, hemp seeds, caesar dressing

tt Tree Hugger Cocktail

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B ro

ad

wa

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n o n n e L John egan V out b a k l a w

UPPER WEST SIDE

Everybody's flyin,

and never touch the sky, There's

UFOs over New York,

and I ain't too surprised

KEY LIME PIE

'Nobody Told Me' - John Lennon wa

y

5. Blossom on Columbus

B ro

ad

507 Columbus Ave

4. Peacefood Cafe

W

460 Amsterdam Ave GREAT FOOD AND DELICIOUS BAKED CAKES, MUFFINS AND OTHER DESSERTS.

4.

W

82

81

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5.

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W

84

UPPER EAST SIDE

AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

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The Dakota

© NYC & Company/EdisonKoo

W

72

nd

St

3. The Dakota

1 W 72nd St THE APARTMENT BUILDING WHERE JOHN AND YOKO LIVED IN THE 1970S

6. Candle 79

154 E 79th St ONE OF THE WORLDS BEST VEGAN RESTAURANTS

METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

3.

E7 9th

St

6.

Ce

5th

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Av

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Pa

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The Shops at Columbus Circle 10 Columbus Circle GRAB SOME SNACKS OR A DRINK AND HEAD ACROSS THE STREET TO CENTRAL PARK

77 Street 6

Le

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1. Whole Foods Market

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Av

2.

1.

C E N T R A L PA R K

Columbus 59 Circle th St A C B D 1

2. 'Strawberry Fields' Garden

JOHN LENNON USED TO ENJOY TAKING WALKS WITH YOKO ONO IN THIS PARK. STRAWBERRY FIELDS WAS DEDICATED ON WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN LENNON'S 45TH BIRTHDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1985. HERE YOU CAN SEE THE 'IMAGINE' MOSAIC AND ENJOY THE WONDERFUL PEACEFUL ENERGY. THERE ARE OFTEN MUSICIANS SINGING SONGS AND FLOWERS OVER THE MOSAIC.

7. Beyond Sushi - Midtown 56

th

St

62 W 56th St SOME OF THE BEST VEGAN SUSHI EVER!

7.

This is a lovely peaceful area to explore, especially if you're a fan of John Lennon. Lennon himself used to love going on walks and spending time in the cafes near his apartment at the Dakota.

Perhaps if he was alive today he would be visiting these restaurants!

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VEGAN NEW YORK

Quintessence

East Village: 263 E 10th Street quintessencenyc.com

Gochujang Fofu Raw Taco

Established in 1999, Quintessence must be one of worlds oldest gourmet raw food restaurants (although there are a few cooked dishes on the menu). With that much experience behind them you can't go wrong here. Incredibly their organic menu still feels quite fresh and inventive, and I noticed a few things that were unique. One of those being a raw soy-free version of tofu called fofu! I just had to try it. If you're wondering how they did it, it's made from a blend of Irish moss and cashews. It's served in a delicious gochujang sauce (Korean red chilli pepper sauce). Not bad for $4! This is a good restaurant to dine with a companion as it's quite intimate with a serene atmosphere. The decor is a bright aqua colour scheme which I think suits the high vibe of raw food and the bohemian neighbourhood. There's also lots to explore around this part of town such as hidden community gardens and unusual shops.

- a raw - soy free version of tofu

Statue of liberty From circle line cruise Š NYC & Company/Marley White

Juice Press juicepress.com

One of the original brands that many smoothie and cold pressed juice bars around the world are influenced by.

Founded by Marcus Antebi (who actually lives this lifestyle), Juice Press have kept that brash startup confidence and authenticity as they have grown and evolved. They've shown the world a company can have an honest personality & good sense of humour and be successful at the same time. Their opening statement on their website reads " WE ARE THE BEST ORGANIC BEVERAGE, FOOD & WELLNESS BRAND ON THE PLANET* *It's true.

We checked. If you found us, it means that your food and health consciousness has soared higher".

With more than 25 locations in New York and counting! You're bound to come across them and whatever you select I'm sure will satisfy.

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The Butchers Daughter Nolita: 19 Kenmare Street

West Village: 581 Hudson Street (coming soon) thebutchersdaughter.com A vegetarian rather vegan eatery but plenty of vegan options or dishes that could be made vegan. I'm including Butchers Daughter on the list as much for the concept as the food. The Butcher’s Daughter was envisioned and designed by founder Heather Tierney as a feminine veggie take on a masculine butchers shop!

The inside feels like it could be a rustic deli in the south of France, with attention to detail that you'd normally find on a movie set. The food is unashamedly comfort food, think spicy bean sausage sandwiches and smashed avocado on toast. Although there are some light but tasty salads too. The dinner menu even contains a few raw dishes. There is also cold pressed juice bar attached so you can at least make up for any over indulgences.

Ginger Snaps Organic 113 West 10th Street

gingersnapsorganic.com

THE Reuben

Gingersnap's Organic is New York's uncompromising healthy spot where you'll find tasty raw entrees, organic snacks, salads and desserts as well as cold pressed juices (in glass bottles), smoothies and hot drinks. Gingersnap's is entirely raw, organic and gluten free. But the standards are not limited to the food. The furniture is made out of reclaimed materials, there's an innovative water filtration system and they also use stainless steal dehydrators rather than plastic. Founded by fiery red head Jamie Graber (author of 'Juice It, Blend It, Live It'). She's a lady with a 'rawsome' pedigree behind her, having worked for Juliano Brotman (author of 'Raw: The Uncook Book') at Juliano's Raw in L.A and later managed "Euphoria Loves Rawvolution". This is the place in NY where you can work away in peace or read a book for a few hours with all the healthy fuel you could want within reach. The food is also quite good here. I had the most popular dish - the Portobello Reuben Wrap. A sunflower seed wrap filled with in house sauerkraut, marinated chunky portobello mushrooms and a Russian savoury dressing.

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VEGAN NEW YORK

Once you make it to Grand Central Terminal you can take the 4, 5 or 6 trains Downtown to Union Square which is a short walk to 'Beyond Sushi' Or you can alight at 'Astor Place' if you want to visit Quintessence or Caravan of Dreams.

Grand Central Terminal

New York Public Library

CHRYSLER BUILDING

3.

Grand East River Vegan Loop

Times Square

The

EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

A fantastic LONG walk to enjoy New York's vegan scene, take in some sights and get some exercise at the same time! I discovered this walk by chance, I was having such a great time exploring I just kept on going! It''s almost impossible to get lost as you have the river. Chrysler and Empire State skyscrapers as landmarks. It takes about 45 - 60 mins to walk from Number 1 to Number 3 so you may want to take the train back down!

START AND FINISH AT ANY OF THE YELLOW STARS!

4.

Beyond Sushi

Quintessence

1. Choose

your starting restaurant which can be either Quintessence, Superiority burger or Caravan of Dreams. You then head east towards the East River.

Superiority Burger

1.

Caravan Of Dreams

2. Head

North up the promenade along the East River.

2.

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VEGAN NEW YORK

Caravan of Dreams 405 East 6th Street

caravanofdreams.net If you were exploring the trendy East village one night you could easily walk past Caravan of Dreams and not know it housed an organic vegan restaurant. The menu is vast, filled with satisfying simple dishes with a strong Spanish influence. The decor is warm and inviting, with regular live music for a fantastic atmosphere. There's plenty of raw food options too and the water is filtered and restructured - which for a city that adds fluoride to its tap-water that's great news! I hear from the waitress that they even say prayers and positive affirmations over the water. Maybe its this attention to detail that makes this place so lovable.

Everything has a feeling of authenticity about it. Founded

by Spanish expat Angel Moreno in 1991 he built the place himself and it's wonderful to see a long established ethical business doing so well.

Grand Central Terminal- Manhattan, Midtown East Š NYC & Company/Tagger Yancey IV

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VEGAN NEW YORK

Entry Requirements to the USA

British passport holders require an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation (ESTA) before you travel. You should provide details online at least 72 hours before travel.

ESTA website and application: esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta USA Entry requirements for UK citizens: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa/entry-requirements Note: you will have to fill out an admission form on the flight to pass through border control at the airport.

You will have all your fingerprints taken as well as your picture.

Accommodation

Accommodation in New York is shockingly expensive and even low end hotels, hostels, apartments and Airbnb listings can have prices you would normally expect for a more luxurious stay. This is one occasion where checking reviews online is really important!

I wouldn't recommend staying too far out from Manhattan as despite New York being well connected with public transport it can still take a while to get into town.

A commute from Brooklyn to Manhattan on the Subway can take 20-30 minutes. If you're on a budget its worth looking for a flight and hotel package as there are usually savings on the hotel and chances are you can find some good deals on otherwise expensive hotels. Bear in mind if you book a last minute deal you need to allocate enough time for ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorisation) or VISA to enter the United States. The majority of UK citizens are eligible for ESTA but it can take up to 72 hours to be approved.

Upper west side - Broadway Š NYC & Company/Marley White

Outside Grand Central Terminal Manhattan, Midtown East Š NYC & Company/Marley White

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SWIMMING WITH THE DOLPHINS OFYORK ATLANTIS VEGAN NEW

F train at 2nd Avenue Subway Station © NYC & Company/ Joe Buglewicz

Getting Around

One of the best but most expensive ways to get around is by taxi, though this can be slow in traffic. Most people use the New York Subway. It's cheap, relatively quick and operates 24 hours a day, (but not all lines operate at all times). Purchase a MetroCard which gives you access to subway trains and buses that travel to every corner of the city.

Important notes on the Subway: • The subway stations can be quite crowded at peak times especially evenings.

• Subway stations on the same line are generally about 8 to 10 blocks apart.

• The network is vast and quite complex to understand - even native New Yorkers can get lost!

• Get a map of the subway before your visit, either print one off the internet or save an image on your phone and study it before hand. Familierise yourself with the various areas of New York, such as Brooklyn, Bronx, Uptown, Downtown, Queens as the signage on platforms is vague, only listing the end destination with no list of station stops in-between! If you're lucky some of the newer trains will have a list of stops inside the train carriage.

• Pay attention to what's written at the entrance to the station at street level as there may not be a way to access the platform heading in the opposite direction underground and once you swipe your. MetroCard to pass the barriers you have to wait 18 minutes to be able to swipe back out the way you came.

Walking:

• Avenues are roads that run vertically and Streets run horizontally.

• Always cross roads at the pedestrian crossings when the light indicates to do so, as anything else is considered 'jay walking' and a criminal offence.

• Only cross when the light indicates to walk. But even so be alert, if a turning car sees a gap it will take it!

Tips about Tipping

Tipping for a service, especially restaurant service is expected in New York. Restaurants and bars are permitted to pay their servers below the minimum wage because the difference is often made up via tipping.

The recommended amount is between 15-20% of your final bill. For large groups it is possible a restaurant may add the tip to your check so it's always wise to check it first.

Other services where tips are expected include: Taxi drivers, valet, coat room attendants, bar tenders, tour guides and grocery loaders

Resources

Official Travel Guide: www.nycgo.com New York's public transport: www.mta.info

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VEGAN NEW YORK

BROOKLYN BRIDGE One of the most memorable things you can do in New York is walk across Brooklyn Bridge, it's free and quite surreal walking on a wooden walkway above the cars below. Most tourists start at the Manhattan end (Nearest stations; Brooklyn Bridge - City Hall and Cambers Street). The later is where Mick Dundee pulled out a large knife and said "That's not a knife. THAT'S a knife." In the movie 'Crocodile Dundee'. At the Brooklyn end is Brooklyn Bridge park which has excellent views.

Photo Š NYC & Company/JulienneSchaer

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VEGAN NEW YORK

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VEGAN NEW YORK

Beet, Fennel, & Fig Salad with Cranberry-Sage Dressing Candle 79 Serves 6 Cranberry-Sage Dressing

1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1⁄2 cup finely chopped shallots

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed if frozen 1⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves 1 fresh sage leaf, chopped 1⁄3 cup water

1 tablespoon maple syrup 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt Salad

1 pound fresh beets

1 fennel bulb, trimmed and halved

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling To make the dressing, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the cranberries and cook, stirring, until they are softened and begin to pop, about 5 minutes.

Set aside to cool, then transfer to a blender. Add the vinegar, rosemary, sage, water, maple syrup, salt, and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and process until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap the beets in aluminium foil and put them on a baking sheet. Put the fennel on a separate baking sheet, cut side up, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Put the beets and fennel in the oven and roast until fork-tender, about 30 minutes for the fennel, and 50 to 60 minutes for the beets. When cool enough to handle, peel the beets and cut into thin slices, and cut the fennel into very thin slices.

Meanwhile, spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Put the rocket in a large bowl, add the beets, fennel, pecans, and optional pear, and gently toss together. Drizzle with the dressing and scatter the figs over the salad.

Alternatively, divide the rocket evenly among salad plates, placing it to one side of the plate. Drizzle with the dressing and scatter the pecans on top. Arrange the beets, fennel, figs, and optional pear alongside the rocket and serve at once.

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Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 1⁄2 cup pecans

1⁄2 pound baby rocket

1 pear, cored and thinly sliced (optional) 6 fresh figs, cut into wedges

VEGAN NEW YORK

Black Bean–Chipotle Burgers Candle 79 Makes 6 to 8 burgers

1 1⁄2 cups dried black beans, rinsed and picked over 1 inch piece of kombu

2 cups chopped yellow onions

1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder 3 bay leaves

2 teaspoons salt

Pinch of freshly ground pepper 1 1⁄2 cups brown rice 3 cups water

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon smoked paprika 6 to 8 burger rolls

1 red onion, thinly sliced (optional)

Avocado slices, for serving (optional)

Put the beans in a saucepan or bowl and add cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Cover and soak for at least 6 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. Drain and rinse.

Put the beans, kombu, onions, chipotle powder, bay leaves, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and the pepper in a large saucepan. Add water to cover by 3 inches and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender, about 11⁄2 to 2 hours. Most of the liquid should be absorbed by the beans, but add a bit more water if they seem too dry. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid. Discard the kombu and bay leaves.

Meanwhile, put the rice and a pinch of salt in a saucepan and add the water. Bring to a boil, then decrease the heat, stir once, cover, and simmer until all of the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the pumpkin seeds, paprika, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and season with pepper. Cook the pumpkin seeds, stirring and shaking the pan, until they are lightly toasted, 3 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Combine the rice, beans, and pumpkin seeds in a large bowl.

Transfer half of the mixture to a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process until smooth, adding the reserved cooking liquid from the beans as needed to keep the mixture moist enough to stick together. Return the mixture to the bowl, mix everything together, and form patties about 31⁄2 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick.

To bake the burgers, preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush a baking sheet with olive oil and put the burgers on it. Brush the burgers with oil and bake until browned, 20 to 30 minutes, turning the burgers halfway through cooking. To pan-fry the burgers, coat a sauté pan with olive oil and heat the pan over medium heat. Add the burgers and cook for about 4 minutes per side.

To grill the onion slices, lightly brush with olive oil and sauté them in a sauté pan over medium-high heat, 2 minutes per side.

Serve the burgers on toasted burger rolls with the onion slices and avocado slices, if desired.

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VEGAN NEW YORK

Chocolate Mousse Tower Candle 79

Serves 6 2 1⁄2 cups vegan semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup soy milk 1 pound silken tofu 3⁄4 cup maple syrup Chocolate shavings, for garnish Peanuts, almonds, or cashews, for garnish (optional) Put the chocolate chips and soy milk in the top of a double boiler set over simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted.

Set aside to cool a bit.

Put the tofu, maple syrup, and melted chocolate mixture in a blender and process until smooth, about 3 minutes. Lightly coat six 3 by 1-inch ring molds or ramekins with safflower oil. Divide the chocolate mixture equally between the molds and chill in the refrigerator overnight.

Unmold each tower, garnish with chocolate shavings and nuts, if desired, and serve at once. If using ramekins, serve directly from the ramekins.

Recipes on pages 29-30 reprinted with permission from Candle 79 Cookbook: 'Modern Vegan Classics from New York’s Premier Sustainable Restaurant'.

Copyright © 2011 by Joy Pierson, Angel Ramos, and Jorge Pineda. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, Berkeley, CA. www.candle79.com Photo credit: Rita Maas.

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VEGAN NEW YORK

Pappardelle in Saffron Cream Sauce Quintessence Serves 1

Saffron Cream Sauce ¼ cup water

¼ cup olive oil

To make the yellow squash noodles simply use a vegetable peeler and shave lengthwise along the full length of the squash.

2 tbsp pine nuts

To make the sauce blend saffron cream sauce ingredients in a blender until smooth.

¾ tsp saffron

Place noodles, sauce and toppings in a mixing bowl and mix well.

½ tsp sea salt

To serve transfer the noodles to a plate and cover with capers and a dusting of black pepper.

¼ cup cashew nuts 2g garlic

½ tsp yellow mustard 5g white onion

Noodles and toppings

1 cup yellow squash (summer squash) noodles 2 tbsp bell pepper chopped fine ¼ cup asparagus chopped fine To finish

1tsp capers black pepper to taste

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VEGAN NEW YORK

Crispy Black Bean Tacos Candle Cafe It’s hard to believe that a snack that tastes this rich and delicious is also very nutritious and low in fat and calories.

Serve these tacos with an array of beautiful toppings—we favour avocados, tomatoes, green onions, and radishes, but you can also try chopped cabbage, sautéed greens, pico de gallo, and salsa, to name a few.

Serves 8 to 10

2 cups black beans, rinsed, picked over, and soaked overnight 8 cups water

1 tablespoon sea salt 1/4 cup grapeseed oil

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion 12 (6-inch) corn tortillas Toppings

2 avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, and sliced 2 cups chopped tomatoes 1 cup tofu sour cream

1/2 cup chopped green onions, white and green parts 1/2 cup sliced radishes

2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and sliced

1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves Drain the beans, rinse, and transfer to a large pot. Add the water and salt. Bring to a boil, decrease the heat, and simmer, covered, until the beans are soft, about 1½ hours.

Drain and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Add the beans and, with a masher, mash the beans while they are cooking, until they become a rough puree, about 10 minutes. Set aside.

Put the tortillas on a plate and brush both sides of each of them with the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil. Heat a skillet over medium heat and fry the tortillas, flipping once, until both sides are crisp, but still fairly soft, 1 or 2 minutes per side. Fold the tortillas into taco shapes and set aside.

To serve, fill the tacos with the black bean mixture and serve with the avocados, tomatoes, tofu sour cream, green onions, radishes, jalapeño peppers, and cilantro.

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VEGAN NEW YORK

Stuffed Avocado Salad with Chipotle Vinaigrette Candle Cafe This refreshing salad is fun to make, and it’s a good recipe to experiment with using less familiar vegetables, such as edamame and jicama. The vinaigrette is delicious and full of authentic smoky flavour—we use it to drizzle over dishes like grilled vegetables and rice and beans, too.

Serves 8

Chipotle vinaigrette

1 cup plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil 2 shallots, sliced

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice ¼ cup water

1 clove garlic, sliced

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

To make the vinaigrette, heat 1 teaspoon of the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the shallots, and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.

Combine the shallots, the remaining 1 cup of oil, the lime juice, water, garlic, vinegar, chipotle powder, smoked paprika, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cilantro and oregano.

To prepare the salad, combine the tomato, corn, peas, cucumber, and red onion in a large bowl. Add enough vinaigrette to lightly coat the vegetables and gently toss together.

Arrange the watercress on salad plates and top with the avocado halves. Scoop the vegetable mixture into the centre of the avocados. Sprinkle each serving with hemp seeds and drizzle with more vinaigrette to taste.

1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder 1 teaspoon smoked paprika ½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro

¼ teaspoon chopped fresh oregano Stuffed avocado

1 large heirloom tomato, diced, or 1 cup cherry tomato halves 1 cup cooked fresh or frozen corn, thawed if frozen 1 cup cooked fresh or frozen peas, thawed if frozen 1 cup chopped cucumber

½ red onion, thinly sliced

1 pound fresh watercress, stemmed

4 ripe avocados, halved, pitted, and peeled ½ cup hemp seeds, to garnish

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VEGAN NEW YORK

Molten Chocolate Cake With Raspberry Coulis Candle Cafe

What is Valentine’s Day without chocolate? These simple, elegant mini cakes served with raspberry coulis are a perfect ending to this sumptuous meal. serves 6

Raspberry coulis

3 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, thawed if frozen 1 cup unrefined sugar 2 cups water

2/3 cup plain unsweetened soy milk 1/2 cup safflower oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons unrefined sugar

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups so they are all three-quarters full. Put 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips into the centre of each cake and gently press them down with your fingers, until they are covered by the batter. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the batter is puffed but the centre is not set.

1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1/4 cup natural cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda Pinch of sea salt

3/4 cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips Confectioners’ sugar, to dust

Recipes on pages 32-35 from 'Vegan Holiday Cooking' from Candle Cafe by Joy Pierson, Angel Ramos & Jorge Pineda (Ten Speed Press, © 2014). www.candlecafe.com Reprinted with permission Photo Credit: Jim Franco.

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Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil 6 cups of a standard muffin tin.

Combine ½ cup of the soy milk, the oil, maple syrup, sugar, and vinegar in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment at medium speed until smooth.

Add the flour and cocoa powder and beat until incorporated, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the remaining soy milk, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat until incorporated.

Cake

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To prepare the coulis, combine the raspberries, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool. Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.

Strain the mixture into a bowl and let cool in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

To serve, flip the muffin pan upside down onto a board to unmold the cakes. Transfer the cakes to dessert plates, dust with confectioners’ sugar, and drizzle with the raspberry coulis.

Serve warm. Any leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

VEGAN NEW YORK

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35

SWIMMING WITH THE DOLPHINS OF ATLANTIS

Cats, Dogs Cogs & Gods Words by Steven Nicolaides

- DANDELION SUN Dandelion flowers look like solar plexus chakras for a reason the fresh leaves and roots (dandelion coffee) can be a useful tonic to help cleanse and tonify biological organs & functions that resonate with solar plexus chakra (digestion - liver kidneys - bladder).

Among the first flowers of spring they help attune us for the coming year with the strength of a lion.

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SWIMMING WITH THE DOLPHINS OF ATLANTIS - ARTICHOKE CROWN Artichoke flowers greatly resemble the crown chakra (also known as the thousand petalled lotus).

Try steaming some artichoke globes for 10-20 minutes or until they are soft enough to pull apart.

As you pull each petal and enjoy the tasty flesh you will eventually find the inner flower. The shimmering purple petals represent the many petals of the crown chakra. Find the soft artichoke heart at the centre of the flower and enjoy! The long slow sensual process to get to the prize mirrors the methods we take to reach higher states of consciousness that invoke crown chakra openings.

O

ut of the millions of species on this planet, there are two that have become our closest companions. We've taken them close to our hearts and into our homes. We identify with them more than any other species yet they are quite different to us. Primates, which are far more closer to us physically and biologically hardly get any attention in comparison to the humble house cat and dog. Perhaps the ultimate proof of our obsession is that without even trying they've taken over the internet. PR and advertising companies look on in wonder at their global domination. Why is that?

What is the reason for our attraction to cats and dogs? What are the differences between the two and how does our relationship with them teach us about our selves. You are about to be introduced to a unique, spiritual perspective on our best 'animal' friends.

Let's start with 'mans best friend' - dogs. If we don't they may get concerned and act all needy - right? Dogs are highly emotional creatures, their strength and success in life flows from their emotional intelligence.

They feel their way through life. When they meet another dog or a new human they want to know them through feeling them. They want to look into your eyes, they want to assess your inner strength, your integrity your presence. They want to literally smell your energy. What vibration is this person giving off? Are they stronger that me or should they be dominated?

Thoughts of strength and energetic status concern a dog because its source of power is the seat of all power within mammals - the solar plexus. The middle chakra that bridges all the rest. It's the centre point that balances our two poles of masculine at the crown of the head and feminine at the base of the spine. Its like a grand central station where everything flows through it, it's the glue that keeps you together, it feeds from fires of passion and sensuality (the sacral chakra immediately below - orange) and creates love (heart chakra above - green). Though chakras are vortexes (wheels/cogs) of energy beyond the cellular level their influence is felt and observed in the structure of the body. Dogs are solar plexus chakra dominate animals. This means out of all seven frequencies of colour (chakras) the one they work with the most is the solar plexus. Therefore all the attributes of that particular frequency influence their perception on life and behaviour. All the attributes I've mentioned and those you feel represent dogs are actually attributes of the frequency of the solar plexus which are embodied in a dog.

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CATS, DOGS, COGS & GODS

A DOGS BARK IS WORSE THAN ITS BITE

When a dog barks the sound is not truly made in the throat. A dogs bark is actually just a contraction of its torso where it pushes air and energy that's stored in its centre outwards. It's a display of inner strength! Try it and see….. "Ruff!" It's showing you what it is literally made of. That's why dogs hate fireworks as they too are an explosion of energy. For a dog with much more sensitive hearing than ours it's like a large foreign alpha-male barking at them and since it can't acknowledge them, it will cause further frustration. A dog can easily feel this is a sign of aggression and responds by barking back with its own display of strength.

MAN'S BEST FRIEND

The combination of solar and heart energy is the secret to dogs being man's best friend.

It is natural for them to always want to give since those two energy points do this automatically. The giving creates joy which in turn creates satisfaction. This successful energy cycle creates an attachment to it - loyalty. In nature the dogs love is returned to it from other members of its pack and its successful contribution to the packs health, survival and wellbeing. One hopes a dog living within a human pack will also be respected and loved in return by its human members.

The game of 'fetch' actually mimics energy exchanges that dogs live by - giving and receiving, which is one of the primary functions of the solar plexus chakra. It's that energetic pathway of action and reward that dog trainers have long exploited, even if they are not aware of the finer spiritual energetics that go on behind the scenes.

HEART OF GOLD

The solar plexus's capabilities to receive, alchemise and give energy is also the reason for variation in dogs. Well developed, free flowing solar plexus chakras, give the ability of flexibility. It's that key that has allowed dogs to change into wide ranging and diverse breeds (sadly to the whims and often perverse desires of humans.) Out of all the mammals on Earth, dogs are the only ones to have such dramatic variation in their appearance (this has remained a great mystery to disconnected modern day scientists). From large and robust great danes to tiny and cute chihuahuas. Yet all will have that plucky brave, never say die spirit regardless of size or appearance. Any two dogs from different breeds can successfully breed together and it's all due to the magnificent alchemising abilities of the solar plexus energy that dogs carry. If you're wondering whether my choice of word - "alchemising", has any link to the ancient practice of alchemy, then yes it does! Alchemy is a philosophical and early scientific way of purifying materials into something else. One of its most famous goals was to transmute base metals such as lead into gold. This is an external projection of an ability the solar plexus chakra already has. Gold exists first as an idea then an energy and then an energy we would perceive of as 'solid' in the physical world. Golden energy is created from the 'centre point' also known as 'zero point' within us (sliver being the feminine counterpart). The true search for the "philosophers stone" is the shining golden energy we create within our own energetic systems when we express ourselves. Its most famous anthropomorphic face is the entity known historically as Christ (though there have been many others and that ability of mastery exists in all living things). Interestingly the word Christ is derived from the Greek word Χριστός (Christós) which is almost identical to the Greek word for gold χρυσός (chrisos). The character that's different looks like a cross - the letter 't'. Crosses for me represent the centre point rather than crucifixion - but that's another article. Suffice to say that's what you call a 'cosmic joke'.

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CATS, DOGS, COGS & GODS

- DOG IS GOD Cosmic joke N01

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CATS, DOGS, COGS & GODS

CATS EYES

Perhaps the most appealing attribute of cats is their beauty, in particular the face and eyes. So much so that people who posses cat like features are aesthetically pleasing to us. Cats posses an effortless glamour, a light that emanates well beyond the flesh and bones of the animal that we see strutting around town as if the world belongs to them. This light is a projection from a cosmic source. It rains down in a vivid pinkish purple colour through the crown chakra at the top of the head into the third eye's core - the pineal gland it the centre of the brain.

The third eye is literally a link to our higher spiritual selves. Through it we can receive cosmic downloads, spiritual insights and wisdom. More importantly it is our projector of reality. Like a film projector in a movie theatre projects a movie onto a screen, our third eye projects our reality onto the world. When cats get that 'spaced out' look on their faces they really are focused on other worldly things. Perhaps they are in deep thought, contemplating in a realm of infinite possibilities before plucking their desire out and acting on it with supreme focus and confidence. This self belief allows them to make that extra long leap across gaps, to be true to their own desires and to trust their instincts as they roam alone in the darkness.

CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT

The third eye is accessed by looking within. It is the darkness that makes the light more visible. For this reason the night and the darkness have an awakening effect on the third eye and it's no surprise therefore that cats are nocturnal creatures.

They are at home in the dark and that gives them the edge over others that are not. The third eye is capable of accessing and focusing on everything in creation including what we would understand as negative and 'dark' things.

For cats the inner world is just as real and important as the outer, their "purring" and "meowing" sounds are far more introverted than that of the extroverted barks and howls of dogs. Part of their function is internal comfort and grooming. The frequencies of the purrs help attune the body and ground or even alter spiritual frequencies. The closest way we would understand this is through humming and chanting. Vibrations suited more for the self in comparison to singing. Chanting is one of the core techniques in preparing ourselves for higher dimensions and leads to making the connection to the higher self. Once that connection is made its superior wisdom tends to dominate ones life. Socialising needs to be on their terms rather than anyone else's. They can't get caught up in other peoples bizarre energies, especially if it can be a distraction to their own attunement. They have their paws firmly on the remote control and they are not giving it away!

SCAREDY CAT

The indigo frequency of the third eye chakra is a higher frequency than those below and one of the reasons for cats being more highly strung and fast creatures.

Without the stronger presence of the solar plexus chakra they react more quickly, sensitively and instinctively to external energies. Even an object as innocuous as a cucumber can appear to be a snake to the fast reflexes of a cat.

LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG

With such a powerful spiritual connection to the outer etheric realms, cardboard boxes (or any other tight fitting object) start to become so desirable - acting like a spiritual space suit. On a most basic level the box is the feminine - the receiver, the receptacle to the cats strong masculine crown chakra energy, and it provides the cat a perfect space to get cosy, dream a little and feel protected.

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SWIMMING WITH THE DOLPHINS OF ATLANTIS

- 3 IS BEAUTIFUL The third eye together with the two physical eyes creates a trinity. This helps create balance between the two sides enhancing the energy of symmetry. A trinity is stability and movement, able to focus energy through the eyes into the physical world.

We perceive this as power and beauty.

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41

CATS, DOGS, COGS & GODS

esents top repr the e at the er en h h sp W e a.

Th n chakr ches this a the crow e r y g ni ener bliss kundali ity and eates un cr it t in po

esent the kes repr flows The sna th ' y at ni energ ine 'kundali e base of the sp th top m e o fr as to th the chakr own again around d then back

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present The wings re chakra e the third ey o sides/ tw s ha (which its true in ls peta ). When ce an ar pe ap tered it correctly mas wer of po brings the turn in ch hi w ty creativi dom ee fr to s lead The rod /sta ff represents th e spine

CATS, DOGS, COGS & GODS

CAT WALK - CADUCEUS This Cat is getting mesmerised by a vision of a 'Caduceus' - an ancient symbol that somehow found it's way as a logo for physicians and modern day medical professionals, along with the Rod of Asclepius, (which is just the rod/staff with one snake coiled around it rather than two and no wings at the top). The latter is considered to be the more appropriate symbol to use in medicine since its associated with the god Asclepius - a deity of healing and medicinal arts in Greek mythology. Modern day scholars and scientists completely miss that this is actually a symbol of spiritual mastery and therefore by default one of health.

- DEEP PURPLE A diagram of the third eye chakra One night I somehow managed to look into my own third eye chakra and saw it in some detail. At first I just saw an indigo haze, then as I penetrated deeper I saw the structure come into focus. Between the two petals is a circle that alternates between white and black. The reason why some hypnosis and brain washing techniques incorporate flashing lights is to resonate and 'reprogramme' consciousness via the third eye - though the practitioners of such things are most likely not aware of the mechanism. Flashing lights of cameras can induce fits for similar reasons - either interfering with ones own rhythm or kick starting the third eye in highly sensitive or suspectable people.

A fully awakened person with an open crown chakra and able to wield their third eye has the ability to create anything. Cats with their strong crown and third eye energies are so alluring to us for it is a symbol of life mastery. It's something every human would like to fully harness yet few seem able to, as with such great power comes a responsibility, and for many that's that tough part. In a universe of infinite possibilities to focus on one of those possibilities requires supreme self awareness, self honesty, confidence and anchoring in love. We have many incarnations mastering right thought, right desires and right action, to lead to greater awareness of the self. Humans who get stuck in their head wallowing too much in third eye energies are susceptible to being lost in visions, dreams, fantasies, obsessions, delusions and being motivated by the ego. They are also suspectable to violence and outbursts of anger which represents their desire to escape their self made prison.

Our modern disconnected society doesn't help matters either. Cats being four legged creatures have the advantage of being grounded by nature and the Earth. By always having bare contact with the Earth static electricity and stress can flow into the Earth like a grounding rod. Modern humans have lost that safety net. Our society left nature and its ways a long time ago. We even have rubber soled shoes which blocks the connection of our feet to the Earth. The reason we get tired walking around cities is actually the lack of grounding. If you were walking bare foot on a beach there would be no limits to the distances you can walk. Your thoughts would circulate more easily around your body and your dreams heard by nature. Energy you no longer need whether that's from you or the external world dissipates back to the Earth.

The two left and right petals rotate around the central circle like a propeller (though they are capable of stopping)

Alternates between white and black

- OUT OF THE CORNER OF YOUR EYE These two petals differ from classical Tibetan and Indian accounts in that I observed little dots around the perimeter. They are not there for decoration, they actually perform a function, my feeling is they enable us to perceive from different angles perhaps focus on other energies or realities at the same time.

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CATS, DOGS, COGS & GODS

CHANGING THE RECIPE, SOCIAL CATS AND SINGING DOGS

Imagine if the chakra balance of house cats and dogs was altered, how would that change their behaviour and appearance? In cooking we alter the outcome by changing the recipe. We can make it more sweet with the addition of a sweetener (unrefined of course) or add more heat with some spicy ingredients like chilli or pepper. However a good chef knows the elements and food preparation techniques are all connected and variable. If we add too much of one ingredient we may ruin the dish. Conversely too little wont make a difference. Sometimes one ingredient may call for others to help incorporate it into the mix in order to create a perfect dish. Luckily nature has that wisdom and it is constantly considering, readjusting and formulating, even before it manifests in the physical world.

If we incorporate more solar plexus and heart energy into a cat we have the big cats - pumas, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, tigers and lions. They now have a greater tolerance for one another because they live more with the energy of giving and receiving. They are physically bigger and stronger thanks to the ability to process and hold more energy. Lions are even able to live in a group - although called a pride than a pack it has many similarities to a dog pack. Emotion is clearly visible on the face of a lion and the males sometimes have that emotionally burdened look that dogs sometimes show. It's rumbling sounds indicate the power than resides within its belly. It's growls are like earthquakes signalling the rising lava in their bellies ready to explode. A gentle meow is now a powerful volcanic explosion - 'Roarr'!

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CATS, DOGS, COGS & GODS

If we add a bit more third eye and crown chakra energy to dogs we suddenly see more cat like attributes in them and we have foxes, jackals, coyotes and wolves!

The primal bark is now manipulated by the higher chakras into a beautiful melody sung to the heavens.

Its haunting tones touching the more subtle etheric planes that inspired them. They are now friends of the darkness too, being comfortable at night and some species are even able to be more independent and self sufficient! Their faces indicate the more advanced critical thinking they are now capable of.

The fox is famous for its quick thinking, stealth and manipulation of situations, something that without the increased third eye and crown chakra energies would be impossible.

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SWIMMING WITH THE DOLPHINS OF ATLANTIS

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BECAUSE NO-THING EXISTS, SOME-THING EXISTS.

Out of the primordial blackness - the great feminine (receiving/yin), exists the potential for the opposite. The primordial whiteness - the great masculine (giving/yang). The eternal dance between these two forces is our source. If there is an image of what 'God' looks like it would be the yin and yang symbol. Both the black and the white contain all the frequencies of colour. The great miracle of creation is the projection of this light into its various tones for us to explore in worlds of colour.

We are painting pictures of light and sound using our frequencies of colour. We are artists who have been given a cosmic canvas to paint onto.

What are you going to paint?

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47

The paintings are already there, it’s just up to the Visionary Artist to channel them Florence Menard

co-founder of the Vienna Academy of Visionary Art

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Inside THE

VIENNA ACADEMY OF

VISIONARY ART words by

Steven Nicolaides

LĂşcuma Magazine has been a champion of visionary art since our inception. In fact visionary art is one of the reasons this magazine exists. It was seeing these revelatory works of art that made me not only to want to know more about the art, but also about the artists themselves and even the visions that inspired the piece. Visionary art has the incredible ability to inspire and heal on so many levels - after all, the images have often come from a divine place and the visionary artists goal is to manifest that image onto the blank canvas.

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VIENNA ACADEMY OF VISIONARY ART

What is visionary art?

In his book “The First Manifesto of Visionary Art”, Laurence Caruana - visionary artist and co-founder of the Vienna Academy of Visionary Art, defines it as this: “Where Surrealists tried to elevate the dream-state into a higher reality (and opposed the use of narcotics) the Visionary artist uses all means at his disposal - even at great risk to himself - to access different states of consciousness and expose the resulting vision. Art of the visionary attempts to show what lies beyond the boundary of our sight. Through dream, trance or other altered states, the artist attempts to see the unseen - attaining a visionary state that transcends our regular modes of perception. The task awaiting him, thereafter, is to communicate his vision in a form recognisable to ‘everyday sight’.”

As a visionary creative myself, this is something I can identify with. Visionary artists are in a way spiritual explorers, but how they may differ from others on their own spiritual journeys, or even gurus and spiritual teachers, is that they bring it back with them! They can translate their experience into beautiful, powerful art that is adorned with the frequency of its creation.

This is effectively a light transmission for the viewer. It’s like traveling to intergalactic realms, and sending their friends back home a postcard!

Interviews with visionary artists from our previous issues reveal just how wise and spiritually adept they are. In many ways they have become the voice for the current spiritual and alternative movement. Terms like ‘Ascension’, ‘Transformation’ and ‘Spiritual awakening’ are given a visual identity by these artists. Visions of light, lucid dreams and astral travels which are tangible only in a persons mind or etheric realms are now given a physicality.

‘The Vine of Adam’ - Kuba Ambrose Oil and egg tempera on linen www.kubaambrose.com

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SWIMMING VIENNA WITHACADEMY THE DOLPHINS OF VISIONARY OF ATLANTIS ART

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t’s quite staggering how current works of art can already feel iconic. Like a new portal into another world opening up and being used by its audience straight away.

The last time something close to this ever happened was probably in the music and creativity of the 1960s. On being introduced to music like ‘Tomorrow never knows’ by the Beatles people would listen in awe and know immediately it was ‘a game changer’, or their album ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club band’, which changed the way people thought about albums, and songs like ‘All you need is Love’ which voiced what a generation was feeling. Right now the spotlight is very much shining on visionary artists and they have become the new ‘rock stars’ in a world of falseness and mediocrity. Many visionary artists actually perform through painting 'live' at festivals and music concerts around the world. With the help of social media sites like Facebook and Instagram, visionary artists can have huge audiences, Alex Grey has over 600,000 followers on Facebook, Autumn Skye Morrison over 350,000 and Amanda Sage over 260,000 and it still hasn’t even gone mainstream!

Fundamental to the Visionary art style is the ‘Mischtechnik’, meaning ‘mixed technique’ which is a mixture of art methods to create layers of paint. This is what gives visionary art that etheric, energetic and other-worldly look. It was through teaching Ernst Fuchs’ (one of the earliest proponents of Visionary Art) Mischtechnik at summer seminars that Laurence Caruana and Florence Menard expanded the idea into the Vienna Academy of Visionary Art which opened in 2013 at the historic Palais Palffy where Ernst Fuchs used to have his studio. Latter in 2016 the Academy will move to a larger location, one that can incorporate a cultural centre. Their evolving curriculum today includes much more than the Mischtechnik and encompasses a wide range of styles and theories. The teachers include some of the biggest and most respected names in the visionary art world, including A. Andrew Gonzalez, Daniel Mirante, Amanda Sage, Autumn Skye Morrision and Olga Klimova, to name just a few.

There is great wisdom stored in the sacred art of both the East and the West – there are invisible chambers of transmission and initiation, through the symbols of art themselves. And we are called to renew and sustain these flames of primordial tradition. Art is a deep and pure spring to drink from. tt ‘Chanting Down Babylon’, Daniel Mirante Oil and egg tempera on linen www.danielmirante.com

Daniel Mirante

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▲▲ ‘Moses Burning Bush’ - Ernst Fuchs Oil and egg tempera on linen www.ernstfuchs-zentrum.com

I

found my visit to the academy to be quite inspirational and exciting, as if I had visited somewhere sacred on a divine artistic pilgrimage. As I arrived, the class were in the middle of an intensive 3D sacred geometry workshop by master geometer Daniel Kage. The two week intensive would culminate in a 1.5 metre tall 3D Shiva mandala creation based on the teachings of the earlier days. What a surreal and pleasant sight to see sacred geometry on the classroom whiteboard!

My previous memories of being in a class environment were about brainwashing and boredom, but now finally something fascinating and relevant.

As the class broke for lunch break I moved into the office with the founders Laurence & Florence for a chat. As a creative person myself, I was interested to know Laurence’s view on the challenge of bringing through the vision.

“Do you ever struggle to get your vision onto the canvas?”

“Yes sometimes, you have this vision, and you know you can’t fully translate it into this, flat, plain reality, so you just accept that as part of the process. But that forces you to experiment, for example with colours. You can use colours to vibrate and interact with each other to create new colours, spaces and effects. I’m constantly searching for new vibrations between the colours.

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‘Scarabaic Rising Of Christ’ Laurence Caruana Oil and egg tempera on linen www.lcaruana.com

Fuchs used to explore this for years and called it ‘Visionary Impressionism’ ”. The wavy lines on Amanda Sage’s works which create an almost optical illusion effect or the big bright and bold colours of Ernst Fuch’s work are good examples of this.

According to Florence “Colour is space, either you get it or you don’t!’’ was one of Fuch’s mantras. Interestingly, Laurence has also noticed the parallels with the visionary art movement and the music of the 1960s. I had been curious to know their views on digital art, so I was pleased to hear they are fans. American digital artist Android Jones gave a lecture at the academy and they're planning intensive digital visionary art courses. “You can’t cheat with digital art, you still have to be a good draughtsman and have the basic talent for art” says Laurence. But he feels the digital art movement needs to be cautious not to fall into the gimmicks and effects. “Going back to the 1960s music, feedback and distortion were a big part of psychedelic music, but it’s important to not get lost in the effects.” “For example Jimi Hendrix wasn’t just doing the feedback and distortion, he could actually play the guitar.”

The following morning I returned to the academy to attend Daniel’s class. The day began with an opening circle, and chanting of various Shiva mantras led by Vera Atlantia - a

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▲▲ ‘Limbic Resonance’, Amanda Sage Oil and egg tempera on linen www.amandasage.com

Through my work I aim to shatter the illusion of separation Amanda Sage

‘Heart Wave’ Kuba Ambrose Oil and egg tempera on linen www.kubaambrose.com

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Nataraja Nataraja “ Jai Shiva Shankara Nataraja ” Nataraja = Lord of Dance S hankara = Giver of Jo y Jai = Hail to the Divine Name

a m a N m “OShivaya ”

, o b m a h S a Shiv a v i h S a v i h S Shambo

“

Mahadeva

Visionary artist and teacher at the academy. In the centre of the circle was a ‘Shiva’ 3D mandala created by Daniel made out of cardboard cutouts linked together. At the end of the intensive the students would recreate a 1.5 metre version! It was a while since I’d done any devotional chanting and I forgot how much fun it can be. In the Hindu tradition, Shiva is regarded as one of the primary forms of God and also represents the destruction and transformation of things, so the intention of invoking Shiva energies were to help with our own creation but also for the ecstatic feelings that often come through higher states of consciousness and connecting with the higher self. It is one of the easiest paths to feelings of bliss and these experiences are ‘fuel’ for a visionary artist! After half an hour of chanting we sat in peace for a few moments, digesting the divine nectar we had just summoned, and then the bliss came... For me it felt like a cloud of loving support from above. Vera and a few others burst into rapturous laughter, overwhelmed by the feeling, and perhaps a little surprised that they couldn’t stop laughing!

With our hearts glowing with love and our cells dancing to the energy of bliss we migrated to the tables for Daniels’ class which began with some theory on Platonic solids and exploration of the spiritual meaning of these geometric shapes. A Platonic solid is a 3D shape where: each face is the same regular polygon and the same number of polygons meet at each corner. There are only five Platonic solids. Starting with the tetrahedron, we began the process of cutting out the shapes and sticking the pieces of card together.

This is a modular form of the Japanese art - Kirigami. The patience and care required to construct these shapes makes it a kind of meditative process and really brought home just

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tt Vera Atlantia (far left) led the group through various mantras. This image captures the bliss at the end.

“Regeneration’, Amanda Sage Acrylic, casein & oil on canvas, 24×36” www.amandasage.com

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VIENNA ACADEMY OF VISIONARY ART

how real and important platonic solids are. Previously I’d seen images and videos of them, but constructing them in three dimensions is how they really ‘come alive’ for me. On a greater spiritual level they also help develop ones understanding of their own inner and outer spiritual sacred geometry for example the human merkaba is represented by two interlocking tetrahedrons that align at the heart centre.

It was quite surreal working away with Vera Atlantia and Kuba Ambrose across the table, two visionary artists whose work I have admired for some time. I wondered about Vera’s last name - Atlantia.

“Is Atlantia a reference to Atlantis?”, I asked. Vera gave a revealing smile and went on to share some of her thoughts and possible memories of incarnations

n dro

ahe Icos

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N

DRO

HE TRA

TE

in Atlantis. Past/parallel lives are a popular theme for many visionary art pieces. Since time is merely a perception, many fragments of what could be memories seem to come up for many people - I know they do for me, especially through spiritual practices.

Kuba Ambrose was also lovely and I could straight away see where the gentle, graceful energy in his paintings come from. Visionary Artists are not afraid to put their own feelings or personality into their art, that often striking emotional honesty and openness is one of the identifying features of Visionary Art. Another classic theme for Visionary Art is of course, the cosmos! It isn’t long before the group conversation around the table turns cosmic... I asked an open question about the Arcturians (considered to

tt Daniel Kage leading the group in the assembling of the models

HEXAH

EDRON

VIENNA ACADEMY OF VISIONARY ART

THE FIVE PLATONIC SOLIDS

be one of the most advanced alien species in the galaxy). “The Arcturians?”

“Oh, Daniel knows about them, don’t you Daniel?, Vera says, waking Daniel out of his sacred geometry trance, “Who?, oh yes I know the Arcturians,” Daniel replies, without breaking focus on the pieces of card he was sticking together precisely. This doesn't surprise me as whenever I tune into Arcturian energy I see it as bright lights and geometry, so I can image a someone so adept in sacred geometry as Daniel would be familiar with those energies.

The whole day seemed to pass so quickly. I felt proud of my platonic solid creations, and at the end of the day everyone in the class felt like friends. I left with a ‘happy merkaba’ full of love and enthusiasm, wishing the Vienna Academy of Visionary Art well in the future, but of course the future already exists, and it will probably appear in a somebodies visionary artwork soon!

Top: Laurence Caruana and Daniel Kage putting the finishing touches to the finished 3D mandala.

Below: The cutting out of the Shiva elements.

Left: Metal dodecahedron, part of the sculptural lamp collection "The 5 Platonic Solids" by Daniel Kage

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The visual language is a lost language, like cyphers undecyphered.

But it underlies all that we dream each night. It invisibly appears whenever the images of vision flow in a meaningful way.

It emerges from trance, contemplation, myth and madness. This ancient image-language, otherwise forgotten, is now being spoken once more...

Laurence Caruana

A Manifesto Of Visionary Art tt ‘Vishnu-Christ Avatar’ Laurence Caruana graphite, crayon & casein on paper, 65 cm x 120 cm www.lcaruana.com

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▲▲ ‘Beloved’ Autumn Skye Morrison acrylic on canvas 48”x36” www.autumnskyemorrison.com

May my paintings be a mirror, a reflection of your universal light, your human essence, and your timeless divinity Autumn Skye Morrison tt ‘Wisdom of the Ages’ Autumn Skye Morrison acrylic on canvas 16” x 20” www.autumnskyemorrison.com

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Left: ‘The Creatrix’ Below: 'Mystic Cat' A. Andrew Gonzalez www.sublimatrix.com

Even when examined closely the artwork of A. Andrew Gonzalez looks impossibly perfect. His unique 'sculptural' look is inspired by "a revival of the Pre-Raphaelite aesthetic" and "mystical love poems to the soul." Most painters usually use an additive process, in which layer after layer builds an image. Gonzalez does the opposite by using a subtractive process, developed through years of trial and error. His technique involves a gesso-like surface, transparent paints, air brushes and even an array of erasers.

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VIENNA ACADEMY OF VISIONARY ART Below:‘Virgin Queen’ Right: 'Yemanja' A. Andrew Gonzalez www.sublimatrix.com

I longed for an art that would contemplate the jewel of wisdom hidden within and reveal the glory and mystery of being, an art sublimed with grace and beauty, subtle, yet profoundly ecstatic and mythically bold in its declaration.

A. Andrew Gonzalez

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tt ‘The One’, Olga Klimova Fluorescent acrylic on canvas, 72” by 60” www.olgaklimova.com

Putting the mind aside and trusting the flow of creation, listening to what is unfolding in front of the eyes and one’s own subconscious, not trying to control what’s happening and letting go – all are very useful skills not only during painting, but in life.

Olga Klimova

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tt ‘Reconnected’ Olga Klimova Acrylic, oil and casein on canvas, 24” by 30” www.olgaklimova.com

I get into trance while painting, my state of consciousness fades giving way to a feeling of being afloat (like a medium) and being led and moved by a safe hand, doing things I do not know much about consciously. This condition lasts for hours.

Afterwards, everything I did in this time seems to me, as someone else would have done it.

Ernst Fuchs, ‘The Grafic Work’, 1980

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▲▲ ‘Heart Rose’ - Vera Atlantia Oil and egg tempera on linen www.veraatlantia.com

‘Enlightenment, Divine Feminine’, Olga Klimova acrylic and oil on canvas, 48” by 38” www.olgaklimova.com

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▲▲ 'Carved In Light' David Heskin www.davidheskin.com

It is the responsibility of the modern artist to look inward, then forward...and inward again.

If one’s art is to be a fulfillment of the ongoing renaissance in this vast cosmology, its presence must deliver a vision which will continue to inspire the advancements of personal and cultural evolution.

No longer is it acceptable to relive stylistic concepts from decades past, rather it is the necessity of the emerging movement to build authentic bridges to a brilliant future upon the strength of our determination to envision the possibilities David Heskin 76

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VIENNA ACADEMY OF VISIONARY ART

My paintings are alive...

David Heskin

qq 'Beyond Dualism' Timea Tallian www.timeatallian.com

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Vienna Academy of Visionary Art www.academyofvisionaryart.com

'Akhenaten', Emma Watkinson Oil & Tempera on Canvas 30” x 40” www.emanations.co.uk pp Laurence Cacuana’s book on visionary art

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qq 'Unio Mystica', Aloria Weaver www.aloriaweaver.com

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The unseen world of regressions

IS THERE LIFE ON MARS?

Words by Maria Zhuravleva

mariasuniverse.com Images by Louis Dyer louisdyer.com

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THE UNSEEN WORLD OF REGRESSIONS: IS THERE LIFE ON MARS?

A

s a regression therapist you win a lucky ticket.

You don’t have to grasp for fantasy books, watch science-fiction movies or look for extra knowledge – it all comes to you naturally when you are doing a regression. A powerful veil lifts up and brings you and your client to the wonderful world of historical times, meaningful happenings and unusual scenarios. And it always delivers an important message to help the individual envision their life from a broader multidimensional perspective of their bigger self.

Contrary to popular belief, not all the regressions are about the Kings and Queens or famous historical people. In many cases clients see themselves living a very simple life where not much is happening. These sessions are very common and comprise the large part of the regression stories. However, once and again you will receive a very unusual case which is nothing like what you would normally hear in a story on planet Earth. Suddenly people see themselves in strange surroundings, on different planets as different beings and this is where very interesting information comes from.

“I am wearing tall white boots and strange silver clothing which helps me to breathe”, - said Mary in the start of her regression. Immediately I knew it was not a usual regression, this is a common start when you know you stumbled upon something interesting. Why does she need clothing to help her breathe? You ask questions and slowly uncover the fascinating world of another person living in another place.

They tell you how they live, what they do and what their life is like. There are many interesting details that you can hear about their lives, it is almost as though you are talking to a character of a movie. Sometimes people get very emotional and start crying or smiling in delight, this usually means we found something important and we have to figure out what the message is.

Mary told me a story of her life. She said she was one of the people living in the caves on the planet which surface became unbearable for living. She said she remembered the time when the planet was normal and they could live on the surface enjoying the beauty of that planet. Then some catastrophe happened and they were forced to move underground as the atmosphere could not support life

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YOUR PEOPLE HAVE TO EXPAND THEIR CONSCIOUSNESS MORE, GO BEYOND THE LIMITS OF THE MIND anymore. “It is very sad. We used to be able to walk on the surface. Now we have to wear special costumes if we need to go out in order to breathe and walk properly.”

I asked Mary what the life underground was like and she said they managed to create a good living in these circumstances. “We knew the catastrophe was going to happen. So we prepared ourselves. We built the caves in advance, we sealed them hermetically so it contained the air, we started to grow special vegetables and farm fish in order to get ourselves food.” I was very curious to find out what planet Mary was talking about. I asked Mary if she knew the name of the planet she was seeing.

“I am on Mars, - she said emotionally, - it is sad about what happened to our planet. But we couldn’t help it and did the best we could to continue life.”

Interestingly, when Mary came for a session, one of her main questions was about the planet Mars. She couldn’t understand why she felt so strong about this planet and became very emotional when somebody mentioned it. Now it all seemed to make sense.

I was fascinated to hear the information about Mars so I asked more

questions to get to know the Martians better. “We are very good people, we live peacefully with each other. We work a lot to keep our lives going but we also spend some time in peace with ourselves.

It is very tranquil here. We have families and our children go to special schools to study. They are not like schools on Earth.

They learn the way the Universe is and the concept that everything is alive. This helps them to understand and respect the surroundings more.”

It was wonderful to hear about the life of these people. They seemed very kind and peaceful and the energy of the session was uplifting. I really wanted to know what the Martians thought of planet Earth and if they had any messages for us.

“Your scientists know that there is life on Mars. They have been here and they have seen traces of it. They know it but they are too afraid to say it as it will compromise their knowledge and may cause panic.

But it’s not true. It will be beneficial for humans to find out about what happened to Mars. It will make your people more compassionate and sympathetic, you will cherish your planet Earth more and respect it. Your people have to expand their consciousness more, go beyond the

limits of the Mind. It is very important.”

I asked about their image of planet Earth and they replied with laughter: “Your planet is too noisy! We can hear it all around. You make too much noise and create a hassle with your technology. Too much. You have to focus on the inner silence and spend some time in inner peace. It is very important for you.”

The message of the Martians made a lot of sense and I could feel how advanced and loving these beings were. Indeed, it looks like the way we are developing now, we focus too much on the outside world giving importance to the technological development and sometimes forgetting to look for peace inside.

As in this case, the regression can explain the way the person feels and find the cause for a particular pattern or emotion. In another regression, the lady came with a question of why she had the unexplained feeling of sadness all her life.

She wanted to know the reason for it and possibly cure it. To her surprise, she saw herself as an energy being on a strange orange planet where everything was of a reddish colour: the earth, the sea, the corals and the air. She felt she was a part of the air and was moving effortlessly

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THE UNSEEN WORLD OF REGRESSIONS: IS THERE LIFE ON MARS?

WE ARE FLYING IN THE AIR MERGING WITH EACH OTHER AND THEN SEPARATING

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THE UNSEEN WORLD OF REGRESSIONS: IS THERE LIFE ON MARS?

through the atmosphere enjoying the freedom of movement. “It is so wonderful! - she exclaimed happily, - We are flying in the air merging with each other and then separating. There are many of us here. I feel this is my purpose. I am helping the planet to live by just being here and breathing into the air.” The energy being was so delighted and happy to be on its planet and help it just by being there. But then something bad happened. When we moved forward in that life, she realised that the planet has changed drastically. “It is no longer the red planet. It is now pale green. I think my planet is dying!” She was devastated to know that something happened to the planet and she was forced to leave it. The being was so in love with her planet that she didn’t want to let go. “They are asking me to go and I don’t want to. I want to stay and help my planet more. But they say it is over and I have to leave. I am so sad!”

During the session we work with the Subconscious to heal the issues and resolve anything that stops the person from moving on. I asked the Subconscious if it could help her and explain what happened. “This life explains why she felt so sad all her life, - said the Subconscious, - she still didn’t let go of that sad feeling about the loss of her planet. We will clear this memory now so it doesn’t bother her anymore. She has to now focus on love as she learnt a lot of love in that life. She has to continue doing it.”

The Subconscious did a beautiful work during the session and the person felt much better upon awakening. It seemed that the sadness was gone and the eyes were full of light. The transformational power of the Subconscious is truly impressive.

Sometimes people see lives that help them to grow and get inspiration for this life. In one such session, the client saw herself as an orb of light flying in the air over the ground. The place was

full of light and very sparkly. She felt that all she needed to do was to be there and spread the light into the atmosphere.

“I love it! It feels so light, so easy. It is a beautiful feeling just to be an orb of light. Everywhere I go, I leave a trail of light behind and the atmosphere becomes lighter and lighter. I wish I could do this all the time!” When we asked the Subconscious for a message, they said that they showed that life to explain why she felt so sensitive in this life and found it difficult to adapt to the dense energies of Earth. “She still remembers what it’s like to be a light being. This is why she is struggling with living on Earth.

There is too much density in here. She should focus on the light and keep spreading it around like she did in that lifetime. Now she will remember it and feel much more in harmony.”

These are some of the examples of the unusual sessions that people experience during the regression. Some of these sessions are similar and repeat in their message as there seem to be many of us coming here to do a special job on planet Earth. They often speak about the light that we have come here to share with the planet and the people. Whatever the session is, it always carries a message and a meaning that is directly related to our current life.

This is what can help us to move on.

When we find out about our bigger self and can trace most important moments from other lives , we are able to view ourselves from the full picture and understand who we are and what we are doing here. We then become empowered and start to believe more in our purpose and our abilities. Regression is one of the beautiful ways to access that power.

Information is used with the permission of the client and anonymous names have been used

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The_________ H E A LT H Y

Chocolate Factory 86

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THE BONPOM HEALTHY CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Rum infused raisins in a raw chocolate bar.

Perfect for pirates of all ages!

Makes one bar 6 tbsp BonPom cacao butter

Recipe by Thérésa Hedges

3 tbsp BonPom cacao powder 2 tbsp BonPom coconut sugar 1 tbsp BonPom lúcuma 1 tsp rum essence/extract (or just soak the raisins in a few teaspoons of the real stuff!)

2 tbsp raisins Place the grated cacao butter in a bowl and put the bowl in another bowl quarter filled with hot water (bain-marie). Stir until completely melted.

Grind the coconut sugar together with the cacao powder & lúcuma until the sugar is powdered.

Add sugar and cacao powder to the melted cacao butter and whisk thoroughly until completely mixed. Stir in the rum essence and the raisins.

Pour into molds and place in fridge or the freezer (if you’re the impatient kind!) until a-harr-d, me hearties!

† Makes one bar

6 tbsp BonPom cacao butter, grated 4 tbsp BonPom lúcuma

1-3 tbsp BonPom coconut sugar (makes that nice sickliness!)

Pinch of vanilla powder

Place the grated cacao butter in a bowl and put the bowl in another bowl quarter filled with hot water (bain-marie). Stir until completely melted. It really doesn’t take that long!

mel bar a r a C y k l Si a Hedges Sweet & y Thérés Recipe b

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Grind the coconut sugar together with the lúcuma until the sugar is powdered.

Add sugar and lúcuma to the melted cacao butter and whisk thoroughly until completely mixed. Stir in vanilla.

Pour into molds and place in fridge until set.

Or in the freezer, if you can’t wait that long!

THE BONPOM HEALTHY CHOCOLATE FACTORY

es r a u q S r e y Hazelnut La

Recipe by Thérésa Hedges

Chewy layer 40g BonPom coconut flour 40g ground almonds 40g ground cashews 20g BonPom coconut oil 2 tsp vanilla extract 10-20ml liquid sweetener – maple/agave/coconut nectar (enough to bind) Nutty caramel bit 120g chopped dates 50g hazelnut butter 10g BonPom coconut oil 30g roughly chopped hazelnuts a little water (to get things moving in the blender) a pinch of BonPom Himalayan salt Choccy topping 35g BonPom cacao butter, grated 20g BonPom cacao powder 1 tsp vanilla extract or powder 1 tbsp liquid sweetener (see above) Chewy layer Mix the dried ingredients in a bowl. Add vanilla and a teaspoon of sweetener. Keep adding sweetener until you have a firm dough. Press into a high-sided dish (about 15cm x 30cm should be about right). Pop into the freezer while you get caramelly.

Nutty caramel layer Bung all ingredients into your blender (apart from the chopped hazelnuts). Whizz the blazes out of it until you get a sticky fudgy mess. If it refuses to play ball, add a couple of teaspoons of water to make it whizz a little easier (you don’t want to add too much or you’ll end up with a sauce!). You may need to add a couple more – but go easy! Tip the hazelnuts in and give it a quick pulse – just enough to mix the nuts in! Spread this over the base and poke holes in it with a cocktail stick (helps the chocolate to anchor itself!). Pop back into the freezer, while chocolate madness ensues…

Choccy topping Melt the cacao butter, add everything and whisk respectfully until you have a bowl of lump-free chocolatey goodness. Pour this over the caramel layer. It’ll be cold enough that the chocolate should set reasonably quickly.

Use a hot, sharp knife to cut into squares (it stops the topping from cracking). Keep in the fridge. If they last that long.

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THE BONPOM HEALTHY CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Makes about 16 bars 1 cup dates soaked for 20 mins ½ cup soak water 3 cups desiccated coconut ¼ cup melted BonPom coconut oil 3 tbsp ground cashews Pinch of BonPom Himalayan pink salt For the chocolate 100g BonPom cacao butter 100g BonPom cacao powder 2 tsp agave Filling Blend the dates and ½ cup of water the dates were soaked in, to make a date paste, add in the rest of the ingredients for the filling and process until well combined. Shape into bars and place in the fridge or freezer to firm.

Chocolate In a bain-marie carefully melt the cacao butter and stir in the cacao powder till smooth, stir in 1 or 2 tsp of agave syrup (or to taste, depending on how sweet you want the chocolate).

Assembly Place the firm coconut shape on a fork and dip into the chocolate to coat. Remove from the chocolate and place on a non-stick sheet or grease proof paper. Place in the fridge till the chocolate has set.

Wrap individual bars in foil and store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.

Non dese Vegan: rt i W slan hat i d. W f yo u oul Veg d y were an: o st u ea N t m uck on the o, I wo eat coc u the a onu ld eat n? ts...

Recipe by Alan Martin

SOFT COCONUT FILLING SMOTHERED IN CACAO 90

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250g of dates soaked for at least an hour 40g of BonPom lúcuma powder Pinch of BonPom Himalayan salt (fine) 200g pack of BonPom cacao paste 4 tsp agave syrup (or your favourite sweetener) Date Toffee Drain the dates, but keep the soak water.

Blitz the dates in a high power blender till completely smooth (you may have to add a tablespoon or two of the soak water to get it started, but be careful not to have it too runny) Once the date paste is completely smooth, blend in the lúcuma and salt till mixed through.

Spread the mix on a teflex sheet to the desired thickness then dehydrate* This process can take up to 8 hours depending on the thickness of the mixture. Keep checking and when the mix is firm enough, cut into the desired bar lengths. Cut some randomly placed holes throughout the length of each piece and continue to dehydrate till solid enough to handle without falling apart.

When they are ready you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge till you are ready to coat them in chocolate.

To prepare the chocolate Chop or grate the cacao paste into small pieces, this helps it melt quicker!

Use a bain-marie (double boiler) to melt the cacao paste. When completely melted stir in the agave and blend well. Dip the dehydrated date toffee bases into the chocolate to coat and place on a sheet of teflex or greaseproof paper to set. Once ready they can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer *if you don’t have a dehydrator, try using a regular oven. Keep the temperature to the minimum possible on fan setting (if it is fan assisted) and leave the door open. Dehydrate in the middle of the oven. Keep in mind, this method may not take as long as using a dehydrator so keep an eye on the mix!

Da

in d e te t a o ola C c e o e h f C f o et T Raw

Recipe by Alan Martin

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THE BONPOM HEALTHY CHOCOLATE FACTORY

- Raw -

CHOCOLATE FUN

Recipe by Ines Romanelli

1.

Grate 1/2 cup of BonPom cacao butter (It will melt more easily when it’s grated).

Also measure out 1/2 cup of BonPom coconut oil.

2.

Melt the cacao & coconut oil in a *bain-marie. Stir the oil and butter occasionally until it’s smooth.

3.

Measure 1/2 cup cacao powder. If you’d like to add any other dry ingredients, measure them out now and stir them together with the cacao powder. Note: In this recipe, I used 1/4 cup BonPom lúcuma powder and 1 tbsp BonPom maca. Natural vanilla or vanilla extract would work here also.

4.

Pour the dry ingredients in the bowl with melted oil and butter. Stir continuously until smooth.

5.

If you want to sweeten your chocolate, pour 4-6 tbsp of maple or sweetener of your choice into the mix and stir. If not, skip this step.

6.

Have someone check the quality.... meaning… go ahead and check if the chocolate is sweet enough! You can also add the other additions at this point – dried fruit, nuts etc. Pour the melted chocolate in a mould/pan/plate/ice cube tray. You can also throw some of additions such as shelled hemp or cacao nibs on top of the chocolate for decoration.

7.

If you want to jazz it up a bit, here are some ideas for what you can add.

• BonPom lúcuma powder (sweetener, also makes the chocolate more like milk chocolate) • BonPom cacao nibs • BonPom goji berries • BonPom Inca berries • BonPom chia seeds • BonPom maca • BonPom hemp seed

8.

ULD! BREAK THE MOolds in all Find silicone m s online shapes and size

Alternatively you can dip fresh fruit in the melted chocolate, such like cherries, strawberries, avocado, mango and even beetroot slices! Place on a plate or sheet of foil, then transfer to fridge to set. *Place cacao butter and coconut oil in a heat proof bowl. Then place bowl in a shallow pan containing a small amount of hot water.

Maca Chocolate Stars

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Strawberries coated in chocolate & shelled hemp seeds

Chocolate hearts with Inca berries inside

Dark Chocolate shells Cherries coated in chocolate & cacao nibs

Chopped beetroot dipped in chocolate

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THE BONPOM HEALTHY CHOCOLATE FACTORY

Makes about 16 bars 100g BonPom raw cacao butter 100g BonPom raw cacao powder 1 cup almonds 1 cup cashews 250g dates soaked for a couple of hours (save the water) ¼ cup BonPom lúcuma 150g crunchy peanut butter Pinch of BonPom Himalayan pink salt (fine) 3 tbsp agave syrup (for the nougat) 2 tsp agave syrup (for the raw chocolate) Nougat layer Grind the almonds and cashew nuts to a flour, mix in the lúcuma and 3 tbsp of agave. Add a little of the soak water from the dates. You have to be very careful, not too much. Use your hands to knead to a firm dough.

Press the dough evenly into a foil lined 20 x 20cm baking tray*. Place into the freezer.

Peanut mix layer Put the dates into a food processor and blend until 100% smooth (you might have to add 1 or 2 tbsp of the soak water to get a nice smooth paste. The resultant mix should be firm, not runny. Now stir in 150g of peanut butter and the pinch of salt. Mix thoroughly.

Spread the peanut butter mix evenly on top of the nougat layer and place back in the freezer to firm.

Chocolate In a bain-marie carefully melt the cacao butter and stir in the cacao powder till smooth, stir in 1 or 2 tsp of agave syrup (or to taste, depending on how sweet you want the chocolate).

Remove the tray from the freezer and lift out the foil containing the mixture from the tray. Peel back the foil and cut the set mixture into 16 evenly sized slices. Dip each slice in the chocolate to cover, and then place on a greaseproof baking sheet or paper and leave to allow the chocolate to set. You can pop in the fridge at this point. When fully set, eat and enjoy! To keep for longer, wrap individual bars in foil and store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. * Any tray will do if you don’t have this size, just try to keep the mixture to approx. 20 x 20cm

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Rediscovering MISUNDERSTOOD

POWER PLANTS Words by Steven Nicolaides

tt Cacao Pod illustration

by Denis Smakov

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tt 'Helping hands' illustration

by Denis Smakov

MEDICINE IS AN INTENTION, A VIBRATION, IT ACTUALLY CONTAINS THE ENERGY AND INTENTION OF THE PERSON WHO MADE IT AND THEN IT INTERACTS WITH YOUR INTENTION AND THAT'S LITERALLY HOW YOU GET HEALED Prem Hobden co-founder of Raw Ecstasy

T

wo leading lights in London's health food scene - Juice Tonic and Herb Alchemy (Raw Ecstasy's latest offspring, bringing the best quality herbal tinctures and events), teamed up to host 'Herb Alchemy Mocktail Parties' An ongoing series of evening events bringing informative fun talks from expert speakers, delicious raw vegan cakes and canapĂŠs, juices, smoothies, herbal cocktails, music and socialising.

The evening event I attended was titled 'The Rediscovery of Misunderstood Power plants'. Raw Ecstasy founders Prem Hobden and Charlot Conway had planned an evening of taboo breaking that promised to entertain and get the audience 'high' - but in a natural way!

Juice Tonic being in the heart of Soho (an area once famous for its red light district), seemed a perfect match and location to shift some attitudes!

Strip shows, prostitution and drugs were all common in Soho, but now that side of Soho has all but disappeared. The changing landscape of Soho is a microcosm of the greater revolution currently sweeping the world. We are living in an age where we are literally 'cleaning up' our approach to not only foods and stimulants that we may consume but everything in life, including relationships, sex, work, architecture, fashion, art and the ways in which we party. Juice Tonic's presence in Soho is an example of this upgrading, the drinks, foods and elixirs on offer are all life and world enhancing instead of having the opposite effect. The key difference is the approach to life, the intention which is born from a place of gratitude and a desire to live in harmony with nature as a joyous, loving being.

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As we all gathered inside the cosy oasis of Juice Tonic on a mild December evening, Prem Hobben, co-founder of Raw Ecstasy began the evenings proceedings with an impassioned introduction: "It's natural to take natural herbal substances, but we have been removed from the jungle and are instead fed a load of refined products and marketing. This is a beautiful opportunity to find out the truth about these plants instead of the refined and badly marketed versions. There is a worldwide revolution going on. It happens individually inside each being but then we see it out there in the world. These plants are a big part of it.

For example coca used by Coca Cola for years and as a drug in cocaine, is actually an incredible plant, one of the most beautiful health giving longevity enhancing plants I've encountered.

It's easy to misrepresent these kind of plants. Coffee, tobacco, coca are all very strong things, but that's why they need to be understood. It's not that they are inherently bad things. If you drink eight espressos in one day you are going to get very wired but if you take it in the right way, it's actually quite good for you.

So there is no need to throw the baby out with the bath water. I have an additive personality, I grew up smoking, drinking and partying. Instead of saying 'I'm a bad person or I'm not good enough..' Understand it's natural so just flip it around with a better intention. Now its about healing whereas in the past it wasn't clear - it was unconscious.

We were then guided through a polarity balancing exercise to restore our energy flow to more a natural relaxed state after the stresses of the city we'd just been exposed to. This involved placing the right hand on the left shoulder and left hand on the right shoulder. Breathing in through our nose with the tongue touching roof of the mouth, breathing out with tongue resting back down.

"I'd like to thank the spirits of the plants and all of you guys, all we're ever doing is co-creating our reality and the new Earth.

It starts now with us and getting really high!" Prem announced.

Sammy Davis Jr's version of "The Candy Man Can" starts playing suggesting the light heated fun coming up. The original

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version of the song was written for the first 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' movie and we feel a bit like the children in the story, assembled at the factory gates with our golden tickets in hand, waiting to be let inside the factory. Especially when we caught sight of a cake that even Mr Willy Wonka himself would be proud of - a stunning tiger stripped raw vegan coffee and cacao cake being cut into squares behind the bar.

COFFEE

Marco Proietti, founder of Juice Tonic began his talk on coffee with a surprising statement. "I only really began drinking coffee when I was 27," which for an Italian is unusual (as Italians are famous for their love of coffee!) "There's so many people in the world hooked on coffee which should tell us how powerful and important it is. Working in a juice bar I'm so used to telling people about the negative sides of coffee, but it does have many positives too". Here comes Marco's second surprising comment.

"First of all coffee is NOT a food! In Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine disciplines it is considered a medicine, so coffee should not be consumed as a food, it should be consumed as a medicine. Different body types deal with coffee in a different ways. 'Pitta' body types are already fiery and high so they don't need as much to feel the effects, plus it could interfere with their harmony and balance. Whilst other types, like 'kaffa' and water dominant types benefit from coffee more. But we can all benefit from coffee with the right dosage, and the right delivery system.

Also important is the quality of coffee. Most of the coffee consumed in the world is terrible for a lot of different reasons.

Coffee - if not organic, contains high amounts of pesticides.

Coffee can help you if you need to wake up at 3am but on a regular basis its overstimulating and can exhaust your adrenal glands." Marco also cleared up some of the theory behind an alternative health clichĂŠ - coffee enemas. "When administered rectally the caffeine in the coffee helps dilate the bile ducts as well as increasing bile flow from the liver". Coffee enemas are also frequently used in alternative cancer treatment protocols such as the 'Gerson Therapy'. Who new? All these years people have been overdosing on coffee at the wrong end!

REDISCOVERING MISUNDERSTOOD POWER PLANTS

WHO CAN TAKE A SUNRISE, SPRINKLE IT WITH DEW COVER IT WITH CHOC'LATE AND A MIRACLE OR TWO THE CANDY MAN, OH THE CANDY MAN CAN THE CANDY MAN CAN 'CAUSE HE MIXES IT WITH LOVE AND MAKES THE WORLD TASTE GOOD 'The Candy Man' 'Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory'

CACAO (Chocolate)

Cacao is the traditional South American name for what became known as Cocoa - the basis of chocolate. It's image as a 'junk food' chocolate bar ingredient that had to be rationed or avoided changed overnight with the publication of the book 'Naked Chocolate' by David Wolfe and Shazzie in 2005. All of a sudden cacao was a superfood, and now with the spotlight shining on it like a rock star, everyone wanted a piece of it! Now there was no need to feel guilty about eating large amounts of chocolate, as long as it was organic, raw and unprocessed that is. Cacao recipes, stared filling cyberspace, cacao parities started happening in the USA and UK and even raw chocolate products appearing in health food stores. Out of all the ingredients in the recent health food movement cacao is the one that took off the most.

Now eleven years later cacao is at the verge of going mainstream.

Where cacao has led, other plants could follow. Who knows what other foods that have been forgotten may be rediscovered and appreciated in a similar way.

Tim Michell co-founder of Sacred Cacao Ceremonies began with the differences between Cocoa and Cacao. "Cocoa is roasted at high temperatures so a lot of the benefits such as antioxidants and mood enhancing chemicals are lost. If it's an in-organic dairy chocolate bar then it could contain antibiotics and pesticides.

I think cacao is an incredible sacred food. Through the mass production of low quality chocolate bars mixed with factory farmed milk and refined sugar, cacao has lost some of its power and spirit. One of the legends they have in South America is that when man becomes a bit lost and disconnected from nature, cacao will come back and help people reconnect and bring their balance with nature back. I think that's what we're seeing in the world today. My journey with cacao began about five or six years ago. I saw David Wolfe talking about it, I went online straight away and bought some cacao nibs and goji berries straight away from America‌I wish I knew they were available in the UK so I wouldn't of spent so much money though! I put some nibs and goji berries in my mouth and that was my first experience of cacao. It was a life changing experience for me, I felt so alive, full of energy and it helped elevate my mood. It really showed me how cacao and more importantly nutrition can affect on an emotional level and actually change ones personality - which blew my mind. I never knew that could happen. Through the years I learned so much about my self from feeling the plant and connecting to it's energy. It helps you relax due to the magnesium content which relaxes the muscles and chromium helps balance blood sugar. It also opens up your heart, it opens up your mind and can give clarity of mind. I feel sensations in my third eye too so it can help with intuition. If you look at the inside of a raw cacao bean you can sometimes see deep violet colours which are associated with the third eye. Then of course there are feelings of bliss, love, gratitude and more than anything it gave me 'space', it showed me the space in my heart and mind which allowed me to reconnect with myself. I think that's so invaluable for the world right now. We can easily forget how to connect with our own selves and how do it. And of course it's a massive aphrodisiac". "Can we have some more?" Someone in the audience yells. He was probably motivated by that tiger stripped cacao and coffee cake which we just ate.

Coffee & Cacao Tiger Striped raw vegan cake

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REDISCOVERING MISUNDERSTOOD POWER PLANTS

Fresh coca tea (mate de coca)

Tim continues, "When you take cacao in a ceremonial way it helps remove or heal emotional blockages in your life. For example I had a little tiff with a friend of mine last night which was weighing on my mind, so I had a cacao ceremony this morning and it helped not only to heal that situation but to help prepare for this talk. It helped see that confrontation from another perspective and to forgive myself and the other person." Tim went on to explain about different types of cacao trees, and pointed out that not all cacao is the best quality. The kind of cacao used in a ceremony is from wild mature trees and one of the best varieties for flavour is Arriba National cacao especially from older trees, up to 50-60 years old.

HAPPINESS LIES WITHIN ONE'S SELF, AND THE WAY TO DIG IT OUT IS COCAINE Aleister Crowley, 'Diary of a Drug Fiend'

Dried coca leaves

COCA (Cocaine)

Now things were going to get serious. J.J Cale's pounding and 'addictive' guitar riff on the song "Cocaine" starts to play over-head.

Cocaine is an illegal drug made from the coca plant. After cannabis, cocaine is the most frequently used illegal drug globally - between 14 and 21 million people use the drug each year.

The coca plant is native to South America where traditionally coca leaves are chewed to combat altitude sickness and as a mild stimulant. Tea can also be made from the leaves or dried powder. "If you speak to the indigenous people of South America who have the knowledge it's a lot more easy to understand but for us in the West its not so easy to comprehend" Sagar Sing began at the start of his talk.

Amazingly coca leaf was legal until 1944 and cocaine extracted from the coca leaf was one of the original ingredients of coca-cola, which is where the name for the drink came from. The Cola part refers to kola nut, the other key ingredient. Later on coca-cola used a 'cocaine-free' coca leaf extract.

"In the past coca was used as a natural local anaesthetic and was used in conjunction with coffee and cannabis. What are the possible conscious and responsible uses? Tinctures of the coca leaf can be made for therapeutic benefits. There is some anecdotal evidence that it aids in clearing the throat chakra and with communication".

I would be inclined to believe this as one of the main symptoms of cocaine use is a desire for communication - to the point of extremes.

Maybe the more holistic natural version could bring balance and health rather than the out of balance cocaine version. "Perhaps in the future when laws are changed on coca use and experimentation there will be more light shed on the subject".

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Lines o

f pine

pollen

PINE POLLEN produced by the male catkins of pine trees Since coca leaf is currently illegal we had to make do with a worthy substitute - pine pollen! Pine pollen is a fine yellow powder produced by the male catkins on the end of the pine’s branches every spring. It is considered to be an 'adaptogen' meaning it will cater to exactly what your body needs. It's rich in vitamins and minerals and is a complete protein. It even contains testosterone!

Perhaps the reason for 'springtime friskiness' is all that testosterone blowing in the wind? Charlot and Prem created lines of pine pollen on a glass tray to mimic lines of cocaine which was then passed around for people to snort. Well the title of this event is 'breaking taboos'!

For those who didn't want pine pollen up their nose there was a more civilised tincture which is the one I opted for!

The advantage of snorting or tinctures is that the therapeutic chemicals will be absorbed better by bypassing the slow digestive system. The surreal sight of people snorting lines of pollen in a juice bar provided me with the highlight image of the evening.

HEMP (Cannabis)

Hemp is basically the same cannabis plant that the drug comes from, minus the psychoactive compound of THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol). Without that application, focus instead is on hemps other uses - paper, construction, textiles, medicine and of course nutrition. Hemp is a plant that is already in the process of clearing its name from all the bad press, jealousy (from other industries) and associations with immature people who want to escape reality and get 'stoned'.

You can now walk into any health food store in the UK and find hemp seeds for sale though this did take many years of promotion and use from the alternative community. There is still a long way to go yet. As long as school children are still being fed cow milk instead of hemp milk, we have a very big and serious problem!

To talk about hemp was Nick from 'English Hemp'(englishhemp.co.uk) who came all the way from Devon for this special event.

"I'm one of the handful of people in

the country who have a license to grow hemp" he began. "I dropped out of civilisation about 3 or 4 years ago and I was looking for something generative and healing to give back to the world, and when I found hemp that was it! I live in the middle of my hemp plantation in a shepherds hut. The hemp I grow doesn't have any THC in it because I'm not allowed to grow that, so you can't get 'high' from it. The vedics used hemp 2000 years ago as one of their five sacred plants, the sufis used, the hindus used it, a lot of people have used it spiritually. I think we've all probably had a spiritual spliff before right? It actually might be one of the ways your journey into a sacred life gets 'woken up' and makes you question things. But the interesting thing about Hemp is its been with us forever.

The Chinese emperors were using it in 8000 BC for medicine and industry. In a world before cotton and slavery hemp was everything. Every piece of paper, cordage, canvas (the word canvas is actually sanskrit for hemp), clothing was made out of hemp. Hemp was so essential Henry

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The many uses of Hemp the VIII made it mandatory to grow it in this country. It was also mandatory in the USA, even the constitution was written on hemp, also the Gutenberg Bible and the Magna Carta. We couldn't of done anything without hemp. All of the sails and ropes that discovered the new world were made of hemp hemp was so important to us. It was only in 1936 after Harry J. Anslinger wasn't able to make alcohol illegal anymore that he took his group of the 'untouchables' and switched them over to hemp. Because hemp was too powerful. It was out competing trees for paper (Hemp produces four times as much pulp per area with the added bonus you don't loose biodiversity). Henry Ford (founder of the Ford Motor Company) made a hemp car prototype with hemp fibres in the body shell. Then it all faded away but now it's kind of coming back. For me when I sit in my beautiful hemp plantation - I feel that it's such a spiritual and healing plant. There's a lot of work happening now to look at the medicinal properties, especially in California where they've legalised it. And this is where it really is truly amazing. Every mammal has an endocannabinoid system (ECS) in the brain and throughout the central and peripheral nervous system which is designed to work with hemp. My theory is that when we were hunter gatherers we ate a lot of hemp because it grows like a weed everywhere. In the first three days after giving birth the mothers colostrum ('first milk') is full of CBD's (cannabidiol) and it kickstarts this process to work. What happens is you have these brain synapses which fire in one direction which manage your metabolism. If you imagine a football game with no referee it all gets a bit crazy. The CBD acts like the referee in your body, it rebalances it (homeostasis), so everything doesn't turn into a crazy riot. That's why it's good for high and low blood pressure or stress and laziness".

And with that he offered us his CBD tinctures which in his humble opinion are some of the best if not the best in the world.

"The way I grow hemp is different from most people. There's a lot of people selling CBD now that's made in factories buying some random stuff in not quite knowing what's going on just trying to make money. I grow my hemp biodynamically, so on

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EVERY MAMMAL HAS AN ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM (ECS) IN THE BRAIN AND THROUGHOUT THE CENTRAL AND PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM WHICH IS DESIGNED TO WORK WITH HEMP

a monthly basis we're there at dawn with glass jars with ground silica in them. We stir them in silence creating a vortex which draws in the astral forces so that the hemp plant is connected to the universe. We then spray it over the hemp which creates a beautiful rainbow effect in the air. We chant OM at the 432Hz frequency then I sit with the plant and meditate before I pick it.

I also just use the top 1% of the plant. I then have a conversation with the plant about the necessity of healing. Potentially all this is understood by the aura of the plant. By a spagyric process we're taking what's left of the aura after death - which is the etheric body, and put it back in to the tincture. So in a way the plant knows what it's doing, it knows it's there to heal. Then I store it in containers with 'love' and 'healing' written all over them. I was meditating with the plant last summer and it said to me, 'you need to make a CBD G&T, CBD Dry Martini and CBD Rum'." After such a passionate presentation we were excited to sample some of these amazing tinctures. The flavour was a stroke of genius. As one sprays the tincture into their mouths they get a nice hit of G&T as well as hemp energy and CBD. A friend of mine recently tried taking CBD tinctures and this is what she thought "Well I was having trauma effects that were coming up... And taking the CBD combined with reading scriptures, yoga and Qi Gong everyday it's incredible! It feels like there is more equilibrium between both brain hemispheres. A deeper sense of inner peace that could only come from a source of Gaia. Feels very natural.."

My personal theory of how hemp with or without THC content can heal or create highs is due to the fact hemp contains strong frequencies of symmetry, balance and harmony in it, thereby creating that in the brain and body via the ECS system.

If one considers the hemp leaf design It's clearly evident it is a perfectly symmetrical leaf and the way the leaves arrange themselves up the plant to a towering point suggests to me it's reaching up to a peak - a connection to a higher octave.

After a refreshing wild green juice containing nettles, hemp leaves and other greens we were introduced to the final plant.

Wild Tobacco flowers TOBACCO

Prem was welcomed back with lots of cheers and whoops as he began to talk on the last two topics."Both these two will require the greatest turnaround in terms of education. I've still kind of got the programming that alcohol and tobacco are bad - and it just isn't the case. Some of the longest living people on Earth have been tobacco users for 80 years, but not the hybridised, chemicalised processed stuff. Pure tobacco and in the right way.

For me ideally tobacco should not be inhaled, and it should be kept around the head or used as a smudge to cleanse the aura". At which point Charlot lit some Mapacho tobacco (wild tobacco Nicotiana rustica) smudge sticks to cleanse the space and passed them around for us to use. I was a bit apprehensive as cigarettes are a major irritation for me. Even the slightest whiff of cigarette smoke as I pass people in the street tends to bother me. Strangely though I didn't feel any negative reaction to the tobacco being burned in the small space we were in. Its wholesome aroma actually smelt quite pleasant and added to the already lovely atmosphere in the space. The reason for this is that the average cigarette and the smoke produced contains many harmful chemicals, such as tar, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, ammonia, hydrogen cyanide, arsenic, and butane. Perhaps worse is that cigarette smokers are against themselves - they know the dangers and yet still decide to abuse themselves.

Prem continues "In South America tobacco is regarded as such a sacred herb, that shamans are dedicated to the ceremonial use of tobacco and many believe it is the 'mother of ayahuasca' in that it led them to the knowledge of the ayahuasca brew, which in turn led them to the knowledge of all the other plants. I understand it through astrology. For me this is a great energy tool because it can give you a language for energy. Tobacco is Martian, it's dry and hot and your lungs are moist and feminine so it can irritate them. But used in the right way its different. I find it mind boggling that here in the west, corporations took tobacco, messed with it, told us how to smoke it and now the same society that accepted it now demonises it". Prem has also struggled with

tobacco addiction, "I have struggled with tobacco big time, so it can be a long process letting go. These 'power herbs' as I call them, are here to teach us about our own limits, so if we abuse them due to an abusive approach then they are going to abuse us - but only to teach us. As soon as we approach it with a sacredness then they become sacred allies".

ALCOHOL

"Alcohol is by far the best delivery system - whether it's in a fermented beverage which can be called 'methagline' (the old Welsh word for medicine), mead (a honey beer or wine) or tinctures. So it's gone from medicine to that next door", pointing to the pub next door to Juice Tonic. When alcohol is specially fermented it can take on the consciousness of the person behind it. In the past it was used to preserve and enhance their medicine. So if you take rosemary and make a mead it actually makes it mildly psychoactive. That's how powerful an alchemical fermentation is. You can take something as common as rosemary and it becomes incredible. Essentially every tribal culture on the planet made mead, beer or wine. There was a ritual of co-creating involved. They would gather round and call upon the spirit of the positive yeast (they took the view of there being good and bad yeasts for the body), they would also culture their mead with wild yeasts". "That's also why strong alcohol is called 'spirits", Nick added. "Yes there you go, Prem replied. "That's from the alchemical connection, it's the lightest thing, so when you distil something the alcohol comes first and when you die your spirit goes first.

The process of alchemy led Prem to introduce his tinctures which he believes some of the best in the world. "I've not heard of anyone who does all this for their tinctures. For example I distil my own alcohol in solar timing. So for all the tree spirit herbs such as pine pollen or hawthorn I make a coconut alcohol spirit that distils the medicinal properties of the tree spirit. Using a good alcohol source for the tincture is important as the tincture is 99% alcohol and most companies might just use a generic

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alcohol and can be plants from an opposing energy like grain ethanol which if you put that with pine pollen which is light and is a third eye opener it's completely swamped with a denser energy. I've not done my own trials with these but I can really feel it. All the plants are picked under moonlight. I also triple coat the bottles with aluminium foil which blocks EMF (electro magnetic fields) as well as UV(ultra violet) light. Part of the process is burning the fibre down to its bioavailable salts.

We finish the evening with something most people have never tried before - a sprouted coffee alcoholic drink.

THE EFFECTS

Just as our hosts intended we all left on a high, but what happened when I got home took me totally by surprise. My lungs were in what I can only describe as an ecstatic state. My breathing was so much more deeper than usual. The tobacco was certainly part of if but also the myriad of high vibrational healing plants acting synergistically. In my nightly meditation, I had wonderful visions of diamonds shimmering on a black background and intuitive guidance. The next day I felt as if I was wrapped in pure white cotton wool in a state of peace and bliss.

Read more about these power plants on Raw Ecstasy's blog: www.rawecstasy.co.uk

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Turmeric root harvested in Agsoor village, Karnataka, India Introducing the latest curcumin innovations from Viridian Nutrition.

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DESTINATION VEGAN

EXCALIBUR

A brand new, cutting edge vegan restaurant in the mystical land of Avalon. www.excaliburcafe.net

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he tag line of Glastonbury's newest and brightest restaurant - 'Excalibur', is "Forging a new legend", a link to the King Arthur legend from which they take their name. Glastonbury has had long association with the magical and mystical and been a place of pilgrimage for thousands of years. The mysterious Glastonbury Tor - a terraced hill that rises out of the flat green flood plains, has spring water gushing out of its base and secret caverns carved into it attracts visitors from all over the world. There are no chain stores in Glastonbury's high street. Instead there are shops selling crystals, art, alternative clothing, esoteric books and of course a health food store! Glastonbury is basically every new agers dream town, a place where if you don't believe in astral travel and aliens you are thee weird one. It's surprising that in a town where every other person is some sort of healing

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practitioner there hasn't been a decent cutting edge vegan restaurant. There are a couple of nice casual vegetarian cafes, 'Earthfare' - an excellent health food store with juice bar and "The Chocolate Love Temple" which sells raw chocolates. But now there is a new reason for people to make a pilgrimage to Glastonbury, Excalibur!

The idea for Excalibur came from Danish restauranteur Peter Jensen and local fermented foods and wellness expert Kenny Sunshine. Together they pulled together a 'dream team' of members including Michelin star vegan chef Sarmado Sibley, Yuki Ortega Yamamoto (ex chef at Wild Food Cafe and Nama), Jivan Mukta (who has worked for Wild Food Cafe and under Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver), and Nolan Luijten (ex manager of Wild Juicery and Juice Tonic).

No expense has been spared in the decor either, as we arrived

View from Glastonbury Tor as the first customers for the soft launch party into a brand new luxurious restaurant we felt like knights returning to Camelot. The recently laid floor was solid oak that matches the solid oak tables and chairs. The paint on the walls isn't just non-toxic it actually absorbs, filters and neutralises chemicals and pollutants, solvents and VOCs from the atmosphere.

They have a full-spectrum EMF defence system (probably a first for a restaurant the UK) which protects diners from pulsed radiation from mobiles, WiFi and EMFs. At the back of the restaurant is a gorgeous large sky light flooding the space with natural light - beneath which is a stunning living wall of lush plants and a special round table for large groups - presumably where you can pretend to be the 'knights of the round table'! There's also a cosy section with soft wall sofas and a real fire place. The kitchen is equally impressive with the latest equipment including a custom vortex water filtration system that not only filters but re-energises the water.

We were already amazed before we actually ate anything but when the food arrived we almost couldn't believe it - easily on par with London's best vegan restaurants. The menu is a mixture of raw and cooked dishes such as mushroom ceviche, raw courgette spaghetti, tapas, nut cheese platter, Japanese ramen and one of my favourites - the 'Pendragon burger' - patty of shiitake mushrooms, activated nuts, Turkish pink olives, dulse and sun dried tomatoes with homemade tomato chutney, caramelised onions, pickles, rocket and Excalibur’s fermented sauerkraut.

Served on a sourdough ciabattini bun with potato wedges and coconut garlic mayo or raw version with raw crackers and salad. There are other dishes on the menu with Aurthurian legend references too such as: 'King Arthur's Porridge' - a regal mix of oats cooked in almond milk with banana, tonka bean and raw chocolate served with seasonal berries. Or how about a 'Full Merlin' breakfast? Scrambled ackee, home-made baked beans, roast portobello mushrooms, slow-cooked tomatoes, steamed spring greens, sweet potato wedges and toast. Or perhaps you want to keep it raw with a 'Chalice Of Chia' - Chia breakfast pudding with a blend of blueberries and nut yoghurt served with seasonal berries.

There's also an excellent bar at the front of Excalibur and the drinks menu rivals most of the juice bars in London in the range and quality of smoothies, elixirs, cold pressed jucies and in house fermented drinks like 'jun' on offer. The organic vegan 'white Russian' (almond milk, coconut cream, espresso, organic vodka and coconut sugar with a little reishi and vanilla powder to garnish) is both clever and delicious. Looking at the expensive list of ingredients in their elixirs I couldn't believe they were able to sell them for such a low price and make them taste so good!

I think it's time for a weekend quest to Excalibur! And judging from the number of people booking from out of town it looks like everybody's had the same idea.

Blueberry Cheesecake Japanese Ramen

King Arthur's porridge

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LOOK OUT FOR

SWEETLY SIMPLE

A food truck dedicated to making the world a healthier place www.sweetlysimple.co.uk

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LOOK OUT FOR: SWEETLY SIMPLE

Raw Millionaires Shortbread

Raw Cookies Acai Bowl

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here's been an explosion of food trucks and street food in the UK in recent years but from the healthy perspective nothing that exciting - until now. Sweetly Simple and their cute vintage Citroën van named 'Maurice' have arrived to provide plant based goodness to the streets of London and the rest of the UK. They serve smoothies, juices, healthy raw snacks, açaí bowls and tonic lattes.

Sweetly simple is the creation of Jodie Brandman who had aspirations to open a juice bar but after being inspired by the legendary 'Cinnamon Snail' (a vegan food truck with a huge following) on a trip to New York had a change of plans. "This way I can do something quirky and do festivals" Jodie tells me on a Saturday afternoon in Dalston.

The van itself looks amazing and the kitchen inside is a bit like something Q from James Bond would come up with.

"I found the van as a rusty shell in Surrey, I took it to some

conversion experts who restored it and added the kitchen".

Many of the customers are not into this kind of lifestyle which pleases Jodie, "The whole reason for starting Sweetly Simple was because I wanted to inspire healthy eating. I remember there was one customer who was trying to give up coca-cola and was down to 4 cans of diet coke a day so I gave her a sample of our cacao smoothie as a substitute for the caffiene and she liked it, I got a message on twitter saying she hasn't touched a can of coke for 10 days".

The location of 'Maurice' changes so make sure you follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. This year they should be around at some of the festivals. "I had the best time of my life at Wilderness, Latitude, and V festival last year" Jodie says, where it appears they were well received.

Sweetly Simple is also available for hire at events and parties so check out their website for more details.

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S E E I N G

T H E

I N V I S I B L E

Kirlian PHOTOGRAPHY Photography by Natasha Piris

KIRLIAN PHOTOGRAPHY CAPTURES IMAGES OF THE CORONA DISCHARGES OF OBJECTS BY PASSING AN ELECTRICAL CURRENT THROUGH THEM.

pink oleander

w e r o � l F S

L eave� daisies

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geranium leaves

Cannabis sativa

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KIRLIAN PHOTOGRAPHY - FLOWERS & LEAVES

cow parsley

aubergine (eggplant) flower

peace lilly 112

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KIRLIAN PHOTOGRAPHY - FLOWERS & LEAVES

ivy leaf

bottle brush flower

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KIRLIAN PHOTOGRAPHY - FLOWERS & LEAVES

aloe saponaria flower

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KIRLIAN PHOTOGRAPHY - FLOWERS & LEAVES

aloe saponaria leaf

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KIRLIAN PHOTOGRAPHY - FLOWERS & LEAVES

milk thistle

pink roses

rose leaf

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KIRLIAN PHOTOGRAPHY - FLOWERS & LEAVES

sunflower

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KIRLIAN PHOTOGRAPHY - FLOWERS & LEAVES

courgette (zucchini) leaf

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KIRLIAN PHOTOGRAPHY - FLOWERS & LEAVES

courgette (zucchini) flower

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SWIMMING WITH THE DOLPHINS OF ATLANTIS

- CACAO CEREMONY -

Words by Steven Nicolaides

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CACAO CEREMONY: THROUGH THE GLASSHOUSE

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Above: the ceremonial grade wild cacao brew and below participants adding sweeteners or cayenne pepper to their drinks

Sacred Cacao Healing Ceremonies www.meetup.com/Sacred-Cacao-Healing-Ceremonies

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ot on the heals of last issues "Cacao Ceremony" article 'sacred cacao ceremonies' organised another. The venue this time was 'The Glasshouse' in London Bridge. The space is bathed in light thanks to its glass roof, and is full of lush tropical plants and flowers. At its far end is a terrace, with a line of potted trees against a terracotta wall and even a grape vine! This place doesn't feel like London at all and the only clue that we are still in London is the Shard skyscraper visible from one side of the roof, the sight of which made me think I was in the sci-fi movie 'Blade Runner'.

Even the weather felt unlike London. It was almost tropical - hot and humid as if we were holding the ceremony deep in the rainforests of South America where the cacao tree is native. Was it the power of the cacao spirit? Or perhaps it was the 33 attendees who subconsciously manifested it.

The ceremony was led by Tim Michell with his heavily pregnant partner Ananja supporting (in the previous ceremony Ananja took the lead).

Tim Michell is the kind of person one warms to immediately, he's open, compassionate and funny. He's essentially a giant panda in a mans body and is famous for his love crushing 'bear hugs'. In the previous ceremony there were only 9 attendees, this time 33 plus people on a waiting list! There were some big names from the health food scene in attendance too. Marco Proietti (founder of Juice Tonic), Alan Martin (founder of BonPom) and Stephen Desborough from Pukka Teas. The large demand for tonight was partly due to the 'Cacao Ceremony' article in volume 10 of Lúcuma. The magical experience I described seemed to capture peoples imagination.

As we all assembled in the space and were given our cups of cacao, we added sweeteners or cayenne pepper to our own individual tastes. Though spicy, cayenne pepper amplifies the potency of the cacao significantly. We then sat in a circle around a centre of crystals and candles. As we sipped on our cacao we each took turns to introduce ourselves and say a bit about what brought us here.

The young woman next to me was called Lucky and her reason for attending was an article she read in a magazine. "What magazine?" I asked. "Lúcuma" she replied. Astonished I told her that was my article! The group found this hilarious and was quite an incredible synchronicity that we would be sitting next to each other. But of course this is the way the universe works. Life is not random, it is in fact a big cosmic order and it's up to us to be attuned to this to get the best out of it. As the effects of the cacao started to work Tim began a guided meditation. Newcomers to cacao ceremonies usually feel overwhelming feelings of bliss and unconditional love (I certainly did at my first one) and I could tell which participants were in the middle of a cacao dream state. But this is however a shamanic healing experience and a large dose of ceremonial grade cacao will remind you of that if need be. It won't hesitate to bring up painful emotions for release or alert you to destructive lifestyle habits. The cacao spirit thinks in the long term and is concerned with ones overall long term wellbeing rather than a quick fix. In our modern society we seem to be stuck in the 'quick fix' mentality looking for solutions to help us out of a mess we are in. This is a bit like treading water when we should really be on a luxury yacht where its safe and warm, free to truly navigate through life as a loving and conscious traveller with the energy of life in our sails. By living a more balanced lifestyle

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and putting ones emotional wellbeing and truest self as a priority we can get out of the treading water scenario. That way we can maximise our bliss for the long term instead of a fleeting moment. That is the kind of wisdom the cacao energies can bring. Lucky, the girl to my left who moments ago was laughing, was now in tears, and not just a mild weep but a full on out-pouring for 10 minutes or so. After the ceremony I asked her what she was crying about, to which she replied with a now happy and ecstatic face, "I don't know, it just came out!". It seems the cacao spirit had found something in her that needed to be released, as it does with all of us. Later into the evening it started to rain. The rain drops falling on the glass roof sounded magical and the earthy scent of the damp soil from the outside terrace was gliding into our space. There was even a rumble of thunder in the distance echoing the experience of the last ceremony which was held under a railway archway. The passing trains sounded like thunder from where we were below. Some people were getting motivated, receiving cosmic downloads and started to write. To my right Marco was blissed out - giggling and playing with his partner. For me my extra sensory perception was switching on, specifically my 'Clairalience' (meaning clear smelling in old French, clair (clear) and alience (smelling). I started to smell more than the damp soil on the terrace. I could smell floral scents that were not in the room or even in the physical plane of existence and they seemed to be coming from above. I looked up and I saw faint outlines of green goddesses through the glass roof shining their love down on us. It was their love, their energy that had the gentle fragrance of flowers. Telepathically they were highlighting various parts of the beams on the roof and in particular the triangle corners holding the glass house in place. In the closing circle those who wanted to share spoke about their experiences. Marco had a revelation that the vibration of the Sun is the same as that inside mankind and we can tap into that energy from within. Others in the group found the evening very moving and emotional, Alex Fraysse found his recent bout of writers block was overcome, and another person felt some long term guilt emotions leave her. We finished the ceremony by holding hands and chanting 'OM' - the primordial sound of the universe. The parting surprise of the evening was a goody bag containing a raw chocolate bar by Ombar, coconut water by Mighty Bee, activated nuts from Raw Ecstasy, a raw hand made treat by Lucky, a lovely booklet full of information on cacao & the nights facilitators Ananja & Tim Michell and the bags themselves by Juice Tonic.

However the cacao energies continued long into the night and their influence was felt days later. The days following the ceremony are actually the most interesting.

That's when the realisations are put into action. Sometimes the high just keeps getting higher and usually one has incredible amounts of motivation and energy.

pp Tim Michell at the start of the ceremony

qq The 'Shard' at night through the glass roof of the 'Glasshouse' after the ceremony

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Art

Candy THE ART OF CANDY ALDERSON

Joanna Gregory catches up with London based yogini and artist Candy Alderson days after completing a mural inside London's Wild Food Cafe to talk about life, art, travel, ayahuasca and magic.

Interview by Joanna Gregory Artwork by Candy Alderson

tt Eagle

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ART CANDY

I began to feel that the universe had something else lined up for me Candy, I’d love to hear about your earliest memories of creativity and self expression. What was it that caught your awareness, that captivated you, that brought you to a state of awe and eventually led you to pick up your paintbrush and delve more deeply into your inner world?

I remember loving to paint and draw from a young age. I think that most kids do, we have a natural instinct to create, and we do it not for approval, but for the sake of doing it!

It's very pure. I was lucky enough to grow up surrounded by nature, in a small village in Wiltshire, England. I'd spend all my free time in the woodlands and fields. I enjoyed art the most, awful at anything academic! I was obsessed with horses, so I drew them the most. Also trees, birds, and eyes.

Never human faces, just the eyes! This continued through primary and secondary school. It's actually the only thing that kept me in the teachers good books as I really didn't care much for any of the other subjects. Apart from science, I was always fascinated and inspired by science, especially biology, because it told me how the Earth worked. How one system would effect another, and how the whole thing was connected. I thought that was awesome. I wasn't aware of spiritually and the concepts of the connection, it wasn't a concept supported by my surroundings, but looking back now I can understand my fascination with it all. It is spirituality under a lab coat!

Meeting you in person almost two years ago, I remember you dreaming about making the transition between being a full time make-up artist; using the human body as a surface for artwork, to eventually placing focus on using acrylic on canvas itself. You also have a huge passion for yoga and were looking into teaching yoga at the time. It’s so beautiful to now reflect and see how your desired reality has come to manifest. What do you feel it was that sparked your transition and what is it about working with canvas as well as wall murals which resonates with you more so at this point of your life?

Yes it's been a big leap...and I am still leaping. I had been working as a full time makeup artist in the film industry.

Total workaholic, crazy very long days, film sets are not for the faint hearted. In short, I began to burn myself out. I'd gone into makeup because I was good at it and the film industry excited me although I had little interest in the concept of makeup itself. I started in SFX (special effects), and also got into beauty makeup. How can I do something arty and make money? Makeup seemed to fit that bracket. I was pretty tenacious, as I can be when I'm on a mission, and I got far in the industry pretty quickly. I didn't take a break

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at all for 6 years even though I was physically and mentally stressed and shattered. My body started to reject this life choice, it kept sending me uncomfortable signals. After a while I had to listen, my health wasn't supporting my life choice, and I realised I was lonely outside of my job.

I convinced myself to go on a yoga retreat, it's good for stress apparently? Little did I know even what kundalini yoga was, and a week of it in Ibiza blew my socks off! When I got back to London I looked out for a yoga studio, I found Alchemy in Camden, and it became my second home. That was the start of something beautiful, but challenging. I began to reconnect to my physical body, and it started to teach me about my mind, my ego, which brings deep rooted issues to the surface. I realised I had no idea who I was, and that scared me. With any spiritual practice, once you open that door, the rabbit hole only gets deeper and darker, there really is no going back. I'm a very driven girl, and once I start something, I don't tend to give up. My stubbornness can work often as a negative, but at this part in my life it served me well. I practiced yoga every darn day, even if it meant getting up at 4am before going to work on a film set.

I learnt that in its simplest form, what I did on my mat, reflected how I was in life. The asanas I shied away from or felt frustrated at, or forgot to breathe in, why? I got curious, reactions, thoughts, ego, focus, passion, what could I learn?

This was the beginning of a journey of so much sweat and tears into my mat... the practice wrings you out like a towel.

Once I had found even that tiny bit of space between my ever chattering mind, that micro second of peace, I began to feel that the universe had something else lined up for me, and my attitude toward my career was changing. I'm sorry if that all sounds like a 'yoga journal' cliché, and I do not believe that yoga is the way for everybody, but for me, it makes sense.

I had a break down, I escaped to Colorado to do my yoga 200 hour teacher training. I had no intention of being a teacher because I was scared of public speaking, my training soon shattered that, and I somehow found myself teaching, and using my voice. I had something to say. I was still in the film world when I got back, but began to turn down film work. A financial disaster, but a spiritual lifeguard, being able to offer yoga to others brings me so much joy, and it allowed me more time within my day. In short, I think that when I allowed myself space - mentally, emotionally and physically, that same inspiration that I had as a child seeped its way back to me. Where everything was possible, unicorns and dragons existed, the Earth was my enchanted forest that needed to be explored, and magic was totally normal. Finally I felt inspired to paint.

ART CANDY

pp Stag

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ART CANDY tt Lord Ganesh

You have a strong love for travel and I have seen your footsteps trace places such as Costa Rica, where you inhabited the jungle and now Goa, India, where you mentioned you will be studying different forms of yoga. When I visited Rishikesh, India last year and took part in a brief Kundalini yoga workshop, the teacher mentioned something which touched me in a really profound way: that when we feel called to travel, we are on a subconscious level seeking to discover another facet of ourselves. How would you say your global adventures have impacted your awareness, therefore enhancing your sense of expression and what is the biggest learning or realisation you have witnessed along the journey and come to embody where you are now?

Travel has been a huge part of my transition. I remember being 12 and getting my first job in a local village pub. When I got my first payment, I tucked it away in a box and knew that I would save all my money and one day travel, and I did exactly that. By 16 I'd saved enough to go travelling, however I was studying, so I didn't make my first trip till I was about 19. I went to the Borneo jungle and stayed with the Iban tribe, and then over to Australia.

That first trip was very expansive for me, only about two or three months, but it was the fist time I'd been away from home. When I started my career, travelling stopped. I just knuckled down into my work. I didn't have time to travel, I lied to myself and believed that I didn't want to. That lie was the first to die! In the last year and a half I've travelled a lot - USA, Thailand, Costa Rica, Guatemala. Right now I am in India.

When I was in Guatemala, I was living very minimally, and out in nature. We were living with the moon cycles, the medicine wheel, the astrological pushes and pulls. I never before realised I could be so content with so little, this trip really reconnected me with the Earth. And then jumping back into London, I appreciated the abundance and the vibrancy, but also realised how too much can be too much! Â Having just completed my 300 hour advanced teacher training in India, the lessons came quickly - India can be quite ruthless. I've been here a month and so far I have injured my foot, and I had to get my hand stitched up. Not ideal for yoga!

India is a stern teacher, and I believe she's telling me to slow down, and to accept that no matter how hard I try, I cannot control everything. Even my yoga asana practice is something that I cannot get attached to, and I realise now that I very much have been attached to it.

Next I am heading to Thailand, and then wherever else the wind takes me. For me, travelling teaches me what I like, and what I don't, what I need and what I can release. A bit like a massive yoga mat! The principles stay the same, can I witness the fluctuating situations, and respond consciously? Not always - I don't think I will ever stop learning, so I am grateful for the lessons. This earth is so beautiful and colourful, I feel it would be rude not to see her many faces.

The pieces you create have such a strong spiritual essence and ethereal quality about them, incorporating imagery of spirit animals, crystals and other symbology. What are your feelings about things such as the moon cycles, cacao/ayahuasca ceremonies, other psychedelic substances, lucid dreaming/ astral travel, in relation to creativity and how are you and your artwork personally influenced by them?

All of those things that you mention have definitely been a big part of my journey, and therefore the paintings I create.

Meditation is the key, the process of stilling my mind to open up those gaps of inspiration. The strongest and most dramatic shift has been my experiences of drinking ayahuasca medicine. Â Having never really been into taking drugs (yes, I know it's not a 'drug') the idea of it terrified me, it still does.

My first ceremony was 3 days drinking each night, she showed me more than I can ever put into words, and from then on, the floodgates opened, and there was no going back. I knew my potential, and I knew how much I had hidden from it. I think I had about 20 years therapy in 3 nights! It did not 'heal me', I still have to do the work, but it showed me the theory I learnt in all of those spiritual books and it gave me a platform I could actually feel, see, hear, and taste. The morning after I opened my note book to try and write down the experience. But instead of writing I could only draw. I didn't even know what I was drawing, and it was just coming out of the pen. I felt so much guilt that I'd neglected this bit of me for so long, and the medicine had show me that I had a put a barrier around my self expression. Ayahuasca didn't remove that barrier, but she gave me clarity to know what I needed to address, and the fearlessness to face what it threw at me.

Most of my paintings come from dreams, or meditations where I may see something inspiring, but mostly I start them with a 'feeling', and then similar to the ayahuasca doodles, I just let them flow, they evolve a lot as I do them, so it's kinda like a journey in itself, and it only usually makes sense to me when it's done! If I get too controlling over the outcome it doesn't work, and I'll end up scrapping it.

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Death of the ego birth of the heart

I had a lot of fear there, so I run naked into it (literally) as often as I can!

Last year you participated in a nude bike ride across London.

You seem to be very liberated, courageous, free spirited by nature and open to many forms of expression. How important do you feel it is to be connected with and embrace your inner child and have an ongoing bridge between the two worlds, integrated into one?

It's so funny you say that because honestly, if you had known me only two years ago I was pretty much the opposite! My true nature, and I think most humans, is to liberated, courageous and free. But we have so much conditioning and that stuff is heavy!

Since a young age I've not had a healthy relationship with my body, and always so self conscious, I hated the way it was and was very hard on myself. Could hardly look at myself naked let alone bike round London! It's the same blockage of self expression. I guess I decided to just not give a shit what people think so much.

I had a lot of fear there, so I run naked into it (literally) as often as I can! I still have my days, but I catch myself and I know that it's only the ego nagging, and then I can choose to not get caught up. I think vulnerability is an essential part of transformation, and we are so conditioned to protect the very thing we are. This isn't just about your body, you can apply it to any area of your life. Explore the areas of yourself that scare you.

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One of your earlier images called ‘Death Of Ego Birth Of Heart’ is very striking, depicting a heart catapulting through the torso of a skeleton. Would you say that many of your pieces are mirroring some elements of personal experiences in your life at the time of the expression, or are the final outcomes initially experienced as vivid visions of which you are receptive to as a transmission and then go on to channel? Or perhaps a blend of the two?

That painting actually came out of ayahuasca. The strange thing with that one is I'd actually doodled the skeleton bit a few weeks previously. When I got home from the retreat I saw the doodle in my note pad, and knew exactly what I wanted to do with it!

So I put the same skeleton image onto canvas and that's what came out. It's funny how the subconscious works, and how time is irrelevant. It knew what it was doing even if my conscious mind didn't! That painting is very personal, I was going through a lot of emotional pain and fear. It's dark but positive because it's showing the death of the ego in order to follow the heart.

To answer your question, I'd say I paint things that are very much to do with what I am going through at the time. Even if it's some thing I see and feel inspired by, internal or externally, it is always related. I believe that what and how we perceive things is a direct reflection of what we are currently experiencing. That's why when we feel good, we feel inspired by so much, and when we feel low it's challenging to find inspiration in anything! So yes, I always paint from somewhere personal, and even if it's a commission where the subject is given to me, it pretty much always lines up. Divine intervention is very nifty in that way.

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Which practises or daily rituals do you enjoy, allowing yourself to prepare or create a state in which to begin painting? And how much does being attuned to your intuition play a role in selecting colours and the final layout of your artwork?

For me, ritual is really important. By ritual all I mean is a part of my day that is dedicated to connecting and checking in with myself.

Consecration is also something I've started doing, gratitude for the day, and offering up all that it brings to the greater good. I do this when I start painting also. I'm a morning person, so I wake up early and I have a lot of energy, so I'll do my asana, pranayama and meditation practice (1-2 hours depending on how much time I have), after that I'm usually pretty set for the day.

I can quite easily become busy minded and numb if I'm not structured in that way. It's like forgetting to brush your teeth in the morning, just feels off if you don't do it! In the evening I will always do meditation before bed, anywhere from 15 mins to an hour. I also self practice yin yoga 3-4 times a week. Meditation has worked wonders for me, but It takes me much more discipline than asana for me! Â My ego always tells me that I don't have time and I should be 'doing something', so I often have to coax myself in. Meditation for me is noting fancy at all. I have my alter with candles, incense and crystals, and I simply sit down, close my eyes, and shut up. I witness what's going on, with no attachment to any outcome. Â Even just allowing myself the time is rewarding in its self. It's been a life changer for my painting because it altered my perception, and dramatically reduced my stress, which effects everything! It reminds me to not take life so seriously and enjoy it all. Both of my jobs - no wait, passions, are freelance and change day to day. I don't have much structure in my life for grounding, so think I find that in ritual.

tt 'Venus' (unfinished)

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'Neon Leo'

Candy painting a mural at 'Wild Food Cafe'

You recently painted a stunning wall mural at The Wild Food Café in Covent Garden of a divine tree encapsulating the chakra system and some woodland animals. The lovely people at the café kept you well nourished with lovingly made food throughout your painting sessions until it’s completion. How do you personally experience the correlation between high vibrational foods and a vegan lifestyle in relation to your innate intimate connection to Source and then the translation of this into your artwork?

I think that has been my favourite job ever! They gave me a theme and pretty much let me go wild on it, which I really appreciate as that takes a lot of trust. And yes I was able to eat all the wonderful food. Not only that but everyone in the Wild Food Cafe is so happy at work, the place oozes love, and it made such a wonderful environment for painting.

The importance of food and my spiritual practices? My belief is that no matter what food choices you make, you have to be able to line up with them. What I mean is that it's pointless boxing yourself in due to a label, or to fit in, or because you might loose weight. It has to come from somewhere deeper than your ego. I eat no animal products because that's the belief system that resonates most with me. The typical western diet didn't work for me from a pretty young age, I just ate it because I was told it was good

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for me, and that it is 'normal'. In the west, we are extremely privileged with the amount of food we have to choose from, so I personally can't find reason to kill another being seeing as I am able to live in abundance of plant based alternatives. If I were to live in a culture where all I had to live off was the family goat, things would be different. The fact is that if we carry on eating and slaughtering the way have done, Earth is gonna kick us out. We are to greedy, half of the humans on this planet starve because people want to eat meat and dairy. Since eating this way my body has responded positively. If that ever changes, then I hope I will be open to the change and not get caught in the mind/ ego of food defining me. I believe that food choices are very personal for the individual, as long as people are eating consciously, as in they know exactly what they are eating and why so, then each to their own.

The higher vibration of plant based food could be relevant, but only if it resonates. I don't like the idea that it makes you more spiritual than anyone else, that's just ego, and I've come across a few raw vegan a**holes in my time!

If you are eating clean but feeling deprived, or your finding that trying to be a vegan causes you stress, then regardless of the food vibration you may as well be eating junk food for the amount of good it will do you. Aligning with what works for you in the present moment, in everything that you do, not just food. I think it's a life long practice which I'm still massively exploring and learning.

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ART CANDY

What films, books and music resonate with your being and elevate your experience of life? Have any of these evoked a deep internal shift within you, which you went on to see unravel in a life altering way?

Oh god all of it, so many. I usually listen to music when I paint. It varies, but I find myself less attracted to lyrics and prefer the more ambient, classical, or even psychedelic, or trance stuff. So much to choose from, but a few of my favourites are liquid bloom, Ludovico Einaudi, Anjuna beats, Shpongle, Steve Roach‌and so many more! I sometimes listen to talks and podcasts from teachers, I like Bashar, Eckart Tolle, Marianne Williamson, and Allan Watts.. and many more!

Books, yes many books. Some that stood out at various points on my journey would be 'The Law of One' (Ra Material), Â 'Biology of belief by Bruce Lipton, 'The Source Field Investigations' by David Wilcock, both of Eckhart Tolle's books, also 'The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight' by Thom Hartmann. They all struck a chord.

As for films, I was brought up on all those 80s fantasy films, 'The dark crystal', 'Legend', 'The never ending story', 'The Goonies', and of course 'Labyrinth'. I think that explains a lot! Oh and 'Jurassic Park', I have a thing for dinosaurs!

tt Dragon

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Self-expression can be a very cathartic, meditative and sacred experience as well as being a divine right for all. What do you feel art and the sharing of art has the potential to create and birth into the world? When you envisage a new piece being absorbed as a sensory experience by someone, what are some of your underlying intentions in the impact it may have on them?

I actually think the best thing, for myself, is to go into painting with the intention it's serves me, and others, in what ever way that they need. When people like your work obviously it feels great, because it does feel personal. And if people don't, that great also, and even if my art serves them in the way that if you see something you don't like, it tells you more about the things that you do! If the intention of painting something was to please everybody, then your gonna have a really hard time as an artist!

And on a finishing note, do you feel it is you who is painting or do you sometimes feel it is the paintbrush which is painting you?

I've just been to sating with Moogi. "Who is asking the question" is what he would say to that. Who is the you, and is it separate from the paintbrush?

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„„ Left: 'Parrot' Right: 'Unicorn'

Candy Alderson www.candyalderson.co.uk

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Serves 2

half a cucumber (cleansing)

1 cup of kale leaves (chlorophyll, natural detoxifier)

Green Alkalising

Smoothie Juliette Bryant recipe from ‘The Divine Detox’ www.julietteskitchen.tv

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small bunch of fresh mint (dilates blood vessels to absorb more nutrients) small bunch of fresh parsley (high in iron)

1 inch piece fresh ginger (anti inflammatory)

1 inch piece of fresh turmeric (helps the gut lining heal, aids digestion) 1 avocado, peels and stone removed (high in omega 3) 1 cup coconut water (diuretic, high in electrolytes) fresh juice of one lime (alkalising)

1-2 tbsp of shelled hemp seeds (high fibre, protein and essential fats) 1 tsp moringa powder (mineralising and cleansing) 1 tsp spirulina (complete protein, detoxifier)

Place ingredients into a blender and blend till smooth. If you would like to the squeeze it through a nut mlyk bag for more a juice this is great too.

This is a magical recipe for a rich, silky, creamy, smooth, luxurious and enchanting hot chocolate treat!

The combination of spices and raw cacao create a truly heartwarming drink that is one of our staple drinks during the cold winter months.

Serves 2

60g of arriba nacional or other high-grade, sustainably sourced raw cacao paste (100% cacao with no sweetener) 3 tbsp raw almond butter 1 tbsp coconut butter 3 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp raw honey or other sweetener 1 - 2 tbsp of carob/lúcuma powder seeds from 4 - 5 cardamom pods

RECIPES

Spiced

Hot Chocolate Wild Food Cafe www.wildfoodcafe.com

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp of chaga or other medicinal mushroom extract (we like to wild things up a little!) seeds from 1/2 a vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla essence pinch of unprocessed sea salt

600-1000ml of water (up to you how rich you’d like to go!)

Make almond milk by blending almond butter with just enough water to cover the blades of your blender till you get a smooth cream. Add the rest of the water, pinch of salt, cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon and 1 tbsp of sweetener. Blend again.

Divide the milk in half. Pour one half of the milk in a pot with cacao paste, coconut oil, 3 tbsp of sweetener (maple syrup) over low heat. Stir slowly. When the cacao paste starts to melt (approx 65°C), pour the contents of the pot into a high-speed blender, add 1 - 2 tbsp of carob/lúcuma, chaga extract and blend till you get a rich and smooth chocolatey drink.

Slowly heat the remaining almond milk to approx 65°C while stirring.

Serve by filling half a glass or cup with the rich chocolate almond milk. Then slowly pour your warmed ‘white’ almond milk on top, leaving froth last.

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Serves 2-3

Base Ingredients

2 large & ripe pomegranates (Refrigerated before hand)*

a handful (20-30g) of seaweed such as dulse of Irish moss, pre-soaked 1 litre of fridge-cold extraction hibiscus or rose bud tea

* feel free to freeze 1 pomegranate’s worth of seeds to blend into each batch of fresh pomegranate to keep it cool.

Additional upgrade:

2 tbsp of Siberian cedar nuts

1 cup of organic frozen raspberries

2 tbsp of rose water (or rose petals) 2 tbsp of maple syrup

To make a cold-extraction tea have a 1L glass jar or jug filled with water ready. Add 1-2 tbsp of dried hibiscus powder or same amount of rose petals.

Let it sit for 15-30mins In a high-speed blender, blend all the pomegranate kernels with just enough of hibiscus tea to start the blending process. Blend till smooth.

Add the rest of the tea and seaweed and blend again.

Then you can choose to strain the milk through a nut milk bag or a sieve. Your milk is ready to drink!

PRINCE OF PERSIA

Raw Pomegranate Milk Delight Wild Food Cafe

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www.wildfoodcafe.com

SWIMMING WITH THE DOLPHINS OF ATLANTIS

Raw Salted

Caramel Slice Wild Food Cafe

www.wildfoodcafe.com

Makes a 10 inch tray Base

3/4 of a cup of Brazil nuts

1 1/2 cup of macadamia nuts

pinch of unprocessed sea salt

1/2 cup of mesquite (white carob) powder 1/4 cup of extra virgin coconut oil Caramel

1 1/2 cups of soft dates, pitted (medjool or similar varieties are best) 100g of soft cream coconut

1/2 cup of coconut milk (can be replaced with water) 1/4 cup maple syrup

pinch of unprocessed sea salt

2 tsp of organic vanilla essence Raw Chocolate Layer

1/2 cup of solid raw cacao paste 1/2 cup maple syrup

100g soft creamed coconut 1 tbsp coconut oil Decoration

melted cacao butter for the stripes In a food processor process the Brazil nuts, macadamia nuts, coconut oil and salt until you get a fairly fine crumbly powder. Line your tray with baking paper and press the base ‘crumble’ down creating an approx 1/2 inch thick bottom layer. Place it in the fridge to set while you are preparing the rest of the cake.

For the date caramel place all the caramel ingredients into a food processor and mix till you get a smooth creamy caramel. You might need to add extra liquid (such as coconut milk or water) if the caramel is too thick.

For the chocolate topping, on a solid chopping board flake the cacao paste with a big knife. Use a double boiler method (bain-marie) to gently melt the cacao paste until it’s approximately 36-40°C (body temperature). In a food processor or blender mix the melted cacao, melted creamed coconut, maple syrup and coconut oil .

Layer date caramel on top of the base (the caramel will remain soft and gooey) and then pour a layer of melty chocolate topping on top.

Place in the fridge or freezer to set.

When solid decorate with melted cacao butter to create stripes.

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The £100,000 Smoothie

(World's most expensive smoothie) Tim Michell www.facebook.com/sacredsmoothies

Serves 2-14 people

55g activated cashews 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds 1/2 tbsp chia seeds 15g Brazil nuts 3 figs/dates

2 tsp coconut oil

33g ceremonial cacao

1 tbsp of cacao powder 1/4 of a vanilla pod

1 tbsp goji berries

500ml medicinal tea base (consisting of reishi, chaga, he shou wu, rehmannia, pau d’arco) 1 tbsp lúcuma powder 1 tsp pine pollen

1/16 tsp shilajit resin

1/4 tsp Lion Heart Herbs Longevity medicinal mushroom blend 1/4 tsp Lion Heart Herbs Immunity blend 1/2 tsp maca

1/8 tsp turmeric

1/8 tsp cinnamon I decided to create this recipe after reading the amazing Amanda Chantal Bacon's Daily Diet blog post for Elle Magazine. It was an incredible list of all the top longevity superfoods and superherbs crammed into a nutrient rocket-fueled day of excess. Obviously it grabbed a lot of attention, ultimately inspiring Jarret Sleeper's brilliant parody video. This did the rounds on Facebook and got all my friends and I laughing our heads off! For a couple of us, including myself, there was a little nervous laughter because over the years we had collected a lot of these ingredients in our cupboards as a great reminder of our obsession. So for a laugh and a lot of fun, when I was asked for a recipe for Lúcuma I cracked out the big guns and packed in as many exotic ingredients as I could to pass off a vaguely palatable recipe. Below is what finally resulted.

If you are fortunate enough to have all of these ingredients, or at least most of them, caution is definitely advised. Me and my wifey are yet to be able to drink this concoction and not feel ridiculously high and ungrounded, which could be fun depending on the person! This is one of the reasons why we have put, 'Serves 2 - 14 people'.

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1/4 tsp vitamin C powder 1/8 tsp chlorella

1/8 tsp AFA blue-green algae

1/16 tsp marine phytoplankton

2 capsules of probiotics (contents only) 1 squirt nascent iodine

pinch dendritic dead sea salt with edible gold 1 squirt of crystal energy 'Hunza Water' by phisciences.com 1 squirt of 'The Gift' (fulvic & humic) by motherearthlabs.com 2 tsp xylitol

2 drops stevia Blend together the nuts, seeds, coconut oil, cacao, pine pollen, vanilla and goji berries with 2 ladles of medicinal tea base.

When smooth, add ice to cool.

Add the remaining ingredients.

Blend and add water and ice until you achieve the desired consistency.

Drink and feel your head explode as you surf your way to the higher dimensions!!!

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No-Bone Broth (Wild Seaweed Broth) Wild Food Cafe www.wildfoodcafe.com

Serves 4-6

2 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil 2 small shallots

2 cloves of garlic

1 strand of fresh thyme 5-6 leaves of fresh sage 3-4 leaves of mint

8-10 naturally cured black olives with pits 1/2 inch of fresh turmeric 1 leek

1 carrot

2-3 stalks of celery 1/2 inch of ginger 1/2 inch of chilli

60g of shiitake mushrooms (optional) 50g of dry sea spaghetti

40g of dry wakame (or the equivalent of any other seaweed) juice of 1-2 limes (to taste) 4 tbsp tamari

2 tbsp unpasteurised miso

big pinch of unprocessed sea salt

*Add a handful of dry reishi slices as an optional add on to the recipe OR 1-2 tbsp of medicinal mushroom powders of your choice.

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Start by preheating a heavy bottom pan and melting the coconut oil. Once hot add finely chopped shallots, garlic, chilli, ginger, turmeric and finely minced fresh herbs. SautÊ for a few minutes on low heat. Then add good pinch of salt, finely chopped leek, carrot, mushrooms, olives and celery. Add tamari sauce and seaweed. Add approx 2 litres of cold water and heat it up until simmering. Simmer gently for couple of hours, add more water if necessary. At the end turn the heat off, mix in the lime juice and miso and serve at approx 60-80°C temperature. To make a broth thicker take out some of the seaweed, place in a blender with enough broth liquid to cover the solids and blend well until you get a smooth puree. Pour the puree back into the main pot and stir.

If you prefer to make a big batch to use later or to freeze, allow the broth to reduce to a concentrate on very low heat. Then place all the contents in a blender and blend well till you get a thick cream. Upon defrosting use as a soup stock or as a broth by adding warm water, extra veggies or herbs.

* Try adding medicinal mushroom powders - or even better, whole medicinal mushrooms, such as reishi - to your seaweed broth and allow them to extract naturally while your broth is simmering.

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Tacacho

(Plantain balls) Martin Morales recipe from ‘Ceviche’ www.cevicheuk.com

A favourite breakfast snack in the Amazonian region of Peru. They also make a perfect side dish or starter served with a bowl of Amarillo Chilli Sauce for dipping.

Makes about 24 balls. juice of ½ a lime

2 green plantains, peeled and cut into chunks oil, for frying

1 small onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed

10g coriander leaves, finely chopped 100g roasted peanuts, ground salt

Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add some salt and the lime juice. Add the plantains and simmer for at least 30 minutes until soft.

Heat some oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the onion and garlic for 15-20 minutes or until caramelised. Add the coriander and peanuts and stir through.

Drain the plantains and then transfer to a bowl.

Using a fork, mash the plantains and then add the remaining ingredients from the pan and mix well.

Use your hands to shape the mixture into balls about 5cm in diameter. Flatten them slightly and place back in the pan with a dash of oil. Slow fry, for 3-4 minutes on each side, turning them until golden brown and slightly crispy.

Recipes by Martin Morales from the book 'Ceviche Peruvian Kitchen'.

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If you find artichokes during the summer, it is worth using them for this salad – or use artichoke hearts preserved in oil found at the deli counter. Avoid the tinned ones in brine as they won’t taste as good.

Serves 4

12 large artichokes, or 12 artichoke hearts in oil a squeeze of lemon or lime juice ½ red onion, finely chopped

a handful of lamb’s lettuce or little gem leaves

Ensalada de Alcachofa

(Artichoke Heart Salad)

1 limo chilli, very finely chopped

a few roughly torn coriander leaves or micro coriander For the dressing: Juice of 2 limes 4 tbsp olive oil

Martin Morales recipe from ‘Ceviche’ www.cevicheuk.com

½ tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed ½ tsp mustard seeds, lightly crushed

2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced 2 garlic cloves, crushed ¼ of rocoto, diced

salt and freshly ground black pepper If you are using fresh artichokes, prepare them as follows.

Fill a bowl with water and squeeze in a little lemon or lime juice. Cut the stalks off 5cm or so from the base, and peel off the tough green leaves until you reach the softer yellow ones. Cut the tips off these and peel the base. With a spoon, scrape out any furry choke and cut each prepared artichoke in half lengthways. Drop the hearts into the bowl of water as you go to stop them discolouring.

Place the prepared artichokes in a large saucepan of salted, boiling water and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Drain and leave to cool.

Make the dressing. Whisk the lime juice and olive oil (you could use some oil from the artichoke hearts if using ready-prepared) together in a bowl and add all the other ingredients. Leave to infuse for 30 minutes and then strain.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Cut the artichoke hearts (either the freshly prepared or the hearts in oil) into quarters and put in a bowl. Pour over the dressing and mix. Leave to marinate for 5 minutes.

Soak the red onion in iced water 5 minutes and then drain and dry thoroughly with kitchen paper. Arrange the salad leaves over 4 places and place the artichokes on top.

Sprinkle over the red onion and chilli, drizzle over any remaining dressing and garnish with the torn coriander leaves or micro coriander.

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Serves 4

3 cups sprouted chickpeas

2 - 3 carrots (about 1 cup), diced

4 - 5 spring onions (about 1 cup), sliced

1/2 cup dried goji berries or dried cranberries (soak Goji berries for 15 minutes before using in salad)

Curried Chickpea Salad

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/2 - 2/3 cup hummus or tahini juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon curry powder 1 garlic clove crushed

1 chilli finely chopped (optional)

mineral salt & cracked pepper to taste How to sprout chickpeas Get your uncooked dry chickpeas and rinse them well in clean water.

Place the chickpeas in a container of water overnight making sure they are covered. In the morning rinse them well and then leave then in a covered container that has ventilation. In the evening rinse again. You need to leave the chickpeas rinsing them for one more day, you should see a little tail appearing on them. They are ready to use.

Method In a blender combine hummus, cashew nuts with lemon juice, curry powder & garlic and a generous pinch of salt. Blend until combined.

Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add chickpeas, carrots, spring onions, goji berries, cranberries and mix well to combine.

Then add in the dressing above till all mixed thoroughly. Taste for flavour adding sea salt and black pepper to taste.

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Juliette Bryant recipe from ‘The Divine Detox’ www.julietteskitchen.tv

RECIPES

Courgette 'spaghetti' with Avocado - Cucumber puree 'Spaghetti'

1 courgette spiralised Purée

1 medium avocado

1 cucumber (peeled) few basil leaves

juice of 1 lemon 2 garlic cloves

pinch BonPom Himalayan salt pinch pepper Topping

1 tbsp sunflower seeds

1 tbsp BonPom goji berries (soaked for at least 15 minutes then drained) 1/2 tbsp hemp oil

1/2 cup thinly chopped shiitake mushrooms 6 chopped cherry tomatoes

1/2 tbsp BonPom shelled hemp seeds

1 cayenne chilli, seeded and thinly sliced 1/2 cup rocket

zest of 1 unwaxed lemon For the spaghetti spiralise the courgette in a spiraliser.

For the purée, place all the purée ingredients into a food processor, and process until creamy; use low speed for it to avoid heating up the ingredients.

For the topping, marinate the shiitake mushrooms in the hemp oil for 15 minutes.

Then place all the remaining ingredients, plus the marinated mushrooms in a small bowl and stir it all together.

Toss the courgette pasta with the avocado cucumber purée, mix it gently.

Add the topping mixture and mix it gently once again.

Ready to serve. Enjoy!!!

Ines Romanelli - 'The Wild Chef' for BonPom www.inesthewildchef.com www.bonpom.com

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Makes about 30 crackers Beets Crackers

1 1/2 full cups of beet 1/2 cup carrot juice

1/3 cup ground chia seed 1/4 cup sunflower seeds 1 tbsp hemp seed

Beets Crackers & Macadamia Olive Cheese Ines Romanelli - 'The Wild Chef'

1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt (add more if you’d like to)

www.inesthewildchef.com

1 tsp dried parsley 1 tsp dried thyme 1 cup water

Add chia to the sunflower seeds and grind in your food processor (fitted with the “S” blade) till powdery.

Add pulp, sea salt, thyme, parsley. Run the processor and drizzle in your water, stopping to scrape sides now and then, till you have a pasty but spreadable mixture.

Use your judgment: if your pulp was very “wet,” you may not need a whole cup of liquid.

Spread onto Teflex lined dehydrator sheets and score into cracker shapes.

Sprinkle hemp seed on top of it.

Dehydrate at 46°C for 8 hours (or overnight), flip, and continue dehydrating till crispy.

Enjoy!

Macadamia Cheese

6 cups soaked macadamia nuts (overnight or at least for 4 hours) 2 lemons (juiced)

10 capsules of probiotics

1 cup chopped pitted green olives 1 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp grounded black pepper 2 tbsp salt

Process all ingredients, apart from the green olives, in a food processor with 3 cups of cold water until smooth.

Then add 4 tbsp of xanthan gum and process for another minute.

Let it ferment at room temperature for a day or two

About Ines

Ines Romanelli is a food enthusiast and former chef at the Wild Food Cafe.

Over the years she became interested on studying the power of healing through raw food.

She works alongside different professionals helping people live a better life eating a complete balanced raw food diet.

Ines will be giving a 'Total Rejuvenation' workshop with Juice Tonic 7th May

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Prepare a big bowl of cold water with ice cubes.

Heat up 2 cups of water with 10 tbsp agar-agar until boiling.

Add it to the macadamia mixture and blend it in the food processor for a couple of minutes.

Place the mixture in a bowl and add the chopped green olives; mix it well using a spatula.

Using a big ice cream scoop, form balls of cheese and drop in the ice water. It will set almost instantly.

Re-shape the balls once cold and let rest in the fridge.

It can be kept for approximately 2 weeks.

Enjoy!

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Herbed cream sauce & sweet portobello mushroom with courgette & cucumber

noodles Francesca Paz Moody Mango www.moodymango.com

Serves 4

2 portobello mushrooms 3 tbsp of olive oil

1 tbsp of agave or sweeter of your choice

1 cup of soaked cashews (for at least 4 hours) 1/4 cup lemon juice 1/2 cup water

1 tbsp nutritional yeast 1 tbsp of dried basil 1/4 of dried oregano

1/4 tsp of garlic powder 1/4 tbsp of salt

2 courgettes spiralised 1/2 cucumber 6 olives

pea shoots or sunflower sprouts to decorate Place the agave and olive oil in a bowl with a pinch of salt. Slice the mushrooms finely and place in the bowl. Let them marinate here for 4 hours. You will know when the mushrooms become ready as they will look soft.

Add to your blender the cashews, lemon juice, water, basil, oregano and salt. Blend until its a smooth consistency Spiralise the courgettes and cucumber Chop the olives to smaller pieces

Mix the noodles and sauce together

Add olives and mushrooms, decorate with pea shoots or sunflower sprouts

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Black Forest

Cherry & Chocolate Raw Vegan Cake Egle Adomelyte Paradise Unbakery www.paradiseunbakery.com

This classic flavour combination is a crowd- pleaser. Dense chocolate 'dough', tart, juicy cherries and smooth, creamy layers are sure to entice even the most picky of guests.

Makes a 22 cm tin Dough

1 cup walnuts, ground

1 cup fine desiccated coconut ½ cup coconut flour 1/3 cup raw cacao

2 tbsp coconut sugar

¼ tsp vanilla powder ¼ tsp cinnamon

Pinch of sea salt

½ cup raisin paste* Filling

3 cup cashews, soaked for 6 hours ½ cup maple syrup ¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup cacao butter (or coconut oil), melted

1st dough layer

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Add the raisin paste and mix well by hand. It should resemble moist crumbs and stick together when lightly pressed.

Reserve 1 cup for later.

Press the rest of the mixture into a cake tin as evenly as possible, paying extra attention to the edges. Use medium pressure, so the layer is not too dense, but not crumbly either.

Place in the freezer while you make the filling.

Filling

Place all the filling ingredients, except the cherries, into a blender and blend thoroughly until smooth and creamy.

Pour 2/3 of the filling onto the chilled dough layer. Leave the rest in the blender.

Evenly, scatter cherries on top and push them in lightly.

Smooth over the dimples using a spatula.

¼ tsp vanilla powder

Pop into the freezer until the top layer becomes solid (an hour or so).

+ 5-8 cherries and 2 tbsp of cacao butter

Make sure the filling layer is solid.

¼ cup nut milk or water

1 cup cherries (fresh or frozen)

2nd dough layer

Evenly, press the reserved cup of dough on top, again paying good attention to the edges.

Finishing layer

Blend the remaining filling with the extra cherries and 2 tbsp of melted cacao butter.

Pour onto the chilled 3rd layer and smooth over using a spatula or by gently wiggling the tin.** Pop it into the freezer for the final time. Half an hour should do.

Loosen the cake by scoring around the edges with a knife.

Remove from the tin and let it thaw in the fridge.

Decorate with fresh or dried fruit and flowers, nut crumb, seed or cacao nib sprinkles.

Store in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to a month.

N.B.

*Raisin Paste – cover raisins with water, soak for a few hours and blend until smooth. Store in the fridge to use when needed.

**Tin +/- 22cm. Cover the base with cling film or baking paper to easily remove the cake. *You can reserve a few spoonfuls of the final pink layer to use as icing. Chill the icing well before decorating to ensure the piping shapes are sharp and neat.

Place in the freezer while you make the final layer.

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Pistachio Biscotti Alessandra Felice www.yoursweetnutrition.com

Pistachio biscotti

White Chocolate

2 cups almonds

60g cashews

1/2 cup of pistachios 1/2 cup of coconut flour

1/2 cup of lúcuma powder 3/4 cup of cacao powder 1 1/2 tsp of cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla powder

1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

1/2 cup of coconut sugar 3/4 cup of maple syrup Pistachio biscotti

Pour the 1/2 cup of pistachios in a food processor and let it run until broken down in small pieces but not too fine as it’s nice to see and taste bigger chunks in the finished biscotti.

Transfer to a mixing bowl. Then put the rest of the ingredients except maple syrup in the food processor and grind until a fine flour-like consistency is reached. Add the maple syrup and mix until the dough sticks together. It won’t be very wet which is good as otherwise the biscotti will take too long to dry and won’t become crunchy.

Remove the dough from the food processor and put on a sheet of parchment paper. Divide into two balls and shape each one into a log. You can choose if you want your biscotti to be thin or thick, short or long. I usually make them 5 cm wide and 1.5 cm high.

The biscotti will dry like this for an hour before cutting and dehydrating them for longer. Score the top of the logs with a knife every 1.5 cm to mark where you’ll cut. Transfer on a dehydrator tray without teflex sheet and dehydrate for an hour.

240g cacao butter 40g lúcuma powder

80g xylitol, powdered

pinch of Himalayan salt 1/4 tsp of vanilla powder White Chocolate

Melt the cacao butter on a bain-marie over low heat. Transfer to a blender, add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir with a spatula until the chocolate mixture cools down and becomes thicker. It should take around 15 minutes. Once the sides of the bowl feel cold to touch, transfer the white chocolate in a smaller deep bowl ready for dipping.

Dipping the biscotti

Line a tray with parchment paper. One at a time dip half the biscotti in the white chocolate and position them on the tray.

Decorate them by sprinkling pistachios, cacao nibs or dried raspberries on top. Let cool in the fridge for 10-15.

Store in a airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a month. Enjoy with a cup of tea or a nice raw hot chocolate! p.s. You may have leftover white chocolate from the recipe. If you do, make a chocolate bark by mixing in dried fruit or nuts, spread on a parchment lined tray, cool in the fridge until firm and cut up in pieces as a sweet snack. Or blend with berries and almond milk into a smoothie. Of course you can simply eat the leftovers with a spoon!

Take the tray out and cut the biscotti following the previously marked lines, place them back on the tray and dehydrate for 12 more hours.

Once ready, cool down in a container in the freezer while making the white chocolate for dipping.

Alessandra Felice (ND Dip CNM mBANT) is a nutritional therapist that graduated from the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London and a medicinal chef that gained her training from the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts in New York. Born in Italy, she developed her passion for cooking from a young age and developed a strong belief in the healing power of food that led her to her professional trainings. She worked as a private chef for people with special dietary needs in New York as well as a vegan pastry chef in leading New York restaurants. In London, she was pastry manager in prominent raw and vegan restaurants and she’s currently working as a private chef and teaching private and group medicinal cooking classes along with sharing her knowledge in preparing 'sinful' desserts and chocolate. She works as a nutritional therapist with private clients and a health and food writer for both UK and American based health and cooking publications.

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RECIPES

Tempered

Dark Chocolate Amy Levin www.ooosha.co.uk

250g cacao butter – chopped or shaved with a knife 125-150g powdered coconut sugar 150g cacao powder

pinch Himalayan crystal salt Combine all of your powder or oil based chocolate ingredients; shaved cacao butter, cacao powder, “powdered sugar” and any other powders you wish to use in a medium stainless steel or glass mixing bowl Melt the mixture over a double boiler, being careful not to exceed 42°C/107°F, remove from the heat and whisk it very well. If you have any kind of blender, you can transfer the mix at this time and blend just to combine and get out any possible lumps in the chocolate from the powders. If you are using a vitamix to do this, you should transfer the chocolate at 37°C/98.6°F as the vitamix will conduct heat and bring the temperature to 42°C/107°F for you.

Once you have reached 42°C/107°F you need to begin reducing the temperature.

If you have seed from a prior batch (previously tempered chocolate), you will grate it and add it at this time.

After adding the seed, whisk the chocolate until it reaches 29°C/84.2°F and then heat the chocolate back up to 31.5°C/88.7°F, either in your high speed blender or over a double boiler. In either case, be careful when doing this to not heat it above 33°C/91.4°F, if you do, you will then need to re-temper the whole batch again. As chocolate comes out of temper at 33°C/91.4°F You now have tempered chocolate. From here you can add texture, essential oils, dried fruit, nuts etc… and pour into moulds or continue to whisk in order to reduce the temperature further to create a thicker chocolate for enrobing (dipping) or garnishing.

Tip – if you decide not to use cashews or mulberries, use the double boiler method instead of the vitamix method.

Amy is a classically trained professional chef who found her way into vegan and vegetarian raw food in 2004 while training to be a holistic health counsellor at The Institute of Integrative Nutrition.

Amy currently teaches raw chocolate classes in South London and consults with businesses who wish to implement only the very best raw chocolates and desserts into their menu or product line. She has published three eBooks; "A Passion for Raw Chocolate", "Raw Fermentation" (co-written with Jo Balfe) and "What is Raw Chocolate?" and has now released her Raw Chocolate classes as online learning courses.

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Recipes by Amy Levin from 'A Passion for Raw Chocolate the beginning'

RECIPES

Chocolate Hemp Chia Brittle

When I was working with Chad Sarno he made a hemp seed tuile which I loved and is the inspiration behind this recipe. The Hemp Chia Brittle is delicious on it’s own as much as it is smothered in dark chocolate; another brilliant addition to raw ice cream!

Amy Levin www.ooosha.co.uk

Hemp Chia Brittle

250g hulled hemp seeds, soaked 8 hours, rinsed and drained for 5 minutes – 10 minutes to release as much liquid as possible 20g chia seed powder

30g chia seeds, soaked in 150g water for 1 hour – overnight ½ tsp vanilla powder

100g coconut nectar or maple syrup 50g coconut sugar, powdered pinch Himalayan crystal salt

For Dipping in dark chocolate 350g dark chocolate

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and mix to combine evenly. Spread ½ inch thick in a 7.5”x 7.5” square on a teflex lined dehydrator sheet and dehydrate 10 hours or until ready to flip off the teflex and transfer onto a mesh tray. Dehydrate until crisp, about 12 hours.

Dipping in dark chocolate

For this you will need a clean, dry and polished 8” x 8” square baking pan. Bring the tempered dark chocolate to 26°C and pour half of it into the prepared pan, lay the sheet of hemp brittle on top and allow to cool 10 minutes or until the chocolate has slightly set. Pour remaining chocolate on top of the brittle and allow to set fully, about 20 minutes in the fridge. Once set, invert the pan onto your hand or a sheet pan, cutting board, etc… the brittle will fall out easily. Break it into large chunks and enjoy!

Alternatively, you can make these into bars by breaking the brittle into pieces that fit your mould size and using the same instructions as above.

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RECIPES

Raw Chocolate Brownie

Juliette Bryant

taken from ‘Divine Desserts’ www.julietteskitchen.tv

Makes 20 bars or 25 balls

½ cup of ground almonds

½ cup of ground seed mix 1 cup of cashew nuts 1 cup of dates

¾ cup of cacao powder 1 tsp vanilla power

1 tbsp of local honey or liquid sweetener

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Soak the dates and cashew nuts for between 15 minutes and 8 hours before blending.

Drain off the water and place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until powder like. Pour into a tin and press it flat down with your hands till it forms a bar, or you can roll them into balls and dip in cacao powder or coconut. Place in the fridge to set for 15 minutes. Then it’s ready for you to cut up and eat.

This will keep for over a week in the fridge.

RECIPES

Filling 2 1/2 cup shredded carrots (3 large carrots) 1 cup walnuts, soaked and dehydrated 1 cup pitted dates

1/2 cup shredded coconut 1 tbsp turmeric powder 3/4 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg pinch of salt

Frosting 1 cup cashews, soaked 2-3 hours 1/4 cup water

3 tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla

juice of 1/2 lemon pinch of salt

1/3 cup coconut oil

walnuts and extra cinnamon for decoration.

Line a cupcake tin with an individual strip of parchment paper (about 1 inch thick and long so that the edges hang over the sides of the tin.

By hand or in a food processor with the grating attachment, shred carrots. Place in a large bowl and set aside. With the blade attachment, pulse the walnuts and dates into smaller chunks. Add coconut, spices and salt and mix together. Add carrots and pulse until well combined. (I prefer to incorporate the walnut mixture into the carrot bowl by hand, that way the cake will end up with a more chunky consistency, but you can also mix it in a food processor).

Scoop the mixture into prepared cupcake tin.

Push down slightly with a fork. You want to leave about 1/8 inch space on the top for cashew frosting. Place into fridge.

To make cashew cream, drain and rinse soaked cashews in clean water. In a blender combine cashews, water, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and lemon juice. Blend very well, scraping down the side if necessary, until very smooth. Add melted coconut oil and blend to combine. Pour over the individual cupcakes and smooth the top. Place into the fridge for at least 6 hours or into the freezer for 1-2 hrs.

Before serving decorate with cinnamon, walnuts, carrots or marigold flowers.

Turmeric & Carrot Cupcakes Kristina Jatiova www.rawtreasure.me

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Mango & Avocado Ceviche Nama www.namafoods.com

Serves 2

For the 'ceviche'

1 ripe avocado, diced into cubes 1 ripe mango, diced into cubes 1/4 cup red onion, finely diced 1/2 red chilli, minced

1/4 cup tightly packed coriander, chopped For the dressing 1 lime, juiced

1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

2 tablespoons cold pressed olive oil Pinch of black pepper

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In a bowl mix the avocado, mango, red onion, chilli and coriander. Add the dressing ingredients and mix well.

After a couple of minutes, serve in a plate straining the excess of dressing.

RECIPES

Chocolate Protein Bars Nama www.namafoods.com

makes 12 bars

1 cup sprouted rolled oats (GF) 1 cup shredded coconut

20g Sun Warrior protein powder blend, vanilla or chocolate 50g raw cacao powder

1 cup medjool dates (or other soft dates), pitted 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted pinch of Himalayan salt

Food process all ingredients together except coconut oil and mulberries/dried bananas.

When the mixture has broken down uniformly, add the coconut oil and process until incorporated.

In a bowl add the mulberries/dried bananas, press the mixture into a mould or container lined with greaseproof paper and place in the fridge to set.

When solid, cut into 12 portions and keep in the fridge or freezer for a quick protein rich snack.

1 cup mulberries or dried banana pieces

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RECIPES

Divine Matcha & Raspberry Lime "RawTreasure" Spring cake Kristina Jatiova www.rawtreasure.me

Crust

1 cup almonds, soaked overnight and dehydrated 1/2 cup dessicated coconut 2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted 1 tbsp matcha powder

1/3 cup slow air dried or fresh raspberries Filling

2 cups cashews, soaked 2 to 3 hours 3/4 cup filtered water juice of 2 limes

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tbsp vanilla extract (or 1 vanilla bean, scraped) 1/8 tsp Himalayan pink salt

1/3 cup cacao butter, melted 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

Crust To make the crust, place prepared almonds and coconut in a food processor and pulse into a coarse flour. Add matcha powder. Pulse until well incorporated. Add remaining ingredients and lightly pulse until well mixed. Press into a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Press raspberries gently into the crust. (If using slow air dried raspberries, it is better to push them into the crust, as they are very light and will come up when pouring the filling over).

Filling To make the filling, blend all ingredients except the cacao butter and coconut oil in a blender until smooth. Then add the cacao butter and coconut oil and blend until completely combined, but do not over blend.

Topping

Using a tea strainer dust the top of the cake with Matcha powder and decorate with fresh or slow air dried raspberries. Sprinkle some dried edible marigold flowers, (I also decorated mine with fresh camomile flowers) and the cake is ready to go!

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*11 Spring/Summer 2016 Editor Steven Nicolaides Design New Gaia Designs Contributors Alessandra Felice

newgaiadesigns.com yoursweetnutrition.com

Amy Levin - Ooosha

ooosha.co.uk

BonPom bonpom.com

Candle 79 candle79.com

Candle Cafe candlecafe.com

Egle Adomelyte - Paradise Unbakery paradiseunbakery.com

Francesca Paz - Moody Mango moodymango.com

Ines Romanelli inesthewildchef.com

Joanna Gregory smileyjoforeverblogspot.co.uk

Juliette Bryant

julietteskitchen.tv

Kristina Jatiova

rawtreasure.me

Maria Zhuravleva mariasuniverse.com

Martin Morales - Ceviche

cevicheuk.com

Nama Artisan Raw Foods

namafoods.com

Natasha Piris

Quintessence quintessencenyc.com

Raw Ecstasy rawecstasy.co.uk

Simon Welsh simonwelshpoetry.co.uk

Timothy Michell facebook.com/sacredsmoothies

Wild Food Cafe wildfoodcafe.com Advertising papillon@lucuma.co.uk

Submissions creamy@lucuma.co.uk

Cover Art ‘Sapphire Queen’

by A. Andrew Gonzalez www.sublimatrix.com

@lucumamagazine

www.lucuma.co.uk © Lúcuma No part of this magazine can be reproduced without our permission

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