GIVE EM HELL

 

The hackivist group Anonymous has been so kind as to leak the personal contact information of Westboro Church members.

With a special thanks to Vets Against the WBC.Thank you #anonymous 




#OPWestboro Membership List. updated October 22, 2012.
Westboro Baptist Church
3701 SW 12th St
Topeka, KS 66604
Phone: 785-273-0325
Email: wbclist@speakfree.net
Email: info@phelpschartered.com
Email: chockenbarger@cox.net
http://www.godhatesfags.com/
Phelps Law Firm
Phelps Chartered
1414 SW Topeka Boulevard
Topeka, KS 66612
PO Box 1886
Topeka, KS 66601
Phone: 785-233-4162
Fax: 785-233-0766
Fax: 785-969-9017
Email: info@phelpschartered.com
Email: slpr@cox.net
Email: kjhoffice@speakfree.net
http://www.phelpschartered.com/
============================================================================================
— Abigail Phelps
Lawyer
Employee at SRS – Kansas Juvenile Justice Authority
Born 1968
Daughter of Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr
3636 SW Churchill
Topeka, KS 66604
Email: bgail@speakfree.net
Home: 785-273-7262
work: 785-296-7709
— Barak Phelps-Davis
Born ~ Mid-1980′s/Mid-1990′s
Son of Rebekah Phelps-Davis
— Benaiah Phelps
Born ~ Mid-1980′s/Mid-1990′s
Son of Timothy “Tim/Timmy” B. Phelps
— Benjamin C. Phelps
Born 1976
Son of Fred W. Phelps, Jr
Wife of Mara Jones-Phelps
3632 SW Churchill
Topeka, KS 66604
3636 SW Huntoon St
Topeka, KS 66604
Email: idontreadthisemail@godhatesamerica.com
Phone: 785-228-9239
Home: 785-233-4162
Phone: 785-228-9239
Phone: 785-273-0277
Phone: 785-273-1080
— Betty Joan Schurle-Phelps
Lawyer at Phelps Chartered
Born 1952
Wife of Fred W. Phelps, Jr
3600 SW Holly Lane
Topeka, KS 66604
Phone: 785-273-0438
Home: 785-272-4135
Work: 785-296-3195
— Brent D. Roper-Phelps
Human Resources Lawyer for NAIC
Employee at Foot Locker
Born 1963
Husband of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper
3640 SW Churchill
Topeka, KS 66604
3636 SW Churchill
Topeka, KS 66604
Phone: 785-273-0277
Phone: 785-273-7262
Phone: 785-273-1080
Phone: 785-273-3726
Home: 785-273-1445
Home: 785-273-0277
Home: 785-272-1619
Home: 785-273-0325
Home: 785-273-0325
Work: 785-233-4162
Work: 785-273-0068
— Carmen A Phelps
Relative of Daniel F. Phelps
2621 SE Granger St
Topeka, KS 66605
Phone: 785-267-5157
— Caleb Phelps
Born ~ Mid-1980′s/Mid-1990′s
Son of Timothy “Tim/Timmy” B. Phelps
— Charles F. Hockenbarger
Born 1974
Son of Karl D. Hockenbarger
Husband of Rachel I. Phelps-Hockenbarger
1284 SW Hillsdale
Topeka, KS 66604
3220 SW 17th St
Topeka, KS 66604
Phone: 785-232-1570
Phone: 785-232-2485
Home: 785-271-1619
Work: 785-273-0325
— Charles William “Bill” Hockenbarger
Member of Christian Identity
Born 1953
Husband of Mary Hockenbarger
711 NW Page
Topeka, KS 66617
3600 SW Holly Ln
Topeka, KS 66604
Email: chockenbarger@cox.net
Phone: 785-272-8569
Phone: 785-232-2485
Home: 785-246-1567
Work: 785-273-0325
Fax: 785-233-4162
— Chris Davis-Phelps
Born 1955
Husband of Rebekah Phelps-Davis
1216 SW Cambridge
Topeka, KS 66604
Phone: 785-272-7035
Home: 785-272-7741
— Daniel F. Phelps
Born ~ Mid-1980′s/Mid-1990′s
Son of Timothy “Tim/Timmy” B. Phelps
2621 SE Granger St
Topeka, KS 66605
Phone: 785-267-5157
— Danielle Phelps
Born ~ Mid-1980′s/Mid-1990′s
Daughter of Timothy “Tim/Timmy” B. Phelps
3119 SW Randolph Ave #204
Topeka, KS 66611
Phone: 785-267-3253
— David Hockenbarger
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Son of Karl D. Hockenbarger
— Davis R. Phelps
Relative of Chris Davis-Phelps
1216 SW Cambridge Ave
Topeka, KS 66604
Phone: 785-272-7741
Phone: 785-272-7035
— Deborah Kay Hockenbarger
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Wife of Karl D. Hockenbarger
1929 SW Lane
Topeka, KS 66604
Home: 913-233-1848
Work: 785-296-3959
— Deborah Phelps-Davis
Born ~ Mid-1980′s/Mid-1990′s
Daughter of Rebekah Phelps-Davis
— Elisha Phelps
Born ~ Mid-1980′s/Mid-1990′s
Daughter of Timothy “Tim/Timmy” B. Phelps
— Elizabeth “Libby” Phelps
Born ~ 1982-3-4
Daughter of Fred W. Phelps, Jr
2001 SW 2nd Street
Topeka, KS 66606
Home: 785-234-9694
Work: 785-233-0822
— Elizabeth Marie Phelps
Born 1962
Lawyer at Phelps Chartered
Manager at Sheltered Living, Inc
Daughter of Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr
2001 SW 2nd Street
Topeka, KS 66606
Home: 785-234-9694
Work: 785-233-0822
— Fred W. Phelps, Jr
Lawyer at Phelps Chartered
Staff Attorney for Kansas Department of Corrections
Born 1953
Son of Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr
Wife of Betty Joan Schurle-Phelps
3600 SW Holly Lane
Topeka, KS 66604
Email: fredjr@godhatesfags.com
Phone: 785-273-0438
Home: 785-273-0529
Work: 785-296-3195
— Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr
Founder of Westboro Baptist Church
Pastor of Westboro Baptist Church
Born 1929
Husband of Margerie “Margie” M. Simms
Westboro Baptist Church
3791 SW 12th Street
Topeka, KS 66604
Po Box 1886
Topeka, KS 66601
Email: wbclist@speakfree.net
Email: info@phelpschartered.com
Phone: 785-272-4135
Phone: 785-273-0325
Phone: 785-273-0338
Fax: 785-273-9228
— Gabriel Phelps-Roper
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Son of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper
— George Stutzman
Born ~ 1950′s/1960′s
Fiance of Taylor Drain
— Gideon Hockenbarger
Born ~ Mid-1980′s/Mid-1990′s
Son of Charles F. Hockenbarger
Son of Rachel I. Phelps Hockenbarger
— Grace Phelps-Roper
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Daughter of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper
— Hezekiah Phelps
Born ~ Mid-1980′s/Mid-1990′s
Son of Timothy “Tim/Timmy” B. Phelps
— Isaiah Phelps-Roper
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Son of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper
— Jack Wu
Born ~ 1982-83-84
Westboro Baptist Member
12400 W 161st St
Olathe, KS 66062
Home: 913-897-0607
— Jacob M. Phelps
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Son of Jonathan Baxter Phelps
— Jacob Z. Phelps
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Son of Fred W. Phelps, Jr
— Jael Phelps
Nursing Student
Born ~ 1984-5-6
Daughter of Jonathan Baxter Phelps
— James Hockenbarger
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Son of Karl D. Hockenbarger
1929 SW Lane
Topeka, KS 66604
Home: 913-233-1848
Work: 785-296-3959
— Jennifer Hockenbarger
Born 1977
Daughter of Karl D. Hockenbarger
Wife of Samuel Phelps-Roper
1929 SW Lane
Topeka, KS 66604
Home: 913-233-1848
Work: 785-296-3959
— Jonah Phelps-Roper
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Son of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper
— Jonathan Baxter Phelps
Lawyer at Phelps Chartered
Son of Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr
Husband of Paulette Phelps-Ossiander
Born 1959
840 SW Watson
Topeka, KS 66606
Work: 785-233-4162
— Joseph Phelps
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Son of Jonathan Baxter Phelps
— Joshua F. Phelps-Roper
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Son of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper
— Joshua M. Phelps
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Son of Jonathan Baxter Phelps
— Josaiah Hockenbarger
Born ~ Mid-1980′s/Mid-1990′s
Son of Charles F. Hockenbarger
Son of Rachel I. Phelps Hockenbarger
— Karl D. Hockenbarger
Member of Christian Identity
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Son of Charles William “Bill” Hockenbarger
Husband of Deborah Kay Hockenbarger
1929 SW Lane
Topeka, KS 66604
Home: 913-233-1848
Work: 785-296-3959
— Katherine Hockenbarger
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Daughter of Karl D. Hockenbarger
3642 SW Huntoon St
Topeka, KS 66604
Phone: 785-783-7217
— Lauren Drain
Born ~ Mid-1980′s/Mid-1990′s
Daughter of Stephen “Steve” Drain
— LeAnn Phelps-Brown
Lawyer
Employee of Shawnee County Sheriff’s Department
Born 1966
Wife of Timothy “Tim/Timmy” B. Phelps
3743 SW 12th Street
Topeka, KS 66604
Phone: 785-273-0365
Home: 785-273-4780
Work: 785-291-5100
Work: 785-233-4162
— Luci Drain
Born ~ 1950′s
Daughter of Stephen “Steve” Drain
— Luke Phelps-Roper
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Son of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper
— Lydia Phelps-Davis
Born ~ Mid-1980′s/Mid-1990′s
Daughter of Rebekah Phelps-Davis
— Malachai Phelps
Born 2005
Great-Grandson of Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr
— Mara Jones-Phelps
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Wife of Fred W. Phelps, Jr
3120 SW Westover Rd
Topeka, KS 66604
Phone: 785-235-6999
— Margerie “Margie” Marie Simms-Phelps
Born ~ 1930′s
Wife of Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr
Westboro Baptist Church
3701 SW 12th Street
Topeka, KS 66604
Email: wbclist@speakfree.net
Email: info@phelpschartered.com
Phone: 785-273-0325
Phone: 785-273-0338
Fax: 785-273-9228
— Margie Jean Phelps
Lawyer at Phelps Chartered
Employee of Kansas Department of Corrections
Born 1956
Daughter of Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr
3734 SW 12th
Topeka, KS 66604
Landon State Office Building 900
Topeka, KS 66612
Email: margiep77@cox.net
Phone: 785-273-0365
Home: 785-273-7380
Work: 785-296-3128
Work: 785-296-3317
— Margy “Margie”/”Megan” Phelps-Roper
Born ~ 1985-6-7
Daughter of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper
— Mary Hockenbarger
Child Care Provider
Born ~ 1950′s
Wife of Charles William “Bill” Hockenbarger
711 NW Page
Topeka, KS 66617
Email: chockenbarger@cox.net
Home: 785-246-1567
— Micaiah Phelps-Davis
Born ~ 1991-2-3
Son of Rebekah Phelps-Davis
— Noah Phelps-Roper
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Son of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper
— Paulette Phelps-Ossiander
Office Assistant at Phelps Chartered
Born 1960
Wife of Jonathan Baxter Phelps
840 SW Watson
Topeka, KS 66606
Work: 785-233-4162
— Rachel Hockenbarger
Born ~ Mid-1980′s/Mid-1990′s
Daughter of Charles F. Hockenbarger
Daughter of Rachel I. Phelps Hockenbarger
3600 SW Holly Ln
Topeka, KS 66604
Phone: 785-272-8569
Phone: 785-272-8559
— Rachel I. Phelps-Hockenbarger
Lawyer at Phelps Chartered
YMCA Fitness Instructor
Born 1965
Daughter of Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr
Wife of Charles F. Hockenbarger
1284 SW Hillsdale
Topeka, KS 66604
3734 SW 12th St
Topeka, KS 66604
1216 SW Cambridge Ave
Topeka, KS 66604
3220 SW 17th St
Topeka, KS 66604
Phone: 785-232-1570
Phone: 785-273-0365
Phone: 785-272-7035
Home: 785-271-1619
— Rebekah Phelps-Davis
Lawyer at Phelps Chartered
Born 1961
Daughter of Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr
Wife of Chris Davis
1216 SW Cambridge
Topeka, KS 66604
Home: 785-272-7741
— Rebekah Phelps-Roper
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Daughter of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper
1205 SW Polk St #5B
Topeka, KS 66612
Phone: 785-783-3722
— Samuel Phelps-Roper
Born 1979
Son of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper
Husband of Jennifer Hockenbarger
3640 SW Churchill
Topeka, KS 66604
3708 SW Churchill
Topeka, KS 66604
Phone: 785-228-9287
Phone: 785-273-1080
Home: 785-273-1445
Home: 785-273-0277
Home: 785-272-1619
Home: 785-273-0325
Home: 785-273-0277
Home: 785-273-0325
Work: 785-233-4162
Work: 785-273-0068
— Sara Phelps
Born ~ 1980-1-2
Daughter of Fred W. Phelps, Jr
3600 SW Holly Ln
Topeka, KS 66604
Phone: 785-0273-0438
— Seth Phelps
Born ~ 2003-4-5
Great-Grandson of Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr
— Sharon M. Phelps
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Grand-Daughter of Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr
4128 SW 6th Ave #308
Topeka, KS 66606
Phone: 785-228-9323
— Shirley Phelps
Born ~ Mid-1980′s/Mid-1990′s
Daughter of Timothy “Tim/Timmy” B. Phelps
— Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper
Lawyer at Phelps Chartered
Born Oct. 10, 1957
Daughter of Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr
Wife of Brent D. Roper
3640 SW Churchilll
Topeka, KS 66604
Email: slpr@cox.net
Email: kjhoffice@speakfree.net
Email: th8asluf@godhatesamerica.com
Email: brid1611kjv@bellsouth.net
Email: info@phelpschartered.com
Phone: 785-273-1080
Phone: 785-272-8559
Home: 785-273-1445
Home: 785-273-0277
Home: 785-272-1619
Home: 785-273-0325
Home: 785-273-0277
Home: 785-273-0325
Work: 785-233-4162
Work: 785-273-0068
— Stephen “Steve” Drain
Born ~ 1950′s
Husband of Luci Drain
3801 SW 12th St
Topeka, KS 66604
Phone: 785-228-1623
— Stephen Hockenbarger
Born ~ Mid-1980′s/Mid-1990′s
Son of Charles F. Hockenbarger
Son of Rachel I. Phelps Hockenbarger
— Taylor Drain
Born ~ 1991-2-3
Daughter of Stephen “Steve” Drain
Fiance of George Stutzman
— Theresa Davis
Born ~ 1950′s/1960′s
Family Member of Chris Davis
3632 SW 12th Street
Topeka, KS 66604
Work: 785-291-7000
— Timothy “Tim”/”Timmy” B. Phelps
Lawyer
Employee of Shawnee County Department of Corrections
Born 1963
Son of Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr
Husband of LeAnn Phelps-Brown
3743 SW 12th Street
Topeka, KS 66604
Phone: 785-273-0365
Home: 785-273-4780
Work: 785-291-5100
Work: 785-233-4162
— Timothy Phelps Jr
Born ~ Mid-1980′s/Mid-1990′s
Son of Timothy “Tim/Timmy” B. Phelps
— Victoria Phelps
Born ~ Mid-1980′s/Mid-1990′s
Daughter of Timothy “Tim/Timmy” B. Phelps
— Zacharias Phelps-Roper
Born ~ Mid-1970′s/Mid-1980′s
Son of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper
============================================================================================
Domain WhoIs Information:
—
godhatesfags.com
westborobaptistchurch.com
beastobama.com
godhatestheworld.com
godhatesamerica.com
priestsrapeboys.com
blogs.sparenot.com
jewskilledjesus.com
signmovies.com
godhatesislam.com
godhatesthemedia.com
Registrant:
Westboro Baptist Church
PO BOX 1886
Topeka, KS 66601-1886
US
785-233-4162
Domain Name: GODHATESFAGS.COM
Administrative Contact:
Phelps, Benjamin idontreadthisemail@godhatesamerica.com
PO BOX 1886
Topeka, KS 66601-1886
US
785-233-4162
Technical Contact:
Phelps, Benjamin idontreadthisemail@godhatesamerica.com
PO BOX 1886
Topeka, KS 66601-1886
US
785-233-4162
Record last updated 09-16-2011 08:01:38 AM
Record expires on 11-06-2017
Record created on 01-22-1997
Domain servers in listed order:
NS1.ENTERPRISE.BLACKLOTUS.NET 204.69.234.1
NS2.ENTERPRISE.BLACKLOTUS.NET 204.74.101.1
—————————————
Domain WhoIs Information:
—
phelpschartered.com
Registered through: GoDaddy.com, LLC
Domain Name: PHELPSCHARTERED.COM
Created on: 17-Apr-03
Expires on: 17-Apr-13
Last Updated on: 16-Jul-11
Registrant:
Phelps-Chartered
1414 S. Topeka Blvd.
Topeka, Kansas 66612
United States
Administrative Contact:
Phelps-Roper, Shirley kjhoffice@speakfree.net
Phelps-Chartered
1414 S. Topeka Blvd.
Topeka, Kansas 66612
United States
7852334162
Technical Contact:
Phelps-Roper, Shirley kjhoffice@speakfree.net
Phelps-Chartered
1414 S. Topeka Blvd.
Topeka, Kansas 66612
United States
7852334162
Domain servers in listed order:
NS1.ZONOMI.COM
NS2.ZONOMI.COM
NS1.SPEAKFREE.NET
NS2.SPEAKFREE.NET
Registry Status: clientDeleteProhibited
Registry Status: clientRenewProhibited
Registry Status: clientTransferProhibited
Registry Status: clientUpdateProhibited
Port 80/Port 23 vulnerability
@JackHerer20

4 8 15 16 23 42: COSM is the Island

I know…it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything written.  I meant to get this out shortly after leaving COSM, but the gravity in ending the tour and the road home was a dramatic fall into mental entropy.  A more in depth blog on that journey will…should be posted at a later time.  And now…COSM!

The Arrival

It could’ve been labeled a day like any other.  I’m sure for many it was, but for me, there was nothing usual about this seemingly typical day.  It was the final day of riding on the RISE bicycle tour…it was the Day that we arrive at The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors…It was journeys end.  Like that first day of tour seven months earlier, the morning was charged with a palpable energy.   Still, the setting was very different.  We had a bright and sunny day hanging over our heads.  The air was cool with a subtly warm overtone.  No rain or wind to slow us down.  The weight of the road ahead was now nothing more than a memory of those who lead our way to this moment…our final push.  Thirteen months of preparation and seven months of a nomadic life had lead to this last day. 

Though Zak and I have travelled this path on our bicycles alone, we were never truly by ourselves.  This day was no different.  Driving all the way from Piscataway, NJ was Officer Crisafulli & Detective Ritter, who would escort us for the final 50 miles of our 7,000 mile journey.  We have Stephanie Samuels, our New Jersey mother (and therapist) to thank for this support.  We set off from Sparkill, NY where we spent a few days with Kit Lucas, one of the first survivors of suicide to write a book on the subject.  Crisafulli & Ritter followed behind as Zak and I took turns riding and driving the support vehicle.  Once we were 15 miles out, Det. Ritter took over driving the truck so that Zak and I could end side by side.

                         

As we arrived at the front end of the property we took time to take pictures at the entrance sign of COSM.  Once we finished, Crisafulli & Ritter headed up the hill giving us those final 200 yards to ourselves.  Zak allowed me to set the tone, which was even slower than my standard turtle pace.  As we approached, Standing at the last bend was Stephanie’s two daughters waving signs.  Once we passed them, I saw two people at a distance I couldn’t place.  Probably due to the sad truth that I need glasses.  Closer I realized it was my Uncle Roger and Aunt Dorothy from Hornell, NY.  The first words that popped out of my mouth…”What the Fuck?”  I was glad to see them, but how are they here.

Reaching the end atop the hill on the property of COSM, I scanned the small group of folk who massed:  Stephanie and her family, Officer Crisafulli & Detective Ritter, Zak’s fiancée Brandalyn (Another what the fuck moment in my mind), Sharon the hospitality manager of COSM, and my mother (a monumental Holy Fuck moment).  Now Sharon has a beautiful interpretation as a witness of this entire moment, all I have is a feeling.  I’ll do my best to describe. 

The best way to poetically express how I reacted to seeing my mother, simply put…I lost my shit.  I went from an exhausted excitement to utter surprise and emotional breakdown.  A month earlier, my mother was in the hospital for an exploratory surgery due to health complications.  It was three weeks before she was strong enough to leave the house.  My father was so distraught that I had to send my friend Shawn to get clearer information for me.  My biggest fear since Marc has died has been the frightening realization that I will have to burry my parents without my big brother.  Seeing my Mother knowing she had only been on her feet for a week, released a lot of that fear I had held for the last month of tour.  Combine that with the intensity of journey’s end, could you blame me for crying like a schoolgirl who just skinned her knee?  Ok, don’t answer that.

Why COSM

Many people ask how we connect suicide to the healing power of artistic expression.  Furthermore, why COSM as journey’s end?  Stuffing concepts & philosophies into a neat little packaged box isn’t a rarity.  Art isn’t an acceptation to this culturally oppressive rule.  Most often, when someone thinks of art, their mind pictures a photograph, painting, poetry, music, etc.  Why stop there, I don’t.  To confine a concept or philosophy in a box of rules is yet another desperate attempt of humanity to control.  To control is to segregate and limit infinite potential on any said concept or philosophy, creating a limitation on Art and expression is not only unnecessary, it is profane.  The human experience is an ever transforming and evolving masterpiece of art.

Our lives are art in constant process.  We have the ability to create a life that suites our heart and soul.  While we do lack, for the most part, the control of what comes at us…we do hold the power to control how we react to any given situation.   I’ve heard all too often, “How does art help me?  I’m not creative.”  Maybe you aren’t a photographer or a painter, but you can at the very least make a decision about what life you want to live.  Can’t you?   If your life was a canvas, then your choices and decisions are your pallet of colors to play with.  It’s actually surprising that this concept is new, foreign, or vacant from ones daily thought process.

I can’t take full responsibility of this philosophy; all I can do is take responsibility for my interpretation and expressive action of said philosophy.  The primary influence of this concept has been Alex Grey and the work he is doing with his wife Allyson at The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (COSM).  The day After Christmas in 2007, I discovered Alex’s book, “The Mission of Art”.  The moment I purchased this book, I was completely unaware of its purpose & power or how it would play in the equation of influence for my worldview and action.  In this book, Alex talks about the great potential of artistic expression as a vehicle to making a better world.  He explains how art is an aspect of the divine that we all hold within us.  After time and effort, every person can cultivate that infinite power.

 

My brother’s death transformed my world in a dramatic way, and for a time, I was on a path that only leads to catastrophe.  Alex’s philosophy, among a few others was the inspiration that shined a light onto the road I now walk.  I couldn’t stop my brother’s suicide, but I do have the power to allow it to influence me for whatever purpose I choose.  At the very beginning, with the conception of RISE, COSM was the obvious choice for an ending to the tour.

The Experience

It’s safe to say, that outside of Alex, his art, and philosophy, I had no idea what to expect from COSM.  I have to admit, I didn’t do my homework on everything that was being done.  It didn’t matter much.  There was no need to be a blatant fanboy about it all.  COSM as an ending point was more about the symbolism of transcendence via creativity.  As I travelled the country, I began to see visions of a place where people could gather in community.  A property that is self sustained, where artists can create openly, where the wounded can find tools to heal themselves and others.  In many ways, COSM has been a reflection to this vision. Or at least a starting point.

On the day of our arrival, the visionary permaculture class was ending its week long summer session.  Lead by Delvin Solkinson, the Grey’s are working on making the land which COSM rests on much more sustainable for energy and food production.  The obviousness of this practice is to illicit more freedom by being a bit more self-reliant.  This is essential in any community or individual harvesting a lifestyle that is more conducive for self sovereignty. 

COSM’s hospitality manager, Sharon Stelluto gave Zak and I a quick tour of the house once our family left…allowing us to settle in.  The house, which is where guests, volunteers, and staff live, is also the primary site for most of the COSM events.  The building is a brilliant three story Victorian house.  The main hall acts as a gallery, library, and event venue.  The old renovated home is saturated with faint smell of the forest outside and the wood that is its skin.  The floor creaked and cracked with every step, always announcing ones arrival with a loud declaration.

I had a long conversation with Sharon once we had arrived to Manhattan, about a week before our arrival to COSM.  We wanted to go over the final day of our tour and the expectations of our visit.  One of the stipulations was to donate our time at the community with chore duty for a few free nights stay.  Sweeping floors, hauling chairs, and cleaning bathrooms was the least I could do for food and many a good nights rest at journey’s end.  Besides, I met some amazing & interesting individuals while contributing to the community, which would continue well into the Full Moon Ceremony on the evening of September 29^th.

Before the Full Moon Ceremony, I had the pleasure of sitting in on a workshop with a shaman, Rafael Bejarano, a multi-cultural ritualist, musician, artist & cultural educator.  Rafael was masterful at simplifying EVERYTHING, and doing so with savvy sense of humor.  The man electrified me when he spoke.  Not that his concepts were anything new.  As it were, I only heard the whisper of my thoughts repeated back to me.  I can’t speak for anyone else in how they experienced Rafael, but it felt as if every word he uttered was transcript of my mind.   The workshop with Rafael was profound to say the least, he offered an even greater gift to me:  during his musical performance of his teachings, he blessed the remaining ashes of my brother.  He placed them at the center of his alter and played his didgeridoo over them.

With two hundred people crammed into the main hall, the full moon ceremony began with Alex & Allyson giving a sermon about the spiritual path that is creative expression.  They handed it over to Rafael, who played more from his hand crafted flutes and didgeridoo.   Many Other amazing acts followed which entertained, informed, and mesmerized the guests in this fantastic event:  readings from a book about synchronicity to updates on the permaculture class at COSM. The crowd was blessed with music from folk singers, singing bowl meditation, and participating in an om session that shook the walls.

RISE was given the last guest spot and ten minutes to speak with the crowd about our seven month journey.  Zak and I didn’t do a pregame talk about how we were gonna flow.  He arrived with his fiancé and I was still running around helping set up.  It didn’t help that we sat on opposites sides of the room either.  The seven months of speaking engagements was felt.  We shared our stories effortlessly and surprisingly were able to condense our travels to the time allowed and still resonated with crowed.  Once the ceremony was finished, Zak headed out to spend extra time with his beloved fiancés, and I stayed back to mingle and partake in the rest of the full moon festivities.  The evening ended with those remaining meeting in the dinning hall, joining hands, and howling at the moon.  The Tour had come to an end.

Looking Back

            You ever seen the television show LOST?  That’s how I usually start out the conversation when attempting to explain COSM.  If a person’s reply to my question is no, I give a sigh (which mean I whisper “fuck” in my mind) and I give the best generic description I can muster.  For those of you that would answer “Yes”, allow my simple but to the point description:  COSM is the Island.  While there isn’t a smoke monster that acts as sentry to the perimeter of the property, there is a benevolent force.  Though I never heard stories of a man that was miraculously able to walk after years of being confined to a wheelchair, there is a magic that flows through the land.  

            There is so much that seems to draw a wide and eclectic range of people to the property.  Most of the time it is the Greys and their philosophy, which is the mission of COSM.  Others, without knowing it, could be drawn by the land itself; and the Greys being the simple tool to do this.  The second thought is a bit of a cute and abstract romanticized idea, but what else would expect.  As long as you’re not one of the worshiping fans, with a moderate grip on reality (which I feel I am), there is a gravitational pull that makes it hard to leave.  (For those of you who know my real story for not wanting to leave…that blogs coming soon.)

            As much love as I have for the community, property, and mission of COSM, I am not blind to its dramatic and obvious dysfunction.  The community is still operated by human beings, and as we all know, humans are fallible and egocentric creatures.  I’m not going to go into all those details, it’s not my place, nor is it the time and format for such an ego driven critique.   In order to have true love for someone, place, or thing…you’ve gotta love its faults too. 

            Like the Island, it exudes a mysterious sense of refuge to so many who seek community.  Many who are marginalized outsiders find a sanctuary for much needed respite.  It feels like home to so many outcast, that many people forget there is an “hours of operation”.  You don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.  Being able to walk the grounds and lend my own two hands for the community has given me further articulation of what our contemporary society may be lacking.  COSM isn’t the answer, it has it’s own mission, but it is a beautiful place filled with potential, hope, and promise.  For me…at the heart, it was an introduction.

              On our final day, before we left, I had one last mission.  As I had done along the 7,000 mile journey, I needed to spread my Marc's ashes on the grounds.  The location I chose was the future site for the actual building, The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors.  The sculpture that holds space for the Chapel is called "Altered States".  Marc and the RISE tour are forever a part of the ground known as COSM.

To Learn more about Kate Raudenbusch, The artist behind "Altered States"  visit her website 

kateraudenbush.com

To learn more about Rafael or Cosm, visit the links below.

Rafael Bejarano

The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors

Alex Grey

Allyson Grey

Websites for Delvin Solkinson  

Gaia Craft

Crystal and Spore

Heart Gardens

It seem so cliché to attach a TooL song to this blog.  Then again, how could I not?

Radical Openness

By 

Jason Silva

Wake Up & Let Go

The Nexus

         

          New York City…until recently, I had only looked upon this place as the backdrop to many films I watched, or the comics I grew up with as a child.   Of course, everyone in the country recognizes New York for many different reasons.  Recent history gives us all a different picture of the Big Apple, of course I refer to the events that transpired 11 years ago with the destruction of the World Trade Center.  I can’t say that I am much different anymore.  Talking to natives about the city on that day helps me have a well rounded perspective.  This took place 3 weeks after my brother’s death.   I was already infused into a chaotic grief with his suicide.  On August 20^th, my world changed…forever.  On September 11^th, I knew the entire planet was changed, and would never be the same again. 

            On September 18^th, 2012 Zak and I entered the city.  I could fee the energy from across the Hudson, or maybe I was just dumbfounded by the sheer enormity of the place.   Of course it is sweltering with energy, there’s 8 million+ people living in confined quarters.  Still, there wasn’t the hostility that the rest of the country associates with New York.  I never found myself in a situation with a New Yorker where I felt they were being rude.  I’m sure they have their share of assholes, in a city that dense, it’s impossible not have too.  What I am saying is, I never experienced any.

            What I did find was that the average New Yorker is just extremely busy.  It isn’t considered a rude gesture when they don’t pay you any mind.  Their busy people, they have shit to do; places to go and people to see.  After spending an after noon with my homestay in New York, she pointed out the obvious foreign nature of my behavior.  For starters, I held the door open for most people.  This isn’t entirely strange, but it isn’t a natural phenomenon for you average citizen to do.  Most city folk leave the door open wide enough for the next person to grab, me, I held the damn thing wide open and let a flow of street traffic file in.

The last morning in the city, while sitting on the front stoop, I pronounced a good morning to an elderly woman who was walking buy.  She reciprocated, and I followed with a how are you doing?  She gave me an odd look and stopped.  “Do I know you?”, she asked.  “Not at all.  I just wanted you to know I cared.”  She continued her inquisitive stare as she began to walk away.  I don’t consider this behavior to be rude.  Like I said before, these people are busy folk.  It’s a highly condensed city in such a small area with a plethora to do. 

            It seems to be part of the cities energy and ethos.  So much diversity of people tightly condensed into such a small brew.  It is a beautiful melody ot the chaotic order of alchemical magic.  Ok, taking it to far, but New York is a living entity, with each individual person being a singular cell.  Now I have never been to Tokyo or Beijing, but I am gonna go out on a lim and assume that said cities are not nearly as diverse as New York.  I will allow you, the viewer, to decide if I am incorrect.  In the small amount of time I have spent in New York, I was witness to a wide range of culture.  Never before in all my life, have I been in the midst of such extreme diversity.   New York City is an ecstatic place with a highly potent energy about it.

            I don’t know if I could live in the city.  It isn’t the pace of the place, more so than the high density of it all.   The energy of the city can be quit intoxicating, but power that permeates through the city is not just confined to the area of the city in and of its self.  There is something that brews in the area.  While concentrated by the masses in New York, the trail continues up the Hudson valley.  Perhaps it was what was waiting for me, or it’s simply the energy of the isolated natural world that lives outside of the metropolis.

My Dark Wilderness of Blinding Light

           

           The RISE journey is coming to an end.  Everyday we move closer to COSM: The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors.  As the scenery has changed, expectedly, so have I.  In the beginning, I was so amped.  Filled with adrenaline, excitement, and the wonder of the infinite possibility that awaited me.  Each new day I reveled at the American landscape, and I have marveled at its amazing diversity.  As the countryside changed, so did the season as did the culture.  It has been a blessing to be a witness to this land I have known as home.  As everything has been in a constant state of metamorphosis that I am now accustomed too, I have become aware of the most important change:  The revolution within.

            Allowing the constant change of the outer world to become the norm, I am no longer as distracted by it as I have been for so many months.  This has allowed the appropriate space in my mind to take the leap inward.  For the past three or four weeks, I have finally reached the point of welcoming the silence.  It is still quit unsettling, and takes time to relax into.  It also brings a new layer to the tour itself.  I have kept to myself as much as I possibly can.  Sure, I fall into old habits and continue to distract myself.  Scanning the Internet, looking for people to talk to on the Facenet, or watching old episodes of LOST.  As time begins to move on, I am taking the time to go for walks.  During most of these walks, I have also refrained form listening to my ipod.  Just take a stroll and allow myself to integrate the ambiance of what ever may be in the environment.

            This has allowed me to have more conversations with myself.  Asking those tough question and peal away those layers that hide my many paradoxical truths.  Its not always the most fun or entertaining exercise.  Truth be told, it can be down right frightening.  The more I peal away, the more questions I ask, I begin to realize a simple truth…there are no definitive answers.  There is only the feeling of flow.  I know you’d like to have a more thorough explanation.  I don’t have one.  How does one explain an abstract?  There seems to be no sufficient language for feelings, only a feeble attempt for understanding.   If you need a better description, I would ask you to think of gravity, or to watch a flowing river.  Sit in silence and just observe it as it is:  the water, the rocks within and on the banks, and the life that dwells with the flow.  Watch every aspect and how it all interacts.

            As humans in an industrialized world, we have become so hardwired for stimulation.  We are constantly searching for gratification of the pleasure centers in our brains, that we have become distracted.  Maybe it’s just me, and it is my issue alone, but it’s as if we have lost the connection of self and the divinity of the living moment.  The journey inward takes time, attention, and courage to let go of attachment.   The path can be a dark, cold, and murky wilderness, but there is a silver lining.  The light is just above the dense canopy.  It splinters between each massive tree and thick brush to show the way.  The way isn’t a universal map.  It is dramatically different for each and every one of us, but its there nonetheless.

It has taken five to six months to transition into this new method on this journey, and as the tour winds down, soon I will have more time for solitude and self reflection.  This is a process that I do not intend to rush.  My journey home is still one that is in constant motion, and I am not married to anyone way on how to go about it.  I am willing to take what comes at me, what ever that is.  While I have many ideas, I am allowing myself to be without schedule and up for what ever change the flow decides for me.  All I can do is initiate the navigational coordinates of my intention, and through the power of will, I will be taken where I need to be. 

The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors

COSM:  The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors is the destination for the RISE bicycle tour.  I invite you to watch the film below to learn more about the Chapel.  You can decide for yourself, why we chose to end in such a magical place.