On April 13, 2006 Dallas and the world lost a great man when Francis Simun passed over in a Pittsburgh hospital after fighting a brain tumor for nine months. Francis was 71 years young and his bright spirit will be missed by countless friends/customers of The Francis Simun Bakery on Commerce Street.

Francis Simun was best-known as a macrobiotic chef who baked delicious organic breads and muffins without sugar, dairy, fat, or yeast. His products were sought after by people with allergies and other food sensitivities. His customer list included people from all over Dallas, the U.S., and even Europe.

Francis Simun was an original, with his infectious laugh, his quirky sense of humor, and a mischievous twinkle in his eye. Francis seemed to have an ageless light-hearted spirit. Those who knew Francis more intimately knew of his deeper, more passionate, nature. Francis shared his love of classical music, politics, and God with anyone who took a moment from the busyness of life to listen to a piece of classical music with Francis, or to hear him tell about the latest news from the Vatican.

I was one of the lucky ones. When this magazine was young I would personally drop off copies at Francis’ bakery and Francis would tell me about how things were and how they should be. I joked with Francis that he was a “walk-in”—a spirit-filled being that occupied the body of some middle-aged guy. It was my way of telling Francis that he was “out of this world.”
In the past few years I lost touch with Francis as my visits downtown grew infrequent. I let the busyness of my life take over. I’ll miss those carefree moments spent with Francis. Out of time and out of this world, Francis had a way of making the present moment feel more alive, brighter, richer, and deeper. Francis, your passionate life touched so many souls, free from your well-worn body, may your soul rest in peace.

Blessings,

Tony Cecala

P.S. The Francis Simun Bakery at 3106 Commerce Street, in Deep Ellum, is still open and is being run by the current employees, 214-741-4242.

Last summer my son had brought a pair of swimming goggles with him to day camp, and he put them in his cubby. On this day he noticed a little six-year old boy standing near his cubby. Later he noticed that his goggles were missing and he saw this boy wearing them. He reported this to his counselor, but when asked the boy claimed they were his. Since my son had not written his name on his goggles, he did not have any proof that they were his.

When I found out what had happened, I asked the camp director to contact this boy’s parents about this incident. The next day, she told me that this little boy’s mother said that the little boy claimed the goggles were his. I was rather surprised as I had thought that his parents would realize that the goggles didn’t belong to their son.

When I picked my son up from camp, I explained to him that I believed in divine justice—that “what goes around comes around”, and that we didn’t need to do anything more. I told him Doreen Virtue’s wonderful quote about forgiveness, which states: “Forgiveness does not mean, ‘What you did is okay to me.’ It simply means, ‘I am no longer willing to carry around pain in response to your actions.’” I told him that I thought it was important for him to forgive this little boy. Then we bought a bright new pair of goggles, and we carefully wrote his name on them.

The next day, my son went on the camp’s all-day waterpark trip. When I went to pick him up at the end of the day, he said, “You won’t believe what happened today.” He then explained to me how the boy, who took his goggles, put them on and they immediately broke in half. He had also lost his camp shirt; he had not put his name on it and everyone denied taking it from him. He then had to spend the entire day at the water park without goggles or a shirt.

I was so surprised at what my son told me. My son even said that maybe it was a good thing that this boy had taken his goggles as otherwise they probably would have broken when he himself put them on and he would have been the one spending the day at a waterpark without them.

We all get to choose what kind of people we wish to be in the world. I hope that you will choose to be a kind, honest and forgiving person, who treats others in the way you wish to be treated. For that is how the universe will treat you.

Love & Light,

Felicia Weiss, Ph.D.

It’s summer time, and the living is frenzied. In a nutshell, here is how I suspect the summer will play out. I believe there will be fewer storms in nature this summer; but, plenty of storms and posturing between nations and political parties. There are solutions and I have a hunch that a crisis will flare up early in the summer that will unite Americans and her allies. There are more allies than you might think. I don’t believe there will be a catastrophe, but a threat. I suspect it is Iran, but could be surprised by another nation. President Bush does rise to the occasion and will accept wise counsel from a new, perhaps surprising, adviser. The summer marches on and we look back upon it as a time of great personal and collective growth. It will be good to look back upon it. The fall brings many good surprises and hope for the future so check back then. For now, let’s take the summer at a slower pace.

Things should naturally slow down in the heat of the summer in the south. But it seems we just move faster. Gotta get things done before the heat of the day, and can’t rest in the evening because it’s finally cool enough to work outside. It’s not only the time of long days, but busy nights. It’s also the beginning for graduates of all ages. From the grade-school child ready to step up to middle school, to the college grad looking for his first “real” job: It’s a tentative and exciting time. Please note that we are all graduating from something and all moving toward something new. For some it might be a different job or retirement. Others prepare for a physical move or even crossover to the other side. For many, it’s a move or shift in awareness; you might call it consciousness. It’s time to notice where we are, take a deep breath and step into the unknown. How will you be remembered? Who will remember you? What gifts do you and the world have for the graduates of this time? While you let those thoughts simmer, let’s look at the summer months and see what gifts the planets have for all of us “graduates” of the spring of 2006.

July’s theme is freedom: From demonstrations to personal peace of mind. August continues the same and brings big surprises on the political front as we near the November elections. September starts a fresh and positive trend: We move up as things heat up.

Jupiter is the story-teller. He is the actor, who wears many hats. Most notably, he is our optimism. In every chart he represents the part of us that reaches beyond our apparent limitations. He takes risks and may overspend. He rides momentum like a surfer on a wave, and wants comfort with luxury. All summer long, Jupiter slows and lingers in a lunar mansion called “Swati.” This gives a clue as to the form luxury and comfort may take.

Saraswati is the Hindu deity, who gave her name to this place. She has dominion over wisdom, knowledge, nourishment, speech, music, poetry and even contentment. She is the consummate goddess of many arms, yet she is peaceful in her pursuits because she is content in the process. It’s time to call this archetype into our daily lives: Time to share our contentment along with our other gifts with those around us. It’s time to share our stories and listen for the poetry as we move through the summer. Although other transits are stressful, this is the rainbow if we will seek it. It’s time to hold our heads high and find freedom in internal peace. Will you don the hat of generosity or of self-indulgence? Will you be the teacher or student? Will you think big or simply want more?

Uranus is the revolutionary planet. He barely moves all summer long. In June, he is virtually at a standstill. So many demonstrations, but what do we want to create as individuals and as a group? How will we be remembered? He begs the questions: What is freedom? Will there be freedom from or for whom? Uranus stimulates revolution and is the excitement of the crowd united in protest. But Uranian energy must be anchored with a plan or purpose. Otherwise, there is no revolution, only protest. Or worse, there is a revolution without a long range plan to benefit the nation or the group. It’s up to each of us to ask the question again and again: “What will I build from this anger?” “What will I create?”

A Uranus transit without accompanying creativity is simply a protest without commitment. It feels great to march in a crowd, but the momentum of anger is not creative. Conscious action is. On June 19th Uranus, the restless planet of freedom, appears to stop in the heavens. Accompanying stressful transits for that time suggest that we will be pushed toward a unifying voice and plan. It may be essential to unite above factions. I hope it manifests on an internal rather than an external plane. Regardless, the intensity of June pushes us together in July as the tension lifts, but the sense of unity, hopefully, lingers.

Uranus lingers in the lunar mansion called the former happy feet in July. We want action and are compelled off our fluffy bottoms. In August, we seek solutions and we won’t stop searching all year. There are big changes and surprises. But, will they be creative or simply reactive? It’s up to each of us. The high-minded ideals of our Constitution and Declaration of Independence are essential gifts for all graduates. It’s time to reread them and contemplate their original gift. Remember, they and this country were a great experiment, not an entitlement.

Venus is happy, generous and indulgent until July 12th. She knows the cost of stress to your face. The beautiful and indulgent goddess knows the value of mental rest for her appearance and her heart. Like Scarlet O’Hara: Sometimes we must discipline our thoughts and think about it tomorrow. This is a welcome transit for weddings and it is good for peaceful solutions. Venus’ fears of age and isolation brew after July 12th, so begin the Scarlet practice right away. On August 9th, Venus will chase Mars, the war god. She won’t catch him until October 24th. There, they’ll join all but one of the visible planets in a fortunate place for peace. Let’s visualize productive peace talks all summer. It’ll be hard and sometimes darn near impossible to imagine it, but that vision followed by heart-felt compassion is a valuable gift. Stretch even further; take a seat at the table with someone who frustrates you. Peace isn’t about “those people,” it is literally about us. Venus helps us see them as us. If we can enact this in our lives, we give the gift of peace to all students of life. Venus’ gift is love even when…

July begins with a retrograde Mercury cycle on the 4th. Just in time for the holiday, the ol’ communication planet takes a different route. Doublecheck your plans and please doublecheck your response. With those volatile June planets still kicking around, we might presume insult when there was none. Mercury remains retrograde until the 28th. Think of the “re” words: retreat, rethink, repeat.

It’s time to look back and remember the ancestors in your own life. What price did they pay to build this nation? What is the cost of revolution? If you tear down what is, what will you build? It’s easy for frustration to find its voice, but creation takes more thought and cooperation. So, what will you build with your freedom? It’s time to pull up the Declaration of Independence and Constitution and reread their words for yourself. A 230-year-old document is still fresh and timely. Don’t rush or let anyone else read it for you, this is a gift for you.

Celebrate Big Ideals on the 4th of July: Jupiter also appears to stop in the heavens and begins to move forward on July 6th. It is time to look at the traits mentioned for Saraswati above. They are those traits we celebrate and remember fondly in our Founding Fathers: Jupiter is generous, but not foolish. He understands that great generosity comes through the opportunity to work and the knowledge that you are part of a society. On the 4th of July it’s time to point to those high-minded traits Americans share. It is time to turn our backs on petty partisan rhetoric: Time to tell stories of our immigrant parents and stimulate their courage in our daily lives. This is good for the economy and better for hope.

The retrograde Mercury asks that we look back and turn within; Jupiter asks that we look for the good stuff that has always been here. Jupiter is innately generous of spirit. This lunar mansion is focused upon the arts…and business. This is a great time to find common dreams and anchor lofty ideals in an expansive, long-term plan. Faith grows now, as do religions. Look for common threads to weave. This should be a helpful transit for our President. Jupiter may bring him a wise and insightful teacher. At the very least it should bring an upswing in the poles and something darned lucky. The gift of Jupiter: Enduring faith in the future and trust that ideals and opportunity shape it. Keep them close to you in your thoughts.

The quality of July is set on the first week. There will be groups angry with us for the very ideals those Founding Fathers established. It’s up to us to embody those traits and to have gratitude for what they have born. A group of highly educated immigrants once asked me: “Why doesn’t the American policeman accept the bribe?” “Why did he get angry when we offered, after all, he doesn’t make that much?” This phenomenon is part of the Jupiterian beliefs that make our nation strong. It’s time to ask that question to yourself in a mirror. Would you sell your integrity for money? This is the gift of self-awareness and unity.

August is about responsibility. The ghosts of budgets past come calling, for politicians and ourselves. Everywhere we turn Saturn brings the weight of reality. These are the dog days of summer where water and patience are sorely needed, but are in very short supply. This is the perfect month to assess your life: what’s a good investment for your time, energy or money? What are you building in tangible terms for the future? And finally, who’s there for you? Are you willing to stretch beyond yourself to be there for them? The first half of the month we anchor reality with vision. Saturn may be the cosmic accountant, but Neptune is the visionary. There is no better time to find a creative way to stretch your bank account or to appreciate what you already have.

By mid-month Mercury, the planet of commerce, and Venus, the sensual aesthete, join Saturn to offer creative and attractive ways to build a business. These planets anchor ritual or chanting to the substance of our cells. They remind us of the beauty and power of our being and push Saturn, the curmudgeon, off the crabby couch. Once Saturn gets a plan, he brings the greatest success. What looks simple becomes a complex decision. What looks complicated comes down to simple virtues. What would you want for your graduate?

August is a turning point for the 2006 political races. Politicians use many words, but say nothing: this month, we tune them out or demand more. We, the folks, are simply tired of the same old finger-pointing. We’d really like some substance or someone new in that job….and we’re not afraid to say so. Everywhere you turn, it’s the same: No more fluff, just give us the facts. We are tired of political promises and gearing up to vote. Watch this in the high-emotion rhetoric of economics: where’s the money? This intertwines through our own lives. We see the price and the ultimate cost of our purchases. Is that car a wise buy or simply a desired one? Should you take the lease or pay it off? Is that creative mortgage really worth the speculative risk? The American people have historically voted with their beliefs and expected a return from their dollars. This month, “We, the People” want the facts or simply turn deaf ears to spin. In August we put on our critical-thinking caps. Let the spin maestros rise to the demands of thoughtful listeners and voters.

September is hot, but a much less stressful month. The Full Moon on the 7th reminds us of the value of partnership and the challenge of cooperation. We see the futility of rage and are numbed by the latest spin. “We, the People,” look back over the summer and wait for answers or at least intelligent questions. This has been building all summer. It’s a fine month to look things over with the critical eye of an artist or craftsman. What flows nicely; what needs to be tidied up? It is an introspective time as politicians stretch beyond party lines and the people benefit. This is a great month for business and the Market should regain any strength it lost in early summer. These are fine placements for capitalism: The New Moon on the 22nd heralds a great time for a new business or for pushing an existing one.

GWB returns to center stage like a bear coming out of hibernation. He’s still under heavy Saturn transits. He still isn’t as playful or enthusiastic. He still wears the weight of time and responsibility on his shoulders, but he’ll have more of the old spark. We should see it emerge in June then carry forward. Expect his Iranian adversaries to push him and watch him push back. If you think this is just a Republican standoff, watch as key Democrats are pushed to take a stand as well. Unfortunately, the new Iranian president will not slow his words or threats. This summer is a tentative time on the world stage. It will remain so for at least 10 months.

In August the 2006 political battles heat up. In Texas, both independents are getting attention. Carole Keeton-Strayhorn, who is running as “one tough grandma” is triggered by plenty of Mars transit action. Kinky Friedman has wonderful transits through October. This summer his campaign gains momentum. It will be interesting to see who Governor Perry’s camp responds to. Perry has the position to lose, but he has the worst transits for success. Hilary Clinton has wonderful transits through Election Day. It will be fascinating to watch as political cards shuffle and wild cards appear. The Texas election is an indicator of political change. Perhaps the revolution comes from independent candidates and fresh voices. At least I hope so. The gift of hope for the next generation: It’s the antidote to cynicism and apathy.

Love and Money are strong in July, tentative in August and rebound by late September. Capitalism requires daring. In September Mars, the action planet, joins Mercury, the planet of commerce. It’s a great time for technology as daring innovators push ahead in the Market. All summer the business of fear sells. Products that help us feel safer are hot ticket items. But, then again, so are tools and techniques for meditation, stress-management and, of course, Faith.

The greatest gift we can give the future is a reminder that we’ve been through difficult times in the past. We have become soft and cynical through indulgence. We have faith and virtues to carry us forward.

Come hear Cynthia’s talk at the Wellness Expo on Sunday October 22rd at 11:30am on “Astrology and You”.

Dan Millman’s book Way of the Peaceful Warrior has inspired spiritual seekers worldwide for over 20 years. Fans of this classic will thoroughly enjoy the movie. Peaceful Warrior is faithful to the story and message of Dan’s beloved book. Nick Nolte gives a stellar performance as “Socrates” the wise shaman who transforms Dans’ perception of reality and, consequently, his life.

The power of cinema to transform the perception of the viewer is fully realized in Peaceful Warrior. Allow yourself to fully experience the lessons presented in the movie and you will feel a shift in your own perception.

Peaceful Warrior depicts the conflicts and challenges of the master/student relationship between Dan and Socrates. More importantly, we experience the pain and heartache that Millman endures as his world-view is turned upside-down, and we feel the shift as Millman opens his mind to the reality of the present moment.

Peaceful Warrior has all the elements of a great movie: a fantastic story that transcends time, an engaging presentation, memorable characters, and fine acting. Scott Mechlowicz gives a moving performance as Dan Millman, and fans of Amy Smart will enjoy her performance as Joy.

Peaceful Warrior is a film suitable for all ages and, unlike The Matrix, whose hero’s story was set against a background of violence and anarchy, Peaceful Warrior brings home the message of personal transformation in a light and engaging manner that will change the way you see the world forever.