Wordtrade.com
Essays
Review Essays of Academic, Professional & Technical Books in the Humanities & Sciences
WCOM Touchstones Ends Production:
Wisdom's Soft Whisper with Wizard Baldour replaces Touchstones February 16th 2009
About the Show
Beginning February 16th Touchstones becomes Wisdom's Soft Whisper: Folk Fellowship with Wizard Baldour and Trip Overholt.
Archived shows from 2007-09 are available here.
Paul Nagy leaves but continues to volunteer at WCOM as a producer and co-host with Audrey Layden of Carrboro Book Beat that is broadcast live on Monday mornings 10 AM-11 AM.
About Wisdom's Soft Whisper
In response to a prevalent longing for lasting peace and practical wisdom, one local folk wizard in North Carolina offers an immediate means of discovering our own inherent path to wisdom. Listen in on WCOM-FM’s new program, Wisdom’s Soft Whisper, as Wizard Baldour illumines the path to the domicile of the wise, wisdom.
Join co-hosts Trip Overholt and Wizard Baldour every Tuesday at noon and listen to Wisdom’s Soft Whisper as the program extricates wisdom from knowledge and provides a clear and secular roadmap to peace. Exceptional guests are invited and there is a chance to email or call in to ask the Wiz a question or two. We will delve into the most commonly mistaken ideas that are associated with wisdom and those dwelling in that state.
A wizardly consideration for you… Wisdom’s Soft Whisper speaks to that which cannot be spoken in words, as pure wisdom is beyond the capacity of language, concepts and the mind. This program may challenge deeply held beliefs and everything that you, as a person has ever believed and grown accustomed as real. Even as such, Wizard Baldour challenges listeners to set aside their mental wanderings, and open their minds to the very foundation of their own being and abide awhile in the domicile of the wise.
About the Host: Wizard Baldour
Wizard Baldour aka John Troy
Listen to the Wizard on WCOM Bill Hendrickson's Timeout: January 5, 2009
Wizard Baldour
The Wizard LLC
Boone Village Trail
Cedar Grove, NC 27231
Phone: 336-562-3225
John has written Wisdom’s Soft Whisper: A Manual for Sincere Wizards availble at www.TheWizardLLC.com
Wizard@TheWizardLLC.com
About Touchstones Host: Paul Nagy
Contact:
pnagy@wordtrade.com
Paul has been an active member of
The Theosophical Society in
America since 1973, a Unitarian
Universalist since 1983, and a member of the
North Carolina Society of
Ethical Culture since 2000. He is a graduate from
The Pacific School of Religion
(Master of Divinity), an interdenominational seminary affiliated
with The Graduate Theological Union at
Berkeley, California. Paul was ordained by the Santa Rosa
Metaphysical Alliance of New Science (SRMANS) in 1994. He has a
ministry in spiritual direction, and is a member of
Spiritual Director’s
International. He has led countless seminars and some retreats
on esoteric religions and on the daily practice of prayer.
In addition, Paul has a degree in cultural anthropology from
San Francisco State University
and has conducted extensive research among non-christian, meditation
groups in the San Francisco Bay Area. He visited Turkey and Konya in
1980, during a study fellowship from the Chisholm Institute (Beshara
Foundation) and followed the traditional pilgrimage order of
visiting the maqams of Sadrerinn Qunavi, Shams-i-Tabriz and
Jelaluddin Rumi. Recently he completed a course where the
participants were encouraged to experience transformative spiritual
discourse (sobhet) by sharing their feeling about selections from
Rumi's poetry.
As Managing Editor of
Wordtrade.com, (a review of academic books in the sciences and
humanities), Paul supervises the business end of the review, while
writing now and again reviews for the newsletter. He considers
himself a mystic without theistic religion. His style of mysticism
is humanistic and theosophical as a philosophical and reasonable
approach to the ultimate ineffable realities of life. He has a
strong kinship with the
Sufism of ibn al-’Arabi, the worldview of the Hindu
Yogavashista, and active beauty and simplicity of
Trika mysticism.
Over the years, Paul has been part of a number of initiatory groups
and has spent some time as a
yogin, a
wiccan, a
subudan, as well as a
practitioner of Buddhism. He is also an accomplished
tarotist, specializing in
its occult lore and esoteric dimensions as well as clairvoyant
readings.
Paul’s development in tarot follows several phases of activity
and dormancy. As an adolescent he became acquainted with the cards.
Elisabeth Valentine Bacon, a professional trance clairvoyant from
Columbus, Ohio, gave him some readings and encouraged the study in
1969 and 1973. In 1978, Valerie of Compost turned him on to the
non-traditional, hippie
Morgan’s Tarot
which is still a favorite deck. In 1978-79 he made a formal
study of the RWS tarot that corresponded with his first Saturn
return. In the 1980s he read tarot sporadically while traveling in
Europe and Asia. During the 90’s he mostly ready occasionally and
upon request from friends and family. About 4 years ago Paul took up
tarot again and has been catching up with vastly expanded
reading-culture of tarot.
In the last couple of years he has with several other readers
he met through the Amberstone’s Tarot School, been reading and
discussing
Meditations on the Tarot by Anonymous as a weekly
teleconference. Paul’s
thinking tends to revolve around the collective development of tarot
hermeneutics as a collegial process and as formalized in the
systematic and reflexive study of tarot as related to sacred
writings and literary works. What can the Tarot say about the Gospel
of John and what does John say about tarot? Relate tarot to Joyce’s
Ulysses, no doubt a lifetime endeavor.
In addition to tarot, his own spiritual practice tends toward the
tantric, especially
mahamudra meditation. Considering much of the Tibetan
presentation of this style a little too sectarian, he characterizes
this spiritual practice as
centering prayer, an ecumenical form of christian contemplative
prayer. Recently he has renewed his interest in
Kashmir Shaivism
or Trika as reflective of the most versatile aspects of the
contemplative tradition. The spontaneous attentiveness in simple
awareness as divine presence now is the active basis of his
spirituality.
Paul’s academic groups include:
The Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi
Society, the International Society
of Neoplatonic Studies, the
American Academy of Religion, and the
The Society for the Study of Western
Esotericism.
About WCOM
WCOM Radio • 201 North Greensboro Street • Carrboro, NC 27510 • (919) 929-9601 • volunteer@communityradio.coop
WCOM
is a community radio station with a studio in downtown Carrboro and
an antenna at Scroggs Elementary School in Southern Village. WCOM is
the first low-power FM community radio station in the area to be set
up under a program established by the Federal Communications
Commission in 2000 (click
here for more on that program). Low-power FM is grassroots
radio—an effort to counterbalance the increasing concentration of
radio ownership by a few large corporations.
In June 2004, WCOM began broadcasting a test signal—a 30-minute loop
in English and Spanish explaining the goals of the station. Since
the technology was not yet in place to link the studio to the
transmitter, that test signal came from a CD cabinet at the base of
the transmitter at Scroggs.
Meanwhile, our intrepid engineering committee toiled away to build
the studio and establish the studio-to-transmitter link. Finally, at
11:27 PM on Wednesday, September 29, 2004, they flipped the last
switch and we began broadcasting from our beautiful new studio in
downtown Carrboro!
From September to November 2004, we played a specially selected mix
of music 24-7. The real excitement started in November, when WCOM's
first DJs hit the airwaves. Today our
program
schedule includes close to 50 locally produced music and talk
shows and new programs are still being added. We also carry some of
the most incisive news shows on the air, Democracy Now, Counter
Spin, and Making Contact.
The 15 minute documentary film featuring WCOM is
posted to the Internet http://blip.tv/file/1188851
It offers a visual as well as narrative sense of the station. The
film is entered into the Carrboro film festival. Also
"Live with Lisa" features half hour in depth interviews with WCOM
DJs on the cable community access channel 8.
www.thepeopleschannel.org
Donate or Underwrite a Program
About Individual Touchstones Broadcasts Archived Here
(Not all shows are recorded or archived.)
Main links below are to MP3 recordings, to download in Windows, right click, select "Save target as..."
-
Bulleted links are to related websites
Shows with asterisk [*] are judged to be especially germane
New Series of Programs
Readings from the world mystics with commentary and discussion:
November 18, 2008: Bhagavadgita. part 3
November 11, 2008: Bhagavadgita, Part 2
November 4, 2008: Bhagavadgita, Themes and Introduction
September 16, 2008: Richard of Saint Victor, Part 1: Benjamin Minor
October 7, 2008: Richard of Saint Victor, Part 2: Benjamin Minor concluded
October 14, 2008: Richard of Saint Victor, Part 3: Benjamin Major introduced.
June 24, 2008: Meister Eckhart Part 1
September 2, 2008: Meister Eckhart Part 2
Touchstones by Date with Associated Websites
Link to podcasts for Wisdom's Soft Whisper
May 5, 2009: Paul & Wizard on the Night of Sense and Night of Soul
February 10, 2009: Ann Loomis: On Sophia
February 3, 2009: Paul and the Wizard discuss new show, Wisdom's Soft Whisper and some basic issues.
January 27, 2009 Trip, the Wizard, and the Reverend discuss some questions.
January 6, 2009: Wizard Baldour and Reverend Paul begin to discuss "Folk Fellowship"
2008
December 30, 2008: Bill Stranger on C.F. Kelley's Meister Eckhart On Divine Knowledge
December 23, 2008: Jim Hynes: Credo
December 16, 2008: John Troy and Tom Hildebrand: Knowing the Self.
December 9, 2008: Ray Estes Bahai Prophecy Part Three
December 2, 2008: Ray Estes Bahai prophecy Part Two
November 25, 2008: Ray Estes Bahai Path, Part One
October 28, 2008: Assembly of God, Marlene Winell
October 21, 2008: The Other Islam by Stephen Schwartz
September 30, 2008: Bob Trowbridge
September 9, 2008: Stephanie Shipper NLP- Approaching the true self
*August 26, 2008: Metaphysical Marketing with Elizabeth Genco Purvis and Philip Young.
-
Philip Young
*August 19, 2008: K. Sridhar on traditional Naada yoga
*August 12, 2008: Lumena Atherton
August 5, 2008: Bob Trowbridge
July 29, 2008: Year of Love Formula
*Special Ganesan Lecture at the Human Kindness Foundation recorded by Marie Oxnard, July 26, 2008
*July, 22, 2008: Part 2 Sri V. Ganesan on Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi
July 15, 2008: Visit with V. Ganesan,
great nephew of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi (not recorded)
July 8, 2008: Young scientist seeks religious options
July 1, 2008: Exploring Spiritual Friendship with Philip Young (not recorded)
June 24, 2008: Meister Eckhart Part 1
*June 17, 2008: Aaron White, Spiritual Experience and Brain Maps. Part 1
*June 10, 2008: Steve Bodhaine for The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints
*June 3, 2008: Donna Spring Gulick
-
The Phoenix Collection & Other Poems by Max Preston (Ivy House Publishing Group)
-
Tau & Journey to the End (City Lights Pocket Poets Series) by Philip Lamantia and John Hoffman
*May 6, 2008: Rev. Bruce Milne of Unity Center of Peace Church, Chapel Hill, NC
*April 22. 2008: Conversation with Pastor Kendrick Vinar of Grace Church, Chapel Hill, NC
April 8, 2008: 2 hour show with Claudio's Speak Easy & Touchstones combined
Part 1: Discussion of Preproduction motion picture family feature "Go Fish" to be filmed near Apex with producer, John Demers and director, Jacob Chase.
Part 2: Claudio and Jon Paul discuss their religious experience.
April 1, 2008: Triangle Men's Inquiry Meeting and Annual Retreat
*March 25, 2008: Jim Hynes on Adult Religious Education at St. Thomas More Parish, Chapel Hill NC
-
St Thomas More Catholic Church 920
Carmichael St, Chapel Hill -
(919) 942-6193
March 11, 2008: Ann Loomis: Divine Feminine
March 4, 2008: Catherine Devine: Growing up Catholic
*February 26, 2008: MaryPhyllis Horn on Shamanic Soul Retrieval
- Maryphyllis Horn, Shamanic Practitioner, M.Ed, CMHt, CTFT, CP-LRt, Rev., has a spiritual counseling practice in Pittsboro, NC. Her specialties include Soul Retrieval, Shamanic Counseling and Healing, Past-Life Regression, Spiritual Hypnotherapy, Thought Field Therapy and Genonetics. For information phone 919-542-0260, email soulshaman@aol.com or go to her website: www.soulshaman.com
*February 19, 2008: Kala Ambrose on Temple of Stella Maris Mystery School
*February 12, 2008: David J. Halperin on Career as Scholar
*February 5, 2008: Jerry Lazarus on Edgar Cayce and Association for Research and Enlightenment (ARE)
January 29, 2008: Naturopathy with Tim & Preeta Kuhlman, N.D.
*January 22, 2008: Eckankar with Sharon Ward
January 15, 2008: Unitarian Universalism with Rev. Dick Weston-Jones
-
All Souls Church, Unitarian Universalist: A Racially Diverse Community of Durham
-
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh (not discussed)
*January 8, 2008: Dream Work 1 with Rev. Tom Lane
*January 1, 2008: Ramana Maharshi's Self-inquiry with John Troy
December 25, 2007: Franciscan Prayers
December 18, 2007: Rumi and Mayan Mystery of 2012 with Philip YoungNovember 27, 2007: Ministry of Rev. Roger Hayes
November 20, 2007: Tarot Art with Marie WhiteNovember 13, 2007: Healing with Mary-Phyllis Horn and
- Maryphyllis Horn, Shamanic Practitioner, M.Ed, CMHt, CTFT,
CP-LRt, Rev., has a spiritual counseling practice in Pittsboro,
NC. Her specialties include Soul Retrieval, Shamanic Counseling
and Healing, Past-Life Regression, Spiritual Hypnotherapy,
Thought Field Therapy and Genonetics. For information phone
919-542-0260, email
soulshaman@aol.com or go to her website:
www.soulshaman.com
Touchstones by Theme
Biographical reflections by producer/ host Paul Nagy
April 15, 2008: Childhood Religion (not recorded)
Topical discussions with Paul Nagy. Audrey Layden and others:
August 4, 2008: Final Counselor's Cafe, topic Race
July 21, 2008: Gilgamesh & Kindergarten
July 14, 2008: Obstacles to spiritual progress
July 7, 2008: Problems with Intension
June 16, 2008: Musings on Existentialism
June 2, 2008: Considering Tarot, Part 1
May 26, 2008: Tomkins: Affect Imagery Consciousness
March 31, 2008: What might it mean to be psychic? (Audrey Layden's Counselor' s Cafe)
Guide to Archived Shows
Donate or Underwrite a WCOM Program
About Individual Touchstones Broadcasts Archived Here:
(Not all shows are recorded or archived.)
Links are to MP3 recordings, to download, right click, select "Save target as..."
Shows with asterisk [*] are judged to be especially cogent
Touchstones by Date with Associated Websites
New Program Series: Readings of world mystics.
November 18, 2008: Bhagavadgita. part 3
November 11, 2008: Bhagavadgita, part 2
November 4, 2008: Bhagavadgita, Themes and Introduction
September 16, 2008: Richard of Saint Victor, Part 1: Benjamin Minor
October 7, 2008: Richard of Saint Victor, Part 2: Benjamin Minor concluded
October 14, 2008: Richard of Saint Victor, Part 3: Benjamin Major introduced.
June 24, 2008: Meister Eckhart Part 1
September 2, 2008: Meister Eckhart Part 2
Programs by Date:
February 10, 2009: Ann Loomis: On Sophia Final Touchstones Show
February 3, 2009: Paul and the Wizard discuss new show, Wisdom's Soft Whisper and some basic issues.
January 27, 2009 Trip, the Wizard, and the Reverend discuss some questions.
January 6, 2009: Wizard Baldour and Reverend Paul begin to discuss "Folk Fellowship"
December 30, 2008: Bill Stranger on C.F. Kelley's Meister Eckhart On Divine Knowledge
December 23, 2008: Jim Hynes: Credo
December 16, 2008: John Troy and Tom Hildebrand: Knowing the Self.
December 9, 2008: Ray Estes Bahai Prophecy Part Three
December 2, 2008: Ray Estes Bahai prophecy Part Two
November 25, 2008: Ray Estes Bahai Path, Part One
October 28, 2008: Assembly of God
October 21, 2008: The Other Islam by Stephen Schwartz
September 30, 2008: Bob Trowbridge
September 9, 2008: Stephanie Shipper NLP- Approaching the true self
*August 26, 2008: Metaphysical Marketing with Elizabeth Genco Purvis and Philip Young.
*August 19 2008: K. Sridhar on traditional naadayoga
*August 12, 2008: Lumena Atherton On Mantra
July 29, 2008: Year of Love Formula
*July 22, 2008: Part 2 Sri V. Ganesan on Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi
July 15, 2008: Visit with V. Ganesan, great nephew of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi (not recorded)
July 8, 2008: Young scientist seeks religious options
June 24, 2008: Meister Eckhart
*June 17, 2008: Aaron White, Spiritual Experience and Brain Maps. Part 1
*June 10, 2008: Steve Bodhaine for The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day Saints
*June 3, 2008: Donna Spring Gulick
*May 6, 2008: Rev. Bruce Milne of Unity Center of Peace Church, Chapel Hill, NC
*April 22. 2008: Conversation with Pastor Kendrick Vinar of Grace Church, Chapel Hill, NC
April 8, 2008: 2 hour show with Claudio's Speak Easy & Touchstones combined
April 1, 2008: Triangle Men's Inquiry Meeting
*March 25,2008: Jim Hynes on Adult Religious Education at St. Thomas More Parish, Chapel Hill NC
March 11, 2008: Ann Loomis: Divine Feminine
March 4, 2008: Catherine Devine: Growing up Catholic
*February 26, 2008: MaryPhyllis Horn on Shamanic Soul Retrieval
*February 19, 2008: Kala Ambrose on Temple of Stella Maris Mystery School
*February 12, 2008: David J. Halperin on Career as Scholar
*February 5, 2008: Jerry Lazarus on Edgar Cayce and Association for Research and Enlightenment (ARE)
January 29, 2008: Naturopathy with Tim & Preeta Kuhlman, N.D.
*January 22, 2008: Eckankar with Sharon Ward
January 15, 2008: Unitarian Universalism with Rev. Dick Weston-Jones
*January 8, 2008: Dream Work 1 with Rev. Tom Lane
*January 1, 2008: Ramana Maharshi's Self-inquiry with John Troy
December 25, 2007: Franciscan Prayers
December 18, 2007: Rumi and Mayan Mystery of 2012 with Philip YoungNovember 27, 2007: Ministry of Rev. Roger Hayes
November 20, 2007: Tarot Art with Marie WhiteNovember 13, 2007: Healing with Mary-Phyllis Horn and
November 6, 2007: Ghosts with Heather JamesTouchstones by themes
Paul Nagy: What does it mean to be psychic? 03-31-2008
WT Main | About WT | Review Links | Contact | Review Sources | Search | Store
Copyright © 2008. All Rights Reserved.
