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by Lori Toye

(from Page 26, EarthStar Magazine, August/September 2006 Issue)

I recently had the opportunity to view the Al Gore documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth.” At the time, it was showing in only two theatres in the Phoenix Valley of almost four million people. There was no way it would ever play in my cowboy conservative town of Payson. In fact, it was already being ridiculed in the local paper under the title, “Global warming theme fits agenda of liberal left.” That same article used the phrase, “enviro-wackos.”

The theatre was packed. I scanned nearby rows to detect any semblance of the wacko fringe left of society. All ages were present—roughly early twenties to mid-seventies. If they were conservatives or liberals, I couldn’t tell. A young couple sat in front of me; they snuggled and ate popcorn.

Immediately, I sensed a connection with Al. Then I discovered that we had both been raised on cattle ranches even though they were coastlines apart—he from Tennessee, me from Idaho. Our dads were farmers, too. His raised tobacco, mine raised wheat and barley. Al Gore’s dad was a renowned state senator; my dad isn’t, but he is famous to me. I guess farm kids always feel a bond with each other.

During the film I couldn’t help an inner distraction from a flurry of déjà vu scenes. Sixteen years ago I had traveled around the states with a similar slide presentation. I had even started my lecture exactly the same with a photo of the Earth, taken from space! Albeit, there were a few glaring differences—my slide show fit completely into one single carousel. Al’s was replete with color animations, morphing maps and beyond the beyond graphics. Plus, Al had slick venues, with engaging Oprah-esque crowds. Nine times out of ten my presentations were in living rooms that would later become my sleeping quarters for the night.

I still felt a haunting camaraderie with the former Vice-President of the United States. In 1989 our lives had drastically changed; his by almost tragedy, resulting in a complete restructuring of priorities. My farm-life world had been torn apart the previous year by divorce, and I responded to the terrible stress with spiritual inquiry and meditation.

Interestingly, six years prior, I had encountered a reoccurring dream. In the 1983 visions, four beings in white robes presented a map of the United States. It was not Rand-McNally. The map showed entirely different coastlines and vast changes in geography. At my meditation and spiritual development group, I mentioned this unforgettable experience. One fellow member had been a student of Edgar Cayce and felt that further inquiry could yield some interesting results—maybe parallels. We agreed to use the meditation techniques we had been practicing, and scheduled our first meeting in the early morning hours—four-thirty am. Admittedly, the first sessions were difficult. Yet over time we carefully reopened the communication with the four beings of the vision—Ascended Masters. In three months over eighty taped sessions included the details of the United States map accompanied with spiritual teachings.

The compelling information virtually opened a new world for us, and we began to share some of the teachings with our group. Encouraged to publish the transcripts of the readings, we organized the Earth Changes information on a large vinyl map with overlays and colored felt-pens. Since our funds were limited, we asked the Spiritual Teachers, “What information should be published first?” Without hesitation, it was imperative that we print the map—this information was critical—the spiritual teachings would follow later. In September, 1989 the first, “I AM America Map,” rolled off the press.

The first time I rolled out an I AM America Map for a family member I heard nothing but uncomfortable silence. I watched my aunt’s face with interest as she poured over the map’s “Bay of Harmony,” which covered all of California, Nevada, and most of Arizona with water; then upward to the Pacific Northwest’s “Bay of Prosperity,” which rendered our beloved Idaho a new seacoast. Telepathically I was certain I heard the aforementioned phrase, “enviro-wacko,” sans enviro.

I’m sure it was surprising for my family who had only known me as a farmwife to hear me explaining possible earth changes, and the spiritual transformation that could make all the difference. At times, I was even more astonished with myself, and the new role I had purposely assumed. As I listened to Al’s voice, I sensed a similar shock still lingering that indeed he was not our President, yet had discovered a newfound, genuine voice through Global Warming education.

Throughout the next two years I gave my slide presentation of “The Map,” at dozens of living rooms, New Age centers, bookstores, small fairs, and expos. Before long I had each slide and accompanying notes perfectly memorized—a small feat for me as the material was originally received via trance. Every setting provided fresh faces with different approaches and attitudes towards the information, and my lecture gleaned a great deal from the friendly exchange of knowledge. However I must admit that I always felt a bit prickly when asked, “Are you a psychic? Are you a channel? Are you a prophet?” I wasn’t sure just how to answer.

Perhaps my newfound solidarity with Al Gore comes from the humble attempt to answer this question. In the midst of being labeled a chicken-little or a doomsayer, Al responds simply and elegantly, “This isn’t a political issue, it is a moral one.” The Master Teachers of the I AM America information succinctly state, “It is a lesson of change, choice, and consciousness.” Either way, both of our slide presentations, one born from science, the other born from the science of consciousness are infused with a passionate love affair with the Earth. No doubt, the time is now. Also, I would like to add that the “now” is getting shorter and shorter.

Three years after the publication of the I AM America Map, Gordon Michael Scallion released a published version of his psychic earth events in a similar map, the future United States. Within the next couple of years, the I AM America Map became totally confused with his, and the ensuing rush of dozens of other Earth Changes Maps hoped to find their place in an eager market. Soon a commercial competition of “hits” and “misses” through predicted earth events enveloped every nook and cranny of the now sophisticated Earth Changes movement. The frenzy of pre-Y2K took over the interest of the large television networks, including late-night talk airways, and provided budding entrepreneurs and authors an abundant mercantile aimed to assisting everyone survive, “the big one.”

Llewellyn Publications contacted our office in 1996. They wanted my top ten predictions for 1997—would I oblige? I called back and explained to them that the prophecies were not predictions; hence nothing was etched in stone. In fact, with greater enthusiasm I explained how this information had been given to us so that we could make informed, healthy choices that may better impact the Earth. Maybe, just maybe, this could change the outcome of the I AM America Map. I hinted towards the connection between eco-spirituality and Global Warming, and gave my contact information if they wanted more. They never called back.

After Y2K, the overall interest in Earth Changes severely waned. People are funny—if you say something is going to happen and it doesn’t, they become skeptics. Considering we hadn’t seen a decent polar shift from any predictor’s forecasts, and in fact, California was still viably and visibly attached to our North American continent. In the midst of this transparent confusion we continued to share the spiritual teachings that accompanied the map, “A change of heart can change the world.” There is a saying that a prophet’s work is truly complete when the events that are prophesied never occur. If they do not occur, then those who had the “eyes to see” and the “ears to hear” made the choice to heal and transform their lives. Catastrophe and destruction may be averted or avoided altogether. So inevitably, a genuine prophet always has egg on her face. Perhaps in some small way, we had been successful.

And then 9-11 happened…then the terrible tsunami…followed by Katrina, and hurricane after hurricane.

The overall irony of viewing, “An Inconvenient Truth,” was that the man who was the Vice-President of the United States for eight years, and our nation’s President-Elect (even if for one brief minute) was repeating what all of us—predictors, prophets, psychics, messengers, channelers, visionaries—had continuously said throughout the nineties. I realized that through his work, people would be further informed and awakened to the true conditions we are facing concerning our future and our planet. Maybe now,” I whispered with prayerful aspiration, “we have a chance.”

After the film ended, we all sat in a brief stillness. Then I heard the faint sound of two hands clapping, and then four joined with six, and soon the entire theatre erupted in spontaneous ovation. It wasn’t just the sound of applause—it was the sound of hope.

(c) Lori Toye, Payson, Arizona, USA, August, 2006, All Rights Reserved