The Astral Attic

After another episode of a feature we call Strange Things and a visit with Shanna Lea (see sponsor page for a link to her website), the show was devoted to an hour of saucer talk with two guys who have become friends yet never appeared on a show together. I was lucky therefore to have Sam Maranto of MUFON Illinois and William Puckett, the noted Washington ufologist, on the program with me. See www.illinoismufon.org and www.ufosnw.com for a bunch of good stuff.

Next time, I swear I’ll have to give those guys at least 90 minutes to divulge more of what they know about the UFO phenomenon and the particulars of some classic cases. Sunday we talked a bit about the much-photographed Tinley Park mass sightings with hardly any room left for a discussion of the O’Hare Airport case. The trouble with discussion of UFOs is that, while you can jump in anywhere you like, there is no definable end to the subject even if you limit yourself to subtopics. Saucers are an endlessly controversial business; my interest in them is also interminable. Sam and Bill can expect another invitation early next year and more time to work with in laying out the facts of their favorite cases. Thanks go to Mike from Roswell, a well-spoken caller who took us on an eerie diversion to his old homestead where he once encountered a mutilated steer. Alien roadkill? Listen to the archived hour and judge for yourself!

The show was filled with two very different interviews on Sunday. Leading off was therapist and teacher Roberta Macdonald. We discussed the tendency of otherwise healthy-minded people to get depressed at this time of year. And that is without any help from fractious relatives! Perception, the usual suspect, seems to be behind our troubles with unfulfilled expectations and faulty communications with others, especially in the context of intimate relationships such as might gather around the table at the Holidays. See www.robertamacdonald for a link to her book on parenting skills. There is much to recommend her work even if, like me, you do not have children.

Lori Aletha came into the studio for the 11 pm hour: She is a minister and intuitive counselor over and above her career as a hypnotherapist. One of Lori’s prime specialties is past-life regression. We got two calls from women that wondered if inexplicable experiences might be tied to material partially submerged from prior incarnations. Lori gave an explanation to each caller that derives from her belief that all of us are here on a journey that entails many lifetimes. Sometimes unresolved issues penetrate our consciousness through sudden flashes of recognition or just as likely, in our dream life; with the help of a trained therapist like Lori, issues can be resolved by gaining insight into events from previous lives that underlie our fears and limitations this time around. While I am not sure about reincarnation nor even about any sort of life after death, I’m the kind of person who supports a healthy skepticism which precludes cynicism. But I will always retain a strong rooting interest in favor of next chapters and many chances. Lori’s website is www.lorialetha.com

Jean Haner, celebrated face-reader and my astrologer pal Eileen Grimes made Sunday’s show a lot of fun. Jean wrote a book called “The Wisdom of Your Face” and though I have yet to read it, I am eagerly looking forward to curling up with it early in ’09 on the strength of Jean’s philosophical replies to my questions. She argued convincingly against the charge that face-reading is synonymous with fortune-telling. Rather, the ancient Chinese art of face-reading is honored in Asia and increasingly in the West as an alternative medical practice. Who knew? The insights Jean offered have put me in mind of the need to look more closely not only at those whom I encounter in life but also when I am looking in the mirror. Face-reading, it turns out, is a method of intense self-discovery as much as a means of understanding those with whom we deal. After I’ve digested her book, I’ll ask her back for a more detailed discussion. Check out www.wisdomofyourface.com

Eileen Grimes is a cosmic hoot anytime she shows up on the program and Sunday was no exception. We launched into a discussion of O.J. Simpson’s upcoming sentencing (Dec. 5) and the long, narcissistic path that took him from heights of glory in the NFL and Hollywood to where he is today: in jail and awaiting a life in state prison that millions casually regard as karmic “payback.” If there is a note of redemption in this atrocious case, it has yet to be sounded. After that topic was exhausted, Eileen delivered the predictive goods for several callers who praised her astrological acumen, uncoaxed by the genial host. Did you hear that Eileen is guest-hosting the show on Dec. 28? Learn more about Eileen Grimes at www.titanicastrology.com