Dear M, >> First of all, if anybody knows for sure that Castenada is a loony or a liar, please let me know. << He writes fiction but like most fiction, there is some rooting in fact. The trick is telling which is which. >> Secondly, does anybody know where and how the silver and violet cords connect to the mental astral, and physical bodies? << The silver cord is rooted at the physical umbilicus or belly button (Water region of the physical body) and at the Water region of the astral body in roughly the same spatial location. This is the assimilative and digestive region of both bodies. The silver cord is a crystallization of the astral materia caused by the passage of consciousness between the astra-mental body and the vacated physical body. It is what the Earth region of the mental body shrinks down to when conscious awareness is withdrawn from the physical body, focused within the astra-mental body and the astra-mental body is removed from the spatial location of the physical body. The violet or purple cord appears when the solitary mental body is separated from the conjoined astra-physical body. In other words, when conscious awareness is withdrawn from the Earth and Water regions of the mental body (i.e., conscious awareness of the physical and astral bodies), refocused into the Air and Fire regions of the mental body, and subsequently removed from the spatial location of the astra-physical body. Consequently, the purple/violet cord is what the Earth and Water regions of the mental body shrink down to when conscious awareness is shifted to just the Air and Fire regions of the mental body. The violet/purple cord is a crystallization of both the astral *and* mental materia, caused by the passage of consciousness between the astra-physical and solitary mental bodies. The connecting points in this case are the umbilical/Water region of the astra-physical body and the Air region of the mental body. If one does as I suggest in the Self-Healing Archaeous and first separates the astra-mental body from the physical and then separates the solitary mental body from the astral, a much more elastic cord is revealed which possesses a paler and somewhat less reddish coloration which I'd call Lavender. The lavender cord is what the *Water region* of the mental body shrinks down to when conscious awareness has been focalized within just the Air and Fire regions of the mental body *in this way*. The lavender cord is a crystallization of *just* the mental materia, caused by the passage of consciousness between the solitary mental body and the astral body. It is rooted in the astral body in the same spot the silver cord is rooted and in the solitary mental body, it is rooted in the most receptive and assimilative aspect of the Air region. >> And is there any way of shifting the locations of the cords? << No. These things are determined by Nature. But my question is why in the world would one even want to do such a thing? My best to you, :) Rawn Clark 23 Aug 2003 rawnclark@... rawn@... http://www.ABardonCompanion.com http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BardonPraxis http://E.webring.com/hub?ring=arionthebardonwe