Michael: So Jack, why is Halloween so special to you?

Jack O'Lantern: Well this is the time of the year when the waning of the light begins to be very obvious. And as you know, my job is to remind people that looking at the light in themselves is a fun, and necessary, thing to do. That's why I encourage people to carve me up, put a candle inside me, and enjoy my glow.

Michael: The poets and sages say that there's "light" inside everyone of us. How does that "light" compare to the light we see coming from you during Halloween?

Jack O'Lantern: I'm glad you asked me that! These days too many people have forgotten about the "light" that's inside of them. Maybe they think it's corny, or too religious; or maybe they just forgot that it's there, I'm not sure. But there's one thing I do know - and I built my career around this - and that is: There's no better feeling than feeling your inner light shine through you!

People are always commenting about how beautifully I "glow." And I tell them: "You can glow too. All you have to do is know that there is a "light" inside of you, and take some time to look at it." For me, it's the feeling I get gazing at the Harvest Moon on a cool, clear night.

Michael: But you're Jack O'Lantern! How can ordinary people hope to be able to glow like you? What can people who live busy lives do to get their inner light to shine through?

Jack O'Lantern: It's actually quite simple. Like me, you too have openings to let the light come through. All you have to do is intend for it to come through. And when you do, it will pour out of your eyes, and you'll see what you're looking for; and other people who are looking for the light will see it coming from you, and you're likely to meet friends when and where you least expect to. And when you feel "lit up," the light will come through your mouth in the form of kind and creative words. So there are lots of ways to let your light shine through.

Michael: Since Halloween, and the Harvest season is upon us, is there anything you can suggest for people to do so they can have this "lit up" experience?

Jack O'Lantern: When I was a young pumpkin, learning how to "jack-o-lantern," my teacher used to have us stand in the moonlight and imagine ourselves, not as ordinary pumpkins, but as the glowing jack-o-lanterns we aspired to be. He taught us to feel ourselves connected to the earth, out of which we came, and then feel the moonlight coming down from above, lighting our stems like candles, and illuminating our bodies with a warm, orangey glow: very similar to some of the Chi Kung exercises you teach at BIOM.

At first I thought that was kind of a strange thing to do; but, you know what? It worked. This simple exercise taught me how to glow on my own, whether anyone lit a candle inside of me or not. You folks reading this should give it a try! After all, if an old gourd like me can be named "Jack," you can figure out how to glow like a Halloween pumpkin.

If you want to know more about "jack-o- lanterning," or would like to ask Jack a question, he can be reached at: jackolantern@biom.net

Autumn is all around us in the northern hemisphere: leaves are falling, light is waning, and harvest celebrations are beginning. And the greatest harvest anyone can have is health - a larder full of "Chi" protected against pests, dampness, and rot by a strong immune system.

Autumn and winter is the time to be very supportive and protective of your immune system, and if it's impaired, time to focus on repairing and bolstering it.

Protecting Against Pests
Pests, like colds and flu, are always trying to get into your "larder" to feed on your energy. When your immune system is weak, they get in and undermine your health. However, you're very fortunate because your immune system is very resilient, and when properly nourished and maintained, is a state- of-the-evolution security system.

Yes, microbial intruders are always probing, and trying to penetrate, that's when the teamwork begins: A healthy immune system mobilizes when it senses a threat, and begins to take immediate action: simultaneously, using its "symptom message system" -(Your inner voice says to you: "Hmm, I'm not feeling that well today.") - your body signals to your mind to support and reinforce it by doing things like:

Our friend Jack O' Lantern stops by BIOM every year around Halloween to spend some time relaxing, and to shed some light and reflect upon important life issues with wit, humor, and wisdom. And being the nice gourd that he is, and a "Jack-of- all-trades," he wanted to share with us some of his 5 Element Halloween health tips.

Jack O'Lantern here: Happy Halloween to all you good folks in the BIOM community! As you all are aware, people and pumpkins like each other very much, and always look forward to seeing each other at harvest time. The harvest is a very hopeful and happy time, and an important time to fill your larder and get ready for the cold days ahead. So to help you stay healthy when my friend, Ol' Man Winter comes a-callin,' me and my pumpkin friends are at your service.

Jack Says: