Celebrate the Wesak Festival in Mount Shasta, California!
Past Speakers... Michael Langevin
In these tumultuous times we may find ourselves wondering, "If everything is changing, what do we hold on to?" What do we use as a firm foundation, or even a dependable life raft? One good answer is that we must all hold on to our belief in the powerful destiny of the human race, the transformational energy of the Planet Earth, and the reality of magic in the universe. These are the topics that have occupied the life work of Michael Peter Langevin.
Today, at the helm of MB Media, Langevin is the publisher of three magazines: Magical Blend, Natural Beauty & Health, and Transitions, a new magazine for those 50 and over. As a visionary and entrepreneur who has enjoyed friendships with shamans, magicians, and gifted psychics, Langevin has had many strange experiences, and just as many wonderful opportunities, as publisher of what Book-of-the Month Club calls "the most open-minded magazine in the world." Since starting Magical Blend in his San Francisco apartment 25 years ago, Langevin has worked beside and become friends with some of the most brilliant spiritual pioneers of the last few decades. He considers it an honor to have asked Jean Houston if his magazine could turn one of her talks into an article and had her reply, "Of course! Call me next week! We haven't talked in too long, my friend!" He revels in sharing how wonderful it was to get a call from Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes, who said, "I feel strongly about a piece I just wrote and know it belongs in Magical Blend. By the way, how is your daughter's writing progressing?" His enjoyment of his work is further fueled by the reception of people like Dr. Andrew Weil, who told him, "You can always use any of my lectures as articles."
Another memorable moment was when, in 1987, a Russian scientist who was doing research in the then-Communist country contacted Langevin to tell him that he would be visiting the United States for a few months, and that a number of his associates requested he smuggle back issues of Magical Blend. "You can't make this stuff up!" he laughs. With stories like these, it's not surprising that Langevin says his journey has truly been "a blessed one." Born and raised on the East Coast in a small town called Methuen about 30 miles from Boston, Langevin grew up on a farm across the street from a cemetery. His father was a funeral director, as was his father before him, so Langevin took up the family tradition. While in embalming school, he opted out, determined to have a life "dedicated to improving the planet rather than burying the dead." Being very close to death does have its advantages. It made Langevin curious about the big questions in life: Why are we born? Where do we go when we die? Are there ghosts and spirits? Is there a God?
In the early 1970s, he graduated from college in Massachusetts, where he studied politics with the intention of becoming a "guerilla fighter who dedicated my life to tearing down evil economic systems based on capitalism and freeing people held captive by corporate greed and political chicanery." He hated money, the capitalist system, and all that they stood for. He graduated with a degree in political science. Life has a way of defying one's expectations. Langevin has owned and operated a business now for over 25 years and his name has appeared on the masthead as publisher in every issue published. In that time, he got married, adopted two children from Peru, bought a farm in Chico, California, and moved the entire business there.
The magazine has changed radically in that time, but it still represents the belief that the world is in a continual state of transformation, and that each of us has the right and the responsibility to assist in bringing about positive changes in society. "Every one of our issues comprises its own amazing chapter in our story; all are filled with a staggering amount of creativity, craziness, spirituality, and fun. But it has not been easy—balancing a spiritual and creative mission with prudent fiscal policies and practical business goals never is. We have existed for this past quarter-century poised rather precariously on a razor's edge, always conscious of our responsibility to satisfy our readers, our business associates, our spirit, and ourselves." The best business advice he offers now after years of experience is "to risk, stretch, persist, dream, get clear, and constantly refine your goals, objectives, and priorities. It is also critical for anyone starting a business to think outside of the box, but still work within reality. Take baby steps at the beginning to test your idea and your processes, but when the signs are right, don't be afraid to roll your project out." After years of reporting the lives of others, Langevin is now presenting lectures and teaching workshops about his experiences coast to coast. He appears regularly on radio and television, and hosted Magical Blend's TV show for two years. He has edited or contributed to several anthologies, including A Magical Universe (Swan•Raven & Co., 1996) and Solstice Shift (Hampton Roads, 1997), and has written two books, The Secret of the Ancient Incas (New Page Books, 2002) and Secrets of the Amazon Shamans (due out in 2005). When not traveling or managing MB Media, Michael Peter Langevin resides with his wife, their two children, and several horses, chickens, and dogs on a farm in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains in Northern California.
Publicity Contact: Eileen Duhné
415.459.2573
eileen@souledout.org
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