Jewel's new book, Never Broken, out on 9/15/15 / Paperback out 9/21/16

[Jessica]

Ah, they pulled the page!  Bits are still on the wayback machine...

https://web.archive.org/web/20131126074756/http://naturecureandyog.com/photo-gallery


EDIT: Fabio found it all here: http://jewel.freeforums.org/a-lot-of-never-before-seen-pics-of-jewel-t353.html

Looks like the main page is up, but the photo gallery has been taken down: http://naturecureandyog.com/

hmmmm.... So much has been taken from the 'net leading up to the book release.

[Donna Sue]

Hmm.. can't really see any of this anymore. Can view the little thumbnails but can't pull up the full pics. From what I can see, however....  yeesh.. 

[Lily]

Creepyyyy. 

[jewelwiki]

Reading the part where Jacque channeled Z, I was curious what it might have looked/sounded like. Jewel described a dramatic change in her facial appearance when channeling Z, but I think that it'd be hard to say without seeing a before/during channeling video. The accent is very bizarre, so I can see Jewel falling for it, following her mother. I'm not sure why the accent is necessary though... He was originally from Iran in the 3rd century (Wikipedia), right? So he wouldn't know modern English. But if being channeled and all knowing, why would he adopt a foreign accent instead of just speaking clear English. Maybe that was Jacque's normal accent? So many questions. I guess I shouldn't use logic to investigate a cult.

[Jessica]

no point in finding logic where there is none to be found.


Seeing how easy it is to tear down though makes me p sad for young Jewel.

[Nobody]

Reading the part where Jacque channeled Z, I was curious what it might have looked/sounded like. Jewel described a dramatic change in her facial appearance when channeling Z, but I think that it'd be hard to say without seeing a before/during channeling video. The accent is very bizarre, so I can see Jewel falling for it, following her mother. I'm not sure why the accent is necessary though... He was originally from Iran in the 3rd century (Wikipedia), right? So he wouldn't know modern English. But if being channeled and all knowing, why would he adopt a foreign accent instead of just speaking clear English. Maybe that was Jacque's normal accent? So many questions. I guess I shouldn't use logic to investigate a cult.

Yeah, you could run yourself in circles on this one.  I believe that to be Jacque's natural accent, although, if you have ever seen other people channel - she is consistent with typical mannerisms associated with it.  That said; Thus Spoke Zarathustra was the fourth book in a series and Zarathustra or Z, is a fictional character.  This book, is also the one that popularized the often seen and seldom understood phrase; "God is Dead."  WHere she discusses him having been Zoroaster but not teaching Zoroastrianism is notable.  There are other fictional characters that claim to be channeled.  And not to piss anyone off, some would even throw Jesus into that category.  I guess, it depends on your perspective.

Doreen Virtue, claims to channel Archangel Michael - which if you study angel lore, it is often said that their "voices" are actually tones that would pierce the human eardrum.  Carlos Santanna claims to channel The Metatron.  So, basically the belief is that because the _______ that is being channeled is pure energy, it can assume any form it chooses (like, the Stay Puft marshmallow man).  I think Jacque was on TV in the early 80s and talked about channeling Z.  Say, around 1982.  The Mrs (as she is a little older), confirmed that she remembered this and that she remembered her being one of the people that use to be in the "crap rags" - the really bad tabloids.  Sylvia (I forget her last name) was in one, and Jacque was in the other and would have page.  Jacque, also trademarked "Zarathustra" in 1988.  So really, she started turning it into a business not long before L. Ron Hubbard wrote Dyanetics (which we all know, is where Scientology) comes from.

I guess, trying to be middle-of-the-road here, I should also say that if you have never been around someone that channels - a medium (not a $5 psychic), their energy is different.  They believe, very strongly in what they're doing.  So, they can be in an altered state.  Which is different than channeling.  They believe what they say to be truth, as they're so compelling at times - they convince themselves.  The power of belief / faith - is strong. 

[Jessica]

I've never met anyone who really believes that kind of stuff.  I'd ridicule it here, but I'd like to think I'd keep an open mind about it.

When I was in Oregon, I got pretty curious about religion in general and I attended a TON of churches. My fave was the 7th Day Adventists and the Society of Friends.  I went and hung with the 7th Day Adventists a few times as they were very welcoming, but I preferred the SoF and I'll tell you why - there's no minister or any of that stuff you typically expect in a church - just people sitting in a circle praying their souls out.  Occasionally, someone would stand up in the silence and talk about what's on their mind, and they'd always be really emotional about it (hence the term, the Quakers), but there were no guidelines about it.  What was most fascinating to me is when you sat in this room, whether you were praying or not - whether you believed any of it or not - there was a ... heat?  energy? ... in there that would well up your eyes.  I took a good friend at the time and both of us, atheists mind you, were weeping so hard the whole time with no explanation of why.   And when we left, we weren't puffy-faced.  Explain THAT, science!

I never went back because I felt like I had no business bothering these people or interrupting whatever it was they figured out that I'll never understand.  And they're so so so nice. The whole meeting was held in someone's house instead of some overbearing facility.  No  statues or preaching or begging for cash donations - just a solemn circle of prayer.  It's stuck with me more than any other place. 

This really doesn't relate much at all to Z, but many people think the Quakers are basically a cult, but they're a harmless, pacifistic, kind cult that no one in their right mind could possibly think was up to no good.  Can't say the same for the Z people, but I'd likely keep an open mind if I was around someone like that.  I can't explain everything, that's for sure.

[Angel Eyes]

Dang, all of this really makes me feel sorry for young Jewel. I try to view things with a healthy dose of skepticism now, but I can't imagine what it'd be like to be pretty young and have your thoughts and emotions preyed upon and used against you. Spirituality based in nature in itself isn't bad, I don't think, but the whole channeling and such is just so beyond logic to me that I just can't understand it.

[Nobody]

Dang, all of this really makes me feel sorry for young Jewel. I try to view things with a healthy dose of skepticism now, but I can't imagine what it'd be like to be pretty young and have your thoughts and emotions preyed upon and used against you. Spirituality based in nature in itself isn't bad, I don't think, but the whole channeling and such is just so beyond logic to me that I just can't understand it.

I agree, I feel sorry for Jewel.  Then and now.  She really put herself out on a limb and a lot of this is a blending of pilosophy, spirituality, metaphysics, quantum physics and so forth.  So yeah, it's easy to get lost if you don't adopt or practice these beliefs.   It's also religion vs spirituality.  The difference is HUGE.  Theories of interconnectedness and Universal One, not easily translated to the masses.

I can say, with a fair amount of certainty, that what Jewel felt with Jacque - she never felt before or since and it has left more than a hole  It's almost a misery.  And then all the questions that it brings up on a personal level...it's so very difficult to put into words.  And that is an aside to what she was talking about with needing to be deprogrammed.

I've never met anyone who really believes that kind of stuff.  I'd ridicule it here, but I'd like to think I'd keep an open mind about it.

When I was in Oregon, I got pretty curious about religion in general and I attended a TON of churches. My fave was the 7th Day Adventists and the Society of Friends.  I went and hung with the 7th Day Adventists a few times as they were very welcoming, but I preferred the SoF and I'll tell you why - there's no minister or any of that stuff you typically expect in a church - just people sitting in a circle praying their souls out.  Occasionally, someone would stand up in the silence and talk about what's on their mind, and they'd always be really emotional about it (hence the term, the Quakers), but there were no guidelines about it.  What was most fascinating to me is when you sat in this room, whether you were praying or not - whether you believed any of it or not - there was a ... heat?  energy? ... in there that would well up your eyes.  I took a good friend at the time and both of us, atheists mind you, were weeping so hard the whole time with no explanation of why.   And when we left, we weren't puffy-faced.  Explain THAT, science!

I never went back because I felt like I had no business bothering these people or interrupting whatever it was they figured out that I'll never understand.  And they're so so so nice. The whole meeting was held in someone's house instead of some overbearing facility.  No  statues or preaching or begging for cash donations - just a solemn circle of prayer.  It's stuck with me more than any other place. 

This really doesn't relate much at all to Z, but many people think the Quakers are basically a cult, but they're a harmless, pacifistic, kind cult that no one in their right mind could possibly think was up to no good.  Can't say the same for the Z people, but I'd likely keep an open mind if I was around someone like that.  I can't explain everything, that's for sure.

Now you've met someone.  Howdy, do!  I'm fine, how are you?

[Jessica]

Jewel: How Her Childhood Trauma Fueled Her Career Success

By Dan Schawbel

I spoke to Jewel, a singer, songwriter and author of Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story, about the inspiration for her career, the long term impact she wants to make, some of the obstacles she encountered along the way, how she turned her childhood trauma into her motivation for success, and her best advice.

Jewel has received four Grammy Award nominations and has sold more than thirty million albums worldwide. She is the founder of Project Clean Water, and is also author of the New York Times bestseller A Night Without Armor: Poems as well as two books for children. Jewel’s debut album, Pieces of You, became one of the best-selling debut albums of all time, going 12 times platinum. The debut single from the album, “Who Will Save Your Soul”, peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100. Jewel was the co-host, as well as a judge, with Kara DioGuardi on the songwriting competition reality television series Platinum Hit, which premiered May 29, 2011 on Bravo.

I spoke to Jewel, a singer, songwriter and author of Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story, about the inspiration for her career, the long term impact she wants to make, some of the obstacles she encountered along the way, how she turned her childhood trauma into her motivation for success, and her best advice.

Jewel has received four Grammy Award nominations and has sold more than thirty million albums worldwide. She is the founder of Project Clean Water, and is also author of the New York Times bestseller A Night Without Armor: Poems as well as two books for children. Jewel’s debut album, Pieces of You, became one of the best-selling debut albums of all time, going 12 times platinum. The debut single from the album, “Who Will Save Your Soul”, peaked at number eleven on the Billboard Hot 100. Jewel was the co-host, as well as a judge, with Kara DioGuardi on the songwriting competition reality television series Platinum Hit, which premiered May 29, 2011 on Bravo.

Dan Schawbel: Who originally inspired you to become a singer and songwriter and what long-term impact did they make on your career?

Jewel: I don’t think becoming a singer songwriter is something you choose- it chooses you. To me, someone who is a singer songwriter is different than someone who writes songs. I believe the heart of every singer songwriter has been touched by pain and struggle, and this in turn forced their heart to cultivate deep empathy and insight not only into the poetry and beauty of their own suffering, but for the suffering of those around them. They feel an obligation to ask questions and push back on dogmatic structures and encourage thought and expression rather than just mere entertainment.

My own life led me down this path- having faced abuse and transience at a young age. There was also a lot of beauty. I turned to writing as a coping mechanism instead of drugs. My songs became the sound track to my own life , documenting my struggle to find balance and happiness. I had no idea it would turn into a career, but I’m sure glad it did. My mentors were other writers who had an unapologetic perspective on life. Loretta Lynn, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Merle Haggard, Bukowski and Anais Nin. They not only wrote of love, but of the human condition. They refused to use art as propaganda to make themselves seem more perfect that they actually were. They had the courage to show who they actually were- worts and all. And that courage to show the real human experience inspired me to write honestly.

Schawbel: What were your major obstacles as you were trying to break into the world of music?

Jewel: Breaking through in the 90′s as a female folk singer who talked about remaining sensitive and vulnerable as a survival method rather than cynicism, at the height of the male dominated grudge movement was a tall order. Luckily grit and the work ethic I learned on the family Homestead in Alaska paid off.

Schawbel: You faced a great deal of trauma in your childhood. How were you able to turn the pain into motivation for your success?

Jewel: I knew when I moved out at 15 that statistically girls like me end up repeating the cycle we were raised by. Statistically I should have ended up on drugs, in an abusive relationship or on a pole somewhere. I did not want to be a statistic. So I looked at the idea of nature verses nurture, and thought – if I received poor nurture as a child, could I re- nurture myself and get to know my actual nature? My life goal at that moment became to learn how to avoid being a human full of holes, but a whole human instead.

Transmuting pain in beauty, and converting innocence into wisdom and resilience has been my number one job my whole life. My music career was number two- but it documented the real job at hand. My memoir Never Broken documents the my real success story- my fight for happiness and what I learned along the way.

Schawbel: You were homeless in San Diego and then a DJ aired one of your songs. Do you think you can make your own luck or that people are simply lucky?

Jewel: I believe that with talent , humility, tenacity and hard work combined, we are in a position to create and also take advantage of opportunities that life may present. There are always opportunities if we are looking.

Schawbel: What are your top three pieces of career advice?

Jewel:

1. Work hard.

2. Be great at your craft and learn your field.

3. Go deeply within yourself to find your own intuition. This leads to originality so you don’t just succeed, but innovate. There is no single path to success- success is the inner knowing it takes to hold a vision and listen, and the stubbornness it takes to keep standing every time you get knocked down.

[Jessica]

Jewel: From Rock Bottom to Rock Star
The singer recalls life in a one-room house in Alaska with her father and two brothers

 Jewel Kilcher (known as Jewel), 42, is a singer-songwriter who has sold more than 30 million albums and is the author of five books, including “Never Broken” (Blue Rider), a memoir. She spoke with Marc Myers.

My grandfather, Yule, on my father’s side, was a pioneer. He was a Swiss national living in Germany in the 1930s and was part of a group of idealists who wanted to leave. So in 1936 he sailed for the Territory of Alaska, where he heard there were free homesteads.

Homer was a remote fishing village then, and life was hard. Yule and Ruth had to build their own house, pump water and carve a living out of untamed wilderness. My maternal grandparents also were among Alaska’s early settlers.

My father, Atz, and my mother Nedra, met in Homer and married. I was born in Salt Lake City. After my dad returned from Vietnam, he and my mom moved to Utah so he could study social work at Brigham Young University. After he graduated, we moved to Anchorage.

At first, we lived in a tiny two-bedroom apartment. Then my father built a larger, log-frame house near town with three bedrooms. I picked my own carpeting—pink shag.

Both of my parents were musical. They had a variety show in hotels for tourists, and I began singing with them on stage at age 5.

When I was 8, my parents divorced. It was traumatizing for my two brothers and me. My mom told my father she needed a break from being a mom. She kept the big house, while my dad and my brothers and me moved back to Homer. We lived in a one-room house behind my uncle’s machine shop. I slept in the closet.

Dad was under pressure to raise the three of us, so life was hard. I realized I would need a way to survive emotionally and turned to writing.

To make money, my dad and I sang in local taverns, which taught me to look out for myself. When I was in fifth grade, we moved to a saddle barn on the homestead where my father was raised. We didn’t have much, but I loved it there. We hauled water and raised livestock for food. Our outhouse had a better view than any mansion. When there’s that much natural beauty around you, it’s hard not to believe there’s goodness in the world.

When I was 15, I moved out on my own, paying $400 a month in rent for a small cabin out in the woods. I hitchhiked into town to work.

The following year, I won a partial scholarship to the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, and after organizing a fundraiser, I was able to attend and majored in operatic voice. I taught myself to play guitar between classes.

During holiday breaks, I busked for train and bus tickets and traveled around the country and hitched through Mexico. I wrote my first song, “Who WiIl Save Your Soul,” on this trip.

After I graduated, I made my way to San Diego, where my mom was struggling. After refusing the advances of a boss, I was fired. My mother and I ended up living in our cars. Eventually, she moved back to Alaska.

I had sick kidneys and couldn’t hold a job. Then my car was stolen. To get back on my feet, I began singing my own songs in coffee shops. I loved that people responded to songs about how I felt.

In 1993, I was discovered at the Inner Change Coffeehouse by a rep from Atlantic Records. My first album, “Pieces of You,” came out two years later when I was 21.

Today I live in Nashville and Telluride, Colo., with my son, Kase, who just turned 5. I’m building new business opportunities that allow me to be in one place more.

My home in Nashville isn’t flashy. It’s a three-bedroom house in the suburbs. In Telluride, I have a four-bedroom exposed-log house. Living there feels like Homer.

I return to Alaska as often as I can to visit my dad, who stars in the Discovery Channel’s “Alaska: The Last Frontier.” Yodeling comes in handy. If my son wanders off in the fields, I call to him by yodeling and he yodels back. My goal was never to be famous or rich. My dream was to be happy.

He made his way to Homer, Alaska. His friend Ruth crossed the Atlantic in ’41 just before America’s entry into World War II. They married after she arrived.