Aladdin

This post is to pay homage to my son's father, Tim Garon for all of the wonderful music that he composed and performed throughout his life.  But, since this blog pertains to 'life in the source family'; I'm primarily reserving this post to that time in his life.  Tim Garon met Jim and Robin Baker at Yogi Bhajan's ashram in Los Angeles in 1969.  Tim's cousin, Shakti Parwha Kaur (Miriam Garon) was the Yogi's personal secretary, and so Tim began attending classes that were held at the ashram and after meeting Jim and Robin; his cousin Shakti got him a job washing dishes at The Source Restaurant.  Tim soon began referring to Jim Baker as 'father', as Jim Baker was just starting his formation of what would become The Source Family, with himself becoming its 'earthly spiritual father'.  Tim spent an entire year with Jim and Robin Baker, along with another man who also became a follower of Jim Baker, before anyone else joined what was initially called The Brotherhood of The Source.  But, as the group grew Tim became more and more disillusioned with Jim Baker, especially after he displaced and replaced his wife, Robin with Makushla and so many other women.  So, Tim just came and went as he pleased as he watched what he considered a circus show unfold around Jim Baker.  Because although Tim held an appreciative fondness towards Jim Baker, he could not stand the worshipful meiny that had formed around him.  

Tim Garon was given several names, during the course of the cult beginning with Destiny, then Aladdin, briefly David and then finally he got stuck with the name Hom; a name that Tim could not stand. Supposedly the planets made their own individual sound and Hom was one of those sounds, although I do not recall for which planet.  Tim Garon was also the first singer/songwriter to join 'The Brotherhood of The Source' where Robin Baker would often sing with him.  In the very early days of the group, it was Tim who entertained at every 'family' gathering.  But, as more musicians began joining eventually Yahowa 13 took center stage and garnered all of the attention and promotion, and Tim's voice and songs were heard less and less.  

After the family ended, Tim wanted no affiliation with The Source Family, yet those promoting Father Yod and The Source Family continued to use and sell his music.  The argument of the two people who are selling Source-branded merchandise is that Tim had given them verbal permission to use his songs, as long as they did not use his real name.  But, the thing is that Tim died in 2008, and the film which features two of Tim's songs was not released until 2012.  Logic and common decency or even courtesy dictates that those two people should have reached out and contacted Tim's heirs to either ask permission or just given a 'heads up.' But neither was extended to either me (his former wife), or Tim's son and heir (our son).  So, when the film was being unveiled at SXSW in Austin in 2012 someone called me from the event to tell me that two of Tim's songs had been used, along with video footage of Tim performing his song Woman Beyond The Sun; all unbeknownst to me or his/our son.  The two individuals leading the charge in the revival of Father Yod and The Source Family could have easily reached out to me via either email or a phone call, because I had been contacted to ask if I wanted to be interviewed for the documentary and yet not one mention ever of their intentions of taking, using and selling Tim's music.  

Tim's son does not receive one dime from the sales of either of his Dad's songs used in the 2012 film and soundtrack album, or from his songs on Yahowa 13 and 'Father Yod' albums, because again it goes back to the arrogant and imperious 'sense of entitlement' that some former members feel they have to just take, license and sell whatever they want with little or no compensation going to the individuals whose songs and music they have been so freely licensing!  This is the most disturbing aspect of two people's appropriation of the entire story of The Source Family---two people who behave as though the entire story/narrative belongs to them, along with anything that was created during the time that we all lived together making it their own property, especially all of the music that was made.  My only recourse is to hire a music attorney or sign new licensing agreements with a new set of individuals, who want to profit from music sales.  Even if Tim had given a verbal consent for his songs or music from 40 years ago to be used---the claim made by the president and vp of the now defunct 'source foundation'; the fact that Tim never signed a damn thing with those two should have given them pause from just going ahead and taking and using his music!  It is my belief that some kind of consideration should have been given to Tim's heirs ie his son and me.  But, I am dismissed and labeled by 'the foundation' prez as being, 'the out of touch ex-wife', whom he feels has no claim to Tim's music.  Yet, Tim's own son was also completely sidestepped and circumvented.  

What's done is done, yet no restitution of any kind has been allotted or offered to Tim's son without agreeing to sign 'source foundation' contracts in what I saw as a 'friendly form of extortion', until just recently.  In a long overdue and pathetic effort on the part of the president of the source foundation, upon the announcement of the dissolution of his foundation, an accounting was given in the amount of $30.40 to be paid to Tim's son for the sale and use of his Dad's songs and music for all these years, and in what was meant to be a personal and petty dig at me noted that payment was ONLY to be paid to my son (not me)!  Ha ha ha!  So, Tim's son has finally been offered some kind of recompense for the sale and use of his Dad's song on a Yahowa 13 album that has been on sale since the early nineties, while completely omitting any remuneration for Tim's song Every Morning, because the prez of the source foundation admitted to having no knowledge of that being Tim's song; which only goes to prove the disconnect of those who have wanted to profit from all of the music, but who have no idea themselves who wrote what song or who was performing on any of it!  Unbelievable. The photo below was taken at The Father House of Tim singing/performing for the entire group with Jim Baker aka Father Yod behind him. 

Here is an early recording of Tim singing a song he wrote titled First Song that he performed in the early days of The Brotherhood of The Source.

Sex That Was Not Magic

I was almost thinking of using the title 'No Condoms Here' for this post, rather than 'Sex That Was Not Magic', because with all of the exchange of bodily fluids that was promoted by Father Yod; it presented a frightening scenario of health concerns and complications resulting from the unprotected sex of an entire group of people engaging in a form of sexual musical chairs where the exchange of sexual partners within The Source Family was encouraged by our leader, Jim Baker who directed and controlled the sexual behavior of everyone in the group and who would continually place people with other partners.

Father Yod was continually messing with people's lives in The Source Family. Marriages and relationships were often destroyed, due to the open relationship environment that Father Yod created. Even though Jim Baker legally married Robin Baker in 1970, that did not stop or prevent him from having sex with any of the other women in The Source Family. So, not long after his marriage to Robin when more and more women began to join the group, Jim Baker deconstructed the institution of marriage in order to live out or facilitate his own acquisition of what he called spiritual wives.

The wide-eyed innocence and youthful exuberance that many of us had in joining The Brotherhood of The Source for many was soon lost and turned into dismay and disquiet, especially after being induced into adopting some of the occult practices of our newfound 'earthly spiritual father', Jim Baker, who believed it was for our spiritual growth. The most extreme of these practices was the ceremonial sex magic that Father Yod began to practice. The joyful exhilaration that many of us had felt in anticipation of practicing meditation to explore cosmic consciousness was soon replaced with trepidation and consternation especially among the women.

When Jim Baker began reading Aleister Crowley's writings on 'sex magick' and then decided that everyone within the group should engage in his adaptation of ceremonial sex----things began to change dramatically. There were two acceptable ways of having sex in The Source Family----one was called Dhyanism (a word that Jim Baker took and adapted from Dhyana in Hinduism) where the man held his semen (except to procreate), while sitting in an upright tantric yoga position that was the most practiced sex magic that Jim Baker extolled and performed with his entourage of women and encouraged the men to practice.

But then Jim Baker decided to take having sex to a whole other ceremonial level by adopting and using Aleister Crowley's 'sex magick' where Baker took and adopted and adapted one of Crowley's occult rituals calling it kadosh: a Hebrew word meaning "holy" or "sacred".  The practice of kadosh changed the entire dynamic of The Source Family and was the reason that many chose to leave the group and is also the main reason that many who engaged in this practice under the direction of Father Yod want absolutely no affiliation with The Source Family any longer.

When Jim Baker made 'sex magick' the predominant focus of his so-called teachings, it created a pervasive and underlying sense of coercion and shame among the majority of former Source Family members that, in my opinion continues to this day. That is also the main reason that no one speaks openly about the sex magic that was performed in The Source Family, because it is just too embarrassing for anyone to admit to having participated. Although, those who are intent on promoting Father Yod and The Source Family when asked about sex in The Source Family cautiously say that it was a kind of tantric sex.

Over fifty years has passed and I feel that it's time that the truth and the reality of what really went on within The Source Family is finally revealed----even if faced with having a lifetime of regret which is what Jim Baker threatened would happen if anyone from the group divulged the practice of kadosh which he had imposed on everyone. When in reality, it is my opinion that the majority of former members have a lifetime of regret for obeying Jim Baker to the extent that they did. Everyone whom I've ever spoken with who were in The Source Family along with me agree that the practice of kadosh is the biggest regret they have from the experience especially a majority of the women.

It is my belief that an unsuspecting public are now being exposed to the story of Jim Baker and The Source Family story as being representative of the New Age as being beacons of health, when having unprotected sex within a large group of almost complete strangers is hardly a recipe for health in my opinion. Which is probably what lead to an outbreak of hepatitis when we were all living at The Hilo Country Club.  Several people came down with what was called 'golden spell'---a friendly term for hepatitis. It is for this reason why so many people who were in The Source Family were mortified to see the story of Jim Baker and The Source Family being promoted and publicized to be put under the scrutiny of the public----knowing full well that the secretive sexual practices of The Source Family might eventually be revealed.

The Brotherhood of The Source began for many with happy, joyful feelings in having found a group of like-minded people who were also intent on spreading peace and love along with the prospect of gaining esoteric spiritual teachings from Jim Baker, but soon morphed into a group pressure to comply to Father Yod's expectation for the entire group to perform sex magic----something which nobody signed up for initially, but soon became the most important and predominant of Father Yod's so-called teachings that in my opinion, began the downward spiral of the group.

The demand and expectation of his followers to obey his directive and perform sex magic accordingly created an extremely stressful environment. Jim Baker's expectation for the women to perform sex magic often with men they barely knew only added to the stress and disempowerment that many women were already feeling.  As if it were not demeaning enough that your only role in life as a woman as deemed by Father Yod was to be of service to a man and then having the added pressure and expectation of performing sex magic with men whom your only connection was that you both happened to be in The Source Family at the same time!

Breaking down the personal boundaries of individuals especially between those of married couples is something that has been done in countless other cults and is how Jim Baker was able to implement his version of ceremonial sex magic into The Source Family.

A Cautionary Tale

After spending six years of my life in the cult that was The Source Family from 1970 until 1976, I feel that qualifies me to speak out against the continued proliferation and promotion of either Jim Baker as being some kind of messiah, or life in The Source Family as being a New Age lotusland.  It is my firsthand experiences of being in The Source Family that have influenced and shaped the harsh opinions and views that I now hold about the man, Jim Baker who lead a group of people down a slippery slope of isolation and separation from the rest of society by adopting and following his belief system; a belief system that convinced his followers they were chosen and saviors and like other cult leaders like Jim Jones and The People's Temple wanted to remove and isolate his flock to a remote area preferably outside the US which is also what Jim Baker was intent on doing.  Jim Baker aka Father Yod sent his 'sons' to Costa Rica and other places to look for land starting in the very early days of 'the family' to look for a paradise on earth where the entire Source Family could relocate in order to create his idea of utopia.  Moving the entire group to Hawaii was the closest that Jim Baker came to fulfilling that desire or utopian dream of his, but which only resulted in near starvation conditions, serious outbreaks of staph and a hostile reception by locals.  

There are many reasons why I believe the story of The Source Family a cautionary one as opposed to the idealized and glamorized version that some former family members would rather present, along with a kind of religious extremism and a worshipful idolatry in the belief that the letters YHVH are the true name of God which Jim Baker adopted as being the bulwark of his teachings and is the other motivating factor why some would like to promote Jim Baker into sainthood.  So, by taking and using YHVH or Yod He Vau He as though it were Jim Baker's own creation it has become the foundation for some former family members to form or create a quasi religious following around Jim Baker aka Yahowha.  But, my personal belief is that The Source Family was a complete failure....a spiritual/communal experiment gone awry, because of the leader's belief in himself being God where he continually transgressed the personal boundaries of women (some very young) using his position of power and influence as their 'spiritual father' to have ongoing sexual relationships with him never seeming to be satisfied with the growing number of females already surrounding him, but seeking conquest of any new attractive female who made the mistake of joining The Source Family.  It is my belief that Jim Baker wrecked havoc emotionally and often times physically in his follower's lives' that some would rather be completely forgotten.  Besides, it's easier to sell Jim Baker as being a saint or a hero, if his image and memory are kept squeaky clean and impeccable and anything wrong or sordid, unhealthy or misguided or detrimental are either forgotten about or explained away by attaching spirituality or magical thinking, especially if very few former members are willing to come forward and challenge the lotusland image of life in The Source Family.  

The Source Family never did any humanitarian work; we didn't give back to the community or society at large or help the world in any meaningful way.  We didn't grow our own vegetables or even recycle.  Everything and everyone was focused on and revolved around the fulfillment of Jim Baker's desires and directives which quickly had devolved around him and 'his women' where an almost incessant attendance and fawning adoration seemed to be required.  I observed the entire thing play out until the bitter end, until Jim Baker had nowhere else to go and was looking for a way to be released from the situation that he had created and found himself. 

The Source Family became a group of dependent, indolent and ineffectual followers of Jim Baker where he had accumulated a dozen or more women around himself where bickering and positioning were playing out on a continual basis and he just wanted out.  It is a recipe for disaster when a religious or spiritual leader wants to remove his flock to live an isolated existence which played out on Kauai when the entire group moved to some land and set up a compound surrounded by extremely nervous, unwelcoming locals.  Fear set in and what might happen and as seen in other cults a mass suicide could have easily ensued within The Source Family cult compound, because that is the extent of the zealous and worshipful adoration that some had for their 'spiritual father' Jim Baker.  

Following one person to such an extreme that you give up your own personal autonomy where your voice and independent thinking are silenced and discouraged by the groupthink rampant in all cults especially where the leader is seen as a visionary, adept or messiah to me is one of the greatest of human follies.  Which is another reason that I feel compelled to disabuse anyone who wants to elevate, sanctify or idolize Jim Baker as heralding in a new age, and to encourage anyone interested in The Source Family or mesmerized by any of the hyperbole surrounding its promotion to see it for what it really was---a litmus test for what happens when people decide to follow, idealize and worship one person.

The Wacko World of Yogi Bhajan

I encourage anyone who is interested in learning more about Jim Baker and The Source Family, to check out The Wacko World of Yogi Bhajan forum; which in my mind is essential reading in order to gain a better understanding of the 'spiritual' tree that the apple, Jim Baker fell in wanting to create his own 'aquarian legacy' by labeling his own group of followers as being 'an aquarian tribe' having all of us adopt the surname Aquarian and on and on it went from there.  Jim Baker considered Yogi Bhajan his 'spiritual father' and so he is seen as the grandfather of The Source Family.   It is my view that to understand the mindset and belief of Jim Baker and why he started his own 'family'; one needs to learn more about his own 'spiritual' master or teacher.  

It always seemed to me that Jim Baker was trying to outdo or impress Yogi Bhajan either with the amount of followers that Jim Baker had acquired, or with the music that was coming out of The Source Family.  You can hear Father Yod speaking on the Breath track Woman Beyond The Sun that I have posted saying, "Send this tape of this morning's class to Yogi Bhajan.  I love to blow that old yogi out."  To me, this sounded like a man trying to impress or outdo another.  Jim Baker adopted and integrated many of the kundalini yoga exercises that he learned while with Yogi Bhajan, as part of his 'teachings' in The Source Family, and so Yogi Bhajan was held in high esteem for being Jim Baker's 'spiritual teacher' and was to be shown the same respect and reverence as Jim Baker wanted to be shown.  

It is my belief that in reading and learning about Yogi Bhajan, it will give people a better understanding of Jim Baker, because many of his actions and behaviors mirrored that of the Yogi.  But, where it turns out Yogi Bhajan secretly had a bevy of women referred to as 'secretaries' that he was sexually involved; Jim Baker trumped that by brazenly and openly having 'spiritual wives' in The Source Family.  Jim Baker believed that he had surpassed the Yogi by openly having sex with multiple women within his group; as opposed to the clandestine trysts carried out by Yogi Bhajan and I distinctly recall Jim Baker stating that.  They both seemed to share the desire for ostentatious displays of having wealth and affluence, although Jim Baker could only afford to acquire one used Rolls Royce, with the assistance of an older man who joined The Source Family.  

Although the 2012 film about The Source Family gives the impression that Jim Baker aka Father Yod drove around in a Rolls Royce for the entire duration of The Source Family, that was certainly not the case; but was only something that served more as a prop, to give the appearance of The Source Family having wealth.  The white Rolls Royce that has been featured in several of the publicity shots surrounding the promotion of Father Yod and The Source Family was only used for a brief period of time in Los Angeles when the entire group was living at The Father House, in order to help promote The Source Family in the hopes of attracting people with money into joining, because funds needed to support 100+ people was putting a strain on the income generated by The Source Restaurant.  

So, Jim Baker set about trying to attract and bring in more lucrative prospects by 'putting on a show' and making an appearance around Hollywood.  But, it was all smoke and mirrors---an illusion, which is why I encourage anyone interested in how Jim Baker became a 'spiritual father' to learn more about Yogi Bhajan; the man who was considered the grandfather of The Source Family.  I have included a few of the statements written by a woman who remained with Bhajan for years where I found many of the same behaviors playing out in The Source Family.  Many of the same kinds of behaviors found in Yogi Bhajan's cult played out in The Source Family, especially in both men's behavior and treatment of women; similarities that cannot be ignored and give a much better understanding of Jim Baker and the acquisition of his own group of 'wives', or 'secretaries' as they were called in Bhajan's cult.

"Yogi Bhajan may not have been a great spiritual teacher, but there is no doubt that he was a master at acting like a great spiritual teacher."

"In just the same way, a cult leader like Yogi Bhajan cannot pull off his scam unless he captures the devotion and adoration of the women around him. Fundamentally, therefore, all black magicians are also gigolos."

"It was Yogi Bhajan's goal to make the women of his cult independent of all men except himself."

"As long as they played their roles devotedly, Yogi Bhajan's women were given a great deal of status, political power within the organization, financial security and lots of cool jewelry."

https://wackoworldofyogibhajan.com/

https://www.culteducation.com/group/795-3ho/1146-in-the-magical-soups.html

The photo above shows 'the student' Jim Baker emulating/looking exactly like his spiritual 'father', Yogi Bhajan.  This must have been about 1969, before Jim Baker left Yogi Bhajan to create/form his own 'aquarian' tribe of devoted followers calling it the Brotherhood of The Source.

The above photo shows Jim Baker (aspiring pupil and disciple) sitting in front of Yogi Bhajan with a lovely and young Robin Popper sitting off to the side of her soon-to-be husband, before she/Robin proposed the idea of Jim Baker gathering his own flock of followers and creating their own spiritual group.  Robin helped Jim Baker to compose his 'Ten Commandments For The Aquarian Age' contained in the book they penned together titled Liberation, although she was removed/demoted from her place as 'spiritual mother' of the Source Family and replaced/displaced with another more desirable object of Jim Baker's desire and affection.  But, the makings of the guru, ersatz father-figure Father Yod/Yahowha is shown above in training sitting at the feet of his own spiritual teacher.

This photo was taken in the early days of The Brotherhood of the Source which was probably the only time that I can recall where Yogi Bhajan made an appearance.  This was outside in the dirt parking lot of The Source Restaurant, during an open 'family' concert.  Also, I just happened to be sitting in the row behind, that day.

I recently found this article https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/yogi-bhajan/.

I found a video titled Empire of Yoga that is part of Vice Tv's True Believers series, and in that video was a shot of Yogi Bhajan teaching a class inside The Source Restaurant where you can see Jim Baker sitting in the background and Robin Baker sitting up front, as well as Tim Garon next to the woman in the pink top.

In the photo above, Tim Garon was sitting to the right (facing the photo) of the woman in the pink, flowered top.  Tim's first cousin, Miriam Garon was Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa, the “Mother of 3HO” and was Yogi Bhajan’s first student in the United States.  Here are a couple of links about Miriam. 

https://studentsofyogibhajan.com/bio-of-shakti-parwha-kaur/

This one includes a video interview with her.

https://studentsofyogibhajan.com/1231-2/?fbclid=IwAR17Eb697HWZSluczguw4PWL7fF_e2RG9IPhXaqi8XU5Rl2la5-z-EUwTkY

Here is a wonderfully informative video of Philip Deslippe, an historian who has spent years extensively researching the origins of 3HO and Yogi Bhajan.  Philip is featured in the HBO documentary Breath of Fire. In this video he's being interviewed by Sikh scholar Dr. Gurnam Singh about Yogi Bhajan. 

https://youtu.be/GBTtRIBaVro?si=U0kQ3uTOqujPebPs

A Colossal Mistake

Les Adam, or Rhythm as he was called in The Source Family died recently, but he and I had several conversations over the past couple of years about our most vivid memories of being in The Source Family and one of his most profound memories was when he recounted being kicked out by 'the council' which was the ruling body of Jim Baker's women and given $50 and told to leave the group.  Les was forced to leave behind his infant son and his son's mother, because he did not want them to follow him out onto the streets of Honolulu with only $50 dollars in his pocket not knowing where he was going, or what he was going to do next.  

All of that because of a simple misunderstanding between Les and a local man.  After Jim Baker died and Makushla became the ersatz head of The Source Family, all of the pandering and fawning that had been showered on Father Yod/Yahowha was then shifted to her. Although a couple of the more aggressive and self-serving 'council women' manipulated the decisions of the new head of the floundering Source Family who was being bolstered and held up and advised by the more aggressive council women who had been trying to run the family for quite some time and who were now given free rein to do as they pleased which was to dictate how the Source Family members should behave or act; meting out their own form of justice.

In what was a simple miscommunication between Les and a local man who had befriended a couple of family members and who had started attending morning class, because the local man found his bicycle missing one morning.  Les had taken and ridden the man's bike to morning meditation in what was a complete misunderstanding.  Les wasn't stealing the man's bike, nor did he have any malicious intent in taking and using the man's bike, but because the local man was providing financial assistance to the council of Yahowha's women----they sided with him and made the decision to kick Les out of the family in order to teach him a lesson when primarily it was to show their unanimous support for the new convert who was providing them with financial assistance. 

Les, who had been a Source Family member for years had contributed volumes to the entire body of albums and music that were produced at The Father House in Los Angeles, and who was once one of Jim Baker's most valued sons was cast out and made to leave by the council of women headed by Makushla. This was just one example of the kind of justice meted out by Jim Baker's council of women both during and after his death in one glaring self-serving bias after another by a group of women who became, what I considered the overlords of The Source Family.  

A couple of these women continue to see themselves as being wives and women of Yahowha, because they desperately want to try and keep up the artifice, some continuing to pay reverence and respect to Makushla---the woman who Jim Baker replaced his wife, Robin Baker with as his numero uno woman, in a continued pandering and reinforcing Makushla as being Jim Baker's or rather Yahowha's Mother/Angel by some in their desire to keep the cult of Yahowha alive and well.  

Mother/Angel was a term used by Jim Baker to denote his women or the women whom he began to acquire around himself.  If a woman was designated as only being an angel, that meant she only served a son, and not the great leader Jim Baker.  But, my feeling is that the women who continue to refer to themselves as being a woman of Yahowha really need to get over themselves, because the reality is no such thing exists, and was a sham and false pretense to begin with! 

It is my feeling any woman who still considers herself one of the wives or women of Yahowha would do better to shower their love and devotion on the men or husbands they have in their present lives, rather than continuing to worship or exalt Jim Baker, a man who towards the end of his life realized what a colossal mistake that he had made in accumulating so many women around him, along with the entire dependent, indigent and ineffectual group of followers that he had acquired and he just wanted out.

I created a video comprised of famous paintings of women to showcase Les Adam's (Rhythm's) beautiful and haunting song Woman---a song that was also used in the 2012 film, but where Les received no credit.  Les wrote the song and performed on this track.  Woman is also included on the 1973 album titled All Or Nothing At All in which none of the individual songwriters in the family at the time received credit for either their songs or their performances, but rather was titled Father Yod and The Spirit of '76 to convey all credit to Father Yod while obscuring the identities of the people who actually made the music!  Welcome to cult mentality at its finest.

Another of Les Adam's songs written and performed while in The Source Family titled Edge of A Dream, also featured on the Savage Sons of Yahowa album.

This song Welcome To The Country written and performed by Les Adam, was one of the songs presented to A&M Records who were interested in signing Breath to a record deal, but after Father Yod was told by A&M Records they were not willing to make it a Source Family contract, but were only willing to sign the individual musicians; he/Father Yod said no and put the kibosh on the whole thing!

The Brainwashing of Cults

I am going to attempt to explain how the majority of women who were in The Source Family, especially the women with babies and small children were placed in an extremely helpless and vulnerable position within the social order of the group, with the help of the excellent explanations on cult mind control that I have included.  One of Jim Baker's fundamental teachings was how women were like the moon---changeable, emotional, and dependent on a man, or sun (using the life-giving rays of the sun as a metaphor for man) for everything in their lives.  Jim Baker also believed that women were emotionally ill-equipped to deal with the outside world, and so he did not want to see any of the women in his family working in the outside world or maya (maya In Vedic philosophy meaning the limited, physical reality) exposed to all the negative vibrations of the big, bad outside world or the sexual lust of men who were not in the family----brainwashing us all into adopting and integrating Jim Baker's worldview of a woman's role, as being our own.  But, that is what happens in a cult and that is what happened in The Source Family.  The majority of people who joined The Source Family adopted Jim Baker's transcendent belief system which were called teachings, as being their own.

Most of us gave up all our belongings upon joining the family and so we no longer owned cars or had money of our own (although, it turned out some still did), or wore conventional clothing and shoes, much less underwear.  No one had what was considered normal or acceptable clothing or attire, or the resources in which to go out and look for work even if any of us had wanted to----it was just not possible, under the directive of our earthly spiritual father, who controlled every aspect of his follower's lives.  Which is why when one of the most devoted male followers of Jim Baker recently stated that the women who were in The Source Family, who suffered under the directives of Father Yod had been responsible for themselves and should have gone out to look for work---an absurd thing to say.  But his statement highlights perfectly the continued denial and refusal of some former Source Family members in admitting or accepting the fact that The Source Family was a cult, and that we all were brainwashed into adopting and accepting the particular roles for men and women, as determined by Jim Baker in the formation of his Aquarian family.

In fact, some of the men who were in the family blame the women for everything that went wrong within the group, rather than placing any blame on their hero, Jim Baker.  But, the men in The Source Family were seen as gods and suns and a woman's only role in life was to serve and inspire her god man, or sun.  The word serve was the exact term used by Jim Baker.  A woman's role of serving a man in The Source Family included making his meals and serving it to him, doing his laundry, giving him foot and full body massages, making his clothing, and performing 'sex magic' as prescribed by Jim Baker.  I observed a preferential treatment and coddling of several of the men by Jim Baker where no doubt a good ole' boy mentality began to play out between Jim Baker and the men in who could attract or keep the most women, because Jim Baker would continually point out or brag about how women were only attracted to the most powerful and constant sun meaning himself.  Because attracting women, or angels as Jim Baker referred to any potential new female member was of paramount importance to him.

Jim Baker was constantly trolling and looking for new prospective angels to join the ranks of the other women within The Source Family.  Which, by the way, when Jim Baker performed with Yahowha 13 at a local high school of all places it seemed so glaringly inappropriate to me!  Jim Baker was trolling for new female converts at a local high school!  Which also begs the question of why would the Principal of a high school allow the leader of a cult to sing and perform on their campus!  That still baffles me.  So, considering the treatment that Jim Baker expected the women, or angels to perform for his sons; it came as no surprise when I came under attack by a couple of these men who were in The Source Family who do not want to hear what I have to say or any other woman who was in The Source Family who openly speaks out or talks about their hero in a disparaging way.  But, after forty years, I feel that it is time that the truth about what really went on in The Source Family is told and exposed for the cult that it was, and not some New Age ideal tribe or forerunners of the Aquarian Age that some are trying to foist upon the public.  In fact, more people got into drugs and alcohol immediately after the family dispersed than I care to know about.  But, if some former members choose to only promote an idealized account of  Jim Baker and The Source Family that is their prerogative, but mine is to present a more realistic and honest view about what life was really like in this particular New Age cult; especially the enervation that engulfed the women who existed in a kind of helpless inertia where their only role was to be obedient and serve a man, and even worse---perform the sexual ritual called qudosh with multiple men imposed by Jim Baker.  The following statement was one that Jim Baker told the women they were to say, if they found themselves embroiled in an argument or disagreement with their man, "You are right.  I am wrong.  It is the will of God."  The following statements about brainwashing were taken from the website that I've included below.

"To varying degrees, believers can experience a sort of refined mania of inspiration, almost like a drug high, when they are in the hubris phase, identifying with their imaginary idealized new self, with its enhanced understanding and kindness, etc. This inspiration is pleasant and even intoxicating in itself, and it may also be interpreted as a sign of spiritual progress, as a glimpse of a higher reality, or as evidence of the truth of the belief system. This is all part of the circular, solipsistic, self-validating nature of a cult belief system.
The most effective mind-control is the kind that isn't recognized by the victim as any kind of manipulation. You don't feel it, you think you are in control.
Briefly, this is how it works. A cult promotes its cultish belief system, and then believers control their own minds, as they train their minds and reform their personalities, in accordance with the tenets of their cultish new belief system.
Understanding the disorientating, drug-like nature of a cult belief system and worldview is the key to understanding cult mind control.
Cults promote a belief system which is utopian and idealistic, and also dualistic and bi-polar in nature. Dualistic, in the sense that they tend to see the world in terms of two opposite poles, such as pure good and evil, the saved and the fallen, the enlightened and the ignorant, etc.
Cult belief systems are also bi-polar in psychological terms, rather like bi-polar disorder or manic-depression. Cults promote a vision of an ideal 'new life' or 'new self', which members believe they can attain by following the cult teachings.  http://www.ex-cult.org/fwbo/MC20mins.htm

I also wanted to include this excellent YouTube video that explains exactly how cults work.  https://youtu.be/kB-dJaCXAxA

Joining The Source Family

When I first joined The Brotherhood of The Source (it's original name) in 1970, it was a fun and rather exciting experience.  It was all so different gathering together at dawn every morning to meditate and listen to Jim Baker speak and espouse his 'teachings' based on his book Liberation, adopting a 'new age' persona in wearing all white clothing and keeping our hair long looking more biblical with each passing day.  Finding not only a seemingly hip, older 'spiritual father', but a livelihood as well---an immediate oasis or refuge from the streets of LA to the warm and welcoming cocoon-like life within Jim Baker's 'aquarian' family.  There was no exam, no entrance fee, nothing needed in order to qualify anyone for joining the brotherhood.  All that was required of anyone was attending morning meditation, and usually working in The Source Restaurant.  Otherwise, pretty much anyone who wanted could join The Source Family which also attracted some bizarre personalities.  Although, anyone even showing a passing interest, who may have only attended a class or two is now considered 'a source family' member.  Bud Cort, the actor was one of those people.  He never actually joined the family, nor did he ever live with the rest of us.  In fact, I believe that he only showed up for class once or twice when classes were held in the Source Restaurant, prior to all of us moving into The Mother House.  Yet, Bud Cort's name is listed as having been a Source Family member.  The list of members has become quite a long list and has grown to ludicrous proportions.

There was an open door policy so anyone could come and go---leave whenever they wanted and even return if they wanted.  So, many people came and went over the six years that The Source Family was in existence.  Although, for those who are keeping track, it didn't matter whether someone spent one hour or one day----they are still considered a member of The Source Family.  So, lack of longevity or even presence has not excluded anyone from being listed as a Source Family member.  Funnily, this exact same kind of belief continues to this day, by a few who desire to keep the entire thing going and so anyone who wishes to adopt Jim Baker as their 'spiritual father', or simply has become a fan or follower can be adopted into The Source Family!  Amazing how that works.  Absolutely anyone can still become a member of The Source Family, if they adopt Jim Baker as their 'earthly spiritual father', even though the man has been dead for over forty years.

But, I believe that is how a religion is formed, by former devotees of a supposedly holy or spiritual leader or teacher by continuing to proliferate and spread the words and 'teachings' of their spiritual leader in the hopes that others will follow the same path.  Nothing brings some more joy than to see other people copying or emulating in either speech or dress their beloved, but deceased spiritual leader.  But, the truths and realities behind the facade or outward appearance of The Source Family is, in my view what the public should know about, before they decide to idealize, copy or emulate Jim Baker's 'aquarian family.'  When an entire group of people all adopt the same clothing, the exact same appearance or look in behavior and speech it's a pretty good indication of a cult and not one big happy family, as some would have you believe of The Source Family.