Father Yod
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Father Yod or YaHoWha (July 4, 1922 – August 25, 1975) was the American owner of a Los Angeles health food restaurant on the Sunset Strip who founded a spiritual commune in the Hollywood Hills known as the Source Family. He was also lead singer of the commune's experimental psychedelic rock band, Ya Ho Wa 13.
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[edit] Early life
Yahowha was born as James Edward Baker on July 4, 1922, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Baker earned the Silver Star as United States Marine in WWII and became an expert in Jujitsu. He moved to California to become a Hollywood stuntman and became influenced by the Nature Boys, a Los Angeles-based group of beatniks who lived a natural lifestyle, maintained vegetarian diets, and lived "according to Nature's Laws." [1] Baker also studied philosophy, religion, and esoteric spiritual teachings, even becoming a Vedantic monk for a time. He later became a devoted follower of Yogi Bhajan, a Sikh spiritual leader and teacher of Kundalini Yoga.[2]
In 1969, Baker founded the Source Restaurant in the Laurel Canyon section of Los Angeles, on the Sunset Strip. The restaurant served organic vegetarian food, with such celebrity regulars as John Lennon, Julie Christie, and Marlon Brando.[3]
[edit] Source Family
Baker left Yogi Bhajan in the late 1960s and created his own philosophy based on Western mystery tradition. Changing his name to Father Yod and Ya Ho Wha, Baker became the patriarch to a commune of young people who considered him their spiritual father. The group, known as the Source Family, lived together in a Hollywood Hills mansion and was supported by the earnings of the Source Restaurant which grossed $10,000 a day during its peak popularity.[4]
The doctrines of the Source Family were kept secret by its members; however, they generally adopted a way of life that promoted natural health, organic vegetarian diets, communal living, and utopian ideals.[5] According to the Source Family Foundation, Yod outlined "Ten Commandments for the Age of Aquarius."[6] The commandments suggested generalized guidelines for daily living including "harm not your body parts" and "love your earthly spiritual father."[7] Yod dictated that these would only supplement the ten Judeo-Christian commandments as a preparation for an imminent new age called the Age of Aquarius.[7]
[edit] Music
Music was an integral part of the Source Family and many members were musicians. Father Yod formed them into an improvisational psychedelic rock band called YaHoWha 13, with himself as a lead singer. In 1973 the band began making limited pressings of their jam sessions, eventually releasing nine albums that were sold at the Source Restaurant for ten dollars each. The original recordings have become valuable to collectors of underground music.[8]
[edit] Death
At the end of 1974, the Source Family sold their restaurant and moved to Hawaii. Yod had established a council of 13 women and later sealed these women as his wives. On August 25, 1975, despite having no previous hang-gliding experience, YaHoWha used a hang glider to leap off a 1300-foot cliff on the eastern shore of Oahu.[9] He crash-landed on the beach and died nine hours later.[9] After three days of vigil, YaHoWha was cremated.
A 2-hour documentary titled Re-visiting 'Father' and the Source Family with interviews of family members was released in 2007 as a Carleton College film student thesis.[4] In 2006, Source Family members Isis Aquarian and Electricity Aquarian wrote a history of the religious group.[9] A revised version of the book titled The Source: The Untold Story of Father Yod, Ya Ho Wa 13 and The Source Family was released in 2007 by Process Media and included a CD with Ya Ho Wa 13 live performances, radio interviews, and Family recordings.[9]
[edit] References
- ^ Bearman, Gary. YaHoWha 13 Interview July 2002.
- ^ NNDB 2007.
- ^ Process: May the Source Be with You 2007.
- ^ a b Harris, Kevin. Heavy Living: Father Yod and the Source Family Dusted Features.
- ^ Isis Aquarian, The Source: The Untold Story of Father Yod, Ya Ho Wa 13, and The Source Family, Process, 2007, ISBN 0976082292
- ^ The Ten Commandments, Source Foundation, 2009
- ^ a b "Ten Commandments for the Age of Aquarius", yahowha.org, retrieved 27-09-2009
- ^ Marc Masters, "'70s commune band YaHoWha 13 opens the fold with a Drag City collection", Independent Weekly, indyweek.com, 15 July 2009
- ^ a b c d Doug Harvey, "Father Yod Knew Best", LA Weekly, August 30, 2007, retrieved 18-06-2009
[edit] Further reading
- Aquarian, Isis & Jim Edmonds (2007). The Source: The Untold Story of Father Yod, Ya Ho Wha 13 and The Source Family. Process Media. ISBN 9780976082293.
- Aquarian, Isis & E Aquarian (2008). NO MORE SECRETS - Wisdom Teachings. Isis & E Aquarian. ISBN 978-1438243955.
- Yod, Father (1973 / 2004). Liberation. The Source Foundation. ISBN 930847572.
- Allen, Steve (1982). Beloved Son: A Story of the Jesus Cults. Bobbs-Merrill. ISBN 0672526786.
- Miller, Timothy (2000). The 60s Communes: Hippies and Beyond. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 081560601X.
