Father Yod

James Edward Baker, best known as Father Yod or YaHoWha, was in the late 1960s/early 1970s the owner of the Sunset Strip’s famous Source Restaurant. He was also the founder and leader of a spiritual commune in the Hollywood Hills known as the Source Family, and the lead singer of the experimental psychedelic rock band, Ya Ho Wa 13. His Family created The Source Foundation in 2002 and they are working to share his wisdom. YaHoWha.org offers a great deal of information and is a "source" for his music and various books.

Early life

Born in Cincinnati, James E. Baker was a highly-decorated WWII Marine veteran and martial arts expert by his 20s. After he moved to California to try and become a Hollywood actor, he was heavily influenced by the Nature Boys, a Los Angeles-based group of beatniks who lived a natural lifestyle, maintaining vegetarian diets and “living according to Nature’s Laws.” Bearman, Gary. [http://www.furious.com/PERFECT/yahowa13.html/ YaHoWha 13 Interview] July 2002.] 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 teacher of Kundalini Yoga and Sikh spiritual leader . [http://www.nndb.com/people/816/000086558// NNDB] 2007.]

In 1969, Jim founded the wildly popular 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. [ [http://processmediainc.com/process_blog/archives/process/2007/01/may_the_source_be_with_you.php Process: May the Source Be with You] 2007.]

Father Yod and The Source

Jim Baker parted ways with Yogi Bhajan in the late 1960’s. Fusing his own experiences with Eastern religions with the Western mystery tradition, Baker evolved into Father Yod, and eventually Ya Ho Wha, the patriarch to a group of young people devoted to his teachings and philosophies. The group, supported by the earnings of the Source Restaurant (which often grossed $10,000 a day during its peak popularity), became the Source Family, a collection of over a hundred men and women who lived together in a mansion in the Hollywood Hills.Harris, Kevin. [http://www.dustedmagazine.com/features/413 Heavy Living: Father Yod and the Source Family] Dusted Features.]

The philosophies of the Source Family have been kept rather secret by its members; however, they generally adopted a way of life that promoted, among other things, natural birth, living and dying and organic vegetarian diets. Most of Ya Ho Wha's "Children" are still working to try to spread his wisdom and the most important of his teachings . . . which admonished them to use and share the ancient and Sacred Name of God: Yod Heh Vau Heh and Y A H O W H A.

The Ten Commandments for the Age Of Aquarius

# Obey and live by the teachings of your earthly Spiritual Father.
# Love your earthly Spiritual Father more than yourself.
# Harm not one of your body parts either by neglect, food, drink or knife.
# Allow each vibration to complete its own cycle without interference.
# Possess nothing you do not need and share all that you have.
# The man and his woman are one - let nothing separate them.
# Squander not your creative force in lust, but come together only when the three vibrations of the physical, emotional and mental are in harmony with spiritual love.
# Each morning join your vibrations with the ascending currents of universal life energy using the method your earthly spiritual father has taught you.
# Do every act energetically, intelligently, truthfully and lovingly.
# When these commandments have been mastered, leave the house of your earthly Spiritual Father and do the work of your Heavenly Father.

Father did not envision that these would replace the Biblical Commandments, but rather complement them as preparation for the imminent New Age - the Age of Aquarius. [ [http://yahowha.org/modules.php?name=Fathers_Teachings&page=ten_commandments/ Yahowha.org] ]

Father Yod and Ya Ho Wa 13

Music was an integral part of Family life – many of Father’s followers were musicians, and they came together to form a loose, floating group that began to make limited pressing LPs in 1973. Father Yod eventually became the lead singer for the band, Ya Ho Wa 13, which recorded at least 9 albums and sold them out of the Source Restaurant for $1. These recordings, such as Penetration: An Aquarian Symphony, are now highly sought after by collectors, as YaHoWha 13 is now regarded as one of the best improvisational, psychedelic rock bands of all time. [ [http://www.headheritage.co.uk/unsung/review/25/ Julian Cope Presents Head Heritage] ]

The Source Foundation is now working to re-issue these classic albums and to publish books about Father and the Family. There is a great deal of information available at YaHoWha.org.

Father's Death and The Source Today

At the end of 1974, the Source Family had sold their restaurant and moved to Hawaii. Yod/YaHoWha, had established a Counsel of 13 women and later sealed these women as his wives. On August 25 1975, YaHoWha “left his body” nine hours after a hang-gliding flight. Several Doctors said that there were no injuries and the autopsy could determine no cause of his passage. After holding vigil over his body for three days, YaHoWha was cremated. His disciples scattered within two years after his passing but have stayed in touch and are working together to share his teachings. [ [http://www.answers.com/topic/father-yod?cat=entertainment/ Father Yod: Information on Answers.com] 2006.]

Many members of the Source Family are still alive and spiritually active today. A documentary entitled Re-visiting ‘Father’ and the Source Family, was recently released by a film student and contains interviews with various family members. Harris, Kevin. [http://www.dustedmagazine.com/features/413/ Heavy Living: Father Yod and the Source Family] Dusted Features.] Isis Aquarian, one of Father’s wives and the Keeper of the Records, worked together with Electricity Aquarian to produce a self-published book of the Family’s story, titled "The Legend of Father and the Source Family" (2006). This book, printed in a limited edition of 250 copies, is available on YaHoWha.org. In 2007, the book was revised and expanded by Process Media and released as "The Source: The Untold Story of Father Yod, Ya Ho Wa 13 and The Source Family". This edition also includes many contributions from other Family members, with 200 color and black and white photographs. Also included in the book is a CD with Ya Ho Wa 13 live performances, radio interviews and Family recordings.

References

Further reading

*cite book
last = Aquarian
first = Isis & Electricity
authorlink = Isis Aquarian
title = The Source: The Untold Story of Father Yod, Ya Ho Wha 13 and The Source Family
publisher = Process Media
year = 2007
isbn = 9780976082293

*cite book
last = Yod
first = Father
authorlink = Father Yod
title = Liberation
publisher = The Source Foundation
year = 1973 / 2004
isbn = 930847572

*cite book
last = Aquarian
first = Isis & Electricity
authorlink = Isis Aquarian
title = No More Secrets - Wisdom Teachings - The Basics
publisher = Isis & Electricity Aquarian
year = 2008
isbn = applied

*cite book
last = Allen
first = Steve
authorlink = Steve Allen
title = Beloved Son: A Story of the Jesus Cults
publisher = Bobbs-Merrill
year = 1982
isbn = 0672526786

*cite book
last = Miller
first = Timothy
authorlink = Timothy Miller
title = The 60s Communes: Hippies and Beyond
publisher = Syracuse University Press
year = 2000
isbn = 081560601X

External links

* [http://www.yahowha.org/ Yahowha.org]
* [http://www.laweekly.com/news/features/father-yod-knew-best/17104/ Father Yod Knew Best - LAWeekly]