Harvest 500 Pounds of Herb

Presented by: Katie
Category: Cult

Celestial Seasoning, best known for Sleepy Time Tea, is one of the most successful tea company in the United States. It was founded in Colorado in 1969. One of the founders, Moe Siegel, was already selling another tea locally. Tea was undergoing a renaissance at the time. It's named from on of the founders' flower names and from the teachings of the Urantia Book, a book of new age mysticism the founders believed in.

The Urantia Book and it's cult was one of the least horrifying ones covered on the podcast, which is saying something for a book the advocates racism and eugenics. It was written something between 1924 and 1955 in Chicago, according to Urantia Foundation.

The book is believed to be written by William Sadler, who learned about aliens who channeled through a man who might have been his brother-in-law. According to the Sadlers, this led to the book appearing to them in 1925.

The Sadlers shared this story with their Bible study group who had them bring it in to read. After reading it, the gave a list of questions for Sadler to ask the aliens. The aliens answered in a series of papers which became the Urantia book. By the 1950s, the cult had grown to nearly 500 followers.

Within the cult, a group of five people, including the Sadlers, were the only ones who spoke with the aliens, asking the questions and compiling the answers. This continued for 20 years until the aliens gave them permission to publish.

Independent researchers have concluded that it had at least 9 different authors, though the main thrust of the book is William Sadler's racism. Similarities to the 7th Day Adventists has also been noted. Beliefs outlined by the book include:


 * Lucifer, Satan, Adam, Eve, Jesus and others were all aliens.
 * There are billions of planet.
 * Our plaent, 606, is Urantia, within a group called Satania.
 * When we died, we are reincarnated across planets until we return to god.
 * Adam and Eve failed to eradicate the races and leave everyone white.

While Siegel claimed all races were equal, the Urantia book tells a very story, outlining the hierarchy of the 6 races. When aliens are successful, according to the cult, the "lesser races" will be eliminated and we will all be white. The book is very reminiscent of Adolf Hitler. Because our Adam and Eve failed, the cult breached eugenics as a "humane" to "correct" this "problem".

The cause was taken up by Moe Siegel, who was inspired to the "health" industry, leading to the creation of his tea business and the sayings on their tea bags.

The Urantia Foundation persists to this day. It's unknown whether the business is still formally connected to the Urantia Foundation.

Trivia

 * The shortest regular episode so far.