Sulum Factum Magus

Everyone of us, sooner or later, will face some challenge regarding our health. Whether it is recovering from an illness or accident, or dealing with some chronic disease like arthritis or irritable bowel syndrome, there are some things the wise person can do to accelerate their healing, or better manage their condition. An old Chinese saying is that disease comes in at the mouth, while misfortune comes out of the mouth, meaning to take care what you eat and drink, and what you say. A similar understanding was held by the old herbalists of the physico-medicalist tradition. They held that all disease began in the digestive system. This wisdom has largely been lost to the average person in the modern day, who sees no problem with stuffing themselves with fast food, soft drinks, cakes and sweets, washed down with coffee and alcohol. However this will eventually catch up with one, sooner for those with a weak constitution, later for those with a strong constitution. Recovery from any accident or disease is difficult with such a diet. Nature’s way is to go back to the simple basics. A simple diet based around whole grains and vegetables, with a significant proportion of raw foods provides the optimum nourishment, in my opinion. Supplemented with fruits, herbal beverages, and adequate protein in the form of eggs, tofu, meat, beans or fish, this can be the foundation for recovering health.

Many diseases, especially chronic disease, are associated with inflammation in various tissues of the body. Naturopathy addresses inflammation by ‘alkalising’ the body through a dietary regime that excludes sugar, caffeine, alcohol, pastry, recreational drugs, a diet that de-emphasises meat, processed flour products, and that emphasises whole grains and vegetables. The anti-inflammatory action can be accelerated with juices, such as carrot, celery and especially wheat grass and barley grass. These days, it is no trouble to include wheat or barley grass in the diet, as powdered versions are available. It is a very simple approach, and over time, will improve very many conditions. However many people would rather suffer with their conditions than try an approach that requires them to give up their coffee, beer or wine, or eat a salad each day. They would rather take a pill, and carry on as before.

Eventually, however, one gets to a point of being willing to try anything, when the pills stop working, or start having side effects. The simple approach of nature is often the last port of call. Some are too far gone for help. Others however, find improvements can be obtained.

One needs to develop discipline however, in order to persevere with what in our society is perceived as a strict and puritan dietary regime. One must put up with ridicule, and people’s attempts to lure you from the ’straight and narrow’. If you are like me, there will be many failures, which will lead to a return of symptoms, and all the annoyance they cause. However, eventually one learns to be unconcerned by the opinion of others, and make one’s health one’s only concern.

One should not follow such a diet in a spirit of denial, as this also does its damage to the soul. The way to follow such a diet is in a spirit of generosity – giving your body what it needs to work well in optimum health. The principle of moderation can also come into play. The occasional glass of wine, or cup of coffee, or piece of cake is probably not going to be a problem. But that depends on your condition and your body’s sensitivity.

In my own case, I have lived with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome for almost thirty years. I can’t begin to tell you the amount of frustration and heart ache it has caused me. And while I can’t claim to have cured the condition, I do know how to manage it with diet and exercise in order to minimise its impact on my life. The diet above is the central plank of the way I prevent it getting the upper hand. This is supplemented by use of herbs from time to time that nourish the liver and kidneys, herbs such as licorice root, dandelion root, burdock root, saw palmetto berries, and marshmallow root. You will notice that these are predominantly roots, which to me carries elemental Earth energies into my system. This helps to counteract the over active Air energies I associate with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome – usually, for me, a result of excessive use of fine motor movements in the fingers. Another thing I have found to be helpful is massaging my wrists and forearms with hemp oil, which contains anti-inflammatory essential fatty acids. Avocado, with garlic and lime juice on toast, is also something which seems to help. Turmeric is also a wonderful anti-inflammatory. Put half a teaspoon of dried turmeric per cup of brown rice whenever you cook up rice. My own theory about why my symptoms arise is that my tendons are too tight, and need to be stretched a bit. So I also have some exercises which I do regularly for stretching the connective tissues of the arms. In traditional Chinese Medicine, the liver is said to rule the tendons. Hence the use of liver herbs outlined above. Carpal tunnel syndrome is also associated with poor Kidney function, as it often arises in people on kidney dialysis machines. Hence the use of Kidney herbs.

Putting all these together usually enables me to avoid flare-ups, or recover reasonably quickly when they occur. And also, perhaps most difficult of all, I need to manage the amount of work to be done with the fingers….

I hope that others may find in the ideas above something of help in their own encounters with disease.

Blessed Be,

Robyn.

I recently bought a motorcycle, after about ten years out of the saddle, due to travel and then putting all spare finances into buying a house. Partly, the reason was to try and use less petrol, and do my bit for global warming, and save on my monthly transport bill. But of course a major motivation was simply to enjoy riding again!  Of course it is quite an exercise buying a motorcycle – gathering information, deciding on a budget, and what type of bike to look for. To cut a long story short, I eventually made my decision, and bought a bike. However after some weeks, I found that I was getting a sore back – something that has never happened to me before. Perhaps it was age catching up? I tried all sorts of things. Different riding positions. Putting weight on the pegs going over pot holes. But nothing seemed to be working. The problem was getting worse. So, what to do?

I fell back on the principles of the previous post – energy and attention. First, I began to ride with some attention on the painful areas. I noticed that there was a lot of tension there.  I was holding the muscles of my lower back in a state of tightness and contraction. Every time I went over a bump, my whole back was being jarred, due to the tension, leading me to tighten the muscles even more, and make things worse.

I then began to allow some energy to flow into the area, and with that energy, the muscles could unwind and relax. My back and pelvis began to mold and fit themselves into a more natural position that suited the design of the bike and the saddle.  Now the bumps aren’t so jarring, as with more relaxation, I can move with the bike, instead of against it. The back is now much better! Of course you don’t have to be a pagan to figure out the necessity of relaxing – but using attention and energy can cut short what otherwise might develop into major difficulties.

BB,

Robyn

Everyone wants to live a long and healthy life, or so they say. But when you look at people’s actions, one must conclude that this is actually far down the list of priorities. People, in general, don’t seem to put their money, so to speak, where there mouth is, when it comes to living long and healthily. How to do so is no secret. But for some reason, many people seem to have a great deal of difficulty. Well, here for posterity, are my seven keys to health and long life. The key to making these seven keys work is to believe – in yourself, in the seven keys, and the unseen hand which assists all positive undertakings for the highest good of all.

1. B: Breathe with the diaphragm.

2. E: Exercise moderately and regularly.

3. L: Laugh often.

4. I: Intimate physical contact daily.

5. E: Eat moderately. Fast Occasionally.

6. V: Vegetables should be the foundation of your diet.

7. E: Ever-positive outlook.

If you follow these seven keys, then you will have, in all likelihood, a long and healthy life. Of course, there are no guarantees. Fate may have other ideas, with accidents or debilitating disease. However the great majority of degenerative diseases are, in my opinion, a direct result of failure to incorporate one or more of the seven keys into one’s daily life. Now, to discuss these keys a little more closely.

Breathe with the Diaphragm.

Part of the stress response is to breathe quickly and shallowly. By breathing slowly and deeply, one can switch off the stress response, and turn on the relaxation response. In Chinese disciplines such as Tai Chi and Chi Kung, it is called stomach breathing. Of course, we can’t actually breathe into our stomach, but stomach breathing describes how the belly moves out and in during deep diaphragmatic breathing. Such breathing is believed to increase the level of vital energy in the body, and thus one’s resistance to disease, and ability to bounce back quickly from stress, trauma or injury. To breathe in this way, fill up the lungs as you push out the belly, keeping the shoulders and chest relaxed. Then allow the belly to return to its original position as you breathe out. Spend five minutes each morning and evening just being aware of your breath and doing stomach breathing, and whenever you remember during the day.

Exercise moderately and regularly

The key here is moderately! Over the course of a life, extreme exercises may result in wear and injury to the joints, and consequent pain and debility. Regularly pushing oneself to and beyond one’s physical limits exhausts one’s vital reserves, opening the door to illness. Far better to exercise gently and moderately – regularly. One may then preserve one’s mobility and agility into an advanced age. Many elderly people deteriorate rapidly once they lose their mobility. While everyone is different, my opinion is that one ought to aim to elevate one’s breathing and heart rate moderately above resting, and produce a light sweating reaction, 3 or 4 times a week. Brisk walking is perhaps ideal! Exercises such as Yoga and Tai Chi are also ideal. Stretching is important to maintain flexibility and good joint mobility. The pressures of modern life make finding time to exercise difficult. However think of it as your health insurance. Set aside a regular time three or four times a week – doing moderate exercise you enjoy, such as walking, yoga, Tai Chi, swimming or what suits you.

Laugh often

Laughter is the best medicine, the old saying goes. And there is no better proof than in the pudding! Laughter relaxes the nervous system, floods the brain with feel good chemicals, establishes social bonds and feelings of connection, and makes one’s difficulties seem more easily overcome. Ongoing regular stress is a debilitating influence on the body, and laughter can instantly dissolve the physiological stress response. The laughter to aim for is the rich resonant belly laugh, which brings a physical warmth to the lower abdomen.

Intimate physical contact daily.

Humans have evolved over tens of thousands of years as social primates. As such, physical grooming behaviours are in our genes. Without close physical contact each day, we may feel isolated, alone, and may begin to feel depressed and to think poorly about ourselves. Of course people have different needs and levels of comfort with physical intimacy, but without it, it is much more difficult to stay in a positive frame of mind. Physical intimacy must be accompanied by feelings of love and regard. Unwelcome physical intimacy is of course a great source of stress and problematic for one’s health and well-being.

Eat moderately. Fast Occasionally.

Most people in western society eat much more than they need to be healthy. For most desk jockeys, two good meals a day is more than adequate. The Chinese saying is to eat only when you’re hungry, and stop eating when 80% full. However this is very difficult for most people, who love to stuff themselves to the gills in order to feel some kind of satiety. Establish good eating habits, and your old age will be long and healthy. It’s not just what you eat, but how you eat! Eating slowly, and chewing each mouthful well will help you to stop eating before the bloat stage. An overfull stomach reduces the efficiency of digestion, over taxes the stomach and digestive organs, and results in partial digestion. This leads to the production of toxins in the digestive system, and their transfer to the blood stream where they produce tiredness, upset cell metabolism throughout the body, and upset the neural chemicals responsible for mood. The result over a lifetime is accelerated degenerative disease. Occasionally allowing the body to cleanse through a one day or three day fast allows the digestive system and the entire body to go into an elimination phase, like a spring cleanse. This rejuvenates the body. As fasting is contra-indicated for some health conditions, such as diabetes, do seek advice if you have health concerns.

Vegetables should be the foundation of your diet

Many scientific studies have shown that vegetarians have lower rates of cancer, arthritis, diabetes and heart disease. However you don’t have to be a complete vegetarian to experience the magic of vegetables. Just reduce the amount of meat you eat, and increase the amount of vegetables. Instead of a meal revolving around a large piece of meat, have a meal revolving around vegetables, with a small portion of meat. Think of meat as an addition to a meal, rather than the centre of a meal. At each meal, have some vegetables which are uncooked, such as snow peas, beans, sprouts or salad greens. Cook vegetables lightly to preserve the goodness.

Ever-positive outlook

The old saying is “a healthy mind in a healthy body”. A positive frame of mind makes it easier to find the energy and commitment to structure one’s life around the seven keys. In turn, the health benefits make it easier to keep a positive fame of mind. A positive reinforcing cycle begins, enhancing health and well-being. On the other hand, a negative frame of mind makes if much more difficult to adhere to the seven keys. A negative cycle begins, and health and mood may spiral downwards. Many who experience difficulties with negativity, depression and dark moods, will find these less troublesome once they start working with the six other keys. One way to break a negative cycle is to work with affirmations of deservingness. Repeat at every opportunity, “I deserve health and happiness. I deserve prosperity and abundance. I deserve love and physical intimacy.” Or adjust this to your own particular circumstances and needs.

The world of today could hardly be better at causing illness if a team of experts had sat down to design a way of life that maximally stresses the human organism. Therefore it takes a lot of attention, focus, discipline, knowledge and self confidence to stay healthy and positive in the face of the demands of modern life. By remembering the seven keys, and focussing on them, you will be maximising your chances of living a long and healthy life. This will give you every chance to realise and manifest your soul potential, which is at the root of health and happiness. You too can BELIEVE yourself to a healthy and ripe old age!

It is trite to say that the human world seems to operate at a furious pace, and getting faster each year. When I was studying Shiatsu and Chinese medicine many years ago, my teachers pointed out that this was a particular problem for people in Western Society – the push through, soldier on, no time to rest attitude. My teachers said that this leads to exhaustion of the kidney energy, in Chinese Medicine terms. To the rest of us, it manifests as loss of zip, chronic fatigue, melancholy and depression, asthma, coldness, pallor, or lack of vitality, and progresses into more serious chronic diseases. Prevention is much easier than cure, and consists of slowing down, and relaxing. Taking time each day to recharge, through deep breathing, meditation, doing something that you love, being with friends, and eating nutritious wholesome food. The eating had to be done when you were relaxed, and never if you were upset, angry, distressed or anxious. You also had to chew every mouthful 100 times. “Drink your food, and eat your drink” was the rule of thumb they taught us. If you live your life along these lines, you will preserve and build your reserves of vital energy, health will be your companion, and disease a stranger.

I have always remembered this simple prescription, if not always lived up to it. But it remains a constant ideal in my life. However it is difficult in the modern world to take the time to live each day this way. And the consequences are all around us, in the epidemics of chronic disease that make so many miserable, even while our average life span has never been so long!

And it is not just individuals that are furiously engaged with life on a frenetic basis. Our whole society seems to have been ratcheted up to a furious pace. A never ending roar of trucks, planes, buses, motor cars, trains, and ships all rushing to meet deadlines. Bankers, solicitors, government officials, business people, and tradies, all hurrying to the next job, before the last one is properly tidied away. Up out of bed, quick cup of coffee, quick shower, off to work for a twelve hour day, quick bite to eat at the desk, rush home, call in for take-aways on the way. Rush around the house doing a few chores, getting the kids to bed, or stare mesmerised at the idiot box for an hour, collapse into bed, lights on everywhere, pilot lights on the tv, street lights outside, night-lights so you don’t trip on the way to the bathroom because you haven’t had time to put away the clothes from the floor, light on the digital clock.

Our society has a neurotic fear, it seems, of slowing down, of darkness, of silence. I was out for a walk last night under the (almost!) full moon. It was late, so most people were asleep, and their houses dark. But still, there were people with lights blazing from their garages, and on their patios, in some kind of shrill defiance of the night. What a relief to get to a dark part of the street, without street lights, with dark houses. To enjoy the light of the moon. To slow down. To have time for the eyes to begin adjusting to the night.

I found out an interesting fact the other day. Our eyes keep adjusting to low light conditions for several hours. We need to be out in the dark for two hours or more, before we really start seeing as nature intended. However any blazing street light, or incandescent globe, the lights of a car or such like, sets us back to the beginning again of the dark accommodation process.

Nature has provided us with a mechanism of seeing in the night, which takes two hours or more to reach its maximal effectiveness. This indicates to me that it is our nature to be active during the night for significant periods of time, at least two hours! I have found it to be remarkably refreshing and invigorating to be in the dark long enough, away from all lights, except perhaps the light of the moon, for my night vision to reach its full acuity. I find it relaxing, and re-invigorating. Perhaps this activity is part of our evolutionary heritage, and participating in it activates and utilises the nervous system in the way that Mother Nature intended, and in so doing, gives us the space to relax into ourselves in a deep and primal way.

So next full moon, why not get out into the countryside, away from the street lights, switch off your torch, and allow your eyes to adjust to the dark. As the veil of darkness gradually lifts, you may become surprised at the beauty of the night, and what’s more, how you begin to feel. Most people, after about ten minutes, even less for some, can walk around perfectly safely with no more light than that provided by the full moon. Do give your eyes time to adjust. And do be aware of any dangers that might be around. So slow down. Feel your way, as well as see your way. And enjoy the dark, as Mother nature intended.

I am sure you will find that your energy levels for the following day are much increased! And by the way, that old wives tale that carrots help you to see in the dark? Its true! Carrots contain high amounts of vitamin A, needed for the fundamental chemical reactions of visual perception!

Blessed Be

Rob

For my father’s birthday this year, my sister suggested that we put together a photo album showing the different phases of his life. So I have been going through a lot of old photos. It has brought up a lot of emotion for me, because it has brought to my attention how I have lost contact with many people who played important parts in my life. I have never been the greatest at staying in touch with people, but have just made friends and enjoyed the company of those people who are around me, and who I see regularly with little effort or organisation. Consequently, when people have moved out of town, or my circumstances have changed, I have just allowed our paths to separate, as the course of least resistance.

Looking back on my photo collection, I saw so many good friends who have needlessly drifted away, and who I have lost contact with, and I became sad and thoughtful. They say any fool can learn from their own mistakes, but it’s a wise person who learns from the mistakes of others. Well, I came to realise that I have been a fool, in not recognising the value of friendship, and not taking the time and effort to stay in touch. Of course, there are many excuses for not staying in touch. There are some people who decided they had had enough of me, I am sure! Then there are the pressures of time, holding down a job, and having a family, which make it difficult to find time for friendships. Sometimes one’s friends who remain single don’t appreciate the financial and time restraints one is operating under. But in any case, I realised that in spite of all these excuses, I have let good friends slip away, through want of effort in staying in contact.

So now I am resolving to change my approach. I am going to make an effort to stay in touch. Each week, I will make one phone-call, write one letter, or send one email, to a friend I haven’t seen for a while, and would like to stay in touch with.

There is a type of magic in intention, energy and commitment. Intention is the starting point, but energy must follow intention, and commitment to a course of action seals the deal. So be wise, and learn from someone else’s mistakes for a change!

Blessed Be,

Rob

I have just been watching the coverage of the apology, by the Parliament of Australia, to the stolen generations, and their familes – the indigenous children, many now elderly or deceased,  who were taken forcibly from their families during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as late as the early seventies. It has affected me very deeply, and I am quite emotional about it – I can only immagine how indigenous Australians might be feeling at this time. It is overwhelmingly a positive step, and an historic occasion, and I only hope that we as a nation are able to live up to its promise and challenge. In my opinion, one of the most inspiring speakers wasn’t Kevin Rudd, or Brendan Nelson, but the Elder from Uluru who commented that now that the welcome to country had been performed at the opening of parliament, the energy had shifted. No longer colonizers, the newcomers to this country have become welcomed guests.

As many commentators pointed out, it is a beginning, and one which has been long overdue in my opinion. During the last decade, I have had to hang my head in shame on numerous occasions about being Australian. When I have heard the previous lot of politicians speaking about aboriginal issues, and promulgating their policies, and equally with respect to immigrants, both legally sanctioned and otherwise, and many other issues, I have often felt repulsed and ashamed that my country would be so inhumane, uncaring, and ignorant. Today, I feel proud to call myself Australian, and hope with all my heart and soul that today’s sentiments and optimism translate into tangible benefits for future generations of Australians, indigenous and non-indigenous.

How likely is this to occur? Well, we live in a democracy, so the overall driver of this change is the will of the people. In this case the will of the people has been marshalled and built and shared through grass roots movements for change over many decades, and has finally made this moment possible. While this will remains strong and alive, our leaders must take notice.

From an esoteric perspetive, the date of the apology can be viewed as significant. While not able to give an astrological analysis, I can make some comments on the numerological significance. The overall birth number is 1+3+2+2+0+0+8=16=7. The seven vibration, being associated with Saturn, indicates to me that there is much hidden from view that is still to make its way to the surface. The number also carries, to me, the vibration of a dream, whose practical implementation is not clearly discernible. The fullfillment and implementation of this dream depends on tuning into intuition and spiritual consciousness, and cannot be achieved by reason and logic alone. A subsidiary vibration is the number 13=4 from the date of the month. This provides a strong material vibration, indicating that a path forward through practical matters, and material concerns is favoured. Matthew Goodwin in “Numerology, the Complete Guide, Vol 1”, (Newcastle Publishing Company Inc, North Hollywood, 1981) has this to say about a 13 birthday, “Good organizer, manager, but may dominate and irritate others”, “Serious, sincere, persevering”, and “Concentrates on details, often misses the big picture”. This indicates a need to listen, particularly to indigenous people, and to work hard at establishing an attitude of equality and respect. This has yet to be achieved, and the signs are that this is a blind-spot on the part of the government in the process that has been set in motion. We can be re-assured, however, that in spite of this shortcoming, the current government is participating in good faith in the process. The beaurocratic process, by its nature, concentrates on details and minutiae, but the big picture, of moving forward in mutual respect and understanding to build a positive future for all, respecting culture and difference, must not be forgotten. The people will therefore have to constantly remind the government of this big picture, and that they must listen to and show respect to the voice of indigenous Australians in order for today’s beginnings to grow to their full potential.

The combination of the seven and the four is propitious, as the practicality of the four complements the intuition and vision of the seven. However the four and the seven need to learn how to communicate and respect each other to avoid problems. We saw a manifestation of this failing in the way that Brendan Nelson managed to put many indigenous attendees and supporters off-side during his speech by insensitively referring to the “good intentions” which motivated the removal of aboriginal children, by talking about the sacrifices made by non-indigenous pioneers to bring us the wealth and prosperity enjoyed today, and by mentioning the sacrifices of war veterans. This demonstrated a lack of the “seven” intuition and insight which would have alerted him to how insensitive these comments would appear. The same lack was demonstrated in Kevin Rudd’s speech who laid down firm goals for getting every indigenous four year old into pre-school, without a corresponding comitment to indigenously sensitive, culturally relevant, and community-managed education, displaying the dogmatic and over bearing tendency of the 13=4  energy.

Overall, the prognosis is positive, and a seismic shift for the better has occurred. Australia will be a different and improved place from this point forward. I think that February 13^th should become a new day of national celebration, one that all Australians can celebrate without rancour or ill-will. Its celebration each year should prompt the country to reflect on the tangible progress made towards reconciliation on an annual basis. However the people must be vigilant. The major pitfall as always, is that the most important voices, those of indigenous people, will not be heard, and more importantly, listened to, and responded to.

If you have been reading these pages, you may probably have guessed that there are quite a few disagreements that  I have with modern life. One of these is the slimy strip that people seem to feel needs to be on disposable razors these days. I looked in the ingredients once – a cocktail of different chemicals. Well, I have enough problems without having chemical slime all over my face each morning. At least, that is, on those mornings when I bother to shave!

I like to have natural stuff on my skin, and on my hair. I subscribe to the theory that human beings have evolved over millions of years to have skin and hair that looks after itself. So I don’t use any soap on my skin, except on those rare occasions when I am really grimy. Grime is not really an occupational hazard of a desk jockey! Of course I would love to be much more manly, and have a job in which I could get dirty. But I am resigned now to my desk-jockeyness, and I am happy to leave getting grimy and sweaty in the course of a days work to the young, fit and vital.

Of course I have no objection to people getting sweaty, nor to the odours that this usually entails. However if there is one thing I do find objectionable it is the odour of people in polyester shirts getting sweaty, especially when mixed with the chemical throat rasping tendrils of stale deodorant. Give me a good clean whiff of natural B.O., lightly or heavily scented with human pheromones, any day. Let us rejoice in natural, clean wholesome healthy body odours – the type that people who eschew soap, deodorant and large quantities of red meat have – the type that signal attractions, hostility and the various other subtle bodily signals that communicate like and dislike amongst us. Let us rejoice in our animal natures, and embrace our naturalness, and its beauty. Let us bin those slimy razors. But we must all agree to wear no more polyester!

In

Politicians are making a lot of noise about this housing affordability crisis, and proffering various ameliorations, such as releasing blocks of crown land for development, or public housing projects. However these measures, I confidently predict, will make absolutely no difference to housing affordability.

I was talking to a colleague from the

Of course what we are seeing is the free market in operation. Supply and demand. People value living in the city, as that is where they can get a job. So prices go up. And of course there is the investment cycle that pushes up housing prices in a large step every five or seven years or so, as people move their money out of the stock market in anticipation of a correction. They have to put it somewhere – why not housing?

Commentators in Australia were very triumphant about the collapse of the

There is no solution to housing affordability while the free market is in ultimate control of prices. Whatever initiatives are taken by various levels of government will by quickly eaten up by the happy initial recipients whose subsequent re-sale will capitalise government largesse into personal profit. Subsidised rental schemes will simply increase demand on housing stock, and so increase prices. There is a possibility that large investments in public housing will so increase supply as to depress prices. But the scale of the investment required seems too large for our current rationalist governments,  whose prime sensitivity is to the needs and returns of business and investors.

A solution to land supply and affordability in the latter 18^th century in Britain was the colonization of

In bygone eras, nations solved their housing affordability crises by invading a neighbouring country, or committing genocide on a portion of their own population. This allowed them to kill off a large number of their citizens, thus reducing demand, and to annex the now vacant land of their neighbours (if all went well), and so increase supply. Now of course, it is not considered OK to simply start a war because of real estate prices. We must invent various justifications. You know the sort – they are subhuman monsters who threaten our very way of life, and so we must get them before they get us. This is a perennial favourite, and always seems to resonate well with the masses. However, it is usually us westerners branding someone else as a sub-human monster deserving extermination. We are not used to someone else branding us as sub-human monsters requiring extermination. In either case, it is obfuscation and baloney. The real problem is housing and reproductive affordability.

So genocide and wars of conquest aside, that leaves the free market. The free market must be comprehensively eliminated when it comes to real estate. Here is one approach. The government should set the valuation on any property, based on a nominal fee. The purchaser at the nominal fee is decided by a lottery system. There is no opportunity for profit, except that people may be justly recompensed for their improvements, such as buildings and so on. However, once again, the value of these improvements should be set by a government assessor, rather than the free market. Oh, dear, you think that sounds like socialism? An attack on the very fabric of western democracy? Well then, I am afraid we will have to suffer our contradictions in impotent silence, and hope that our decay and collapse as a society will be slow and graceful.

I went over to a friend’s place the other night, who lives a bit out of town. The moon wasn’t up, it was a clear night, and the stars were beautiful. We were sitting around a fire in his backyard, pooling our scant knowledge of the heavens. The Southern Cross, we all knew of course, and the pointers, one of which is Alpha Centauri, the closest star to us here on Earth, being only 4 light years away. Some people of my vintage will of course be very familiar with Alpha Centauri, as this was the destination the Robinsons were heading for in “Lost in Space”, aboard their flying saucer, the “Jupiter 2”. But I digress. Scorpio was overhead, and we all became familiar with its distinctive shape, like a big question mark whose curly tail is in the milky way, with an arrowhead pointing roughly west, and the red giant Antares, very distinctive as the heart of the scorpion. Actually, the arrowhead was pointing more

We were informed by one of the attendees that the four major moons are named after mythological figures that were ravished by Jupiter, or Zeuss to give him his Greek name. Ganymede, was in fact the most beautiful youth in the world, seized by Zeuss in the form of an eagle, to be the cupbearer of the gods, and indeed Zeuss’s lover. Anyway, it was neat to see the three moons that we could see, lined up in a row, around the disk of Jupiter.

It’s good to get out under the stars every now and again, and gaze up at the heavens. Long after the oil runs out, and the crunch of living within our means has been and gone, the twinkling stars will be shining down in much the same way. It doesn’t do to be too self absorbed, they seemed to be saying to me. Relax. Enjoy the star-shine. For tens of thousands of years, people have looked up at the stars, and wondered about the mystery and beauty of life. It will be still be so in ten thousand years time, although it’s my hope that by then people will have figured out how to help each other be happy, and live in harmony with each other and all the other life forms on this beautiful planet we call home.

The weight of un-cried tears

I have been doing a bit of weeping lately. Nearly all of my weeping, strangely enough, I do in the car, as I am driving along. Mostly I will be listening to an interview on the ABC, and I just begin to weep. The other day, it was an interview with Sally Sara, the ABC’s

Partly, it is about the sorrow and pain that people suffer, and partly it is about realising my own pettiness and self absorption. And partly it is about the weight of un-cried tears, finding in this juxtaposition of circumstances, a way to let themselves out, and ease the internal pressure.

For as long as I can remember, I have felt an awful need to cry, which has been very difficult for me give vent to. It is a very physical sensation for me, a lump in the throat, with its own presence and pain. And over time this lump in the throat and its associated muscle tension has spread to pain in my right shoulder, and pain and tension in my right jaw joint.

For many years in my youth, I became obsessed with the need to cry, but was unable to allow myself the luxury of feeling and expressing grief. The puzzling thing was, I knew the grief was there, but I had, and in fact still have, no idea exactly  why. That’s not to say I don’t have my theories and insights, and powerful experiences related to grieving. Re-birthing for instance, brought up a lot of grief for me, and I was in a space where I felt able to cry, unashamedly. In fact, most people in the re-birthing workshop I went to were weeping uncontrollably at some stage of the proceedings. Yet for all that wonderful release, there is something that remains unacknowledged, it seems, some hidden ur-grief that is as yet un-assuaged.

For many years I followed a meditational and contemplative path whose philosophy was to focus on the positive, and so grief and weeping were pushed aside for light and love. For all the wonderful light, love and positivity that came into my life during that time, this hidden grief remained. To cut a long story short, I left that path, which is a story for another day, and embarked on further spiritual adventures, which led me to embracing neo-paganism and the western mystery tradition.

I am not to the point of having overcome this weight of un-cried tears as yet, but I feel I am starting to come to an understanding of it. You can read about my thoughts on the “Wound” and the “Wasteland” – themes of Arthurian romance and the informing esoteric tradition behind it, in my book “The Great Work”. I believe this grief is related to many things. The force of personal archetypes in becoming a man; the relationships with my father, and his with his father before him; and the frustrations and confusion felt by the clash of idealism (youth) and the reality of life in the modern age. How easy it is to lose oneself in the search for making a living, the enjoyment of life, seeking of sexual partners, and the day to day routine of having a family and holding down a job. How easy it is to give up one’s truth on the alter of religion, business or marriage. Sometimes it seems amazing that in the midst of such un-relenting materiality in the modern world, that anyone at all can preserve the spark of Divine knowledge and being within themselves.

So I weep in my car, where I am completely and inviolably alone. There is no-one who will interrupt me. There is no-one who will see me. And there is something about the occupation and concentration required in driving that seems to free things up in my ability to express raw emotions. Perhaps there is that much less mental energy available for keeping the lid on those tears. And when the weeping becomes too much for safe driving, I pull over, as I wouldn’t want to cause any more grief – there is already far too much of it in the world.