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The Three Eras of Time Numerologist, Patrick Lindsay, looks into past and present eras and trends. ‘It's a mans world', at least that's what James Brown said and during his heyday it pretty much was. However, when have you last heard anyone utter those words or anything like it? In recent times terms like ‘women on top' have been far more prevalent as the modern man has undergone a metamorphosis that seems to have left him with an identity crises. With a legion of gay and bisexual men screaming for equal rights and many women excepting the gay man as a confidant and new found ally in the fight against men less in touch with their feminine side, the so-called ‘mans man' has had to seek shelter from those that would like to lop off his balls, shave his back and give him a facial. For the last 20 years or so women have flexed their muscles and muscled their way into many areas of life that for years were reserved for men. Don't get me wrong I am all for women's rights and equality but you now have women boxing, driving race cars and lifting man sized weights in competition. You even have women teeing it up against men on the PGA tour. It seems some women will stop at nothing to prove that a woman is equal to a man if not more. Looking back over the years I can see why some men may have a problem identifying with the macho man type for gone are the Rocky, Rambo and for those old enough to remember Dirty Harry kind of guys. The type of man a boy could look up to and try to emulate. These larger than life characters are in short supply today and have been replaced by women who come to save the day while soft ‘metro sexual' men wait to be rescued by the new ‘super bitch'. Characters like Xena warrior princesses and Dark Angel have been flying across the small screen for years while every leading lady in Hollywood from Angelina Jolie to J-Lo (of all people) have been kicking men's asses on the silver screen. Even the producers of the James Bond movies (you can't get more macho then 007) have redefined the role of the Bond girl and let her kick up some dust instead of being just sexy. All of these changes are due to a change in the social climate. From 1984 until 2004 we were being influenced by a strong feminine energy according to Numerology and this meant that women were in the driver's seat. If you look back at the 80s and 90s things like the ‘chick flick' the ‘super model' and Oprah took center stage while the gay man, drugs and cosmetic surgery also flourished. This is because during this time known in Numerology as the era of 7, which is associated with the young woman, we became obsessed with our appearance and frivolous things. In addition we had no shortage of people, from PA's to lifestyle experts telling us we needed a full-blown makeover. Many people took advantage of these conditions and amassed large amounts of money at the expense of the public at large. Banks and credit card firms raked in money as we adopted a buy now pay later attitude and the motion picture and music industries benefited as escapism and the ‘Rave' culture became quite popular with young and old alike. With the wild times now over, many people are now looking back and wondering how we could have been so capricious, while others are taking a stance and are trying to help those less fortunate than themselves. This is a hallmark of the era of 8, which we are now living in. This era will last until 2024 and is symbolised by the key words; education and helping. This will be a time when those that have will be more giving to those that don't. One only need look at the initiatives to eliminate third world debt to see that the pendulum is starting to swing in a different direction. Be it Warren Buffet donating more than 30 billion dollars to the Bill Gates foundation or the efforts of Mark Shuttleworth to make the internet accessible to everyone, mankind is starting to be more giving. The recent strikes in the industrial sector can also be attributed to the fact that people in general have grown tired of the ‘Fat Cat' mentality of big business and are looking for a bigger piece of the pie. New laws being put in place in the US (with the rest of the world soon to follow suit) will also help to make the salaries and stock options of upper echelon workers more open to the public. In the future, young men (any man under the age of 50 or someone who appears to be under the age of 50) will begin to take over businesses long dominated by the ‘old guard' for the era of 8 is the era of the young man. One need only look at major companies like Ford, Fiat, and Anheiser-Busch ( the worlds largest producer of beer). All of these companies have recently put young men in charge of their operations. It has been rumored that young Jonathan Oppenheimer is being groomed by DeBeers to take over from his father Nicky. And some have even speculated that Prince Charles who by virtue of having waited so long to become king, may be passed over in favor of his young, attractive, and popular son William. Even the hip hop industry has seen a dramatic increase in the number of rappers dubbing themselves ‘Young so and so' or ‘Lil' so and so. This is a clear case of art imitating life. One must be aware that the young man of the era of 8 will be nothing like what we saw during the era of 6 (1964-1984). This was the era of the Father and was also a time when strong arm dictator's in Africa and South America ruled with an iron fist. The era of 8 man will be much different as the computer will be his weapon of ‘mass construction'. The era of 8 does have is drawbacks and attacks against women is the main one because the feminine energy we lived under for 20 years continues to fade. You need only read the newspapers to see that the crime of rape is on the rise worldwide. Jacob Zuma walking free after his rape trial is just the beginning of an ugly cycle that is in its infancy. Another downside to the era of 8 is the fact that people will become quite fanatical about religion and security. Just take a look at Iraq and the Middle East. You will also begin to see things like clothing lines, and party spots taking a hit as people begin to become more family oriented and more interested in what's in your head instead of what's on your back. The automobile will also be seen as a mode of transport again and will lose its iconic status it has had over the years. Africa is in a good position to take advantage of its natural resources during the era of 8 and if the last era of 8 (1824-1843) is any indication, then the sudden interest in the Forgotten Continent both in terms of investment and migration of people is no coincidence. Just remember that starting around 1824 large numbers of Europeans began to move South to SA and the fact that in America the term ‘go west young man' was coined during the last era of 8 goes to show that the vibe was universal in scope. The old problems of corruption, land mismanagement, and a general lack of education will be challenges but the fact that the era of 8 is symbolised by Mother Earth means that the earth and everything in and on it will become valuable. You need only look at the rise in property, precious metal, and crop prices to confirm this. Contact wplzulu@aol.com for more
Managing from Inside Out The effective manager today is not only technically skilled but also emotionally and socially mature, says Dr Tony Humphreys. Self-knowledge is a pre-requisite of the good manager; so too are the qualities of leadership such as self-management, social awareness and empathy. The good manager leads with both head and heart. In his latest book, The Mature Manager, Tony Humphreys shows how a manager who possesses a deep understanding of human behaviour is in a powerful position to enhance relationships with employees and increase their motivation and commitment to work. He writes about those managers who can relate openly with their people and those who use more defensive styles. He considers also the various types of communication between managers and employees, and looks at the kinds of organisation that can encourage open healthy relationships that in turn lead to enhanced results. He goes on to point out that few organisations are free of conflict; however, the way it is managed is crucial to the on-going well-being of all those within the organisation and of the organisation itself. Managers who understand their own inner and outer responses are better able to understand and respond maturely to the challenging behaviours of some employees. Drawing on his extensive experience as a clinical psychologist, lecturer and businessman, Tony Humphreys has written a book that will be of immeasurable value not only to managers themselves, but to all who have positions of leadership and responsibility to ensure that work environments are as supportive as possible to human development as well as being effective and productive.
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The world, from business to government, society, technology and the economy, is changing at an accelerated pace and the demands on leadership and leadership education need to change accordingly. Rob Katz reports. As business analysts and writers Howard and Welbourn assert: 'Businesses have become the most powerful and influential institutions on earth in recent years. Their impact exceeds that of nation states and more than rivals that of any government institution. In the interests of a healthy and sustainable world order it is vital organisations understand and honour their social and planetary responsibilities.' The scandals of Enron, Worldcom, Tyco and others have demonstrated great weaknesses at corporate leadership level. In part, this may be due to an inordinate focus on the bottom line (profitability). What these scandals have resulted in, however, is a much closer look at business and exactly what constitutes sustainable success. Global crises, such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the subsequent 'war on terrorism', have caused individuals, leaders and organisations to look for a deeper meaning and purpose in their lives. It can be argued that people want the workplace to be a meaningful environment as they spend, on average, more than 50% of their time there. In developing leaders, these issues need both to be addressed adequately and taught appropriately. Such an approach will better prepare leaders to create long-term sustainable organisations. Traditional leadership approaches have resulted in the issues mentioned above not being effectively addressed (financial scandals, environmental abuse, the approach to terrorism and lack of meaning in the workplace). Hence, a new approach to leadership and capitalism is required to address these issues and ensure that businesses are sustainable into the future. Organisations born in the 20 th century have been predominantly focused on analytical and mechanistic techniques to increase shareholder value and wealth. Leaders have largely used intelligence quotient (IQ) or rational intelligence to drive success (defined as profitability and the bottom line). The focus on such definitions of 'success' has caused leaders to become attentive to their companies and the related bottom lines alone. Little focus has been given to the effect the company has on its community or nation, or to global and environmental issues. During the 1990s, the notion of an emotional intelligence was introduced by Goleman (author of Emotional Intelligence). Emotional intelligence, it was asserted, was the process whereby leaders started considering and understanding the feelings of their people, the social situations they were in and how to respond to these appropriately. Emotional intelligence studies led to a focus on company corporate social responsibility (CRP) programmes, and in particular to outreach programmes directed at communities either linked to or affected by the company. So, for example, the Johannesburg Securities Exchange now requires listed companies to report on their CRP programmes on a regular basis. As mentioned above, (and in the previous edition of Odyssey), individuals, organisations and communities are searching for a deeper sense of purpose and meaning in their lives as well as at work. The intelligence that leaders embrace in these circumstances is called spiritual intelligence by some experts and commentators. The key characteristics that leaders who display spiritual intelligence have been documented by Zohar and Marshall and include self-awareness, spontaneity, vision and value leading, holistic viewpoint, compassion, embracing diversity, field independence (one stands for one's convictions), enquiring mind (asks why), ability to reframe problems and opportunities, positive use of adversity, displaying humility and possessing a sense of vocation (a higher purpose). In summary, a spiritual leader focuses on a great deal more than just the bottom line and the shareholders.
Other academics provide further supporting insight on the characteristics of spiritual leadership based on research conducted over the last 25 years (Hendricks and Ludeman, 1996). They emphasise that spiritual leaders should display absolute honesty, fairness, self-awareness (ongoing learning), and a focus on contribution to the organisation and its people. Spiritual leaders should also demonstrate non-dogmatic spirituality (not restricted by traditional religion), achieve more with less, attain the best from themselves and others, possess a sense of humour, have vision but also focus on detail, have strong self-discipline and a work/life balance. A capacity to deal with change as a natural process of life and business is crucial for such leaders. Zohar and Marshall sum up the three types of capital (material, social and spiritual) and the link to the required intelligence to generate each type (see table below). They conclude that 'all three kinds of capital – material, social and spiritual – must be built using all three intelligences if we are to have sustainable capitalism. No other kind of capital really works without an underlying base of spiritual capital.' Spiritual leadership should therefore embrace all forms of capitalism to sustain a long-term, successful business. Material capitalism and communism cannot be sustainable as they both focus on producing as many goods as possible, and allow technologies to develop as fast as possible without due consideration for the environment, global impact, the nation and other issues. 'They see the world as a "resource" that can be endlessly exploited to satisfy our needs,' says Lerner, who emphasises that there is significant growth (measured in 10s of millions) of people interested in spiritual matters and who hunger for meaning and a higher purpose in their lives. Where organisations have abused their stakeholders and destroyed shareholder value, governments are now taking this very seriously, as illustrated by the recent conviction of Worldcom CEO , Bernard Ebbers, to 25 years in jail. 'Spirit' matters, and organisations and leaders cannot selfishly drive only for the bottom line without unwanted and negative consequences. Spiritual leadership is increasingly being seen as an appropriate response to the corporate leadership crisis. Such a leader utilises the full range of intelligences to achieve their goals. This is not instead of but in addition to traditional leadership techniques employed to maximise their performance, and that of the team, the company and the community. Is African leadership, and thereby, South Africa, ready for spiritual capitalism? At a conference held in June, 2006, in Zanzibar on African leadership, a paper presented by McDonald and Katz concurred that South Africa has a particularly good foundation for 'spiritual capital' and 'spiritual leadership'. This is evidenced in the concept of ubuntu which embodies the well-being of the community and the individual. 'Africans have a thing called Ubuntu; it is about the essence of being human, it is part of the gift that Africa is going to give to the world. It embraces hospitality, caring about others, being willing to go the extra mile for the sake of another. We believe that a person is a person through other persons: that my humanity is caught up and bound to yours. When I dehumanise you, I inexorably dehumanise myself. The solitary human being is a contradiction in terms, and therefore you seek to work for the common good because your humanity comes into its own in community, in belonging.' (Archbishop Desmond Tutu, 1995, in Mbigi, 2005) In conclusion, spiritual capital and spiritual leadership are required for sustainable businesses and organisations in the 21 st century. From literature and conference papers it seems that South Africa has the foundation for both to flourish if the leadership is reminded of their African traditional roots and these are merged with the appropriate Western leadership characteristics. Click here for a comparison of Western & and African leadership characteristics, to provide a base for CSR in Africa.
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Spirituele Volwassendheid Our Afrikaans columnist, Marietjie Venter, looks at what it means to be spiritually mature (English summary included). Die woord spiritualiteit is ryk belaaid met allerhande konnotasies. Van die gedagte dat iets spokerigs opgeroep kan word (‘spirits'), of die geloof in ‘n religieuse Opperwese, tot iets wat te doen het met ‘n mens se siel of dit wat ons as Goddelik ervaar. Die gesprek rondom Heiligwording of selfs Heilig-wees is al vir ewig aan die gang en elkeen heg waarde aan sy eie interpretasie of verstaan daarvan. Elkeen ervaar en ondervind sy/haar spiritualiteit op maniere wat aan hulle bekend is en volgens hulle eie begrip op enige gegewe stadium van hulle eie spirituele belewenis. Ons is dus terug by die waarheid dat dit nie gaan oor reg of verkeerd nie, met ander woorde wie is reg of wie is in besit van die ewige waarheid nie; ook nie wie is verkeerd en verdoem tot die ewige hel nie. Hierdie redenasie bring ons nêrens nie; inteendeel, dit hou ons gevange in die dogma van verdoemenis, oordeel en selfs haat. Die vraag is eerder hoe spiritueel volwasse ek is op enige gegewe tydstip. Is ek te alle tye geloofwaardig en gun ek ander terselfdertyd die geleentheid om hul spiritualiteit uit te leef? Gautama Buddha het die middeweg voorgestel as die beste manier om spiritueel te groei en te ontwikkel. Sy raad was altyd om te streef na balans en dit sluit verdraagsaamheid in. In ‘n neutedop beteken dit dat ek ander aanvaar vir wie en wat hulle is aangesien ek nog nie ‘n afstand in hulle skoene geloop het nie. Dit is juis om hierdie rede dat ek nie mag oordeel nie, want ek weet nie wat hulle spirituele ooreenkomste is nie. Anders gestel: ek weet nie waartoe hulle op ‘n spirituele vlak ooreengekom het om in hierdie realiteit te kom ervaar nie? Ek weet dus nie wat die sillabus is waarop hulle besluit het vir hulle individuele kwalifikasie nie. Ek weet nie. En omdat ek nie weet nie, moet ek volwasse genoeg wees om hulle die ruimte te bied en hulle toe te laat om hulle eie spirituele ooreenkomste met ander na te kom. Dit is irrelevant of ek saamstem of nie, en of ek lief het of nie. Die uitdaging lê daarin of ek jou die geleentheid kan gee om jou eie bloudruk uit te leef op maniere wat aan jou bekend is. Is ek volwasse en gebalanseerd genoeg om jou die vryheid te gee sodat jy dit op jou unieke manier kan uitdruk? Kan ek dit doen? Ek glo dat elkeen van ons inderdaad hierdie ooreenkomste aangaan voor ons in die fisiese realiteit gebore word. Dus speel almal en alles ‘n rol in my lewe. Elke mens en elke ding is ‘n stukkie van die legkaart wat my lewe genoem word. Dit mag ‘n niksseggende stukkie in die groter geheel wees, maar nietemin ‘n belangrike aspek om my prentjie te voltooi. En omdat ek jou en ander nodig het vir spirituele vervulling en voltooiing, durf ek jou nie veroordeel nie. Jy is dalk net die stukkie waarvoor ek so gesoek het om my legkaart te voltooi. Dit is hierdie manier van kyk na die lewe wat ons volwasse maak ten opsigte van ons verskille. Dit is hierdie medemenslikheid en medegoddelikheid wat ons met mekaar deel. Dit is op die sielsvlak waar ons eenheid deel en ervaar en dit is op hierdie vlak waar ons moet leer om spiritueel volwasse te wees. Kom ons streef daarna om die middeweg te bewandel en kom ons respekteer ons medewandelaars op die weg na die ewigheid. English Summary To define spirituality is an ongoing process. It means something different to every person. Thus it is of more value to rather ask ourselves how spiritually matured are we? In other words, are we true to our authentic selves, and do we allow others the space and time to express their idea and thoughts regarding spirituality? To walk the middle way is Gautama Buddha's advice for the best spiritual growth. He articulated one of the most important spiritual precepts of all time: In all things, strive for balance. One characteristic of the Middle Way is tolerance. It means that I'm willing to accept others exactly as they are – for the simple reason that I have not yet walked a mile in their moccasins. It is when I realise that everyone and everything is part and parcel of my life's experience (just like a piece in the puzzle), that I dare not judge or condemn. I don't have to like any specific behaviour, but I need to remember that at soul level we all share identity – our divine blueprint. It is at this level where we need to be spiritually matured. Let us strive to walk the Middle Way and let us respect our fellow travelers on the way to eternity.
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 On Co-incidences... We continue with Rita Brown's short stories with a spiritual perspective. The garden has always been Bartholomew's favourite place. He was aware that humans, mostly, considered themselves conscious of all that was happening around them, but he knew that mysterious and wonderful occurrences, physical and otherwise, of which they are often blissfully unaware, intermingle with their every day experiences. This could not be more evident than in the garden. Jenny's garden was something to brag about. It was luxurious and overgrown with trees, flowers, ferns and bird attracting shrubs that were a pleasure to behold. It had a million hiding places, unexpected mushrooms, hopping frogs, lizards, mice and a multitude of creepy crawlies for whom it was a happy haven. It encompassed an awesome secret world that even an observant cat with exceptional spying abilities could not fully absorb. It was while lying as still as a sphinx on this sunny morning, that Bartholomew caught sight of the snake, gracefully gliding along the branch and leisurely dipping in and out of the leaves. Jenny was cutting flowers and James had been commissioned to make his grandmother a birthday card. ‘But I want to make a card for Veronica', he insisted. ‘It isn't Veronica's birthday. Its Gran's birthday', Jenny explained. ‘You can make a card for Veronica when it is her birthday.' ‘I made a card for Gran yesterday (James was still adjusting to the concept of linear time). I want to make one for Veronica'. Veronica being his current infatuation. ‘Well,' Jenny compromised, why don't you make them both a card?' ‘I'll make Veronica's first', he announced. Bartholomew rolled his eyes skywards. Wait until he is a teenager. This time his sympathy was with Jenny. Jenny continued selecting flowers. Bartholomew watched the snake slither down the tree, along the ground and up the creeper . ‘Come see Mom', James announced, waving Veronica's completed card. ‘Ah', Jenny enthused, ‘It's a lion.' ‘No, its Bartholomew.' She was not going to win today. James sought Bartholomew out under the garden chair and stuck the picture under his nose. ‘Look', James demanded, ‘I drew you for Veronica.' Bartholomew sniffed the edge of the now sticky paper. He identified uninteresting banana. Ever curious, though, he studied the picture of himself. ‘Stick with sculpting', he advised James wryly. Jenny approached the creeper with her shears. The snake, beautifully camouflaged and immediately alerted, remained dead still, watching and waiting. She lifted the shears to cut a cluster of yellow blossoms. The snake poised ready to strike at the intruder. At that exact moment the front doorbell rang. Jenny hesitated, then turned and followed her excited son who, brandishing his newly completed work of art, was yelling ‘It's Veronica'. Jenny opened the door for her friend. ‘Sorry for the unexpected visit,' Veronica apologised, ‘I was passing by and thought I'd pop in to say hello to my favourite man.' She swung James up in her arms. ‘What a co-incidence', Jenny said. ‘James was just insisting on making a card for you.' Bartholomew, who was not a fan of Veronica's, as she trailed with her the unfriendly odour of her Jack Russell wherever she went, returned his attention to the creeper. The snake, disturbed by the recent close encounter, slipped down the vine and disappeared silently into the grass on the empty field adjoining the garden. Veronica would never know what her appearance had prevented. Jenny would never know of her near miss. ‘Co-incidences', Bartholomew reflected, ‘are all part of the Plan'. Which, he had to admit, eliminated them altogether. Contact rimik@absamail.co.za for more
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Columnist, Angela Bull, looks at reality from a spiritual perspective. Seattle Coffee Shop is high on my list of desirable urban experiences. I love (and take full advantage of) its intimate relationship with Exclusive Books, the perverse thrill of paying a ridiculous price for a substance that has zero nutritional value and, of course, the welcoming smell of that fresh brew, bru. But most of all I love the sheer pleasure of choice presented to a Seattle patron. Will you have it wet or dry, wild or tame, to go or to stay? They've made the experience of having a coffee (almost) as tantalising as sex - and you get to do it in public. My kind of shop. Last time I stood facing the menu, admittedly somewhat overwhelmed by the choice, I thought about that sacred (but surely also funny) moment of choosing for ourselves a life. I imagined myself standing in front of a Council of Elders (in my mind they're women) and saying 'Uh, just gimme a few more minutes, OK I think I'll take a tall, wild, skinny, black one. Make it with wings, and hey don't forget to stamp my card, only two more to go to a freebee. Except that, unfortunately, I didn't quite ask for that. My order was obviously more along the lines of short, harmless and white, with extra cream. What's the fun in that, I sometimes wonder, disgruntled, as I'm sure many of us do. 'Why did I choose Pofadder / acne / cancer / a Jewish mother-in-law? Can I send this order back?' Accepting our choices - all of them - is a difficult, profound and liberating attitude to cultivate. The first step towards it is to acknowledge that any given situation, relationship, or outlook does not have an external source but is indeed of our own choice and creation. No slack bartender (or God or anyone else) can be blamed for an incorrect order: our illness, culture, bankruptcy, depression, family, appearance, even abusive relationship has been carefully woven by our own soul to facilitate its divine growth. That is an explosive statement to make and can, understandably, be deeply offensive. How can anyone say that you chose to be raped, that street children chose their lives of neglect and suffering, that developing countries chose to be ravaged, that you invited the torture of watching your wife and children gunned down? It is also a belief that is easily exploited, for example: 'you created this disease, now just get over it', 'our souls chose each other; I'm hitting you cause you need it', 'you gave yourself AIDS, I'm not spending my money looking after you', 'they chose to be poor, there's nothing we can do about it'. It is when we think with the fear and arrogance (same thing) of our egos that this divinely co-ordinated mechanism of free will is exploited, criticised or misunderstood. When we allow our higher selves to govern our approach to life, its choices and its seemingly random events, the notion that everything around us is our own creation engenders true responsibility and ultimate freedom. If no one or nothing else can be blamed or credited with what happens to us, the realisation that we have the power to understand, love and - if we wish - to transform our own lives dawns on us. Why did my soul choose this experience? What do I want to learn or cultivate or experience from this? How can this deepen my joy, my gratitude, my wisdom? This is neither to deny emotions such as anger, pain or disappointment nor to take a perverse pleasure in suffering in order to 'learn'. Unpleasant emotions are there to be fully felt as part of the richness of human experience and also to lead us in another direction. But it is when we know our soul's part in calling those emotions into our realm of experience that we can balance pain with acceptance and, ultimately, discover the love-purpose behind every thought, event or relationship. Six days ago, family friends of mine lost both their teenage children in a horrendous car accident. Expressing to these two grieving parents that the whole event was carefully and wisely planned by the souls of all concerned was not the best choice of action. Compassion gently suggested - as she will if we would like to hear her - that the only appropriate response was to bathe them in love, through both my actions and thoughts. The time for teaching and learning is specific and deeply personalised for the persons concerned. Teaching is never more important than loving. The choices of a human being are sacred, whatever their consequences. Next time you find yourself walking past a Seattle coffee shop, take a moment to appreciate and marvel at the, perhaps uniquely human, phenomenon of ultimate free will. May you then see the wise beauty of your own life's choices.
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Taking Responsibility 'How often I have heard this phrase in both spiritual circles and others. I would say that I find it to be one of the most misunderstood and abused truths that I have yet encountered,' says Christel Cranko. However, let me first clarify; I am all for taking responsibility for your actions and your life. I lean towards the school of thought that teaches that we create our reality and therefore need to be responsible for the outcome. It is only by being truthful with yourself with regards to who you are and how you are, that you can start to remediate and remedy the things that you find unacceptable in your personal world. So let me be clear; I am not advocating the abdication of personal responsibility, I am merely questioning the use to which this term is sometimes used to control and hurt others. Some years ago, I had the opportunity to attend a course which was exclusively for women. Parts of the material were very informative and very helpful but as we moved through the day we started to look at some of the personal difficulties that some of the participants were having. Many were attending this course specifically to try to find answers to some of the very painful issues in their lives. The person teaching was much revered and looked up to as a source of wisdom and experience. I recall that the trauma that one of these ladies had experienced as a four year-old child was severe and extreme. It was still having a traumatic effect on her life and she was at her wits end as to how to resolve this painful dilemma. She told us the story and I remember having empathy and realising that it was a complex and very tender wound that needed overcoming. I could see that others shared my view and so I was left speechless when one of the participants started to attack this person with words like, ‘Well you have learnt enough by now to know that this experience was your fault.' I thought that the teacher would intervene and correct this shocking view of things but I was left even more astounded. The assault on this wounded person continued. When someone tried to say something, they were told that they hadn't matured enough spiritually and hadn't attended enough of these courses to understand the concept of ‘taking responsibility'. I was even more surprised that the victim of this rubbish agreed with them and acknowledged through her tears that she knew it had all been her fault. Needless to say, I sat gaping at a scenario that I could scarcely believe was taking place. For some time I kept thinking that I must be misunderstanding something because they could not possibly be telling this fragile young woman that this event at the age of four had been her fault. I eventually realised that I had understood perfectly. I left that day feeling outraged and very angry but I kept thinking about the word ‘responsibility' that kept surfacing on that afternoon. I knew that a central part of a spiritual walk and growth was to take responsibility, but the way I had heard it used that day put me off the term for a while until I learnt exactly what ‘taking responsibility' really meant. I came to understand that these people were using the term to disempower and not to empower. In their language, taking responsibility means that something is ‘your fault'. There is a vast difference between taking responsibility and being at fault. I accept that at times when our actions are deliberate, we have ‘fault'. This however is linked to our intentions. If our intent was negative and the outcome negative, then we are at fault. However then we have to take responsibility for outcome and do what we can to repair the damage. Taking responsibility implies that we are responsible for how we respond to a particular event. What do we do after the fact? How do we behave after the fact? In the case of this young woman, taking responsibility does not mean acknowledging fault. She should have been guided and taught how to respond now, in her present life. She should have been shown that her responsibility is to make a choice not to remain the victim forever, to forgive, see the experience for what it was and allow herself to move on. Acknowledging fault, merely traps her into feeling forever guilty over something she could not have prevented. She had no negative intentions in the event. The people who caused the trauma had negative intentions and their responsibility will start with acknowledging fault. All healing starts with looking at yourself truthfully. This would mean looking at the light and the dark within you and acknowledging both. In the case of this woman, healing would have been far easier if she had been counselled to realise that she had had the experience as part of her journey but she had not perpetrated it, planed it or intended it as a four year-old. She had not chosen darkness as a four year old. Her responsibility was her response now. To begin healing, she has to see and acknowledge this truth. There were however the others who inflicted this pain. They planned and intended harm. They can only begin healing when they can look at themselves in truth. As so often happens, it is in the negative experiences that we learn the most. This day that I found rather disturbing, taught me a very valuable lesson. There is not really much to do with ‘fault' when we start to look at our experiences that have wounded us. It is more about being truthful with ourselves and responding appropriately. To heal ourselves from our fears, wounds and selfishness we need to look at ourselves with truth but never forgetting to be compassionate. Without taking responsibility for our lives, we have very little chance of growth and healing, yet we need to be careful that we do not trap ourselves or allow others to trap us with words that intend to keep us feeling guilty and going through a never ending cycle of self-recrimination, believing that we are at fault. Taking responsibility for your life is an empowering experience, not a disempowering one. It is a loving choice that you make to heal your life. Contact Christel@activeblue.co.za for more
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What do you do when you see your life in shards and nothing left to live for? Do you sit in sackcloth and ashes or do you start over? As my one friend said to me, what will this be, your end of your reincarnation? I opted for the latter. This is Nefertari Aziz's (pictured above) story and she hopes it may be of help to others. Some years ago I came close to losing my life with the Big C, survived a divorce, the loss of my Mom who was my best friend and also managed to chuck an abusive boyfriend out of my life; but I felt like hell and had no way of knowing what to do, but after some talks with Lifeline I decided to reinvent myself. First of all, after my chemotherapy was complete, I joined a gym where I did aerobics and gym, went back to blonde from red and made a few other changes including a new wardrobe. But something was still missing. Then I got hooked on Egyptology and began studying it with a passion and have since visited the country several times since I found out that this had been my home in another life – I had never felt déjà vu in any of the other countries I had visited, but I did in Egypt. I soon developed an affinity with the Neteru – the Gods of Ancient Egypt – and started writing stories and poetry about Ancient Egypt and found spirit guides among some of the Pharaohs and Queens as well. My complete change to a new life began when I started bellydancing two years ago – it made me realise that I am still a woman in spite of a hysterectomy and that every woman is a goddess in her own right. It is a wonderful cure for both physical and mental ailments and it dates back to Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. I would recommend any woman who has been through the same hell as I have to try bellydancing. When I dance I feel I am in touch with my Creator and my soul is soaring among the stars and I feel as though I am floating through eternity. My self-conficence is restored and I feel like a new woman. I love dancing for myself and for others and had great fun taking part in the annual Bellydance Festival which takes place early every year in Cape Town. I hope to continue dancing and to improve and I would encourage all women to try it – it is a great way of keeping fit and getting rid of the ‘blues' and solves a lot of problems. And no, you do not have to have a figure like Kate Moss of Charlize Theron to bellydance – you are fine the way you are but it is also a very good way to lose weight. There are many good bellydance schools in and around the Western Cape and one can find them on the internet. To those women who have already discovered the joy of bellydancing, I say dance in peace, my sisters. Contact EGildenhuys@justice.gov.za for more. |
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About Isabel Vidal & Caroline Myss Isabel Vidal (pictured left, bottom) graduated from Caroline Myss Institute of Education, in Chicago, as Certified Archetype Consultant, following a most exquisite journey of self-empowerment and healing. She held a senior management position in the corporate world, prior to becoming a Life Coach and Empowerment Trainer. She has devoted over 20 years in training and exploration of different modalities of self-empowerment, both locally and abroad. She runs her own private practice and is currently furthering her education in mysticism and spirituality, attending Caroline Myss post graduate courses, an outstanding teacher of the highest calibre she has come to know. She is also concluding her studies in USA as a LifeSuccess Consultant. As a facilitator of workshops in South Africa and abroad, both private and corporate, Isabel's major focus has been on life Enhancing Skills and Empowerment Solutions, which brings new creativity possibilities into the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual aspects of human consciousness. Her speciality is to assist others in discovering and realizing their full potential, through unlocking and recognizing their own unique value, as well as, discovering ways to empower themselves and others. Her unique work has been described as energetic, motivational, challenging and life changing. For more information on Isabel's work please contact her on (011) 726 6855 or 083 271 4886 or by email at isabelv@iafrica.com. Caroline Myss is a pioneer in the field of energy medicine & human consciousness. She holds degrees in journalism, theology, as well as intuition & energy medicine. Her work with Norman Shealy, MD, a Harvard-trained neurosurgeon & founder of the American Holistic Medical Association, has helped define how stress & emotion contribute to the formation of disease. |
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What is Schizophrenia?
Dr Diane Preddy, a psychologist in private practice in Sandton, tells us that, contrary to popular misconceptions, schizophrenia is not a multiple-personality disorder, nor is it insanity, and it is not uncommon. It is, she says, a complex neurological condition that has psychological and sociological repercussions and affects one out of every hundred people.
When I started out, I believed in mind-power and psychosocial causes for everything. However, 10 years later I am both humbled and enlightened. Sure, we all have bodies, minds and spirits, but in this world the body sometimes rules. Its illnesses, frailties and limitations often appear menacing and insurmountable, other than with chemical remedies. The mind is not 'all-powerful' as it would seem. It is, however, very important in handling the problem. In other words, one's attitude and perseverance can be influenced and controlled.
The influencing is the job of the psychologist and the control that of the patient, but the body can still be a harsh protagonist. So it is best to make friends with one's body and its problems and work with it, both mentally and emotionally.
This is the case with schizophrenia. It involves (as modern science has revealed) a weak nervous system, which can result in an imbalance in neurotransmitters and irregular brain waves.
The individual thus experiences confusion, loss of control over thoughts, and often hallucinations and delusions. One can actually hear or see something that no one else can. Basically, the senses lie and the brain confirms this lie.
I once speculated as to whether this was a spiritual phenomenon, but concluded that, as there is no peace or joy involved, and only fear and anxiety, it is not.
The spirit is pure, and its experience one of peace, so, although it is always present, it does not seem to be in control of the schizophrenic experience.
The term schizophrenia has stigma attached to it, for all the wrong reasons. It is a condition not unlike sugar diabetes or epilepsy and no ones fault. It is a problem that has to be solved or controlled and, fortunately, with modern medicine can be.
The Buddha taught that besides the form body we also have a pure light mind, which is perfect and eternal. It can't be hurt or damaged and must be used to assist the suffering human being. Hence a multidisciplinary approach is best when dealing with a problem such as schizophrenia. A psychiatrist is needed to deal with the form-body, a psychologist to deal with the thoughts and feelings attached and a spiritual or religious aspect also needs to be dealt with.
As long as a person knows that they have a pure spirit ('pure light mind' in Buddhism), they need not perceive themselves as flawed or abnormal. This is very important for their self-esteem and progress. They can either look at the part of them that is challenged, or the part that is perfect, and a psychologist can help them to be cognisant of and accept both levels.
This is the work that I do. I call it Zen therapy as it is based on both Western psychology and the teachings of the Buddha. He (Buddha Sakyamuni) was the greatest psychologist that I have come across and was teaching 2 500 years ago what we are all starting to realise today. His teaching was simple: body, mind and spirit are all different but interrelated levels of consciousness that comprise what we call the human being. Our mind is the control centre and getting in there is the first and most important step. Mindfulness, patience and self-mastery follow, with kindness and truth being the goals.
In conclusion, schizophrenia is just a word describing a group of symptoms that can be treated and managed in different ways. There is no such thing as 'a schizophrenic'. There is merely a human being with a problem in their physical body.
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Dr Diane Preddy is a registered psychologist in the category of counselling. She studied conventional psycho- and hypno-therapy at UNISA and have been in private practice since 1987. For more info call 011 803 8301, or email d_preddy@telkomsa.net |
Life Coaching
Life and family transformation coaching are by and large one and the same. So, to some degree, the same coaching processes and methodologies can be employed to potentially different situations. Steve Krummeck, a professional transformation coach, explains the empowering similarities.
The key to life and family transformation coaching is the assumption that everyone is whole and capable of being all they aspire to be. Professional coaches also assume that individuals have the answers within themselves, or are at least capable of finding them. On the understanding that these two coaching techniques are intertwined, and virtually one and the same, I will term the two as one: transformation coaching.
An important key to successful results is the coach's skill in enabling and empowering the client/s to make a conscious choice to embark on a journey. In one case study Harry (a psuedonym for one of my clients) demonstrates the immense power of transformation coaching.
Harry believed he had no choices and that he was a victim of circumstance. Through questioning techniques and a process of uncovering his limiting beliefs, Harry quickly realised that he did have choices in every aspect of his life. Once he took on this mindset he was immediately empowered to determine his own destiny, transforming his life and family to previously unimagined levels of happiness and fulfilment. Achieving this mindset and empowering life strategy within people is one of the foundations of effective coaching.
Harry's commitment to embracing his journey, moving from his old state to a future desired state as it unfolded and crystallised, had just as an important role as that of the coach. Harry had been fixated on one position within his company, which he had 'hoped' would be his sometime in the future. Armed with the mindset that he had choices, Harry immediately began to identify new and more appropriate opportunities within his work and family environment. His world immediately opened up with his and his family's future crystallising within a matter of weeks.
Moving Harry towards taking responsibility, and being accountable for himself and his family, brought about an extraordinary transformation for him personally – in his family and in his career. He described this as one of the most uplifting and fulfilling experiences he could ever have wished to achieve in his lifetime.
When Harry started his coaching journey he was controlled by a negative mental state and detrimental thinking patterns. These were immensely debilitating, adversely affecting many areas of his family and life in general. As a result, people tend to draw negative experiences into their lives and families, as well as suffer more illnesses than those that have love/positive thinking patterns as their main internal driver. Individuals and families that embrace this love (positive energy) in their lives experience a vastly different reality. Their thoughts, emotions and lives are characterised by taking initiative, being purposeful, energetic, self-confident, self-sufficient, confident, non-judgemental and optimistic. They minimise negatives and maximise meaning; set goals for achievement, are inspirational, suffer less illness and much more. Clearly being 'driven' by love is the more desirable, productive and healthier of the two.
With this in mind, Harry began to change his internal dialogue and thinking patterns from negative to positive drivers. As a result he soon began to feel more optimistic, and a wealth of opportunities opened up for him. His interactions with others became more constructive and rewarding, while his entire disposition improved. The world was at his feet.
Focus and commitment are key to making this happen. The crux of the matter is that what we see in our mind's eye is what comes to be. The thoughts we think become reality and we manifest our own reality. Transformation coaching enables people and families to master the immense power of actualising their thoughts. Part of the effectiveness of Harry's coaching journey was due to my ability to help him understand his and other's values and beliefs; to replace his limiting beliefs with more empowering ones, and be true to his newly found values and beliefs. Having achieved this he had taken a giant leap towards leading an authentic life and facilitating the development of a fully functional family unit. An integral part of Harry's coaching journey was the formulation of many goals, which he combined with his family's wants, dreams, aspirations, and so on, creating an achievable and measurable life strategy.
Powerful coaching techniques (among others) is that of subtly enabling individuals and families to embrace choice, take responsibility and become accountable for positive change. Commitment to these choices and modifications in lifestyle moves individuals and families from being victims to being in control. They find they can then live effective, purposeful, balanced and fulfilled lives. The result is functional, happy, healthy, families and individuals, leading productive and rewarding lives.
Family transformation coaching in particular, involves each member who is an integral part of the family or 'team'. It's a well known fact that each 'team' member in sport plays a pivotal role in ensuring the team's success and that the team functions at optimal levels, thus bringing about desired results. The same can be said for families in that each family member is important in the success of the coaching. Harry embraced this approach and indirectly became the family coach; passing on his newly discovered innate wisdom directly to his family. The result was that each member became an integral part of his journey. This approach ensures no family members are left behind. As a result they will all enjoy the phenomenal positive life changes that will shift them to highly effective and fulfilled levels of being. The same principle can be applied to work teams with enormous success.
So what are some of the other critical ingredients of transformation coaching that have so many adopt and embrace more appropriate, positive thinking/thought patterns and emotions, an opportunity to identify and live their purpose with passion, as well as lead balanced, purposeful, effective (personal, family, and work related) and fulfilled lives?
Two major internal drivers are powerful determining factors in how we live our lives: these are fear (negative energy) and love (positive energy). If either one or the other dominates, it not only suffuses our lives with the relevant energy, but also affects how we live, manage our lives and interact with others. The energy we most generate (love or fear) creates the reality in which we find ourselves living. The pertinent energy also determines whether or not we become victims (fear) or powerful, positive creators (love).
A person or family that has fear as the main driver is, among other things, afraid of failure and not being recognised, loved or appreciated. There could also be an almost ongoing presence (or a combination) of self-doubt, purposelessness, jealousy, anxiety, stress, depression, anger, frustration, helplessness, pessimism, resentment, judgement, hatred or cynicism. These negative thoughts and emotions have a proven effect on generating a particular chemistry in the body. One of the effects is to suppress the immune system, thereby increasing the chances of an individual falling prey to illness and life-threatening diseases.
Transformation coaching rapidly creates an awareness of whether a person is driven by fear or love and then moves the individual and /or family into being driven by love/positive energies. This is achieved by numerous techniques such as changing the inner dialogue that a person has on an ongoing basis. That is, changing the internal dialogue from being fear-based to love/positive energy-based. A couple of examples of negative internal dialogue are as follows: 'I have no memory', 'I'm worthless', 'Everyone hates me', 'I'm going to fail anyway so why bother in the first place' and 'I'm useless'. When these same ideas are turned around into love/positive internal dialogue these change to: 'I have an excellent memory and it improves every day', 'I'm a magnificent person', 'I am well liked by all those that encounter me', 'I achieve everything that I set my mind to' and 'These are my strengths, skills and unique attributes that I have which I use effectively every day'. You can see the two realities are worlds apart and by embracing the love/positive internal dialogue, a person plants powerful new realities into the subconscious, where they are accepted as being real. Thereafter, within a short period of time a person will begin to be 'drawn' (by virtue of the new reality placed in the subconscious) to leading a more productive, positive and fruitful life. They will create a new positive, more empowering life and family.
Our values and beliefs drive and compel us to achieve what we do. Values can be described as the 'buttons' that propel our behaviours. Our values are what assist us in deciding whether what we have done is good or bad. Beliefs that we have taken on through the generalisations we make about our life experiences become our reality, which in turn direct our behaviour. An example is as follows. In Joe's (a fictitious character) younger years he had a number of relationships which failed for one or another reason. Soon Joe came to believe that he would never have a long-term relationship. Without knowing it consciously, Joe embraced this as a deep-rooted belief and was therefore unable to form long lasting relationships because of the underlying belief that directed his behaviour to avoid getting into long-term relationships.
One of man's never ending pursuits in life is discovering his purpose. Transformation coaching must focus on one of a coachee's most empowering life strategies, namely the discovery and living of their true purpose. People living their purpose is the single most empowering, uplifting, energising and rewarding elements in their life. People who have discovered their purpose through coaching invariably live it with passion and lead fulfilled lives as individuals, in the work place and, just as importantly, in their families. Living our purpose leads to healthier body chemistry being generated and therefore improved immune systems, with less chance of falling prey to illness and life-threatening diseases such as cancer. Transformation coaching has shown time and again that discovering and living our passion is easily within reach. It also assists people to take a conscious decision to discover their purpose, as well as muster up the determination to make changes (sometimes substantial ones) in their lives to live their purpose with passion.
Transformation of a person's life and family would not be complete unless both were enabled to discover their true needs, wants, dreams, aspirations, whole person (mind, body, soul) needs, future desired state and destiny and legacy. Through the coaching process a coachee is enabled to discover these, as well as to formulate a workable plan and strategy to achieve them. This is especially powerful within a family, taking them to new heights of cohesiveness, fulfilment and happiness.
Transformation coaching empowers individuals and families to reinvent themselves, discover limitless potential, embrace their creative mind power, master collective thought within the family, enhance problem-solving capabilities, achieve faster realisation of their personal and/ or family goals, and change their behaviours to bring about positive outcomes. Exactly the same is achieved for individuals in the work place.
The crux of the matter is that we have the choice to transform our lives, families and places of work, to discover and use our inner magnificence, to find and live our purpose with passion, to lead balanced, fulfilled and effective lives, to live out our destiny and leave a legacy. In doing so we can boldly embrace the precious gift of life and make a valuable contribution to our beautiful and yet delicate planet.
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For details on Steve's all empowering Transformation Coaching practice visit www.therightcoachingcompany.com or directly through Steve on (011) 704 1395 / 082 900 0679. |
Trusting in God to Take Care of You
'I'm such a knucklehead,' explains Chet W Sisk on his return to the States from presenting a leadership conference in South Africa. His emotional sensitivity was high on that plane ride as he experienced an especially emotional trip developing new friendships and bonds with many Zulu, Swazi, African and Xhosa friends, along with the work he decided to take up for South African children orphaned by AIDS.
Also getting on the plane were about 20 well-groomed 20 to 30 year old black men in green jump suits, red baseball caps and backpacks. My immediate presumption was that this was a sports team.
Why I went there had everything to do with my experience. Why else would you see that many uniformed, organised black men? It has to have something to do with sports, right? It just so happened that the oldest member and leader of this group, Joseph, sat next to me for the eight-hour flight. Of course, I had to ask him: 'I take it you guys must be part of a sports team.'
'No,' replied Joseph, 'we are an explosion detective company from Zaire.'
'You mean,' I started.
'Yes,' he said quickly. 'We search for and detonate hidden land mines in war-torn areas. We are currently on our way to Afghanistan.'
'I'm sorry for my presumption,' I said quite bashfully.
'No worries, man. It's okay.'
'I have to ask an obvious question,' I started, not sure how he'd react. 'Don't you worry about losing your lives? This is some dangerous work.'
'It's okay,' he replied as if he'd been asked a thousand times. 'You see, you can die on your way to work driving down the street. You can die in your sleep. You can die playing sports. We do not worry about such things. We trust that God will take care of us. When it is time for us to go, we will go. Until then, we will live.'
The assuredness and confidence with which Joseph spoke was that of a man who has made peace with death, thus freeing himself to live life. He spoke of his experience in this field and made me appreciate him and his team of young crack detectives as a group of unheralded heroes. Joseph thought I was being dramatic when I tried to heap that praise on him. He said: 'We are only doing our jobs.'
I used Joseph's no-nonsense philosophy of life when I came back to the states to work with the homeless. One of my students felt a need to 'straighten out' a roommate of his. I told the student to release his roommate and start focusing on himself. The student said, 'Yeah, but if I don't help him, he may die.' I said, 'Yes, he might. When it is time for him to go, he will go. Until then, he will live. And now, you must live. That is the best thing you could ever do for your roommate.'
Even a knucklehead like me got that wisdom and saw the beauty in it. Who says the subject of death has to be a morbid dirge based around loss? Sometimes, it can be a great empowering inspiration given at the right time. Even if it's not given at the right time, in the words of Joseph – it's okay.
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Chet W Sisk is an international inspirational presenter who works with the homeless, convicted murderers, drug abusers and criminals. He is author of the new book Seven Steps To Success I Learned From Homeless People (Stratford Books). For more info visit his site www.chetsisk.com. |
How to Improve Your Thinking
'Much unhappiness in life is caused by negative and self-destructive thinking,' says Jimmy Henderson. 'Restructuring your thinking will provide you with a new perspective on life, which can have tremendous positive spin-offs for improving your understanding, as well as your relationships with people and chances of success.'
In order to achieve this, however, you will need to learn to disentangle and sort out any confused ideas you may have, as well as to dismantle and clear out old unhelpful patterns of thought and conditioned 'programmes' from your past.
You can begin by obtaining a work journal in which you should list your present beliefs, values, judgments (that which you regard as right or wrong), as well as your fundamental ideas and attitudes about life, the world and other people. It will help if you formulate your beliefs or ideas into statements such as 'I believe this...' or 'I believe that...'. You can now begin to review these in the light of the following four principles*, which can act as building blocks for transforming your thinking into a clear, consistent and cohesive understanding of life and reality. In this regard, I will be guiding you with simple questions with which you can test your own thinking and statements as well as that of other persons. If you are really sincere about wishing to improve your thinking, you should be willing to make changes to some of your existing ideas where necessary.
Reasonableness
The first of these principles is 'reasonableness', which is simply explained as being a fair and a reasonable person in your approach to life and in your dealings with other people. Being 'reasonable' also means that you are willing to maintain an open mind and to increase your present understanding using new sources of information. This does not imply that you have to accept every idea that is presented to you, but you should at least be prepared to listen to what others have to say. This will help broaden your perspective, allowing you to move towards a more holistic and inclusive view of life.
Using the notes you have made in your journal, begin a process of self-questioning and decide whether your current beliefs, attitudes or ideas are reasonable and actually helpful in your day-to-day experience. Reflect on the judgments you have listed about other people. Ask yourself firstly whether these are entirely fair to others and promote good human relations, or do you find that some of your voiced opinions constantly end up getting you into hot water? Of course, you are entitled to your opinions, but if you are 'reasonable', you will allow others the freedom of their opinions as well.
Second, your views on the problems of your country or the world, relating to issues such as politics, religion, greed and corruption, may indeed be factually or historically quite accurate, but your reaction to these issues could still be totally out of place. Allowing your mind to fill up with intense anger, frustration and negative thoughts is not helpful to your self-development. Sometimes for the sake of one's own sanity, it becomes important to separate one's immediate concerns from the ills of the world, which in most cases, are not easily solved. This is certainly a more 'reasonable' and mature approach.
Finally, 'reasonableness' is also related to the power of your reason and just plain, old-fashioned common sense. In revisiting your old thinking and beliefs, you need to decide whether your ideas still make sense in terms of present day knowledge. Some of them may no longer apply, having being brought with you from your childhood or 'borrowed' from other people. Children tend to believe everything they hear from parents, teachers and even ministers of religion. Not knowing any better, it is certainly easier to simply 'adopt' other's attitudes, opinions and beliefs, although they may not always be fair or accurate. By now, as an adult, you should easily be able to distinguish fantasy from fact and can safely let go of childhood ideas or attitudes which are simply not realistic, truthful or reasonable. You can also consider discarding second-hand information obtained from other persons which you cannot confirm from your own experience. In this regard, you could ask yourself the following questions; 'Is this what I have actually seen?', 'Do people really behave in this way?', 'Is this attitude or judgment fair and reasonable?' And finally, 'In living this belief, am I considering the rights of others?'
These questions can also be applied to other people's ideas to measure their degree of 'reasonableness' and will help you to decide if they are worth considering at all.
Objectivity
Seeing matters clearly, without any form of bias and conditioning, requires the innocent vision of a small child combined with the depth and insight of an adult. To achieve this level of clarity, you can use the second principle of 'objectivity'.
First, 'objectivity' means being able to distance yourself from your own feelings and perspective at certain times, in order to view life and events in a more even and balanced manner. We each have a very personal perspective on life, one in which we see things only in terms of our own needs, values, beliefs and past experiences. Sometimes this perspective can be so clouded or closed off that we are only able to see a small part of the 'bigger picture'. This limits our ability to understand or make sense of events as they take place in the world and even in our personal lives. In this regard it will be important for you to review the statements that you have recorded in your journal and ask yourself the following questions: 'Is this belief or idea not based on my own negative past experiences or bad feelings toward this group, person or situation?', 'Is there perhaps not another way of looking at this situation which is more objective?', and 'Am I able to detach myself from this thought or belief just for one moment, in order to step back and see the bigger picture?' Once again, with little effort, you can apply these questions to the ideas of others as well, in order to decide on their level of objectivity.
The second dimension of 'objectivity' is learning to think independently and even critically. Independent thinking is a state of mind which allows you to isolate yourself from the effects of other's opinions, hand-me-down views and perspectives. Our world revolves around information. And all information, like foodstuffs, is processed and packaged in some way. All interest groups, be they the media, advertisers, marketers, politicians or activists, present information in a way which will best convey their message or sell their 'product'. Insight and self-awareness are the keys in retaining your ability to think for yourself and not just blindly accepting anything that is presented to you as truth. Knowing and accepting yourself, as well as your values, can prepare you for independent thinking. It also requires a measure of courage and decisiveness. If you are uncertain as to exactly where you stand on an issue, you will be vulnerable to outside pressure.
In this regard, you can search your notes for thoughts and beliefs with which you are not really comfortable, but have only accepted because of family or peer pressure. You now have the opportunity to rewrite them into new ideas which you can truly call your own.
Critical thinking is like having an 'attitude' when it comes to reading or listening to what other people write or have to say. It takes independent thinking one step further and is designed to cut away at the layers of selective perception, prejudice and bias that may surround a person's explanation of a situation or event. Sometimes, as a result of strong emotions and close involvement, people see only what they want to see. And their story may therefore not always be accurate. As I said before, some may even have good reasons (or an agenda) for presenting something in a certain way, for instance, during adverts or political speeches. It is therefore useful to understand this principle and to approach other points of view, articles or statements with a degree of scepticism until you can verify them from your own experience.
The argument may be made that this kind of sceptical or critical approach can sow seeds of doubt in your own mind. However, consider the possibility that any thought or idea that will not stand up to scrutiny is simply not worth having. Taking up the challenge to look critically at your own existing ideas and beliefs, and to make adjustments where necessary, will only benefit your thinking in the long run. Be honest with yourself.
Logical thinking
The third important principle, is logical reasoning. If applied correctly, this can ensure that your thinking is as free as possible of inconsistencies and contradictions. There are a number of mathematically-based rules to good logical thinking. However, for the purposes of this article, you do not need to study them academically, merely be able to understand and apply them. Contradictions occur frequently and can be explained as your believing something which clashes directly, or by implication, with another idea or belief that you have. This especially applies to contentious issues such as morality, politics and religion. For example, a person may support abortion on demand, yet still conscientiously follow a religious belief that does not support abortion at all. Attending a service in which abortion is condemned could therefore make him or her feel very uncomfortable. This type of inconsistency between different ideas or systems of ideas, could arise time and time again in your everyday life until you are forced to make a choice as to what you truly believe. 'Wake-up' calls can also come in the form of a clash between something you believe to be an ideal, such as love, and what you actually see and experience in real life. The universe often offers us these paradoxes and contradictions in order to challenge and grow our understanding. A solution in such cases would be to maintain a set of 'open ideas' and not to 'close the book' on various issues. By adopting a more flexible approach to life's important questions you can eliminate the problem of contradictions. People who cling to very rigid attitudes, opinions or moral judgments, are unwittingly opening the door to later logical problems, in that they are unable to adapt to new information.
For instance, if I refer back to the example on abortion, one does not have to support it, but can still acknowledge a woman's right to make her own decision.
Second, if you wish to improve your thinking, you will need to begin seriously considering what other persons write or say to see if it makes good (logical) sense. People can make profound statements which stir the emotions and sound absolutely true, but if you unpack and analyse exactly what is being said or implied, you may discover a host of 'holes' or 'gaps' in their thinking. The problem is that our minds tend to 'fill in' these blanks and we don't always pick it up. Let me provide you with a topical example. John, who is openly gay, has become ill and his friends are discussing his illness. Brian, one of the group, makes the statement that 'you know, a number of gay people have Aids'. In the light of their experience, they know this to be true. However, Jack, another member of the group, now points out that John is gay, which is also true. However, Jill, a third member of the group, now reaches a conclusion which upsets the entire group, that 'John must have Aids'. Because the first two statements are in themselves true, this seems logical, but if we carefully examine what has actually been said, they were not correct in reaching this conclusion. The fact is, the vast majority of gay people have not contracted Aids. And John certainly does not necessarily have the disease. What this teaches us is that we need to pay very careful attention to determine exactly what is being said before jumping to conclusions.
Inter-connectedness
A final principle that will assist in improving your thinking and understanding, is 'inter-connectedness'. This is closely related to 'reasonableness' and involves your willingness to reach out to others and to enter their world or perspective, if only for short periods. In psychotherapy, this skill of 'empathetic understanding' enables one to access another person's innermost thoughts and feelings and to see the world through his or her eyes. You need to understand that, at the end of the day, we are all part of a single society (humanity), and although we all have different views, opinions and ideas, golden threads often connect them all at some level.
If you are able to accept and live according to this principle, it would imply that you are prepared to open your mind and broaden your thinking to include a tolerance for other beliefs or ideas different from your own. Once you begin to seek the inter-connectedness in all things, you will soon discover the power of a shared human experience. Each of us is touched by pain from our past and errors in our thinking, irrespective of our origins or beliefs. We are all searching for answers and meaning in our lives. Perhaps in coming together and sharing our wisdom, we may discover the 'bigger picture' of life in a more universal sense.
Conclusion
If understood and correctly applied, these four principles can assist in clarifying your thinking, changing your behaviour for the better and empowering you to move beyond dull, repetitive and limited ideas to more creative and spontaneous thoughts and a more positive experience of life.
*Acknowledgement is given to the Dept of Philosophy at Unisa for some of the material used in this article.
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Jimmy Henderson is a philosopher, counsellor and Christian mystic with a holistic and integrated view of life. He has completed studies in psychology and philosophy and is the author and publisher of the book, In Search of the Oracle, based on the subconscious mind and visualisation. He is currently working on a second book on the subject of 'Multi-Dimensional Thinking', which attempts to overcome the limits of our present mental processes by re-structuring our mind and thinking using radical mind-statements or principles. One of the tools he uses is the cultivation of clear thinking, using the four principles just discussed. He can be contacted on e-mail at jph@saol.com |
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The Benefits of Sauna
Today's stressful work environments require us always deliver our best, to be fit for service and able to work under pressure. Constantly pushing our mental and physical limits leaves us feeling exhausted and highly stressed, which results in increased susceptibility to stress related illnesses such as hypertension or chronic exhaustion.
Regular participation in sports, eating healthy foods and making use of several wellness applications are important tools to combat these demands. Regular visits to the sauna have also proven to have extremely positive effects on the immune system and stress levels.
Ton Verachtert, the Dutch owner of Kievits Kroon Country Estate and Spa, was also the owner and CEO of a fast growing company that produces heavy equipment for the construction industry. He was the inventor in 1972 of the first quickcoupler systems for hydraulic excavators. Nowadays based in Belgium, Ton still spends a large amount of his time travelling the globe and stress is still a regular factor in his life.
‘As my company began to grow, I was faced with the pressures of increased production coupled with complex labour requirements,' says Verachtert. ‘To combat the increasingly negative effects the stress was having on my life, my doctor advised me to have regular sauna sessions. Now you will find me in a sauna facility every Saturday afternoon – which is quite common in North West Europe.'
Verachtert goes on to say that once he started regular sauna sessions, he noticed a marked improvement in his stress levels and a significant reduction in fatigue. The relaxing sessions also ‘cleared his head', which allowed him to focus more on what he dubbed the ‘Problem of the Week' while in the sauna.
‘No matter what the problem was, I discovered that I could concentrate better and more intensely on solving it. It felt as if the increased blood circulation gave me the opportunity to increase my capacity to think,' he says. ‘I believe that regular sauna sessions are essential to my success.'
OTHER SAUNA BENEFITS
The sauna has been used for thousands of years to alleviate both physical and mental stress and has been attributed with healing, preventative and cleansing properties. Many doctors agree that taking a sauna regularly is one of the healthiest things you can do for your body.
When the body feels soothed and energised, the mind and the body often follow suit. In addition to combating stress, sauna offers a host of other health benefits. For example, it is a preventative measure when it comes to combating winter ills such as cold and flu.
When you take a sauna you inhale air temperatures that are too hot for cold and flu viruses to survive. The hot temperatures also stimulate a fever, which raises the body's temperature above normal in an attempt to destroy invading organisms and sweat impurities out of the system . A ‘good sweat' at the onset of colds and flu helps to relieve and ward off the most severe symptoms.
In addition, the contrast between hot and cold strengthens the body's defences and improves circulation.
The extreme temperatures in a sauna also increase your metabolism and pulse rate by 50 to 75%, which provides the same metabolic result as a brisk walk. The heat causes your blood vessels to become more flexible, expanding to accommodate increased blood flow.
Saunas play an important role in helping the body detoxify. The heat pumps up the blood circulation near the skin, causing the body to sweat. Prolonged saunas open the pores and flushes impurities from the body.
‘Sauna bathing penetrates deeper into the skin than pure cosmetic treatments ever could – resulting in healthy skin and a clear, glowing complexion,' says Paulette Tindle, Kievits Kroon spa manager. ‘Spas often utilise saunas and steambaths in conjunction with massage to loosen fatty tissue and combat cellulite.'
HOW TO SAUNA
‘There are no definite rules on how to sauna, but the ritual is meant to be relaxing,' says Tindle.
Before entering the sauna, have a shower or wash yourself to prepare and moisten the skin. Also take a small towel or something to sit on in the sauna for increased comfort.
A single sauna session should be no longer than 8 – 12 minutes with a maximum of 15 minutes in a sauna-cabin with a temp between 85 and 95°C. To get the full benefit you should relax by sitting or lying down. Air humidity in the sauna can be regulated by ladling small doses of water onto the stove stones.
When you feel hot enough, exit the sauna and cool off by taking a quick cold shower eventually followed by a swim. Alternatively, you can simply relax outside the sauna. Have a drink if you feel thirsty, but avoid alcohol in the sauna. Once you are thoroughly cooled down, the process should be repeated with a second and if you like even third bath.
Before putting on clean clothes allow enough time for cooling off, or else the sweating will continue. Also be careful not to get cold since the body is in a more ‘sensitive' state after the sauna.
Groups of people who may have health risks in the sauna and who therefore should pay special attention to the way they bathe are patients with various diseases, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, asthma or skin disease.
Kievits Kroon Country Estate and Spa has a full ‘how to sauna guide' available on request.
KIEVITS KROON COUNTRY ESTATE AND SPA
Situated just 40 minutes from Johannesburg and a mere 10 minutes from Pretoria, Kievits Kroon Country Estate and Spa features one of the most advanced Thermae treatment areas in Gauteng, with steam rooms, saunas, Jacuzzis, hydrotherapy baths, Swiss showers and plunge pools. Kievits Kroon's qualified therapists are available to introduce guests to the use of the Thermae facilities and their numerous health benefits. With a heated indoor swimming pool, Kievits Kroon is one of the few spas in Gauteng which is specifically geared for those essential winter spa escapes. For true indulgence, one day to week-long packages are also offered.
With a comprehensive selection of treatments on offer, The Spa prides itself in leaving guests feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. State of the art treatment rooms provide the perfect environment for your experience. The use of international products such as Decleor and Ahava further guarantees tangible health and beauty benefits.
Kievits Kroon has 75 luxurious rooms ranging from traditional Zulu huts to luxury and VIP suites, with another 24 rooms luxury rooms being launched at the end of September. Ten conference rooms and an executive boardroom provide the perfect location for corporate breakaways.
The estate offers superb dining in Kingsley's Restaurant. More informal meals are available from the Bistro, which overlooks the pool, while picnics with a selection of freshly prepared snacks are served on the lawns of the estate.
Visit www.kievitskroon.co.za for more.
Spooks on a battlefield
‘Life leads us on never-ending roads, that twist and turn. Sometimes we end up on by-ways and loose our way on country lanes - we wonder how we ever got there and how fate led us there. Yet with hindsight, we realise that what we thought were strange twists in our journey, are really passages of intense insight and growth,' says Judith Küsel.
Reflections on a journey: between time and space
We choose our path; and when too late
We find it leads us to our fate
We rail at fortune - silly elves.
Should we not rather blame ourselves?
For ‘tis that choice which may create
The issue we ascribe to fate.
Yet ‘tis not by ourselves alone,
The seed is oft by others sown;
And whether it be tares or wheat,
We get the bitter with the sweet.
Thus every action of our lives
Some hidden wheel to motion drives,
And whatsoe'er we say or do,
Another's heart may have to rue.
• Anon.
Mine is an unusual story, yet it is not only mine. It is a story of others too.
It is a story of life and death, of peace and war. It is a way of seeing: My favourite author Antoine de Saint-Exupery says in ‘The little Prince': ‘It is only with the heart that one can see clearly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.'
My story starts on a very hot, dusty and windy day, 15 th October 1999. The place is Talana Museum, Dundee, Northern KwaZulu-Natal. (The current Museum is situated on the site of the first battle of the Anglo-Boer War, 20 October 1899. It so happens that both my great-grandfathers on my fathers' side of the family, were on the hill fighting with the Piet Retief Commando. German and not Boers, they were involved simply to protect their farms and families. )
At that stage I was involved with my friend and colleague Margaret D in the organisation of a Historical Carnival, which would take place on Saturday, 17 th October 1999, as the first of a few festivities to commemorate the centenary celebrations of the Battle of Talana.
Margaret and I set about organising the grounds according to our site plan. In the intense heat, this was no joke. At noon Margaret went home for lunch and I stayed behind. I sought refuge from the heat under a tree, near the
picnic tables, where we had our refreshments, other papers and things we needed.
I sat down on the ground with my back leaning against the treetrunk, closing my eyes to feel the breeze caressing my face - a welcome relief. Then I was startled wide awake. I suddenly went ice-cold, as if someone had thrown a bucket of iced water over me. Sitting up straight, I glanced up - and saw
standing next to me, an English soldier, complete with helmet and uniform.
I could see him so clearly that I could make out his features.
I scrambled to my feet, nearly tearing my dress in the process, picked up our papers and made for the furthest corner of the property.
When Margaret returned, she asked what had happened. I was still a bit shaky, and told her what had happened. Anyway, Margaret being a true Scot is a no nonsense person and we soon were at work again after having a good laugh about all of this. ‘Probably the heat and your imagination.' I agreed.
The Carnival was a huge success, and the incident sort of forgotten. A few months later I took my sister and brother-in-law, who were visiting from Gauteng, to the Museum. As I had never been to Talana House to see the Anglo-Boer War display, I accompanied by sister to the House, while my brother-in-law, who is a mining engineer, enjoyed himself viewing the mining displays.
As we came round the corner from the Zulu War display where the Anglo-Boer War and specifically the Battle of Talana display is housed, I was stopped in my tracks: there in the corner of the display, was a photograph of my soldier. Col. Robert Gunning, of the 1rst Kings Royal Rifles. I got such a fright, that I ran out of Talana House. My sister, puzzled indeed by my unusual behaviour, found me shaking outside. I told her my story, and she found it very funny.
I was not amused, as I now knew that all of this was not my imagination and that my ‘ghost' had been very real. However, as I am a very levelheaded type of person, and a Librarian, and in my work had come into contact with the most unusual subjects and literature - I am not easily shocked by anything. I have also learnt to question everything and make up my own mind about the truth, fact or fiction. So I shrugged off the incident as a one-off thing and forgot about it.
Life though, has a way of bringing you back to confront that which you shake off or do not want to acknowledge about yourself or others.
It so happened that by a twist of fate, about some four years later I found myself working at Talana Museum, and in the Archives. My work in variably led me to do research and to read through the files, which of course included the Battle of Talana, and the other battles for which this area is so famous for: the Anglo-Zulu War Battles: Isandhlwana, Rorkes Drift, and Blood River.
As I know this area well, and come from a family very much involved with history, all of this was not new to me. In fact I had read books on history most of my life, being very fortunate in having had teachers who had a passion for history and a father and brothers who loved to explore unusual and forgotten sites. Often that meant wandering a whole day, through uninhabited areas, looking for all and sundry.
Came the day, that I took a lonely stroll on the Talana grounds. With my analytical brain, and my wanting to find out for myself were what took place during the battle, I was wandering outside the grounds. I was looking for the first stone wall, were the first heat of the battle took place.
Intent on looking (as I had been taught by my brothers) I soon was in another world, analysing, thinking, wondering. That is when I first became aware, out of the corner of my eye, of a little fox terrier. As I love dogs and always had a great love for animals in general, I was immediately on the alert. As I went to the spot where I thought I saw the fox terrier, I had to climb down the wall and was near the edge of a donga.
That is where I saw him, my second soldier. This one didn't frighten me. He had the most incredibly sad aura about him, and I immediately sensed that the fox terrier was not real too. This puzzled me somewhat. At that stage, because of my strict Lutheran upbringing, I had this absolute belief that you did not talk to things or people that do not exist. So I made a U-turn and swiftly headed back, but still the incident kept playing on my mind.
Unseen hands were at work. A few days later, a piece of paper fell out of one of the files, and as it was, it told the story of Captain Anthony Weldon, whose body was found after the battle, with his fox terrier howling his head off next to it. As Captain Weldon was so beloved by his men, Dublin Irish Fusiliers, they adopted the fox terrier, named Rose. He died, while trying to save his servant, who had been shot. Again, confirmation that I what I had ‘seen' happened. On his gravestone it says: ‘No greater love has a man, than to lay down his life for his brother.'
A few days later, I was looking for the original cemetery, the current one being of the exhumed bodies of the soldiers from that cemetery and others.
As I came back, I heard clearly in my head: ‘Hello, my pretty.' As no-one was around I thought I was imagining things, until I realised that a soldier was walking next to me. Merry blue eyes, dark-haired, charming and an Irishman to boot. I told him to get lost, but this one was not easily put off. Often in the mornings, as I climbed out my car, or if I was strolling around, I would have him walking beside me. One day, working at the front door, and all by myself, I came aware of him leaning against the open door, and was watching me. ‘Madam.' Well I still wasn't interested in talking to this one, and told him he was a pest. I made sure never to work there again.
After a while I became quite used to having some or other soldier accompanying me on the ground. I often would also sense them with me in the office, but I just ignored them. As other staff members were also seeing people and we often had doors locking with no key in them, we tended to joke about it and took it into our stride.
(I must add, that these were not the only soldiers I picked up: the same happened at Isandlwana, Fugitives Drift and Prince Imperial Louis Napoleon.)
As the commemoration of the Battle of Talana loomed, I started to become aware that I was seeing more and more soldiers on the grounds. I happen to mention this to someone, who confirmed that people normally ‘saw' things, or were aware of strange things happening, as the day of the battle loomed.
I also became more and more aware of the intense cloud of pain and trauma that was hanging over the whole ground, especially were the actual battle took place. The most intense feeling of great trauma were places where most of the casualties occurred.
Sent on an errant to Smith's Cottage, the original farmstead, where the soldiers were mowed down by the Boers, I could not get away from there fast enough and came back nearly in tears.
When Stephen Pryke, photographer for the Battlefields Brochure, (whom I had met before, came for the Ghost Tour which was arranged by the curator to commemorate the battle on the 20 th October), came early that afternoon to take photographs. I told him of my experiences. Stephen, being an ex psychiatrist, was very understanding and having a spiritualist church background was more open to such things than most people I know, who tend to shrug such things off, or think of it as evil. Stephen then went with me to where I had sensed such trauma. As we were the only ones around at that time, he said that there definitely was something uncannily eerie about this place and that I was not imagining things.
The ghost-tour itself was attended by about 30 odd people, and strangely enough a lot of them being soldiers, or ex-soldiers themselves. Also there was a TV camera crew who were doing a series on ghosts in South Africa for the BBC.
To me all of this proved to be a great nightmare, for as the tour progressed, I was more and more aware of intense pain and trauma. At some places I could actually ‘see' in vivid details the wounded soldiers lying there and the ones trying to fight. An especially bad patch was at the end of the donga, were the British suffered heavy losses, and higher up the slope, where they were bombarded by their own artillery.
What made things worse, was the constant intrusion of the blaring lights of the TV crew, who wanted to know what I saw. Since I am not a psychic, nor ever acknowledged myself as such, I found that even more traumatic (not that I have never appeared before the cameras).
In the event I happened to speak to a young soldier who had just come back from the Iraq war. He confirmed what I sensed and said that he as a soldier, can describe it, reckoned it was the same as when you are looking through the visor of your gun, at an unseen enemy. Suddenly out of the corner of your eye you become aware of something - in most cases this is what saves you life. I am eternally grateful to this young soldier as he and Stephen helped me a great deal that night.
I asked this young man, (and subsequently others) what made him come to a battlefield like this, especially after experiencing intense trauma in the war-zone. ‘It is almost like going on a pilgrimage - a salute to their bravery - they know what you felt like.' I have had this echoed back to me almost verbatim by other ex-soldiers from across the world.
It took me some days to recover from that trauma and made me intensely aware of the horror, the pain, agony and senselessness of war. A lot of them were youngsters, not prepared for war, not even having had time for breakfast because of the suddenness of it all.
Stephen, concerned, then asked me if I would mind if he brought a friend of his along, who is clairvoyant. As soon as I met Jill, it was as if I had met a long-lost friend. What she told me though took a long time to sink in - I simply could not believe what she was telling me. She told me that because I was naturally sensitive, psychic if you like, a truly advanced and beautiful soul, and a true lady, these soldiers were attracted to me. They knew that I could feel their pain. Then I asked her why couldn't she then help them.
Well, she said, they didn't want to talk to her, they wanted to talk to me. In order for them to find peace, I would have to be the one to help them over. When I asked her how many: ‘Well, they are all around you. A whole lot of them, I would say about 40 or so.' I nearly fell off my chair. What, me? ‘Well, love you don't have to do it all at once. They say they will come to you one by one, and please help them.'
When Jill left that afternoon, I thought that as much as I liked her, she was really daft. How am I to help soldiers find peace? I am not even psychic or a medium. I am plain old me, and I could just see my mother turning in her grave at just the thought of it.
I refused to believe all of this, but the Universe had other ideas.
As so often would happen, I would be alone in the office, having the whole upper floor to myself. And come to me they did. One by one. At first I tried to ignore them, but almost in spite of myself, I would end up hearing their stories. How, I can't explain. I would get the impression almost mentally, by telepathy.
First there was dear Captain Weldon, a beautiful, sad soul. A true gentleman this. No wonder that his mother, after she visited his first grave after the war, wrote a letter to the Colonial Secretary asking him to please see that her sons' grave is tended to properly, as most of the soil had been washed away. Captain Weldon's body was subsequently reburied three times until finding a final rest at the current Talana Cemetery.
He was worried about a medal that he had given to his men for safekeeping before he died. I explained that I had looked into it (having read an account of the incident) but that it would be impossible to trace it. I also told him about his mother, and how much she cared about him. I ask him to go in peace, rest and peace and be reunited with his loved ones. I also prayed that whoever helps soul over, will help him to find rest. I never saw him around again.
The next one was Captain Pechell, very blue eyes, darkish hair and usual moustache. Distinct twinkle in his eye, sitting on the chair opposite me, leaning back in a very self-assured way. Arrogant too, this one. After telling him he was a pest, he eventually got me to listen to him and a love story started to unfold.
He was telling me that I reminded him of a woman named Emily. She was obviously left behind in England when he was sent to SA.
I could gather that there was some unfinished business with Emily, that was haunting him now. What exactly happened I cannot be sure of. I could gather that he had loved her very much, and whether he eloped with her, or tried to, or whether she was married, I don't know. In any case, Emily, was of a higher social class or standing than he was and her family did not approve of the relationship. He wanted to make things right with her, as this was holding him back from leaving the earth plane.
I tried to tell him that this would be impossible, as Emily would not be alive at this moment in time. As he had been killed 100 years ago, she would be dead by now too, and was probably waiting for him on the other side. That he should make peace with the fact that he was dead and move on. Heaven was not a scary place. In fact he would be finding great peace and love there.
I never saw him again.
Then there was Captain Gunning - a man bent down by the great burden of losing so many men in battle and feeling responsible for all of that. Here too it was a matter of forgiveness - that the loss of life was not his fault and that he would find peace and happiness on the other side.
So they came, one by one, officers and ordinary troopers. The troopers mostly called me ‘Ma'am'. They would tell me their names, and those I could make out, I found on the casualty list. Most I can only remember vaguely now, but what stood out more than anything was this:
One morning I came to the Museum. I was the first one there, and as I climbed out of my car the most beautiful scene unfolded before my eyes:
the rain of the previous night had washed everything sparkling clean, and there were a profusion of wild flowers that had sprung into blossom almost overnight. A ray of sunshine was peeping through the clouds and at that moment I had a tremendous sense of peace. I then knew that everything was connected thorough time and space, that this body was but an illusion.
Between the seen and unseen there is but a veil. When we die we just adopt our true selves and we are at peace. Everything is part of all, and all is love and light. What we perceive as real is but illusion.
I also knew in a very distinct and profound way, that they were all gone, and that they had found peace. In a way my work there was done.
I left the Museum and life carried on. Moments like these remain a memory - even if a surrealistic one.
Then a few weeks ago a lady came to me, who heard from someone at the Museum that I could ‘see' soldiers. I was most upset about this, as I had been viciously attacked from some quarters because of that.
This lady though needed help and as I am a natural healer, I told her my story, and referred her to someone who could help her.
I still maintain that I am not psychic or a medium, but just naturally feel peoples pain. I am a mere channel to bring healing, love and light to this world.
That night I couldn't sleep, as all the hurt surfaced again. I did not intentionally look for these things to happen in my life and now to be branded in certain quarters really upset me. Then suddenly, clear as daylight, they were all there: the whole lot, the soldiers all saluting me, thanking me for helping them and blessing me. They were happy and laughing and reassuring me that not only had I helped them, but they were very happy to be free at last and are being helped in heaven or wherever our souls go to when they pass on.
I was so happy, I cried. Then I understood.
What had happened was but one tiny peace of a giant jigsaw puzzle revealed to me. That we are here to learn, and what we learn we have to pass on. I have learnt an incredible lot about life, love and light in these last few months. I have had more love and friendship offered to me than ever before. I have grown spiritually in ways I cannot even comprehend. Deep in my heart I know that all of this proved to be a blessing in the end. I have also found that so many people seek answers, the how and the why and I can now help them to see. All of this has been a blessing to me, as it has given me a greater sense of self and of my calling in life.
The universe is faithful: if we ask for confirmation we will get it. So I found these two pieces that confirm what I had experienced within two weeks of those soldiers thanking me. I quote both to end my story:
‘ I recently had to work with a troubled soldier. Seemingly without reason, he would to on the rampage, shooting and killing. He appeared to be schizophrenic and insane. This troubled the army officials greatly, particularly as the boy came from a family that saw the army not as a profession, but as a calling. The male members of his family had served in the army for four generations.'
‘How did you “see” the soldier's problem?'
‘Through the power given to me by my ancestors, I saw that he had killed people whom he was not supposed to kill. People whose earth work had not been completed. He had to take responsibility for cutting short these people's earth mission while they still had work to do here. It was necessary for these people's souls to be released from him so that they could go back to their original path.'
‘In addition to this heavy burden, there was also the problem of his calling. His great-grandfather had been a soldier and he inherited traits, together with the problem of the people he had killed, were overpowering his body and overwhelming his unconscious.' (He healed the man and was questioned afterwards by army psychologists.) (J Dr Shado Moses Dludlu-Mngoma; ‘Out of this world' by Alexandra Levin)
From an article in ‘the Natal Witness: Thursday February 2, 2006 by Sue Seagar: ‘The occasional tree hugger' and article on Thomas Pakenham:
‘As we wind up the interview, Pakenham speaks about the different direction his life and work have taken.
‘I know that some of the people who have read my history books think of me
as a lost soul because I turned to trees. They are amazed. But I see my life as continuum. I do not see anything paradoxical about moving from long, detailed history books to lighter books about trees.'
‘The one was a relief and a reaction to the other. The tree books were written in reaction to the books about violence and war.'
So, was it traumatic writing his previous books on war and this history of Africa? ‘Of course it was. You could not write about wars, suffering and avoidable disasters without feeling a good deal of vicarious pain yourself, unless you are watching movies and enjoying it all,' Says Pakenham.
I can only say Amen to all of that. What I have learnt is that war is traumatic. The soldiers I encountered were all not ready for death. They were cut down in their prime. I also believe that when all the terrible things are happening around you it leaves great scars on your soul. Violence in any form goes against all universal laws. We are never meant to harm any living things or organism, life-form. If we do, we only harm ourselves. Often when traumatic death occurs, the souls stay behind - almost in a state of shock. Here free choice comes in. You can either move on to where your soul can find healing and peace, or simply stay behind.
If my story can help people to think twice about war or violence in any form, and the consequences of their actions in this life, then maybe my life will be worthwhile. If we open our eyes we will see that in the vastness of the Universe there is so much love and so much beauty to rejoice about. Every soul is precious. Every soul has its place under the sun. We need to learn to respect life and respect souls. In Eastern cultures people greet each other, by putting their hands together and bowing, ‘Namaste - I greet the soul in you', ‘I honour the soul in you.' We are all truly beautiful souls and blessed. It is our birthright. And wherever your road or mine may lead us next, it will be the right way in the end.
Click here for more info or email jutta@wsiglobal.com
UN's INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE
James Twyman and the Beloved Community are joining forces with Pathways To Peace and other peace organisations from around the world to promote the United Nation's International Day of Peace on September 21.
James has produced a music video for his song ‘May Peace Prevail on Earth', and you can see it exclusively at www.cultureofpeace.org. This video is being used to promote Peace Day events around the world and millions of people will view it in coming weeks. We hope you will take time to visit the site, view the three minute music video, and get involved.
The Culture of Peace Initiative originated in 1983, and its annual highlight is the International Day of Peace, established by a United Nations Resolution in 1981. The initiative has served as a vehicle for bringing forward the previously unseen and unheard voices working towards world peace.
Enjoy the video, and please help us pass the word by forwarding this message to others.
James Twyman To Embark On 64 Day Peace Tour
The Season for Nonviolence is a celebration of peace that starts on January 30, the birthday of Gandhi, and continues through April 4, the birthday of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. During the 2007 Season, James will perform 64 Peace Concerts in 64 days, ending with a concert in Washington, DC, and at the United Nations in New York City.
Please help support this effort by promoting events in your area, or attending one of the concerts next year. For more information on the Season for Non-Violence, please visit www.agnt.org or www.seasonfornonviolence.net.
Peace, The Beloved Community
jamestwyman@belovedcommunityemail.org
Dancing Ceremony at Rustlers Valley
There are few opportunities in modern society for young people to go through a symbolic change from child to adult. In African traditions there is the Abakewta for young men, in the Jewish tradition there is Bar Mitzvah, but in the western tradition there is nothing that is sacred and relevant to adolescence. Susie Spies tells how a dancing ceremony brought her closer with her daughter.
There have been five 'For The One' dances held in South Africa over the past three years. The crew and dancers have travelled from the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Israel, Croatia, Norway, Brazil and Germany, as well as from all over South Africa, to come together to create this sacred and very special ceremony at Rustlers Valley near Ficksburg in the Free State.
The event is a three-day ceremony similar in principal to the Native American Sun Dance. The dancers enter a sacred ceremonial space, fasting from both food and water for three days, which leads to them being less conscious of their bodily needs, and thus they are able to enter into a holy state. This process facilitates transformation; the release of blockages, old fears, trauma and pain.
A Dance Chief leads the ceremony with experienced facilitators to create an extremely safe space for the dancers. There are no spectators but a large support crew is involved. A great sense of community and global consciousness permeates the dance and participants on all levels agree that the dance has touched and changed their lives in a beneficial way.
A MOTHER'S PERSPECTIVE
In December 2004 three of my friends danced in the ceremonial dance at Rustlers Valley. I listened to their enthusiasm for what they'd experienced, but, somehow I just didn't get the message. Admittedly, at the time I was about to start facilitating a course at Rustlers and my mind was on my task at hand, not on what they were talking about. At that time I met many of the crew and what struck me was their peaceful energy and grace. I have seldom seen so many radiant people in the same place at the same time.
Last year one of my friends, Èidín, was going to be the Alpha Dog (the person who takes care of on-site logistics) and she asked if my daughter Danette, aged 16, and I would come along to Dog Soldier (the crew members who keep the wheels of the event turning). I agreed, and so did my daughter, albeit with some reluctance because it was the beginning of her much-needed December holiday and, like most teenagers, she would much rather have had time to chill out and do as little as possible.
I had no idea what to expect, but I answered the call knowing it was the right thing to do at that time. Èidín asked me to help the team in the kitchen who feed the rest of the crew the day before the dance; but we could only get to Rustlers on the day of the dance.
By the time we arrived the arbour was already built and Eidín's team had built a lean-to kitchen a short distance from the arbour. People were milling around, busy with things. Jeanne, John, the Sun Father and the Moon Mothers (the crew who help the dancers through-out the actual dance) were getting the dancers ready. Each dancer has their place in the arbour, which is a shelter around a centre pole.
The sweat lodge is near to the entrance of the arbour and the Fire Keepers were tending an enormous fire that would heat up the stones for the first sweat. The crew have a short sweat first, then the dancers have a full sweat to commence the process. They also have a sweat each morning before the dancing starts.
Danette and I soon had tasks to do and I did wonder what on earth I was doing there – I felt as though I had entered another world. I thought, in those first few hours, that I should just take my daughter by the hand and escape, but, fortunately, I didn't, because the next 10 days were undoubtedly one of the most significant experiences either of us have ever had; for me, as a mother, and for Danette, as a young person on the brink of adulthood.
The Dance Chiefs, Jeanne and John, create a sacred, safe space for the dance. The Sun Father holds the male energy for the dancers, the Moon Mothers hold the female energy, the drummers keep the rhythm and the Fire-Keepers help to transmute the energy generated. The Dog Soldiers ensure that whatever supplies are needed are on hand and make sure the nuts and bolts are in place. Each person plays a critical role to help the dancers dance their dance.
The purpose of the dance is healing and to bring about a remembrance (putting back together) and realisation that 'We are One'. Each dancer dances their own dance; their processing and healing helps others to heal and process. They dance for us all, because 'We are One'.
I have been blessed with many remarkable, deeply spiritual experiences in my life, and yet what I encountered during that first dance astounded me. In one of the meditations that I had during a course many years ago I received a message that 'the only pain we feel is the pain of separation' and on the first day of the dance this knowledge had finally made the transition from head-knowledge to heart-knowledge. I have never experienced the unity and union with a group of people that I experienced then.
In the kitchen I chopped vegetables to the beat of the drums. Although the other kitchen crew and I were separated from the dance I felt completely part of what was happening. I felt totally connected to what was happening in the arbour. It was deeply transformative.
I was a bit concerned about how Danette was responding. She'd been exposed to my spirituality her whole life; I'd taught her breathing and meditation techniques for longer than she could remember, but she'd never embraced any of these practices fully. It had always been 'mom's thing'. During the dance, at some point, most dancers collapse and process their 'stuff'. I wondered what Danette thought of what she was seeing; some dancers cry, scream or even babble. Each person's process is different.
I did see people respond to her, though, and I saw her connect with people in a way that I'd never seen before. I could see that she had a deep understanding of what was happening, however and I saw a yearning in her eyes. At some point I said to her, 'You want to dance, don't you?' She looked coy and said, 'Maybe,' which is teenage-speak for 'you betcha'.
I knew money was the issue; she knew I didn't have the financial contribution asked for readily available. I said the same thing that everyone always says: 'If you are meant to dance, then you will dance.' Then I realised that her father's annual maintenance payment was about to be made to me and when I told her that this was essentially her money, and she could pay for her dance herself her apparent hesitation vanished.
No-one as young as Danette had ever danced the full dance, and yet Jeanne and John had no hesitation in saying it was okay. As the second dance drew nearer I began to realise more and more how significant Danette's dance was going to be. The night before the dance I hand-stitched a dance skirt for her; it was a meditative process because I knew this was a coming-of-age ceremony for her. I knew this was a symbolic step for both us; for me to let go and for her to step into her own power.
I don't have the words to describe my feelings when she stepped into the arbour to take her place, or as I watched her crouch down to go into the sweat lodge, which is the beginning of the dance. I watched her self-consciously take her first dance steps and I ached to tell her it was okay, but the crew are not allowed to make any contact with the dancers. She was one of three female dancers; the other 10 were all men (which was a remarkable ratio.).
It was the most beautiful thing to see; one of the Moon Mothers put a shawl around Danette's waist and immediately her dance changed. Suddenly she was like a graceful fairy, skipping to and fro. She was dancing.
I asked Danette if she wanted me to be there when she fell into her process and she said 'absolutely'. I worried that I would be in the kitchen at the time and Èidín and I had an agreement that if I were she would come out of the arbour and wave her arms frantically so that I could dash over.
I knew many of the dancers in the second dance; old and new friends. This time my experience was much deeper than the previous weekend. As I worked in the kitchen I sensed a minute or so before a dancer went down that it was going to happen, and sure enough, as I'd sensed, the heart-beat drumbeat could be heard. I wondered if I'd know when it was Danette, and I did. By the time Èidín was waving her arms I was already halfway to the arbour.
I stood at the entrance, holding onto a pole, watching my precious girl sob her heart out, tears flowing down my face. I knew what she was dealing with and I knew it had nothing to do with me; this was her stuff. I knew I had to let go and not try to fix anything, not try to stop her from healing. Sammy-Jo, the Moon Mother, called me over as she was singing to Danette and gestured for me to put my hands on Danette's back. She was facing away from me and I wondered if she even knew I was there (she did). After a while Sammy-Jo sent me away, and Èidín, another Moon Mother and some friends took me to the medicine wheel where I could cry more openly.
I knew her process was not over and when she fell again the next day I was there. That time I didn't collapse into tears; I could join the other Dog Soldiers to carry her back to her place, and she knew I was there; she held onto one of my fingers. And then I knew that she had danced her dance.
When the crew joined the dancers for the last celebratory dance I danced with my daughter, no longer the young girl, but now, instead, the young woman. For her it was a coming-of-age and for me a transformation from mother to mentor.
As I write this now it has been three months since the dance. I look at this remarkable young woman who is so confident who knows who she is and is brave, tenacious and doesn't take life too seriously. Letting her dance and just be has been the most profound step I could take as a mother.
For the first time this year there is a dance for the youth in South Africa, in the September holidays (29 Sept to 1 October). I encourage other parents to let their children dance their dance.
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DANETTE'S STORY
When I first saw the dancers in 2004, I felt I was meeting people from a different world as they were so different from other people I had known. My Mom has always spoken about spiritual stuff throughout my life, but it was always her thing, never mine. I didn't think I would ever be part of something like the dance. Little did I know that the journey I was about to take would be so life-changing.
When Èidín asked me if I would help I was reluctant because I didn't know what it was about and I was scared of the unknown. Mom asked me if she helped would I, and knowing I wasn't going to be alone I decided I would try something new. When we got there I had no idea what I should do. I kind of just slotted in somewhere and made a lot of friends.
I was a Dog Soldier in the first dance, which meant we fetched water, smudged the dancers and crew as they went in and out of the arbour, helped out in the kitchen and watched the fire at night.
One of our jobs was to carry the fallen dancers back to their places and sometime on the second day, I started helping with the carrying too. I was nervous at first; scared I'd do the wrong thing, but once I'd settled in I felt as though I was helping to, in a way, mother them.
I really enjoyed the drumming and the rattles that the Dog Soldiers played. I realised afterwards that the drums really do help you to keep going. When my feet were really sore I kept going to the beat of the drums. One of the previous dancers and a crew member described the drums as a magic carpet that gives you sound to float on and carry you forward. I like the idea that my feet are drumsticks beating on the earth as I dance.
I don't know when I decided I would dance. It was quite a lot of money and then mom said I could use dad's maintenance, and so I said 'yes'. I think it's one of the best things that I've ever done.
In the beginning I was very self-conscious and didn't know what to do. Then one of the Moon Mothers told me to just let go, and when Cheryl gave me a shawl to wear I was fine. I just danced my dance. I felt like a fairy or an angel when I was dancing, like I was flying. I was sometimes aware of other people, especially those closest to me, but most of the time I was in my own space, doing my own thing – I felt as though I was alone in the mountains.
I never really thought about not eating and drinking. I got a bit thirsty on the Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. It felt as though I couldn't go on, but I persevered. At the beginning of the dance they told me that hunger and thirst are choices and knowing this helped me get through it. I kept saying to myself, 'I choose to be full.' It worked.
We were in the arbour for two nights. The first night the sky was stunning and because Rustlers is so far from town, the stars were bright, clear and stunningly beautiful. The second night it was raining, and the sound of the raindrops on the tarpaulin was so loud that I couldn't sleep very well.
I remember in the dance Brett, who is from England, was dancing near me and at one point I burst into tears and he was there for me. I was hugging the pole and I couldn't really move and I was dealing with stuff to do with my dad and I guess he just picked up what was happening with me. He left his dance path and held on to me and I didn't want to let go, but the Sun Father, Josko walked me back to my place and I sat down for a while.
When I fell for the first time I was lying on the ground and Sammy-Jo was singing to me. I knew Mom had come into the arbour to be with me because her scent is familiar to me - not because she hadn't showered, but because at that point our senses are heightened.
Afterwards, when I was being carried it felt so nice, as though I was in a huge feather bed. Mona, the Moon Mother who sat with me when I fell, was 'my' Moon Mother. She kept humming and when I started crying she cried with me. She lay down next to me and that helped me to let go – because she was just there with me. I still hum that same tune that she hummed to me, sometimes without even realising it.
There are things that our parents can't do for us, and that is why I was so glad I danced, as it helps us sort things out for ourselves. It's helped me open up more, to be who I am, and it helped me grow up a little. I feel I have somehow become a bit more responsible. I'm more aware of what is going on around me now and I've learnt a really hard lesson, and that's to let go of 'stuff'. It's helped me to come to terms with the fact that my dad is really far away and there's nothing I can do about it. My relationship with my Mom has grown because we were both part of the dances. We were close before, but now she's basically my best friend.
I definitely miss the people from the dance as I made special friends who I will cherish forever. The dance crew feel like family to me now. I also learnt from Jeanne that just because someone isn't there physically, they can still be there in your heart. This is the big thing that I learnt through the dance; that we are all One. There is no separation.
If you hear the call to dance: do it. Click here for ceremony dates
Loving Yourself
Dr Masaru Emoto will be visiting South Africa from 19-25th of September 2006. The purpose of Dr Emoto's visit to South Africa is to highlight the message that water is alive. Nirmala Nair, Director of ZERI-SA reports.
Water related information and practical experience of engaging with Dr Emoto's water experiment is bound to alter the water-related consciousness across the spectrum - government, industry, business and communities will be exposed through this event to begin a journey - rethinking water and water related issues.
The visit is also intended to relay the message that it is time to explore ways of finding the common language between science and traditional wisdom, which is being eroded in the process of modernisation and globalisation. Dr Emoto will be meeting with local scientists to explore options for expanding his science around water in South Africa. A sacred water ceremony will be held in Cape Town using water as a metaphor holding the unity in diversity, through healing and reconciliation of waters of life.
Host Organisation
The visit of Dr Emoto to South Africa is being organised by ZERI-SA assisted by ZERI international. Dr Emoto was invited to visit South Africa by Prof Gunter Pauli, founder director of ZERI International.
ZERI believes that Dr Emoto's work is an important contribution in the field of developing innovative and sustainable technologies. Dr Emoto's visit will contribute profoundly to raise public awareness around water issues in this country.
Dr Emoto has never been to Africa. At the request of ZERI and Prof Gunter Pauli, Emoto has made water crystals responding to traditional African music. This really inspired Dr Emoto to visit South Africa. Dr Emoto hopes to present this water crystal image to Nelson Mandela during his visit to South Africa.
Dr Emoto's message to South Africa
South Africa is going to face an enormous water shortage and water related problems in the near future.
- Old fashioned farming methods, polluting industries guzzling water and unsustainable water use-life styles need to be challenged if South Africa has to actively involve in regenerating water source for all.
- Water is simply a basic necessity as well as basic right that cannot be left only in the hands of government, politicians or industry alone.
- In townships across the country people are facing acute water problem. The rivers and waterways are polluted. The poor in particular women and children are facing the brunt of the water problem.
- Current water –use and related practices across the world and South Africa is no exception to this- is based on very narrow understanding of water and water technologies.
This narrow understanding has led to the current scenario where by clean water has become an affordable commodity only for the rich. Increase in the unsustainable bottled water industries will aggravate the water related problems.
On the other hand there is a gradual stripping away of the traditional wisdom around water. South African traditional culture like any other traditional pre-industrial cultures deeply respects water, water rituals are part of any ceremonies. Water is an integral part of nature with an innate intelligence of its own.
While the current industrial context has to be taken into account, it is imperative that all water development and water use designs become aware of the live consciousness of water, uphold the sacredness of water at the same time see how obsolete science and technologies hat abuse water be reconsidered.
Education building critical awareness around Water use
An active public awareness can thus challenge industries based on any unsustainable abuse of water causing more depletion of water source as well as polluting waters. Public participation on the basis of informed knowledge is the best way to move forward especially when it is something as basic and critical to life as water. Exposure such as that of Dr Emoto's messages from water will inevitably open up new ways of developing water technologies while making a conscious move towards a more sustainable water use in this country.
Smart approaches will emerge embarking on greater water related campaigns and education bringing in the wisdom of the old ways blending it with the possible new solutions embedded in science and technology.
- How do we create public awareness around such an important natural resource, as water?
- How do we make sure that the awareness around water will assist general public to understand how industries and narrow science is polluting our land, our waters?
- How can we expose narrow and short-sighted business that uses old science as a crutch to uphold the greed and profit motives of few interest groups?
ZERI-SA believes that it is only through such public awareness and education that we are able to unlock the new scientific knowledge and blend this with ageless tradition and practices -which has incredible respect to water bodies and water use. We will thus be able to unlock an incredible way forward in terms of changing the behaviours of water guzzling industries such as mining, metals, chemicals as well as water intensive farming operations in this country while enabling challenging breakthroughs in the creation of new affordable and inclusive water use technologies that is sustainable.
Draft Programme:
19 th Arrival Cape Town; 21st th Public Seminar Vineyard Hotel; 22 nd Two Oceans Aquarium Programme Sacred Water ceremony; 23 rd Departure Johannesburg; 24 th The Peech, Rosebank; 25 th Public Seminar Goethe Institute, Johannesburg; 26 th Departure
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Dr Masaru Emoto was born in Japan and is a graduate of the Yokohama Municipal University and the Open International University as a Doctor of Alternative Medicine. His photographs were first featured in his self-published books Messages from Water 1 and 2. The Hidden Messages in Water was first published in Japan, with over 400000 copies sold internationally. His latest book is called Love Thyself: The Message from Water III. |
Hawaiian Healing
Joe Vitale looks into a Hawaiian healing process which utilises the concept of ‘loving yourself'.
Two years ago, I heard about a therapist in Hawaii who cured a complete ward of criminally insane patients - without ever seeing any of them.
The psychologist would study an inmate's chart and then look within himself to see how he created that person's illness. As he improved himself, the patient improved.
‘When I first heard this story, I thought it was an urban legend.
How could anyone heal anyone else by healing himself? How could even the best self-improvement master cure the criminally insane? It didn't make any sense. It wasn't logical, so I dismissed the story.
‘However, I heard it again a year later. I heard that the therapist had used a Hawaiian healing process called ho ‘oponopono. I had never heard of it, yet I couldn't let it leave my mind. If the story was at all true, I had to know more.
I had always understood ‘total responsibility' to mean that I am responsible for what I think and do. Beyond that, it's out of my hands. I think that most people think of total responsibility that way. We're responsible for what we do, not what anyone else does - but that's wrong.
‘The Hawaiian therapist who healed those mentally ill people would teach me an advanced new perspective about total responsibility. His name is Dr Ihaleakala Hew Len. We probably spent an hour talking on our first phone call. I asked him to tell me the complete story of his work as a therapist.
He explained that he worked at Hawaii State Hospital for four years.
That ward where they kept the criminally insane was dangerous.
Psychologists quit on a monthly basis. The staff called in sick a lot or simply quit. People would walk through that ward with their backs against the wall, afraid of being attacked by patients. It was not a pleasant place to live, work, or visit.
‘Dr Len told me that he never saw patients. He agreed to have an office and to review their files. While he looked at those files, he would work on himself. As he worked on himself, patients began to heal.
‘After a few months, patients that had to be shackled were being allowed to walk freely,' he told me. ‘Others who had to be heavily medicated were getting off their medications. And those who had no chance of ever being released were being freed.' I was in awe. 'Not only that,' he went on, ‘but the staff began to enjoy coming to work.
Absenteeism and turnover disappeared. We ended up with more staff than we needed because patients were being released, and all the staff was showing up to work. Today, that ward is closed.' ‘This is where I had to ask the million dollar question: ‘What were you doing within yourself that caused those people to change?' ‘I was simply healing the part of me that created them,' he said. I didn't understand. Dr Len explained that total responsibility for your life means that everything in your life- simply because it is in your life - is your responsibility. In a literal sense the entire world is your creation.
‘Whew. This is tough to swallow. Being responsible for what I say or do is one thing. Being responsible for what everyone in my life says or does is quite another. Yet, the truth is this: if you take complete responsibility for your life, then everything you see, hear, taste, touch, or in any way experience is your responsibility because it is in your life. This means that terrorist activity, the president, the economy or anything you experience and don't like - is up for you to heal. They don't exist, in a manner of speaking, except as projections from inside you. The problem isn't with them, it's with you, and to change them, you have to change you.
‘I know this is tough to grasp, let alone accept or actually live.
Blame is far easier than total responsibility, but as I spoke with Dr Len, I began to realise that healing for him and in ho ‘oponopono means loving yourself.
‘If you want to improve your life, you have to heal your life. If you want to cure anyone, even a mentally ill criminal you do it by healing you.
I asked Dr Len how he went about healing himself. What was he doing, exactly, when he looked at those patients' files? ‘I just kept saying, ‘I'm sorry' and ‘I love you' over and over again,' he explained.
‘That's it?' ‘That's it.' ‘Turns out that loving yourself is the greatest way to improve yourself, and as you improve yourself, you improve your world.
‘Let me give you a quick example of how this works: one day, someone sent me an email that upset me. In the past I would have handled it by working on my emotional hot buttons or by trying to reason with the person who sent the nasty message.
‘This time, I decided to try Dr Len's method. I kept silently saying, I'm sorry' and ‘I love you,' I didn't say it to anyone in particular. I was simply evoking the spirit of love to heal within me what was creating the outer circumstance.
‘Within an hour I got an e-mail from the same person. He apologized >for his previous message. Keep in mind that I didn't take any outward action to get that apology. I didn't even write him back. Yet, by saying ‘I love you,' I somehow healed within me what was creating him.
‘I later attended a ho ‘oponopono workshop run by Dr Len. He's now 70 years old, considered a grandfatherly shaman, and is somewhat reclusive. He praised my book, The Attractor Factor. He told me that as I improve myself, my book's vibration will raise, and everyone will feel it when they read it. In short, as I improve, my readers will improve.
‘What about the books that are already sold and out there?' I asked.
‘They aren't out there,' he explained, once again blowing my mind with his mystic wisdom. ‘They are still in you.' In short, there is no out there. It would take a whole book to explain this advanced technique with the depth it deserves.
‘Suffice It to say that whenever you want to improve anything in your life, there's only one place to look: inside you. When you look, do it with love.' It's the attraction factor - like attracts like - his God-self was so strong that it attracted the God-self in others.' http://www.drcat.org/articles_interviews/html/hotfudge.html
http://hooponopono.org/Articles/self_i-dentity.html
http://hooponopono.org/Articles/theres_got_to_be.html
Also see the book ‘Self I-Dentity Through Ho'oponopono'
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If you want to solve a problem, no matter what kind of problem, work on yourself. —Ihaleakala Hew Len (pictured opposite) |
The Ballad of the Battle of Talana
Judith Küsel relects on the Zulu War with this poem.
When Tommy the call of Empire heard
a vision of Glory was born in his heart,
he waved his goodbyes with a song and a yell:
to the green shores of England he kissed his farewell!
Refrain:
O, dream the great dream, the African dream,
where the glitter of gold is not what it seems -
the heat and the dust, the veldt and the flies: -
the sun beats down from African skies!
As the ship left the harbour his heart skipped a beat
too late now to even think of retreat!
His heart must now beat to the call of the drum
to a dream of medals under the African sun.
He trekked over mountains, a land fierce and hard,
with bitter cold nights and bright evening stars,
by day the fierce sun burning red in his neck
but the song in his heart said: “o what the heck!”
At last camp was struck and not one Boer in sight,
The flagging young men thanked God for respite.
The evening draft was taken with glee
as they toasted the pretty young girls in Dundee!
The night was black and swirling with mist,
and Tommy was dreaming of a girl that he kissed….
When rudely awakened by a boom and a blast: -
“O, God, its the Boers!” and the dye was cast!
The wail of the pipes and the beat of the drum,
with mist-shrouded hills, forbidding and glum.
The officers were mounted and orders were given
like ghosts in the mist the soldiers were driven!
“Run to Smith's cottage!” rang the command,
“Then conquer the hill where the Boers have their stand!”
His gun weighed a ton, and fear blurred his sight
as his heart pounded and leapt in his fright.
Shots kept resounding - no respite and no rest
the rocks gave no shelter but they tried their best!
As the cries of the wounded filled the air…
came commands to move forward - no time for fear!
Midst the scrub-grass and rocks Tommy's body was found
with his life-blood slowly staining the ground……
Under African skies they dug him a grave
no gold or medal for the service he gave.
Restless dear Tommy still roams through the mist,
looking for gold and the maiden he kissed………
(Written with a poets Liberty taken in this version. Melody, hauntingly Celtic, dreamt in the
night, recorded, noted and wrote down.)
As a tribute to Colonel Gunning, (an encounter under a tree at Talana, while organizing the ‘Historical Carnival 17 October 1999'. I still avoid that tree), Captain Pechell, Captain Weldon, and others, who paid the highest price at Talana: - also the Piet Retief Commando, commanded by my great-uncle, two great-grandfathers who fought here, as well as a another relative, Anton Prigge who died at Talana.
Steven Harrison, international speaker and author of ‘Doing Nothing: Coming to the End of the Spiritual Search', responds to the ‘Consciousness Coaching' article in the Odyssey Aug / Sept '06 print edition.
I feel that there is an exploration in this area, however it is usually missed entirely. Here is what I mean: there is something moving and creating, and it is not entirely clear (at least to me) whether there is a more to it then just the occurrence/manifestation. We typically view this movement from the ‘me' that is made up of what we are aware of, constructed into concept. This is the psychic realm you are talking about, where the ‘me' touches on something beyond and attempts to use it for its own purposes, etc. But I would suggest that there is the ‘me', the striving of the ‘me' to use what is beyond, and there is what is beyond using me, including the part of me striving to use the beyond. The investigation then is not about the ‘me', but about the beyond. This happens when we really are interested in the not-me,(regardless of the me, but including that, regardless).
In terms of business training then, it is not to train to manipulate the universe to hit the widget sales goals, but rather to train to see the universe that is happening all around those sales goals (which is information) and perhaps in understanding something about the directionality, the intensity, the qualities of that 'ex-formation' we would see something about the business that is being entirely missed. The business is like a ‘me', it doesn't really exist outside of the concept of it, and it often forgets that it is imbedded and interrelated in a community.
This agility to move with life is very different than the strain of trying to create reality against the changing flow of life. I would suggest that it is indeed the creation of reality that the New Agers like to talk about, but it is the creation of the actual reality by ‘life-as-me' regardless of how it might look to the ‘me', to the corporation, to the sales goals. But it also seems to me that this is the only real way for business organisations to stay vital, and in the long run, the only way for them to be sustainable. It is the recognition that the business is an expression of life itself, and asks the question what is life expressing here, not how can I get life to express in a way that is good for my business.
Email InDialog@comcast.net for more.
Dear All at Odyssey Magazine
I have noticed that in the last few editions of Odyssey, there is always a mentioning and or short article on the da Vinci Code, or the facts that surround it. I would like to share something with you and thus state the True facts clearly.
My first encounter with the Divine Spirit of Jeshua in 2002 opened a door to the Godly understanding and is a reliable source of information on the life of Christ, (or Jeshua). In our first set of conversations (published under the title: Speaking with Christ) Jeshua explained the basic foundation of Truth. In later stages he got into great detail of his life and so I would like to share them - in short - with your magazine and its readers, so that the people may know the Truth.
Here are the facts that was given through me:
Jeshua was married to Mary Magdalene. Unlike in the novel, Magdalene was not pregnant with his child at the time of the crucifixion. At the time of his arrest, they already had three children, one being an adoptive daughter he took in from the streets. The other two were in Capernaum during his ordeal. Magdalene bore him two sons. At the time of the crucifixion, his first son was about 9 and the second 6. Sadly his adoptive daughter was arrested and killed at 16 soon after Jeshua's crucifixion.
Magdalene did go to France with the Holy Grail, but this is not the holy bloodline. The Holy Grail is the Wisdom that which the Christ possessed, as so she brought with her the wisdom of her husband, Jeshua.
She did not die in France. She isolated herself in the wilderness for Spiritual Guidance and overcame a Spiritual Rebirth. Thus her old manner of thinking and understanding died. In Brown's novel, this was misinterpreted as 'she died in France". This was only a spiritual death and thus a rebirth. Her physical death was only years later in far off lands to the East.
This information can carry on without end. That is just the basic misinterpreted facts I came across while reading the da Vinci Code. All (or most) information will come through the books I am currently working on.
God Bless
MoonPony
Dear Chris and the Odyssey team
Thanks for a beautiful spiritual magazine. I have been a reader for many years and enjoy the positive energy that your magazine brings into our home. For some time now I have been developing my ideas about establishing a healing light centre in the Western Cape. I have been working on a ‘Prayer of Thanksgiving' which I attach. It would be wonderful if you would be able to publish this so that any of the Odyssey readers who resonate with this can contact me and we can start the ball rolling. I have some ideas as to how the venture will start but the details will be developed as we go along.
I can be contacted at goldenlighthealingcentre@yahoo.co.uk or at
The Golden Light Healing Centre, PO Box 752427, Gardenview, South Africa, 2047
In Love & Light, Mike White
Prayer of Thanksgiving
We speak our word in gratitude for this wonderful opportunity that You have given us to co-create a self-sufficient biodynamic farm and Healing Light Centre.
Thank you Father and all the Dearly Beloved Angels for the blessing of our highly successful self-sufficient biodynamic farm and Healing Light Centre now manifested in or near to Swellendam or other suitable area of the Western Cape.
We give grateful and joyful thanks that You and all the Dearly Beloved Angels are helping us to manifest this biodynamic farm and Healing Light Centre where all who live and work there or come there will be healed physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
A place where people will discover the truth about themselves and life.
We give thanks for the blessings of money, knowledge, skills and whatever else is needed for the farm and Healing Light Centre and that the farm and Healing Light Centre is run in great Love, Joy and Happiness. We give thanks that all the money and other resources come from the participants and that we will not need to have loans from banks, financial institutions or individuals to fund the project and that we will not incur any debts in order to carry out any of the work that we do or services that we perform.
We give thanks that the farm and Healing Light Centre is in a place of light, silence and healing and is a power centre filled with a positive life force energy which is released through the kingdoms of humanity, nature and God in a blend of oneness and attunement.
We give grateful and joyful thanks for sufficient acres of abundantly fertile soil and an abundance of fresh, pure water that will always be available for the farming and domestic consumption from a constantly flowing energy giving river. We give thanks that the energy of the farm and Healing Light Centre is enhanced by a magnificent waterfall on the river. We give thanks for the ability to grow organic fruit and vegetables which are more than sufficient for the needs of the people who live, work and visit there and that the surplus can be supplied to other people who live in the area.
We give thanks for an abundant supply of clay on the farm suitable for the pottery studio, which is established for the therapeutic benefit of visitors making pottery and a source of employment for some of the people who live on the farm.
We give thanks for an abundance of trees of many indigenous varieties, which provide a source of spiritual energy, fuel energy, and for all our other needs like furniture making.
We give thanks that there is a large home on the property, which can be used while we build our cottages and finally becomes a part of the main centre.
We give thanks for the beauty, energy, healing, silence and support of the magnificent hills, mountains and valleys that form a part of the farm and Healing Light Centre and the pure, fresh un-polluted air that heals and energises us.
We give thanks that the wonderful vibration, vitality and healing power of the ocean is a short journey away so that we can benefit from its spiritual presence when we need to but that we are far enough away not to be affected by any of the negative effects like corrosion of metal.
We give grateful and joyful thanks for the blessing of neighbours who think and operate their farms organically as we do with lesser and lesser dependence on machinery and electrical power and telecommunications, using environmentally friendly products so that we are all caretakers for the environment, so that the whole area is one of health, harmony, peace and tranquility operating in conjunction with nature and all the elements so that the farm and Healing Light Centre becomes a part of the healing for all of the land and its people.
We give thanks for Your Love, Guidance and Protection in all of our endeavours and that You guide and direct us at every moment of every day so that we know exactly what to do and say at every moment of every day. And You stretch the time for us so that there is always time for work and play, which brings balance and harmony into our lives.
We give thanks for this wonderful opportunity to be co-creators with You and all the angels and nature spirits in creating the farm and Healing Light Centre as a demonstration of the limitless Love and Truth of the new era.
We give thanks that the farm and Healing Light Centre will manifest in accordance with Your Divine Program and that the whole farm and Healing Light Centre will be fully functional by December 2010.
We give thanks that You lead the right people to us. People with vision and all the necessary resources, talents, skills and ideas that share in our beliefs and dreams for the farm and Healing Light Centre so that we may all share in the Enlightenment, Love, Joy and Happiness that this adventure brings.
Because success is the law of our lives, we prosper and succeed in all that we do.
SO BE IT & SO IT IS
Dear Mr Mbeki,
Handmade goods eg Italian shoes, woven cloth and carpets, handmade clothes and more or less anything else that's handmade and of good or excellent quality is nowadays only available in the domain of the wealthy, generally speaking.
Skills, those of spinning, weaving, leather tanning, food growing and storage, house building, which at one time were in the domain of every man and woman, are now in the hands of mass producers, again generally speaking.
In this country many basic survival and traditional artistic skills, such as pottery, animal husbandry, agriculture, basket weaving, tanning and home building, still exist in some rural areas, but are fast disappearing in favour of the ready made, fast food,
throwaway, massive landfill, pollution problem way of living, as our population moves to the cities with the mistaken view that life will be better there, resulting in 'mass unemployment'.
SA being a relatively new member of the global community, maybe we can avoid the
dreadful mistakes made by many other African countries; encouraged into the wrong kinds of productivity, resulting in greater poverty for their peoples; as has also occurred in Latin America, eg Brazil, where they have suffered abysmal poverty and social breakdown as a result of policies decided on by others than their elected government.
My suggestion is that, as well as opening up our country to tourism and investments from multinationals, we also take the route of training people in all the 'old' skills as something to fall back on, come hard times.
We could create a population able to hand make very expensive leather goods and shoes for sale to the planet's wealthy. Also clothes, cloths, carpets, woollen items, blankets, pottery etc. All with an African slant.
Teaching people to build from locally available materials. There are many innovative building methods being used by builders of housing developments in many parts of the world, which we could learn and, instead of putting in expensive sewerage systems, which create so much dirty useless water, expensive to clean and recycle; we could encourage composting toilets in new housing developments and recycled, on site, grey water. Both, usable in gardens growing food for consumption in the immediate vicinity, saving a lot of fossil fuel in the process. Modern, hygienic designs are in existence for composting toilets and grey water recycling.
Our population would in time be very self-sufficient. While the world economy functions as it does at present, our expensive handmade products would bring tourists and profits and, come hard times... another world
recession, eg no tourists or... better wages for menial workers and a corresponding withdrawal of 'investment' from our country, our people would have all the skills necessary to maintain a good quality of life, not reliant on anything from overseas.
Much less strain on any government. The spectre of 'investment' being withdrawn if you put one foot wrong, does of itself cause much dis-ease. We could be an example to the world, of water conservation and healthy recycling, fuel economy... security, wise governance, happiness.
Some clever PR would be needed, in order not to frighten multinationals into the knee-jerk reactions they tend to have when they think they'll loose any market or profit, but there is always a top advertising company willing to do this. Mrs Thatcher sold herself with help from their likes.
Why not put such a company to creative rather than destructive use? It would be interesting to see what cost the taxpayer would incur, if one did the maths to ascertain what, 'importing' skills people from all over the world, gathering our skilled people and, setting up 'cottage industries' all over SA would amount to in Rands?
Basic skills, those of producing locally, as much as possible of what one needs,
would be the best 'education' (over and above reading, writing and basic arithmetic) a government could give its people. Which is not to say one cannot include modern technology, but is to say, that it is unwise to put all ones eggs in one 'modern development' 'growth' basket.
One computer for each small area - accessible to the people, run off solar or wind generated power, could put the most far flung areas in touch with the whole country etc.
All that's needed is the will from government, a little training on how to run a computer and, of course the technology and Rands.
I believe training people in a multitude of different skills would serve us well and, make it both simpler and cheaper to achieve full employment, rather than dealing with mass unemployment by only looking to foreign investment and big industry, both of which can withdraw as it suits them, whereas, local production, vegetables and skills don't if nurtured.
TO DO LIST
RESOURCES; BIO FUELS, AGRICULTURE: on a small scale - everywhere, even in
the cities - little or no transport costs. Mono-culture could thereby be reduced, as it is so destructive. We could keep it going for export purposes.
SKILLS: Training in a multitude of disciplines - invite crafts people and others
from all over the world to come teach.
TEACH: more people to dry fruit, veggies, meat and fish.
BOTTLED PRESERVES: Expensive ones with liqueurs etc, for selling to tourists.
QUALITY, QUALITY, QUALITY: Made available to the wealthy who visit us and export
the surplus.
WE HAVE GOLD: Why aren't we producing Afro centric designs for the wealthy; why is jewellery made in other countries being sold to tourists coming here, in the form of really kitsch euro centric designs?
WE HAVE WONDERFULLY SKILLED GOLDSMITHS: in this country who struggle to make a living.
They could train young African artists.
AND DE REGULATE GOLD, IT PUTS OFF SO MANY ARTISTS.
PHYSICAL CHALLENGES: for our youth, redirect them away from joining gangs and other anti-social modes of behaviour. We have lost our 'coming of age' rituals and challenges. Time to invent new ones, suited to the modern teenagers mindset... and don't forget the girls, some of them also need physical challenges. Passing exams isn't always enough to express the massive energies prevalent in growing people, which if relieved, give more energy and great happiness.
WHADYA THINK MR PRESIDENT?
Above: Eugene Kolisko – a co-worker of Rudolf Steiner's, who did key research on the potentising of homeopathic medicines.
The Kolisko Conference
Norman Skillen reports on the Kolisko conference held recently.
Why do fairy tales have to have happy endings? In spite of having nagging feelings that in telling such stories we are not quite 'modern' and may be fostering illusions about the true nature of the world, most parents' answer to the question will be based on an instinctive feel for the rightness of the happy ending. Michaela Gloeckler, speaking at an anthroposophical conference held recently at Constantia Waldorf School in Cape Town, was not content with instinct (however sound) as an answer to this question. The answer she gave was medical. She related the happy ending in the fairy tale to the action of lysosomes within the metabolic processes of the body. Lysosomes are free-roaming cells that identify and kill off cells that have outlived their usefulness. The lysosomes break them down and return their components into the bloodstream to be incorporated into new cells, thus re-integrating the death process into the processes of life. It is as if the thought that life exists to overcome death were built into the totality of the human organism. Michaela Gloeckler spoke of the excitement she felt in first hearing about the action of lysosomes during her medical studies, as it confirmed her in the conviction that thought is real. It was only much later, when she was a school doctor in Germany, that she realised that the same thought is active in turning death into life at the end of fairy tales. And with the same result – health.
Such an answer to such a question speaks volumes about the nature of the conference at which it was given. It was one of nine conferences, being held at various places all over the world, and bearing the name of Eugene Kolisko. He was a co-worker of Rudolf Steiner's, and did some key research on the potentising of homeopathic medicines. Much of the knowledge gained from this research of Kolisko and his successors forms the basis of anthroposophical medicine, and has created the range of remedies known worldwide under the names of Weleda and Wala. But Kolisko, in the true spirit of his great teacher, did not confine himself to medicine. From Steiner he learnt inter-disciplinary thinking, long before this became the buzzword it is today. What interested Kolisko were the mutual relationships between education, medicine, agriculture and psychological development. As the resident doctor of the first Waldorf School in Stuttgart, he wrote extensively on the manifold interfaces between these disciplines, leaving a rich legacy of insight and inspiration.
Hence the educational question and its medical answer, with which this article began. Dr Michaela Glockler, in her capacity as head of the Medical Section of the School of Spiritual Science at the Goetheanum in Switzerland, was not only a key speaker at the conference, but was set to attend all nine Kolisko conferences worldwide. In her two addresses to us, beginning with the question of happy endings, she went on to give a composite picture of healthy child development in relation to the Waldorf curriculum. She was able to show that the curriculum seems to have been designed from the very beginning not only to be instructive, but also to promote health. Its proper pedagogical use combined with a sound knowledge of child development leads to the resilient coherence that makes for health. 'Resilient coherence' is the key concept of the new field of sanutology, which concerns itself not with what makes us ill (ie pathology) but with the pre-requisites for health. To become coherent in sanutological terms a human being must have learned, through their development, three things: that the world is manageable, meaningful, and understandable. This trinity corresponds very closely to the three-fold nature of the phases of Waldorf Education, which in turn correspond to the three-fold nature of the human organism. In anthroposophical terms the bodily, soul and spiritual constitution of the human being are all three-fold and all inward or outward expressions of each other. In the developing child, therefore, maturation must be seen as proceeding from the head downwards, which means that while growing up children are also 'growing down'. Upon this background, Dr Gloeckler showed how manageability is learned in the kindergarten through active play (informed by happy endings). Active play is the process by which the neuro-sensory aspect of the threefold human organism, centred in the head, is matured. Meaningfulness is the province of the primary school and is learnt through the education of the feelings in the encounter with beauty and rhythm. This is also the means by which the 'growing down' process brings the respiratory-circulatory system to a mature state of health. Listening to the examples Dr Gloeckler gave of how this happens one could feel that Steiner's original injunction to class teachers – namely that their primary task is to harmonise breathing with circulation – is becoming steadily more concrete. Understandability, the third requirement in the sanutological trinity, is learned in the high school through the nurturing of the ability to think. Through thinking and the encounter with truth the growing down process is completed and the maturation of the metabolic system takes place. On first hearing, this was a rather startling idea, but the analogy between the cognitive analysis and synthesis that goes on in the high school and the processes of digestion soon made this clear.
Having thus received, from Michaela Gloeckler, an ideal picture of healthy development, Kim Payne, a gymnast and educational psychologist from the USA, led us into a dark forest of deviations from this ideal. His main concern was to give us tools with which to look behind the labels that are put upon so many children nowadays: all those 'Ds' of various kinds – ADHD , ODD , ADD , and a whole host of others. In doing so he treated us to a dazzling display of diagnostic insights, not only describing the conditions and how they arise, but also suggesting ways to remedy them without resorting to Ritalin. He described how in modern children, through the breakdown of households and the parental skills that go with them, and through negative influences from various media – to name but two of the hurdles modern children have to negotiate – certain reflex reactions that normally disappear during the healthy maturation of the neuro-sensory system persist into later years. Children who carry such trauma will be neither resilient nor coherent, and the better teachers are equipped to recognise the behavioural symptoms of such children, the greater chance they will have of being able to nudge them towards coherence. The traumatised child will react with an 'archaic reflex' where the resilient child will respond appropriately, maintain low-grade vigilance instead of being able to relax, baulk at novelty instead of enjoying it, feel socially isolated through the expectation of fixed routines instead of being able to engage socially, have a fixation on the negative rather than being able to 'bracket' it, not be able to take praise, and feel disassociation rather than empathy. Such children do not feel alive unless archaic-style stimulation is happening, and if it isn't they will take steps to make sure that it is. Thus they become nuisance-makers.
Kim Payne then took us inside the (three-fold) human brain and showed how in the 'nuisance-maker's' brain the oldest part (the amygdulla) will be over-riding the activity of the frontal lobes for most of the day. In any given class one third are likely to be frontal-lobe active (ie resilient), one third amygdulla-active, and the rest swinging between. The teacher's task is to find a way of managing this.
To deepen our understanding of this situation, he introduced a further idea: the quirk. All children, in that they are individual spiritual beings, bring certain 'soul-quirks' with them. As the child grows up these quirks will be subjected to stresses and strains. In the classroom situation described above, the more stress can be removed from the situation, the easier it will be to manage. In giving his reason for this, Kim Payne made one of the most original contributions to the whole conference. He offered a psychological equation with vast educational implications: quirk + stress = disorder. He then revealed to us a table, entitled 'the Stress Continuum': the busy child, subjected to stress will be ADHD , subjected to harmony will be dynamic; the dreamy child will be either aimless or inspired; the steadfast child explosive (ODD) or courageous; the sensitive child depressed or compassionate; the methodical child obsessive or incisive. In this way we can begin to look behind the labels toward the coherent human beings our children should be. Moreover, in the cause of nurturing coherence it obviously behoves the modern teacher to eliminate stress from the school day as far as possible. Kim made a number of suggestions as to how to do this, both pedagogical and practical. In terms of classroom management, one of his suggestions was radical for the ears of Waldorf teachers: namely, that our classrooms should contain less stuff, less 'aesthetic' clutter, less fuel for distractions. He also suggested that we should do the same with the timetable, by eliminating the short (45 minute) subject lesson and organising the day in rhythmical blocks.
What has been said so far about Kim Payne only scratches the surface of the rich store of insights he brought to the conference, but for the sake of balance, albeit partial, this account must move on to the contribution made by Dr. Robert Gorter. Suffice it to say that Kim gave us ample proof that the anthroposophical worldview is alive and well and fully equipped to take on the 21 st century.
Dr Gorter, from the Netherlands, spoke about the spiritual background of epidemics, especially AIDS (which together with TB formed a thematic thread running through many of the conference's 40+ workshops). Speaking with great wit and humour, he described very matter-of-factly how large-scale existential fear can create a pool of darkness in the Earth's aura; this in turn becomes a demonic being which forms the basis of an epidemic. For instance, it was the existential fear caused by the incursions of Ghengis Khan into Europe that created the spiritual conditions for the bubonic plague epidemics of the Middle Ages. At that time epidemics were bacterial in origin, and since then there has been a shift to viral epidemics. Bacterial infections are hot and intense (ie 'Luciferic' in spiritual terms), whereas viral infections are 'cold' and protractedly chronic (ie 'Ahrimanic'). It is also a fact that epidemics now attack us through different channels than formerly. This has to do with changes in consciousness and the associated approach to hygiene. Our awareness of hygiene represents a refusal to feed the demonic being, which therefore cannot work upon us through the medium of air or water. Instead it chooses the channel of pleasure, and hence all the major modern epidemics are sexually transmitted, AIDS , of course, being the most drastic of these.
He went on to speak of the immune system, showing that it represents the egoism of the body, since it exists to protect the body's integrity against the incursions of foreign organisms. The condition we are in now at this stage in the spiritual history of humanity – ie isolated in the body – is the opposite of how things are in the spiritual world, where everything interpenetrates. He drew an illuminating distinction between 'ego' and 'ego organisation'. Whereas the ego is pure spirit, the ego organisation is in direct connection with the body, through being the spiritual ego's representation in the soul-constitution of man. It is the ego organisation which is the armour of the immune system. To expose oneself to the danger of AIDS is to risk the undermining of the ego-organisation.
It followed very clearly from Robert Gorter's presentation that the way to combat AIDS is to have a school system that fosters resilient coherence, in the sense put forward by Michaela Gloeckler. Thus the discursive circle of the conference was closed in a very satisfying way. The last of the key speakers – Michael Grimley of the Constantia Waldorf School – intensified this impression by addressing the subject of self-development as an every-day activity of the individual teacher. From this it became clear that to meet the challenges of the conference nothing less will do than the realisation that being a teacher is a path of initiation. To travel this path is to meet the daily trials by fire, by water and by air, all of which were given specific practical meanings, and to move gradually towards a condition in which we have no goals, no expectations of acknowledgement, and no ambition – a condition of selfless will, in which we at last discover our true individuality.
This was a profound note upon which to end a conference so abundant in spiritual riches. It will be a long time before we see anything quite like it in Cape Town.
Norman Skillen
Born in Belfast 1950, has been living in Cape Town since 1999, and is currently a high school teacher in Constantia Waldorf School. He teaches drama and literature, with some geography, biology and music. He was trained as a Waldorf teacher in Germany where he lived for seventeen years, working in teacher training. There he also did a part-time training in creative speech. Other strings to his bow include storytelling and clowning. He is also something of a singer, mostly of traditional Irish songs, and these have been heard in Cape Town in various shows he has put on with his musical partner Michael Toye. Recently he has been known to appear in the line-up of the band Hot Water - as a blues piano player. Last year he collaborated with Dave Ledbetter and Ronan Skillen in combining spoken poetry with jazz. He has published articles in Cape Town publications including the Anthroposophical Review and Biophile. Contact jenormous@skillen.wcape.school.za for more
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Above: Stellenbosch Waldorf Class three house building main lesson: Lynedoch eco-village (2005)
Above Right: Stellenbosch Waldorf class three farming main lesson: grape pressing at Groenvlei biodynamic wine farm
Waldorf Children's house building lesson
Margaret Laubser, a parent of a student at the Stellenbosch Waldorf School, reports on a class three house building lesson.
On the day when the Stellenbosch Waldorf Class three children drove off to Lynedoch to experience and learn to build with clay, little did they know that they would also carry out another important task.
When arriving excitedly in the grounds of the Lynedoch Creche, Primary School and the Sustainability Institute, the children quickly sped off around the area to orientate themselves. After rounding them up, their teacher Tina Coombes introduced them to Luke Boshier and his team with his builder, Conrad. The class was quickly set to work, grating dry clay mounds to form smaller particles. Then it was time for a snack and climbing the expansive Ficus trees.
It was after break-time when the alchemy began. The smaller clay particles were transferred onto a plastic tarpaulin and adding some soil and straw to the mixture, the eager young bare feet waited the sensation of the water to be added. With squeals of delight they squelched, oozed, stamped and mixed the clay into mortar.
The mortar was then transferred to the building site, where Luke and Conrad were waiting to begin building the first line of clay bricks, produced on site, for Stephen Forder's eco-village home.
Little hands proudly took up the challenge, and with great reverence placed the clay mortar on the foundation under Luke's kind guidance. There was the mortar, lying in wait for the first layer of clay bricks. Everyone seemed to stop for a minute. And them almost ceremoniously, Luke handed the first golden, sun baked loaf to Conrad. Conrad considered this piece of earth in his hands and told the children that this was the first time he was to build with these bricks.
Conrad laid the clay brick on the bed of mortar and as it nestled into place the children engaged in the process, and began helping Conrad, as he laid his golden path. Supportive little hands and experienced larger ones worked together smoothing the clay, filling gaps and then laying new mortar for the next row. The children became aware of the rhythm and marvelled at the progress.
Suddenly Conrad looked up beaming and said to Luke, 'I feel twelve years old again,' he laughed, 'I am making friends with the clay.' Luke considered Conrad for a moment and answered, 'That's exactly what I hoped you would say'.
And below that moment of knowing, the children, focussed on their task at hand, were unaware that they had been facilitators in an initiation - they did not need to know, but Conrad knew. A while later they all stood back with clay freckled faces, to inspect the wall they had built together, and they were well pleased.
A resounding thank you was heard from the children to Luke, Conrad, Chris, Kerneels and Oupa. Luke extended an open invitation for the children to build with his team, anytime. O Contact claubser@iafrica.com for more.
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The Syringa Anthroposophical Health Centre: Home to the Syringa Child Clinic
The Syringa Health Centre in Plumstead Cape Town is the home for the only anthroposophical medical clinic in South Africa. It is here in this community orientated centre for integrated health and therapy, that anthroposophical medicine is practised.
Anthroposophically integrated medicine is an extension of conventional bio-medicine. It forms a broad medical framework into which other therapeutic systems including homeopathy, naturopathy and acupuncture can be integrated. A medical practitioner trained in conventional and anthroposophically integrated medicine runs his family practice from the centre. Because Anthroposophy is based on a view of the human being as a living body, soul and spirit, both in health and illness, the diagnostic assessment will necessarily explore the health of each patient on the physical, emotional and spiritual levels. Viewing the whole person as a unique individual, with a unique life history in an unique environment allows for the discovery of the deeper causes of illness. A range of diagnostic techniques and procedures are also made use of. These include body awareness expressive techniques, live blood analysis, cellular health analysis and conventional in-house lab tests. The therapeutic intention is to facilitate the innate healing power present in every patient so as to enhance health on all levels and to help patients take greater responsibility for their lives. This is done by careful selection of a variety of therapeutic options: Natural medicines – derived from mineral, metal, plant and animal substances and applied according to the principles of anthroposophical medicine; Nutritional support – using nutritional supplementation and intravenous therapy or referral to the centre's holistic nutritionist; Psychophonetic Counselling – combining patient centred conversational counselling with non verbal dynamic body expressive therapy; Other integrated therapeutic interventions that include Homeopathy, Acupuncture, Ozone Therapy, Magnet Therapy, Colonic Hydrotherapy and Craniosacral therapy; Referral to other anthroposophically orientated therapists such us therapeutic eurythmist, rhythmical massage therapist and art therapist.
The Syringa Centre is also home to the Syringa Child Clinic. This is an holistic child clinic based on an anthroposophical understanding of the child. It is specifically dedicated to the care and support of vulnerable and sensitive children and adolescents whose sensitivity manifests through physical or emotional reactive syndromes. These include
Attention Deficit /Hyperactivity Disorder, Learning difficulties, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Anxiety-Depression Disorders, Addictive Behaviour Disorders, Eating Disorders, Disruptive Behaviour Disorders, Food Sensitivities, Allergies, Asthma
One in every four children are highly sensitive and belong to a spectrum of hypersensitivity which range from functionally sensitive children to highly dysfunctional autistic children.
The functionally sensitive child is a normal variation of typically developing children who express their sensitivity without significant disruption to their everyday life.
The sensory dysfunctional child has moderate or severe sensory dysfunction which results in physical, emotional, behavioural or social disturbances requiring some form of remedial action. Reactive syndromes in this group (which may spill over into other groups) include ADD/ADDH, learning difficulties, auditory, speech and visual disturbances, digestive, sleep, immune and allergic dysfunctions as well as psycho-emotional disturbances including anxiety, depression, eating disorders and addictions.
Children with autistic spectrum disorder that includes Asperger's syndrome and childhood autism, have very intense sensitivity levels leading to disordered social interaction , behaviour and learning difficulties.
Some sensitive children will express their sensitivity only physically with allergic syndromes, digestive dysfunctions, and other common physical symptomatology.
All are highly sensitive children who lack protective boundaries and whose varied reactions are attempts to protect themselves.
There is naturally a wide overlap between these groupings. The unique personality and temperament of the child will determine the specific reactive syndrome expressed.
Sensitivity as the central feature of this Hypersensitivity Spectrum Disorder is treated in a multidimensional way by a team of professional experts. An integrative approach using multi-supportive interventions is considered more effective than single therapies. The child may enter the treatment plan via the medical doctor, nutritionist, psychologist or therapist but will be referred to other members of the clinical team for broader assessment and supportive therapy as and when needed. The child and guardians are regarded as respected partners in the treatment programme and where possible will be invited to work together with the therapeutic team.
Parents are strongly recommended to engage actively with the treatment programme to ensure the most positive outcome. Parent coaching and counselling are actively encouraged.
An holistic assessment of the child and his/her environment is conducted by one or more members of the clinical team. The therapeutic programme involves on the one hand strengthening the child nutritionally, with natural medication, through counselling or creative therapies, on the other hand, by favourably changing the child's environment by bedroom planning, pets, home structure, care of the care-givers, educational choices and so on. Wherever possible the child's teacher who is a vital partner in the child's formative life, is invited to play an active role in the therapeutic programme.
The Syringa child clinic is also in close alliance with the Kolisko Forum. This is a working group comprising doctors, teachers and therapists who are inspired to work together out of a common anthroposophical view of the child. Workshops are held at regular intervals to explore the most burning child issues of the modern day. This forum grew out of the highly successful Kolisko Conference that was held at the Waldorf School in Cape Town in April 2006. ( Eugene Kolisko was the first school doctor who was an active staff member of the first Waldorf School in Germany in 1921).
The Syringa Health Centre serves as the resource centre for the Syringa Child Clinic. Apart from the care of the child, it also hosts a library of child health literature, offers support groups and intends in the near future to run seminars for parents and teachers on many aspects that affect vulnerable children.
Raoul Goldberg, www.syringahealth.co.za
Rehab for Yogis
Brigitta Gaylard explains how she found out that, while yoga is an excellent practice, you might still need to see a doctor for the injuries that it reveals.
My mother has always said: ‘Beware my girl. Women fall in love with their priests and their gynaecologists.' Times must have changed as I have fallen in love with my builder and my chiropractor. My builder arrives on site every day, even if it's raining just to let me know he won't be arriving, has not run off with the deposit, and has executed a carpentry job on my 1921 oregan pine house that must rival the perfection of Jesus' when he still walked the earth.
The chiropractor is a longer story. Granted, not being Pinocchio, my body wasn't as easy to fix as the old house. In fact, the reason I started doing yoga was because it ached in pained in such a way that my friends accused me of being a wannabe geriatric. I watched in awe my 76-year-old yoga teacher, Isabel Rogers, flipping over into backbends, elevating up into the headstand and folding her body in half with as much ease a folding an A4 sheet of paper. And I thought yes, I want to be a geriatric – like her.
Thus it was to my utmost consternation that she found she had to bear increasing agony in her left knee and finally submit to the knife for a knee replacement operation. Around about this time, our beloved principle and another doyen of yoga both had hip replacement operations and the inevitable question arose: Why, if most people come to yoga because they have pain or injuries in their bodies, after 30 odd years of practicing it are these joints giving out? At around the same time I was repeatedly putting my back out and eventually put my neck out so badly I couldn't turn my head. I also, by the way, had fallen down our beautiful high gloss oregan pine steps and off my bicycle in that short space of time (no, I was not riding my bicycle down the steps), but continued teaching and doing yoga through all of this in the firm belief that it was a cure-all and that there was nothing yoga couldn't fix.
I truly thank God that around this time I met my network chiropractor. He was doing a locum at the clinic I normally go to but we hit it off instantly as he had been practising yoga for 4 years in Kenya before moving back to Durban with his wife and small daughter. Here was a Doctor of chiropractics who had a fundamental understanding of yoga. What a find. For the first time we really discussed the notion of strength vs flexibility. Not to mention what exactly is ‘becoming more flexible'. The idea of optimal flexibility is not really familiar to the average yogi. Most yogis I know understand the concept of maximum flexibility but not optimal flexibility. There is a war waged between long lean muscle tissue and short strong muscle tissue. My yoga teacher firmly maintains that gym is incompatible with yoga for this reason and that once you have your flexibility strength will come. Thus, you will be able to hold the posture longer and work deeper into the posture. However, if you are hyper mobile, like I am, it is possible that there is a slip twixt the cup and the lip (in my case between the 8 th and 9 th thoracic vertebra: fortunately not a disc, just a slight variation off neutral).
The reality is that unless the work one does with one's body is remedial, or corrective, one will actually reinforce the anomalies or injuries one has come into yoga carrying, and not actually correct them. This is where Dr Nell comes in. With a combination of remedial exercises, network chiropractics, cranial-sacral chiropractics and good old fashioned massage he has coaxed those recalcitrant muscles to surrender their vice-like grip and just relax. My friend Nadine Raal has always maintained: ‘Every girl needs a good chiropractor.' Well, now I know why. The flexibility gained by doing a lot of yoga also increases the elasticity of tendons, which join bone to bone between the vertebral discs. Unless one is holding the root lock (moola bandha) and abdominal lock (uddiyana bandha) while in motion throughout the entire pose, or asana, the bones of the spinal column are not being supported and there may be hyper mobility between the vertebral bones, thus causing repeated back strain.
If one is serious about one's body, listen to it. Have a conversation with it. If it is screaming out in pain, don't ignore it. Go and see your doctor. As my yoga teacher has always maintained: Yoga does not give you injuries, it reveals the injuries you already have so that you and your doctor and deal with them.
WHAT IS ‘NETWORK CHIROPRACTICS'?
This is a system of gentle touch that is carried out on the body while one is lying on one's stomach on a massage bed in doctor's rooms. Gentle music is usually playing. It is so unlike the snapping of necks and Heimlich-like manoeuvres which we have come to expect from the chiropractors rooms, which some people have questioned whether the chiropractor is doing anything at all. These doubts are quickly dispelled when the evident and almost immediate results of the session are felt in the body. Between deep breathing and gentle suggestion from the hands of the chiropractor, the spine learns to align itself. The breath work involved and the notion of alignment is wonderfully compatible with the system of Iyengar-based yoga (which stresses alignment, balance and breathing techniques) prevalent today.
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WHO IS JACOB NELL & BRIGITTA GAYLARD? Dr Nell completed his B Chir cum laude at Durban Tech Nikon and proceeded to move to Kenya where he studied yoga. He is doubly gifted in that he has been able to pursue his passion for healing people in an almost supernatural way through a conventional and widely accepted system of medicine. He practises from his rooms in Westville, Durban, and is contactable on 083 797 3389. Brigitta (pictured below) is a Yoga Teacher who has been teaching at the Windsor Tennis Club hall in Glenwood, Durban for the last 4 years. She has had an interesting life, teaching art at matric level for 6½ years and marking examinations at a national level before moving on to becoming a commercial and fine art photographer in her own right. She is contactable on or 084 409 7767 |
Timothy Freke and the Kruiskerk Connection
‘Kruiskerk stands for an Authentic Spirituality — as — a way of life. Drawing from the past on the canvas of modern findings of many disciplines, we could now set to explore a ‘new' spiritual irruption; one that leaves religious commitment diminishing while millions throughout the world seek meaning and nourishment in a range of new contexts, many of which transcend, avoid and even abandon the religious certainty of bygone days,' says Terblanche Jordaan.
Kruiskerk was born from the same question that Hameed Ali (aka AH Almaas) asks in ‘The Elixir of Enlightenment' – ‘if so many people have been trying so hard for so many centuries to achieve ‘realisation' (for the lack of a better word), why do so few succeed?'
Since the birth of Post-Modernism (probably after Hiroshima and Auschwitz) we have noticed the inevitable divorce between organised religion and an open and inclusive spirituality. Ken Wilber is more optimistic in this regard and feels that the world's religions have such a tremendous influence on the worldview of the majority of the earth's population, and therefore should work from this privileged position to address some of the biggest conflicts we face by adopting a more integral view and thus effectively responding to modern and post-modern critiques. According to Wilber (and he has made a huge contribution in this field) the great religions should act as facilitators of human development – from mythic belief to rational science to transformational object relations psychology - as Almaas suggested in a variety of his books.
Within the above mentioned framework, Kruiskerk has fulfilled the yearning for many Afrikaans speaking people who do not feel comfortable anymore within their predominantly reformed background. They could no longer grow, expand or nurture their own spirituality and relationship with the Divine if organised religion wants to dictate from a moral totem how we should live our faith, love, essence, presence and consciousness. People have not lost their believe in a God or Ultimate Life Force but they seriously doubt the relevance and guidance of organised religion.
For Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy this has become a quest as their response to the pernicious idea that God writes books and that some people could have the Absolute Truth while, according to these religious fundamentalism, others are lost and condemned by the God of Love that they so eagerly proclaim. Timothy Freke calls it ‘The Spiritual Resurrection' while we in Kruiskerk call it: ‘The Civil Rights Movement of the Soul' .
‘The Laughing Jesus' (Freke & Gandy) is a manifesto for Gnostic mysticism and with his contribution in various books and articles, Timothy Freke has establish himself as probably the best teacher on early Gnosticism and its influence within mainstream Christianity — not only for the first century after Jesus but also within the rebirth of Gnosticism the last couple of years.
He speaks with authority on the subject matter and their critique of literalist religion is damningly severe but never an attack on the existence of God. As co-author of ‘The Jesus Mysteries' and ‘Jesus and the Lost Goddess' he feels very passionate about the reinterpretation of Gnostic Spirituality.
The questions that Timothy Freke continuously asks are the same as the question from the first paragraph: what if there is a way to free us from the ‘ us-versus-them' world that our religions have created and what if it is possible to truly love our neighbors — and even our enemies?
What if it is possible to awaken to a profound state of oneness and love, which the Gnostic Christians symbolised by the enigmatic figure of the laughing Jesus?
Many visitors to Kruiskerk will ask why in principle we still remain Christian based and loyal to the teaching of Jesus? The same question was posed to Freke on which he replied : ‘I think we focused in on Christianity particularly because we felt it was our own culture,' Freke said, ‘and because it seemed very stuck. It seemed determined to say it was different, and it had a unique claim on truth. Our gut feeling was, ‘That can't be right. Truth is something human and universal.'
‘What it's done,' Freke said, ‘is completely transform our understanding of Christianity. Its message is not tied to belief in a historical event, so that you either believe it happened, or you don't — and if you believe it, you're saved, and if not, you're damned. What we've discovered is that the message of original Christianity was far deeper than that. It was about, for the original Christians, becoming a Christ oneself.'
‘The great tragedy of literalist Christianity, which focuses on the historical Jesus, is that it ends up dividing itself from everyone else and we end up with these horrendous religious divisions that have bedeviled the world,' he continued. ‘Christians are not united. Baptists hate Methodists and Methodists hate Catholics and round and round it goes, because each one has their version of Jesus. (But) once you understand it as a myth, everyone can have their version of Jesus because it's about finding a relationship with a mythic archetype, not arguing over history.'
Although he has written extensively on Gnosticism in the sense of the ancient religious movement, he also uses the term ‘Gnosticism' in a much broader sense to describe his mystical approach, in the etymological sense of ‘knower'. This is contrasted with ‘Literalism', or rigid dogmatic religious belief, which he criticises as a dangerous force in today's world, in particular in its Fundamentalist form. Although dismissed as ‘anti-Christian' by religious conservatives, his work has attracted many progressive Christians, and it is not unusual to find Christian priests attending his seminars, along with many others of various faiths or none.
At Kruiskerk we also do not teach or practice the dualistic approach of earlier Gnosticism but recognise the influence and essence of what early Christian Gnostics understood and wrote about the Christ Consciousness as something much bigger as the trap to be caught up in the historical Jesus – ie his form and definition as if his physical body should save you from eternal damnation and fire, as if his physical body should become the way and the truth and the life eternal?
Our understanding of the Christ's message is that we are all One. The purpose of life is to awaken and personally experience this knowledge (this Gnosis as a divine knowing). Until 1947, when a group of ancient manuscripts were discovered near Nag Hammadi in Egypt, little was known about the mystic Christian groups known as the Gnostics. The only information came from orthodox writers, usually in the form of a polemic. The discovery of the actual Gnostic texts allowed the mystics to speak for themselves for the first time in nearly 2000 years.
The Gnostic tradition is now revealed to be widespread, he added, and has its own take on matters. ‘It's about listening to the losers (the Gnostics),' said Freke. ‘We've listened to the winners, and their story doesn't make any sense. So let's listen to the losers and see if their story makes more sense. And we think it does.'
Still, Timothy Freke does not dismiss Christianity outright. ‘The Christ story is the foundation story of our culture in the West,' he said . ‘Having said that it's a myth, the next question becomes, “What does it mean, and can it still be useful to us spiritually?” And for us, the answer is definitely yes.'
‘Everything is prone to change. The world is an illusion. The resurrection is the revelation of what is, and the transformation of things, and a transition into newness. Flee from the divisions and the fetters, and already you have the resurrection.'
Although the Gnostics saw the resurrection as an allegory, they did not see it as unreal. On the contrary, to the initiated the mystical experience of spiritual resurrection was more real than the so-called reality of normal consciousness. Epictetus teaches: ‘You are a fragment torn from God. You have a portion of Him within you.'
A Gnostic hymn to be sung on the ‘great day of supreme initiation' , beseeches Jesus: ‘Come unto us, for we are Thy fellow-members, Thy limbs. We are all one with Thee. We are one and the same, and Thou art one and the same.' (From ‘The Jesus Mysteries'1999)
Even if you do not agree with him on his Gnostic views, and you may even decide not to be a disciple of his writings — but you will walk out his lecture and maybe for the first time in your life be challenged to think for yourself — that by itself could be the dawn of the great rebirth where we could all become part of this ‘civil rights movement of the soul' and maybe — just maybe we will leave the world a better place than the way we received it.
Soli Deo Gloria (To the glory of God alone)
Global Water Foundation Established To Aid Worldwide Water &
Health Initiatives
Superstars of Sports and Entertainment Join Campaign To Raise International Awareness and Funding.
Recently in London, the sports and entertainment celebrity spotlight shone
on a new worldwide organisation dedicated to ensuring that every human
community has access to clean, sanitary water. A host of international tennis
icons gathered at Wimbledon to introduce the Global Water Foundation (GWF),
recently founded by two-time Australian Open Champion and defending Wimbledon
Senior Doubles Champion Johan Kriek.
Kriek, a native of South Africa, created the GWF after attending meetings
of the World Economic Forum in Cape Town last year. Visiting schools and
communities in impoverished nations and witnessing the conditions firsthand
prompted him to act and enlist some high-profile friends in the sports and
entertainment industry for help.
‘I was taken by the sense of urgency expressed by world leaders to find
solutions to the problem, not only in Africa but other parts of the
developing world,' said Kriek. ‘A source of healthy water is a fundamental
right to everyone on earth, and there is so much the international community
can do to help where the need is greatest.'
Tennis legends John McEnroe, Martina Navratilova and Jim Courier, and
other sports superstars including Olympic swimmers Aaron Peirsol, Janet
Evans, Kate Ziegler and Tara Kirk have pledged their support to serve as
‘Clean Water Ambassadors' in order to deliver the message of the GWF to a
worldwide audience.
Headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa with offices in Springwood,
Australia; Naples, Florida and Raleigh, North Carolina, the goals of the GWF
echo those established at the United Nations-sponsored Millennium Development
Summit in 2000. At the summit, world leaders agreed to a set of measurable
goals for combating poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental
degradation and discrimination against women. Central to these goals is the
challenge of ensuring the right of all to have access to clean water and
sanitation.
The GWF will raise public awareness, contribute technical assistance and
fund programs to improve water quality and provide adequate sanitation in
schools, rural areas and other communities across developing nations. Initial
efforts will focus on training, mobilisation and education in regions of
Africa where the need is most critical.
Celebrity activism has directed international attention to areas of the
world stricken by drought, famine and AIDS, stimulating grassroots awareness
and program funding. But Kriek said his organisation should not be seen as
another face in the crowd of international aid groups already involved in
relief efforts.
‘The intent of the GWF is not to duplicate the work already undertaken by
well-established organisations,' Kriek said. ‘Rather, it is to complement
those services in areas where it is needed most, and offering solutions
through innovation, entrepreneurship and education.'
In addition to introducing the GWF and highlighting the sports
community's support for the foundation, the press event at Wimbledon today
also unveiled the foundation's plans for a series of massive 'Live Aid' style
concerts over the next several years to bring worldwide awareness to the
international clean water crisis.
Steve Luongo, legendary drummer, vocalist and record producer for the
John Entwistle Band (of The Who fame), and an experienced hand at staging
large-scale concert events, has already begun assembling an all-star rock 'n'
roll lineup for the foundation's first benefit concert in 2007.
‘Our biggest task is waking people up to the problem,' said Luongo, ‘and
we're going to do it with good, old-fashioned rock 'n' roll.'
Other awareness-building strategies the GWF is planning include a
worldwide ‘Walk for Water' where participants will walk four miles; the
average distance an African woman walks each day to get buckets of
often-unsanitary water for her family. The GWF will also coordinate a
fundraiser event during the 2006 US. Open Tennis Championships in New York
later this summer, and is planning an internationally broadcast musical
telethon.
Along with Johan Kriek, GWF's founding directors are Minnie Hildebrand,
Director for Africa, Joe Cox Director for America, as well as Leigh Peric,
Director for Australia and Program Manager for GWF projects in Uganda. The
non-executive members for GWF's South African Section 21 company along with
Kriek, Hildebrand and Peric are Dr Darren Saywell (UK), Professor Eugene
Cloete (SA) and Mr Godfrey Mbala (Cameroon). The GWF currently has plans to
open its European office in Holland.
About the Global Water Foundation
The Global Water Foundation was established as a charitable trust with
the exclusive purpose of raising public awareness, providing technical
assistance, supporting knowledge sharing, enabling technical innovation and
research, and facilitating the provision of humanitarian aid throughout the
developing world. The ultimate goal is to provide safe, healthy drinking
water and adequate sanitation in areas where it is not available or where
accessibility and supply have been compromised.
For more info visit www.globalwaterfoundation.org and email Evan Howell on ehowell@fwv-us.com
Hello Chris
I thought I would send you more recent info regarding the events set for Arbor week, 2nd and 7th September, one of which I have mentioned to you previously, and now another event DWAF has asked me to oversee, as a spiritual healer-teacher with the intention that you would consider covering both these events in your magazine. Perhaps you would attend the public participation meeting, and can encourage others to show up at this meeting organized by SANparks scheduled this Monday evening 5pm, call Janine 7018692 for venue, for Tokai and Ceceilia Forests in particular?
With regards to Arbor week, I have initiated a rehabilitation project for Noordhoek Valley, at the Common , held for the public to 'COME PLANT/ADOPT A TREE' on Saturday 2nd September 2006 10am-5pm.
I am working with Chris Bonthuys, City of Cape Town , Noordhoek, who has given me 80 Trees and 3000 shrubs to plant. This planting project will most probably continue over the full Arbor week. The people who come to me as patients and as students I have invited to be there with me, plus on the Saturday the public will be invited to attend. Here is where I extend a warm welcome to Temple members, and in particular members of the Sacred Way to take part in this worthy project. The atmosphere is to be informal, family time and people can bring a picnic and take part in the planting of green life, or merely observe and connect in the healing energy which will theme the day. The Saturday will be opened at 10.30am by prayer and held in prayer for the day being based on the kind of work I do, which is ‘for the healing of Mother Earth and humanity's role as custodians of the Earth'.
I will be inviting as many members of the media, as possible, to cover this and the below-mentioned events-spiritual magazines, local newspapers, and possibly TV.
With regards to 7th September 2006, 3pm-5pm , I have been requested officially by DWAF to direct and oversee a formal petition hand over / presentation, on the day of the closure of the annual Arbor week programme for SA 2006, and is to include the attendance of relevant Minister(s), parliamentarians, and a body of concerned citizens….all of us who want our Trees, Forests to remain here and where we have been given a voice to demand a halt of the chopping down of them. I have just been asked to fulfill this role and details are now to be put together, by us all as to exactly what it is that we, the people want to hand over to our Government with regards initially to the Tokai and Ceceilia Forests in particular but all our urban forests , and the due stance to ‘ SAVE OUR TREES, LEAVE OUR FORESTS ALONE'.
As you can imagine, I do not have even a budget for this and truly limited funds any way, I am doing this out of the love I have for Nature, and this entire project is so much larger than me, or any individual, it concerns all of humanity yet if we do not stand up as the public and do something, asap, ALL our Forests, which are comprised mainly of so-called aliens, WILL BE CHOPPED DOWN, Tokai, Ceceilia, Constantia Neck, Deer Park, Newlands…and more. Chris, can you imagine a Cape Town with no forests anywhere? I need all the support I can get. I am happy to do my bit because I do most of my work out in Nature and because as a shamanic healer-teacher, I know the power of healing AVAILABLE in our Nature places, but I can not do this alone, and I have never felt more alone on this, and I do not understand why people are being so disinterested . I am simply staggered at how complacent people are. Not one of the Temple people, not even the Sacred way members, I spoke to John and asked him to inform members, came to a meeting I held at my place to share info. I do not have the luxury of being able to be phone individuals, hence I have been smsing folk, like John Britz and also Allan Wise, asking for their support, plus I am only one person and no other staff member to help delegate duties like take minutes, send emails to people, I am limited and need all the help and support I can get. This is not my project. This is about our Forests. If we don't show up and take a stand for these Trees, ALL OUR FOREST WILL GET CHOPPED DOWN.
Please consider covering these events in your magazine, for the love of life and our role as care-takers of the Earth.
With respect and kindness: Shelley Ruth Wyndham, shelley@spiritmedicine.co.za
Dear friends and family
As some of you know, I do a lot of work in poverty areas rescuing dogs, some of them living lives of unimaginable suffering, abuse and neglect. In these situations I'm faced with 4 choices.
1) In the case of unwanted puppies, I take them to my house, feed, love and care for them, then re home them to good homes. In the last few years I have successfully rescued and re homed 45 dogs.
2) Often the situation is so unbearable and the animals are in such a bad way that the only solution is euthanasia, then I call on a welfare society to come and deal with it themselves, its brutal but often the only option.
3) When the animal is healthy and fairly friendly I take it to one of the no kill sanctuaries, where it is rehabilitated and homed, sadly this can take time, and the animal lives in a small concrete kennel, cared for but lacking in the love and attention it desperately needs.
4) Mostly ill find families that although their animals are neglected and starving with no form of shelter except a few planks pilled to make a crude version of a kennel that offers very little protection against the harsh winter, I find that these people are open to learning and doing it the right way. This is my preferred option, as Education and support is way more effective in the long run. Though they have little money and even less to spend on their animals, they try as best as they can and are extremely appreciative of my help and often brought to tears in their desperation. These are the families that I am now working with. Some how, the word out there has spread about what I do, and I get calls all the time. My sister Lisa and I go out to these places and are faced with things most of you wouldn't even imagine possible, it's very painful to have to witness, yet for some reason, we simply cannot say no, and find ourselves out there again and again, even after being crushed by what we saw the time before.
The deal I have with these families is I supply them with dog blankets, good strong kennels and healthy dog food every month, and in return they start treating their animals with kindness, compassion and respect and then allow me to get their animal sterilised. Often this new way of treating their pets is very foreign to them, but with out fail, every family has met my challenge. We visit them every month while delivering the food, and in the last 2 years I cannot tell you the joy we get to see these once emaciated and terrified animals, now fat, confident and playful, it really is a joy and makes me feel the intense pain of going out there to these places and witnessing the suffering, is paying off. There are so many animals out there that need help and even though we only help a fraction of them, and our work seems miniscule, for the individual lives of each of these dogs, its not miniscule, it's everything.
The bottom line: For the last two years I have been helping 4 families. Supplied them with kennels and buy them bags of dog food every month. However, this week my sister and have been out in Mandalay and Mitchell's Plein, and have since acquired 5 more families. I now have a grand total of 9 families, that's 21 dogs out there relying on me, each one desperate and in a bleak situation. After meeting and getting to know each dog and seeing its sad and hopeless life, I have no alternative but to do everything I can to alleviate their suffering and uplift their lives as much as possible. Winter is unbearable when you're living outside, alone, freezing, exposed and starving.
This is where I need your help.
1) I need to by 9 more kennels; on average each kennel costs R380.
I need to raise R3420 as soon as possible as I want to get the kennels out there before the end of this weekend.
If you can help me with a portion of this then you can know exactly what your money will do out there, you will be responsible for an animal sleeping warm that night and every night after, and it may even help u sleep warmer.
2) Also I now have to buy eleven 20 kg bags of food per month.
Totalling R2420 a month, every month for as long as these dogs are alive.
Up until now I have managed the costs of the 4 families, 6 bags p/m, on my own, but now the number has grown to 11 bags p/m and it is now difficult for me to maintain this amount alone. I cannot be in a position to NOT help these animals and I also don't want to have to turn down new families that may need my help. If I could get a steady flow of donations from people, this will free me to do more out there. More families, more food, more kennels. More dogs living lives they deserve.
I have called countless companies, shops and vets to try and get them to help me, give me food bags that are damaged, unbranded etc, some have given the odd bag here and there, but generally no one helps, some simply can't or wont, some just don't follow through. Some don't even give discounts on my bulk orders. This is why I'm coming to you all.
All in all, there are 21 dogs right now, out there that are now being fed and cared for because of this project. This number will grow, I hope it does. And for most of you who are animal lovers, the thought of going out there and seeing it all first hand is unbearable and not an option, I don't blame you one bit, but I'm here, myself and my sister are willing to do the ugly stuff, we do go out there, but we need the money to support this work we do. So please, this is your opportunity to do something, whether it be a once off donation or regular donations or monthly donations, every thing will be appreciated. You will know exactly where the money goes and the effect of your money is immediate.
I have a website describing some of the work we do. It is called The Animal Trust
If you are interested, go and have a look at the dog adoption centre. It is full of rescued dogs at welfare societies all looking for homes. www.theanimaltrust.org The site is still in progress, but will give you clarity that this thing I'm doing is real, my heart is in it 100%, and I'm dedicated and passionate about making some kind of difference to the lives of even just a few of these dogs. And with your help, I can do so so much.
Here are my account details. The Animal trust is an account solely for these donations.
Nedbank, Sea Point, The Animal trust, Account number 1083347020
If you deposit money please mail me and let me know what u have done so that I can thank you and have a list of those helping.
Please feel free to forward this email onto who ever u wish. The more the better.
Thank you all in advance, Kelly Schlesinger, The Animal Trust, www.theanimaltrust.org
Pesticide Sprays - The Dangers
The Royal Commission on Environmental pollution, says people who live near or visit fields sprayed with pesticides need greater protection from exposure.
The chairman of the government advisory committee on pesticide sprays, say the evidence presented is inconclusive. Clusters of cancers, leukaemia, neurological problems and other conditions, ranging from ME to digestive disorders and depressive illnesses, but particularly the alleged dangers to the foetus in the womb have been well documented. Analysis of restricted files going back 30 years of Hospital files from West Norfolk England, show clusters of children born with ear dysfunction, after the use of heavy local spraying.
Hospital specialists say this is why in part why the government at the time under New Labour MP George Turner, allowed in so many thousands of refugees to the area, to do the field work harvesting crops etc, because as foreign casual labour they had no real rights.
The decrease in all wildlife around the spray zones is said to be connected, including 40 species of bird and 70 types of rare invertebrates and butterfly, and of course the much loved dormouse. Prof Mary Wolf has shown that pesticide run off into the Florida lakes has caused the alligator penis to diminish drastically in size and function, and threatens the continuance of the wild salmon. She claims a possible link with pesticide exposure to oestrogen imbalance and breast cancers.
But The Pesticide safety directorate, refuse to disclose their advice to questions posed by DEFRA in 2003, and claim the dangers do not exist, exactly as the government agencies did with denials over the BSE crisis, lead paint on children's toys, MMR jabs, mercury amalgam fillings, fluoride in the drinking water, bird flu and gulf war syndrome.
Under the new regulations this behaviour can be classed as a ‘hate crime' on its own people.
Some experts claim that mad-cow disease was linked primarily to organophosphate poisoning, this includes data that many cows are now fed chicken carcasses, droppings and straw, they claim that organophosphates weakened the bovine system, and junk feeding did the rest.
The dangers of sheep dip and its relation to organophosphate poisoning, and chronic fatigue syndrome in farmers is well known but the rise in all respiratory illness with asthma like symptomatology are in part down to pesticide sprays, waste incineration particles and part down to toxic petrol and diesel fumes, when after studies in the 70s, lead had to be removed from motor fuels, as it accumulated highly in places like children's playgrounds, and its knock on effect in entering drinking water supplies.
We expected to see a rise in children's breathing responses, this rise was only slight, so another cause was looked for, such things as Aspartame which is listed as having 92 registered side effects, yet is still classed as ‘safe'. Some of the unregistered side effects included problematic breathing, but Hexachlorocyclohexane, known commercially as lindane,
Which is added to insect killing sprays, and dermatic body scrubs, has similar side effects, and this is one of the chemicals they experimented with for the GM food crops that will contain fish compounds and so on.
Companies using chemicals, such as Proctor and Gamble, Dow, Monsanto and many others have banded together to secretly fund the National Advisory Medical group, this body pays doctors to rubbish articles and claims of chemical damage to people wild life and the environment, in the way doctors used to protect the tobacco industry.
We are seeing an increasingly new phenomenon, MCS, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, where detergents, pesticides, solvents, pharmaceuticals and food additives can produce an inability to live a natural life.
This allergy to vast ranges of man-made chemical additives is threatening our very survival, as the food chain absorbs more and more irreversible toxins into our systems, threatening the planet itself.
The backlash to this has meant a return to the values and spirituality of the sky, seas and earth itself, and a determination to protect and care for environmental concerns.
The results are that the public is screaming for a return to real food with natural manure and fertilisers, and away from aeroplane sprays that wind blown contaminates can destroy life forms for many miles.
Many food allergies, genetic difficulty, toxic compound build up and health anomalies can be observed in embryo and in the hand print which can be analysed via email.
T Stokes lecturer in paranormal studies, palmist@fsmail.net
Further reading; W.H.O. Figures on insecticides sprays;Environmental Protection Agency Waste Incinerators, the environmental price- Jack Trent Porton Down Lad Tetra Ethyl as a fuel additive. Chemical exposures-low levels and high stakes. By Nicholas Ashford and Claudia Miller. DEFRA. Selected papers MAFF. Ministry Of Agriculture and Fish.- past documents Environmental Research Foundation Swampy- Environmental interviews with an eco warrior Chemical Warfare. Dr. H.Cohen Global warming-global war- T Stokes Fungicides insecticides and people. Tom Boscroft
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