The One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge

One of the most exciting and important lessons I've learnt on my own spiritual journey, is known as The James Randi Challenge. Back in the 1960s, there was a famous Canadian magician call James Randi AKA Randal James Hamilton Zwinge better known as The Amazing Randi. Randi was a stage magician and illusionist and made his living touring around doing stage magic from the age of around 15.

Several years later, Randi, was challenged on a radio talk show, to “put his money where his mouth is” while discussing the public being scammed under the false pretense by con artists using ‘magic’ as some form of paranormal activity. Randi put out a challenge. The challenge which started at $1000, which he later added $9000 to make the grand prize a very attractive $ 1000 in 1964. A fair sum back then, which was further increased, to eventually became $ 100 000, when a TV broadcasting company. added $ 90 000. In the 1980's, one of the first internet millionaires, Rick Adams, donated one million dollars to the challenge. The challenge was for anyone, anyone at all, in the world, to prove under agreed conditions, that they had supernatural powers. Any medium, fortune teller, telepathist, spiritualist, illusionist, dowser, psychic, even evangelist, was welcome to claim the prize if they could prove that their claim of magic or miracle was supernatural and not sleight of hand or illusion. For 50 years the James Randi Challenge, also called the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge, was up for grabs and over a thousand people, from all over the world tried their luck, but none succeeded to fool Randi and his panel of scientists. The challenge was withdrawn in 2015 and the money assigned to other beneficent causes. Several celebrity mediums like John Edward, Rosemary Altea, Sylvia Browne, Leigh-Catherine Salway, Uri Geller and others were challenged publically and on TV shows. Those that were brave ( or deluded) enough to attempt it, failed. Some agreed in public but never showed up or simply declined for fear of damaging their careers. On a Larry King Live show in March, 2001, King asked psychic Sylvia Browne, if she would take the challenge and Browne initially agreed. When Randi appeared with Browne on the show in September, 2001, she again accepted the challenge. However, she changed her mind and refused to be tested, so Randi kept a clock on his website, recording the number of weeks as they passed, since Browne first accepted the challenge but never followed through. Eventually the clock was replaced with a statement tat simply read “ More than 5 years". Browne passed away in 2013.

There is a famous clip on You Tube, Randi assisted  Johnny Carson, who set up Uri Geller, in a similar test, when the spoons he claimed he could bend, were replaced by Carson's crew and Geller sat with ‘egg on his face’, as he could not bend the spoons, even slightly. Randi made sure Geller could not tamper with the props. Randi and Geller have been life long enemies, since Randi called Geller out as a hoax, years before. Geller has since tried to sue Randi several times, but all the cases so far have been thrown out by the judge as unwarranted.

Geller also tried to sue Timex , the watch company for an ad where a Geller look alike, attempts to stop a Timex watch with his mind, but of course could not. Geller claimed that Timex benefited financially, while his reputation was damaged. A survey by Timex, on random members of the public, failed to prove that anyone even knew who the magician in the ad was supposed to be.

As an April Fool's prank on April 1, 2008, at the MIT Media Lab, Randi pretended to award the prize to magician Seth Raphael after participating in a test of Raphael's "psychic abilities". But the prank was considered in bad taste and only confused viewers who weren't aware of the full story.

Randi retired from being a magician and began touring around debunking fraudsters. Randi won a MacArthur Foundation "Genius Grant." and spoke at Google in August 2007. He was a founding member of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP). Known as PsyCops.

Randi’s true joy comes from explaining the inexplicable.

“The ability for people to think in a medieval fashion, never ceases to amaze me,” he says. Not that he ever tires of it. “Does a doctor get tired of curing people?” he asks.

My greatest satisfaction is seeing that look in people's eye, when they eventually wake up to reality and see the light of reason.

Randi passed away in October 2020 age, 92 after announcing he was gay in 2013 age 85 and marrying his long time partner the following year.

The James Randi Challenge AKA...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_Million_Dollar_Paranormal_Challenge

Randi and Geller battle

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-09-13-vw-2279-story.html

James Randi speaks at Google

https://youtu.be/MTPj9VlNzQ0

Water Blessings.

 

Water makes up about 60% of the human body, between 63% and 80% of animals’ bodies, and 60% to 95% of plant cells. Our planet is 71% water.

That crunchy piece of lettuce, the juicy steak, your morning coffee, a glass filled with ice…we eat it, drink it, bathe in it, clean with it and we have fun with it. Think of all the water sports, days at the pool or on the beach. It is an integral part of our life whether we are plant, animal or man.

Modern-day city folk get to turn on a faucet and are provided with clean running water. Rural area residents worldwide depend largely on wells, rain, and rivers for their water. Wherever we are, we have to have it. In 1948, the UN adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states access to clean water is a basic human right

In ancient times aqueducts were built by the Assyrian empire, the Romans, and the Incas. They understood the value and it was piped to the homes of the wealthy. Later, cities had taps from aqueducts installed for public use. 

Water makes up most of our planet, the place we call home, and just like our residences, we should take care of it. We need to do everything we can to keep it clean, avoid pollution and appreciate it as the vital resource it is.

We are fascinated by the wonderful life it holds, I’ve never come across anyone who doesn’t love a dolphin, a whale, or a turtle. The fierceness and destruction it can bring about hold us glued to the news when there are hurricanes and tsunamis. We are enthralled by its beauty.

Japanese businessman, Masaru Emoto created a stir when he published books on how our energy affects water. He claimed that when we send positive words or messages to water, it creates beautiful formations benefitting us, and  negative emotions and words would do the opposite.

Whether or not there are formations created, I believe our energy does affect everything around us, including water. When we sit at a stream, a river, or by the ocean, it has a calming effect. The rhythm of the waves, the trickle of a bubbling stream, the gentle flow of a river, these all soothe us, we feel it to our core. When rain patters on our roofs at night, we sleep deeply and usually better than usual. Water benefits us and by giving a sense of wellbeing, we, in turn, transmit that energy back.

On a spiritual level, every full moon, some of us set out vessels to collect moon water. The thought is that the full moon will enhance the properties of water and therefore any spell work you do with it, also drinking it will give you good health, protection, or make you more tuned in to your intuition.

Note: if you’re going to drink it, make sure you seal it before you put it out, and if you include crystals in the water, please check that they are safe. Not all crystals, malachite for example, are safe for consumption.

Using water to cleanse away negativity is something I like to do while standing under the shower. Visualise all negativity being washed off and going down the drain. The same can be done with a bath, or a basin when washing hands.

I’m fortunate in that the complex I live in has a swimming pool. Just after sunset, I get in and float, watching the birds wheeling in the sky before they go to nest. I notice the sky, the treetops, the bats as they come out, and just BE! It’s meditative and a form of letting go of the stresses of the day. Use it to practise mindfulness, feel the air on your skin above the water, and the cool wetness underneath, listen to your breath, feel your lungs expanding and contracting. Let time stand still. You’ll feel refreshed and relaxed by it.

The next time you drink a glass, cook your meal, water your plants, or play with the ocean, take a moment to send your appreciation and love out to the universe. Your one small action will make a difference. 

Picture sourced from pexels-pixabay-160833

Over the moon!

 

Shiny, bright, round, invisible, she’s been an object of superstition and folklore through the ages. Whether in Africa, Asia, the Americas, or Europe, the moon has been revered, worshipped, and watched. She has been blamed for disasters, moodiness, and lunacy too. She is seen as representing the Goddess, the feminine, our emotions, change, reincarnation, the hidden, and many things of mystery.

All these beliefs were formed before science discovered that the moon actually affects bodies of water. Earthly bodies, whether human, animal, or plant, are made up of huge percentages of water and it’s logical that the moon affects all life on earth.

Farming magazines still have pages dedicated to the moon and its phases. Those of us who enjoy our herb and veggie plots often browse the internet to check when the best times are for weeding, planting, harvesting, and transplanting.

Personally, I have always been fascinated by the moon, and often have conversations with her. She is my constant, always there, even when I cannot see her.

February has been a particularly interesting month with the new moon, Lammas, and the Chinese New Year all falling on the 1^st of the month. The Chinese New Year is also called the Lunar New Year because the date is determined by the new moon. This is the year of the Water Tiger with the last occurring  in 1962. The element and sign align only once every 60 years.

Apparently, it means new beginnings and is auspicious in terms of the pandemic winding down. It’s also a period of fast-paced forward movement that needs to be tempered to prevent egos and taking on authority rashly. It’s a year of being socially conscious and family-oriented, but also of separation and drastic change.

Outside of Asia, the Lunar new year is probably celebrated most in the USA and is recognized as an important holiday. Chinese communities here at home celebrate on a much smaller scale and unless you look out for it specifically, you may miss it altogether.

Let’s take a look at what happened 60 years ago. It was the year that:

• -          Telstar had the first live trans-Atlantic television signal
• -          The Beatles released their first single “Love me do”
• -          The polio oral vaccine was released
• -          The first American orbited the earth
• -           “Dr. No”, “Spartacus” and “El Cid” were movie hits
• -          France transferred sovereignty to Algeria
• -          Cuban missile crisis began
• -          Burundi, Jamaica, Uganda became independent
• -          Robben Island was made a political prison
• -          Apartheid was condemned by the United Nations
• -          Nelson Mandela was arrested
• -          Marilyn Monroe was found dead

Looking back, it seems that there were some major political events, and that previous work put in such as the polio vaccine and the orbit around the earth bore fruit. It will be interesting to see if there are similarities this year.

Today is also a Full Moon.

I wanted to find out if there is a South African name for “our moon” as we're in summer and the names generally given online relate to the Northern Hemisphere and therefore winter. What was interesting is that I found out a lot more.

Depending on where you are, and what you believe, there are various names and I’d imagine different properties. Some are interchangeable:

Northern hemisphere and Native American - Snow or Hunger Moon

Southern hemisphere - Sturgeon Moon

Pagan - Corn Moon

Shamanic and Native American - Starving or Hunger Moon

Celtic - Moon of Ice

Neo-pagan - Snow Moon

South Africa - Dassie or Grain Moon

It makes sense that it would be the Grain Moon as this falls between Lammas and Mabon which are celebrations of the harvest.

The dassie; a rock hyrax, is a totally unique animal being the closest living relative to the African elephant, the dugong, and the manatee.  It’s also the only mammal to have an organ only found in birds. The dassie and all its abovementioned relatives are gentle, resourceful, and beautiful, and each can be fierce when challenged.

Whether you celebrate the moon or not, take a look at her this evening and revel in her light.

Feel the energy.

 

 

 

Photo by GEORGE DESIPRIS from Pexels

How can I help you?

 Today we live in a world online. A world where we can hide behind our screens
and devices. We can accept or decline invitations, contacts and communications, even from our own family members.

There was a time, not so long ago, when people were so isolated, that any stranger passing through their village, hamlet or farm, was welcomed with a warm meal, a cup of ale or ten, and a place to sleep.

Literacy only became the global average in the late 20th century. In 1900, about 79% of the world's pop. was illiterate; in 1960, about 64%. In 2015, basic literacy stood at about 86%.

So strangers, travelers and merchants were always welcomed, because they often brought knowledge and news from afar or about events in neighboring villages. Up until the 1600s the average peasant of mid adult age, knew about as much as could be contained in one single newspaper. Much of it, superstition and folklore.

But one thing made them better than we are today, and that thing was honour. In every culture honour, or honor as American English spells it, was paramount. Scoundrels thieves and murderers were few and far between. Although the average human got by with much less than we, the modern city or town folk have today, and often worked a much longer day- for a pittance, they were more satisfied with their lot and relationships were of far greater value than material goods.

When I was a child for example, we had one telephone in our home and no TV. When we did eventually get a TV, I was about seven years old. It was black and white and broadcast (nothing good) for about four hours a day, tops. Those of you who were around back then, will remember the test pattern, when Technicolor came out a few years later and how the family would leave the TV on from around five in the evening, waiting for the broadcast to begin. Usually the news was first, "with Riaan Cruywagen". The man who never aged.

Today we have far less regard for friendships, marriage, even our relationships with our children ... and strangers are dangers. We imagine ourselves far more knowledgeable even though the average so called educated person can retain about 1 Gig of real knowledge at most.

What happens to us in this 'process of evolution?' We have certainly not become more civilized. The global society has eroded our cultural honour. We are much ruder, short tempered and worse at managing real relationships that last. Sure the corporate culture has brain washed many into thinking that they are 'oh so sophisticated', but much of it is a superficial template. A regurgitated monkey-see-monkey-do, legal gauntlet approach where, if you don't fit in, you're simply left out. Without empathy.

Democracy and 'rights' (ironic) has proven just how terrible we can be, as trolls on social media and in a mass, reminiscent of the pitch fork mobs of Medieval Europe. Only worse.

On one of Zac Efrons Netflix travel shows recently, ( I forget the name as it probably exceeds my 1G storage) a manager at a eco-village coined a phrase, speaking about managing the human waste of the hippy like inhabitants who chose to buy a remote property and live 'off the grid', who said: " find the solution in the problem."

So how can we, living in the real world ' or what's left of it, and find the solution in the problem?' The social problem that, like a dormant volcano, could erupt at any moment and change or end normal life overnight. Now before the global lock down, which no sane person could have even imagined could happen, this idea would have been far less believable. But today it is a clear and present possibility.

My over sensitive shamanic spirit tells me to - slow down. Take time to listen to other people, no matter how deluded they may seem. No matter how old, or young, educated or not, stranger or friend, or toxic family. Give a little of your time, not to do the talking but to listen. When a friend or social media request appears, think how can I find a solution to this problem. How can I help them.

The one thing I've taught my kids religiously, is kindness. Be kind to everyone religiously. If someone disagrees with your opinion or is trying to sell you something, you don't have to buy, but don't block them or decline their contact. That is no solution to social skills. Learn to listen. Probe them, give real objections, and see how they handle them. Be humane and just talk to them and in so doing, they may learn something from you, or God forbid, you may just learn something from them. 

Lammas

 

The Sabbat, Lammas is celebrated next week. It is also known as Lughnasadh, and Loaf-Mass day.

History tells us the Catholic church took many of the old pagan celebrations and incorporated them as Christian holidays to make the transition for converts easier. Christmas was taken from Yule, Easter from Ostara, and; I did not know this; Lammas is also known as Loaf-mass day and is celebrated in some English-speaking countries in the northern hemisphere. This makes total sense as Lughnasadh honours Lugh, a Celtic deity.

In Catholicism, clergy would lead parishioners in a procession to their local bakery where a blessing was given to the bakers of the bread and thanks to God for providing the grain. Nowadays, thanks is given for providing the wheat and for a successful harvest to make the Eucharist (representing the body of Christ in communion).

In Paganism, it is celebrated to mark the arrival of the first harvest. Many of us bake our own bread in a symbolic gesture or buy and eat freshly baked goodies. The idea is to give thanks to the land/Lugh/the universe/God (whichever resonates with you) for providing the grain that makes the food and gives us good health.  In days gone by, the community would bake and distribute loaves to the poor.

Some of us mark the day with a small personal ritual, some decorate our altars, and others go all out and prepare a celebratory meal and make a big day of it. Then there are those who are forced to hide who they are and can’t really do much. Whatever your situation or choice, it doesn’t really matter how you celebrate; the point is to practice gratitude and be mindful of the meaning of the day.  

Although Lammas, or Lughnasadh is primarily seen as the celebration of the first wheat harvest and bread is generally used worldwide, remember it’s about the harvest, so there are other options if you’re going gluten-free, are grain intolerant, or on a low-carb eating plan. Think root vegies, corn, or for Keto, your greens, berries, and herbs will be ready for harvest too.

As an accompanying drink, you could opt for beer, ale, mead, berry, and grape juices or berry and grape wines. A great African option for those of us here in South Africa would be umqombothi which is made from maize, and other grains, depending on your recipe.  

If you’re unable to practice openly, take a few minutes alone, outside if possible, and spend some quiet time with your drink of choice and a cookie, or a carrot, or a slice of delicious carrot cake (grain and veg)! Close your eyes and give thanks as you eat and drink, smile. You can do this anywhere at any time. Think limitless!

Lammas is traditionally celebrated annually on the 1^st of February although it falls on a different day each year depending on the timing of the solstices. This year it’s actually is on the 4^th of February which is a Friday.

Whichever day you choose for celebration, may this Lammas bring blessings of the harvest to nourish your mind, body, and soul.

 

 

Harvest  Photo by Shiwa Yachachin from Pexels

Bread and Wheat Photo by Mariana Kurnyk from Pexels

Walking with the gods

With my 52nd birthday just around the corner, I am reflecting on the path I have walked this half century.

I was, like many of us, brought up in a Christian home. My first experience of God was a low-key Sunday visit to the local Anglican church where a frocked minister led a strictly prescribed service, which as a child, I found captivating and otherworldly at first, but tedious as I grew older and used to it. That was about the sum of religion in our home and the rest of the week was pretty secular. My parents were members of the local Round Table, a charity organisation that held fund raisers several times a year. We spent many weekends playing outside the clubhouse with other kids, while the parents partied inside. When I turned 13, my parents left the RT and went away on a weekend only to return reborn Christians and might I say, very different people.

We joined a new charismatic church which was intriguing at first, but after some years, the church politics and the many questions I had in my reasoning mind, that no-one seemed to be able to answer began to put me off. In my later teen years I became uninterested and drifted away.

My father continuously 'encouraged' me to return, often with emotional blackmail, which spoiled our relationship somewhat. When I went to boarding school, I drifted further away and noticed their influence on my two younger sisters, when I came home on weekends.

Once during high school, and once during my military service, I reached out to God and recommitted myself, during lonely phases, when I felt I needed a spiritual confidant. On both occasions, two older peers approached me, under the guise of Christian brothers that I could confide in, but on both occasions they had other motives. Sexual motives, which once I realized, made me deeply angry.

Seven years later, recently married and expecting our first child, my father again insisted I/we return to his church for the support a young family - 'aught to have'.

After much nagging he convinced me to help him lead a group course over some week, for the purpose of  inviting new members.

The course, in my opinion, was bogus, highly assumptive and full of holes. I prayed to God for real answers to my questions and on the second week of the course, one of the girls in my group offered me a book to read. The book was Conversations with God, by Neale Donald Walsh. I was captivated by the answers and although I now consider it as only a first step, I was consumed by it and couldn't put it down. It was my introduction to New Age ideas. I got my hands on seven more in the series and read them all in record time.

From there my path led me to Buddhism - reading the Bardo Thordal, ( Tibetan Book of the Dead) Carl Jung and the Dalia Lama's interpretations of Buddhist dharma. I sought out a few visiting monks and spent time with them, learning to meditate. Then I discovered Yoga and enrolled in the local school. I studied Patenjali's Sutras and the Eight Fold Path and became an avid Yoga practitioner and teacher with two of my own classes for more than a year. Then one weekend on an unrelated workshop, I met a Lakota shaman who introduced me to Native American mythology. I was smitten. I joined his medicine society and he took us on regular sweat lodges into the mountains. It was very authentic, men only, with rough and harsh initiations.

During that time I had an encounter with a large Bull Masif that attacked me and put me in hospital for four days. I considered him my 'wolf teacher' and never sued the owners, for fear the dog would be put down.

Soon after that, on my last sweat lodge in the Cederberg one weekend, one of the participants stood up and did an invocation to Odinn, in old Norse. My body shuddered and goose flesh over took me, while my mind drifted far away. I felt as though I had heard these words before, although they were completely foreign.

Some time later, I read Donna Darkwolf's book, Dancing under an African Moon and asked the universe to allow us to 'bump into each other', as I discovered that she lived in the same town as I did.

Within a month or so, I went to the bank one day and there btw the glass doors stood this Egyptian looking woman in a Kaftan, with a large Ank, or pentagram dangling between her braless breasts, like an exhibit in a museum. I introduced myself as she exited and asked for an audience with her, but she was not friendly. Rather suspicious, she wanted to know why. I read your book, I said and have some questions. Ok then, she agreed to meet as long as I had no further agendas. I assured her that I did not. She had received a lot of negative press in our conservative dorp.

Our meeting was short but we got on rather well. She invited me back several times and I eventually began to design rituals and talks for her groups.

A few years later, and a devotee to Odinn, as I remain to this day, she encouraged me to become a Registered Marriage Official since she had the channels to make it happen. I agreed, studied the Acts and took the exam.

Several months later on holiday with my wife and some friends in Thailand, I fell into a fire at a hedonistic beach party in Kho Pangan and burned myself rather badly, after a stupid act that I knew I would not pull off successfully, but did it anyway, as if steered by an unseen force. Not alcohol.hat 

The next morning, licking my wounds as it were, I received a call from Donna, telling me that I had passed the exam and I was now officially CAM's first RMO. I told her about my 'accident' the night before and in her usually blasé manner said, " Its your baptism of fire, Shaman. Odinn is a wiley deity. Be careful what you ask for. When he gives, he also takes away." 

Our professional relationship continued until her passing in 2017. I watched her denounce all her spiritual affiliations and abandon her once huge ego. 

At her memorial I met many of her friends and one in particular had a massive impact on my life. In true Odinic style, completely upturning my world, taking away much that I had held dear, but rewarding me at the same time with many gifts and resources I could not even have wished for. A relationship like this I had never known. To both of us, an indecribable detriment and blessing at the same time. Like meeting your favourite family member, that you never even knew you had.

While my career, marriage and other relationships including with my parents, went through a terrifying metamorphosis, I have been endowed with gifts beyond measure. Like Odinn, who sacrificed one eye, I have also lost 50% of my hearing in this process, and doctors cannot determine why.

Odinn truly hears my calls and knows better what I need, than I do. Far more engaging than the God of my childhood who seems indifferent to prayer, I stand in awe on this road less travelled, but warn any wannabe Odinson, to be very very careful of what you might ask of the All Father. Be ready to have your spiritual house demolished.

Fire Blessings

 

FIRE. 

The word conjures up thoughts of its beauty and warmth, and of its potential to destroy.  It burns. Almost all life is susceptible to fire. The smoke, the flames and the heat capture our imagination and draw us in.  Occasionally we hear of other natural states related to fire such as a volcano about to erupt, a tree struck by lightning, solar flares, and every year there is news covering forest fires from California to the Cape Province. Firefighters and volunteers rush out to help save people, animals and property while we watch in fascination.

And fascinating it is. It’s a theme that’s been used in countless movies. Sitting around a campfire or in front of an open fireplace; we find ourselves mesmerised by the yellow, orange, gold, and by the red glow of the embers. We’ve all been around a fire, toasting marshmallows, having a braai (similar to a barbeque), gathered for warmth, singing songs, or swopped tall tales. For as long as man has been able to make fire, it’s been a place where memories are made, social connections are formed and communities have gathered. This is one thing all humankind, regardless of geographic origins, has in common.

We associate fire with one of the five points of the pentacle (or pentagram, whichever you prefer), it sits south in a circle and in feng shui it represents inspiration and expression. It is affiliated to the zodiac signs Aries, Leo and Sagittarius and is one of the five Chinese elements. Religion uses fire on the one hand as a threat (you’ll burn in the fires of hell), and on the other, it’s used to light incense to purify the space and congregants. In numerology, it is given the number nine, which represents endings. Personally, my brain associates the number nine with the protea and phoenix, both are destroyed by the flames, and both rise again from the ashes.

I think it’s interesting to note the colours associated with fire, yellow, orange and red are also the colours of the base, sacral and solar plexus chakras. These deal with stability, community and identity.  

On a practical note, man has taken something once feared and learned to control it, mostly. We’ve turned it into something we can use. It cooks our food, warms our bodies, wards off predators, is used to forge tools and jewellery, and to light candles and incense for meditation. 

The idiom “Fight fire with fire” means to use the same methods against your enemies that they use on you. I think it comes from the method farmers and fire departments use by creating fire breaks to prevent fires and to control wildfires. Some other idioms and phrases are:

-          Burning to say something

-          Fire away

-          Add fuel to the flames

-         Blazing a trail

-          Burning bridges

-          Light a fire under someone

Our ancestors learned to use and appreciate it in spite of their fear, and without them doing so life would be much different. To a large extent, fire was instrumental in our evolution and there’s no denying it’s made our modern lives much more comfortable.

I think it’s inspiring that our ancestors faced their fears, and this year I’m going to try and do the same. I’m hoping to conquer my fears and use them to my benefit, or I’ll get burned in the process. Either way, it’ll be a life lesson and have value.

May you always have fire in your belly, just enough irons in the fire, and be capable of firing on all cylinders!

Photo by Tomáš Malík from Pexels

Sticks and Stones

 When someone tells me -they're offended, Im prone to say, Well, I'm still waiting to hear what your point is. Christopher Hitchens.

Some things offend me too, But honestly, my feelings are irrelevant. Dr. Richard Dawkins.

Dec 1989: My matric year, and boy did we know how to party back then! Camping in Hermanus and Saldanha bay, windsurfing by day and a bevy of local girls to flirt with in the evenings. It was paradise... with one small twist.

In the back of my mind... a niggling feeling.

As the three delightful weeks past, day by day the clock hand ticked louder and louder.

It would soon all be over and I was headed for the unknown.

On the 4th of January, my mother and father, loaded their three kids into the family car for a once in a lifetime outing. Five of us left the house, but only four would be returning home that day, forever.

Destination: Wingfield military base, where some smart looking army guys welcomed me with big smiles and an authoritative confidence. "He's in good hands Mam!" the burly soldier assured my mother.

On the bus it was another story.

We were handed a form to sign without getting to read it properly. It basically said we were now property of the SADF.

A huge warrant officer bellowed 'do's and dont's' all the way back to Saldanha bay, but this would be no holiday.

This was the beginning of basic training, aka- mind control camp. For the next three months we were drilled and grilled, humiliated, insulted, along with every disgusting thing that could be said about our mothers, shaven bald, with only an oversized overall to wear for the first month. Rank: Shark shit.

Apparently there was nothing lower. The point- to crack the psychologically weak.

We were warned that those stupid enough to attempt suicide had better do a good job because if you failed you would be court marshaled for damage to state property. Four boys did do a good job in those first two months. The rest of us made it through and received our uniforms as a sort of trophy. Forward two months on and we were shipped out to our service posts. I was in the navy, so next stop- seamanship school in Simon's Town. Two months on and I was assigned to the warship, SAS Drakensberg en route to Taiwan for the diplomatic mission, Operation Nexus. After a month at sea, sailing along the equator in stifling heat, forced to wear our blues and working 4 hour on, 4 hour off shifts the whole way, Taiwan was like another world. Strange wet markets with everything from puppies to snakes for sale... to eat. Prostitutes and drugs offered at every turn. It was protocol to wear our white uniforms for the first day in a new port, where we were treated like American GI's and the girls wouldn't leave us alone.

It was a sensory overload for a 20 year old kid.

My two scariest memories were, in reverse order, a stand off I had with a Taiwanese harbor guard frantically chasing two of our ships crew who had had a dispute with a taxi driver over fees and then made a run for the ship, late one night while I was on security detail on the gang plank. As the two ran up onto 'SA soil' the guard was in hot pursuit, weapon raised. He was not allowed on board. We pointed our weapons at each other for what felt like a sublime moment, both screaming incoherently, before I risked lowering mine and gesturing for him to do the same. He did, but it was touch and go for a second. The trigger on an Uzi is a sensitive animal.

But the scariest, was going on duty one night at 2 am on our way there some weeks before, as we headed straight into the eye of tropical cyclone Ikonjo, with 30 ft. swells and 150km/h winds, in the middle of the Indian ocean. The worst part was, as Able Seaman and Quartermaster on the bridge, I had to steer that ship. The pneumatic tiller packed up, then the hydraulic one too, so I was sent to a steel strong room in the base of the ship, just for'ed of the propeller, to man the big old manual steering wheel with only a compass and the captain bellowing coordinates through a crappy speaker. No windows and 375 lives on my conscience that night. After two hours I was relieved by my shit scared buddy who, unlike me has no sailing experience. At breakfast we were congratulated on a job well done.

We returned to a festive dockside, with navy bands and drum majorities and doting families in both Durban and Simon's Town.

I completed my National Service a few months later and returned home, no longer the boy with the hippy long hair, but a man who has done my service to my country. Luckily I didn't have to kill anyone, unlike many of my army peers who were sent to the border to fight APLA, SWAPO and UNITA. And luckier that those who never made it home.

None of it did me any psychological harm. It was my coming of age. I'm sure that most of my contemporaries agree - as testing as that time was for us.

Today I am aghast by this overwhelming discussion over gender fluid pronouns and how terribly offended these non binary people get when they are referred to in language we have used for at least a thousand years. Don't get me wrong. If you were born a boy and want to be a girl, by all means, that is your right. If you dress like a woman convincingly ( bar the Adams apple) and behave accordingly, I will respect that and call you her and she naturally, or vice versa for women who want to be men, although I am not easily fooled as females have a harder time really pulling off being like men. But be that as it may, I sometimes am confused. As for 100 different genders, I don't buy it. Legislating this, as is proposed in the UK and Canada and forcing the world to conform to these demands is a slippery slope to mass mental illness which will only confuse the majority of young children in their formative years.

Furthermore while men have specific roles to play, as do women. Sacred roles which men can never equally perform, both deserve equal 'human' rights, men and women are far from equal, socially and biologically. For one, for women to demand equality to real men they will have to give up their place on the life raft when the ship is sinking or negotiate who will face the intruder in the night. For men to transgender and demand to be treated as women in sport will destroy woman's sport instantly as the top 1000 male tennis players can beat Serena Williams according to rankings.

Not to mention boxing, wrestling and athletics. Gender fluid sport is not equal opportunity sport.

Fatherless families have a detrimental effect on many societies and gangsterism is more rife in areas where this is prevalent. Likewise mother- child bonding is as essential in early development. In early societies, mothers hand over the son to the father around age 7 to begin warrior training.

So let's put our feelings aside and think about the real consequences before we wake up in La-la land and a totally broken society. Bullying is the real problem on both sides.

Beware of the divide and rule strategy of the powers that be, who seek to divide us on every level.

If something or someone offends you, remember the old saying, sticks and stones... and just get over it.

Disclaimer: These are the opinions of the author and not the whole group. Your constructive criticism and comments are welcome. Slander and hate speech will be deleted.

Simply Superstitious

Cultures from all over the world are steeped in superstition. 

Some of us have family superstitions, some are cultural and some are adopted.

There are countless interesting superstitions and some are really strange like a Swedish one I came across; if you are handed a piece of cake and it falls to the side as you accept it, you will apparently never get married. Maybe that’s why I’m still single.

Walking under ladders, a black cat crossing your path, breaking a mirror are some of the common ones. From when I was a child I was one of those people who was thrilled when a black cat crossed me (I had to prove a point), deliberately walked under ladders, and celebrated Friday the 13^th  as my lucky day.

My family believes that taking the largest piece of the broken mirror and deliberately smashing it breaks the bad luck. Conversely, accidentally breaking a glass in the house dispels any negative energy. Yep, totally under the radar pagans.

Whether we are superstitious or not, there is that little nagging voice at the back of our minds messing with us when something “unlucky” happens.  I still break the biggest piece of the broken glass, just in case...

Life has dealt some of us some nasty blows and I can’t help but wonder if were there too many black cats, if I dared the universe a little too often, and if so can I undo it? If I put up a ladder and walk backwards through it will it change my luck? Do I have to go find white cats now, and when someone hands me a piece of cake, do I grab it before it has a chance to fall, or make it fall the other way, and which way is the other way, it’s all very non-specific.

As a child, I often dreamed of snakes.  Western belief is that it means your enemies are after you and the circumstance of the dream foretells their success or failure. This never made sense to me. As a small child, I certainly hope I didn’t have enemies!

Years later I found that in African culture dreaming of a snake means your ancestors are sending you a message or protection. I much prefer their interpretation and “adopted” it. I no longer wake up with dread after dreaming of a snake.

My perception has changed, to suit me, you might say.

Yes, definitely, and I feel better about it.

Other than us pagans, many cultures and religions put a lot of stock in dreams. Stories are written about them in holy books, and many households in the ‘80s and ‘90s had a dream dictionary or two, or three…

Look online and you’ll find all sorts of interpretations but I have to ask; do dream interpretations also fall under superstition? Or do we take them seriously because holy scripture includes them?

I still smile when I think about an old friend and self-proclaimed atheist who scoffed at all of what he referred to as “crutches”, but when I told him I had a dream about him he always paled, quite a feat for a Venda man.

Most of us are philosophers at heart, we have our beliefs, our moments of deep thought, and our own opinions. We see the world through our own eyes. Superstitions, culture, faith, we have our own vantage point depending on our seat at the table.

There are often unusual beliefs and rituals discussed on social media groups especially those run by groups that fall within the pagan umbrella. Keep an eye out and drop a comment if you’d like to share any interesting ones.  

Sweet dreams! 

Bring it on!

 

Each year without fail, a lot of us go and look at psychic predictions, numerology forecasts, and astrological readings for the year ahead. We have an interest in knowing what’s coming in the hope of two things, i.e. it’ll be a good one, and to prepare for whatever’s coming.  

2019 was not the easiest year, we looked for respite and got hit with 2020 (which started off fairly well in my opinion), and then through to 2021 at which stage we were all praying for deliverance. In many cases, predictions were all about change, disaster and upheaval, and we’ve all had front seats to attest to this. In fact, science fiction became reality.

The disaster that was COVID19 in 2020 saw millions of people out of work, economies taking strain, people living in fear, and paranoia setting in.  Many of us lost loved ones to COVID19 and some of you, like me, got seriously ill and/or lost your income.

By 2021, we were fed up with restrictions and challenging authority, sometimes openly flaunting the law. Along with social distancing has come awkwardness, the discomfort of being around others, a lack of closeness we didn’t even realise. Man is a social creature and the very foundations of community were rocked. The mental and emotional repercussions are yet to be discovered.

Looking back, the pandemic hasn’t all been bad. We’ve had time to reconnect with our families whether in person or virtually. Things we’ve always put off we’ve finally got to (mostly), and we’ve been able to tap into our creativity or maybe just get some much-needed rest. I believe in many cases we’ve gotten in touch with our spirituality once again. We’ve begun to notice the greatness around us and be thankful for all we have. We were forcibly stopped from being hamsters on a wheel and chasing money took a back seat. These are good things.

However, we’re tired of having to live with this pandemic, the freedoms we’ve had to sacrifice, and the losses in whatever form they’ve taken. Whether you believe it’s a conspiracy, an alien invasion, Mother Earth delivering her centennial plague, or God bringing us back to mindfulness, every single human being worldwide has been affected in some way. We’re simply sick of the subject and ready to put it behind us.

 The hardships we’ve endured and the lessons learned are all in preparation for what lies ahead in 2022. In the past few years, humanity has been part of strange times and watched history unfold. Great historical change never comes easy and I am grateful to bear witness. There is a shift coming, when or what, we do not yet know but can only hope it is to our benefit.

We can look ahead to 2022 expecting more of the same and shrugging our shoulders with resignation. We can claim to know it all, and face others with arrogance and anger, or, we can forge ahead as a collective, standing up for what we believe in and striving to make the world a better place, standing tall and proud in who we are.

I have not yet looked at predictions for the year ahead and I’ll embrace whatever it holds.

Bring it on 2022!

Pic downloaded courtesy of happynewyearall.com