Ask the Priestess

In recent times I have had amazing examples of generosity all around me. I am both awed and somewhat uncertain about how I would react in similar situations. Over all, however, I am Grateful to be recipient or witness to the episodes. Oftentimes, we hear about how horrid, how mean people are in this 'tough world', so I would like to make a little list (not all the wonderful episodes are here, but only a selection) to illustrate how, on the contrary, the world is populated with generous people. A month ago I set up to meet with a friend at a museum. I did not know that it charges entry fees, as most London museums are free. We had agreed to meet, yet I had to tell her I had to call it off for the time being, as I was skint (broke, in other words). Immediately she offered to pay for the ticket - it is a year-long entry fee, it turns out. No fuss, no unwelcome grand gestures. I agreed, grateful and touched. I was a wonderful visit, which I hope we will repeat soon! Another i...

It is snowing, and Christmas is on the radio and the markets. I often wonder at my own response to the idea of a White Christmas, at how it ties me to my past, my cultural origins, family members I never met - never even knew/will know they existed - who either believed or didn't yet felt emotional at the flurries, the carols, the sight and smell of the trees draped in sparkles, in baubles, in hopes, in childish wishes met whenever possible. I know rather well the whole history behind the stories: the mythology, the astrology, the astronomy, the anthropology... All that study throughout the fields of humanity that strives to explain the reality. My brain knows it, my logic understands it, my own personal choice of belief acts in accordance... All that to ultimately reach out in joy at the first flakes, to react with a giggling heart-rate to the first beats of a seasonal song. I am no more "grown up and jaded" than a toddler! Squee! And, d'you wanna know something?...

I have quite a few elements from daily life which regularly remind me of what I honestly believe in but sometimes seem to doubt. One of those "elements" is bus drivers. Let's face it, we have all been in a situation where we have ranted and raved about bus drivers, bus services, and what nots. Most often, said drivers appear sour-faced, unfriendly, short tempered, impatient... Who wouldn't, in their shoes? Stock brokers who complain of stress at work should have a a reality check with these guys/gals: driving all day in circles with few and far-between toilet breaks at set times (rather than answering to immediate need). Not only that, they have to do so while struggling to keep up with a fantasy-inspired schedule that inevitably brings frustration and complaints from both passengers and supervisors. To top it all up, they have to spend all that time trapped in traffic jams surrounded by aggressive SUVs, unexpected motorbikes and vulnerable cyclists. Still, I hav...

We often dismiss things as being only "skin deep" - insignificant, superficial, not really felt, non-threatening. Ha! Our skin is the largest organ in our wondrous bodies; it is superficial but multi-layered, multi-characteristic and colourful according to area and sensory requirements; has more nerve-endings than any other organ; and it is our true "first line of defense" which, if infected or over-exposed, might break down until it, unsuspectingly and unwittingly, kills us. My feelings are skin deep, and from that moment on, they seep in, they burst out. My skin remembers, writing itself with lines, colours, textures. It talks, tells, warns, encourages. A palm-reader can describe my destiny as though looking at a hieroglyph, and a doctor can tell how much sun I took as a child. An angry red splotch, an enticing blush, a shiver. My skin speaks loud and honest, like the tail of a dog. I trust my skin when I doubt my mind. It does not know how to lie. And yet...

When we want to express love, how can we best go about it?  How do we best understand to ourselves, how do we explain it? In English, love is sort of either an accident, a prison or a war: you fall in love, you are attached to someone, or you conquer the one you want. In some mediterranean languages, love is actually quite circular, looping back as it reaches brfore going back to oneself: lehitahev (Hebrew), s'enamourer (French) or enarmorarse (Spanish). I don't know other languages, but I wonder... At the end of the day, it is feeling that best expresses the plethora of facets love has. It is the message in Extreme's 'More than words'. So why do we need still the words? Why do I sometimes crave hearing them? And why is it specially difficult to tell myself that I love myself when I look into the mirror? Probably, because unlike the love of your parents, who can hug you; or your lover, who can kiss your body; or your friends, who show their appreciation in ma...

It is a fascinating thing: the world is full of information, but we are blind and deaf to most of it until we become interested in an issue. From that point on, most people, books, events that come into our life will be blatantly connected to that matter. Take Noetics, which I did not know existed as a name, but which I have been interested in for a long time. It has been a long time indeed that I have followed the teachings of how the mind influences the world; or how the mind can cure the body; how the old saying "mind over matter" is actually true... but often considered impossible to prove. I didn't know Noetics, the scientific experimentation of this field, was active - has been active for years!! So, how did I come to find out? Well, that's the whole matter at heart: connections of meaning and meaningful connections in our reality. To cut it short, I came across it on a novel (Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol ). I got this novel from my mother's bookcase,...

Wisdom comes with time and changes. I was told a few weeks back, 'I want small surprises and big changes' (I paraphrase). Here you have them, looking all around you and popping up all the time! Or rather, here you have them, deciding on the party they will throw you in six-months time. It is Autumn: the Earth is getting ready to hibernate, to sequester itself in order to gestate the wonderful gifts it shall bring us in Spring. It is the time to gather the last harvests, to choose the crops to be planted, to plant and then protect them. Similarly, it is the time to find within ourselves what it is we really Want, to set in motion the plans to reap those things, and to understand the value of patience. We live in a society of instant gratification - we decide we want something, so we go and get it. Simple. Quick. Painless. Patienceless. It can be a wonderful way to live, but it has its drawbacks. It is wonderful in what menial desires are concerned, as we meet them to insta...

I am sad. When was the last time you said it? Even more to the point, when did you last say 'I am sad' to another person? At a guess, you don't remember it. You might have said 'I am upset', 'I am pissed off!', 'I feel depressed' or even 'I don't feel all that energetic' (quite a mouthful). But 'I am sad'? That honest, simple statement has probably eluded you for quite some time. There seems to be something quite childish and puny about it. As though being sad where the realm of an unrefined understanding of feelings. Sure, kids can feel sad but we don't expect to hear about it. We do try our best to prevent that state. So youngsters are encouraged to claim and proclaim they are happy, and learn to have temper tantrums and scowl when they are "not happy". We are not sad! 18th century gents and ladies were "melancholy", others were "distempered", music is "blue"... How can we be sad...

In the last few days, I feel I speak too much. I am always a chatterbox, that's true, but these days, I can feel myself tire from it. How often do the others feel tired from listening? It is difficult, at times, to understand what is behind our actions and feelings. And, of course, it has taken me to actually sit down to write about it to realise the root of the situation. What prompts us (I am the example) to talk and not listen? The desire for control. If we talk, we control what is being said, what the others are thinking about. We can lead the "conversation" in the direction we want it to go, where we set up the limits, the goals, the humorous snippets. We talk to avoid listening, not to elicit a reply. Or, we make sure the environment drowns our voices: loud music in the pub; fast-pace offices; music devices to isolate us from the other commuters on the bus... Still, I think it is less a matter of lack of respect for others, and more an issue of uncertainty, of...

Sometimes, hearing something negative is a blessing. I have had confirmation this morning: hearing about a negative result can make me want to dance and sing. There is no right or wrong in life. Just perception. I decide to perceive the good in the negative. I decide to expect to receive more wonderful negatives. I have lost my fear of negation. I can see the plants outside, swaying in the wind. The summer is finished, and the holidays are over. It is time to stay home more, have less hours of sun and think of hibernating. It is time to plant what I mean to reap in spring, enjoy a good read and dream. I refuse to be cowed by circumstances. I cannot control the outside, but I can control the inside. I am learning by inspirational example - amazing, grand, generous, and brave. Joy is the heart of Life! I had forgotten although I kept mentioning it. The negative has brought me Joy. And I am grateful. I shall live. For me, and for no-one else. Not because I want to be selfish, but ...

It was a sunny day, and we were surrounded by families, laughter and learning. We were at The Tower of London. Now, if you have never been there you may not know that it is actually a series of fortifications which started as a King's castle but became most famous as a prison and place of horrors. And as I was sitting there, resting for a bit, soaking up a few late-summer rays while my companions visited the military museum, I realised:  it was 11th September. Hum.  Here we were, in a historical location of pain, on a day made famous by pain (and its bellicose consequences) - yet the fact that the place held no more pain but life, that the day was a sunny Saturday of cheer and well being, was more powerful. I reJoiced!! It filled me up with hope and gratitude for the gift: it is not the pain, not the death and the horror; it is the cheer, the life and the curiosity. Not only were we in the Tower on such a date, but it was also the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain - ...

It often surprises me that people I know believe I am a daring person. It's cute, really. I am one of the least voluntarily adventurous people you could think of. In fact, I am often so worried at doing/not doing things that the reasoning behind  a choice is apprehension. For example, I take on new chances when they turn up because I am petrified at the thought I might be missing out on something good that won't come by again. Urgh!! It gives me the chills. Or, an even worse scenario (nightmare central, in my book): looking back in time and regretting missing out on the chance. It got me thinking about what daring really is. Basically, it functions like a pushing hand at the back, making sure we move forward towards self-development and progress. It is through it that we achieve perpetuity. And it is the greatest element we need to really love - and if you don't believe me, think of slugs and spiders, who literally take their lives to the very brink (they dare, in other w...

It takes a village to raise a child. How many people does it take to help the child grow and become a wo/man? I am the result of the efforts of many. Some of the wonderful people, and most of the horrid ones, are lost to the mists of time (or, rather, a bad memory). But most of my "village" are either with me or pop up randomly. You can do your count for your personal case as I do mine. In fact, please do so. Feel how their memory heals the gaps in your self-understanding, helping you come out the rounder for it. And thank them. I suppose the village starts immediately outside your family home door: your neighbours. I grew up in a city, in flats, and so we literally shared the building with other people. If we could not be looked after by our family, they would open their doors. Most are now gone, which makes it more poignant when I go back yet cannot visit. They were generous, for simple neighbourly reasons. I want to be like them. Second down the timeline are the peop...

I have come to realise of late that there are three ways to live life: first hand, second hand, and third hand. First-hand life is the one where you make your own choices, inform and reason them. You take full responsibility, and also full enjoyment for it. And, amazingly enough, it is not the most common style, but the least. At the summit, the pyramid is sparsely populated. Among first-hand-life examples we encounter people who are genii or fools, but invariably outside the norm and oftentimes widely (and wildly) admired: Buddha, Einstein, Elizabeth I, Mozart, Hitler... Yes, they can be wonderful people, or monsters, but they live on their own terms. Second-hand life is the one where you live life through, often unconscious, imitation and admiration of others. It is a "repeated" life, in a way. You still take responsibility, but it is all partial. It is the kind of life one would have when dedicated to please others, maybe parents or friends, so they feel comfortable wi...

I used to think that 'I love you' was the most powerful thing you could say. I amend that. I think 'I love you' may be the most beautiful thing you want to hear, but 'Thank you' is the strongest message you can give. In fact, I have come to understand the latter as an added-on form of the former. Please, let me explain. Telling someone you love them is a marvelous thing. It is marvelous because it gives to both the teller and the listener. The one who says it does so from a warm, constructive feeling of communion, care, affinity, and generosity. When you get to the point where it must be said, it is because all your realities (physical, psychological and spiritual) have recognised the Joy of that other one's presence in your Life - and the other can be a person, an animal, a plant, an entity... you name it. Saying it; actually forming the words in your mind, with any part of your body, grants you the Joy of becoming aware of that instinctual recognition. A...

There is a bee "nosing around" my living room. Maybe I should be scared...  But why? After all, poor thing, it is much smaller than I am, and if it were to defend itself (i.e. sting me) it would die. Why, then, are tiny bees so scary? Because they are tiny. It is the small things that have the greatest power, after all. It is the atom that can form or destroy (if unbalanced) our world; it is a baby (two half-cells to begin with) that holds all human potential, and that sends its parents panicking with a small cough; it is a smile, not a laugh, that conveys most meanings... It is the small things. Most great events (not necessarily good, just resonant in some fashion) started with apparently dismissable triggers: a regional-national assassination got the 1st World War going; amino-acid aleatory blending fused life as DNA; modern physics tell a tale of an apple, hydraulics that of a bathtub in Greece, and religion of a tree and a bite of fruit; a degree or two in temperature ...

It is a Path we all desire: being able to help others. And so, I set on my road, a step at a time, hoping to meet many a stranger (or not so strange to me) that I may aid and console, and who will, inadvertently, teach me more than I could hope ask about.  Many are the times I was at my wits' end and a "fortuitous" encounter, a "random" word set me back to myself, back to Life. Then I began to realise I had a Gift, for I can provide those answers I don't know I hold. It is now time I pay forward. Thank you, and welcome. Let's take a walk. I promise I won't pry. I won't tell you I am right - for I am not. I only promise to relay to you what you know, as you need it, when you do. Not my words, only my voice from afar.  Know Joy! because Joy=Love=Life