The Invitation - Extract

It doesn’t interest me what do you do for a living. I want to know what you care for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing. It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive. It doesn’t interest me what planets are square to your moon. I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals, or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it, or fade it or fix it. I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tip of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.

In Search of Silence

“silence is the absolute poise and balance of the body, mind and spirit. The person who preserves their selfhood is ever calm and unshaken by the storms of existence. If you ask ‘What is silence?’ The answer will be ‘It is the Great Mystery. The Holy Silence is His voice’. If you ask ‘What are the fruits of silence?’ The answer is ‘They are self control, true courage and endurance, patience, dignity and reverence. Silence is the cornerstone of character.’ 

The Last Duel - A Film

 In 1386 Marguerite de Carrouges watched a duel to the death that would decide her fate. She had accused Sir Jacques ld Gris of rape. A trial by combat riveted the French nobility as Le Gris was pitted against Marguerite’s husband and champion Sir Jean de Carrouges. If he was killed, she would be declared a false accuser and burned alive. She has largely been accused of mistaken identity or of lies. Her report is filed in the Parlement of Paris. The defendant had an alibi and was offered a chance to defend himself in court. The Court preferred his story but failed to reach a verdict so the duel was authorised under the ancient theory that God would reveal the truth on the battlefield. 

Wendy's Dream Column

Dream: I dreamt I saw myself in a coffin. Am I going to die? SW Monmouth

Weendy's Reply: Phoenix! One day we all will, but we need to live life to the full before the final day. When we confront thoughts of death, it can help us to be determined to live in a vital way. There could be a loss of something important eg., self-esteem, youth, friendship or potential ambitions. My advice is to pursue what excites your passions, anything that gives you a sense of achievement and ways in which you can really live your life with flourish. Consider also how you can increase your energy levels. Meditate on causing a stir with new, dynamic, go-getting plans. Use the affirmation: Everyday is a rich and fulfilling experience.  

Introducing Joylina Goodings

Emissary of Light! 
Joylina invited me to her home in a leafy London suburb. The room was very beautiful and it reminded me of a high mountain landscape. I was not surprised to hear that Joylina has been involved with leading holidays to places of spiritual interest around the world. She has visited S America, S Africa, Europe and Australasia, Tibet and Bhutan.  Bhutan, a small country in the Himalayan foothills, is known as the Land of the Thunder Dragon and is one of her favourite places due to their emphasis on Gross National Happiness instead of Gross National Product. The people, young and old, rich and poor, all have wonderful smiles on their faces. Even the feral dogs don't fight for food but wait patiently in a line for the tourists to feed them.

There are many Buddhist monasteries in this region and Joylina told me the head Lama recognised her group members as “sisters in spirit” though of different religions and from different parts of the world. Joylina describes the meeting "He gave each of us a personal blessing which included chanted prayers and an anointing with holy water. It was Remembrance Day, November 11th. The armistice was signed to end the first world war and we said prayers for peace around the world. The Lama invited us to the monastery balcony, which overlooks a steep ravine where he also prays for all sentient beings each day. The lama asked if he could join us and we held hands in a mutual prayer. Then we recalled the legend which tells of a place where the Buddha hit a rock with his staff and water gushed out, and we were shown this spiritual spring of sacred water to fill our water bottles. It was a very memorable and moving morning."

Kubla Khan - A Poem

 Kubla Khan by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan
A stately pleasure-dome decree:
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran
Through caverns measureless to man
     Down to a sunless sea.
So twice five miles of fertile ground
With walls and towers were girdled round:
And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills,
Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree;
And here were forests ancient as the hills,
Enfolding sunny spots of greenery.