Past, Present and Future
A time for discipline not constraint
I read recently that we are entering the Age of Aquarius, because Aries was as 0º, also know as a “world point”, which are extremely rare. The astrological situation was that in February there was a conjunction between Saturn (structure and discipline) and Neptune (spirituality and the collective) in the very first degree of the entire zodiac, Aries (the individual and action). This is considered to be reset for the Earth, because it represents initiation or the divine spark of creative energy. In global terms, there is an expectation that old structures will collapse, whereas for individuals, it provides an opportunity for anyone to stop dreaming and get doing, using structure and discipline in their approach.
The Age of Aquarius is not a defined date and there is debate as to whether it started last century or is yet to start. What is agreed is that it will bring about a shift to greater truth, scientific innovation, humanitarianism and collective consciousness. I do wonder whether the desire for the Age of Aquarius is a modern equivalent of the Old Testament desire for a Messiah.
I understand why many people think this next phase of enlightenment has begun, because advances in computer technology has caused rapid advancement in some fields and the world wide web brought about global connectivity. In the area of spirituality, there has been a shift from organised religion to more personal forms of belief systems. I can support that, as in my case I am acquainted with far more pagans, witches and spiritual practitioners than I am Christians.
Conversely, there is yet to be a move away from centralised, authoritative governments to a more community based and equitable system. Perhaps the conflicts igniting across the globe are the last throes of a dying beast.
David and I haven’t done it for a long time, but we finally managed a weekend away. We stayed on the NEC site at Birmingham and spent a day at Crufts, looking at the Hounds in Hall 5 and the Terriers in Hall 2. Naturally, we watched Ruby the Beagle’s family compete, but after last year’s success, especially for Ruby’s sister who won Best Puppy, the judge had a preference for other competitors. We think he was biased towards Eastern Europeans and young people – just saying!
Also staying at our hotel was Worldwide Winston, who is a Welsh Corgi. He is not only followed on social media because he blogs about doggie friendly transport and venues, but because he is a support dog for his owner Maddie, who is epileptic. We meet both of them in the lift and walking outside the hotel and she was chatty, being particularly keen to share details of Winston’s Facebook page.
As well as Crufts, we went into Birmingham city centre for a mooch around the Museum and Art Gallery, which has a nice collection of late Pre-Raphaelite paintings with a focus on the Birmingham School, which was supported by Edward Burne-Jones who was born there.
One of my favourite works by Burne-Jones is called “The Beguiling of Merlin”, which depicts Merlin trapped in a hawthorn tree after Nimue casts a spell on him. The artist conveys Nimue as a bewitching enchantress, which some academics claim is a way to explore “dangerous female sexuality”. Incidentally, my later father-in-law was a fan of the Pre-Raphaelites too. However, my late mother-in-law called their paintings “Victorian porn”, which it seems is a stance that has some scholastic basis.
Burne-Jones was a multidisciplinary artist, working in paint and also stained glass, alongside design work for tiles, tapestries and jewellery. He meet William Morris (Arts and Crafts Movement) at Oxford and they collaborated on the stained glass window for Birmingham Cathedral. My favourite example of their joint enterprise is the Chapel at Castle Howard in Yorkshire, which has beautiful painted ceilings and panels, as well as glorious stained glass windows.
A trip to Birmingham wouldn’t be complete with an authentic ‘Brummy’ curry. David and I chose a place in the Snow Hill district that was based under the arches of the nearby train station. For people not familiar with the British habit of dining out at Indian restaurants, there are different types of experience, ranging from the bog standard High Street venue to the more rustic eatery. The most famous of the latter, and possibly the first of its kind, was the iconic India Club in The Strand in London, sadly it closed a few years ago, otherwise, I would recommend giving it a try.
Our dining place was very much along the lines of the India Club with Formica tables, industrial style chairs and easy clean lino on the floor. Needless to say, the food was delicious. The menu in the more authentic restaurants/cafes tend to be limited to a few main dishes and several sides. I chose the Sticky Chana (chickpea) curry which came with naan bread, whilst David opted for lamb curry with rice. It was a highlight, amongst many of our weekend away.
I was going to share one of the two sagas that I have written about Merlin and Nimue, but both are long, since I reimagine the story from a specific starting point. However you can find them in my collection of sagas and folktales called “Ritual of the Mirror”. Instead, my poem this week is another one from “Ritual of the Mirror”, which I have chosen because all women are part of the divine feminine and, consequently, have the ability to be a bewitching enchantress and the right to enjoy their “dangerous” female sexuality.
THE WITCH IN HER
The witch in her leads her
to mix potions and burn herbs,
to walk beyond the veil,
to wander between the worlds,
to communicate with spirits
and learn of different wisdoms.
The witch in her
doesn't belong in this century
with its constraints and conventions.
In the mists of time
she is wild and free,
she is a seer and healer as
she marches with the ancestors.