Tuesday 2 January 2018

New day, new year, new beginnings

We survived 2017! 

Another rollercoaster year has flown by - from the challenges of Beric’s cancer progressing to Stage 4 and the struggle to finish STREET SMART TAXPAYERS (published Juta Law, Sept 2017) to the fantastic function to celebrate Beric’s contribution to South African tax law literature over the course of his career,  to celebrating our silver wedding anniversary in style at the same hotel where we spent our first married night, to getting the keys for our new (smaller) home and a quiet but brilliant festive season shared with my Mom and Shadow, 2017 has been a memorable year!
Beric's mentor Professor Michael Katz reflecting on Beric's career in tax law

New adventures await us in 2018. 

We’re working towards a miracle for Beric’s health, but know that ultimately the result rests in his soul’s destiny. While we wait for the miracle, we’re taking the brilliant but irascible Charles Bukowski’s advice: 
We’re here to laugh at the odds and live life so well
that Death will tremble to take us.
(Charles Bukowski, Times-Life interview, 1988)
If Death does come calling in 2018, we'll face it in the open-hearted spirit of the young girl depicted in the magnificent Rider-Waite Major Arcana XIII Death Card: as a transformation of energy leading to a new dawn rising between the distant pillars of Heaven. Until then, we're going to live each and every day so well that Death trembles in his shiny black armour!

My writing career is taking a detour. Many of you know that for years (since 1988 to be exact) I've had a passionate amateur interest in Evolutionary Astrology. I've finally admitted to myself that my passion lies in astrology more than it does in writing. While I'll continue with my poetry writing, I can't make a living from that and with Beric no longer working due to his illness I need to brush up skills that can help put bread on the table.   

In Feburary 2018 I become a student of the internationally renowed South African astrologer Rod Suskin's School of Astrology. I've signed up for a 3 year Diploma in Professional Astrology, at the end of 2020, I'll be able to hang up my shingle and practice as a professional astrologist. There are also opportunities to follow my other love, writing: I can submit astrology articles for consideration by magazines such as The Mountain Astrologer; perhaps even one day submit a book on astrology to a publisher like Llewellyn's publisher. Who knows what the future holds? 

This next 6 months will be an intense but exciting time of my life - the enormous renovation project on the new house, working on Beric's health miracle and my astrology studies. 

Let the adventures begin!

5 comments:

Janet Ch said...

Such a great idea to take that astrology course. I didn't realise it starts as early as February--not long to go!And I love that Aboriginal proverb.

Judy Croome | @judy_croome said...

Janet, I’m very excited about this new direction ... even it is looming very fast & with so much else happening! 😁

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Dear Judy - I'm glad you've been able to downsize ... and that Beric has been so honoured for his work on fiscal studies and books. The astrology course sounds fascinating ...

I'll be back to listen to the presentation ... and to re-read = take care and all the very best in the meantime - I'm over in Canada 'looking after' a cousin of my mother's for 2 years ... but we'll see how it goes!!

Thinking about you - all the best for 2018 = cheers Hilary

CA Heaven said...

Must admit that I don't believe in astrology. I studied some astrophysics in my university days. It was fun; black holes, white dwarfs, neutron stars and stuff like that >:)

Cold As Heaven

Judy Croome | @judy_croome said...

Hilary - Canada, could you get any colder?!?!?! Am sure you'll have great stories to tell on your fabulous blog!

CA, Beric (another intellectual!) says he's not sure he believes in it but he can't dismiss it - but I had the advantage of having a Dad who was a very gifted dowser, so "the other world" has been a valid part of my life for ever. And of course, living in Africa, where we're still so very close to nature (although that is coming under threat these days), it's even easier to feel the flow of the invisible as well as visible worlds. Astrophysics is beyond me but when life is less hectic I do want to get involved in astronomy as that's the breath of astrology - the stars themselves.