Thursday 17 December 2020

Celebrating Spirit

2020: an intense but exciting year of change, endings and the first glimmer of new beginnings. Watch this space for a new logo, a new design and a whole new adventure in 2021.

As the Jerusalema dance  went viral, London's The Guardian newspaper said, "Dance craze brings hope from Africa to the world amid Covid"

                                 

How apt: Africa, where the physical evolution of humankind began in Sterkfontein Caves a mere 50km from where I live.  Africa, with her sunlight and shadow;  her potential and sorrow; and her vast well of spiritual energy, bringing hope to the world. 

Above is the original 2019 version from Master KG, and below is a second version with the uplifting, inspiring words translated into English and French sub-titles.

Nkosi sikelel' Afrika

and may 2021 bring hope and light into the world.

Monday 1 June 2020

Just published DROP BY DROP (poems of loss) by Judy Croome


For paperback copies in South Africa,  contact Aztar Press or  take a lot


Also available at all major on-line stores in eBook and paperback

and other on-line stores

Watch the book trailer to find out more:






Tuesday 4 February 2020

An Ordinary Life

I’m busy reading a thought-provoking and engrossing non-fiction book “Creating a Life: Finding Your Individual Path” by Jungian psychologist James Hollis. I’ll review it on Goodreads when I’m finished reading it but, as I start the new life that awaits, I’ve been reflecting deeply on the life Beric and I lived: constantly striving, always work before play and, yes, we both achieved much more than we’d ever hoped for in our childhood dreams.

At what cost though?

Taking the first tottering steps into a future without my beloved Beric as my anchor and my guide, I find myself without the burning fire of ambition that has for so long been my companion.

Hollis put my mind at rest: “The first half of life is usually spent in service to the world and to the development of the ego. The second half of life should be in service to the soul. Turning away from the delusion of ambition opens a free space wherein things may be done for the sake of doing them, where value is found in the value created and where meaning is the by-product of service to a vocation, not service to the ego.” (Chapter 13: The End of Ambition”)

There’s so much comfort in knowing that it’s natural to the soul’s evolutionary path that the raging fires of youth’s ambitions can mellow into a gentle flame of finding meaning by exploring the simple pleasures of an ordinary life.

Tuesday 7 January 2020

New Beginnings

With a major lunar eclipse on Friday 10/1/2020, quickly followed by Uranus in Taurus stationing direct, followed  two days later on 12/1/2020 with the much-discussed Great Capricorn Conjunction, 2020 is a year of changes, letting go the old and finding new beginnings on a deep and permanent level.

Since my beloved Beric crossed over last year 22/4/2019, I've been taking it easy and slowly stepping into a new life without him.  He is gone in body, but not in spirit and I know we'll meet again. That’s why I read Rabindranath Tagore’s beautiful poem "Unending Love" at his memorial service. 


Image result for rabindranath tagore unending love"

His beautiful spirit will always be with me and so I head into a new year and decade that's filled with both hope and memories. Hope for the fruition of all the new ventures I'm planning and memory of having been privileged to be part of an unending love story.

Some plans for 2020:

My two new kitties arrive today - 10 year old lady Gucci and 3 year old boy Mittens.

My main goal for 2020 is attending to my health (read weight!!) that has been out of control for too many years.

Then a 2020 writing challenge starting in February to finish off two half written books - a collection of short stories, and a volume of poetry about the grief and sorrow of being caregiver to a dying loved one for so many years (from 2015 to 2019).

I'm still expanding my astrology knowledge, via webinars from the London Faculty of Astrology College, and later in 2020 I'll be signing up for the 3 year diploma course to become a professional astrologer.

And some time in the future (probably early 2021), I'll be revealing a whole new look for my website.

Exciting times ahead! I wish all of you a wonderful 2020 - may it be a year of discovery and joy for you all.