Joy Wizard » Personal

Happy New Year 2011

Alex Webley — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 07:37:59 +0000

Happy New Year to all.
See you again in 2011!

Happy New Year 2011 is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

How I observe the holidays

Alex Webley — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 07:14:11 +0000

On Facebook I recently got asked:

PM me some time and let me know how you observe the holidays.

Here is my response:

In response to your question; simply speaking, as a Shaman (Pagan) I celebrate the Solstice etc. That said it is also a good occasion to experience and encourage higher levels of community goodwill generally. I am not ‘religious’ about it all but enter into the spirit of the occasion. We have a Christmas Tree (Nimrod tree really as the CT is derived from a pagan thing, as is Christmas) etc. The essence of importance is the spirit of a situation…..caring, goodwill, love and so on are all commendable and to be encouraged.

How I observe the holidays is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Guess What I Have Been Banned From Doing!

Alex Webley — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:01:40 +0000

Guess what I have been banned from doing!

No joke…..

…….my catering skills are so bad that I have recently been banned from……

Making tea!

I am no longer allowed to add milk to tea.

I can make green tea with Jasmine (tea bag version) which of course does not have milk, or ordinary tea to the stage prior to milk being added.

PS: Jasmine mixed with green tea takes away the bitter taste

I am genuinely incompetent.

Fortunately my wife is ‘understanding’ and I drink lots of green tea with Jasmine, so I can make my own.

Appalled?

It’s a long story.

Fortunately I am good at cleaning cat litter trays.

Guess What I Have Been Banned From Doing! is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Beneath Hill 60 – film

Alex Webley — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 02:31:49 +0000

Beneath Hill 60 is a film about Australian tunnellers in World War 1 who created the world’s largest explosion under German lines in Belgium. The effect was so strong it was felt as far away as London and Dublin, Ireland!

My wife and I went to see the movie last night at a local cinema.

We enjoyed the film and noted the ways in which the horrors of war were portrayed with a deeply personalised human touch. The film included a pleasant love story, but also focussed on the human costs of war and the ‘mechanization of death’.

Overall, Beneath Hill 60 is a moving film which provokes deep thinking about the more important issues of life.

Click this link for the film’s official site.

More information from Wikipedia: Battle of Hill 60 (Western Front)

More information from an Australian government site here.

The book from Amazon:

Beneath Hill 60 – film is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Personal reflections on Shamanism

Alex Webley — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 04:54:54 +0000

Earlier today I sent the following link to a friend:

BOMB Magazine: Margaret de Wys – Black Smoke: A Woman’s Journey of Healing, Wild Love, & Transformation in the Amazon

I won’t detail my friend’s response for privacy reasons, however some people may find my reply helpful:

The vomiting I experienced was dry retching in type and was associated with mainly emotional and spiritual healing – esp deep trauma. Occasionally it concerned physical healing.

A boy healed of Autism by a Mongolian Shaman did not do the vomiting as far as I know. It is only one aspect of healing.

I have fought spiritual battles – some very severe indeed – it can be ‘strange’ to our westernised minds. So, I can vouch for the veracity of much of the phenomena in the article. My experiences are partly why I have such peace now….you see; when you are in spiritual combat the only safe place is with (good) Spirit. You become dependent and reliant on it. You do not rely on yourself. So when the enemy comes at you, you attack with the ‘cold steel’ of Spirit. Then you survive. If you do not do this then you can be destroyed – mentally, emotionally, spiritually and at times even physically (note that the Shaman had to get rid of the sickness from himself).

Logically this is sound. You use the right weapon to counter the threat. Spirit versus spirit. It is not a place for wannabes, or stupid games. There is a lot I never talk about, but I have walked through the valley of death and come back. More than once.

I know that I am loved – deep in my core – and it is a key source of strength. Spirit will never let me down. Most men would. You by the way, are one of the few men whom I sense would not. But then, you have known the horrors and fires of military combat. As you know, it changes you. It is where reality dwells – one gets a true understanding of the nature of life and people.

There is joy and horror in this world – much only a thought away. Same world. They key is thought. Especially deep thought. And deep emotional thought.

Personal reflections on Shamanism is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Personal thoughts on health and an allergy.

Alex Webley — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 10:17:32 +0000

Earlier this year I developed an allergy which resulted in Hives/Urticaria. Today I have it under control and rarely have to take antihistamines (partly because I have discovered the triggers (food/drink based and Somac – a prescribed medication).

The allergy situation has been a nuisance, and at times very debilitating. At one stage things started to get serious – puffy lips and Adrenaline injection etc. I will be adding more about my experiences to this blog in due course.

The whole situation has had a very positive effect on me in a number of ways, not all of which I will detail here.

Besides being more grateful for good health; my mind, spirit, psyche have been strengthened. It has also been a good opportunity to be reminded of how many people suffer, especially the elderly. (At one stage my hands were incredibly itchy and painful – similar I expect to arthritis).

I enjoy very good health and my immune system is very strong. This has been the case for many years now and I cannot remember when I last had a virus (apart from an unusual inner ear thing which caused vertigo in 98, and was probably related to my inner ear nerve damage). It may be as long ago as the late 80′s since I had a virus. I have had the odd bacterial infection over the period however and a few other non viral health issues. I distinctly recall that my colds and Flu stopped when I decided I was not going to be ill – this was back in the UK in either the late 80′s or early 90′s. In the last 5-6-7 years or so I have also been having Flu vaccinations because I also believe in doing what I logically can to support health.

The decision ‘not to get ill’ I have no doubt has contributed to my good health. My subconscious has also been clear of any desire to be ill for many years. The mind is a powerful thing. Hopefully my experiences will inspire others to at least start thinking more positively.

I would also add that my decision not to be ill is also associated with very strong emotion from very deep within. Perhaps there is some connection with the general healing principle suggested in my article Shamanism and Personal Development. Some of this kind of stuff is edgy in the sense that it is on the periphery of our knowledge and understanding. A key focus for me is that which works. And it does. I am a Private Investigator with a very factual mindset and frankly I would be crazy if I disbelieved all the things I have personally experienced.

My forte is in the area of mind healing (which also affects the physical) as opposed to physical healing. I have developed low to moderate physical healing ability. I am working on developing it further and this allergy thing has served to deepen my compassion for others. You see, being so well and happy has tended to make me become disconnected somewhat from suffering unless I channel it.

I have benefited in many other ways from this allergy. Overall it has been a very positive experience.

PS: If you are someone who has trouble believing in the spiritual dimension then I suggest you have a read of this article I wrote. As someone concerned only to dwell on facts you owe it to yourself to be sure.

Personal thoughts on health and an allergy. is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

I completed the quiz "What's your Celtic Zodiac sign?" with the result Rowan – The Thinker.

Alex Webley — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:01:42 +0000

Rowan Tree

Today I noticed a Facebook quiz:

“What’s your Celtic Zodiac sign?”

The result I received was Rowan – The Thinker.

I quote:

January 1- February 17 Celtic tree astrology recognizes Rowan signs as the philosophical minds within the zodiac. If you were born under the Rowan energy, you are likely a keen-minded visionary, with high ideals. Your thoughts are original and creative, so much so, that other’s often misunderstand from where you are coming. This sometimes makes you aloof when interacting with others as you feel they wouldn’t understand where you are coming from anyway. Nevertheless, although you may appear to have a cool exterior, you are burning within from your passionate ideals. This inner passion provides inner motivation for you as you make your way through life. You have a natural ability to transform situations and people around you by your mere presence. You are highly influential in a quiet way and others look to you for your unique perspectives. Rowan pairs well with Ivy and Hawthorn signs. Sign: Rowan Tree (Luis) Symbol: The Green Dragon Ruling Planet: Uranus – Brigantia Celtic Gods: Brigantia, Brigid .

My comment:

Accurate – and I was surprised. Whilst some in depth Astrology has been proven to be correct and very accurate, the brief newspaper column type stuff is of course open to a multitude of interpretations. I thought this Facebook thingy would be similar. I have been aware of a deep connection to the Rowan tree for some time, however did not know about this aspect. So yes, a bit shocked.

I completed the quiz "What's your Celtic Zodiac sign?" with the result Rowan – The Thinker. is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Personal musings…

Alex Webley — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 23:31:57 +0000

From time to time I will post personal musings and anecdotes in this category….

Here is the first…

An excerpt from an email to a friend, about whom I had some personal revelations concerning something I had no way of knowing about through other means….

You mentioned that my gift is amazing….

Not really…and I am not being ‘super humble’ or disparaging…..

…what do I mean?

All I am doing is dipping into the Spirit world as one would say, a book……

….by labeling it amazing we are making it seem harder to do. One of the keys to doing it is a simple faith – a child like acceptance (note: I did not say childish).

I am no Guru either. Spirit wants us ALL to be able to do this. Not only that; it is our birthright as human beings.

Another key is that I am meticulous about truth. This is one reason I never make stuff up. In some ways, I allow it to hinder me by not being ‘sure enough’ – like yesterday and previous days. Another reason, and there are many, I never make stuff up is because I don’t need to and in any case; you cannot cheat Spirit – knower of all secrets and truth. I sow truth and am rewarded with it. As Einstein said; “I want to know God’s thoughts; the rest are details”. Makes perfect sense.

Ironically, had we as humans not lost our connection with Shamanism, the world would not be in such a terrible mess today. We get what we sow.

If we want to hang onto our own ideas/opinions, and those ideas are wrong, then we will get more of the same.

Personal musings… is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Final note on the Urticaria I suffered earlier this year

Alex Webley — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 09:21:00 +0000

Regular readers of my blog will recall that earlier this year I suffered a bout of Urticaria.

My posts mentioning Urticaria can be found here.

The purpose of this post is to inform interested readers of my final conclusions, now that some time has passed.

Simply speaking, I self diagnosed that the Urticaria was caused by a medication; being: Pantoprazole. In Australia, the brand name for Pantoprazole is Somac (there may be other brand names in use here).

Somac is, I am informed by a GP (Physician), soon to become a non prescription drug here in Australia.

During my ordeal, I my research indicated that around 1% of people get Urticaria as a side effect of Somac.

Now, several months on, here are my findings:

I have not taken anti histamines for a long time.
I have not had a recurrence of Urticaria.
I have never taken Somac again – not since that day when taking it overcame the high dose steroids, such was the power of the adverse reaction.
The elimination of Somac is the only thing of medical significance I have changed in my life since the Urticaria episode.
The reflux and heartburn I used to suffer from has almost totally disappeared. It has been a long time since I got heartburn and even longer since I had reflux. Accordingly I am not currently taking any medication for the (non existent) problem.
I had been taking Somac for a number of years. Since I stopped taking it, various minor skin irritations that I had been suffering from for years have disappeared too.
It seems that my body finally developed a severe allergic response to Somac.
A senior surgeon friend suggested I report my experience to the TGA. I have not done so, mainly because I simply do not have the time.

Conclusion:

It is very clear that Somac was responsible for the nasty bout of Urticaria I suffered from.
Somac was so bad that it even overcame a high dose of steroids.
This is not medical advice – see your physician (but be careful!).
The whole episode strengthened my psyche a great deal (my ordeal was further exacerbated by having to deal with a nasty person on a forum at the time, who has a very spiteful spirit).
I will never take Somac again.
I HATE Somac!

Final note on the Urticaria I suffered earlier this year is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Remembering and appreciating friends.

Alex Webley — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 23:57:53 +0000

Today, 3rd June, is the 15th anniversary of the death of a close friend of mine who died in the northern summer of 94. In fact, he was the best friend I ever had.

His name was Peter Vernon Booth (Pete) and he was a very unusual man. Think eccentric English boffin. Highly intelligent (IQ off the scale), yet very sensitive and spiritually astute, Pete was one of those people with heaps to contribute to to world in many areas, yet who died long before his time. He was around 8 years older than me so was in some respects a different generation.

Pete was treated very badly by many boorish people. And no, he did not ‘attract’ it. He was himself and because he did not fit in he got stamped on. He thought about others and their needs – he was not a selfish person. His car was like an aircraft inside – he had so many gadgets and dials that told him all this stuff about the engine and so on. I never understood it all and yet Pete was not a car enthusiast; just a very clever scientist who made his life easier. He even had the car set up so it could not be started unless you tapped part of the inside in a certain spot. Yes, that’s right, tapped. And the car must have been 15-20 years old. Pete was not worried about appearances.

Peter Booth was a computer expert and wrote programs in machine code (assembly language). At one time he worked in Cheltenham. If we dig deeply enough in life we will often find that we actually owe a great deal to the scientist types in their grey cardigans. World War Two was a key example. The sort of people many of us might mock for their eccentricity or dorkish appearance. And we think we are so clever. Personally I was proud to call Pete my friend, but then I could see into the deep, and what really mattered.

Have you ever noticed how people say all this nice stuff about the dead at funerals? How much better it is to appreciate the people who love you, and those who are your friends, now – before they depart. Take time today to say good things to them and about them – don’t leave it to their funeral. We get precious little positive encouragement and few compliments in our day to day life so why not be the person who makes a difference in the lives of others – it won’t do them any good when they are dead. And guess what? You will feel better too.

I always remember Pete Booth every 3rd June. His life enriches mine still today, even though he has been gone for 15 years now. That is his legacy.

Are you enriching any body’s life?

Remembering and appreciating friends. is a post from: Joy Wizard Blog

Joy Wizard » Personal

Happy New Year 2011

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How I observe the holidays

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Guess What I Have Been Banned From Doing!

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Beneath Hill 60 – film

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Personal reflections on Shamanism

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Personal thoughts on health and an allergy.

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I completed the quiz "What's your Celtic Zodiac sign?" with the result Rowan – The Thinker.

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Personal musings…

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Final note on the Urticaria I suffered earlier this year

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Remembering and appreciating friends.

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