My mum (pictured here) has spent the last four weeks in hospital, during which time she was permitted to leave for a few hours to celebrate her 90th birthday. Spending hours each day with her at the hospital, there was plenty of opportunity to reflect on and to discuss ageing. It became evident that it was highly unlikely she would be able to return to independent living in her own home. Given her location, family and social network the most logical residential option is a local nursing home and residential aged care facility that my dad was responsible for being built as his ‘project’ when he was the president of the local Rotary club back in the late 60’s. This would mean that she would be going from a four-bedroom home to a ‘hostel room with an ensuite’. Until recently, mum had been going out to this nursing home for years, being part of the support group that helped with their singing days. In many instances she was older than the people she was serving. Intimately familiar with what this move would mean she asked (with tears) a very poignant question, “Who will I be now?” Observing the inevitable confrontation with becoming elderly, 14th century Italian humanist philosopher, Francesco Petrarch wrote, “How swiftly time before my eyes rushed on after the guiding sun that never rests…This morning I was a child and am now old.” Petrarch, in describing the ‘trumps’ of life explains how Time (in the medieval manuscripts of Petrarch’s Trionfo, Time would be depicted as an old man carrying an hourglass typical of il tempo or the hermit in the tarot cards) “dissolves all mortal things, both physical and mental. Men turn to dust and life to smoke. Old age brings misery and Glory melts like snow in the sun. Time, in his avarice, steals all and thus triumphs over the world and Fame.”[i] Whenever those of us in the Western culture are presented (often beyond our control) with times of significant transition we either consciously or subconsciously ask this same question? An adolescent develops ‘adult physical features’ and in the case of young women, commence their menses, and even if not conscious of it will wonder, “Who am I now?” Women go through menopause, men through andropause, as well as facing retirement and may well ask, “So who will I be now?” In astrology reference is made to two Saturn returns, seen to be associated with those times when we make the transition from our formative years to our productive years (around the age of 30), and from our productive years to our harvest years (around the age of 60). Each time we are presented with the same question, “Who will I be now?” If we live long enough there is this time, like that confronting my mum, where all that essentially defines who we are both physically and mentally will be taken away. This results in what can be best described as a crisis of values. In other words, if what you valued was invested in external measures like wealth, power, love and intimacy, and popularity, then anytime natural justice, ageing or misfortune take them away, (which is inevitable) you’ll experience a values crisis. The recent pandemic forced people globally to prematurely experience that very thing. It would seem that a significant number of people found it overwhelming, typical of what the elderly experience when ‘Time’ turns their world upside down. During the pandemic, people were and still are being confronted with the loss of freedom, being confined to their homes. In many cases they struggled to keep their businesses open and to find enough money to pay the rent or sustain mortgage payment for their homes. What has significantly affected many people is the lack of social contact. When you think about it, this is typical of what a lot of elderly people experience, more especially, the older they get. The world has been given an intimate look at what the elderly have been experiencing for many years. In many cultures rites of passage are used for significant periods of transition. In the case of my own children, when my son reached the age of puberty and had noticeably developed more manly features, a friend of ours and his two boys, who were about the same age, decided to hold a rite of passage ceremony. In addition to the ceremony, it was decided to do bungy-jumping, which as dads we also did as our boys were quick to point out that we hadn’t had our rites of passage as teenagers. My daughters had their rites of passage with their mum and their network of women and girlfriends. Recently, friends of mine separated amicably and I suggested they hold a rite of passage to hold sacred this significant period of transition. The ceremony began with one large lit candle from which they each lit their own candle. The first candle was then blown out, symbolic of their union coming to a close. The lighting of individual candles symbolised the idea that the light they shared still existed in their individually lit candles. In their independence they could still acknowledge the love that they had shared. They were each then given a ‘worry-bead’ bracelet and for the number of beads that were on the bracelet, they would send their ex-partner a SMS message telling them what they appreciated about them, for as many days as there were beads. They had to wear the bracelet for the duration, after which they could do with it as they pleased. With their last bead they wrote a message of appreciation for the way they had been blessed, having been together. While talking to mum, the thought crossed my mind that what she was about to experience was one of the most challenging periods of transition that someone might face. Of course, many people by virtue of their spiritual journey voluntarily make this shift in values way before becoming elderly. Typically, this process of transition is called the Dark Night of the Soul. It’s my belief that whether it’s done voluntarily at an earlier age, or brought on by natural justice, ageing, or misfortune (or is experienced in post-mortality), it will still be a Dark Night of the Soul. This transition from unsustainable values to sustainable values in the Christian tradition was formalised in a rite of passage called baptism. I like to think of it as spiritual bungy-jumping since the apostle Paul wrote, “It’s a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb 10:31) Given the significance of this passage of transition, I began to explore that idea that people in the same situation as my mum could benefit greatly by holding a rite of passage ceremony. It would highlight the profundity of this transition from home to residential age care. It would give the elderly somewhere to ‘park’ their grief as their fast approaching ‘end of day’, that inevitable destination of Time, more quickly dissolves the body and the mind. By shifting the focus from one of loss to one of celebration and giving helps to reduce the impact of grief. This rite of passage would include family and close friends at the elder’s home and might include the following components: 1. In the ceremony, the family and friends that have gathered publicly acknowledge the elder’s contribution in their lives and highlight the key points of this elder’s journey, giving space for appreciation and gratitude, thus helping to minimise the impact of grief. 2. The gifting of personal artifacts to specific family members and close friends by the elder will fill the elder’s heart with the joy that giving brings (which they would miss out on after their death). The elder can now associate joy rather than loss with the things they have had to leave behind. 3. There could be a ‘key ceremony’ where the elder hands over the keys to their house, and in return are given an album of memories of the home they are leaving and a maybe an important plant or something similar that holds the symbolic essence of their home that will help to bring that energy to their new home. 4. A ‘mourning tea’ where family and friends gather to share food and company, thus helping the elder to be more of the observer of their past and less attached to it. Being the observer of their past, one is more able to be detached from the past. 5. The elder is then taken to their new residence by close family and friends where a priest or person of spiritual significance performs a blessing or clearing ceremony on the new space, highlighting that this is now a sacred space. A place of heightened spiritual alignment, given the gift of being release from their material-centred world. 6. Each family member and close friend will then publicly declare what they will do to support the elder while they are in their new ‘home’. When we have the capacity to see something differently, then and only then can we change our experience of that thing. One of the most important steps listed above is the fifth one. It’s creating this idea that where they have moved to is a sacred space. Sacred, because it’s here that the real work can be done to consciously prepare to cross the final human portal, from life to death (given that most of the mental faculties are functioning). Now free of those things that had defined who they were in the world (their home, possessions and activity in the world) the elder has the opportunity to contemplate who they are without those things and explore a whole new set of values with which to be aligned. The absence of that, can only result in suffering that attachment with loss brings. As an aside, this rite of passage would also be beneficial to the family and friends of the elder who might otherwise be burdened with the sadness and possibly even guilt at having to orchestrate this shift for their loved one. An expansion of their ongoing support is the encouragement and assistance they can give the elder in more fully embracing this sacred part of their life-journey. In Part 2 of The Ageing Epidemic, I will discuss what the nature of this contemplative time could look like. [i] From The Early Renaissance Personification of Time and Changing Concepts of Temporality by Simona Cohen

No, I am not another Greta knocker, but my question is serious. I have always taken what could be best described as a metaphysical approach to the human experience. Forty years in ‘natural’ healthcare, the last decade of which has been focused on western mindfulness, has provided plenty of evidence to support this notion. Obviously for some time I have tried to make sense of Covid19 and the global pandemic from a metaphysical perspective. This last week the penny finally dropped. A part of my perspective of the human experience is open to the idea that what manifests in physical form was first created energetically. From the human perspective, what the mind and heart (consciousness) are aligned with forms our reality. I have personally worked with enough people over the last decade to see that when people shift their state of consciousness, their reality changes. If this holds true, then in terms of our global pandemic, it begs the question, “What global alignment of consciousness could be powerful enough to have caused a pandemic?” In the context of social dynamics, critical mass is when a sufficient number of people become so aligned with an idea that it causes a tipping point or threshold where the perceived reality of a community or population is impacted. It’s my theory that in 2019 Greta Thunberg reached a critical mass of the global population with her passionate message to ‘save the planet’. In just one year she was presented with seven prestigious awards including Time magazine’s Person of the Year 2019. Called ‘the Greta effect’, Thunberg in one year created more global awareness and gathered more support about the need to reverse global warming than any other person in human history. The breadth of her influence, it could be argued, reached that all important global critical mass. This much change in consciousness, meaning that a critical mass of the global population has been impacted, meant that in the context of metaphysics, reality had to change, it could no longer stay the same. Since it came across that the agenda for change was primarily fear driven, then fear would infuse this collective shift in consciousness. Fear inspires urgency, which on this scale would be the catalyst for an almost immediate dramatic global shift in reality. Enter, the pandemic. Thunberg didn’t create Covid19. But, here is one example of how the pandemic mirrored Thunberg’s rhetoric. Greta was responsible for bringing to prominence ‘flight shame’, an anti-flying movement promoting train travel over flying in-order to help reduce the accelerating greenhouse emissions created by the airline industry. This movement already existed before Thunberg’s prominence, having been started by Swedish Olympian athlete Björn Ferry. It only became globally noticed (critical mass) when Thunberg refused to fly to her international engagements, choosing to sail instead. You may have already guessed where this was going. One of the biggest impacts of the pandemic was essentially the shutting down of almost all air travel. The reduction in air pollution was unprecedented and was achieved much more quickly that anyone ever thought possible. Thunberg clearly identified capitalism and consumerism as major causes for escalating greenhouse emissions. Once again the pandemic was more powerful than any capitalist as they couldn’t stop its ability to curtail consumption. All the while, the key motive that allowed the pandemic to bring about these changes was the global fear of imminent death. Ironically, Thunberg was also talking about death, but the difference was, she was talking about global mortality that was relatively more remote. That said, the poignancy of her message was heard by teenagers and the young adults who would be most impacted in the future by the rapid deterioration of the ‘health’ of the environment. The challenge when change is the result of fear and scarcity is the lack of sustainability. In spite of the critical mass buying into Thunberg’s message, the critical mass has also suffered from the forced loss of those things that they relied on most; their freedom to consume, to socialise and to travel. The very things that if limited, in terms of travel and consumption, could make a significant contribution to healing the environment. On a slightly different angle, these priorities were the primary distractions of choice that made it possible for most people to function day to day despite their personal suffering. Most people are struggling with scarcity in terms of wealth, autonomy, feeling loveable and acceptance. Having had a taste of what will be required to ‘save the planet’, there will be many people who aren’t so sure that what they experienced at the hands of the pandemic, is what they are prepared to do voluntarily. This is the point where the support for saving the planet begins to wane and the critical mass can no longer be sustained. That being the case, the world quickly returns to its habitual ways of avoiding those things that are responsible for their personal suffering, thus dropping the environmental agenda. The question has to be asked, “Can a critical mass of the population be inspired to want to ‘save the planet’ motivated by love and not fear?’ If the weakest link in the ‘Greta effect’ is the lack of sustainable commitment by the critical mass because of their need to avoid their suffering, then it makes sense that the sustainable remedy must be to have the critical mass shift their perceived reality from one of scarcity and fear to one of abundance and love. Imagine for a moment a critical mass whose values had permanently shifted from the need for wealth, power, love (eros) and fame to minimalism, self-realisation, agape (brotherly love) and social justice (for anawims and the planet). Imagine a critical mass with sufficient self-worth that their lives are filled with peace, joy, love, kindness, temperance, patience, gentleness and mercy, lives where feeling discombobulated is a rarity. The ‘church’ had a mandate to champion that state of consciousness, but because of its own greed, abuse of power, fear-centred teachings and self-importance, it forfeited that mandate. What the world needs now is the ‘Agape effect’, a global critical mass that is committed to remembering in each moment that they have a choice to be more loving to themselves, to others and to the planet.

You can’t just walk on into the Rose-garden, you need a key, and that key is revealed in the Cathar Code hidden in the symbology of the cards of the Marseille Tarot major arcana. Joseph Campbell in The Mythic Image make reference to the Rose of France, the centre of the rose window in the northern transept of Chartres Cathedral. “There, in the center, sits the Virgin, crowned, the scepter of world rule in her right hand and her left supporting the infant Christ. She is in this vision the ‘Mystical Rose’ of the litany, vehicle and support of the revelation of God, the very ‘Gate of Heaven’.” Barbara Walker further expands our understanding of the Rose-garden in her book, The Women’s Encyclopaedia of Myths and Secrets. “In the great age of cathedral building, when Mary was worshipped as a goddess in her ‘Palaces of the Queen of Heaven’ or Notre Dame (meaning Our Mother/Lady), she was at different times given a variety of rose centered titles: the Rose, Rose-bush, Rose-garland, Rose-garden, Wreath of Roses, Mystic Rose, Queen of the Most Holy Rose-garden.” Walker explains further, “The church, the garden, and Mary’s body were all mystically one; for she was Lady Ecclesia, the Church, as well as ‘the pure womb of regeneration’. Like the pagan temple, the Gothic cathedral represented the body of the goddess who was also the universe, containing the essence of the male godhood within herself. This was largely forgotten after the passing of the Gothic period.” In The World card the Rose-garden is symbolised by a yoni, the mandorla shape surrounding the central figure. At this point in the Fool’s journey, they can only go one of two ways. Not being in possession of the Rose Key that allows them to enter the sacred yoni, the Fool is reincarnated and is born of flesh once more, to once again encounter the Magician’s world of illusion. Having been born of water (having become a Fool for Christ) the Fool is in possession of the key, that opens the Mystical Rose, the secret Rose-garden, the Gate of Heaven. Now the Fool as the Christ is permitted to enter the sacred yoni and can now be born of the spirit. As Jesus explained, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. The Cathars possessed the knowledge of the mysteries that would reveal the Rose Key, which was the only way the Gate of Heaven (the Rose-garden) could be opened. In this regard, the Marseille Tarot is much more than a tool for doing tarot readings. If people really knew what they had in their possession regarding the Marseille Tarot they would understand that it was ‘the pearl of great price’ that Jesus explained, would have a merchant sell all that he has to buy it. Anne Barring and Jules Cashford explain it this way in their book, The Myth of the Goddess. “The great myth of the Bronze Age is structured upon the distinction between the ‘whole’, personified as the Great Mother Goddess, and the ‘part’, personified as her lover-son or her daughter...This essential distinction between the whole and the part was later formulated in the Greek language by two different Greek words for life, zoe and bios, as the embodiment of two dimensions coexisting in life. Zoe is eternal and infinite life; bios is finite and individual life...The Great Mother Goddess can be recognised as the totality of the lunar cycle - as zoe - and her daughter and son-lover, who emerge from and return to her, can be seen as the moon’s phases - as bios...The sacred marriage, in which the Mother Goddess as bride is united with her son-lover, reconnects symbolically the two ‘worlds’ of zoe and bios.” This sacred union is not the hieros gamos, the sacred marriage of Christ and Sophia depicted in The Sun card. That created the androgyny which is the Rose Key. This Rose Key is the son-lover that now enters the bridal chamber of the Mother Goddess. There was a time in the Neolithic era “when the goddess was the image of the Whole, when life emerged from and returned to her, and when she was conceived as the door or gateway to a hidden dimension of being that was her womb, the eternal source and regenerator of life.” (Barring and Cashford) It was this knowledge and understanding of the mother goddess that became a key part of Mary’s mantle that was the precious knowledge secreted our of Montsegur by four Cathar perfecti on that fateful night in 1244. They possessed the mysteries of the Rose Key, the key that made it possible to unlock the birth passage to obtaining eternal life, becoming at-one-with the good God. This divine womb of the Mother Goddess was the Holy Grail, for which the Cathars were custodians. This knowledge was the purpose for these portable stain glass windows (the Marseille Tarot) being created in the first place. It was the perfect place to hide sacred mysteries - in plain sight! The image of The World card included in this article is from the Tarot de Marseille [Edition Millennium] © 2011 FJP (Paris) This photo is from my personal alter, which includes symbols of the Yoni Rose and the Key (the cross). The image of the 'Gate' is from the book, The Hermetic Museum, Alchemy & Mysticism. Alexander Roob, © 2001 TASCHEN GmbH, Cologne, Germany. #worldcard #marseilletarot #catharcode #holygrail #thespiritualrootsofthetarot #rosegarden #rosekey

Envision a life filled with inner peace, unconditional love, and abiding beauty, such that personal suffering becomes a non-event. The wisdom, that could have this be a reality, was 'hidden' by the medieval Cathar, known as the Good Christians, in twenty-two images that centuries later were entitled the Major Arcana of the Tarot. More significant than their modern use for divination, these images were originally a detailed map for what was required to end personal suffering and achieve transcendence. In 2020, Russell Sturgess’ book The Spiritual Roots of the Tarot, The Cathar Code Hidden in the Cards was released internationally. This course builds upon the foundation of his book, as Russell will explore the ancient wisdom of the Cathar embedded in the Marseille Tarot. He will explore the nature of human suffering, and illuminate the path that can lead each person to uncover their true nature, and the healing that brings. By registering for this course you will receive: - 12 months access to the full 16-sessions program (each session about 60 mins) - deep journaling prompts to integrate each experience - a structure that supports your own timing and intuition - a blueprint of the philosophy that sits behind my signature one-on-one mentoring programs 'Pathways to Mindfulness' and 'A Map for Transcendence' I am offering this program at a fraction of the price of the one-on-one mentoring programs because real transformation should be accessible for everyone. So, if you're in a season of unraveling, searching, or awakening... this map is for you. Join me and begin walking your path inward. IMPORTANT NOTE: - To register for this course, click the button below. You will be asked to sign up as a member (Already a member? Just log in.) You will then be redirected back to the course page to finalise the registration and payment for the course.

One week access to the recording of How to Choose Peace, Love and Joy as a Way of Life. A free event for the spiritually awakened who are still unsatisifed by life. Discover a proven four-step guide for navigating the Dark Night of the Soul and living your spiritual awakening in everyday life. Welcome Start Now How to Choose Peace, Love, & Joy as a Way of Life If viewing on a mobile phone, horizontal full-screen mode is recommended. PLJ Recording Thank you for joining me for the session. If you feel called to go further, my 16-session program, A Map for Transcendence , offers an immersive opportunity to integrate the map I shared during the webinar. To learn more about your options for participating in the full program, click the button below. Explore the Full Program

After extensive research, Russell holds a theory that the secret wisdom teachings of the Gnostic Cathars were encoded into the imagery of the Major Arcana of the Marseille Tarot. Decoding the cards in detail, Russell shows how they reveal a map for transforming consciousness, with the end goal for the individual being 'the kingdom of heaven'. A Map for Transcendence Early in the 15th century, twenty-two sacred images were transposed from manuscripts onto a format inspired by playing cards. Their sacred mystery was discovered by Russell in 2007. This long lost wisdom, details the steps one must take in making the transition from human to divine consciousness. Join Russell as he unlocks these sacred mysteries, and how to apply them. About the Program Envision a life filled with inner peace, unconditional love, and abiding beauty, such that personal suffering becomes a non-event. The wisdom, that could have this be a reality, was 'hidden', by the medieval Cathar, known as the Good Christians, in twenty-two images that centuries later were entitled the Major Arcana of the Tarot. More significant than their modern use for divination, these images were originally a detailed map for what was required to end personal suffering. In 2020, Russell Sturgess' book The Spiritual Roots of the Tarot: The Cathar Code Hidden in the Cards was released internationally. This year Russell is pleased to provide wisdom seekers with a 16 session immersive course, titled A Map for Transcendence, built upon the foundation of his book. In addition to exploring the ancient wisdom of the Cathar embedded in the Marseille Tarot, A Map for Transcendence takes participants on a journey through the nature of human suffering and illuminates the path that can lead each person to uncover their true nature and the healing that follows. Who is this program for? the spiritually awakened who are still unsatisfied by life those who are experiencing the Dark Night of the Soul spiritual seekers who have done lots of 'inner work', but peace, love, and joy remain elusive those who know they can't keep living life the same way, but lack clarity about how to move forward people who are not just trying to fix their lives—but trying to understand life from a soul perspective Common benefits of participating in the program: enhanced clarity about the spiritual journey guidance on how to navigate the journey through the Dark Night of the Soul peace, love, and joy is more consistent in the day-to-day experience feel progressively more aligned with essence instead of ego Ready to participate? Start Now Still undecided? Watch a recording of a 3-hour webinar where Russell delivers key concepts from the program, and start to see for yourself how these cards reveal the deeper architecture of the spiritual journey and how the rich symbolism contained within the cards offers a way to walk through the Dark Night of the Soul experience with greater clarity. Watch the Webinar Commence Your Journey Today Choose a Path That Works for You Self Paced Online Program Start: Anytime | Availability: Unlimited What's Included: - 16 recorded sessions (60 mins each) - 12 months access to the course - Digital workbook with deep journaling prompts to integrate each session From $270.00 AUD See Payment Plans Group Online Program Start: Wed 3rd Sep 2025 (7pm AEST) | Availability: Limited to 20 People What's Included: - 16 online group sessions (90 mins each) - Intimate size group for more personalised support (20 ppl per group) - 12 months access to recordings - Lifetime access to the online community and monthly meetings - Digital workbook with deep journaling prompts to integrate each session From $890.00 AUD See Payment Plans One-on-one Mentoring Start: Anytime if Available | Availability: 10 / 15 Seats What's Included: - 16 one-on-one mentoring sessions with Russell (up to 90 mins each) - Lifetime access to session recordings - Lifetime access to the online community and monthly meetings - Printed workbook with deep journaling prompts to integrate each session From $2800.00 AUD See Payment Plans What People Say " Before starting this course, I felt lost and uncertain about my purpose in this lifetime. I was searching for meaning and direction. This course has been a truly transformative experience. The teachings have provided me with clarity and a deeper understanding of myself and the world from a different perspective. My mindset has shifted, bringing me prolonged moments of peace and insight, and I feel more grounded in my everyday life." Belinda Books By Russell Be guided on your soul journey at your own pace with my three books. Explore Titles Spiritual Roots of the Tarot Metanoia Get Out of Jail Card Spiritual Roots of the Tarot 1/3 Tarot and the Secret of the Cathars The medieval Cathars were persecuted and thought genocided by the forces of church and state... but did their esoteric knowledge survive in a hidden form? Russell Sturgess, author of "The Spiritual Roots of the Tarot: The Cathar Code Hidden in the Cards," has discovered a secret code in the Tarot with the cards laying out the Cathar path to enlightenment and divine wholeness. Join Deacon Jon and Jason as they go on this journey through the Tarot with Russell.

Payment plans for Russell Sturgess' A Map for Transcendence One-on-one Mentoring Program. Select from weekly, monthly, or upfront payment options. A Map for Transcendence One-on-one Mentoring Payment Plans One-on-one Mentoring Start: Anytime if Available | Availability: 10 / 15 Seats Remain MFT 1:1 Weekly $60 $ 60 50 Weekly Installments Total $3000 AUD Select MFT 1:1 Monthly $250 $ 250 12 Monthly Installments Total $3000 Select MFT 1:1 Upfront $2,800 $ 2,800 Single Upfront Payment Save $200 Select Weekly Monthly Upfront Most Popular What's Included: - 16 one-on-one mentoring sessions with Russell (up to 90 mins each) - Lifetime access to session recordings - Lifetime access to the exclusive online community and monthly meetings - Printed workbook with deep journaling prompts to integrate each session Back to course options > What People Say " I would highly recommend Russell if you are looking for a mentor that will help you make sense of your reality and life so far, and guide you to create the peace and love you truly wish to bring into your life. Thanks Russell, I am truly grateful for this opportunity to work with you over the past 12 months, it has made an incredible difference." Trish Rock