Halcyon In Kaleidoscope

These pages highlight our founder Dominic's subjective views on the ever-changing range and scope of subjects that Halcyon focuses on.

This is less a blog than a set of irregularly updated and often fragmentary views - on ideas and values, places and people - evolving over time into mini essais which pay humble homage to the peerless founder of the genre. Our writing is provisional, always open to change as new thoughts and ideas emerge.

The kaleidoscope is Halcyon's prime metaphor, encouraging us to embrace change and to view issues through an ever-moving series of lenses.

This is a work in progress. Please contact us to discuss further.

Related elements: Kindness-Empathy-Compassion-Love; Anxiety-Depression-Therapy-Self-Esteem; Charity-Activism; Conflict-Peace; Space-Time; Environment-Climate-Sustainability;

On an alternative world view

The sheer novelty of the ideas of such leaders not only addresses the issues at hand and but gives the world a new perspective to address issues of the future. The outmoded ways of leadership, of securing selfish interests and of exploiting public sentiments, should be relinquished. The new age leaders must look forward to lead the global thought rather than leading only a particular country or a section of society - Club of Amsterdam

In spite of spectacular strides in science and technology, and still unlimited ones to come, something basic is missing. There is a sort of poverty of the spirit which stands in glaring contrast to our scientific and technological abundance. The richer we have become materially, the poorer we have become morally and spiritually. We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers - Martin Luther King

This evolving paper will examine the overall Ethical Development Goals (EDGs) that Halcyon is developing to complement the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Introduction

The EDGs are inspired by the SDGs, officially known as ‘Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’, an intergovernmental set of aspiration Goals with 169 targets.

According to Open Culture, Orwell's Animal Farm was almost never published.  The manuscript barely survived the Nazi bombing of London during World War II, and then initially T.S. Eliot (an important editor at Faber & Faber) and other publishers rejected the book.  It eventually came to see the light of day but, reportedly, Animal Farm still can’t be legally read in China, Burma and North Korea, or across large parts of the Islamic world. 

However, the Internet Archive offers free access to audio versions of Animal Farm and Orwell’s other major classic, 1984.

See also:

You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star - Nietzsche

Ah, Nietzsche. Always so fashionable, always so little understood and even so little read, although the young man I vaguely remember once being enjoyed first Beyond Good and Evil and then on to The Birth of Tragedy and On the Genealogy of Morality and of course the far cooler Thus Spake Zarathustra while bumming around the Ionian Sea (funny how these things always seem hip with hindsight),

What if we could we remember and honour all the dead...yes, the estimated 110 billion or so humans who have ever lived? 

Imbolc, imbolc, the light will soon return, warm the Earth this winter's night and let the candles burn - from Ancient Dream, by Aeolian Songspell

A time of purification (hence spring cleaning), this is a hopeful time of year, with the days drawing out and even the mornings slowly lightening. Later this month, the first snowdrop and crocus should visit, suggesting that Spring is not far behind.

See also:

Please see below an evolving set of forecasts for 2019. This is work in progress, due for completion before the end of January 2019. 

Introduction

Halcyon's 52:52:52 campaign will launch in early 2019 and will feature 52 fast-changing issues and 52 possible responses, over 52 weeks.

Not really a card player, but one card calls to me down the years nonetheless. Not superstitious or credulous either, but the following raised a wry smile nonethless. Seem about right:

• 6 of Hearts: Indicates a time of peace and harmony where you can work well with others to achieve your goals and overcome obstacles.
• The Six of Cups in tarot is a card that takes you back to the joyful memories from your past, whether as a child, teenager or young adult. ... The Six of Cups often indicates an increased level of harmony and cooperation in your relationships.

Though not particularly taken by recent film adaptations of her novels, and well-used to my family calling me "Mr Bennett", I remember very much enjoying Pride and Prejudice when I read it as a student in France.

Today, Jane Austen is loved mainly as a charming guide to fashionable life in the Regency period. She is admired for portraying a world of elegant houses, dances, servants and fashionable young men driving barouches. But her own vision of her task was radically different, believes The School of Life. She was an ambitious – and stern – moralist. She was acutely conscious of human failings and she had a deep desire to make people nicer: less selfish, more reasonable, more dignified and more sensitive to the needs of others.

This is an evolving manifesto, more modest than great charters calling for widespread political change, or updated commandments for our time, or even simple poems for our time.

Instead, Halcyon's small charter is primarily a call for inner change, leading to outer change.

We want to help people think more about how they can nurture key values, chief amongst them kindness.

Kindness

Since the cave we have tried to make the old gods smile. Each year we fail and winter comes. #CLNolan

"Wings are for flying, not frying" ...nice quote, nice sentiment.  Animal-friendly consumerism could be a major future trend.  Until 12 years ago I too gorged myself on turkey every Christmas Day, Boxing Day, 27th...and my mouth watered long after at the remembered taste of turkey soup on the 28th or 29th, a meal which constituted one of the culinary highlights of my year.

God‏ @TheTweetOfGod 8h8 hours ago

90% of My time is spent adversely affecting the fortunes of your favourite team.

Research suggests that meditation can change brain structure, enhance mental abilities and 

A beautiful seasonal quote from the inspiring Damh the Bard.

"It’s nearly here...the major Sabbat of Samhain will arrive, bringing with it dark evenings and opening the door to the cold of Winter. Lanterns will be lit and placed in windows. Faerie Bells will ring and doors and windows will be opened to allow the spirits of those departed back inside, to share a meal, so we may remember them. Photographs of loved ones will be placed on altars next to the slowly drifting smoke of incense, tears will be shed, and smiles will be shared. Candle flame will be caught in the reflecting water of the cauldron, and Journeys will be taken. Magic will be cast, and the names of those gone before across the bridge into the Otherworld, and the many more lives that lay beyond, will be spoken into the wind, letting them know that they are never forgotten."