Brazil, you must be from somewhere tropical?
My parents decided that perhaps an unusual name might lead to an unusual life. At school, I certainly felt it was more of a curse than a blessing. However, at university, I had a lecturer who repeatedly informed me of how romantic my name sounded. Since then, I have grown to appreciate it more.
and expressions of spirituality. When I was 10 years old, I was given a collection of magazines, called Fate & Fortune, which covered a wide array of topics from fortune telling to Aleister Crowley, from Buddhism to Shamanism. Each issue was jammed with fascinating images that just captured my imagination and curiosity. As the years passed, my library on mystical ideas grew ever larger, as did my own experiences.
sublime spirit that exists in all peoples, in the hope of discovering personal insight. This has been the core purpose for all my travelling. Of course, one does not need to travel to experience the spiritual, but the challenges of being in unfamiliar lands, tests my biased cultural preconceptions and allows me to gain a better understanding of what is true, important and wise. 3. What is your religion?
my heart has always been drawn to Buddhism and Paganism. I have been a member in Pagan groups, as well as Buddhist organisations, such as the New Kadampa Tradition. At the present time, I am unaffiliated, and harbour some anxiety about being a member of any groups in the future. I label myself a Buddhist, if asked, because I find the philosophy entirely congruous to my perceptions of reality.
calls themself a Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, Pagan, whatever. Each religion preaches its own interpretation of the Truth. Individuals are attracted to the interpretation which best fits their character. In my case, both Buddhism and Paganism are attractive. 5. But Buddhism and Paganism are so different. How can you accommodate both of them in your life?
no clear founding figure, such as Christ. They usually share a belief in animism, magic and Nature, and can be found all over the world in different guises. There is not one single Pagan doctrine, but rather an eclectic mix of ideas that have developed from observing the cycles of life, such as the seasons, the moon and the sun.. You will find these themes in the beliefs of the Celts, Native Americans, Maya, Aborigines, the ancient Egyptians, the Norse and in the Shinto spirituality of the Japanese.
They both share concepts of the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. As I said, truth is truth. Where Buddhism is different, is that it offers techniques for escaping from this continual process, as best highlighted by the Buddha standing outside the Wheel of Samsara in Thanka paintings. In contrast, Pagans choose to wallow in the cycle, embracing it for all it has to offer. The endless loop of the Celtic knot symbolises this.
if I must be pushed, I would say that India is my favourite place, followed closely by Burma and Egypt.
In India, you can see beauty and ugliness, wealth and poverty, vibrancy and bleakness all within a single breathe.
than most countries. I certainly do not believe that God's finger has shown any preferential treatment for that region of the world. But, the aforementioned extremes have been the source of much spiritual inquiry and reasoning over millennia. The result being a country that functions successfully out of chaos, because it accepts the myriad of variations that make up its character.
the visitor. For me, I find the endless unexpected surprises, both good and bad, the most rewarding experience that a traveller could ever want. I expect to return many, many more times throughout my life. It is a truly extraordinary country. 8. What are your favourite secret retreats in the world?
that I have noted as perfect retreats to find peace and tranquility. Pokhara in Nepal, Kochi and Dharamsala in India, Copacabana in Bolivia, Iquitos in Peru and Bagan in Burma, are all places that, if required, I would drop everything to escape to.
with travel plans for both Mali and Ethiopia.
attraction for me over the years, so I am certain that I will one day set foot there.
have been fortunate enough to visit the sites of the Inca, Egyptians, Chinese, Khmer, Indians, Celts, Romans, among many others. However, the Maya, Aztec, Olmec and Toltec cultures of Central America have been the source of great interest to me, so I would love to visit Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize, at some point.
money to do so, I would spend my life on the road.
photography captures beauty. Why is that?
dark images. I must admit that I get embarrassed showing my art, because I am worried that people may get the wrong idea about me. A media agent once told me in jest that my art was the work of a twisted mind!
one can only truly appreciate aesthetics by having a sensitivity towards contrasts.
and photography.
you can do so HERE. |