TRAVELS (and more) WITH CECILIA BRAINARD: An Attempt to Explain the World's Violence

Saturday, July 16, 2016

An Attempt to Explain the World's Violence

Artists and writers like to talk about "energy" as in the energy of the room was not good, or the energy of the situation shifted, or her/his energy wasn't good. In this case, energy is something undefinable, something felt, discerned, generally not quantifiable.

I'm going to be talking about "energy" in this sense, specifically to the energy of the world and the pitch of violence that surrounds us. The shootings, bombings, incredible destruction and suffering occur not just in war torn countries but in our own communities -- note the recent events in Orlando, Dallas, and Nice.

I've been trying to make sense out of all the violence. I've wondered if some religions do encourage violence, but my common-sense says bonafide religions teach people how to live better. I've wondered if the fact that the world's wealth is concentrated in some people's hands and not in others could be a factor, and my mind says yes, this possible.

Here's another theory that I've considered. I have to take you back to before the year 2000 when New Age discussions were popular. My psychic friends said the Age of Pisces was giving way to the Age of Aquarius. They explained how the earth passes into a new Zodiac sign every 2,000 years or so.

(There was another flurry of concern over December 21, 2012, because the Mayan Calendar was ending and starting a Long Cycle on that day.)

My psychic friends said the transition from the Age of Pisces to the Age of Aquarius will be a period of upheaval. There will be major changes in the world. One such change has to do with male and female energy. The Age of Pisces, dominated by male energy, will give way to the female energy of the Age of Aquarius. Note that 2016 is still part of the transition years. Note also that the male energy is described as assertive, logical, analytical, controlling, aggressive, striving, etc. The female energy is described as creative, delicate, nurturing, receptive, tender, soft, feeling, etc.

To be honest, the notion that we are in a period of change seems as good an explanation of the current violence as any. Even the Bible talks of one season giving way to another (Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8):

To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak,
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

This time of violence that we find ourselves in will pass.

Pictures are courtesy of Wikipedia

Read also
Women in International Politics

Tags: war, violence, New Age, change, politics, women, energy, male, female, #Orlando #NiceAttack #DallasPoliceShooting #Attacks

This is all for now,

Cecilia

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's official website is ceciliabrainarddotcom. She is the award-winning author and editor of 22 books, including When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, The Newspaper Widow, Magdalena, Selected Stories, Vigan and Other Stories, and more. She edited Growing Up Filipino 1, 2, & 3, Fiction by Filipinos in America, Contemporary Fiction by Filipinos in America, and other books.. Her work has been translated into Finnish and Turkish; and many of her stories and articles have been widely anthologized. Cecilia has received many awards, including a California Arts Council Fellowship in Fiction, a Brody Arts Fund Award, a Special Recognition Award for her work dealing with Asian American youths, as well as a Certificate of Recognition from the California State Senate, 21st District, and the Outstanding Individual Award from her birth city, Cebu, Philippines. She has lectured and performed at UCLA, USC, University of Connecticut, University of the Philippines, PEN, Shakespeare & Company in Paris, and many others. She has served in the Board of literary arts groups such as PEN, PAWWA (Pacific Asian American Writers West), among others.