The Incredible Case of Rosa Parks and James Blake

In 'Life Cycles' terms you may have noticed that occasionally I make reference to more than one 'significant year' in the life of the person I am analysing. That is; more than one 'Year of Revolution' (eg. what happened at 24 and then maybe 36 or 48) and more than one 'Year of Broken Pathway' (eg. what happened at 19 and 31 or maybe 43). Why would I do this? Well the answer is simple:- If your life is lived in 12 year cycles that are the same, then maybe there is some similarity between the events in your life 12 years apart. I am always careful to add the qualification, that it will be broadly speaking a similar theme that is being repeated and not, of course, the same actions or people involved.

Now we are dealing with a series of articles on the 'Year of Broken Pathways', which means I have been looking at the ages of usually 31 and 43, as they are prominent in so many people's lives. It is at these ages that fateful turning points occur to provide a challenge and new direction, that will take the rest of the 12 year cycle to deal with. I have been giving you many well-known illustrations. However once and once only in my extensive research did I come across the 'one in a billion' case, where the events happening at age 31 between two very different people were repeated exactly the same twelve years later at the age of 43. Not just a similar broad theme, but the same exact scenario! I found it by accident from an Obituary, but I submit it to you in the 'Weird or What?' category.

Rosa Parks has been called by the US Congress the "Mother of the Modern-Day Civil Rights Movement". She is famous for challenging segregated bus seating just before Christmas in 1955 in Alabama. She refused to give up her seat for a white passenger, in what was known as a kind of "buffer zone", designed to keep the races apart. She knew the bus driver, James Blake. Exactly twelve years before this, in 1943, she had her first run-in on a public bus on a rainy day. The same driver, James Blake, demanded she get off the bus and re-enter through the back door. As she began to exit, she dropped her purse and sat momentarily in a seat for white passnegers, while she picked it up. This enraged the driver, who sped off as soon as she got out, leaving her to walk more than five miles home in the rain. Just before Christmas in that year she joins the local chapter of the NAACP and became active in the Civil rights movement.

Fast forward to 1955 now and this time Blake did not confront Rosa Parks immediately, but asked some of the male blacks in the back if they would give up a seat for her. When that failed however he had her arrested, finger-printed and jailed; as the drivers were empowered by law not only to tell blacks to move, but also to arrest them. This led to the decision to rally behind her, as her dignified style appealed to middle and working class alike. The then little-known Martin Luther King led a boycott of buses by blacks. This became the inspiration for a similar boycott in South Africa and one of the key events in the radicalisation of the ANC.

Why do I feature this without telling you Rosa Parks age? Well you see that is only half the story in her life each time. She was aged 30 and 42 and was one year short of her 'Year of Broken Pathways' when ordinary moments in her life become significant. She didn't like her treatment but you might have thought she'd end up a huge winner particularly in 1956 when the US Supreme Court outlawed racial segregation on buses, deeming it unconstitutional. Rosa Parks however suffered hardships. She lost her job at the department store and her husband quit his job, after his boss forbade him from talking about his wife or the legal case. They left Montgomery and moved to Detroit. Her own personal life was completely altered. Did something similar happen in 1944 when she was 31? Yes once again she left Montgomery and worked briefly at Maxwell Air Force base, a federally owned area where there was no racial segregation and she told her biographer that:-"You might say this opened my eyes up". These moments, you see, were her own personal 'Broken Pathway'.

What of James Blake? Why did I bother to mention him at all? Well, after checking Rosa's altered circumstances in her next year each time, I also checked James Blake's age. He was born April, 14th. 1912 making him 31 and then 43 when both incidents accured. Yes he was in his own personal 'Year of Broken Pathways'. On both occasions he would say he simply followed city regulations to the letter. But in 1943 I don't think speeding off in the rain, when the passeneger had gone to re-board the bus, was morally correct regardless of how society was at the time. I'm sure it led on to Rosa Parks joining the Civil rights movement in Dec. 1943. Then in Dec. 1955 he said:- "I wasn't trying to do anything to that Park's woman except my job. That damn bus was full and she wouldn't move back. I had my orders". He comtinued to work another 19 years for the bus company. However he was swept up in one of the most influential turning points in US history. I can only begin to imagine the effect this had on him in 1956.

This shows the power and undoubted evidence of 'Life Cycles' in their lives. What about in yours? Remember you don't have to make history. All lives are interesting. But who had the greatest 'Year of Broken Pathways' of all? Stick around because I'll tell you next month and until then:- "may the cycles always bring you good fortune".

Interrupted Conversations-Broken Pathways of Frank Sinatra, Barak Obama, Mary Queen of Scots and Jerry Seinfeld

Some of you may remember that when I "interviewed" these famous people a little earlier this year, I told each of them that our conversation would be continued. Well here I am in the interviewer's chair again and I've gathered them all together. In an experimental post I'm going to talk to all of them......a bit like a Michael Parkinson chat show. We'll be looking at just one or two 'Years of Broken Pathway' for each. The intent is to show how disparate these lives are, yet how unified they are by 'Life Cycles' theory. Now I want you to read this and say, that honestly all of us sometimes do things we regret later. These moments can be awkward to recall, but there is no doubt they do shape our lives. Trust me on this one; the famous are no different to you and I. So let's make things a little awkward for them, but as always we'll just use the facts,

Glad you could all be here. Now I'm going to interview you one at a time and I'll introduce my first guest for the evening:- Ol' Blue Eyes himself.....Mr. Frank Sinatra!
Thanks for dropping by Frank.
Didn't I tell security to throw you out last time.
Look I've even brought you a live audience this time. I'm sure they want to hear about your life.
Well OK then, but just stick to the facts. I've still got friends on the other side you know.
Yes we'll be looking at fateful turning points in your life that happened in your 'Year of Broken Pathways'. That's every 12 years starting at age 7. So that means 19 and 31 and 43 etc. I'll just pick out age 31 in your case. That would be Dec. 15th, 1946 to Dec. 15th, 1947.
Wait a minute I seem to remember something back then.
Yes a certain fateful attendance at a Mafia congress in Havana. You remember, you came with Al Capone's cousins, who had $2m in a suitcase for Lucky Luciano.
I hope you're not insinuating...
No, I'll just say this to you though. Since that time you began to see yourself as untouchable and could pick on whoever you wanted to. As you got more aggressive, your popularity waned and they called you 'Cranky Franky'. Just for good measure we see this trend of your career being linked to Mafia fortunes again at 43. This was when Castro took over Cuba and the Mafia came to Las Vegas. You remember, it led on to part-owning The Sands and the 'Rat Pack' era.Co-incidence that's all it was.....mere co-incidence. But I hate to admit it, these things did change my life..
Well yes, all our lives are changed in these important years. Thank you very much for that Frank. Now I'm going to talk with the current President, Barak Obama. Thank you for this opportunity Mr. President.
To be honest I'm not sure why I'm here, but my advisers said I need to build bridges after the mid-term results.
Now we're here to have a look at fateful events when you were aged 31. That is Aug. 4th, 1992 to Aug. 4th, 1993.
Let me see. Oh yes, among other things that's when I got married to my wonderful wife Michelle.
Yes you did, but don't you also remember that's when something else happened, that came back to haunt you? You initiated 'Project Vote' to get around 150,000 extra voters registered on the south side of Chicago. It helped turn the tide in the Bush/Clinton election, with the first ever African-American senator elected in Chicago and got you noticed. You said at the time you worked alongside the Socialist Group ACORN. Then you denied any links, particularly during the election campaign when John McCain accused you. The most we can say is that you were doing the same type of business at the same time. 'Project Vote', both good and ill did represent a Broken Pathway moment for you.
Yes 31 was a very important turning point in my life, no question. With that ACORN business, let's just say that if I had my time over again, I may have said some things differently. My intentions however were always honourable.
Yes I'm sure they were. But that is, in it's own way, what each and every one of us says at some point in our lives. Particularly however during the 'Year of Broken Pathways'. Thank very much Mr. President. Now my next guest had the worst of all fateful 'Years of Broken Pathway'. Please give a warm welcome to Mary, Queen of Scots.
What be ye doing here again disturbing the dead?
Well I'll be brief. You had plotted unsuccessfully for 18 years to get rid of Elizabeth and that Sir Francis Walsingham was onto you. He even had a double agent ratting you out. God knows why, but Elizabeth was reluctant to try you for treason. Anyway they had just passed a law saying you only had to have full knowledge and support for the conspirators. You were 43 when Babington unveiled his plot to you, remember?
Aye, and a good plot it was too. An English Catholic uprising.....kill Elizabeth and then I'm Queen of England! By my troth I should have been all along.
But you were careless weren't you? You said in writing that you support every bit of the plot. Didn't think they'd see it did you? Written in code; but they deciphered the code. That was where your Pathway got broken and you unfortunately lost your head soon after. Now for my final guest, the well-known comedian Jerry Seinfeld. Welcome Jerry, to my little show.
Yeah right, I just saw what you did to those other guests of yours. What have you got up your sleeve?
I thought you might guess. I'm going to ask about when you were 43. That is April, 29th, 1997 to April 29th, 1998.
You're not, are you, going to talk the final episode. It aired on May 14th. Got you there!
Yes, but the dye was cast quite a bit earlier. Don't you remember the rest of the main cast wanted $1m per episode. Didn't please you or the studio. Things got a bit techy all round. Then Larry goes and writes this ending with you as bad guys. Most of the 79 million viewers in the US didn't like it. You see this 'Year of Broken Pathways' often says some uncomfortable things, but if we search our hearts, we have to say they're true.
Hey, Larry King should have had you on his research team. But heck you know, you're right. Anyway who cares with such a little shindig like this.......Sorry about that. I get a little hot tempered sometimes. I guess I'm just the guest tonight.
Thanks Jerry, We're all in the same boat you know!

Is my theory just quaint? Just has relevance for these famous types, but certainly not you? Then I urge you to think again. I did half this research as I wrote it. It's that easy to find the evidence. Make sure you come back next month, because I'll feature the most incredible 'Broken Pathway' case history. Till then:- May the cycles always bring you good fortune.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words- Nelson Mandela and The Year Of Broken Pathways

In this month's post I'm featuring a true personality of the world stage:-Nelson Mandela. He's almost univesally known to people. He also happens to be a teaching example I have used in 'Life Cycles' and I am proud to be able to display almost every 'Year of Revolution' and every 'Year of Broken Pathways' for his long life. By linking his themes for these years I am able to demonstrate the most statistically valid result for a whole life, that would be impossible to have happened by chance. It took Nelson 27 years in prison and many more for his struggle for freedom to be achieved. It would be fitting if one day in the future 'Life Cycles' was also recognised on the world stage as not just another system of analysing life, but the one true system that is recognised by independent researchers, academics, sceptics and most of all by you.

Today we'll just be concentrating on his 43rd. 'Year of Broken Pathways' (18th, July 1961 to 18th, July 1962) and looking at what fateful events happened in this twelve month period, that would shape his life for quite a few years to come. Remember every post since April has been about the 'Year of Broken Pathways'. The name came from the simple fact that I observed in so many different lives, a challenging and defining year that occurs every 12 years. So at 7 and 19 and 31 and 43 and 55 and 67 and 79 it happens. I can demonstrate this with Nelson and I do just that in the 'Famous Lives' chapter in the book.

December 16th is known throughout South Afica as Heroes Day. This is because on this day in 1961 Umkhonto we Sizwe was formed by Nelson Mandela. This is otherwise known as 'The Spear of The Nation'. It's charter was to carry out planned attacks against Government installations particularly those concerned with the policy of apartheid and race discrimination (like pass offices, native magistrate courts etc.) . The intent was to damage by bombing without harming any people. To do this attacks were carried out usually at night. Many years of peaceful resistance and dialogue with white authorities had not gotten the ANC anywhere in terms of genuine reforms. The time seemed to come for a simple choice:- either submit or fight. As Nelson said:- "We shall not submit and we have no choice but to hit back by all means within our power in defence of our people, our future and our freedom."

This was obviously a fateful moment in his life, because it was going to bring him into conflict with white authorities. It was going to give the police and other law enforcement agencies an opportunity to pursue him for a criminal conviction of sabotage. So what happened after these attacks against installations were instigated? Well he went on the run for 17 months adopting a disguise. He was arrested after CIA intelligence located his whereabouts. On 25th. October, 1962 he was sentenced to five years goal beginning his famous 27 years behind bars. Two years later he was to stand trial at Rivonia along with other ANC leaders, facing charges of plotting a foreign invasion of South Africa (which Mandela denied). On June 12th, 1964 he was sentenced to life imprisonment and now the struggle for equality was to take a different form.

There is no doubt that these events taking place in the years that immediately followed his personal 43rd. 'Year of Broken Pathways' were challenging and meet all the criteria specified in 'Life Cycles' theory. Have a look at what happened to John Lennon in his battle with the US authorities and Robert The Bruce, who was on the run from the English and Anthony Prince, who had to learn to live in maximum security gaol and Diego Maradona, who had to fight his battles with drugs and booze and Michaelangelo, who had to paint the whole Sistine Chapel ceiling. There is an obvious similarity to these stories and the uphill struggle that follows the fateful events in their 'Year of Broken Pathways'.

I urge you to keep reading as my posts to come will fascinate you even more. I have also begun a second blog:- "The Story Behind Life Cycles' (lifecyclesstory-neil-killion.blogspot.com ) as I wish to show you that everything I do has a purpose and there is a symbolic meaning to all my posts. I also will mention some stories that didn't make the main blog but are gems in their own right. To all my blogging friends everywhere:- "May the cycles always bring you good fortune".

But I'm a Sculptor-Michaelangelo and The Year of Broken Pathways

Ah, Renaissance Italy! What a time to have lived:- Leonardo Da Vinci, Michaelangelo, the Medici's, Raphael, Florence, St. Peter's built. It was the age of grand projects and innovation, never before seen. Today we are going to examine one of those famous projects; the painting of the Sistine Chapel in St. Peter's. This will be from the perspective of Life Cycles 'Year of Broken Pathways'. This is also totally new and has never been done before, even though we have moved on some 500 years.

Michaelangelo was born March 6th, 1475 and it was in his age 24 first adult 'Year of Revolution' (March,1499 to March,1500), that he gained renown as a sculptor, when he completed the 'Pieta'; a depiction of the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the crucifixion. One of his contemporary's said of the work:- "It is a miracle that a formless block of stone could ever be reduced to a perfection that nature is scarcely able to create in the flesh". His reputation from this led onto being selected to complete the statue of David in Florence.

Where to next at his turning point in his age 31 'Year of Broken Pathways'? Remember the essence of this year is that the path we have been travelling on since age 24 gets broken and we are handed a challenge or new direction, that will essentially take the rest of the 12 year Life Cycle to complete. This is a new concept and I illustrate by taking the lives of the famous or those mentioned in news stories. So 'Life Cycles' is based on biographical analysis, making it much more factual than any other esoteric theory. Though it isn't quite science, it's a lot closer to it than anything else. It's not a belief system:- there is no "trust me I'm a guru" element in this.

OK, so we're looking at events when Michaelangelo was 31 (March,1506 to March,1507). The first evidence we have of Pope Julius requesting Michaelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling was from a letter dated May 10th, 1506. Meanwhile Julius's chief architect Bramante discouraged this idea, saying Michaelangelo was not a painter but a sculptor and this would be technically difficult for him and he doubted his courage to do this giant work. Michaelangelo himself had doubts because he didn't concentrate on painting and regarded sculpting as the higher art form (famously arguing with Leonardo Da Vinci who replied:- "At least I don't spend my whole day covered in dirt and dust!").

When Michaelangelo returns to Rome in early 1506 out of funds for Julius's Tomb, he gets dismissed by the Pope and returns to Florence. Such is their fiery relationship, that Julius threatens to wage war on the whole of Florence unless Michaelangelo returns to Rome, which he does. Once Michaelangelo hears that Bramante doen't think he's up to the Sistine ceiling, he immediately drops other things and says he'd do it. These two then began a very famous and bitter feud that ran for years. You see it's all about ego for these very opinionated individual's.

There is no doubt that all this happened when he was 31. There is no doubt that it altered his direction in a very important way. There is no doubt that the sequence of events had a fateful character, seeming as if it were pointing Michaelangelo towards the Sistine Chapel ceiling. There is also no doubt that this was a huge challenge and led on to the rest of the years of this cycle (until his age 36 'Year of Revolution'-March,1511 to March,1512). It meets every criteria of 'Life Cycles'.

Michaelangelo began work on the Sistine ceiling in 1508 and hired five assistants. The work was done in fresco, which is an incredibly difficult and daunting process, involvong 336 assorted figures. Only the most confident and talented painter could do this, which was one of the greatest artistic feats of the Renaissance or indeed any period of time. He certainly proved Bramante wrong in a big way. He also had a very impatient Pope Julius, continually trying to hurry him up and demanding to see what he'd done. It would be an understatement to say that he had an uphill struggle to face.

How did this fascinating story end and why does it represent a triumph for 'Life Cycles' analysis? How is the Sistine Chapel ceiling related to the Pieta? What was so similar about events in 1499 and in 1511? Well the answer is that I'll tell you the full story in my next book:- "The Life Cycles Revolution" currently being written. You see 'Life Cycles' analysis is unnervingly accurate, sometimes down to the month as well as the year. Is your whole life written in code? Or does this only happen to the famous? You didn't paint the Sistine Chapel? No, but challenges and uphill struggles are the stuff of life. Anyone's life. Yours and mine. Until next month:- "May the cycles always bring you good fortune"

USSR/ Soviet National Anthem - Red Army Choir

USSR/ Soviet National Anthem - Red Army Choir