2,000 Years In The Making- The Life Chart of Cleopatra

It's time to tune up the sistrum and don your ceremonial headdress, because today we are invited to the court of Cleopatra. She has achieved a form of immortality through her extraordinary life. She and Marc Antony were the original power couple long before the term was ever heard. Just about everyone knows her story and that's what makes it so interesting for me. If I can show a credible correlation of her life's major turning points and 'Life Cycles' theory, it becomes some of the most stunning objective evidence you will ever see. Can other systems of knowledge replicate this kind of result? I think not.

She was featured in many books and movies and played by a variety of actresses- Elizabeth Taylor being the most famous. In terms of her 'Life Chart', it is reasonable to go to her first adult 'Year of Broken Pathways' at age 19 (Oct. 50BC to Oct. 49BC), to see what fateful events happened to her, to change her destiny. It is recorded that at 18 she became Queen Cleopatra VII, but shared power with her younger brother. When she was in her age 19 'Year of Broken Pathways', she became the bitter enemy of the Gabiniani. These were the Roman troops, who protected the throne, and had adopted the ways of Egypt and become alienated from Rome. They refused a request of the sons of the Syrian Governor to fight the Parthians, because they liked their comfortable life and had murdered them instead. Cleopatra, who wanted to be pro-Roman, had the assailants arrested and handed over. This break with the Gabiniani was to be the main cause of her loss of power, which soon ensued.

Next we go to her first adult age 24 'Year of Revolution' (Oct. 45BC to Oct. 44BC). There is no doubt that this was the period in which Julius Caesar was murdered in the Senate. She had born him a son called Caesarion and was living with him in Rome. The fact that Caesar planned to marry her outraged the conservative Republicans, as it broke the laws against bigamy and marrying foreigners. She was seen as a dangerous seductress. The 1963 movie shows a scene the day before his death, when Caesar wanted absolute control as Emperor, which would have given Cleopatra everything she desired. However, in one fateful day it was all brought undone and she had to flee Rome instead. This was her personal 'new age' and the very definition of what a 'Year of Revolution' stands for.

Then we visit her next 'significant year', which is her age 31 'Year of Broken Pathways' (Oct. 38BC to Oct. 37BC). There is a famous scene from the movie, which shows Cleopatra being summonsed to Antioch by her lover Marc Antony and arriving in splendour on her Royal Barge. They get married in this year, which involves Antony later having to divorce his wife, who is the sister of Octavian (co-ruler of Rome). This is a very fateful turning point, because it legitimises the children born to Cleopatra and gives her continued political power as Pharaoh. It also earns her the bitter rivalry of Octavian and is not dissimilar in nature, to what she did at 19 with the Gabiniani, It is also to lead on to the 'Donations of Alexandria' (34 BC), in which Antony cedes much of Rome's territory in the east to Cleopatra. It is again the very embodiment of what a 'Year of Broken Pathways' stands for.

Finally to her last 'significant year', which is her age 36 'Year of Revolution' (Oct. 33BC to Oct. 32BC). Cleopatra issued a coin with Antony's portrait on one side and hers on the other. The inscription read 'Queen of Kings and her sons who are Kings'. This combined with Antony's intention to establish a second Senate in Alexandra was the perfect moment to get an inquiry started to strip Antony of his power. Octavian illegally seized Antony's will. The Senate apparently were not moved by making Caesarion as Caesar's legal heir, or leaving his estate to Cleopatra's children; but it was his desire to be buried alongside her in Alexandria that outraged them. The Senate declared war on Cleopatra, which of course meant Antony as well. This was her fateful turning point. It was to directly lead to the Battle of Actium and the demise of both her and Marc Antony. It was of the exact same character as what happened to her at 24. The split with Rome after being tantalisingly close to achieving her lifetime ambition, with the restoration of the Ptolemaic Dynasty and inheritance by her successors of the Roman Empire.

This is how a 'Life chart' is constructed. It says quite simply:- can analysis of what happened in the 'significant years' tell a cohesive story of some of the main events in a person's life? Moreover are the themes of the 'Years of Revolution' and 'Years of Broken Pathways' linked, so that they reveal your life's true purpose? Don't for one minute think, that something as seemingly remote as the 2,000 year old story of Cleopatra, cannot be duplicated by someone making the news right now. Next month we are going to analyse another woman in the news, whose attraction to power brought her undone.......who is she? Till then:- may the cycles always bring you good fortune.

The Best Day of My Life-The Life Chart of Novak Djokovic

I admit I had a famous historic personality all lined up for this month, but I just witnessed such an inspiring Wimbledon Final between Djokovic and Nadal, that I had to do a quick check of Novak's young life. I am a life-long tennis player and a keen fan, so this was not entirely by accident. There is wonderful drama in sport and you don't even need to be a follower to get caught up in it. Just about everyone knows Wimbledon -it's the pinnacle of world tennis. When Novak lifted the trophy he declared:- "This is the best day of my life!" Let's examine why this is so typical of what can happen in a 'Year of Revolution'. Let's then do a quick 'Life Chart' analysis and examine, as much as we can, his 'significant years'. 'Life Cycles' is unerringly accurate and remember I did this 'at the drop of a hat'.

Novak turned 24 on 22nd. May this year. It ushered in his 'Year of Revolution'. Often the most significant time in the life of a young adult. What happened to him? Just recently he learned, that on making the Wimbledon final, he had become World No. 1. This capped off a remarkable year so far. He, however, didn't see it that way. He said that it meant so much more to win at Wimbledon, than to get the top ranking. This was his dream, that he had since he was a small child. Even though he had victories over Nadal recently, he had to do it again on the grandest stage of all. There was a moment in the second set (which Djokovic won 6-1); when after a long rally he got an almost impossible drop shot return, for a cross-court winner. His box rose as one, their fists in the air and Novak thumped his heart and let out a 'primal shout'. This is the fateful moment, you don't know what you can do until you do it.

Could this match have gone either way? Few would doubt there could have been a five set upset to Nadal with the scores 3-3 in the fourth set. But it was Novak's day and his destiny. This is how many of us can feel in such a variety of ways in our lives and often it can correlate with being in a 'Year of Revolution'. Now in order to do his 'Life Chart' we simply try to get material on his only other remembered 'Year of Revolution' at age 12 and then see what, if anything, happened in his two 'Years of Broken Pathway' at 7 and 19.

Let's take his age 12 'Year of Revolution' first. His official website confirms that it was at age 12, he first went on an unaccompanied 3 month trip to Nikola Pilic's famous Tennis Academy in Munich, Germany. Up till then his parents went with him everywhere and as they were not a rich family, this was a personal sacrifice they made. It was a character forming time for him and taught him independence at a young age. His association with the Academy went on for quite a few years and was the basis of his entry into top-level junior tennis. There is no doubt that his first 'Year of Revolution' ushered in a new age in his life and a high point.

Let's fast forward now to Novak's age 19, 'Year of Broken Pathways' (May, 2006 to May, 2007). We are looking for direction-altering moments. The first thing I see is that there was a strong rumour in May, 2006, that the entire Djokovic family might emigrate to the UK. The drama surrounding this did not affect his play however and his path to the top commenced, when he reached the fourth round at Wimbledon and then his first-ever tournament victory in the Dutch Open (without losing a set). After a second tournament win he reached the world Top 20. His own biography section says of 2007:- "and then the dream year arrived". It said his career 'took off' after his Master's performances at Indian Wells (losing to Nadal in the final) and his first Master's victory at Miami (known as the fifth Grand Slam). He was now a confirmed Top 10 player and capable of beating the best. Yes, this was all within his 'Year of Broken Pathways'. His direction was to the very top of world tennis and his challenge was to get there.

Finally let's go back in time to his age 7, 'Year of Broken Pathways'. could anything have happened then? He took up tennis at age 4, running after the older kids at tennis camp and trying to hit the ball over the net. However at age 7, he was discovered by the famous coach Jelena Gencic. She said:-"this is the greatest talent I have seen since Monica Seles". As his coach, she has been attributed as 'creating his career and instilling in him the right attitude to sport and to life'. There is no doubt he owes her a great deal. This was his direction-altering moment and his challenge was to learn all he could.

So can you see for yourselves how a 'Life Chart' builds for such a talented young adult. Each of the 'Life Cycles' significant years represents a tangible milestone in his life, that can be measured objectively. Am I continually just lucky? Actually the odds on me being correct are astronomical, but of course it doesn't seem that way. Unless, of course, I'm correct and 'Life Cycles' is the newest and the best form of Life Analysis there is. So straightforward it's almost science.

My guest next month has waited some two thousand years to be unveiled so I hope she won't mind waiting a little while longer. Tell me who it is? Until then:- "may the cycles always bring you good fortune".

Hello Indonesia-The Life Chart of Mr. Arifinto

One of the great joys of blogging is checking your stats (as I'm sure most of you do) and seeing, on some occasions, the wide variety of countries that are represented. A recent example for me was the 10 page views on the Royal Wedding post from Iran. It is a rare privilege to think that someone from that country may have read about 'Life Cycles'. I believe my topic is a universal one and new knowledge is always appreciated by some people. Also, when I see smaller countries like Guadalupe and Nepal in the list, as well as the well-known larger ones, it is very rewarding.

However I have a special greeting for the people of Indonesia. Ever since the popularity of my 'Tree Man' post last year (which I regard as a personal favourite); I am aware that I have a larger than expected following in the country, which lies just to the north of mine. So in honour of your country I will present another story of one of your citizens. This time the nature of the saga is a high-profile meltdown, but the intent is to show that by playing detective you can piece together a portion of a 'Life Chart' from very little information.

Mr. Arifinto (no article I read mentioned his first name) was until recently a senior politician in the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), which was a Conservative Muslim party in Indonesia. He had responsibility as a lawmaker and was a founding member of the Party. He was photographed by a journalist in Parliament watching a pornographic movie, on what was called a 'tablet computer'. He at first tried to brazen it out, by saying that he didn't do this intentionally and that he had opened an email attachment by accident. However his screen was shown to be full of thumbnails of different sex videos. This caused huge embarrassment because the PKS were the most aggressive advocates of the 2008 Anti-Pornography Law. So what has this got to do with 'Life Cycles'. The thing that first drew my attention was that he was said to be 55 years of age at the time and thus in his 'Year of Broken Pathways'. This totally unexpected scandal was his challenge, that was set to last for the rest of the years of his current cycle. More dramatic than most, but it meets every criteria. It could never have been foreseen and try as he might to squirm out of it, his life altered for good and all at that moment.

In fact he virtually tells us what lies ahead as he tries to climb the mountain to seek redemption. The Shariah Board will dismiss him from it's advisory council and he will apologise to the Party and seek religious forgiveness:- reciting the Koran and engaging in acts of piety. He doesn't want to leave the Party or political life, so I'm sure it'll be several years in the wilderness for him. Now how do you construct part of a 'Life Chart' from this? I could find no biography and no career summary and as I said no-one even mentioned his first name.

All I had to go on was that he was a founding member of his Party, so I went to a profile of the PKS Party. The Party was established as the Justice Party on July,20 1998, when I would estimate that he was aged 42. What event happened in the next year (being his 43rd 'Year of Broken Pathways') that would have provided a much younger Mr. Arifinto with a challenge? The answer, in fact, does exist. In the June, 1999 general elections (when he was aged 43) the Party failed to get the required 2% vote to contest the next 2004 elections. In other words they couldn't survive on their own. He would obviously have been challenged and was trying to come up with strategies for the future. Then, in 2002, they merged to become the Prosperous Justice Party.

So, following this, is there evidence of an upheaval and new direction for Mr. Arifinto when he was in his next 'significant year', which was his 48th 'Year of Revolution'? Remember 'Life Cycles' can set up some exacting tests and I use only the public record. Once again though the answer is 'Yes', for in the April, 2004 elections (when he was clearly aged 48) the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) won 7.3% of the vote (giving it 45 out of 550 seats). They were now the seventh largest party and his political career reached a new high and it was his new age/direction. Can you see how 'Life Cycles' operates in the life of Mr. Arifinto? As always, if I can't ever find any supporting evidence for what I say, I would simply fade away and just play tennis, chess and poker. But that is not how it goes. I have the evidence in abundance. I know I have a mission and it is the most important contribution I will ever make.

So please let me know if you enjoy this post and if you would like me to feature someone from your country in the future. One thing I know for sure is that 'Life Cycles' only has meaning if it can relate to you personally. As always I wish you well and until next time:- may the cycles always bring you good fortune.

The 'Life Charts' of Prince William and Catherine

Hello again. There's certainly been a massive amount of publicity to do with the Royal Wedding. It was a marvelous occasion and I personally loved the use of greenery in Westminster Abbey, along with the inspiring music. It seemed to me to be a perfect blend of old and new and there was something about their traditional service and dress, that evoked a 'bygone age'. You would not otherwise know that I featured Lady Diana Spencer in my 'Famous Lives' chapter of the book. So if you want to know what really makes Di tick, then just grab yourself a copy and check it out.

It is therefore only fitting in some regards, that I should also feature her son William and his bride Catherine. Now things are more straightforward in 'Life Chart' terms if you're under 30. You have not yet lived that long and you have only experienced one adult 'Year of Broken Pathways' at age 19 and one adult 'Year of Revolution' at age 24. So, apart from the two childhood 'significant years' of 7 and 12, these may be the only real glimpse of the themes of your life. Don't worry about that phrase :- "the themes of your life" just yet, as I am going to teach it to you a bit later on this year.

Now let's check our facts out togerher, shall we? It transpires that William and Catherine were actually both born in 1982 (Catherine first on 9th. Jan. and William on 21st. June). This means that they are both in their age 19, 'Year of Broken Pathways' for at least a portion of the year (21st. June 2001 to 9th, January 2002). This shared time in a personal year, that repesents a turning point and a challenge, has a special name....but once again this is in advance of where we are up to in your education, so I'll have to leave it alone for now.

So, what happened in this time? Now who is in fact miles ahead of me here? Where did William and Catherine meet and when? That's right it was at St. Andrew's University in Term One, 2001. This is smack in the middle of both their age 19 'Years of Broken Pathway'. There is an amusing anecdote that I read of their first meeting, where Catherine is introduced William Wales (as he was known at University) at a nearby pub. Catherine got quite embarrassed and did a curtsy and then William got surprised and spilled his beer over himself.

There was a fateful quality to this meeting as history now attests. Also while William was still within his age 19 'Year of Broken Pathways' he bought a ticket (for around $300) to be in the first row of a fashion show that Catherine modelled in; wearing that now famous dress. They were friends at that stage, sharing student digs along with others, but he was heard to exclaim:- "Wow! Kate's hot." when she came down the catwalk. This well recorded moment also had a 'fateful turning point' nature to it. No relationship just yet, but certainly some interest.

There was to follow several years of uphill struggle for both, as they sought to keep their relationship under wraps. Nearby Balmoral Castle was a haven in this time. An ordinary couple a generation ago, may simply have married pretty soon after... but this is the 2000's and they are no ordinary couple. Can you see for yourselves how this time of challenge in their lives matches 'Life Cycles' theory.

Alright, we have only one other year to investigate and that is their age 24, 'Year of Revolution'. This corresponds to June, 2006 to June, 2007 for William and Jan, 2006 to Jan, 2007 for Catherine. Remember, this is a time of upheaval and the ushering in of a 'new age/new direction'. It is doubly so when you are both in this storm together. Now, who can tell me the only other time in their shared history before the wedding, when there was an upheaval in their relationship? You've only to look it up on the computer, to see it was the time in which they broke up and after a relatively short period reconciled. Yes it's smack dab in the middle of William's 'Year of Revoltuion' and provides a surprise ending to Kate's 'Year of Revolution'.

Now I've researched this era in full, but I won't go into too much detail just now. It seems that William was being torn by a need to be 'one of the boys', particularly within his regiment and on the other hand, to settle down with just Kate. He was getting out and about to local drinking spots in Dorset (where he was stationed) and meeting some local girls. Kate meanwhile was in London and was being patient through all this, but it must have been trying. Also these girls courted publicity, unlike some aristocratic girls that caught William's eye, but knew how to 'fly under the radar'.

Kate however was still expecting big things after she was invited to attend William's passing out parade at Sandhurst in December, 2006, which was her first high-profile event, with the Queen also in attendance. This was not how it turned out and instead William announced that it was too soon for him to settle down and they split up in April, 2007. I know they must have felt the full force of the 'Year of Revolution' and William also had a life altering experience (by his own admission), when a female intelligence officer he trained with was killed in Iraq. He said it made him think about his life and the things that matter.

The next public record we have of a reconcilliation with Catherine was her attendance at Lulworth Army Barracks as a guest of Prince William in June, 2007. This then concludes William's tumultuous 'Year of Revolution'. Think about my analysis. I have only the most meagre time period in their lives to examine. The possibility that I can find credible evidence is very slight and I just deal in biographic data. I deal in well-known cases because I simply want to get you to look at your own lives a bit more.

I'm sure you will join with me in wishing William and Catherine (now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) all the very best for a long and happy life together. Next month I will feature something totally different and scandalous from Indonesia, where I have so many blogging associates. I know you Indonesians will love this one. Until then:- may the cycles always bring you good fortune.

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