Find out who you are!

If you are happy reading popular horoscopes or you have a certain opinion about the scientific roots of astrology, you probably need to quit reading this post. Before saying “Good Bye” to you I would like to point out that Isaac Newton and Albert Einstein were two of many distinguished scientists who were interested and practised the ancient art of astrology. 

Pop-astrology is primary based on the Sun signs. Sun signs depend on the birth month. Everyone could find their Sun sign and read their astrological forecast for the next day, week, month  or year. Sometimes predictions are fun and could resonate with something we have experienced or hope, most of the time they are vague and boring. 

My guess is that this brutal simplification of the ancient art of astrology happened for marketing reasons. Attracting readers is easy and efficient – everyone knows their day and month of birth.

Let’s think about it! There are 8 billion people on planet Earth and it appears there could be 670 million people with the same personality and destiny (assuming that every Sun sign has an equal amount of births) if we follow this logic. Furthermore, the Sun’s entrance to the signs is not fixed, it happens on different days during the years, therefore the birth year is important and you need to check your Sun sign – it could be different from the one you have always believed. Even further, in case you were born on the Sun sign-changing days which sign identity do you possess – one of the moving out sign or one of the entering into sign, or both?

It is obvious that other parameters are needed to specify the data. One of these parameters is the Moon sign. The Moon is the only natural satellite of the Earth. It takes it around 28 days to go through the zodiac, so, the Moon spends approximately 2.5 days in each sign. Locating the Moon sign narrows the alleged 670 million people with the same Sun sign to the much lesser group of people who have the same Sun and Moon signs. 

More data is needed for pinning down the Moon sign . This time that is the actual time of birth. Uncovering this data could be complicated. Some countries register the time of birth on the birth certificates (some states of the USA), some countries (UK) do not. Some parents and grandparents know the birth time of their children and grandchildren, some do not. Every known fact in this direction is helpful – maybe you know that you were born in the morning or afternoon or during the night, etc. In any case, an experienced astrologer will help you find out your time of birth through questionnaires for the major events in your life.

The actual time of birth is crucial because it defines the structure of your birth chart. The birth chart shows the exact positions of the planets in the sky when you were born. The first sign from which your birth chart starts developing is called the ascendant. Very importantly, the ascendant is changing every two hours in 24 hour period!

Now, your first, not complete but more reliable astrological picture appears as a result of identifying your Sun sign, your Moon sign and your ascendant. You are not an anonymous member of the 670 million people group and the authentic you starts taking shape.

Much more about astrology and what all these signs mean in the coming articles.

Cold exposure is hot!

Cold exposure provides a wide range of health benefits and practice takes many forms. People who were born or live in countries  such as Norway carry out cold therapy for at least a half of year. 
Those who live near the sea or river can connect with local groups for swimming in cold water. 
The wellness industry provides the latest hit – the Finnish cryo cabin which is great for recovering after challenging physical activities. Its computer is very close to what I imagine as artificial intelligence. 
Or, you may practise the Wim Hof (The Ice man) method. 
His method combines gradual exposure to cold combined with breathing techniques and exercises. 
If you are interested in his method you have a few options: 
Firstly, sign up for his boot camp in Poland where you may be lucky to be guided by the one and only Wim Hof. 
Secondly, join a day dedicated to the Wim Hof method in the local luxury hotel. The guide will be a certificated instructor of the Wim Hof method. 
Thirdly, follow my example and upload the WimHof app on your phone. I just paid my subscription for the third year running. 
 
I hope you realise that these methods of cold display demand time and money – the two things we are always short of. 
Therefore I offer you a simple, ingenious solution – take a 2 minute daily dose of cold shower and reap the benefits of cold exposure without investing time or money (even saving them!).
I took this idea from the Wim Hof app and gradually tailored it to my needs and lifestyle. 
I began modestly by having a cold shower each morning for 1 minute and when I felt ready I increased the time to 1.5 minutes and then to 2 minutes. I tried staying longer under the cold water to discover that a cold shower for 2 minutes works best for me. It is long enough to deliver the benefits and short enough to keep me doing it every day.
I start with a hot shower and then turn it cold. The timer alarm on my phone helps me to ensure the exact time.
As a result I have taken my daily dose of cold exposure for the last 2 years and I am still going strong. The benefits are tremendous. 
However, one thing is worth mentioning – every time you go under the cold water you encounter stress and shock regardless of how long have you been practising. 
The way you deal with the stress depends on your personality and the context. Some people just jump into the cold water and feel the shock.
I approach the challenge differently by firstly exposing my arms, then my feet, followed by my face. Then I endure the stronger shock of exposing the front of my body and finally the crescendo – the cold water is pouring over my shoulders, back and head. And after that, bliss – I stay under the freezing cold water and enjoy it. 
Every day is different. 
Sometimes I pray for the phone alarm to ring for the end of the session, sometimes I want to stay in the shower much longer. 
Some days I am so eager to have the shower and to experience the bliss, another days I do not want to do it and it takes all of my willpower. There are days when the shower stays hot. 
The reasons for these deviations vary but nowadays I know that the body and mind will request the cold shower again without fail.
Because very pleasant things happen outside the cold shower programme apart from some  excellent blood test results. 
I become calmer, more creative and more adaptable. Even if you have a calm temperament I assure you that you will experience a degree of improvement. Life feels good. 
If life brings upheavals which you usually avoid or procrastinate about you will begin to face them head on with full self awareness that despite the stress or pain you undergo you will endure and solve. 
And not only that – the solution which you have found is simple, practical, cost and time effective as it is the 2 minute daily dose of a cold shower. 

Life in the square

 
 
I usually take the tube to Euston station and walk towards Tavistock Square when I visit Bloomsbury in London. Fate, in the face of roadworks, diverts me to Gordon Square.  
 
The Square is snuggled between the tall, dark-purple coloured Edwardian buildings. The instantaneous feeling that this park is somehow unusual comes to me. The park is not so meticulously maintained as Tavistock, somehow it is less organised, more left on its own. 
Yellow paths cross the bright green grass. Birds are singing and one of them flies to a birdhouse in a tree, pokes around it for a while and playfully disappears just before I focus the camera. 
 
A young mum pushes her pram into the garden and with a deep sign of relief sits on one of the benches. She tenderly takes her baby out of the pram and protectively embraces her. The picturesque Hansel and Gretel style cafe at the entrance of the park opens for service.
A green sign next to the cafe presents unclear pictures of strange people dressed in fashions from  the last century. 
 
Only if you stop and read the text under the photos (or you may already know) do you learn that behind the fence around the park, across the road, is Number 46 Gordon Square, the house that accommodated the famous Bloomsbury group in the first half of the 20th century. 
 
There is extensive literature about this influential group – “The Old Bloomsbury” and the new generation of “The Bright New Things“ that transformed the group into “The New Bloomsbury” of the Jazz Era. 
The group was controversial. Its members definitely were ahead of their time. They had a rebellious approach to creativity and to the way of living. From the distance of the first quarter of 21st century the group seems avant-garde and old-fashioned at the same time. Two Bloomsbury Group themes are fascinating for me:
1. The Bloomsbury Group was a “family of choice”. 
 
The group members were families, friends, lovers, spouses and colleagues. They maintained life-long ties of affection, mutual support, understanding and acceptance. They provided a safe environment where everyone could be themselves without fear or embarrassment. The truth was their ideal and experiments with innovations and sexuality were strongly encouraged. 
 
They were an informal group, with loose ties, yet, they existed as a group for 30 years. 
2. Bloomsbury was a group of equality. In 1904 four Stephen children – brothers Adrian and Thoby and sisters Vanessa and Virginia moved to Number 46 Gordon Square after the death of their father. 
 
The future creator of the painting “Conversation”, Vanessa chose the house. The siblings were in their 20s and were free from having any adults to supervise their social interactions that conventions of the Victorian era demanded. The two sisters met the friends of their brothers (mostly graduates from Cambridge) on an equal footing. They openly and honestly discussed with them every aspect of life without any taboos.
 
During their lives Vanessa and Virginia not only acted as a glue and caring “mothers” for the group but developed very successful careers as a painter and a writer. 
Many people think the group was “privileged and perverse”. Group members definitely were talented and provocative.
Dorothy Parker said it geometrically “They lived in squares, painted in circles and loved in triangles”. 
Was it the charm of the bohemian Bloomsbury that inspired their imagination and their open mindedness? 
Was it possible that the intimate beauty of Gordon Square, its safe greenness and its peculiar yellow paths influenced their lives? 
One thing is for sure – there was no other place on the earth wherе The Bloomsbury Group could be born. 

Football fans know better or why to visit Turandot

Visiting world-class shows is quite costly but fortunately live broadcasting makes these performances accessible. 
 
In March 2023 the Royal London Opera presents Giacomo Puccini’s opera Turandot and the local entrepreneurial theatres offer it on their screen to opera lovers. 
The neighbourhood Regent Centre theatre also broadcasts the opera and I am lucky to attend it on a friend’s invitation. 
 
Of course, The Regent Centre is not the Royal Opera theatre, still it provides the needed feeling of entering the realm of drama and dreams. The theatre’s kind and helpful staff (or volunteers) make us feel very welcome. 
 
 
 
 
 
Everyone knows the opera Turandot. If you insist you have never heard of it ask the football fans around the world about the most famous opera aria “Nessun Dorma” ( the translation is “None shall sleep”). The aria is from Turandot. 
 
Football people will sing it for you or will show you the performance of the Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti at the 1994 World Cup on YouTube and you will remember it. 
 
Opera Turandot is a wise choice to introduce someone new to the art of opera and to show them that enjoying opera is not intellectual snobbery for at least three reasons:
1. First and foremost, Guacomo Puccini’s music vibrates with the rhythm of our hearts. 
 
The well known aria Nessun Dorma is in the final 3rd Act of the Opera. The stage is dark and mysterious, Chinese style lanterns move by a wind and the sense of danger and threat prevails. 

And the hero, Prince Calaf, son of Timur, enters the stage. The tenor Yonghoon Lee wears a bright red shirt in contrast to the darkness of the stage. His beautiful and powerful  voice is rising and falling, resonating with the hopes and wishes of the heart, leading to the moment of strength and determination. 
 
That is the apotheosis of the aria and the opera – the determination to overcome the challenges, to conquer, to win. Are you surprised that the football world loves the aria? Check the translation of the famed last world “Vincero”of the aria! (*The answer is at the end of the post)
 
 
2. Secondly, Turandot is a mysterious and exotic opera. It is set in ancient China and has all the ingredients of alluring entertainment – drama, tragedy, murder, love.
 
 Even the story of creating the opera is unusual  and you will be captivated reading the facts about its history and completion. 
 
The libretto is typical for the era of Romanticism.The plot does not follow logic, it looks strange for our 21st century brains but who says magic and love are rational?
 
 
3.  Finally, the Royal Opera House offers a first-class production. 
The cast, the orchestra and the conductor Antonio Pappano, the costumes, the stage design and the broadcasting are the best. 
You do not need to be an expert to recognise the quality of the performance and the highest possible standard of what opera art can offer. 
I have one more argument up my sleeve to convince you to visit Turandot. Why don’t you listen to the singer Aretha Franklin performing soulful interpretation of Nessun Dorma. Do you like it?
https://youtu.be/k33sINjn9o0
 

*I will win

Ballet Club strikes again

My friend Catherine and I are developing a taste for the art of ballet, particularly classical ballet – the one where delicate ballerinas in white tutus and pink pointe shoes do pirouettes and danseurs in tights hold them in the air. 
Recently a friend of mine informed me that visiting ballet had become very trendy, mainly among mature audiences. I am delighted to hear that Catherine and I are trendy and not so sure about the maturity.
 

The performing company is the Varna International Ballet – the troupe is visiting Bournemouth as part of their 75-year anniversary tour of the UK.

Varna is a city on the North East cost of the Bulgarian Black Sea. It hosts the Varna State Opera House and the well-established annual Varna International Ballet Competition.

The Varna ballet troupe is international. Bulgarian presence is limited to the role of Berthe, Giselle’s mother and one ballerina in the Corps de ballet.
The Bournemouth Pavilion theatre is not completely full, there are noticeable empty seats. A possible explanation is the performance of the more popular Swan Lake the following evening. 

Still, the atmosphere is electric and the audience is enthusiastic. There are many mature ladies around. Two of them are openly flirting with the bartender in the Circle bar, another loud group of six take seats on the first row of the stalls and energetically flirt with the flamboyant conductor. I wonder if that is what our friend meant about the mature interest in ballet. 
Our seats are perfect, second row from the stage. I find the design of the orchestra box ridiculous, The public cannot see the orchestra or the body of the conductor but his head sticks out like the head of a scarecrow.
 
Next to us is a beautiful young girl who I suspect is Bulgarian. Near miss, she is Turkish. She studied art in her home land and now works in the family restaurant in Charminster. She comes to the ballet in her day off. 

The show is called Giselle. It is a classic ballet in two acts. The music was created by the French composer Adolphe Adam. Giselle is a romantic fairytale about the life-saving power of love. 
The ballet group tells us the story in an elegant and expressive manner. 
The first act is alluring but the real knockout is the second act. It is exquisite and mystique, wonderful and engaging. 
The choreography is superb, the technique – flawless. The costumes and the decors convey the aesthetic of the narrative. The show even uses modern technology to present the spirits of the Wilis (young virgins who died before their wedding day) in the second Act.

The audience sincerely congratulate the artists and orchestra (special applause for the conductor from you know who). The ballet alters our mundane day with a spark of love and magic and lifts us up.

Catherine and I promise our Turkish neighbour that we will visit her restaurant on the days she works there. Yes, we need to book a table as the restaurant is very busy. That is not a surprise – with a waitress who studied art and visits ballet this restaurant should be great at staff recruitment. 
How will our ballet delight continue? Being very fond of the music of Tchaikovsky I am going to book tickets for The Nutcracker.

On the right meridian

Imagine that your plane takes off from Heathrow on Monday 13th March at 0.01am and heads WEST in the direction of Anchorage airport in Alaska.
  
The journey lasts over 15 hours. What time and date will you arrive in Alaska?
 
Similar question – why do you experience jet lag when you travel from Paris to New Zealand or from Tokyo to Berlin?


One way to find the answer to these questions or to refresh and deepen your knowledge about time and space is to visit the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. 

Arriving in style appeals to Adrian and myself so we board a City cruise boat. 
The boat leaves the impressive area of Tower Bridge and the Tower of London and sails east. 
Further along the River Thames estuary the water is getting choppy.
On the both sides of the waterfront dark brownish and grey warehouses, converted into modern, interior-trendy apartments (I guess) connect the past with the present.
This is the area where in previous centuries ships from all over the world were coming to trade.
The skyscrapers of Canary Wharf appear on the left bank and minutes later the boat stops at Greenwich pier. 
 
 
 
It is a cold March morning.
Greenwich Park is beaming with children, parents, dogs, joggers, and of course, the flood of international tourists climbing the Greenwich Hill. It  includes a huge group of students from Scandinavia who are surprisingly awake and chatty following their teachers.
We speed up to overtake them and then we are at the top of the hill. 
 
The Royal Observatory in Greenwich is the home of the Prime Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time. 
 
 
The Prime Meridian is a humble line, unnoticeable as everything worth noticing could be. It is a line in the pavement in the courtyard of the Observatory. 
Two signs indicate that this is not an ordinary line. One is the big Airy Transit Circle telescope in the building behind the line, constructed by the seventh Royal Astrologer George Riddell Airy.
The second sign signalling the uniqueness of the 0” longitude line is the fuss around it – families with children and young people from all over the world are taking photos here.Yes, they aim to show their exciting life on Instagram and TikTok but there is more to that.
The left leg is in the west hemisphere and the right leg is on the east hemisphere of planet Earth. Who can do that? Only heroes!!! Heroes like Batman or Spiderman, or Indiana Jones. 
The impossible is possible, everything is possible. On the right meridian everything is possible. 
 
If I dig deeper, the Royal Observatory makes everyone feel a part of something greater than themselves, something that is called progress.
The prime meridian is arbitrary – it could be everywhere in the world.
The International Meridian conference in Washington in October 1884 decided by nations’ votes that Airy’s meridian should be the prime meridian. The main reason was the fact that in the second half of the 19th Century 72% of the world’s trade was dependant on the sea-charts which had already accepted Greenwich as the prime meridian (based on the Nautical Almanac of Nevil Maskelyne, the fifth Royal Astronomer).
The same conference approved the proposal of the Scottish-born engineer Stanford Fleming for 24 time zones, each representing 15” of longitude and an hour of solar time. The developing railway systems of America and Canada and their struggle with the local times were behind the proposal. 
 
Away from the fame of the Prime Meridian is the 180” meridian that runs mostly through the Pacific.The 180” meridian is the International Date Lane and strange things with time happen when you cross it from west to east or from east to west.
If you want to have a personal adventure with that – book a flight to Fiji. 
 
Remember, miracles happen on the right meridian!

In the paradise of mass tourism

What is your favourite holiday during the winter? If it is to lie on a sunny beach when it is freezing cold at home, this post is for you. 
The holiday destination is Tenerife. 
 
The main reason for choosing it is the convenient proximity of Bournemouth airport.
 
From the moment Adrian and I enter its terminal the capable and unattractive face of the mass tourism welcome us.
Our departure is early morning on a Saturday. Long queues for check-in are already formed in the airport hall which resembles a huge tent. 
 
Three young officers take their places at the check-in stations. Their bodies and minds appear sleepy, suffering to be at work. Yet, they are very efficient. They perform their tasks quickly, methodically and professionally. In no time the long check-in queues are transformed into queues for the security checks, then for breakfast and later for boarding the plane. 
 
The aircraft is basic and cold, but it takes off on time and lands on time at the Reina Sofia Airport. The journey feels like being on a conveyor belt – in, out, job done. 
 
The Tenerife sun congratulates us. It smiles through the clouds and lightens the azure sea. 
20 mins later we are delivered to the hotel by a petite, delicate female driver who lifts our suitcases like Arnold Schwarzenegger. 
 
The hotel is on the beach promenade and is huge. 
An incredible amount of people wonder around the hotel foyer, the other facilities and the strangely shaped pool outside.
A businesslike receptionist puts yellow bands on our wrists to indicate that breakfast is part of the deal.
Efficient and unpleasant. 
The island of Tenerife is volcanic.
Despite this background the island is a prime example of what business acumen can achieve. The tourism industry here is conducive to all tastes and wallets. The black sand beaches are covered with colourful sunbeds and umbrellas. 
 


Cafes, restaurants and clubs, shops and stalls offer everything the tourists could possibly wish for. 
People working in this industry speak many languages, and seem shrewd and hardworking.
Supermarkets’ shelves are full of goods including tomatoes, cucumbers and lettuces. 
Police patrols in cars and on motorcycles are often to be seen. 
 
This exuberant island grows on you. The sense of being sluggish slowly changes to a subtle inclination to step up your game. Summer in winter is not an illusion.
It is more where you find it – in the gentle sense of contentment, in the feeling of laziness, or in the compulsion to join the surfing classes or viking boat trips. 
 
You may prefer people watching  with a San Francisco con alcohol cocktail in hand – observing the parade of all shapes and colours of bodies, proudly exposing themself to their holiday peers.
 
 
Or you may seek the intense dramas in the night clubs or short-lived romances. 
All the time the Sun holds you in its warm cuddle and 
the sea invites you to celebrate vitality. 
 
Summer in winter.

Decision to be indecisive

 
According to western astrology, people born between 22nd September and 23rd October each year belong to the sign of Libra. This sign is perceived as the Hamlet of the zodiac – Libra people are often described as indecisive. Clearly, indecisiveness is painted in a negative way which brands Libra characters quite weak and undesirable to have around. 
 
Despite popular opinion, let’s look beneath and beyond the labels and stereotypes. The trait of being indecisive usually involves three states of affairs: avoiding decisions, taking an incredibly long time to make decisions and being anxious about making the right decisions. 
1. Libra takes a long time to make decisions. 
Libra is an intellectual sign, very analytical, capable of objectively seeing and assessing all sides of the situation/problem. 
Libra knows that decisions have consequences (sometimes beyond their control), therefore they are determined to make smart decisions. This is impossible without collecting all the facts and listening to all the parties which requires time.
In this era of instant gratification, if you are annoyed with the time Libra takes to reach the verdict just agree on a reasonable deadline – the decision will be delivered on time by Libra.
 
2. Libra avoids making decisions. 
Do not be fooled – Libra is a cardinal sign, a sign of initiative, of moving forward. Libra people boldly and confidently make important, life-changing decisions. 
 
Still, they know that mental energy is limited. Frequent usage of the restricted reservoir of cognitive vitality for small, trivial decisions depletes it. Libra people steer clear of decision fatigue and apply the principle of  “choosing your battles”. 
 
They gracefully and charmingly will leave you to make every-day resolutions such as where to eat, how to shop, what movies to see. They are masters of discrimination. 
3. Libra worries about making the right decision. 
One thing needs to be clear here – Libras do not worry about arriving at the right conclusions because they are perfectionists. This is the realm of the Virgo zodiac sign.
 
Libra is the sign of justice and fairness. Libras want to reach a settlement that is fair to everyone involved because they posses amazing ingenuity to build relationships and import peace. 
All that sounds excellent, yet you are not convinced that it is Libra’s decision to be indecisive. You have experienced the suffering of the stuck-in-the-indecision Libras and the tiring wait for their decisions. I have a magical tip for you (the original idea is not mine) that works without fail. 
 
 
Libra is a sign of harmony who strives for happiness and balance.  So, invite “indecisive “Libras to flip a coin in order to resolve a situation. 
 
As crazy as it sounds Libras will do it. 
 
Their  motivation lies in the realisation that decisions and the changes that come with them lead to satisfaction as opposed to the discontent of decision-procrastinating and evasion.
 
Psychological studies have confirmed this and you already know Libra checks all the facts before deciding. 
 

The Greek myth of Icarus or what to do the next three years

We are naturally curious about the future. We want to know what is going to happen in order to navigate successfully through the complexities and challenges of life.
 
Astrology could give us a glimpse of the future (it is 
okay if you do not believe, read the post for fun) 
and could help us work beneficially with some
cosmic energies and vibrations.
 
A major shift will happen in the universe at the beginning of March 2023.  Saturn, the planet of mastery, the strict teacher, is moving into the romantic, dreamy and creative realm of Pisces and will stay there until 2026.
For me, the two most significant Saturn-in-Pisces impacts could be defined as:
1. Life is what you make of it 
2. Let it go
1. Life is what you make of it or the Greek myth of Icarus and his father Daedalus.
In essence, Deadalus  was a skilled craftsman, engineer and innovator. At some point in his life he was living with his son Icarus on the island of Crete. King Minos of Crete employed Deadalus to build a labyrinth where the cannibalistic monster Minotaur could be imprisoned. Dreadalus accomplished the project but later his relationship with the dictator declined and the King threw both him and his son in the labyrinth. 
 
Deadalus knew that eventually the Minotaur would find them in the maze so his inventive mind found the solution – he decided to escape by flying as a bird. A master plan was put in place and the hard work began – father and son diligently collected fallen feathers, carefully designed them into wings and glued them with wax. When the two pairs of wings were ready the father warned his son not to fly too high in the sky as the heat from the sun would melt the wax and ruin the wings. 
 
The plan was executed beautifully and the two man escaped from the labyrinth. However, Icarus was full of adrenaline and the ecstasy of flying. He forgot his father’s words and reached for the sun. The wax on the wings melted, Icarus fell into the sea and drown. Only Deadalus survived. 
 
 
 
 
In the Saturn-in-Pisces light, the lesson of the story could be defined as the”defiance of limitations” or the “desire to transgress human boundaries”. 
My interpretation is that hard work and controlled passion (as opposite of being controlled by passion) pay off in the end. If you have a dream which you want to fulfil or an idea you want to pursue, or a project you want to achieve, the next three years are yours to make it happen. It will be hard, it will require effort, time and sweat but if you are consistent and do not give up, the reward will be yours. Life is what we make of it.
2. “Let it go” or the Ponte Morandi collapse
In 2018 the beautiful Morandi bridge, built in Genoa in the 1960s, partially collapsed. The investigation revealed a “construction defect” and negligent maintenance as the reasons for the disaster. The bridge was completely demolished in June 2019 and the new Genoa-Saint George Bridge was built in 2020. 
 
How does this extreme example relate to Saturn in Pisces theme?  
The moral is that the structures in our lives  – habits, daily routines, personal and professional relationships, education etc will be tested in the next three years. 
The solid constructions will stay  and the outdated, fragile, defective and outgrown forms will collapse. The crumbling could bring sorrow, pain and tears but in the longer term it is good. 
We may miss the old designs but we will not want them back.
Challenging! Exciting! Let’s meet in three years and share the Saturn-in-Pisces experience.  

Love story or a story of imperfection

On 3rd February my ballet buddy Catherine and I attended the Swan Lake performance by the Birmingham Royal Ballet at the Mayflower theatre in Southampton. 
 
The nearby car park was full. A long, but fast-moving queue led us to the theatre entrance and another to the desk to buy a programme. The foyer was packed with people chatting happily. I spotted many opera coats, silk dresses and velvet jackets and trousers. 
 
Catherine and I were breathing this air of exciting anticipation. People like love stories and ballerinas, but for me I love the music of Tchaikovsky above everything else. Its amazing ingenuity and divine flow is out of this world. 
 
 
The original libretto of Swan Lake presented a romantic story with a tragic end. 
 
The young Prince Siegfield went hunting and saw a beautiful swan near a mystical lake which transformed into a stunning girl at midnight. That was Princess Odette. She was cursed by the evil sorcerer Baron von Rothbart and became a swan along with her companions. The Prince fell in love with the innocent Princess and declared his forever love to her. 
 
But the sun was rising and the cursed Princess had to change back to a swan and fly. 
 
The Prince was truly in love, yet the evil did not sleep. Baron von Rothbart presented his daughter Odile, disguised as Odette, to the Prince at the ball in the castle. The black swan Odile tempted and passionately seduced the Prince. 
 
This was a game-changer because the curse upon Odette could only be broken if the Prince was faithfully in love with only her. When the Prince realised what he had done, he and Odette jumped into the lake and drowned. 
 
 
 
 
The audience did not like this ending so the libretto was changed and different shows offer different endings. 
 
 
The Birmingham ballet chose the tragic exit. The Prince was forgiven by Odette and they both disappeared into the lake. Their unconditional love lifted the spell from the swans.
 
The audience in the Mayflower theatre was so captivated by the show that at the crucial moments of the ballet the only sound I could hear was my own breath and the tapping of ballet shoes on the stage.
Swan Lake was performed for the first time by the Imperial Ballet of the Bolshoi Theatre in the 19th century during the era of romanticism. Looking at the narrative through the glasses of the 21st century I feel that this beautiful story is about acceptance. 
Self-acceptance and a true acceptance of people we love. We love to love with pure, devoted and innocent love but we also want to experience passionate, adventurous seduction.
Baron Rothbart is not the external evil, he is actually the inner complexity of Prince Siegfried’s soul and it is up to him to find a way to deal with it. But the first steps are self-awareness and self-acceptance.
 
We all have light and darkness inside, impulses of destruction and renewal and dealing with these forces is part of human nature. It seems to me that 
 
The white Odette and the dark Odile live all the time inside our lovers and even though we find it difficult to believe they make the person whole. 
 
 
 
 
As hard as it is, when we accept that human nature is far from perfect, love becomes invincible and a fact of life.