Email tributes to Andrew after his death

4/9/13

Dear Rosemary,

So sorry to hear about Andrew's departure.  He was a good man and will be missed.

Lots of love to you.
Irene and Robert

  

4/9/13

Hi Rosemary,

I knew when we met you guys last xmas it was the last time I would see Andrew, it was nice to be able to say goodbye. He was one of the most generous, compassionate, and caring individuals I have ever met.

Our heartfelt condolences

Ruth & Des xxxxx 

4/9/13

Dear Rosemary,

So sorry for your loss, but also so glad to read that Andrew passed so peacefully and that you were able to be with him till the very end.

I’m glad I was able to meet him; you clearly had a wonderful, loving marriage, and he was clearly a wonderful man.

Much love

Liz xxxx

4/9/13

My Dear Rosemary

My impression of Andrew through our writing group was an extremely gentle man, more highly evolved than many. I am so glad he slipped away peacefully.

My thoughts are with you both.

Warm Regards

Bron 

4/9/13

Dear Rosemary,

Sorry to hear of your loss. You are right, Andrew touched a lot of people in his life in a special way. It is heart warming to hear of such a peaceful passing. 

Therasia

4/9/13

Andrew has contributed to so many, and like a ripple in a pond his
legacy will continue in so many ways we will never fully know.

Jo Heriot 

4/9/13

He was a lovely man and an inspiration to many including me. I loved his ‘no bullshit’ approach to tasks and his writing was elegant and very readable. Many of us will miss him.

Lots and lots of love at this difficult time

Your old friend Hoppy

4/9/13

To dear Rosemary
 
I am sorry to read today that Andrew has gone.  As you have said, he will be missed by many whom he has touched in this life.  I will remember him as we talked for hours on the image Andrew had of "putting things right".  He was a blessed man too as he had 20 years with you in his life, as you were blessed having him in your life.
 
All my love and prayers are with you at this time.

Margo Bunt 

4/9/13

Dearest Rosemary,

My deepest love and warmth comes to you at this time. The love between yourself and Andrew was lovely to be around and of course I love that you both shared my home in the mountains of the Tweed.

Sharon x 

4/9/13

Dear Rosemary
 
We were sorry to hear that Andrew had finally slipped away but pleased that he had obviously been at peace and with people around him he loved and who loved him.
 
It must have been wonderful to have spent 20 years with Andrew and to have felt so blessed.  We remember well the few times we spent time with you both - both in Australia and on our trip round the UK.  Andrew was always so curious and interested in things and enjoyed exploring both people and places.
 
You will always have those wonderful memories and we hope they will sustain you during the coming weeks.
 
With all our love.
 
Willem and Sue

 5/9/13

dearest Rosemary,  thank you so much for your tender e-mail letting me know about andrew's departure. my heart is with you as you grieve your loss and celebrate his wonderful life. all of us who love him, miss him and cherish our sharing time with him, especially for me having seen him recently and being with you both.
the angels are celebrating his arrival as he ventures forward on his next big adventure.

Jo Rawson

5/9/13

As we both know our dear Andrew is not gone...and know he has transitioned beautifully.

As you probably know it was/is a bit of a toss up who was more in awe of whom when it came to Andrew’s and my ongoing bucket list achievements. I loved the way he would always immerse himself smack bang in the centre of what was cutting edge spiritually.... whether his consciousness could catch up or not. For that I will always smile and say well done Andrew, you really lived your life as Carpe Diem!

Raeline Brady

 5/9/13

Hi Rosemary. We are saddened to hear that Andrew has gone. We are grateful that at least he could go in peace and with dignity. Although we never met him over those many years I'm sure that if we had we would, from all I've heard in that time, have been good mates. Our thoughts are with you and his family.
 
Love,
 
Jim & Joy.

6/9/13

Hi Rosemary

Ros and I are extremely saddened by Andrew’s passing but we know that you will be celebrating Andrew’s life forever.

He certainly was a mentor to many.

love and blessings to you Roger & Rosslyn

6/9/13

The world is now one very loving human being less, with the departure of Andrew from our midst.

Words fail me, to bring you comfort at this time of such a HUGE loss, especially as he is/was SUCH a loving man. Love SHONE out of his eyes, EVERY time I saw him.

Margie Moore 

7/9/13

Dear Rosemary,
Sadness of Andrews passing.
The small time I knew him I found him a gentle man, with an amazing sense of humour. Andrew's blue eyes would twinkle to suggest there was a secret he knew that no else did. Andrew was interested in what I had to say in writing and gave generously his time and opinion.
A gentleman that this world is sorry to lose yet a pleasure to have met.
My thoughts are with you, and his children
Regards Jan Busch

8/9/13

This is beautiful, he has left in a beautiful way. All worlds are here, he has just begun to see them as he moves to the next dimension. Love be with you, as his physical leaves his spirit remains. My hand is in yours and my heart sending love and peace.

My love to you in this time and the knowing that Andrew touched my and Tom’s hearts deeply. Love and peace be with you always

— Neena and Tom

 10/9/13

Rosemary,

          We are so sad to hear of Andrew' s  passing away. We will miss his adventurous  inquiring spirit ,his cheerful voice  and fond friendship. Thank you for sharing so eloquently all the warm and challenging moments you shared with him. I can relate as I have just spent 2 weeks  at my Mum's bedside last month. We hold you in our love and thoughts as you face all the changes ahead.  I look forward to reading Andrew's "Jorell" story to our grand children one day while remembering the inspiration that achievement was, to go for your goals no matter what age! We also admire his contribution to youth through the Discovery course. We will miss him dearly .

Much Love,

             Leanne  and Ian 

11/9/13

Dear Rosemary

We have just heard the sad news from Esther in Strathaven. Our sincere condolences.

Andrew and I communicated occasionally about the family tree between about 2005 and 2007.

You may or may not know that Andrew's father Stuart was a brother to (Swire) Bernard Wade, who was my grandfather. Bernard's son Stuart was my father.

Our elder daughter Helen lives in Auckland, and has three children. We visit her as often as we can, but have not yet ventured as far as Australia. Perhaps we will make it next time.

Very best wishes to you and your family.

Ian and Margaret Wade 

12/9/13

I am so upset. Andrew was as you say a very special person. Such a beautiful sincere smile.  That is the memory he has left me. 
— Jan Howe

 13/9/13

Dear Rosemary, thank you for your email regarding Andrew's death & please accept our deepest condolences. We are pleased that he did not suffer a prolonged illness & that his end was peaceful & without pain.

We keep in touch with Ian & Margaret Wade & Ian had let me know of Andrews demise a couple of days ago, but he obviously did not know of any details at the time.

My paternal great grandfather was Robert Wade, hence the family connection.

Please pass on our commiserations to the other members of the family. We are sure that he will be sadly missed by all.

Kindest regards
Stuart & Barbara Banks
Bolton
England.

 15/9/13

I think of you and Andrew every day and my thoughts are loving. 
— Maggie Good

Facebook tributes to Andrew after his death

3/9/13

Rest in Peace Andrew E Wade. You were, and are, loved by many. You will be remembered for all the good things you did with your life, the wonderful care, love and companionship you gave to our darling Rosemary Nissen-Wade, your hospitality, your humour, your questing mind, and curiosity about the world. Blessings to you.  — Satya Helen Patrice

5/9/13
Dear Rosemary, Thank you so much for the message. My loving energy goes to you. This is for you and Andrew. Like all, I too will miss the 'Squire'. Yet, I am blessed with many, many wonderful memories. The beautiful flowers from the 'Pilbara' region ... Love and Joy, James

12/9/13
Dear Rosemary, my love and blessings to you as you journey with Andrew's passing - thank you for letting me know. A strong rainbow bridge built between worlds as he travels, and your Light remains stabilised here - what a gift for the Universe! Love and Blessings Dear Heart, Val x x x


14/9/13
 The ceremony and sharing for Andrew's departure was profound. I think it is the first time I have attended a funeral other than Thailand and Nepal where it is considered liberation to leave the body. He has left a trail of enlightened beings. Love Kay

16/9/13

Andrew Wade was the most unusual of men and I adored him. 

I enjoyed Friday writing sessions with him, and missed him heaps when he wasn’t well enough to come. I loved it when he read his work - I doubt anyone could imbue a war story with more compassion than Andrew did. And, he was fun and funny!
I came from an abusive marriage years ago, so I was fascinated by the fact that he was SO comfortable in his masculinity he was able to show care and compassion and love for those around him, whilst still being a "bloke". Andrew was one of only two men in my life that I would hold up to my boys as an example of how a “real” man ought to behave.
So no, he was not your average bloke.
When I was diagnosed with metastasized cancer I would get phone calls on my mobile that would include no preamble: no, "hi, this is Andrew." Rather, “What about so and so…?”or, "I've had another thought..." and go on to tell me about the possible natural treatment he'd thought might help, or a new age 'something' he'd just remembered might help get me through the chemo symptoms. Each time this happened it brightened my day heaps and now and then, when I tried them, they were a great help.
Then there was the day when things looked very bleak indeed, and I answered the phone to, “I was thinking of you, and wanted to make sure you were okay.” Way to go on the ESP, Andrew – you saved my butt that day!
And of course, he was always telling me to remain positive. And I did - and I’m well again. And I only wish he were, too. Words are so useless at times, so let’s just go with - I’m really going to miss you, Andrew. Lots of love, Cheryl

16/11/12

Hi Dad, 

It feels slightly silly communicating with you because you're not here any longer, but if it is true that there does exist another life when we die then maybe it’s not so silly.

If it wasn't for you, I don’t think I would be who I am. You are the reason why I believe there is a more spiritual and progressive way of thinking. You are the reason that inspired me to look inside and believe in myself. 

Mum was the pragmatic one, the one who for a lot of my growing up refused to believe there is a God or a God energy . If you had not been around I think I would have been a different person. 

I just want you to know that you were a great dad. Someone who although wasn't the regular father figure, you always tried to inspire Duncan, Adam and I. 

We all love you so much. You are an inspiration and you have left a gap in the world. We were lucky to have you as a dad and I know for every step I took, you were there like a guardian angel, helping me along the way. When there was a fork in the road or I was going through a rough patch, you were there gently encouraging me to take a path that allowed me to grow and become a better person. 

You are still my inspiration,

Love you dad forever, CC xxxxxxx

2/2/13 Posted by Rosemary

This was Andrew E Wade, and then some!

"To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch . . . to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded!"
~Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882), American essayist, lecturer, and poet, who led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century

4/2/13 (Andrew's birthday) Posted by Rosemary

I have just finished reading a book about death, a beautiful book called The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak. It is narrated by Death — who, in the book, is quite a decent bloke. At one point he remarks that a difference between humans and himself is that humans have the good sense to die.
Today would have been my dearest's 84th birthday. But he died when he was still 83. Eight and three make 11, the number of mastery. And he had mastered his life by its end. He had mellowed considerably from the lovable but exasperating little dynamo he so often used to be. He had absolutely entered into unconditional love. Sometimes, from dementia, he was like a child. But it was a light dementia, and even at his most confused moments he knew how to be loving, and was most concerned that I should know I was loved. (I did know. I do know.) He was like that in his many lucid moments, too.
He had the good sense to die just at the point where his body stopped working. Up until then, although he had pain and frailty, limitations and frustrations, his quality of life outweighed its drawbacks. He died just at the point where it was going to become the other way about.
He was a great communicator during his life, and since his death he has been in communication with those who are able to perceive it. So we know that he is busy and happy, interested and engaged as always. Resting in peace? Not exactly. But his earthly troubles are over. He lived a long life, experienced joy and adventure, and contributed a lot to the wellbeing of others.
I miss him like hell, remember him well, and cannot wish that he had lingered longer. I was very lucky to be with him for those 20 brilliant years.

Rosemary a beautiful commentary on Andrew's life well lived and loved, including his total love and commitment to you x.x.x. — Marg Watson

Beautiful Words Rosemary....full of love and light....I remember his restlessly enthusiastic spirit seeking seeking seeking....questioning and wondering....ready to appreciate and value others....and I remember your first years together. Wishing you all the best and sending you love on this day which still remains his birthday even though he has moved on....Lots of Love Ursula 

Thank you again for allowing us into your world beautiful woman... BIG Hugs to you and to Andrew... a stunning Man. — Katherine Cunningham

I feel blessed to have always felt loved by Andrew also. And the Book Thief is among my all-time fav books, with sentences so beautiful they made me cry with joy. — Shae  Brown

From the 'tribute' book at Andrew's commemoration, North Tumbulgum, 9 September 2012

Click on the images to read them more easily.

Youth (Light-)Worker

In life, Andrew was deeply committed to the wellbeing of the young. He co-founded Discovery, an accelerated learning program for teenagers, which went national and is now operating in New Zealand. He was on a committee which set standards for children's television. And in later life he wrote stories for children, designed not only to entertain but to raise their awareness of other dimensions. 

Since his death, he has made his presence felt in various ways to a number of friends and family members. It's no great surprise that he gave one of them to understand that he is now engaged in helping young people. She thought he meant helping youngsters who die to cross over without trauma or confusion.

I can imagine that they would find his kind smile reassuring!

— Rosemary

Merry Meet and Merry Part: Andrew's Commemoration, North Tumbulgum, NSW, 9 Sept. 2012

First posted at my personal blog on September 17 2012. 

People who have been reading my poetry blogs and/or the 'Shifting Fog' blog will know that my darling husband Andrew passed away on September 3rd after 18 days in hospital and 11 in Heritage Lodge nursing home. In both places he was beautifully looked after. Basically his body just broke down, quite rapidly, and it's a blessing that he is now free of its restrictions. His last days were comfortable, peaceful, without pain, and full of love.  This is what I posted about it in various places online:

My beautiful man passed away today about 3.40 in the afternoon. The nursing home phoned me just after breakfast so I went straight there and our dear friend Maureen joined me there, and we sat with him all day. The nursing home fed us, and we reminisced about him and his life, and talked to him too, and held his hands, knowing he could feel and hear us although he was unable to respond. He was very peaceful and comfortable all day, and went quickly and easily. He did wonderful things in his life, and was a treasured friend and mentor to many. I have been very blessed to have 20 years with this incredibly loving man.

He and I weren't into funerals. We have been to a few, because that is how things are usually done in our culture, but we agreed that we didn't want that for ourselves or each other (being anti-gloom, and considering a body to be just an empty shell). His body was cremated at the funeral home. The ashes have been shipped to his children in Victoria, who will hold a memorial for his many friends living there who wish to pay their last respects.  

Here in the Mt Warning Caldera, in the Northern Rivers region of NSW, where we have lived for most of our marriage, we had a gathering of his closest local friends, by invitation. Here are the details —

The invitation said: 

Dear Friends

We are not holding a funeral as such for Andrew. His body will be cremated privately and the ashes shipped to his oldest son in Victoria. His children will arrange a memorial service for his family and his many friends down there. 

You, his dear friends and soul family in the Caldera, are invited to a commemoration at noon on Sunday September 9 at Kouranga Hermitage, North Tumbulgum (the home of our friends Maureen and Alan). It will be a simple gathering of friends, to celebrate Andrew's life and acknowledge his place in ours. Please dress pretty, bring a small plate to share, some wine or whatever else you would like to drink, and a flower for the altar.

Love, Rosemary

My niece Ellie came up from Victoria for a few days to be with me. She drove me to Kouranga on the day. We arrived ahead of time to finalise the preparations, and later she helped organise the food that people brought.

Alan and Maureen, with other old friends Nik and Julie, had already prepared the space, putting chairs, benches and cushions in the temple and flowers on and around the low altar. We used the candles that were there, and these three photos — this one taken on our wedding day in 1993: 

















this one in the winter of 2005:





















and this on 26th August 2012, 8 days before he died:

Alan blew them up and printed them on photographic paper; Maureen found frames for them and Julie did the framing.

I put a plaque from our friend Gail on the altar. It said, 'Live Simply, Laugh Often, Love Deeply', which she felt summed up Andrew. I placed Andrew's magickal tools on the altar too, in the appropriate places according to Pagan practice. Twenty-five people came, despite short notice. As they entered the temple (shoeless) they each placed a flower of their own on the altar. 

I didn't speak from notes, but from the heart, thanking everyone for coming, and saying something like: 

'Andrew identified as Pagan. He understood, as I'm sure we all do, that religious distinctions are artificial and man-made. When we updated his facebook status recently, for 'religion' he chose to say only, 'I believe in God'. However, in the way he expressed his spirituality, he was Pagan — albeit one who loved Jesus, whom he regarded as an Ascended Master and his own Patron Deity. His magickal tools are on the altar: his pentacle, which probably very few people knew that he always wore, as he kept it tucked under his shirt; his wand, his dagger and his chalice.' [I said 'dagger' rather than 'athame'  as some people present might not have been familiar with the latter term.]

'We're going to start by playing the Circle Casting song by Wendy Rule, one of Andrew's favourite singers and an out-of-the-closet witch, whom we were lucky enough to see in concert twice at the Castle in Uki. In fact several people here were with us on those occasions. This is from a recording called Live at the Castle.'  

Maureen operated the CD player with a remote switch and we listened to Wendy's beautiful, soaring voice singing:

The East the air the sword the mind

The gate that leaves the night behind

The North the sun the flame the fire

The gateway to our souls' desire

The West the womb the water's flow

The gateway to the world below

The South the star the silent Earth

The gateway to our souls' rebirth

The circle is cast and outside of time

The circle is cast and outside of space

The circle is cast and outside of time

The circle is cast and outside of space

and saying: 

'Welcome and Blessed Be'.

I said (something like): 

'We're here to celebrate Andrew's life. 

Many people seem to expect me to be devastated by grief. I'm actually not. It's when I think of how difficult life had become for him that I get upset, but I also have moments of great joy that he's now free of all those restrictions.' 

I shared a beautiful email received that morning from my stepson Adam, which read in part:

'Never was Dad happier when he was with you for these last 20 or so years.  The way he looked at you, even in his last few days, was a look of indescribable love.  I have never seen another man look at a woman the way he looked at you.  I can only hope that one day I am blessed with meeting someone I feel that deeply for.  You were his world, his inspiration, his reason for waking up each day and doing things he only ever dreamed of doing - writing a book, studying screen-writing, being part of other people's lives in a meaningful way, exploring new ideas, and searching for an inner truth.  When he left us, I truly believe he was finally at peace with himself, his life and the world.  You were the reason, his reason.  

Dad also left me with a gift, a message.  One that I will carry with me always; love is all you need.'

I said that indeed, by the time Andrew and I had completed our time together in this lifetime, I felt utterly loved and appreciated, as I know he did too. Even on his last night at home, before he landed in hospital, he gave me Reiki because I had come down with a nasty virus. I always told him he had 'the best Reiki hands in the business' and I reiterated it then, because they still were.

I told of that last day at his bedside. When I first went into his room, I said in his ear, 'I'm not only your wife, I'm also your Reiki Master, and you have my permission to leave when you choose. That's the greatest healing for you now, to make that choice.' Later on I said, 'Don't stick around on my account.' I also had the Reiki II channels open between us the whole time, allowing for telepathic communication. 

About 3.30 I said to Maureen, 'I haven't given the cats their lunch' and then, realising my neck was hurting from all that stooping over the bed, 'I need to take my arthritis medication. I might just dash home. It's only five minutes away.' But I was torn. To Andrew I said  telepathically, 'I want to be here when you go. Please don't leave while I'm away attending to those things,' meaning, 'Please wait until I come back.' Maureen was just about to phone her husband to come and drive me, and I was reaching for my handbag, when she suddenly said to me, 'Look!' I did, and saw Andrew's eyes, which had been shut all day, wide open. Even more dramatic, I realised there was complete silence; his breathing had stopped. It had been loud and laboured all day — what nurses call chain stoking and the rest of us refer to as the death rattle. After some minutes of silence he gave a big gasp, and after a few more minutes another, then that was it. We buzzed for the nurses, who confirmed it. Afterwards Maureen and I exclaimed that he was considerate to the last. I needed to get home, so he chose not to linger any longer. (Of course it was then some time before I could get away — but that's all right.)

I spoke about things Andrew had done in his life before coming to this part of the world. People here knew him as an author of children's stories, and as a gifted Reiki Master working in the markets (combining it with Indian Head Massage) and supporting me ably in teaching Reiki. Many didn't know that in Melbourne he had been a film editor for ABC-TV and for Crawford Productions, his greatest claim to fame being his work on the very popular police series, Homicide. And they didn't know that he was the moving force behind bringing to Australia an accelerated learning program for teenagers, called Discovery. They didn't know that he'd been an investigative journalist, and that because of that he was hired to front an organisation called Watchdog which investigated the then draconian powers of the Australian Securities Commission which victimised many innocent people, and that he ended up giving evidence before a Senate enquiry which led to urgent reforms.

For this part of my talk, I used as a prompt a list of his life highlights which he made for his 80th birthday party, at the request of Dinah, who was the MC on that happy occasion. You can read the list at this link. I also spoke of the genesis of his book, Jorell, which you can read about here.

Maureen read an email message from our old friend Marg Watson in Sydney, who was unable to attend the event:

Dearest Rosemary

My thoughts have been with you all week since Andrew’s passing and of course, remembering Andrew as I have known him the past 12 years since we first met.  I am so glad that John and I had our visit with you and Andrew in June when he was still at home.

Even though I could see his health deterioration since my last visit  in December, there was still much of the real  Andrew present. His laugher, his entrepreneurial streak and his humour still shone through.

My memories of  Andrew are and will be enduring. His wonderful clear blue eyes which so easily filled with tears of  compassion for others, his rich, deep throated laughter, his ability with the written and spoken word  and his deep feelings for others and most of all, his constant and enduring love for Rosemary.

Andrew, along with Rosemary, made every event important and meaningful. I remember the times they attended Kouranga, dressed in their best colourful outfits and Andrew usually in his suit to mark any and every occasion. 

Rosemary without Andrew will be like bread without butter. Yet we know that Andrew will be available to Rosemary whenever she whispers his name in the loneliest darkness of nights, when the memories and tears visit her as well as the times when peace and tranquillity will settle on Rosemary for the love shared and memories made with Andrew.  He will live on in your heart and soul Rosemary and will walk and be with you every step you take in your new life without him.    

Be at peace Andrew and Rosemary, know that the love of your friends encircles you with support, kindness and presence.

Much love, Marg and John 

Some other people spoke about Andrew, while the rest listened with smiles or even laughter. Kay spoke of him 'rediscovering' her in recent times and rekindling their friendship. (What she didn't say was that when he was so ill that I couldn't leave him alone even for a few minutes, she would come and sit with him every Wednesday afternoon after work, so that I could go out for a short walk. Some other days I had in-home respite carers, and could fit in a walk while out, but for minimum fitness I needed the extra time Kay provided. It was during those times that they talked and renewed the long friendship. His in-home carers, too, always mentioned how interesting he was to converse with.)

Del reminisced about a series of singing workshops where we met many years ago. (A number of lasting friendships originated there.) The teacher had some innovative methods to get us to free our voices. Del particularly recalled an occasion when we became 'goddesses' and stripped off to sit in the creek and sing from 'the fishhook in our crotch'. She decided to keep her cottontails on, and Andrew his Y-fronts. She was affectionately amused that he, the only male, was willing to participate as a goddess.

Dinah said Andrew had given her a message to bring some rosemary to put on the altar, which she did. She also said he wanted us to name a flower after him, as there was no Andrew flower, and to make up a song for him. We didn't take up these suggestions, but it occurs to me now that because Maureen had put so many azaleas on and around the altar, in future I will always associate azaleas with Andrew. (Which is doubly appropriate as we had a huge azalea bush growing in the first home we shared, in Brighton, Melbourne. Andrew transplanted it from somewhere else, I nurtured it successfully, and we saw it as something of a symbol of our relationship.)

I remarked that Andrew was evidently enjoying his new freedom. Already a number of people had reported seeing visions of him, receiving communications from him, or feeling his presence. I told them that, when I'd shared this with one friend, he said doubtfully, 'But I don't think he's trapped on this plane,' and I said, 'No, I think he's flying free. But as a psychic medium, I believe he can be in many places simultaneously. I know the dead are only a thought away.'

I was sure that, as soon as he died, he rushed home to see our cats. They were vaguely pissed off all the time he was in the hospital and the nursing home before he died, but when Maureen and Alan brought me home that night, they were frisky, playful and happy!

Feeling a little daring, but trusting those present, I then shared that, during his final illness, when I wasn't visiting him I had distracted myself in various ways, including catching up with Season 4 of True Blood, an outrageously gory and sexy vampire series which I absolutely adore. The day after Andrew died, I watched the final episode, in which one character is killed. His lover, a psychic medium, is visited by the spirit of the dead man and bemoans the fact that the guy was killed. The spirit says, 'Dude, I'm dead. You're a medium. You'll never be alone.' I reminded myself, 'I'm a medium!'

When everyone who wished to had spoken, we played Wendy Rule's song to open the circle, in which she again evokes the elements, repeating each time, 'Hail and Farewell and Blessed Be'. It finishes, 'Merry meet and merry part, and merry meet again.'

Then we went out to a deck with tables set up, to enjoy the food and drink that everyone had brought. Maureen had baked a cake and Julie had iced it with the word ANDREW and the red outline of a heart. We all sang 'Happy Birthday' and shouted 'Hip, hip, hooray!' and I cut the cake. So if we didn't make up a song for Andrew, at least we sang to him. (It was a bonus that we happened to be celebrating Andrew's rebirth on Eddie's actual birthday, so we sort of nodded at him as well while singing, and Maureen snuck his name in too.)

Alan had provided a book for people to write in, and many lovely things were written. There is still room left in the book, so I am going to add tributes which have come in on facebook or by email. (Those you can read on his facebook page, which I have made public access.) One person who attended was our three-year-old god-daughter Flo. Her father wrote in the book: 'I asked Flo what could we say to Andrew, she said "Goodbye". '

It was a joyful celebration, as intended — and some people did get a little weepy at times. Maureen choked back some tears while reading Marg's email; and as we left the temple, I saw others who looked emotionally affected. Young Cosmo, who came into our lives when he was 14 and is now 21, regarded Andrew as a surrogate grandfather. He had never been to such an occasion before and was taken by surprise to find himself in tears as we went to eat. He kept apologising for it. Marian and I hugged him and told him it was natural. 

A couple of invitees begged off on the grounds that they always weep buckets at funerals. I did try to tell them it wasn't a funeral like that, but I didn't push the point. I didn't want anyone to feel uncomfortable. Another dear friend who lives some distance away got a flat battery and didn't make it. It was probably just as well, as she had been ill and the long drive would have been taxing for her.

If we'd had a more conventional observance, I expect other people who knew Andrew would have wanted to attend. He touched many lives over the years, and I learned afterwards that people had been asking, 'When is the funeral? When is the service?' ("What funeral?' said Maureen to one person who asked, which caused some temporary confusion until she explained that we weren't doing that.) But I wouldn't even have known what paper to put a notice in: we have so many local papers here! And we definitely didn't want a conventional observance, with everyone looking serious, and that awful business of the coffin sliding behind a curtain and down a ramp to be burned. 

People have said since that it was a beautiful and profound occasion. One person who was there likened it to a wake. It was certainly closer to that than a funeral, but not as boozy and boisterous as I imagine wakes to be. It was, to me, a softly Pagan ritual celebrating my beloved's life and his current transformation.

Andrew and I had a long association with local Hare Krishna devotees, as when we first came to the Caldera the devotees had been praying for a resident Reiki Master and I turned up. For the first few years here, most of my Reiki students were devotees. I was in Coles the other day and one of my old students rushed up, saying, 'Hello, dear lady,' and gave me a hug. I thought he must have heard about Andrew's death, but he hadn't. When I told him, he and his wife said they would hold a private fire ceremony for Andrew after they had worked out the most auspicious date.

So, with the memorial in Melbourne, that will be three wonderful send-offs, a magick number!

Do not withdraw Complementary and Alternative Medicine courses from Australian Universities!

Do not withdraw Complementary and Alternative Medicine courses from Australian Universities!

Listen to the Wind

from "EARTH" by Barbara Marciniak published by Bear & Company Publishing, New Mexico.

IN this age of information, you are steered away from the natural sources of gathering knowledge for yourself. You have been sold the idea that television is a great source of information. This so-called tool has been touted as one of the greatest inventions of this century.  However, your media is owned and controlled by those who wish to keep you entertained and unaware. They peddle chosen versions of reality and completely ignore others.Television slows down your evolutionary process and limits you, especially as a young child. When you are young, early ipressions and imagination play a key role in how your life unfolds. Television keeps you in a very narrow band of emotional expression - basically chaos and fear. Today,more than ever before,  there exists a great campaign to sell televisions, to have free cable,  and to entice people to stay glued to the latest version of scandal and violence, as if what is broadcast is the most important issue at hand. Learn to observe how you feel if you watch television. It is a form of frequency control. This control is being tremendously accelerated as fear is being rapidly promoted all over the planet through television.

The large majority of people on Earth are being hypnotised by television right this moment. You are wasting your time with any kind of television watching.  It keeps you from life and acts as a substitute for experience, which is the primary way you learn. Some of you may say: 'Well, there ars some good programs on, and I only watch educational  shows.'  We ask you: 'What is being beamed over or under the "good programs" that you do not consciously see? If you insist on having a television in your home, keep it unplugged. Frequency waves are transmitted through your television even when you do not have it on.