Philosophy and Life
Recent writing and occasional thoughts on assorted matters.
- Privileged persons in the modern age. A thought on a momentous arrest Feb 22, 2026 - In the UK at least, there is, right now, really only one piece of news doing the rounds, which is the arrest of the former Prince Andrew, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. It set me thinking about why this is such momentous news. In a way, that's obvious. The fallout from the Epstein files has been building and the need for justice,… … Continue reading Privileged persons in the modern age. A thought on a momentous arrest
- What is your spiritual path? Ways of affirmation and negation Feb 21, 2026 - One thing is necessary on any spiritual path, many traditions say. Or rather, that one thing is found in two ways which, at root, join together. The approaches are affirmation and negation - also called fullness and emptiness, praise and silence, knowledge and love, activity and contemplation. But which way is yours? New essay at my Substack, A Golden String.… … Continue reading What is your spiritual path? Ways of affirmation and negation
- The King’s Philosophy of Harmony, Explained. The 100th Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogue Feb 19, 2026 - An audio version of the talk is at my podcast, Inner Life, available via podcast feeds. For the 100th episode of The Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues, Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon considered the role of harmony, wholeness and hope in the modern world. The event was held in-person as well as streamed online. The evening took as its inspiration the work of… … Continue reading The King’s Philosophy of Harmony, Explained. The 100th Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogue
- “Our wars are wars of life & wounds of love.” Feb 14, 2026 - Sexual drives wreck lives. And yet, the erotic opens paths to paradise. Christianity doesn’t do well with erotic love. The unease stems, in part, from the fact that the word “eros” doesn’t appear in the New Testament. The lacuna means that points of reference for discussions about sex are typically inadequate and thin. Command stands in for clear thinking. Then,… … Continue reading “Our wars are wars of life & wounds of love.”
- Prisons are built with stones of Law. A thought on the rules-based order Jan 24, 2026 - Much talk doing the rounds about “might is right” and the “rules-based order”. I wish commentators would read - no, really read - the source document for the might-is-right arguments: Plato’s Republic. Because then, they might realise that rules are not a constrainer of might at all. Rather, Plato advocates for justice - which, back then, wasn’t to do with… … Continue reading Prisons are built with stones of Law. A thought on the rules-based order
- The Music of the Spheres. And the power of the discarded image Jan 11, 2026 - When our medieval forebears looked into the sky, they didn’t look into the vastness of space. They looked towards the lights of divine heavens. The enchanted, celestial vista, and its felt presence, is described by Owen Barfield in his book, Saving the Appearances. “If it is daytime, we see the air filled with light proceeding from a living sun, rather… … Continue reading The Music of the Spheres. And the power of the discarded image
- Stranger Things. Jung’s notion of synchronicity Jan 3, 2026 - Synchronicities are reported by many. If you keep a synchronicity diary or love inner dynamics, you’ll probably spot a link between your awareness and frequency increase. But what are these meaningful coincidences and what should we make of them? After all, they often seem playful or odd. New essay at my Substack, A Golden String. Continue to read here... … Continue reading Stranger Things. Jung’s notion of synchronicity
- Cosmic Vitality and the Activity of the Angels Dec 27, 2025 - Angels appear by the dozen over the Christmas period and New Year. Walk down the high street and see these celestial beings in lights! People adorn trees, as if remembering the angels of nature in the season that nature grows quiet. And there are the angels of stories and place - alive in the myths of the season, churches and… … Continue reading Cosmic Vitality and the Activity of the Angels
- “Albion Is Sick”. A Blakean thought for Christmas Dec 21, 2025 - Civilisational erasure was a nagging concern for William Blake. “Albion is sick,” he lamented, “sunk down in sick pallid languor.” The divine intelligences, also called the angels, who guard England’s wisdom are “smitten”, he observed, “Abstract Philosophy warring in Enmity against Imagination,” he added. Blake noted that much as King Lear’s rejection of Cordelia, for refusing to quantify her love,… … Continue reading “Albion Is Sick”. A Blakean thought for Christmas
- New Born Wonder. Jesus, Barfield, Blake Dec 19, 2025 - An audio version of this talk is at my podcast, Inner Life, available via podcast feeds. How can we understand what is happening today from the perspective of what is sometimes called salvation history? What might be struggling to be born in our times? Why is a spiritual analysis - an unfolding of consciousness - key? The talk was delivered… … Continue reading New Born Wonder. Jesus, Barfield, Blake