My mentor

 

 Birth of wisdom and intelligence....

Dr. Dennis Saunders my mentor/ South Africa

These days are quite incomprehensible to me. One day I am beyond despair, and on days like today I am elated with joy. No, I am not a manic depressive--far from it, just simply being human.Today was a happy day, filled with light, a wonderful sermon by my favourite `Christian guru`. He always makes so much sense, a gift to whomever he touches. Thus it was a time of reflection and prayer and thanksgiving for all that is present in my life. All the past and present events that have molded me into who I am today, especially a wonderful dear kindred spirit, called  Dr. Saunders. In one short year I was introduced to a life-time of interest,-- ideas, philosophies, all that I hold dear in this life time.

Strange  how memory works. Today I was reminded of my youth, of  a person that touched my heart, a professor in Grade 12, Dr. Dennis Saunders, at a private college where I matriculated after leaving the convent. He was my English professor, with charisma, charm a free spirit who had a captivating style to present his point whatever that was was teaching--though often he would go off on a tangent onto a totally different subject, thus we learnt a lot more then the set syllabus could ever teach us..

I adored the man. I was completely bewitched by him, well not in a romantic way, but by his knowledge of  life. I hated Shakespeare, he made it fun, lovable and exquisitely beautiful. Every piece of poetry he covered became my instant favourite--Tennyson, Shelley, Browning, Keats, Byron, Burns became my  imaginary lovers as he made me fall in love with them. Many classics we covered, and they all came to life.

He is the sole reason why I chose the profession that I am in. He was  a healer, a homeopath,  as well as a spiritual adviser. A true `mench`. He simply captivated my spirit in every way and I soaked up knowledge from him like a sponge as a young teenager of seventeen.

There wasn`t a day that went by that I didn`t learn something valuable from him, still all fresh in my mind after all these years. From his inspiration was born my love and  interested in all the esoteric teachings, mythology and legends. The idea of reincarnation became a lifelong spiritual philosophy. Soul-travel, Akashic records, I-Ching, Runes, tarot and all the strange and weird that today is termed `new age`. He was a brilliant  astrologer, a psychic, interested in all forms of energy systems, and had deep knowledge of ancient prophesies. Nostradamus, Caycee, Madame Blavatsky were his soul mates, as well as many great philosophers.

 His ancient  family were  the Maya, the Inca, Hopi, Aztecs. The secrets and magic of `shamans` were crystal clear to him. Ancient sacred texts were familiar to him like the St James Bible, however the kabbalah was his true religion. In those days people like him were considered  `odd balls, loose canons` to believe the so called` mumbo jumbo`.

He loved the Egyptian  and Greek myths, Atlantis and it was  Mu where his earthly re-incarnation came into existence. A man extraordinary in every way. It  wasn`t Sir Thomas Moore who was a man for all seasons, but Dr. Saunders.

Yes, he was into all forms of mind altering drugs, he was proud to share his experiences with us students, though it was illegal as now. He didn`t care a hoot. He smoked like a fiend and drank like a fish!  :)...a real hippy in a sense; in spirit and soul though he was well  into his fifties at the time.

All forms of strange arts and sciences were his thing--he  had a  Phd is English literature from Oxford. He really was truly my mentor, my teacher of life, though I hardly understood these terms at the time. I could sit in his class and listen to him forever. My life is thus because of his influence. I wish I could thank him, for I am eternally grateful to have known him, and  for introducing me to all the wonderful ideas, wisdom, philosophies, spirituality and  to the wonders and mysteries of the universe. A shining light in the world of darkness and in my heart for ever. He, was wisdom.