April 2022 - The Acropolitan Magazine

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Still reeling from the global pandemic, many continue to suffer, and the difficulty is compounded by war and widespread economic turmoil. Faced with the enormity of the challenge ahead, it might be tempting to deny it altogether by escaping into the “metaverse”.

However, Plato might caution us against going deeper into the cave. In our own times, Morpheus of The Matrix echoes the same warning. How might we instead dare to face the Truth, in order to alleviate the suffering of those around us? For ultimately, we are all an integral part of the same One Life.

Be it through mythology, art, or magnificent megalithic monuments, our heritage has always pointed towards the glorious role of the human being as a bridge between the terrestrial and the celestial. This has always been the true power of Living Philosophy; to bring to bring beauty, goodness and justice into the world.

On the occasion of International Mother Earth Day, which falls in April, let us look to the wisdom of trees, to all of nature, in order to learn how to harmoniously coexist, and to value our underlying unity that is enriched by our vibrant diversity. Let us dare to hope and build a future by humbly taking our rightful place as custodians of the planet. Let us Discover, Awaken, Transform.

ARTICLES IN THIS ISSUE

Matrix -4 Film Review

April 2, 2022

By Pierre Poulain

The Movie The Matrix, released in 1999, and its two sequels (Reloaded and Revolutions), released in 2003, have together been an international phenomena. The first movie in particular, was known as a modern version of Plato’s Myth of the Cave, and the two subsequent parts are of the same universe – the real world and the cave – although further away from Plato’s text. When The Matrix Revolutions was released, it seemed that the dice were rolled. A cycle was complete, and the sun was rising on a world where the cards had been dealt and the rules had apparently changed.

Towards Permanent Co-existence: Lessons from Permaculture

April 2, 2022

By Trishya Screwvala

The word ‘Permaculture’ was coined by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren in the 1970s to refer to the “consciously designed landscapes which mimic the patterns and relationships in nature, while yielding an abundance of food, fibre and energy for provision of local needs” [1]. What began as an ecological movement towards ‘Permanent Agriculture’, over time, evolved into something far more holistic and all encompassing; a set of principles and values of what it means to be conscious, contributing human beings and reviving a way of living that aims to develop interdependence and personal responsibility in every sphere of life.

Dionysus- The Mystical and the Heroic

April 2, 2022

By Svitlana Kiruta

It is impossible to touch on certain mythical stories without touching the deepest strings of our souls.

The theogonic myths contain universal elements of the journey of the soul. They warn us about the dangers of this journey: about what enslaves the soul, takes it captive—all our vices, fears and weaknesses. They also tell us what elevates the soul and leads to its liberation—all our virtues. The myths contain the generous gifts that the gods offer us. All we have to do is learn to find them, recognize them and use them in our lives.

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Stones of Time

April 2, 2022

By Zarina Screwvala

If you have visited Stonehenge on the Salisbury plains of England, perhaps you sensed a powerful feeling of mystery, of something hard to define. To the eye they are a series of immense standing stones set in circles. But rather, “Stonehenge is a symbol of Albion, the ancient wisdom of Britain and of different cultural values from a vanished time” writes Archaeoastronomer Robin Heath.

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The Wisdom of Trees

April 2, 2022

By Manjula Nanavati

There is a relative uncertainty as to when our earliest human ancestors evolved on earth. But it is certain that by that time, a myriad variety of plants and trees had already been thriving on the planet. The very structure of a tree, with its trunk segmenting into branches, twigs and leaves, is a physical manifestation of the philosophical concept characterizing the relationship between the universe and the One; multiplicity from Unity. The tree’s concealed roots further extend the metaphor, of unity springing from a hidden origin or source. Even those of us who do not share this perception cannot help but experience a sense of awe, perhaps even an intuitive reverence, in the presence of a forest of these majestic giants clothed in their silent, steadfast, resilient beauty. Older than man himself, trees have been integral to myths and folklore in almost all cultures as symbols of solace, strength, abundance, and immortality.

The METAVERSE- A Philosophical Perspective

April 2, 2022

By Ilanit Adar

Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, many aspects of the reality that we have been accustomed to, have changed. All at once, reality has become an unstable and inconvenient place to live in. Many of our basic needs for social gathering and human interaction became very limited. This situation had a psychological impact, and emotions such as uncertainty, confusion, anxiety and fear of the future, have been growing dramatically in our society.

ART AS A JOURNEY WITHIN- An Interview With Olivia Fraser

April 1, 2022

By The Acropolitan Editorial Team

For centuries art has been a natural means to express one’s inner journey – be it as a community or as an individual search. So has it been for Olivia Fraser, who has used her art to uplift, to produce wonder and beauty, and to find the ‘inner essence’ of things.

Olivia Fraser moved to India in 1989. Initially she was a travel painter before apprenticing with miniature and Pichwai artists from Jaipur, where she learnt their rich, rigorous and intricate tradition. The influence of Nathdwara Pichwai painting and early 19th century Jodhpuri painting,