I’m amazed at the way everyone’s carrying on about the phone hacking scandal and such.  Are they really so naïve as not to realise that disreputable behaviour is nothing new?

But then while digging deeper into the characters for my new memoir (Astro-Sex and Lies), my own naivety was painfully highlighted.

Cor was a great friend of mine – even if – sadly – we have now lost touch.  Actually, he was much more than that.  He was the counsellor and ‘trainer’ who taught me the ‘white-magic’ ways to self-empowerment.   Over the years, I’ve spent many hours working with him.

I always knew about his black magic past.  He’d been upfront.   Cor had been born into a group of real-life wizards in the wilds of the Belgian Ardennes.  They did things to people that would make Harry Potter’s toes curl.  But Cor had ‘reformed’ after waking up in the woods with 3^rd degree burns over most of his body.  Apparently, his wizard opponents had left him for dead.  He sent out an anguished cry for help on the astral plane and got it – in the form of a lovely woman, Nelly, who was a nurse.  She helped him get back on his feet in more ways than one.

But the last time I saw him, there’d been developments.  Cor was no longer a young man and health issues had put an end to his counselling practice.  Not having saved enough for retirement, he was now ‘pyramid-selling’ natural health products.  I couldn’t help thinking that he’d returned to his ‘old ways’.  Looking at his natal chart again, I realised for the first time (if you can believe it), that he shared many ‘power’ aspects with Alistair Crowley.

I was forced to face the ‘concerns’ I’d always had about Cor.  While calling him a great friend, I’d secretly suspected he was a ‘wolf in sheep’s clothing’.  While on one level I was quite prepared to believe that he was a thoroughly honourable man (he was very kind to me when my chips were down), on another level my survival instinct had warned me to keep my distance.   For example, I never spent time with him unless Nelly was around.

Now who’s the naïve one who refuses to realise disreputable behaviour is nothing new?  At least it isn’t when it’s in your own back yard.