🇹🇭 The tourists have mostly left and things are back to normal here in Bangkok. All the malls have taken down their Christmas decorations and we are now in the lull ahead of Chinese New Year. CNY is early this year, being 29th January when we will transition from the Wood Dragon to the Wood Snake.

Monday evening was the regular bitcoin meetup. It's nice that it is still in Soi 23 - that's just a short walk from my apartment and it is a good location. As usual there was a very international crowd and I got to meet yet more interesting people from Australia and Spain as well as quite a few familiar faces. We had some great discussion about Broken Money, Principles of Economics, Sovereign Individuals and "who would build the roads".

V and I are still recovering from whatever we had. As you get older it certainly does take longer and longer to recover and, just like with those injuries, perhaps there comes a time when you never really do recover fully? It used to be that a couple of paracetamol and a good night's sleep would fix most things but two weeks on we are still not fully back to normal. It is nice however to be recovering in sunny Bangkok rather than icy northern Europe!

More generally, it does seem like we are in the calm before what will surely follow. Make sure you are doing what is important and that you are not allowing yourself to fall into the habits of the collective. Recall our discussion on the 7-Habits of Highly Effective People - it's good to review here:

13 - Choices and Decisions - who makes yours?

I have been really busy this week with work - albeit back in Madeira - so I had little time to read or do much other than work. In the coming weeks I should have more time - I am taking a few weeks off work and have quite a

Letter from ...around the worldRoger Price

Book and Movie of the week

This week I was still taking things easy had a bit more time so I have a couple of interesting things to share. First is this week's book - a fantasy fiction book (not my normal reading choice) and then I discovered an excellent explainer of the true messages behind The Wizard of Oz (spoiler: it is very relevant to what is happening now).

Name of the Wind - Kingkiller Chronicles

You will know that I tend to read mostly non-fiction but a few times a year I do enjoy a dive into some good fiction and I like to research what I am picking before jumping in. The Kingkiller Chronicles has many divergent reviews with some loving it and others hating it. I certainly enjoyed it and will likely read the other books in due course - we are still waiting for the third one to be published!

Told in Kvothe's own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen. Whilst the University is not Hogwarts, I did spot a lot of parallels with Draco Malfoy, Snape, Hermione and Dumbledore as well as many of the other characters - let me know how you get on!

The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story. Do you know of other, similar or better?

The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle, #1)

Told in Kvothe’s own voice, this is the tale of the mag…

GoodreadsPatrick Rothfuss

There are indeed plenty of details to catch and I enjoyed both the audiobook and my Kobo copy. I found the following in-depth descriptions particularly helpful. Part 2 in particular will amaze you at the level of detail and complexity within the plot. You will understand why there is such a fan following for this.

Remember that making a backup of both your Audible and Amazon content is not only something that you likely want to do but it is quite straightforward. Libation and Calibre are your friends. Don't say that nobody told you.

The Wicked Truth...

You may well be aware that the Wizard of Oz story has much deeper meaning than that which is superficially presented. Recall that we have discussed this before. With the story becoming ever more visibly relevant to what is happening today it's good that some are still making to effort to help people see the truth.

This story isn’t just about Dorothy finding her way home, it’s about all of us waking up to reality. Discover the Wicked Truth behind The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. A story far darker than Hollywood ever revealed. The dark history of Oz is filled with real-world allegories and shocking truths. This isn’t just a fairy tale, it’s a cautionary tale about power, control, and the illusion of freedom.

Watch and you will see how characters like the Scarecrow, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, and Wicked Witch symbolise greed, labor exploitation, and political corruption from the Gilded Age. Did you know that Dorothy was inspired by a real person? Or that the Wizard himself reflects the same kind of political manipulation we still see today?

This video breaks down the hidden meanings and historical references behind The Wizard of Oz, from the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City. You’ll learn how the story ties into real-life issues like corporate greed, the gold vs. silver debate, and the struggle for power.

One small niggle that I would make on this explainer is that they make no mention of the fact that the movie shows Dorothy's shoes as Red Ruby instead of Silver as they were in the book. Did you catch that? Once seen, you cannot unsee these things.

More in this issue

• Photo memories - around Bangkok this week
• Project Updates - Primal Reads and Bitcoin's 16th birthday
• Plenty of useful links - don't say nobody told you!
• Closing out - Gnosticism and Hermeticism - better to be informed

🛠️ Project Updates

The following are updates from some projects that I am following, supporting and collaborating with. These are all part of the Parallel Systems that we need to build and use. What are you doing?

Primal Reads

I mentioned to you that I will be doing more with Nostr this year and one of the things will be to add my newsletter content there. This will enable me to get additional reach and engagement and also to help grow and leverage all the capabilities of the Nostr Ecosystem.

I have already started adding my earliest newsletters here. Click below and refresh your memory of how this journey started.

Travellr

World traveller and Sovereign individual. Perpetual optimist, ultimate pragmatist. No one can be told what The Matrix is - you have to see it for yourself.

It is fascinating to go back and re-read these earliest newsletters and my plan is to include all of them going forward. They are packed with wisdom and insights as well as the then current news headlines and messages. Do you have such a diary of your experiences through these times?

ICYMI - Happy 16th Birthday

3 Jan 2009 was an important date. This was the day of the first (Genesis) bitcoin block. Ever since, many of us have clearly understood how corrupt and broken the current financial system is. We understand how the Broken Money is responsible for keeping people in financial servitude and causing all of the boom-bust cycles as well as enabling the endless funding of all the wars.

Bitcoin is better money. Buying/earning and owing bitcoin is an effective vote against the empire. It is also the best way to safeguard earned wealth outside the current corrupt Ponzi system.

Matt gives you a little more background and you have got to like his new year resolutions!

🔗 Links for your edification

The following are links from my NetNewswire feeds - learn, enjoy and share.

He's not wrong

Techlead is quite a divisive character but he is not wrong in his latest diatribe. For sure those Unemployables that he cites are not going to make it and there is radical change needed. That said, there are also opportunities now for those who wish to take them.

Further Inspiration

Tintin has been part of Ali's team for the last four years. It is fascinating to hear what he has learned and how he is now putting that into practice.

Meanwhile, in the UK...

Things have got into such a mess in the UK that even Joe can no longer ignore it. He tends to take a very traditional-economics (MMT) view on things that (of course) ignores and denies the real problems and he is unyieldingly supportive of Covid and Russia interventions but even he now has to admit the mess that has resulted - even if he is not yet ready to admit the cause.

For a similarly realistic wake-up call, Mario's recent morning update is startling - here. ICYMI/TLDR: we are way beyond the previous Truss-Kwarteng levels of nonsense and a tipping point may well be closer than many would like to think.

And then in the USA...

You will recall that I believe Argentina to be the dress rehearsal for what is coming in the USA. Peter explains - listen and learn. At least they have a plan, unlike the UK and Europe.

🤔 Closing Thoughts

This time last year I gave you a deep-dive and explainer on Buddhism. Being here in Thailand that seemed especially relevant. Continuing this year in similar vein it is good to compare and contrast Gnosticism and Hermeticism.

From last week's Closing Thoughts you will be aware that the Gnostics considered themselves as the original and true Christians and it was The Church of Rome that committed Genocide to exterminate them. The reason for Rome's hatred of all things Gnostic is that Gnosticism rejects the need for any hierarchical church to intercede on your behalf, rather your spirituality is personal. This is the essential wisdom that was included in all the oldest writings and it resonates with much of Eastern philosophy and traditions - like Buddhism, for example.

As you study more you will see many similarities and cross-overs with older schools and teachings including Buddhism and Hinduism - it is good to be well informed rather than propagandised.

Similarities between Gnosticism and Hermeticism

1. Spiritual Knowledge: Both Gnosticism and Hermeticism emphasise the pursuit of gnosis, or spiritual knowledge, as a means to understand God and the universe. Practitioners of both traditions believe that through inner revelation, individuals can achieve a personal connection with the divine.
2. Divine Spark: Each tradition posits that humanity possesses a divine spark or essence within, which can be awakened through spiritual practices. This belief underlines their shared goal of transcending the material world to realise one's true nature.
3. Cosmic Context: Both movements emerged in the Hellenistic period, particularly in regions like Alexandria, where they likely influenced each other. They share a common cultural and philosophical background, drawing from older sources and traditions.

Differences between Gnosticism and Hermeticism

While these are presented as differences, consider that they all occur on a spectrum and it is rarely if ever the case that any attribute would be at either extreme.

1. View of the Creator: Gnosticism often presents a pessimistic view of the creator, seeing the material world as flawed or evil, created by a lesser deity (the Demiurge). In contrast, Hermeticism maintains an optimistic perspective, viewing the cosmos as a beautiful creation of a benevolent God referred to as "the Good" or "Father".
2. Nature of Reality: Gnostics typically reject the material world as inherently evil, whereas Hermeticists see it as a sacred part of divine creation. This leads Hermeticism to adopt a more balanced view that acknowledges both spiritual and material realms as interconnected.
3. Philosophical Foundations: Hermeticism is heavily influenced by Greek philosophical traditions, such as Platonism and Stoicism, while Gnosticism is rooted more in religious and spiritual narratives, drawing from early Christian thought.
4. Approach to Magic: Gnostics generally view magic as a dark art associated with deception and evil, while Hermeticists practice magic (theurgy) as a means of attaining higher knowledge and assisting humanity.
5. Humanity's Relationship with Nature: Gnosticism tends to portray humanity's embodiment in the material world as a form of imprisonment from which one must escape. Conversely, Hermeticism views this embodiment positively, seeing it as an essential experience for spiritual growth and connection with the divine.
6. Cosmology: The cosmological views differ significantly; Gnostics often see the universe as a prison (the seven spheres), while Hermeticists use astrology as a tool for self-knowledge and liberation from ignorance.

For those who want to read and study more - the Go-To book is The Kybalion:

You can read the book for free from Guttenberg project and/or I recommend reading/watching and listening to this reading on Youtube. 

I have got to recommend Master Key Society as a source of many great reads. Each of these is read from a physical classic book that you can follow along as the reader reads to you. Enjoy!

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No one can be told what The Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.
- Morpheus to Neo in The Matrix

Any questions or anything else? Feel free to comment below!
You can also email me at: LetterFrom@rogerprice.me

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