The Ballad of Morris Cod

[Morris Cod]

You asked for it…..

This story is compiled from facts and events I discovered after the damage was done, so there’s more that I don’t know, or can’t remember but I will try to keep it as accurate as possible.
In the early ‘90’s, myself, my wife, who I loved dearly, and my gorgeous daughter were befriended by a married, childless couple. They seemed wonderful, happy and caring people, and, as a group, we had the best of times, summer days at the beach, endless partying, all manner of madness, and we spent nearly all of our waking hours with them. I considered him my best friend. He was charismatic, he was trusted. After a while, we all became involved in a more spiritual aspect of life, first an interest in aromatherapy, a bit of tarot, séances, visits to mediums, astrology etc., and although I was mildly sceptical of these things, it seemed to do no harm, and at times enhanced our lives to some degree (novelty value,perhaps?), and , as I said, he was very charismatic. Before all this, my wife and I were inseperable and insanely in love with each other. I could never even contemplate life without her, or my daughter.Then it happened. A visit to a medium by my wife and him, (as friends at the time), revealed that our star signs were “totally incompatible�. Her soulmate was in the room with them,(ie: Him!), and soon, all things would come to pass, and they would be together. It was’nt a hard stretch for him to initiate the affair that followed. Just to add to the problem, he turned out to be a practicing “Wizard�, he and his wife had an “Open relationship�, his wife was a “White Witch�, and I was a blind naeive fool, easily deceived by all. The methods used to keep me in the dark, were amazing, well planned , and deliberate. When his wife got uncomfortable with the “sleeping arrangements�, he would cut a slice of apple, a walnut, give it to both of them, cast a “spell of reconciliation� (robes, wand, the lot), and, with some slick talking and emotional blackmail, the disquiet would evaporate for a while.Oh yeah, he was good.This would take place once every couple of months, as his wife was getting slowly but surely left out of the picture. It got ridiculous. As this mad affair grew,got more complicated, and I got more suspicious,moves were afoot to eliminate me altogether, as by now things had come to a head and I developed depression, triggered by suspicions and suggestions made to me by the charismatic wizard. I had numerous spells cast upon me, I was to die of cancer, heart disease, by accident (shotgun approach!). The bone was pointed in my direction-it must have been absurd to witness all this crap-but I still hung around. All the while he befriended my daughter, and started to turn her against me, and head her down the mystic road. I cannot over emphasize the charisma of this person-he seemed to know my every move, he would hijack any attempts to revive my marriage, and his wife never gave any clues. She was being emotionally and sexually blackmailed as well.
CUT TO THE CHASE MORRIS!!!!
On new years Eve 2000, (spooky!) I discovered the affair. I was shattered. As low as you can go.I attempted suicide, I could not cope with the reality of what was happening. After lengthy discussions and soul searching with my wife, there seemed hope for us (when he was not around), but keeping his influence out was nearly impossible. He also had spiritual allies, more deluded hippies that would help out with a bit of information gathering when needed. Things got stranger. I had to move away from my family.My blackest day.He did’nt stop. He would send her crystals, talismans, plagiarised poetry, used his influence to get her a job in a “holistic healing and massage studio�, just to keep her in the woo loop and reinforce his message, and send her presents, like “Blessed elixirs�,basically Sambucca in another bottle, and generally went full on to claim his prize as foretold. For 8 months, my time was taken up playing amateur detective finding out where he was and what he was up to.Yes, I became obsessive and paranoid to boot.The straw that finally broke the camels back came ,when, on her birthday he delivered to her, at work, a fully framed, naked portrait of her in some spiritual type pose, complete with blessing spells he performed in front of everybody. He had exposed himself as the loony he was. She came to me for advice, I told her to get in the real world and get a restraining order on him, or he would need one on me!! We went to court, had a 2 month battle to get rid of him, finally, the magistrate stopped entertaining the new age arguments he tried to produce.It was only a restraining order, but he fought it tooth and nail, just wasted everybodies time.

ALL OF THIS CAME FROM SOME DOPEY ASTROLOGER/MEDIUM, and his influence on 2 believers. The affair had gone on for 3 years before I discovered it. I have only scratched the surface with the absurd mystical claptrap involved. I found his almanac-a journal he kept of all he’d done-it was incredible-he had networks of allies, some of them our friends who unwittingly helped him.It just went on and on.

Now the good bit.
5 years on, with a lot of patience, counselling reflection and forgiveness, my family and I have been reunited. We are financially better off than we were, we are rebuilding what we had, I am full time in my wonderful daughters life, I am sane (I think!!), and our health is terrific.

Oh, and, although I am not a violent person, the opportunity arose for me to wave my magic fist and cast a particularly effective spell on his nose.Cried like a girl.
Perhaps the wizard should check the warranty on those spells.

So there it is, alls well…..Problem is I had spent nearly 7 years, either depressed, paranoid and fearful of some mystical unknown , nearly lost all that I love in life, my own life,and my sanity. What a waste. Next idiot that asks me what harm it can do……


AND I am now a skeptic, one who asks questions, and seeks evidence.
Thanks to Randi, Shermer,Gould and everyone who has made me think….

And Thinkers like you guys.

Right, you can wake up now.

[Mr. Skinny]

It's Friday night. I'm tired. Please use some paragraph breaks if you want me to read this.

Thanks.

[LostAngeles]

Congratulations on being able to get your wife and daughter away from that (accuracy would require violating rule 8). I sincerely hope you and your family can go back to how you were before.

[Donks]

I thought it was worth the read, paragraph breaks or not.
MC: Glad to hear it all turned out ok for you.

[Mr. Skinny]

Sorry, Morris.

Just realized you were doing a stream of consciousness thingy and that I acted like a doofus in my previous post.

Apologies.

[SpaceFluffer]

Wow, Morris. I'm speechless. That's quite a story and I thank you for sharing it with us. Glad to hear that there seems to be a happy resolution to it all.

[pyewhackett]

Good on yer MC! A lot of these sorts of stories don't have happy endings.

Now you need to apply these critical thinking skills (as you have been) to this current situation with the medium.


Karen.

[Morris Cod]

Mr Skinny, no dramas mate! Sometimes things do work out. I kept a diary of some of the stuff, just reread it. Nearly wet myself reading it!
hope I didn't bore you!!
Thanks all for the replys..I'm thinking

Life is good.:)

[wipeout]

You're a stronger man than I, Mr. Cod, to have shown the restraint that you have in so many ways. :)

[Morris Cod]

Only 'cause I could,nt catch the b**t**d!
Seriously though, combine a serial psycopath with a clever actor and a belief system, and you have got a fight on your hands.
I know he is still into this stuff, despite all the practical evidence he must have seen against it.(Untrue predictions, useless spells, etc), and ,every now and then his ugly head pops up in our vicinity,however now it is much easier for us to politely tell him to play with himself elsewhere! He has lost all his perceived power, and now looks to everybody like a pathetic little Pratt.Half the town knows him too. He is not faring too well in the popularity stakes, that's for sure.

[Morris Cod]

Just one more point that may be relevant..........At the point of discovery, my wife completely broke down and confessed everything, and admitted her part in the deceit....she knew that she had bitten off more than she could chew, and was prepared to do what she could to fix it....I could see the relief in her eyes.
He, however, never apologised, admitted any wrongdoing, and swears to this day, it was all our fault,or his wife's,anybody but himself..............Which brings me to the point. When i discovered his almanac, it had engraved on the cover,

"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law"


That explained everything.

[songstress]

This bloke wasn't a proper wizard. He was a bully of the worst sort. His nasty spells did work - they caused harm and devastation to you and your family. He was just acting out his dreams with a large slice of ego attached for good measure.

I don't know what that 'medium' was on about either. No respectable medium would EVER suggest breaking up someone's partnership. Whoever that was, needs to be shot for bringing mediumship into disrepute. However, these two were grown adults and knew what was right and wrong. The medium can't be blamed for what adults choose to do.

I am sorry to read your story, but even happier to know that you and your wife are getting back on track. Moreover, I wish I had been there to see you bop that awful bloke on the nose. He deserved a lot more than that. But....make sure that you know what your wife wants, so that she's not vulnerable to the charms of such cads again.

I'd get back at all of them by training to become a real medium, and show him up, but mediumship is a vocation, not a way to gather cash in, or ruin peoples' lives.

Patsy.

[Psi Baba]

Originally posted by songstress
But....make sure that you know what your wife wants, so that she's not vulnerable to the charms of such cads again.
See that, Morris? It's all your fault for not knowing what your wife wanted! :rolleyes:

As you found out (the really hard way), there are of course, no "proper wizards" or "real mediums" and taking in cash and ruining people's lives is all they do. This guy should be stopped or he will just seek out his next victim. I'd find a way to ruin his life the way he ruined yours. He robbed you of seven years of your life. If it were money, you could get that back, but you can't get the time back. But that doesn't mean this guy should get off totally free. You have my sympathy and admiration and I must defer to you; I couldn't be that forgiving.

[delphi_ote]

Originally posted by songstress
This bloke wasn't a proper wizard. He was a bully of the worst sort. His nasty spells did work - they caused harm and devastation to you and your family. He was just acting out his dreams with a large slice of ego attached for good measure.

I don't know what that 'medium' was on about either. No respectable medium would EVER suggest breaking up someone's partnership. Whoever that was, needs to be shot for bringing mediumship into disrepute. However, these two were grown adults and knew what was right and wrong. The medium can't be blamed for what adults choose to do.

I am sorry to read your story, but even happier to know that you and your wife are getting back on track. Moreover, I wish I had been there to see you bop that awful bloke on the nose. He deserved a lot more than that. But....make sure that you know what your wife wants, so that she's not vulnerable to the charms of such cads again.

I'd get back at all of them by training to become a real medium, and show him up, but mediumship is a vocation, not a way to gather cash in, or ruin peoples' lives.

Patsy.
You have the nerve to post in this thread? Do you have no scruples whatsoever?

This is exactly the type of harm your self delusion causes. You're looking in the mirror here! Rather than just letting Morris be, you suggest he go back INTO this unhealthy medium claptrap? Just stunning.

Watching you scamper to justify this story and what it says about your beliefs is just sad. You say the wizard's spells "worked" but he's not a "proper wizard." A "real" medium wouldn't split up a partnership? What if the cards/stars show an abusive relationship? Pathetic! You mediums can't ever keep your denials straight! Eventually, people catch on and the medium is exposed for the fool he/she is. Morris caught on to his fools and put his life back together.

We caught on to you long ago, songstress.

[Ashles]

As far as I can remember "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law" was the personal motto of Alasteir Crowley.

Here is some info about him entitled, aptly, ALEISTER CROWLEY - OCCULT FRAUDSTER (http://www.dracoart.net/crowley/crowley.html)

And Patsy, grow up. We tolerate your "real medium" nonsense on other threads, but not on a serious one like this that shows what kind of harm this rubbish can cause.

A guy breaks free of the hypnotic and seductive lunacy that is new age spiritualism, using his own strength and determination, after several terrible years, and what do you recommend? Jump straight back in.

That's just plain irresponsible.

[Darat]

Originally posted by songstress
This bloke wasn't a proper wizard. He was a bully of the worst sort. His nasty spells did work - they caused harm and devastation to you and your family. He was just acting out his dreams with a large slice of ego attached for good measure.


He's not a wizard but his spells worked? Am I misunderstanding you?


Originally posted by songstress

I don't know what that 'medium' was on about either. No respectable medium would EVER suggest breaking up someone's partnership.


Is there a code of practise that mediums have so I can check if one is "respectable" or not before engaging their services?

Originally posted by songstress

Whoever that was, needs to be shot for bringing mediumship into disrepute. However, these two were grown adults and knew what was right and wrong. The medium can't be blamed for what adults choose to do.


So if a professional gives me their professional advice they have no obligation if it turns out their professional advice was wrong? Doesn’t sound like a very respectable profession that doesn’t accept the liabilities caused by their advice.


Originally posted by songstress

I am sorry to read your story, but even happier to know that you and your wife are getting back on track. Moreover, I wish I had been there to see you bop that awful bloke on the nose. He deserved a lot more than that. But....make sure that you know what your wife wants, so that she's not vulnerable to the charms of such cads again.


So it is Morris's fault his wife "strayed"? :eek:


Originally posted by songstress


I'd get back at all of them by training to become a real medium, and show him up, but mediumship is a vocation, not a way to gather cash in, or ruin peoples' lives.

Patsy.

Can anyone become a medium?

[Garrette]

Morris,

Just read this thread and am nearly at a loss for words.

My sympathies and my respect. A hard road, but ultimately well travelled.


Songstress, others have said it well, but your post is despicable. If you do not believe what you posted, you are a cad. If you believe it, you are willfully deluding yourself and taking pains not to see reality. Such willful delusion in the face of the pain caused by this professed warlock is an abomination.

I'm beginning to liken you to lifegazer but with muted colors.

[Morris Cod]

Errr…..What?

No, he was’nt a wizard he was a ……..(what’s that? Rule 8?)

His spells did’nt work-they were specific in their intent-not general.

Respectable medium-sorry, but the experiences I’ve had with ‘em so far don’t generate a groundswell of respect in my ocean.

True, they knew the rules. He had an agenda. But what a stroke of luck for him that reading must have been. Just made it much easier.

His nose…..fills me with satisfaction just thinking about it.Thanks.

(It did’nt have any warts as I recall…)

As to what my wife wants….I spend a great deal of my thoughts and attention to that very subject.I always have. AND I accept no responsibility for what happened!
Good grief, I have always gone above and beyond what any partner would do to ensure it works out. That’s me.None of our friends, (who have stuck by us both) have ever suggested that-and I have some brutally honest friends.

As to training to be a medium…..BAHAHAHA!!……I would sooner pull out my fingernails and eat ‘em! Where’s the pliers!!

Gawd, that’s easily the funniest thing I have ever heard.

Excuse me while I wet meself.
:bgrin:

[Gr8wight]

Originally posted by songstress
This bloke wasn't a proper wizard. He was a bully of the worst sort. His nasty spells did work - they caused harm and devastation to you and your family. He was just acting out his dreams with a large slice of ego attached for good measure.

I don't know what that 'medium' was on about either. No respectable medium would EVER suggest breaking up someone's partnership. Whoever that was, needs to be shot for bringing mediumship into disrepute. However, these two were grown adults and knew what was right and wrong. The medium can't be blamed for what adults choose to do.

I am sorry to read your story, but even happier to know that you and your wife are getting back on track. Moreover, I wish I had been there to see you bop that awful bloke on the nose. He deserved a lot more than that. But....make sure that you know what your wife wants, so that she's not vulnerable to the charms of such cads again.

I'd get back at all of them by training to become a real medium, and show him up, but mediumship is a vocation, not a way to gather cash in, or ruin peoples' lives.

Patsy.


No, he wasn't a real wizard, and she wasn't a real medium, because...

There's no such things

[arthwollipot]

Originally posted by Ashles
As far as I can remember "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law" was the personal motto of Alasteir Crowley.

People are always forgetting the most important part of that statement. As it stands, it sounds like an anthem for amoral selfishness and hedonism. It isn't.

The full creed is "An it harm none, do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law"

Forgetting those first four words makes the statement entirely different. If your so-called "warlock" had really followed the creed, he would have had at least one or two moral scruples.

Thanks for posting, Morris Cod. I'm glad you were able to get through it all.

[Ashles]

Originally posted by arthwollipot
People are always forgetting the most important part of that statement. As it stands, it sounds like an anthem for amoral selfishness and hedonism. It isn't.

The full creed is "An it harm none, do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law"

Forgetting those first four words makes the statement entirely different. If your so-called "warlock" had really followed the creed, he would have had at least one or two moral scruples.

Thanks for posting, Morris Cod. I'm glad you were able to get through it all.
Absolutely. But Alasteir Crowley was a self-serving attenion seeking, self-publicising fraud.

I thought it was a nice parallel with the 'wizard' Morris encountered.

[The Mighty Thor]

Well done Morris.

You could probably turn this whole distressing experience to a positive advantage. There is surely a novel (and a film) in your story. If you are not a writer, maybe you could collaborate with one. It has all the ingredients: sex, the occult, betrayal, charismatic bad guy, definitive good guy, love overcomes all difficulties etc.

And the title? How about:

'Do As Thou Wilt'

Best wishes and I hope you keep on keeping on :)

[Zep]

Morris, I hate to be a party-pooper, but after reading your highly interesting OP, and being Tasmanian myself, I just had to go and see what the scoop was on this story.

And I'm having trouble finding ANY reference to a Wicca "wizard" or "white witch" who has been the subject of any court action in Tasmania in recent years. Unless this was before a Family Court (in which case no details will have been released), usually it is possible to find at least one reference to most legal cases of that nature, even if the actual names have been protected. It's even possible to find lists of restraining orders taken out. Sometimes the press gets a wiff of it, even local papers. And the Wiccan forums would presumably have some discussion of it as well, one way or another. But I just can't seem to match up any of your story's details with any available descriptions of actual situations from these and similar sources.

Not that I'm prying for nefarious reasons, of course, just out of my interest. And if I did think I had a hit with actual names I would never publish your details anyway (that would be an unacceptable breach of your privacy here on my part, for a start), but there appears to be nothing to match. Not even a single reference to a single specific misbehaving Tasmanian Wiccan Wizard, even though it appears Wicca is alive and well in my home state.

I'm confused now. Your story appears to be a fantastic one of eventual triumph over rampant hucksterism, but nary a mention of it has been made in the extant legal records. Or the press. Or the Wiccan forums and websites.

Ummm... Should I just stop looking?

:confused:

[sophia8]

Zep, I'm also puzzled that I've not heard any of this before (although I got the impression from somehere that this had happened in England). It would have mentioned in at least some of the Pagan forums, for sure.
Like you, I don't doubt Morris' story but I'm wondering why the tabloid press didn't jump on this.

[jmercer]

Zep, Sophia8 - thank you for expressing your doubts, because I was similarly puzzled a few days ago when I originally read this. I have to admit that while I was reading the story I immediately developed a strong sense of incredulity due to the surreal nature of the tale. (Or ballad, as the case may be.) I refrained from posting because I couldn't decide whether to express my doubts or simply keep them private. Part of it is I could not imagine simply joining a public forum and sharing such an intimately painful experience. Such an open revelation is unusual, to say the least.

I still haven't decided whether or not to believe your anecdote, Mr. Cod. Certainly there are bizarre stories about cults and families, so what you described is possible... but I think I'll file this in the catagory of "perhaps, perhaps not" until there's some corroborating evidence.

After all, that's why they call us "skeptics". :)

[Psi Baba]

A good start would be for Morris to post the name and address of the scoundrel. If he really did what he did, there is absolutely no reason I can think of to protect this guy's identity.

[delphi_ote]

Originally posted by jmercer
After all, that's why they call us "skeptics". :)

Yep. It's what we do. We have to question, or we're just as bad as the believers.

If anyone asks anything too painful or too personal, Morris, you know you're welcome not to respond. We would all understand that. Just let us know.

But you need to understand that without details, skeptics may not be able to believe your story.

[Beth]

Morris,

You have, indeed, had a very bad time of it. My sympathies and admiration for your overcoming such problems. It is difficult to break away from such people.

A few words of defense for songstress:

When she says "proper wizard" I think she is using proper to mean ethical.

I also don't think she is blaming Morris for his wife's actions, but rather acknowledging that such actions do not occur in a vacuum. Everyone plays a part in such a drama and by altering your own actions, you can lower the chances of a repeat occurrance. It's not about blame, it's about what can I do. We can't control what others do, but we can control ourselves.

I don't think the suggestion to become a medium was a good idea, but I think it highly unlikely that Mr. Cod would do so.

Finally, I once knew someone who went through a similar situation, but the man involved was not a wizard, but the minister of their church. The two women ended up having an affair together and leaving the men out altogether. Such things occur and I don't blame the occult or the church; they just form the backdrop for instances of a rather ancient drama that is repeated far too often.

Beth

[sophia8]

I want to repeat that I don't completely disbelieve Morris' story; it just seems unlikely that it shouldn't have been picked up by either the tabloids - sex and the occult make for cracking good stories! - or the general pagan community.
However, I do remember reading a web page that warned about a very similiar-sounding nasty piece of work here in the UK. He also used charisma, emotional manipulation and a pose of being a powerful witch to get his way, especially with teenage girls.
I've been googling for the past couple of hours, but can't find it, unfortunately. But it shows that stories like these aren't all that unlikely.

[Gr8wight]

Originally posted by Beth
A few words of defense for songstress:

When she says "proper wizard" I think she is using proper to mean ethical.


It doesn't matter what she meant. The fact remains that the only word in the english language that can honestly be used as an adjective to describe "wizard," is "imaginary."

[Morris Cod]

Hi all,
Thank you for your skepticism. I also would question the story. I assure you, it did happen. As for the press etc. would any of you go to the media in the same situation? It was humiliating, embarrassing and I desperately wanted an end to it.I was trying to get my wife back with me, and our families did'nt know too much about the reasons, just that we were apart, someone else was involved, etc. Yes, it would make a good film etc.but I think the trauma of digging it all up again..........I have fought long and hard to restore my family, I would'nt risk it.
As to the court proceedings, I talked to my wife, in regard to this, and she corrected me. Yes, it went to court, the end result was a verbal agreement by him,provisional, to stay away (2 years), which we took, as the cost in pain and time to pursue the thing at the time looked too great. So, in fact, no official restraining order was issued-my mistake. However it did the trick. Because we were seperated at the time my participation in proceedings was less than my wifes, so please forgive my error. If you want names,court location, etc I can provide them, if anyone wants them. Was it a family Court?- I am sure it was'nt.

Thanks again for your interest, if I had asked more at the time, all this would be irrelevant.

[Morris Cod]

Oh, just had another thought....

The court fight we had, was'nt a "witch/wizard against mere mortal" thing, it was an attempt by us to get a restraining order aginst him, a mere mortal. When given a chance to speak, his statements reffered to his absurd notions, which resulted in his lawyer advising him to take the agreement and cut his losses. (I assume). This was'nt a "law and order" type trial- it was a small proceeding in our local court-again, if you want names, approx. dates etc. ask away.

Don't panic, I am taking no offence!:)

[Morris Cod]

Hey Zep,
You make some interesting points, that was just my story, part of my life that happened.

As to Wiccan forums, I didn't know they existed-but 12 months ago I did'nt know JREF existed either. I do'nt know if the wiz was part of a larger community, or a deluded psychopath that got his ideas from books etc. How do these Wiccan forums go?-do they sit around and brag about all the stuff they do?? Sheesh, I gotta go there. I do know that he was computer illiterate.Would'nt even be able to turn one on to my knowledge. But, then again there was a lot of stuff I didn't know about him, so he could have been Bill Gates love child and gotten away with it.

I hope this helps clear up any doubt. If it did'nt happen, I want 7 years of my life back!!

Oh, and greetings fellow 2 headed Tasmanian!:)

[Zep]

Hi Morris,

The thing is, I would have expected that the local Wiccan forums just might have noted something about this case along the lines you described but possibly slanted more in their own favour than yours. And a defendant even at a local trial who started spouting this sort of wiffly bilge would certainly get the latest sheepdog trials, Aussie Rules team, and latest HEC foul-up off the front page of the local rag for a few days too. Long days in local court are the training grounds for cub reporters, who are very likely to think they have the scoop of the decade when they hear this sort of thing going on.

However your subsequent description would suggest that, although the incidents described were genuinely large on your radar and incredibly important to you personally, they were more run-of-the-mill in the community at large - possibly even commonplace. Hence the lack of reportage that we can find.

But please don't think that this minimises your issues or makes them less important in any way - it appears clear they were important to you, and affected you and others greatly. I'm not in a position to deny you that, so good luck with your future!

And no, I'm not from Maydena! Thanks all the same for asking... ;)

[delphi_ote]

Originally posted by Morris Cod
Don't panic, I am taking no offence!:)

Thanks for clearing those things up and being so gracious, Morris. You're truly demonstrating the best attributes of a critical thinker.

Curious: would you and/or your wife ever be up to talking about what happened more openly? Speaking from your experience in a lecture or outlining all of it in a book would be a very powerful warning to the credulous believers.

[jmercer]

Originally posted by Morris Cod
Hi all,
Thank you for your skepticism. I also would question the story. I assure you, it did happen. As for the press etc. would any of you go to the media in the same situation? It was humiliating, embarrassing and I desperately wanted an end to it.I was trying to get my wife back with me, and our families did'nt know too much about the reasons, just that we were apart, someone else was involved, etc. Yes, it would make a good film etc.but I think the trauma of digging it all up again..........I have fought long and hard to restore my family, I would'nt risk it.
As to the court proceedings, I talked to my wife, in regard to this, and she corrected me. Yes, it went to court, the end result was a verbal agreement by him,provisional, to stay away (2 years), which we took, as the cost in pain and time to pursue the thing at the time looked too great. So, in fact, no official restraining order was issued-my mistake. However it did the trick. Because we were seperated at the time my participation in proceedings was less than my wifes, so please forgive my error. If you want names,court location, etc I can provide them, if anyone wants them. Was it a family Court?- I am sure it was'nt.

Thanks again for your interest, if I had asked more at the time, all this would be irrelevant.

Sounds to me like you're sincere, and that this really happened... in which case, you have my sympathy and my admiration for your perseverence.

Thanks for sharing. :)

[jambo372]

Originally posted by delphi_ote
Thanks for clearing those things up and being so gracious, Morris. You're truly demonstrating the best attributes of a critical thinker.

Curious: would you and/or your wife ever be up to talking about what happened more openly? Speaking from your experience in a lecture or outlining all of it in a book would be a very powerful warning to the credulous believers.

A warning against what ?
You don't have to take a medium's advice.
An interesting story no less.

If Morris Cod's wife and the wizard were so close and went off alone together often then i'm surprised no-one suspected an affair until it was too late.

[Morris Cod]

Thanks again all,

I would have no trouble recounting all this, but my wife, I doubt would want to dredge it all up. She lives with a lot of guilt over it all. Just seeing a counsellor after the events was a huge step for her.

Zep, you have demonstrated that you know how things work here in Tassie!! I dips me lid!

Jambo, a fair question in regard to the affair, one that I have asked many times myself.

There were a few of our friends that knew before I did,(they did'nt know the whole story) ,in fact one of them, "prompted me " to get my head out of my arse, and see the truth, leading to my discoveries.

Thanks again for sharing my experience, I believe it has relevance to the forum, and if anybody is any the wiser for it I am happy.

[gnome]

Originally posted by arthwollipot
People are always forgetting the most important part of that statement. As it stands, it sounds like an anthem for amoral selfishness and hedonism. It isn't.

The full creed is "An it harm none, do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law"

Forgetting those first four words makes the statement entirely different. If your so-called "warlock" had really followed the creed, he would have had at least one or two moral scruples.

Thanks for posting, Morris Cod. I'm glad you were able to get through it all.

If I might be permitted a correction here:

The wiccan slogan is "An it harm none, do what you will."

The phrase, "Do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law" is not from Wicca but indeed from the works of Alistair Crowley. The two have connections in their history but they are not the same set of beliefs by a long shot.

Having spoken to a Crowley enthusiast about these words, a friend insisted that "do what you will" referred not to "do what you feel like" but performing a lot of soul-searching (and even multiple rituals) to establish your "Higher Will"--which you can take for what it's worth, but it serves the point that even Crowley types by and large don't think it's ok to just do whatever you feel like.

As for the idea of soulmates--it's a fine romantic idea... in the sense that sometimes two people connect so well that it would seem a crime that they're not a couple. But the idea is often not as good as the reality, and I think a lot of people that believe they've found a soulmate are experiencing another phenomenon... discovering a new infatuation. It's an amazing and intense feeling, and each time it feels different. Each new intense relationship you make is distinct, like proverbial snowflakes... and I think that many misinterpret the difference as a feeling that something unprecedented has happened... but in the end, it's all snowflakes.

Add that to unscrupulous individuals using the romance behind the idea to prey on a target that is already attached (and for whom the initial giddy rush has probably faded)... and you have quite a mess, overshadowing the real joy of a couple who have a solid relationship that stands over time.

http://www.tinysepuku.com/comics.asp?a=4-6-00

[jmercer]

Originally posted by jambo372
If Morris Cod's wife and the wizard were so close and went off alone together often then i'm surprised no-one suspected an affair until it was too late.

Jambo... this is so close to a skeptical comment from you that I almost swooned. :D

However... it's not unusual for one spouse to be completely blind the other spouse's affair. Denial isn't just a river in Egypt...

[pmurray]

Everyone has a drive to mix their genes with different individuals, to get some genetic variablility in their offspring. It reduces risk. Not that it's concious. It's just that this behaviour is an evolutionary success.

As everyone knows, in guys this drive manifests as a willingness to bang anything in that looks capable of childbearing. Women, however, are the ones who get pregnant - so it's a little more involved. They like to hook one guy to feed, clothe and house themselves and their offspring, and with that sorted out then proceed to find genetic variation. The canonical guy's fantasy is to go into a bar or pary and have every girl there. The corresponding female fantasy is to have options - her choice of any guy there.

But the root of the behaviour is the same. You are a fool to take this person back. She acted on her base drives, and faced no real reprecussions the first time. She'll do it again.

Fool you twice - shame on you.

[Darat]

Originally posted by gnome
If I might be permitted a correction here:

The wiccan slogan is "An it harm none, do what you will."

The phrase, "Do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law" is not from Wicca but indeed from the works of Alistair Crowley. The two have connections in their history but they are not the same set of beliefs by a long shot.

..snip...

And popularised by Denis Wheatley in his magic series of books.

[arthwollipot]

Originally posted by gnome
If I might be permitted a correction here:

The wiccan slogan is "An it harm none, do what you will."

The phrase, "Do as thou wilt shall be the whole of the law" is not from Wicca but indeed from the works of Alistair Crowley. The two have connections in their history but they are not the same set of beliefs by a long shot.

Having spoken to a Crowley enthusiast about these words, a friend insisted that "do what you will" referred not to "do what you feel like" but performing a lot of soul-searching (and even multiple rituals) to establish your "Higher Will"--which you can take for what it's worth, but it serves the point that even Crowley types by and large don't think it's ok to just do whatever you feel like.

Thanks for the correction/clarification, gnome. I didn't know enough about Crowley to make a judgement call. He always struck me as more than a little creepy. I knew that in no sense was it ever a call to selfish hedonism.

[Morris Cod]

Pmurray,
That is a possibility-but I think she may have learned a bitter lesson-she has changed radically, and not because I demanded it. she is a good person, who did bad things. She carries a burden of guilt, and i hope that there are no more of this type of predator out there.

But, I take your point as valid, but will do all in my power to prevent it.

If I get burned again, I am better prepared, and willing to take the risk.

If anyone out there can be absolutely sure that their partner won't always do the right thing........you are one of the tiny minority.

Life is a gamble..............i have played my cards, and am willing to accept any consequences.

So far i beleive my trust has been warranted and earned.

Nothing in life is certain.

cheers

[Perpetual Notion]

Morris,

I've been following this thread and have enjoyed all your posts. I think it's great that you have come out of the situation a stronger person and with your sense of humor still intact. Welcome to the board again and congratulations on making it.

[Morris Cod]

Thanks all for your posts.

All points taken and considered.

My agenda is to stand up against the overabundance of supernatural piffle that we seem to have here in Tassie.(Do we really need a “Psychic Expo� every two months?)

And win a few arguments at parties.

And, most of all, to learn.
:)