babarjaved.com

There is a saying about living every day as if it were your last. What if the world was ending soon; what would I do? My answer is to explore the wonders of the human imagination. Inspired by my global adventures, I decided to create a new world; part-real and part-imagined; part-true and part-potential. I wrote a story every day about whatever enthused me, resulting in the creation of a strange village called Lucerne, in the Land of Endala.

Some are traditional stories, others are experimental. As I kept writing, the tales begun to relate to each other in unexpected ways, and once they are fully interconnected Endala will spontaneously manifest! The 366 stories are best read in chronological order to follow developing themes; many are written in sets of 7 or 14 stories, however each story is self-contained.

Isaac Asimov said that you can get an idea from anything, provided you look and think hard enough. My stories are informed by the following interests:

Alternative Energy. In a world of climate change, fossil fuel depletion, water shortage, overpopulation, and resource wars, many answers lie in sustainable technologies. So solar power, wind turbines, microhydroelectric power, biofuels, geothermal fields, green building, materials recycling, and water harvesting are all worth exploring.

Classic Sci-Fi. You read a great novel, and the author has created a wonderful story and compelling characters. You read a good sci-fi story and the author has created a wonderful story and compelling characters, and new technologies, new dimensions, new worlds, new cultures,and impossible possibilities. Life is short and precious. These works expand my life in ways I cannot fully comprehend.

Conceptual Art. I believe that art is divinely inspired. The beautiful works of Old Masters are clearly so, but also more modern, challenging, and shocking works, where somebody saw things in a new and different way, and was moved to express this. Whether you like it is not really the point. Something new, maybe fun, possibly exciting, and perhaps inspiring has been created. The rest is up to you.

Global Travel. I have spent many years travelling across the world. My main interest is in visiting holy sites, though this is in truth only an excuse to try exotic dinners, fiery drinks, strange music and dances, and was once a way to date dusky girls. Every place has had its own wonder, but the ones I love the most tend to be mountainous places with ancient cultures: Ethiopia, Greece, Japan, Mexico, India, and Canada.

Infinite City. My hometown for many years has been London, UK. It is an extraordinary city of great diversity. Alongside medieval churches, cathedrals, palaces, and castles, are glass towers, container houses, living rooftops, and light and soundscapes. I have a great love for this city, and have extensively explored both its lofty and seedy sides.

Mystical Experience. I believe that we all have mystical experiences, whether moments of emotional intensity, holy reverence, sexual ecstasy or artistic rapture. Many of us however have been brainwashed into believing that only “special people” have, or have had, such experiences; people somehow better than us. This is a disgusting lie. A feeling of oneness with creation is the true purpose of living, and is free, and is available to us all.

Organic Farming. There is a common belief that only industrial agriculture can feed the world. This may be true with the current commercial infrastructure. However till about a hundred years ago, the only farming was organic farming. The chemicals used in “conventional” farming were unknown to farmers till the early 20th century. So natural growing methods are not some fancy whim, but the way farming has been practiced for millennia, till last Tuesday.

Lucerne Village. After many years of travelling I arrived in Pemberton, BC, and fell in love with the place. There is stunning natural beauty; deer, bears, coyotes, and eagles; a crazy mix of farmers, loggers, cowboys, and hunters, with artists, musicians, yoga instructors, and fire-dancers; and many people devoting their free time to passionately building their community. What’s not to love about the place? Lucerne is an imaginary village in BC,  inspired by Pemberton.

Sacred Geometry. The atoms of our universe are connected in ways both visible and invisible. Sacred geometry expresses these patterns underlying creation, both in the natural and cultural worlds. Through this discipline we can explore the 8 legs of a spider, 6 arms of a snowflake, or the spiral growth of shells; the 4 arms of the cross, 6-pointed Star of David, or 8-pointed stars of Moorish tilework, and the connections they hold.

World Myths. Ancient stories are based upon archetypal patterns. The best known stories fall into the categories of Creation, Fertility, and Hero myths. Creation myths explore the origins of the universe, the earth, or certain peoples. Fertility myths are concerned with how the world functions, focusing in particular on agricultural, hydrological and astronomical cycles. Hero myths narrate the adventures of culture heroes who fight dragons, cruel enemies, or recover lost treasures. Many stories are a fluid mix of all of the above.