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Mungo MacCallum’s Crossword #513 1

18 19

20 21

Cryptic Clues

Quick Clues

ACROSS

1. Pitch prepared twice, incorporating potassium (6) 4. The man with the water pot for a new age (8) 9. Revenge – sperm returns to the islands (7) 11. Take out the old leaflet (7) 12. Outdo 40, so it’s said (5) 13. Trick with safe nuclear power? It’s a muddle (9) 14. Pennon employees to ceremonial poles (10) 16. Turn around bites (4) 19. Alkaline fruit (4) 20. Contrast: French capital invested in firm with 1000 working (10) 22. Actors assessed, and their balls cut off (9) 23. Unsophisticated backwater (5) 25. Monster Egyptian god follows ring (7) 26. A law for representation – about time! (7) 27. Make a note – not a central ingredient in bet (8) 28. Directs cattle (6)

1. Hit it and you’re out! (6) 4. Nimbin festival (8) 9. Arch-enemy (7) 11. Excerpt (7) 12. Surpass (5) 13. Bafflement (9) 14. Ensigns fly from these (10) 16. Nibbles (4) 19. A component of cement (4) 20. An estimate of similarities and dissimilarities (10) 22. Gelded (9) 23. Ingenuous (5) 25. Fire-breathing mythological creature (7) 26. Ordinance (7) 27. Comment on; explain (8) 28. Bullocks (6)

DOWN

DOWN 1. Magnificent (9) 2. Humorous (5) 3. Having no relief (8) 5. One of the black court cards (5,2,6) 6. Dramatize something (3,3) 7. Vacuous statements (9) 8. Glossy fabric (5) 10. Persona non grata (6,7) 15. Confession (9) 17. Pointless (9) 18. Carry out (8) 21. Cleric (6) 22. Main ingredient of chocolate (5) 24. Accustom someone to hardship or pain (5)

1. Low refund – remarkable, amazing (9) 2. Funny firm, 1099 (5) 3. No rest for report of EE minus (8) 5. Old maid demands relentless speed, FAQ no use (5,2,6) 6. Cat to perform a charade? (3,3) 7. Italian grandmother links to stupidities (9) 8. Posed with popular material (5) Last week’s solution #512 10. Small circle spies a line – dismissed L A M P P O S T O P E N E R actors and a pariah! (6,7) A O U O C R A E 15. Notice with quest for entry (9) N A B O B M I L L I G R A M D I L E O V R I 17. Feel smaller amount, stupid! (9) L O L L I P O P S A R A B S 18. Negotiate gender-bender A C N E T T S performance (8) D E S E R V E T H E S I S 21. Clergyman need for unhappy Y T E P O P P A L L E T P A R T N E R sprite (6) M M A R R O U 22. Two firms with a drink (5) I N P U T U N O P P O S E D 24. Take effect for popular old city, M E I M V E E E English (5) O D D C O U P L E R A V E N S E N S R T E C A S S E S S A B E Y A N C E

STARS BY LILITH With Venus in fastidious Virgo and Mars moved to exacting Scorpio, let’s thank our lucky stars for this week’s sun and Mercury in diplomatic, peacekeeping Libra...

LIBRA THE SCALES www.echo.net.au

Hearing the Truth

MANDY NOLAN’S

www.echo.net.au/soap-box

n 15 October I woke up profoundly sad. Like many people in this region, I’d been committed to supporting the Uluru Statement from the Heart by campaigning for a ‘Yes’ vote. We ran a cohesive positive campaign that embodied the core value of truth-telling. But it wasn’t enough. The results were deeply shocking. It felt hard to believe that this modest request could have become such a divisive issue. Regardless of their position on the Voice referendum, the last few months have been painful for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. And Sunday was the day that over 80% of ‘Yes’-voting First Nations people woke up to a ‘No’. How did they walk back into their communities? Face their white colleagues? Neighbours? Doctors? Did they feel betrayed? Did they feel hurt? Was this referendum another trauma that we colonists have enacted on the sovereign owners of this land? On Sunday I woke up in shame. The kind of shame that lives in every pore of your being. I texted my nephew, Levi, who wrote this column last week. Levi, a Wakka Wakka/ Kubi Kubi man who lives and works in Naarm, the traditional lands of the Kulin Nation. When I messaged him I told him I was sorry. That I was very upset. I’d been crying all morning and hating that I was another white lady making this all about herself. I was in my car outside the IGA when my phone pinged and Levi’s message came through. With his permission I share the contents of his message with you. ‘Aunt – regardless of the outcome either one of those results needed to happen. As uncomfortable as this is to hear – hearing that ‘No’ is also about truthtelling. Australia is now on the record for speaking its own truth. This changes nothing for those, such as yourself, who want better. ‘In the coming months and years that follow – it is the most visible tool at a global scale to hold our country to account and bring forth an alternative. I’m not being delusional – it’s just that my world has ended a million times before and yet the sun continues to rise, as if its forgotten the memo. We

We have the arduous job of not letting hate, anger or any of the things that allow a ‘No’ outcome to seep into the cracks of our damaged heart. – Levi Murray, a Wakka Wakka/ Kubi Kubi man have the arduous job of not letting hate, anger or any of the things that allow a ‘No’ outcome to seep into the cracks of our damaged hearts. ‘Clarity is kindness – even if it’s not the outcome we wanted or needed, it gives us an astute understanding of where we are, how we carry ourselves forward. Best thing about love, solidarity and kindness is that we can always find more of it whenever we need it and for whoever needs it. I know you will be okay, as much as I know I will be – and as we all will be. I love you.’ I’m sitting in my car and I’m weeping. Giant salty tears. The beauty and the wisdom of my nephew’s writing undoes my anger. His compassion and his immense capacity for insight, and forgiveness is transformative. His intelligence transcends the outcome. This is resilience. I have to read the text a few times. There are times that words are like water on a thirsty earth.

ARIES: Being open this week to seeing both sides of any question could render decision-making difficult. Clear answers might be in short supply, so if you feel like you’re fighting a losing battle, consider whether teaming up for a win-win might actually be your smartest strategy right now.

CANCER: This week’s astral energy in your domestic sector supports your favourite things, home and family – so shower your inner circle with attention and affection, and let them to do the same for you. And perhaps tackle some overdue home projects; a deep declutter and feng shui of your personal oasis.

TAURUS: This week calls for fairminded discernment, so best close the opinion polls, stop listening to everyone else and check into your own clear, firstthing-in-the-morning guidance. Also your celestial mentor Venus in healthy mode is suggesting it’s time to reboot some of those wellness routines.

LEO: With the sun and Mercury lighting up your astro-zone of hometown happenings, local is where it’s going on for your majesties this week, so book those tickets before they sell out. And since this is your communications centre, you’ll be blessed with Mercury’s silver tongue for talking up – well, everything.

GEMINI: This week’s sun and Gemini’s planet guide Mercury in the stimulating sign of artistry and creativity could have you brimming with brilliant experimental ideas. Which suggests it’s the perfect time to bring your unique sense of style into play with image, wardrobe, decorating or refreshing your brand.

VIRGO: Feeling a tug-of-war between domestic and career concerns? Being constantly pulled between professional demands and loved ones’ needs? Then tune into this week’s celestial assist for establishing a more nourishing work-life balance. Time to give yourself an overdue dose of TLC, Virgo peeps.

After I compose myself I leave the car. The streets of Mullumbimby are empty, except for one man. An Indigenous man on the phone. He’s really upset. He’s raging about white fellas to whoever is on the other end. I am so ashamed. This is a painful day. I must not forget this. When I come out of the supermarket the man is sitting on a bench just staring into space. I don’t know if it’s okay, but I go up to him and I say ‘I am sorry. Everything you were saying on the phone is true.’ Then, because I was overwhelmed with emotion I burst into tears. And this beautiful man stood up and hugged me. In an empty Mullumbimby street a middle-aged white woman wept and was comforted by a stranger. He said, ‘Solidarity sister. Everything will be okay.’ He couldn’t maintain his justified rage at me as a whitefella. His compassion was instant. I was so humbled by his kindness. Here I was again, a white lady making it about herself, being comforted by an Aboriginal person on their day of pain and rejection. That’s bloody humbling. I drove home with my heart transformed. I understood. Love, kindness, compassion. That is the way forward. There are millions of us who voted ‘Yes’, tens of thousands who actually campaigned. No matter how you voted, if you voted to support First Nations sovereignty, for inclusion, and for a selfdetermination, then we unite on First Nations justice and we work together. Truth-telling. Treaty. We don’t go back. We go forward.

LIBRA: Yes, maintaining boundaries can be tricky. You won’t be able to please everyone this week, which fortunately gives a celestial master class on saying ‘no’ to inconvenient requests. Practise being okay with that, and coast on the power surge of your last week’s season in the sun for 2023.

CAPRICORN: Pluto’s five-month planetary intensive in your sign has activated deep decisions about people and patterns in your life, and now the dwarf planet’s moved forward again in Capricorn you’ll find it easier to begin following up on any promising new connections and severing those that no longer serve.

SCORPIO: Make the most of this week’s preparatory downtime by taking a mental inventory of what you want to leave ‘in the rearview’ when your personal astro calendar resets next week. What have you completed or changed your mind about? What excites you most about your new birthday year?

AQUARIUS: Even though yours is the sign of community, it can be hard for Aquarians to ask for support. But don’t hold back from reaching out if you need to this week. Letting people know that you can’t actually DIY everything by yourself gives them the opportunity to connect with your vulnerable side.

SAGITTARIUS: This week’s harmonising stars suggest pacing yourself, especially during late week moon in your speedy sign. Try not to do too much, too fast; think small, steady, progressive steps. It’s worth researching background and doing your homework to avoid costly mistakes of judgement.

PISCES: With this week’s sun and Mercury in your astrozone of mergers, you’ll be in the mood to fuse. But if you’re more concerned about someone else’s current situation than they are, you already know the role of caretaker can become exhausting. Aim for a more equable balance.

wĈƐşćĕſ Ǩǯǽ ǩǧǩǪ The Byron Shire Echo 29