War and Peace are two opposing states of reality surrounding us, which we commonly identify as synonymous with evil and good. In the world of human civilisation, periods of stability between these states are rather unstable. All it takes is a tiny spark, a random incident, an insignificant phrase, or a Light Thought germinating in some Great Mind, to turn Peace into War. The comeback occurs much more easily when the struggling participants have exhausted their resources and consequently no longer have sufficiently meaningful arguments in their hands. So it has been going on continuously for centuries, this grappling and pushing of War with Peace and Peace with War. Llike a competition between wrestlers. It is like the struggle of light and shadow, the intermingling of black and white, struggling of calm and horror. Like the billowing of startus and cumulus.

Although we consider War and Peace as negative and positive concepts respectively, as events most often independent of us, yet almost coexisting and accompanying each other, we commonly strive for peace and (pretend to) not want wars. However, paradoxically, it is periods of War that very often arouse in very many people the most humanitarian reflexes and behaviours, those of a high level. And in turn, times of Peace are not infrequently associated with divisions, the build-up and arousal of resentment, non-acceptance and envy, and finally coercion and imposition (of beliefs, behaviours, thoughts). And from there it is only a step to….

….tomorrow’s time of War or Peace?

(Gustav Holst, The Planets, Mars, the bringer of war – Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan, Deutsche Grammophon)