Life

Clem Bastow Where once religious faith was used as a guide with which to navigate life’s bleak realities, astrology and tarot are today filling a void for many minority groups who feel marginalised by more traditional spirituality.

Michele Tydd While deaths from lightning bolts instantly make headlines, for those who survive, ongoing and little understood health issues may continue to manifest long after the initial strike.

Jenny Valentish Advocates of psychedelic drug research are hoping the psilocybin trial for treating anxiety in the terminally ill, at Melbourne’s St Vincent’s Hospital, is the beginning of a new acceptance for the potential of the field.

Miriam Cosic During the ’90s there was barely a glossy magazine that didn’t feature Karl Lagerfeld draped in supermodels. His death this week offers a chance to reflect on the fashion powerhouse’s influence on design, style and feminine sophistication.

Justine Landis-Hanley For female journalists in Australia, the rate of online threats and trolling has increased to such a level that many are questioning their choice of career and, in some cases, are living in constant fear.

Jane Caro Sexual abuse at the hands of a brother or sister is not as uncommon as society would like to believe. But it is a crime that must be acknowledged – by parents and authorities – in order to help both victims and perpetrators.

Kate Hennessy A visit to Singapore to see a theatrical version of Orwell’s 1984 leads to deeper insight beign found in an esteemed Indian couple’s poetic relationship.

Gina Flaxman As a child, the author couldn’t ride a bike or catch a ball; in adulthood, she struggled with driving and spatial skills. Then, at 38, what she had always thought of as her ‘freakishness’ was finally given a medical diagnosis.

Leanne Altmann The beverage director for Andrew McConnell’s restaurants recommends the top tipples for the festive season.