I met her once, briefly, and was stunned by the force of her personality and her penetrating gaze which seemed to sum me up in seconds: she exuded authority and self-confidence, and I had no difficulty in believing the stories of how she dominated her male political colleagues almost mercilessly. She was a leader, she inspired many, she was innovative and brave, and she was a legend even before she died yesterday. Her achievements were many and so her fall from political power, due perhaps to her inability recognise that her time was done, and she could not go " on and on" as prime minister, was spectacular for its lack of grace. She could not accept until too late that it was time to pass the baton of political power on to someone else. Power, perhaps, had gone to her head and the First Ray attribute of power had changed from being an asset to her soul, to being a reminder of how easily it can be misused.
There were other frailties too: sometimes a refusal to listen, or to be wrong, or to consider the feelings of the (mostly) men in the Conservative Party who were eventually to bring her down. And so, she was driven from power but having been humiliated most publicly in her departure her power, interestingly, returned. It was not, this time, very visible but in her retirement she wielded much influence still through her experience and also her wisdom, and subsequent Party leaders and Prime Ministers as well as very ordinary people owed much to her, to the end of her days.
While the First Ray, clearly, was Margaret Thatcher's main teacher in this last lifetime, she had other Rays affecting her too. While she was controversial, divisive, and sometimes was disliked intensely, in private she was a caring, good friend, a gentle, feminine person who always tried to do her best. She erred sometimes but her aim was to heal - her country, her party, her family, and I think she always put her own needs behind those of others. Ray Two is the healing Ray, the Ray of compassion, and particularly in her latter years, it became more and more prominent, much to her credit.
Margaret Thatcher lived her life well, and I wish her well on her soul's onward journey.]]>
