Mount Olympus, gazing East over the Aegean, was held as home of the Twelve Greek Gods. The highest of Greek peaks, this geological phenomenon is symbolic of how the mighty rise and keep separate from those they attempt to control.

Davos: this week along the valley between Liechtenstein and St Moritz, the great, the good and the downright embarrassing gather to press the flesh, forge alliances and attempt to assert their will over their peers.

This annual jamboree or World Economic Forum matters in virtue of what is said from the depth of armchairs set before roaring fires. The conversations are taken back across the world and transformed into action.

What have they (we) to learn from the Ancients? The thing that stares us in the face is balance. When Olympians wrested power from Titans to swan around Olympus, Gods were equal in number to Goddesses. Each played to and were recognized for their strength.

With that in mind, if today were your 18th Birthday, what classic epithet would helpfully focus your gaze to the future? I heard this said by hefty hard-man Ray Winstone while portraying a King:                                                                          Listen to your conscience: it is the voice of God.

H XVIII B, BJMA. AL, GMx