See the

light

A

ccording to astrologists,

the world as we know

it will be undergoing a

period of tremendous change

and awakening in 2020. “We are

at the end of several long cycles

and the dawning of a brand

new chapter for humanity,”

says renowned astrologist

Barbara Goldsmith. “A huge

line-up of planets in the tropic

of Capricorn during the year

means we will be restructuring

our world and lives.”

While the scientific

community may laugh this off

as new-age mumbo jumbo,

the truth is human society is

definitely waking up to the

changes happening around

the world and how they are

affecting our lives. The issue

of deforestation is prompting

established furniture makers

like Mater and Carl Hansen

to use wood from sustainable

reserves, while others like

Emeco and Bolon are turning

to the use of scrap metals

and recycled materials in

their new collections.

Our awareness of the

melting ice caps in the Arctic,

the bleached Great Barrier Reef

in Australia and sea life dying

from consuming plastic bags

floating in oceans around the

world, has also jump-started

movements to stop the use

of straws in restaurants and

single-use bags on specific days

at retail outlets.

Closer to home, and on a

more personal level, the age

of awakening may also be the

reason why more people are

showing increasing concern

for their health and well-being,

physically and emotionally.

More stressed-out urbanites

are choosing to stray from

the rat race and dabble in less

the hard truth

what’s
trending
& what
we think

profitable but more meaningful

pursuits, such as forming

charitable enterprises to help

the less fortunate, or making

the decision to place health over

wealth by choosing work-life

balance. There are also plenty of

new-age gadgets on the market

to help you find yourself and

stay in the pink of health, from

apps that help you to meditate

daily to water bottles (made of

recyclable plastic) that remind

you when it’s time to hydrate.

Even Facebook founder Mark

Zuckerberg has stepped forward

with a smart ambient lamp to

help those who have trouble

getting back to sleep at night.

Dubbed the Zucklight sleep box,

this wooden cube features soft

ambient lighting underneath

and wireless charging capability

on top. It was developed for

those who are constantly waking

up to check the time for fear of

oversleeping, something that

Mark’s wife was experiencing.

Paired with its app on a

mobile phone, the Zucklight can

be programmed to emit a soft

glow, which gradually brightens,

up to the time when the alarm

rings. This visual cue tells you

approximately how much more

time you have left to rest so you

don’t have to fumble for the

watch or phone to check the

time repeatedly.

Available for order on

Kickstarter (www.kickstarter.

com/projects/sleep-box/

zucklight), the sleep box has

already exceeded funding by

1,526 per cent of the original

$6,779 goal, impressive results

for what some consider a new-

age version of the snooze alarm.

Instead of laughing it off,

maybe it’s time to admit that this

is indeed thedawnof a new age

for mankind.