Esoteric Philosophy

Attention is as curious as it is multifaceted. It has been called [a currency](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I4WkhG_GRM&ab_channel=TEDxTalks "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I4WkhG_GRM&ab_channel=TEDxTalks"), the lack of it has been [pathologized](https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/adhd/what-is-adhd "https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/adhd/what-is-adhd"), and its span has [apparently been decreasing](https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/attention-spans "https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/attention-spans"). But what *is* attention, and what does it share with what are often understood as its synonyms, like ‘focus’, ‘concentration’, and ‘awareness’? What role does it play in our lives and why might we feel like its nature and extent have been changing with rapid technological innovation and the pace of modern life? The phrase ‘pay attention’ is perhaps more appropriate today than ever. Nowadays, if you watch a YouTube video, scroll through Instagram, or even walk down a busy street in your city, chances are you’ll see an ad. Our attention, however brief, is quite literally *paying* companies who sell our attention to marketing departments. Why is our attention so valuable? How much control do we have when it comes to the object(s) of our attention? How much responsibility do we have over what we pay attention to? Join us at our next Revisited Curiosity Cafe on Sunday, February 22nd, where we will engage in a collaborative exploration of the nature and extent of our attention and why attention is more valuable today than ever. **Space is limited!** **Please obtain a “Pay-What-You-Can” ticket from Curiosity Café at [this link (click here)](https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/curiosity-cafe-revisited-paying-attention-tickets-1982649061715) to attend this event. You need a ticket to be admitted.** See the above link for more info about tickets and other options including a limited number of free tickets. Come and hang out with us, grab food, and read through our handout from 2-2:30pm. Our structured discussion will run from 2:30-4:30pm with a 10 minute break in the middle. Hope to see you there! ***___________________________________________________________________*** This event is brought to you by [Being and Becoming](https://beingnbecoming.org/), a Toronto based non-profit. We aim to create community around exploring everyday concepts and experiences so that we may live more intentional, thoughtful, and meaningful lives. We use philosophy as a tool with which we can come to a richer understanding of the world around us. By offering activities, spaces, and other opportunities for conversation and co-exploration, we hope to enable the meeting and fusion of individuals and their ideas. Everyone is welcome, regardless of background: indeed, we believe the journey is best undertaken alongside explorers from a variety of disciplines, cultures, backgrounds, and experiences. Find out more about Being and Becoming [here](https://beingnbecoming.org/). About the Curiosity Café Series: For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to join us at our Curiosity Cafés and are wondering what they’re all about: every two weeks, we invite members of our community to come out to the Madison Avenue Pub to engage in a collaborative exploration of our chosen topic. Through these events, we aim to build our community of people who like to think deeply about life’s big questions, and provide each other with some philosophical tools to dig deeper into whatever it is we are most curious about.

Archetypal Coaching — Activate Your Goals with Ancient Wisdom Ready to energize your goals and gain clear direction? In this weekly meetup, we work with powerful archetypes from ancient traditions to align your intention, sharpen your strategy, and ignite real momentum. 4 Sessions Per Month Tap into the power of 4 ancient traditions: • Egyptian — Strategic clarity & long-range vision • Scandinavian — Decisiveness & breakthrough energy • Greek — Harmony, inspiration & personal charisma • Sephirotic (Kabbalistic) — Deep integration & energetic anchoring. Each 90-Min Session Includes: • Group energy alignment (20 min) • Personal goal setting in the energy of the week’s tradition (20 min) • Group activation & anchoring (20 min) • Personal alanyses, archetypal insights & support circle (30 min). What You’ll Gain: ✓ Mental clarity & motivation ✓ Energetic support for your path ✓ Clear, inspired next steps ✓ A deeper connection to purpose. When: Every Sunday afternoon 4-6pm Fee: $50 CAD per session (Limited spots available) Facilitator: Andrey Litvinov — Business Coach, Psychotherapist, Grand Master of Reiki Yggdrasil To Reserve Your Spot: Pre-registration required via WhatsApp or Telegram Message: t.me/AndyTherapist WhatsApp: +1 437 606 6502

Hello everyone, I'd like to invite you out to our **Dinner with Friends Gratitude Party! (AT SMOKE SHOW)** -Reserved seating, friendly people, good conversation and great food awaits! So please plan to join us if you can :) \*Joined by my other groups too; so we can anticipate a fantastic evening **Time: 6:30 p.m. -9:30 p.m.** **Location:** Smoke Show **Address:** 744 Mt. Pleasant, Toronto Event Details Bellow: Sincerely, Steve Flemming (Organizer/Host) Event Details: **Dinner with Friends Gratitude Party! (Dinner, Cocktails and Conversations) (February 22nd)** -The great thing about this dinner party is you're free to move around to different tables and meet the other members too throughout the evening **Dinner Party Topics** may include but not limited too: Travel, Culture, Spirituality, Relationships, Modern Dating, Work/Life balance, Art, Technology, Economy, Music, Modern Living, The Good Life, Passions, Idea, Movies, Sports, Fashion, Hobbies, Books, Psychology, Philosophy, the Future, History, Pop Culture, Theatre, etc.) **Arrival Time:** \*Join us any time between 6:30 pm and 7:15 pm (if you can) for a fun and highly interactive evening as we get to know the members over dinner and great conversations (of your choice) Event goes until roughly 9:30 pm **Event Fee:** 5 dollars (cash only please) (HST included) or in advance by e transfer to **[steveflemming11@gmail.com](http://steveflemming11@gmail.com/)** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Friendly Reminder:** \*One beverage or appetizer minimum to support the venue- this is greatly appreciated :) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Parking Available:** \*Plenty of free street parking on Eglinton, and Paid parking on Mt. Pleasant **Close to Subway Station:** \*15 minute walk from the Yonge/Eglinton subway station :) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-

\*\***The Toronto History Walks Explorer Pass is available. Get it now for $125.00 for 1 year of unlimited tours, email** **torontohistorywalks@gmail.com** **for more information or for signing up!\*\*** \*\* **Please note: Please e-transfer the ticket amount when booking your space for this tour! You can e-transfer to the following email at:** **torontohistorywalks@gmail.com** First it was **Ambrose Small** and my team of brilliant detectives who tried to figure it all out. The walkers on this tour just about cracked the case. Well done my detectives. But your smarts are needed again however. The Harley Karulis Detective Agency needs your help! And this one needs all our brain power to figure out. This one might be the toughest assignment yet. Here is your case file. The details you will need to get started on this walking tour. A case that shocked Torontonians when it occurred in late October of 1933, and still reverberates to this day. A cold case solved, not by a long shot. No one really knows the entire story or the truth. It unfolds like an Agatha Christie novel as you will see. The details of this case culminates in one of the most perplexing, head scratching crimes in the history of this city and very few have heard of the sad life and end of little Alfreda Dolores Mae Hillier. Little Bunty as they called her was born in 1932, and was the apple of her parent's eyes. Her father Alfred Hillier was a World War 1 hero, and had fallen on bad times during the depression years. He just started a new job recently. Her mother Florence was a stay at home mom and loved to play and watch her little girl out the window of their small home on Boothroyd Avenue in Leslieville. On a cool, sunny October afternoon at the height of the depression, Alfreda, an 18 month old girl disappeared after heading out for a walk alone. Sounds on the level I must say. Warning bells! Within a few hours questions as to what happened to this little girl started to swirl around the neighbourhood. All details of this case are taken directly from the archives of the Toronto Star and the city which paint a rather confused story culminating in the arrest of two young boys, one age 4 and the other 7 who admitted their guilt. Or was coerced into that same confession? Let's toss in a few more details to cloud the story however: 1) a convicted criminal in the area, information told to the Calgary Hearld the day after she was found dead. 2) another man who seemed to be present when she was found and then wandered off and disappeared from the police investigation file. 3) the testimony of two underaged children that had no relevance to some of the details. 4) the coroner's report which contradicted just about everything the police came up with and witnesses testimony as well. This walking tour/game takes participants back in time to 1933 and explores the many sites associated with the tragic death of Alfreda Hillier, and the personalities involved. You will be introduced to 10 historic characters and each has their own dark secrets, it will be up to you to render a **verdict**! Are you up for it detectives? Our walk begins at the **Jones Branch of the Toronto Public Library** at the southwest corner of Jones Avenue and Dundas Street East in Leslieville just a few blocks north of Queen Street East. This tour has a ticket price of $15.00 per person. Please get your tickets early if you would like to attend. \*\* **Please note: Please e-transfer the ticket price when booking your space for this tour! You can e-transfer to the following email at:** **torontohistorywalks@gmail.com**

Hello everyone, I'd like to invite you out to a fun-filled afternoon with this fantastic party social game called **MUSIC BINGO** Everyone can play (It's easy to learn and most of all it's a lot of fun) \*Joined by my other groups too so we can anticipate a fabulous day :) **Where to Meet us?** **Date: Sunday February 22nd** **Arrive between 2:00 pm - 2:30 pm** **Location:** La Carnita - Good Fortune Bar (Main Floor) **Address:** 130 Eglinton Ave. Toronto, ON M4P 2X9 Event Details Below: Sincerely, Steve Flemming (Music Bingo Host) \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Details of Event:** **\*MUSIC BINGO\*** **(An Afternoon of Fun, Treats and Great Music!)** -Lots of laughs and thrills in store as we enjoy a terrific afternoon making new friends, singing along (optional) and playing **MUSIC BINGO;** hosted in a super fun designed format :) \*Treats handed out to the winning participants during each round we play \*Invite your friends or come on your own! **Event Fee:** 10 dollars at the door (cash only please) Includes: **Music Bingo,** treats, reserved room/seating, lots of laughs and plenty of fun people to play the game with) \*or e-transfer in advance to **steveflemming11@gmail.com** \-\-\-\-\-\- **Friendly Reminders:** -Please arrive between 2:00 pm and 2:30 pm \*Music Bingo will start shortly after that (Invite your friends out too if you like) **Parking Available:** \*Plenty of free street parking on Eglinton and (Residential area south/east of venue for free) **Close to Subway Station:** \*Also right beside the Yonge/Eglinton subway station

Sing, grow, and rise. Build joy and confidence in your authentic voice in a safe, soulful circle of women. Beginners cherished. **Love to sing and want to unlock more freedom and fun in your voice?** Whether you’re new to singing, love karaoke, or feel a quiet (or not-so-quiet) longing to express yourself more fully, this women-only UNLEASH YOUR VOICE workshop is an invitation to come home to your voice. . . This joyful 3-hour afternoon intensive is designed to help you soften perfectionism, quiet self-doubt, and reconnect with your natural vocal power, playfulness, and inner fire — all within a container of deep emotional safety. . . DATE: Sunday, February 22nd TIME: 1 - 4pm LOCATION: 665 Dupont St. (at Christie) REGISTRATION: $80 + tax . . Space is Limited! . . https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/3-hour-unleash-your-voice-singing-vocal-empowerment-workshop-for-women-tickets-1981348957067?aff=oddtdtcreator

Come to our church on Sunday! We’re a welcoming bunch. Our website is nlife.ca

For February, we'll read The Secret Agent by Joseph Conrad 304 pages First published in 1907 About the book: Mr Verloc, the secret agent, keeps a shop in London's Soho where he lives with his wife Winnie, her infirm mother, and her idiot brother, Stevie. When Verloc is reluctantly involved in an anarchist plot to blow up the Greenwich Observatory things go disastrously wrong, and what appears to be "a simple tale" proves to involve politicians, policemen, foreign diplomats, and London's fashionable society in the darkest and most surprising interrelations.

Attendee list will be updated.

We'll reconnect with our friends at **Citadel + Compagnie**--for a Sunday afternoon dance performance--with Japanese *Taiko drumming!* On Parliament Street. **Ticket link** is below ($25-$35) **Tea with Mara**, meaning to invite Mara (your ‘demons’) for tea, is set in this ‘spirited’ space, embodying Japanese Canadian and Buddhist mythology, practices and philosophy. This interdisciplinary collaboration between dance/theatre and music, animates themes of suffering, pleasure, transformation, and the interconnection between the past, present, and future. Toronto Premiere Approximate Run Time: 60 minutes **Ticket link**: General Admission (about 100 seats) https://www.citadelcie.com/event/tea-with-mara/?mc_cid=493953cd7c&mc_eid=73b1c29a29 **About the Dance company:** https://www.citadelcie.com/citadel-compagnie/

**Kickstart 2026** and mingle with likeminded **divorcees & single parents** looking for a fresh start in an intimate space downtown Toronto.🎉 📅 **Date:** Sunday, February 22 2026 🕒 **Time:** 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM EST 📍 **Location:** Pizza Rustica ( 37 Blue Jays Way ) Tickets and full details on Eventbrite - **(must buy ticket from website here - RSVP from Meetup doesn't count)** [https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/toronto-dating-hub-february-mixer-for-divorcees-single-parents-tickets-1981661147838?aff=meetup](https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/toronto-dating-hub-february-mixer-for-divorcees-single-parents-tickets-1981661147838?aff=meetup) 🔗 Follow [Toronto Dating Hub](https://www.instagram.com/torontodatinghub/) for updates on future events! 🌟

Join us for a focused and engaging discussion on the decline of the British Empire, tracing its gradual unraveling from the aftermath of the First World War to the wave of decolonization that reshaped the global order in the mid-twentieth century. Once described as “the empire on which the sun never sets,” Britain presided over a vast network of territories spanning every continent. Yet within a few decades, economic exhaustion, nationalist movements, global war, and shifting geopolitical power eroded imperial authority. This session explores how and why a global superpower relinquished its empire—and what replaced it. **Topics for Discussion** * The Atlantic Charter and Self-Determination * The Independence of India and Pakistan * The Malayan Emergency * The Suez Crisis * The Windrush Generation * The Mau Mau Uprising * Decolonization in Africa (1950s–1960s) * The Transformation into the Commonwealth * The Falklands War * The Transfer of Hong Kong

This group is for badminton enthusiasts who are passionate about exploring the connections between metabolism, energy, and exercise. We are welcome beginner plus, intermediate and advance level players looking to improve your skill or a seasoned player seeking to optimize your performance on the court, this group is for you! Join us for friendly games. This badminton session is a weekly event and it is followed with dinner together but it is optional. Since we have 3 courts and allowed the maximum of 24 players so that everyone signs up for this event will be placed on waiting list FIRST then will be moved to the joining list. Court fee: It will be informed at the comment section by 4pm. Cost per person is $162 divided by the number of players attended. My email address will be provided at that time for etransfer.

Join us at Losing Weight in Columbus at Bloc Garten on a Saturday afternoon. This will be an active and engaging day, in lieu of our weekly check in. Why climbing you may ask? Because that's what I know best, and also since its and indoor sport, its great for a winter time hobby! Join us and find out what it's all about! We'll also do a brief check in to see how everyone is doing. 🚨🚨 Day passes cost 23$ + 7$ shoe rental fee for a total of 30$ 🚨🚨 [https://5.life/bg/](https://5.life/bg/)

You can also join the meeting by Conference Call at (518) 263-8851.

Private Group. Closed to the Public Knowing ourselves and understanding our abilities is the first step toward wielding our gifts with control and accuracy. In subsequent classes we will verify and hone our talents with activities and discussion. These are hands-on workshops and participation is expected. The goal of our series will be to develop expertise in areas of particular interest such as mediumship, channeling, divination, healing and, etc.. Our ultimate directions will be determined by class members as we evolve. I look forward to sharing and discovering with you. - Cynthia

Meeting Room 2b, Main Library Join us for a welcoming evening of reflection, gentle music, and meaningful conversation. We’ll begin with a short grounding moment, followed by a brief reading from spiritual or philosophical traditions, and an open reflection circle where participants can share (or simply listen). Libera Animae is an interfaith community focused on inner growth, creativity, and authentic connection. We desire to cultivate a space where all questions are welcome and each person is treated with compassion and respect.