BABA DESI, THE BELGRAVE WIZARD

I have noticed him walking around the local streets and bike tracks for many years now. I always wondered about him. His friendly nature was apparent as he would strike up conversations with passers by.

One day whilst looking through some items at a local op shop I noticed him in the corner of my eye. He approached me, making small chitchat about what a great day it was to be op shopping. At the time I wanted to question him, why he had chosen to wear such outfits? Did he really consider himself to be a wizard?

I discovered that Desi is a spiritual healer, activist and artist. He doesn't consider himself to be a wizard, it is simply a label locals have given him. His house is just filled with relics, sculptures, artworks, books, clothes and staffs. He doesn't care if people think this to be strange; he considers these things to be a comfort. In his eighties and constantly on the move he doesn't own a car; he abandoned it twenty years ago. He lives in the moment, never knowing what might happen, who he might meet from one day to the next.

He has a majestic presence and is highly insightful and wise. In the short time I spent with him I learnt just as much about myself as I did about him. He often sits at a local café sipping tea, open to anybody who might want to strike up a conversation with him or ask for guidance.