20/10/2024
Apricot Grove & Teas used to be here. It was where Steve Clavey practised Chinese Herbal medicine for more than 30 years. The old building has gone.
As well as helping countless with his medicine he generously shared his knowledge with many students and practitioners whom he allowed to observe his consultations. I was lucky enough to be one, and I hung around another six years dispensing herbal prescriptions. Yesterday I joined old friends and others to celebrate the life of this remarkable human. And like others, learned a lot more about him.
Who else, I thought, would give stage directions for a joke about what people would like to be said at their funeral?
I studied his textbook on TCM fluid physiology and pathology while I was at Uni. It wasn't required reading as its expanse and detail was way beyond what we needed to know to qualify. A clinical supervisor said that learning directly from Steve would much better than reading his book. Uhuh was all then.
Then during my internship in Nanjing I met an American who was studying there. As soon as said I was from Melbourne he asked if I was learning from Steve Clavey, and was astounded when I said that I wasn't. I emailed him as soon as I returned. He actually replied.
Much later after joining the qigong and martial arts group he was part of I told him that I thought I was like a legendary taichi guy who learned the master's skills by spying on his classes while he was a servant. It was a joke, Steve laughed.
So long.
Anyone one with a passing interest in daoism, Chinese philosophy, or just some dam funny s**t should check out his Tales of the Fat Monk wherever you get your podcasts.
