Fidel Castro reflections fade to a shadow Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro delivered some truly historic news to the world and his people this week, and it wasn't that he was alive and well but that he would be stepping further back from the limelight. Since ceding power to his brother Raul in 2006, Mr Castro had maintained an important though diminished presence - making occasional appearances and writing his memoirs and hundreds of columns (called reflections) for the official and only media. Mr Castro of late had become a mere shadow in the background who had been neither seen nor heard from for months, leading to the latest spate of death rumours and his retort: get used to it. I like to write and write; I like to study and study; there is much to do in the area of knowledge. Never, for example, have the sciences advanced at such a stunning speed," he said in an article on Monday dedicated mainly to ridiculing rumours he was dying. "I've stopped publishing reflections because it clearly is not my place to occupy the pages of our press, dedicated as it is to other tasks the country requires," he said. A series of photos, showing a stooped Mr Castro examining vegetation on a farm with the aid of a walking stick, were published with the article. For the Cubans, who have lived with Mr Castro's overwhelming presence for decades, the article and pictures signalled their weaning from his rule has entered a final stage, in which he gardens rather than politicks, at least in public. The move is incredibly significant. Taking a further step back from public life Fidel reinforces for Cubans - wherever they may live - that his days of forming even a slice of the public consciousness are ending," Julia Sweig, Nelson and David Rockefeller senior fellow and director of Latin America Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, said. Meanwhile, the younger Raul has ushered in a shift from his brother's policies towards greater openness, markets, individual initiative and reward, arguing it is the only way the "revolution" can survive his famous brother's demise. A five-year plan to reform the economy, adopted by the Communist party in 2011, leaves no doubt that Chinese and Vietnamese-style market socialism is the new mantra. The old, Soviet-style system is being dismantled in favour of a growing "non-state" sector of entrepreneurs, co-operatives, farmers and their employees. Cubans now enjoy some property rights, from buying and selling homes and cars to no longer facing confiscations when they leave the country, even as regulations on their travel abroad have been dramatically eased. Mr Castro had not been seen since March. Nor had he written a reflection since June, when he published a series of short, seemingly cryptic notes that appeared to oppose his brother's steering of the country towards market socialism, even though he had endorsed the policies in the past. One note praised Che Guevara, who opposed putting economic incentives above ideology. Another note hailed Erich Honecker, the former East German leader - no reformer he - while still another disparaged Deng Xiaoping, the former Chinese leader and father of market socialism. Some observers believe these messages led to a decision to reduce Mr Castro's presence in the media, while others believe the entire weaning of the land from Fidel is being carefully orchestrated by the Castro brothers and still others that Mr Castro's health has significantly deteriorated. They released pictures and not a video because they could be staged. He really is in no condition to be walking around a farm," a western diplomat said. Cubans, by and large, are taking matters at face value and trying to move on. From what he said, the time of the reflections has passed. Now he is dedicating his time to his studies and books. We will have to get used to this, both his friends and his enemies," retiree Pedro Castillanos said. Héctor Casamayor, a Havana transportation worker, agreed. "The reflections were useful, but apparently he is not going to continue them," he said. We will have to get used to not knowing what he is doing every day. I fear we will know far less about him than up to now.