conversing with paradise

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Friday, March 16, 2012

Monday, March 05, 2012

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Monday, August 29, 2011

Sunday, August 07, 2011

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Saturday, July 02, 2011

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Strawberry Peek-a Boo

Strawberry Peek-a- Boo
(2011... Collage)

Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Friday, April 22, 2011

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Monday, January 03, 2011

Sunday, December 19, 2010

The White Snow

Guillaume Apollinaire 1880 - 1919

The angels the angels in the sky

One’s dressed as an officer
One’s dressed as a chef today
And the others sing

Fine sky-coloured officer
Sweet Spring when Christmas is long gone
Will deck you with a lovely sun
A lovely sun

The chef plucks geese
Ah! Snowfalls hiss
Fall and how I miss
My beloved in my arms

La Blanche Neige from Alcools 1913

Friday, April 09, 2010

I shall not live in vain ...

If I can stop one heart from breaking,

I shall not live in vain:

If I can ease one life the aching,

Or cool one pain,

Or help one fainting robin

Unto his nest again,

I shall not live in vain.

( Emily Dickinson 1830 -1866)

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Dreaming Head

Dream ... 2010

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Presence

I sing in hymns
to enter the gates
of the Field
of holy apples.
A new table
we prepare for Her,
a lovely candelabrum
sheds its light upon us.
Between right and left
the Bride approaches,
in holy jewels
and festive garments.
Her Husband embraces Her
in Her foundation,
giving Her pleasure,
squeezing out his strength.
Torment and trouble
are ended.
Now there are joyous faces
and spirits and souls.
He gives Her great joy
in twofold measure.
Light shines upon Her
and streams of blessing.
Bridesmen go forth
and prepare the Bride's adornments,
food of various kinds
all manner of fish.
To beget souls
and new spirits
on the thirty-two paths
and three branches.
She has seventy crowns
and the supernal King,
that all may be crowned
in the Holy of Holies.
All the worlds are engraved
and concealed within Her,
but all shine forth
from the "Ancient of Days."
May it be His will
that He dwell among His people,
who take joy for His sake
with sweets and honey.
In the south I set
the hidden candelabrum,
I make room in the north
for the table with the loaves.
With wine in beakers
and boughs of myrtle
to fortify the Betrothed,
to strengthen the weak.
We plait them wreaths
of precious words
for the crowning of the seventy
in fifty gates.
Let the Shekhinah be adorned
by six Sabbath loaves
connected on every side
with the Heavenly Sanctuary.
Weakened and cast out
the impure powers,
the menacing demons
are now in fetters.
(Rabbi Isaac Luria 1534 - 1572)

Monday, December 28, 2009

Mandala

December Mandala ... 2009

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Patrick's Breastplate

Celtic Mandala #1

Christ be with me,
Christ within me,

Christ behind me,
Christ before me,

Christ beside me,
Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort
and restore me,

Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ in quiet,
Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of
all that love me,

Christ in mouth of
friend and stranger.

St. Patrick, C. 460

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Pronoia

The new revised and expanded version of Pronoia by Rob Breszny is now out.

I loved the first edition of Pronoia, though I must admit I was a bit reluctant to start it as it looked, frankly, New Age, the monstrous love child of Louise Hay (my absolute bete noir) and Pollyanna (who although she is always 'glad, glad, glad' has an endearing quality).

But intrigued, I did read it and found it so refreshing.It lifted my spirits, reminding me of how there is an energy flowing into/from/through the Universe which seeks to create, love, celebrate, empower and transform.

Pronoia, as I understand it, is not about turning away from the dark stuff of pain and injustice but actually facing it exactly as it is, in the full knowledge that I have the power to make a real difference, to be the change I want to see in the world.

It is definitely not to say that suffering is an illusion or unimportant. In fact the exact opposite. It is to engage with it in the full knowledge that the flow of life is on your side. It is engaging with this stuff while focusing upon what is good, joyful, and not valorising despair and cynicism as the truth.

I am minded of the words of George Fox (Founder of the Quakers),written in the seventeenth century describing an 'opening' (vision)he had....

I saw also that there was an ocean of darkness and death, but an infinite ocean of light and love, which flowed over the ocean of darkness.

Sure there is an ocean of darkness but it is finite whereas the ocean of light and love is infinite and the former is ultimately extinguished by the latter.

In the Alternatives to Violence Project which trains people to engage with and transform violence, one of its principles is Expect the Best. Nothing naive or facile about this powerful tool which has been used in some desperately violent conflicts and their aftermath.

If we are to change the world then let us do it in a spirit of deep care, gratitude and appreciation, from a position of wild humour, ridiculously extravagant generosity and divinely foolish optimism.

Reading Pronoia for me was not just about absorbing ideas but an experience in itself, a fun ride. I look forward to reading this new edition.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Praising

Praising is what matters! He was summoned for that,

and came to us like the ore from a stone's

silence. His mortal heart presses out
a deathless, inexhaustible wine.

Whenever he feels the god's paradigm grip
his throat, the voice does not die in his mouth.
All becomes vineyard, all becomes grape,
opened on the hills of his sensuous South.

Neither decay in the sepulchre of kings
nor any shadow that has falllen form the gods
can ever detract from his glorious praising.

For he is a herald who is with us always,
holding far into the doors of the dead,
a bowl with ripe fruit worthy of praise.

Rainer Maria Rilke, The Sonnets to Orpheus, I, 7

translated by Stephen Mitchell