Old Doggerel and New Vanishing Cat

Moonlight Doggeral

Feeling confusedtalent defused
the full moon’s shining
yet meanings refused

I know that illusion
creates my confusion
that given a reason
I’ll soon find a rhyme

yet given time
a rare gift and fine
Perhaps I can seize
the right words to please

and express my meaning
and find my way home

— G A Rosenberg

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Revenge of Schrodinger’s Cat by G A Rosenberg

Quote of the Day – June 30 2012

“When we read a story, we inhabit it. The covers of the book are like a roof and four walls. What is to happen next will take place within the four walls of the story. And this is possible because the story’s voice makes everything its own.”
― John Berger, Keeping a Rendezvous

Nothing can draw us in like a good story. Also at times nothing can be harder to escape. We tend to get trapped in our own mythologies, the stories we broadcast to ourselves for years on end. Somewhere in there is a cautionary tale not only about the stories we tell ourselves but the stories we expose ourselves to. Not only in books but in movies, plays and tv shows as well. Too often it seems that we fall into stories that we haven’t chosen. There’s way too many cool ones to visit to allow that to happen.


Today I had breakfast with some wonderful friends who among other things are narrative therapists. I told them how much the story prompt “What do you remember?” helped me and asked them for others that might prove equally inspiring. One friend looked at me and said “Canadian Customs”
“…?” I said
“Canadian Customs always gives a really great story prompt “Who are you? Where are you going and what do you have to declare?”
Wow… Just imagining how the answers to that can change from day to day or hour to hour. Just wow.
Blessings, G

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Radient Mandala by G A Rosenberg
Phoenix Mandala by G A Rosenberg

Quote of the Day – June 29 2012

“A bit of advice
Given to a young Native American
At the time of his initiation:
As you go the way of life,
You will see a great chasm. Jump.
It is not as wide as you think.”
― Joseph Campbell

Soundtrack for song and entry: Pink Floyd’s “Learning to Fly”

Funny how much of my young adult life Pink Floyd provided (at least part of) the sound track to. High school days began with Us and Them and ended with The Wall. I still intend to write an essay someday comparing and contrasting The Wall and The Who’s Tommy and map them both against Campbell’s mono myth . They are essentially the same story but then according to Campbell most stories are variations of the one story. Tho bending my mind to far in that direction makes me want to try to map silly things like The Cat in the Hat onto the hero’s journey and that just gets bizarre and distracting.The Grinch Who Stole Christmas is a lot easier..
Learning to Fly came out when I was first studying spirituality, questioning and starting to read Carlos Castaneda (and Joseph Campbell). The synchronicity of jumping a chasm was amazing.
At that time I became so convinced that I needed to jump a chasm and missed the metaphor. At least until the metaphor hit me in the face and I found out that the number of chasms to be jumped is only limited by the lessons we need to learn.
Blessings, G

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Burning Justice by G A Rosenberg

Inside the Ruby Mandala by G A Rosenberg

Quote of the Day – June 28 2012

“Art! Who comprehends her? With whom can one consult concerning this great goddess?”
–Ludwig Von Beethoven

I seem to be spending this evening reflecting on the goddess force and how she has manifested in my life.
Through my mother who didn’t always approve of how I lived my life and was never shy about saying exactly how and why she didn’t approve yet always told me she believed I could accomplish whatever I wanted in my life. She made it a rule that no matter how wild her wayward son got, she would never let my antics throw her. I miss her but feel her presence often
Through my stepmother who has tried as hard as she can to civilize me and what good manners I have I owe mainly to her. She has endured the most from me but somehow manages to remain supportive.
Through my older sister, who saw me as a wild free spirit (her words). I always wondered if I was a free spirit what that made the rest of my family but love held my tongue there
Likewise with the Goddess I feel the female force of the universe willing to set me in line yet always loving and healing and always showing me more grace than I probably deserve.
Blessings, G

 

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Goddess of Many Moods by G A Rosenberg

More Moods Explored by G A Rosenberg

Quote of the Day – June 27 2012

“I believe in everything until it’s disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it’s in your mind. Who’s to say that dreams and nightmares aren’t as real as the here and now?”

― John Lennon

Anyone who has read this blog before knows how much I agree with the sentiment above. Yet this believing in all things and all faiths (or elements thereof) tends to be a difficult thing to explain to people who believe in one standard belief (including atheism which as far as I can tell is a very strong conviction that there is no guiding intelligence in the universe. I see this as being a slim possibility tho too much in life seems to me miraculous to hold on to that notion as anything more.

“Do you believe in Jesus?”

“Yes I believe many things about Jesus.”

“Hare Krishna, Hare Krisna

Hare Rama, Hare Rama

Krishna Krishna

Rama Rama”

“Jai Ganesh”

“Namaste”

“Ishah’Allah”

Om Namaha Shivaya”

Also entreaties to almost any deity from any pantheon including some of the darker ones. They to me are all part of the whole.

Tonight I received a stern talking to from my son who due to normal adolescent curiosity came across a conversation I was having about Satanism. I had to explain to him that no I am not a Satanist. His curiosity is usually sated by telling him I’m eclectic tho he still tries to find a box he can fit his father’s beliefs in. Still he’s concerned what his grandmother may say. I reassured him again and sent him to bed.

It’s funny tho when you consider how our belief systems tends to demonize that of others. The nature gods Pan and Cernunnos oft get mistaken for Satan and when you start talking about Wiccan beliefs, forget it. I have known Satanists in my life and many of them nice people tho a bit extreme but self-limiting as well. Most of them are just Christians at heart trying to show how rebellious they can be.

As always I try to understand the underlying centre of all beliefs and show respect towards them all.

Blessings, G

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FIre Amulet by G A Rosenberg

Neon Star Mandala by G A Rosenberg

A Stranger’s Dream and Your Turn to Drive (Redux)

A Stranger’s Dream – Some doggerel

 

I’ve met the stranger
looking out through my eyes
i  understand
the strenght of his lies

 

He tells me about liberation
He knows the depth of my frustration
My life at a crossroads, he offers the key
I hand him the lock; it turns effortlesly

 

Solitude overtaken and given away
Secret rituals take place inside
my head; returning memories
I can barely abide

 

And yet I heed this stranger’s dream
and dance to the beat of his drum
New rhyms beyond those I’ve known
New obstacles to be overcome

 

My feet now placed upon this path
I can walk it or run away
I make the choice or does it make me?
Perhaps greater purpose holds sway

 

If this way contains love at its root
then with a light heart step I
Holiness, Virtue, Meaningless words
Useless by far to ask why

 

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Your Turn to Drive by G A Rosenberg

Quote of the Day – June 26 2012

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

Good words for me to remember on nights when i see what people are capable of. Not only are their many amazing people out there but slowly but surely the ones who aren’t begin to stand out more and more. We are evolving. Slowly but it is happening. But then again I do tend to be a hope fiend. Compassion and love are out there. They get spread pretty thin but if you look for evidence you can see it everyday or so I believe.
Blessings, G

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The Mermaid Watches by G A Rosenberg

Red Violet Green by G A Rosenberg

Scraps Revisited and A Journey Through the Gallery

Scraps

Pieces of the puzzle coming together
Fractal truths form and break apart
only to find new shapes
as reality shifts
Its all a trick of the mind
so that the soul can see
its own reflection
Divine hide and seek so
blind sages can dance naked
with their elephant truths.

 

Thought won’t take me there
tho love can light the path
Understand? Don’t make me laugh
the wheel turns, the naga sings
and we can all join the dance
Ecstatic freedom
in spiritual carnality
openness in all things
Godhead whispering
beckoning grace
calling us to the fields

 

Sometimes it takes too long
in notime
my heart longs
then i hear the music
and the dance continues..

–G A Rosenberg

 

 

Here is a tour through my art gallery (circa 2010) aided by the Beatles. I had been using the ferryman character quite a bit seeing him as a symbol for myself at the time so wanted to put several of my pictures of him together.
It’s funny. It was easy to think of myself as the ferryman transporting other people but now I know I am yet the passenger and perhaps the boat…Luckily there are always friends I’ve found to help me through rough waters