Night time…

“I often think that the night is more alive and more richly colored than the day. ”
~Vincent Van Gogh

Mother Night folds me to her breast
caresses my being in shades of sleep
The day has drained me
and in her dark being
I will find myself replenished.

Shadows walking through my soul
Shadows caressing me in my bed
whisper lullabies in my ears
and bring me dreaming home

–Gary A Rosenberg

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Clouds at  Night by G A Rosenberg

Quote of the Day – July 31 2012

“Dedicate yourself to the good you deserve and desire for yourself. Give yourself peace of mind. You deserve to be happy. You deserve delight.”
—Hannah Arendt

But can you get there without helping others work on happiness and delight as well?

Compassion is key…. I can’t imagine the disconnect that could come at being happy when others suffer. Well I could in that I believe many of the so called 1% (and some who believe that they ‘matter’ more than others) seem to have exactly that disconnect.

Is it human nature? I’d like to believe that even if it is where we started at that we are moving towards something more, a realization that we are part of a greater whole. I would love to hear your take on this.

Blessings, G

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Insignia by G A Rosenberg

Quote of the Day – July 30 2012

““People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances without own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive.”
― Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth

 

I love reading Joseph Campbell’s writing. Well anything just about that involves comparative myth and legends and how our beliefs and our beings shape each other. Tonight I received a fantastic compliment on my art where the writer remarked that many of my pictures tell complete stories. Well, I do get influenced a lot by myths and much of the time (in my non mandala geometrical patterny type pictures) I try to make a picture iconic. Do that enough and people will fill in the blanks of the story deriving myths from it. One of the best feelings I get is when someone tells me what one of my pictures symbolizes and they describe something far different from my intentions when I was working on the picture. They tell me what it symbolizes to them so of course I tell them they are right, that is exactly what my picture means. For them it is the truth.
Blessings, G

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Energizing by G A Rosenberg

Let Me Help (with an art experiment or two)

“Let me help.” A hundred years or so from now, I believe, a famous novelist will write a classic using that theme. He’ll recommend those three words even over “I love you.”
— James Tiberius Kirk (Harlan Ellison)

 

Is it more important to feel loved or feel needed? I mean loved and treasured for being who I am, what can feel better than that? How about feeling like a necessary valued part of someone’s life. I’m not saying by this dependance or at least that doesn’t feel like what I’m saying. Nor do I mean do we wish to be someone’s drug trip? I guess ultimately to use the jigsaw puzzle analogy  once again, I would want to feel like  a piece that interlocks with others to make beautiful pictures.

Blessings, G

 

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Phoenix Harlequin Dancing Over Painted Beach by G A Rosenberg

 

 

Starship Cathedral by G A Rosenberg

Quote of the Day – July 29 2012

“The heart-lotus blossoms forth, and eternal peace is obtained, as one’s light merges into the Light.”
Sri Guru Granth Sahib

Quiet mood tonight so I may throw another quote in. Amazing how sometimes the heart can feel so open, exposed and shining forth in every step. Other times it feels more protective, only sending out the occasional radar like ping on occasion to see who else may be listening. Would love to be open all the time tho I suspect its tidal with a natural ebb and flow.
Blessings, G

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Love in the Heart of the Lotus by G A Rosenberg

Quote of the Day – July 28 2012

“Let my worship be within the heart that rejoices,
for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.
Therefore, let there be beauty and strength,
power and compassion, honor and humility,
mirth and reverence within you.”
― Doreen Valiente, Charge of the Goddess

 

 

“What do you believe in?”, she asked

“You mean politically?”, I asked with a smile. I wanted her to work for this one. A complicated answer deserved a considered question at the least.

“I mean spiritually. Do you believe in God, Jesus, Allah, Buddha, nothing?”

“All of the above and many others and perhaps none of them.”

“Huh?”

“You’ve heard me talk about the elephant. That combination of all partial viewpoints that each of us have. The truth that lies beyond any one person’s or one group’s understanding.”

“Yes, I’ve heard you mention it. The five blind guys and all that… But then who do you pray to?”

“I pray to the universe, to the guiding spirit that resides in everything and that everything resides in. I pray to god and I pray to goddess and I pray to the union of them all. I pray to all the different aspects of the universe that became personal deities for individual or for groups. I give homage and respect to them all because they are all part of the bigger picture. At the same time I acknowledge that no one has quite the correct view because by its very nature, the ultimate deity, that universal entity has to be bigger than us all. I also acknowledge that I may be wrong and their might not be any guiding force. That doesn’t feel likely for all kinds of reasons but I acknowledge the possibility”

Her brows furrowed and I wondered if my babbling was losing her interest. “Tell me about goddess”

“She is mother who nourishes us and soothes us, she is lover, she is confident, she is wonderful and terrible, storm and temptress, daughter and wrath… she is Venus, Kali and Nuit. Think of every female archetype you can think of and she is at once all of them and none of them”

“You have some strange ideas.”

“Or perhaps they have me.”
Blessings, G

 

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How I See Her As I Lay Sleeping by G A Rosenberg

Quote of the Day – July 27 2012

“Let me give you some advice: Try to approach things without preconceived ideas, without supposing you already know everything there is to know about them. Get that trick down and you’ll be surprised at what’s really all around you.”
― Charles de Lint, Someplace to Be Flying

 

I’m tempted to quote Shrek and say that Ogres have layers yet its reality we give layers to. There’s what our eyes tell us. There’s what we want our eyes to tell us. There’s what we’re afraid our eyes will tell us. Each of these have inherent value judgements that we give them. Somewhere in there, once we peal away expectations and preconceptions and even what things or people appear to be on the surface is what things intrinsically are. To start to see it all we need is self-honesty about our filters and understanding..
Here’s to good perceiving.
Blessings, G

 

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Chameleon Baby and the Soul Gem by G A Rosenberg

Quote of the Day – July 26 2012

“Nobody escapes being wounded. We all are wounded people, whether physically, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually. The main question is not “How can we hide our wounds?” so we don’t have to be embarrassed, but “How can we put our woundedness in the service of others?” When our wounds cease to be a source of shame, and become a source of healing, we have become wounded healers.”
~ Henri Nouwen

 

This quote comes by way of an amazing being, Brad Morris of Cowabunga Life. Even though he used it in his newsletter today, it’s striking deep chords.
I’ve been seeing the wounded heart in so many of the people I respect and learn from of late and feeling my own as well. Learning to reveal the wounds not having them hidden away and scabbed over is a lesson in progress for me as I’ve discussed before. Tho why is it difficult. I can’t recall a time when I lost respect for anyone when I saw their flaws just admiration for how much they’ve done to overcome it. Maybe as I become more comfortable in my skin I can find that level of bravery as well.
Blessings, G

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Orb-It by G A Rosenberg