* * * Dropping Keys The small man Builds cages for everyone He Knows. While the sage, Who has to duck his head When the moon is low, Keeps dropping keys all night long For the Beautiful Rowdy Prisoners. -Hafiz * * * * (a simple meditation this week — photo is of a collection I have of old keys from Austria) -Christine Valters Paintner @ Abbey of the Arts ** Come back Monday for our next Poetry Party **
I first met Maggie Yowell when she came to me for spiritual direction and then later she participated in our Awakening the Creative Spirit program. It was more of a continued nurturing in the program since she had long been awakened through her work in SoulCollage, both as artist and facilitator of the process. In the last couple of years though, her work has really blossomed as she has been defining her work as a Collage Artist, Spiritual Director, Creativity Coach, Life Enrichment Specialist, SoulCollage™ Facilitator, Veriditas Certified Labyrinth Facilitator, Church School Director, and Doula, all through her website Spirit
I adore poetry and often find it to be a source of profound wisdom as valuable to me as other sacred texts. I sometimes write them myself and post them, although they often stay tucked in the pages of my journal. I love to lead poetry-writing exercises in some of my retreat and training programs, and of course I adore hosting the Poetry Parties here at the Abbey where you, my splendidly creative readers, share your own poetic gifts so generously with me. I’m feeling inspired to make poetry-writing a more sustained practice in my quiet moments, so I am pulling some good books off of my
The moon will be full this Thursday, February 21st. There are no children in our home (by choice, I might add), and so I gather “the sleeping infant of (my)self” to go out into the dark night and drink in the inky beauty of white rock in a sea of blackness. My sun sign is Cancer whose planet is the moon. I have always felt an affinity for the moon and her phases and rhythms, appreciating the profound wisdom of her gentle waxing and waning as a mirror of the movement of the seasons from flowering to death and back to blossoming again.
Into the Wild The cancer began so small, just a hummingbird caught in the house. It could be gently removed without much fuss, flying from the window, opened. But, a whole other nest was found. Hiding in the corner, this cancer was not so innocent. As the eggs cracked and babies grew, they brought a frenzy and chaos within. Although these were just small wrens, the surgeon wielded his knife. Poison comes next since traces of birds slipped into narrow passageways. I will take this path but still resist my body becoming a battlefield. No wars in my veins. No
This week’s interview is with artist Tim Mooney. I first met Tim five years ago when he audited a class I co-taught through the San Francisco Theological Seminary on “Freeing the Imagination: Creativity as Christian Spiritual Practice.” The course was funded by the Practicing Our Faith project and was an exciting opportunity to journey with twelve graduate students and ministers, exploring together the possibilities that creative practice holds for Christian communities. Tim brought rich reflection from his own experience as an artist, spiritual director, and pastor within the Presbyterian tradition. Since that time he has developed himself as an artist to the
How refreshing a Sabbath day can be. I feel a little more spaciousness in my soul, more light-heartedness about the work I still have to do. I spent much of the day lounging in pajamas and reading through some books I have had sitting on my shelf calling to me. (Does it count as work if the fruits of my lounging ends up here in this week’s edition of the Abbey Bookshelf?) :-) First, I found these delightful art journals at the website of Teesha Moore. Teesha is the person behind ArtFest held each April in Port Townsend. I had never been before and last
A couple of weeks ago, in my interview with Heather Williams Durka, she used a phrase to describe her work as an artist that has stayed with me: “Serving the Mysteries.” I was really entranced by that image, because for me the spiritual journey is not so much about growing in certainty as it is about learning how to move more deeply into the heart of Mystery. And so the idea of my work as an artist being about serving the mysteries resonates deeply. In the January/February 2008 issue of Spirituality and Health magazine, Thomas Moore wrote in his column about religion and the
I wrote about meeting Miska for the first time a couple of weeks ago. She extended a very warm hospitality to me. I really enjoyed talking with her and getting to know the artist behind the beautiful artwork I have admired for so long now. When she told me she was teaching a painting class, I signed up and yesterday was the second lesson. Painting is definitely not my strength, but I am enjoying learning from her. She was gracious enough to respond to my invitation to be one of my featured sacred artists. So here is some wisdom from Miska:
I love Ash Wednesday. We have so few rituals that are quite so earthy. Everyone is welcome to come and receive those ashes on the forehead, that reminder that we are from dust and to dust we shall return. It doesn’t strike me as morbid in the least, but a compelling reminder of the preciousness of our days. In the Christian liturgical calendar Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the forty days of Lent, that season we so often associate with giving things up. Last year I shared a reflection I gave at my church the year prior suggesting the need for lament
