See also: [Sacred] (mac-2001r: Cloisters: Sacred)
[Art Terms]
Art is Sacred Places
On this page: {Home as Sacred place}
{Directions} (and earth/air/ etc)
Part of this page is to "collect together" things that I come
across concerning beliefs/ideas (i don't believe, but i have
a good idea ;) and their inter-working with the mental/spirtual/physical
etc aspects of life and how these are (or can be) related to art
work, etc. Oh, well. It's just an idea.
-- Enjoy,
Pizo.
Home as Sacred Place
In this section: {Home as Hearth}
{Pizo's tale of 'Office Space' Fen Schei}
{Away from Home Rituals}
{Irish Green Martyrdom} (ritual)
Home as Hearth
Having visited many homes in my life, and most of them being
pretty much the same, i have had the privlidge to visit various
homes that were "spiritually" arranged. These included a dear
friend of mine, whose home serves as a temple of worship for
the Buddist faith, a native american family who turned the
rather mundane "fireplace mantle" into a memory tableau of
their own family and friends, along with votives, etc., and
a family which set asside separate shelves on a book case
for each member to "decorate" as they saw fit.
In each, case the home (despite its often meager appearance
from the outside -- in many cases the home is "made" in an
appartment) is *made* into a home by the very acts of decoration.
Some thought should always be given to this when entering a
person's home; ie, to observe the correct *rituals* that the
family that lives there does. (The most common example is
in many cultures, one removes one shoes before entering
into the home, leaving the shoes by the doorsted).
In her book, "Sacred Space", [ISBN 0.345.39769.X (Torronto, 1995)],
Denise Linn says:
"Everything around you is a reflection of your inner
being. The visible realities surrounding you are
symbols of your invisible world. In every moment
of your life, you are a "walking forest of symbols"
which are constantly reflecting your personal reality."
-- Chapter 11, "Your House as Metaphor", P. 161.
Indeed, even the very objects that we choose to surround
ourselves are often "tokens" of our reality. For those who
are especially sensitive to this (either the v. spiritual,
or artistic, or thoughtful types), this is readily apparent.
Away From Home Rituals
Two examples suffice:
A friend of mine whose work contract was up, had to stay around
(in Dallas) a couple of extra weeks to finish up a project. Thus,
he happened to stay with me. As he would go to sleep each night
he would take out of his pocket a handkerchief, and after
un-wrapping it, would take out some "tokens" (as i learned)
each of which represented one of his children, and his wife.
He wouuld lay these out onto the table next to the bed.
Another friend had a rather ordinary looking scrapper used for
print making, and she (by chance) lent it to a student in class.
Unfortunately, he lost it. And i was able to find a replacement
for it (after a bit). However, when he put it back on her shelf,
she found it (the replacement) and asked about it, i told her
the story. As it turns out, that old, worn out tool had been
given to her by an artist friend of hers who had later died.
Fortunately, the original tool *did* turn up and was returned
to her.
These seem like trivial matters. But, if we "translate" these
into things like "Roberts Rules of Order", and "seating
arrangements in corporate boardrooms", etc. We see that indeed
such things *do* matter to people.
Several years, ago (long before Fen Schei had become well known,
indeed before i was aware of the formal ideas of that philosophy),
i was working in cramped conditions with four other people in
a small office. You literally had to have some one get out of
their chair to get by, to get to your own desk. (My desk, being
not much more than a small table; but as always, such "odd"
things suit me very well -- I used to give out info as to
how to find me in the Chemistry Building at North Texas:
Room 223B, "The little desk" in the corner. A desk which
i "rescued" as it was discarded by throwing it out of the
2nd floor window during rennovations, back in the '70's.
A bit of elmer's glue, and sand paper, and i had a very
interesting "little desk" indeed).
Anyway, we (the group crammed into the little office) were
going to be moving to a new place. And, i had noticed that
these "shared, cramped conditions" had a sort of "unifying"
effect on the group. I mentioned that when we moved to the
new digs, that probably the dynamic of the group would
change. One woman (a fellow contractor) told me i was crazy.
Sure enough, when the new room was ready, desks were arranged
to "cut off" certain people from others. On of my dear friends
(Dot ;) was even shoved up to the very front, her little desk
(the one that i used to use in the office) was actually pointed
away from the others so that she faced a blank wall. Thus,
were the "hidden" dynamics that I had sensed. Oddly enough,
I (being a senior consultant) ended up with my own private
cubicle down the hall. Odd these things.
I would thus say, that the very act of you (or yours) *choosing*
to venerate or "set asside" a place as a sort of sacred place
-- that act -- creates a special space. This is even true
in the bitterest of circumstances. Further (i think) it is
true of any special rituals and such that are used either with
or without these "sacred places".
Green Martyrdom
In the interesting book "How the Irish Saved Civilization [sic]",
we see the following:
"Ireland is unique in reglious history for being the
only land into which Christiantity was introduced
without bloodshed. [Made up for later by bloody
holy wars -- Pizo, sorry for the Irish intrusion]
... The Irish of the late fifth and early 6th
centuries soon found a solution [to the need for
martyrdom], which they called the GREEN MARTYRDOM,
opposing the usual Red Martyrdom by blood. The GM's
were those who, leaving behind the comforts and
pleasures of ordinary human society, retreated to
the woods, or to a mountain-top, or to a lonely
island -- to one of the green nbo-man's lands
outside of tribal jurisdictions -- there to study
the scriptures and commune with God. For among
the story collections that Patrick gave them, they
found examples of the *anchorites* ?? of the
Egyptian desert, who, also lacking the purification
rite of persecution, had lately devised a new form of
holiness by living alone in isolated hermitages,
braving all kinds of physical and psychological
adversity, and imposing on themselves the most heroic
fasts and penances, all for the sake of drawing nearer
to God. -- P. 151, et seq:
The following poem (attibuted to St. Manchan of Offaly)
known as "The Hermit's Song" [Pp. 152-153]:
Grant me sweet Christ the grace to find --
SOn of the living God! --
A small hut in a lonesome spot
To make my abode.
A little pool but very clear
To stand beside the place
Where all men's sins are washed away
By sanctifying grace.
A pleasant woodland all about
To shield it [the hut] from the wind,
And make a home for singing birds,
Before it and behind.
A southern aspect for the heat
A stream along its foot,
A smooth green lawn with rich top soil
Porpitious to all fruit.
My choice of men to live with me
And pray to God as well;
Quiet men of humble mind --
Their number I shall tell.
Four files of three or three of four (12)
To give psalter forth
Six to pray by the south church wall
ANd six along the north.
Two by two my dozen friends --
TO tell the number right --
Praying with me to move the King
Who gives the sun its light.
-- "How the Irish Saved Civilization", by Thomas
Cahill, ISBN 0.385.41848.5 (New York, 1995).
(Your humble prenteur appoligises for any oddity in the
"interpretation" of these given by M. Cahill; but seems
like the usual "re-adaptation" of older songs/myths
to be syncretised and merged with the *newer* religions.
So, I would encourage those of you NOT of the Xtian
persuasian to freely adopt/adapts as needs may be the
"Hermit's Praeyer"
Directions
In this section: {North, South, and Elements}
North, South, etc. and Elements
To again quote from Denise Linn's superb book "Sacred Space",
[ISBN 0.345.39769.X (Torronto, 1995)],
"The Four Directions and Elements that I present here
are base on my personal experience. Feel free to
improvise in order to find meanings and combinations
that work best in your life.
East -- Air. The power of the East is Air. Air is lofty
ideals. ... Air is new beginnings. It is
allowing your spirit to soar. Light breezes, cyclones,
dust devils, jest streams, tornadoes, whriling winds,
warm winds and cold winds are part of the element of
air in nature. In nature, Air circulates high above
the land and has an overview of life. The part of you
that is Air has the ability to see afar. It is that
part of you that is universal. It is illumination
and integration, freedom and movement. Air uplifts,
exhilarates and explands. Air is your thoughts.
Air is power of the mind.
[Indeed as Isaac Asimov wrote in the intro to his
"View from a Height", he explained his "overview"
approach to learning as if he were aloft in a
balloon -- getting a broad view of things rather
than so-close a picture as one would have if you
were traveling on foot; on the ground. -- pizo]
South -- Water. The medicine power of South is Water.
Water represents feelings and emotions.
It is is your intuition. It is your deep connection to
spirituality. It is your sacred dreams, psychic impressions
and your inner knowing. It is the feamle part of your
being. Waterfalls, the great fierce ocean, gentle seas,
mountain streams, soft spring rains, torrential rains,
the fog and mists, snow and ice are all Water in Nature.
Water is fluid and soothing. Water is healing.
Water is power of emotions.
[in keeping with the idea that all life began in the
ancient oceans; evolution, but see also Thales, et al.
Water as "mother spirit"; v. interesting concept]
West -- Fire. Fire is the medicine power of transformation.
It representsthe alchemy that occurs when
you release the old and embrace the new. WHen wood burns,
it changes form. Fire is changing old patterns and old
habits. Fire is purification and renewing. The sun is the
greatest embodiment in nature of the element of Fire. Forest
fires, candle-light, campfires, even rust, which is a slow
form of Fire are all Fire as it occurs in nature. Fire is
radiance and vibrant eneergy. Fire is light and trans-
mutation. Fire is power of spirit.
North -- Earth. Earth is wisdom. It is grounding. It is
completing. It is the powerful inner
knowing that comes from being connected to nature, to the
Earth. It allows you to stand your ground in times of
adversity. It is your health and the food that you eat.
In nature, Earth is the ground that you see, as well as
the rocks and the deeply embedded stones and boulders,
some of which you can-not see. Earth encompasses all of
those things that have their roots firmly within it,
such as trees and plants. Earth is fertility and
abundance and stability. Earth is physical power.
-- Chapter 16, "Circle of Life Method", Pp. 247-248.
See also: [Ionian philosophers]
(earth, air, water, fire, and "the other)