Spiritual Art Blog - *Ed P

Chores of Enlightenment

Picture:

Island Sanctuary (I’ve just finished this picture, so its time let it be seen)

This is a place to go to when you've been through a hard time. An island you can escape to, away from the pains, pleasures and pressures of life. Somewhere you can restore yourself in quiet reflection. A place where you can recoup your energies.

As you sit in the contemplation places around the island, you let the insights slip into your consciousness as you soak in the sunshine, silence and solitude. This is a place of purity where only clean, clear and comforting thoughts can come. This island is a sanctuary.

Thought for the week-

Chores of Enlightenment

While chatting with a friend she was telling me that she often gets insights and wisdom as she does her chores around the house. It's not that she was thinking in a positive manner but she was focusing on what she was doing. She was in the moment.

We came to the conclusion that because her mind was still, Soul had the opportunity to get a message through. Her mind was quiet as she concentrated on the ironing, or polishing or cooking. It gave Soul a chance to slip past the mind and impart some wisdom.

So doing the best we can, doing it with love and putting our attention on the task at hand can result in enlightenment.

News:

I’ve entered for the Olympics

Have you heard of ARTIADE - Olympics of Visual Art 2008 Beijing / Los Angeles?

Long, long ago when the Olympic games were held it was not only a meeting of athletes but also of artist. In other words, every Olympic nation will sends not only its athletes, but also its artists, who will reflect the cultural identity of their countries of origin.“…It is the artists’ works that tell us about life in the countries from which they come…” Gerhard Mack, (’art’ Magazine, Germany).

Sounds like a good idea, doesn’t it. Artiade was re-introduced into the Olympic Games at the Atlanta in 1995 and again in 2004 in Athens. It is being held again on the occasion of the Olympics in Beijing and Los Angeles.

I’ve entered two pieces for the Artiade, River Sanctuary and Outside the Box. Of course there is whole jury of judges to go through to be accepted for the exhibition but at least I can say I’ve entered for the Olympics. :->

Portlaoise Holistic Fair

There is another Holistic Fair coming up. This time it’s in Portlaoise in the Hermitage Hotel, in the centre of town, on Sunday 18th May, 11.00 am till 7.00pm. If you live in Dublin get on to the N7 and drive South for about 55 miles. It’s motorway all the way.

Inspirational Quote:

“Concentrate all your thoughts on the task in hand. The sun’s rays do not burn until brought to a focus.” Alexander Graham Bell

This blog is updated weekly with a Thought for the Week, an Inspirational Quote and News about Ed P and his pictures. To make sure you don’t miss anything, type in your email address in the Subscribe panel on the right.

Thanks for visiting and please leave a comment on anything that stirs your imagination.

Life is a voyage

Picture: Voyagers to the Island Sanctuary

Thought for the week-

Have you ever considered that life is a voyage? Think about it. We live our lives in the pursuit of happiness, sailing from one island of promise to another. There are many islands with a variety of pleasures which promise happiness and fulfilment. We have visited these islands many times, often for a short stay and sometimes for a life time.

Each island has its own charm and promise. The names of the islands are Wealth, Power, Sex, Food, Drugs, Drink, Honour, Pride, Greed and lots more. When we land on these islands there is a welcoming party and it is a wonderful place. If this is our first time on the island we can spend a long time exploring all it has to offer but the time comes when we realise that what we seek is not here. It’s time to set sail again to see if the next island has that which we are searching for.

After visiting many of these islands we begin to learn from our experiences and gain some wisdom about what is good and what is bad about these islands. If we visit them only when we need to, then we gain some balance in our lives. We do not end up stranded on any of the islands if we keep our boat in a healthy condition.

While sailing on the open sea we may get time to enjoy the sunshine and mild breeze. As we sit in sweet contemplation we may come across a new destination. One that brings love, kindness and happiness to our lives. This is the port we seek. The source of love, imagination and inspiration.

The home we seek is happiness and it cannot be found on the islands we visit on our voyage through life. It can only be found deep within ourselves. He place where we find love. Not the love that gives in order to receive but the love that gives for the joy of giving, not expecting anything in return. This is the island of our dreams which can only be found through bringing love into our hearts, to be given to others so that it will grow stronger and stronger. This can be the most challenging voyage of them all but the one that brings all the riches you could want.

*Ed P

News:

Click on the photo above to see how the stand looks without the covering material.

Stand Design

A few weeks ago I had a stand a holistic fair. It was a worthwhile venture and I’ll be doing more. It was in a hotel and the organisers provided us with a table and a few chairs. Nothing to hang pictures on and no stand system like we get at Art Ireland and the Mind Body Spirit fair.

I had to come up with a cheap, easily erected stand which could collapse into as small a space as possible, as I would have to transport it and the framed pictures to the venue. One of the supermarkets was doing a promotion selling a DIY scaffolding system which had 2 aluminium ladders and a platform which fitted between them. This I used as the basis of the stand. I then got 7 sheets of 9mm MDF, 60 cm x 180cm, about 30 bolts and 6 lengths of timber.

After a bit of planning, a little cutting, some drilling I had the basic construction. The scaffold system was pretty steady and the timber and bolts held the MDF panels in place firmly. I then bought 9 metres of cream material and draped it over the whole thing. The material was over 2 m wide so it covered the panels top to bottom. It was a matter of starting in one corner and wrapping the whole stand in the material.

The next problem was how to hang the pictures. At the Mind Body Spirit fair the stand system was made of laminated plastic panels which couldn’t be nailed or screwed. I had some climbing type hooks and along with some chain and S hooks they worked well as a hanging system. So the climbing hooks went into the end ring of the chain and hooked onto the top of the MDF panels. Using S hooks it was easy to hang the picture on the chains.

It all fitted into the car but I couldn’t get any of my A0 size frames in as the stand system was taking up the length of the car. I’m now thinking of getting something that can take a decent load. Here’s the approximate costs:

Scaffold ladder system………….€100

MDF panels, timber & bolts……€140

Material…………………….........…….€70

Chain & hooks…………......………..€60

Total……………………..........……….€370

It worked well on the day. It was sturdy and there was no danger of it falling apart. It held the pictures nicely and the scaffold platform created a nice desk which held the smaller prints and would still have room for the laptop if necessary. It took me about to hours to get it up with all the pictures in place and the title cards of each piece along with the price list. Taking it down took about an hour. I’m happy enough with it for now. If I come across a system that is lighter and quicker to erect I will probably consider getting it but for now it works well.

If you’re thinking of doing something similar and you need any more details just submit a comment by clicking on the word Comments below.

Inspirational Quote:

Life's a voyage that's homeward bound.

Herman Melville

With each death all that knowledge dies… What was the point of all that?

Picture: Life continues within

Thought for the week- There was an interview on Irish radio, RTE1, where the interviewer, Marian Finucane, was talking to the writer, Nuala Ó Faoláin, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The topic of the conversation was Nuala's attitude and approach to the advent of her death. She doesn't believe in God nor in an afterlife and is determined to maintain that belief. It was a moving conversation which left me feeling helpless in finding any hope or solace in any words I could offer.

All I can say is I hope she will be pleasantly surprised when does leave. Most people see a bright light after they die. If they go towards the light they will be guided to the proper place where they will be greeted by their friends and family who have already gone before them.

Nuala spoke of the darkness, the lack of joy and how the absence of beauty has taken hold of her life since she has become aware of her coming death. She spoke of all the things she knows, her time working in Iran, all her loves. “It seems such a waste of creation. With each death all that knowledge dies… What was the point of all that.”

Nuala is a victim of the lack of spiritual insight and knowledge offered to people living and educated in Ireland in the 2oth Century. Our upbringing was mainly by Christian educators who do not consider reincarnation and put forward the theory that we only live one life. She is right in thinking that going through life and gaining all the experiences and wisdom along the way would be waste, if it was all lost at the end of a life. If you consider reincarnation and the fact that we live many lives you can see that we are building our knowledge and wisdom as we go through our many lives. This concept of bringing skills and experience into other lives is evident all around us. I’m sure you know people who had a ‘natural ability’ with music or animals or maths or leading people. These skills were gained in previous lives and that soul is just using knowledge learned in another lifetime.

At one point while talking about pain she says “Thanks be to Holy God this is the 21st Century and the idea of patient choice has come in.” Again she says “Thanks be to God…my heart responded to music.” I’m not sure if this just part of her language and a habit she has held on to since she was younger but it does give a hint that she may have a small glimmer of belief in the God that she habitually thanks.

Marian asked about the things she likes to do still. “I like food… and sleep.” Many who are dying of illness will spend a lot of time sleeping. The closer to their time of death the more time will be spent sleeping. This sleeping time is spent exploring the inner worlds where they will be taking up residence shortly. They are preparing their way, establishing themselves in their new home.

While Nuala is despondent at the close of her life there is the chance that she will find God in the beauty of the things she enjoys in this world and if not here hopefully while sleeping she discovers her new home in the life she is about to begin.

The interview is available as a podcast here and for more information about Marian Finucan click here

News

Holistic Fair in Clane, Co. Kildare. On Sunday last, I had a stand at the Holistic Fair in Clane, Co Kildare which was a well attended event as regards visitors and exhibitors. There was the usual range of products and services available including fortune telling, massage, healing products, books and crystals.

My neighbour was Gerry Coleman, an energy healer and hypnotherapist. He told me my pictures had an energy of their own and an energy from me.

This energy was demonstrated a few hours later when a woman came over to the stand to the picture Soul Overseeing. She said she was drawn to it as soon as she entered the room. She couldn't wait to get over to it. As we chatted about the picture she’d burst into giggles saying "I can't believe the energy, I love it, it connects with me so much."

You’ll find Soul Overseeing on the web site here. See if it has any affect on you.

Tea & Sandwiches There was a pleasant surprise around lunchtime,at the Holistic Fair, when some young girls came around with free tea and sandwiches for the exhibitors. It was a nice touch which was appreciated by us exhibitors.

Stand Design I haven't had time to write about the stand design which I mentioned in last weeks blog, as my time was consumed putting it up and taking it down. :-( I'll tell you all about it next week.

Inspirational Quote:

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.' We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love

This famous passage from her book is often erroneously attributed to the inaugural address of Nelson Mandela. About the misattribution Williamson said, "Several years ago, this paragraph from A Return to Love began popping up everywhere, attributed to Nelson Mandela's 1994 inaugural address. As honoured as I would be had President Mandela quoted my words, indeed he did not. I have no idea where that story came from, but I am gratified that the paragraph has come to mean so much to so many people."

Why did God put us here?

Picture: God Experiencing Life through Many Souls

Thought for the week-

While talking with some friends last week one of them asked “Why did God put us here? If he is perfect, why didn’t he make us perfect so we didn’t have to go though the pain we suffer in our lives?”

The answers we came up with went something like this…

God created individual souls so It (God) could know itself better. These souls were living in heaven but they weren’t developing or growing. They were happy and content just to exist at the level they were at. So God created a place where we souls could learn about ourselves, who we are, what our existence is about and why we are here.

The Lower Worlds
This place It created is called the Lower Worlds where there are opposites like good and bad, black and white, up and down, happy and sad, love and hate, life and death, etc. etc. One of the ‘gifts’ we receive here is freedom. Freedom to do what ever we wish and that’s where we immediately go wrong. We use this freedom to take what we want, hurting, destroying and killing to fulfil our desires. Of course when we get it we discover it doesn’t hold the peace or happiness we seek, so the hunt goes on.

We are building up karma as we go along and these deeds have to be paid back eventually. To balance things out we suffer hurt, destruction and death at the hands of our former victims. After numerous lives we eventually begin to realise there is a balance to life and at that point we begin to seek for answers to the question: What is life about? This leads on to our main question: Why did God put us here?

God is learning
By us souls learning about life and freedom, God is learning about life too, or at least how we experience it. So God is learning as we learn. When we eventually learn that we are soul, an individual piece of God we begin to see the beauty in the world around us.

To answer the question, God put us here so we could earn our own freedom. Once we get through the Lower Worlds we have earned the awareness of who we are. We are no longer the animal hunting for food, shelter and pleasure. We realise our path through the pain of these worlds was necessary, so we can be free of them. Once we have come through them, they will hold no fear for us, no threat of dragging us back into the muck of karma and reincarnation. We begin to understand the meaning of life.

When we realise who we are, as soul, we realise that the pain we went through was all of our own doing. We choose the path of the lives we have lived. Through these choices we have the skills, talents and abilities that we have developed through our experience. They make us the unique soul we are.

Summary
Our summary of why God put us here was: God created souls as individuals and to help in our education It built the Lower Worlds. This is where we can play with power, love and freedom to our hearts content. We eventually discover karma and with the help of spiritual guides we begin to make our way back to God and our home in heaven. In the process we discover who we are and our mission in life.

In this process God experiences life and an awakening of a new part of Itself when each soul realises who and what it is. Then the next question is, what is God? We’ll leave that question to another time.

Your Comments
What do you think of this idea? Do you agree with it or have you a different view. I’d love to hear it. Click on the word Comments below and tell me what you think.

*Ed P

News:

Holistic Fair, Clane, Co Kildare. I’ve booked a stand, well really it’s a table space, at the Holistic and Fortune Telling Fair, Westgate Hotel, Clane, Co Kildare. It’s on Sunday next, 13th April between 11.00 am and 6.00 or 7.00 pm.

As the Mind Body Spirit fair was a success and I met a lot of people who appreciated the art I thought it might be worth exploring this field further. The Mind Body Spirit fair and Art Ireland were held in the RDS in Dublin which is about 2 miles away from our house. It was no problem to do two trips to the events but Clane is about 30 miles away and a bit too far ding a double trip.

Because we only get a table space, I’ve had to develop a mobile display stand to hang my pictures on. Over the weekend I put something together which I hope will do the job nicely. This also has to collapse so it’ll fit into my Toyota Carina car along with all the pictures. I’ll post pictures next week after the fair and might even reveal how the stand was created. It should come in at about €300.

So if you are in the area please drop in to the Westgate Hotel, Clane, Co Kildare. I’d love to see you, come over and say hello.

All Kinds of Everything

At the beginning of the year I met Shirley Casey who is the editor and publisher of a nice little newsletter called All Kinds of Everything. It has lots of articles on a range of subjects, including; gardening, life, history and some sweet poetry. I wrote a small article titled Spring River.

Shirley has now set up a blog with the help of blog guru Paul O’Mahoney. It’s called Tonys Newsletter. You’ll find the article Spring River, on her blog and lots of other good stuff too. It’s worth a peek.

Inspirational Quote

Conscience is God’s presence in man

Emanuel Swedenborg