As part of the service work I do, I send out a monthly newsletter at each new moon. I’ve been doing it for ten years now, and I’m no longer surprised when people write back and share what they’re feeling/thinking and often the responses seems to share a theme. Many people told me yesterday that they’ve been crying and their hearts are tender.
That’s certainly been the case for me as well. It’s always interesting to me when collectively we’re experiencing times of our hearts breaking open. Often it’s in response to a tragedy that activates our collective compassion, but in this case it seems more that we’re each activated by our own mirrors and thus activating a collective reflection. These are tender times, but they’re calling us into empowerment I think.
One of the things that has saddened me is the loss of Waverly Fitzgerald, whose memorial/celebration-of-life ceremony is being held this weekend. I looked back and in the ten years I’ve been blogging I’ve mentioned Waverly 12 times. And while we never met in life, we did have a both a snail mail and cyber connection. We shared a passion for slow time and seasonal observation, and she in fact wrote the book Slow Time and created a body of work focused as Living in Season. She was a prolific author, researcher and teacher, and mentored many writers, She will be missed. I wrote a bit more about her work and link to her websites in this 2017 post.
Celebrating her and her connection to slow time, it’s not surprising to me that a number of “time” items caught my attention this week which I’ve rounded up for this week’s link share of things that have interested me.
- Time travel in fiction is an curious this, and can be entirely mind-bending. But I love this brief MinutePhysics video analyzing the various approaches.
- This School of Life video offers some thoughts on why it’s so hard to live in the present,
- I’m hugely fascinated by comets, and am for some reason inordinately thrilled to hear that scientists have recently figured out that two comets that are heading out of our solar system actually originated in other solar systems, and not from our own Oort cloud. So they are literally just passing through our solar system. That feels so expansive to me – as though it’s opened up the understanding of galactic travel in new ways.
- I’m also thrilled to learn that poetry has a new champion that I’m hoping will encourage more folks to actually approach it. Poet and conflict mediator Pádraig Ó Tuama will be doing a twice-weekly brief podcast (around 10 minutes or so) looking at a single poem in each episode. Poetry Unbound is an OnBeing.org project and I can’t wait for it’s audition on Monday. Listen to a brief explanation here.
- I enjoyed this tender piece about Reuniting with Awe.
- I want to give a shout out to Flying Edna which is the work of artists Fia Skye and Brian Andreas. Many people know Brian’s work as StoryPeople, and I was shocked to discover something this week. “Per a 2019 divorce decree in Iowa, Andreas no long holds any rights to his art or writing before September 2012, nor is he associated with StoryPeople, the company he founded and created. His earlier stories, prints and books to September 2012 continue to be released by StoryPeople.” (Who are very obviously not making it clear about the situation, nor indicating that Andreas is no longer associated with the company.) While the story behind the clearly contentious divorce is unknown to me, it frankly is none of my business, and not what concerns me. What I find frightening and upsetting is the very idea that, in this current day and age, an artist can be separated from their work – entirely written out of the equation as though they didn’t even exist. How is this possible? I’m pondering this from an existential point of view. And I will admit that the clear lack of kindness in this world that would allow this to be possible hurts my heart.
- But not to end on a discouraging note, let me add a final link about something that does encourage me. Lyla June Johnston is definitely someone who should be on your radar. While she’s currently running for political office in New Mexico, she’s been bringing an indigenous perspective to wide range of issues as an musician, public speaker and internationally recognized performance poet of Diné (Navajo) and Tsétsêhéstâhese (Cheyenne) lineages.
So there you have it – a peek at my week, what captured my attention, and what I consider worth sharing. And tag, now it’s your turn. What’s been up in your world – touching your heart and sparking your brain. Do tell – you know I love to hear. And know that I wish you a most auspicious 2020 Year of the Rat.
I heard Padraig speak at a literary festival in November – beautiful voice – thanks for flagging that podcast up Deborah – and Lyla June sounds like an amazing future leader … we need more politiicans putting people before profit all over this planet. Thank you for so many interesting rabbit holes to delve into 🙂 Fil
How wonderful Fil that you got to hear Padraig speak! I’ve only heard his voice in recording, but I’m certainly looking forward to more exposure on the podcast.
May there always be delightful rabbit holes to explore!
You have fascinating and important links here. I also find it unbelievable that an artist can be denied his/her creations–over money, I assume? Discouraging. However, most of these are promising, like time travel, which has always fascinated me, the indigenous candidate for NM office, and the poetry. I used to love poetry and even wrote some of it, but I drifted away. Perhaps it’s time to drift back? 🙂
Consider me a definite encourager for drifting back to poetry Margaret.
Hari OM
A lovely list (though I echo the concern re the ‘divorce’ situation – not that I know the folk to whom you refer: but that such a thing could occur, as you say).
I am each week having to remind myself that I cannot fit in as much as I did even a few months back due to the parental cares now undertaken… but am factoring in a ‘gratitude’ aspect to the fact that I have the privilege of offering this help to my father and that it is opening up space for older hobbies that had dropped by the wayside a bit – most notably, crochet. Used to much but not in the last decade. Now I can lift the hook and still be busy and creative, but also able to pay him attention without a deficit. The same cannot be said for my writing, which requires time and space and silence. All at a premium for me now!!! So, whilst no tears (re your collective grieving aspect), there has been an internal wrangle with the ego-self as to what takes priority. For now… YAM xx
Taking on the mantle of parental care is indeed life altering Yamini. I’m glad you’re finding ways to navigate the shift. But I certainly understand the impact it has on your schedule and your devotion to writing and research. For as much as change is truly part of our natural flow, it can be so hard to actually adopt without resistance. Wishing you much ease and peace.
I had to go to Flying Edna. And fell in love with the art. Sooooooo…..I bought a wonderful piece that Brian made – a raven on old wood and it came yesterday. I love it! I hope he derives something from this – the situation sounded sort of confusing. But thank you for the link! It’s “speaks to me” art for sure.
Being a confirmed corvid lover, I’m sure the piece is wonderful and something I’d love Carol. If you purchased it from the Flying Edna site then yes, Brian is receiving both credit and compensation for his work.