K is for…

       is for kaleidoscope

I love kaleidoscopes.   Besides being magical, whenever I look in one I think about perspective.  How we create whole stories from the slice of personal perspective that is ours.  One sliver multiplied by mirrors.   It always feels like a call to be sure I’m projecting the best-I-can-be so I’m not multiplying distortions and dissonance.

But then my thoughts often wander to the idea that we’re just one of the single fragments of glass in the whole that is all-there-is, but how we each add to the collective picture.  And if the picture isn’t one that I find beautiful, I can alter my placement. 

I love philosophy lessons taught by toys.

And as poet/photographer Linda Joy Montgomery wrote:

…My life is a kaleidoscope

Of changing thoughts and patterns

Evolving into a multifaceted perspective.

Then the colored glass

Becomes precious gems of joy, and truth,

Harmony and balance,

Rearranging themselves So I can stretch and expand and reach for the Light.

I’ve been meaning to try to take a photograph through a kaleidoscope for some time, and today was it.   I didn’t have very much success with several of the kaleidoscopes I tried, but I did manage to get some shots through one that uses a marble .  Now that I know it’s possible, I’ll have to play around with it more.

I’ve always thought the kaleidoscope was a rather ancient invention.  I know I read once the Greek mathematician Ptolemy talked about the effects of working with multiple mirrors.  So I was a bit surprised to learn the kaleidoscope wasn’t actually invented until 1817 by David Brewster.  He chose the name based on Greek kalos meaning beautiful and eidos meaning form.   I think that’s a fair description.

Of course when speaking about kaleidoscopes don’t you always think about the girl-with-kaleidoscope eyes?  Maybe we should take a break for a listen. 

Speaking of surreal – If you’re planning a road trip the world’s largest kaleidoscope (the size of a 64 foot-tall silo!) is located in Mt. Trempor, NY. 

Here’s today’s index card art for the ICAD challenge. 

Ok, let’s move from Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, to Yemaya in the Sea with Cowries.   Yes it’s time to segue into Artsyville’s Glue It Tuesday…

I’m a delighted member of Amy Palko’s Goddess Guidance community, and as part of the journey every month a goddess steps forward to work with.  This month I’m hanging out with Yemaya and I did a quick let’s-see-what-comes-forward collage:

To play fair and make sure Yemaya gets her melodic due, here’s another song to listen to: Deva Premel’s Yemaya Assessu.

So there you have it – a bit of a kaleidoscopic mash up today.   Have any stories to share?  Do you have a kaleidoscope?  Know any tricks with mirrors?  Do you prefer diamonds or cowries?   Sky or sea?  Do tell, you know I love to hear.